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17b0d3e8a7f3193229ebdfef08c425a54e469ec3 | LONDON, England (CNN) -- The final European race of the 2009 Formula One season is being held at one of the world's most historic tracks. Monza hosted its first race in 1922 and has been the spiritual home of Italian motor sport and Ferrari ever since. The 1951 Italian Grand Prix was won by Alberto Ascari. Four years later he was killed at Monza. La Pista Magica, as the Italians like to call it, is set in the grounds of a former royal park, 12 miles north of Milan and has hosted many of Formula One's defining races and tragedies. Britain's Sir Stirling Moss, a three-time Formula One winner at Monza told CNN: "It's a very good circuit. And being in Italy, it has a lot of atmosphere -- particularly if you're driving a red car. The Italian crowds are passionate about their racing." It is the fastest track Formula One drivers visit all year with speed in the straights approaching 370 kph (230 mph). "It's the only one left with such speed," Force India's new driver Tonio Liuzzi told CNN. "Nowhere else in the championship can you reach top speeds." Liuzzi, who has completed two Monza Grand Prix for Toro Rosso, says the first time you race at Monza can be daunting. "You have really low downforce and you can get a bit scared if you think of the speed you are approaching the Ascari or the Parabolica." The Parabolica is probably the best known turn at Monza. It comes at the end of the fastest straight on the track and starts the final loop round into the home straight. View photos of Monza through the years » . The corner was the scene of one of the sport's biggest tragedies in 1961. German driver Wolfgang von Trips was killed when his Ferrari collided with the Lotus of Jim Clark. Von Trips' car flew off the track, spun into the crowd --protected by a chain link fence -- and killed 15 spectators. "It was an awful day," Stirling Moss, who was competing in the race, said. "He was a really charming guy. We used to lose three drivers a year, but he was quite a special person." But it wasn't Monza's worst crash. In 1928, Italian Emilio Materassi died along with 27 spectators when his lost control of his car and plunged into the crowd. Von Trips' accident signaled the end of the road for the high speed oval and its vertiginous banking. It always led to a compromise in how the car was set up for a race says Moss. "The handling on the banking was completely different," he said. The decommissioning of the high speed ring reduced the length of the track from 10 kilometers to 5.8. But it was never demolished and still sits among the undergrowth, gradually giving itself up to nature. The derelict oval has become part of the allure of Monza. "It's an old school circuit," Liuzzi said. "When you're racing there you sometimes look between the trees and see the old parabolicas and banking corners. You can feel the history at Monza and that's what makes it so special." The technical challenges that Monza presents have never diminished the excitement or quality of the racing there -- not least Moss's first victory in 1956. Moss's Maserati developed a split in the fuel tank and with five laps to go he was running on empty. A desperate Moss signaled to fellow Maserati driver, Liugi Piotti that he needed a push. Piotti obliged by using the nose of his car to push Moss into the pits. A refueled Moss returned to the track and won the race. One of the greatest drives ever seen at Monza wasn't a win but a third place finish by Scotland's Jim Clark in 1967. Clark started on pole and was leading until a puncture forced him into the pits. He returned to the race over a lap behind in 16th place. Undaunted, Clark stormed through the field, recording one lap record after another eventually regaining first place. But with the checkered flag in his sights, Clark's car ran out of fuel and he had to settle for third. Four years later Monza witnessed one of the closest finishes in Formula One history with five cars being separated by 0.61 seconds. In a slipstreaming battle Peter Gethin beat Ronnie Peterson by 0.01 seconds. All the great Formula One world champions have won at Monza -- Schumacher five times, Fangio three, Prost three and Jackie Stewart and Ayrton Senna have both won there twice. For all the attraction of Formula One's growing band of new circuits, it's places like Monza that get motor sport enthusiasts pulses racing. It epitomizes all that Formula One once was and what it is still about today -- speed, passion, skill and most importantly courage. | Built in 1922 Monza is the oldest track on the Formula One calendar .
La Pista Magica has hosted some of the greatest races and deadliest crashes .
One of the quickest tracks in the world with speeds of up to 370 kph . |
17b1605fc59f43259b8e2b4ae46c160561eb95e5 | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 04:59 EST, 3 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:11 EST, 3 August 2012 . Well-off: Anthony Jarrard, 50, had £160,000 in the bank and earned money from fixing and teaching guitar and playing in a popular local band . A benefits cheat who played guitar in a band called Shady Deal has been ordered to pay back more than £157,000. Anthony Jarrard, 50, dishonestly pocketed council tax benefit, jobseeker's allowance, income support and incapacity benefit, while neglecting to declare that he owned a house in Braintree, Essex. The talented musician claimed to be unemployed but earned money from playing in his band, and teaching and fixing the guitar, Ipswich Crown Court heard. He also had tens of thousands . of pounds in savings. The unscrupulous criminal was only caught out when he was arrested for . shoplifting at Halfords in Lowestoft, Suffolk, in 2009 and was found to have a . Halifax bank card in another name. He initially claimed he had found it in the town centre but later admitted the card belonged to him and told officers he had opened the account in a fake name to avoid paying Poll Tax. Suffolk Police's Financial Investigation . Unit began looking into his circumstances and discovered he had been . claiming benefits since 1995. Jarrard had owned his home in . Braintree since 1998 and when he began claiming council tax benefit in . 2003 he had £69,000 savings in his bank account, the judge heard. Jarrard admitted three offences of failing to notify a change in circumstances while claiming benefit. Lies: Jarrard fraudulently claimed council tax benefit, jobseeker's allowance, income support and incapacity benefit, Ipswich Crown Court heard . He also admitted one charge of making a false representation to obtain benefit and was jailed last November for 12 months. Between 2003 and 2010 a . massive £70,000 was paid into Jarrard's account and by March last . year the balance had soared to £158,000. The ceiling for savings to claim benefit was £16,000. 'Addicted to money': Jarrard was jailed last November for claiming £34,000 in benefits while failing to declare that he owned a house in Braintree, Essex and had thousands of pounds of savings . After hearing the offender's available assets were £163,960, Judge Rupert Overbury made a confiscation order yesterday for £157,495. The court decided he had only managed to save up his money because of his 'criminal lifestyle'. Jarrard fiddled more than £34,000 over a period of seven years, the court heard, and will have to pay £30,338 to the Department of Work and Pensions and £4,507 to Braintree District Council. He claimed incapacity benefit in 2004 after he had an accident. Jarrard insisted he was suffering anxiety and could not raise his shoulder. Judge John Devaux told Jarrard as he jailed him: 'You weren't driven by gambling or a drug addiction. 'It could be said your addiction was money itself.' At Jarrard's sentencing hearing last . November, his barrister Christopher Paxton said the popular local group . played in pubs and clubs around Braintree. But Mr Paxton wryly told the court: 'They weren't the Rolling Stones.' He said Jarrard had lived a frugal and reclusive lifestyle and his claim for benefits had not been fraudulent from the outset. Suffolk Police Financial investigator Rachel Jarvis said: 'The Financial Investigation Unit in Suffolk strives to ensure that those who commit crime and benefit financially will be forced to pay back the profits they have made from their activities. 'This case in particular demonstrates that by applying the Proceeds of Crime Act legislation, we can ensure that criminals do not prosper from acting dishonestly and will be brought to justice.' | Had thousands in savings and owned house .
Earned cash from guitar playing, teaching and fixing .
Caught out when he was arrested for .
shoplifting at Halfords and found to have bank card in fake name . |
17b1c4ea45e32d40e79db8dec3fb42ced288544b | SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- A South Korean lawmaker has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for plotting an armed rebellion. The verdict makes Lee Seok-ki -- a member of South Korea's left-wing United Progressive Party -- the country's first sitting lawmaker to be convicted of treason since the 1980s. Lee was found guilty of leading a secret group of 130 members with alleged links to North Korea. Tension in the Korean peninsula escalated in early 2013, when Pyongyang declared an armistice agreement between the two Koreas invalid and said it could carry out nuclear strikes against its southern neighbor. The court was told that Lee thought that the heightened tensions could lead to war between the North and South, and he allegedly directed members of the group to attack major national facilities in the event of such a conflict. "Piecing together the statements from the informants and evidences ... the defendants are found guilty for conspiring to start riots aimed at subverting the constitution," Suwon District Court said in a statement. It said a strong penalty was inevitable because Lee's plot "posed substantial and clear threats to the existence of Korea and order of liberal democracy." Under South Korean criminal law, a crime of rebellion can be committed when more than two people gather to conspire treason. Lee denied all charges against him, while his party, the Unified Progressive Party, described the case as "a medieval witch-hunt." Some local media and analysts said the investigation was being used to divert attention from allegations that South Korea's state spy agency - the National Intelligence Service - had been involved in manipulating South Korea's 2012 presidential election. | South Korean lawmaker Lee Seok-ki has been jailed for 12 years for plotting a rebellion .
Lee was found guilty of leading a secret group of 130 members with alleged links to North Korea .
Lee had denied all charges and his party described the case as a "medieval witch-hunt"
Critics said it was being used to divert attention from claims the 2012 had been manipulated . |
17b1fdd54d0a18e1b218beb092702dc383f136f8 | One in five cancers is not diagnosed until patients turn up at A&E – dramatically slashing their chances of survival. Much of the reason for the shocking figure is that many people do not know the signs to look out for, so have no idea anything is wrong until the situation is so bad they need emergency help. But GPs have also been criticised for not spotting the signs early enough. One in five cancers is not diagnosed until patients turn up at A&E – dramatically slashing their chances of survival (file picture) Patients who do not find out they have cancer until they see a doctor in a casualty department are twice as likely to die within a year than those referred by their GP – because their disease tends to be more advanced. There is a dangerous postcode lottery – with 30 per cent of cancers diagnosed in A&E in the worst areas. In the best areas, just 13 per cent of cancers are diagnosed in this way. The National Audit Office report said: ‘About one in five people are still diagnosed either in an A&E department or following an emergency admission to hospital, rather than via a routine screening or GP referral to hospital. ‘Those diagnosed via emergency presentation are, on average, around twice as likely to die within a year of diagnosis as those diagnosed via an urgent GP referral, because their cancers are generally more advanced. Those diagnosed at A&E with cancer are twice as likely to die within a year than those referred by their GP . ‘More research is needed to understand better how many emergency presentations are avoidable and how they can be avoided.’ Figures quoted in the report show that the percentage of cancers diagnosed through emergency presentations decreased from 23.7 per cent in the first half of 2009 to 20.6 per cent in the second half of 2012. ‘In 2012, the percentage of cancers diagnosed through emergency presentation varied from 13 per cent to 30 per cent across the 211 clinical commissioning groups,’ it said. ‘Between 2009 and 2012 the gap between the clinical commissioning groups with the highest (top 10 per cent) and lowest (bottom 10 per cent) percentage of cancers diagnosed through emergency presentations decreased by 1.6 percentage points.’ | Patients twice as likely to die within a year if diagnosed with cancer at A&E .
Their disease tends to be more advanced than those referred by GP .
GPs have also been criticised in the National Audit Office report . |
17b55fa86f175e5538dfe3ff52497aafe48b45b7 | (CNN) -- He had a distinguished voice like actor Robert Stack and the looks of a Hollywood actor. But it was his investigative and storytelling skills that set longtime CNN correspondent and bureau chief Robert Vito apart from the rest. Vito died Wednesday night at his son's home in Singapore after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Vito was a correspondent for CNN for 17 years. In that time, he served as the first CNN Detroit bureau chief and later was the network's Rome bureau chief But he was better known for the stories he broke and covered. He won two Cable ACE Awards and several national and local Emmys. With CNN, he covered some of the biggest stories of the '80s and '90s, including the Branch-Davidian standoff in Waco, Texas; the Oklahoma City bombing; and the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Few knew it, but he was educated to be a teacher. He taught in a school in Illinois, but he wanted something different. He modeled in print ads and eventually landed a job as a radio reporter in Wisconsin. It was an act of fate and weather that brought Vito into the forefront of television news. In 1968, he had just been hired at WAEO-TV (now WJFW) in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, as a general assignment reporter. But high winds knocked down the station's transmission tower. It knocked the station off the air, and Vito out of a job. He took what little he had on a "demo reel," some radio reports from a previous job, and photos from his days as a model, to Milwaukee, where WISN-TV hired him. Vito's reports there led to construction of highway median barriers on Milwaukee County freeways, and a career in TV investigative journalism was launched. In 1973, he went to work for Detroit's WWJ-TV (which later became WDIV). In July 1975, Vito interviewed former Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. It was Hoffa's last media interview, broadcast two weeks before his disappearance. In 1982, Vito became the first Detroit bureau chief for CNN, just two years after the fledgling cable network's launch. The auto industry was a major part of his beat, and his reporting on industrial pollution affecting fish and possibly giving them cancer prompted a congressional hearing, where he testified and his reports were shown. In 1988 he became CNN's Rome bureau chief, followed by a move to CNN's Los Angeles bureau the next year. From L.A., he covered some of the top stories of the decade -- the Rodney King beating and the riots that followed, the Branch-Davidian standoff, the terrorist bombing in Oklahoma City, the O.J. Simpson criminal trial and the McMartin preschool case. From there he went on to CNN's Miami Bureau, where he covered the trial of attorney F. Lee Bailey, the shooting down of civilian aircraft off the coast of Cuba, and the slaying of fashion designer Gianni Versace. Vito left CNN in 1999 and worked as a jury consultant for a Tampa, Florida, legal consulting firm. He later worked on documentaries before leaving the business to take care of his wife, Nancy, who succumbed to cancer a year ago. Last January, Independent News Service announced The Broadcast Industry recognition given to Vito for over 45 years of dedication to investigative journalism. He's survived by his son John, John's wife, Thanita, and his grandson, Anthony. People we lost in 2013 . | Vito was CNN's first Detroit bureau chief, taking the job in 1982 .
He was with CNN for 17 years, also working in Rome, Los Angeles, Miami .
Vito died Wednesday night after a long battle with pancreatic cancer . |
17b61a46b48a772bcaf89bfc48319ae8a7de2514 | By . Sarah Dean For Daily Mail Australia . and Aap . A lawyer has been charged with dealing and possession of the drugs 'ice' and GHB in Sydney after allegedly dealing to undercover police officers. Police arrested a 34-year-old solicitor in the city's centre on Thursday and also charged him with resisting arrest, dealing in proceeds of crime, and possessing a prohibited weapon. A man in a blue shirt was hand cuffed and taken into custody at about 11am from an office building in Martin Place. Scroll down for video . Police arrested a 34-year-old solicitor in the Sydney centre on Thursday . The man was hand cuffed and taken into custody at about 11am from an office building in Martin Place . Police allege undercover officers purchased a total of 500ml of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and 13.8 grams of methylamphetamine (Ice) from the man on a number of occasions between 30 July and 13 August 2014. They later searched his home in Newtown, in Sydney's inner-west, and seized an electronic stun gun and 700ml of liquid believed to be GHB. It's alleged the lawyer had three grams of methamphetamines, an 'ice' pipe, scales, numerous resealable plastic bags, and a large amount of cash on him at the time of his arrest. It's alleged the lawyer had three grams of methamphetamines, an 'ice' pipe, scales, numerous resealable plastic bags, and a large amount of cash on him at the time of his arrest . He was taken to Sydney City Police Station and was refused bail . He was also charged him with resisting arrest, dealing in proceeds of crime, and possessing a prohibited weapon . He was taken to Sydney City Police Station and was refused bail. A 25-year-old Macquarie Park man was also arrested as part of a two-month investigation into the supply of drugs by an alleged organised-criminal syndicate. He was arrested at a unit in Kings Cross where police seized 40 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of 'Ice', 350 MDMA capsules, 10 grams of Ecstasy and a large amount of cash. He was charged with supply prohibited drug (ongoing dealing) and other offences. Both men and will appear in Central Local Court on Friday. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | A 34-year-old solicitor was arrested in Sydney's centre on Thursday .
Police allege undercover officers purchased drugs from him .
Also charged with resisting arrest, dealing in proceeds of crime, and possessing a prohibited weapon . |
17ba0139eadf17bd1f6927f2f9030b60a11c36ca | (CNN) -- All eyes at the Group of 20 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, will be on Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama, two men who are barely on speaking terms. Undoubtedly there will be drama. Putin brought his pet Labrador, Koni, to his first meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has a well-known fear of dogs, to intimidate her. Given Putin's track record, one could be forgiven for thinking that Edward Snowden might make an appearance in the Russian delegation. The true cost of the U.S.-Russian dispute will only become apparent in a few months. As the leaders focus on Syria, the purpose of the summit -- managing the global economy -- will get short shrift. As concern grows about economic troubles in emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil, we are unlikely to see a coordinated response from St. Petersburg. Official agenda items such as energy subsidies and food security will be completely overshadowed. The G20 leaders' summit was created in 2008 after the fall of Lehman Brothers as the world economy stood on the brink of collapse. The West's leaders recognized they could not fix the global economy by themselves in the old Group of Eight club. Emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil, South Korea and South Africa had to be brought into the mix and could no longer be treated as second-class citizens. The G20's great contribution to world affairs was its success in managing the global financial crisis and restoring stability to the financial system. The Washington summit in 2008 and the London summit in 2009 did much to avert a new great depression. Unprecedented cooperation between the world's largest economies provided liquidity that limited the contagion of the banking crisis, kept markets open and prevented countries from resorting to protectionism, and provided a stimulus that cushioned the drop in growth. In the years since, it has become fashionable to say that the G20 failed to follow up on its initial success. There is some truth to that. Member states have been unable to agree on a common fiscal policy -- the United States and several emerging powers favored more stimulus, while Germany and the United Kingdom led a coalition for austerity. Much still needs to be done to fix international finance, which remains crisis-prone. And the G20 has been unable to assist in managing the euro crisis. The reason is simple. Once it stepped back from the edge of the precipice, each government began fighting from its own corner. Now, as emerging economies slow down and developed economies show new signs of growth, some may ask whether the G20 still has a role to play. Is it just another talking shop? This view is understandable but wrongheaded. It could do better, but the G20 still matters for the global economy. In a globalized world, no country can pursue a unilateral international economic policy. Instability in a major economy will inevitably destabilize all other economies. We can't go back to the G8, which would leave out the world's second (China), seventh (Brazil) and 10th (India) largest economies. Governments will disagree on the best way to achieve growth, on the right level of regulation, on currency manipulation and much else. But all of these divisions would grow and threaten economic stability if leaders did not formally meet to discuss them. Even if progress is slow, we live with the ever-present risk of a new economic crisis. If one were to occur, a functioning G20 is indispensable. The real problem with the St. Petersburg summit, which contrary to expectations was relatively well-organized by Russia, is that the G20's global economy agenda has being taken over by the Syrian crisis. It is not surprising, but there is a real cost. The world still needs an effective steering committee for the global economy. If there were the remotest possibility of G20 agreement on Syria, it might be worth it, but there isn't. It will be up to Australia, which hosts the next summit in 2014, to get the G20 back on track. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Thomas Wright. | Thomas Wright: Syria likely to overshadow G20's purpose: managing global economy .
He says G20 created in 2008 to respond to economic crisis and it was able to avert disaster .
G20 remains key to staving off global economic crises, Wright says .
Wright: Meeting likely won't do much to solve Syrian conflict, but world still needs G20 . |
17baea341870c906a8539d63c436efd3c356d2bb | (CNN) -- One of the world's most iconic works of art will be auctioned in May, and could fetch tens of millions of dollars, according to Sotheby's Auction House in Manhattan. "The Scream," created in 1895 by artist Edvard Munch, will be on display at Sotheby's starting April 27 and then go up for sale May 2. "Munch's 'The Scream' is the defining image of modernity, and it is an immense privilege for Sotheby's to be entrusted with one of the most important works of art in private hands," said Sotheby's Senior Vice President Simon Shaw. "For collectors and institutions, the opportunity to acquire such a singularly-influential masterpiece is unprecedented in recent times." Shaw said it is difficult to predict the work's value because of its rare and unique nature, but estimates it could sell for more than $80 million, based on recent sales of other masterpieces. This version of "The Scream" is the only one of four original compositions still in private hands, according to Sotheby's. It is currently owned by Petter Olsen, whose father was apparently a friend and neighbor of Munch. "I feel the moment has come to offer the rest of the world a chance to own and appreciate this remarkable work, which is the only version of 'The Scream' not in the collection of a Norwegian museum," Olsen said. He noted that the proceeds from the sale will go toward a new museum and art center in Norway. Sotheby's describes it as a "defining image of the Expressionist movement" and "a pivotal work in the history of art." "It is the projection of Munch's mental state that was so artistically innovative -- a landscape of the mind, whose impact is still felt in the art of today," the auction house said in a statement. The remaining versions of "The Scream" are in Norwegian museums. The first version, created in 1893, was stolen out of the National Gallery of Norway in 1993 but recovered later that same year. The other versions, one created later in 1893 and one from 1910, are displayed in the Munch Museum in Oslo. The 1910 version was stolen in 2004, but was recovered two years later. | This version of "The Scream" was painted in 1895 by artist Edvard Munch .
It will be on display at Sotheby's starting April 27 .
The composition is expected to go up for sale on May 2 .
It could fetch tens of millions of dollars . |
17baed26f1e5e9f4b878b5b99e4cbbd3bcb6f141 | By . Helen Pow and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:48 EST, 24 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:48 EST, 24 May 2013 . A teenage girl with Asperger's Syndrome and her boyfriend who has mental health problems have been charged with the murder of her father. Morgan Arnold, 14, has been charged with first-degree murder and two counts of solicitation of murder for allegedly coaxing boyfriend Jason Bulmer to stab her father to death. Bulmer, 19, has also been charged with first-degree murder over the death of Dennis Lane at his home in Ellicott City, Maryland. Both are charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Charged: Morgan Lane Arnold, right, and Jason Anthony Bulmer, left, were arrested on May 10 in the brutal slaying of Arnold's father . Grisly: Officers arrived to find Lane, 58, dead in an upstairs bedroom and the two suspects in a nearby room, Bulmer, left, drenched in blood . A defense lawyer has expressed concern over the teenagers' mental ability to understand the legal proceedings. A grand jury indicted and charged both Arnold and Bulmer this week, according to the Baltimore Sun. Stabbed to death: Dennis Lane, pictured, was found stabbed to death in his home in Maryland . Arnold's mother says that her daughter has . been diagnosed with Asperger's and an anxiety disorder while Bulmer's . father described him as being 'slow'. Joseph Murtha, attorney for Arnold, . said he asked the court to sent Arnold's case back to juvenile court and . was trying to establish if she was competent for trial. Scheduled preliminary hearings for today did not take place, according to the state attorney's office and arraignment dates are still to be scheduled. Arnold is accused of coaxing her . 19-year-old boyfriend to stab her father in a bloody attack they plotted . for months over Facebook and Skype. The pair . also allegedly planned to kill Dennis Lane's fiance, Denise Geiger, but . didn't get the chance as she called 911 when she heard her partner's . screams. The teens were arrested on May 10. Officers . discovered Lane, 58, dead in an upstairs bedroom at around 4.30am and the two suspects were discovered in a nearby room with . Bulmer drenched in blood. According . to charging documents, Bulmer had been instructed by 14-year-old Arnold . to stab Lane in the throat 10 times with a kitchen carving knife and . Geiger in the throat 15 times with the same weapon. When . detectives asked why Geiger was to be stabbed five times more than . Lane, Bulmer, who is only in the 10th grade, told detectives that Arnold . said: 'I have my reasons, and I'll tell you later.' The pair were then planning to flee to California, police said. According to police, the teenage couple plotted the murder for months over 'electronic communication.' 'I don't know what I'll do if you don't do it tonight,' Arnold told Bulmer in one of their last exchanges, according to CBS. Bulmer was instructed to bring his own knife to the house, which Arnold shared with her dad and Geiger, and he sent his younger girlfriend a photo of a kitchen knife in a text message, checking for her approval. She replied in such a way that 'indicated to Bulmer that this knife was satisfactory,' according to the charging documents. She sent a further message to say she would leave the door unlocked and Bulmer let her know when he had left his home in Ellicott City and was en route to her father's house. Mug shots: 'I don't know what I'll do if you don't do it tonight,' Arnold, left, told Bulmer, right, in one of their last exchanges . When he arrived, at around 4 am Bulmer allegedly crept into the home then into Lane's bedroom . where he stabbed him multiple times, leaving him in a pool of his own blood. 'We do believe this homicide was very much encouraged by this fourteen-year-old daughter,' a police spokesman said. 'Both Bulmer, who had blood on his hands and clothes, and Arnold were sitting in an upstairs bedroom when the police arrived. Officers found Lane deceased with multiple stab wounds in a different upstairs bedroom.' Both . teens are active on Facebook and on their pages, which are plastered . with dedications of their love for one other, they discuss communicating . over Skype. Investigators haven't pinned down a motive for the horrific act but they believe Arnold . urged Bulmer to stab her father, a prominent blogger in Howard County . and a real estate exec, so the two could run away together. Serious allegations: Arnold and Bulmer, pictured, are charged them with first and second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder . In early December, Arnold wrote a post on her Facebook page warning her friends of the apocalypse. 'The world shalt end this year!!!' the 14-year-old lamented on her page, which is otherwise covered with . obsessive posts about her boyfriend. Her mother quickly responded with 'or not' before her father weighed into the conversation minutes later. 'We'll . find out next week if you're right...' he wrote after the post, which . now seems particularly chilling. She wrote, simply: 'Yay!' Popular: Dennis Lane, center, was a well-loved blogger and real estate executive . Targets: Denise Geiger, left, and her fiance Dennis Lane, right, were allegedly targeted by Arnold and Bulmer . Bulmer's Facebook page was full of love dedications for Arnold and photographs of the two of them, who both attended Mount Hebron High in Ellicott City. 'On April 6, he wrote: 'Cleaning my room now for Morgan tomorrow and I'm hitting the spot on my head where I busted it up at.' Later that day her added: 'Watching lord or the rings (sic) the fellowship of the ring extended edition with @Morgan Arnold.' The following day he wrote on his wall: 'Going to my girlfriends 's ms (sic) house then horseback riding today is going to be fun' before changing his profile picture to a photo of the two of them. On April 11, he posted to his wall: 'Bored as hell right now I can't wait to see Morgan tomorrow I miss you,' then 'What to watch so many Netflix so little time ugh I just can't wait to see Morgan tomorrow.' Family and friends were shocked by the senseless slaying. Geiger wrote on her Facebook page yesterday: 'I will ALWAYS LOVE Dennis Lane, aka, WORDBONES. He will always will be in my heart.' Others described Lane's . relationship with his daughter as extremely close. Close: Morgan Arnold seemed to be close to both her mother, appearing in vacation snaps . Eccentric: The 14-year-old, pictured left and right, will be tried as an adult . According to the Sun, the father regularly blogged about cherished time spent with the teen. Lane's sister J Kelly Lane, wrote a tribute to her brother on Facebook on Saturday. 'Dennis.. RIP, sweet bro. You were always there for me, my hero, my joker, my friend,' she wrote. Later she added: 'The outpouring of love & support at this most difficult time is so appreciated by me & my family. Thanks to you all.' Condolences also poured in from followers of Lane's blog 'A Tale of Two Cities' after news of his death surfaced. A reader called Jill wrote: 'I am so shocked and saddened. I tuned in every day to see what perspectives of business and community, or just plain beauty, Dennis was going to share with us on that day.' Another follower, Christine Carey, said in a comment: 'Thank you for sharing your dreams and thoughts about Columbia and Ellicott City. There's so much that I know about where I live that came directly from your blog and I can't thank you enough.' Counselors were on hand today at Mount Hebron High for students who will likely be shocked by the charges filed against their classmates. School district spokesman Rebecca Amani-Dove said in an email to the Sun: 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim's family and everyone affected by this terrible tragedy.' | Morgan Lane Arnold and Jason Anthony Bulmer charged as adults .
Teenagers arrested earlier this month in the brutal slaying of Arnold's dad Dennis Lane, 58 .
Couple also allegedly planned to kill Lane's fiance Denise Geiger .
Teenagers 'planned for months over Skype and Facebook'
Officers found the victim dead in an upstairs bedroom and the teens in a nearby room with Bulmer covered in blood . |
17bb8dc1823dd2bf28eaf24c1f72817f746f64c6 | While much of the East Coast is coated in snow, spare a thought for the crew of the French–Italian Halley research station in Antarctica. They are about to be 'locked in' - and will have to survive six months of complete isolation. To make things worse, four months will be in darkness because the Sun never rises above the horizon. Scroll down for video . Called Halley VI, the lab is made up of four-legged modules linked by enclosed walkways. Called Halley VI, it is made up of four-legged modules linked by enclosed walkways. The centre is designed to house between 16 and 52 members of staff, depending on the time of year. A central social hub gives residents the chance to relax and contains a dining room, bar and a gym. Called Halley VI, it is made up of four-legged modules linked by enclosed walkways. The centre is designed to house between 16 and 52 members of staff, depending on the time of year. A central social hub gives residents the chance to relax and contains a dining room, bar and a gym. A vacuum drainage system keeps water . consumption down, and the ski-clad stilts keep the units about 4 metres . (13 feet) above the level of the ice. The inside of the centre has been . been specially designed to support crew numbers ranging from 52 in the . summer to 16 during the three months of total darkness in winter, when . temperatures at the base drop as low as -56C. It has triple-glazed windows and a . quiet room at the north end of the station is included for residents to . contemplate the Antarctic environment in peace. This year, ESA-sponsored medical doctor Beth Healey will monitor five experiments that are helping to prepare for long-duration missions to explore our Solar System. 'Living in Concordia is similar in many ways to living in space, where crew are cut off from the world without normal sunlight and live in reduced pressure – Concordia station lies 3200 m above sea level,' says the European Space Agency. 'From searching for life that could survive in these extreme conditions to monitoring how the crew of 13 interact and cope with living in close quarters, Beth will have her hands full as the crew maintain the station and perform Antarctic science for the French and Italian polar institutes.' ESA signed an agreement this month with the British Antarctic Survey to perform two of the five Concordia experiments at their Halley VI station. If this pilot season runs well, ESA will extend the cooperation. Concordia offers ESA scientists a place to investigate how humans adapt to living in isolation and at high altitudes. The crew at Halley experience the same isolation and lack of daylight but live at sea level. Performing the same investigations at Halley will allow researchers to cross one factor off the list that might influence data: air pressure. Over the next six months, volunteers at Halley and Concordia will record themselves in a video diary and have their social interactions monitored. This is working towards objective computer software that will give clues to an astronaut’s state of mind. The Halley VI centre, a dismantlable research station created for the . British Antarctic Survey by British architects Hugh Broughton, was . nominated for the World Architecture Festival Awards 2013 . Ask anybody how they feel and most will reply ‘fine’ but, for mission controllers planning a complex spacewalk or spacecraft docking, having an objective second-opinion could be a lifesaver. The system works by analysing small changes in intonation and grammar, as well as charting how often people talk to each other, to develop an idea of how people feel. The second experiment being run at both sites will test how our eyes adapt to four months of outside darkness and artificial lighting. Concordia sunset . David Vaughan, British Antarctic Survey’s director of science, concludes: “We are committed to supporting excellent science in Antarctica in all disciplines. We are hugely excited to be hosting these new experiments that may help prepare for, perhaps, the biggest adventure in history, a manned flight to Mars.” Click here for a full list of ESA’s research at Concordia this year and follow the Concordia blog for updates from the station. Beth Healey . ESA-sponsored medical doctor Beth Healey at the Concordia station in Antarctica. During winter the Sun stays below the horizon for around four months. A skeleton crew of up to 15 to keep the base running and fend for themselves for nine months. It was built solely for purpose, to enable scientists to live comfortably as they carry out vital research work in the freezing cold Antarctic. But thanks to its strikingly futuristic appearance, the Halley VI centre has been causing quite a stir in architectural circles, and it has now been nominated for a prestigious global award. In a textbook example of form following function, British architect firm Hugh Broughton . created the series of four-legged pods, seven of them blue and one red, . which stand on moving ice and can be raised to keep them above the snow . which builds up. The Halley VI centre consists of series of four-legged pods which stand on moving ice and can be raised to keep them above the snow which builds up . The dismantlable research station, . which few fans of design will ever get to see unless they venture to the . Antarctic wilderness, is among the nominees for the World Architecture . Festival Awards 2013. Halley VI is the sixth facility to occupy the site on the Brunt Ice Shelf - a floating sheet of ice about 10 miles (16 kilometres) from the edge of the South Atlantic. Most of the previous stations were crushed under the weight of the polar snow, while Halley V had to be abandoned due to fears that the station would be lost if the ice sheet split apart, said survey spokesman Paul Seagrove. Solitude: Antarctica is the most isolated place on Earth - but its . remote location means the scientists have been able to see the stunning . aurora australis . Home from home: The modules include house labs, a dining room, a bar and a gym . Linked: The scientists do not need to go outside to move between modules as they will be joined together by walkways . | The futuristic-looking Halley VI centre, was designed by British architect firm Hugh Broughton .
Consists of a series of four-legged pods .
which stand on moving ice and can be raised to keep them above the snow .
During winter a skeleton crew of 15 remain on the station, and must fend for themselves as aircraft cannot visit . |
17bd01faca4d1ec345640488d39245a901072937 | (CNN) -- Big-spending English Premier League club Manchester City have completed the much-anticipated signing of Argentina international Carlos Tevez. Carlos Tevez faces competiton from seven other forwards in Manchester City's first-team squad. The 25-year-old was presented to the media on Tuesday afternoon ahead of City's departure the following day for a three-match pre-season tour of South Africa. City revealed on Monday night that the striker has agreed a five-year contract and would complete his move from bitter rivals Manchester United after passing a medical. A fee for the transfer has not yet been revealed, but it is reported that City have agreed to pay about $40 million to take over the player's ownership rights from the sports agencies which previously held them. Tevez denied claims by his former manager Alex Ferguson that he had decided to leave Old Trafford as long ago as January. Ferguson also said that he had offered the player a new contract on the night United played Inter Milan in the Champions League in March, but Tevez did not return his calls or text messages. "I was there for two years and Sir Alex never called or sent any text messages in that time," Tevez told reporters through an interpreter. "The only time he spoke to me was after the Champions League final in Rome when I was going back to Argentina. It doesn't seem that this is the way to treat a player in two years at the club. It doesn't seem there is a line of communication. "It is United people talking about signing a contract (in January) but it is not true that it was decided then. I felt Sir Alex Ferguson and (United chief executive) David Gill did not do enough to try to keep me. "The fact I did not stay at United was not because of the fans. They must understand a part of my heart will always be with them. They were always extremely supportive, even when I wasn't playing." City manager Mark Hughes confirmed that the club had been in contact with Arsenal over a move for Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who has been linked with a $40 million move to Eastlands. "I think there's been discussions between ourselves and Arsenal but, as is my usual response about players that we haven't signed, really it's not the right time or place to discuss that -- only in as much as yes, there has been contact," Hughes told reporters. "There's a deal to be done, possibly, but it's not been concluded as we speak. Until it actually happens, really it's not the time or the place to discuss it here." The Mancunians have also made a huge offer for Chelsea captain John Terry, but the London club have insisted that the England defender is not for sale. "I have fantastic respect for John Terry, ever since I saw him as a young player when I was at Chelsea as a player myself," Hughes said. "He's a great player and an outstanding captain. But he's very much a Chelsea player at this moment in time. I think any manager would covet a player of the type of John Terry, but at this moment in time he's a player for Chelsea, so we have to respect that." The high-profile capture of Tevez is a big boost for the club and its billionaire Abu Dhabi-based owner, who was forced to end his long-running bid to sign Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroon international, who had been offered a reported $400,000 a week wages, stalled on the move after being offered a new deal by the European champions, with some papers claiming he wanted a big chunk of any transfer fee paid by City. If Hughes does also sign Adebayor then the Welshman will have nine strikers at his disposal. The former Manchester United forward already has new $30 million signing Roque Santa Cruz, January's $23 million acquisition Craig Bellamy and Brazil star Robinho -- who arrived a year ago in a British-record $58 million coup. Felipe Caicedo, Valeri Bojinov, Benjani Mwaruwari and Ched Evans have also been given shirt numbers -- Tevez will wear No. 32 -- in a 57-strong squad named ahead of the new season. Hughes has released former England international striker Darius Vassell, while England Under-20 forward Daniel Sturridge has joined Chelsea for a fee to be resolved by a tribunal. Tevez scored 19 goals in 63 appearances for Premier League champions United after joining from West Ham, who he controversially saved from relegation despite a furor over his part-ownership with agent Kia Joorabchian's MSI Group. He has won 50 international caps, and has recently returned from holidays following Argentina's latest World Cup qualifiers. Tevez, who has won an Olympic gold medal, is the only man to be named South American Player of the Year in three successive seasons. | Argentina striker Carlos Tevez joins Manchester City on a five-year contract .
The 25-year-old decided to leave City's bitter rivals Manchester United .
City pay a reported $40 million to buy the player's ownership rights .
Club have also contacted Arsenal over move for striker Emmanuel Adebayor . |
17bd53b7b500698ac42f10114d44537b8b1270cd | (CNN) -- This is the tale of Peter Rabbit, but not the classic version that Beatrix Potter created. Instead, this particular Peter Rabbit is one of 65 tattered, matted but, most importantly, cherished stuffed toys and teddy bears that photographer Mark Nixon features in "Much Loved" (Abrams Image), a book that comes out October 29. Nixon said the inspiration for the photo series came from his son, Calum, who was very attached to the plush rabbit since birth. When the Dublin, Ireland-based photographer put out the initial inquiry for "loved to bits" teddies, he said he expected most of the submissions to come from children, but adults soon wanted to take part as well. "It was as though they had been keeping a long-held secret and could finally tell someone what their teddies really meant to them," he writes in the book's foreword. While many of the bears are eerily dismembered, Nixon said that wornness is the ultimate indication of a teddy "much loved." What was your beloved childhood toy? Tell us in the comments, or share it with us on Twitter @CNNLiving, with the hashtag #CNNparents! | Mark Nixon's photos were inspired by his son's attachment to a stuffed animal .
Nixon says the stories of the bears are just as integral as the photos .
The book of photos will be released on October 29 . |
17bd7121716a105f1edb4aa1a7369ec14564563e | By . Roz Lewis . Kris' first acting role was in Closing Numbers with Jane Asher . When I was boarding at Wells Cathedral School I'd really enjoyed acting, so after I'd flunked my A-levels and spent eight months in Hong Kong, staying with my father who was in the Air Force, I returned to the UK to pursue my dream. By the time I was 19, about six months after I'd finished at Redroofs Stage School in Maidenhead, I went for my first film audition as an actor. I was living in a not very nice part of Maidenhead, renting a room for £38 a week and working in a nightclub while applying for work. The day I went up for the audition in London was very exciting. It was for a Channel 4 film called Closing Numbers with Jane Asher. I hadn't done a film audition before so I met the director Stephen Whittaker and read for him. He said he wasn't entirely sure I was suitable for the role but promised to call me later. As I caught the train back from London to Maidenhead that afternoon I picked up a newspaper that had been left on the seat and it randomly fell open on the horoscopes page. The advice for Aries, my star sign, was sage. 'Something you do today will colour not only the next few days but the months and the years ahead,' it read. I thought, 'Well, that sounds good to me.' I tore out the horoscope, put it in my wallet and went home. In the end I did get the job, and spent three days filming in Bushey near Watford. As it was such a small part, I didn't get a car to pick me up and rather embarrassingly I was late on my first day and kept Jane Asher waiting for 45 minutes. Unfortunately, after Closing Numbers I didn't get another role in film or TV for a long time, but I kept that clipping in my wallet and it became my mantra as a reminder not to give up. I slogged away in rep theatre gradually learning my craft - I didn't feel I had any other options - and when I wasn't acting I'd work in factories just to keep the money coming in. Kris (left) in Closing Numbers in 1993, he believe he owes the role to a horoscope . Then, just as my career began to blossom - much to the relief of my parents, who thought acting was just a passing phase - I lost the clipping. But it had served its purpose, inspiring me to keep plugging away when times were tough. My latest role in Death In Paradise is a fantastic job. Spending six months in a beautiful place like Guadeloupe, working with a great cast and dodging hurricanes is a dream come true. I'd never been a fan of astrology and to be honest I don't believe anyone could make predictions for one-twelfth of the population, but on that day those random words in a newspaper really struck a chord with me. I can still quote them, that's how much of an impression they made. I'd like to think it was my persistence and talent that got me where I am... but who knows, maybe it was written in the stars too. Series three of Death In Paradise is out now on DVD and available to buy from www.bbcshop.com. | Kris earned his first acting role in Closing Numbers with Jane Asher .
He got the part the same day a horoscope said his life would change .
He kept the horoscope clipping as a good luck charm . |
17bddf65676de4b5854df361e1703f843c2b04a4 | By . Sarah Dean for Daily Mail Australia . The mother and her infant son who were killed in an explosion and fire in Sydney's inner west this month were laid to rest in the same coffin today, as loved ones remembered them as 'inseparable'. Bianka O'Brien, 31, and her 11-month-old son, Jude, were killed when the blast ripped through the convenience store below their apartment in suburban Rozelle on 4 September and caused a fire than engulfed the building. Father and husband John O'Brien spoke lovingly of his son and wife in a heart-wrenching eulogy at their joint funeral at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Rozelle. 'When they found Jude, he was with his mum,' John O'Brien told the packed service. 'There was no happier place for Jude.' Scroll down for video . Bianka O'Brien and Jude were placed together in a white coffin, adorned with pink, purple and orange flowers. Grieving husband and father John helped to carry the coffin out of the church. John O'Brien is comforted by friends outside the service to farewell Mr O'Brien's wife . John O'Brien (right) outside the service for his wife Bianka and son Jude . Bianka O'Brien and her 11-month-old son Jude perished when their home was engulfed in flames after an explosion in the convenience story below their Rozelle apartment . Mourners comfort each other as they arrive at the service for the mother and son who died in the Rozelle blast on September 4 . Mr O'Brien had left home for work less than an hour before the explosion that claimed the lives of his wife, son. Another resident of the building, Chris Noble, 27, was also killed. Mourners gathered on a bright spring day for the funeral service, hugging each other for comfort outside the church. Bianka and her baby son were placed together in a beautiful white and silver coffin adorned with pink, purple and orange flowers for the service. Mr O'Brien joined the pallbearers in carrying the casket from the church. The pair will be buried at Woronora Cemetery, Sutherland, in Sydney's south, near where Bianka worked as a hairdresser. 'Bianka was everything to me,' Mr O'Brien said in his eulogy, describing his wife as 'loving and sweet' but also 'the toughest woman in the planet.' When their son arrived in their lives, it 'changed everything,' he said. He mourned for 'a sweet little boy… You wouldn't even know if he was hungry, he just smiled away.' He told friends and family gathered at the church he found solace in knowing the two most important people in his life were together at the end. Friends described the joy that Jude brought to the family and their friends. 'I now believe that, through Bianka and John, an angel came to us: Jude,' a friend told mourners. He added, 'Bianka was no ordinary person. Why take them away from us?' John O'Brien outside the church after the service to farewell Bianka and Jude . He said Bianka and her son were inseparable. Bianka's best friend, Lucille O'Brien, spoke of the time the pair went shopping for her wedding dress. 'The wedding was beautiful. She was the happiest I've seen her. To my best friend, Bianka. I love you ... I don't want to say goodbye just yet' Mourners dressed in black and grey began arriving at St Joseph's Catholic Church in Sydney at around 10am. The service was attended by loved ones, friends, police and ambulance officers . Mourners comforted each other outside St Joseph's Catholic Church in Rozelle, in Sydney's inner west . About 120 people attended the moving service, including 20 NSW police officers, who lined the footpath in a guard of honour as Mr O'Brien people entered the church. Women carried bouquets of flowers and men hid their eyes behind dark glasses, as mourners comforted and embraced each other outside the church. An order of service given to mourners included photos of the family in happier times. 'Your presence we miss, your memory we treasure, loving you always, forgetting you never,' read a poem on the first page. In Loving Memory: The service booklet tribute to Bianka and Jude O'Brien . John O'Brien outside the funeral for his late wife Bianka and son Jude, who were killed in the Rozelle blast . John O'Brien helps to carry the white coffin out of the service carrying the bodies of his wife Bianka and infant son Jude . The devastated father and husband of Jude and Bianka arrived at the church at 10.47 am. He held his head high as he walked up the steps into the church and touched the holy water with his right hand before entering. A friend reassuringly tapped him twice on his back. Suited members of the ambulance service, who helped in the search for Jude and Bianka after the explosion, arrived next along with some mothers and babies in prams. Police superintendent Clive Ainley told Daily Mail Australia that police officers and the Rozelle community are all hurting after the loss of three beautiful people in such awful circumstances. 'It's a traumatic experience. We've provided welfare to cope with the stress.' 'A lot of police here from Leichhardt were on the scene. Some of the officers are relatives of Bianka and Jude. Police form a line of honour as father and husband, John, arrives at the church . The service for Bianka and Jude was also attended by emergency workers who came to pay their respects, after working at the scene of the Rozelle blast . Superintendent Ainley said the tragic deaths of Bianka and Jude, as well as of Chris Noble, will continue to devastate the community. 'Rozelle is a small community and the whole community bonded together,' he said. 'This is a major incident for Rozelle.. The likes of which we will probably never see again.' The police paid their respects, in the midst of the investigation to discover what started the blaze in the convenience store. 'We formed a guard of honour which we usually do at police funerals because there are police officers who are related to the family . 'I can't comment on the investigation, it's ongoing.' John O'Brien spoke to the ambulance members before going alone to look at the bodies of his loved ones. The service began at 11am to the song 'You Are The Sunshine of my Life.' After the readings a touching video presentation was played to the packed church, showing the young family's tragically short lives together. John enters the church clasping the service booklet, which was filled of happy photographs of Bianka, his boy, Jude, and himself . The funeral service booklet was filled with photos that documented Bianka and John's happy eight years together and their smiley baby Jude. John described Bianka as being 'everything to him.' He told mourners how his 'sweet' son had come along. Music was an important part of the service, with 'You are the Sunshine of my Life', 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and 'Tears in Heaven' played . Photos from when John met the 'love of his life' Bianka were shown, as well as pictures of their beautiful baby boy. The video played to the sound of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. 'Bianka and Jude may your guardian angels be with you in paradise,' read the order of service. Photographs of Jude and Bianka were placed on their shared coffin inside the church. The community continues to rally round the families of those affected by the tragedy. Darling Street reopened to traffic on Wednesday and now a 'shop local' campaign and a fundraising concert have been set up to help recover some of the $1.5 million of revenue lost by local businesses. The Rozelle Fire Appeal Community Concert will take place on Sunday 21, September, in King George Park, Rozelle. There will be music, children's entertainment and a picnic between 12pm and 3pm in the park. | Two of the victims of the Rozelle blast farewelled at a moving service today .
Bianka O'Brien and her infant son Jude died in their home on September 4 .
Loving husband and father John delivered a heart-wrenching eulogy at St Joseph's Catholic Church .
'Bianka was everything to me' and Jude 'changed everything,' he said .
'When they found Jude he was with his mum. There was no happier place for Jude'
Bianka and Jude were laid to rest together in a single white coffin adorned with flowers .
Chris Noble, 27, was also killed in the explosion that destroyed the building . |
17beeb78be82940a54c1aba4802799e8e7595cb8 | By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 05:43 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:58 EST, 11 September 2013 . As she poses in a bikini showing off her defined abs, bulging biceps and super toned legs, it's hard to believe that Rachel Turner was once a size 16 with body confidence issues. But the mother-of-three from Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea, has transformed both her figure and her self-esteem in two years after taking up bodybuilding. The now 42-year-old said it was turning 40 that gave her the impetus to change her life after an under-active thyroid, poor diet and role as a stay-at-home mother led her to pile on the pounds. Scroll down for video . Happier now: Rachel was a size 16 before she dropped her body fat and became a body builder . She said: 'Although I was on medication to tackle my under-active thyroid problem it was still difficult for me to regulate my weight and if I was honest I was not following an entirely healthy eating plan. 'I gave up my job at a law firm to be a stay-at-home mum. I suppose because I enjoyed work and missed being busy during the day I was comfort eating. 'I would buy chocolate bars to snack on whilst cooking the family meal. I would wade through packets of biscuits whilst watching daytime TV and drink untold cups of cappuccino. I would always serve a dessert sweet after our family meal. My eating was out of control.' Toned up: Rachel follows a weight regime and strict protein diet to build her lean muscle . Rachel's weight rose to 12 stone and her confidence and relationship with her husband, David suffered. She explained: 'As my weight increased, I didn't seem to care and allowed my weight and clothes size to balloon. Before I knew it, I was fitting into size 16 clothes. I convinced myself that I was fat and happy. 'I thought if I could dress well and keep my hair and make up nice I could get away with being fat. I was totally kidding myself. One day I caught a glimpse of myself under severe lighting in a changing room. I noticed that not only did I have cellulite on my thighs and bottom but also on my upper arms. I was gobsmacked. I was so busy covering up I hadn't noticed what I was covering up. 'How my body looked at this time affected everything. My relationship with my husband suffered. I didn't want him to look at me let alone touch me. I would jump into bed fully clothed from head to toe.' 'People say life begins at 40 but I felt . washed up with my life heading downwards, not beginning. I decided I . needed to do something about it and fast' Before having children, Rachel had been a trained aerobics instructor who had studied nutrition and enjoyed exercising so she was deeply unhappy with her weight gain and lack of fitness. 'I was snappy with everyone, angry that I let myself get into this state,' she said. It was the milestone birthday of 40 that made her realise she had to turn her life back around. 'I didn't want to be fat, frumpy and forty', she said. 'People say life begins at 40 but I felt washed up with my life heading downwards, not beginning. I decided I needed to do something about it and fast.' Rachel began eating more healthily, cutting out sugary, fatty foods and swapping her milky cappuccinos for black coffee. She attended Zumba and Body Pump classes, did some weights at the gym and started running. Her weight soon dropped and she loved the way her body shape was transforming. 'My arms became more shapely. My back and . shoulders were stronger. My legs and bottom toned and I almost carved . myself a six pack,' she recalls. Life begins at 40: As a stay-at-home mother, Rachel said she let herself get out of shape but turning 40 gave her the impetus to change her life . Her husband noticed how her fitness levels had gone 'through the roof' and suggested she run a marathon. But Rachel dismissed this idea as 'everyone runs the marathon'. 'I want to do something extraordinary,' she added. She has now achieved this by becoming a professional bodybuilder, winning accolades for her physique and aiming to qualify for Miss Universe. As previously reported in the MailOnline, it was former glamour model Jodie Marsh who gave her the idea to become a bodybuilder. 'I love showing off my new figure. I don't wear a one piece, I wear a two piece bikini, the smaller the better' She explains: 'In October 2011 I was watching This Morning and I saw Jodie Marsh giving an interview about her bodybuilding. That was my eureka moment - I would become a competitive bodybuilder.' Rachel contacted Jodie's trainer Tim Sharp who devised a weight training and nutrition plan for her to follow. She said: 'I would see Tim once a week and he would send through to my phone my training plan which I would do at my own gym. Tim also sent through my nutrition plan. This included supplements such as protein drinks, glutamine, branch chain aminos and creatine. These were all supplied by LA Muscle who are now my sponsors.' Confident: Rachel used to hide her body away but now she loves to show it off . Under Tim's fitness regime, Rachel dropped body fat and gained lean muscle. She also learnt a choreographed routine in which she forms various poses to music to showcase her muscular figure. She was then ready to enter her first bodybuilding competitions - and hasn't looked back. So far she has been runner up at the National Amateur Body-Builders' Association (NABBA) South East Qualifiers and sixth place at NABBA Britain. She aims to carry on doing well in these competitions so she can go on to represent England in international competitions such as Miss Universe. The body Rachel would hide away two years ago is now one she's proud of. 'I love showing off my new figure. I don't wear a one piece, I wear a two piece bikini, the smaller the better,' she said. Rachel Turner is sponsored by LA Muscle and has a show on The Active Channel. Shows can be viewed on their website or on Sky channel 281 and Freesat Channel 408 . | Mother-of-three Rachel Turner was a size 16 with body confidence issues .
She transformed her figure by taking up bodybuilding at age of 40 .
Now competes and hopes to qualify to represent England . |
17bf45c47b949a1a3e41f9e5e5016df3a7a6272b | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. first lady Laura Bush -- in a rare foray into foreign policy -- called on Myanmar's military junta to "step aside," give up the "terror campaigns" against its people and allow for a democratic Myanmar in a commentary published in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal. U.S. first lady Laura Bush said the junta "should step aside to make way for a unified Burma." "Gen. Than Shwe and his deputies are a friendless regime," Bush said. "They should step aside to make way for a unified Burma [Myanmar] governed by legitimate leaders. "The rest of the armed forces should not fear this transition -- there is room for a professional military in a democratic Burma," Bush said, in keeping with the U.S. policy of still using Myanmar's former name. In Wednesday's commentary, Bush called on Myanmar's military leaders to release Aun Sung Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders so they can meet with and plan for a transition to democracy. "Meanwhile, the world watches -- and waits," Bush warns. "We know that Gen. Than Shwe and his deputies have the advantage of violent force. But Ms. Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders have moral legitimacy, the support of the Burmese people and the support of the world. "The regime's position grows weaker by the day. The generals' choice is clear: The time for a free Burma is now." The humanitarian rights situation in Myanmar has been a cause for the first lady in the past few months as the crisis there worsened. Myanmar state media has reported that 2,000 people were detained during the demonstrations and the crackdown against them -- under an emergency law imposed on September 25 banning assembly of more than five people -- and that 700 of those people have been released. The official death toll from Myanmar's leadership is at 10, but there are reports that hundreds were killed and thousands arrested in the wake of the demonstrations that peaked late September, which were led by Myanmar's Buddhist monks. On Tuesday morning, Bush received a phone call from U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to update her on the efforts of his special envoy to Myanmar, Ibrahim Gambari. A representative of the secretary general said the call was a follow-up to a conversation they had weeks ago. Gambari met last week with the military junta leadership as well as with Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest in Yangon. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, told reporters that Laura Bush and her husband's administration believe that there is a "need to start preparing for transition" for Myanmar. "We believe it is very important that progress be made and prisoners be released and conditions for Aun Sung Suu Kyi be improved [so] that she can prepare for participation for negotiations for a transition," he said. E-mail to a friend . | Laura Bush calls on Myanmar junta to "step aside," allow for a democracy .
Military leaders must give up the "terror campaigns" against its people, she says .
Junta should release Aun Sung Suu Kyi and other opposition leaders, she says .
Her rare foray into foreign policy was published in the Wall Street Journal . |
17c0a2f2693531f8102d737bb76f73a3d897cec7 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Two U.S. Air Force F-15s escorted two Russian Bear long-range bombers out of an air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska, U.S. military officials said Wednesday. Two U.S. Air Force F-15s were dispatched to meet the Russian bombers. U.S. radar picked up the Russian turbo-prop Tupolev-95 planes about 500 miles off the Alaska coast. The U.S. fighters from Elmendorf Air Force Base were dispatched to meet the bombers and escorted them out of the area without incident, the officials said. The United States maintains the air exclusion zone off the coast of Alaska, barring unidentified aircraft or aircraft that don't file flight plans inside that area. The last case of Russian aircraft approaching the U.S. coastline or ships in the Pacific was in February. Then, four Bear bombers flew near the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, with one of them flying about 2,000 feet from the Nimitz's deck. Russia's Defense Ministry said at the time there was no violation of flight regulations during the incident. A ministry official described the flights as standard operating procedure for air force training. Meanwhile, U.S. military officials say the incidents are not a concern. They say it's the Russian military flexing its ability and presence. E-mail to a friend . | U.S. radar picks up the Russian planes about 500 miles off the Alaska coast .
The Russians entered an air exclusion zone .
They are escorted out of the area without incident .
Russian planes last came near the U.S. coastline in February . |
17c1e869a1d7592937e8c2ef9d7a5bd76e0f2ad5 | On July 13, Andre Schurrle lifted the World Cup. After coming off the bench in the 31st minute, the winger played a crucial part in Germany eventually triumphing over Argentina – setting Mario Gotze up with a pinpoint cross to turn home the extra-time winner. It was a fitting end to his tournament, which cast him as Joachim Low’s secret weapon. He netted the crucial extra-time opener against Algeria in the second round before rubbing salt in Brazil’s semi-final wound by scoring the final two in Germany’s famous 7-1 win. When he returned to show off his new medal to his Chelsea team-mates, fans could be forgiven for thinking they were about to be treated to settled-in Schurrle adding lightning pace and finishing to the Blues attack. Andre Schurrle (centre) battles for the ball with Shrewsbury Town's Mickey Demetriou (left) Schurrle falls to the ground after being challenged by Connor Goldson during Tuesday night's match . Didier Drogba (second left) celebrates Chelsea's winner at Shrewsbury with Schurrle . What they’ve got instead is Jose Mourinho slamming him after a poor display at League Two Shrewsbury. Schurrle was continually wasteful both in possession and with his frequent long-range shots, with the Chelsea manager admitting his disappointment. It’s not the first time this season. Handed chances to impress against Bolton in the Capital One Cup and Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, Schurrle turned in similarly frustrating displays. Too often he was trying to make the impossible happen rather than using his undoubted quality to influence the game. Instead of Chelsea’s attacking play going through him, he scuppered many of the Blues' moves forward. The contrast to Willian’s tireless teamwork and ability to play in his fellow attackers makes it easy to see why the Brazilian is preferred in big games. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho issues instructions during the match against Manchester United on Sunday . Schurrle lifts the World Cup trophy after Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 final in Brazil in July . Schurrle (right) controls the ball during the World Cup final as he is chased by Argentina's Martin Demichelis . Schurrle has his shades on as he is pictured with the World Cup at the parade through Berlin in July . In the days following the game in Lisbon, Mourinho commented on Schurrle: 'Sometimes phenomenal, sometimes he is so-so. When he is phenomenal, he is phenomenal.' Mourinho isn’t a fan of inconsistency, and his frustration after the Shrewsbury outing will have been at the German’s inability to react to comments like that – no doubt relayed in far more detail behind closed doors. This season has also seen the ‘phenomenal’ Schurrle – the World Cup Schurrle – in fits and starts. He looked to have come on to hand Chelsea a vital three points at Manchester City before Frank Lampard famously returned to haunt his old club. He is currently playing himself into being an impact player – a roll of the dice for 20 minutes when things aren’t going right. Schurrle celebrates after scoring against Manchester City in the Premier League clash last month . Schurrle celebrates towards the Chelsea fans at the Etihad Stadium after scoring against City . Many a player has made a career out of being a supersub, but it can’t have been the Chelsea niche the 23-year-old had in mind when arriving at the club in the summer of 2013. Unless Schurrle adjusts his mentality when called upon to be a crucial part of the Blues’ attack, the manager will lose patience altogether. Last season saw Mourinho cast off a fans’ favourite in Juan Mata because of a perceived inability to follow direction. Schurrle must shape up if he doesn’t want to go the same way. | Andre Schurrle won the World Cup with Germany at Brazil 2014 .
Jose Mourinho criticised Schurrle for his poor display at Shrewsbury .
The Chelsea midfielder must shape up after turning in frustrating displays . |
17c242f800cfe23c471cfad90995485d164fe26d | By . John Drayton . Ander Herrera is getting used to his new life in England following his move to Manchester United. The midfielder tweeted a picture of himself in the city centre of his new city, tweeting: 'Enjoying my day off - getting to know my new home Manchester.' Herrera, 24, signed for the club for £28million from Athletic Bilbao last month. Out and about: Ander Herrera enjoying the sights of Manchester . Signed on: Herrera shakes hands with Sir Bobby Charlton after being unveiled as a Man Utd player . He has already joined up with his team-mates, including United's other new signing Luke Shaw, but will have to wait a bit longer to meet his new manager, Louis van Gaal, who is still away at the World Cup with Holland. Herrera signed for Athletic Bilbao in 2011, and went on to score 11 goals in 128 appearances for the club in all competitions. He become the third young Spaniard to join Manchester United in recent years, following goalkeeper David de Gea and midfielder Juan Mata. | Herrera out and about as he gets used to life in England .
Joined Manchester United last month from Athletic Bilbao . |
17c286aa0d5eb9a0cb0d18f60678dd7fe4f235c1 | An Iraqi man has shot and killed seven ISIS militants in an act of revenge for his son who was executed by the terrorist group, local media reports. Basil Ramadan, said to be in his 60s, used an AK-47 to gun down a group of militants at a checkpoint in Tikrit, a city northwest of Baghdad currently under ISIS control, before he was shot. Mr Ramadan's son, Ahmed Basil, 18, was one of eight men executed by ISIS in January, accused of infiltrating the organisation and spying for the Iraqi government. Scroll down for video . Revenge: Basil Ramadan shot and killed seven ISIS militants in Tikrit, Iraq, in revenge for the death of his son Ahmed Basil, 18, who was one of eight men executed by ISIS in January (pictured). ISIS released photos from a video of the execution of Ahmed Basil Ramadan and seven others, all said to be police officers, accused of informing on Islamic State for the Iraqi government. Entitled 'the Day of Judgement', the photos from the video show eight Iraqi men dressed in orange Guantanamo Bay style jumpsuits. Standing behind them are Islamic State's notorious security forces, known for carrying out mass public executions in broad daylight. Several of the victims, including Mr Ramadan's son, are named in the captions and appear to have been interviewed for the video as they are seen wearing microphones. In the video, Ahmad Basil Ramadan is accused of giving information on the location of Islamic State soldier houses. ISIS released photos from a video of the execution of Ahmed Basil Ramadan and seven others, all said to be police officers, accused of informing on Islamic State for the Iraqi government . Last march: In the video, Ahmad Basil Ramadan is accused of giving information on the location of Islamic State soldier houses . Afterwards, the security forces pose for a photograph pointing their pistols at the video camera . Rule of terror: Islamic State's notorious security forces are known for carrying out mass public executions . The leader of the group is named as Captain Hossam Salah Bnosh. According to Islamic State media, Bnosh and seven other police officers converted to Sunni Islam and joined Islamic State. However once they had infiltrated the Islamic State security forces, they began to secretly spy for the Iraqi government. The group are accused of providing intelligence information to the Iraqi government, identifying targets for coalition airstrikes against Islamic State. Another prisoner wearing a microphone is named as Marwan Habib Said, who reportedly joined Islamic State security forces but was caught giving target information to the Iraqi government. The photos show how the eight prisoners were blindfolded and frogmarched along the edge of the river, most likely the Euphrates. Their hands are handcuffed behind their backs and each Islamic State fighter appears to be holding their victim's neck as they march to their deaths. They appear to have been taken to a quiet area away from the city, possibly under a motorway bridge, near the river. Forced to kneel down and unable to see, the prisoners wait as each Islamic State fighter draws their pistol and takes aim. Each prisoner is executed with a single bullet to the head. Afterwards, the security forces pose for a photo. The squadron are shown pointing their pistols at the video camera. | Iraqi man opened fire on ISIS militants in revenge attack in Tikrit .
Basil Ramadan killed seven before he himself was shot dead .
Ahmed Basil Ramadan, 18, was one of eight men executed last month .
Islamic State released photographs and a video of the execution .
The victims are clearly identified and appear to have been interviewed .
The eight men are accused of spying on ISIS for the Iraqi government . |
17c2e038633fb4d3524348b796c5d960b3b0b4a9 | One of Britain’s best teenage sailors has been found dead a day after celebrating her birthday. The body of Jessica Eales was discovered in woodland near her home in the New Forest, just weeks after she represented Great Britain in a youth world championships. The straight-A student, who lived near Lymington in Hampshire, had spent her 17th birthday with friends from her sailing club. Talented: Jess Eales, 17, from Lymington, Hampshire, was found dead in woodland weeks after representing Great Britain in the World Youth Sailing Championships . She had posted messages on Facebook the day before, saying how she was looking forward to seeing them. The group hired a rigid inflatable boat, which they took out on the Solent. Jessica . also uploaded a smiling photograph of herself the day she died, which . has now been ‘liked’ by 157 people on the social media site. The teenager’s cousin, Misty Eales, 24, who lives nearby, said: ‘It looks like she had a lovely day out. ‘She . posted photos online and was laughing in every one – she looked really . happy. Jess was just a lovely person and she did so well, representing . Britain in the sailing in Portugal. Accolades: The teenager was hugely successful on the British sailing circuit, winning gold at the Youth National Championships in Weymouth earlier this year . ‘She was good at art, at school … just really clever.’ Her body was discovered in Sway, near the family home, at around 9.30am last Thursday. Friends and family yesterday refused to discuss the circumstances surrounding her death. Quick progress: She was a student at Brockenhurst College in the New Forest and only learned to sail in 2009 . But . a Hampshire Police spokesman confirmed it was not being treated as . suspicious and they are not looking to speak to anyone else in relation . to it. Jessica, a . student at Brockenhurst College in the New Forest, learned to sail in . 2009 before becoming a member of Hayling Island Sailing Club. In . April she won a gold medal at the Royal Yachting Association Youth . National Championships in Weymouth and Portland, Dorset, and last month . competed at the Isaf Youth Sailing World Championships in Tavira, . Portugal, finishing 11th. An RYA spokesman said: ‘She was a young sailor who showed promising talent which can now unfortunately never be fulfilled. ‘Our thoughts are with the family and friends at this sad and difficult time.’ The . teenager’s parents, Nicholas and Annette Eales, both also keen sailors, . run a marine breakdown assistance company called Sea Start. She has a . brother, James, 14. Jessica’s . aunt Donna Chase, 48, said: ‘She was very clever and very talented. 'She . had a lovely personality and was a beautiful girl. Her parents were . very proud of her, and her mother Annette loved to talk about how well . she was doing.’ A number of her friends and teammates also paid tribute to the teenager on social media. Anna . Prescott wrote: ‘The four years I spent sailing with you were . definitely the best four years of my life. We made so many great . memories together and I would not have wanted to with anyone else.’ Scene: Her body was found near a car park in Sway, the New Forest, Hampshire . | Jess Eales discovered at Sway in the New Forest, Hampshire, last week .
Represented Great Britain in the World Sailing Championships last month .
The teenager finished 11th at the competition in Tavira, Portugal .
Had recently won gold in the National Championships in Weymouth, Dorset .
Hampshire Police confirmed her death is not being treated as suspicious . |
17c446453cdcff2c857f6462594a317a3ce4dc6c | (CNN) -- Peru's ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu should reopen April 1, more than two months after rain stranded hundreds of tourists at the popular spot, the government said. Heavy rain in January unleashed mudslides that cut off roads and blocked a rail line between Machu Picchu and the nearby city of Cusco. Water levels at the Vilcanota River have receded enough to allow repairs to the rail line, said Martin Perez, head of Peru's Ministry of Exterior Commerce and Tourism. "We expect that starting April 1, we will start to receive the millions of tourists who always have come," he said Tuesday. Peruvian officials were forced to use helicopters to evacuate more than 1,000 stranded tourists last month. Authorities estimated that 10,000 people were affected by the rain and 2,000 homes were ruined near Machu Picchu. At least seven deaths were reported. | Peru's ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu should reopen April 1, tourism official says .
Heavy rain in January unleashed mudslides that cut off roads and blocked a rail line .
Peruvian officials evacuated more than 1,000 stranded tourists . |
17c533582d80eec1c6a0853b11f37c400bc6d8ef | By . Sean Poulter . PUBLISHED: . 15:18 EST, 25 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:56 EST, 25 February 2013 . IKEA says there is no horse meat in the Swedish meatballs sold in its American stores, after more than 1,600 pounds of the meatballs were pulled from shelves because they were tainted. The Swedish furniture manufacturer says the meatballs sold at its stores in the United States contain only beef and pork from American suppliers - and are unaffected by the horse meat scandal that has rocked Britain and much of Europe. The horse meat was found in one-kilogram . packs of frozen meat balls made in Sweden and shipped to the Czech . Republic for sale in IKEA stores there, the State Veterinary . Administration said. Scroll down for video . Announcement: The horse meat was found in one-kilogram packs of frozen meat balls made in Sweden and shipped to the Czech Republic for sale in Ikea stores there . Nestle - the world’s biggest food company - announces it is removing beef ready meals from sale in Italy and Spain after its own tests found more than one per cent horsemeat DNA in its beef ravioli and tortellini. Birds Eye removes three beef ready meals from sale in the UK and Ireland after one of its products being sold in Belgium tested positive for horse DNA . Pub giant Whitebread - which owns Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Table Table, Taybarns and Premier Inn - confirms it has found horsemeat in its products. Tesco reveals its Everyday value spaghetti bolognese contained up to 100 per cent horsemeat. Revealed that packs of Findus frozen lasagne meals being sold around the UK contained up to 100 per cent horse meat. The lasagne packs were manufactured by French company, Comigel, at a plant in Metz, which produces food for supermarkets in Britain and Europe. Comigel makes a range of beef products for Tesco and Aldi. Both stores begin removing those products as a ‘precautionary measure’. Asda removes four own-label brands of frozen burgers from sale following the discovery of beef contaminated with horse meat at a manufacturer in Northern Ireland. Burger King admits to selling burgers contaminated with horsemeat. Emerges that Asda and Co-op have also been selling burgers contaminated with horsemeat. Hotel chain Premier Inn removes beef burgers supplied by the company from its restaurants. It has also revealed schools and hospitals have been serving beef contaminated with horsemeat. Meatballs were also pulled from shelves at IKEA stores in Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium. 'We can confirm that the contents of . the meatballs follow the IKEA recipe and contain only beef and pork from . animals raised in the U.S. and Canada,' spokeswoman Mona Liss told NBC News. 'All beef and pork from the U.S. and Canada must comply with USDA guidelines.' A total of 1,675 pounds of the meat balls were stopped from reaching the shelves of IKEA Group, the world’s biggest furniture retailer. Ikea's stores feature restaurants and also sell typical Swedish food, including the so-called Kottbullar meat balls. Ikea estimates it has sold 11.6 billion Swedish meatballs and 1.2 billion hotdogs to its British customers since it opened in the UK in 1987. 'We stopped selling in Italy meatballs from this Swedish producer,' a spokesman said. 'Our meatballs must be made of beef and pork. We . will carry out checks on possible DNA presence (of horsemeat).' More than a dozen nations have detected . horse flesh in processed products such as factory-made burger patties, . lasagnas, meat pies and meat-filled pastas. Last week, the Czechs detected horse meat for the first time, in lasagne Bolognese - made by scandal-plagued frozen food processor Tavola S. A. Comigel and sold at Tesco. Authorities . across Europe have started doing random DNA checks after traces of . horse meat turned up in frozen supermarket meals such as burgers and . lasagna beginning last month. The European Union's agriculture . ministers gathered in Brussels today to discuss the widening scandal's . fallout, with some member states pressing for tougher rules to regain . consumer confidence. The . 27-nation bloc must agree on binding origin disclosures for food product . ingredients, starting with a better labelling of meat products, German . agriculture minister Ilse Aigner said. 'Consumers have every right to the greatest-possible transparency,' she insisted. Austria . backs the German initiative; but others like Ireland say existing rules . are sufficient although Europe-wide controls must be strengthened to . address the problem of fraudulent labeling. Explainer: A recent advert in which Ikea explained to customers what was in their famous meatballs . Discovery: Swedish-style meatballs intended for sale at Ikea outlets in the Czech Republic have been found to contain horsemeat, inspectors have revealed . The scandal has created a split . between nations like Britain who see further rules as a protectionist . hindrance of free trade under the bloc's single market, and those . calling for tougher regulation. Processed . food products - a business segment with traditionally low margins that . often leads producers to hunt for the cheapest suppliers - often contain . ingredients from multiple suppliers in different countries, who . themselves at time subcontract production to others, making it hard to . monitor every link in the production chain. Standardised . DNA checks with meat suppliers and more stringent labeling rules will . add costs that producers will most likely hand down to consumers, making . food more expensive. The . scandal began in Ireland in mid-January when the country's announced the . results of its first-ever DNA tests on beef products. Consumer concern: The traces were found in one-kilogram packs of frozen meat balls made in Sweden . It tested frozen beef burgers taken from store shelves and found that more than a third of brands at five supermarkets contained at least a trace of horse. The sample of one brand sold by Tesco was more than a quarter horse. Such discoveries have spread like wildfire across Europe as governments, supermarkets, meat traders and processors began their own DNA testing of products labeled beef and have been forced to withdraw tens of millions of products from store shelves. The investigations have been complicated by elaborate supply chains involving multiple cross-border middlemen. | Ikea: Affected meatballs were also on sale in Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal .
Found in one-kilogram packs of frozen meat balls made in Sweden .
Ikea estimates: Sold 11.6 billion Swedish meatballs in Britain since 1987 .
Detected: Burger patties, .
lasagnas, meat pies and meat-filled pastas so far . |
17c5d3e34f7d4d263f94d3209e5a145f5edd17b2 | Mountaineer Mike Pescod fought through blizzards to make his way up the 13,000-ft high Barre de Ecrins mountain in the French Alps. The 42-year-old adventurer braved the elements and snow-covered peaks in return for a range of incredible images. Mike has worked as a full-time mountain guide for 14 years and has scaled Scotland's Ben Nevis, the Alps, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya during his time as a climber. Mike Pescod fought through brutal weather to make his way up the 13,000-ft Barre de Ecrins mountain in the French Alps . No fear! The 42-year-old adventurer, from Fort William, Scotland, has worked as a full-time mountain guide for 14 years . The snow-covered peak in the French Alps offered an incredible background for a series of impressive images . Mike, whose home in Fort William lies a stone's throw away from Ben Nevis, is now gearing up for another brutal winter of climbs with his peers. He said: 'I'm very lucky to be able to call this my job - I absolutely love it. 'I work all year round as a mountain guide but obviously the winter months are notoriously difficult because of the weather. In addition to the Alps, Mr Pescod has also scaled Scotland's Ben Nevis, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya . Mr Pescod holds the highest worldwide qualification for instruction and guiding in rock and ice climbing, mountaineering and ski touring . 'The temperatures are really starting to drop and climbs will get really tricky when the snow falls. 'But it's a great test and people who come to me for training are always well up for the challenge. 'Barre de Ecrins was a fantastic experience - the weather was brutal but it was a brilliant trip.' Though Mike Pescod works year-round, he admits that the winter months are notoriously difficult due to its unpredictable weather . 'It's a great test': Mike Pescod says the climbs get really tricky when the snow falls but present an inviting challenge . Mike studied sports science at Birmingham University and leads an active life with his wife and three children in Scotland. He is also a member of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations and holds the highest worldwide qualification for instruction and guiding in rock and ice climbing, mountaineering and ski touring. Mike Pescod studied sports science at Birmingham University and leads an active life with his wife and three children in Scotland . Pictured: Mr Pescod scaling the side of a mountain (left) and reaching the top of a snow-covered peak (right) Mike Pescod says he became a guide because he wants people to get the same thrills that he experiences while climbing . Mike, who has run Abacus Mountain Guides since 2000, said: 'I've always been active and my three children are exactly the same. 'They're all as excited as I am when it starts snowing in the winter. 'I want people to enjoy climbs as much as I do which is why I got into being a guide so many years ago.' | Brave adventurer Mike Pescod, from Fort William, Scotland, scaled the Barre de Ecrins mountain .
The full-time mountain guide has also scaled Scotland's Ben Nevis, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya .
He says the weather during his ascent of the mountain was 'brutal' but it was a 'brilliant trip' |
17c60ddb8d8c11a55ff961c7f4f93f4edb18519b | Berlin, Germany (CNN) -- Thousands of German demonstrators urged their leaders Monday night to shut down nuclear power plants in their country. The protests were staged in Berlin and other cities days after a powerful earthquake damaged nuclear plants in Japan and spurred fears of radiation there. Thorben Becker of the Federation for Environmental Protection, an environmental group, said the movement had received a major boost from the crisis in Japan. Becker said more than 100,000 turned up in more than 400 cities. There were hundreds of people at the Berlin protests and shouts of "turn them off," a reference to German nuclear reactors, rang through the demonstration. On Saturday, protesters formed a 45-kilometer human chain between Stuttgart and the nuclear power plant Neckarwestheim. Police said around 60,000 people showed up for the protest, organized by various anti-nuclear organizations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced a three-month moratorium on the extension of the operation periods for German nuclear plants. That move will lead to at least one German nuclear plant shutting down very soon, Germany's environmental minister later said in a statement. Germany opted out of nuclear energy during the Gerhard Schroeder administration and the country is waiting for the operational periods of its nuclear plants to expire. But the more pro-nuclear Merkel government, which succeeded the Schroeder administration, had passed a law extending the lifespan of the plants. | Anti-nuke demos held in German cities .
People in Berlin shouted "turn them off"
Moratorium announced on extensions of operation periods . |
17c816263a45d26067d3ab76410616fb79ce42b6 | Washington (CNN) -- Rep. Bill Cassidy, the Republican congressman running for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana, is taking heat from the left and the right after he said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "runs the Senate like a plantation." Reid, asked Tuesday by reporters about the comment, demanded an apology. "With all the things going on in America today, that's fairly insensitive," Reid told reporters on Capitol Hill. "That's really insensitive. Very insensitive. If there was ever a statement that deserves an apology, this is it big time. Has he been taking lessons from Donald Sterling? Where did he get this?" Cassidy made the comments during an interview with an energy trade publication. He was trying to make the point that it doesn't matter whether Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu bucks her party on energy issues because Reid calls the shots. Landrieu has told voters she'll stand up to her party and the president on energy issues. Senate Democrats' campaign arm immediately tried to capitalize, firing off several emails to supporters about Cassidy's comments. His challenger on the right, retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness jumped on his opponent's remarks shortly after they appeared on Tuesday in Energy and Environment Daily. "Congressman Cassidy may not realize this but the language he used included a term that is incredibly offensive to many Americans and he should immediately apologize," Maness said in a statement. "It's this type of over-the-top, out-of-bounds ignorance that drives so many people away from the Republican Party. We need to be better than that." Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Justin Barasky piled on more criticism and called Cassidy's comments "incredibly offensive." "Bill Cassidy's assertion that the Senate is run like a plantation and that as a congressman he doesn't want to be kicked around like a slave is incredibly offensive and he should apologize," Barasky said. But Cassidy showed no signs of apologizing and slammed that interpretation of his remarks as "false controversy." "I wish there was as much offense taken by Harry Reid running the Senate dictatorially, not allowing any votes which he does not personally approve of and the result of which he does not endorse," Cassidy said in a statement to the Washington Post. Cassidy, Maness and Landrieu will face off for the Louisiana Senate seat Nov. 4 in an open primary election. It should be noted that Cassidy is not the first, nor the most prominent, politician to use the plantation analogy to characterize congressional leadership. Then-Sen. Hillary Clinton charged Republican leaders in 2006 of running the House "like a plantation" during a speech in front of a largely black audience at a Harlem church. Like Cassidy, a Clinton spokesman also defended her remarks. And then Rep.-Newt Gingrich also called out Democrats with the same analogy in 1994 shorty before become House Speaker, saying Democrats "think it's their job to run the plantation" and that he's "willing to lead the slave rebellion." But Cassidy's tea party-backed challenger Maness is still calling for an apology. "We all make mistakes and when we do, we should have the fortitude to own up to them," Maness said. 5 key races to watch for midterm elections . | Senate candidate Bill Cassidy criticizes Harry Reid for running "the Senate like a plantation."
Cassidy attacked from left and right for comment, which Reid called "very insensitive"
Cassidy's tea party opponent calls for an apology . |
17c8190aa856aefb87852e40fd2b91b8d0e9d4ea | PUBLISHED: . 11:23 EST, 11 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:23 EST, 11 July 2012 . A maid was stabbed to death with a meat skewer and another critically injured with a knife during a bloody fight in a laundry cupboard, police have revealed. The pair, both Ethiopian women in their 20s, clashed at their employer's villa in Bar Dubai yesterday morning. Police found them at 11am lying in a pool of their blood after breaking down the door, which had been locked from the outside. Violent affair: One maid died on the way to hospital and the other, who had been stabbed with a knife, is recovering in intensive care . One of the maids, identified only as HSS, died on the way to Rashid Hospital, according to The National. The condition of the other woman, known as FYA, is now starting to stabilise. 'She has been moved out of intensive-care unit, but is still in a . very bad psychological condition,' said Col Ali Ghanem, director of the . Bur Dubai Police station. Most households in Dubai employ foreign maids and some face difficult working conditions. The majority of large properties - particularly those of wealthy Western expats - are built with cramped living quarters for maids and the staff do their employers' washing, ironing, cleaning, babysitting and cooking. According to a survey conducted by the Saudi magazine Sayidaty at the end of last year, more than three million maids in the Arab world are living in deplorable conditions and even more incidents of verbal and physical abuse are reported. Crimes committed by housemaids in Dubai increased by nearly 17 per cent in 2011 and police believe this was mainly because of employers' cruelty as well as workers' ignorance of the region’s traditions. 'She tried to hurt herself and she was banging . her head in the wall. We are not sure of her mental condition, but we . are still waiting until she gets better to be able to question her.' Authorities still do not know what caused the fight between the two women, who worked in the same household along with 10 other maids, but police said there had been no previous fights between the two. 'Employers must be careful in selecting their housemaids,' said Dubai police commander Lieutenant General Dahi Tamim, according to Emirates 247. 'They should keep an eye on them for any abnormal behaviour to ensure they do not have any psychiatric problems.' Another police officer was quoted as saying it was an 'individual crime' which should not be 'generalised'. Major General Khamis Al Mazinah, Dubai’s deputy police commander, said: 'There could be an old dispute between the two… but it is unfortunate that such a violent and ugly crime takes place inside a house, whose owners are not used to this… . 'We are still questioning all other maids about the incident.' | Ethiopian pair found in pool of their own blood .
Room had been locked from outside . |
17c84b7d35372beca814739caf02b94c4b5c119b | An Arizona pharmaceuticals tycoon asked California's attorney general to review findings that his girlfriend killed herself by tying her wrists and ankles and hanging herself naked from a balcony of his historic mansion, according to a letter released on Tuesday. Jonah Shacknai said he hoped the review would give 'confidence, comfort and resolution' to those questioning whether Rebecca Zahau committed suicide on July 13 at his Coronado mansion near San Diego. Mr Shacknai, 54, said he had no reason to doubt findings by authorities in San Diego County that his 32-year-old girlfriend killed herself two days after his six-year-old son accidentally fell while under her watch and died days later. Scroll down for video . Suicide: Rebecca Zahau, right, was found hanging naked at Jonah Shacknai's mansion in Coronado, California . Mr Shacknai said his family is being harmed by 'vicious speculation and innuendo in certain media outlets' about the deaths. 'I believe the only way to achieve some dignified resolution for . everyone who has been touched by the horrible events of this summer will . be through the efforts of your office,' Mr Shacknai wrote in a letter . dated September 19 and released by his public relations firm on Tuesday. Lynda Gledhill, a spokeswoman for California Attorney General Kamala . Harris, declined to comment beyond acknowledging the letter had been . received. Investigators believe Ms Zahau tied rope to bedposts and around her wrists . and ankles. They suspect she loosely tied her wrists together in front of . her before slipping one hand out, putting her hands behind her back and . reinserting her wrist into the loop of rope. Manchester United fan: Max was revealed to have broken his spinal cord in his fall, and was not breathing and had no pulse when he was found . They said her DNA was found on a knife, rope and bedposts, along with her footprints on a dusty balcony. Ms Zahau's family immediately questioned the findings disclosed on September 2 . that included a video reenactment of how they think she bound her . wrists. The anguished family is hoping the . sheriff's office will take another look at the case after the pink rope . cops said she used to hang herself is not visible in a video released . last week. Mr Shacknai acknowledged in his letter that the circumstances of . Zahau's death were 'undeniably strange'. Zahau family attorney Anne Bremner did not immediately respond to a . phone message seeking comment on Mr Shacknai's request. Neither did . officials with the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, which ruled . her death a suicide. Mr Shacknai is founder and chief executive of Medicis Pharmaceuticals . Corp, a company based in Scottsdale, Arizona, that makes acne treatments . Solodyn and Ziana and facial wrinkle treatment Restylane and Dysport, a . competitor of Botox. He owns the 27-room waterfront mansion in Coronado, where he lived . during the summer with Ms Zahau, his girlfriend of two years. His son was . from a marriage that ended in divorce in 2008. Officers, however, . admitted last Monday that there were bruises on Miss Zahau's scalp and a . T-shirt had been wrapped around her neck and stuffed in her mouth. Police . released the extra details about the autopsy report that concluded she . had committed suicide, after parts were found to have been withheld from . the public. They had come . under pressure to release more information after findings leaked to the . media showed that there were possible reasons to question the finding . that she committed suicide. 'As in any comprehensive investigation, some findings cannot be entirely explained,' an official said. Death: Rebecca Zahau, 32, left, died at the mansion of Jonah Shacknai, 54, right in Coronado, California, in July, just two days after his son Max, 6, who she was looking after, was gravely hurt from a fall off the stairs . 'None . of the observations listed... are inconsistent with the conclusions . reached regarding the cause and manner of death of Rebecca Zahau.' Dr . Lucas said the bruises were minor and may have been caused when Ms . Zahau slipped over the balcony with the rope around her neck. The . t-shirt in the mouth is not unusual, he added. 'It is not clear why it . was there, although people can place material in her mouth prior to . hanging,' he said. He said blood found on her thighs was not the result of rape but probably due to . an intrauterine device or menstruation. Despite those findings, a . leading pathologist questioned the suicide conclusion. Dr . Cyril Wecht, who has consulted on high profile cases including the . assassination of President John F Kennedy, the drug overdose of Elvis . Presley and the OJ Simpson case, said a number of factors in the ruling . did not add up. While Dr . Wecht stopped short of saying it was murder, he is not content to rule . it a suicide. He said the report needed a lot more scrutiny. Now you see it, now you don't: The family of . Rebecca Zahau want authorities to reopen the case after a video shows . the same mansion balcony without the rope the sheriff's office said she . used to kill herself . Murder or suicide? The 'pink rope,' shown in this crime scene photo, is what police say Rebecca Zahau hanged herself with at her boyfriend's California mansion . Tragic home: The historic 27-room Spreckels mansion in Coronado, an affluent suburb of San Diego, where Jonah Shacknai's girlfriend was found hanging naked . From above: An aerial view of the historic mansion in California where the tragedy happened in July . 'When . you put all of this together, it just is bothersome' Dr Wecht told . KFMB-AM. 'The manner of death I would have left as undetermined.' On . the t-shirt, which was removed from her mouth by Mr Shacknai's brother . Adam when he cut her down, Dr Wecht told KFMB-AM: 'What does she care . for that? "Gee, I don't want to wake anybody up who may come to rescue . me." 'I don't know. I'm just . trying to think. She didn't want to be rescued and didn't want to . scream so she put it in her mouth? It's absurd.' Regarding . the tape residue, Dr Wecht speculated Miss Zahau could have planned to . bind her feet with duct tape and then switched to rope. But he added to . KFMB-AM: 'Well then, where's the duct tape?' Message: Police covered the writing that appeared on a door in the mansion that allegedly said: 'She saved him, can he save her' He . also questioned why her feet were bound. And Dr Wecht was . concerned by haemorrhages found under her scalp surface, saying it was . evidence of blunt force trauma. 'For someone to say there isn't any kind . of struggle is not correct,' he told KFMB-AM. It was revealed on September 2 that before she died, Miss Zahau painted a message in black paint on a door. According . to Miss Zahau's ex-husband, Neil Nalepa, it read: 'She saved him, can . he save her.' Her family contends that she did not die by her own hand. Ms Zahau’s sister Snowem Horwath said: 'Becky did not kill herself, someone killed her.' 'Time will reveal who killed Becky. I think I know who killed my sister. We are not stupid, she never had any enemies.' The . family is calling for a forensic psychiatrist and a criminal profiler . to investigate the case and say the cryptic message in black paint was . not in her handwriting. But authorities said the paint from the message was still on her hands and on the rope when she died. The death of Max Shacknai, who fell over a staircase railing, was ruled an accident. His neck was broken and he was found not breathing and with no pulse by Ms Zahau at the bottom . of the stairs after she heard a noise and came to look. She was the only . adult at home at the time. Two . days later, Adam Shacknai, called 911 to report that Miss Zahau . appeared to be dead, investigators said. Jonah Shacknai was not at home . as he was at his son's hospital bedside . When . Miss Zahau's naked body was found hanging from the mansion's balcony . with her ankles and wrists bound, investigators were quick to say they . weren't ruling out suicide. They eventually determined there was no . evidence of foul play, sexual assault or a struggle, authorities said. She was alive when she went over the balcony and she died by hanging. There were no alcohol or drugs in her system. She died at about 3am and was found at 6.45am by Jonah Shacknai's brother Adam, who was staying in a mansion guesthouse. Mr . Shacknai has two children with his first wife, Kimberly. Max was his . only child with his second wife, Dina, whom he divorced in 2008 . The . home where the tragic incidents occurred, known as the Spreckels mansion, is one of the more storied . properties in Coronado, a small suburb of multimillion-dollar homes on . the tip of a peninsula across a bay from downtown San Diego. The . home has unobstructed beach views and sits near Coronado's main street, . which is lined with palm trees and upscale boutiques. Jonah Shacknai bought the mansion in March 2007, when it was assessed at $12.75million. The . home was built in 1908 and named for its original owner, newspaper . mogul John D. Spreckels, who owned the San Diego Union and San Diego . Tribune. See video here . | Rebecca Zahau, 32, died at Jonah Shacknai's California mansion in July .
Death came two days after his son was gravely injured in her care .
Mr Shacknai hopes review will give 'confidence' to closed suicide case .
Doubts persist as her family pushes to re-open case .
For confidential support in the UK call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch, or see www.samaritans.org for details .
In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 . |
17c8c5517cbb84344afba94efa1f53837fc317f1 | By . Hamish Mackay . Tim Howard says he is impressed with how the MLS has progressed since he played there, but insists he wants to finish his career with Everton. The former Manchester United goalkeeper has been with The Toffees since 2007 – making almost 300 appearances for the club. When asked whether he could see himself returning to the MLS, where he began his career, the 35-year-old admitted it was unlikely. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Frank Lampard discussing his MLS move . Save: Tim Howard puts his body on the line for Everton as he keeps out Daniel Sturridge's shot . ‘For me, I think the MLS ship has sailed,’ Howard told SB Nation, ‘I signed a new four-year contract with Everton. ‘If you cut me open, I bleed blue and I want to finish my career there. I can't foresee myself coming back. I think there was probably a chance before I signed the contract, but not anymore.’ This summer has seen David Villa and Frank Lampard move to MLS’s newest club, New York City FC, while Howard’s USA team mate De Marcus Beasley has signed for Houston Dynamo. Veteran: Tim Howard has 104 caps for team USA, he made his debut in 2002 against Ecuador . Man Utd: Tim Howard was signed by Alex Ferguson in 2003 but struggled to hold down a place in the side . Combine these signings with a league that already includes a host of ex-Premier League stars and Howard predicted a bright future for the league. He said: ‘When I was playing, the stadiums weren't half full, they were nearly empty. Very few teams had their own stadiums. The league has just grown by leaps and bounds with the fan bases, their own stadiums and the talent they've been able to attract from all over the world. There's been a huge shift and it's been great to see from the outside.’ VIDEO Friedel expects more players to choose MLS . | Tim Howard says he will not return to MLS .
USA international signed a new 4-year deal with Everton .
Former Manchester United keeper says he 'bleeds blue' |
17c947ab5bc02699a7b5dfe7188503806c1ed501 | By . James Tozer . Coronation Street star Michael Le Vell was yesterday suspended from the soap after he was charged with child sex offences. The 48-year-old actor, who has played mechanic Kevin Webster in the ITV series for 30 years, insists he is innocent of the allegations – which include child rape – and has vowed to ‘fight the charges vigorously’. However, the show’s bosses said he would not be appearing in any further episodes while legal proceedings are under way. Le Vell, pictured with his wife Janette Beverley, who he split with last year . The actor was first arrested under his . real name, Michael Turner, in September 2011 and questioned after a . teenage girl claimed he had sexually assaulted her from the age of six. Three months later, however, . prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to take the allegations . to court and no charges were brought. At the time the father of two said he was ‘delighted’ to have been ‘completely exonerated’. He thanked police for their ‘thorough . investigation’, and expressed his gratitude to fans and the Coronation . Street cast for their loyal support during ‘a most difficult and . upsetting phase in my life’. He returned to the show after a short break and is currently involved in some of its main storylines. Stalwart: Michael Le Vell, real name Michael Turner, has been in the ITV soap since 1983 and is one of the country's biggest soap stars, and like his character, it has emerged how much he enjoys a drink . However, on Thursday evening it was . announced that after a review of the evidence, Le Vell had been charged . with 19 sex offences, including raping a child, indecently assaulting a . child and sexual activity with a child. There was no sign of the actor . yesterday at the £325,000, two-bed terraced house he has been renting in . Hale, Greater Manchester, since separating from his wife Janette . Beverley and leaving the family home in 2011. But in a statement he . said that following the serious allegations that had been made, he . wanted to make it ‘quite clear’ that he was ‘innocent of these charges . and intend to fight them vigorously’. He added: ‘I will now put all my . efforts into clearing my name and proving my innocence.’ Charged: Michael Le Vell has been charged with child sex offences, whose real name is Michael Turner, will appear in court later this month . Thanking friends, family and fans for . their continued support, he said he would now concentrate on preparing . his defence. An ITV spokesman said: ‘Given the serious nature of these . charges, Michael Le Vell will not be appearing in Coronation Street . pending the outcome of legal proceedings. ‘It would not be appropriate for us to comment further at this time.’ Greater Manchester Police said the . rethink over charging Le Vell had followed a review of evidence by the . Crown Prosecution Service and related to ‘offences against a child . between 2001 and 2010’. Alison Levitt QC, principal legal . adviser to the Director of Public Prosecutions, said: ‘I have very . carefully reviewed the evidence in this case and I have concluded that . there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge . Michael Robert Turner with a number of sexual offences.’ Le Vell will appear in court in Manchester later this month. Originally from Manchester, Le Vell began his acting career in the Oldham Theatre Workshop. He joined Coronation Street in 1983 . and quickly endeared himself to fans who have followed the trials and . tribulations of Kevin, from being Brian Tilsley’s apprentice mechanic . through to his stormy marriage to Sally, played by Sally Dynevor, and . fathering two teenage girls as well as a child from his affair with . Molly Dobbs. Early years: Le Vell in an episode of Coronation Street from 1987 . Born Michael Turner in Newton Heath, Manchester, Michael Le Vell is best known for the role of garage mechanic Kevin Webster, in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. After taking an interest in amateur dramatics while at school, Le Vell began his acting career in the Oldham Theatre Workshop. He landed the role on Coronation Street after a making short guest appearance in the show as the paperboy Neil Grimshaw. He had attended an audition at Granada Studios for the series Scully, where he met casting director Judy Hayfield who presumed he was there to audition for Coronation Street. She asked him to return the following day to audition and he was offered the part. He first appeared as Webster in the soap on October 19 1983, moving in with Hilda Ogden as her lodger and getting a job as an apprentice mechanic with Brian Tilsley. Le Vell has featured in some of Coronation Street's most explosive storylines, most recently Webster's affair with Molly Dobbs. After twenty-six years in the role, Le Vell pledged to carry on playing Kevin Webster because he still viewed it as 'the best job on television'. He has also starred in the BBC shows Fame is the Spur and One by One. During the 1980s Le Vell became something of a gay icon and would receive a high volume of fan mail from gay men. This was reportedly due to the fact he wore tight jeans and a moustache and appeared on screen with his left ear pierced. He later claimed that the attention from gay men ended as soon after he shaved off his moustache. He married Coronation Street Co-star Janette Beverley in October 1986. They couple have two children together but split last year. He was a member of the celebrity 'All Stars' football team which play charity matches and was hospitalised during a match in 2007. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Le Vell who plays Kevin Webster has been charged with 19 offences .
He was first arrested and questioned by police in September 2011 .
The charges include raping a child and sexual activity with a child .
Suspended from show 'pending the outcome of legal proceedings'
He insists he is innocent of all charges and will 'fight them vigorously' |
17c99fe20af7dc18aee5e62c0cb73739a83a53b9 | By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 21:05 EST, 4 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 22:22 EST, 4 December 2012 . A South Carolina man has won a long legal battle to gain back custody of his 21-month-old daughter after his wife placed her with an adoptive couple without telling him. Terry Achane, 31, will soon have his daughter back after a Utah judge ordered the girl's adoptive parents to return her to him within the next 60 days. In a 48-page ruling, Judge Darold McDade condemned the adoption agency that handled Achane's daughter's case for refusing to disclose any information to him nearly two years ago when he learned that his child had been given away without his consent, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Terry Achane, 31, will soon have his daughter back after a Utah judge ordered the girl's adoptive parents to return her to him within the next 60 days . Custody: A fight over custody of this baby who was unknowingly by her father put up for adoption by her birth mother in 2011 has her adoptive parents in Utah vowing an appeal on a judge's ruling to give her back . The adoptive parents, Jared and Kristi Frei, have been fighting to keep custody of the baby, whom they call Leah, and plan to appeal McDade's ruling. On a blog about the case, where the . Freis have raised more than $20,000 to help with legal bills, they . described the arrival of Achane’s daughter in their lives as 'a . righteous desire blessed to fruition by God.' 'We have not lost our conviction that . we are in the right!!!!!!' Kristi Frei wrote. 'We have only ever wanted . to do right by Leah, and have always felt we have been acting in her . best interest to keep her with our family and raise her as our own. Our . hearts have demanded it — there has never been any question to us that . she is OURS!!!' Achane, a drill instructor . in South Carolina, says it was just days after he left his pregnant wife . for his new job out of state that she quietly signed over their unborn . baby to a family of seven in Utah. Mr Achane says that he and his wife, Tira Bland, were having marital problems not long after learning she was pregnant in 2010, leading to her decision and his now spiraling struggle today despite a judge ordering the girl returned to him last October. The now ex-husband says Ms Bland had suggested having an abortion or giving their child up for adoption - fearing she would end up as a single mother - but he said no, encouraging their daughter's birth. New home: Days after Tia Bland gave birth to her daughter while her husband was working out of state, Kristi Frei, a Utah mother of six others welcomed the baby into her home knowing that the father didn't know about the adoption . It was just months later in February . of 2011 that Mr Achane found himself sent to Fort Jackson in South . Carolina for work, believing he’d leave and come back a new dad. Ten . days after his move, however, his wife went gave birth to a premature . baby and signed away their child before cutting all contact with her . husband. 'I was like, "Utah? Where is Utah?" I’d never been to Utah. She's never been to Utah,'" Mr Achane told the Salt Lake Tribune of the moment he first heard the bizarre and horrifying news. Sent to live with Jared and Kristi Frei, who had spent . the last few years struggling to naturally expand their family of five . children, the baby found herself in the city of Spanish Fork. 'We knew that we were not done having . children, but after years of sudden infertility and several miscarriages . … we discovered somewhere down the line that Kristi had advanced . endometriosis, and would not likely conceive or carry another child . again,' the Frei family write of their struggle in a blog aimed at raising money for their court battle. Turning to adoption, in early 2009 the Frei family grew their family by one more with a baby boy named James. Desiring to add one more child - 'a close, similar sibling' for James - they found Mr Achane's daughter, whom they named Leah. 'Since that eventful day, we have, as a family, come to know that this dream was a righteous desire blessed to fruition by God, and that Leah would be that child - and yet, little did we know the challenges and trials that awaited us in finding and fighting for this little girl,' they wrote. Scared: The baby's mother, Tira, pictured, told the family in Utah that she was alone and scared during her baby's birth and wasn't sure if her marriage would last . The adoption agency, Adoption Center . of Choice, told the new family that Mr Achane wasn't aware of his . daughter's placement with them and that he would most likely contest it if he found out. The Tribune . reports that Ms Bland had given the adoption agency Mr Achene's former . address in Texas for contact, knowing full well at the time that he was . not living there. With the judge's recent ruling, he noted the Freis family acknowledged the risk of the father's upset but 'decided they wanted to proceed forward with the adoptive placement anyway.' Kept in the dark throughout this with months of being unable to reach his wife, Mr Achane asked a friend to visit her home in Texas who reported that the house appeared vacant. Feverishly calling anyone who may know where his wife could be, while fearing she may have carried out the abortion she once threatened to do, he learned from a family doctor that his wife was no longer pregnant but they could not legally disclose what had happened to the baby. An ounce of relief only came to the horrified man when his wife finally called him in June, telling him she had signed away their baby to the Frei family. ‘I believe she felt guilty at that point because she just made a call out of the blue,' he said of his ex-wife’s phone call. Once he learned of his daughter's fate, he immediately tried to track his little girl down but upon contact with the adoption center they refused to disclose any information on her whereabouts. The agency told the court in October that it was standard procedure to not share any information with a father of a potential adoptive child when asked. Missing: The baby's mother admitted to giving the adoption agency an incorrect address for her husband to use as contact, preventing him from finding out about his little girl's whereabouts for months . 'I am not a very religious person,' Mr Achane has since told the Tribune, 'but thou shalt not steal.' Speaking of the drawn out legal battle, he said: 'If they prolong it, that is more time away from my daughter. There are precious moments I can’t get back. ... It has been a year and a half now. There is no court order saying they have the right to my child. I just won the case. I want to get my daughter and raise my daughter,' he said. Judge Darold McDade berated the Adoption Center of Choice's handling as 'utterly indefensible.' 'This is a case of human trafficking,' Mr Achane's attorney Mark Wiser told the Tribune. 'Children are being bought and sold. It . is one thing what [adoption agencies] have been doing with unmarried . biological fathers. It is in a new area when they are trying to take a . child away from a married father who wants to have his child.' When an attorney for the Frei family contacted Mr Achane, asking him to consent to the adoption, he said no and demanded his little girl returned to him - to the Frei family's complete surprise. 'Over the last 19 months, despite the law requiring that a father show interest in his child and at least attempt regular communication to establish a bond, the father has never shown any interest in Leah other than to hire an attorney,' the family writes in their blog. Despite a judge's order to return the child within 60 days, the family now asks that his parental rights granting him custody of her be terminated. They accuse him of abandoning both the mother and baby during her pregnancy and therefore demonstrating no capability for raising the girl. 'The right of a fit, competent parent to raise the parent’s child without undue government interference is a fundamental liberty interest that has long been protected by the laws and constitution of this state of the United States, and is a fundamental public policy of this state,’ said Judge McDade. He added that there is no law requiring the father to 'prove himself' as fit to father his own child. 'Once Mr Achane contacted the Adoption Center of Choice ... to let them know he opposed the adoption and wanted his daughter back, that should have been the end of this case,' said Mr McDade. Not going down without a fight, the Freis vow to appeal the judge's decision, asking friends and family to support their case financially through their blog. They note having paid for 'two already expensive adoptions (each costing around $25,000),' with a continuing fight only requiring more money. Their online petition has since raised more than $20,000. A hearing has been set for January 16 of next year on the child's transition back to her father. | Judge gives adoptive couple 60 days to return daughter to natural father .
Texas couple were experiencing marital trouble when husband took a job out of state leading to the quiet adoption .
Judge has since found birth mother had deceived her husband, the adoption agency and prospective parents .
Adoptive parents say they plan to appeal the judge's decision . |
17cd78506bb2f81434f6a85b77ede13701895c43 | Leicester have made an enquiry for Sporting Lisbon striker Islam Slimani. The 26-year-old Algeria international, who has also attracted interest from West Ham, would set the club back around £7million. The striker impressed for Algeria at the World Cup as they reached the last-16 - where they lost to eventual champions Germany. Target: Leicester want Algeria striker Islam Slimani . Finisher: The forward scored 8 times in 26 league games for Sporting Lisbon last season . Slimani scored twice in World Cup Group H, firstly against South Korea in a 4-2 victory, then the equaliser against Russia in the 1-1 draw that sent them through to the second round for the first time in history. He started 26 league games for Sporting last season, scoring eight goals in the process. He would join the likes of David Nugent and Chris Wood as Leicester prepare for their first Premier League season in a decade. | Leicester enquire about Sporting Lisbon forward Islam Slimani .
26-year-old scored twice for Algeria at the World Cup . |
17ce291a865dc3be8b0573bb6e740312fbbb5fef | (Health.com) -- Lana, a 38 year-old publicist in Los Angeles, California, was diagnosed with genital herpes in 1997. Since then, she has "kind of been hiding" from the dating scene. Let's face it: How do you drop that bomb on a potential love interest? And when? She considered a number of online dating venues, but she says Match.com asked too many questions on its enrollment form, eHarmony was too "religious," and MySpace was too much of a "hookup zone." "I wanted to meet men with my same diagnosis so we wouldn't [need to] have 'the talk,' or fear of rejection and transmitting," she says. "Most of us with this don't wish to spread it." Despite -- or perhaps because of -- the economic downturn, the billion-dollar online dating industry has been booming. But not everyone has felt welcome at the party. While sites like Match.com and eHarmony don't discriminate, they also don't cater to people like Lana who are coping with sexually transmitted diseases, disabilities, or mental health conditions. All of these can make dating -- often an ego-shattering minefield for those in perfect health -- even trickier. "On bigger dating sites the competition is tremendous," says Jim Houran, PhD, a clinical psychologist and columnist for Online Dating Magazine. "And let's face it, depending on what [the illness] is, it could very well make you uncompetitive in the larger dating pool." Health.com: 28 days to a healthier relationship . Fortunately, there are a number of alternatives. A new breed of dating sites has emerged to play cupid for people with chronic diseases and disabilities. Over the past five years, several sites -- such as Prescription4love.com, Nolongerlonely.com, and Cisforcupid.com -- have launched to serve the needs of people with conditions ranging from bipolar disorder to Crohn's disease. Together these sites now boast tens of thousands of members. In addition to providing their users with a more hospitable environment, these websites defuse the tension over how and when to disclose an illness, which is often an issue for people with diseases and disabilities who venture onto mainstream dating sites. When health problems equal heartache . After some "horrible" results on other dating websites, Lana joined Prescription 4 Love and the STD-specific site Positivesingles.com. Both sites require members to disclose their illnesses upfront, clearing the air for what might be a deal-breaking revelation later. Within her first week on Positive Singles, she went on three dates and has since gone on seven more, which fostered one romantic relationship and a friendship over the past two years. She's even rejected a couple dozen guys. Health.com: How to tell your partner a health secret . "I don't think I would have been able to have 10 dates without the site," says Lana. "It's easier to get rejected via email, and you can take baby steps online without hunting outside." Though Prescription 4 Love didn't yield any dates for Lana, this fast-growing online community offers an alternative to mainstream dating sites for thousands of singles. Now three years old, the site currently has 8,000 members who represent nearly 40 health conditions ranging from genital herpes (2,425 members) to Tourette's syndrome (32 members). Ricky Durham founded Prescription 4 Love in 2006, inspired by his late brother Keith, who lived with Crohn's disease for 15 years before passing away in 2004. "He was a good-looking boy, and he could find dates, but when do you tell someone you have a colostomy bag? The night you go out? Two weeks after you go out?" Durham asks. "He was having a hard time with that, so I thought if he could find someone who had the same disease, or someone with a colostomy bag, he wouldn't really have to discuss that." Since launching the site, Durham, 48, who previously dabbled in the stock market and worked as a bartender, was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Though he doesn't find it appropriate to be a member of a community he founded, he says he can empathize with his members. "It's nice to find someone who's going through what you're going through," he says. Love for less . Niche sites are also a lot less expensive. Prescription 4 Love, which started charging in May 2009, is $9.95 per month, while most of the features on No Longer Lonely (including the dating service and chat rooms) are still free. (Access to the site's full features is available for $24 per year. That's substantially cheaper than sites like Match.com and eHarmony, which can cost upwards of $35 per month.) "To me, that's pressure right there," says Robert Watson, the executive director of the nonprofit dating service DateAble.org, which caters primarily to those with physical and mild psychiatric handicaps. "If it's the 30th day of the month, you're thinking, 'I've got one more day to find someone or it's another $35.'" DateAble, which was founded in 1987 by a Washington, D.C., doctor who wanted to give her patients a way to combat the isolation that accompanied their physical disabilities, charges a $125 initiation fee for the first year and $25 every year thereafter. For that fee, members get a more personalized experience, as DateAble is more akin to an old-school matchmaking service. The organization has been responsible for almost 1,000 marriages, according to Watson. As one of its first members, he should know: He met his wife, Lynn, at a DateAble Valentine's Day party in 1988. "I didn't want to try it," says Watson, who has moderate cerebral palsy and was working as a national project director for the United Cerebral Palsy Association at the time. "But I probably knew everybody in my community and nobody I knew wanted to date me or vice versa. Lynn lived 60 miles away, but we made it work." By pushing a "friends first" concept, which has been emulated in the communal blog and forum features of Prescription 4 Love, No Longer Lonely, and other illness-specific sites, DateAble members can get up to speed on the dating world in a familiar environment without the prying eyes of the Web. "People with disabilities, especially developmental disabilities, are typically behind the eight ball because they haven't had the practice of dating in college or their young adult life," says Watson. "Many of them never had the puppy love, been broken up with, experienced the fights, or the good stuff." To make up for this lost time, his best bit of advice is to be totally honest. Even in our post-Americans With Disabilities Act society, notes Watson, failing to mention that you're confined to a wheelchair or dealing with another type of handicap might bring a first date to an abrupt end after a courtesy "I'm sorry" drink. The stigma of mental illness . People with physical disabilities aren't the only ones who face stigma while dating. People with mental health problems, from chronic depression to schizophrenia, have also benefited from specialized sites. Jim Leftwich, 39, a college librarian from White Plains, New York, has lived with schizoaffective disorder, a condition that combines features of schizophrenia and mood disorders (such as depression), since 1992. In 2004, after years of brushing up against the harsh realities of the dating scene, Leftwich founded No Longer Lonely, a dating site that caters to the mentally ill. "I thought to myself, 'There should be something like this out there,' and I was surprised to find there wasn't," says Leftwich. "If you're mentally ill, it's kind of a hostile world out there. I thought by taking down that whole bugaboo of having an illness, making it all open with everyone knowing, it would facilitate things. People would be more trusting and relationships might be more successful." No Longer Lonely now has 16,000 members and a brand new interface (similar to those of social-networking sites) that allows users to upload poems, art, videos, and blogs. The site has been responsible for more than 20 marriages. "I find with my clientele, they're more willing to get to know someone remotely and they're more open," he says. "They don't have the same kind of prejudices that people in general tend to have." Even though most mental illnesses can be controlled with medication, therapy, or a combination of the two, some people still view conditions such as bipolar disorder as a mark of weakness or instability. "Even in today's enlightened society, where acceptance and diversity are hailed as the right thing to do...mentally ill people tend to be outcasts. It's terrible," says Houran, who is also a former instructor of clinical psychiatry at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine. "The minute someone knows you have a certain mental disorder, they assume it means that you're not capable of love, or that you're dangerous or unstable. Those are myths. Given the right care, people with mental illnesses and other medical conditions can lead very normal, functioning lives." Some mental illnesses -- certain mood or personality disorders, for instance -- could cause problems in fledgling relationships, Houran acknowledges. And especially if the relationship progresses to thoughts of marriage and kids, two partners who each have bipolar disorder, for example, could find themselves debating whether it's safe or wise to have children. However, says Houran, in most cases these considerations aren't enough to forestall a relationship. "Even under the best of circumstances, people still have major relationship challenges," he says. For Houran, this outgrowth of illness-specific dating sites and services is a boon. "Niche sites are growing in popularity because they allow people with these very specific needs or interests to connect in a way that's not possible on the big dating sites," he says. "The big dating sites are akin to Wal-Mart. You have a lot of quantity, but that doesn't mean you're going to find people with a lot quality in the way you define it. That being said, niche sites by their very construction tend to be very small. So I always advocate [that] people use both." Copyright Health Magazine 2011 . | Billion-dollar online dating industry has been booming despite recession .
Sites include Prescription 4 Love and STD-specific site Positivesingles.com .
People with mental health problems also benefited from specialized sites . |
17ce5e80673227f5fe0571c9bace7a5c6ccfba66 | By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 15:13 EST, 29 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:51 EST, 29 August 2012 . Most typical five-month-old babies can't crawl, let alone drive, but an experimental buggy has given some lucky children the chance to steer their own robot. Designed by researchers at Ithaca College in New York to assist babies with disabilities, the WeeBot encourages children to move around independently using the pint sized scooter. Built from a motorised base, a booster seat and a Nintendo Wii balance board, the WeeBot was developed to stimulate the cognitive functions of children suffering from conditions such as cerebral palsy or Down syndrome. Scroll Down for Video . The baby at Ithaca College in New York takes the WeeBot through its paces . Intended for children who are unable . to crawl because they suffer from a mental impairment, the WeeBot is . supposed to grant independent mobility to infants and kick start their . development. 'In . typically developing infants, the initiation of independent locomotion . heralds concomitant development in aspects of communicative, emotional, . perceptual, cognitive and social behaviour,' states a study produced by . the research team at Ithaca College. 'Typically . developing children whose mobility has been restricted for even . relatively short periods of time have been found to demonstrate . apathetic behaviour and depressed motivation,' states the study. At . the moment though, the robots encourage children with disabilities to . move around independently, at exactly the same time that other . five-month-old infants have learned to crawl. However, one of the scientists in the research team which created the WeeBot has said that the device is in fact only a developmental aid for children and parents should always encourage their child to walk. 'For children who are typically developing we would encourage parents to support their child's 'natural' development, because at each stage of motor development, children develop strength and skills that help them master the next developmental steps,' said Carole Dennis Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy at Ithaca College . 'That said, we don't think that robot experience in and of itself would stunt development (unless children weren't provided sufficient experiences for typical movement development). 'My colleagues (Sharon Stansfield and Hélène Larin) and I think that it might actually increase the motivation of children to move. One child leans to the left to grabs a paper bag they find interesting while another child is offered a firurative 'carrot' to move towards the researcher . It is movement which some childhood specialists believes encourages mental development, as children seek out new environments for their brain to make sense of. 'We think that babies with disabilities are missing an opportunity for learning that typically developing babies have,' said Carole Dennis to Yahoo. Previously, researchers had focused on providing babies with joysticks, however, the WeeBot relies on the baby simply leaning in the direction that it wants to travel. 'What I think is exciting is that we're pushing the age envelope much and much younger,' said Maria Jones, a professor of physical therapy at the University of Oklahoma who was not part of the WeeBot research. The research team at Ithaca were driven on by findings of past research which indicate that developing children undergo dramatic mental changes when they start to move by themselves. However, some children with disabilities do not begin to learn to explore their environment until they are three-years-old. The WeeBot built by Ithaca College to enable disabled children to experience movement and learning and therefore increase their development . 'We know the brain is aching for exploration,' said Cole Galloway, a physical therapist at the Univeristy of Delaware who is an expert in robot maneuverability devices for infants. 'It we treated a typically developing kid the way we treat these kids, it would be as it we put these kids in a closet of cage until they can take adult commands,' said Galloway. To create the WeeBot, Dennis teamed up with physical therapist Héléne Larin and computer programmer Sharon Stansfield. The Wii board part registers shifts in weight to the left or right or forwards or backwards depending on how the child leans. A child is encouraged to lean forward thereby making the WeeBot move forward as trials for the Nintendo Wii board equipped device continued . The Ithaca team added sonar-style instruments to the front and back of the WeeBot to halt the children running into obstacles. The team discovered after a little training, 90 percent of able bodied infants could successfully control the device. And then children with disabilities were given trial runs to see they would react. One, a seven-month-old boy with Down syndrome only used the WeeBot satisfactorily nine-percent of the time, while a 15-month old with cerebral palsy became 85-percent proficient in use of the device. The Segway was the first self-balancing electric powered transportation machine and was introduced in 2002 . Researchers believe that the WeeBot needs more trialing before they can think about a cost-effective manufacture, especially in its safety features. However, the researchers believe that the WeeBot genuinely aids in the development of mentally disabled children and will push to see them put into production. 'Some parents of typically-developing infants that we have worked with have mentioned that their children seem to be a bit frustrated when they aren't in the WeeBot, because they can't move,' said Carole Dennis. 'So the realization that there is a great world out there to explore might increase children's desire to get moving!' | Developed for children who suffer a mental disability the WeeBot is supposed to grant independent mobility to infants and kick start their development . |
17ce67acb01d6a3dba9e6731879dc1dbcae05074 | London (CNN) -- Fans and friends of Paul McCartney gathered in central London Sunday to watch the ex-Beatle walk down the aisle for the third time, as he married girlfriend Nancy Shevell. The couple arrived together just before 3:30 p.m., the groom in a blue suit and the bride in a long-sleeved white gown with a white flower in her hair. Both wore outfits by McCartney's fashion designer daughter Stella, said Monique Jessen of People magazine. The crowd of hundreds went wild when they appeared, with one well-wisher saying of the match: "It just seems right." McCartney, 69, and his 51-year-old bride left Marylebone Town Hall about an hour later and waved to crowds while being showered with confetti, before arriving at McCartney's home. Ringo Starr, the only other surviving former Beatle, was there, as was iconic U.S. television host Barbara Walters, who reportedly played a role in introducing McCartney and Shevell, an American trucking heiress. Walters is Shevell's second cousin, she said on her show "The View" in 2007. McCartney and Shevell got engaged in May, a McCartney representative told CNN at the time. The wedding took place at the same venue where McCartney married his first wife, Linda, in 1969. She died of breast cancer, aged 56, in 1998. A memorial service for her two months later was the first time McCartney, Starr and George Harrison appeared together in public since the Beatles split in 1970. John Lennon, the fourth member of the band, was shot dead in New York in 1980. Shevell, the bride, is the daughter of a New Jersey trucking magnate. She is an executive at her father's company, New England Motor Freight, and a 10-year member of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. She was married once before, to lawyer Bruce Blakeman, who is active in Republican and Jewish circles in New York state. He ran unsuccessfully for Senate against Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand last year. Her father's company has annual revenues of about $400 million, says Blakeman's biography on his law firm's website. Press reports say they have a 19-year-old son. Alison Cathcart, who performed McCartney's third wedding, called the venue "a rock 'n' roll place to tie the knot." Liam Gallagher and Patsy Kensit married there, as did Melanie Griffiths and Antonio Banderas. Cathcart has conducted marriage services for celebrities including Sylvester Stallone and Joan Collins, Westminster City Council says. McCartney's second marriage -- to model Heather Mills -- ended in a bitter divorce in 2008 after four years. They have a daughter, Beatrice. Mills fought for a large divorce settlement, saying McCartney had limited her ability to work as a model during their marriage and that she had acted as a psychologist to him as he grieved for his first wife. Judge Hugh Bennett all but laughed both assertions out of court, saying her testimony was not only "inconsistent and inaccurate but less than candid." He awarded her 24.3 million pounds ($48.6 million at the time) -- less than one-fifth of the 125 million pounds she had asked for. Sunday would have been John Lennon's 71st birthday. CNN's Erin McLaughlin contributed to this report. | Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell leave their wedding in London .
"It just seems right," one well-wisher says of the match .
They'll wed at the same venue where the former Beatle married his first wife Linda .
His marriage to Linda ended with her death, and his second marriage ended in bitter divorce . |
17cefb0cc026a5da94646d98a65e8e2dbd52273b | By . Sami Mokbel for the Daily Mail . Follow @@SamiMokbel81_DM . Arsenal were locked in talks with Borussia Dortmund trying to agree a fee for central defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos. The German club want £20million for the Greece international, who can also play right-back and holding midfielder. Sportsmail first reported Arsenal's interest in the player today. VIDEO Scroll down Sokrates scores goal for Borussia Dortmund . Target: Arsene Wenger wants Sokratis Papastathopoulos to bolster Arsenal's squad . Replacement: Papastathopoulos (25) is being touted as a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen, who joined Barcelona earlier this month . The Gunners do not want to meet Dortmund's asking price and are trying to secure a reduced figure before pressing ahead with a swoop. But manager Arsene Wenger knows he needs defensive cover before Monday's transfer deadline and is keen to land Papastathopoulos, who is understood to be open to joining Arsenal. | Papastathopoulos is being linked with Arsenal as a replacement for Thomas Vermaelen, who has joined Barcelona .
The Greek international is valued at £20million by Borussia Dortmund .
But Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is trying to cut a deal with the Germans .
The defender has made 51 appearances for his country, scoring against Costa Rica in this summer's World Cup .
Papastathopoulos joined Dormund last summer from Werder Bremen .
The 26-year-old is understood to be keen on a move to the Premier League . |
17cf199429766753434ca3f048c193194dfc08de | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 10:08 PM on 17th July 2011 . As the debt ceiling deadline draws . dangerously close, Barack Obama was spotted heading to church with his . family in Washington this morning. Perhaps . he was praying for a solution - or better a resolution - to the small . task of securing a multi-trillion-dollar deal that House Democrats and . Republicans can agree on before the Government defaults on August 2. If the President was feeling the strain of last week's gruelling debt meetings, he didn't show it. Looking resplendent in their Sunday Best the Obamas laughed and joked with each other as they made their way back to the White House after the service at St John's Church. Mr Obama also told reporters he would 'absolutely' be watching the women's soccer world cup final between USA and Japan today. While the First family gathered around the television White House and congressional aides were continuing discussions to find a solution for increasing the nation's borrowing authority while reducing long-term deficits, behind the scenes. This . comes after the failure to get a deal after five straight days of . meetings last week between Mr Obama and congressional leaders at the . White House. But there was hope today that congressional leaders still had time 'to get something big done' with Mr Obama. 'I . think that what is encouraging is that the leaders in Congress seem to . have all agreed that we can't push to a default,' White House budget . director Jack Lew said. Sunday best: The Obamas head home after attending a service at St John's Church in Washington, while Congress leaders worked behind the scenes to try and seal a debt deal . 'So I think that there are many conversations going on in order to make sure that doesn't happen.' The . government will exceed the current $14.3trillion debt ceiling in 16 . days, after which it will be in default of its obligations. The . consequences could be far-reaching, with potentially higher interest . rates on mortgages and car loans, a halt in Social Security checks and . unsettled world financial markets. Talks have continued over the weekend and White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer . said on Twitter that Mr Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other White . House officials were discussing 'various options' with lawmakers . throughout the day yesterday. Meanwhile Republican House Speaker John Boehner is 'keeping the lines of . communication open,' his spokesman, Mike Steel told Bloomberg. 'Meetings have been . occurring.' Republicans have rejected any plan that contains tax increases. Lew said on NBC's Meet The Press that the president 'made clear he wants the largest deal possible.' Back to the White House: The President shakes hands with Reverend Luis Leon before he, First Lady Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha head home . Not much to smile about: Mr Obama shares a joke with his wife who looks less than impressed, as the family walk out of the church gates . Stroll: Mrs Obama is seen with daughter Malia, left, while the President walks with the couple's other daughter Sasha after the service . 'He wants to do the most we can to . reduce the deficit,' Lew said. 'But he also said that if we can't get . the most done, then in addition to extending the debt we should do as . much as we can.' House Republicans are preparing to . vote this week on allowing an increase in the government's borrowing . limit through 2012 as long as Congress approves a balanced-budget . constitutional amendment. Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., called that . proof Republicans are willing to compromise and 'hardly a radical idea' but the Senate's No 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois, said that bill . doesn't have the needed support in the Senate. 'This notion that we have to change the Constitution to do what we were elected to do is just plain wrong,' Durbin said. Lew also did not like the idea. In the background: The Obamas head back to the White House where talks between congressional leaders were thought to be ongoing throughout the weekend . 'What these ideas do is say let's . kick the can down the road so that others will deal with it,' he said. 'The challenge is for Washington now to do the job the American people . sent us here to do.' DeMint said the U.S. is on course for . a financial disaster and that lawmakers have 'to draw a line in the . sand now because a day of reckoning is going to come.' 'And the longer we put it off the bigger the problems are going to be for our country,' DeMint said. Holding the fort: Meanwhile White House Budget Director Jack Lew revealed there were 'many conversations' going on as the battle to secure a deal before August 2 carried on . However, if it comes down to it, . White House officials who say Congress won't let the U.S. default are . 'probably right on that,' DeMint said. Senators are working on a bipartisan . plan that would allow Mr Obama to raise the debt limit without a prior . vote by lawmakers. The talks focused on how to address long-term deficit . reduction in the proposal in hopes of satisfying House Republicans. 'Lines of communication remain open with all parties,' said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner. Mr Obama admitted that . compromise was needed in talks with Republicans to solve the . crisis, during his weekly radio and internet address yesterday. He said it would take 'shared sacrifice' for . Democrats and Republicans to come to an agreement. 'Let's be honest. Neither party in this town is blameless,' he said in . his broadcast to the nation. 'Both have talked this problem to death without . doing enough about it. That's what drives people nuts about Washington.' He attempted to reach out to the middle class in the address, repeating his . call for higher taxes on the wealthy and reforms to politically popular . entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. 'We are all . part of the same country. We are all in this together,' he said. But Republicans renewed their call for an amendment to require a balanced budget. 'The only reason this administration doesn't want a constitutional . amendment is because they want to keep spending the American people's . money,' Senator Orrin Hatch said in the Republican response. 'And the only . reason congressional Democrats would refuse to pass it, is because they . know the people of this country would rise up and quickly ratify it.' In his weekly broadcast Mr Obama continued to insist that it was necessary to remove some tax breaks. 'Simply . put, it will take a balanced approach, shared sacrifice, and a . willingness to make unpopular choices on all our parts,' he said. 'That . means spending less on domestic programmes,' the President said. 'It . means spending less on defence programmes. ... And it means taking on . the tax code, and cutting out certain tax breaks and deductions for the . wealthiest Americans.' 'The truth is, you can't solve our deficit without cutting spending,' Mr Obama said. 'But . you also can't solve it without asking the wealthiest Americans to pay . their fair share - or without taking on loopholes that give special . interests and big corporations tax breaks that middle-class Americans . don't get.' | White House and congressional aides were continuing discussions over the weekend .
There is hope that congressional leaders still had time 'to get something big done'
Obama calls for 'shared sacrifice' in a deficit reduction package to clear the way for raising of the debt ceiling .
Said he's willing to compromise and called on members of Congress to do the same .
Republican Senator Orrin Hatch responds that constitutional amendment requiring balanced budget is needed . |
17cf58e1f43561794ded3645f66d290dcca8070c | The Chicago Bears have suspended and fined Martellus Bennett after he slammed rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller into the turf in training camp. Bennett reacted furiously to Fuller's high hit after he attempted to strip the ball, rearing up and piledriving the 22-year-old. The veteran tight end had to be restrained by several team-mates, among them wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Head coach Marc Trestman cut the practice ten minutes short to try to take the heat out of the situation. Feisty: Martellus Bennett looks set to be fined a week's wages and could miss a month . 'I come to training camp for one reason and that's to prepare to win a championship,' Bennett said. 'I play hard and go hard every single day. I'm probably one of the most violent people on the field. That's just my style of play. I'm going to continue to play the same way I always play. That's what I'm here for. 'Everybody talks about friendships, but really we are all preparing to win a championship. If we make friends along the way, cool. But I'm just trying to help the Bears win a championship and do the job to the best of my ability. Prize asset: Big things are expected of Kyle Fuller . 'It's practice. Practice is practice. I know I sound like Allen Iverson right now, but it's practice. (Expletive) happens at practice. You learn from it. That's why it's practice,' he told ESPN. General manager Phil Emery announced that Bennett has been fined and suspended 'for conduct detrimental to the team'. Team-mates and coaches have noted Bennett's lackadaisical attitude to training, with his poor work ethic regularly slowing down the tempo, according to the Chicago Tribune. After joining from the New York Giants last season on a $20.4million four-year deal, the veteran contributed to the NFC's highest scoring offense, and the second-highest scoring in Bears history. Facing over 90% of snaps, he caught 65 passes for 679 yards and five touchdowns. Big things are expected of Fuller, who was taken at No 14 in May's draft, and is expected to start in the nickel package alongside veterans Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings. The Bears, who have not made the playoffs since 2010, begin their season when the Buffalo Bills travel to Soldier Field on September 7. | Bennett slammed the first-round pick into the ground after a face mask .
The veteran tight end had to be restrained by team-mates .
Head coach Marc Trestman cut the practice short by ten minutes .
The Bears suspended and fined Bennett for 'conduct detrimental to the team'
The pair have subsequently made up . |
17d03700f9fcc026b9154401b8490fbc61987f39 | Exchanging sexual images between children has become commonplace in many schools, campaigners warn . Teachers have been given powers to delete sexting images from pupils' phones which could be covering up the scale of the indecent images circulating in schools and online. Former culture secretary Maria Miller told MailOnline that children must be taught that sharing explicit images is a sexual offence: 'The worst sort of crime'. The government admits it does not collect data on the number of incidents of sexting in schools or how many cases are referred to police or prosecutors. Sharing explicit images of under-18s is an offence even if they are taken by the youngsters themselves. Search powers introduced by the coalition to help schools impose discipline give teachers the power to search for and delete, inappropriate images from pupils' phones. There are concerns that schools are deleting the photographs from one mobile handset and disciplining pupils discreetly, without investigating how fare the images have spread. It is also suggested that criminal gangs could try to infiltrate school networks to obtain images of children under the age of 16. Mrs Miller, who resigned as Culture Secretary earlier this year, warned: 'Simply deleting that image on the camera that took the photo ignores the very real problem that they have been distributed far more widely.' Some charities, including the NSPCC, have suggested that exchanging sexting images is not a normal part of school life for many teenagers. But Mrs Miller insisted: 'The idea of sending illegal sex abuse images is not part of teenage life. It is often something that happens at the start of a relationship before emotional ties are formed. 'These illegal, indecent images are often circulated far more widely than the original personal who took the photograph intended.' She added: 'It is a sexual offence, it is the worst sort of crime. It is storing up a real problem for those young people. Those images are going to stay with them forever. That is what young people are not aware of.' Mrs Miller raised concerns that by allowing schools to delete images off young people's phones headteachers might not be 'addressing the scale of the problem'. 'There is no statutory duty for schools to report sexting but they do have a duty to report criminal offences. 'But the Home Office doesn't seem to have the records which will set out how many offences have been reported.' Former Culture Secretary Maria Miller told MailOnline she was concerned schools are deleting images and not dealing with how far they have spread or teaching pupils about the serious nature of committing a sex offence . Criminal gangs could be encouraging schoolchildren to engage in sexting to generate images for child porn websites, Maria Miller warned. She questioned whether 'there is the involvement of third parties asking for those images to be generated in the first place'. The Home Office does not collect data on the number of incidents of sexting in schools . But Mrs Miller said: 'You cannot underestimate the cunning nature of those involved in this industry. 'The police have not been able to pick up trends that might imply the involvement of organised crime in sexting.' A recent survey by ChildLine of 13-18 year-olds found that 60 per cent said they had been asked for a sexual image or video of themselves. And four in ten said they had taken an image and a quarter had sent the image or video on to someone else. One in five reports to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) relates to self-generated indecent images. A survey of calls fo Childline last year found 28 per cent mentioned secting. In a series of parliamentary questions, ministers have admitted that statistics are not kept on the scale of sexting in schools. Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone said: 'The Department does not hold information on the number of cases of indecent images of children either self-taken, or possessed, by an under-18 reported to the police or referred to the Crown Prosecution Service.' She added: We have a responsibility to educate young people to use technology safely and strongly discourage them from sharing self-taken indecent photographs.' Ceop has developed a 'specific educational resource' to tackle sexting to be used by teachers. And schools minister Nick Gibb said: 'The Department for Education does not collect data on incidents of sexting among pupils. 'Schools can help to contain cyber-bullying and sexting during the school day by banning or limiting the use of mobile phones and other electronic devices. 'Search powers included in the Education Act 2011 have given teachers the power to search for, and if necessary delete, inappropriate images (or files) on electronic devices, including mobile phones.' Mrs Miller, who has recently held talks with child abuse law experts in the US about how to tackle the problem, said: 'Schools have been left in a really invidious position. They have the authority to delete images. 'They are undoubtedly doing a great deal to support teachers and young people who are affected by sexting, but I am concerned that there seems to be a lack of information about how many of these incidents are reported to police.' She stressed that she did not want to criminalise every young person but to 'ensure those images are removed and to make sure we are fully aware of whether there is the involvement of third parties asking for those images to be generated in the first place'. The NSPCC said sexting' is playing an increasingly insidious role in young people's relationships [file picture] . Revenge porn - when people publish sexually explicit pictures of former partners - is to be made a new offence punishable by up to two years in jail. Distribution of a private sexual image of someone without their consent and with the intention of causing them distress will be made a specific offence in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill. It has already passed the House of Lords and is due to reach the Commons next week. Latest figures show children as young as 11 had been victims, while pop stars Tulisa and Rihanna have also been targeted. Claire Lilley, head of child safety online at the NSPCC, said: 'NSPCC research shows 'sexting' is playing an increasingly insidious role in young people's relationships. 'Children may take these images to please a boyfriend or girlfriend but things can quickly spiral out of control. 'Relationships break down and in a moment of spite images can be shared widely. Sometimes a boyfriend sends an image or video to a mate to show off, who in turn may post it online. 'With a few clicks, what is meant to be private is being seen on hundreds of websites, potentially ending up in sex offender collections. 'While we wouldn't want children who do this to be prosecuted apart from in the most extreme and exceptional cases, it's important to remember that taking and sharing any indecent image of a child, even when it was taken with their consent, is a serious offence.' Child protection chief Dr Zoe Hilton warned last week that celebrities could be fuelling the trend in children exchanging explicit images. She told the Commons Education Committee said: 'Obviously children and particularly older children are looking at celebrities and are looking at what the adult population are doing. She added: 'I think we've got to the point with older teenagers where sexting is a normative behaviour. 'What we need to do is get them to recognise when it's abusive, when it's harmful, when it's linked to exploitation, when it's linked to the beginning point of an exploitative relationship.' Meanwhile GPs have been told to ask teenagers if they have been victims of revenge porn. New guidelines have been drawn up to spot youngsters being made ill as a result of anxiety caused by sexting, cyber-bullying and radicalisation online. The pressures of young people's lives played out online means they could be the trigger for headaches and stomach pains, or the reason while children start to play truant, the Royal College of GPs warned last month. | EXCLUSIVE: Maria Miller warns schools risk hiding the scale of problem .
Former Culture Secretary concerned data is not kept on sexting cases .
Concerns about not criminalising children could mask criminality .
The sharing of explicit images of under-18s is a criminal offence . |
17d058d5b6c6c14eecd79b794e1ac51f1809811d | Announcement: Anton Krasovsky, 37, was sacked from his job for admitting he was gay on live television . A Russian television presenter was sacked after coming out on live television. Anton Krasovsky, 37, made the announcement on the KontrTV network, a Kremlin-backed Internet and cable television network he helped to launch. 'I’m gay, and I’m just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin, as Prime Minister Medvedev and the deputies of our Duma,' Mr Krasovsky said. He told CNN in a recent interview that he was sacked the same night that he made the announcement at the end of the Friday night show. It appeared that videos of his announcement in earlier this year were deleted from the Kontr TV website and YouTube. He told the interviewer he was not sure who was behind the decision to delete the footage. Mr Krasovsky, who was an editor-in-chief at the channel later told The Independent: 'I have made a lot of money in television and I understood that I’d lose everything,' he recalls over coffee, months later. He is currently unemployed. 'But I also understood that I couldn’t do anything else. I didn’t do it so that I would get hundreds of likes on my Facebook page. I did it because I wanted them to hear it in the Kremlin. And they heard it, and were surprised.' The issue of homosexuality in Russia is under intense scrutiny at the moment - yesterday FIFA has asked authorities in 2018 World Cup host Russia for 'clarification and more details' about a new anti-gay law, joining the International Olympic Committee in seeking answers from Moscow.Legislation prohibiting 'propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations among minors' has provoked an international furor since President Vladimir Putin signed it off in June and sparked growing concern at the IOC ahead of the Sochi Winter Games next February. Decision: He made the announcement on the KontrTV network, a Kremlin-backed Internet and cable television network he helped to launch . Sacked: He told CNN in a recent interview that he was sacked the same night that he made the announcement at the end of the Friday night show . Russian lawmakers say the law doesn't . outlaw homosexuality but merely discourages discussion of it among . people younger than 18. 'I'm gay, and I'm just the same person as you, my dear audience, as President Putin,' Mr Krasovsky said . However, the law has outraged Russian liberals . and some sectors of the international community just six months before . the start of the Winter Olympic Games in the Russian city of Sochi. The law does not outlaw gay sex, which was legalized in Russia in 1993. It does not explicitly ban . participation in gay pride parades or promotion of lesbian, gay, . bisexual and transgender equality online, but anyone wearing a rainbow . flag on the street or writing about gay relationships on Facebook, for . instance, could be accused of propagandizing. No one has yet gone to court under . the federal law. Six LGBT activists were detained after one of them . unfurled a banner reading 'Being gay is normal' near a children's . library in Moscow, but so far the participants have not been brought to . trial. Four Dutch citizens working on a . documentary film about gay rights in the northern Russian town of . Murmansk were the first foreigners to be detained under the new law. They were fined and forced to leave the country, but weren't put on . trial. There have been six cases in which individuals have been tried for 'propaganda' under regional legislation. While the legislation outraged Russian liberals and activists, a poll by . the independent Levada Center in Russia found that 73 percent of . respondents supported any government efforts to curb homosexual . propaganda. Four out of five Russians say that they do not have a single LGBT acquaintance. | Anton Krasovsky, 37, made the announcement on the KontrTV network .
'I’m gay, and I’m just the same person as you,' Mr Krasovsky said .
The footage of his announcement has been deleted from the internet . |
17d0a4a1509b3107629dd2d3bb9557d7b1bcd214 | By . Andrew Magee . HEARTBREAK FOR JERSEY GIRLS . Jersey came within a whisker of ending their 24-year Commonwealth Games medal drought in women’s pairs bowls, but were edged out by Northern Ireland. Katie Nixon and Lindsey Greechan were heartbroken after being beaten to the bronze medal by Barbara Cameron and Mandy Cunningham. In the final, England had to settle for silver as Natalie Melmore and Jamie-Lea Winch lost to South African pair Tracy-Lee Botha and Colleen Piketh. LET THEM EAT CAKE . After Wales women sealed ninth place in the hockey by thrashing Trinidad and Tobago 4-0 on Thursday, goalscorer Phoebe Richards posted a picture on Twitter. ‘Post-Commonwealth Games treats, muffins in the ice bath!’ was the accompanying message. Well deserved, ladies. BOUCHARD DIVES TO GLORIOUS FIFTH . Amid the excitement of Jack Laugher and Chris Mears’ gold medal in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard, the inspirational Maxim Bouchard slipped under the radar. Bouchard broke his arm, back, wrist and legs and split his head open when a 7m platform collapsed underneath him in 2010, and still has metal pins in his left arm. Bouchard and Ryan McCormick managed a fifth-place finish for Canada. ENGLAND SPOT ON AGAINST KIWIS . A penalty shootout was required for England’s women to reach Saturday’s hockey final. Lily Owsley gave England a first-half lead against New Zealand, but the Antipodeans levelled with a minute to go. The teams had to settle for a shootout, which England won 3-1, thanks largely to the heroics of goalkeeper Maddie Hinch. Now all that stands between England and a gold medal is Australia, who beat South Africa 7-1 in the other semi-final... High five: England put years of spot-kick heartache behind them to triumph 3-1 on penalties against New Zealand in the semi-final of the women's hockey after drawing 1-1 . ANOTHER ALL-ENGLAND FINAL . English mixed doubles pair Tin-Tin Ho and Liam Pitchford caused a huge upset in the table tennis semi-final, beating Singapore’s Jian Zhan and Tianwei Feng 12-10, 11-8, 11-13, 6-11, 11-5. Pitchford and Ho, who has a table tennis-obsessed father to thank for her first initials, will contest an all-England final on Saturday against husband-and-wife team Paul and Joanna Drinkhall, who defeated Danny Reed and Kelly Sibley in the other semi. England: Liam Pitchford (pictured) and Tin-Tin Ho reached the mixed doubles pair final . OUSEPH PULLS THE STRINGS . English badminton player Rajiv Ouseph may not have had the crowd’s backing in his quarter-final against Glasgow’s Kieran Merrilees, but that didn’t stop him winning in emphatic fashion. Ouseph sewed up victory in 29 minutes, despite snapping his strings early on. ‘In our sport there’s only two people, so if you’re not winning you’re losing,’ is the Londoner’s motto. It served him well on Friday. BID FOR BARROWMAN'S RANGE ROVER! Fans have been given the chance to bag themselves the ultimate souvenir from the Games — the 4x4 ridden by John Barrowman in the opening ceremony is being auctioned off. The bidding for the ‘Tartan Clad 2003 Ford Ranger’ is currently at £4,400 with 20 days left of the auction. Not a bad price for ‘the most recognised and sought after Ford Ranger ever’, according to the Commonwealth Games website anyway. JUST KEEP THE FAITH, VALENTINO . Valentino Bon Jovi Bong may be leaving Glasgow without a medal, but he comfortably wins the competition for best name at the Commonwealth Games. The Malaysian squash player, who was eliminated from both the mixed and men’s doubles on Thursday, revealed the secret to his association with the 80s rockers: ‘I was born in 1989 when they were really big and my mum was a fan, so she decided to give me that middle name,’ Bong said. Joy! Swimmer Adam Brown won gold and bronze medals at the Games and he now has a baby daughter too . BABY JOY FOR DOUBLE MEDALLIST . English swimmer Adam Brown now has a baby daughter to add to his gold and bronze medals from the Commonwealth Games. The 25-year-old, who medalled in the men’s 4x100m Medley and freestyle relays, missed his daughter’s birth as his wife went into labour four weeks early. The Alabama-based swimmer uploaded a picture of his new arrival to Instagram on his return to the States. | Jersey came close to ending their 24-year Games medal drought in the women's pairs bowls but fell just short .
Wales' women celebrated ninth in the hockey with some cake .
England saw off New Zealand on penalties to advance to the hockey final where they will face Australia women . |
17d0e2e8b4593023e55a317ca61663410a3abe2d | The mother of the Muslim convert who brought terror to Canada's parliament divorced her husband after admitting an affair - just two years before her son's life began to spiral out of control. Michael Zehaf-Bibeau's mother, Susan Bibeau, made the stark admission: 'I committed adultery' in the papers filed in her divorce from Bulgasem Zehaf. They pulled Zehaf-Bibeau out mid-year from his $5,000 a year private school which had 'Army-like' discipline - and sent him to a down-at-heel public school instead. Strict: Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was pulled out of the 'Army-like' $5,000-a-year College Laval private school because of his parents' divorce - a result of his mother's adultery, according to court papers . Michael Zehaf-Bibeau appears in a yearbook photo for L'École Secondaire Saint-Maxime in Laval, where he was sent to after his parents' split . Descent to hell: Zehaf-Bibeau started out on a life of criminality withn two years of his parents' split which led to crack cocaine addiction and eventually such radicalization that he became a jihadi killer . Turbulent: Zehaf-Bibeau moved in with his mother after the divorce but soon moved out. She admitted earlier this week that she hadn't spoken to him for five years apart from oncelast week . The divorce was finalized in June 1999 and just two years later Zehaf-Bibeau was arrested for assault causing actual bodily harm in his first criminal offence, paving the way for his later radicalization. He would have been just 16 at the time and his parents' split wrenched him away from his family life, his friends and his school. Even today the wounds appear to be raw. Susan Bibeau, now one of Canada's top immigration officials, has admitted that she has not seen her son for the past five years as he became increasingly radicalized and drifted across Canada, his only mark on society being his growing list of crimes. His life reached its terrifying conclusion on Wednesday when he shot dead Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, 24, as he was standing guard at the National War Memorial in Ottawa. Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, walked a short distance to Parliament and unleashed an estimated 50 rounds from his Winchester.30 caliber rifle before being shot dead. It was one of the most brazen terrorist attacks on a Western country in the last few years - but now investigators are trying to work out why Zehaf-Bibeau did it. He came from a middle class family and grew up in Laval, a suburb of Montreal in Quebec and seemed to have the world at his feet. Former classmates described him as 'smiley' and somebody who 'fitted in'. The 2000 yearbook (photo provided by CBC) from his senior year at Ecole Secondaire Saint Maxime in Laval said that he 'will go far in life' and that he is a 'sociable and intelligent guy'. But the year before that his life was turned upside down when his parents split up. Zehaf-bibeau's Libyan father wrote in an affidavit that Susan Bibeau 'confessed' what she did to him and that afterwards he could not be with her any more. In the resulting acrimony, Zehaf-Bibeau was removed from College Laval, an exclusive private school where students have to take an entrance exam, in the middle of the 1998/1999 academic year. Former classmate Vito Garofalo said that during his time at College Laval Bibeau would have had no opportunity to get involved in criminality because the regime was so strict. The 31-year-old realtor said: 'We had to wear a suit all year, even in the summer. It was like being in the Army and it was very strict. Terror and death: Surveillance cameras capture Zehaf-Bibeau on Wednesday's murderous rampage . 'We had a merit system and we started the year with 25 points. If you did something wrong you lost points, so if you got in a fight you lost 10 points, and if you didn't do your homework you lost two points. 'Anyone who had zero points was expelled. It was a tough place'. Zehaf-Bibeau was put into Saint Maxime which has been known for pupils fighting with other students from local schools. As he adjusted to his new life, papers filed at the Montreal Justice Palace show that painful mediation was ongoing over his parents' divorce. His mother, already a successful official in the Canadian immigration service, paid his father $40,000 for his share of the smart three-bedroom house so she could keep it, and Zehaf-Bibeau appears to have lived there with her. In a sign that perhaps she accepted blame for the breakup, she did not ask for child support even though under Quebec law she was entitled to it. Zehaf kept his Ford Crown 89 and his Porsche 944 whilst she kept the Mazda MX-3. He kept the cafe that he ran, though it later closed down. In one of his statements Zahaf says that, as of the age of 16, Zehaf-Bibeau had no criminal record and had never appeared before a youth court. The family had also not been investigated by social services. But that all changed soon after. Zehaf-Bibeau's first conviction was in 2001 when he was 19 – the assault during an incident in Montreal. That same year he was convicted of possessing a false credit card and impaired driving. Over the next 13 years he racked up 13 offences in Quebec including his most serious crime, a 2003 robbery, for which he was jailed for two years and put on probation for three. Zehaf-Bibeau drifted between jobs and traveled to Vancouver, where he briefly worked as a laborer and developed a crack cocaine drug addiction. At some point during these turbulent years he converted from Catholicism to Islam. A mosque in Vancouver, British Columbia, kicked him out. 'His behaviour was not normal,’ said David Ali, vice-president of Masjid Al-Salaam mosque in nearby Burnaby. He said: 'We try to be open to everyone. But people on drugs don't behave normally.' In 2011, Zehaf-Bibeau tried to rob a McDonald's restaurant in the city so he could get clean from his addiction while in jail. A psychiatrist deemed him fit to stand trial and after being convicted he was sentenced to time served, which was 66 days in jail. A transcript of the hearing reveals he was by then deeply troubled. Victim: Father-of-one Cpl Nathan Cirillo was shot in the back by Zehaf-Bibeau. He died of his injuries later . Ominous: Responders frantically tried reviving Cirillo at the base of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier . Wasted life: Cpl Cirillo's mother, Kathy, weeps behind the young soldier's coffin as it is walked out to the hearse in his hometown of Hamilton, Canada, on Friday . Honor: Crowds of well-wishers pay their respects as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo's casket is transported by hearse from Ottawa to Hamilton via the Highway of Heroes in Ottawa . He says: 'My plan is...I'm a crack addict, and at the same time I'm a religious person. I want to sacrifice freedom and good things, for a year maybe, so when I come out I'll appreciate things of life more, and be clean, or maybe get a therapy like a detox, if you guys could send me to one.' Zehaf-Bibeau's last known home was a homeless shelter in Ottawa where he vacillated between preaching and doing drugs. But by then, according to CNN, he had already developed 'connections' to Canadian jihadists, including one who had gone to Syria to fight and is currently on the run. The extent of their influence on him is something that investigators will be working out. Among those who have spoken out in support of Zehaf-Bibeau has been his aunt Monique, although when visited by MailOnline she refused to come to the door. A fierce husky dog on a chain prowled the driveway of her picturesque lakeside home in the mountain resort of Mont Tremblant. Monique Bibeau has been told not to talk about her nephew's visit by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), according to a neighbor. The neighbor said: 'The Mounties were here this morning. They told Monique not to talk about Michael's visit. She is very upset. He would often come here when he was young.' Mrs Bideau has described how her bearded nephew turned up at her remote mountain home 'out of the blue' the night before the terrorist attack. She told La Presse: 'He just turned up (on Tuesday night). He said he wanted to pay me a visit. It had been a long time since we'd seen each other. 'I hardly recognized him. He had changed. He had long hair and a beard. He was no longer my little nephew. But in ten years you change.' She added that had spent several years in the west of Canada working in the oil industry as he drifted around. Monique Bibeau said: 'He said vaguely that he had plans to return. I am totally against what he did but he is still my nephew and always will be. He was like any other kid.' Court records also seen by MailOnline show that Zehaf's first marriage before he met Susan Bibeau ended badly too.. He wed Susan Simmons in January 1984 but in November the following year they divorced. In his affidavit Zehaf states: 'The reason for the divorce was physical cruelty and mental cruelty'. Neither party saw any chance of reconciliation. Loved: People sign a Canadian flag at a makeshift memorial to Cirillo outside of The Lieutenant-Colonel John Weir Foote Armoury in Hamilton, Ontario on Thursday . Zehaf has been described as a businessman who appears to have fought in Libya in 2011 for the rebels. He also made numerous trips to Libya over the previous decade and Bibeau is said to have joined him on some. Zehaf-Bibeau had traveled to Ottawa to apply for a Libyan passport because he wanted to go to the country to study Islam, but was rejected for undisclosed reasons. But it has been reported that he had also told his mother he wanted to go to Syria - where ISIS is currently running rampage. His passport had been seized but he was not among the dozens of Islamic radicals being watched by Canadian intelligence. In a joint statement Susan Bibeau and Zehaf spoke of their horror at what their son has done. Susan Bibeau said: 'If I’m crying, it's for the people (killed and hurt). Not for my son.' | Michael Zehaf-Bibeau's mother Susan admitted she had an affair when she divorced Libyan Bulgasem Zehaf in 1999 .
Pulled out of strict private school and sent to down-at-heel institution .
In just two years he was arrested for his first of many criminal offences .
Fell into life of petty crime, crack addiction and became radicalized after converting from Catholicism to Islam . |
17d17dae2a34fae13f2a1a81d641802e0d5cc5bb | (CNN) -- In 1996, when she was 4 years old, Catherine MacLean learned she had aplastic anemia. For seven years, she lived from hospital visit to hospital visit, one transfusion to the next. It wasn't until the summer of 2002 that her world suddenly included what was possible beyond the walls of her illness. She was 11. For many of the years in between, her disease controlled her life -- aplastic anemia is a type of bone marrow failure that made it impossible to produce enough red blood cells to support her body. In 2001, Catherine spent three weeks in isolation at a clinic so that she could get a bone marrow transplant. All visitors had to scrub down before entering the room, and her mother had to wear a surgical mask if she slept there. When she went back to school, Catherine had kept up academically, but the social environment at the school made for a difficult transition. "I was definitely clearly very aware that I was different from the other kids in my class, in a lot of ways -- in terms of maturity, in terms of risk taking," Catherine told CNN. "There's just this gap in experience, because I've just done things and been to places that they just haven't." To help her meet other kids who understood, Catherine's doctors encouraged her to go to a special summer camp for seriously ill children. The Hole in the Wall Gang Camps were started by actor Paul Newman "to acknowledge luck; the chance of it, the benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, made especially savage for children because they may not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it." The camp Catherine attended, in Ashford, Connecticut, is staffed by cabin counselors, doctors and nurses, and it prides itself on giving kids a place where they will feel "safe, respected and loved." For these kids, suffering from diseases such as hemophilia, sickle cell anemia and cancer, it is a chance to see past the walls of the hospital to what the world might be like if a diagnosis didn't control their every move, if clinics and hospital rooms weren't like second homes. CEO Jimmy Canton has been with the camp since it started in 1988. He describes it as a place where children are encouraged to look beyond what they thought was possible: "They've been told over and over again what they can't do. And camp reminds them that there's an enormous amount of things that they can do." Nicole Kucine is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist who's getting more training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and has volunteered at the camp for four years. Outside of the summer, she works closely with many sick children in hospitals and clinics; at the camp, she sees ill children in an entirely different light. What she sees -- children dancing around dining halls, inviting and insisting that she join in -- is invigorating. "Seeing kids kind of ignore their disease was amazing. That they have to take medicine when they eat their meals wasn't a big deal. They could be normal," she told CNN. "Normal" was not something Catherine was that familiar with before camp. The start of camp coincided with the one-year anniversary of her transplant, and her doctors were just starting to use the word "cure." At the camp, Catherine was embraced by young counselors, eager to get to know her. Many of the counselors were in college, which helped her envision what had for so long been an intangible future. "My sort of vision of my life had always been very narrowed, and it was always very much a day-by-day. It was like in a week, I have to get another blood transfusion, and in a couple months, we're gonna be changing my medication, and in a couple months, we're gonna transplant," she told CNN. The experience allowed Catherine to think, "There's things out there. I can set long-terms goals now. I can have long-term goals. There's things that I'm going to be able to do." The friends from her camp still provide support and understanding today, when "normal" life can get complicated. Explaining the intricacies of her illness could be daunting to a college freshman trying to make new friends. But her camp friends can commiserate over routine checkups and test results without requiring any explanation. The camp also changes the way children interact with authority figures. In hospitals, there are always many caretakers who often do things to sick children that are uncomfortable, like drawing blood or giving them medications. With events like "Silly Olympics," the camp puts kids back in the driver's seat. Correctly answered trivia questions win campers the right to fling a spoonful of pudding in their counselor's face, or spray a counselor with a Super Soaker, or perhaps make lemonade mix in a counselor's mouth. "Silly Olympics is, here's this authority figure, but you're allowed to throw pudding at them, you're allowed to strike back, you're allowed to kind of take control of the situation in a way that a lot of these kids get control over their bodies and their lives just completely taken away from them," Catherine said. "In the hospital, you're a patient, that's all you are; in a lot of ways, you are your illness. And here, you're getting up on stage and you're a singer or you're a wood shop craftsman or you're a fisherman, you get to try different things, and so you can take back a sense of 'I like to fish, I'm good at this, I discovered this talent,' " she told CNN. This year, as Catherine finishes up her first year of college, she looks forward to many possibilities, such as medical research and graduate school. But she says the camp has also opened up her eyes to the social side of medicine, and she is considering going into public health or pursuing a job that supports patients. But for now, she is just excited about her summer job. She'll be going back to the camp that changed her life, but this time as a counselor. For thousands of very sick children around the world, summer camp is not just a place to escape parents and make new friends. | In 1996, Catherine MacLean learned she had aplastic anemia, hospital stays became her norm .
Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, started by Paul Newman, helped her transition to more normal life .
There, campers learn how the world might be if a diagnosis didn't control their every move .
As Catherine finishes up her first year of college, she looks forward to many possibilities . |
17d1825831a3170e105eb5db1310e0a9d7157728 | By . Ray Massey . PUBLISHED: . 08:56 EST, 20 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:15 EST, 21 January 2014 . Angry road safety and motoring groups have criticised England’s first controversial new £1million pub on the M40 motorway which opens today amid fears it could raise the risk of drink-driving . The RAC said it was a ‘risky and frankly unnecessary move’ that was ‘at odds with common sense’ while road safety charity Brake said it represented ‘a potentially deadly temptation to drivers.’ Pub chain JD Wetherspoon said its Hope And Champion bar and restaurant will be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week, in the Extra Motorway Service Area at junction 2 of the M40 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire creating 120 jobs. Scroll down for video . Opening: The launch by JD Wetherspoon at Beaconsfield services on the M40 in Buckinghamshire has prompted safety campaigners to issue a warning to motorists over the temptation of drink-driving . The pub, which is split over two floors, is licensed to serve alcohol from 9am. It will sell real ale from local and regional brewers as well as hot drinks. But the controversial plans have alarmed safety campaigners concerned about the added risk of drink-driving after the new establishment had its 24-hours license approved in June 2013 by the South Bucks District Council. Ed Morrow, campaigns officer for national road safety charity Brake said: ‘The opening of a pub on a motorway is a serious concern, presenting a potentially deadly temptation to drivers. ‘Drink driving remains one of the biggest killers on our road, causing devastation to families and communities every day.’ Mr Morrow added: ‘It is vitally important that messages about the dangers of drink driving are as strong and obvious as possible, so drivers know it's not okay to stop off for a quick drink on their way home. Our advice is not to have a drop if you are driving.’ Pete Williams, head of external affairs at the RAC whose own poll of motorists showed widespread opposition to the idea of pubs on motorways , said: ’The public appear to be very much against the introduction of motorway pubs. 'We appreciate the vast majority of motorists drive responsibly and that alcohol is already available in shops at motorway services, but for many this decision seems to be at odds with common sense. Stop-off: The £1.2million Hope And Champion pub - which will create 120 jobs - will be open from 4am to 1am, seven days a week, in the Extra Motorway Service Area (pictured) at junction 2 of the motorway . 'In our view this is a risky and frankly unnecessary move. The question we are struggling to answer is: of all the places to open a pub, why choose a motorway service station?’ Mr Williams added: ’The temptation to drink and drive can only be increased by easier access to alcohol. We therefore urge JD Wetherspoon to do all they can to convey the anti-drink-driving message as strongly as possible at this particular pub.’ But JD Wetherspoon's said they are keen to prove they are doing all they can to prevent drink driving. 'The opening of a pub on a motorway is a serious concern' Ed Morrow, Brake . They will include the national Drink Drive Awareness logos on menus and remove all alcoholic promotional deals. Manager of the M40 branch, Steve Baldwin said: ‘Myself and my team are looking forward to welcoming customers into The Hope and Champion." He said the pub ‘primarily serves the motorway users, but its facilities are also available to the surrounding community from the local road network.’ The RAC’s own research showed just one in eight (12 per cent) of people supported the decision to put pubs into motorway service stations. Of the 2,000 people surveyed, more than six out of ten (64 per cent) opposed such a move. Older drivers being less accepting to the sale of alcohol at a motorway pub than their younger counterparts. The research found that only one in 12 (8 per cent) of those aged over 55 were in favour of pubs being opened at motorway services while seven out of ten (71 per cent) were against. In the younger 18 to 34 age range as many as one in sex (18 per cent) supported the move and only just over half (52 per cent) disagreed. Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of everyone questioned said they were undecided on the issue. Road: The pub is split over two floors and licensed to serve alcohol from 9am. The M40 motorway is pictured . Doctors and motoring groups said a motorway pub sent out the ‘wrong message’. Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said: 'Last year it was revealed that the number of drink-drive deaths had risen by a quarter to 290. 'Given this background does opening a pub at a motorway service station send the right message about road safety? 'People will probably be stopping off and using the loo and having a meal, but the temptation is there to have a drink. I’m very disappointed and I just cannot understand it' Carol Whittingham, Campaign Against Drink Driving . 'The majority of motorists are sensible but people would be forgiven for thinking the official line from ministers is now take a break and have a pint.’ Sir Ian Gilmore, Royal College of Physicians special adviser on alcohol and chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, said he was ‘disappointed’ by the decision to open a JD Wetherspoon on the M40: ’We are trying to prevent harm from alcohol-related traffic accidents and this sends out completely the wrong message. ‘The appearance of bars on our motorway network adds greater urgency to the Alcohol Health Alliance’s call for a fundamental review of licensing laws, focusing on the availability of alcohol and reducing alcohol-related harm. 'Public health should be a core licensing objective, and the impact on the health of local people must be a key consideration.' An AA Populus survey found more than two thirds (68 per cent) of drivers were opposed to bars on motorway service areas serving alcohol. AA president Edmund King , AA said: ‘Two thirds of drivers are opposed to bars or shops serving alcohol on motorway service areas. 'Some fear that the fact that alcohol is served in areas mainly only accessible to drivers and their passengers may tempt some drivers to have ‘one for the road’. Our advice is always that if you are going to drive, don’t drink, and if you are going to drink, don’t drive. ‘Perhaps pubs setting up close to motorways should offer free non-alcoholic drinks to drivers to show that they have a genuine concern for road safety.’ | Launch by JD Wetherspoon at Beaconsfield services on M40 in Bucks .
Safety campaigners warn motorists over temptations of drink-driving .
£1.2million will create 120 jobs and be open from 4am-1am at junction 2 . |
17d1de93bfabbd73c502968e690c4db4a63180d7 | Jenson Button finished 11th out of 1,675 entrants in a gruelling triathlon in the Philippines on Sunday. The McLaren driver took part in an Ironman challenge in the city of Cebu and managed to come second in his age group. The 34-year-old also competed in the event in March of last year as well as taking part in August and December 2012. VIDEO Scroll down to watch F1 driver Jenson Button give tips for triathlon runners . Ironman: Jenson Button completed a gruelling triathlon and finished 11th in the Philippines on Sunday . Top effort: The 34-year-old McLaren driver manager to finish second in his age group . The challenge consisted of a 1.9km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21.1km run. Button shared pictures of the challenge via his Twitter account on Tuesday morning which included a snap of himself standing on the podium - something the Formula 1 star is certainly used to. One picture showed other participants clearly exhausted from the challenge flat out on a grassy area as Button joked: 'This is how crazy the party was post race!' All smiles: Button proudly stands on the podium following the challenge . Exhausted: Button posted a picture of the 'crazy party' after the event as participants lay on the grass . | Jenson Button finished 11th in Ironman challenge on Sunday .
34-year-old F1 star finished second in his age group .
McLaren driver posted pictures of the Philippines event to his Twitter account on Monday . |
17d3bebea1303c6efca0749c3b36726d9acbec46 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Former Super Bowl star Darren Sharper has been arrested in Los Angeles on charges of suspicion of rape. The 38-year-old has been accused of two sexual assaults which allegedly took place in October 2013 and January 2014. Sharper, an analyst for NFL Network, was released on $200,000 bail just before midnight on Friday. Arrested: Former New Orleans Saints player Darren Sharper, seen here with the George Halas trophy, is facing charges of suspicion of rape . It is not known how many alleged victims are involved, but TMZ reported that the five-time Pro Bowler was facing charges relating to separate occasions. While the case is being investiagted Sharper, who retired from American Football in 2010, has been suspended from the NFL Network without pay. 'Darren has been suspended without pay until further notice, effective immediately. Regarding the charges, as a matter of policy, we don’t comment on pending legal action,' a spokesman from the NFL Network said, according to NBC Sport. A third complaint, unrelated to the two in Los Angeles, was filed against Sharper from a New Orleans woman in September last year. A New Orleans Police Department spokesman confirmed to WDSU that it was investigating a sexual assault complaint made against the footballer. Suspended: NFL Network has removed Sharper from his role as analyst while police investigate the claims . Claims: Sharper was arrested on Friday over two allegations of sexual assault in Los Angeles . They added that because the investigation was on going they were unable to comment further. Sharper, a former defensive back, took on his role as NFL Network analyst in 2012. Before that the 6ft 2in former footballer played for the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints during his 14-year career. He was with the Saints when they won the Super Bowl in 2010. Sharper is due in court to face the two sex assault charges in the Los Angeles case on February 14. | 38-year-old on $200,000 bail as Los Angeles police investigate claims .
Third allegation made against ex-Saints player in New Orleans . |
17d440461b1b5985784d3cd90cb2c78e24710f22 | (CNN) -- Pope Francis ignited a firestorm on the Internet with a few words about gay and lesbian people that seemed to suggest a new church position on homosexuality. I say "seemed to" because it would only appear new to someone who was unfamiliar with the old position. Speaking to a gang of reporters bringing up the rear of his plane on the way home from his quotific visit to Rio de Janeiro, the pope was asked about his recent reference to a "gay lobby" among the curial staff in Rome. That phrase is already the source of some confusion. The pope responded that although a "gay lobby," as in an inter-curial pressure group -- for or against more acceptance of gay Catholics, who can say? -- might be an issue, he did not have a problem with men and women who are homosexual. "If they accept the Lord and have good will, who am I to judge them? They shouldn't be marginalized. The tendency (to homosexuality) is not the problem ... they're our brothers." What we learned about Pope Francis in Brazil . Speaking about homosexuality so frankly was remarkable in and of itself, but nothing the pope said deviated from current Catholic catechism. Although it regards homosexual acts as "intrinsically disordered," church teaching demands that gay and lesbian people be accepted with "respect, compassion, and sensitivity." "Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided," reads the catechism. "These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition." The catechism is a little more nuanced, and less unsightly, than the standard "hate the sin, love the sinner" platitude, but it doesn't say much more and it's far less than most lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics would like to hear from their church. Pope Francis was merely reiterating this teaching in his wonderfully straightforward, cut-through-the-gobbledygook manner. That's not to say that his remarks don't suggest a different emphasis in the church's tone and pastoral approach to gay and lesbian Catholics that will surely be welcome. Francis places the emphasis first on solidarity ("they're our brothers") and refers to the redemption and mercy all of us require and are capable of achieving. And as a practical ecclesiastical matter, his comments also argue that the "duty" to discourage the vocations of men with "deep-seated homosexual tendencies" may be en route to the "don't ask, don't tell" historical rag and bone shop. Other groups of disaffected Catholics can also take heart from the pope's unfiltered comments on the plane. He suggested that his cardinal action squad of curial reformers will also be looking at the way the church has treated Catholics who, for whatever reason, could not annul their marriages. Divorced and remarried Catholics have long been cut off from the sacramental and communal life of the church. Francis clearly wants to find a way to bring them home. Opinion: What the pope left out about women . Women can also be hopeful that Francis hears their lamentations regarding how they have been cut off from leadership roles in the church. Although he suggested that he had little inclination to return to the issue of women's ordination, he said the church still has far to go in developing a real theology that explains the importance of women in the church. What that means practically speaking remains to be seen. Let's hope that what does not become lost as his comments on homosexuality are parsed, turned over and otherwise manhandled by the media in the coming days, is the pope's keen attention during his World Youth Day visit to issues of economic injustice and the importance of political and social dialogue. Asked why he did not spend so much time on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage while in Rio, he said the church's teaching on such matters are already clear. This pope may be interested in moving at least rhetorically away from cultural stalemates and on to other issues that have also long been a preoccupation of the church: fighting poverty and human deprivation, creating political and economic opportunity, the just and sustainable stewardship of creation. In Rio he spoke frequently on social justice and alleviating poverty, asking all to give of their talents to respond to the world's aching needs in a country where those needs and inequities are obvious. In Rio, Francis expressed his hope for a "culture of encounter," as he described it. That's an encounter across gay and straight lines, political and class lines, self-drawn lines between secularists and the faithful, borders between the haves and have-nots. As important as his off-the-cuff comments on the plane were -- and might turn out to be in the future -- his message of solidarity and his call to action on social injustice and economic inequality had a just claim to its share of the bandwidth on Twitter this week. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Kevin Clarke. | Kevin Clarke: Pope Francis' remarks about gays aren't a new position on homosexuality .
Clarke: His talking frankly was startling, but calling for compassion for gays is not new .
Clarke: The church may change its tone and approach to gay and lesbian Catholics, however .
But pope's call in Rio for action on social injustice and poverty was equally important, he says . |
17d4885de49765f15e71093b784c77841a156ebf | By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 12:39 EST, 6 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:51 EST, 7 March 2014 . He lives for his four children so it's hardly surprising that David Beckham loves showing off the tattoos he has dedicated to them. In his new fragrance campaign, the footballer proudly showcases his ink inscription to his daughter Harper. The inking sits just above his tattoo . of Jesus being carried by three cherubs, which are meant to symbolise . sons Brooklyn, 12, Romeo, eight and Cruz, six. Scroll down for video . Phwoar! David Beckham looks chiselled in his new advert for his fragrance, Intense Instinct, and ensures that his ink tributes to his children are on show . Beckham . said at the time: ‘It’s Jesus being carried by three cherubs and . obviously the cherubs are my boys and so my thought of it is that at . some point my boys are going to need to look after me and that’s what . they’re doing in the picture. It means a lot.’ The 38-year-old looks chiselled as he poses topless in the new shot for his fragrance, Intense Instinct. 'Inspired by David’s sharp judgement, self-belief and his ability to overcome any obstacle, Intense Instinct is an aromatic and fruity fragrance that will inspire any style-conscious, focused and driven man,' reads the fragrance's description. David said: 'Intense Instinct is an invigorating and contemporary fragrance for men with green, luminous notes and woody undertones. 'I believe it’s important to trust your instincts in life and this has inspired this new limited edition of my fragrance.' Family man: David Beckham takes a photo of his four children, Brooklyn Beckham, Romeo Beckham and Cruz Beckham in the front row before the Victoria Beckham show . David Beckham has been the top selling . male celebrity fragrance since 2006 with the launch of his eponymous . scent. Since then Superdrug has sold over 1.5 million bottles bearing . Beckham’s name. Until now. It’s a battle of the boys in the £400m+ UK male fragrance market as Beckham sees the first serious challenger to his fragrance empire in the form of hip hop icon Jay Z. Power couple: Jay Z and Beyonce, who have been performing together on the Mrs Carter World Tour, both have best-selling fragrances . Since launching on Valentine’s Day this year, Jay Z’s fragrance debut, GOLD JAY Z, has outsold Beckham’s latest scent by 8:1, based on two weeks of sales for both launches. Superdrug even predict that Gold Jay Z will be the biggest male fragrance launch of the year, with multi-million pound revenues. And it seems that sweet success runs in the family with Beyonce's Rise fragrance topping Mother's Day gift lists. A version of a Renaissance painting of Cupid carrying his wife Psyche to Heaven . A Hebrew translation of 'My son, do not forget my teaching but keep my commands in your heart' Ring of roses on his left bicep, one for each year of his 11 year marriage to Victoria . Jesus Christ design in memory of his late grandfather Joe West and the word Grandad . An angel across his back in the shape of a cross . The names of the couple's three sons Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz . A guardian angel on his right arm . Chinese . characters down his left ribcage spelling out the saying: 'Death and . life have determined appointments. Riches and honour depend upon heaven' An inscription on his left forearm saying: 'Forever by your side' A six-inch tattoo of Victoria as a bare-breasted angel, surrounded by stars . An inscription of Victoria's name written in Hindi . Roman numerals VIII.V.MMVI, which stand for the date of his and Victoria's commitment ceremony on May 8, 2006 . The Latin phrase De Integro, meaning 'Again from the start'. 'Pray For Me' on his right wrist . A quote by the Roman Emperor Tiberius and also used by Caligula saying: 'Let them hate as long as they fear' The phrase 'Perfectio In Spiritu' which means 'spiritual perfection' The Roman numerals VII - which relates to Beckham's old No7 England shirt . The saying 'Amem et Foveam' meaning 'So that I love and cherish' And . another inscription in Hebrew saying: 'I am for my beloved, and my . beloved is for me, who grazes sheep in rose-like pastures' | New campaign for Intense Instinct fragrance .
Shows off tattoos dedicated to children .
Jay Z's fragrance is outselling Beckham's for first time since launch in 2009 . |
17d54c3a405312f4dd96803f9f6adc6973d17cdc | Manchester United’s £59.7million signing Angel di Maria is set to break the British transfer record. It’s a switch far removed from the one which took Alf Common south from Sunderland to Middlesbrough in 1905, for the then princely sum of £1,000. Common was British football’s first grand star and he was the country’s most expensive player for six years. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Cristiano Ronaldo flick Angle di Maria the V in training . Transfer: Angel di Maria's transfer from Real Madrid to Manchester United will become a new record . It took 23 years for the first player to cost £10,000 when David Jack – a scorer in the first FA Cup final at Wembley – moved from Bolton to Arsenal. The magic £100,000 barrier wasn’t broken until the early 1960s, when Denis Law returned to England from Italy, with United paying £115,000 for the striker. Trevor Francis became football’s first million pound player in 1979 as he joined Nottingham Forest from Birmingham City. However, despite scoring a European Cup final winner he never quite settled at the City Ground and was later shipped off to Manchester City for another hefty fee. Thanks a million: Trevor Francis (left) was the first £1m British player and scored a European Cup-winning goal . Midfielders such as Bryan Robson and Roy Keane have been the subjects of the record transfer fee but it is generally strikers for whom the big bucks are paid. But that was blown out of the water in 1996 when Alan Shearer joined his boyhood club Newcastle United from Blackburn Rovers for a staggering £15m. Just five years later, this record was nearly doubled as Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron signed for Manchester United from Lazio. He was one of the stars of the world game but, after a lively start at Old Trafford, flopped spectacularly. Talk of the Toon: Alan Shearer broke the record in 1996 when Newcastle paid £15m for him . Record: When Chelsea paid £50m for Fernando Torres he beat the old record by more than £10m . In 2002, Sir Alex Ferguson broke the record once more at United and this signing was a big shock in terms of positioning as centre half Rio Ferdinand was bought from Leeds United for just over £29million. Andriy Shevchenko became British football’s first £30m signing in 2006 but possibly the most surprising fee paid for any player was the £35m forked out by Liverpool for Andy Carroll in 2011. His record at Anfield never came close to justifying the fee. It may be a blessing for Carroll that he held the record for a matter of hours as later on that same January day, Fernando Torres joined Chelsea for £50m. It has become a symbol of the folly of spending big towards the end of a transfer window. United must be hoping Di Maria ends up more like a Cole or a Shearer than a Carroll or a Torres. Disappointment: Juan Sebastian Veron was below par for Man Utd, despite being a record transfer signing . | Angel di Maria on verge of Record transfer from Real Madrid .
Manchester United will pay £59.7m for the midfielder .
Fernando Torres broke record when he moved from Liverpool to Chelsea .
Alan Shearer was the record holder when Newcastle paid £15m for him .
Trevor Francis was British football's first million-pound player . |
17d550e0932545400e0cb52b65f7361be4f89a69 | By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 04:13 EST, 4 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:37 EST, 4 December 2013 . A teacher’s aide has been charged with four counts of sexual assault after admitting a physical relationship with a 17-year-old student, telling police he was her ‘soul mate’. Laura Bates, 44, said she had sex with the boy, a special education student at a Wisconsin high school, several times since the beginning of November. The relationship was discovered after Bates told a relative that she could not live without the teenager and school district administrators were informed. Scroll down for video . In the dock: Teacher's aide Laura Bates, 44, appear in court charged with four counts of sexual assault after admitting to having intercourse with a special education student . According to police, the relationship had been developing for more than a year and turned physical early last month as it was ‘too late’ to stop it, Bates had told the relative. ‘This particular student and her had become quite close over about the last year, or so,’ said Lt. Mark Wiegert of the Calumet County Sheriff's Department told Fox 11. Bad teacher: Bates, a married mother-of-three, told police the 17-year-old boy is her 'soul mate' Lt. Wiegert added that there is no reason to believe there are other victims. Bates, of Hilbert, has appeared in court today charged with four felony counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff. The married mother-of-three was arrested on Monday after the relationship came to light, and resigned from her job at Appleton West High School, Appleton. Police in the teenager’s home town of . Kaukauna are investigating multiple alleged incidents said to have taken . place between the teacher’s aide and the 17-year-old at his home. Allinger said the Appleton Area School District accepted Bates’ resignation when it was offered Monday. ‘I . think as a district we’re extremely disappointed. It’s not something we . have to deal with a lot, obviously, and it’s shocking,’ Appleton West . High superintendent Lee Allinger told Green Bay Press Gazette. ‘You just don’t think that this type of thing is going to happen with our students.’ Additional charges could be filed against Bates later this week. | High school teacher's aide 'had sex with student several times'
Laura Bates, 44, told police she and 17-year-old were 'soul mates'
Relationship with special education student had been going for for weeks . |
17d55a7a4cd188fe0220a74764fb535a7da3a2d1 | By . Chris Hastings, Arts Correspondent . Angelina: 'I'm very similar to Maddox' Angelina Jolie believes a child's personality is already defined at birth - . remaining unaltered by the circumstances of their upbringing - and says . she has more in common with her adopted son Maddox than her own genetic . children. The actress and mother of six said motherhood had taught . her that children are 'who they are when they are born' and in the . absence of a serious trauma will grow up to be their own person. Jolie, . 38, who is engaged to Brad Pitt, said: 'I think children are exactly . who they are when they're born. And if there is a trauma, it can . drastically change who they are. 'If you look at baby photos of our . kids, the way they were, the way they looked, what their energy was - . whether they were a sweet, elegant, private little person, or a funny, . open person, or a bold person - they're still the same. 'There's so . much they are born with. And we believe you just have to encourage the . individual and support them, but don't get in their way too much.' Three . of Jolie's children are adopted and she said she was surprised she had . more in common with adopted son Maddox than her own genetic children. 'You'd think you'd be more similar to the children you have a . genetic link with, but I'm not. Maybe one of them, but then I'm very . similar to Maddox. 'So it doesn't have an impact that some are . genetically connected.' She added: 'We're hoping the kids don't . become actors. We want them to do what they're interested in, but we're . showing them so many other ideas they won't want to act.' Scroll down for video . Pictured with children Maddox Jolie-Pitt (L) and Zahara Jolie-Pitt attend the Premiere of Maleficent . | Jolie, 38, said: 'I think children are exactly who they are when they're born'
Says she is not more similar to the children she has a genetic link with . |
17d5ca820293099025deb45b74d19fdbb0832a41 | American couple Matthew and Grace Huang fought the Qatari legal system for nearly two years over allegations that they starved their adopted daughter to death. Now cleared, they have begun their journey home to the United States. The Huangs left Qatar on a plane Wednesday afternoon, three days after an appellate court cleared them in the January 2013 death of their 8-year-old daughter, family spokesman Eric Volz said on Twitter. "Thank you to all the silent heroes on this one. Wheels are up," tweeted Volz, who works with the international crisis resource group David House Agency, which helped with the Huangs' court case in Qatar. Volz, tweeting from the plane, also posted a picture of the couple aboard the aircraft. An appeals judge in Qatar on Sunday cleared the Huangs of starving their adopted daughter to death in 2013 in a case that drew global attention to that country's justice system. Despite the ruling, the Huangs were blocked from leaving Qatar at Hamad International Airport by immigration officials who confiscated their passports, according to the Doha News agency, which cited Volz. Diplomatic sources said Monday the departure was delayed due only to legal procedures that take place once people have been cleared of a crime. On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Dana Smith said a travel ban against the couple was lifted following a motion that was filed Monday, and after talks between Smith and top Qatari officials. The Huangs, who were living in Qatar while Matthew Huang worked for an international company that was constructing sites for the 2022 World Cup, were arrested in January 2013 when their 8-year-old daughter Gloria died. They were charged with starving her to death, convicted in March and sentenced to three years in prison. The Qatari prosecutor sought to paint the Huangs as inhumane -- alleging they bought their adopted daughter cheaply from her poverty-stricken parents in Africa -- and had threatened to seek human trafficking charges. The couple spent nearly a year in prison before being freed in November 2013 to await proceedings surrounding an appeal that they filed. Appellate Judge Abdulrahman al-Sharafi overturned the conviction on Sunday, citing weaknesses in forensic reports and saying the trial judge failed to properly consider testimony from witnesses who said Gloria wasn't deprived. A report by pathologists hired by the defense, obtained by CNN, stated they found no evidence that tissue samples were taken from Gloria's body after her death, despite that Qatari investigators submitted an autopsy report. Advocates for the Huangs suggested the lab report was fabricated and said their request with the Qatari judiciary for a formal investigation went unanswered. After the couple's arrest, their two sons, also adopted from Africa, were temporarily placed in a Qatari orphanage. They have since been sent back to the United States to live with Grace Huang's mother. | Family spokesman tweets photo of Matthew and Grace Huang on plane headed home .
Huangs leave Qatar after appellate court clears them in death of 8-year-old daughter .
There was delay in lifting travel ban that diplomatic sources blame on legal procedures .
Prosecutor alleged Huangs bought daughter cheaply in Africa, starved her to death . |
17d5d5afd0ebe132de79f1217ffc792f98a7b29b | By . Tom Mctague, Mail online Deputy Political Editor . Veteran Labour MP Austin Mitchell was elected MP for Great Grimsby in 1977 but will step down at the next election . A veteran Labour MP has claimed the 'problem' with female politicians is that they care too much about issues which are relevant to ordinary people. Austin Mitchell, the Labour MP for Grimsby, said the increasing number of women in the Commons would be 'less inclined to discuss the big issues'. His remarks, on the BBC's Woman's Hour this morning, sparked fury and calls for the Labour leader Ed Miliband to make it clear he disagrees. It comes after Mr Mitchell this weekend claimed that the growing number of female MPs in the Labour party was making it too ‘gentle’ to wield power after the next election. Mr Mitchell, 79, said he was worried about the falling number of experienced men in the party because the party will be full of ‘amenable and leadable’ women obsessed with feminism. The Labour MP, who is stepping down at the next election, said Labour was becoming more ‘family-friendly, gentler’ but ‘less prepared for all-night shenanigans of the parliamentary kind’. Speaking today, Mr Mitchell attempted to explain his remarks. He said: 'I think the problem is simply this, that parliament with more women is going to be more anxious to discuss issues relevant to the people, that is to say family issues, social issues. 'And less inclined to discuss big issues like should we invade Iraq.' But Tory Defence Minister Anna Soubry dismissed the remarks. She said: 'Austin Mitchell’s at it again, talking nonsense and insulting women with his absurd theories. To say that women don’t care about the big issues is just not true. 'Ed Miliband should make it absolutely clear he doesn’t agree with Mitchell’s ridiculous remarks.' Mr Mitchell said the parliamentary Labour party was undergoing ‘the biggest process of feminisation and rejuvenation embarked on since fabulous pink Camay soap promised to make us look a little lovelier each day’. But he added: ‘Whatever the state of Labour’s policies for the next Election, there is little doubt that it will be fought by a younger, more attractive body of candidates. Almost half of Labour's cabinet are women and Ed Miliband is understood to want to hit 50 per cent by the next election - up from 44 per cent today. Labour's leading women, pictured here, from left back row: Caroline Flint, Angela Eagle, Maria Eagle, Rosie Winterton, Emily Thornberry, Margaret Curran, Baronness Royall. Front row: Rachel Reeves, Liz Kendal, Harriet Harman, Yvette Cooper, Mary Creagh and Tessa Jowell . Labour introduced all women shortlists in 1993 and has since seen a surge in the number of female MPs - 81 out of 257. But Mr Mitchell said all-women shortlists were being imposed on regions such as Yorkshire and the North as a form of punishment ‘for their earlier male chauvinism’. He said: ‘If Labour wins in 2015, how a family-friendly, gentler party, less prepared for all-night shenanigans of the parliamentary kind, will face up to Tory hooligans who feel they’ve been unjustly deprived of a power that’s their due, is a more worrying matter.’ | Women MPs 'less inclined to discuss big issues, says Austin Mitchell .
Remarks on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour dismissed as 'nonsense'
Comes after Mr Mitchell, 79, said female MPs were making Labour too 'gentle'
He said he was worried party’s new 'preoccupations' will be 'family issues'
But claimed feminisation will make Parliament 'brighter, smarter and nicer' |
17d666fa6b0153fd7ec12085070815f0130a0b0d | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 14:42 EST, 21 September 2011 . Gifted: Rachel Jardine . Gifted, beautiful and bright, Rachel Jardine appeared to have everything going for her. The daughter of hospital consultants and a former pupil at the £15,000 a year Badminton School, she won a place at university and the future looked promising. But once at university she began to experiment with drugs and admitted taking cocaine, Ecstasy and cannabis as well as ketamine and diazapam. As she studied for a Masters degree, the 22-year-old began to suffer severe problems with paranoia. Her mental collapse tragically ended when she threw herself to her death off the top of a city centre car park. And to add a final insult, her mobile phone was stolen by a sick thief as she lay dying in the road. Yesterday her parents told an inquest of the tragic slide in their daughter’s mental health. Her mother Annette, a hospital consultant, said the family had no idea she had experimented with so many drugs. She said she was aware that at one point her daughter had experimented with cannabis. ‘I was aware that there may have been some smoking of cannabis but I wasn't aware of other things until after she died. Mrs Jardine said her daughter, a philosophy student at Manchester University, began to suffer from anxiety and palpitations and ended up receiving hospital treatment. Tragic: Philosophy student Rachel Jardine died after jumping from a multi-storey car park . She said that on one occasion she had phoned and appeared anxious and paranoid. Mrs Jardine said: She really didn't . want us to come and fetch her. She said: ‘I'm a bit frightened to go . out, I feel paranoid and scared’ and I came to see her and I said: ‘You . must go back to your GP.’ ‘I said: ‘Let’s make an appointment’ but it wasn't in a bad way, so I thought.’ Scene of the tragedy: Miss Jardine died from her injuries after plunging 80ft from this car park in Manchester city centre in the early hours of Wednesday . The inquest was told Rachel had first . been to her local GP, Dr Archana Griffin in January this year and . confided that she had used ketamine, Ecstasy, cocaine and diazapam. She was referred to the Manchester . Mental Health Team in March but by the time of her death on May 18 had . still yet to receive an appointment. Despite speaking to her mother, . Annette, every day her condition worsened and the night before she died . she called her mother again and said she was going to kill herself. Mrs Jardine said: ‘When I said what's . going on she said she'd had an argument with her boyfriend and that she . was going to ring him. I said I didn't think she should but that if she . did to ring me back after. ‘And she did ring me back after . midnight. She said 'I can't do life anymore’. She said: ‘I'm going to go . into town and jump off a building’ and I said: ‘Calm down. There’s no . need for anything like that. ‘I remember thinking there's no . buildings she could get into to jump off and I said: ‘Calm down‘. And . then she said she'd made her boyfriend angry and said something about . integrity and she hung up.’ On the day of her death she phoned her mother five times in an ‘agitated’ state. Heartless: Ben Heney stole a phone from a dying woman in Manchester . Mrs Jardine called her daughter on her mobile phone and realised she was walking in Manchester. ‘I had a long conversation she told me where she was and that she was in a car park and I thought: ‘She's serious about this.’’ She tried to calm her daughter down but could not keep her focussed. When her daughter said ’Goodbye’ Mrs . Jardine immediately called the police. The student was using her pink . mobile phone to call her mother moments before she threw herself from . the top of the car park. Miss Jardine plunged 80 feet but as she lay on the ground with fatal injuries, drug addict Ben Heney, 23, snatched her phone. Heney was subsequently jailed for 12 weeks for theft after his crime was caught on CCTV. Yesterday Mrs Jardine said ‘We have no . animosity towards Ben Heney who stole her mobile phone and hope that . the future is better for him.’ In a statement Mrs Jardine and her . husband Philip, a paediatric neurologist said: ‘We miss Rachel every . minute of every day and if anything good can come out of this inquest to . help other students who find themselves struggling to see the point in . life then we will be glad.’ Recording a verdict of suicide, Coroner Nigel Meadows said there had been no illegal drugs in her blood at the time of death. He told the family: ‘Whether it was Rachel herself becoming low or a consumption of drugs you will never know.’ | Inquest hears Rachel Jardine's parents knew nothing of her drug taking .
Philosophy student told her mother she wanted to 'jump off a building' before she died .
Parents say they forgive thief who stole daughter's phone as she lay dying . |
17d6b0ddcf35faec03109a45f28add890d272920 | GALVESTON, Texas (CNN) -- As Galveston's leaders on Monday repeatedly urged its residents to stay away, people who never left tried to make the best of their muggy, tree-strewn, powerless city. iReporter Carlos Ortega says there's "not an inch that isn't damaged" in his Galveston, Texas, neighborhood. Amy Reid and her neighbors found a good use for all the frozen dinners that had piled up over weeks in their freezers, pooling them as some kind of high-sodium feast they might have to subsist on for a long time. As of Monday night, there was only one convenience store open in Galveston and one was lucky to find beef jerky and fruit roll-ups on the shelves. Reid and her new friends cooked on a BBQ and slept on her porch, choosing to suffer the bugs rather than spend a restless night in a sauna-hot house. Her home, hoisted on stilts, was not flooded. "We've got a whole group of people along the block," she said. "One guy down here has a generator so he charges our phones up and our laptops up." DVDs on a laptop pass the long wait before Galveston is up and running again. City manager Steve LeBlanc said people like Reid who remain in Galveston should leave. There's not enough clean drinking water to serve the needs of the 15,000 to 20,000 people who stayed on the island, he said Monday, and there would be a "downward spiral if everybody started coming back." The city's resources are "stretched to the max," and it could be a month before electricity is restored. The cleanup will be massive, he said, and the city is "unsafe." North of Galveston, Texas Gov. Rick Perry urged residents who evacuated Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, not to hurry back to their homes. Watch the governor discuss Texas' troubles » . But Sarah Allen returned to her Houston home Monday, finding it in relatively good shape. Her carpeting was wet from leaks near a sliding glass door, but her apartment had not flooded. She, her boyfriend and six other people rode out Hurricane Ike at a friend's house. "Lots of trees are down in people's apartments," she said. "The covered parking lot has a metal roof and some of it has fallen on cars. Some was rolled up." About 150,000 of the 220,000 residents who evacuated ahead of the storm were still out of their homes Monday, said Judge Ed Emmett, chief executive of Harris County, which includes Houston. City officials did not lift a boil-water order as expected Monday afternoon, saying water in one location was being retested. Power has been restored to at least 500,000 customers in the Houston area, according to the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, but another 1.5 million people in the state still have no electricity. See the aftermath of Ike » . Marilyn Davidson's Clear Lake neighborhood in Houston was strewn with downed trees. She and her husband relied on a battery-powered radio for information and loaded their refrigerator with ice before the storm. "Everything in there stayed pretty cool," she said. "We had milk out of it this morning." The wait outside her regular grocery store was a half-hour so the couple went to a CVS pharmacy and stocked up on items they said they would probably never eat like canned mixed nuts and chicken broth. iReport.com: Shattered Houston buildings . Davidson did have the one most desired and scarce of goods -- gasoline. At least 14 Texas refineries closed in the hours before the hurricane hit, taking away more than 20 percent of the nation's oil capacity, The Associated Press reported. Across the nation, gas prices soared for the third straight day, jumping a full dollar at some gas stations. Arguments broke out at gas stations and tensions were high everywhere. Thousands of people remained in shelters, wondering what homes they had to return to. Others waited in line to get water, ice and food at 60 distribution sites the Federal Emergency Management Agency had established across Texas. Perhaps the most dire area of the state was Bolivar Peninsula, a resort on Galveston Bay where entire neighborhoods were destroyed. A rescue team on Monday saved 60 people who were stranded there among homes leveled to their foundations. On Sunday, a Galveston County sheriff's official said three bodies were pulled from storm wreckage in Port Bolivar. Galveston residents had been warned as Ike approached the Texas coast to leave or face "certain death" from its 12- to 15-foot storm surge. iReport.com: Facing the deadly storm . "Sometimes the aftermath of the storm is worse than the storm itself," Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said. "There's nothing to come here for right now. ... Please leave." Ike and its remnants left at least 27 people dead from the U.S. Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes. The remnants moved into Canada early Monday. Hurricane-force winds from the storm were felt as far north as Kentucky, and heavy rains flooded streets in Chicago, Illinois. See Chicago's swamped streets . Deaths related to the storm were reported in Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri and Ohio as well as Texas. The toll could go higher. Chambers County, Texas, Judge Jimmy Sylvia said late Sunday that there is nothing left of Oak Island, a city on the coast in Galveston Bay. Smith Point, to the south, has "mounds and mounds of debris," the judge said, and he fears they may find bodies in the rubble. Watch how Ike wiped out neighborhoods » . Louisiana Chief Medical Officer Louis Cataldie confirmed four deaths as a result of the hurricane -- two in Terrebonne Parish and two in Jefferson Davis Parish. Watch how Ike flooded one Louisiana parish » . Two people drowned in Indiana and another in Missouri. Two others died in the St. Louis, Missouri, area, but the cause of their deaths was unclear, said Missouri State Emergency Operations Center spokeswoman Susie Stonner. Wind gusts as high as 74 mph ripped the roof off a Delta Airlines hangar at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, according to an Associated Press report. The airport's control tower had to be evacuated during the worst of the storm, the AP said. In Kentucky, more than 340,000 Louisville Gas and Electric Co. customers were without power Monday morning, CNN affiliate WLKY-TV reported. Across the region, more than 1.3 million people were without power, the AP reported. "Over 90 percent of our customers are without service," Kathy Meinke of Duke Energy, which serves southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky, told the AP. iReport.com: Ike soaks, smashes Texas home . Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. | NEW: Storm leaves millions without power, with outages as far north as Ohio .
Aftermath of Hurricane Ike "worse than storm itself," Galveston mayor says .
Officials say they fear more bodies may be in Texas debris .
Ike and remnants leave at least 27 people dead in U.S. |
17d75813505081f80b9077e48116fc007d19ccca | A 95-year-old man has died weeks after his 96-year-old wife was taken from him by family members embroiled in an inheritance row. Eddie Harrison passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Virginia following a bout of influenza. He apparently became distressed when one of his daughter-in-laws left home with his spouse, Edith Hill, in a bid to protect her share of assets. Scroll down for video . Longtime loves: Eddie Harrison passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Virginia weeks after his 96-year-old wife, Edith Hill, was taken from him by family members embroiled in an inheritance row . The two had been friends for years before they married earlier this year . The couple married in Alexandria earlier this year after being friends for more than a decade and that's where the trouble started. Their union was investigated because Hill had been declared legally incapacitated for several years and some family members were worried about their inheritance. The senior's estate included property on the edge of Old Town Alexandria, worth about $475,000, according to real estate assessments. There was also concern about who would care for Hill and where she would live. During the investigation Hill and Harrison said they wanted to stay together. 'I guess I wanted company,' Hill said in an interview, explaining why she married. 'I wanted somebody I could help, and they could help me. We were both single. My husband was gone. His wife was gone. We became the best of friends.' Hill met Harrison after striking up conversation in a queue for lottery tickets, with one of the tickets turning into a $2,500 winner. After years of friendship the duo decided to tie the knot. Along with their age, the interracial aspect of the marriage was also unique, with Hill being black and Harrison being white. In fact, the longtime Virginians would not have been allowed to marry if they had met in their 20s or 30s or 40s, given state's law banning interracial marriages at the time. One of Hill's daughters, Rebecca Wright, supported the marriage while her other daughter, Patricia Barber, contested the arrangement. A judge appointed a new guardian for Hill to protect her interests, removing Barber and Wright as guardians, but decided to leave the marriage intact. On December 6, Hill's guardian arrived to take Hill away to Barber's home in Florida for what was supposed to be a two-week vacation. Police were called to the home during a traumatic 40-minute negotiation to convince Hill to leave, Wright said. When Hill did not return home as planned after two weeks, Harrison reportedly began to realize she was not coming back. Daisy Birch, a family friend, said Harrison was heartbroken. He also became ill with the flu and checked himself into a hospital. A dispute continues between the two sisters, Barber and Wright, over Hill's affairs and place of residence. | Eddie Harrison passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Virginia following a bout of influenza .
He apparently became distressed when one of his daughter-in-laws left home with his spouse, Edith Hill, in a bid to protect her share of assets .
The couple married in Alexandria earlier this year after being friends for more than a decade .
They met after striking up conversation in a queue for lottery tickets, with one of the tickets turning into a $2,500 winner . |
17d89957110abc71a5956719ec45756ca7085b25 | Two Illinois college students have been arrested and charged with the murder of a 20-year-old man last month, in what police say was a minor drug deal gone wrong. Vicente Mundo, 20, a University of Illinois student, was shot dead inside the garage of his own apartment complex in Champaign on the night of January 25. His body was found dumped by the side of the road about 16 miles away in Tolono. On Monday police arrested Reginald James Scott, 21, and Daniel Gonzalez, 21 - both Parkland College students - and charged them with the first-degree murder of Mundo on Tuesday, according to The News-Gazette. Charged: Reginald James Scott, 21 (left), and Daniel Gonzalez, 21 (right), were arrested Monday and charged with the first-degree murder of Vincente Mundo, 20, last month . Murdered: Vincente Mundo, 20, was shot dead in the garage of his apartment complex on January 25 . Champaign County Sheriff Dan Walsh said at a press conference that the murder was 'part of a pre-planned armed robbery involving small amounts of marijuana and cash'. The pair wanted to rob Mundo of cash and three bags of cannabis, police said. However investigators believe the young man was shot in the head as he tried to flee Gonzalez's car in the parking garage of his own apartment complex in the 300 block of East Chalmers Street. Mundo went to meet the two after receiving a call while at his friend's apartment about half a block up the road. State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said it was Scott who shot Mundo dead, with Gonzalez behind the wheel. Gonzalez and Scott then allegedly drove to dump Mundo's body. Mundo's family reported him missing two days later, on January 27. His body was then found near the intersection of county roads 1000 E and 900 N in Tolono on Saturday by a woman walking her dog. Scene: Vincente Mundo lived on this block in Champaign, where police say he was shot dead last month . 'Great guy': The murder of Mundo has devastated his family and friends, who said he was a lovely person . Gonzalez's car, a Plymouth Neon, and the gun police believe that was used to shoot Mr. Mundo have also been recovered. The death of Mundo has understandably devastated his family. 'I don’t understand,' Mundo's sister, Julieta LaMalfa, told the News-Gazette. 'My brother was such a great guy.' On Monday, family and friends remembered held a vigil outside Mundo's home in Chicago. A second vigil was also held at La Casa Cultural Latino, a center for Hispanic students on the University of Illinois campus. Tribute: Vigils for Mundo have been held in Chicago - his home - and at the University of Illinois . 'It's hard to believe,' Viviana Mundo, another sister, said. 'It's not fair what happened to him. I want justice for my brother.' If convicted, Scott faces up to natural life, while Gonzalez faces a maximum 75 years in prison . | Vincente Mundo, 20, was shot dead on January 25, in Champaign .
His body was found dumped on the side of the road miles away in Tolono .
On Monday police arrested Reginald James Scott, 21, and Daniel Gonzalez, 21, for first-degree murder .
Investigators say the shooting was a 'pre-planned armed robbery involving small amounts of marijuana and cash'
They say Scott shot Mundo in the head in Gonzalez's car, and the two then dumped the body . |
17d8ac9ae709b5ec22e5ff1b29ac82ad11780346 | By . Rachel Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 10:46 EST, 19 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:09 EST, 19 July 2013 . A pregnant mother died just three days after being sent home from a hospital where staff twice misdiagnosed the symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy for a stomach bug. One doctor did suspect she might be suffering with the condition, that causes an embryo to implant outside the uterus, but was unable to confirm a diagnosis because the hospital's specialist scanning service was closed for the weekend. The family of Becky Ben-Nejma, 28, were this week given an undisclosed six-figure compensation payout after the hospital trust admitted she was misdiagnosed and that their failings contributed to her death. The family of Becky Ben-Nejma were this week given an undisclosed six-figure compensation payout after a hospital trust admitted she was misdiagnosed and their failings contributed to her death . Mrs Ben-Nejma, who already had two children, visited Maidstone Hospital's A&E department with stomach pains late on a Friday afternoon. Medical staff suspected she had gastroenteritis and sent her home with painkillers. One doctor - it later transpired - suggested she should be scanned for any possible complications with her pregnancy, suspecting she may have an ectopic pregnancy. But the hospital's specialist scanning department was closed for the weekend so he asked Mrs Ben-Nejma to return on the Monday for a scan. The next day Becky complained she was in even more pain so she returned to the Kent hospital. Incredibly, the A&E registrar still diagnosed it as gastroenteritis and simply sent her home with stronger painkillers. Mrs Ben-Nejma had only discovered a few days earlier that she was seven-weeks pregnant. The following morning, at around 7.30am, she collapsed at home into the arms of her then 12-year-old daughter Charlotte, and suffered a heart attack. Ms Ben-Nejma only found out she was seven-weeks pregnant a few days before she died. She collapsed at home into the arms of her then 13-year-old daughter Charlotte, and suffered a heart attack . Paramedics worked frantically to revive her and she was rushed into hospital by air ambulance. She then suffered a second cardiac arrest while undergoing an emergency operation to remove her fallopian tubes. Mrs Ben-Nejma was kept on life support, before the agonising decision was made to switch it off and she died on December 20, 2010, her daughter Charlotte's 13th birthday. Tests revealed Becky had experienced an ectopic pregnancy. Details of Mrs Ben-Nejma's death emerged this week after it was revealed her family had been given a compensation payout by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. Medical director Dr Paul Sigston said: 'The trust sincerely and unreservedly apologises for the failings that contributed to death of Mrs Ben-Nejma. 'In order to ensure that such failings do not happen again the trust has introduced a range of measures including strengthening the emergency gynaecology service, which is now centralised at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, and as a result of which patients now have better access to senior staff, diagnostic equipment and treatment of emergency situations.' He said scanning equipment and senior medical staff in women and children's services were now available 24 hours a day including at weekends at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, which only opened about 18 months ago. Becky, from Maidstone, was married to Walid and had two children, Charlotte, now 15, and Bailey, four. John Kyriacou, of Penningtons Solicitors, London, who represented Becky's family, said: 'This is a devastating case for everyone involved. The NHS needs to be as effective during the weekend as it is during the week.' Studies have suggested that death rates at hospitals in England can be up to 25 per cent higher at weekends, and NHS medical director Sir Bruce Keogh has said he would like hospitals to function as effectively at weekends as during the week. | Rebecca Ben-Nejma went to A&E at Maidstone Hospital with stomach pain .
Staff suspected she had gastroenteritis and sent her home with painkillers .
A doctor did suggest she be scanned to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, but the hospital's scanning department was closed for the weekend .
Mrs Ben-Nejma returned to A&E the following day with severe pain but was still diagnosed with gastroenteritis and sent her home with painkillers .
The next day she suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital .
She died on December 20, her daughter Charlotte's 13th birthday . |
17d8e52c32d3d06f05c1bde7693282fdb4b049b3 | Manchester United have been offered Darijo Srna from Shakhtar Donetsk. The Croatia international is 32 but intermediaries are pushing for a short term move as cover for Rafael. United are short in the right back area and have been scouting for alternatives with Dani Alves of Barcelona also offered to them. Shakhtar Donetsk right back Darijo Srna (right) in action against Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio . The 32-year-old vies for a header with Ciro Immobile (left) during the Euro 2016 qualifier last Sunday . Srna, known as the 'Icon of Shakhtar' has turned down offers to join Chelsea and Bayern Munich in the past. He has 120 caps for Croatia but was still clocked at 20.5mph for his sprinting during the World Cup in Brazil. However, a move for Srna would go against Ed Woodward's message this week that United were not looking for short term fixes to their problems. The Shakhtar Donetsk player attempts to tackle Ashley Young during a Champions League tie last season . | Manchester United offered Croatia international right back Darijo Srna .
32-year-old could be brought in as short term cover for Rafael .
Red Devils have also been offered Dani Alves by Barcelona . |
17dca224b32cfe3973292972439c487782d0deb6 | Trion, Georgia (CNN) -- Christopher Wolfe has a Tough As Nails, I Love America attitude. His pride swells along with his tattooed biceps. He's a dying breed, a blue-collar American working on a product as American as apple pie. Blue jeans. "This is our lifeline," Wolfe says. Those jeans you squeezed into this morning? It's likely they began right here at Mount Vernon Mills, one of the last functioning cotton mills in America and the nation's No. 1 producer of denim. In a tiny enclave of northwest Georgia, Wolfe and 1,200 of his colleagues churn out enough denim per week for 800,000 pairs of blue jeans. Most U.S. mills shut down years ago, unable to compete with cheap overseas labor. And in another sign of the global economy, the fabric woven here is rarely sent to American plants to be turned into jeans. Instead, the fabric is shipped mostly to factories in Mexico. The jeans then carry labels that read "Made in Mexico of U.S. fabric." Blame NAFTA. Blame outsourcing. Blame corporate greed for the selling out of America's manufacturing soul. "I'd rather see people over here work, instead of struggling -- instead of giving somebody in another country a chance to make money that [Americans] should be making," says Wolfe, 31. He's got a scar across his forehead, a shaved head and goatee. Like a pair of well-worn blue jeans, he's rough and tough. Some workers here are second- and third-generation employees, following in the footsteps of their fathers, mothers and grandparents. Wolfe's dad and brother work at the mill. You can see the pride in their faces: Made in U.S.A., baby. "We contribute a lot to America," Wolfe says with a smile. He's a father of four young daughters. He makes about $9 an hour. He toils for them, for his little girls, so they can have a better a life. "This mill here," he says, "it feeds my family." It has been in existence since 1845, when slaves handpicked cotton in the South. Back then, mill workers spun the cotton into fabric and shipped it to factories in the North. It's said Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman came through Trion, Georgia, during the Civil War and decided not to burn the factory down. The reason remains town lore. Some speculate the Union general might've been treated to the charms of Southern hospitality at the local hotel (wink, wink). What's a good Southern tale without -- dare we say it? -- some yarnspinning. "Boss Man" who fights for workers . Inside, you can't help but marvel at the scene around you. Hundreds of spools of thread churn all at once, with computer-like precision. There's a million-square-feet of manufacturing space, much of it Canadian rock maple hardwood floors. It's clean with a brilliant shine. Thread shoots every which way, as if Spider-Man came through. Go from cotton field to denim . The sweet, distinct smell of cotton permeates the mill -- like that of nature in a hardwood forest, with the faint hint of a wet Labrador retriever. When you walk through with general manager Don Henderson, the workers pause. They glance at "Boss Man". Many stroll over to shake his hand. How you doing? Everything, OK? Henderson is one reason this place is still in business, on American soil. He has an aww-shucks attitude. He'll tell you it's those men and women out there on the floor that keep it going. He's got pride in the plant, in his workers and in his family. His father worked for 39 years in the spinning department. His brother retired from the plant after 42 years, having started when he was 16 and eventually making his way into management. "If I had the ultimate say-so, we would be right here for the next 100 years," says Henderson, 64, who has worked in the plant for 40 years. While the nation's manufacturing base has shrunk, Mount Vernon Mills is a rare exception. The tiny town of Trion -- pronounced Try-On, as in "our residents always 'try on,'" 78-year-old Mayor Benny Perry says -- has a staggeringly large annual budget for such a small town. Its $12 million, mostly from taxes the mill pays, provides a state-of-the-art public school, park space and athletic fields. If the mill shuttered, "it would destroy the town," Perry says. In its heydey, the mill had 5,000 workers in the 1940s and 1950s. The company owned everything in town back then, from the tiny mill houses that surround the plant to the town hospital where Henderson and many of his co-workers were born. As a result, Trion doesn't have a quaint town square. The mill is the centerpiece. About two years ago, when the nation's recession hit hard, the plant had to layoff about 200 workers. "It was awful," Henderson says. To save as many jobs as possible and to maximize efficiency, the plant switched to two, 12-hour shifts. That's down from three shifts, five days a week. The denim for jeans goes to companies as wide-ranging as Wal-Mart to JCPenney to Dickies to Polo and other high-priced brands. Henderson's most proud of the mill's ties to cowboys. "We make the Wrangler rodeo cowboy jeans that all the rodeo guys still wear," he says. "We make the fabric right here and have been for -- gosh -- 30 years." Henderson holds up one roll of distressed fabric that's nearly ready to be shipped. It's denim that once was used for lower-end clothing. But yuppies like the look. Henderson chuckles and shakes his head. Martha Teague is 63 and has worked in the mill for the past 35 years. She says other company towns had bosses that sold them out, that cared more about the dollar than its people. "It just gives me a good feeling to be a part of that family of Mount Vernon Mills," says Teague, who has a son working at the plant. "It has educated my children and gives us a house and everything we have really." Wolfe wheels 13,000 yards of yarn into the dimly lit "ballroom." It's placed among a heap of others. "We're lucky to have what we got. Other small towns, they don't have that." He turns and walks away in the orange glow of the ballroom. You want to know a secret? A $12 pair of jeans often comes from the same roll of denim as a $150 designer pair. | Cotton mill in northwest Georgia is America's No. 1 producer of denim .
Mill has been operating since 1845 .
Most U.S. cotton mills shut in last decade, unable to compete with China .
"This mill here it feeds my family," says Christopher Wolfe, 31 . |
17dcec4a5cc777e6786569a8fd8544a9ffb7578c | Criminals are using the online small ads site Gumtree, which allows people to sell everything from cars to mobile phones and even pets, to steal millions of pounds from innocent consumers. Citizens Advice is issuing a warning today after revealing that one in six of the consumer problems it has investigated associated with Gumtree was a scam or potential scam. Police are receiving around 250 crime and fraud allegations a week that are connected to the site, some of which involve serious thefts and assault. Criminals are using the online small ads site Gumtree, which allows people to sell everything from cars to mobile phones and even pets, to steal millions of pounds from innocent consumers . And figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureaux reveal online shopping and auction scams were the most common fraud reported in 2013, costing UK consumers £63.6 million. Gumtree is particularly vulnerable because the website does not vet or take identification details from its users, which means it can be used time and again by criminals who are difficult to trace. The website is owned by eBay, which does have ID checking but is also vulnerable to criminal scams, according to research by Citizens Advice. It said one in ten problems it has looked at associated with eBay was a scam or potential scam. The watchdog gave the example of a flat hunter who saw a property advertised on Gumtree and handed over £1,650 to the person he thought was the landlord. However, when he tried to move in, someone else was already living there. In another case a man bought a car on eBay for £360 and spent another £700 on repairs, however it was then repossessed because the previous owner had failed to pay off an outstanding loan. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there is evidence from a large and growing number of court cases and police reports that criminals use Gumtree to: . Citizens Advice looked at problems reported to its offices in the six months to the end of March which concerned products or services bought through Gumtree and eBay. There were 649 cases related to Gumtree and 3,711 to eBay. Victims of online crime are invited to report the case to Action Fraud, which collects the details and passes some of them on to local police forces. However, this regime has fallen into disrepute because many victims, some of whom have lost huge sums, are never contacted by the police. The chief executive of Citizens Advice, Gillian Guy, said: ‘Online marketplaces are at risk of becoming a hotbed for scams. ‘These sites are an important service for buyers and sellers, but con artists are profiting from them too. Scammers are swindling people out of out of hundreds or thousands of pounds by posting false products and services online. ‘Con artists are preying on those still trying to get back on their feet from the recession. Fake jobs and phoney homes are taking people’s deposits that they strived and saved so long for. ‘Businesses need to get savvy to these spurious practices and take steps to stop consumers falling foul of scams. Gumtree is particularly vulnerable because the website does not vet or take identification details from its users, which means it can be used time and again by criminals who are difficult to trace . ‘It’s time for online marketplaces to up their game and do more to protect their customers from dodgy dealings by strongly policing their websites, carrying out spot checks and immediately removing any risky ads.’ Gumtree said: ‘We do everything in our power to keep scammers off our site and encourage anyone that has fallen for a scam, to report it to us and the police. ‘Gumtree is an open platform which provides a free and easy way to buy and sell, meaning we do not track user information. We are always looking at new ways to improve customer safety such as improving methods of communication between us and our customers. ‘We encourage all our users to adhere to our safety tips on the site and discourage people from transferring any money in advance of seeing an item for sale.’ eBay questioned the validity of the research. It said that the 371 cases examined by Citizens Advice should be put in the context of the fact the UK version of the auction site receives 19million visitors each month. It said: ‘eBay invests millions of pounds each year doing just what the Citizens Advice Bureau recommends: strongly policing our website, carrying out spot checks and immediately removing any risky ads. Customers who purchase on eBay are covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee and get the item they ordered, or their money back.’ | Citizens Advice revealed that one in six of the consumer problems it has .
investigated associated with Gumtree was a scam or potential scam .
National Fraud Intelligence Bureaux .
reveal online shopping and auction scams most common fraud .
reported in 2013, costing £63.6 million .
Turn stolen items into cash, including a huge number of bicycles and valuables taken during burglaries.
Con people into paying for items via bank transfer, such as mobile phones, games consoles and sought after concert and sporting tickets, which are not delivered.
Target people selling high value items for robbery. They get the addresses and steal the items, either while people are sleeping or with violence.
Tempt people to locations to buy or sell things, such as cars and motorbikes, only to rob them, sometimes at the point of a gun or knife.
Trick people to pay rent deposits on flats which do not belong to them, leaving people out of pocket and without a roof.
Offer bogus jobs via a scam that downloads a bug to victims’ computers and steals personal details, including bank information. |
17de4f8a70147520d947cfea062c8770e440f15c | New York (CNN) -- An apparent dispute over housing ended with an 86-year-old New York man shooting his grandson and killing his grandson's girlfriend before fatally shooting himself, a law enforcement source said Saturday. Police were still trying to sort out what led Heriberto Pagan to drive from his home in Brooklyn to his daughter's Staten Island house Friday and shoot two people before taking his own life. A law enforcement source said investigators were looking into the possibility that the grandson "was trying to take over" the home with his girlfriend and Pagan "wasn't appreciative of the way" his daughter was being treated in the process. It was not clear whether the daughter was at home at the time. Police found Pagan, a gunshot wound to the head, outside his car Friday evening near the home where the shootings occurred. He was hospitalized in critical condition, but died Saturday morning, police said. In the vicinity, police were alerted to another shooting victim, Pagan's 47-year-old grandson, who was critically injured with a gunshot wound to the head and found outside the Staten Island house where he lived with his mother and girlfriend. The grandson has not been identified. Inside the house, police found a second victim, Claritle Christina Huerta, 28, also shot in the head. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital. "This is like a nightmare," neighbor John Rina told CNN affiliate WCBS. Police said Pagan shot his grandson as the younger man approached the house. He then shot Huerta inside before driving a few blocks and shooting himself, authorities said. "I just heard a man screaming 'help me, help me,'" a neighbor, not identified, told WCBS. A 4-month-old boy was found unharmed in the home and placed in the care of child welfare authorities, police said. "There [were] a lot of problems in that house, I could say, but it never really exploded the way it [did] today," an unidentified neighbor told CNN affiliate NY1 News. "This is actually probably a buildup to everything that's been happening for ... years." Teen cop killers likely turned gun on selves . | Heriberto Pagan, 86, shot his grandson and killed his grandson's girlfriend, police say .
The shooting may have been triggered by housing dispute, a law enforcement source says .
Pagan fatally shot himself in the head after the double shooting . |
17de5d5bd7aabbe5077974a973e316cc3f6f3216 | He had his hand and part of his arm torn off but that didn't stop shark attack survivor Sean Pollard giving his footy mates an inspiring speech from his hospital bed ahead of their grand final match. The Bunbury man was due to play for his South Bunbury Football Club on Sunday but he was mauled by a shark at Wylie Bay at Kelpids Beach, about 6km east of Esperance on Western Australia's south coast on Thursday morning. While his team mates huddled around a mobile phone in the change rooms to hear Mr Pollard speak before taking on Carey Park at Hands Oval in South Bunbury, the club also read inspiring letters from witnesses who helped rescue the surfer after the attack. The 23-year-old had his second operation at Royal Perth Hospital on Sunday night and is in a stable condition but hopes to be able to stand soon and give his family a group hug, his family says. Scroll down for video . He had his hand and part of his arm torn off but that didn't stop shark attack survivor Sean Pollard giving his footy mates an inspiring speech from his hospital bed . Mr Pollard swam back to shore after being attacked and was pulled from the water by Peter Rothnie and Dean Gaebler before the pair, along with nearby beach goers helped assist him. ‘I have never seen a more courageous human being and probably never will," Mr Rothnie wrote in the letter to the team, according to The West Australian. ‘His desire to live another day, his desire to see (girlfriend) Claire, his family and friends and, dare I say it, his footy mates was above and beyond comprehension. ‘The amount of determination Sean had to get himself to safety and then the determination he showed to keep calm was simply nothing short of miraculous.’ Sean Pollard was mauled by a shark at Wylie Bay at Kelpids Beach, about 6km east of Esperance on Western Australia's south coast on Thursday morning . The 23-year-old, pictured with his girlfriend Claire (right), had his second operation at Royal Perth Hospital on Sunday night and is in a stable condition but hopes to be able to stand soon and give his family a group hug . The Bunbury surfer was due to play for his South Bunbury Football Club on Sunday . Mr Pollard's uncle, Kim Fergusson, issued a statement on behalf of the family on Monday, thanking the rescuers and crediting them with saving his life. He said Mr Pollard's partner and the family had remained by his side since the ordeal. ‘Sean has said his first goal is to stand and receive a group hug from his family, such is the character of this remarkable young man,’ Mr Fergusson said. He said Mr Pollard's traumatic injuries were being closely monitored by doctors at the hospital with the recovery plan from each procedure requiring the intervention of many medical professionals. ‘What is aiding Sean's recovery is his physical fitness, as a result of his healthy lifestyle and active sporting interests,’ Mr Fergusson said. ‘However, his injuries are severe so there will be a long road ahead.’ The family has set-up the Sean Pollard Appeal on Facebook, seeking donations to help with his rehabilitation . Mr Fergusson said the family had been overwhelmed with offers of support from the public, which he described as very comforting. The family has set-up the Sean Pollard Appeal on Facebook, seeking donations to help with his rehabilitation. Natalie Banks, founder of the No WA Shark Cull campaign, has also launched an Indiegogo fundraiser for Mr Pollard, so far raising more than $6000. Collection tins remain at the Esperance Shire's administration and leisure centres and hundreds of dollars were raised through the grand final to help fund his long road to recovery. The state's Fisheries Department responded to the attack by catching and killing two young female white sharks on drumlines - the first time the protected species had been killed by WA officials. An examination of Mr Pollard's surfboard indicated a white shark was responsible. But scientists could not determine if either of the caught sharks had attacked the victim because they often disgorged stomach contents. Mr Pollard had reportedly claimed to have been attacked by two bronze whalers but Fisheries said white sharks sometimes had a bronze discolouration. | Sean Pollard was mauled by a shark at Wylie Bay at Kelpids Beach on Western Australia's south coast on Thursday .
The Bunbury man was due to play for his South Bunbury Football Club on Sunday but was recovering in hospital .
The 23-year-old had his second operation at Royal Perth Hospital on Sunday night and is in a stable condition . |
17deb2ce516d1ce22972bfe59ddb94e4026c4be3 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:00 EST, 4 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:28 EST, 4 June 2012 . A teenage girl who was born with a severely disfigured face was the belle of the ball at her first school prom after a lifetime of operations to give her a stunning smile. Katie Meehan, 16, was born with cystic hygroma, a condition where fluid forms a mass on the head and neck, which left her with a mis-shapen face and an enlarged tongue. Doctors feared Katie, from Fellgate, . Jarrow, would never talk and £60,000 was raised by well-wishers for a . series of operations to change her life. Pretty in pink: Katie Meehan, 16, has enjoyed her first school prom after a lifetime of operations to give her a smile . Gown: Katie wore a stunning pink dress to celebrate the . end of school with her friends from St Joseph’s RC Comprehensive . School’s at a prom at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead . Katie wore a pink dress to celebrate the end of school with her friends from St Joseph’s RC Comprehensive School at a prom at the Hilton Hotel in Gateshead. Her mother, Dawn McIntyre, 49, who waved her off said: 'Katie looked absolutely beautiful, it was such a proud moment for the family and I. 'When you look back to how she was . when she was a little baby, to now, the transformation is amazing. She . just looked stunning. She’s come such a long way.' Katie's condition was also . life-threatening as whenever she contracted a cold or infection her face . would swell to twice its normal size, potentially meaning her airways . could close and she could stop breathing. Katie had her first operation in 2000 at Guys and St Thomas’s Hospital in London carried out by Professor Ian Jackson. Brave: Katie was born with cystic hygroma, where fluid forms a mass on the head and neck. The condition left her with a mis-shapen face and an enlarged tongue . Her left cheek and tongue were cut open during the five-hour surgery, and cysts were removed.In spring 2001 she had her second at the Portland Hospital in London, and two years later, she had a third operation. Although Professor Jackson has now retired, Katie still needs one more operation to her tongue and the lower inside of her mouth. Dawn said: 'We’re not dashing in to it. Katie is a happy and confident girl, so there’s no rush. 'We’re . going to concentrate on her education first, because this time we will . be able to get surgery on the NHS, and while that’s great, we will have . to start at the beginning with scans, as the NHS doesn’t have any . medical records. 'We will . always be grateful to the community for all of their help over the . years, and we now feel like they are part of our family because so many . people ask how she’s doing.' Surgery: In 2000 Katie's left cheek and tongue were cut open during the five-hour surgery, and cysts were removed. In spring 2001 she had her second at the Portland Hospital in London, and two years later, she had a third operation . Although her surgeon has now retired, Katie still needs one more operation to her tongue and the lower inside of her mouth. Katie, who is waiting for her GCSE results, will be staying on at her school to start sixth form, where she will study A-levels in English language, photography, business studies, and philosophy and ethics. She said: 'The prom was fantastic, it was great to see all my friends dressed up and looking lovely. We had a delicious three-course meal too. I couldn’t eat all of it, but I had a good go. 'I have one GCSE exam left, and then I’ll just have to wait for the results. Fingers crossed, I’ll get good ones.' | Katie Meehan was born with cystic hygroma, where fluid .
forms a mass on the head and neck .
The condition left her with a .
mis-shapen face and an enlarged tongue . |
17e0cdc6458f62a165003ac4c891f1f6cb76507e | By . Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline . Most people have, at some point in their life, experienced the panic induced when they forget where their car is parked. But Apple have planned a solution in the form of an app that reveals where your car is hiding. And what’s more, the app doesn’t need an internet connection - so you’ll be able to find your car even if it’s lost in an underground car park. California-based Apple is planning an app for iOS devices to locate parked cars. It will track when a user exits a car and then direct them back later on. In this image from the patent application, it shows how it can track when a user has exited a car and save its location . The move was revealed in a series of patent applications from the Cupertino-based company by Apple Insider. Google Now uses speed sensors in your phone to work out when you're leaving a vehicle. When it detects a change in motion, the app drops what is known as a 'parking card' onto a map. If the card gets it wrong the first time, the service will also offer alternative places that you can check. The drawback is you may also see the card if you get out of a bus or another person’s car. Published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the filings show that the service - which would likely be integrated with Apple Maps - can accurately locate a car. And using device to car connectivity, an internet connection would not be needed. It’s believed the service will not be too dissimilar to that offered by Google Now. The app will be able to tell when the user is driving in a car, and can then work out when they have stopped and exited the vehicle. This lets it know that the user has parked, and it provides a ‘pin’ on a map so the car can easily be located accurately. The pin can also be manually removed or moved as needed. When the user then needs to return to their car, they load up the app and directions are shown for them on their iOS device. When the user is ready to return to the car the app will show the user which way to walk and give directions, as outlined in this image from the patent application . The app will also work without a network connection, instead using Bluetooth for car to device connectivity. This means that even if a car is parked underground (stock image shown) it could be found . However, where it differs from Google’s service is that Apple would enable such location services without the need for a network connection or GPS. This could be done by connecting to the car via Bluetooth, allowing the app to direct the user towards it. In the absence of internet, Apple Insider reports that the app will use a few tricks to locate the car. For example, it can combine sporadic GPS data with information from an iPhone’s accelerometer to deduce how far the user is from the car. There's no news yet on when the service will be rolled out, but it is just one of several innovations that Apple is planning as part of its 'Car Play' initiative. It is planning to integrate other services like Siri into cars to make iOS and vehicles more connected than ever. Google already has its own version of the service integrated in Google Now, but it's believed Apple is now planning to roll out its own service for iOS devices (stock image shown) | California-based company is planning an app to locate parked cars .
It will track when a user exits a car and then direct them back later on .
The app will work without a network connection, instead using Bluetooth .
This means that even if a car is parked underground it could be found .
Google already has its own version of the service integrated in Google Now . |
17e144ae5ec79dd4a737c16d7ca8e4a7c839305c | By . Melissa Kite . PUBLISHED: . 19:13 EST, 29 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:59 EST, 29 October 2013 . As a handsome brown and white pony called Cappuccino trots smartly around the riding school, it’s impossible to tell he was once close to death. Three years ago, though, this shiny pony was one of 110 emaciated horses found starving on a farm in the south-west of England. He was so thin and hungry his body had digested all its muscle. His skeletal frame was, quite literally, just skin and bones. Although frightened by their approach, he bore strangers no grudge. He lapped up the kindness of volunteers at the rescue centre where he was taken, and responded well to months of physiotherapy and treatment for his damaged liver. Saved: Melissa Kite with Bombardier, aged 14, who when rescued was terribly thin and needed surgery because his terminally ill owner had not been able to care for him, but is now a picture of health . Today, as he trots around the school, he is happy to do everything that’s asked of him. All he asks in return is a little bit of loving care. As I watch him being put through his paces, I hope fervently that someone will offer this sweet chap a home. Cappuccino is one of 65 horses being cared for at the World Horse Welfare centre at Glenda Spooner Farm in Somerset. A few weeks ago, Princess Anne visited this inspiring place and adopted a horse. She took one lucky Welsh cob called Annie back to her Gloucestershire estate, Gatcombe Park, where the mare is now enjoying life as a hacking horse for the Princess Royal. Annie was certainly due a bit of luck. She was brought to the charity because her owners were not looking after her properly. Having run out of money to care for her, they rang the horse charity for help. Even then, it wasn’t all plain sailing. Twice, Annie was found new homes; but both times she was returned to the charity when her new owners’ changed circumstances meant they could no longer keep her. As the recession puts families under greater financial pressure, so more and more horses like Annie have been neglected or abandoned. Some 7,000 horses are at risk of serious neglect this winter, according to World Horse Welfare, which is appealing for the public to help. Rescue centres are full to bursting. Glenda Spooner Farm has already taken in 24 per cent more horses this . year than last — and they fear more may arrive as the weather gets . colder and people feel the pinch. Royal approval: A keen rider, Princess Anne is a trustee of the charity and even adopted a Welsh cob called Annie a couple of weeks ago and took her back to her Gloucestershire estate . Yet if they are to take in more rescue cases, they desperately need people to come forward to give ponies like Cappuccino a caring home. Cappuccino was one of six young ponies taken in by the centre after a member of the public reported an owner who had been breeding them on her farm. The situation had got completely out of hand and she had more ponies than she could possibly look after. Claire Phillips, manager of the rescue centre, explains that the reason for neglect is hardly ever straightforward malice. It is more often a case of financial hardship, or owners’ health problems leaving them unable adequately to care for their horses. The centre tries not to pass judgment, because behind every neglected horse there is usually an equally sad human story. Cappuccino was just two years old when he came to Glenda Spooner Farm and soon became a favourite with staff. ‘He was very, very scared,’ recalls Claire. ‘He had nothing holding his skeletal frame together — we had to rebuild him from scratch. But he was the most inquisitive of the group and quickly learned to trust. ‘Horses are so forgiving. They don’t realise that people have inflicted this on them, so as soon as someone is kind to them, they become quite trusting.’ Cappuccino had liver damage, because when horses are left to fend for themselves, they start foraging for anything to eat. If they are unlucky, they end up eating harmful plants like ragwort. Often people who abandon horses in a field think they can survive by eating grass. But in winter, the grass runs out and what does grow has little nutritional value, and then horses will eat anything in a desperate attempt to stay alive. As temperatures plummet, their bodies . burn more and more energy to keep warm. Without hay or other sustenance, . they soon digest all their fat reserves, then start to break down . muscle, too. Transformation: Jessica, left, was one of 26 bedraggled horses found in a field in March with painfully overgrown feet and full of worms and lice and, right, she is now happy, healthy and looking for a new home . When things reach this desperate stage, a horse may become too weak to stand and, as it lies prone in the field, insects and birds will prey on it. Too frail to move, hypothermia and dehydration will set in and its organs will fail. It is a horrifying way to die. But because the cost of putting a horse down humanely can be hundreds of pounds, people in financial difficulties do sometimes leave horses to perish like this. Then, it is up to rescue charities like the World Horse Welfare centre to pick up the pieces.Cappuccino is now nearly five years old and going well as a riding pony. In the right hands, he would be an ideal candidate for a child or teenager in a Pony Club, or simply as a pony to take on a hack through local woods and fields. Cappuccino’s handler takes off his saddle and gives him a post-exercise rub down as a noble-looking chestnut called Bombardier is led out from another stable. Only his slightly uncertain step gives a clue to his past. Bombardier was one of ten horses who fell into a terrible state because their owner was terminally ill. Too proud to ask for help until it was almost too late, the man eventually called the charity. Bombardier, aged 14, was terribly thin, had never been handled (trained or ridden) or had his hooves trimmed. He needed surgery to remove a growth from the side of his foot and treatment for a broken tooth which was sticking into his cheek. Now, however, he is a gleaming picture of health, and getting used to being led around. He still walks a little uncertainly because the wastage of his muscles has affected his balance. By next spring, staff hope that he will have completed his rehabilitation and be ready for a new home. But individual success stories like Bombardier aside, the charity is adamant nothing less than a major change in attitudes to horse ownership is needed. Just as any responsible person thinking of getting a dog would consider going to Battersea Dogs’ Home or a similar rescue charity before buying a puppy, so horse-lovers should consider taking a horse from a rescue centre before perusing the local ‘For Sale’ ads. For until more prospective horse-owners consider adopting an unwanted horse, rather than buying from a breeder or dealer, the problem of horse neglect will not get better. To understand just how bad the problem of over-breeding and abandonment has become, look no further than the case of Pickles. This friendly black and white horse . was one of a group of 40 horses who were found on a plot of land near . Cardiff Airport in January 2012. You may have heard of fly-tipping, but . did you know there is now something called fly-grazing? Horses . bred by irresponsible dealers who then find they are unable to sell . them are being dumped like so many unwanted tyres onto common land. Skin and bones: Many abandoned horse simply starve to death as temperatures plummet, their bodies burn more and more energy to keep warm and without hay or other sustenance, they soon digest all their fat reserves . Near to where I keep my horses in Surrey, I’ve seen live horses dumped on grassy roundabouts, and even on the verges of slip roads leading to the A3. When they were called out to Cardiff Airport, Glenda Spooner Farm only had the capacity to take two of the starving colts found there. One of them was Pickles. Happily, other charities picked up the rest. They believe they know who dumped the horses but cannot prove it. Successfully prosecuting for such behaviour is virtually impossible. The desperate plight of abandoned horses in Britain is a scandal. Some welfare experts believe local authorities will have to consider culls of abandoned horses if the crisis reaches the level it has in Ireland, where animal charities have now reluctantly called for such a move. For now, Cappuccino and Pickles need new homes — as do all the horses the charity takes in, if it is to go on helping other animals who are suffering this winter. Nearly all of those waiting for a home are rideable. None of them have been abandoned through any fault of their own. Take Jessica, a pretty, white, three-year-old with the most loving temperament you could wish for. She was one of 26 bedraggled horses found in a field in March — yet more victims of someone breeding horses for sale in a climate where there is very little demand for them. All the ponies had painfully overgrown feet and were full of worms and lice. Restored to health, Jessica is a delight. She sticks her nose over the door of her stable and plants a sloppy kiss on my face, before nibbling my hand gently. She is so sweet and affectionate I want to take her home right now, but I restrain myself. I have three of my own to care for. I pat Jessica and tell her to hang on in there. I hope she finds the home she so clearly deserves soon. | Some 7,000 horses are at risk of serious .
neglect this winter, according to World Horse Welfare, which is .
appealing for the public to help .
The Glenda Spooner Farm in Somerset has already taken in .
24% more horses this year than last and they fear more may .
arrive with winter weather .
If you think you can help, visit www.worldhorsewelfare.org . |
17e20b8b1cf47d50a7bbc3f76f54e4f09fea2272 | (CNN) -- Country music legend Dolly Parton on Thursday announced her company is in a partnership to open a new theme park in Nashville. The new 50/50 joint venture between Gaylord Entertainment Co. and Dollywood will be developed on a 114-acre site for a family entertainment zone across from the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Convention Center. Phase I of the $50 million project will be a water and snow park. Groundbreaking is anticipated late this year or in early 2013, with the park's opening slated for summer of 2014. Parton, who turned 66 on Thursday, told CNN's Brooke Baldwin that "we are going to be bringing more family entertainment into Nashville." The Dollywood company will serve as the project's operating partner and will employ 450 full- and part-time employees, Parton said. The park will provide a mix of high-energy water activities for the summer season and designated snow activities for winter play. The first-year attendance is projected to be a half-million. The park will be similar to the Snow Mountain attraction at Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, according to CNN affiliate WKRN. "Tourism is the second-largest industry in Tennessee, generating more than a billion dollars in tax revenue annually and employing more than 170,000 Tennesseans," Gov. Bill Haslam said in a statement. "This project will be a welcome addition to the wide variety of attractions and destinations across our great state, and I applaud the collaboration and spirit that has led to this announcement." "We are thrilled by the prospect of bringing to Nashville a family focused entertainment center with one of the pre-eminent theme park owners and operators in the country," said Colin V. Reed, chairman and chief executive officer, for Gaylord Entertainment. An additional 35 acres will be reserved for future developments. | Dollywood, Gaylord Entertainment launching new theme park in Nashville .
Phase I will be a water and snow park for "family entertainment," Parton tells CNN .
The project will create 450 full- and part-time jobs, Parton says . |
17e2164d1c8f1f22f82df6ca8940f30f65d99384 | Criminal: Ian Watkins, 35, pictured with former girlfriend Fearne Cotton, faces jail after his guilty pleas . The lead singer of rock band Lostprophets was refused bail today after being accused of plotting to rape a child aged under 13. Ian Watkins, a former boyfriend of Radio 1 DJ and TV presenter Fearne Cotton, was remanded in custody charged with six child sex offences. The 35-year-old was charged with conspiring to engage in sex with an underage girl. He faces three separate charges of possession, creation and distribution of indecent images of children. The singer, from Pontypridd, Wales, is also charged with possession of 'extreme pornography'. Cardiff magistrates court heard that 40 images of children and child abuse were being investigated by police. Two unnamed women, aged 20 and 24, from Doncacster and Bedford, have also been charged with 'similar offences'. Making an application for all three to be refused bail, prosecutor Mrs Suzanne Thomas said: 'They are the sort of charges which will cause public revulsion. The penalty would be a custodial sentence if they were found guilty.' Watkins was arrested on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation into child sex offences. The rock star dated presenter Cotton for less than a year in 2005, although the pair are thought to have remained friends and were pictured together in 2008. He appeared in court today wearing a black jacket with a high collar and was watched by his mother. A forlorn-looking Watkins did not speak during the 90-minute hearing. The two women also facing prosecution . - the younger woman facing four charges and the other facing six - . cannot be named for legal reasons . All three were remanded in custody to appear in Cardiff Crown Court on December 31. Former couple: Ian Watkins pictured with Fearne Cotton in 2008. The pair dated for less than a year in 2005 . On stage: Watkins performing with Lostprophets, whose hits include Last train Home. The band has sold around 3.5 million albums . Lostprophets, whose hits include Last . Train Home, are one of the most successful bands to have emerged from . Wales in recent times, selling around 3.5 million albums worldwide. They were at the forefront of the UK's burgeoning nu-metal scene, appealing to teenage fans. Their . second album, 2004's Start Something brought global recognition, with . the album going gold in America, amassing sales of more than 500,000, . and the band embarking on a world tour. Tattooed Watkins formed the band in 1997 with friends from the small former mining town of Pontypridd. Weapons, Lostprophets's fifth studio album, was released in April and was supported by a UK tour. But while the band once sold out . Wembley arena and headlined major festivals, such as Download, their . success has waned in recent years.related] . A police spokesman said: 'A Pontypridd man . has been charged with sexual offences against children and is due to . appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court today. Singer: Watkins was one of three people charged by police. Two women, aged 20 and 24, were also charged with 'similar offences' 'The 35-year-old has been charged with . conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a female under 13 and . possession/distribution of indecent images of children. 'In order to assist their . investigation, South Wales Police has named the man as Ian Watkins, a . member of the rock group Lostprophets." Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Peter Doyle said specially-trained staff were available to speak to anyone with concerns or information regarding this investigation. 'I want to encourage anyone who has any concerns or information which they think may be relevant to contact us,' he added. 'Safeguarding children involved in such cases is always a high priority and as such measures have already been taken.' Speaking after the case John Cameron, head of child protection operations for the NSPCC said: 'We can confirm we are working alongside South Wales Police and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre on this investigation. 'It’s vital we send a clear message to those who have experienced abuse that they can never be to blame for what has happened to them. 'That they have somewhere to turn and that they will be taken seriously.' A pregnant Fearne Cotton arriving for work at Radio 1 this week . Frontman: Watkins pictured with his Lostprophets bandmates - who have made a statement saying they are going through 'difficult times' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Ian Watkins, 35, arrested as part of ongoing police investigation .
Charged with conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with girl under 13 .
Also charged with possession and distribution of of indecent images .
Singer appeared before magistrates in Cardiff today, along with two others . |
17e3f82a6ecd22a8ca967323250fda7435870f9a | Liverpool have been handed a boost after Daniel Sturridge returned to light training at Melwood as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury. The England striker had been expected to miss three weeks after suffering the injury while away on international duty but it seems his comeback could come sooner than expected. Sturridge looked comfortable jogging, turning and running with the ball as he trained alone on Wednesday morning. Daniel Sturridge was back on the training ground on Wednesday as he continues his recovery from injury . Daniel Sturridge took part in a light training session at Melwood as he steps up his recovery . The striker had been expected to miss three weeks after suffering the thigh problem with England . Sturridge limped out of a training session with England and missed their Euro 2016 qualifier in Switzerland . Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was furious that Sturridge had not been given enough time to recover after he played 89 minutes in England's 1-0 friendly win over Norway . But manager Brendan Rodgers will be wary of throwing Sturridge back in too soon and he is likely to sit out this Saturday's visit to West Ham in the Barclays Premier League. Next Tuesday's Capital One Cup tie with Middlesbrough at Anfield could see him return if his recovery continues ahead of schedule. The rest of the Liverpool squad were given the day off following their late 2-1 win over Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Sturridge trained alone at Melwood as the rest of the squad recovered from Tuesday night's Champions League match against Ludogorets Razgrad . Sturridge looked in good spirits as he laughed and joked with the coaching staff during the session . Sturridge will now target a return next week, perhaps when Liverpool play Middlesbrough in the League Cup . Brendan Rodgers must decide when to reintroduce Sturridge to the team . Sturridge's injury setback caused friction between Rodgers and the England coaches, with the Liverpool manager outspoken in his belief that his recovery after playing 89 minutes in the friendly win over Norway should have been better managed. Rodgers was furious his star wasn't given more rest and unsurprised when he limped out of a training session two days later, ruling him out of the Euro 2016 qualifier with Switzerland. 'We're disappointed because we feel it's an injury which could have been prevented,' Rodgers told talkSPORT. 'Clubs work differently to international teams. It's the recovery strategy. When we look at our players here, we look at them individually, in terms of what their needs are.' VIDEO We showed great resilience - Rodgers . | Daniel Sturridge took part in a light training session at Melwood .
Liverpool striker is continuing recovery from thigh injury .
Sturridge suffered knock on international duty with England .
He was initially expected to miss three weeks but could return sooner . |
17e43e8e7d2bbbb237df78537d108c3fa917d9fb | By . Dan Miller and Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 03:16 EST, 27 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:36 EST, 27 May 2013 . Splattered with blood, this is the face of a crazed madman who allegedly battered a betting shop manager to death with a hammer. The suspected killer was caught on CCTV leaving a branch of Ladbrokes in Morden, south London - which is just next door to a police station - after a botched robbery attempt. Andrew Iacovou, 55, of North Cheam, Surrey, who had worked for Ladbrokes for 20 years, suffered a fractured skull in the attack at 8am on Saturday and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police appeal: The blood-splattered face of the man who allegedly bludgeoned a bookmaker to death . The father-of-three was believed to . have been tricked into opening a door, allowing the suspect to force his way . behind the counter where he produced the hammer and carried out the . attack. Several customers are understood to . have gone into the shop after the attack, but did not notice Mr . Iacovou's body. A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as . blunt trauma to the head. Mr Iacovou, who lived with his wife Anita, had two sons aged 10 and 13 as well as an older son from a previous relationship. Paying tribute to Mr Iacovou, his . neighbour Margaret Murray, 61, said: ‘It is terrible - Andrew was very . well liked and did a lot for people. He worshipped his wife and . children and they adored him. ‘It is such a terrible thing and I . can't get my head around it. We are such a close community in these . flats. He was lovely. You would see him going out in the morning and the . kids idolised him. ‘It always . happens to the nice ones. He was a well-loved man and did a lot of jobs . for people in the flats. Everybody is devastated. When it happens on . your doorstep it is unbelievable.’ Victim: Father Andrew Iacovou (left) had worked at the Ladbrokes (right) in Morden, south London, for 20 years . Ms Murray first became aware of what had happened when police cars pulled up on her road on Saturday afternoon. She said: ‘I saw the police cars and . then one of the other ladies told me. At first I just thought that he . had had an accident. I just can't believe it.’ 'He was a well-loved man and did a lot of jobs for people in the flats. Everybody is devastated' Margaret Murray, neighbour of Andrew Iacovou . Ms Murray said that she believed Mrs . Iacovou, who has a life-debilitating illness, had gone away with their . two sons to stay with her brother in nearby New Malden, south-west . London. She added: ‘Anita lost her father a couple of months ago, . which was very hard for her, so I don't know what's going to happen now - . whether she will pack up and go back to India.’ Ladbrokes spokesman Ciaran O'Brien . said: ‘Ladbrokes can confirm that following a serious incident this . morning at a shop in Morden a staff member has died. On camera: Scotland Yard released two images of this man whom they want to speak to about the incident . ‘The company's priority at this time . is to provide the family, to whom we extend our deepest sympathies, with . all the necessary support at this difficult time. ‘We are also providing every required resource to assisting the police in their investigation.’ Mr Iacovou was pronounced dead by . paramedics at the betting shop shortly after 10.30am on Saturday. A . Scotland Yard spokesman said he was apparently attacked in the shop by a . lone male. Scotland Yard released two images of a . man in a baseball cap they want to speak to about the incident, which . is being investigated by officers from the Homicide & Serious Crime . Command. 'At this early stage, it appears the . deceased was attacked in the shop by a lone male suspect,' a . Metropolitan Police spokesman said. 'It is not known at this time . whether any money was taken. 'Members of the public should not approach the man and are advised to contact police immediately.' | Suspect caught on CCTV leaving Ladbrokes in Morden, south London .
Had 'bludgeoned manager to death with a hammer in an horrific attack'
Victim was father-of-three who had worked for bookmakers for 20 years . |
17e5ec2d6cbda419d868b195f4f991bd19b4d18b | By . Patrice Harrington . PUBLISHED: . 05:52 EST, 8 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:31 EST, 9 August 2012 . Muse: Jennifer Trouton is friends with erotic novellist E L James . When your granny mentions her haggard old mop bucket or tea-leaf tin, the last place you think they'll end up is in an erotic novel. But for one County Down artist, her paintings have been immortalised in the pages of Fifty Shades Of Grey, the saucy story that has raised eyebrows – and pulses – around the world. Jennifer Trouton, 40, is good friends with the book's author, E L James – real name Erika Mitchell – whose husband is from Newry. The painter says her catapult to 'mummy porn' fame is 'surreal'. ‘I’m really honoured that she put my work in the books. I have no Protestant or Catholic guilt where I’m like, “I can’t be part of an erotic book!”’ she said. ‘I’m just quite pleased that she liked it.’ Her work is mentioned in all three of the books. In the first, a mosaic is hanging in businessman Christian Grey’s office, creating the backdrop when he meets Anastasia Steele – who later becomes his sex slave. The books says: 'Everything is white – ceiling, floors and walls – except for the wall by the door where a mosaic of small paintings hang. 'Thirty-six of them arranged in a square. A series of mundane, forgotten objects, painted in such precise detail they looked like photographs.' Miss Trouton, from Portadown, said that the popular author was particularly struck by one of her works, 'Looking At the Overlooked', which comprises more than 300 smaller works on board depicting household objects. She said: 'Erika saw them when she came to a viewing of mine in London in 2006. It was very large, 300 pictures – she scaled it back to 36 in the book – all of very mundane objects you might see around the house.' The work, which is a metaphor for the mundane becoming extraordinary, is discussed by the two main characters in the book's opening chapter. Miss Trouton added that the works also reflects the sordid relationship between the two characters: 'She is quite an ordinary girl, but Christian finds her extraordinary.' It is referred to again at the end of the third book Fifty Shades Freed, when Christian recalls first meeting Anastasia. And in the second book, Fifty Shades Darker, another of Trouton’s paintings is donated to a charity auction. From household to hot stuff: Jennifer Trouton's work of everyday objects in Looking At The Overlooked, which is divided into 300 smaller depictions, features in the Fifty Shades trilogy . Influence: This painting, which includes depictions of teapots and mop buckets, has a starring role in the steamy novels . So was Miss Trouton, whose paintings fetch from £715 (€900) to £9,500 (€12,000), surprised by her friend's steamy imagination? 'Well, I have to say it is very funny when you know someone quite well and you think, “Oh my goodness, you’re into that!”’ she giggles. 'But she did most of her research online. She has a very happy, normal family and home life.' Mosaics or mummy porn?: E L James writes of a mosaic, similar to this one, hanging in businessman Christian Grey's office . Capturing everyday life: The author was captivated by the 300 pictures painted by Jennifer Trouton of mundane objects found around the house . The secretive painter kept her involvement in the books hidden from even family and friends. Her Facebook page is full of witty comments, including one from her brother Stevie saying, 'I'm telling Dad!' 'For now I’m just happy for people to be seeing my work,' shrugs Jennifer. 'That’s what all artists want ultimately.' Humbled: Jennifer Trouton says she is pleased her works are mentioned in the popular series . Turning up the heat: E L James - real name Erika Mitchell - has set pulses racing with her Fifty Shades of Grey . | Irish painter's work immortalised in erotic novels by her friend E L James .
Jennifer Trouton describes her catapult to 'mummy porn' fame as 'surreal'
Her paintings are mentioned in all three of the Fifty Shades novels .
Artist kept involvement in the books hidden from friends and family . |
17e692c326dfbdfaa5863b3d0acd59b085499a08 | (CNN) -- Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has spoken of his relief at finally making public the fact he is gay -- and now wants to become a role model for gay people in sport. Speaking to British news channel ITN, Thomas revealed why it has taken him so long to speak openly about his sexuality. "Every gay man will tell you that 'coming out' is like a weight lifted from your shoulders and beng able to walk down the street knowing that there is nothing for me to hide has been a liberating experience, " admitted Thomas -- the most capped player in Wales history with 100 appearances for his country. "I knew I was gay at 18, but to come out then would have meant I would not have achieved what I did in rugby. I loved rugby so much and it was so important to me that I made the decision to keep my sexuality secret. People may disagree with that, but it was my belief and my decision. "Since my announcement I have had an amazing response and have not had one negative comment or any abuse. I think it proves there is a place for gay men in every walk of life. "Gay men are accepted in films, music and politics because people came out and broke the mould and stereotype in those industries. "What I am trying to do is break the trend in rugby and sport in general and show any aspiring sportsman, regardless of his age, that the mould has been broken. "It is not an issue if a straight man plays rugby -- and I hope my decision will ensure it is not an issue if a gay man plays rugby." | Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has spoken of his relief at making public the fact he is gay .
The 35-year-old Thomas now wants to become a role model for gay people in general .
Thomas is the most capped player n Wales rugby history with 100 appearances for his country . |
17e85b5e961e8845d41ac412e9513bf7a460aaa6 | By . Shari Miller . PUBLISHED: . 08:14 EST, 14 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:03 EST, 14 August 2012 . Hunted down: Zhou Kehua, one of China's most wanted fugitives, was found and killed by police . China's most wanted fugitive, who is thought to have shot dead nine people since 2004 in armed robberies, was himself killed by police in southern China today, following a massive manhunt across the country. The Chinese Ministry of Public Security said officers in Chongqing cornered Zhou Kehua in an alleyway next to a shoe factory around dawn, before shooting him dead. The 42-year-old was believed to have been responsible for killing several people in Chongqing, as well as Changsha and Nanjing over the last eight years. Following news that Zhou had carried out an armed robbery outside a bank in Chongqing on Friday, in which a woman was shot dead and two others injured, officials ordered police to track down the country's most wanted criminal. Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu and Chongqing Communist Party boss Zhang Dejiang both issued directives that Zhou be arrested as soon as possible. Thousands of police were mobilized in an effort to catch the killer, who targeted people withdrawing money from banks and was described by authorities as 'ruthless and extremely dangerous.' A £542,500 (5.4m yuan) reward was also offered for his capture. He had managed to evade police for years, but was finally caught this morning. News of his death spread throughout Chongqing and large crowds gathered close to the scene. Graphic photos have since appeared on the website of the official Xinhua News Agency, which show Zhou lying in a pool of blood with a bullet hole through his head. Immediately after Zhou was shot, Meng signed an official document praising the Chongqing police. Final act: Officials ordered Zhou to be hunted down after an armed robbery, shown on these CCTV pictures, outside a bank in Chongqing on August 10, in which one person was shot dead and two others were injured . The state media reported that Zhou's death had brought relief to the whole country, where private ownership of guns is banned and armed robberies are rare. The . hunt for Zhou has been the most popular topic on China's Twitter-like . microblogging site Sina Weibo for the past few days and has dominated . the news. Shot to death: Graphic photos have appeared on the website of the official Xinhua News Agency following Zhou's killing . Armed and dangerous: A policeman cleans up pistols left behind by Zhou Kehua, who had killed nine and wounded several others in armed robberies since 2004 . Grim spectacle: Crowds gather in Chongqing, China, to see for themselves as the body of Zhou Kehua is taken away . Aftermath: Police carry away the body of serial killer Zhou Kehua, described as 'ruthless and extremely dangerous' | Zhou Kehua, 42, is thought to have shot dead nine people since 2004 in armed robberies .
After eight years on the run, Zhou was tracked down near a shoe factory in Chongqing and shot by police .
Authorities had described him as 'ruthless and extremely dangerous' |
17e85dd04072e22737e14681b922fb3babe517fb | They may have headed to the 'Land of the Free' for a better life, but a set of poignant black and white pictures illustrate the brutal hardships endured by immigrant families in 19th century New York. The images captured by Jacob A. Riis provide a window into the squalor, deprivation and poverty of a bygone age. The stark photos of sweat shops, shanty towns and slums provide an image of an unrecognisable city. Shades of the Wild West: In an astonishingly atmospheric image taken in 1887, a group of men loiter in an alley known as 'Bandit's Roost' off Mulberry Street . Charity: A group of men and young boys stand outside the front entrance of the Children's Aid Society's central office, at 24 St. Mark's Place, circa 1895. The children hold satchels with their belongings. They children were preparing to travel west, subsidized by Mrs John Jacob Astor . Cold night: Three young street children huddle together over a grate for warmth in an alleyway off Mulberry Street, Manhattan . For many immigrants the . new life was a tough one- some of the streets where they had made their . home were notorious for violent crime. Riis took advantage of the newly-invented flash photography to document the city’s dark side in these incredible pictures of slum life among the immigrant underclass. In one heart-wrenching picture three small barefoot children huddle together for warmth over a grating. Others show street children huddling close together for warmth, or working the streets as shoeshines and beggars. During the rime reporter and reformer's late-night visits to the . slums, the new medium of flash startled people but managed to capture the chaos of poverty as it had never before been seen in photographs. Newly arrived immigrants slept 12 to a . room, while street children roamed the alleys and tenement blocks of a . Third World downtown Manhattan. Harsh conditions: A young girl, holding a baby, sits in a doorway next to a garbage can. Riis was a great reformer and his work helped to draw attention to the plight of the deprived . Slumdogs: The sight of Italian immigrant families in New York on Jersey Street, living in shacks could be a scene from the developing world today . Shanty town: A dilapidated wooden shack sits in an empty lot surrounded by tenement buildings in 1896 . Living on the edge: View of a back-lot house on Bleecker Street between Mercer and Greene Streets, almost toppling into an excavation site . Unfettered squalor: An Italian immigrant smokes a pipe in his makeshift home under the Rivington Street Dump . Dangerous life: A man and a young girl peer into the courtyard of a tenement complex in 'Bottle Alley,' 1901. The photograph was used as evidence in a murder case. An 'X' is marked on the side of a staircase (right) to indicate the location where the murderer fired shots . As these images show, there were . moments of light relief. Riis also captured the city’s poorest at . leisure - playing ball, breaking the incessant gloom with a few tunes on . the fiddle or splashing about in the bathhouse on the Hudson River. At times Riis also documents the other side of New York - the white picket fences, the prim schoolgirls. Riis's celebrated 1890 work of early . photojournalism, How the Other Half Lives, brought to public attention . the desperate lives of urban immigrants and created a place for him in . photographic history, according to The New York Times. A Danish immigrant who became a police reporter, Riis was an evangelical, a conservative, and a reformer who wanted to improve conditions in the congested slums. He arrived in the U.S. in 1870, . having . left Denmark as a carpenter’s apprentice, and began life in New York as . a casual worker, later working as a crime reporter for The New . York Tribune. Makeshift home: A man sorts through trash under the 47th Street dump where he has made his home in around 1890 . Hard labour: In a picture taken in 1890 a Bohemian family of four roll cigars at home in their tenement. Working from six in the morning till nine at night, they earn $3.75 for a thousand cigars, and between them could turn out three thousand cigars a week . Working till they dropped: Mrs Benoit, a Native American widow, sews and beads while smoking a pipe in her Hudson Street apartment, New York City, while right, a dishevelled shoeshine boy named Tommy takes a break from business . Handiwork: A Native American, Mountain Eagle, and his family make handicrafts while one son plays violin in their tenement at 6 Beach Street in this image taken in 1895 . Grafting: Men and women make neckties inside a tenement on Division Street, Little Italy . He did not take his first photograph . until 1888, more than ten years after he began work as a reporter and he . stopped taking photos four years later, the New York Times said. While Riis saved all his papers . diligently, he took little care over his photographs which were for him . mere accompaniments to his written work and lectures. Only . in the 1940s, when photographers tracked down Riis’s youngest son and . asked him to search the attic of the family home, were the pictures . found. The Museum of the City of New York has a substantial collection of Riis’s photographs. Line up: A group of prisoners in striped suits and hats at The Lock-step Penitentiary on Blackwell's Island around 1890 . Turning to crime: A male prisoner sits on his bed in his open cell at the penitentiary on Blackwell's Island (now Roosevelt Island) circa 1890 and right, two young girls, in 1890 both ragpickers, stand at a staircase in Baxter Alley, Little Italy The alley was known as 'Ragpickers Row . Getting an education: One girl laughs with delight at having her photo taken as street children get the chance to read at a library at 48 Henry Street, New York City in 1900 . Feast day: A shrine in 'Bandits Roost', between Mulberry Street and Mulberry Bend, Little Italy, during the feast of Saint Rocco on the 23rd May, 1895. Right, a real mulberry tree behind an early building, presumably the original dwelling in the area of Mulberry Bend . Alley playground: Children play with barrels under the washing hung between tenements in Gotham Court, Cherry Street around 1890 . Nature class: Teachers show primary school children how to plant seeds in a plot of land in New York. This picture was taken in about 1900 . Freshly landscaped: New Yorkers enjoy the open space of the newly-planted Mulberry Bend Park in 1900 . Team spirit: A group portrait of a football team posing in front of a fence at the West Side Playground, 68th Street, in 1895 . Snowy New York: Warmly wrapped up children play in front of Dewitt Church, 280 Rivington Street, in 1890 . Playtime: Riis also captured the city at leisure. Three girls jump rope while a group of children and adults form a semicircle around them on the rooftop playground of the Hebrew Institute . Snapshot of life: A vegetable stand and the post office on 55 1/2 to 57 Mulberry Street, Little Italy, circa 1890 and right, an interior view of the tenement flat of an Italian family in New York City . Bathing beauties: Children swim under the supervision of adults at Public Bath #10, at the Hudson River . Urban playground: Schoolboys play with a ball on the rooftop playground . Slumdwellers salute: Children of Mott Street Industrial School, New York, salute the Stars and Stripes, and repeat the Oath of Allegiance . Waiting for delivery: Children holding American flags while riding tricycles and wagons on the rooftop garden of Ellis Island were the offspring of detained or waiting immigrants . Education for all: Pupils in the Essex Market school in a poor quarter of New York listen intently during a lesson . Girls in classroom: Rear view of rows of schoolgirls seated on benches in an East Side Public School circa 1890 . Changing face: An exterior view of Public School 165, located on West 109th Street in 1895 . Police patrol: A large crowd gathers behind the wooden fence of a small park, which is under construction, while policemen patrol the area, New York City. The 'New York Daily News' building is visible in the background . Demolish: Construction workers, left, demolish buildings along 'Cat Alley,' to make room for the widening of Elm Street, New York City, 1898 and right, high-angle view of Jefferson Park being laid out in Little Italy on 112th Street along the East River, New York City in 1899 . Taking a dip: Full-length image of children swimming at a public bath in New York City, circa 1895 . New York card game: A group of men hedge their bets playing cards in the city . Landscape shot: High-angle view of Gracie Mansion in East River Park at East 86th Street in 1895 . Deserted: View of St. John's Park, located on Hudson Street at the site of a former graveyard . Everyday life: People and carriages travel along Fifth Street after it was cleaned under the direction of Colonel Waring . | City of sweat shops, shanty towns .
and slums is an unrecognisable New York, captured, in black and white .
Shots provide a window into the squalor, deprivation and poverty of a bygone age . |
17e9d48a40f740f67b2034296f32b4b7b3478800 | With only a month to go before sport's global spotlight rests on London, organisers of the Olympic Games began the countdown in spectacular fashion. Giant Olympic rings suspended from Tower Bridge have been unveiled, making a striking statement on one of the capital's most iconic landmarks. London 2012 chairman Lord Coe and mayor Boris Johnson were among the VIPs who watched as the rings - 25 metres wide and 11.5 metres tall - were lowered into place on the central London bridge on the River Thames. The rings, which weigh three tonnes, cost £259,817 to produce and installing them is estimated to have cost £53,000. Scroll down for video . One month to go! The Olympic rings have been unveiled on London's Tower Bridge. The rings, which weigh three tonnes, cost £259,817 to produce . Final countdown? The rings were locked up before being released on full show for all to see. All costs have been met from the £32 . million Look and Celebration budget . Iconic symbol: Lord Coe, a two-time Olympic 1500m champion, said the rings inspire athletes and unite people around the world . All costs have been met from the £32 million Look and Celebration budget, which will be used to back free cultural events across London. Lord Coe, a two-time Olympic 1500m champion, said: 'The Olympic rings are an iconic symbol, inspiring athletes and uniting people around the world. To athletes they represent the culmination of thousands of hours of training and reaching the highest level in sport. 'With one month to go to the Olympic Games opening ceremony, these spectacular rings on one of London's most famous landmarks will excite and inspire residents and visitors in the capital.' A light show, complete with beams of changing colours and intensity, is set to bring the rings to life tonight. Thumbs up: London Mayor Boris Johnson and Games chairman Lord Coe were there at the unveiling . London calling: Lord Sebastian Coe attends the unveiling of the giant set of Olympic rings. The best athletes in the world will begin their quest for gold in a month's time . It will put into action Tower Bridge's new lighting system, involving 1,800 special energy-efficient LED lights, 2,000 metres of energy-efficient LED linear lights, 5,000 metres of cable and 1,000 junction boxes. The Yorkshire-made rings are attached to a modular aluminium grid which is 17m by 22m. Together they weigh about 13 tonnes. Describing the sight as 'glorious Tower Bridge', Mr Johnson said the landmark was the perfect choice to showcase what London has to offer this summer. He said: 'With just a month to go, we are making our final preparations and want to ensure each and every person in the capital gets a flavour of the celebrations and feels part of the Games.' From afar: Even from a distance, there's no mistaking the Olympic rings on Tower Bridge. A light show, complete with beams of changing colours and intensity, is set to bring the rings to life tonight . The unveiling of the rings coincide with one month countdown until the Games begin. Giant mobile Olympic rings will travel up and down past waterfront landmarks . Each of London's famous bridges, from Hungerford Bridge to London Bridge, will be lit in 'a dazzling display of colour' during the evenings, according to the mayor's office. Giant mobile Olympic rings will travel up and down past famous waterfront landmarks. The Agitos, the giant swirling symbol of the Paralympic movement, will replace the rings on Tower Bridge for the Paralympic Games. The city-wide Look and Celebration programme for the Games includes free events, shows, entertainment and cultural pieces, designed to show the world the best the city has to offer. Impressive: The huge Olympic rings before they were lowered into place. Each of London's famous bridges, from Hungerford Bridge to London Bridge, will be lit in 'a dazzling display of colour' during the evenings . Made in England: The Yorkshire-manufactured rings are attached to a modular aluminium grid which is 17m by 22m. Together they weigh about 13 tonnes . VIDEO: Boris and Coe unveil rings! Olympic Rings unveiled on Tower Bridge in London!... | London 2012 chairman Lord Coe and mayor Boris Johnson among the VIPs who watched the rings being lowered from one of the capital's most iconic landmarks . |
17eba4ce9bd27c4af2a59673d36824460726a995 | By . Misty White Sidell . PUBLISHED: . 16:48 EST, 12 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:02 EST, 12 March 2014 . Cate Blanchett and Julia Robert’s stylist has taken the top honor in a list of the top 25 ‘power stylists’ published by The Hollywood Reporter yesterday. Elizabeth Stewart, a former fashion editor for Women’s Wear Daily and the New York Times, was named as Tinsletown’s most influential behind-the-scenes fashion tastemaker – beating well-known red carpet stylists like Rachel Zoe and Kate Young. In addition to the two Oscar nominees, Ms Stewart also counts Amanda Seyfried, Frieda Pinto, and January Jones as clients. Elizabeth Stewart (pictured) has been named the most powerful stylist in Hollywood for her work with Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, and Julia Roberts . These looks on Cate Blanchett (left) and Julia Roberts (right) are the handiwork of Ms Stewart . This awards show cycle saw her styling 102 red carpet looks in total, with Ms Blanchett’s sequined Armani Oscars gown and Ms Robert’s widely-disputed Valentino jumpsuit for the SAGs among them. She is a long-time fixture on THR’s power stylist list, appearing in fifth place last year, and fourth place the year prior. Ms Stewart is followed by stylist Petra Flannery, who came in second place for her work with Amy Adams, Claire Danes, Emma Stone, and Zoe Saldana. Ms Flannery was also rated at number two on last year’s list. These looks on (from left to right) Zoe Saldana, Amy Adams, and Emma Stone are the work of stylist Petra Flannery . The ranking’s top three is rounded out . by relative newcomer Micaela Erlanger, the woman responsible for Lupita . Nyong’o’s widely-praised appearance. She also oversees Michelle . Dockery’s wardrobe, as well as Olivia Munn’s. Ms Erlanger, perhaps the list’s true swan story, started her career as an assistant to the late Annabel Tollman. Her first private client was Joely Richardson, whom she dressed for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo press tour. Micaela Erlanger is the stylist responsible for Lupita Nyong'o (left) and Michelle Dockery (right) Just one year ago, though, Ms . Erlanger rocketed to the forefront of Hollywood’s fashion-conscious . elite, when she dressed Michelle Dockery in a white-and-gold Alexandre . Vauthier Couture gown for the Golden Globes. Ms Erlanger, a former fashion design student, told THR that the moment was ‘life-changing.’ Miss Nyong’o came onto her roster courtesy of a recommendation from Miss Dockery and ‘the rest is history,’ she says. The remainder of THR’s ranking includes a mix of demure, as well as self-promotional-happy stylists. Household names Kate Young (left) and Rachel Zoe (right) appeared on the list at numbers 11, and six, respectively . Household names including Rachel Zoe and Kate Young made it onto the list at numbers six and 11, respectively. Their rankings dropped from numbers three (Ms Zoe) and four (Ms Young) last year. Quieter personalities like Allison Williams’s outfitter Cristina Erlich takes number eight, while Kerry Washington’s stylist Erin Walsh clocks in at number nine. | Elizabeth Stewart, a former fashion editor, also constructs wardrobes for Julia Roberts, Amanda Seyfried and January Jones .
She is joined in the top three by Petra Flannery and Micaela Erlanger, who are responsible for Amy Adams and Lupita Nyong'o respectively . |
17ebb9ebfe5b1d4e809d0021beab29a4cff06612 | By . Lizzie Parry . Twin brothers who suffered a rare condition which meant they shared the same placenta and blood supply, were saved when doctors performed laser surgery in the womb. Nathaniel and Joshua Cavalier had a condition known as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, which resulted in an unequal flow of blood from their mother Verena's placenta. The condition - which can be fatal - was diagnosed when their mother went for a 21-week scan at Southend Hospital. The 32-year-old, from Rayleigh in Essex, was rushed to London's King's College Hospital where she underwent pioneering laser surgery the same day. Verena Cavalier's twin boys Nathaniel and Joshua were born in February after doctors performed life-saving laser surgery on the boys while they were still in the womb . A critical operation - with just a 33 per cent chance of both the twins surviving - was carried out in December. Doctors inserted a camera and fibre optic laser down a tiny endoscope into Verena's womb. The laser then sealed off some of the shared blood vessels to ensure the boys received a more equal supply of blood. The operation was a resounding success and the boys were born on February 12 by Caesarian section at Southend Hospital. Nathaniel weighed 3.12lbs and his brother Joshua weighed in at just 3.1lbs. But if the brothers' start in life was not enough, they have also had to fight blood poisoning and meningitis since their birth. This week Mrs Cavalier and her husband Paul, 41, celebrated their sons' four-month 'birthday'. Language teacher Mrs Cavalier, said they feel very lucky their boys survived. She said: 'I was very lucky because the condition can develop very rapidly and I wasn't due another scan for a week, but my consultant said she would do it early as she was going on holiday.' Doctors at King's College Hospital did an ultrasound to confirm the condition. And just an an hour later Professor Kypros Nicolaides performed the surgery. But because events had moved so quickly, Mrs Cavalier only just had time to call her husband to let him know she was being operated on. She said: 'One minute I was at Southend Hospital and the next I was on the train. Joshua (pictured) and his brother Nathaniel, have also fought blood poisoning and meningitis since they were born on February 12. They were diagnosed with the rare condition twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome when their mother had a 21-week scan at Southend Hospital . Doctors at King's College Hospital in London performed the life-saving surgery on Nathaniel (pictured) and his brother Joshua (pictured right with their mother Mrs Cavalier) 'My husband was at work so I had to make the decisions myself. He got there just as they started the surgery. 'It was an awful decision to have to make, but there was no time to lose. The longer we waited, the higher the chance the babies could die or be brain damaged.' The crucial operation was carried out under a local anaesthetic meaning the expectant mother was fully aware of what was happening to her and her babies. She said: 'They had a camera attached to the laser with a monitor nearby. 'I could see what they were doing. I could see a little hand moving about and I prayed the babies wouldn't move and get caught by the laser. 'It took 45 minutes and then I was sent to recover in a quiet room. Another scan showed the babies were both well and I was allowed to go home.' Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome occurs in twins who share a placenta, . when there is an unequal flow of blood between the two babies. Too much blood in one twin will put a strain on his heart and cause him to produce more urine to get rid of the excess fluid. The other twin will not grow as well and may have little or no amniotic fluid around him. The condition can be serious if it is left untreated. It is rectified using a harmless laser beam, which seals off some of . the blood vessels between babies and makes the blood flow more equal. Despite its success, the couple were left on tenterhooks knowing that the odds were against both boys surviving. Mrs Cavalier, a German and Latin teacher, then had to face a 20 per cent chance of a miscarriage during the following six weeks. She said: 'I had two miscarriages before, so I was convinced I would lose them. 'I went back to work because I didn't want to sit at home and panic.' At 29 weeks her waters broke but she did not go into labour for another two weeks, giving the twins 'vital extra time'. She was also given cortisone in that time to help the babies' lungs develop. Both had to overcome a potentially fatal infection of the stomach and blood poisoning but survived. They then went home on March 9 but had to return to Southend Hospital after catching bacterial meningitis. However, the boys came through once again and now weigh in at 8.3lbs and 6.10lbs respectively - the size that many babies are actually born at. Mrs Cavalier, who also has a daughter, two-year-old Magdalena, added: 'We owe Professor Nicolaides so much. Without him, we wouldn't have our boys. We would have lost them. 'We are really grateful to Southend Hospital neonatal unit as well. They were all wonderful there. 'The boys are four months old now. People ask me how old they are and are very surprised when I tell them.' Professor Nicolaides added: 'The boys were delivered by emergency caesarean section and were quite poorly after they were born. 'I am so pleased they are now both healthy and happy and their parents can enjoy watching them grow up.' | At her 21-week scan Verena Cavalier was told her twin sons had a rare condition known as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome .
Life-threatening condition causes unequal flow of blood from the placenta .
Doctors rushed the 32-year-old to King's College Hospital in London where they operated on the expectant mother using laser surgery .
Mrs Cavalier and husband Paul told their sons had 33% chance of survival .
Both boys survived but their mother faced nervous six weeks, during which medics said she was likely to suffer a miscarriage .
Nathaniel and Joshua were born on February 12 at Southend Hospital .
Since their birth they have both fought meningitis and blood poisoning . |
17ecf1b702c6224b8e092e9f15895b2402dc8524 | SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- On the question of whether recent immigrants assimilate as quickly as previous waves, many Americans exhibit short fuses -- and even shorter memories. Ruben Navarrette Jr. notes that immigrants have been criticized throughout history for not assimilating. They have convinced themselves that, instead of adapting to the customs of this country, new arrivals -- most of whom come from Asia or Latin America -- expect the rest of us to accommodate them. They go ballistic over little things -- Mexican flags, taco trucks, libraries that offer bilingual story time, or having to "press one for English." Yet, even as they look down on new immigrants, many Americans look back fondly upon their immigrant ancestors. Legend has it that when grandpa arrived from Ireland, Germany, Italy or Poland, he jumped off the boat, immediately draped himself in the American flag, ripped out his native tongue, and abandoned his culture -- all while singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Germans did not move to Milwaukee and make beer and cheese. The Irish did not settle in Boston and join organizations like the Hibernian Society to preserve their heritage and culture. And even while Americans complain about how the current crop of immigrants aren't like their predecessors, they miss the irony: At the time, there were people who said the same thing about their ancestors; the Germans were thought to not be like the English, the Irish weren't like the Germans, the Italians weren't like the Irish etc. And the Chinese weren't like anyone who had come before them, and so they were labeled "unassimilable" by the Tom Tancredos of that era. Some things never change. When I was growing up in Central California, which is home to a large population of immigrants from Southeast Asia, thousands would gather to celebrate Hmong New Year. The local newspaper would do a feature. And, in the days that followed, someone would write an angry letter to the editor complaining that these people weren't melting into the pot. Yet, there is more melting going on than one might think, according to a new report from the Manhattan Institute. Billed as the first annual Index of Immigrant Assimilation, the study was written by Duke University Professor Jacob Vigdor. It measured three kinds of assimilation: economic (employment, education, homeownership, etc.); cultural (intermarriage, English proficiency, family size, etc.); and civic (citizenship, military service, political participation, etc.). Far from discovering that recent immigrants are ducking the assimilation process, the study found that "immigrants of the past quarter-century have assimilated more rapidly than their counterparts of a century ago, even though they are more distinct from the native population upon arrival." Of course, individual groups still fall behind in some categories. Chinese and Indian immigrants have low levels of cultural assimilation. Mexican immigrants have low levels of economic assimilation. And Canadian and Indian immigrants have low levels of civic assimilation, since few of them become citizens. But, overall, the news is good. After more than 200 years, America still does an excellent job of assimilating immigrants. Even if a particular group tried to resist the process, they wouldn't stand a chance. Assimilation happens, whether the immigrants are ready or not. Those are the facts. Of course, fear doesn't listen to facts. That is something else that hasn't changed. Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist. Read his column here. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer. | Navarrette: Americans perceive new immigrants as not assimilating .
Americans think ancestors got off the boat waving the Stars and Stripes, he says .
That leads to resentment of current wave of immigrants, he says .
But a recent study says new immigrants are joining the mainstream . |
17ef368795f27005db9ed36f2b761af7847ec440 | Manchester United will not be pursuing a return for Nemanja Vidic. Silvano Martina, the player's agent, refuted suggestions of a return to Old Trafford last week but reports continue to emanate from Italy that the former United captain is unsettled and yearning for a return to Manchester. The 33-year-old is understood to be unhappy at being overlooked by Roberto Mancini and it is suggested they will have talks after the weekend. However, despite the Serb's discomfort, United have no plans to ride to the rescue. Inter Milan defender Nemanja Vidic will not be offered an escape route back to Manchester United . Former United defender Vidic has grown frustrated at life under current coach Roberto Mancini . Mats Hummels has been struggling in Borussia Dortmund's relegation-threatened side . Atletico Madrid defenders Diego Godin (left) and Jose Gimenez are interesting Louis van Gaal . They are intent on moving forward. Louis van Gaal continues to take stock of his current defenders and they are alive to fluctuations in the market with Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels struggling amid his club's current demise and Atletico Madrid open to offers for Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez. The obstacle for the latter is in any proposed January sale would prompt an angry reaction from coach Diego Simeone hence the more likely nature of a summer deal when the Argentina is also expected to depart. Juventus, meanwhile, have considered reviving interest in Radamel Falcao but they would struggle to meet the financial requirements. Juventus considering move for Radamel Falcao, who is struggling to get a game, but may not have the cash . Derby County are ready to launch an ambitious bid to sign Ross McCormack from Championship rivals Fulham. The Scotland forward joined Fulham from Leeds for £11million in July but their poor start under Felix Magath has left them 10 points adrift of the promotion contenders. They are willing to listen to bids for McCormack, who has scored five goals this season, and use the money to re-shape their squad. Derby County want to sign £11million striker Ross McCormack from Fulham . Derby manager Steve McClaren has been looking to bolster his side to give them the edge in a tight promotion race. They have money to spend and McClaren and his scouts have been looking at players in England and in Holland. Fulham would want to recoup their outlay on McCormack but some of the fee to Leeds was based on them gaining promotion. Derby may plan to offer half the fee up front with more promised on their own promotion. Talks are expected soon. Derby also want a winger with Blackburn Rovers' Ben Marshall understood to be a potential target. Marshall, 23, is also wanted by West Bromwich Albion among others. West Ham United scouts attended Nantes against Bordeaux on Saturday to watch Ludovic Sane. The centre back has been on Sam Allardyce's radar for 18 months and Hammers manager wanted further reports as he contemplates bringing in a new defender for January. Scouts also watched Nicolas N'Koulou of Marseille a week ago and will view other potential targets this week. Bordeaux defender Ludovic Sane is being watched by West Ham United scouts . The Hammers are also interested in Marseille defender Nicolas N'Koulou (left) Bordeaux defender Sane, 27, did not have the most impressive of afternoons, however, as Nantes won 2-1. French-born Sane is a Senegal player who can also play as a defensive midfielder and Allardyce wants cover with doubts remaining over Winston Reid, who has yet to agree a new contract. Although Reid has plenty of interested clubs, it is understood no bids have yet been received. Winston Reid (left) is yet to sign a new contract at Upton Park and has many interested clubs . Inter Milan have yet to firm up their interest in Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic. The 21-year-old, who joined team-mates on their Christmas party at Manchester's Gorilla bar on Wednesday night, is surplus to requirements at the Etihad. Inter coach and former City boss Roberto Mancini is a confirmed admirer but it is their city rivals AC Milan and German side Schalke who have shown the strongest interest so far. Inter Milan are yet to firm up their interest in Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic (back, centre) The German side want cover with Arsenal monitoring Benedikt Howedes. Nastasic is available for around £10m but Milan would prefer an initial loan. City will take stock of injuries to Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic before making any move in the January transfer market. All are expected to make full recoveries and City do not have immediate plans to buy but are wary of leaving themselves short in the title run-in. New signings though would not be able to join their Champions League squad owing to restrictions to their submitted list laid down by UEFA. City will resume talks with James Milner's representative, Matthew Buck of the PFA next month, but agreement over a new contract has yet to be reached. Schalke have shown an interest in Nastasic as they are worried about losing Benedikt Howedes (right) Wigan Athletic's Ali Al-Habsi is one of the names at the forefront of Newcastle United's thinking as they push the Premier League to allow them to sign a goalkeeper on emergency loan. Manchester United's Ben Amos is another under consideration, as is Mark Schwarzer at Chelsea. Manager Alan Pardew said: 'It is something we might have to look at because there is no way that a 17-year-old that's our fourth-choice should be allowed to go in goal at this level. 'We will perhaps talk to the Premier League about Jak's situation.' Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi is interesting Newcastle United on an emergency loan . The Magpies are also contemplating moves for Chelsea's Mark Schwarzer (left) and Man United's Ben Amos . Harry Redknapp has travelled to Malaysia with Les Ferdinand to meet Queen Park Rangers' owners for talks about prospective transfers and plans for the season. Although Redknapp would like Peter Crouch of Stoke City and Jermain Defoe from Toronto, the owners are unlikely to give the go-ahead for more veteran players on healthy contracts to join the Loftus Road club. QPR are, however, showing a keen interest in Atletico winger Cristian Rodriguez. Queens Park Ranger are interested in signing Stoke City's Peter Crouch . Harry Redknapp is also interested in being reunited with Toronto's Jermain Defoe . The Uruguay star, nicknamed 'The Onion', was a target for Sunderland last summer and QPR are hopeful of striking a loan deal. Atletico are £400m in debt and want to trim their wage bill. The 29-year-old Rodriguez has more than 80 caps and previously played for Porto, Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain. QPR are contemplating a move for Atletico Madrid's Cristian Rodriguez (right) Swansea City are in talks over a £2.5m deal for Colombia midfielder Alexander Mejia. Manager Garry Monk wants the holding player to help protect his defence and club officials are working on a fee with Mejia's club Atletico Nacional. They face competition from Mexican side Monterrey but Swansea are confident, with Nacional willing to accept the fee in two payments. Monk hopes the work permit application for Mejia is also straightforward. The 26-year-old has 12 caps and is a regular in the Colombian squad. Colombia midfielder Alexander Mejia (right) is in talks to move to Swansea City . Crystal Palace have been offered Morocco left back Achraf Lazaar. The 22-year-old Palermo defender can also play as a left winger and Neil Warnock believes a deal could be done for £3m. Although he has six caps for Morocco, Lazaar moved to Italy with his family at the age of 11 and progressed through Varese's youth team. Palace and Burnley have been offered the chance to sign AC MIlan's former Italy forward Giampaolo Pazzini, 30, next month. Crystal Palace have been offered Morocco left back Achraf Lazaar by Palermo . Giampaolo Pazzini of AC Milan has also been offered to both Burnley and Palace . Swindon Town are keen on Doncaster Rovers defender Jamie McCombe. Manager Mark Cooper is looking to add experience to his squad as they head into the crucial stage of the season - pushing for automatic promotion to the Championship. The 31-year-old McCombe is 6ft 4ins tall so would add physical presence but is also technically adept, to blend in with Cooper's footballing style. Swindown Town are keen on Doncaster Rovers defender Jamie McCombe (left) Ipswich Town are weighing up a move for Charlton Athletic defender Morgan Fox. The Tractor Boys want cover as they brace themselves for offers from Arsenal and Chelsea for £10m-rated Tyrone Mings. Fox, 21, a Wales Under 21 defender, has progressed through the ranks at The Valley, was on loan at Notts County last year and has made 15 appearances for Charlton this season. Charlton Athletic defender Morgan Fox (right) is attracting interest from Ipswich Town . Tottenham Hotspur are not pursuing a deal for Porto striker Jackson Martinez. Reports in Portugal on Thursday indicated that they are stepping up interest for the highly-coveted Colombia star. However, club sources say they have other targets and, with Martinez, 28, costing a minimum £27.5m transfer fee, plus the striker demanding £70,000 a week wages, Spurs do not want to go through the complication over who owns his playing rights. Tottenham Hotspur (left) are not pursuing a deal for Porto striker Jackson Martinez . | Manchester United do not want to re-sign defender Nemanja Vidic .
Vidic wants Inter Milan exit after growing frustrated under Roberto Mancini .
Juventus want Radamel Falcao but may struggle to put finances together .
Derby County are ready to launch a bid for Fulham's Ross McCormack .
West Ham United scouts watched Bordeaux's Ludovic Sane last weekend .
Inter are yet to firm up interest in Manchester City outcast Matija Nastasic . |
17ef6b8c2e621084805439bbf16f3c822fd4aff1 | The lavish Sydney mansion which once belonged Lachlan Murdoch is back on the market, this time it may topple this year's sale record. In the affluent harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, the Point Piper property is expected to sell for more than $37 million according to its selling agent. The waterfront three-storey home at 110 Wolseley Road has its own private jetty, pool and uninterrupted views of the iconic Harbour Bridge. In the affluent harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, the Point Piper property is expected to sell for more than $37 million according to its selling agent . The lavish Sydney mansion which once belonged Lachlan Murdoch is back on the market, this time it may topple this year's sale record . The waterfront three-storey home on Wolseley Road has its own private jetty, pool and uninterrupted views of the Harbour Bridge . Murdoch and his model wife Sarah sold the property to Karyn Zamel, wife of mining engineer Gary Zamel, in 2005 for $20.6 million . Bart Doff from Laing+Simmons Double Bay told the Sydney Morning Herald the home as 'one of the world's most prized private waterfront trophy holdings'. He says the house next door to Murdoch's old mansion was previously owned by property developer Ron Medich and sold for about $37 million in June for its 783-square-metre block. The three-bedroom house which sits on almost 1000 square metres of land has potential to become a four or five-bedroom home. Other features include a glass-view elevator, a bar, a wine cellar and marble heated floors. Bart Doff from Laing+Simmons Double Bay told the Sydney Morning Herald that the home as 'one of the world's most prized private waterfront trophy holdings' Other features of the three-bedroom home include a glass-view elevator, a bar, a wine cellar and marble heated floors . Lachlan and Sararh Murdoch initially paid $12 million for the home in 1999 when they married . Murdoch, 42, and his model wife Sarah sold the property to Karyn Zamel, wife of mining engineer Gary Zamel, in 2005 for $20.6 million. The Murdochs initially paid $12 million for the home in 1999 when they married. In June, the couple sold their another one of their extravagant waterfront mansions in Bronte - also in Sydney's eastern suburbs - for about $10 million after being put on market for the third time in five years. They currently own their $23 million Georgian estate in Bellevue Hill which is undergoing an $11.6 million revamp. Apart from the Medich house, two other Point Piper properties sold for about $30 million. They include another on Wolseley Road which sold in June for that figure and a Wentworth Street property which went for more than $30 million in August. Sarah, a 42-year-old former fashion model, married the son of billionaire media mogul Rupert Murdoch in 1999. They spent the first half of their married life living in New York before moving back to Sydney in 2005. They have three children together, sons Kalan, nine, Aidan, seven, and daughter Aerin, three. | Selling agent Bart Doff from Laing+Simmons Double Bay says the Point Piper mansion, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, is expected to sell for more than $37 million .
Murdoch and his model wife Sarah sold the three-storey property to Karyn Zamel, wife of mining engineer Gary Zamel, in 2005 for $20.6 million .
The waterfront three-storey home on Wolseley Road has its own private jetty, pool and uninterrupted views of the Harbour Bridge . |
17f0444d34a9d6ed161c9bf8107329c2da53143b | By . David Baker . Last updated at 5:14 PM on 26th January 2012 . Write off: Pc Paul Fletcher appeared on TV police show Car Wars before he wrecked a £40,000 supercar on a test drive . The policeman who wrecked a £40,000 supercar on a test drive has been unveiled as the former star of a police TV show. Pc . Paul Fletcher was at the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf R - which has a top . speed of 155mph - when it crashed during a trial in Manchester at 2am, . writing the Golf off. Greater Manchester Police officers . were trialling the vehicle ahead of a decision on whether to purchase . them for use in high-speed pursuits. It is . understood the smash was caught on camera by an officer in another top . of the range car, which had been taken out for a spin at the same time. It has emerged that Pc Fletcher . starred in the BBC show Car Wars in which GMP officers were filmed . during high speed police chases. He was so popular in fact that a . social networking site was set up in honour of him called The Paul . Fletcher Appreciation Society. A . five-minute internet clip from the programme features Pc Fletcher and a . colleague pursuing a gang of ram-raiders through Salford before the . stolen car stops and the driver and passengers flee. Other . footage shows Pc Fletcher - who works in GMP’s Automatic Numberplate . Recognition Intercept Unit - introducing viewers to an unmarked police . Subaru Impreza used for tracking suspects. In the clip he says it has a top speed of 155mph, adding ‘this is what it is all about’. He also tells viewers about the ‘toys’ they use to help stop suspected car thieves, such as an on-board computer to trace registration and owner details, and a Stinger device, which uses nails to stop a vehicle during a pursuit. Destroyed: This is all that remains of a £40,000 top of the range Volkswagen which was loaned to Greater Manchester Police for a test drive . Pc Fletcher has now been suspended . from driving duties after he lost control of the top-of-the-range . Volkswagen after skidding at a roundabout in Wharfside Way, Trafford . Park. He had to be rescued by firefighters and suffered spinal injuries but has now been released from hospital. The Golf supercar finished on its roof in the middle of the roundabout but police have ruled out ice as a factor in the smash. Road Wars: Pc Paul Fletcher appeared on the TV show Road Wars, which followed officers on high speed police chases . A file will now be prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service who must decide if Pc Fletcher should face an criminal charges. He was testing the capabilities of the car which GMP had had for two days when it crashed. Other officers had also tried it. The . car is the most powerful and fastest-accelerating Golf ever produced . and can go from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.7 seconds. No decision has been . made by the force on whether to buy any. In . a statement GMP said: 'As a result of this incident, GMP is currently . reviewing its policy on officers test driving demonstration cars on . public roads. That review is ongoing and it would not be appropriate to . make any further comment.' Top condition: How the £40,000 Volkswagen Golf R should look . Time to think: Greater Manchester Police is to review its policy of using public roads to test-drive cars following the crash . | Police officer who wrote off top of the range car is named as Pc Paul Fletcher .
The suspended officer was once the star of police TV show Car Wars . |
17f05e601ce1629bdf4e0c06b2d72e939ef598ec | The mother of a 17-year-old girl who was shot and killed by Colorado police earlier this week is calling for an independent autopsy because she doesn't trust the official investigation . Laura Sonya Rosales Hernandez made the demand after her daughter Jessica was shot on Monday - the fourth time in seven months a Denver officer fired at a vehicle after perceiving it as a threat. The request came yesterday as the Denver Police Department and an independent city official who monitors the agency disclosed that separate investigations were underway into policies regarding officers shooting at moving vehicles. Scroll down for video . Laura Sonya Rosales Hernandez (right) is asking for a second autopsy to be conducted on her daughter (left) 17-year-old Jessica Hernandez (pictured) was shot and killed on Monday by two Denver police officers . Denver police say Jessica drove a stolen car at two of the department's officers, hitting one of them in the leg . Mrs Hernandez said: 'I want another autopsy on my daughter so we can know how much damage they did.' 'I want to know, how did this happen? I want to know everything.' She also has five other children, including a four-year-old son, to worry about. Police have said the two officers involved in the shooting, Daniel Greene, a 16-year-veteran, and Gabriel Jordan, a nine-year-veteran of the force, fired after Hernandez drove a stolen car into one of them. Jordan suffered a fractured leg. A passenger in the car disputed that account, saying police opened fire before the vehicle struck the officer. Police have admitted no one in the car, which contained five people, was armed. Greene and Jordan have been placed on routine administrative leave pending the investigation. Hernandez's mother said her daughter made a mistake by 'grabbing' a car that did not belong to her but didn't deserve to pay with her life. She said: 'How much do they need to investigate?' 'It's all done. They did it. They killed her. All I want is justice.' A passenger in the car, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of safety concerns, said Hernandez lost control of the vehicle because she was unconscious after being shot. The passenger said officers came up to the car from behind and fired four times into the driver's side window as they stood on the side of the car, narrowly missing others inside. Mrs Hernandez criticized the way police handled her daughter after she was shot. She said: 'They dragged her on the floor and threw her down like a piece of garbage,' Mrs Hernandez held her four-year-old son Kevin while she talked with reporters in her home in Thornton . A shrine in remembrance of Jessica's life was set up at her family's home. She leaves behind five siblings . A passenger in the car said Jessica (pictured left and right) lost control of the vehicle after being shot . The shooting occurred amid a national debate about police use of force fueled by racially-charged episodes in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City. Investigators in the Denver case will be relying on witnesses and police accounts because the department has only just started to buy body cameras for its officers and Jordan and Greene were not yet outfitted. Denver does not use in-car dashboard cameras. Prosecutors promised a thorough probe of the shooting as a group of angry protesters demanded swift answers and called for a special prosecutor to investigate the death earlier this week. A vigil in the alleyway in which the teenager was shot dead was also held. Protester Bruce Young waves a sign before a meeting with officials from the Denver District Attorney's office . Doug Jackson (center) and Lamar Sims (right), senior chief deputy district attorneys with the office of the Denver District Attorney, talked to Jose Castaneda (left) and other activists on Tuesday . The U.S. Supreme Court has held that officers may not use deadly force to stop a fleeing suspect unless the person is believed to pose significant physical harm. Policies vary and some departments have banned or discouraged the practice. The police department and independent monitor Nicholas Mitchell are both looking at how national standards compare to Denver's policy. The city currently allows officers to fire at moving cars if they have no other reasonable way to prevent death or serious injury. Denver's policy urges officers to try to move out of the way rather than fire. It states: 'An officer threatened by an oncoming vehicle shall, if feasible, move out of the way rather than discharging a firearm.' Experts say shooting and disabling a driver can send a car out of control. Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, said: 'If you were to shoot at the driver you would have an unguided missile, basically.' Candles and bouquets were left near the scene of the fatal police shooting in an alleyway in northeast Denver . Flowers were put out, candles were lit and a rosary was draped over a portrait of Jessica at her home . | Police shot and killed Jessica Hernandez early on Monday morning .
Laura Sonya Rosales Hernandez called for a second autopsy yesterday .
The officers involved were placed on leave and an investigation is ongoing .
This is the fourth time in seven months a Denver officer fired at a vehicle .
A vigil decrying police brutality was held at the scene of the girl's death . |
17f1f4e0ce2269beed8184bc0933e93943193043 | Kentucky Senator Rand Paul cautioned on Wednesday that the government's health experts may not be as capable of containing Ebola as they're telling Americans. 'It's a big mistake to downplay and act as if "oh, this is not a big deal, we can control all this." This could get beyond our control,' Paul, who has an MD in optometry from Duke University, told conservative radio host Laura Ingraham. 'I think because of political correctness we’re not really making sound, rational, scientific decisions on this,' he warned. Paul later claimed, 'we should not underestimate the transmissibility' of the virus, introducing doubt into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's assertions that Ebola can only be passed on through bodily fluids. Scroll down for video . Sen. Rand Paul told a conservative radio show host on Wednesday that 'because of political correctness' he thinks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are trying to 'downplay' the transmissibility of the Ebola virus . Paul's comments came after a Liberian man who had traveled to the U.S. from Liberia on Sept. 20 to visit his family tested positive for Ebola over the weekend. The man, who has since been quarantined, was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Dallas, Texas, and is now believed to have come in contact with as many as 100 people, including five children, from the time he began showing symptoms to the moment doctors discovered he had Ebola. That number does not include persons who were on his transnational flights, as he was not yet exhibiting symptoms at the time of travel. It can take up to 21 days for a person who has contracted the deadly disease to begin showing symptoms, which often include fever, muscle pain, vomiting and bleeding. Panic has ensued in Texas since details emerged on Wednesday about the 42-year-old man's hospitalization. The Ebola patient was revealed on Wednesday to be Thomas Eric Duncan. A neighbor of his family told NBC that when he was helped into an ambulance, Duncan was 'throwing up all over the place.' Duncan reportedly contracted Ebola while helping family friends take their Ebola-stricken daughter to the hospital in a taxi on Sept. 15 in Monrovia, Liberia. The brother of woman also became infected with Ebola and died a few days later, according to the New York Times. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest sought to restore calm to the situation yesterday, explaining that the U.S. has the medical infrastructure to treat Ebola victims, if necessary, in ways that will not 'pose a significant risk to other patients in the hospital, to the doctors and nurses who will be caring for that individual, and certainly doesn’t post a significant risk to the broader community.' He also attempted to debunk accusations like Paul's. Ebola does not spread as easily as the common cold, he assured reporters. The odds of an Ebola epidemic occurring in the U.S. are 'incredibly low.' 'Ebola is not easily transmitted. It isn’t transmitted through the air like the flu,' the White House spokesman said. 'It is not transmitted through water or food here in the United States. 'The only way that Ebola can be transmitted is through the bodily fluids of an individual who is already showing symptoms of being sick with Ebola,' he asserted, later noting that 'it is not possible to transmit Ebola through the air. 'You can't catch it through the air,' he again promised. Paul, who is a likely 2016 presidential candidate, expressed concern that health officials were glossing over just how contagious the disease is, however, in his radio interview the same day. 'My suspicion is that it's a lot more transmissible than that if people who are taking every precaution are getting it,' the Republican Senator said. 'There are people getting it who simply helped people get in or out of a taxicab,' he said, indirectly referring to Duncan. At another point in the interview, Paul mocked President Barack Obama's advice in 2009 that Americans could stop the spread of the H1N1 flu by coughing into their shirt sleeves instead of their hands. 'I can't believe that you don't think it's enough of a plan to prevent worldwide pandemic to cough into your elbow,' Paul told Ingraham, according to CBS News. 'If you just bring your elbow up to your mouth and cough into it, surely that will stop a worldwide pandemic.' Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national who had traveled to the U.S. from Liberia on September 20 to visit family, has been quarantined at a Dallas hospital for Ebola after reportedly contracting the disease in Liberia while putting an infected family friend into a taxi and riding with her to the hospital . Already, the CDC has raised it's travel warning to the highest level possible - three- and warned Americans against travelling to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in order to avoid the possibility of accidentally contracting the infectious disease. The White House indicated on Wednesday that it has no intentions of placing new restrictions on travel to and from areas effected by the Ebola outbreak, however. Rather, the Obama administration 'has taken the step of recirculating our guidance' to law enforcement agencies, the airline industry and medical professionals 'to make sure that people are aware that there is an important protocol that should be implemented if an individual presents with symptoms that are consistent with Ebola,' Earnest said. The White House official reassured the press that Duncan was neither displaying nor experiencing symptoms or Ebola during his flight. 'So there’s nothing about this case that we know so far that would indicate any weakness or any flaws in [our border protection] system right now,' he insisted. But as another reporter pointed out minutes later, Earnest's comments suggested that the U.S. has not yet developed a way to effectively screen people who may have contracted Ebola before they reach America and their bodily fluids become toxic. And before this week, the CDC had claimed that it was unlikely that an infected traveler would bring Ebola to the U.S. That assurance has clearly proven to be inaccurate. Paul expressed concerns Wednesday that the troops President Barack Obama is sending to West Africa to help keep the peace in the Ebola hot spot could end up becoming carriers of the disease and beginning their own epidemic. 'You also have to be concerned about 3,000 soldiers getting back on a ship,' he said. 'Can you imagine if a whole ship full of our soldiers catch Ebola?' | 'It's a big mistake to downplay and act as if "oh, this is not a big deal, we can control all this,' " Paul said Wednesday .
Paul warned that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may not be as capable of containing Ebola as they're telling Americans .
'We should not underestimate the transmissibility' of the virus, he said.
Paul has an MD in optometry from Duke University .
The CDC has asserted that Ebola can only be passed on through bodily fluids . |
17f1feacd31dd7fc68a15eeb9dea48e5b41925bb | Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was in Tucson Monday to finish what she started -- a "Congress on Your Corner" meeting that was interrupted by gunfire, a shooting rampage that left six people dead and Giffords with a gunshot wound to her head just over a year ago. The meeting came one day after Giffords, 41, announced that she would resign from Congress this week. "We were invited to finish what we started a year ago. I know that every person amongst us has been waiting for that moment. I told her what I wanted to tell her a year ago, and then I told her how sorry I was that I couldn't really introduce her to Christina," said Suzi Hileman, one of the roughly two dozen people invited to attend the private event. Hileman was referring to Christina Green -- her neighbor and the youngest victim of that fateful day. Hileman herself was shot three times in the rampage. "When I said that Christina would have grown up to be her, she took my hand," Hileman said about Giffords. "She's my hero ... She'll be back and I'll be voting for her." Two pictures of Giffords' arrival were sent out to the public, one showing her being greeted by supporters at the event. Another, more emotional picture was later tweeted out: It showed Giffords hugging Daniel Hernandez, the staffer credited with saving her life. After the "Congress on Your Corner" meeting, the congresswoman toured an area food bank, where she was met with enthusiastic applause. "A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that," Giffords says in a video on her website, speaking in a halting manner. She said she will resign to continue her recuperation from the brain injury she suffered when she was shot. "I don't remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice," Giffords continues. "Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. I have more work to do on my recovery. So to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week." Giffords, a Democrat, will submit a letter of resignation during the week to House Speaker John Boehner and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. A senior House GOP leadership aide told CNN that on Wednesday the House will vote on a bill that was one of Giffords' legislative priorities -- a bill to crack down on drug smuggling at the U.S. border that is conducted by smugglers using ultra-light aircraft. The decision to schedule a vote on the measure comes after Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, spoke to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor over the weekend, the aide said. Kelly called Cantor to say he was "very appreciative" of his support over the last year, and mentioned that the border security bill was one of the issues Giffords wanted to address before she resigned. The aide said leaders are now working with Giffords' office on the details, but they are planning to bring the bill up on Wednesday morning before House Democrats head off for their annual legislative retreat. A Senate version of the bill passed last year, but the House has not voted on the issue yet. Gov. Brewer told reporters Sunday that within 72 hours of receiving Giffords' resignation, she expects to call a primary election sometime in April for political parties to pick their candidates for the state's 8th Congressional District seat. That would be followed by a general election -- likely in June, according to the governor. The winner will head to Congress for the rest of Giffords' term, which ends in January 2013. "Her recovery has been nothing less than a miracle," said Brewer. "Who knows what's going to happen in the next two years? I don't believe we've seen the last of Gabby Giffords." Before she steps down, Giffords will attend the State of the Union address Tuesday in Washington, her office said. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, the Democratic National Committee chair, told CNN that Giffords -- a close friend -- came to the conclusion that she couldn't devote her full energies to both her job and her recovery. The congresswoman's recent return to Tucson for the one-year anniversary of the January 8 shooting showed her "how challenging it would be. It came into focus then," Wasserman Schultz said. "This decision is really quintessential Gabby Giffords," she added. "She needed to step aside for herself, so that her constituents could get full-time representation. She cares about them so much, that was her No. 1 priority -- taking care of them." President Barack Obama was effusive in his praise for Giffords, saying she "embodies the very best of what public service should be." He added that her "cheerful presence will be missed in Washington (and) she will remain an inspiration to all whose lives she touched -- myself included." "Over the last year, Gabby and her husband Mark have taught us the true meaning of hope in the face of despair, determination in the face of terrible odds, and now -- even after she's come so far -- Gabby shows us what it means to be selfless as well," Obama said in a written statement. In her website video posted Sunday, Giffords says her public service career has not ended. "I will return, and we will work together for Arizona and this great country," she says. Earlier this month, Giffords joined thousands for a vigil in Tucson, one of several emotional events to mark one year since the shootings. In addition to those killed, 13 people were wounded in the attack. Giffords' right side remains weak. She has made few public appearances since the incident, with some rare exceptions, such as casting a vote in Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling and conducting an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer. She has been undergoing intensive rehabilitation in Houston, but returned to Tucson several times, according to her office. Prosecutors accuse Jared Lee Loughner, 23, of carrying out the attack, which purportedly targeted Giffords. Loughner could face the death penalty if convicted on charges of killing six people -- including the chief federal judge of Arizona, John Roll. Loughner has been diagnosed as schizophrenic and has spent time on suicide watch while in custody. He is undergoing treatment in Springfield, Missouri. A federal appeals court in May cleared the way for him to be forcibly medicated, over the objections of Loughner and his attorney. Giffords worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and as CEO of El Campo Tire, her family's business, before being elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2000. Two years later, she became the youngest woman elected to the Arizona State Senate. She won a November 2006 election to Congress, and has won two terms since. Kelly, her husband, is a retired Navy captain and astronaut. CNN's Paul Vercammen, Deirdre Walsh, Tom Cohen and Dana Bash contributed to this report. | NEW: Rep. Gabrielle Giffords tours an area food bank .
NEW: "She'll be back and I'll be voting for her," says an Arizona resident .
She completes her "Congress on Your Corner," in Tucson .
Giffords, 41, was shot in the head in January 2011 in a rampage that left six dead . |
17f2235806a71b190364d40b324a66e7face482b | Benefits Street has been cleared of breaching broadcasting rules despite sparking more than 900 complaints. The controversial Channel 4 show prompted a furore in January from viewers who claimed it was 'poverty porn' which misrepresented benefit claimants across Britain. But broadcasting watchdog Ofcom ruled the show about James Turner Street, Birmingham, was clearly a portrayal of one street and not wider society. Scroll down for video . Furore: The Channel 4 show Benefits Street, which included controversial welfare claimant 'White' Dee Kelly (pictured), has been cleared of breaching Ofcom's guidelines despite sparking more than 900 complaints . The watchdog admitted parts of the show would offend some viewers but said: 'The beginning of every episode in the . series included an introduction in which the narrator stated: "James . Turner Street in Birmingham is not your average street…and most of the . residents are claiming benefits." 'The aim of the series was therefore . presented as being a record of the daily lives of some of the residents . of this particular road to inform viewers about their lives and their . community. 'Ofcom’s view was that it would have been clear to viewers, . over the course of the series, that this was an observational . documentary about the experiences of one community. 'Therefore, after careful consideration, we . concluded that overall Channel 4 ensured there was sufficient context . over the course of the series to justify the offence and that it applied . generally accepted standards.' The series was a ratings hit for . Channel 4 but drew criticism for allegedly demonising those living on . the breadline. It caused a stir when it was screened . and prompted discussion in Parliament as well as public meetings in the . area where some of those featured claimed they were misrepresented. Ruling: Ofcom said the portrayal of James Turner Street (pictured) was not meant to reflect all of Britain . The vast majority of complaints - 887 - were about the way . those on benefits were portrayed. Some 23 viewers also raised fears about . children and young people featured in the show and the care which was . given by programme makers for their welfare and dignity. Ofcom also ruled in Channel 4's favour on these complaints, none of which were from those featured in the show, saying: 'After a thorough assessment of the evidence, . Ofcom found sufficient steps were taken before, during and after . production to protect the welfare of the children that appeared in the . programme and that any potentially offensive material was justified by . the context in which it was presented. 'Ofcom has therefore concluded . that the series did not breach its rules.' There . were also 40 complaints about the programmes demonstrating criminal . techniques, including shoplifting. But Ofcom said it was . satisfied that there was an editorial justification for their inclusion . and there were not enough details for people to copy the techniques. Controversy: James Turner Street in Birmingham became the subject of a national debate in January . A Channel 4 spokesman said: 'We welcome Ofcom's finding that Benefits Street did not breach the code in any respect. 'We are proud that our robust duty of care protocols for the child contributors have been praised for "demonstrating best practice", and for the recognition that we 'ensured the interests of the under-18s who featured in Benefits Street were protected and that due care was applied before, during and after production. 'Ofcom noted that the series "illustrated important issues facing some children living in contemporary Britain" and that "the children's welfare was at the heart of the production".' | C4 show sparked complaints over 'skewed' portrayal of people on benefits .
Those in James Turner Street, Birmingham, said they were misrepresented .
But Ofcom said the show had a clear disclaimer that street was 'not average' |
17f37fcaba6cc34924362ea6538f2de6f358839e | Washington (CNN)Jim Webb has skipped the usual full Washington media tour since launching a presidential exploratory committee late last year. He has done fewer than a handful of interviews, given one high-profile speech and has shied away from attacking other Democrats who are considering a run in 2016. But that doesn't mean Webb has been silent on issues. Far from it. Webb, a 68-year-old former senator and secretary of the Navy, has been quietly outlining a 2016 platform -- on Twitter. For the last two-months, Webb has been tweeting about criminal justice reform, mental health issues and efforts to increase middle class incomes. He has urged the United States to reshape its drug policies and outlined his views on leadership. What's more, Webb has commented on news-of-the-day issues, like President Barack Obama's decision to normalize relations with Cuba, former New York Mario Cuomo's death and the release of Congress' report on torture. Webb plans to continue this Twitter-first strategy when he live tweets President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday, adding his observations and disagreements with the president in real time. While most of this has gone largely unscrutinized -- and Webb and his advisers are aware Twitter can't be the only way a presidential candidate outlines a message -- advisers said Webb's Twitter account is a fair representation of the platform Webb would run on if he chooses to jump into the race. "We can un-paralyze the environment and re-establish a transparent, functioning governmental system," he said in December, linking to a number of policy positions on combating climate change. "Why are so many Americans currently in prison compared with other countries and our own history," he asked this month. Webb's tweets are noticeably very different than most politician's tightly edited, concise messages. Some, frankly, don't make sense. But Webb's spokesman said the former senator writes all his own tweets and takes it "very seriously." "It is not a bunch of propeller heads around him saying you should do that or this," said Craig Crawford, Webb's new communication's director whose hiring was announced on Twitter. "He likes to get his own message out and doesn't do interviews just for the heck of it. He is his own guy." Crawford said Webb enjoys Twitter more than giving speeches. "It is more a dialogue than a one way speech," he said, adding that the former senator feeds off the responses he gets and reads all of them. "He approaches Twitter as a conversation," Crawford said. "He did these prison reform tweets and it is an opportunity to build a conversation with followers that is a little different than a speech or an interview that is driven by whatever the questions are. I think he enjoys it." So will Webb bypass the media and only try and reach voters through Twitter in the coming months? No, says Crawford, who notes that Webb has received a list of media requests that "most politicians would dream about." "He recognizes that interviews are part of the gig," Crawford said. "He is going to open up the doors before too long." | Jim Webb has quietly been outlining a presidential platform on Twitter since launching a presidential exploratory committee late last year .
He regularly tweets about criminal justice reform, mental health issues and efforts to increase middle class incomes .
He will live-tweet President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday, offering his views and opinions . |
17f395775730250954e25b3b3a8d32afa934c254 | By . Lucy Crossley . George Osborne today announced that he would put £340million towards fixing Britain's battered infrastructure by repairing potholes and building new flood defences. Following the winter storms which left areas of the country underwater, the Chancellor announced that he would be making an extra £140million available for repairs to flood defences and providing £200million for local authorities to repair potholes. The winter storms flooded 7,000 homes, killed 11 people and caused untold devastation, with Somerset among the worst-hit areas after the wettest winter since records began. Announcement: A £340million fund for flood defences and repairing potholes has been promised after record storms left swathes of the country, including on the Somerset Levels (pictured) underwater . Soaked: A woman pushes her dog in a wheelbarrow through flooded Staines-upon-Thames last month . Hurricane-force winds and flooding led to felled power lines and blackouts for more than 100,000 families, while it has been estimated that the floods will cost cost small businesses more than £830million. Much of the country’s transport network was plunged into chaos, with roads and railways wrecked, and countless buildings damaged. The Government was also forced to call in troops to help rescue stranded victims. Today's announcement follows David Cameron’s promise during last month’s crisis that ‘money is no object’ in clearing up the damage and preventing a repeat. However, the extra money promised today by Mr Osborne has been criticised for not going far enough in solving either issue, with the flood defence fund described as a merely a 'sticking plaster' by Dr Colin Brown, Director of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. 'The £140 million announced in today’s . Budget for repairs to UK flood defences is a "sticking plaster" approach and simply does not go far enough,' he said. 'The . Government needs to be investing in new flood defences and ongoing . maintenance projects to ensure long-term UK resilience, neither of which . was mentioned by the Chancellor. Equally, there was no mention of . resilience plans for other extreme weather conditions which the UK will . be increasingly susceptible to in future years. 'Every . £1 spent in resilience saves £4 in future relief and rebuilding costs, . which is why we need to be taking a much longer-term view of UK . infrastructure. 'Elsewhere, . the Institution welcomes the Chancellor’s proposals to provide £7 . billion to cut energy bills for manufacturers in energy-intensive . industries. Ongoing: Flood water remained in fields surrounding the village of Moorland on the Somerset Levels last weekend . After the rain: It has been estimated that the floods will cost cost small businesses more than £830million . 'These . initiatives will help UK firms become more competitive in the global . market by reducing costs and encouraging them stay in the UK. 'The . Institution also welcomes the continuing support for graphene, a truly . British invention with a multitude of future possibilities. The . creation of a new centre of excellence will advance the already . committed £111m to graphene research and exploitation, and will help the . UK reap the commercial benefits this miracle material. 'Additionally, . while we welcome the support for HS2 and regional airports and the . Chancellor’s vision of seeing this beyond the current plans, we need to . see more details and the Government needs to show more commitment to . creating an integrated UK transport system.' Liz Peace, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation said that the flood defence money was welcome, but raised concerns over flood insurance police. 'We are pleased to see that the . Government is committed to spending on flood defences and helping those . that have been hardest hit by the recent storms, but today's . announcement of £140m funding to repair flood defences do not assuage . our fears about the government's new flood insurance scheme, Flood Re, . which currently stands to expose thousands of homeowners to rocketing . insurance premiums,' she said. Friends of the Earth economics campaigner, David Powell said also criticised the Government's pledge, and said that Mr Osborne had not done enough to address climate change. Budget: George Osborne with the traditional red dispatch box as he departs to deliver his annual budget speech . Funds: Mr Osborne told the House of Commons that money would be available for repairs after the winter floods . He said: 'Merely weeks after promising action on flooding and global warming, the best the Chancellor can manage is a U-turn on his own reckless flood defence cuts, and caving in to big business lobbying on pollution tax. 'Mr Osborne says he wants to make our economy "resilient", but Britons face paying a hefty price for his failure to confront the reality of climate change.' He added: 'George Osborne’s self-congratulation on flood spending is ill-founded. 'The "extra" £140m only cancels out previous cuts, while households in storm-battered Britain are picking up the bill for the Government’s negligence. 'And if we want to keep pace with the impacts of climate change, far more must be spent on flood defences.' Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC foundation, welcomed the £200million put aside to repair potholes, but said the money would not be enough to address a road maintenance backlog. ‘A succession of bad weather, including the recent floods, has wrought havoc on our roads and any money to fill the potholes is welcome,' he said. 'But the drip, drip of funding does not address the £10 billion road maintenance backlog that councils themselves have identified. It is also disappointing that this money has to be bid for. This creates a bureaucratic burden and means not all councils and drivers will see the benefits.’ Bump in the road: Local authorities will be provided with an extra £200million for local authorities to repair potholes . Backlog: Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC foundation said the money would not be enough to address a road maintenance backlog . Tony Ball, vice chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, welcomed the extra funding, but said the country was facing a 42per cent increase in traffic on local roads by 2040, and the situation on the roads was getting worse. 'This announcement does not go anywhere near far enough. We urge the Government to provide a full and comprehensive package, including the resurfacing of roads, rather than funding in dribs and drabs.' Mr Osborne also announced a number of other transport measures. There will be a guarantee of up to £270million to support the raising of debt finance for the Mersey Gateway Bridge - a project that will see a road bridge over the River Mersey in north west England. Also, the Government is offering to extend the feasibility study on possible improvements to the A1 north of Newcastle upon Tyne further north into Scotland, if the Scottish Government will match fund the costs of the study. Mr Osborne said that the Government had agreed that the Welsh Government can use existing powers to begin investing in improvements to the M4. The UK Government is also financially supporting the Greater Cambridge enterprise partnership's transport and infrastructure plans in a deal that could be worth up to £500 million over 15 to 20 years. Investigation: The Government is offering to extend the feasibility study on possible improvements to the A1 north of Newcastle upon Tyne further north into Scotland . Mr Osborne said the vehicle excise duty (VED) car tax would increase by the RPI rate of inflation from April 1 2014 but, as announced earlier, VED rates for lorries will be reduced and restructured from April 1. Campaign for Better Transport chief executive Stephen Joseph said: 'The Chancellor has done little to reduce the everyday cost of transport which remains one of the biggest costs faced by households . 'The £20 million tax break the Chancellor is giving to bingo halls would be better spent reversing the planned cuts to bus services this year. Extra money to tackle potholes is welcome, but this is a drop in the ocean against the £10bn backlog to local road repairs. These are the issues that matter to people rather than big road building.' Sustainable transport group Sustrans said: 'Any money to repair this winter's damage to our roads is welcome but, considering the £10 billion road maintenance backlog, £200 million is nowhere near enough. 'Potholes are dangerous for all road users. Resolving this crisis will save lives.' | George Osborne pledges an extra £140million for repairs to flood defences .
£200million will be available for local authorities to fix potholes .
But money has been criticised for not going far enough .
Flood defence money described as a 'sticking plaster' by leading engineer . |
17f4be0058b1492af6c627348ade8e48f85dbc59 | A father is outraged after going to watch his son's soccer game against a rival high school and seeing his son's mugshot on the t-shirts of the opposing team. Father Kevin Rittenhouse was shocked to see his son, Alex Rittenhouse's, mugshot not just on the t-shirts of students at Marion High School on September 3 but on adults as well. Kevin Rittenhouse feels as though Marion High School should be culpable for their student's behaviour and says that what may seem like a joke to some is extremely hurtful and disturbing for his family. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Victim: Alex Rittenhouse's mugshot was on the t-shirts of students from a rival high school and he and his father believe it is sheer bullying taken one step too far . Appalled: Kevin Rittenhouse believes that students wearing a t-shirt with his son's mugshot is wrong and that the school didn't properly handle the situation . Against dress code: Students at Marion High School were asked to removed the t-shirts with an image of Alex Rittenhouse while on school property or before entering the gate at the soccer game . Kevin Rittenhouse told reporters that his son got into legal trouble last year after being caught with marijuana. Following the incident, Alex was forced to transfer from Marion High School to Oak Hill High School after becoming victim to vicious cyberbullying. I was shocked first, then I thought, ‘How did they get this picture?’ Because I never even seen the picture,' father Kevin Rittenhouse told Fox. The victim's aunt, Kelly Chastain, is also disappointed with the school's handling of the situation and she believes that relatives should have been notified prior to attending the game. 'They could’ve easily made a phone call and said, "Hey, here’s what’s going on. We don’t condone it, here are the steps we’re taking to resolve it,"' Chastain said. “It’s shocking. It’s appalling,” Chastain added vehemently. Rittenhouse said that the shirts were rivalry taken one-step too far. The bullies: Students at Marion High School (pictured) first bullied Alex Rittenhouse after he got in trouble for marijuana possession and police were able to get more students in trouble after confiscating his phone . His son was first tormented by his peers after police confiscated his phone and were able to identify other culprits involved in the marijuana incident. Students began teasing him on social media sites and calling him a narc, reports Theindychannel.com. 'Maybe if they (thought they) were being funny, you know, but that’s not the right kind of funny. … They want to brush it off like nothing happened and I think people need to know,' Rittenhouse said. Patricia Gibson, a spokesperson for Marion High School said that the school was 'disappointed' about the bullying and says that students were told to remove the t-shirts. 'In addition, school administrators took a proactive stance at the time of the games, turning people who were wearing the shirts away at the gate,' Gibson said in a statement. 'No one was allowed into the stadium with one of the shirts visible.' The school said that students were not allowed to wear t-shirts at the school nor were they allowed to wear it at the game. 'It is a disappointing situation. Administrators have spoken directly with family members to try to resolve their concerns, and would be happy to discuss the situation further if they address their continued concerns directly to us,' said the school in a written statement. Too far: Students at the school proudly displayed shirts of former Marion student Alex Rittenhouse and posted photos of themselves in their attire on social media . | Alex Rittenhouse's mughsot was on the t-shirts of soccer players from Marion High School in Indiana .
Rittenhouse transferred from Marion to another school after he was arrested for marijuana possession .
Following the arrest Rittenhosue was harshly bullied by his peers .
Rittenhouse's father Kevin Rittenhouse believes that the t-shirts were rivalry taken one step too far . |
17f54d13db71c16e215fe1887c5207c788b711b1 | (CNN) -- American Bill Haas claimed a one-shot victory in the Bob Hope Classic on the final hole to join his father as a winner of the tournament. The 27-year-old went into the final day in California a stroke behind the lead but was able to break clear of the pack with a flawless 64 to finish on 30 under par. Tim Clark, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson all finished tied for second place on 29 under. Haas led by two strokes after an fine start but the chasing pack reduced his lead and a birdie on 17 put him level with leaders Clark and Kuchar. He completed victory with a birdie four at the last hole after he struck a brave tee shot. Haas fired his approach at the last to within 27 feet and two putts were enough to seal a victory that matches the win his father - Jay Haas - secured at the same event in 1988. Haas, who was watched by his father, admitted the victory was even sweeter with a large family contingent present. "It's pretty special as I didn't know my dad was here. My dad and my brother and his uncle were there," Haas told the tournament's official Web site. "They knew they flew back from Hawaii last night, I thought maybe if I was in contention they might show up, but didn't see them until the end there. "It's not easy to win. I was so nervous coming down the stretch. I still don't know how I hit the shot on 18 - my hands were shaking." | American Bill Haas claimed a one-shot victory in the Bob Hope Classic on the final hole to join his father as a winner of the tournament.
Tim Clark, Matt Kuchar and Bubba Watson all finished tied for second place on 29 under.
Haas completed victory with a birdie four at the last hole after he struck a brave tee shot to match his father's win in 1988. |
17f56447467d948272997ad68446ec4737677f16 | A woman has denied child neglect after a baby fell from the first floor window of a block of flats. Karen Sennett, 31, was arrested on August 5 after the child plunged from an open window of the flat in Rainham, Kent. The 18-month-old struck an awning before hitting an elderly man who was walking past. Karen Sennett, 31, appeared in court today charged with child neglect after a child fell from a first floor window of a block of flats . The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was rescued by a passer-by who tended to her until emergency services arrived, who treated her for cuts to her head and chest. An air ambulance was sent out but paramedics decided to take the baby to King's College Hospital, in London, by ambulance. At the time she was said to have a 'potentially serious head injury', but was later released. A witness to the fall, who did not wish to be named, said in August: 'I saw the baby fall from the window, but at first I thought it was a doll, it hit an elderly man on the shoulder then fell to the floor. 'I went to see if the man was okay and the baby wasn't making any sound so I still thought it was a doll, but then she started screaming. 'I picked her up and cradled her. There was a big bump on her forehead that was getting bigger and bigger. 'She was bleeding from her nose and mouth.' The 18-month-old girl fell from the window (open, right) in Rainham, Kent, on August 5 and struck and awning and an elderly man who was walking past . Sennett, from Rainham, pleaded not guilty at Medway Magistrates' Court and was bailed to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on November 14 . Passer-by Becky Zacharow, 18, said: 'It was about 8.10am and I was on the way to the train station on the way to work. 'I turned the corner and saw an elderly man coming out the shop with his paper and some milk and then I just saw a white blur coming down.' She added: 'She was just spinning. 'She just looked limp and she wasn’t making any noise. 'I went over and what I thought was this doll just started screaming and I realised it was a baby. 'I was holding her so that her head was in my shoulder and I could see that she was bleeding. 'I put her in a cradle position. She grabbed some tissue and started wiping her face. When I was talking to her she was focusing on me.' Sennett, from Rainham, pleaded not guilty at Medway Magistrates' Court today. She was bailed to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on November 14. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article. | Karen Sennett, 31, appears in court charged with child neglect .
She was arrested after a baby fell from a first floor window of a block of flats .
18-month-old girl struck an awning before hitting an elderly man .
Sennett pleaded not guilty at Medway Magistrates' Court today . |
17f5bb5b2d9cfe0d80c45deeb47511170be02329 | By . Steve Robson . An investment manager dying from Motor Neurone Disease today called on the Government to allow people with terminal illnesses to take experimental drugs. Les Halpin, 55, was diagnosed with the degenerative condition two years ago and although the likelihood of finding a cure for him is unlikely, he is volunteering to try new drugs so that others have a better chance of surviving in the future. Mr Halpin, who previously enjoyed skiing and flying but is now confined to a wheelchair, has began a campaign for better medical advances after discovering there has been only one drug licensed to treat Motor Neurone Disease in the past 20 years. Change: Former statistician and investment manager Les Halpin, pictured with his wife Claire, wants sufferers of rare diseases to be able to take unlicensed drugs . There are currently an estimated . 3.5million people in the UK suffering from 'rare' diseases that are . considered uneconomic for research efforts by major drug companies. But Mr Halpin, from Tetbury, Gloucestershire, says the problem is made even worse by the bureaucracy that stops patients taking unlicensed drugs. Professor Stephen Hawking suffers from a type of Motor Neurone Disease . Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive illness that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting. MND can affect how people walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. However, not all symptoms necessarily happen to everyone and it is unlikely they will all develop at the same time, or in any specific order. There is currently no cure for MND and only one drug licensed to treat it - Riluzole. It is available freely on the NHS and has been shown to have a modest impact on survival. MND can affect any adult at any age but most people diagnosed with the disease are over the age of 40, with the highest incidence occurring between the ages of 50 and 70 . Men are affected approximately twice as often as women. About two people in every 100,000 will develop MND each year. Professor Stephen Hawking is perhaps the most well-known sufferer of Motor Neurone Disease. The physicist was diagnosed in 1963 and has to communicate using a computer system which detects movement in his cheeks. Because his nerves are continuing to deteriorate, the are fears that he will ultimately lose the ability to communicate completely, leaving his brain 'locked in' to his body. Source: The Motor Neurone Disease Association . Speaking to the Today programme on Radio 4 he said he was prepared to take the risk of trialling an unlicensed drug: 'Absolutely, and I think many other MND patients would be. Expert: Immunologist Sir Peter Lachmann said the current laws make it difficult for smaller companies to bring new drugs to the market . 'Obviously there are risks, but for most people in this situation they do a lot of research into the subject and they work in conjunction with their doctors and they aren't going to do anything too out of the ordinary. 'I will be dead anytime between this afternoon and a few years off. I already can't move my arms and my legs and I have trouble breathing. Before I had the condition, I would have agreed with them. But now my thinking is that there's so much more we can do. 'Let's try anything - what have we got to lose?' On average it takes £1 billion and 10 . years to bring a new drug to market – something so prohibitive that more . than 90 per cent of drugs do not make it through the system. Sir Peter Lachmann, an expert immunologist from Cambridge University, agreed there is a need for a change in the law. He said on the Today programme: 'The present drug regulations make it impossible for smaller drug companies to take drugs to the market. 'It can only be done by larger pharmaceutical companies.' Mr Halpin has now launched a petition, . which will be handed to the Department of Health, calling for . experimental drugs to be available in return for to terminally ill . patients giving up the right to sue if they experience side effects. He said: 'No new drug has been approved for Motor Neurone Disease since Riluzole was approved 20 years ago. 'For those with life threatening illnesses the risk-ratio of “doing nothing” is hugely significant and must be considered. People in this situation must be able to access all the information on a drug that they need - even if the risk of adverse effects or failure are great.' | Investment manager Les Halpin, 55, calls for drug laws to be reformed .
Wants terminally ill to be able to try unlicensed drugs in return for giving up the right to sue pharmaceutical companies .
Argues bureaucracy prevents new drugs coming to the market . |
17f6d4f48c43079b74c1e2391b231a7fcd7c1819 | When Glynis Barnett shows friends her new yellow diamond nestling in its jewellery box, they never fail to be impressed. ‘People always say how sparkly it is and compliment me on the fabulous colour,’ says Glynis, 63, a retired PA from Kent. ‘They’re so surprised when I tell them the diamond used to be my husband John. ‘I paid £5,000 to have a laboratory turn his ashes into the gem as a way to keep him close to me after he died.’ Scroll down for video . Glynis Barnett, 63, a retired PA from Kent, shows off the yellow diamond made from the ashes of her late husband John . It may sound like something from a sci-fi film, but these so-called ‘cremorials’ — tributes made from cremated ashes — are becoming ever more common. For £3,000, you can have your ashes pressed into vinyl records, or mixed with paint and painted into a favourite scene. Ashes can also be shot into space, floated out to sea in a model ship or even encased in concrete and turned into part of a man-made reef off the Dorset coast — a scheme created by Dorset Council for families to encase their loved ones’ ashes in concrete ‘bereavement balls’ and added to the reef, providing a home for marine wildlife. When John died in 2011, aged 64, following a long battle with throat and liver cancer, Glynis spent months wondering what to do with his ashes. ‘Although we had been married for 42 years, we never discussed in detail what we wanted if either of us should die,’ she says. ‘His ashes sat by the side of my bed for 18 months, while I struggled with my grief. Glynis with husband John. Despite beiing married for 42 years she says they never discussed in detail what they would do if one of them died. ‘I eventually decided to scatter them under the willow tree in our garden, but then I remembered a friend of mine who’d told me she planned to have her husband’s ashes turned into a diamond if anything happened to him. ‘I liked the idea I could take a little piece of John with me wherever I went. After months of research, I contacted Phoenix Memorial Diamonds in Manchester and ordered a .75 carat canary yellow gem. All I needed to do was send off 100g of John’s ashes by recorded post, and pay a deposit of £2,500.’ Turning ashes into a diamond is fairly straightforward, as both are comprised of the same substance: the element carbon (the human body is 18 per cent carbon, and the rest is mostly water). Natural diamonds are formed underground when carbon is put exposed to huge amounts of heat and pressure. Laboratory-grown diamonds are made by creating the same forces artificially. Glynis says her friends always admire the £5,000 yellow diamond she had made out of John's ashes . First, the ashes are heated to 1,300c until they become molten, then they are compressed at 10,000 tons per square inch for several weeks until they form a diamond crystal, which is chemically indistinguishable from a natural stone. Because the chemical make-up of each person’s ashes is unique, so is the size, clarity and precise colour of the stone that emerges. However, the natural colour of diamonds made from human ash is broadly canary yellow due to the nitrogen content in the ashes. These yellow laboratory diamonds sell for about £6,500 per carat — around 40 per cent less than the equivalent natural diamond, which costs more because it takes thousands of years to form, is scarce and has to be mined. Once the diamond crystal has been formed, it is cut and polished in the same way as a natural diamond would be. Glynis waited 12 weeks for her diamond to be delivered. ‘My youngest son Robert, 29, who works in finance, was incredibly suspicious of the whole process and insisted on being there when the diamond was delivered,’ she says. ‘He drove the courier to our local jeweller to have the gem tested before he’d let me pay the balance.’ Glynis is now hoping to get her diamond set into a ring, and plans to leave it to her daughter Lucie, 31, in her will. ‘John would have laughed at my extravagance, as I am pretty frugal by nature, but I feel it’s an important, lasting and very personal tribute to my beloved husband.’ Cremation expert Richard Martin says that memorialising a loved one — whether that means having some of their ashes made into a paperweight or even decanted into cartridges and fired from a shotgun — can be incredibly cathartic. ‘All that matters is that you feel you have chosen a fitting resolution for that person, your family and friends,’ he says. Sue White in her garden with the £645 sculpture that contains her late husband Bruce's ashes . Not all ‘cremorials’ are as subtle as Glynis’s diamond. When visitors step into Sue White’s manicured garden, the first thing they comment on is the striking modern sculpture, in the shape of a closed flower bud, rising from her rockery. ‘Of course, they’re a little taken aback when I tell them: “That’s Bruce — my late husband”,’ says Sue, 60, a company director from Ascot, Berkshire. Bruce, who ran a successful record label, was 68 when he died peacefully at home in November 2011 from lung cancer with Sue, son Julian, now 44, and daughter Natalie, 40, by his side. Once his funeral was over, Sue was at a loss as to what to do with his remains. ‘It was just too difficult to talk about once he became ill,’ says Sue. ‘The ashes were handed over to us a few days afterwards in an ugly plastic jar. I found it so painful to look at, I hid it in the garage for more than a year.’ A year on, Sue and Natalie decided to scatter some of the ashes in the garden of the family’s holiday home in Spain. ‘We thought about scattering the rest around our garden in England, but I quickly realised that if I ever moved house, it would mean leaving Bruce behind for good,’ says Sue. ‘After searching online, we decided on a memorial ornament instead — something that would be a tangible reminder of Bruce but portable, too. We bought it online from a specialist company called Scattering Ashes for £645 and had a small plaque made for it with Bruce’s name on. ‘It has an internal sphere that Natalie and I carefully opened and decanted the ashes into at the kitchen table. ‘I thought I would find that hard to do, but it was actually very cathartic. Now, every time I pop out to snip a few herbs for my cooking, I see the sculpture and feel connected to Bruce. ‘I sometimes wonder if he would be happy with what I’ve done — but I love the sculpture, and I’m sure he would be glad about that.’ Heidi Lewis, 42, with mum Pat whose last wish was that her family would have a party celebrating her life and send her ashes up in fireworks . Increasingly, people are leaving instructions in their wills about how they would like their ashes used. Heidi Lewis’s mother, Patricia Mitchell, 73, a retired market researcher, was very clear about what she wanted before she passed away from long-standing health problems on April 25. ‘Mum told me in no uncertain terms that she did not want a religious funeral, nor should anyone attend the crematorium,’ says Heidi, a 42-year-old student nurse and mother to Henry, 19, Stanley, 12, and Arney, nine, from Woking in Surrey. Heidi says she couldn't think of a better send off for her late mother . ‘Instead, she left £6,000 from a funeral savings plan for us to throw a big party to celebrate her life. ‘She said she wanted to have her ashes sent up in a firework display over Eel Pie Island, in the middle of the Thames at Twickenham. It’s the site of a famous jazz club that she used to love going to in the Sixties. ‘My sisters Lyndsay, Madeleine and I desperately wanted to hold the wake on her birthday, May 9,’ says Heidi. ‘It was all a bit of a rush, but we managed to courier some of Mum’s ashes to Heavenly Stars fireworks in Colchester, Essex. ‘They transferred around an egg cup-full into a large firework — a complete display in one package — at a cost of £249. ‘We organised a big group of family and friends to meet in a local pub, and then walk, accompanied by a New Orleans-style jazz band, to the Twickenham rowing club. ‘There were eulogies and poetry readings then, as it started to get dark, my eldest son lit the fuse on the firework display. ‘There were two minutes of spectacular flashes, bangs and colours as the fireworks scattered Mum’s ashes over the island she loved. ‘As the fireworks came to an end everyone cheered, clapped, whistled and yes, shed a few tears. ‘What better send-off could anyone ask for?’ | Glynis Barnett, 63, paid £5,000 to have a laboratory turn her husband's ashes into a gem .
Tributes made from ashes, or 'cremorials', are becoming more popular .
Sue White, a company director from Ascot, had husband Bruce's ashes contained inside a modern sculpture .
The flower bud sculpture memorial cost £645 .
Patricia Mitchell, 73, requested that her ashes be sent up in a fireworks display over the River Thames . |
17f6e4e345070517c8b7d96edeacb3db51e374f3 | This is the moment a foul-mouthed rail fare cheat was on the receiving end of some rough justice, after being bundled off a train by a passenger. Footage of the teenage troublemaker being thrown off a train by a fed-up fellow traveller on the ScotRail service between Edinburgh and Perth has become a viral hit after being uploaded to You Tube. It begins when a conductor is told the teenager doesn't have a ticket and tells the driver of the train to stop until the youngster gets off. Scroll down for the video . Is there a problem? After the conductor has been remonstrating with the teenager (his white beanie hat can just be seen popping over the seats), the 'big man' stands up and approaches the conductor . Time to move on son: The burly passenger looks down on the teenager and offers the conductor his assistance . When the youth refuses a shouting match ensues until a passenger, later referred to as 'the big man' leaps to his feet and frogmarches him off the train - and keeps pushing him off when he repeatedly tries to re-board the service. A two-and-a-half minute video clip - ‘Scotrail No Ticket’ - was posted three days ago and has already been viewed almost 200,000 times. In the clip, the white-haired ScotRail worker tells the youth: 'I’ll sit here all night pal. I’m getting paid for this but they (the passengers) will start moaning.' The clip begins by showing the ticket inspector demanding the youngster leaves the train. He says he only has a single ticket to travel in the opposite direction. The youth responds by swearing back at him . The ScotRail worker then tries to embarrass the non-payer in to leaving . 'Fare dodging' passenger Sam Main, 19, has defended his behaviour after being tracked down by a local paper. He told the Edinburgh Record: ‘I had been out celebrating after an exam and I was half asleep on the train. ‘I did have a ticket but I must have handed over the wrong one to the conductor. The next thing I know this big guy is manhandling me to the door and throwing me off. University student Sam, who is studying surveying, added: ‘I couldn’t believe it when the footage turned up on YouTube.' He said he still has cuts and bruises over his cheeks (pictured above) and legs. The video continues with the lad . protesting his innocence and claiming that he showed the ScotRail . employee his ‘f*****g ticket’ while a group of stunned young children . sit close by with their furious mother. But the conductor adds: 'No you have not. Stop swearing.' The video goes on to show the boy, wearing a beanie hat, produce a single ticket that allows travel in the opposite direction. The . conductor repeats his previous threat telling the youth: 'No you are . off, we will sit here all night. Why should they pay and not you?' It is at this point that a tall, heavyset passenger gets up, approaches the pair and asks ‘Is there a problem here?’ before declaring ‘No problem - right you, off’. He then grabs the lad by the scruff of his neck and bundles him off the train, trying not to clatter into other passengers. The teenager tries unsuccessfully a couple of times to barge his way back on before the train doors close. As the large man heads back to his seat the carriage erupts into applause and one passenger is clearly heard saying 'Cheers, big man'. A ScotRail spokesman said: 'While we welcome the public’s support of our zero-tolerance stance on anti-social behaviour, our staff are trained in conflict management and we do not expect members of the public to take matters into their own hands. 'We are investigating the incident, which appears to show a person travelling without a valid ticket, refusing to pay for the journey, and swearing at a staff member in full view of customers.' Once at the train doors, the 'big man' and the ticket collector heave the youngster off the carriage . And out you go: The passenger pushes the teenager on to the platform. Each time he tries to get back in, he pushes him back out again . The ticket inspector waves away any further protests by the teenager . | Teenage 'fare dodger' Sam Main, 19, comes forward to defend his behaviour, saying he did have the right ticket and was 'manhandled' by the 'big man' |
17f80ba8e8a504f7b571cbe88b7f02e20cabd70f | By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 11:51 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:41 EST, 20 February 2013 . They are famously the world's largest land animal, but this particular elephant looks far more at home in the water. The playful baby elephant made a real splash as it frolicked in the ocean on the Thai island of Phuket. Video footage shows the cute creature trotting into the water and ducking its head beneath the waves, before emerging onto the sand only to rush straight back into the surf. Scroll down for video . Playful: The young elephant was filmed splashing in the surf in Thailand . Wallowing: The cute creature lay on its side in the crashing waves kicking its legs . The splash-happy elephant calf spent several minutes enjoying the refreshing waters of the Andaman Sea, to the delight of tourists capturing the endearing scene on camera. At one point the creature can be seen lying on its side in the water kicking its legs in the air as the waves crash on the beach. Elephants on the popular island of Phuket are more often spotted carrying backpackers and other tourists on trekking trips through the jungle. Emerging: The elephant can be seen trotting back onto the sand only to race back into the water . Playtime's over? As it makes its way on to the sand, it appears the elephant has tired of its game... ... But before too long it plunges straight back into the sea . Submerged: The elephant calf enjoyed a refreshing dip in the Andaman Sea off Phuket . Game: The creature spent several minutes frolicking as tourists captured the cute scene on camera . VIDEO Adorable baby elephant plays in the surf on Thai beach . | Video shows elephant calf throwing itself into the waves in Phuket, Thailand .
Playful baby elephant is seen rolling on its back in the crashing surf . |
17f972b5352efc662508fcc022bf45b8c6237b68 | (Financial Times) -- The chief executive of BTG Pactual has been fined for insider trading by Italian regulators in a move that has forced the rapidly growing Brazilian investment bank to amend the prospectus for its high-profile listing next week. Consob, the Italian financial watchdog, imposed a €350,000 fine and a six-month ban from senior positions at Italian companies on André Esteves for a purchase of shares worth €3.4m in beef producer Cremonini five years ago. The news marked a blow for the Rio de Janeiro-based bank just as it is gearing up for a public offering next week that values it at up to $15bn, making it the first significant IPO in Brazil in more than nine months. BTG Pactual said Mr Esteves was informed on April 13 of the result of the Consob investigation and had decided to appeal. "This decision is still subject to appeal in the administrative domain and, by its nature, does not include any consequences in the criminal domain," the investment bank said. Italy's Consob, which in February ordered the seizure of €4.2m of Mr Esteves' assets, said the 43-year-old Latin American banker bought the shares in November 2007 knowing that the group was planning to enter a joint venture with Brazilian rival JBS. The joint venture was announced in December 2007 but has since collapsed amid acrimony between the two companies. The bank had mentioned "ongoing civil, non-criminal investigation in Europe" against Mr Esteves in its IPO prospectus published at the beginning of the month, without providing any detail at the time. In that prospectus, the bank said that regardless of the investigation's outcome, it did not believe there would be an adverse effect on BTG Pactual, including on the capacity of Mr Esteves to serve in his present roles. In 2007, Mr Esteves, who ranks as Brazil's 13th-richest individual, was employed by UBS where he worked as global head of fixed income after selling BTG Pactual to the Swiss bank for $2.5bn when he was just 37 years old. Mr Esteves bought BTG Pactual back from UBS in 2009 after the onset of the financial crisis, selling a stake in the firm the following year to three sovereign wealth funds that valued it at about $10bn. BTG Pactual declined to comment on the Consob fine. But people close to Latin America's largest independent investment bank said the fine affected neither the bank nor the IPO. "This is a bit embarrassing but it is irrelevant and essentially without merit," one person said. The planned flotation on April 26 will value Mr Esteves's stake at up to $5bn and will show that 35 other senior partners own stakes worth more than $150m each. But Mr Esteves and his partners will not use the IPO to cash out of the company. After the listing, the partners will only trade shares among themselves and not sell them on the public market. © The Financial Times Limited 2012 . | The chief executive, André Esteves, of BTG Pactual has been fined for insider trading .
Esteves was banned from senior positions at Italian companies .
The news marked a blow for the Rio de Janeiro-based bank . |
17f97a6213f813a11cd94c4381fd36dd0b67da3b | Fin Rayner (pictured with her daughter Rhiannon), who left Kai the Shar-Pei tied up at a train station, has insisted she did nothing wrong . The woman who left Kai the Shar-Pei tied up outside a train station insists she did nothing wrong by abandoning the dog. As the first picture of Fin Rayner, from Aberdeenshire, emerged, the 39-year-old mother claims she left the dog behind after the sale of him fell through. Ms Rayner claims she had arrived at Ayr train station planning to buy the dog for £400 after replying to an advert on listings website Gumtree. But when she got to the station with her nine-year-old daughter Rhiannon Strachan, she found Kai - whose real name is Pluto - did not look like the dog in the advert. The mother-of-three told the Daily Record: 'I went to buy a dog but the dog was not the same as the picture advertised.' 'The guy rushed out with a food chest and lead on the dog. But I could see there was something up because he was very skinny. 'I said I wanted to take the dog for a walk, so he asked me for £150 as a deposit in case I didn't come back. Then I saw him tearing off in his car. I phoned and said "You better come back for your dog". He never turned up.' She added: 'I got into the station and the dog wasn't settling. He was pulling on the lead and peeing everywhere. 'I thought that it wasn't my dog - I didn't want him.' The mother claims she then panicked as she had to get the last train to Aberdeen. She phoned her son who told her the photograph in the advert was actually from a picture taken in the U.S. in 2005 - and not of the Scottish dog. Ms Rayner said: 'I panicked. I suffer from a panic disorder so I panicked even more and thought I could have a stolen dog now. 'I spoke to a man at the station and told him that it wasn't my dog. I told the guy I needed to get the next train. So the guy knew and he said to tie him so I did.' Miss Rayner said she has now decided not to buy another pet for her family after going through the ordeal at the weekend. She said: 'He lied about the dog. I can't believe he did this. 'I've been shaken for days. 'I don't think people should sell dogs on Gumtree.' Scroll down for video . Ms Rayner claims she had arrived at Ayr train station planning to buy Kai - whose real name is Pluto - for £400 after replying to an advert on listings website Gumtree . Ms Rayner says she refused to buy Kai and left him at the station because he did not look like the dog in the Gumtree advert . The dog was found with his only possessions - a case containing a toy, bowl, food and a pillow . After she left, Kai was spotted by a commuter who made sure he was passed on to the Scottish SPCA. The dog was found with just his only possessions - a case containing a toy, bowl, food and a pillow. Police said they were not involved in the investigation yesterday. However, the SPCA said it was keen to speak to the man who tried to sell the dog. One of its inspectors, Stewart Taylor, said: ‘We have received information as to how Kai came to be found tied up at Ayr railway station. ‘This appears to have been a sale over the internet which has gone wrong and an example of the potential dangers of buying a pet online without knowing an animal’s background. ‘His sad story has touched the hearts of animal lovers all over the world and we have been overwhelmed with kind messages and offers of new homes.’ Jed found a home in Whitby, Yorkshire, after his plight was highlighted in the Mail . After spending almost seven years in kennels, Jed had probably given up on ever finding a loving home. The lurcher, pictured, was taken in as a four-month-old puppy in 2007. But he spent his next 50 dog years at the rescue centre in Darlington being overlooked by 17,000 potential suitors. Then, just before Christmas – after his plight was highlighted in the Mail – a couple came forward. New owner Ian Woodcock, of Whitby, Yorkshire, said he now spends his days going for walks on the moors, sleeping by the fire and playing with his new toys. After pictures of Kai were tweeted by the animal charity, hundreds of dog-lovers from Britain, the U.S., Canada, Spain and even the Philippines offered to re-home him. Assistant manager of the SPCA Katrina Cavanagh said: 'We've had offers from America, the Philippines, Canada and England and we're trying to work our way through them. 'We've had good responses in the past but this is off the scale. We've never had offers from the other side of the world before. 'What we're saying to people is fill out a questionnaire, and Anna the manager and I will have a wee look through, whittle them down and make a decision. It'll be hard but we'll get there. 'We just can't believe how big this became, but then, it's not every day you get a dog abandoned with his own suitcase.' Kai has been compared to Paddington bear after his ordeal, which has prompted an investigation by the animal welfare charity. Until it is complete, he will not be handed over to a new family, so it could be some time before he is adopted. Hundreds of people offered to home Kai after pictures of him were tweeted by the Scottish SPCA . | Fin Rayner, 39, left Kai the Shar-Pei dog tied up at Ayr train station .
But she insists that she did nothing wrong by abandoning the dog .
Mother claims she was trying to buy the dog after seeing ad on Gumtree .
But she left him behind with staff because he did not look like the advert .
Kai was spotted by a commuter and handed over to the Scottish SPCA .
Offers to re-home him rolled in from U.S., Spain, Canada and Philippines . |
17f99ec98ef5830627a09c9d277aba5793238549 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:09 EST, 16 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:15 EST, 16 September 2013 . A Polygamous family have told how they have shunned Mormonism and opted to preach 'love and commitment' over 'fear of . hell or the promise of heaven.' TV program My Five Wives, which debuted Sunday, follows Brady Williams, his five wives and their . combined 24 children who live together on their large family property . outside Salt Lake City, Utah. The newest polygamous . family from Utah on reality TV considers itself progressive and . independent and believes in a god which 'does not judge'. Scroll down for video . Progressive polygamy: Patriarch Brady (center) and his five wives . Nonie (far left), Robyn (near left), Paulie (near right) and Rhonda (center right) and Rosemarie left the Mormon church due to its conservative beliefs . Despite having left the church, the family still lives in a polygamous community outside Salt Lake Cit . Williams and his wives slowly withdrew from the . fundamentalist Mormon church in their rural community outside of Salt . Lake City during the mid-2000s after re-evaluating their core beliefs. The . family no longer teaches the tenets of fundamental Mormonism to their . children at home, opting instead to take from other teachings such as . Buddhism to instill good, moral values in their two dozen children, who . range in age from 2-20. 'Since we have left . the religion, it's now about love and it's about commitment, and it's . about happiness as a family,' said Mr Williams, 43, a project manager . in his brother's construction business. 'It's not about the fear of . hell or the promise of heaven.' It wasn't the . first time Mr Williams has crossed religious lines. Husband of five: Brady was raised in the mainstream Mormon church, but when he was 16 his family became fundamentalist and began believing in polygamy . As a teenager, . his parents left mainstream Mormonism and joined polygamy. He said that . transition was very difficult, but not as hard as leaving the . fundamentalist church his five wives all grew up in. The . show will go behind closed doors and focus on the frustrations, needs . and fears of a family living the controversial lifestyle, according to a . TLC press release. Though their beliefs have estranged from many family members, the members of the Williams family believe that their sacrifices are worth it. First wife Paulie, a dental hygienist, has been married to Brady for 21 years, and the couple's six children range in age from 20 to nine years old. Good friends: The Williams five wives, from left to right, Robyn, Nonie, Rhonda, Rosemary and Paulie, all get along on the show. Robyn and Rhonda are also cousins . She was raised in a polygamist family and expected her husband to have additional wives, but her oldest daughter is recently married and plans a monogamist lifestyle. He then married second wife Robyn - dubbed 'the creative wife' for her art classes and love of making gifts for the family - about nine months after his ceremony to Paulie, and they have five children. Divide and conquer: Each wife cooks dinner for the 30-strong family one night a week . Each wife has her own space. The family is divided across 5 apartments in two homes they are just yards from each other. Three wives live in this home, each with their own front door, separate kitchen and own personal bedroom. Brady rotates between the five nightly . Third wife Rosemary worked in the family construction business but stopped after winning a scholarship at the local college, where she is studying for her teaching degree in music. She has four children with Mr Williams. Nonie, the fourth wife, was living in Montana when she met her husband 15 year ago, and the duo had a long-distance relationship. She is the only wife that works with him, handling the administrative side of the family's construction business, while being a mom to their five children. Fifth wife Rhonda is Robyn's cousin. She entered the picture 12 years ago, and admits that it took eight years before she really felt that she belonged in the family. Though she says that there are downsides to polygamy, she loves that her four children have other mothers around. Cameras were allowed into the bedroom, and the women will speak openly about their frustrations with Brady's schedule. Sister Wives: Kody Brown (center), his wives Meri (far left), Robyn (near left), Christine (near right) and Janelle (far right) and their 17 children introduced many Americans to the polygamous lifestyle . On the show the wives detailed how they each cook dinner for the massive family of 30 one night a week. Brady rotates bedrooms on a nightly basis, so each wife gets him one night of five. The family lives on a two home compound in polygamous community outside Salt Lake City. Two homes are divided into five apartments. Each wife has her own kitchen and living space, as well her own bedroom and bedrooms for her biological children. Brady goes between. The wives also pend their birthday and anniversary with Brady. The show premiered on September 15, right after Sister Wives - the reality show that first brought polygamy into many Americans' living rooms. Kody Brown, his four wives Meri, Christine, Janelle and Robyn and their 17 children have faced many challenges as a super-sized family living an alternative lifestyle . | My Five Wives follows Brady Williams, his five wives and 24 children .
He says they will preach love and commitment instead of fear of god .
They shunned Mormonism in 2000 after 'reevaluating their beliefs'
Instead they take from teachings such as .
Buddhism to instill moral values . |
17fae7b1bc11462e49d61c2d20eda7d4747ed6d6 | (CNN) -- Former President Bill Clinton voiced support for the U.S. strategy to defeat ISIS and said only the Iraqi people can win a land war in Iraq. Speaking Thursday night on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Clinton said the United States has proven it can't win an Iraq war with boots on the ground, but that moderate Sunni tribal leaders working with an inclusive Iraqi government can. "We can't win a land war in Iraq, but they can and we can help them," Clinton said. Clinton said he thinks President Barack Obama's strategy to combat ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, "has a chance to succeed." "The Iraqi government finally includes Sunnis who were representing those tribal leaders who are moderate and without whom ISIS cannot be defeated," he said. "We can give them intelligence, and we can do bombing, and we have to do that to send a signal to them. That there's a price for decapitating those people," he said, referring to the recent beheadings of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff and of British aid work David Haines. "You can't let people get away with that, that's a terrible signal to the world," he said. Obama: ISIS threat against U.S., allies 'doesn't frighten us' Clinton also believes that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa can be stopped, but that "it will take a Herculean effort." "A lot of these people can survive if they get proper care quickly, and we can stop the epidemic and let it burn itself out," Clinton said. Obama, officials from the World Health Organization, the United Nations and Doctors without Borders will gather with the former president at a meeting of his Clinton Global Initiative, which starts Sunday. The Ebola outbreak "probably represents the confluence of all the various things that you can do at Clinton Global Initiative," said Stewart. "This is an emergency because nobody knows how to cure this," said Clinton. Ebola patients buying survivors' blood from black market . The World Health Organization said Thursday that the death toll in the Ebola epidemic has risen to 2,622 dead. The number of reported infections is 5,335, though the actual number is "almost certainly" higher, Clinton noted. Clinton said that this Ebola epidemic is different than previous outbreaks in remote rural areas mainly because of the density of people in the urban areas in which it is striking. "There are a lot of people there and there are just too many bodies brushing up against one another every day," he said. | "We can't win a land war in Iraq, but they can and we can help them," Bill Clinton says .
Former president was on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" Thursday .
He says inclusion of Sunnis in Iraqi government is essential to defeating ISIS .
Stopping the Ebola outbreak in West Africa "will take a Herculean effort" |
17fb73c9aceb617bddf36de58eed73af9ca0cb0c | (CNN) -- Norway's world 100-meter breaststroke champion and Olympic silver medalist Alexander Dale Oen has died suddenly at the age 26. In a statement on its official website, the Norwegian swimming federation said Dale Oen was found collapsed in his bathroom after a cardiac arrest late Monday in Arizona where he was participating in a training camp. The team's doctor Ola Roensen tried to resuscitate him before he was taken to the nearby Flagstaff Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 9 p.m. local time. "We're all in shock," Norway's national swimming coach Petter Loevberg said. "This is an out-of-body experience for the whole team over here. Our thoughts primarily go to his family who have lost Alexander way too early." Dale Oen won the 100-meter breaststroke at last year's world championships in Shanghai, three days after Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in a bomb and gun attack in Norway. The swimmer poignantly pointed to the Norwegian flag on his cap, and later dedicated his win to the victims. "Everyone back home now is of course paralyzed with what happened," he said after the race. "But it was important for me to symbolize that even though I'm here in China, I'm able to feel the same emotions." Dale Oen also won silver at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing for Norway's first ever swimming medal and was expected to be one of the country's main hopes for gold in London later this year. World swimming's governing body FINA said he was "certainly preparing a brilliant participation at the upcoming Olympic Games in London." Norway's swimming federation did not give a cause of the cardiac arrest. It said Dale Oen had only had a light workout on Monday and had seemed in good health. "This is the blackest day in the history of Norwegian swimming," said Per Rune Eknes, president of the federation. Four-time Olympic breaststroke champion Kosuke Kitajima, who Dale Oen would have been looking to beat in London, tweeted that he was "in shock over the passing of a dear friend and great rival. RIP Alex." Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa, who took bronze behind Dale Oen in Shanghai last year, wrote on Twitter: "To my greatest rival. My greatest friend. My brother in breaststroke. May you rest in peace. One love." In his final tweet written on the day of his death, Dale Oen wrote that he was looking forward to returning to his hometown, Bergen. "2 days left of our camp up here in Flagstaff,then its back to the most beautiful city in Norway." Dale Oen's death comes 18 months after American open-water swimmer Fran Crippen died during a race in the United Arab Emirates, also at the age of 26. Crippen's death was caused by heat exhaustion leading to drowning. | Norwegian swimmer Alexander Dale Oen dies suddenly at the age of 26 .
Dale Oen was on at a training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona when he collapsed .
Swimmer was the world 100-meter breaststroke champion and Olympic silver medalist . |
17fc0b472c1ee28ecd7a8354dc4db02ffc67e156 | By . Suzannah Hills . The price of nutty snacks and treats is set to soar as almond orchard owners struggle to pollinate their crops because of the dwindling honey bee population. Almond nuts and milk are a vital ingredient for confectioners and cereal-makers around the world with the global market worth around $5 billion (approximately £3.1 million). Almond orchards in California, which account for 80 per cent of the world's crop, require 1.5 million beehives every year for pollination making honey bees vital to crop production. But almond farmers have seen the price of renting bees hives for pollination triple in the last decade which is having a knock-on effect on the wholesale cost. Rising costs: The cost of nutty treats is set to soar as the price of hiring beehives to pollinate almond orchards, pictured near Williams in California, continues to rise as the bee population declines . It now costs on average $150 (£94) to hire a single hive with some farmers to pay up to $200 (£125), the Financial Times reports. This has seen the wholesale price of almonds reach an eight year high with the figure expected to continue rising as honey bee populations decrease. As Californian almond prices set a benchmark for the industry, the increasing cost of hiring beehives in America has also had an impact in Europe. Production: Orchards in California, such as the one pictured above in Glenn County, account for 80% of the world's almond production but many farmers are being forced to pay more and more to pollinate their crops . Alpro, one of the top manufacturers of almond milk in Europe, said it was concerned about the impact on prices. The drastic downturn in the honey bee population is also concerning environmentalists and scientists around the world. In the last few years, the annual winter 'die-out' rate has been 10 per cent higher than usual. It has been suggested climate change, pollution, pests or even 'travel stress' from the bees being shipped from pollination site to pollination site being to blame. Mounting concerns: There has been a drastic decline in the honey bee population around the world with the annual winter 'die-out' rate 10% higher than usual . | Almonds are a vital ingredient for confectioners around the world .
Californian almond orchards require 1.5m beehives every year for pollination .
They account for 80% of the world's almond crop .
But farmers have seen the price of beehive hire triple in the last decade .
The declining honey bee population is likely to push prices even higher . |
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