id stringlengths 40 40 | article stringlengths 48 15.9k | highlights stringlengths 14 7.39k |
|---|---|---|
191947fd26bf7be13edda0ae8e327cc7298e9dc1 | By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 07:40 EST, 16 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:41 EST, 16 August 2013 . Battle: Tom Brown, 67, says he has been the victim of a 'relentless pursuit' by the Post Office in the past five years . A sub-postmaster accused of stealing £85,000 by the Post Office has won a five-year battle to clear his name. Tom Brown, 67, from South Stanley, County Durham, has been told he will face no further action after the company said it could not enter any evidence just months before he was due to appear in a civil court case. Police launched an investigation when it emerged there was a £85,426 shortfall at North Kenton Post Office in 2007, but after four years looking into the claim, they told him he would not face criminal charges. Mr Brown, who was given a certificate of valour by the Post Office in the mid-90s after fending off a knife-wielding robber, has always maintained the shortfall was the result of a glitch in the company's controversial Horizon computer system. It is claimed more than 100 people . across the country have been the subjects of false allegations by the Post Office as a . result of a computer error. A campaign group, the Justice For Sub-postmasters Alliance, run by Alan Bates, of Old Colwyn, Conwy, helped in Mr Brown's fight. A number have registered an interest in suing the Post Office over the false accusations. Despite police dropping the case, lawyers acting for The Post Office Ltd pursued two charges of false accounting against Mr Brown through the civil courts. But the company has said it no longer pursuing the case because it is 'not in the public interest' and a judge has recorded not-guilty verdicts. Mr Brown, a grandfather-of-three, says he is relieved but has criticised Post Office bosses for their 'relentless pursuit' over the past five years. He said: 'I've lost nearly £300,000 in property, lost my home, been declared bankrupt and had my name dragged through the mud. I knew there was something wrong in the shop and I thought somebody was taking money but I kept it quiet for six months. 'That's the biggest mistake I made. When the Post Office did an audit they found all this missing money and I was suspended. 'Without my salary I couldn't afford to pay the staff and I couldn't afford to pay the bills. I was made bankrupt. They wanted to search my house and they went through my car. I said to them, 'You won't find £85,000 in there".' Mr Brown lost his wife, Carole, to breast cancer in 2003 at the age of 57. The couple had worked together since 1981 when they bought the Chester Moor post office before taking control of a site on Colliery Row Post Office in Fence Houses. Problems: Mr Brown always maintained the £85,000 shortfall was due to a computer glitch . Mr Brown said: 'Because my wife was ill - they said she only had 18 months to live, but she survived for three years - we gave up the branch and moved into a new house. 'After she died, I started working in Finlays in North Kenton and eventually bought the site. 'I had a three-bedroom detached house in West Pelton and a flat across the road, which I rented out. 'When I was suspended I lost all that and I lost £50,000 a year in Post Office salaries. All the staff I've ever worked with in Newcastle think I stole £85,000. They've dragged my reputation through the dirt. 'When I was told that it was all over I was over the moon, I was absolutely elated. But the hardest thing is knowing that my wife and I worked for so many years, doing so much to try to make sure my family was secure.' Mr Brown has now entered into a 'mediation' period with Post Office bosses as he wants compensation for five years of 'torture'. North Durham MP Kevan Jones has championed Mr Brown's fight and raised his plight in Parliament. Last night Mr Jones told The Journal it was a 'scandal', stating: 'The way Tom has been treated is verging on cruel. 'Ministers must now act to ensure victims of these Post Office allegations get the compensation they deserve. I have written to ministers today and will be pursuing Tom's case very hard.' Backtrack: Mr Brown was months away from appearing at Newcastle Crown Court for the civil case before it was dropped . Last year the Post Office instructed a firm of forensic accountants, 2nd Sight Limited, to conduct an independent review of 10 existing cases raised by a number of MPs and the law firm Shoosmiths. About 100 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses have registered an interest in suing Post Office Ltd over its Horizon computer system, which records financial transactions in branches across the UK. The Post Office has repeatedly denied there is a problem with the system, saying the claims have been made by a very small number of people. But Mr Jones criticised Business Minister Jo Swinson during a Parliamentary debate last month, saying a report had found there was scope for the Post Office 'to improve aspects of its support and training for sub-postmasters'. A Post Office Ltd spokeswoman said: 'Post Office Ltd has determined that in this case it is no longer in the public interest to prosecute.' She added: 'The Post Office is committed to supporting its people and improving the way we do so. The interim review published recently by independent investigators Second Sight makes it clear that the Horizon computer system and its supporting processes function effectively across our network. 'As the review notes, it is used by around 68,000 people in more than 11,500 branches, successfully processing more than six million transactions every day. The review underlines our cause for confidence in the overall system.' In relation to other cases, she said: 'We would not comment on other cases. However, cases are only prosecuted where they meet and continue to meet the requirements of the code for Crown Prosecutors. That code requires both an evidential test and a public interest test to be applied. The code also requires the prosecution to keep under review whether or not that test continues to be met.' | Tom Brown, from Durham, suspended after shortfall was discovered in 2007 .
Grandfather-of-three always maintained it was the result of a computer glitch .
Police found no evidence of criminality but Post Office pursued civil case .
Company finally dropped the claim just months before case was due to begin . |
191b580aa68cce951763afc64f4cdf8ad865eeb4 | With his five goals, his bright yellow jersey and his boyish looks, James Rodriguez has attracted the attention of Brazil. Precocious and virtuoso are just two of the words used to describe the 22-year-old playmaker ahead of Colombia’s World Cup quarter final against Brazil on Friday. Just 22, he is already Colombia’s top scorer at a World Cup and is the leading scorer so far at the 2014 tournament. For many, the player who wears the name James (pronounced 'Hamez') on his jersey has been a revelation at the World Cup. VIDEO Scroll down to watch James Rodriguez's silky skills . Star in the making: Colombia's No 10 has taken the World Cup by storm with five goals in four games . Trust: Playmaker James Rodriguez (right) talks to head coach Jose Pekerman . But for those who have followed his football career, there has been no surprise. They knew that he was talented, had a winning mentality and could give Colombians something they have been awaiting for a long time. He has been consolidating himself as the replacement of Carlos 'el Pibe' Valderrama, the leading figure of a national team that played in three World Cups in the 1990s. Faustino Asprilla, an ex-Colombia player from that generation, said that Rodriguez 'can be the best Colombian footballer in history.' His technical abilities have been exceptional and he has shown them off in Brazil. He scores with surprising ease. He has scored in each of Colombia’s matches, and he has done it with both feet and his head. Focused: Colombia's James Rodriguez shows off his juggling skills during training on Thursday . Wonderstrike: Rodriguez thumps a volley past Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera in the round of 16 . In Colombia’s 2-0 win over Uruguay, he controlled the ball with his chest and shot from outside the area to score one the most stunning goals of the tournament. 'Football needs players of his characteristics for this spectacle,' Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said. 'For the moment, he’s the best player at this World Cup. Despite his nickname, 'el Nino' arrived in Brazil with the curriculum of a veteran: eight years playing as a professional in Colombia, Argentina, Portugal and France. His professional debut came when he was 15 for Colombian team Envigado. Prepared: Rodriguez stretches during a training session in Fortaleza, Brazil . Rodriguez also became the youngest foreign player to debut, score and become a champion in Argentina, where his performances were a springboard for a move to Europe. In 2010, he moved to Porto, where he shared a dressing room with fellow Colombia team-mates Radamel Falcao, Fredy Guarin and, later on, Jackson Martinez. In Portugal, he won three league titles and the Europa League before signing with Monaco, which paid 45 million euros for his transfer last season. In Portugal, aged just 19, he married Daniela Ospina, the sister of Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina. A devout Christian, Rodriguez goes to church, as does Falcao and other members of the Colombia squad. The faith seems to be a uniting element of the team, which usually gathers in a circle on the pitch and prays before matches. Team spirit: Rodriguez and his team-mates celebrate with a dance after his goal against Ivory Coast . Book mark: Colombia coach Jose Pekerman talks tactics with Carlos Sanchez . Star man: Pekerman has built his exciting Colombian side around Rodriguez . On social media sites, Rodriguez refers to himself in profiles as a 'son of God.' Usually shy and a man of few words, he got over a mild stuttering problem during his childhood. He is the son of an ex-footballer who left the family when Rodriguez was 3. It was his step-father who took Rodriguez to a football school when he was 5 and where he usually played with boys who were advanced. 'That boy played every match as if it were the last one he would play in his life,' said Armando Calderon, coach of the Tolimense Football Academy where Rodriguez played as a youth before turning professional with Envigado. 'James doesn’t accept losing, not even in PlayStation,' his mother, Pilar Rubio, said. From Envigado, he went to play for Banfield in Argentina when he was 16. Stretch out: Colombia players look relaxed during a training session in Fortaleza . Stretch out: Colombia players look relaxed during a training session in Fortaleza . VIDEO Team Profile: Colombia highlights . At Monaco, the young playmaker was reunited with Falcao, whose serious knee injury in January meant Rodriguez assumed more goal-scoring responsibilities in the final months of the season. He finished the season with 10 goals and 13 assists. Rodriguez soon extinguished any fears that without 'El Tigre,' Colombia wouldn’t be able to find its way to goal. 'His growth is permanent, mature,' Colombia coach Jose Pekerman said. 'He has a vision for the game, a good shot.' Rodriguez’s feats are transcending football, and comments about his talent are all over social media. 'Man watching this Colombian game I think I have my fav player in the world cup!' NBA player LeBron James said. 'Obviously his name help that out.' Rodriguez will turn 23 on July 12, the eve of the World Cup final at the Maracana, and all of Colombia hopes that he will help guide the team there. 'It’s a group that wants to make history,' Rodriguez said. 'This isn’t over.' More to come: Rodriguez has vowed to continue his form against Brazil on Friday . | Rodriguez made professional debut aged 15 for Colombian team Envigado .
Just 22, he is already Colombia’s top scorer at a World Cup .
Faustino Asprilla says Rodriguez 'can be the best Colombian player ever' |
191b8ce1e3fedf889fda212732d3f5ffd85e7c8c | By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 08:55 EST, 14 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:46 EST, 14 November 2013 . Prince Harry and the wounded servicemen and women he is trekking to the South Pole with got a warm send off for their gruelling charity race today. The 29-year-old royal and his team of adventurers were at London's Trafalgar Square before the start of the 208-mile Walking With The Wounded challenge. The group are due to fly to Cape Town, in South Africa, on Sunday before moving on to Antarctica two days later. Although . he has always been the 'action man' of the royal family, Harry's . participation in the challenge is one of his toughest tests yet. Scroll down for video . Prince Harry today hailed the courage of 12 wounded servicemen and women who are about to race each other across Antarctica . 'Action man': Prince Harry (pictured) and his team of adventurers were at London's Trafalgar Square before the start of the 208-mile Walking With The Wounded challenge . Harry, who will take time off from his job as an Apache helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps to compete, will be part of a five-strong team of Britons . He told the Walking with the Wounded departure event the expedition will prove 'even when you've lost a leg or lost an arm, or whatever the illness may be, that you can achieve pretty much anything if you put your mind to it'. 'The cause is for one cause and one cause only and that is to raise awareness for all the wounded, sick and injured whether it's in military life or whether it's in civilian life,' the prince said. Harry, who will take time . off from his job as an Apache helicopter pilot in the Army Air Corps to . compete, will be part of a five-strong team of Britons racing against . rivals from the U.S. and the Commonwealth to the southern-most point on . the globe. The marathon effort will see them travel a distance of 208 . miles in temperatures of up to -50C, all while hauling custom built . arctic sledges, weighing in excess of 11 stone. Ready: Prince Harry arrives for the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge launch in London . Challenge: The prince is planning to race along a 208-mile route to the South Pole . Long road ahead: The South Pole team at the Trafalgar Square photocall . Britain's Prince Harry, sixth left, poses for a group photograph on stage with other competitors, including actor Dominic West . Harry told the Walking with the Wounded departure event the expedition will prove 'even when you've lost a leg or lost an arm, or whatever the illness may be, that you can achieve pretty much anything if you put your mind to it' Harry took to the stage and was presented with the expedition flag. He said how much the men and women he will be walking with had done just to get here. The money raised will go towards helping wounded service personnel. He added: 'This trip is another way of reminding everybody that as Afghanistan draws down and these guys aren't in the news anymore so than they already are, it's a reminder to everybody that support must continue.' Prince Harry poses with children from Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Primary School in Brixton, south London . The marathon effort will Harry's team travel a distance of 208 miles in temperatures of up to -50C, all while hauling custom built arctic sledges, weighing in excess of 11 stone . Prince Harry told the crowd how much the men and women he will be walking with had done just to get here . Prince Harry gets out of a car as he arrives to attend the Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge departure event . The team expect to trek for between nine and 12 miles a day (15 to 20km), dragging 11-stone (70kg) sledges, and are likely to encounter vast crevasses, moving ice-shelves, glaciers and snow storms . Three of the other teams ready to depart for their trek to raise funds for the charity Walking With The wounded . Actor Dominic West, who is an 'Honorary Team Soldier On Member', was also at the launch . As part of his expedition training, Prince Harry, an Army pilot who has served in Afghanistan, spent a night in a sub-zero Army test facility in September. He and four team-mates, who all lost limbs in Afghanistan, were subjected to ambient temperatures down to -35C (-31F) and wind speeds of 45mph (72kph). In the Antarctic, the team will face even lower temperatures of -45C (-49) and savage 50mph (80kph) winds. They expect to trek for between nine and 12 miles a day (15 to 20km), dragging 11-stone (70kg) sledges, and are likely to encounter vast crevasses, moving ice-shelves, glaciers and snow storms. Of the location, the prince said: 'Antarctica is the only place on earth that is still as it should be. May we never tame that, but I can assure you the boys and girls behind me will do their very best.' The race begins on November 30 and competitors are expecting to reach the geographic South Pole by December 16. The competitors hope to reach the geographical South Pole on December 16 . Hopefully they'll all be home safely for Christmas which no doubt the new uncle hopes to celebrate with family . | The 29-year-old royal and his team of adventurers will travel 208 miles .
It is part of the Walking With The Wounded challenge .
Harry's .
participation in the challenge is one of his toughest tests yet . |
191bd519edb85cfffa5d6c968b1def7c3ddc6ccf | By . Ruth Styles . 'I'm wearing a shirt by Marks and Spencer and a pair of Calvin Klein jeans,' beams Eric Foreson, a trader from Ghana's capital, Accra. 'It happens like that sometimes.' But Mr Foreson's designer threads didn't come from a boutique. Instead they arrived in a batch of second-hand clothes sourced from a British charity shop. Rather than being donated to the world's poorest people, as a new BBC documentary makes clear, cast-off clothing has become a multimillion pound business - and the poor are paying. Big business: A trader in Kejeta Market in the northern town of Kumasi shows off her pile of cast-off clothes . The UK spends £60bn a year on new clothes and much of what is discarded ends up in high street charity shops. Clothes that aren't sold to shoppers go to recycling plants and from there, to Africa. Although the majority of African countries import cast-off clothing, Ghana gets the most with 30,000 tonnes arriving in capital Accra each year. Locally, it's known as 'oboni wawu' or 'dead white man clothing.' 'Oboni Wawu goes fast because it's a little bit . cheaper for the masses to afford,' explains Foreson, who owns one of the biggest wholesale businesses in Accra. 'If you have 50 Ghana Cedi (approximately £8), you can go to . the market and buy a lot of shirts,' he explains. 'If you go to the shop, you buy only one . or two shirts. People prefer to go to the market and buy the used ones.' Big business: Ghana imports 30,000 tonnes of second hand clothes each year, much of which arrives in Accra . Lucrative: Wholesalers importing second hand clothes from the UK can make up to £25,000 a day . Much of what they do buy comes from the UK. 'We used to get from Manchester,' adds Mr Foreson. 'Now we go to Leeds. We go . to Coventry. This,' he says, gesturing at a bale of clothes, 'is from Birmingham. In terms of second hand clothing, . UK stuff is the best. Many people import it more than the other stuff.' According to Ase Adu, the owner of a boutique selling upmarket second hand clothes to Accra's elite, the reason for buying British comes down to two things: size and quality. 'We prefer the smaller sizes,' he explains. 'That's why we prefer the UK over the US clothes. People like the quality. 'You can get Paul Boateng, Next, River Island Marks and Spencer, Ben Sherman. So many, many, things. Clothing is graded with buyers like Adu taking the best pieces, while second and third grade clothes are sold on - the tattiest ending up in the hands of the very poorest who buy them for as little as 25p. But while Ghana's second hand clothing boom is making some people rich, for indigenous textile producers, it has been nothing short of disastrous. Tatty: The poorest quality cast-offs end up in village markets where Ghana's least well-off buy them . Report: The BBC's Ade Adepitan met some of the traders making money from selling on charity shop clothes . End of the road: Second hand clothes trader Diana sells clothes to the poorest for as little as 25p . 'In 2009, we were producing two million . metres of cloth a month, and over that period, it's gone down by 75 per cent,' explains Steve Dutton, the Manchester-born overseer at the Akasombo Textiles factory near Lake Volta, which employs 2000 people. 'It's quite an urgent situation and we're on the brink of saying, we . can't go on.' And it's not just local textile producers that are suffering. 'Second hand . clothing brought in from the UK and America is cheaper, far cheaper,' adds Ode Bonsu, a local historian. 'We were trained, even when I was young, to believe that everything . western was civilised. Our belief and respect for our own things has . faded to the point where if we are not very careful, some day somewhere, . we will not see our own things any more. 'These . days, everybody is keeping an English name in addition to his own name. And they prefer being called their western name to their own name. 'That . alone should tell you. The food that we eat has changed. We now eat . western food as much as our own food. It is killing our culture.' Not that the traders making a killing off the back of British charitable donations care. 'It's a big and very lucrative business,' says one. 'You can make money every day. On a good day, you can make, lets say, . 100,000 Ghana cedis (£25,000). I'm telling you, this business is . very lucrative business.' This World: The Secret Life of Your Clothes, tonight at 9pm on BBC2 . | Charity shop clothing is sold to wholesalers in countries like Ghana .
They sell it on and can make up to £25,000 a day selling cast-offs .
Known locally as 'oboni wawu' or 'dead white man's clothing'
Second hand clothing trade has decimated local textile factories .
Poorest people are sold tattiest clothes and pay around 25p for them . |
191c09c67b7ee257d34f8094781c80e4fc5ba7ac | By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 03:23 EST, 24 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:39 EST, 24 January 2013 . A 64-year-old car dealer nicknamed 'Yoda' by workmates and subjected to jibes from colleagues about his age has won an unfair dismissal case. Workers at Evans Halshaw in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, changed Michael Nolan's car numberplate from OAB to OAP and asked when his 65th birthday - and expected retirement - was, an employment tribunal heard. Mr Nolan was service team leader at the dealership and claimed that bosses wanted to replace him with a younger employee when he retired. Strikes back: Michael Nolan, who was nicknamed Yoda after the Star Wars character, pictured right . The tribunal was told that principal dealer David Heeley frequently reminded Mr Nolan of his age and once introduced him as 'my 104-year-old service team leader'. He told Mr Nolan that he had checked personnel records to find out when his 65th birthday was and asked him to swap jobs with Paul Brooks, a younger member of staff being groomed to replace Mr Nolan in his higher paid role. Mr Nolan was dubbed 'Yoda' by staff after the Star Wars character - which the Nottingham tribunal explained was 'a small, wizened character who is several hundred years old'. He stayed put in his job - but when a round of redundancies came up he was given the axe in February last year, after being put into a 'pool of one'. He won his claim of unfair dismissal on the grounds of age discrimination. The tribunal was told how Mr Heeley had 'a tendency to express himself in a way which suggests that he does not consider carefully when and how it is appropriate to make references to the protected characteristics of employees and others in the workplace'. Employer: Mr Nolan was employed at the Evans Halshaw dealership in Worksop, Nottinghamshire . The tribunal said in its ruling: 'The respondent tolerated the playing of work related pranks and the use of age-related nicknames in its workplace. 'For example, on one occasion an employee of the respondent changed the letters of the claimant's number plate from OAB to OAP, although the tribunal accepts that the claimant found this to be humorous rather than offensive. 'Further, a number of the respondent's employees referred to the claimant as "Yoda", a small, wizened character in Star Wars who is several hundred years old.' Mr Heeley denied describing Mr Nolan as his '104-year-old service team leader', but the tribunal found that it was the type of remark he might make. He was disciplined for an offensive email in July 2011 telling staff not to move cars from one dealership to another without a deposit being left, and the tribunal found it was evidence of his managerial style, which he also applied to Mr Nolan's age. The tribunal said in its ruling: 'Mr . Heeley commented that he could see no problem with age-related banter . "if everyone is getting on". 'He went on to say that such banter was not the same as "discrimination about the colour of someone's skin". 'Whilst . it is obviously the case that it is not necessary for employees to . avoid all light-hearted references to the protected characteristics of . other employees, the way in which Mr Heeley expressed himself left the . tribunal to find that he did not regard age-related banter as being . something which some employees might find offensive.' It . ruled that because Mr Nolan had been made redundant while no . consideration was given to making Mr Brooks redundant instead he had . been discriminated against. | Michael Nolan was subjected to taunts about his age by colleagues .
Bosses at Evans Halshaw wanted to replace him with someone younger .
He was put on a 'shortlist of one' when redundancies came around .
A tribunal ruled that he was discriminated against because of his age . |
191c66c66d2d82796d687c36499fb62f6e6395ff | By . Anna Hodgekiss . and Lizzie Parry . Hasina Ganchi was given the all-clear after a CT scan last July, but in August she suffered a brain haemorrhage . A mother-of-four suffered a brain haemorrhage after doctors gave her the all-clear when part of her brain scan results went missing. Royal Blackburn Hospital has apologised to Hasina Ganchi, admitting it is 'likely' a correct diagnosis would have prevented the 42-year-old's haemorrhage. The hospital wrote to Mrs Ganchi blaming a 'computer failure' for mistake, telling her a section of her CT scan had been unavailable to doctors considering her case. Otherwise, it said, radiologists would have been able to see she had a brain aneurysm. Mrs Ganchi, from Blackburn, had suffered headaches for more than a decade, prompting doctors to send her for a scan at the hospital in July last year. She was told the results were 'okay', but in August Mrs Ganchi collapsed while working at the family-owned takeaway. Mrs Ganchi, who is married to Noor, said: 'I have had headaches for 10 to 12 years but I was never referred to the hospital for an X-ray or anything. 'The medication kept going up and up and they said it was all sorts of things, such as depression.' Following her scan on July 5, she said she was given the all-clear. 'Then in August, I was at the shop and I had a dizzy spell,' she said. 'The people around said I was falling and they grabbed me.' Mrs Ganchi was taken to Royal Preston Hospital where scans showed she had had an aneurysm - a swelling of blood within an artery or vein. An official complaint was lodged against Royal Blackburn and Mrs Ganchi and her family met with hospital bosses earlier this month. She said: 'We wanted to keep a record of everything said in the meeting so we asked for them to record it and send us a copy. 'But when they sent the CD, it was blank. It just added insult to injury.' The Royal Blackburn Hospital has apologised to Mrs Ganchi, admitting it is 'likely' a correct diagnosis would have been made if a 'computer error' had not resulted in part of her brain scan going missing and being unavailable to doctors assessing her case . Mrs Ganchi said she was still suffering severe headaches, but the cause has never been diagnosed. She said: 'I can’t do things that I used to do and I am not myself. I sometimes wish I had just died when I had the haemorrhage.' In a letter sent after that meeting, radiology manager David O’Brien said after Mrs Ganchi’s first scan, it was decided a second scan with an injection of dye was needed and undertaken. 'While it is not possible to say with absolute certainty whether or not identifying the aneurysm earlier would have prevented you (Mrs Ganchi) suffering the haemorrhage, this is a likely possibility' - Radiology manager David O'Brien of the Royal Blackburn Hospital . However because of the computer problems, the findings of the second scan were not placed on her report. He said: 'When you had a further scan in August the radiologist referred back to your previous examination and noted that images demonstrated a 4mm aneurysm in the middle cerebral artery. 'While it is not possible to say with absolute certainty whether or not identifying the aneurysm earlier would have prevented you suffering the haemorrhage, this is a likely possibility. 'Please accept my sincere apologies on behalf of the directorate and indeed the trust for this system failure and for any additional suffering and anguish it may have caused.' He added that new procedures had been put in place to prevent similar incidents happening again. Chris Pearson, chief nurse at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 'Patient confidentiality is of the utmost importance to us so we are unable to comment on individual cases.' | Hasina Ganchi had a CT scan at the Royal Blackburn Hospital last July .
The mother-of-four had been suffering headaches for more than a decade .
Days after her scan the 42-year-old was given the all-clear .
But in August she collapsed at work, suffering a brain haemorrhage after an aneurysm - a swelling of blood in an artery or vein - burst .
The hospital has apologised telling Mrs Ganchi part of her scan results were missing from her patient folder, as a result of a 'computer failure'
Hospital said it is 'likely' with the missing results they would've seen the aneurysm and given a correct diagnosis .
Trust said changes have been made to prevent a similar incident in future . |
191d221c96f160c6abdec545a7f76e3d4d7f8898 | By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 07:51 EST, 19 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:02 EST, 19 February 2013 . Banned: David Bradley, 55, cannot teach for at least two years after he . admitted streaking across a field with a group of year 8 pupils (file picture) A grammar school teacher who streaked naked in front of his pupils has been banned from Britain's classrooms for at least two years. Education Secretary Michael Gove imposed the sanction on David Bradley, 59, after a disciplinary panel found him guilty of 'unacceptable professional conduct' while working at North Cestrian Grammar School, in Altrincham, Cheshire. Bradley, who received an MBE four years . ago for his work with children on the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, quit his job last month after admitting it had been . ‘inappropriate’ to streak. He had been camping with the group of 12-and 13-year-olds on a field trip when he agreed to run naked across a garden. The married teacher told a disciplinary panel: ‘The lads had streaked for a joke and they were saying, “Come on sir, you have a go.” ‘At that point, for whatever reason, I got up, ran down the garden and ran back in. Even when I did it I thought, “What am I doing?”’ The Teaching Agency, who announced the ban today said: 'We are satisfied on the evidence that he took the conscious decision to agree to streak, then moved out of his sleeping bag, removed his boxer shorts and then ran with pupils in the garden. Bradley said that he could not explain why he had behaved in that way, but claimed that in November 2011 he was close to a breakdown due to stress and the pressure of work. Their report went on: 'Mr Bradley confirmed that there were no complaints raised by any children, and the children had found it hilarious.' Recommending he should be struck off the disciplinary panel said: 'Teachers are expected to behave in a manner which ensures the maintenance of appropriate professional boundaries. 'We believe that your actions in engaging in the streak failed to maintain the clear boundaries and appropriate delineation of behaviour which should exist between pupils and teachers. Your behaviour failed to ensure the maintenance of appropriate boundaries which are essential in order to ensure that a teacher's position of trust, responsibility and authority are upheld.' Bradley had undressed in an area where children were showering during the school camping trip to the Solwaybank centre in Dumfries and Galloway in November 2011. The veteran teacher, from Hale Barns in Greater Manchester, was also accused of inappropriately hugging a female pupil from North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham, Cheshire, where he taught. However, the Teaching Agency hearing in Coventry ruled that undressing in front of boys while they showered and hugging the girl, who Bradley said was hypothermic, did not amount to misconduct. Respected: Four years ago Mr Bradley was handed an MBE but has now left North Cestrian Grammar School in Altrincham in disgrace after the school trip . The English master was awarded an MBE in 2008 for services . to young people after running schemes for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award . for 30 years. He said at the time that organising . trips was ‘normally just an excuse to have fun and enjoy the animal . vitality the young exude’. Bradley, who has taught for 37 years, said he realised while streaking that what he was doing was unprofessional. However, referring to the accusations . about hugging the girl, Bradley said he was ‘aghast’ that what used to . be considered normal behaviour for teachers could now cause complaints. ‘The thing that comes out of this is how out of date I am,’ he said. ‘What is viewed as normal today seems . to have gone to a frightening situation where an adult can’t be near to . a child without being accused of something. I’m aghast.’ | David Bradley, 55, admits he acted 'inappropriately' by stripping .
He also undressed in an area where children, aged 12 and 13, were naked .
Mr Bradley was found guilty of misconduct by the Teaching Agency .
They banned him today for at least two years . |
191e3cd8a9bd1ec9d86566bec07b79121e03c585 | By . Dan Bloom . PUBLISHED: . 01:46 EST, 21 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:32 EST, 21 January 2014 . Considering they included mustard gas and trench foot, the dangers to soldiers in the First World War were all too obvious. But their wives and daughters hardly lived comfortably either - toiling on dangerous machines and making deadly materials such as asbestos to keep the nation from grinding to a halt. A new exhibition reveals a very human side to the war effort - showing women smiling as they drink tea and carry tyres and rolled glass. Life during wartime: Striking new images of women working during the First World War have gone on display at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester. Left, workers stack thousands of oil cakes in a Lancashire factory in 1918, while women use a grain elevator at the mills of Messrs Rank and Sons in Birkenhead, right . Heavy load: Left, a woman working in the Charles MacIntosh and Sons rubber factory in Manchester, and another, right, carrying a piece of rolled glass at Pilkington Glass in St Helens, Merseyside. The huge prints are made from images taken by GP Lewis, an official photographer of the Home Front who specialised in heavy industry . Fancy a cuppa? Images like this one of women having a break in an Lancashire oil factory are on giant outdoor prints, pictured right with museum employee Alex Knight . The striking images were taken by GP Lewis, an official photographer of the Home Front who specialised in photographing women workers in the glass, vehicle and food factories which spread across Britain. They were taken in the industrial heartlands of the north of England, from Lancashire to Merseyside, showing women manufacturing everything from grain to oil cakes probably used in animal feed. The exhibition at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester is designed to show how life during wartime shaped the society in which we live today. Part of the centenary of the First World War this year, the outdoor exhibition features vast 16ft high black and white prints outside the museum's main entrance. Visitors can explore a recreated trench to the sounds of war along with soldiers whispering, singing and even frying bacon. They can also sit at an interactive table which shows how food reached soldiers fighting in Europe. Towering: The 16ft high black and white prints have gone on display at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester in tribute to women who worked on the Home Front . Food for thought: A man looks at one of the images, which shed light on an often unreported side of the First World War while soldiers were serving in the trenches . Danger: Although the peril to soldiers abroad was more obvious, those back home faced hazards too. Pictured left, women worked in a factory in Lancashire making asbestos, a cheap and versatile fireproofing material which it would later be proved caused a devastating form of aggressive cancer. The exhibition runs until September . GP Lewis, the photographer, was known for his spontaneous and human style which contrasted with the staged, formal photos by Horace Nicholls. Although conditions were terrible, the poverty of early 20th Century Britain meant it was better for many soldiers in the Army than it was back home. For one thing, they would be guaranteed a daily meal with meat, a rarity if they were with their families. Meanwhile for those left back home, the reverberations of the war would be felt in ways which few would have predicted - it arguably hastened the cause of women's rights. Wives who had spent their whole lives at home were suddenly empowered and doing the jobs only their husbands would have done before. If they could work like men, some thought, why not be treated on the same level? Most women were granted the vote in 1918, the year the war ended - although it took another 10 years before the right would be extended to those under 30. The exhibition at Imperial War Museum North, Manchester, runs until September 28. | Rare images show women manufacturing oil cakes, grain for food and deadly asbestos for fireproofing .
They were taken by official Home Front photographer GP Lewis, who specialised in images of heavy industry .
Monumental 16ft prints have gone on display at the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester . |
191e9bbbc5e3b2b7247b36681f18061a136dc28c | By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 08:03 EST, 2 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:12 EST, 3 November 2012 . These incredible new images of Mars, taken on 6 June by the high-resolution stereo camera on ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft, show the stunning beauty of the Martian landscape - and reveal the telltale signs that water was once commonplace on the red planet, and could still be there in huge underground glaciers. They show the rugged terrain of Nereidum Montes, an area that marks the far northern extent of Argyre, one of the largest impact basins on Mars. Nereidum Montes stretches almost 1150 km and was named by the noted Greek astronomer Eugène Michel Antoniadi (1870–1944). Scroll down for video . This computer-generated perspective view was created using data obtained from the High-Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on ESA¿s Mars Express, and shows rippled sand dunes which form on the leeward (wind-sheltered) sides of mounds and canyons . Nereidum Montes seen in broader context at the northern edge of the Argyre basin on Mars . Based on his extensive observations of Mars, Antoniadi famously concluded that the ‘canals’ on Mars reported by Percival Lowell were, in fact, just an optical illusion. The new images captured by Mars Express show a portion of the region, displaying multiple fluvial, glacial and wind-driven features. Extensive drainage patterns can be seen towards the north (lower right side) of the first images, were formed when liquid water drained into deeper regions within the area. 'On Earth, tree-like channels of this kind are usually formed by surface runoff after significant rainfall, or when snow or ice melts,' ESA said in a statement. 'Similar processes are thought to have occurred on Mars in the distant past, when scientists now know there to have been water on the surface of the Red Planet.' Several of the craters within the region, particularly in eastern parts (lower section) of the first image, show concentric crater fill, a distinctive martian process marked by rings of surface fluctuations within a crater rim, the researchers say. The ratios between the diameter and depth of the filled craters suggest that there may still be water ice, possibly in the form of ancient glaciers, present below the dry surface debris cover. Scientists have estimated that the water-ice depth in these craters varies from several tens up to hundreds of metres. Concentric crater fill can be seen in many of the craters towards the east (lower part of the image). Undulations in crater floors are commonly seen in mid-latitude regions on Mars and are believed to be a result of glacial movement. In the image above, a smooth area to the east of (below) the glacial feature appears to be the youngest within the image, evidenced by an almost complete lack of cratering. Another indication of subsurface water is seen in the fluidised ejecta blanket surrounding the crater at the northern edge (right-hand side). These ejecta structures can develop when a comet or asteroid hits a surface saturated with water or water ice, ESA scientists say. The researchers say the images could also help plan where humans could eventually visit. 'In-depth studies of regions such as . Nereidum Montes play an essential role in unlocking the geological past . of our terrestrial neighbour, as well as helping to find exciting . regions for future robotic and human explorers to visit.' Taken on 6 June 2012, the colour coding enhances the visibility of the rippling sand dunes which formed in the wind-sheltered sides of the mounds and canyons. A 3D image of the same are which shows off the depths of the craters . Centred at around 40°S and 310°E, the image has a ground resolution of about 23 m per pixel. In the foreground near to the crater, a mud or ice-landslide is seen, possibly due to glacial processes . VIDEO: ESA's Mars Express found layers of water ice and dust at the Martian north pole... | Images show one of the largest impact basins on Mars, known as Nereidum Montes .
Show multiple fluvial, glacial and wind-driven features - and scientists believe there could still be ice under the surface in some of the craters . |
191eaaa9771c5d2ce27025c6b395f09bd1ca5b24 | Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield this weekend and we could be in for a festive feast of goals - because this fixture has brought about the most hat-tricks in Premier League history. Five trebles have been scored in this match-up since the inception of the Premier League, one more than has been netted in Newcastle United vs Manchester United fixtures. Four of those hat-tricks have come at Anfield, while one took place at Highbury - meaning there is a good chance of a high scoreline on Sunday. Robbie Fowler scored the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history for Liverpool against Arsenal in 1994 . Thierry Henry scored a treble against Liverpool for Arsenal at Highbury back in 2004 . Fowler has scored two of the five hat-tricks that have been netted in Liverpool vs Arsenal fixures . This fixture's first hat-trick hero in the Premier League era was Robbie Fowler, who scored three times at Anfield in August 1994. His trio of goals was, with just four minutes and 35 seconds before the first and the third strikes, is in fact the quickest hat-trick in Premier League history. And it was Fowler again who scored a hat-trick 16 months later. Just two days before Christmas in 1995, Fowler responded to Ian Wright's eight-minute penalty by scoring in the 40th, 59th and 78th minute to give the Reds victory at Anfield. Liverpool vs Arsenal has produced the most hat-tricks in a single fixture in Premier League history. Here is a list of those five trebles and who scored them... MATCH . Liverpool 3-0 Arsenal . Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal . Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool . Liverpool 4-1 Arsenal . Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal . TEAM . Liverpool . Liverpool . Arsenal . Liverpool . Arsenal . PLAYER . Robbie Fowler . Robbie Fowler . Thierry Henry . Peter Crouch . Andrey Arshavin . DATE . 28/08/1994 . 23/12/1995 . 09/04/2004 . 31/03/2007 . 21/04/2009 . Frenchman Henry scores his first by slotting the ball between the legs of Jerzey Dudek . Henry gestures to the Highbury crowd after scoring a hat-trick against Liverpool . Now Arsenal's first treble against Liverpool came via, you guessed it, Thierry Henry. The Frenchman, aided by a strike from fellow countryman Robert Pires, led the Gunners to a 4-2 victory at Highbury in April 2004. The fourth hat-trick of this fixture was scored by Peter Crouch in March 2007, when the big striker helped Liverpool to a 4-1 victory at Anfield. Peter Crouch points to sky in celebration of his hat-trick against Arsenal in March 2007 . The former England striker (right) rises highest to score the second goal of the match . Crouch (centre) is congratulated by Liverpool team-mates Jermaine Pennant (left) and Dirk Kuyt . Finally, arguably the pick of the bunch is Andrey Arshavin's hat-trick - because it was actually a quadruple! In a brilliant 4-4 draw at Anfield in April 2009, Arshavin scored all of Arsenal's goals and crowned one of the all-time great individual performances in Premier League history. Andrey Arshavin runs off pointing four fingers in the air after he scored all of Arsenal's goals in a 4-4 draw . The Russian smashes in his fourth goal during the 4-4 at Anfield in April 2009 . | Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday .
This fixture has produced most hat-tricks in Premier League history .
Five trebles have been netted during Liverpool and Arsenal matches .
Robbie Fowler (twice), Thierry Henry, Peter Crouch and Andrey Arshavin have all scored three or more times in a single fixture . |
191fb2568da6d18e5f41a24d6db28537f48750b9 | Cesc Fabregas has been running the show in more ways than one this season. The Chelsea star, who’s been an integral cog in Jose Mourinho’s winning machine, has covered more ground than any other player in the Premier League this season. Indeed Fabregas became the first player to complete more than 100 miles in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday. Cesc Fabregas, in action during Chelsea's 3-0 victory over Tottenham, has been in inspired form this season . He has covered more than 100 miles this season with Chelsea unbeaten in their opening 14 matches . Nemanja Matic and Jake Livermore are the only other players in the Premier League to run 100 miles this term . The Spaniard was swiftly joined on the list by his team-mate Nemanja Matic, the ever-impressive Serbia star who has starred since his arrival at Stamford Bridge in January, to hit the 100-mile barrier. Hull’s Jake Livermore is the only other player to have surpassed the landmark this year – the midfielder reaching three figures in his side’s 1-1 draw against Everton on Wednesday. It means the trio have averaged over seven miles in each Premier League game this season. Southampton, Swansea and Newcastle each boast two players in the top 10 of with Morgan Schneiderlin, Dusan Tadic, Ki Sung-yueng, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Daryl Janmaat and Jack Colback all featuring on the list. Stoke’s Steven Nzonzi also makes the top 10. Ki Sung-yueng has covered 99 miles in the Premier League this season, which leaves him fourth on the list . Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, Official Player Ranking Index of the Premier League. Pick, manage and play as your own team of stars in EA SPORTS FIFA 15 Ultimate Team. Find out more at http://www.easports.com/uk/fifa/ultimate-team #FEELTHEGAME . | Fabregas covered almost 102 miles in his 14 Premier League appearances .
The Spaniard has been in excellent form since his arrival from Barcelona .
He's joined on the list by Nemanja Matic and Hull's Jake Livermore .
They are the only three players to have run more than 100 miles this term .
Is Fabregas the signing of 2014? Take a look to see who our journalists picked as the best of the year . |
19201a2f495fed38a5acf719aee518e8fe157778 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:43 EST, 23 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:46 EST, 23 February 2013 . A woman who asked Joe Biden a question on gun control during an online debate said yesterday that she found the vice president's reply 'poor advice' and 'sexist.' During the town hall on Tuesday Kate Ernest put to Biden: 'Do you believe that banning certain weapons and high capacity . magazines will mean that law-abiding citizens will then become more of a . target to criminals as we will have no way to sufficiently protect . ourselves?' Biden told Ernest to 'buy a shotgun', advice she felt was dismissive. Scroll down for video . Dismissed: Kate Ernest says she felt Joe Biden was 'sexist' after telling her to and buy a shotgun when she asked him about gun control . When Ernest asked the question, Biden . laughed and said that he has told his wife, Jill Biden: 'Jill, if . there’s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony, put that . double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.' The vice president claimed that this would deter possible intruders and that homeowners don't need weapons like the AR-15 rifle. 'It’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and in fact you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun,' Biden advised. Ernest . appeared on Fox News yesterday saying that this was 'poorest advice he . could give anyone' as shotguns only hold two rounds. Advice: The vice president said that he has told his wife, Jill Biden: 'Jill, if there¿s ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony, put that double-barrel shotgun and fire two blasts outside the house.' Ernest says that, hypothetically, once Biden's wife gone out into plain sight and fired these two shots, she would then be a 'sitting duck.' The woman then added that the vice president's suggestion 'comes off a little sexist.' 'Like, "let me tell you what you need" versus, you know, "arm yourself or protect yourself in a way that you feel necessary,"' Ernest said. As it happens, the vice president's advice could also land his wife behind bars. As reported by US News, in Delaware, where the Bidens live, it is illegal to fire a gun unless the situation is genuinely dangerous. A Delaware Police sergeant told US News that residents are not allowed to shoot trespassers. 'On your property you can't just shoot someone,' he said. 'You have to really feel that your life is being threatened.' | Kate Ernest asked vice president about gun control during online chat .
Biden told her she didn't need a AR-15 rifle and 'buy a shotgun' instead .
Ernest said yesterday she felt his words were 'sexist' |
1921fa7aba03cc41adda05ebd20d94c5cd0b6ef6 | Istanbul (CNN) -- Police barricaded Istanbul's main Taksim Square and used water cannons to disperse crowds on Saturday to prevent demonstrators from entering Gezi Park, the site of protests for more than a month. Interior Minister Muammer Guler said the government won't permit "illegal" demonstrations in the park. "We will not and cannot permit demonstration or marches in those places," the minister said. "Without it being a demonstration or a protest march, they can use Gezi Park as they please. We will not allow tents. "Right now in Istanbul there is a search and a push for ways to have illegal gatherings. Our police is not permitting this," Guler said. Witnesses who spoke to CNN by phone reported use of water cannons and tear gas on Istiklal Street, one of the main arteries leading to Taksim Square. The 6th Administrative Court in Istanbul overruled some parts of the Taksim development project, including plans to rebuild old barracks in Gezi Park. Taksim Solidarity, an umbrella platform of activists and civil society groups, put out a call after ruling for people to gather in Gezi Park, which has not been open to the public since June 16. European Union, Turkey avoid rupture in relations . "We are going to our park to deliver the court decision by hand, which cancels the project aimed to disidentify, depopulate and concretize Gezi Park, to the ones who shut the park down to the people," said Taksim Solidarity in a written statement. "We are going to our park to open its doors to its real owners, so to everyone again." "They are in the smaller streets trying to prevent people from even reaching Istiklal," said Irem Koker, an eyewitness. CNN witnessed several men being detained by police. One demonstrators said "this is a police state," as water cannons were being used to disperse the crowd. Some residents exploded in anger at the police barricades. "This is the fourth entrance [to Taksim] that I've been stopped at. I have a 12-year-old child waiting for me," said a woman to a police officer blocking her way across what is normally one of the city's busiest transit hubs. She was dressed in the trenchcoat and headscarf popular among conservative Turkish Muslim women. "Until now I used to pray for you," she told the police officer. "Now that has all changed." As clashes continued in streets and back alleys of Istanbul's historic Beyoglu district, Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, responded to an amateur video that went viral on Turkish social media Saturday night. The video showed men armed with a large round sword and a stick attacking pedestrians in Istanbul's Talimhane district, which is adjacent to Taksim Square. One of the men with a machete is seen in the video beating a woman once with the blade and then kicking her in the small of the back. The amateur video also showed several police officers physically trying to separate the two men from the people they were attacking. An eyewitness told CNN he and several other anti-government protesters took shelter in a building in Talimhane when they saw the men shown in the video attacking demonstrators. "There were two guys in the middle of the street. We saw them from afar. They have these things that looked like swords, not knives but like rounded swords. They were running, swinging swords and kicking people," the eyewitness said, on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. "I think they were out there to scare people. To give the message 'we're out here.' It wasn't like they were hiding the swords." Mutlu said the suspected attackers had been detained by police. "The two people with swords and sticks that were part of the events that took place after the illegal protest in Taksim have been detained and are being processed," Mutlu wrote on his official Twitter account. "Our security officer was wounded while trying to apprehend the attacker armed with a sword who was seen in videos," Mutlu said. The Istanbul governor said that Gezi Park will open to the public Sunday, but that Taksim Solidarity's call for a demonstration is not legal and will not be permitted. "It is not legal to gather in Taksim. I cannot let you gather where the law says you cannot," Mutlu told reporters on Saturday. "We are not going to allow this illegal gathering. The police will make the necessary warnings," he said. After more than an hour of skirmishes between police and demonstrators, calm returned to Istiklal Street. The heavy police presence continued to block pedestrians from entering Taksim Square. | NEW: Video shows men using machete, stick .
Government won't allow "illegal" gatherings, interior minister says .
Witnesses reported use of water cannons and tear gas .
Court overruled parts of Taksim development project, including plans to rebuild barracks . |
19223605e0287809a065f145050147a69f2ef02b | You wanted to know more about greenwashing, and Scot Case, from environmental marketing firm TerraChoice, answered. Greenwashing expert Scot Case of TerraChoice . "Why are green products often more expensive than ones that don't say they are green or environmentally friendly? Is it just because green has become a new form of 'premium brand'? Isn't this bad news if we want to make more people environmentally aware when they go shopping?" Harriet Gladwell . Case: First, it should be noted that not all greener products are more expensive. The remanufactured toner cartridges I purchase at a nationwide office-supply store, for example, carry the same warranty as other cartridges at a 30-percent lower cost. This greener option is less expensive because the manufacturer avoids the cost of manufacturing the plastic and electronic components. They simply reuse the parts from recycled cartridges. There are also greener products that do not cost extra. There are cleaning products and paints, for example, that have been certified as meeting tough environmental standards by EcoLogo or Green Seal that deliver the same high-quality performance one expects without costing any extra. Other greener products might be slightly more expensive initially, but generate substantial savings for the consumer. Energy-efficient compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), for example, are still four times more expensive than traditional cheap incandescent light bulbs. However, CFLs use 75 percent less electricity and last 10 times longer, so they don't have to be replaced as frequently. As a result, the typical CFL saves consumers $30 over the life of the bulb. There are now energy- or water-efficient versions of all sorts of products -- refrigerators, windows, air conditioners, televisions, dishwashers, ovens, showerheads, washing machines, etc. The more efficient versions are typically more expensive initially to reflect the higher-quality components used to make them, but they quickly pay for themselves in lower energy and water costs. Look for products that are Energy Star registered. Even better, look for products that have been independently certified as meeting the Energy Star standards. Why are other greener products still more expensive sometimes? It boils down to the simple laws of supply and demand. Any new innovative product, whether it is "greener" or not, costs extra initially. It costs money to research and develop the product and to build the factories and supply chains it takes to make the product. Manufacturers try to recoup those costs as quickly as possible during the initial sales of the product. As demand increases, however, additional manufacturing efficiencies -- economies of scale -- begin to emerge that permit the prices to fall. In addition, high prices attract competitors with similar products, and the additional competition helps force prices lower. Are some manufacturers attempting to earn additional revenue by presenting their greener options as a premium brand? Absolutely. Just as some clothing manufacturers charge extra to have their name brand applied to a shirt. It is also possible, however, to buy high-quality, greener products, at very good prices, at growing numbers of mainstream retail outlets. When DVD players and cell phones were first introduced, they were only available to the very wealthy. Now everyone has at least one. The same is increasingly true with greener product offerings. "What are the most obvious signs that a company is greenwashing the public with false claims? What words and phrases should raise a red flag?" Carla Dos Santos . The most obvious sign a company is greenwashing is if the company fails to provide proof of their environmental claims. Legitimate environmental claims can be certified by independent outside third-party auditors. Manufacturers can also provide test data and other relevant information on Web sites. Consumers should also beware of generic environmental claims that are so vague they are likely to be misunderstood. Watch out for broad claims like "eco-friendly," "earth kind," "all natural," "eco-safe" or other green babble. Even phrases like "biodegradable," "recyclable" and "compostable" can be misleading if they fail to clarify how the products were tested or under what circumstances the claim is true. Make sure any environmental claim is specific, backed by proof, and, preferably, verified by an independent, outside third-party. For additional greenwashing examples and recommendations on how to avoid being fooled, check out the Six Sins of Greenwashing or the accompanying wallet-size guide book. "Is it possible to put together information about a product's greenness that has both the detail that's really needed, and is at the same time simple and clear? And how can we get governments to serve the public and advise them on green purchasing, in the way that is most fair to commercial interests?" Rick Reibstein . There are certainly efforts underway to provide consumers with additional information about the environmental impacts of their purchasing decisions. The traditional environmental standards such as Green Seal and EcoLogo publish standards and then certify products meeting those standards. Most consumers find the simplicity of this type of certification scheme the most useful. Some particularly savvy green consumers, however, want additional information beyond knowing that a product has been certified as meeting a standard. They are seeking information presented in a nutrition-label format that allows them to compare two certified products to determine which is greener. I think we will see the emergence of hybrid labeling systems that do provide greater detail about the environmental features of a product. Such a label would combine the traditional "thumbs up or thumbs down" approach of Green Seal or EcoLogo along with additional information in a standard format. The information might be available on product packaging or on an accompanying Web site. Governments are actually already pushing manufacturers to provide this level of detail using their purchasing power rather than their legislative power. Government purchasers across North America, for example, are demanding safer, more environmentally preferable cleaning products, papers, paints, vehicles, building products, office equipment and computers. Government purchasers in New York, Illinois, California, Minnesota, and other places, for example, require cleaning products to meet the Green Seal or EcoLogo cleaning-product standards. As a result, those products are becoming more widely available for consumers too. The U.S. Federal government and many state governments are also purchasing more environmentally preferable computer products. They are requiring products to meet the EPEAT green computer standard. One unique feature of the EPEAT label is that the EPEAT Web site provides additional information on the environmental features associated with the almost 1,000 products on the EPEAT registry. Now that the information is available, consumers can use the EPEAT information to make their own purchasing decisions. Providing this level of environmental information is the foundation of market-based environmentalism. Government purchasers, other large purchasers such as colleges and universities or Fortune 1000 companies, and individual consumers can use the publicly available information about the environmental impacts of their purchasing decisions along with traditional factors like price and quality to determine how they will spend their hard-earned money. This approach allows the greenest products to be identified and to compete with other products for market share. Of course, in addition to the market-based approach, governments always have it within their power to actually legislate minimum environmental requirements or the publication of basic environmental information. There are persistent rumors of efforts underway to use the legislative power of the federal government to encourage greater transparency regarding the environmental footprint of a product and to make it easier to share that information with consumers. It will be interesting to see what happens in Congress with a new U.S. president in January. "How can we know if the 'green' label is credible, and do you think we'll ever get to the place where all these different certifications merge into one consistent and widely recognized label? Is this happening in any countries?" Amber Wells . While there were only three or four eco-labels 20 years ago -- EcoLogo was North America's first and it was founded in 1988 -- there are now more than 300. At some point, I think it is inevitable that there will be some significant consolidation in the environmental-labeling world. There are already numerous meetings among the most legitimate environmental-labeling programs to collaborate more closely. A variety of efforts are attempting to separate the truly green labels from the fake green ones. There are also persistent rumors of pending federal legislation to encourage or even require greater accountability. Until then, consumers need to be aware that not all green-labeling programs are created equally. Before relying on any "green dot" to help make a purchasing decision, consumers need to understand exactly what the "green dot" means. Make sure you can answer the following questions about an environmental label before making a purchase: . (1) Who created the labeling program? -- Was it created by a manufacturer or a trade association to promote their own products, or was it created by an independent outside organization in an open, public, transparent process? Is it backed by a respected European or North American government? (2) Does the label require a product to actually meet a specific standard? -- Some labels are being awarded based on fees paid to a consultant rather than based on compliance with a published standard. Others are being awarded simply by joining a trade association or paying a membership fee. (3) Does the label address multiple environmental issues or does it focus narrowly on just a single issue like energy-efficiency or recycled-content? -- Review the standard to determine whether it covers multiple environmental issues throughout the entire product life-cycle, which includes the raw materials used to make the product, the manufacturing process, transportation and packaging, and the impacts of using and discarding or recycling the product. Make sure the standard covers the environmental issues you and the environmental community are most concerned about. (4) What does a manufacturer have to do to prove a product meets the standard? -- Some labels permit a manufacturer to determine on its own whether it meets the published standard. Other programs -- including EcoLogo, Green Seal, and the Chlorine Free Products Association -- independently review product test data and visit the manufacturing facilities to ensure compliance with the standard. There is a three-page appendix to the Six Sins of Greenwashing report that provides additional information to help identify legitimate environmental standards. Click here to read more of your questions and Scot Case's answers on greenwashing. | Scot Case answers your questions on greenwashing .
Has green become a new form of "premium brand"?
What green words and phrases should raise a red flag?
Click here to read more answers to your questions . |
1922cdc819d255e1cf27cc7580cf86691701ef45 | By . Ruth Styles . He's guzzled blood direct from the veins of a cow, spent weeks enduring sub-zero temperatures and gone hunting in the desert equipped with nothing more than poison-tipped arrows. Meet biologist turned explorer, Hazen Audel, 40, from Washington: the star of National Geographic's new survival show, Survive the Tribe and a man not shy of getting in touch with his wild side. But unlike Bear Grylls, this is one TV survival expert who really does live the experience and says he'd rather sleep in a palm-leaf shack than a luxury hotel. Scroll down for video . Nice to meet you: Hazen with San tribesmen Touka, Mosse, Joseph and Jonas in Namibia's Kalahari Desert . Taking part: During his time with the San people, Hazen learned to hunt using poison-tipped spears and arrows . 'If I didn’t show my experience as it really was I would be doing a . disservice to the tribes I live with,' he insists. 'The people I lived . with on every episode showed me so, so much. 'After living with these people, eating with them, helping them find and grow food, . getting to know their children and sleeping every night under the same roof . or stars...the bonds you make with these people are . indescribable. 'If I didn’t show my real experience, it would be like . lying to my family. Unfortunately the camera is rarely there all the time but I certainly . am.' Audel, whose first experience of tribal living came when he decamped to Ecuador aged 18, has spent the last year living with a variety of different tribes, among them the Samburu of Kenya and Namibia's San people. Other tribes to feature on the new show include the hunter-gatherer Huaorani people of Ecuador, Mongolia's Kazakh population and Canada's Inuit - many of whom still live traditional lifestyles, complete with igloos and reindeer. Bleak: Hazen also spent time with the Kazakh people of Mongolia who hunt using eagles . Remote: The Samburu people of Kenya live in the Rift Valley and live on a mix of cattle blood and milk . Tasty: Hazen gives water to some of the Samburu people's cattle during his stay in Kenya . But while going on shark catching expeditions with the Solomon Islanders proved the most hazardous, it was the Samburu's lifestyle that proved hardest to cope with - in no small part because of their blood and milk diet. 'I lived on cow's blood and milk for . almost three weeks,' remembers Audell, who in one scene, slurps blood direct from the animal's vein. 'There weren't any other options but that said, this diet is . what has allowed the Samburu to live in one of the driest and hottest . places on Earth.' Despite the lack of alternatives, Audel admits that he did find the tribe's 'blood milkshakes' hard to stomach. 'I never got used to . drinking blood,' he confesses. 'Mixing it with milk, which I like to call a . blood smoothie, made it only a tiny bit better.' The one alternative he did get to try was goat, although according to the 40-year-old, that wasn't much nicer. 'The Samburu warriors and I killed a goat to . eat and there was not an ounce of fat on that animal,' he recounts. 'I can remember . eating the ribs as they were cooked over the fire. It was like eating . chopsticks with a touch of dried meat paint that you scraped off with your . teeth. 'But . when it was all said and done, there was nothing left of that goat. The next . day, I discovered my host mother tanning the goat skin while children had . made rattles out of the hooves and my host father had made clothing . hooks out of the horns. I . learned to not take food for granted.' Memorable though his time with the Samburu was, it was the Huaorani, the same Ecuadorian tribe with whom he lived as a teen, that he most enjoyed living with. 'The Huaorani will always be a favorite . of mine,' he reveals. 'They took me in as a teenager and their way of life made me . question my own in so many ways. 'They have such strong family and . kinship bonds with one another within their communities. Everyone takes care of . each other.' Terrifying: During his time with Ecuador's Huaorani people, Hazen lived deep in the jungle . Remote: Life for the Huaorani involves devising elaborate ways to trap birds and animals living in the forest . What's more, he adds, the Huaorani could give the Samburu a run for their money when it comes to feats of physical endurance too. 'Seeing a 70-year-old man climb 100 feet up a tree . without branches and run through the swamps and jungles after wild game . with spears, showed me what humans are capable of - even at old age,' says an admiring Audel. But not everyone grew up in a rainforest or in the beautiful Great Rift Valley and as a result, says Audell, surviving in the wild shouldn't be taken lightly. 'It comes down to experience,' he explains. 'Inexperienced people don’t see the hazards and they don’t understand the . priorities of keeping themselves alive. Freezing: Living with the Inuit people of Canada proved challenging thanks to the extreme cold . Shark hunt: During his trip to the Solomon Islands, Hazen hunted Great White sharks in a flimsy canoe . 'You often hear stories of . people that get lost, give up and die because they were trying to find a way to . fix their mobile and they freeze to death despite having a lighter in . their pocket. 'If I had given up when I was lost in the . rainforest with the Huaoranis or when I was so dehydrated and over . heated driving cattle up a mountain with the Samburu or when I thought I was . going to freeze to death in the Arctic with the Inuit - in real survival situations like that, those those that give up, die. 'What some people see as survival skills, . I look upon as my lifestyle,' he continues. 'I don’t want the places I love to be spots that I have to fight to stay alive in and fight to get . out of. 'I want to learn all the ways to make these places useful so I can spend more time in them and even thrive there.' Survive The Tribe starts on Thursday 17th July at 9pm on National Geographic Channel . While you're unlikely to run into too many difficulties in the wilds of London or Edinburgh, should you find yourself marooned in the Brecon Beacons or on Dartmoor, these survival tips could save your life: . LEARN FROM THE LOCALS . 'The tribes are the ultimate experts in their terrain, whether it’s jungle, desert, mountain or Arctic ice. 'Survival knowledge is passed from generation to generation by word of mouth. Every skill and secret is passed on by the tribal elders. Theirs is a vital role and key to the tribe’s continued survival.' UNDERSTAND NATURE . 'Understanding the natural world is key to survival wherever you are. It can provide you with everything you need – food, water and shelter – and help keep you away from the plants and animals you want to avoid.' USE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS . 'Tribal survival is not just about now it’s about the future. Indigenous peoples are the masters at living in harmony with their environment, knowing when to harvest and when to leave in the ground; when to catch a fish and when to throw one back. 'Survival is not just about the present generation, it’s about all the generations to come. In the Solomon Islands, I caught a juvenile coconut crab but had to put him back. The Islanders will only eat adults that have first had a chance to breed.' WASTE NOT, WANT NOT . 'In tribal societies nothing is wasted. If an animal is killed, every piece of that creature is used – the meat for food, the leather for clothing, the bones and sinews to make tools and weapons. 'They have little, but everything they have helps them survive. In Namibia, the San make good use of the leg tendons of giraffes as they make great strings for their bows.' NEVER GIVE UP . 'Even in desperate situations, keeping your survival instincts intact can save your life. I got lost in the depths of the Ecuadorian rainforest, but by keeping calm and using field skills, I found my way back to the tribe. | Hazen Audel, 40, has lived with some of the world's most isolated tribes .
Among them are the Samburu, the Inuit, the Huaorani and the Kazakhs .
During his time with the Samburu he lived on cow's blood mixed with milk .
Says he almost froze to death while living in an Arctic igloo with the Inuit .
Appears in new National Geographic TV series, Survive the Tribe . |
19233120ba417179b89a9ad9ba897d7430a048a6 | A simulated school shooting in Massachusetts showed what 'active shooter' technology could do to help police catch a gunman if the horrific threat ever strikes. In the live demonstration, the 'gunman' entered the school armed with an assault rifle, opening fire with dummy rounds first in the school library and then rampaging through hallways and classrooms. But he had only a few minutes to wreak havoc. Smoke alarm-sized sensors installed in classrooms, hallways and other points throughout the building were activated by the sounds of gunfire, and police officers were immediately able to track his movements and quickly subdue him. Scroll down for video . Officers carry training weapons as they search the halls of the Methuen school during the live demonstration . Nearly 100 people gathered in the school auditorium to observe the demonstration of what the school district bills as the first such system operating in a public school in the U.S. Students were off for the Veterans Day holiday, so the Methuen grammar school was empty for the demonstration to take place. Police Chief Joseph Solomon said he believes such systems should be required in many public buildings, just as fire suppression systems and smoke detectors are. 'It's amazing, the short, split-second amount of time from identification of the shot to transmission of the message,' he said following the demonstration. 'It changes the whole game. Without that shot detection system, we wouldn't know what was going on in the school ... Valuable, valuable time can be lost. Unfortunately, with school crisis situations, it's about mitigating loss.' Police respond to the 'gunman' who entered the school with an assault rifle, opening fire with dummy round . Lieutenant Greg Gallant, of the Methuen police department, portrays an active shooter as he roams the halls of a school with an assault rifle, loaded with dummy rounds, during the demonstration . The system works using smoke alarm-sized sensors that are installed in classrooms, hallways and other points throughout the building and are activated by the sounds of gunfire . School Superintendent Judith Scannell said she hopes the district of about 7,300 students can find the money to pay for outfitting its four other schools. The new system was installed at no cost by Shooter Detection Systems, a Massachusetts-based company. CEO Christian Connors said it is installing the technology in two more schools in Virginia and California, as well as undisclosed airports. Founded in 2013, the company is among others across the country trying to market such 'active shooter' systems to the owners and operators of malls, airports, government offices, schools and other public buildings. Smoke alarm-sized sensors installed in classrooms, hallways and other points throughout the building were activated by the sounds of gunfire . Later this month, Savannah College Art and Design in Georgia is expected to become the first college in the country to launch such technology, using a system developed by California-based company SST. Mr Connors said his company's technology is based on systems successfully developed for the military to help soldiers locate enemy fire during battles and could cost anywhere from $20,000 to $100,000, depending on the size and structure of the building. Methuen has never been targeted, but three schools briefly were placed on lockdown last month after a psychiatric patient at nearby Holy Family Hospital reported a man with a gun in the clinic. Methuen long has been among the more active districts in the state in addressing school safety. Officers were immediately able to track the movements of the 'gunman' (pictured) and quickly subdue him . Graph shows how school shootings and fatalities in the United States have increased . Situated about 30 miles north of Boston, the district was one of the first to post uniformed police, known as school resource officers, in its schools. Methuen was also among the first to conduct 'active threat' drills for police officers following a rash of school shootings across the country, including the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, that killed 26 children and school staff. Suzanne Kennan, a resident who lives across from the school, said she had not been aware the district made the upgrade, but she said she supported the investment. 'Unfortunately we're at a point where we have to do something like this,' she said. 'Instead of burying our heads in the sand and thinking this will never happen, they're doing something. You never know where this is going to happen next. Why take that chance?' The new system was installed at no cost by Shooter Detection Systems, a Massachusetts-based company . The simulation showed what 'active shooter' technology could do to help police catch a gunman . | Simulated shooting in Massachusetts showed how system could aid police .
In live demonstration, 'gunman' entered school armed with an assault rifle .
He opened fire with dummy rounds in the library, hallways and classrooms .
Smoke alarm-sized sensors in building were activated by sounds of gunfire .
Police were immediately able to track the gunman and quickly subdue him . |
192606bd21c558bddc7c2373635911df4c22d5ac | A former party-lover has given up cocktails, cigarettes and burlesque dancing and converted to Islam after falling for a Muslim man nine years her junior. Mother-of-three Claire Birkill, 37, from Nottingham, overhauled her lifestyle after a trip to Gambia in January where she met fiance, Sarif Jallow, 28. In her days of burlesque dancing, she would parade around in nothing but knickers and nipple tassels. Claire Birkill, left, now Jameela, has changed her ways as well her her name after converting to Islam, right . Ashamed: The mother-of-three now regrets pictures like this from her days as a burlesque dancer . But since converting, she now covers up in a hijab and says she is ashamed she was once such an exhibitionist. She's also changed her name by deed poll to Jameela. She said: 'Before I enjoyed weekly burlesque classes. I would strip down to silky corsets and do sexy dances. Now I'm so ashamed of my past, I can barely look at old photos. I feel like I've been reborn.' Jameela, who has three children aged six, 16, and 18, met her fiance, Sarif, following the breakdown of her first marriage and said it was love at first sight. She explained: 'My eight-year marriage broke down in 2013 around the time I decided to study tourism at college.' As part of the course last January, she travelled to the Gambia, West Africa, where she met Sarif. 'He was a teacher and nine years younger than me but it was love at first sight,' Jameela said. 'He was so intelligent and kind. On the last day of the trip in March he told me he loved me. 'As I left the airport I cried and cried for three hours straight.' Party animal: Jameela used to love going out drinking before converting to Islam . Changed her life: Now she's happier and healthier after meeting Sarif, right, who proposed in March . Back home, Jameela, then still Claire, spoke to Sarif on the phone every night and he proposed weeks later. She used to be a Methodist but after listening to Sarif talk about his religion, she decided to research it on the internet and 'immediately felt a connection'. She said. 'It's about peace, empathy, love and kindness, all things I believe in. I realised I needed to become a Muslim.' She converted in a special ceremony in June and changed her name to one that's traditionally Muslim. She has not asked her children to convert, leaving them to make their own decisions on whether they want to follow a path of religion. She also began observing Ramadan, explaining: 'It's a month-long period of prayer, fasting, charity-giving and self accountability for Muslims. It was difficult but incredibly fulfilling. Romantic thoughts are forbidden during Ramadan, so I banned myself from talking to Sarif in daylight hours because I got too turned on by his voice.' It's a far cry from her former hedonistic lifestyle. As a young woman, she had a weakness for cigarettes and alcohol and was often promiscuous. She said: 'Before becoming a mum I'd think nothing about bringing a man home after a night out. Normally it was alcohol-induced but I'd never do it now. Long distance love: The couple will initially live apart as Sarif works as a teacher in Gambia and Jameela doesn't want to pull her youngest son out of school in the UK . 'I used to smoke 40-a-day too. I was like a chimney and nearly always had a cigarette in my hand. I can't imagine smoking now, ruining my body.' She added: 'I used to get through at least a bottle of gin a week too. I was a huge G&T fan and would relax with a few in the evenings. That was just a normal week. 'If I went out with the girls, I'd drink more. I loved cocktails and would work my way through the menus in bars. 'The next morning I'd feel terrible and would waste the day feeling sorry for myself. When I think of how I behaved, I'm so ashamed.' She's also now given up her hobby of burlesque dancing, which she started in 2012 after signing up for classes at a local dance studio. 'I wanted to improve my body confidence. I would perform routines, starting off fully dressed and ending up in just silky pants and nipple tassels,' she explained. 'I'd never dream of doing it now. 'Looking at pictures of me in a pink silk basque I see it is very un-Islamic. Islam believes a woman's body is just for her husband.' Mocked: Not everyone has been supportive of Jameela's decision to chance religion . The way she eats and dresses on a daily basis has changed dramatically too. 'I travel ten miles to ensure I only buy Halal meat from a specialist butcher. I used to joke "don't wake me up in the morning unless bringing me a bacon butty and coffee" – I'd never say that now. 'Giving up bacon has been the hardest thing but Halal prohibits it. 'I always cover my legs as requested to by Islam. I found the headscarf quite restrictive at first. But now I wear it tighter because I want to.' Jameela said Sarif was 'heartbroken' when she told him about her past but she said: 'He knows how committed I am now and believes I've changed.' Sarif is still living in Gambia and the couple will continue to have a long distance relationship after they marry because Jameela does not want to disrupt her youngest son's education. Given up alcohol: The mother used to get through at least a bottle of gin a week . 'After the wedding we will live apart. Because of the age of my youngest son, I won't take him out of school, so I can't leave the UK,' she said. Jameela said she's never been happier since meeting Sarif and changing her religion but the decision has cost her a number of friends. She is often mocked or abused when she goes out in public wearing a hijab. She said: 'Some friends don't want to know me anymore and others are refusing to call me by my new name. 'In the street one person asked why I wasn't wearing a letterbox, meaning a burkha. It's so disrespectful. I've heard sniggering in the playground when I've picked my son up from school and laughed at in Primark by teenage girls. Jameela said friends who knew her as Claire refuse to call her by her new name and she's been laughed at for wearing a hijab but she's never been happier . 'People I know locally are pulling coats over their head and running round with them, shouting, "I'm Jameela". I've also been called a terrorist by strangers and even former friends.' But she said for all the friendships she has lost, she has also gained new ones. 'The Muslim community is very welcoming. I've been invited into their homes and made to feel more welcome by them then I ever was as a Methodist. 'I've never been happier or healthier than now. And that's all thanks to meeting Sarif.' | Mother-of-three Claire Birkill, 37, from Nottingham, overhauled her lifestyle .
Used to love boozing and burlesque dancing, wearing nipple tassels .
Has given up her hedonistic ways after meeting Muslim fiance Sarif Jallow .
Learnt about his religion and decided to convert .
Changed her name to Jameela, wears a hijab and given up alcohol .
She said she's now ashamed of her past . |
1926c2a96864ce6cccab395483b30cd843f1cd64 | (CNN)The first doses of the Ebola vaccine were on a commercial flight to West Africa and were expected to arrive on Friday, according to a spokesperson from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) one of the companies that has created the vaccine with the National Institutes of Health. Another vaccine from Merck and NewLink will also be tested. "Shipping the vaccine today is a major achievement and shows that we remain on track with the accelerated development of our candidate Ebola vaccine," Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chairman of global vaccines at GSK said in a company release. Ebola who is patient zero? In December, the trial of the vaccine made by Merck and NewLink were stopped after some of the volunteers in the trial had "transient mild" joint pain. After investigating that side effect, scientists concluded it was not a big enough issue to stop the development of the vaccine. No similar side effects were noted in the GSK trial. There are other Ebola vaccines being tested by companies in the United States and in Russia. This first shipment will be used, along with a placebo in this first large-scale trial in the next few weeks in Liberia. "We are expecting to start by the last week in January, but there are some details that need to be ironed out regarding the FDA," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at a press conference. Worst Ebola outbreak in history: What you should know . The tests should begin in the Monrovia area and will involve nearly 30,000 people. People who have had the virus and survived will be excluded from this trial, according to GSK. The first people to get the vaccine will be health care workers who are some of the population that is most at risk for catching Ebola. That's because it can be easily transmitted through exposure to bodily fluids. In Liberia there have been 370 cases of health care workers becoming infected with Ebola, 178 of them have died according to the World Health Organization. The number of newly infected health care workers has declined recently, as has the number of cases in general in Liberia. Hope for Ebola epidemic's end in Liberia . In August and September of 2014 the WHO was seeing 300 new confirmed cases per week, versus the 8 new confirmed cases according to this latest incident report. Another trial in Sierra Leone should start a few weeks after the trials get started in Liberia, according to the NIH. Sierra Leone has had the largest number of infections of any country with 10,340 reported cases and 3,145 deaths from Ebola. The disease has slowed down according to the WHO, but still there were 117 new confirmed cases according to the latest report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will work with Sierra Leone's government to help manage the tests. The NIH will also soon be testing the therapeutic drug ZMapp as early as next month. Ebola Fast Facts . ZMapp is an experimental drug that has been used to help patients who have already been infected by the virus. The drug maker, Mapp Biopharmaceutical ran out of the drug last year, but has been making enough doses for a small human trial. The number of new Ebola cases in Liberia has been declining, but public health leaders say that there are still "little mini outbreaks" and that "until there is a very last case, (an epidemic) is not over until it is over," Fauci said. Since the outbreak began in December 2013, there have been 21,759 infections and 8,668 people have died from Ebola. | The first vials of an Ebola vaccine should land in Liberia Friday .
Some 37,000 people are expected to be involved in the first large-scale test of the vaccine .
Health care workers will be the first to get the vaccine as they are most vulnerable . |
19272f76067a3afe0a35874d0a603176cb22493c | Mogadishu, Somalia (CNN) -- In a classroom tucked away from the world in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, students practice spelling. Ranging in age from 6 to 11, these girls all have one thing in common: They have either been raped or suffered through the rape of a loved one. Even the 6-year-old is a rape survivor. The baby of the class, she can't quite keep up with the spelling lesson but is happy to clap along. Next door, in the clinic adjoining the class, a 7-year-old boy and his mother are in for a checkup. The mother was raped and then watched, helpless, as her son was molested. Too afraid to seek help, she did what she thought would help: washed her son's wounds with hot water and salt for four excruciating days until they were found and brought here. The classroom and clinic are both part of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center. Founded in 2011, it is the first rape crisis center in Somalia. Today, the center has bases both in and outside Mogadishu, providing a haven for the spiraling number of Somali victims of sexual violence. The figures are horrifying, with at least 1,700 women raped in camps for internally displaced people last year in Mogadishu, according to United Nations figures. The Elman Peace and Human Rights Center was founded by the parents of Ilwad Elman in the 1990s to help child soldiers, but it closed down after her father was assassinated by warlords, forcing the rest of the family to seek refuge in Canada. Eventually, she and her mother returned, and in 2011, the center reopened with a new focus: helping the victims of sexual violence. For the safety of the Elman center's staff and the victims it helps, CNN agreed not to reveal the location of the centers it visited. Rape isn't just happening in the camps for those forced from their homes by fighting, Ilwad Elman told CNN, but in the wider community, "which is also affected by rampant abuse of sexual and gender-based violence." Elman says she believes a multitude of factors are to blame, but the chief one is conflict -- something that has affected every Somali during more than two decades of war. "Rape is a well-known weapon of war, so that is one thing that is undeniable," said Elman. "There's also harmful traditional practices. There's also the destroyed social protection structures that were in place" but were destroyed by conflict, she adds. Put all these factors together, she said, and "that is why rape is so indiscriminate" in Somalia. Social stigma . For the first time in decades, there is reason for optimism in Somalia, thanks in part to the country's newly appointed and popular president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and increased security in much of the country. But the plight of Somalia's women has seen little improvement. While the center's staff has gained some idea of the number of cases of sexual violence in Mogadishu and its surrounding area, little is known about the scale of the problem further afield. Rape in Somalia carries huge social stigma, and after the long years of conflict, there is no way of knowing how many women are suffering in silence. When the new president was appointed last year, his public commitment to punishing those guilty of sexual offenses had an immediate impact, said Elman. But those advances have been undone, she said, by events since. In February, Lul Ali Osman Barake made headlines when she reported her rape at the hands of men she says were government soldiers. They took turns raping her, she told CNN, only stopping when they thought she was dead. But when she reported the crime, it was Barake who was arrested and convicted of defaming a government institution. Eventually, she was freed after a huge international outcry, but she says her attackers have yet to face justice. And, like many of the women CNN spoke to, she has no faith they ever will. The United Nations says 70% of the rapes perpetrated in Somalia are carried out by men in military uniforms. Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon admits there's a problem but insists that it is being addressed. "There's been no effective government in Somalia for such a long time, and people are disorganized ... but now we are organizing, and I think we'll disconnect ... from the past," he told CNN. "We are doing everything possible, we are taking every step to ensure that women and girls are safe. "We have nominated a new commissioner, judiciary reforms, and ... we are constituting a new policy for making our women and children safer than ever." 'Underground network' of women . But women's rights activists say the damage might already have been done. "I think it's become a lot harder for women to report rape," said Elman. "One clear message was sent to them: that if you do report a rape, there's as much of a chance of you ending up in jail as a perpetrator. It has not only become harder for women who are a survivor of rape to report it, but also people working with these people to work towards ending or responding to sexual violence. "There was a very dramatic decline in the figures for the last three months. I think it was nearly 60%." With public information limited and the stigma against speaking out so strong, the center has created "almost an underground network of women" to spread the word about its work, said Elman. Some women who have been supported by the center go on to help others, letting them know through word of mouth that these services exist. Other women find their own way there or meet center staff out in the community, she said. What makes the situation worse is that often, the same woman is raped repeatedly, by different perpetrators, said Elman. The center can help the woman each time, but "without the government's support and putting in place mechanisms to protect these people, there will be no end to this impunity," she said. Hawa, who agreed to talk to CNN as long as a pseudonym was used to conceal her identity, told how after being raped she fled her home for what she thought was a new beginning in another part of town. In her new home -- and in spite of being pregnant with the first rapist's baby, she says -- she was attacked again. She, like Barake, has no hope that justice will ever be done. Make the perpetrators 'bear that burden' The United Nations is due to send in a British-funded team of experts on sexual violence to help the Somali government establish protection mechanisms. Delegates at an international donor conference, held this month in London by the UK and Somali governments, pledged to work together to tackle sexual violence. The issue will also be on the agenda at the G8 leaders' summit to be hosted by the United Kingdom in June. But it will take time and money to bring about change in a country that has so many pressing needs. Matt Baugh, UK ambassador to Somalia, told CNN that there were "no guarantees," but the involvement of international partners should improve the chances of Somalia living up to its commitments on sexual violence. "What needs to happen practically (is) to redress the balance, to turn this from a stigma of shame where the survivors, the victims of these horrible attacks, bear that burden, to one where it's the perpetrators who feel ashamed about it," he said. There is now a realization, he said, of the "huge, huge problem facing the country as a whole, as well as women and girls," but it will take time to make the necessary changes to tackle sexual violence. These include better documentation of such crimes; reforming the security sector, so that the army and police come under greater government control and win people's confidence; and reforming the judiciary so that ordinary Somali families believe in the justice system, he said. "We've got the opportunity for the first time in 20 years, based on Somali leadership and their compelling vision, to chart a way forward," he added. "I think that this newfound stability and these new steps that have been made by Somalia, that the entire world is celebrating, because it is, indeed, worth celebrating, ... has to be something that everybody has access to," said Elman, in Mogadishu. "We need to make sure that women are in this human space where we are moving forward." For the moment, though, Somalia's women are relying on themselves -- and each other -- to rebuild their lives as best they can. READ MORE: Somali court clears woman alleging rape . CNN's Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report. | The Elman Peace and Human Rights Center became Somalia's first rape crisis center in 2011 .
U.N.: At least 1,700 women raped last year in camps for displaced people in Mogadishu .
Somalia's new government has said it will take steps to tackle sexual violence .
Reforms are needed of security services, judiciary and societal attitudes, says UK envoy . |
1927465d0b0887a0e32e94d99ff5d34f9a59dd1f | A woman who ‘rescued’ what she thought was a stray kitten ended up in court after selling the animal. Mother-of-four Suzanne Gilmore, 30, found the £400 pedigree Siamese kitten under a bush and took it back to her Blackpool home. For a month she cared for the creature, but after deciding the expense was too much, advertised it on the internet and sold it for £80. Mother-of-four Suzanne Gilmore, 30, found the £400 pedigree Siamese kitten under a bush and took it back to her Blackpool home. Above, a file image of a chocolate-point Siamese kitten like the one Gilmore found . The new owner later visited a web site called Pre-Loved and saw a picture of the cat she had just bought, where it was being described as lost. The original owner, Pauline Courtney, was contacted and was reunited with her pet. The police then got involved, and Gilmore found herself before Blackpool magistrates. After pleading guilty to the theft of the animal by finding it, she was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £80 compensation to the buyer, Jennifer Tilsley. Magistrate Barry Birch told Gilmore: ‘It is to your credit that you cared for the cat.’ Alan Godwin, defending, said ‘She took compassion on it. However, there were other steps she should have taken.’ 'She could have taken the animal to the police, a vet or the RSPCA and see whether it was micro chipped.She did not do enough to find out if the cat had an owner.' The original owner, Pauline Courtney, was contacted and was reunited with her pet. The police then got involved, and Gilmore found herself before Blackpool Magistrates Court, pictured . | Suzanne Gilmore found Siamese kitten and took it to her Blackpool home .
For a month she cared for cat, but decided it was too expensive and sold it .
New owner later discovered that the cat had been lost by original owner .
Cat and original owner were reunited and Gilmore found herself in court . |
19281aedd1c30570ad623390510ef968d59c35bd | (CNN)A little more than 20 years ago, Dubai was an arid desert outpost on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Today, world famous architecture rises high above the city's streets, vast columns of cars roar along highways that reach out to its ever expanding suburbs while offices for some of the world's largest firms populate the flash new business district downtown. It has been a truly remarkable transformation in such a short space of time. The next stage of Dubai's development will see it host the World Expo in 2020, an event that has added a further dose of fuel to the booming construction sector that has made these changes possible. Residential and commercial property prices are on the rise as a result -- but so are fears of a property collapse like that of 2009 which resulted in Dubai being bailed out by neighboring Abu Dhabi. Global real estate firm Knight Frank calculates that property prices rose by 27.7% between March 2013 and March 2014, although the speed of this surge slowed in the first quarter of this year. A new bubble? According to Masood Ahmed, Middle East and Central Asia director of the IMF, the specter of instability is one that must be monitored closely. "You do see in an increase in property prices, real estate prices in Dubai and these are things to watch out for," Ahmed said. "Overall inflation rates in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) ... remain quite manageable, these are the areas you quite rightly pointed out are where you need to keep a vigilant eye." But alongside these words of caution comes optimism as well. The IMF predicts approximately 5.5% growth for Dubai between 2014 and 2019. This figure that is expected to rise to 8% in 2020, the year of the Dubai Expo. Still, the authorities have moved to cool the property market, perhaps aware of the dangers of speculators looking to make a quick buck and driving up prices in the process. "The Dubai government raised the transfer tax from 2% to 4% (making) property transactions more expensive and less attractive to flippers," said Alan Roberston, regional CEO of real estate and financial services firm JLL. On top of this "the UAE bank introduced new loan to value proportions on mortgage lending and some of the developers have been introducing their own regulations," Robertson added. Playground of the rich . But with no corporate tax and stable governance in the Emirate, the well-to-do property investors keep on coming. Dubai is a growing travel hub between east and west while luxury property like the Palm Islands and year round warm weather ensures it retains a big appeal to the global elite. Estate agent Patrick Crowe is responsible for some of Dubai's most exclusive properties through his company Luxahabit and believes that high-net-worth clients are undeterred by the rising prices. "For a lot of our clients the driver seems to be lifestyle." Crowe said. "Some of our clients are Russian guys ... they like seafront properties so the Palm treats them well. Our GCC clients they like penthouses, Dubai marina downtown that kind of area. "The Indian (and) Pakistani clients we have they like a bit more privacy so they tend to go for the Emirate Hills properties." The other Dubai . For those with less cash to splash purchasing sales have slowed, however. Rents have surged on average by 20% year on year, according to commercial property consultants CBRE Research. "The issue for Dubai is affordability," said Nick Maclean of CBRE Middle East. "The cost of living is going up not just housing prices. (Neighborhoods like) Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah have been beneficiaries of people moving away to seek better value accommodation so Dubai has to be very careful that the affordability gap as we are calling it doesn't get out of control." Dubai, the remarkable city that rose from the desert sands, is known for its "build it and they will come" philosophy. It will hope, however, that it won't have to add to the postscript of this charmingly optimistic phrase "but only if you can afford it." | Dubai has grown at a rapid pace in recent years as has its property market .
Residential property prices have risen by 27.7% in last year, according to Knight Frank .
Dubai authorities keen to ensure property bubble does not develop .
International investors continue to flow into Dubai, luxury real estate agents say . |
192a61905a3accaa342ceb9cb9b29147ca35921e | By . Tom Goodenough . PUBLISHED: . 09:15 EST, 10 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:42 EST, 11 July 2012 . A circus acrobat who starred in Britain’s Got Talent lost his 'Wheel of Death' stunt act after a disgruntled nephew stole it and sold it for scrap, a court heard today. Wayne Vanderwesthuizen, 46, was planning to use the machine after he got through to the second round of the ITV talent show. But it went missing from storage in Blackpool, Lancashire, after a row with his nephew Jeremy, 26, over £3,500 unpaid wages, it was said. The Vander Brothers performing on the Triple Wheel of Death before the act went missing . Jeremy took the 'Wheel of Death' machine to the scrap yard - selling it for just £585 then sold his uncle’s Ford van on eBay to a man in London for £2,500, the court heard. It emerged Wayne had originally paid £3,000 for the act but then added to it adapting it through the years, spending a further £3,500. The fallout occurred last November after South African-born Wayne employed Jeremy to help run his circus act in which three acrobats walk, skip and jump on a set of triple revolving wheels whilst blindfolded. Preston Crown Court heard Wayne spent his winters in South Africa and summers touring around England attending agricultural shows, outdoor shows and festivals with his death-defying act. Jeremy Vanderwesthuizen, pictured left leaving Preston Crown Court is accused of stealing The Wheel of Death, worth £29,000, from his uncle, Wayne Vanderwesthuizen, pictured right also leaving court . The Wheel of Death is a steel construction of two or three wheels connected by spokes which revolve at high speeds . He would occasionally get bookings over New Year and Christmas and Jeremy was paid per event but during 2010 business began to slump and Wayne fell behind paying wages. Wayne told the jury: 'I have been doing it since 1984. Jeremy is my sister’s son. I brought him over in 2005, I trained him up with the hope eventually, one day, he would take over from me. 'I was hoping to keep it in the family, I was hoping to pass it to the next generation. 'I paid him £250 for each performing day and he took care of his own tax situation. 'In the recession, in 2009, bookings were hard to come by and I was struggling a bit, I was in some debt in South Africa as well. The Wheel of Death went missing from its storage location in Blackpool in November last year . Wayne Vanderwesthuizen bought the Wheel of Death in 1984 and has been touring with it ever since . 'I asked if I could pay him back at a later stage. '2010 was worse: I went to work in a traveling circus in Israel because there were no bookings. In 2011 he worked with me from April 25 to July 9. I terminated it (his contract). 'A booking on a triple wheel came up, there was a guy I was using that he didn’t like - but there was a contract. I told him it doesn’t matter whether you like him or not, I need to make sure I fulfil the contract. 'He eventually did agree but (he) said only if he could work the rest of the season and I said as long as you are clean-shaven, but he refused.' Wayne returned to South Africa in the second week of September last year, putting his van and equipment into storage in Blackpool, whilst Jeremy remained in England. Jeremy Vanderwesthuizen denies two charges of theft in relation to the disappearance of the Wheel of Death . Wayne Vanderwesthuizen said that the recession led to a decline in bookings for the Wheel of Death . He said he had been in touch with the man managing the storage to say they would be back in the beginning of the New Year to practice because they had gone through to the second round of Britain’s Got Talent. Wayne said he bought the van in July 2011 for £2,750 and had bought the Wheel of Death in 1987. He said the only communication he had with Jeremy since last July was an email saying that he would clear the debts with any bookings he got, which included the Abu Dhabi Grand prix. Wayne said he had already repaid his nephew £1,100, through £100 pay outs and still owed him £1,300. He has since bought another Wheel of Death from Holland at £5,500 and was still paying it off. The truck has been returned to him after police tracked it down a short time afterwards. Jeremy denies two charges of theft. Paul Hague prosecuting said: 'He accepted that he took it but he felt like he was entitled to do so because he had no money.' 'The question is his honesty. He says he was entitled to do so, or he believed he was entitled to do so - the crown say he told lies that he must’ve known that he was not entitled to scrap this piece of equipment or sell the van to some innocent third party down in London.' The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Wayne Vanderwesthuizen, 46, spent £6,500 on the 'Wheel of Death' but his nephew sold the act for just £585, it is alleged .
Court also hears that Jeremy Vanderwesthuizen sold his uncle's van on eBay after claiming he was owed money for performances .
Vanderwesthuizens were set to star in the second round of Britain's Got Talent before the act went missing . |
192ac5a634682a3c98bcae73717ba416f60480dc | (CNN) -- Doctors in Havana, Cuba, completed a six-hour surgical procedure on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday evening in a televised address. The state-run Venezuelan Television's website said in a headline, "The operation was a success." Maduro thanked Venezuelans who had prayed "that this operation would culminate correctly and in a successful manner." Afterward, Chavez was taken to his room to begin his post-operative recovery, which will last several days, Maduro said. During the operation, surgeons removed a lesion that had appeared in the same place as previous lesions, Maduro said from the presidential palace in Venezuela. "There were complex moments but, fortunately, this giant -- our commander -- again shows us his strength," Maduro said. Chavez was surrounded by relatives and friends, he added. Chavez is "absolutely confident that he will overcome the obstacles that have come up on the path of his life," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said earlier in the day. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa -- an ally of Chavez -- had said the surgery would be "a very delicate operation." On Saturday, Chavez announced that his cancer had returned and said he needed the new round of surgery. Read more: Venezuela's Chavez arrives in Cuba for cancer surgery . The president has repeatedly spoken publicly about his cancer battle but has never specified what type of cancer it is. And his government has released few specifics, fueling widespread speculation about Chavez's health and political future. Chavez had surgery in 2011 to remove a cancerous tumor and has undergone further surgery and radiation in Cuba since. He declared himself cancer-free in July. Health rumors dogged Chavez on the campaign trail this year but didn't stop him from winning re-election in October. Over the weekend, Chavez said he wanted Maduro to replace him if "something were to happen that would incapacitate me." Venezuela's constitution specifies that when a president dies, the vice president assumes the presidency until new elections can be held. Chavez called for voters to take things a step further. "My firm opinion, as clear as the full moon -- irrevocable, absolute, total -- is ... that you elect Nicolas Maduro as president," Chavez said, waving a copy of the Venezuelan constitution as he spoke. "I ask this of you from my heart. He is one of the young leaders with the greatest ability to continue, if I cannot." It was the first time Chavez -- who looms larger than life in Venezuela and in Latin American politics-- had spoken publicly about the possibility of a successor. Fast facts: The life of Hugo Chavez . "This is huge. He could have said something indirectly. He could have said something like, 'We'll have to see. Let's talk about it when the time comes,'" said Javier Corrales, a professor of political science at Amherst College in Massachusetts. "He switched from being very evasive to very articulate. That must have been the result of a major change in health for the worse." In a report published Tuesday, one expert on the region said some observers think that Chavez's health problems are being used for political purposes. "One speculative theory holds that Chavez's health problems have been serious but not life-threatening -- trumped up to focus attention on him, generate sympathy during this year's election campaign, and now may even be a way of boosting Venezuela's bond sales," wrote Stephen Johnson, director of the Americas program at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. Keeping the focus on the Venezuelan president could also be a political advantage going into gubernatorial elections, which are scheduled for Sunday, Johnson said. But other signs point to more serious health problems, he said, including a decrease in Chavez's public appearances in recent months. "Reports may or may not be true since there is no independent, reliable information source other than the president, who decides what he wants to divulge," Johnson said. | NEW: state-run media says the operation is a success .
Official says Chavez is absolutely confident he will overcome his illness .
"It's a very delicate operation," Ecuador's president says .
Analyst: Some speculate Chavez's health problems are not life-threatening . |
192ad60ac3f5e1bf2def4287febafdf75d5f5fc8 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 3:19 PM on 20th July 2011 . Under pressure: David Cameron leaves Downing Street on his way to address the Commons about phone hacking . Rupert Murdoch's company was guilty of ‘deliberately thwarting’ the criminal investigation into the News of the World, according to a hard-hitting report published today. The Home Affairs Select Committee study ‘deplores’ the behaviour of News International and condemns the police for bungling their investigation and getting too close to the Murdoch empire. The report raises questions about the honesty of former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and Andy Hayman, who oversaw the original 2006 police probe of the newspaper. The development came before David Cameron made an emergency statement on the scandal to the House of Commons. He faced questions from MPs about his party's links to phone hacking suspect Neil Wallis. The Prime Minister arrived home from a . shortened trip to Africa last night as it was revealed that his . communications chief Andy Coulson, had been advised by Mr . Wallis in the run-up to the general election. In . a further extraordinary development, Labour MP Chris Bryant today . hinted that the Queen may have told Mr Cameron not to hire Mr Coulson. Mr Bryant told the BBC: 'Very senior . people at Buckingham Palace were very troubled by the appointment of . Andy Coulson and tried to make it absolutely clear to the Prime . Minister. 'I am not sure whether this information ever got directly to the Prime . Minister, but it certainly got to senior figures at Downing Street. 'The Queen's grandchildren had their phones hacked. And quite probably . other members of the Royal Household ... I think it would be perfectly . natural for very senior members of the Royal Family to be very troubled . about the appointment. 'After all, Andy Coulson was the editor of the . News of the World when the royal princes' phones were hacked. That is . not in dispute. Morning after the night before: Rupert Murdoch left his house today reading the front page of his paper The Times which covers his appearance at the Commons select committee . 'And Andy Coulson resigned from the News of the . World expressly because of the hacking of the royal princes' phones.' Mr Bryant did not name the Queen directly. His claim prompted a furious denial from Downing Street. A No 10 source said the allegation was 'scurrilous' and 'complete rubbish'. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt leaves the House of Commons after Rupert Murdoch and his son James gave evidence. Today he defended the Prime Minister's handling of the scandal . In his statement Mr . Cameron will announce the names of the panel that will . look at press regulation and the final terms of reference for the . judge-led inquiry into claims about phone hacking and illegal payments . to police. But, after the Murdochs, Rebekah Brooks and senior police . officers were grilled in an extraordinary series of Commons committee . hearings, the Prime Minister will now be in the firing line. Aides . have indicated that he expects to be questioned by MPs on the admission . last night that Coulson, ex-News of the World editor, was received help . from Wallis, former deputy editor at the same newspaper. Both men have . been arrested and bailed in connection with the Scotland Yard hacking . inquiry. A senior Cabinet minister defended Mr Cameron's handling of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal today as the Prime Minister prepared to face a barrage of MPs' questions over his role in the affair. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt denied that the continuing political firestorm represented the biggest crisis of Mr Cameron's premiership so far. But he acknowledged that the Prime Minister needed to demonstrate he was capable of the leadership needed to sort out the crisis which has rocked politicians, police and the media. He said Mr Cameron 'didn't have a crystal ball" but has made big decisions 'to sort this out'. He told BBC Breakfast: 'What we've seen is that he's recalled Parliament, he's got an independent police inquiry, he's got an independent judge-led inquiry, he's published all the meetings he's had with media owners and said in the future ministers will publish all the meetings that they have with media proprietors, so he's done more in a couple of weeks than I think any other prime minister has done in a couple of decades and I think that is the key judgment call that the people of Britain will be looking for him to make.' Mr Hunt added the Murdochs' committee hearing had shown that 'so much wrongdoing seemed to happen without the knowledge of the people at the top'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'But it does seem like a huge amount was going wrong in that organisation and no one felt it necessary to tell the person at the top, and I think that was something that will have worried a lot of people.' The report raises issues about the honesty of former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, left. It also said the conduct of former assistant Met commissioner Andy Hayman, right, during the investigation and 'during our evidence session was both unprofessional and inappropriate’ Scotland Yard's current communications chief Dick Fedorcio, left, was also criticised for apparently showing 'no due diligence' in conducting proper checks on Neil Wallis, right, the ex-News of the World deputy editor . The Conservatives disclosed yesterday . that former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis had given . informal advice to Andy Coulson when he was Mr Cameron's communications . director in the run-up to the general election. The role of Mr Wallis - who was . arrested last week by police investigating the phone-hacking allegations . - was already under scrutiny after it was disclosed that he had been . working for Scotland Yard as a part-time PR consultant. In a further twist, Downing Street . released emails yesterday showing that Mr Cameron's chief of staff Ed . Llewellyn had prevented senior police officers briefing Mr Cameron on . the phone-hacking investigation. He wrote to Assistant Commissioner . John Yates telling him 'we will want to be able to be entirely clear, . for your sake and ours, that we have not been in contact with you about . this subject'. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell . ruled last night that Mr Llewellyn had acted 'entirely properly' but the . disclosure is likely to increase the pressure on the Prime Minister. He is already facing demands to . apologise for appointing Mr Coulson after he quit as News of the World . editor in 2007 after royal reporter Clive Goodman and private . investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed for hacking the phones of royal . aides. The Home Affairs Select Committee said in its withering assessment today: ‘We deplore the response of News International to the original investigation into hacking. ‘It is almost impossible to escape . the conclusion that they were deliberately trying to thwart a criminal . investigation. We are astounded at the length of time it has taken for . News International to co-operate with the police.’ The . report points out that Mrs Brooks’s denial of knowledge of phone . hacking ‘is limited to her time as editor of News of the World’, a small . part of her career in News International. Holding hands, Rupert Murdoch and his wife Wendi leave Parliament after yesterday's hearing . And . it also raises concerns about her knowledge of illegal payments to . corrupt police officers. ‘She did not say that she had no knowledge of . specific payments but that she had not intended to give the impression . that she had knowledge of specific cases,’ the MPs conclude. The committee condemns the police, . singling out former assistant Met commissioner Mr Hayman, criticising . his handling of the case, his social contacts with News International . executives and his decision to take a job with the firm after leaving . the police. It said: . ‘Mr Hayman’s conduct during the investigation and during our evidence . session was both unprofessional and inappropriate.’ There was also criticism in the . report for Dick Fedorcio, Scotland Yard's current communications chief, . for apparently showing 'no due diligence' in conducting proper checks on . Neil Wallis. Mr Wallis, . an ex-News of the World executive, was employed by the Met in 2009 and . was last week questioned about phone hacking allegations. The committee said it was . 'particularly shocked' by Mr Fedorcio's approach to hiring Wallis and . said he tried to deflect blame on to Mr Yates. MPs called for extra funding to support Operation Weeting, saying it would take years to inform all potential victims without it. They praised Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers' decision to contact all potential victims of phone hacking by the News of the World. But they said they were 'alarmed' that only 170 had have so far been informed, adding that 'up to 12,800 people may have been affected.' David Cameron chats to a mother about her twins during a visit yesterday to an immunisation clinic in Lagos, Nigeria. The Prime Minister cut short his visit to Africa so he could make a statement to the House of Commons today . ● Police officers will be jailed for accepting cash bribes from News of the World journalists, MPs were told yesterday. The newspaper is alleged to have paid tens of thousands of pounds to officers who supplied information. Asked by MPs on a parliamentary committee if any officers would go to prison, the outgoing assistant commissioner of the Met Police, John Yates, replied: ‘If the corruption cases, which are very small in number, are properly investigated, I have no doubt.’ Mr Yates resigned from the force on Monday after he was told he faced suspension over his links to the newspaper. | MPs 'deplore' News International response to original hacking probe .
Murdoch company 'deliberately thwarted' criminal investigation .
Senior Scotland Yard figures are branded 'unprofessional'
David Cameron to make emergency statement to Commons today .
Senior Royal staff voiced 'real concern' over Andy Coulson appointment .
Culture Secretary .
Jeremy Hunt: 'It does seem like a huge amount was going wrong in that .
organisation and no one felt it necessary to tell the person at the top' |
192c299f49906a718198dec084c04860563e60ee | Home Secretary Theresa May has ordered a review into claims police are misusing controversial anti-terror powers to uncover journalists’ sources . Home Secretary Theresa May has ordered a review into claims police are misusing controversial anti-terror powers to uncover journalists’ sources. Home Office officials will examine how the powers are being used amid widespread concerns officers are bypassing legal protections designed to safeguard whistle-blowers. The surveillance watchdog also launched an inquiry yesterday. Sir Paul Kennedy, Interception of Communications Commissioner, is to require all police forces to reveal the extent of their use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) against journalists. Sir Paul said he shared the concerns about protecting sources. The Home Office will look at police use of Ripa in relation to journalists as part of a wider review of the powers available under the Act to the police and Security Services which was announced earlier this year. Since then, two police forces have been found using the powers to obtain journalists’ phone records and work out who they were speaking to. A Home Office source said last night: ‘The last thing we want is for Ripa to be used to circumvent laws protecting journalists’ sources or undermining journalistic methods and practices.’ Last month it emerged that the Metropolitan Police used Ripa powers to obtain telephone records from The Sun newspaper’s newsdesk and those of its political editor, Tom Newton Dunn as part of the Plebgate inquiry. The records were used to uncover who told the newspaper about claims Andrew Mitchell, the then chief whip, described officers as ‘plebs’ after they refused to allow him to cycle through the gates of Downing Street. Then, last week, it emerged police investigating the Chris Huhne speeding points scandal secretly obtained the phone records of journalist on the Mail on Sunday – the Daily Mail’s sister paper - and one of his sources for the story, even though a judge had agreed that the source could remain confidential. Kent Police also used Ripa to find out who spoke to David Dillon, the Mail on Sunday news editor working on the story, and his source, freelance journalist Andrew Alderson, who was given the story by Constance Briscoe. The former judge was arrested after police discovered she lied to officers by claiming she had not discussed the case with any reporters. The Guardian media commentator Roy Greenslade has likened officers’ actions in such cases to those of a ‘police state’. Ripa requires only that the request be approved by a police officer of Superintendent rank or above – effectively giving forces the right to sign off their own warrants. Scroll down for video . It is claimed officers used Ripa because other laws governing their investigations require officers to go before a judge to make the case for seizing journalistic material. Announcing his inquiry, Sir Paul said: ‘I fully understand and share the concerns raised about the protection of journalistic sources so as to enable a free press.’ He has been deluged with more than 1,000 complaints since details of Scotland Yard’s actions in relation to The Sun became public. The 'RIPA' powers enable police forces and other public authorities to obtain telephone data without judicial approval and were used in the Plebgate affair involving former Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell (above) Scotland Yard used snooping powers – contained in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers act – to obtain a Sun journalist Tom Newton Dunn's phone records to uncover a whistleblower in the Plebgate affair . He said his office would report all findings to the Prime Minister, and publicly, to develop ‘clarity in relation to the scope and compliance of this activity’. The Sun made an official complaint about the Met’s actions, and has called for a public hearing at the Investigatory PowersTribunal into the way the Met accessed its journalists’ records. The newspaper’s managing editor Stig Abell said the use of Ripa posed a ‘really serious risk to the freedom of the press’. He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: ‘If you are going to seek to access information about journalists’ sources you should be doing it in front of a judge, where the publisher or the broadcaster or the journalist themselves can make an argument and be aware of what is going on. ‘What we have learned over the last few weeks is that it is potentially the case that police forces across the country have the ability, through merely the permission of a superintendent, to access the phone records of journalists and thereby identify sources.’ | Theresa May has ordered review into claims officers are misusing powers .
Concerns police bypass legal protections meant to safeguard whislteblowers .
Interception of Communications chief Sir Paul Kennedy launched an inquiry .
The probe comes after revelations police secretly obtained private records .
Sir Paul said it raised concerns about the 'protection of journalistic sources' |
192d0440d7d518351b744864df8e0ac1a020afe6 | By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 12:27 EST, 18 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:22 EST, 19 October 2012 . They were the tools of a father and son's horrific interest in the bloody and illegal sport of cock fighting. This sickening stash of metal spurs was found by RSPCA inspectors who raided the homes of Mark Giles snr, 48, and son Mark Giles jnr, 26. More than 60 pairs of the spurs - which are attached to birds’ feet to increase damage that can be inflicted - were found, together with leg muffs, leg bands, beak muzzles and other blood - splattered veterinary items. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Nasty: These cock fighting spurs were the tools of a father and son's horrific interest in the bloody and illegal sport . Haul: This sickening stash was found by RSPCA inspectors who raided the homes of Mark Giles snr, 48, and son Mark Giles jnr, 26. Cruel: A father and son who ran one the largest cock fighting rings ever found in Britain have narrowly avoided jail. Mark Giles snr, left, and son Mark Giles jnr, right, ran the massive illegal bird network . Investigators discovered that the pair . ran one of the largest cock fighting rings ever found in Britain. Between them, they owned 484 cocks bred for fighting. They even took their animals to fights across the globe including Brazil, the Philippines and France. Their standing in the blood sport was so high that Giles snr even featured on the front cover of an Asian cock fighting magazine. The duo where eventually caught by RSPCA investigators who secretly filmed them at a cock fight in Northern France - where the blood sport is still legal. Inspectors then raided their homes in Billingshurst, West Sussex, and found an staggering 484 birds, including 97 mature fighting cocks and a cock fighting pit. Shockingly, the father and son also had dietary supplements and empty steroid vials used to increase the cocks’ strength and stamina. Grim: The pair even took their animals to fights across the globe including Brazil, the Philippines and France. This is a file picture . Busted; Inspectors raided their homes in Billingshurst, West Sussex, and found an staggering 484 birds, including 97 mature fighting cocks and a cock fighting pit. This picture shows rows of cockerel pens . Horrific: The RSPCA found more than 60 pairs of metal spurs which are attached to birds' feet to increase damage that can be inflicted . Giles Snr and Giles jnr both pleaded . guilty to seven charges relating to cock fighting including the keeping . of birds for use in fighting, being present at a cockfight and . possession of cockfighting paraphernalia. The pair were banned for life from keeping birds at a hearing at Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Both men, described as farmers, were slapped with a 20 weeks jail sentence suspended for two years. Giles Snr also pleaded guilty to two counts of causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act and was ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and pay £2,500 costs. Other counts admitted by Giles jnr included two offences of keeping animals in poor conditions and one of causing unnecessary suffering. He was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 costs. Chief inspector Mike Butcher, of the RSPCA’s Special Operations Unit, said: 'Cockfighting was banned almost 180 years ago, in 1835. Worrying: Their standing in the blood sport was so high that Giles snr even featured on the front cover of an Asian cock fighting magazine . Brutal: This picture shows a number of foreign cock fighting magazines . 'Yet here we are in 2012 to see two . men all but sent to prison for their involvement in a pastime most . people thought had been left behind in the dark ages. 'Cockfighting . is described by some as a blood sport, but for any right-minded person . there is no glory in watching birds die horrific deaths in the name of . sick competition. 'Mark . Giles senior is a man obsessed by cockfighting. The set-up we found at . his home and the number of birds being bred was like a cockfighting . factory. 'His travels to . parts of the world where cockfighting is still legal, to watch bouts in . places as far flung as South America and Asia, only emphasize the scale . of his interest. 'It is such a shame that his son appears to have followed in his father’s misguided footsteps. 'Hopefully today’s sentences will give them food for thought about whether their involvement in such a worthless form of animal cruelty has really been worth it.' After the undercover footage was taken the RSPCA and officers from Sussex Police raided Giles Snr’s home on August 25 last year. Disgrace: This file picture shows a cock fight in Brazil . They found 238 birds, 62 cock fighting spurs, 36 leg muffs, 18 leg bands, beak muzzles as well as veterinary items and drugs to treat the animals. Giles senior’s obsession with cockfighting was compounded by scores of cockfighting magazines and albums of photographs taken from cockfights around the world. A warrant was carried out at the same time at his son’s home where 246 birds were being kept for use in connection with cockfighting. Other items seized included six cockfighting spurs, 34 leg muffs, 12 pairs of leg bands, four beak muzzles, veterinary items and a cockfighting pit. Blood from the cockfighting pit and on some of the cockfighting spurs was forensically analysed.The results proved that the blood had come from several different male cockerels. This provided the RSPCA with further evidence that cockfighting had taken place in the pit and using the seized spurs. Both father and son originally claimed they only sold birds abroad in France where cock fighting is legal. The footage from France was taken in June 2010 after the RSPCA suspected the pair where involved in cock fighting in the UK and abroad. | Cruel Mark Giles snr, 48, and son Mark Giles jnr, 26, ran a massive illegal bird network and owned 484 cocks bred for fighting .
The pair even took their animals to fights across the globe including Brazil, the Philippines and France .
Their standing in the blood sport was so .
high that Giles snr even featured on the front cover of an Asian cock .
fighting magazine .
RSPCA inspectors raided their homes and found a staggering 484 birds, including .
97 mature fighting cocks and a cock fighting pit .
More than 60 pairs of metal spurs - which .
are attached to birds’ feet to increase damage that can be inflicted - .
were found . |
192d848d2653fe0f8fe7ccd4648dbe208a1ca0fa | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Bill Clinton has claimed his wife isn't out of touch with ordinary Americans after the former First Lady claimed to have been 'dead broke' when leaving the White House. As the former first couple appeared at an event to talk about the gap between rich and poor on Tuesday, Clinton was forced to defend his wife's recent comments. With Hillary expected to make a 2016 presidential bid, her husband was at pains to point out that the couple understood the economic plight of many families, despite their millions. Defense: After Hillary Clinton's claims that she struggled after leaving the White House, Bill claimed she wasn't out of touch . Former President Bill Clinton discusses income inequality with David Gregory of NBC during a Clinton Foundation event on Tuesday . The couple appeared on Tuesday at the . annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative America. At the event . the former president said his wife was committed to addressing income . inequality. During . his appearance Clinton talked about ways to reduce the gap between rich . and poor - a potent issue in the Democratic party. He and Hillary also discussed how to harness corporate and non-profit know-how to hire and mentor struggling young workers. In an on-stage interview with NBC's . David Gregory, Clinton said his family's post-presidential wealth had . not diminished Hillary Clinton's understanding of the economic plight of . many U.S. families. 'She's not out of touch,' Mr Clinton . said, noting that in law school his future wife sought legal assistance . for the poor and later advocated for paid leave for new mothers during . the 1970s. Bill and Hillary Clinton outside their home in upstate Chappaqua, New York. It was worth an estimated $1.7 million in 2001 . The Clintons own several homes, including this three-storey house in Washington DC. The average home in the neighborhood is valued at $6,586,000, according to real estate website Trulia . In an interview earlier this month on ABC Hillary claimed the family was 'dead broke' when her husband's presidential term came to an end in 2001. 'We came out of the White House not only dead broke, but in debt,' she said. George Washington (1789-1797): $525m . John Adams (1797-1801): $19m . Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809: $212m . James Madison (1809-1817): $101m . James Monrow (1817-1825): $27m . John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): $21m . Andrew Jackson (1829-1837): $119m . Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): $26m . William Henry Harrison (1841): $5m . John Tyler (1841-1845): $51m . James Knox Polk (1845-1849): $10m . Zachary Taylor (1849-1850): $6m . Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): $4m . Franklin Pierce (1853-1857): $2m . James Buchanan (1857-1861): Less $1m . Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865): Less $1m . Andrew Johnson (1865-1869): Less $1m . Ulysses Simpson Grant (1869-1877): Less $1m . Richard Birchard Hayes (1877-1881): $3m . James Abram Garfield (1881): Less $1m . Clester Alan Arthur (1881-1885): Less $1m . Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897): $25m . Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): $5m . William McKinley (1897-1901): $1m . William Howard Taft (1909-1913): $3 M . Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921): Less $1m . Warren Gamaliel Harding (1921-1923): $1m . Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929): Less $1m . Herbert Clark Hoover (1929-1933): $75m . Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945): $60m . Harry S. Truman (1945-1953): Less $1m . Dwight David Eisenhower (1953-1961): $8m . John F. Kennedy (1961-1963): Kennedy Estate Worth Nearly $1 Billion . Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969): $98m . Richard Milhous Nixon (1969-1974): $15m . Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (1974-1977): $7m . James Earl Carter (1977-1981): $7m . Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-89: $13m . George H. W. Bush (1989-1993): $23m . William Jefferson Clinton (1993- 2001): $38m . George W. Bush (2001-2008): $20m . Barack Hussein Obama (2008-present): $5m . 'We . had no money when we got there, and we struggled to, you know, piece . together the resources for mortgages, for houses, for Chelsea's . education. You know, it was not easy.' The Clintons are now the wealthiest living family to have left the White House, with Bill worth an estimated $38 million. Republicans . have seized on Hillary's remarks and her comments in other interviews, . pointing to the millions of dollars the family has earned since the end . of Clinton's presidency. More . than two years before the next presidential election, GOP officials . have sought to undermine Hillary Clinton's standing with working-class . families who have been supportive of the family's political campaigns in . the past. If she runs for . president, Republicans say Mrs Clinton could be vulnerable to charges of . being a Washington insider insulated by private jets and six-figure . speaking fees at a time when many Americans struggle. The . tactic could represent a payback of sorts after Democrats portrayed . Republican Mitt Romney as a plutocrat during the 2012 presidential . campaign. During the . interview, the ex-president told Gregory that his family's . personal wealth was the 'wrong debate' and the focus should be on how . political leaders address 'the central challenge of our time which is . the demise of the American dream'. With . the gap between the rich and poor on the minds of many Americans, Bill . Clinton said most Americans do not resent someone doing well . financially. 'I think they resent it if they're not getting a fair deal,' he said. He . also said the couple visit their local grocery store on weekends like . anyone else. 'We talk to people in our town. We know what's going on,' he said. Hillary Clinton . did not address the debate over the family's wealth at the meeting, but . announced projects to create job opportunities for young people. The initiatives - by companies such as The Gap, JPMorgan Chase and Marriott - train and hire young people. The . project, called Job One, is to help young people age 16-24 who are out . of school and unemployed. Students preparing for the workforce in the . aftermath of the recession have faced persistently high unemployment . levels at rates about twice the national average. 'For . those who don't get a college education or even high school, most doors . just won't open, no matter how hard they knock,'the former first lady . said. A longtime child . advocate, Clinton also announced projects aimed at promoting brain . development and literacy for babies and toddlers. The . event took on the air of a Clinton alumni association, with several . former members of Clinton's White House team in attendance, including . former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and former Clinton economic . adviser Gene Sperling. Debt: Clinton recently claimed that when she left the White House in 2001 the family were 'dead broke' An . afternoon news conference put Mr Clinton alongside longtime labor . allies such as AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Randi Weingarten, . president of the American Federation of Teachers union. Yet . even in a roomful of Clinton admirers, the debate got spirited at . times. During a panel discussion on economic justice, Mr Clinton and . former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina - an ex-adviser to Romney - . tangled over the merits of raising the minimum wage and the role of . government in the economy. When Fiorina suggested the Obama administration was crushing the coal industry in West Virginia, Clinton interjected. 'Who had the smallest government workforce since Eisenhower? Me. That's right. You declared the era of big government over,' Fiorina said. 'Yeah, but I didn't declare the era of weak government that had nobody at home at the SEC before the financial crisis,' Clinton said to roars of approval, referencing complaints that the Securities and Exchange Commission failed to effectively police Wall Street. | Bill was speaking at Clinton Foundation event on income inequality .
Former First Lady Hillary recently said the Clinton family was 'dead broke' when Bill's presidency ended .
Clintons are the wealthiest living family to have left the White House . |
192f17fcf8e1cce8694f59c8c416baf6f99eadc4 | A Czech porn star who played a prisoner in one of her films has been arrested after allegedly leading police on a 136mph high speed car chase through Prague while high on crystal meth. Sona Muellerova who goes by the stage name of Laura Crystal had been asked to attend her local police station after earlier being caught on camera driving whilst banned. But after turning up at the station to hand in her licence, accused her of getting into her car and driving off. Scroll down for video . Porn star Sona Muellerova is arrested by police in Prague after leading officers on a high speed car chase through the Czech capital . Officers then jumped into their squad cars and gave chase as the 25-year-old sped off through the Czech capital. She then led the officers on a high speed chase before they finally caught up with her and she was arrested. Muellerova was then taken to the nearest police station were it was found she was under the influence of crystal meth. In one of her films, Muellerova, whose stage name is Laura Crystal played a prisoner who is jailed . The 25-year-old had been asked to attend her local police station to hand in her licence after earlier being caught on camera driving whilst banned. Pictured is the porn star in one of her films . A police spokesman said: 'At one point she was going at 136 mph and officers called in other cars for support. 'When they eventually stopped her she gave a fake name, which is something she has often done, and said she had forgotten her driving licence. 'When the officers explained that she had given them her driving licence just half an hour before, she cursed and when she was arrested, she didn’t seem at all surprised.' When Muellerova was tested by police from drugs after being arrested, it was found that she was high on crystal meth . 'She was heavily under the influence of crystal meth and admitted she had taken the drug. 'She has been charged with dangerous driving, driving under the influence of a narcotic, taking narcotics, obstructing the police and endangering the lives of others.' If found guilty the porn star, who appears in several adult films, faces three years in jail. | Sona Muellerova was arrested after leading police on high speed car chase .
Came after she went to police station to hand in her licence due to ban .
She then went to her car to drive home and officers chased the 25-year-old .
When they finally caught up with her she was going at 136 miles per hour .
She was arrested and when tested was found to be high on crystal meth .
Is now facing three years in jail if convicted of dangerous driving .
Porn star had previously played a prisoner in one of her adult movies . |
192f7eceefb2176d10b375533d6267e000e13250 | The strain placed on the NHS by patients from abroad is revealed by figures showing that around half a million immigrants sign up at GP surgeries every year. The startling finding has come from independent research because the Government has failed to look into the impact of immigration on the health system. Adding to the demand on the NHS, many GP surgeries lead new arrivals to believe that all health care is free – even though temporary migrants should pay for expensive hospital care, unless it is an emergency. Scroll down for video . More and more patients are having to wait longer for an appointment with their GP as half a million immigrants sign up to GP surgeries . While doctors struggle with groaning workloads, they are reluctant to talk about immigration and often downplay the issue. But with more patients sometimes waiting weeks for an appointment with their GP, the issue has begun to move up the political agenda. On Thursday, Tory Chief Whip Michael Gove became the latest politician to voice concerns. He told the BBC’s Question Time audience that ‘the rate and pace of immigration’ was creating particular pressures, including those ‘on access to GPs and hospitals’. Experts do not know how many immigrants registering at GPs come from within the EU, but it is estimated they account for about 40 per cent, or 200,000 each year. Despite growing worries, the Department of Health has not carried out a single study into the impact of a decade’s worth of mass immigration on use of the NHS. It has only researched the sensitive issue of ‘health tourism’. However, analysis by the highly respected Nuffield Trust think-tank has found immigration is leading to about half a million joining GPs’ books every year. Researchers Adam Steventon and Martin Bardsley looked at the number of people aged 16 and over registering with a GP for the first time. Mr Steventon said: ‘The method is not perfect, but we identified 550,000 probable immigrants registering in the year 2003-04. This rose to 583,000 for 2004-05 and to 625,000 for 2005-06.’ In the absence of Government research, the Trust’s estimates are the most recent figures available. However, since immigration has remained high, the pressure is continuing to grow on GP surgeries. In the year to June 2014, 583,000 people came to live and work in the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics, and 325,000 left. Separate figures show that the average length of GP patient lists has increased in 198 of 211 health authority areas across England since April 2013. Dr Richard Vautrey, a member of the British Medical Association’s General Practice Committee, said that although doctors were concerned about being overwhelmed, the pressure was not down to immigrants, but the ageing population. He said: ‘They [GPs] say they are struggling, but it’s not because of changes in the population.’ Dr Vautrey added that immigrants tended to be younger and healthier than the general population, elderly people used the NHS far more and GPs were having to carry out more work traditionally done in hospitals. However, he said migrants with poor English did tend to need longer consultations and also the use of interpreters. Last year 42,500 women from Eastern Europe gave birth in NHS hospitals, new figures have revealed . Births to women from Eastern European countries in the EU have leapt tenfold over the past decade at NHS hospitals. In 2004, there were about 4,500 births in England and Wales to women from Poland and other former Eastern bloc nations that are now members of the EU. But by 2013 that figure had risen to 42,500, according to the Office for National Statistics. Polish women account for about half of these births, with their number rising from 1,830 a decade ago to 21,275 in 2013. The ONS regards ‘new EU countries’ as those that have joined the European Union since the start of 2004 – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007, and Croatia in 2013. With the average hospital delivery costing around £1,500, the NHS’s total maternity bill may have risen by around £57 million due to immigration from these ‘new EU’ countries. Women from these countries used to account for a tiny proportion of births in England and Wales overall – just 0.7 per cent in 2004. By 2013 that had grown to 6.1 per cent. Over a similar period, the ratio of UK births to all foreign-born mothers rose from 19.5 per cent to 26.5 per cent – up from 124,563 in 2004 to 189,075 in 2012. Births to UK-born women numbered 515,144 in 2004 and 540,572 in 2012. The rises have left maternity units struggling, with the Royal College of Midwives demanding 3,200 more midwives. | Many surgeries are leading new arrivals to believe that all care is free .
This is despite the fact migrants should pay for expensive treatment .
Around 500,000 immigrants are signing up with GP surgeries every year .
Experts believe that 200,000 of those signing up are from within the EU . |
192fe5a585fff9f70bd622bbc8d8b2a891e54302 | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- College football's perennial armchair-quarterback argument over the need for a clear-cut national champion came to Capitol Hill Friday. College football teams play in the BCS for the national championship trophy. The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection held a hearing to dissect the Bowl Championship Series, asking whether the model needs to be tweaked, overhauled or done away with altogether. Four witnesses testified at the morning hearing, including championship series coordinator John Swofford and Alamo Bowl President Derrick Fox; both of whom defended the current system, though Fox conceded that "no system is perfect and the Bowl Championship Series is not perfect." Mountain West Conference Commissioner Craig Thompson and Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier testified that they would like to see the system revamped. Many critics say they want college football to have a playoff system to ensure that a champion is clearly defined. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, called the Bowl Championship Series format unfair and perhaps took it one step further. "You should either change your name to BES for Bowl Exhibition System or just drop the C and call it the BS system, because it is not about determining the championship on the field." Both sides were cordial but opinionated. Fox said he would prefer Washington not get involved. "Those who don't like the current system will say that's the way of the world, but we don't believe that government should have any role in promoting a demise of the bowl games." Currently, 11 college conferences and three independents compete in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision -- formerly Division I-A. Six of those 11 conferences are guaranteed spots in the four Bowl Championship Series games. Schools from conferences that critics say are unfairly deemed as low profile are then left to fight their way into those prestige games. They share in significantly less of the series money and have less of an opportunity to challenge for the national title. President Obama is one of the proponents of a college football playoff. In an interview with ESPN in November, Obama said he's had just about enough of the Bowl Championship Series. "I'm fed up with these computer rankings and this, that and the other. Get eight teams -- the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a national champion," Obama said. Before heading out early to catch a flight, Barton made it clear that he expects to see college football change its ways or risk having lawmakers introduce legislation to impose change for them. "I think there is better than a 50 percent chance that if we don't see some action in the next two months on a voluntary switch to a playoff system that you will see this bill move," he said. | Bowl Championship Series decides college football's national champ .
Perennial argument is that a playoff system would be a better way to decide .
House committee hears testimony from officials, coaches on both sides . |
193080e846e92ce7c6f72c9c5b6e72d5408161f9 | Detectives in New York are holding a 'person of interest' in the brutal murder of a British football coach who was stabbed to death and had his ear sliced off. Michael Jones, 25, was left in a pool of blood yesterday after the 'frenzied' assault near Union Square, a popular destination for tourists in Lower Manhattan. Police are currently interviewing a man who they believe was captured by security cameras calmly walking away from the spot. Officers said the knifeman slashed his victim’s neck before stabbing him multiple times in his stomach and chest. Scroll down for video . Victim: Football coach Michael Jones, 25, was stabbed numerous times in the savage attack . Mr Jones was from Tarleton, Lancashire. He moved to the US five years ago to pursue his dream of becoming a football coach . A piece of his ear was found on the pavement, and his wounds were so severe police believed they were dealing with a Halloween prank. For the past five years, Mr Jones, of Tarleton, Preston, had been coaching children aged three to 13 with the New York Red Bulls, whose senior team includes former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and ex-Everton star Tim Cahill. The Liverpool fan had been drinking with his girlfriend on Saturday evening when he left her to meet another friend. He was returning to meet her when at 4.17am he got into an argument with his attacker, who has been described as a Hispanic man aged between 25 and 30, with a dark ponytail. The incident is not thought to have been a robbery as Mr Jones’s iPhone was found at the scene. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. Chilling CCTV footage shows the pair walking together as they rowed before the brutal assault begins. After the attack, the man is seen calmly walking away. Police watch: Photos of the scene where the British New York Red Bulls coach Michael Jones died . Horror: Witnesses thought it was an early Halloween prank when they saw the body . A police source said: 'It was a . frenzy. The guy was chopped multiple times. He cut the guy’s ear off. It . doesn’t get any more personal than that.' Last night, Mr Jones’s . parents Perry and Carole said their son ‘loved America’ and was . ‘ecstatic’ when he was offered a contract as youth team coach at the . Major League Soccer team, working there for most of the year and . returning to Lancashire in the off-seasons. The family called the police after Michael’s brother Phillip, 23, received an alarming message from his friends in America. 'I contacted the police and I was totally shocked, I was expecting to hear he had been injured in an accident. ‘[The police] told us Mike had been . murdered,’ said Mr Jones’s father, a 50-year-old IT manager. ‘We just cannot believe it. How was I . to tell my wife and son? 'We’re all just devastated. All we know is that . Mike was walking along a street when it happened.’ Shocking: The sidewalk in a bustling area of the West Village in New York City is stained with Mr Jones' blood, marking the spot where he died . Is this the killer? The suspect, seen in this surveillance video, is described as a man between 25-30 with a dark ponytail . His son loved New York and was hoping to get a visa so he could stay there full time, he added. The coach, who lived . outside New York in the city of White Plains, spent much of his spare . time visiting tourist attractions. ‘He said it was amazing to go out on a . Saturday night,’ his parents recalled. ‘He would put our mind at ease . by going on about how safe it was, that you could flag down taxis at any . time and the tubes were so easy to use.’ Jessica Roth, whose son was coached by . Mr Jones, said: ‘He had the patience of a saint with these kids. We’re . devastated. How do you explain to children eight years old what . happened? You can’t, because it’s a senseless crime.’ Before travelling to the US, Mr Jones had completed a sport science and technology degree at Lancashire’s Edge Hill University. House: A general view of British man Michael Jones's home in the Westchester region of New York state . Michael, centre, was described as 'a great guy who would do no-one harm' The vicious attack happened near Union Square in Manhattan . His parents said he had recently become ‘serious’ about a girl called Bryeanna. Mr Jones’s father added: ‘He was . always a very happy lad. He was doing a job that he wanted to do and we . were very proud of him.’ The last time the family saw Mr Jones was three weeks ago, when he returned home to be best man at his best friend’s wedding. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said it was providing consular assistance to Mr Jones’s family. Map: This graphic shows where Michael Jones's body was found in Manhattan, New York . New York Red Bulls said: 'We are aware of this tragedy and on behalf of the entire organization, want to send our most heartfelt condolences to Michael's family, friends and loved ones. 'He was a tremendous individual, a fantastic coach who loved soccer and a terrific friend for many of us. This is truly a sad day for our soccer community and we will do our utmost to help authorities in their investigation of this case. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with Michael's family at this time.' Michael was a former player with Tarleton Corinthians and his former manager Dave Nelson said: 'I feel anger, upset and absolute devastation. You wouldn't want that to happen to anyone. 'Mike was such a nice guy - down to earth, outgoing, funny, always up for some banter but he knew when to be serious, loving and caring.' A residential area near Union Square in New York City where the brutal attack happened . Watch surveillance video here: . | Michael Jones, from a village near Southport, moved to U.S. five years ago .
Jones worked as a youth coach with the New York Red Bulls soccer team .
He was stabbed multiple times through neck and chest .
Passersby believed it was an early Halloween prank .
Video footage shows possible suspect walking away from scene . |
193142f33705764e2617e4ca2519d0c4921e20f1 | By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 03:44 EST, 5 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:06 EST, 6 November 2012 . Investigated: There are now 300 child abuse allegations against Jimmy Savile . Jimmy's Savile's youngest victim was just eight years old, it has emerged after she came forward to sue the late DJ's £4.3million estate. She says he molested her at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Buckinghamshire, while she was recovering after an operation in 1986. Her shocking revelation comes as a man also scarred by the paedophile's legacy admitted he is haunted by the possibility he may be Savile's love child. The sick BBC star, who has now been exposed as one of the UK's most prolific abusers, had a fling with Mr Biven's mother when she was a teenager. Liz Dux, from law firm Slater & Gordon, said of the eight-year-old victim: 'This was a little girl who went in for treatment and came out an abuse victim. She should have been protected.' Savile was free to roam Stoke . Mandeville in Buckinghamshire as he pleased, using his position as a . charitable donor to sexually abuse sick children. He . kept toys donated for children in his private flat in the hospital . grounds, and was accused of attacking vulnerable young children on the . wards - with nurses advising them to 'pretend to be asleep' when he was . visiting. Solicitors have confirmed that they are planning to take legal action on behalf of 43 alleged victims, including a man and woman who were nine when they were attacked by Savile at the BBC. Slater & Gordon, which is acting for 36 people who were aged from eight to 23 when they were abused, has sent letters before action to the BBC, Leeds General Infirmary, Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor hospitals, and the executors of Savile’s estate. Another law firm, Pannone, is acting on behalf of seven alleged victims and has sent letters of claim to Savile’s estate. One claim has also been made against the BBC. There are currently 29 current and . former BBC staff under investigation for alleged sexual . misconduct - three times the number originally thought. Police are investigating 300 child abuse allegations against the DJ, who died in Leeds aged 84 a year ago. Builder Craig Bivens, 52, revealed in The Sun today how he is worried the BBC star could have fathered him during a five-month affair with his mother, Liz Boothe. Scroll down for video . Savile with a patient in a therapeutic bath in the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville hospital . Abuse: Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury where Savile was allegedly free to prey upon young patients . 'I don't want to be the boy of a kiddie fiddler,' he said. 'I don't want to be his son.' Ms . Boothe, now 70, found she was pregnant after a relationship with Savile . when she was 18 and he was managing the Mecca Locarno dancehall in . Leeds. The former model and singer now believes she was cherry-picked for Savile by a bouncer. She and the bouncer went out for a drink and he stole a photo of her from her bag to show to his boss. She . was then taken to Savile's office at the Mecca and told by the DJ: . 'Right, you don't see him any more. I want to take you out.' In honour: Jimmy Savile at Stoke Mandeville next to a placard to commemorate his 'hard work' for the hospital . 'Mean': Savile kept toys donated for sick children in his private flat at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, pictured . Saville pictured with his then PA, Janet Cope, at Stoke Mandeville hospital . Ms Boothe added: 'It was always wham, bam, thank you ma'am. Being quick was the only good thing about him. 'Let's . be honest, I only went out with someone looking like he did because of . the people I could meet... the most famous was Cliff Richard.' Ms . Boothe, who is 'disgusted' to think that such a sick figure could be . the father of her child, described Savile as 'mean and arrogant.' A Tory councillor has called for Jimmy Savile’s corpse to be exhumed and cremated after complaints from people who have loved ones buried nearby in the cemetery. Colin Haddington spoke out as his civic colleagues voted unanimously to strike Savile’s name from Scarborough Council’s roll of honour and posthumously revoke his freedom of the Borough once the police investigation is over. Council leaders said there was no point in investigating the idea of an exhumation of the reviled entertainer because the decision on his final resting place is a matter for his family and the church authorities rather than the town hall. Savile is currently entombed in concrete in the resort’s Woodlands Cemetery, where he was buried at a 45 degree angle a year ago so he could 'see the sea'. His £4,000 triple headstone - with the final epitaph 'It was good while it lasted' - was removed and broken up for landfill at the request of the family. Councillor Haddington said: 'I have been contacted by one of my constituents whose granddaughter is buried close to Savile. 'This has caused her enormous concern and the family a great deal of distress. My constituent has asked me to put her family at ease - if the body could be exhumed, taken a short distance to the crematorium, and cremated. 'I would ask the council leader if he would in conjunction with the legal department look into this to see if it is possible.' Council leader Tom Fox described Savile’s behaviour as 'grotesque and obscene' but argued that it was not the council’s place to decide what happened to Savile’s remains, which was a matter for the family. He said: 'There was media speculation that the family may consider an exhumation. The family then said it was not part of their considerations. 'But it did prompt the council to consider how an exhumation could be done. 'Savile is interred in consecrated ground. If he is exhumed and put in another consecrated area the church diocese will need to give permission and consent given to where he goes. 'The grave owner then needs to give permission and the local authority is then last in line to give its permission.' Similar consent would be needed even if Savile was reinterred in non-consecrated ground, he added. There are also the options of cremation and disposing of the remains at sea. She . said: 'He'd take me to restaurants with his entourage and stuff his . face with fast food. But he'd say to the waitresses, "A coffee for the . lady." I spent most of the time with him starving.' She . did see a darker side to his lifestyle, however, and claims Savile . regularly met with police and gangsters and even ordered an arson attack . on heavyweight boxer Bruce Woodcock. 'He wasn't a nice person,' she added - although she said she never knew of any paedophilia. After she broke up with Savile, she was called to his office, where he asked if she was really pregnant and if the baby was his. She did not want it to be, she said, so she told him that it was not. He replied: 'Thank god for that.' Father-of-two Mr Biven, who looks remarkably like Savile, now has to live with the knowledge that a predatory paedophile could be his father. Mr Biven has only blank space on his birth certificate where his father's name should be, but he and his mother never want to know the truth. 'It's best left,' said Ms Boothe. 'I'm sure there are loads who had babies by Sav.' Savile’s name is to be wiped from Scarborough’s list of Freemen of the Borough as a gesture of support to his 300 alleged victims, who he is said to have abused over six decades. The disgraced BBC star was awarded the accolade in 2005 to celebrate his links with the North Yorkshire resort, where he owned a second home and was buried overlooking the sea a year ago. Councillor Tom Fox, who proposed the motion, said: 'This council wishes to send its heartfelt support to, and acknowledge the courage of, those who have come forward having suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of the alleged serial predatory sexual offender Sir Jimmy Savile.' The Savile scandal began when ITV broadcast new sex abuse allegations in a documentary about the late presenter on October 3, sparking a mammoth police inquiry. Intense scrutiny of the BBC followed, after the corporation dropped a Newsnight report into the presenter’s actions last year after his death. Comedian Freddie Starr and former pop star Gary Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, have also been questioned by officers investigating the abuse scandal. Doctors at Leeds Infirmary as well as Stoke Mandeville at the time are accused of collaborating in Savile's rape of children. Others claim they were abused by Savile while pupils at Duncroft Approved School in Surrey during the 1970s. Savile's estate has been frozen in response to the allegations. NatWest Bank, which is acting as his executor and trustee, said the distribution of his assets had been put on hold in anticipation of legal action from his alleged victims. Savile was also a regular visitor to Broadmoor psychiatric hospital and befriended Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, now 66. Britain’s top expert on serial killers said police should probe whether the pair developed a friendship before Sutcliffe was caught. | Woman says she was abused while in hospital recovering from operation .
Craig Biven's mother had an affair with Savile when she was a teenager .
He is haunted by idea that his his father was a paedophile .
Liz Boothe, now 70, says 'Sav' was 'mean and arrogant' and did not let her eat when they went to restaurants .
She claims he met up with gangsters and police in shady underworld .
The late DJ is accused of 300 child abuse offences .
Solicitors have confirmed they are planning to take legal action on behalf of 43 alleged victims .
They have sent legal letters to the BBC, .
Leeds General Infirmary, Stoke Mandeville and Broadmoor hospitals, and .
the executors of Savile’s estate .
One claim has also been made against the BBC, where there are 29 are under investigation for alleged misconduct .
Savile’s name wiped from Scarborough's Roll of Honour .
Tory councillor calls for his remains to be exhumed and cremated . |
1933230701eb024b59b947a34739e22da5f000a4 | (CNN) -- The last time most New Yorkers focused on pillaged antiquities from Cambodia was likely after the release of the Angelina Jolie film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," which featured the heroine's adventures through the country's famous archaeological wonder, Angkor Wat. Now, real "tomb raiding" is making the news as the Cambodian government seeks to recover antiquities allegedly plundered from the kingdom's ancient sites during its civil war, ethnic cleansing and foreign occupation. At Cambodia's request, the United States recently filed suit in U.S. District Court against Sotheby's in New York, demanding that the auction house forfeit a sandstone warrior that was "illicitly removed," according to the complaint, from a remote jungle temple. But according to a recent New York Times story, Cambodia has now set its sights on another Manhattan institution: the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has specifically targeted the highlight of its Southeast Asian collection: two kneeling figures that archaeologists declare are companions to the contested Sotheby's piece. If these stones could speak, what a story they would tell. Carved in the 10th century by some of the most skilled artisans known to history, they originally adorned the sanctuary of Prasat Chen, at the temple complex of Koh Ker. Experts believe that with other characters, they formed a three dimensional tableau from the Hindu epic the Mahabharata for a millennium. They say that came to an end when paramilitary groups trafficked them, sculpture by sculpture, overseas. What a strange twist of fate: Having traveled halfway around the world, quite possibly through the illicit and licit markets, the three disputed objects are now just miles apart in New York City. Phnom Penh's forceful request for their return has alarmed the less scrupulous in the art world, and with good reason: They have a lot to lose if the art is repatriated. American and European galleries, auction houses and museums are allegedly full of Cambodian plunder. Many of these artifacts were allegedely stolen during the country's long conflict, making them "blood antiquities," little different than "blood diamonds" from Sierra Leone and other war-torn African states. The years before, during, and after the Killing Fields decimated the Cambodian population and led to the looting of most of the nation's archaeological sites. Yet sadly, now that Cambodia is at peace and in a position to recover its rightful property, some collectors are portraying themselves as the victims. In the wake of the Sotheby's case, one Asian specialist lamented the "crisis" now facing collectors. She warned that such legal actions "threaten the very future of collecting and collecting museums" and the "next generation of collectors, donors and patrons." Such histrionics aside, it will always be difficult and expensive for countries such as Cambodia to recover their pillaged heritage through the courts, even when in the right. Especially when its acquisition may have been made possible by tragedies such as the Holocaust, Cambodia's killing fields or even the more recent looting of the Baghdad Museum during the Iraq war, the real issue is why any collector or museum would want to possess stolen art? Thankfully, individuals and institutions who would argue to keep looted art are a minority and do as much disservice to their fellows as they do to victims of the illicit art trade. Indeed, many have voluntarily repatriated antiquities to Cambodia, once learning they were wartime plunder. The Met is no exception, having itself returned a valuable piece to the country in 1997 at its own initiative. There is much common ground between archaeologists, collectors and curators, as all share a love of the past, if not an outright obsession with it. Archaeologists recognize that there will always be, and should be, a legal market for antiquities, just as most collectors and curators agree that the looting of archaeological sites and trafficking of antiquities must be stopped. Indeed, if there is to be any real progress, both sides of the issue will likley have to make concessions. But as campaigns like Cambodia's demonstrate, the art world must reconsider what is ethically acceptable. And today, the sale, purchase and exhibition of "blood antiquities" is not only deplorable, it may actually be criminal. (The sale, possession, and transport of stolen property is illegal under the National Stolen Property Act.) Sotheby's and the Met have a choice: They can treat Cambodia's requests as obstacles, or recognize them as the opportunities they are to right past wrongs and set the moral standard for the entire field. For Cambodia's sake, as well as their own -- and for all of humanity that finds these treasures important -- let us hope that they choose wisely. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Vlasic and Tess Davis. | Writers: Met and Sotheby's have ancient figures thought to have been looted in Cambodia .
U.S. authorities have attempted to seize Sotheby's figures; now Cambodia seeking those at Met .
Vlasic, Davis say some in art world act the victim because Cambodia wants its art back .
Writers: Why would anyone want stolen art? Both sides must make reasonable concessions . |
1933892e85ff240307d9da05dab3ad9ece0cfab3 | A futuristic train that could on day become the future of underground rail travel has been unveiled. A full-size concept model of Inspiro - a driverless train that is more energy efficient than current models in use with more creature comforts for commuters, will go on show at an exhibition in London. Siemens, the company behind the concept, has hinted that next generation Tube trains like Inspiro, which costs a whopping £1million a carriage, could be built in Britain if the mayor placed an order for the new trains. Scroll down for video . This is a full-size concept model of Inspiro - a driverless train that is more energy efficient than current models in use with more creature comforts for commuters that will go on show at an exhibition in London . The carriages are lit with LEDs and are fully air conditioned, as well as doing away with dividing doors separating the carriages, to give 30 per cent more capacity than some of the older carriages in use on the London Underground . The Inspiro is 30 per cent more energy . efficient and 20 per cent lighter than similar modern metro trains. The carriages are lit with LED lights and are fully air conditioned, as well as doing away with dividing doors separating the carriages, to give 30 per cent more capacity than some of the older carriages in use on the London Underground. Siemens said that commuters would also benefit from wider door openings in the carriages to avoid the rush-hour crush of people piling on and off the underground trains. Controversially the train does not rely on a human driver and if ordered for the capital one day, would not be popular with trade unions. A full size mock up of a Siemens Inspiro metro train on display at the press preview of an exhibition showcasing future developments in underground rail travel at The Crystal, Royal Victoria Docks . Siemens said that commuters would also benefit from wider openings in the carriages to avoid the rush-hour crush of people piling on and off the underground trains . The news, reported by The Evening Standard, that the train could potentially be built in Britain, follows the Government's decision to award funding to Transport for London for the Tube specifically, based on its claim that new orders for carriages will be given to firms based on Britain. London-based commuters pining for a more spacious and stylish way to travel to work will be able to see the concept model from October 8, when it goes on show on the site of The Crystal in Royal Victoria Docks. An accompanying exhibition will also highlight technologies built to help travellers find their way more easily, as well as the latest development in ticketing and passenger information systems, that could make navigating cities easier in the future. While the interior might looks welcoming, controversially the train would not rely on a human driver and if ordered for the capital one day, would not be popular with trade unions . Steve Scrimshaw, managing director of Siemens Rail Systems UK, said: 'London, in common with many large cities around the world, faces significant transport challenges as a result of ongoing population growth and increased capacity demands. 'Our exhibition highlights some of the innovations that can be considered by cities to help their metro systems tackle these issues and help passengers benefit from an improved travel experience. We wanted people to have a really personal experience, sitting in the seats of a brand new, futuristic train and interacting with the exhibits on display in a way that not only informs but excites at the same time.' Siemens, the company behind the concept, has hinted that next generation tube trains like Inspiro, which costs a whopping £1million a carriage, could be built in Britain if the mayor placed an order for the new trains . | Siemens' Inspiro concept train is 30% more energy efficient with more capacity than similar modern metro trains and boasts full air conditioning .
Company hinted that next generation trains could be built in UK .
The full-size concept model goes on show from October 8 on the site of The Crystal in Royal Victoria Docks, London . |
1934c21679dcb5465e89bacb9bb7d29c4d2051c0 | By . Louise Eccles and Keith Gladdis In Mombasa, Kenya . PUBLISHED: . 17:08 EST, 26 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:11 EST, 27 May 2013 . Anti-terror police in Kenya have accused the British of ignoring their warnings that Woolwich murder suspect Michael Adebolajo was a dangerous radical. Adebolajo was arrested in Kenya in 2010 on suspicion of leading a jihadist plot to cross the border into lawless Somalia and join the ranks of the Al Shabaab terrorist group. But the Kenyans claim that when they presented their evidence to the British Embassy, it was insisted Adebolajo had no criminal record. Scroll down for video . Michael Adebolajo in a Kenyan court in 2010 with five other men after he attempted to cross the border . Adebolajo (centre in black top) was sent back to Britain after claiming he had been tortured in Kenya . Sources in Kenya also claim the . British Embassy put them under pressure to release Adebolajo after he . complained he had been tortured, starved for two days and denied access . to a lawyer. And another Kenyan source yesterday claimed the British failed to help them build a case against Adebolajo. Adebolajo was detained for several days before being deported to the UK. It came as Adebolajo’s family claimed harassment by MI5 in the months before the attack may have ‘pushed him over the edge’. On his return to the UK from Kenya, . family members claim he was ‘pestered’ by MI5 agents who tried to . recruit him as an informant and infiltrate Islamic extremist groups. Adebolajo’s brother-in-law Abu Zuybyr . claimed the intelligence services put Adebolajo under pressure to spy on . Muslim clerics and become an informer. Mr Zuybyr, who is married to . Adebolajo’s sister Christiana, said: ‘That is what [Adebolajo’s] family . is saying: that the secret service pushed him over the edge.’ He said Adebolajo was ‘elated’ following the birth of his child, but ‘then things became a little strange’. The family of Adebolajo, pictured during a 2007 march in London, said he was harassed by MI5 in the months before the attack . Speaking to The Independent on Sunday, Mr Zuybyr said Adebolajo went to Nairobi in 2010 to study Arabic and Islam. Following his return to England, Mr Zuybyr said authorities repeatedly questioned family members about Adebolajo. His elder brother, Jeremiah, who had . gone to Saudi Arabia to teach English, was arrested and quizzed. And Mr . Zuybyr said he was questioned at gunpoint when he visited Yemen four . years ago to learn Arabic with his wife. He said: ‘When I came back to Britain, . MI5 contacted me and showed significant interest in Michael. I was . harassed for a while, with constant calls from people claiming to be . from the FBI.’ In Kenya, Adebolajo was seized with . five others after travelling by speedboat to an island off the coast . near Lamu Island, 68 miles from the Somali border. A married couple who owned a guest house where they had been staying and a worker were also arrested. The Kenyans believed Adebolajo, 28, . had played a crucial role in recruiting his co-accused, including two . secondary school-aged boys, after they were radicalised during weekly . visits to a mosque in Mombasa. It is believed the Kenyan cleric Sheikh Aboud Rogo – who was killed by gunmen in Mombasa last year – had helped to fund the men. Adebolajo was eventually deported without charge but the Kenyans insist they warned the British that he was dangerous. Mombasa’s anti-terrorist police chief Elijah Rop said: ‘We advised the British police about the man but they ignored us. ‘That is the man we deported to the UK . in 2010 after discovering he is among Islamic radicals who were . recruited to train as Al Shabaab in Somalia three years ago.’ A man identified as Michael Adebolajo, 28, . brandishes a meat cleaver with bloodied hands near the scene of the . killing. It was claimed that MI5 offered Adebolajo a job six . months ago . Adebolajo, right, is pictured at an English Defence League march in 2009 . Michael Adebowale, 22, of Greenwich, south-east London, with a knife in his hand at the scene where Lee Rigby was stabbed to death . At the . time of Adebolajo’s arrest, the security services were aware of the risk . that radicalised British Muslims were heading to Somalia to join with . Al Shabaab, which has links to Al Qaeda. Only two months before, the then-head . of MI5 Jonathan Evans had warned Britons were training in Somalia and it . was ‘only a matter of time before we see terrorism on our streets . inspired by those who are today fighting alongside Al Shabaab’. It is now accepted that Al Qaeda cells in Mombasa were at their peak around 2010. Samantha Lewthwaite, the fugitive . ‘white widow’ of 7/7 bomber Germaine Lindsay is still on the run over . her role in a suspected plot to bomb western hotels in the city. However the security forces appear to . have been relaxed that Adebolajo – who was travelling under the name of . Michael Olemindis Ndemolajo – may have been prepared to train and fight . with the brutal Al Shabaab. Kenyan government spokesman Muthui . Kariuki said: ‘We handed him to British security agents in Kenya and he . seems to have found his way to London and mutated to Michael Adebolajo. The Kenyan government cannot be held responsible for what happened to . him after we handed him to British authorities.’ Father Lee Rigby was killed in the attack on Woolwich last week . Father of one and soldier Rigby, of Greater Manchester, pictured relaxing on Army leave . After their arrest Adebolajo and the . eight co-accused were taken to Mombasa and spent a number of days in . prison before appearing before a magistrate. Kenyan detectives suspected Adebolajo . may have been a ringleader because he was most vocal in court and . appeared to know how to ‘play the system’. In court he claimed: ‘We are being tortured by police and we haven’t eaten for two days now. ‘We have been denied the right to talk . to our family members and lawyer. We are being treated as criminals and . we are innocent.’ The court told police it had three . days to build a case but after the clean bill of health from the British . embassy Adebolajo was deported. Another Kenyan source yesterday . accused the British of failing to help them build a case against . Adebolajo. He said: ‘It was a major anti-terror investigation and we . were given three days by the courts to build up a case.’ Last night the Foreign Office . confirmed Adebolajo had been arrested in 2010 and it gave consular . assistance ‘as normal’ in the circumstances. A Foreign Office statement said: ‘We . can confirm a British national was arrested in Kenya in 2010. The . Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided consular assistance as normal . for British nationals.’ Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Kenyan police arrested Woolwich suspect Michael Adebolajo on suspicion of leading a jihadist plot to cross into Somalia .
Kenyan authorities claim they presented their evidence to British Embassy .
However, they say British insisted Adebolajo had no criminal record .
It is claimed that soon after he was targeted by MI5 as a possible informant .
He resisted attempts to ‘turn’ him and complained about harassment .
Suspect's family say MI5 harassment may have ‘pushed him over the edge’ |
19351209d547bbd0ddad6ffecc925c29694c4640 | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two customers are suing Wal-Mart for negligence after being injured in a mad rush for post-Thanksgiving bargains that left one store employee dead, the men's attorney said Tuesday. A temporary worker at this Wal-Mart was crushed to death when shoppers rushed into the store last week. Temporary Wal-Mart worker Jdimytai Damour, 34, was crushed to death as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of a store on Long Island at 5 a.m. Friday. Attorney Kenneth Mollins said Fritz Mesadieu and Jonathan Mesadieu were "literally carried from their position outside the store" and are now "suffering from pain in their neck and their back from being caught in that surge of people" that rushed into the Wal-Mart. New York Newsday reported that the Mesadieus are father and son, ages 51 and 19. The lawsuit alleges that the Mesadieus' injuries were a result of "carelessness, recklessness, negligence." In a claim against the Nassau County police department, the men also contend that they "sustained monetary losses as a result of health care and legal expenses ... in the sum of $2 million." "This is a tragic situation that could have and should have been avoided with the exercise of reasonable care. There are very simple measures that could have been put in place to avoid this, such as barriers along the line to spread people out, extra security and a better police presence," Mollins said. He said his clients and others who were at the scene contend that the police "were there ... saw what was happening, and they left." Calls seeking comment from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. were not immediately returned. Lt. Kevin Smith of the Nassau County Police Department said, "it's our policy that we don't comment on open litigations" and would not respond directly to Mollins and his clients' claim that officers left the scene. He said it is "incumbent upon the store to provide security" but noted that there was no security force present when officers responded to an initial phone call after 3 a.m. Friday for an unknown disturbance at the site. Smith said the officers noticed a lack of order with the crowd and began to organize them into a line, remaining on site for about 30 minutes until the crowd had become orderly. Throughout the morning, officers went back to check on the crowd and continued to notice no disturbance, Smith said. He said that there were no additional calls for assistance until about 5 a.m., when people began rushing the doors of the store and trampled Damour. An autopsy showed that Damour died of asphyxiation after being trampled, Nassau County officials have said. Video showed that as many as a dozen people were knocked to the floor in the stampede of people trying to get into the store. The employee was "stepped on by hundreds of people" as other workers attempted to fight their way through the crowd, said Nassau County Police Detective Lt. Michael Fleming. CNN's Kristen Hamill contributed to this report . | Men suffered injuries after being carried along in rush for bargains, suit claims .
Customers also filed claim against police, say they didn't maintain order .
One store employee killed in post-Thanksgiving rush for bargains . |
1935ed0bc87c62db4360f1ba549c758954a4f722 | By . Bianca London . Holly Branson, the eldest daughter of Sir Richard Branson, is expecting twins. The 32-year-old doctor shared the exciting news on her father's company website, as well as via her Twitter account. Writing on Virgin.com, she explained that she wouldn't be taking part in the Virgin Strive Challenge, a 1,000km journey from London to the Matterhorn with marathons, rowing, cycling, hiking and climbing, with her family because of her pregnancy. Scroll down for video . Happy news: Holly Branson told fans via Twitter today that she and husband Freddie are delighted to be expecting twins . In a blog post entitled 'Why I’m supporting, not joining, the Virgin Strive Challenge', she wrote: 'There are just days to go before the Virgin STRIVE Challenge begins and the whole team is getting very excited - and a little bit nervous! 'The epic journey from London to the Matterhorn starts with a marathon from the O2 Arena to Gravesend on August 7th. The core team of 10 people will be striving to reach the summit of the Matterhorn entirely under their own steam, with marathons, rowing, cycling, hiking and climbing all to come on a route of more than 1,000km. 'My brother Sam, cousin Noah and the team have been training and fundraising hard, and having a lot of fun along the way. As well as an adventure of a lifetime, the Virgin STRIVE Challenge is aiming to raise £750,000 to support young people in the UK to develop the life skills they need to reach their potential. Parents-to-be: Holly and Freddie met at school in Oxford and tied the knot in a lavish ceremony on Necker Island in 2012 . 'Life skills is this year’s main focus for Big Change, and it is great to see the money raised by the Virgin STRIVE Challenge going towards such important and innovative projects to help young people thrive in life. 'As one of Big Change’s Trustees, some of you have been asking why I’m now not taking part in the Virgin STRIVE Challenge myself. 'Well, Freddie and I are delighted to share the happy news that we are expecting twins!'. She continued: 'After telling our families and all of the Virgin family too, we thought it was time to let everyone know - plus I don’t want anybody thinking I wasn’t up for the challenge of doing Strive!! 'Thanks to everybody for their well-wishes and support so far.' Holly and her husband Freddie Andrewes, who met at school in Oxford, tied the knot in January 2012 in front of their proud and happy friends and . family on her father Sir Richard Branson's . idyllic Necker Island. Holly and Freddie married on the island . that back in August was ravaged by a huge fire that destroyed the Great . House on the Virgin Island. She . wasn't going to let that stop her holding her big day there and said . getting married on the remains added a special aspect to the ceremony. Talking to Hello! magazine, she said: 'Because it is such a dramatic environment, you don't get a sad feeling . on the ruins, it's more of an uplifting, wow, a feeling of celebration . and a time to reflect. 'Before, we were wondering where to fit that many people to have a . proper service, but it was the most obvious big flat open space, it was . perfect. 'It's definitely our special place and it looked absolutely beautiful, . even thought it was still very rustic - there are still piles of rubble - . it was dramatic. And it's stunning because you're at the top of a hill . so there are incredible panoramic views.' Explanation: Writing on Virgin.com, she explained that she wouldn't be taking part in the Virgin Strive Challenge because of her pregnancy. Grandfather Richard: Sir Branson, pictured with newborn son Sam and daughter Holly in 1986, encouraged Holly's pregnancy . Clearly the place is . special; in the tweet announcing her pregnancy news, she and Freddie can . be seen posing on a hill on Necker Island. At the time of her wedding, Holly said: 'He was really keen for . me to be pregnant walking down the aisle. He didn't think we should . worry about being married first. 'My parents weren't married before they . had Sam and I, but both had been married before and it didn't work, so I . think for us, it's nice to do everything in the right order.' Will she be godmother? Holly, 32, is a close friend of Princess Beatrice, who will no doubt play a pivotal role in the baby's life . | Doctor Holly shared the news on Virgin's website .
Explained she won't be taking part in Strive Challenge due to pregnancy .
Met Freddie Andrews at school in Oxford and tied the knot in 2012 .
Richard Branson has long been keen for Holly to have children . |
1935f86bccacde9a7d5591e1d081c4c70468cbda | It's only three days in, with some of the biggest acts still to come. But for the models catwalking at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2015 in New York City, things are in full swing. There's early starts, late finishes, mad rushes through Manhattan from show-to-show, and a never-ending stream of hair-and-make-up chairs. However, a look at some of the clothes horse's social media snaps show the event to be predictably glamorous and, in some cases, surprisingly normal. Scroll down for video . 'I woke up like this': Models from all over the world have descended upon New York City for Fashion, and are avidly posting pictures to Instagram from behind-the-scenes . Room-with-a-view: This photo, posted by Kendall Jenner, was captioned: 'We're eating raw oatmeal' Did you really eat that? One British model, Malaika Firth, posted a photo of this decadent lasagne . Meticulous: Korean model Soo Joo Park has her hair braided . Disco diva: Malaika First shows off the crazy wig she had fitted before a show . From the photos of pizza and pasta dinners, it turns out models do eat - and much like the regular people of the world, too. However Kendall Jenner did post a picture from her hotel room saying she was eating 'raw oatmeal' for breakfast. Saturday looked set to be a busy day for the models, with no hope of breaking for Valentine's Day. Herve Leger by Max Azria and Christian Siriano both had shows, while one of the week's biggest drawcards, Alexander Wang, will kick off at 5pm. Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2015 runs until Thursday February 19. Slice: A model stops for dinner backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2015 at The Pavilion at Lincoln Center on February 11, 2015 in New York City . Rush hour: Models prepare backstage at the Marissa Webb fashion show with TRESemme . Caffeine break: Belgian model Yumi Lambert grabs a coffee between shows . Ice ice: Soo Joo Park posts a photo from her hotel of a snowy New York with the caption 'wake me when it's over' Timeout: Models congregate backstage - and try to stay warm . Five days to go: Fashion Week runs until February 19 . Decade: Soo Joo Park posts a picture from inside the Gramercy Park Hotel . Sustenance: Turns out frozen yogurt is the ideal 'model meal' Dinner time: After the shows finish, there's still all the parties to attend for the catwalkers . Strike a pose: Yumi Lambert and Taylor Hill snapped this selfie before the BCBG Max Azria show . | Saturday marked day three of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2015 .
Models from all over the world descend upon New York City .
Social media flooded with selfies and backstage snaps .
Event runs until February 19 . |
19372cb7e1de66813965efe4238276887832d1fb | By . Nazia Parveen . PUBLISHED: . 09:39 EST, 15 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:16 EST, 15 November 2013 . A soldier returned home from the front line to find the dead body of his fiancee, who had hanged herself after suffering from postnatal depression. Linzi Mannion had told friends she was looking forward to marrying Lance Sergeant Robert Kopicki and was busily decorating their new home. But the mother of two committed suicide the night before her fiance returned from his post in Afghanistan and he discovered her body. Depression: Linzi Mannion (left), the fiancee of British soldier Lance Sgt Robert Kopicki, was found hanged at their home in Bolton, Manchester . They had spoken on the phone the night before and he said she seemed in good spirits. Shocked friends who had been with the 29-year-old hours before her death on August 30 said she seemed her ‘normal, jolly self’. An inquest yesterday heard she had been diagnosed with postnatal depression after the birth of her second daughter Nancie on April 24, and was prescribed anti-depressants. 'Impulse': Linzi, pictured left with her two . children and right with Mr Kopicki, was suffering from post-natal . depression and acted impulsively, a coroner said. Miss Mannion told . friends she was excited for the return of Mr Kopicki and was looking . forward to enjoying life at their new home . Sgt Kopicki, 28, who serves with the 1st Battalion Scots Guards, told the hearing: ‘After the birth Linzi began to suffer from depression. She had some anti-depressants from the GP which seemed to help her. In June she tried to harm herself but she was so upset and traumatised by that. She just couldn’t cope.’ Doctors who were monitoring the healthcare assistant had believed her condition was improving, and Sgt Kopicki didn’t suspect she was contemplating suicide. He said: ‘We were looking forward to getting married. The house was getting decorated and I was coming home the following day. On the evening before I came home I spoke to her and we exchanged texts. Inquest: The inquest has been held into the death of Linzi Mannion, the girlfriend of British soldier Lance Sgt Robert Kopicki who was serving in Afghanistan . 'She phoned me at 10.30pm when she was with all her friends. There was no warning of what was to happen. ‘When I came home I found Linzi and she had died.’ On the night of her death Miss Mannion, who also had an elder daughter Maddalyn, had been decorating her home in Kearsley, near Bolton, with the help of her friend Lee Bleakley, who she had known since she was 18. Mr Bleakley left around 9.30pm and Miss Mannion went to visit another friend and drank some wine. Later the same night Miss Mannion rang Mr Bleakley asking him to come back round to her home to finish off the decorating before Sgt Kopicki returned the next morning. Happy: Miss Mannion's friends said they had no reason to believe she would harm herself . Mr Bleakley said: ‘I said I would come round in the morning before Rob came back home to help with the decorating. She seemed all right when I spoke to her but a little bit drunk. We had been having a laugh and a joke that night and she was saying how happy she was with her kids. ‘I have known her a long time so I would know if there was something wrong. She just seemed the normal Linzi to me.’ Post-mortem examination results showed Miss Mannion was at more than twice the drink-drive limit, Bolton coroner’s court heard. Coroner Jennifer Leeming, who recorded an open verdict into Miss Mannion’s death, said there was nothing in her behaviour which could have indicated she was planning to take her own life. ‘Clearly it was impulsive,’ she said. ‘I suspect if she could, she would say that she didn’t really mean it. Please accept my sincere sympathy for your loss. Around 10-15 per cent of new mothers suffer from post-natal depression, but help is out there (file pic) Feeling 'low' after having a baby, . also known as the 'baby blues', is so common it is considered normal, . but 10-15 per cent of mothers go on to develop a much deeper and . long-term condition called post-natal depression (PND). It . usually develops within six weeks of giving birth and can come on . gradually or suddenly, and can range from being relatively mild to quite . severe. Sufferers may feel sad or low, unable to . cope, and hostile or indifferent to their husband, partner or baby. They may have thoughts about death, be unable to sleep, and feel . hopeless about the future. Many . of those who suffer from it do not want to admit to it, but doctors say . that if PND is diagnosed and addressed, it is likely to pass sooner and . to be less severe. Treatments . for PND include counselling and psychotherapy, and antidepressants, . which can be very effective. Tranquilisers and sleeping pills may also . be offered for short-term use. Some . women find complementary therapies such as cranial osteopathy, massage, . and reflexology can be a help in reducing symptoms of depression and . anxiety. Practical and . emotional support from friends and family has also been shown to be a . great help to those suffering from PND. Getting out to meet other . parents can be a lifeline to new mothers who are feeling isolated and . anxious after having a baby, while exercise can also work as an . antidepressant. Organisations such as the Association for Post-Natal Illness . provides a telephone helpline for women who believe they are suffering . from PND and for medical professionals. Call 0207 386 0868 . Monday-Friday 10am-2pm. Other telephone helplines available 24 hours a day include Parentline on 0808 800 2222 or the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90. Emma Cadywould: A new mum killed by a speeding train was suffering from 'one of the worst cases of post-natal depression' a coroner had ever seen, he told an inquest into her death . The wife of an army major who was . killed by a speeding train was suffering from 'one of the worst cases of . post-natal depression' a coroner had ever seen, he told an inquest into . her death. New mother Emma Cadywould had battled the condition for six months before she drove to a railway line where she was hit by a train. Mrs Cadywould, known to friends as Emsie, was struggling to cope after giving birth to baby Harrison, who woke her up through the night, the court heard. Despite . support from family, including husband Steve, and from friends, she . regularly told loved ones she wanted to be at peace and expressed . suicidal thoughts, it was said. She . was prescribed anti-depressants to cope with the strain, which had also . taken a physical toll, as she started to lose her hair. Swindon Coroners' Court heard that . on December 16, 2011, she left from her home in Watchfield, next to the . UK Defence Academy, on the Oxfordshire-Wiltshire border. Mrs . Cadywould drove four miles towards Swindon, Wiltshire, where she parked . near the village of South Marston and made her way onto the main . railway linking London with the West Country. Shortly . afterwards she was struck by a train. | Lance Sgt Robert Kopicki discovered Linzi Mannion's body .
Inquest told Miss .
Mannion's depression began after the birth of daughter .
Friends say she gave no indication she was contemplating .
harming herself .
Coroner recorded an open verdict . |
1937667ed80ea8f30b5da75ffa142792b996c7d7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:00 EST, 8 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:54 EST, 9 June 2013 . A photographer scaled the world's highest skyscraper to shoot vertigo-inducing photos of the brave workers who perform essential maintenance at its very peak. Joe McNally ascended more than half a mile to the very tip of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world's tallest manmade structure, to capture the breathtaking view from the top. And not content with shooting a set of photos that will have the world gripping its swivel chairs, he has also published a vertigo-inducing behind-the-scenes video on YouTube showing how he did it. The view from half-a-mile up: A site worker hangs from a safety rope at the very tip of Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper which, at 2,722ft tall, is the highest man-made structure anywhere in the world . 'The unusual vantage point': Mr McNally, who has 26 years' experience as a photographer for National Geographic, spent three years in correspondence with the building's administrator to arrange the shoot . Daredevils: Pictured is Johnny, one of the two maintenance workers who took Mr McNally to the top . 'I've been a big fan always of getting my camera in different places and trying to seek the unusual vantage point,' said Mr Mcnally. 'The tower is obviously a commanding presence. It sprang out of the desert here. It's the tallest structure in the world. 'It's got a beauty and allure to it which is also part of the reason that you just want to go and climb this thing and get to the top of it, see what the mystery is all about and what the view might by like from the tallest man-made point on the planet.' Mr McNally, a photographer with 26 years' experience shooting for National Geographic, had been visiting Dubai to teach at a special photography event in the city state. He was given access to the 2,722ft Burj Khalifa after three years in correspondence with the building's administrator. 'It's got a beauty and allure to it': The Burj Khalifa has been the tallest building in the world since 2010 . Long climb: Mr McNally's journey to the top started at 5am in a service lift to the 160th floor, then continued along several more flights of metal stairs up the final floors of the building's metal superstructure . Safety first: The photographer dons a harness to keep him safe on the final stage of the ascent . 'It's a lengthy climb and it's physically daunting': Mr McNally pictured climbing the final ladder to the very top . The route to the top starts at 5am in a service lift that runs right up the spine of the building to level 160, the very last concrete floor in the towering structure. After that, accompanied by two of the building's maintenance workers, Mr McNally climbed a series of zig-zagging metal staircases up several more floors until they reached a final ladder. 'Just physically climbing you're talking about going straight up for a couple of hundred metres,' the photographer said. 'You're safety harnessed to the ladder. It's kind of a ratchet system where you can actually lean back and rest when you need to. 'And that just is a straight ladder right up to the very top. It's a lengthy climb and it's physically daunting.' Head spinning: The view from Mr McNally's helmet-mounted camera over the side of the building's top . Rather him than me: A worker helps the photographer to clamber out on to the side of the spike at the top . 'A sense of humanity in the midst of this giant structure': Maintenance workers who do this climb every day . At the top of the building the workers helped Mr McNally ease himself out onto the side of the Burj Khalifa's spire, where he hung from safety ropes above a drop of more than half a mile. There he also photographed the two men who helped him reach the record-breaking point. 'You don't want to go to the top of this tower and just take a snap looking down,' he said. 'You want to have a reference point, you want sense of humanity in the midst of this giant structure.' | The Burj Khalifa stands 2,722ft over the city of Dubai .
It has been the world's tallest building since 2010 . |
1938800662421e2a424c3e71e2310a30836fcb25 | (CNN) -- Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal made light work of their opening matches on the 2010 ATP Tour circuit on Tuesday, but a man who has beaten the world's top two tennis players suffered an embarrassing defeat. No. 1 Federer brushed aside unseeded Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-1 6-2 in the first round of the Qatar Open in Doha, while second seed Nadal was similarly untroubled in defeating Italy's Simone Bolelli 6-3 6-3. However, world No. 8 Robin Soderling was knocked out in the first round of the Chennai Open in India, where he was top seed. The Swede -- who beat Federer in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi last week before losing in the final to Nadal, on whom he inflicted a shock defeat at last year's French Open -- was beaten in straight sets by American Robby Ginepri. "Everything went wrong for me," Soderling said after his 6-4 7-5 reverse to a player ranked 100th in the world. "I wasn't hitting the ball well, I didn't take my chances and he took his. "It doesn't matter whether you have two break-points or three, you still have to take them." Swiss star Federer should have another easy ride in the second round when he faces unseeded Russian Evgeny Korolev, while Spaniard Nadal takes on another Italian in Potito Starace. The day's most significant result in Doha saw 38-year-old Moroccan wildcard Younes El Aynaoui become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour match since Jimmy Connors, who was 42 when he triumphed at the Halle Open in 1995. El Aynaoui, whose previous competitive match was in May 2008, beat American qualifier Ryler DeHeart 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4). The 2002 champion, who was runner-up in 1996, earned a clash with Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis, who upset Spanish eighth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4 6-1. Meanwhile, at the Hopman Cup mixed teams event in Perth, hosts Australia eliminated the United States with a 2-1 victory in Group A on Tuesday. Samantha Stosur beat Melanie Oudin 6-2 6-4, then Lleyton Hewitt gave Australia an unassailable lead by defeating big-serving John Isner before the Americans won the mixed doubles. Australia, who have a win and a loss, next face Spain -- who remained on course for a fifth final appearance with a 3-0 drubbing of Romania. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez won the opening singles 6-4 6-3 against Sorana Cirstea, and then the Romanians had to concede after Victor Hanescu suffered an injury and pulled out at 6-3 down against Tommy Robredo. | Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal win their opening matches on the 2010 ATP Tour circuit .
The world's top two players triumph in straight sets in first round at Qatar Open in Doha .
Robin Soderling, who has beaten both recently, loses as top seed at Chennai Open .
Younes El Aynaoui, 38, becomes the oldest player to win on ATP Tour since 1995 . |
1939dea6acd8c2c33d60a0b44e26e5a467f68e5a | By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 10:31 EST, 9 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:30 EST, 9 April 2013 . The teen hiker who was rescued after spending five days lost in a Californian national park has revealed she began eating dirt and hallucinating a snake was eating her during her ordeal. Suffering from hunger and severe dehydration, Kyndall Jack, 18, told reporters yesterday that her mind began to play tricks on her while lost near Trabuco Canyon after she and her friend, Nicolas Cendoya became lost after setting off on a hike on March 31st. Believing that all hope of rescue had gone, Jack said that she had wild thought her parents had been sentenced to prison time, a python was eating her and that Cendoya, 19, told her he was having visions of a tiger. Scroll Down for Video . Kyndall Jack, one of the two hikers who became lost for nearly a week in the Cleveland National Forest last week, talks about her ordeal and thanks rescuers during a news conference outside UCI Medical Center on Monday . Released from UC Irvine Medical Center on Monday, Jack was rescued shoeless and clinging to a mountain ledge on Thursday having suffered frostbite and cuts and bruises on her legs that made walking difficult for her. 'I don't remember drinking anything,' said Jack to ABC News. 'I know I ate dirt. I tried to eat some dirt and rocks. I came to the hospital with a big mouthful of dirt and that's all I remember.' Describing her hallucinations, Jack said that the wilderness got to her, making her imagine that animals were trying to attack her and her companion. 'My parents were in jail half the time, in my mind, and I was searching for my little sister, so that's all I remember,' said Jack. Kyndall Jack, told reporters that starvation and dehydration led to her eating dirt and hallucinating that she was being attacked by a snake while stuck on a ledge for five days . Kyndall Jack is transported by wheelchair and flanked by hospital staff, security and her parents for a press conference outside UCI Medical Center in Orange, California on Monday . 'I was being eaten by a python. Like Nick saw a tiger, I was being eaten by a python half the time.' Jack and Cendoya began their fateful trek on Easter Sunday in Trabuco Canyon in Southern Californian on what was their first date. It was while at the top of a mountain that took them six hours that the inexperienced hikers realized they had exhausted the water supply. 'We wanted to touch the clouds,' said Jack. 'That's why we went up there. We wanted to be in the clouds at the top.' And in newly released 911 calls made as the panicked pair realized they were stranded, Cendoya sounds incoherent. 'We have fire I mean,' Cendoya told the 911 operator according to ABC News. 'I mean we have a lighter or something we can light something up. I don't know.' Hero: Kyndall Jack, 18, has called Nicolas Cendoya, 19, pictured, her hero after the dramatic rescue . Relief: Nicolas Cendoya, center, hugs his brother, left, and mother, right, after he was released from Mission Hospital today . The 911 operator can be heard to struggle with Cendoya as he tries to find out where the pair have got themselves lost. 'Stop for one second. What is the address?' Cendoya can be overheard saying to Jack. 'I don't know,' she replies. Jack told reporters that the battery on Cendoya's cellphone failed before the 911 operator could track the signal - and that is when they began to panick. 'I said just hold onto me. Let's go back down the canyon,' Cendoya said Sunday after being released from hospital. 'And I must've fallen. And I don't know if Kyndall took a fall and was unconscious.' Once separated, the two were unaware even if the other one had survived. On Wednesday, Cendoya was found barefoot, shirtless and disorientated and Jack was found the next morning handing from a rocky ledge the size of a yoga mat. Following confusion over their accounts of how they became lost and separated, Cendoya said he was worried Kyndall Jack, 18, would blame him for what happened. He said he had been told not to contact her and was concerned when she hadn't got in touch, but then she sent him a Facebook message insisting his words of encouragement when they got lost were 'what kept me going' and that she loved him and missed him. Drama in the wild: Kyndall Jack, 18, is airlifted to safety by Los Angeles County Search and Rescue after being missing for five days in rugged country near Rancho Santa Margarita, California . 'I heard a lot of really mean things that were being said about me... and when she was saved I hadn't heard from her and everyone was telling me not to call,' Cendoya told reporters outside Mission Viejo hospital. 'But then I get a (Facebook) post from Kyndall.' Then he read out the heartfelt message. Risky adventure: Kyndall Jack's father said his daughter called him Sunday to say that she is going on a hike, which was unusual for her . 'Hi Nick, all I think about is you. It's hard to make sense of it all and everything that has happened,' she wrote, before explaining how when she was rescued, she wasn't even aware that she had been hiking with him. 'Then I remember you telling me to calm down and that you were going to get me out of there and that's what kept me going,' she went on. 'Thank you so much and I love you and miss you more than words can describe. You are my hero Nicolas.' Cendoya also described how he spent much of the ordeal in a dream-like state and even thought the search helicopters flying above him were hallucinations. 'The last thing I could tell you was going into a lucid dream,' he said. 'I can't even tell you when I woke up. I was in lucid dreams and hallucinations for days.' He said that while he was wandering in the arid surrounds, he reflected on what he considered recent selfish behaviors, like focusing too much on himself and not enough on his family. 'So that's why when all this happened, I didn't cry, I didn't fear it. I just embraced everything. I said, "This is what I deserve,"' Cendoya said. 'I just knew I would get through it. I knew this wasn't my time to die. I knew that I needed this, to become the person that I'm supposed to be.' Rescued: Miss Jack is being treated in hospital and her family have been notified that she is safe . The two teen hikers were just a couple of miles from a shopping mall, and were able to make out the Los Angeles skyline and hear the rumbles of downtown traffic from where they wandered off trail. And although the sprawling expanse of Southern California suburbia is clearly visible from the forest's ridgelines, in the canyon where they were trapped the brush was so thick they couldn't find a road that was just 500 feet away. | Kyndall Jack, 18, revealed that while she was lost for five days in the Californian wilderness she began to hallucinate .
Thinking that a snake was eating her alive, Jack was suffering from severe dehydration and exhaustion .
She and her friend, Nicolas Cendoya, 19, became lost near Trabuco Canyon last week after walking off a hiking trail trying to climb a mountain . |
1939e931ffae4895b2e78dcc30bb89c5e57e3bf6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Sitting on the pavement next to his dog and sleeping bag, Simon Wright looked to all the world like a homeless beggar. But what the passers-by who gave him cash didn’t know was that he was earning over £50,000 a year and living in a £300,000 council flat in west London. At the end of every day he would pick up his handwritten sign and head back to his Fulham home.Locals say he regularly went into bookmakers and amusement shops to change up his loose coins. The homeless man... with a home: Simon Wright (left) has been given an Asbo after it emerged he had been begging for years despite living in a plush £300,000 flat in this block (right) in Fulham . On many occasions they added up to . between £200 and £300. Magistrates have now imposed a two-year Asbo . banning him from begging anywhere in London. PC Oliver Strebel, who brought the . case to court, said: ‘He had a reputation for getting a lot of gifts . while begging. 'He used a sign saying he was homeless and people gave him . money on that basis, which is clearly fraud. He would take the money . from his cup and change it over at a local betting shop or amusement . arcade. ‘He worked pretty much every day, and had done so for about three years. He certainly put in the hours.’ Wright proved Putney High Street in . south-west London was such a lucrative venue that he attracted up to . nine other beggars. Since his arrest, they have all but disappeared. Wright . would sit wearing ragged clothes outside NatWest bank in Putney High . Street, near Putney station, with his dog and ask the public for money. But after a hard day’s begging Wright . would pack up his sleeping bag and, instead of heading to a shelter, he . would make his way across Putney Bridge to his comfortable flat in Simms . Court, Fulham High Street. Commuters who fell for his bad luck story said they were shocked to learn Wright had duped them. Chris Faversham, from Putney, said: 'I . definitely gave him money over the years. Probably about £20. I wonder . if I can get that back?' In December 2012 suspicious residents were suggesting that something was not quite right about Wright’s predicament. Some said he changed up his donations . in Greggs in Putney High Street while others said he lived in a tent on . Putney Embankment. But Wright’s days of fleecing the . public are over after magistrates slapped an Asbo on him banning him . from visiting the SW15 area (Roehampton and Putney) and from begging . anywhere in the capital. Wimbledon Magistrates' Court, sitting . on May 14, also ordered him to keep his dog muzzled and under control at . all times in a public place after magistrates were told it had bitten . at least one person. Banned: Wright, 37, would sit wearing ragged clothes outside NatWest bank in Putney High Street, near Putney station, with his dog and ask the public for money . The Asbo will remain in place until . May 2015 but if Wright, who admitted fraud and begging, breaches any of . its terms he could be sent to prison for up to five years and face an . unlimited fine. The council’s community safety . spokesman Cllr Jonathan Cook said: 'Anyone who lives, works or shops in . and around Putney High Street will be mightily relieved to see this . unpleasant individual given his marching orders. 'He deliberately targeted people . making cash withdrawals from this cashpoint and was extremely aggressive . and abusive to anyone who refused to give him money. 'Many people felt frightened and . intimidated by him and there is some evidence to suggest that he used . his dog to threaten and pressure people into handing over their cash. 'His behaviour was an absolute . disgrace. The fact that he was actually living in a comfortable flat in . Fulham, something that many of his victims can only dream of, just adds . insult to injury. 'Everyone who has been appalled by Mr . Wright’s behaviour will I’m sure wish to congratulate the Thamesfield . Safer Neighbourhoods Team, especially PC Oliver Strebel, who was the . officer in the case and also the Crown Prosecution Service whose lawyers . worked so closely with the police to bring about this very positive . result for Putney.' | Simon Wright, 37, sat in ragged clothes with his dog in Putney High Street .
Packed up sleeping bag at end of day and headed to plush Fulham home .
Handed an Asbo banning him from begging in London or entering SW15 .
Duped commuter: 'I gave him about £20. I wonder if I can get that back?' |
193aa61026004f5bf0131d04546461074c69def8 | By . Ruth Styles . PUBLISHED: . 07:53 EST, 20 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:26 EST, 4 March 2013 . The French and Italian contingent may beg to differ, for Rihanna, no one beats the British when it comes to getting dressed. 'Britain has the most fashionable kids in the world,' the singer said. 'These kids inspired the high-end designers, they say what's cool.' Speaking ahead of her London Fashion Week debut on Saturday, Rihanna also revealed that her inspiration for the collection was her own wardrobe. Scroll down for video . Dunn and dusted! A Rihanna for River Island campaign image featuring British supermodel, Jourdan Dunn . Acclaim: Rihanna gets a round of applause at the end of her debut catwalk show in London on Saturday . 'I designed every single piece in the collection so I could wear it,' the singer-turned-designer told Grazia. 'I think my fans trust my style so they'll have fun with it.' Although the range was unveiled on Saturday during London Fashion Week, the pieces won't be available to buy until early next month. But while the clothes might not be available yet, the campaign to sell them has well and truly begun. The first campaign shots, created by renowned photographer Mario Sorrenti back in December, have already landed and certainly don't disappoint. Along with Cara Delevingne's best friend, model Jourdan Dunn, the edgy photoshoot also stars pink-haired model of the moment, Charlotte Free. Styled by the singer herself, the pictures show off Rihanna's Nineties-inspired pieces, including a striped crop top, a fluoro yellow dress and a strappy black slip with a daring thigh high split. Stylish: The glamorous images were taken in December by renowned Italian photographer, Mario Sorrenti . Glamour girls: Along with Dunn and pink-haired model, Charlotte Free, the campaign also stars Tao Okamoto, Ataui Deng and Bambi Northwood Blyth . Catwalk: Rihanna by River Island on the runway during her London Fashion Week show . 'I've wanted to design my own fashion line for a very long time now,' said Rihanna of her River Island collaboration. 'It has been something I've thought about ever since I started loving fashion. 'Every time I saw a garment on the rack, there was something I wanted to change, so I felt the only way I could do that was by designing the perfect thing for me.' With her S/S13 collection for the high street brand picking up plaudits from critics and the public alike, it won't come as a surprise to learn that the singer has plans for more. Speaking to the Telegraph newspaper, Rihanna revealed that not only is a new collection in the planning stages, it will also offer 'a whole different flip' on her current designs. Rihanna for River Island is available online at www.riverisland.com/rihanna-for-river-island and in store from 5 March. Multi-talented: All of the campaign images, including this one starring Charlotte Free, were styled by Rihanna . Cool: The Rihanna for River Island collection was shown in a funky urban setting - apeing the designer herself . Inspiration: The collection contained multiple 90s references, including crop tops, grunge and thigh high splits . VIDEO: RIHANNA FOR RIVER ISLAND AT LONDON FASHION WEEK . With multiple references to the 1990s, neon brights and urban styling, Rihanna's new collection certainly isn't for the faint-hearted but is guaranteed to appeal if your wardrobe is in urgent need of a youthful update. Femail rounds up the pieces you need in your life. Beige maxi dress, £60, Rihanna for River Island . Strappy maxi dress, £45, Rihanna for River Island . Grey Varsity jacket, £150, Rihanna for River Island . Denim skirt, £50, Rihanna for River Island . Fluoro dress, £70, Rihanna for River Island . Striped shirt dress, £45, Rihanna for River Island . | The singer spoke out ahead of her debut London Fashion Week show .
The Rihanna for River Island collection is due to hit stores on 5 March .
Ad images shot by Mario Sorrenti and styled by Rihanna released today . |
193af28b4ded4080694d20359144c9777000d467 | Every morning Sportsmail brings you the biggest gossip and headlines on the continent, giving you your early morning fix from the biggest leagues across Europe. In Spain, Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos has created somewhat of a media storm - by claiming the Champions League holders are 'God's team'. Ahead of Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup final against San Lorenzo, Ramos has stoked the fires on the front page of AS - albeit in jest. AS lead with the headline, Sergio Ramos has said: 'The Pope is a San Lorenzo fan, but Madrid is God's team' Pope Francis is a fan of his native Argentine side San Lorenzo and, when asked whether that would help the South Americans to beat Real, Ramos joked: 'The Pope is a San Lorenzo fan, but... Madrid is God's team.' Ramos was also asked whether or not Real could 'make history' against San Lorenzo, to which he responded: 'I hope we are. If we make history or not depends on the titles and records we win. 'Real Madrid is God's team and the world's. We are living a splendid and unique moment.' Marca also focus on Real Match with San Lorenzo, with the headline: 'White smoke' Marca also focus on Real's match with the headline: 'White smoke - Madrid conspire to proclaim themselves the best side in the world against the Pope's team.' They say that Madrid fans have 'trust' in Cristiano Ronaldo that he can help lead Real to a 22nd conseuctive victory, just four shy of Ajax's world-record run. James Rodriguez is also expected to return to the starting XI for the clash with San Lorenzo. Barcelona striker Neymar has shown off his new tiger tattoo on the front cover of Mundo Deportivo . Meanwhile, Neymar has got himself a new tattoo - with a tiger now inked into his left forearm. Mundo Deportivo lead with the headline: 'Ruge Neymar: The star shows his latest tattoo - tiger.' They also carry quotes from the Barcelona forward, who reveals: 'I want to win the Champions League and score in the final.' Elsewhere, in Italy, Tuttosport have awarded Liverpool's Raheem Sterling with the European Golden Boy trophy for 2014 - an accolade given to the best youngster on the continent, as voted for by journalists. Tuttosport have revealed that Raheem Sterling is the 2014 European Golden Boy award winner . Also, Juventus forward Carlos Tevez is 'not satisfied' with his performances at the Serie A champions. He reveals: 'I am not satisfied with what I am doing, as I want to lift this trophy (Serie A). 'I get along better with (Fernando) Llorente (than last season).' La Gazetta dello Sport on the other hand claim that Tottenham Hotspur's Aaron Lennon is being courted by Inter Milan. La Gazetta dello Sport claim that Inter Milan are chasing Tottenham Hotspur's Aaron Lennon . The San Siro giants are looking to attract Lennon to Milan, with Fredy Guarin possibly filling his spot in north London. The paper also previews Roma vs AC Milan with the headline: 'Need for speed.' They claim that Saturday's night match will be won by the team who can 'run faster', with Roma having Maicon, Gervinho and Adem Ljajic as their speed merchants, while Milan can put forward Pablo Armero, Keisuke Honda and Giacomo Bonvaentura as their pacey players. In France, L'Equipe welcome the signing of New Zealand's Dan Carter, saying: 'The Top 14 offers a legend' Finally, in France, L'Equipe welcome the signing of New Zealand legend Dan Carter to the Top 14. The All Blacks fly half will join Racing Metro following the 2015 World Cup on a world-record contract for a rugby union player. Their headline reads: 'The Top 14 offers a legend.' | Real Madrid face San Lorenzo in Saturday's FIFA Club World Cup final .
Pope Francis supports San Lorenzo but Sergio Ramos has joked that Real are 'God's team' and can make 'history' on Saturday .
Neymar has had a tattoo of a tiger inked on to his left forearm .
Inter Milan are reportedly chasing the signature of Aaron Lennon . |
193bed3da535f68f996b9512bd3794b80c220ee8 | Editor's note: John M. McCardell Jr., president emeritus at Middlebury College, is founder and president of Choose Responsibility, a nonprofit organization that seeks to engage the public in debate over the effects of the 21-year-old drinking age. John McCardell says the 21-year-old drinking age isn't preventing widespread binge drinking. (CNN) -- One year ago, a group of college and university presidents and chancellors, eventually totaling 135, issued a statement that garnered national attention. The "Amethyst Initiative" put a debate proposition before the public -- "Resolved: That the 21-year-old drinking age is not working." It offered, in much the way a grand jury performs its duties, sufficient evidence for putting the proposition to the test. It invited informed and dispassionate public debate and committed the signatory institutions to encouraging that debate. And it called on elected officials not to continue assuming that, after 25 years, the status quo could not be challenged, even improved. One year later, the drinking age debate continues, and new research reinforces the presidential impulse. Just this summer a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry revealed that, among college-age males, binge drinking is unchanged from its levels of 1979; that among non-college women it has increased by 20 percent; and that among college women it has increased by 40 percent. Remarkably, the counterintuitive conclusion drawn by the investigators, and accepted uncritically by the media, including editorials in The New York Times and The Washington Post is that the study proves that raising the drinking age to 21 has been a success. More recently, a study of binge drinking published in the Journal of the American Medical Association announced that "despite efforts at prevention, the prevalence of binge drinking among college students is continuing to rise, and so are the harms associated with it." Worse still, a related study has shown that habits formed at 18 die hard: "For each year studied, a greater percentage of 21- to 24-year-olds [those who were of course once 18, 19 and 20] engaged in binge drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol." Yet, in the face of mounting evidence that those young adults age 18 to 20 toward whom the drinking age law has been directed are routinely -- indeed in life- and health-threatening ways -- violating it, there remains a belief in the land that a minimum drinking age of 21 has been a "success." And elected officials are periodically reminded of a provision in the 1984 law that continues to stifle any serious public debate in our country's state legislative chambers: Any state that sets its drinking age lower than 21 forfeits 10 percent of its annual federal highway appropriation. But it's not 1984 anymore. This statement may seem obvious, but not necessarily. In 1984 Congress passed and the president signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. The Act, which raised the drinking age to 21 under threat of highway fund withholding, sought to address the problem of drunken driving fatalities. And indeed, that problem was serious. States that lowered their ages during the 1970s and did nothing else to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol witnessed an alarming increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities. It was as though the driving age were lowered but no drivers education were provided. The results were predictable. Now, 25 years later, we are in a much different, and better, place. Thanks to the effective public advocacy of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we are far more aware of the risks of drinking and driving. Automobiles are much safer. Seatbelts and airbags are mandatory. The "designated driver" is now a part of our vocabulary. And more and more states are mandating ignition interlocks for first-time DUI offenders, perhaps the most effective way to get drunken drivers off the road. And the statistics are encouraging. Alcohol-related fatalities have declined over the last 25 years. Better still, they have declined in all age groups, though the greatest number of deaths occurs at age 21, followed by 22 and 23. We are well on the way to solving a problem that vexed us 25 years ago. The problem today is different. The problem today is reckless, goal-oriented alcohol consumption that all too often takes place in clandestine locations, where enforcement has proven frustratingly difficult. Alcohol consumption among young adults is not taking place in public places or public view or in the presence of other adults who might help model responsible behavior. But we know it is taking place. If not in public, then where? The college presidents who signed the Amethyst Initiative know where. It happens in "pre-gaming" sessions in locked dorm rooms where students take multiple shots of hard alcohol in rapid succession, before going to a social event where alcohol is not served. It happens in off-campus apartments beyond college boundaries and thus beyond the presidents' authority; and it happens in remote fields to which young adults must drive. And the Amethyst presidents know the deadly result: Of the 5,000 lives lost to alcohol each year by those under 21, more than 60 percent are lost OFF the roadways, according to the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. The principal problem of 2009 is not drunken driving. The principal problem of 2009 is clandestine binge drinking. That is why the Amethyst presidents believe a public debate is so urgent. The law does not say drink responsibly or drink in moderation. It says don't drink. To those affected by it, those who in the eyes of the law are, in every other respect legal adults, it is Prohibition. And it is incomprehensible. The principal impediment to public debate is the 10 percent highway penalty. That penalty should be waived for those states that choose to try something different, which may turn out to be something better. But merely adjusting the age -- up or down -- is not really the way to make a change. We should prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol in the same way we prepare them to operate a motor vehicle: by first educating and then licensing, and permitting them to exercise the full privileges of adulthood so long as they demonstrate their ability to observe the law. Licensing would work like drivers education -- it would involve a permit, perhaps graduated, allowing the holder the privilege of purchasing, possessing and consuming alcohol, as each state determined, so long as the holder had passed an alcohol education course and observed the alcohol laws of the issuing state. Most of the rest of the world has come out in a different place on the drinking age. The United States is one of only four countries -- the others are Indonesia, Mongolia and Palau -- with an age as high as 21. All others either have no minimum age or have a lower age, generally 18, with some at 16. Young adults know that. And, in their heart of hearts, they also know that a law perceived as unjust, a law routinely violated, can over time breed disrespect for law in general. Slowly but surely we may be seeing a change in attitude. This summer, Dr. Morris Chafetz, a distinguished psychiatrist, a member of the presidential commission that recommended raising the drinking age, and the founder of the National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse admitted that supporting the higher drinking age is "the most regrettable decision of my entire professional career." This remarkable statement did not receive the attention it merited. Alcohol is a reality in the lives of young adults. We can either try to change the reality -- which has been our principal focus since 1984, by imposing Prohibition on young adults 18 to 20 -- or we can create the safest possible environment for the reality. A drinking age minimum of 21 has not changed the reality. It's time to try something different. It's not 1984 anymore. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John M. McCardell Jr. | John McCardell: 135 college officers joined in questioning 21 as drinking age .
He says binge drinking is flourishing in locked rooms and remote areas .
He says U.S. is one of very few countries with such a high drinking age .
McCardell says alcohol is a reality in lives of 18- to 20-year-olds . |
193cd2027d2efb9b0ac38bd2c0b3a52328df9d6a | He said it was his job to 'seduce, amuse and entertain'. And a now a new exhibit shows how the legendary fashion photographer Helmut Newton succeeded on all three fronts. From this Saturday dozens of his glamorous color and monochrome images, taken between the mid-Sixties and late Seventies, will go on display at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles. The selection features several of his greatest hits, including a provocative image of a woman on a bed wearing a riding saddle. Tongue-in-cheek: The late fashion photographer Helmut Newton said it was his job to 'seduce, amuse and entertain' and a new exhibit shows how he succeeded on all three fronts . Another shows a model wearing stockings and suspenders reclining on a sofa with her back to the camera to reveal the full length of her thighs. Newton's iconic 1981 self-portrait is also set to tantalize gallery-goers. It shows the reflection of him in a mirror as he photographs a nude model. His wife June watches on as she sits to one side. The photographs were made specifically made for the exhibition and produced in large-scale format - some reaching nearly six-feet-high. Art of seduction: A scantily-clad model poses at the luxury hotel, Villa d' Este, in Lake Como, Italy in April 1975 . Iconic: Newton's 1981 self-portrait is also set to tantalize gallery-goers - his wife, June is seen seated . All were selected from three of Newton's popular coffee table books - White Women (1976), Sleepless Nights (1978), and Big Nudes (1981). David Fahey, a gallery owner and a longtime friend of Newton's, described his images as 'sexually charged' and 'edgy'. 'I like to call them . mini-narratives,' he explained. 'They’re stories within a story. And they’re stories that . say: "Women can be as powerful and as dominating as men. And sexual . curiosity is normal."' Several black-and-white images Mr Fahey took of Newton are included in the display, which will run until September 8. Striking: Newton preferred to shoot his photographs in streets or interiors rather than studios - this image was taken in 1975 in Rue Aubriot, Paris . Girls out in force: This shot, titled Here They Come II, is from Newton's 1981 photo series Big Nudes . They show the photographer posing at . the upscale Hollywood hotel Chateau Marmont, where he and his wife used . to winter every year. In addition to the more than 100 prints displayed, the exhibit will feature two films about Newton. Helmut by June, a documentary film . shot and directed by June Newton, Newton's wife of 56 years, shows him behind-the-scenes on shoots with models Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen. It also provides an intimate glimpse . into his private life and the couple's remarkable relationship. Best of friends: Jane and Helmut Newton by the pool at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, in March 1985 . Living the dream: Newton, pictured here in March 1985, died as a result of a car accident aged 84 . Additionally, the Annenberg Space . for Photography has commissioned an original documentary film titled Provocateur, which examine the cameraman's impact on fashion, women and photography. Wallis Annenberg, CEO of the Annenberg Foundation, said of Newton: 'If Newton's work was controversial, I believe it's because he expressed the contradictions within all of us, and particularly within the women he photographed so beautifully: empowerment mixed with vulnerability, sensuality tempered by depravity. 'Newton deepened our understanding of changing gender roles, of the ways in which beauty creates its own kind of power and corruption. 'On top of that, his compositions were brilliantly precise, cinematic in their scope and in their storytelling.' Signature style: The photographer became known for his use of bold lighting, controversial scenarios and striking compositions - he is pictured here in 1981 . Newton, neé Neustädter, was born in Berlin and was of Jewish heritage. In 1938 he was forced to flee the Nazis before the First World War. Finding his way to Australia some years later, he changed his name to Newton and embarked upon the photography career. At the age of 36, he landed his first commission with Vogue, and went on to work with dozens of publications including Playboy. He became known for his use of bold lighting, . controversial scenarios and striking compositions. In his later life, he lived in both Monte Carlo and Los Angeles. He died as a result of a car accident on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in 2004, aged 84. | More than 100 of Newton's 'sexy and edgy' prints will be displayed at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Los Angeles from June 29 . |
193dd6280235816e6d0f19dbcc61a91cc14e41e6 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 04:46 EST, 26 August 2011 . The television historian David Starkey brought his profession into disrepute when he made controversial race remarks on BBC's Newsnight, a group of leading academics have said. More than 100 historians, academics and graduate students signed an open letter criticising Starkey's failure to grasp the subtleties of race and class, which they said 'would disgrace a first-year undergraduate'. The broadcaster provoked a race storm earlier this month when he appeared on the Newsnight programme as a panelist, discussing the UK rioting. Scroll down to watch the video . David Starkey sparked anger as he suggested that black 'gangster' culture had become the norm . He was branded a racist after claiming the riots happened because too many young white . people had ‘now become black’ and blamed a ‘violent, destructive and nihilistic’ gang culture, . which he said was being embraced by many white and black people. The open letter, published by the Times Higher Education magazine, is signed by more than 100 of Starkey's contemporaries. In it, the signatories question why Starkey - who specialises in Tudor history - was invited by the BBC to talk about race riots when his academic works have nothing to do with it. Describing the selection of Starkey as a panelist as a 'poor choice', the letter says: 'We are thus unsurprised by the poverty of his reductionist argument, which reflected his lack of understanding of the history of ordinary life in modern Britain. It was evidentially insupportable and factually wrong. David Starkey, right, talks to Emily Maitlis during the controversial broadcast . 'His crass generalisations about black culture and white culture as oppositional, monolithic entities demonstrate a failure to grasp the subtleties of race and class that would disgrace a first-year history undergraduate. 'In fact, it appears to us that the BBC was more interested in employing him for his on-screen persona and tendency to make comments that viewers find offensive than for his skills as a historian.' The signatories - which included academics from Cambridge and the London School of Economics, both institutions where Starkey once taught - said he was 'ill-fitted' to speak on the matter. It added: 'Instead of thoughtfully responding to criticism, he simply shouted it down; instead of debating his fellow panelists from a position of knowledge, he belittled and derided them. 'We the undersigned would therefore ask that the BBC and other broadcasters think carefully before they next invite Starkey to comment as a historian on matters for which his historical training and record of teaching, research and publication have ill-fitted him to speak.' Controversy: David Starkey, left, said that Enoch Powell's infamous anti-immigration speech was correct in one aspect . Even after the furore surrounding his comments, historian Starkey remained defiant. The . broadcaster stunned his fellow guests on the BBC2 show, writer Owen . Jones and black author and broadcaster Dreda Say Mitchell, by placing . the blame for the riots squarely with a form of black male culture that . he said ‘mitigated against education’. He said: ‘A substantial section of . the chavs have become black. The whites have become black. A particular . sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the . fashion. ‘Black and white, boy and girl . operate in this language together. This language which is wholly false, . which is a Jamaican patois, that’s been intruded in England and this is . why so many of us have this sense of literally a foreign country.’ Dr Starkey denied he had . said anything racist and said he stood by his comments, reiterating that in times of economic and political crisis, ‘plain speaking’ was . needed. Riots: Mr Starkey claims the unrest was caused by the spread of black gang culture . He said last month: ‘I said . until I was blue in the face on the programme that I was not talking . about skin colour but gang culture. A large group of whites have started . to behave like blacks. I think that is the most unracial remark anyone . can make.’ Dr Starkey caused further outrage on . Newsnight by claiming that if people listened to David Lammy, the MP for . Tottenham, on the radio, they would assume he was white. Following his comments on Newsnight, he added: ‘David Lammy . does sound white, so does [MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington] . Diane Abbott, because they’ve had a white cultural experience. It’s one . of the reasons they don’t have any street credibility. They have no . contact with the young.' The historian also revealed he had reread . former Minister Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in . light of the tensions. He said: ‘His prophecy was absolutely . right in one sense. The Tiber didn’t foam with blood but flames . lambent. They wrapped around Tottenham and around Clapham.’ | Open letter criticises Starkey's 'crass generalisations'
Academics question BBC's choice of historian as a Newsnight panelist . |
193e73844ff3c9b70f8f147d8850ad516529d86d | Liverpool are set to open contract talks with Steven Gerrard later this week. The 34-year-old has eight months left on his current deal and would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January 1. However, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is anxious to keep Gerrard at Anfield and has recommended to Fenway Sports Group that his contract be renewed. Steven Gerrard, the 34-year-old captain of Liverpool, has eight months left on his current deal at Anfield . Gerrard (right) of Liverpool pictured with Diego Costa of Chelsea during their Premier League match . Rodgers held initial discussions with Gerrard’s representatives last month to explain his role and now it will be a case of agreeing terms. Gerrard, who is close to making 700 appearances for Liverpool, revealed in an interview with Sportsmail last month that he has no plans to retire at the end of the campaign. The international break will allow Liverpool the chance to refocus after a dismal period in which they have fallen 15 points behind league leaders Chelsea. They return to action at Crystal Palace on Sunday week and Daniel Sturridge should be back. Rodgers held initial discussions with Gerrard’s representatives last month to explain his role at Liverpool . VIDEO Gerrard will leave Liverpool if no new contract offered . | Steven Gerrard has eight months left on his current Liverpool contract .
The Reds captain would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January 1 .
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to keep Gerrard at Anfield . |
193f554411682532b6cbaa48d787d0bc7285242f | (CNN) -- Oppressed by war and poverty for generations, the Sudanese have struggled with terrible hardships. But the people of this vast country have a narrow window of hope to achieve progress by ridding both their nation and the world of a horrible disease forever. With support from The Carter Center and others in one small targeted area where cases remain, Sudan -- the last stand for Guinea worm disease -- could quickly eliminate this parasitic infection contracted from contaminated drinking water. Guinea worm victims endure the horror of a thin worm, up to 3 feet (1 meter) long, emerging slowly through a burning blister in their skin over the course of about a month after the parasite has incubated inside them for a year. This can be stopped by educating people to filter all drinking water and to stay out of water sources when they have a worm emerging to keep it from discharging new larvae back into the water. Click to see Guinea worm disease: Then and now . Because the worm requires a human host, it is within our control to eradicate it. Poised to become only the second disease eradicated from Earth besides smallpox -- which had different challenges -- Guinea worm cases have been reduced from about 3.5 million in 20 nations in 1986 to about 3,200 in 2009. Eighty-six percent of remaining cases in the world are in Southern Sudan, where violence continues to threaten the population and health workers. The few other cases are in Ghana, Mali and Ethiopia. I recently returned to Southern Sudan to visit an endemic Guinea worm village and met with ministers of health from Northern and Southern Sudan, who are assisted in their Guinea worm eradication effort primarily by The Carter Center and other partners, including the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sudan has reduced its cases by 98 percent since the eradication program began there in 1995, and we expect even greater reductions in 2010. But continuing insecurity is a major concern. In 2009, Guinea worm workers were forced at least 32 times to remain in their homes or offices or had to be evacuated temporarily because of violence or threatened violence, and areas affected by violence reported at least half of all cases last year. The greatest periods of progress have been when violence abated -- during a cease-fire lasting almost six months that I negotiated between Northern and Southern Sudan in 1995 to initiate the Guinea worm program there, and since the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Also challenging is the slow pace of providing safe drinking water in endemic villages, only 16 percent of which have even one safe water source. The campaign has hinged on providing cloth filters, health education, and a mild insecticide to kill the parasite in water. This has been effective in bringing us to the brink of eradication, albeit slowly. But wherever possible, creating new sources of clean groundwater can accelerate elimination, with the added benefit of preventing many other water-based maladies. This is just one example of how investing in disease prevention and eradication can strengthen the foundation for progress in developing nations. Across Africa, Guinea worm eradication workers have blazed new trails to prevent the disease in remote villages. Likewise, networks of thousands of volunteer health care workers have been created to identify cases, deliver cloth water filters, and ensure that their infected neighbors do not step into a water source. They form the backbone of a rudimentary health care delivery system that is both low cost and effective in fighting other diseases, too. A war waged to vanquish the fiery serpent . No one is working harder to eradicate Guinea worm disease than the Sudanese themselves. Sudan has a corps of more than 13,500 passionate and dedicated volunteer health workers -- foot soldiers of Guinea worm eradication under the very capable direction of the Southern Sudan Ministry of Health and supported by 41 Sudanese and expatriate technical assistants from The Carter Center. Whatever the outcome of April's national elections in Sudan and the referendum on national unity in Southern Sudan next January, ridding their nation of Guinea worm disease will show the world what Southern Sudanese can do when they are not distracted by war. This will be an important victory for Sudan and the world. With a little more help from their global neighbors, this achievement could be within reach very soon. | Jimmy Carter: Sudanese have chance to rid nation and world of a horrible disease .
Guinea worm sufferers endure 3 foot-long worm emerging painfully from skin, he writes .
The Carter Center helping Sudan with education, eradication efforts .
Sudanese have been most successful during periods of relative peace, Carter says . |
193fde2eab851a9850a867f87fefc52b36c2539d | By . Jack Doyle . PUBLISHED: . 18:18 EST, 9 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:18 EST, 9 August 2013 . In talks: Illegal immigrants living in 'beds in sheds' are desperate to leave Britain and return home, Gurmel Singh-Kandola, secretary-general of the Sikh Council, has said . Illegal immigrants living in ‘beds in sheds’ are desperate to leave Britain and return home, an ethnic minority leader says. Gurmel Singh-Kandola, secretary-general of the Sikh Council, said many arrivals from India who had entered the country unlawfully were stuck here, unable to work, and wanted help from the Home Office to go back. His support for a ‘voluntary returns process’ echoes Home Office efforts to persuade some of the estimated one million illegal immigrants in Britain to leave of their own accord. His organisation is now in talks with the department over how migrants with no right to remain might contact officials for help to return voluntarily. His remarks are in stark contrast to the fury provoked by the poster campaign among human rights advocates, refugee groups and left-wing politicians. The posters were mounted on vans driven around parts of London, and stating: ‘In the UK illegally? Go home or face arrest.’ A text number was provided for advice and help with travel documents. An investigation into whether they were ‘offensive and irresponsible’ was launched yesterday by the Advertising Standards Authority. The watchdog said it had received 60 complaints about the posters including that they were ‘reminiscent of slogans used by racist groups to attack immigrants in the past’. Mr Singh-Kandola believes the message behind the posters could have been delivered ‘more softly’. ‘If it said something like, “If you want to go home contact this number” or “assistance is available to return home” I think it would have been the same message but delivered more softly,’ he said. Many from the Punjab and Delhi were stuck here, impoverished and unable to work, he said. Controversial: This poster campaign caused fury among human rights advocates, refugee groups and left-wing politicians . ‘Their plight is well known; they are sleeping very rough under bridges and in multiple occupancies, sometimes in sheds in the back of people’s gardens. 'We have been quite concerned about the abject poverty in which they are living. Many of them have been trafficked by unscrupulous agents who take a lot of money from them.’ Many illegal immigrants destroyed their passport once they arrived in the country, Mr Singh-Kandola said, making it difficult for them to go home even if they wanted to. It could take six or seven months to get replacement documents papers from the Indian consulate, he said. The Home Office could help them obtain a new passport quickly and buy them a flight home. ‘Our discussions have been for those who want to go back home to facilitate that process in a humane and generous way.’ He said illegal immigrants were victims of ‘hype’ which led them to believe they could live and work in Britain once they arrived. ‘In fact they are stuck. They want to go home on a voluntary basis and what we need is processes to facilitate that.’ Raid: An Uzbekistani man who is said to have . overstayed his visa was detained by UK Border Agency officers in a raid . on a busy central London restaurant on Thursday . Officials said the £10,000 cost of the poster campaign would pay for itself if just one migrant returned home because of the cost of enforced removals. Yesterday, Eric Pickles became the first senior Tory to raise doubts about the use of the vans, and said they should be rolled-out nationwide only if it could be proved they work. The Communities Secretary said: ‘I will be looking at that evidence. I need to see some very persuasive evidence that this should be passed out nationally. If something like this has to happen it needs to be evidence-based.’ The Communities Secretary is cracking down on traveller sites which ‘trash’ the countryside, with new guidance to councils on removing illegal camps. Prepared: The UK Border Agency sent three vans to Soho to seize the employee . Mr Pickles said £60million was being made available to local authorities to help them act more quickly to shut down unauthorised encampments. He told ITV’s Daybreak: ‘We inherited a situation where the number of illegal sites had gone up four-fold and what we expect them to do is obey the law like you and I do. ‘The idea that this is somehow an attack on the traveller community is not true. This is a very good deal for travellers.’ His department hopes the guidance will give local residents a stronger voice in getting authorities to take action against illegal camps, and prevent incidents like the £7million clear-out of Dale Farm in 2011 after a 10-year wrangle. | Gurmel Singh-Kandola said many illegal arrivals from India were stuck here .
He said they were unable to work and wanted Home Office help to go back .
His remarks are in contrast to .
fury provoked by poster campaign .
The posters stated: ‘In the UK illegally? Go home or .
face arrest.’ |
1941eb429fe17ae2ea8850d7c096ae8f835388ec | (CNN) -- As last night's Republican presidential debate over national security issues demonstrated, credibility is crucial to winning a debate. Think of credibility like money you have in a bank. Each time you stretch it thin, you have less the next time you might need it. It is your own personal bank of believability. Knowing your arguments and facts is one way to gain credibility. Mitt Romney fattened his credibility bank account at the expense of Rick Perry, who supported a no fly zone over Syria. Romney argued that a no fly zone over Syria would be pointless since the Syrian government has 5,000 tanks. Romney jokingly said it would make more sense to impose a "no drive zone." Jon Huntsman made a similar deposit when he stated that sanctions on Iran would not work since "the Chinese aren't going to play ball and the Russians aren't going to play ball," and Iran has already decided to go nuclear. Huntsman's cited the examples of Libya (which gave up its nuclear ambition, and later the government was overthrown with the help of the United States) and North Korea (which has tested nuclear weapons and whose government is still in power.) Another way to maintain credibility is to cite proof for your arguments. Michele Bachmann has said things in previous debates (President Obama wants Medicare to collapse) and in last night's debate (suggesting that the CIA cannot interrogate terrorist suspects any longer because the ACLU is in charge) that were not very credible. These frequent ATM withdrawals hurt Bachmann because a lack of believability spills over. Her disagreement with Rick Perry about whether to give aid to Pakistan should have been an excellent point for her. She showcased her knowledge of the subject, saying that we exchange intelligence information and the United States must have our interest represented. Bachmann called Pakistan "too nuclear to fail," and chastised Perry for being naïve when he said he would not give Pakistan one penny until it proved it had America's best interests in mind. This was a terrific answer that warranted applause because it was thoughtful, logical and well reasoned. What did she get? Crickets. Why? Because her believability bank is in the red. Ron Paul is an enigma. He can provide such thoughtful answers at one time and later interject completely unsubstantiated statements. He was banking responsibly with his argument that the war on drugs was a failure and a reason for much of the violence in Mexico. Paul reminded us that prescription drugs kill many more people than illegal drugs do and that alcohol is a deadly drug. Paul's argument was factually accurate, even if unpopular with many conservatives. But then Paul writes an overdraft with moderate Republicans by saying things like aid to Africa for malaria or AIDS prevention is "all worthless." Paul hit the daily double. Unpopular answer? Check. Wrong on facts? Check. There are countless examples of disease prevention aid being effective. Could aid be more effective? Sure. But that was not Paul's answer. He simply asserted that aid is worthless, but he had no proof. Answering questions with non-answers simply isn't credible. For example, Herman Cain twice last night reached into a very old bag of tricks to answer questions with the standard "I'd consult the experts" line. Actually, he originally answered a question about terrorist profiling with his support of "targeted identification." But when asked a follow-up not 20 seconds later, he retreated by saying he would "ask the professionals." Nothing hurts your credibility worse than flip-flopping on the same question and diving into a non-answer. Cain's bank account is probably under a thousand dollars. But that still leaves him 999. Finally, to save credibility, you should be prepared to defend your position when giving a potentially unpopular answer. Newt Gingrich had two answers that the conservative wing of his party might not like, but he defended them well. Gingrich said it was possible to cut some of the military because, "If it takes 15 to 20 years to build a weapons system when Apple changes technology every nine months, there's something profoundly wrong with the system." And Gingrich went against the Republican current when he stated that some long-term illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay legally, but without citizenship, in the United States. Romney and others said giving amnesty would be a magnet for more people to come illegally to the United States. Gingrich said we should be humane, and he was ready to take the heat for his stance. Gingrich has enough credibility banked because of his stances on other issues that he was able to withstand the criticism on this one. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Todd Graham. | Todd Graham: Key currency in debates is your stock of credibility .
He says Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman added to their credibility .
Credibility of Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Herman Cain running low, he says .
Graham: Newt Gingrich successfully defended unpopular stances . |
194274c363d32ca75081393f425c33d26101f0e9 | West Bromwich Albion have received ‘no enquiries whatsoever’ for Saido Berahino, according to head coach Alan Irvine. Tottenham and Liverpool have been heavily linked with the England Under 21 striker, but neither have registered an interest with his Midlands club. Talks over a new, improved contract following his impressive start to the season have been curtailed as Berahino looks to regain his starting role. West Brom forward Saido Berahino has been linked with Premier League duo Tottenham and Liverpool . Berahino has scored eight goals in 20 games for the Baggies so far this season . He has started the last three games on the bench after suffering a dip in form following a start to the campaign where he scored seven Premier League goals before November. Irvine predicted Berahino would stay at The Hawthorns after the January window closes. ‘At the moment it is certainly only speculation. We have had no enquiries whatsoever,’ he said. ‘Where the stories have come from I’m not quite sure. January will reveal what is going to happen. ‘We may well get some offers for Saido and if we do the club will deal with them. ‘The chairman has already said he doesn’t want to sell Saido in January so I’m guessing nothing has changed as far as that is concerned.’ Alan Irvine remains adamant Berahino will not be sold during the January transfer window . | Saido Berahino has been linked with a move to Liverpool and Tottenham .
However Alan Irvine is 'sure' Berahino will remain at The Hawthorns .
The forward has scored eight goals in 20 games for West Brom . |
19431fec9d5e8d46957b02b861c8219b02e7bf08 | These amazing pictures show the life-or-death struggle faced by Kurdish fighters as they battle through rubble-strewn streets against ISIS extremists in the battle for Syrian border town of Kobane. Images from the front-line show the trail of destruction left in the town, where weeks of fighting have taken place as Islamic State militants make their advances. US-led air strikes have hit jihadist positions in the north and east of Syria today, including an oil field, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Armed Kurdish fighters are seen holding guns as they cower in one of the many destroyed buildings in the town of Kobane in Syria . A man armed with two guns walks through the streets of Kobane as Kurdish fighters mark the front-line in the battle against jihadists . The destruction left after weeks of fighting in the town, which has seen most of its 55,000 residents flee and attempt to seek refuge . A Kurdish fighter takes a moments rest whilst lying among debris yesterday. According to the group the movement of ISIS has slowed . Us-led airstrikes were launched on jihadist positions in the north and east of Syria today after militant shelling killed two civilians . The raids against ISIS came after militants shelled a camp for those displaced from Kobane - known as Ain al-Arab in Arabic - and killed two people, said the monitoring group. A spokesperson for the Observatory said: 'Four explosions were heard during the night in Deir Ezzor province [in eastern Syria], caused by US-Arab air strikes in the area of the Tanak oil field and an IS checkpoint... killing two people.' The Britain-based monitoring group, which relies on a network of sources on the ground for its reports, said it was unclear whether the casualties were jihadists or civilians. It has reported that four other people were injured, including a child, at the camp for people forced from Kobane by violence. These up-close and personal images show what life is really like in Kobane for Kurdish fighters, who are backed by Iraqi peshmerga . Kobane, which lies on the border with Turkey, has been besieged by IS for nearly two months as fighters stand guard for battle . In September ISIS launched a full scale assault on Kobane from the west and south of the town, destroying homes and buildings . An exploded mortar shell is seen lying in the streets in front of what might have once been a shop, which has seen been destroyed . The US-led coalition, which launched strikes against jihadist positions in Syria in September, also hit IS militants - which controls most oil fields in Deir Ezzor province - in Kobane. The town on the border with Turkey has been besieged by IS for nearly two months and these latest photographs show Syrian Kurdish fighters armed and ready for battle as their town lies in ruins. Men are seeing carrying guns in the streets, while other armed fighters hide in one of the many destroyed buildings. The Kurdish forces, backed by rebels and Iraqi peshmerga fighters, have been battling to expel IS from the town, where most of the 55,000 residents have fled. A Kurdish fighter is seen running through the streets of Kobane where violent fighting has broken out as ISIS tries to capture the town . The town has been left virtually empty as almost 90 per cent of its population has fled to seek refuge - mostly in neighbouring Turkey . Iraqi Kurdish regional government delivered two truckloads of ammunition that secretly crossed into the town via Turkey on Wednesday . Separately, the Syrian Observatory said fighting on Thursday night near Lebanon killed 31 combatants loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and 14 rebels, including Al-Qaeda militants. There has been frequent violence in Syria's Mount Hermon, but the toll over recent days has been unprecedented. In recent weeks, Lebanon has all but closed the border officially to incoming Syrian refugees, with troops bolstering border security. More than 1.1 million Syrian refugees are living in Lebanon, straining the country's limited resources and infrastructure. Thick plumes of grey smoke rise from an ISIS position in eastern Kobane, after an airstrike by the U.S-led coalition . The pillars of smoke, which swept across the skyline, could be seen from a hilltop outside Suruc on the Turkey-Syria border earlier today . Last week ISIS released images of their fighters engaging in street fighting in Kobane as part of their latest publicity stunt. The pictures, distributed by the media office in the ISIS 'capital' of Raqqa in Syria, show jihadis firing rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles in the ruined streets of the town. Meanwhile, an international rights group claimed Islamic State militants tortured and abused Kurdish children captured earlier this year near the town. Human Rights Watch based its conclusions on interviews with several children who were among more than 150 Kurdish boys from Kobane abducted in late May as they were returning home after taking school exams in the city of Aleppo. It said around 50 of the Kurds escaped early in their captivity, while the rest were released in batches - the last on October 29. An ISIS militant fires a rocket-propelled grenade in the the streets of Kobane. This picture was issued by the Raqqa Media Office of ISIS . It has emerged that ISIS fighters beat Kurdish children taken from the besieged Syrian border town of Kobane with electrical cables . Kurdish militants fire a machine gun mounted on a truck at ISIS positions during fighting west of Kobane last week . | Images from the front-line show the trail of destruction in the war-torn town where there has been weeks of fighting .
Islamic State militants have been making their advances on Kobane since September as residents are forced to flee .
Men can be seen carrying guns as they patrol rubble streets as others cower in one of the many ruined buildings .
Pictures distributed by ISIS media office last week also show jihadis firing grenades as part of their propaganda . |
194323eb01baa0b789787682adb394496ff004f1 | Robots may well replace factory workers over the next decade, but they don't pose a serious threat to middle class jobs, claims billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel. Venture capitalist Thiel, who co-founded PayPal and was early backer of Facebook, dismissed claims that machines pose an imminent threat to American workers. 'Middle class jobs in the U.S. are not threatened by artificially-intelligent robots. That's like science fiction. It might happen in 100 years, maybe never,' he said on Tuesday at The Economist's Buttonwood Gathering. Robots may well replace factory workers over the next decade, but they don't pose a threat to middle class jobs for at least one hundred years, claims billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel . The Silicon Valley entrepreneur also said middle class jobs were threatened more by globalization, not technology. 'I'm not against globalization, but we should be very clear that that's the force of pressure on the middle class. It's not this scapegoat called technology,' he said, reports CNN Money. New research from the Boston Consult Group released this week claims that the falling cost of industrial robots will allow manufacturers to use them to replace more factory workers over the next decade. Robots now perform roughly 10 percent of manufacturing tasks that can be done by machines. The management consulting firm projected that to rise to about 25 percent of such 'automatable' tasks by 2025. In turn, labor costs stand to drop by 16 percent on average globally over that time, according to the research. Robots now perform 10 percent of manufacturing tasks that can be done by machines, according to the Boston Consulting Group, which says this will rise to about 25 per cent by 2025 . The shift will mean an increasing demand for skilled workers who can operate the machines, said Hal Sirkin, a senior partner at Boston Consulting. Factory workers 'will be higher paid but there will be fewer of them,' Sirkin said. The research found a tipping point for installing robots: Companies tend to start thinking about replacing workers when the costs of owning and operating a system come at a 15 percent discount to employing a human counterpart. For example, in the U.S. automotive industry, which is predicted to be one of the more aggressive adopters of robots, a spot-welding machine costs $8 an hour versus $25 an hour for a worker. A robot that can perform certain repetitive tasks costs about one-tenth as much as it did more than 10 years ago, Sirkin said. Costs tied to one commonly used robotics system, a spot welder, are expected to fall 22 percent between now and 2025. Three-fourths of robot installations over the next decade are expected to be concentrated in four areas: transportation equipment, including the automotive sector; computer and electronic products; electrical equipment and machinery. Certain countries also are expected to be more briskadopters. China, the United States, Japan, Germany and South Korea now account for about 80 percent of robot purchases and are expected to maintain that share over the next decade . 21st century traffic warden: Research showed that images produced droids could give out parking tickets . According to Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, a research fellow in UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies, care for the elderly and even children are among the jobs to be replaced by artificially intelligent beings within the next 50 years. Her research suggests human workers across a plethora of service sectors and caring professions could be replaced by droids within our lifetimes. She believes that as the rapid advances in technology achieved this century are projected to continue at an astonishing rate, this will allow robots to break free of science fiction and establish themselves in our everyday life. According to her research - which polled 2,000 people about which jobs they thought were most unpopular and could be among the first to be given to robots for the TC channel Syfy - traffic wardens (65 per cent), estate agents (40 per cent) and car salesman (33 per cent) could soon be lost to history. By 2025, robots should be able to handle 30 to 40 percent of automatable tasks in these industries. Adoption will be slower in industries such as food products, plastics, fabricated metal, and wood products, where many tasks will remain difficult to automate and wages are relatively low. Thanks to technological advances, however, robots are making greater inroads in these industries as well. 'Regardless of whether it's time to invest in next-generation robots, manufacturers everywhere should start preparing,' added Sirkin. 'They need to understand how costs and automation technologies are changing in their industries and what their competitors are up to. Stark warning: Professor Stephen Hawking says we must be vigilant about artificial intelligence . Artificial Intelligence has been described as a threat that could be 'more dangerous than nukes'. Now a group of scientists and entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking, have signed an open letter promising to ensure AI research benefits humanity. The letter warns that without safeguards on intelligent machines, mankind could be heading for a dark future. The document, drafted by the Future of Life Institute, said scientists should seek to head off risks that could wipe out mankind. The authors say there is a 'broad consensus' that AI research is making good progress and would have a growing impact on society. It highlights speech recognition, image analysis, driverless cars, translation and robot motion as having benefited from the research. 'The potential benefits are huge, since everything that civilization has to offer is a product of human intelligence; we cannot predict what we might achieve when this intelligence is magnified by the tools AI may provide, but the eradication of disease and poverty are not unfathomable,' the authors write. But it issued a stark warning that research into the rewards of AI had to be matched with an equal effort to avoid the potential damage it could wreak. For instance, in the short term, it claims AI may put millions of people out of work. In the long term, it could have the potential to play out like a fictional dystopias in which intelligence greater than humans could begin acting against their programming. | Dismissed claims that machines pose an imminent threat to American workers .
Said it could be 100 years before middle class jobs are threatened by artificially-intelligent robots .
New research claims falling cost of industrial robots will allow manufacturers to use them to replace more factory workers over the next decade . |
19468722a458b630b7fb3cd37e205ecaff9c4ec8 | By . Daily Mail . PUBLISHED: . 18:21 EST, 4 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:47 EST, 5 July 2012 . Complaints about cold-calling telemarketing firms and spam text messages rose more than 40 per cent last year. The latest figures reveal there were more than 7,000 complaints from the public to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in 2011/12, up from fewer than 5,000 the previous year. A Panorama investigation on Monday claimed that the Government-regulated service, the Telephone Preference Service, intended to allow people to block cold callers, was being ignored by some telemarketing firms. Increase: The latest figures reveal there were more than 7,000 complaints from the public to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in 2011/12, up from fewer than 5,000 the previous year . New legal powers mean the worst offenders now face fines of up to £500,000, but despite thousands of complaints to the ICO, the BBC programme revealed there had not been any fines imposed on offending companies for at least 18 months. Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said: 'Last year we gained tough new powers to tackle unsolicited marketing calls and texts. We are working to identify the operators responsible. 'The ICO has executed search warrants at a number of sites across the UK linked to companies we believe are breaking the law. 'We have also set up an online reporting mechanism on our website that allows people to report any marketing texts or calls from unidentified senders.' An exact total of 7,095 complaints were received under the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR), which govern electronic marketing, last year, up from 4,953 in 2010/11, the ICO's annual report showed. Irritating: Cold-calling can provoke a reaction in recipients who often . choose to opt to get such companies blocked. However, investigative . program Panorama has claimed that some companies have ignored this . Mr Graham added: 'We are confident that this work will help us identify those responsible.' Around 17.5 million phone numbers are registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) - a scheme designed to prevent UK-based companies from making unwanted cold calls. Industry rules say telemarketing firms should crosscheck their database to ensure that people who have asked not to be cold called are left in peace. But Mike Lordan at the Direct Marketing Association, which runs the TPS, told Panorama that some companies were ignoring the rules. The UK public receive up to three billion marketing calls a year, Panorama reported. An ICO spokesman said that while they now have the power to impose fines of up to £500,000, enforcing the rules is not easy given the vast amounts of money that companies which flout the rules stand to make. | Panorama claims some companies ignore people's wishes to have cold calls blocked .
New legal powers mean worst offenders face fines of up to £500,000 . |
194737787b8840275506a52e0e66b647c2a1218c | By . Sportsmail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:18 EST, 9 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:19 EST, 9 October 2012 . Adam Hammill has been bailed following allegation of assault. Above, in action for Huddersfield . Former England prospect Adam Hammill has been arrested over claims he attacked a female paramedic called out to an emergency outside a vodka bar. Hammill was detained after allegations one of the ambulance crew was manhandled after being called out to treat another man in the street at 3.30am. The 24-year-old former Liverpool Academy star was kept in custody for over 15 hours and was questioned on suspicion of common assault before being freed on police bail. If charged and convicted he could face up to six months in prison. The incident occurred after pub closing time in the early hours of Sunday when Hammill, on loan at Huddersfield from Championship rivals Wolves, was out at the Revolution Bar in Liverpool city centre. Paramedics had been called out after another man had required treatment after falling ill outside the bar which had closed 90 minutes earlier. But as the female paramedic tried to help him it was claimed she was 'assaulted'. Dave Kitchin, from the North West Ambulance Service, said: 'The Trust can confirm that an ambulance crew attended an incident on Temple Court in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning and one of our staff was the victim of an assault. Revolution Bar, in Temple Court, Liverpool, where Adam Hammill was arrested following reports of an assault on Sunday . Winger Hammill formed part of Liverpool's 2006 FA Youth Cup winning side but failed to make a league appearance for the club at senior level . 'Our ambulance crews work tirelessly . in all weathers, day and night, to come to the aid of people who need . our help and should be able to do so without fear of assault either . physical or verbal. 'We understand that the man has been released on police bail and we will do all we can to support their enquiry. 'Despite my many years working for . the ambulance service, I still find it difficult to comprehend why an . individual would set out to injure someone who is there to help and . treat them.' A Merseyside Police spokeswoman said: 'A 24-year-old man from Bootle was arrested on suspicion of common assault in the early hours of Sunday, October 7. 'The man was released on police bail on Sunday night pending further enquiries.' Winger Hammill formed part of Liverpool’s 2006 FA Youth Cup winning side but failed to make a league appearance at senior level. He had loan spells at Dunfermline, Southampton and Blackpool before being sold to Barnsley in 2009. He joined Wolves in 2011 and Huddersfield Town last August on a loan deal until 13 January 2013. He has played for England Under 21s and was capped at Under-19 level. He now qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland through his late grandfather. Huddersfield chief executive Nigel Clibbens said: 'We have been made aware of an incident which has taken place in Merseyside involving Adam Hammill.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons. | Adam Hammill, 24, bailed following alleged assault outside Liverpool vodka bar . |
1948f84613a7da56c1f6da90d92b6024bc7c5e12 | Editor's note: Timothy P. O'Neill, a professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois, has written and lectured widely on criminal law and criminal procedure. Among his articles was a 2007 piece for the Oklahoma Law Review: "The Stepford Justices: The Need for Experiential Diversity on the Roberts Court." He is a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Michigan Law School. Timothy P. O'Neill says there are striking similarities in the backgrounds of the Supreme Court justices. CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- With the retirement of Justice David Souter, President Obama has the opportunity to bring a special kind of diversity to the Supreme Court: the diversity of broad and varied governmental experience. It is certainly true that the court needs more racial and gender diversity. Yet the homogeneity of the work résumés of the current justices is unprecedented. The right nominee would help to correct this. Many commentators have noted that this is the first Supreme Court in American history in which every justice has come from exactly the same job: judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But there are other "firsts" that are equally disturbing. For the first time in American history, not a single justice has had any legislative experience. Not one has ever been elected to Congress, a state legislature or a city council. For the first time in American history, not a single justice has ever held -- or even run for -- any elective office at any level of government. (Although Souter once served as a state attorney general, that is an appointed office in New Hampshire.) For the first time in American history, eight of the nine justices attended one of only two law schools: Harvard or Yale. (Although Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated from Columbia, she transferred from Harvard Law School.) Traditionally, the Supreme Court has been composed not only of former judges, but also lawyers who have come directly from serving as senators, governors, Cabinet members, heads of administrative agencies, and even from private practice. Yet it has been almost 30 years since a justice has been confirmed who was not then a federal appellate judge. What caused this change? Some point to the acrimony that surrounded the failed appointment of Robert Bork in 1987. Since that time, presidents of both parties have stressed the judicial competence -- not the ideology -- of their appointees. The implied promise is that the technical proficiency of an Ivy League-trained federal appellate judge somehow trumps issues of ideology. This, of course, is an illusion. The cases that come to the Supreme Court are there precisely because they fall between the cracks of established legal doctrine. There is no single "Ivy League judge's answer" to any issue pending before the Supreme Court. For example, take a look at the Supreme Court's 2006 term. The Court decided 72 cases. With all the justices coming from the federal appellate bench and eight of them having attended Harvard or Yale, did this help achieve consensus? On the contrary, the percentage of cases in which there was a unanimous decision was the second lowest in a decade. And 24 decisions -- fully one-third of the docket -- were decided by a 5-4 vote, the highest percentage of 5-4 decisions in over a decade. The best example of how there is no single "judge's answer" to Supreme Court issues can be found in the eight death penalty cases decided during the 2006 term. The cases had a variety of issues, including questions concerning the selection of jurors, the giving of jury instructions and competence of defense counsel. Yet every single case was decided 5-4. In every single case, Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts held for the prosecution. In every single case, Justices John Paul Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer held for the defense. Every case was decided by Justice Anthony Kennedy's vote: four times for the prosecution and four times for the defense. Looking for a single "judge's answer" to an issue before the Supreme Court is usually futile. In order to decide the great legal issues before the court, a justice needs to bring more than mere legal competence; a justice also needs to bring real-world experience, values and intuition. That is why it is self-defeating to restrict the range of possible Supreme Court nominees to the small group of sitting federal appellate judges. Supreme Court decision-making would be richer if it included people who had actually written legislation or had run federal agencies or had governed states. As Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy recently said, there is a need to select Supreme Court nominees "from outside the judicial monastery." We should welcome, and not irrationally restrict, the variety of experience that can be brought to Supreme Court decision-making. Professor Lee Epstein of Northwestern has observed that "Diversity of inputs makes for stronger outputs." Obama should cast the widest possible net to find a person who can bring a fresh set of experiences and perspectives to the work of the Supreme Court. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Timothy P. O'Neill. | Timothy P. O'Neill: No judge on Supreme Court now has legislative background .
He says none of the nine have held, or even run for, elective office .
O'Neill: All but one attended Harvard or Yale Law School .
He says court would perform better if its membership had broader backgrounds . |
19497ecab6273cbb17bc38c93c6b1b76a2efd05e | By . Sarah Griffiths . Imagine being able to run an optical fibre to any point on Earth or in space. That is what one physicist says could be possible in the future, opening up the possibility of communicating with colonies of people on Mars via a kind of broadband, for example. Professor Howard Milchberg believes that an ‘air waveguide’ could enhance light signals collected from distant sources, making long-distance communication possible as never before. Physicists at the University of Maryland have found a way to make air behave like an optical fibre, which could guide light beams over long distances without losing power . The professor of physics at the University of Maryland believes waveguides could have many applications, including long-range laser communications, detecting pollution in the atmosphere, making high-resolution topographic maps and even laser weapons. As light loses intensity with distance, the range over which such tasks can be done is limited. Even lasers, which produce highly directed beams, lose focus due to their natural spreading or due to interactions with gases in the air. This is an illustration of an air waveguide. The filaments leave 'holes' in the air (red rods) that reflect light. Light (arrows) passing between these holes stays focused and intense . The air waveguides were made using very short, powerful laser pulses. A . laser pulse transforms into a narrow beam called a filament, which . happens because the laser light increases the refractive index of the . air in the centre of the beam, as if the pulse is carrying its own lens . with it. The refractive index, also called index of refraction, measures of the bending of a ray of light when passing from one medium into another. Professor . Milchberg has previously shown that the filaments heat up the air as . they pass through, causing it to expand and leave a ‘hole’ of . low-density air in their wake. This . hole has a lower refractive index than the air around it and while the . filament itself lasts for just one trillionth of a second, it takes a . billion times longer for the hole to appear. The . physicists have previously showed that four filaments were fired in a . square arrangement, produce holes forming the low-density wall needed . for a waveguide. The . ‘pipe’ produced by the filaments lasted a few milliseconds, a million . times longer than the laser pulse. Because . the waveguides are relatively long-lived, he believes a single guide . could be used to send out a laser can collect a signal. But fibre optic cables trap light beams and guides them like a pipe, preventing loss of intensity or focus. They typically consist of a transparent glass core surrounded by a cladding material with a lower index of refraction. When light tries to leave the core, it gets reflected back inward. Solid optical fibers can only handle so much power, and they need physical support that may not be available where the cables need to go, such as the upper atmosphere. To solve these problems, Professor Milchberg and his team have found a way to make air behave like an optical fibre, which could guide beams of light over long distances without loss of power, according to the study in the journal Optica. The air waveguides consist of a ‘wall’ of low-density air surrounding a core of higher density air. Just like a conventional optical fibre, the wall has a lower refractive index than the core, guiding light along a ‘pipe’. The physicists broke down the air with a laser to create a spark and used the air waveguide to conduct light from the spark to a detector a three feet (1 metre) away. The signal was strong enough so that they could analyse the chemical composition of the air that produced the spark. In fact, the signal was one-and-a-half times stronger than a signal obtained without the waveguide. While this may not seem a lot, over distances that are 100 times longer - where an unguided signal would be severely weakened - the signal enhancement could be much greater, the scientists explained. The air waveguides were made using very short, powerful laser pulses. Just like a conventional optical fibre (pictured), the wall has a lower refractive index than the core, guiding light along a 'pipe' A laser pulse transforms into a narrow beam called a filament, which happens because the laser light increases the refractive index of the air in the centre of the beam, as if the pulse is carrying its own lens with it. Professor Milchberg has previously shown that the filaments heat up the air as they pass through, causing it to expand and leave a ‘hole’ of low-density air in their wake. This hole has a lower refractive index than the air around it and while the filament itself lasts for just one trillionth of a second, it takes a billion times longer for the hole to appear. The physicists have previously showed that four filaments were fired in a square arrangement, produce holes forming the low-density wall needed for a waveguide. The ‘pipe’ produced by the filaments lasted a few milliseconds, a million times longer than the laser pulse, which for many laser applications is ‘infinity,’ Professor Milchberg said. Because the waveguides are relatively long-lived, he believes a single guide could be used to send out a laser can collect a signal. ‘It’s like you could just take a physical optical fibre and unreel it at the speed of light, put it next to this thing that you want to measure remotely, and then have the signal come all the way back to where you are,’ he said. The next step is for the scientists to show that the waveguides can be used over distances of at least 164ft (50 metres). They could then be honed to conduct chemical analyses of places like the upper atmosphere or nuclear reactors, where it’s difficult to get instruments close to what’s being studied. The waveguides could also be used for Lidar, a variation on radar that uses laser light instead of radio waves to make high-resolution topographic maps. | Air waveguide could be used to improve light signals from distant sources .
Guide is a ‘wall’ of low-density air surrounding a core of higher density air .
It works like an optical fibre, guiding beams of light over long distance .
This could improve laser communications and help detect pollution in air .
Technology could also be used to communicate with colonies on Mars . |
1949db03b04d0ef92f34072acb966e9ea673ba97 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:16 EST, 12 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:55 EST, 12 July 2013 . Oakland police have arrested the father of a missing 21-month-old girl on suspicion of endangering the girl's life by leaving her in a parked car with his mother, who suffers from dementia, while he ran to the store. John Webb, 49, was jailed on $100,000 bond and was scheduled for arraignment Friday in connection with the disappearance of his 21-month-old daughter, Daphne Viola Webb, authorities said. Webb told investigators he left his disabled mother and his daughter in his black Ford SUV while he dashed into Gazzali's Supermarket at 7838 International Boulevard in East Oakland for an energy drink at about 11am Wednesday, police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said. Father and daughter: John Webb (left), 49, was arrested for child endangerment after police say he left his 21-month-old daughter (right) in a parked car with a disabled grandmother when the toddler was kidnapped . Snatched: Witnesses reported seeing a woman carrying Daphne away from her father's black Ford SUV in Oakland . When Webb returned to his vehicle, he told police, the girl had vanished. Watson said at least one witness reported seeing an unidentified woman between the ages of 30 and 40 carrying Daphne away. Webb was not considered a suspect in the abduction, Watson said. But she added that he was arrested because he left a 21-month-old girl in the care of her mentally disabled 87-year-old grandmother. The father reported little Daphne missing at 11.09am. The California Highway Patrol issued an Amber Alert for the child and dispatched officers to scour East Oakland. Police and FBI agents have spent the past three days searching for the toddler, who weighs about 30lbs and was last seen wearing an orange, two-piece pajama set with pink hearts, and pink socks, authorities said. Authorities asked that anyone who had seen the father and daughter together in the days or hours before the incident contact investigators, and officers searched a shoreline park often frequented by Webb and the girl. Pit stop: Mr Webb told police that he ran into Gazzali's Supermarket on International Boulevard to get an energy drink, and when he returned, his daughter was gone . Seeking Daphne: The toddler, who weighs about 30lbs, was last seen wearing an orange, two-piece pajama set with pink hearts, and pink socks . On Friday, police expanded the search for the toddler to the Oakland shoreline and the Oak Knoll neighborhood where the Webbs live, Oakland Tribune reported. Authorities scoured the area by air using a police helicopter and by land with the help of motorcycles, which fanned out across local parks where the 49-year-old father would often take Daphne. On Thursday afternoon, police cordoned off a parking lot at the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline, not far from Oakland International Airport. Four-legged help: Police had searched Webb's Oakland home with dogs and also used K-9 units to scour local parks . Sea search: Police used a boat equipped with sonar and an underwater camera to scour the Oakland shorline . Members of the Alameda County . Sheriff's Search and Rescue team combed the area with at least two K-9 . dogs and a number of boats that scanned the water. Dark past: Webb has a criminal record in Sacramento, which includes two arrests in 2001 and 2002 on charges of discharging a firearm with gross negligence and spousal battery . Police also employed sonar, but poor visibility in the murky water hampered their efforts. The . search continued into Thursday evening with dozens of officers, . including homicide detectives and FBI agents, search-and-rescue dogs, a . helicopter and a boat with an underwater camera, Watson said. A local NBC television affiliate reported that police had searched Webb's Oakland home with dogs. Daphne’s mother, who is not being named, has been contacted about her daughter’s disappearance, but Watson said she is not considered a person of interest. Webb has had several run-ins with the law while residing in Sacramento. Records show that he was arrested in 2001 on a felony charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence charge. In 2002, he was arrested on misdemeanor counts of spousal battery and criminal threats, but those charges were later dropped. Police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that would help them find the missing toddler. | Daphne Viola Webb, aged 21 months old, was snatched from father's SUV parked near Oakland store .
John Webb, 49, faces child derangement charge for leaving Daphne with dementia-stricken 87-year-old grandmother .
Witnesses saw a woman come up to SUV and carry toddler away . |
194b2af0ab8b3804458624794f7767cb50623fdd | (CNN) -- Americans should avoid all but essential travel to all or parts of 14 Mexican states, the U.S. State Department warns as violence has spread. Shootouts, kidnappings and carjackings have climbed, as have cartels, also known as transnational criminal organizations (TCO), the State Department said this week in a broadened travel warning. While millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico every year, the country's ongoing violence and security concerns pose risks for U.S. citizens, and travelers should take precautions, the State Department advises. "The TCOs themselves are engaged in a violent struggle to control drug trafficking routes and other criminal activity. As a result, crime and violence are serious problems throughout the country and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim to TCO activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery," its alert says. More than 47,500 people were killed in drug-related violence in Mexico between December 2006 and September 2011, according to the State Department. While most of those murdered were involved in criminal activity, innocent people were also caught in the crossfire, the State Department said. Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared a crackdown on cartels in late 2006. The number of Americans reported murdered in Mexico last year was 120 -- up from 35 reported in 2007. "We strongly advise you to lower your profile and avoid displaying any evidence of wealth that might draw attention," the alert says. The travel warning urges Americans to defer nonessential travel to all or parts of the following 14 states: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan and Nayarit. Travelers should also exercise caution visiting all or parts of Baja California, Colima and Morelos, it says. The previous U.S. travel warning issued for Mexico by the State Department, dated in April, advised American to avoid travel to all or parts of 10 states. | Americans are urged to avoid travel to all or parts of 14 states .
Shootouts, kidnappings and carjackings are cited .
120 U.S. citizens were reported killed in Mexico last year . |
194c0e5d7b13c7386ec715b363378a88355d61a5 | Loic Remy will not be wearing Chelsea’s cursed No 9 jersey this season. The exit of Fernando Torres had freed up the shirt traditionally worn by centre forwards. But Remy, who has joined Chelsea in a £10.5million deal from Queens Park Rangers, has opted for No 18, confirmed on Wednesday night when Premier League clubs submitted their 25-man squad lists. The No 9 shirt will remain vacant until January at least, and that is perhaps best given its recent history. VIDEO Scroll down to revisit Didier Drogba's return to Chelsea in July . New boy: Loic Remy has decided to take the No 18 shirt after signing for Chelsea on Sunday . Cursed? The Chelsea players seem to have avoided Fernando Torres' No 9 shirt . Change: Didier Drogba asked for Oscar's No 11 shirt after originally being handed the No 15 . Chelsea fans will know wearing the No 9 shirt doesn't always bring good fortune to Stamford Bridge. Blues fans will look back fondly on years in which the famous number was worn by the likes of Kerry Dixon and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. However, the digit didn't bring as much luck to Serbian striker Mateja Kezman or Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz during their time in west London. Torres scored just 20 league goals during three-and-a-half years at Stamford Bridge. His predecessor, Franco Di Santo, failed to score any, and Steve Sidwell and Khalid Boulahrouz did not enjoy happy stays at the club. Before that there was Argentina striker Hernan Crespo, and his one season wearing the shirt produced 10 goals. Mateja Kezman arrived from PSV having scored 78 in two seasons in Holland but as the Chelsea No 9 managed just seven. Petr Cech has retained the No 1 jersey despite Thibaut Courtois starting the season as Jose Mourinho’s first-choice goalkeeper. Elsewhere, Spurs have omitted defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto from their squad and he could now head out on loan to the Championship. But there is a place for Manchester United misfit Anderson in Louis van Gaal’s squad. Fabio Borini is also included at Liverpool, despite appearing to be on his way out of Anfield before a deadline-day move to Queens Park Rangers collapsed because of his wage demands. Team player: Oscar posted a message on Twitter explaining the new shirt situation . New beginnings: Torres has sealed a two-season long loan move to AC Milan . VIDEO Torres excited by new Milan challenge . | Chelsea announce full list of squad numbers for the 2014/15 season .
Fernando Torres' No 9 shirt has been left untouched .
New striker Loic Remy has selected the No 18 shirt . |
194c35c2cc98d02dbf1eb396a151d4b6c50dfbad | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 22:33 EST, 13 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:29 EST, 14 June 2013 . What does half a million dollars buy you in one of Hollywood's trendiest neighborhoods? Not much, is the answer. A petite property with one bedroom and one bathroom has been put on the market in California for a whopping $449,000. At 480 square feet, the 1920s bungalow in Los Angeles comes with a bedroom, kitchen, living room and office, all flooded with 'abundant natural light' according to the broker. Picture perfect: The tiny home, close to Los Feliz viilage in LA, is small but perfectly formed . Petite: The little home boasts one bedroom and one bathroom... for $449,000 . Fresh style: The home is minimally decorated with a nod to its Hollywood locale with a picture of Charlie Chaplin . Airy: Despite being snug, the property is flooded with natural light . There is also a kitschy, postage-stamp-sized garden. However the pictures, taken by photographer Charmaine David, show off the little home's dainty charms along with its minimalist decor and off-beat artwork. The kitchen is decked out in patriotic blue, white and red while decorations include a Charlie Chaplin painting and bizarrely, a Jane Fonda workout book. The interior of the home maximizes its shortage on space with built-in storage, shelving units and sliding doors. The exorbitant price of the tiny home - . which works out at $935 a square foot - could be to do with the home's . desirable location. The . house is a stone's throw from Los Feliz village which is teeming with bars . and restaurants. The neighborhood is popular with the Hollywood A-list including January . Jones, exes Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and the Kardashians. Comedian and Scream star Jamie Kennedy put his bachelor pad in Los Feliz on the market for $1.9million last summer which boasts 2,400 sq ft house and a pool. Star Trek actor Chris Pine has a $3million 2,000 square foot-compound in the area while Kristen Stewart bought a ranch-style property for $2.2million. Red, white and blue: The kitchen decor is kept simple but patriotic in tone . California living: The breezy tone of the decorations makes it a relaxed setting . Spick and span: The clean lines of the kitchen make the most of the small space... and comes with a Jane Fonda workout book . Putting the celebrity factor aside, high-end estate agents warned in a recent report that exclusive neighborhoods across the U.S. are suffering a housing shortage. According to figures from real estate firm Altos Research, a scarcity of housing inventory is especially prevalent in some of America’s wealthiest ZIP codes. Across the country’s 90 richest ZIP codes stock has fallen 15 per cent year-over-year, but in the very richest ZIP codes inventory has dropped more than 50 per cent year-over-year. In Carmel, California inventory of homes priced over $1 million drop 76 per cent. The California market, especially areas like Carmel and Pebble Beach, have seen a rush of buyers from Silicon Valley, Europe and Asia. ‘We are seeing an influx of luxury second home buyers coming into the market including venture capitalists, tech money, oil and gas, developers and CEO's,’ said Tim Allen, of Tim Allen Properties in Pebble Beach, told CNBC. Lavish: The half a million-dollar property has a rather ornate bathroom . Working from home: The property even has room for a home office . Welcome in! The property, close to Los Feliz village in Hollywood, has a beachy vibe . Hideaway: The bedroom is tucked behind a screen door from the en-suite bathroom . Compact: Designers have made the best of the space with innovative storage . Having friends over? The home does have back yard space for informal gatherings . Make yourself at home: Quirky seats surrounded an outdoor fireplace . Home sweet home: The little house is shown off with the use of kitschy decor . | The 480 square feet bungalow in Los Feliz is currently on the market .
Built in the 1920s, it comes with one bedroom, one bathroom and a very cute garden . |
194c4a13ec5f5c534c7854784274963c5b6151f8 | By . David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 10:40 EST, 6 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:55 EST, 6 November 2013 . Democrats in New Jersey outnumber Republicans by 700,000. But Chris Christie, the state's swaggering GOP governor, won re-election easily on Tuesday night in what was certainly a preview of his presidential aspirations. 'I know that if we can do this in Trenton, New Jersey,' Christie told supporters after his landslide victory, 'then maybe the folks in Washington, D.C., should tune in their TVs right now and see how it’s done.' Christie, a political moderate in every way, prevailed by a wide margin in a year when establishment Republicans have been steamrolled in public by tea party partisans. His success came via voting blocs that have traditionally been in Democrats' corner, giving GOP insiders hope that President Barack Obama's two victories might be historical anomalies rather than trends in the making. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Two terms: Christie hasn't pledged to serve out his second term as New Jersey's governor, leaving the door open for a 2016 presidential run . Studying up for the electoral college: Chris Christie is perfectly positioned to enter the presidential race as a moderate who can appeal to both Republicans and Democrats . Everybody loves you now: Christie won a landslide victory over Democrat Barbara Buono, cementing his bipartisan appeal and making him a virtual shoo-in for presidential favorite status in the GOP . 'We’ll be led back by our governors, and Chris Christie is now at the forefront of that resurgence,' former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie told The New York Times on Wednesday. 'He’s proved that a conservative Republican can get votes from Hispanics and African-Americans, that a pro-life governor can get votes from women. This means that those voters are available to us, that we’re not shut out demographically or geographically – that it’s worth the effort.' The larger-than-life Christie already casts a nation-sized shadow, but his national profile is set to grow even bigger this month when he takes over the leadership of the Republican Governors Association. That position affords him some control over which state-level candidates the party's machine will endorse and financially support state candidates the party will support – giving him key leverage in advance of the 2016 presidential cycle. And in order to store up favors, Christie is hitting the road. Man of the hour: Christie is poised to raise his profile even more as he takes over leadership of the Republican Governors Association while running New Jersey and entering the 2016 presidential fray . Born in the USA: The Bruce Springsteen-loving governor cast his ballot on Tuesday amid speculation that his world-beating poll numbers, his no-nonsense style and his universal appeal would make him a White House shoo-in . Larger than life but smaller than before: Christie's hirsute form has shrunk in the last eight months following lap-band surgery to control his weight. Shedding pounds will also make him a more appealing White House hopeful . Christie said Wednesday that he would be popping into 'places like Ohio and Michigan and Florida,' states with both contentious gubernatorial races and key electoral votes for the next presidential victor. Observers expect Christie to support moderate candidates at the expense of tea party stalwarts. A GOP strategist told MailOnline on Wednesday that the tea party surge still has momentum at the state level, but 'the future of presidential politics belongs to the party's centrists.' 'Reading the tea leaves,' he said, 'it seems that 2016 is Christie's for the taking, and that's good news for Republicans. Tea party be damned, the next GOP presidential primary season will be the anti-2012. And Christie's not going to be a milquetoast-y centrist like Mitt Romney. He's as bold as Ted Cruz but as universally appealing as Bill Clinton.' 'This is a guy who has shown that a moderate in a blue state can sweep aside left-wing opponents by the sheer force of his personality. If we could just clone him a dozen times, we'd keep the White House until the second coming.' | Christie will hit the road as the new chief of the Republican Governors Association, visiting states that will play big roles in 2016 .
The New Jersey governor win big among traditional Democratic constituencies, giving the GOP new hope for broader appeal .
'He's proved that a conservative Republican can get votes from Hispanics and African-Americans,' former RNC chair Ed Gillespie told the NYT .
'If we could just clone him a dozen times, we'd keep the White House until the second coming,' a Republican strategist told MailOnline . |
194ffd7f7acb3285cf2ecc813679d54b50fa2605 | By . Associated Press . and Ellie Zolfagharifard . At London's Royal Free hospital, scientists are growing noses, ears and blood vessels in the laboratory in a bold attempt to make body parts using stem cells. It is among several labs around the world, including in the U.S., that are working on the futuristic idea of growing custom-made organs in the lab. Only a handful of patients have received the British lab-made organs so far - including tear ducts, blood vessels and windpipes. But researchers hope they will soon be able to transplant more types of body parts into patients, including what would be the world's first nose made partly from stem cells. Scroll down for video . Last year Professor Alexander Seifalian (pictured) made a nose for a man who lost his to cancer. Scientists added a solution to the mould of the nose to mimic the sponge-like texture of the real thing. Stem cells were taken from the patient's fat and grown in the lab for two weeks before being used to cover the scaffold . 'It's like making a cake,' said Professor Alexander Seifalian at University College London, the scientist leading the effort. 'We just use a different kind of oven.' During a recent visit to his lab, Professor Seifalian showed off a sophisticated machine used to make moulds from a polymer material for various organs. Last year, he and his team made a nose for a British man who lost his to cancer. Scientists added a salt and sugar solution to the mould of the nose to mimic the somewhat sponge-like texture of the real thing. Stem cells were taken from the patient's fat and grown in the lab for two weeks before being used to cover the nose scaffold. Later, the nose was implanted into the man's forearm so that skin would grow to cover it. Dr Michelle Griffin (pictured) said ears are harder to make than noses because you have to get all the contours right and the skin is pulled tight so you see its entire structure. She is a plastic surgeon who has made dozens of ears and noses in Professor Seifalian's lab . Professor Seifalian said he and his team are waiting for approval from regulatory authorities to transfer the nose onto the patient's face but couldn't say when that might happen. The potential applications of lab-made organs appear so promising even the City of London is getting involved: Professor Seifalian's work is being showcased on Tuesday as Mayor Boris Johnson announces a new initiative to attract investment to Britain's health and science sectors. A British businessman who lost his nose to cancer is growing a new one – in his arm. If all goes well it will eventually be removed and sewn on to his face, with experts at University College London hoping he will have feeling and a sense of smell. The new nose, the first in the world to be grown from scratch, will also look just like the 56-year-old man’s old one – slightly crooked. UCL scientist Professor Alexander Seifalian, who is behind the pioneering treatment, said: ‘His nose was a little bit bent to the left and we asked if he wanted it straight but he said no, he wanted it exactly the same.’ The new nose began as a glass mould, based on the original, which was sprayed with a synthetic honeycomb-like material to create a framework for stem cells to cling to. The mould was then removed and the honey- comb covered with millions of these ‘blank cells’ which, with the right nutrients, can turn into the cartilage of the nose – a process which took place at UCL in a rotating jar called a bioreactor. Meanwhile, the skin on the man’s arm was gradually stretched by a small balloon placed under the surface and inflated until it was loose enough to accommodate the nose. Professor Alex Seifalian hopes to eventually grow a whole face in the lab and says procedure could help car crash victims and wounded soldiers. A synthetic polymer nose, left, and ear are shown at a research facility in the Royal Free Hospital in London . The polymer material used for his organ scaffolds has been patented and Professor Seifalian has also applied for patents for their blood vessels, tear ducts and windpipe. He and his team are creating other organs including coronary arteries and ears. Later this year, a trial is scheduled to start in India and London to test lab-made ears for people born without them. 'Ears are harder to make than noses because you have to get all the contours right and the skin is pulled tight so you see its entire structure,' said Dr Michelle Griffin, a plastic surgeon who has made dozens of ears and noses in Professor Seifalian's lab. Dr Michelle Griffin, a plastic research fellow, demonstrates seeding stem cells onto a synthetic polymer ear . Professor Alexander Seifalian described the process by saying: 'It's like making a cake. We just use a different kind of oven.' here he is pictured with the advanced 'oven' with an artificial windpipe inside it . The . new body part begins as a glass mould, based on the original, which is . sprayed with a synthetic honeycomb-like material to create a framework . for stem cells to cling to. The . mould is then removed and the honey- comb covered with millions of ‘blank cells’ which, with the right nutrients, can turn into the . cartilage of the organ. Meanwhile, . the skin on another area of the body is gradually stretched by a small balloon . placed under the surface and inflated until it is loose enough to . accommodate the organ. After several months, the body part is taken out from under the skin and sewn into the right place. 'At the moment, children who need new ears have to go through a really invasive procedure involving taking cartilage from their ribs,' Dr Griffin said. She added that taking fat cells from patients' abdomens to add to a lab-made ear scaffold would be far easier than the multiple procedures often necessary to carve an ear from their ribs. Dr Griffin said they plan to eventually create an entirely synthetic face but must first prove their polymer scaffolds won't accidentally burst out of the skin. 'Scientists have to get things like noses and ears right before we can move onto something like a kidney, lungs or a liver, which is much more complicated,' said Eileen Gentleman, a stem cell expert at King's College London, who is not involved in Seifalian's research. Professor Alexander Seifalian in his office at his research facility in the Royal Free Hospital in north London . 'Where Seifalian has led is in showing us maybe we don't need to have the absolutely perfect tissue for a (lab-made) organ to work,' she said. 'What he has created is the correct structure and the fact that it's good enough for his patients to have a functional (windpipe), tear duct, etc. is pretty amazing.' Some scientists predicted certain lab-made organs will soon cease to be experimental. 'I'm convinced engineered organs are going to be on the market soon,' said Suchitra Sumitran-Holgersson, a professor of transplantation biology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. She has transferred lab-made blood vessels into a handful of patients and plans to offer them more widely by 2016, pending regulatory approval. Still, she acknowledged doctors will have to watch closely for any long-term side effects, including the possibility of a higher cancer risk. Professor Seifalian estimated about £10 million ($16 million) has gone into his research since 2005 but said he hoped lab-made organs would one day be available for a few hundred dollars. 'If people are not that fussy, we could manufacture different sizes of noses so the surgeon could choose a size and tailor it for patients before implanting it,' he said. 'People think your nose is very individual and personal but this is something that we could mass produce like in a factory one day.' | London's Royal Free hospital is among several in the .
world that are working on the futuristic idea of .
growing custom-made organs in the lab .
Few have .
received the lab-made organs so far - including ears and windpipes - but researchers hope they will soon .
transplant more .
They hope to transplant world's first nose made partly from stem cells .
Back to Mail Online home .
Back to the page you came from . |
1950c9bd754a8b2868e3082c01d67c46fecf3f15 | By . Jennifer Smith . PUBLISHED: . 13:20 EST, 31 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:04 EST, 1 September 2013 . A staple in most kitchen cupboards since the 1950s, Heinz Baked Beans have been around for a while. It's easy to see how the brand has changed advertising tactics to remain popular among British households after 60 years of success. Heinz has attempted to capture the mood of the nation at every turn by homing in on family dynamics at tea time. Scroll down for video . 1950s commercials attempted to remind hard pushed housewives of the money they were saving when buying Heinz Beanz to feed their families . In the advert released in 1955, viewers are offered a recipe for 'Scotch Beans' Ever since the 1950s Heinz has tried to establish itself as a household name, featuring mothers and their children in their many adverts . The first television commercial in . 1955 gently reminded frugal housewives of the beans' value for money, . with wartime mentalities rationing and waste still at the forefront of . people's minds. The . black and white advert for the then new recipe, 'Scotch Beans', . promised busy mums an easy way to make diverse and tasty meals for their . households. The advert reassures viewers: 'You know they're good because they're Heinz'. Beanz meanz Heinz: A more upbeat advert in the 1960s played on the nation's relaxed mood . 'So good to grow up with': The sixties commercial played to children's interests, promising a tasty treat good enough to stay home for . Highlighting how mothers across the country are providing the fuel to help kids grow up great, eighties ads played on the trend for ambition and success and once again ensured the relevance of Heinz Beanz at dinner tables . The decade of glamour, power and high aspirations, saw Heinz launch some of its most iconic adverts to date . The . swinging sixties brought about an upbeat change in mood, prompting Heinz . into creating an equally optimistic advert which insists the beans are . 'so good to grow up with'. The . advert shows an older sister lightheartedly teasing her younger brother . who plans to leave home on a round the world trip, before being enticed . to the dinner table by the sight and smell of Heinz Baked Beans. The . more sophisticated seventies encouraged diners to look to more exotic . types of cuisine, to which the Heinz Beanz responded with a series of . print advertisements called 'Exoticz!'. An explosion of technology and new developments enabled the country to move into a new century with more emphasis placed on speed and convenience . Demonstrating the changing family unit and their need for speed, Heinz Beanz Snap Pots were launched in a new TV ad which traced the parallel lives of four characters on a multi-split screen . The campaign sought to show the public how baked beans could be used to create interesting, foreign cuisine. The . ‘Kev’ commercial of the 80s captured two siblings sitting down together . at tea time, with older brother Kev delighting in his seniority and . knowledge as he teasingly eats all his little brother’s Heinz Beanz. The nineties zoomed in on the lives of working mothers who struggle juggling their roles at home and in the workplace. The five a day advert promises children more energy, playing on Jack and the Beanstalk to deem their beans magic . The noughties carried on the tradition of featuring British kitchens at tea time with the '5 a day commercial' The turn of the century sparked a new . craze of convenient, microwavable foods and saw the birth of the Heinz . snap pot- yogurt shaped containers which were easy to heat, keep and . eat. A decade later and . in light of the economic troubles recent years, Heinz reverted to . similar tactics used in the 1950s to remind mothers of the good value, . nutritious benefits of baked beans. The company played on popular children's story, Jack and the Beanstalk, to hint at the beans' magic properties. The . most recent advert doesn't stray too far from tradition, profiling two . brothers whose playful arguments come to a heartwarming end once a plate . of beans on toast is placed in front of them. The most recent advert shows a day in the lives of two playful brothers whose tiffs and giggles are rounded off at the end of the day with a plate of beans on toast . The most recent video ends with the generation old promise that Heinz baked beans are enough to keep children going . | Heinz beans have been a staple in British home since the 1950s .
First TV commercial in .
1955 reminded housewives of the beans' value .
The seventies encouraged a series of .
print advertisements called 'Exoticz!'
Modern adverts, such as the 'Snap pots' campaign, have shown Heinz to be a brand of convenience . |
1951e5c1580c39044fea59e34256b00fdc2161c1 | A devoted cat owner claims her beloved moggies saved her life by alerting her to the fact she had cancer. Stephanie Doody, 55, had no symptoms of the disease - but says her three feline friends repeatedly nudged her stomach. Her doctor later discovered a tumour on her appendix – a rare cancer usually has no symptoms and normally goes undiagnosed until it is too late. Stephanie Doody, 55, claims her cats followed her around, lying on her stomach and poking at her abdomen in an effort to alert her to a tumour on her appendix. Mrs Doody is pictured with her cat Jaffy . Mrs Doody credits her cat Jaffy (pictured) and her other two moggies Dinky and Rennie for helping alert her to a tumour on her appendix, which is usually symptomless and normally goes undiagnosed until it is too late . Mrs Doody from Tamworth, Staffordshire, who has now had surgery and is recovering, said: 'They have saved my life. 'I adored them in the first place, but this just made my love for them even stronger.' Cats Rennie, Dinky and Jaffy first noticed something was wrong in February 2014. Mrs Doody claims they constantly followed her around and sat on her lap poking at her abdomen. In July, six months after the cats first indicated a problem, she found a small lump after losing some weight and headed to her doctor. It was originally thought she had an ovarian cyst, but this was later dismissed, as were ovarian cancer and bowel cancer as possible causes. As doctors were baffled about what type of cancer she had, Mrs Doody needed the support of her husband Jonathan Ball, 65, one of her step-daughters Kaity - a dermatologist who works with skin cancer sufferers - as well as her beloved cats. After listening to her pets' intuition, and losing some weight, Mrs Doody found a lump on her stomach which turned out to be cancerous. She underwent a complex 12 hour operation to remove part of a section of her bowel along with her appendix, spleen, gall bladder and cervix (pictured) They started researching the symptomless condition and Mrs Doody was eventually diagnosed with pseudomyxoma peritonei. This is a rare cancer of the appendix, and she began treatment at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital in September. In October she underwent a life-saving 12-hour operation at George Elliot Hospital, all thanks to her three pets. The incredibly complex and invasive operation was carried out by two teams of surgeons who removed a section of her bowel along with her appendix, spleen, gall bladder and cervix. Dogs can be trained to smell cancer in its early stages, according to charity Medical Detection Dogs. The organisation now has 12 dogs who live with host families and come to work from Monday to Friday at the charity's headquarters near Milton Keynes, detecting traces of cancer from urine and breath samples. They are trained by sniffing urine samples of people with cancer and rewarded when they single out these samples from other urine from non-cancer sufferers. Malignant cells produce changes in volatile organic compounds, and it's these compounds which dogs are believed to detect in urine. Dogs can detect odours at concentrations as low as one part per trillion, identifying scents which the human nose could never detect. Humans have five million sensor receptors dedicated to smell - dogs have 300 million, the charity says. The procedure also involved a full hysterectomy and left her with a huge scar, which her grandchildren have nicknamed 'Nana's zipper'. But Mrs Doody says she has her cats to thank for saving her life. She said: 'I absolutely believe the cats knew. 'The cancer is a molecular change in your body so you give off a different smell that they pick up on and they just try to get your attention. 'For a while my cats had been following me around but that's normal - they're cats and that's what they do. 'But it got more and more intense and for months they stayed with me everywhere I went. 'If wasn't until the day I got back from the doctors that they disappeared into their normal spots. 'It was as if they were saying, "finally, you've discovered it". It was unbelievable. 'The surgery was horrendous and I was in intensive care for a couple of days on morphine but I would have died without it. 'Even thinking was hard work, I couldn't talk properly or move without becoming exhausted. 'I was overwhelmed by the goodwill and wishes of not just family, but friends and people from work. 'It was unbelievable, they were seriously concerned and upset, not only that I had cancer but that I had to go through all of that. 'I absolutely believe the cats knew,' Mrs Doody says. 'The cancer is a molecular change in your body so you give off a different smell that they pick up on and they just try to get your attention,' She is pictured with her husband Jonathan photos of her beloved cats Jaffy (left), Dinky (centre) and Rennie (right) | Stephanie Doody, 55, claims her cats saved her life by 'smelling' her cancer .
Cats Rennie, Dinky and Jaffy began following her and poking her abdomen .
Months later she found a small lump which turned out to be cancerousas diagnosed with rare appendix cancer that normally goes unnoticed .
Had a 12 hour operation to remove part of her bowel and her appendix .
Her spleen, gall bladder and cervix were also all removed in the procedure . |
1952d71fa224184e20e736398d086c912d3b4890 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:40 EST, 23 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:40 EST, 23 August 2013 . Hospital administrators have taken a 10-year-old patient's parents to court to force them to allow her to get life saving chemotherapy treatment. Sarah Hershberger has leukemia and her parents brought her to Akron Children's Hospital in Ohio to treat the tumors on her kidney, neck and chest- a number of which were visible to the naked eye. Her parents Andy and Anna Hershberger initially said that she could be treated with the necessary chemotherapy and she underwent some rounds of the procedure but not enough to completely eradicate the cancer. They have since decided against it, saying that they want to use natural medicine like vitamins and herbs to solve the problem. Fighting: Akron Children's Hospital has already petitioned once to be granted guardianship of the girl but that initial request was rejected, and now they are re-applying to a different judge . The Medina Gazette reports that the hospital already applied to take over legal guardianship of Sarah but were rejected by one Ohio judge who has since retired. Hoping to help: The hospital's attorney Maria Schimer, who is also a registered nurse, would be granted the right to make Sarah Hershberger's medical decisions if the appeal is granted . 'The court cannot deprive these parents of their right to make medical decisions for their daughter because there is not a scintilla of evidence showing the parents are unfit,' Judge John Lohn wrote in his decision before retiring earlier this month. He added that the girl's parents were 'caring, attentive, protective and concerned'. It is unclear how long Sarah underwent chemotherapy, but apparently long enough for the visible tumors on her neck and chest to disappear, as court records say that they went away but she did not go into remission. 'Sarah begged her parents to stop the treatments. Anna said she and Andy could not stand to watch what was happening to their daughter,' Judge Lohn wrote. Sarah apparently complained about feeling sick and she didn't want to become infertile. Nausea, organ damage and infertility are all common side effects of chemotherapy, but in this case, doctors say that 'the question of Sarah's treatment is life and death'. Mrs Hershberger 'prayed for wisdom to discern God's plan for Sarah' and believed that the therapy was killing her. Traditions: Sarah Hershberger (who is not pictured) and her family are Amish, and their beliefs force them to shun technology and in turn, some forms of modern medicine . The hospital's attorney Maria Schimer, who is also a registered nurse, is now appealing the decision and hopes to be granted limited guardianship so that she is in charge of making medical decisions for Sarah. 'The plan presented by Sarah’s parents is almost certain to lead to Sarah’s death,' she wrote in a letter to the court. 'Every day that goes by without treatment, Sarah’s chance of surviving her cancer is diminished.' With chemotherapy, her chances of survival increase to 85 per cent. | Sarah Hershberger, 10, has leukemia and doctors say she will die unless she receives chemotherapy .
Her Amish parents initially allowed her to receive chemotherapy- and her visible tumors disappeared- but they stopped the treatment because she said she was in too much pain .
Doctors are now trying to have the court grant them limited guardianship so that they can continue to administer the chemotherapy .
If she has the procedure, her chance of survival is 85% and if she doesn't, doctors say she will die within one year . |
1954a55a84460eeaf00211a3a3cf12c73ede733c | A tennis fan who claims she suffered serious injuries after fainting from the heat at an Australian Open tennis match is suing the organisers for negligence. Susan Carman, 57, claims she suffered serious injuries after collapsing during a scorching Andy Murray match at Hisense Arena in Melbourne in 2013. The woman from Traralgon, Victoria, said there was not enough cover as players and the crowd endured a 40-degree day on January 17, 2013, reports the Herald Sun. Spectators cool themselves in front of a water vapour on at the Australian Open in 2013. A fan is suing the organisers after she suffered serious injuries while fainting at an the event . She alleges she fell down some stairs in the grandstand as they were looking for some shade, suffering a fractured ankle and shin, ligament damage, and scarring. The Latrobe Valley hospital worker claims the Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust was negligent by failing to shut the retractable roof. The claim does not specify a figure of money, but it claims damages to lost income and to compensate for the family who looked after her during her recovery. A five-day County Court trial is scheduled for February 2016. Maurice Blackburn principal Dimi Loannou said Carman also suffered psychological damage. 'She was a tennis fan but she hasn't returned since the accident. It's been traumatic for her,' she told the Herald. 'We say Hisense Arena have breached their duty of care in this case by failing to close the roof.' 'Tennis is a popular sport. It's important we keep patrons safe when they are attending.' attack. Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic tries to cool down with ice packs in a 2014 match against Kenny De Schepper of France . Rafael Nadal cools off with water during a break in his fourth round match against Feliciano Lopez . Tournament officials had warned the crowd to take cover from the heat on the day, while players were given ice water and longer breaks between sets. A heatwave plagued the event, with ball boys, players and spectators all collapsing under the heat. The heat, which passed 40 degrees on some days, even caused tram tracks to buckle, forcing spectators to walk under the scorching sunlight. The organisers introduced an 'extreme heat policy' after a string of collapses from spectators and players alike. Canadian Frank Dancevic claimed he saw comic book characters on the court shortly before he fainted during his defeat by Frenchman Benoit Paire. Maria Sharapova of Russia cools off during her second round match against Karin Knapp in the 2014 tournament . Venus Williams of the United States cools off in her second round match against Lauren Davis of the United States . On the same day, China's Peng Shuai cramped up and vomited during her defeat to Kurumi Nara of Japan and a ball boy fainted during Milos Raonic's four-set victory over Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver. Some players noted that their shoes and water bottles were beginning to melt in the conditions. The 2015 open, which kicked off on Monday, has experienced warm condition, with a peak of 36 degrees on Thursday. No extreme heat is forecasted for next week, since a moist air mass from the east will prevent any heat from interior reaching Melbourne for an extended time period. | Susan Carman is suing the organisers of the event for negligence .
She said there was not enough cover as players endured 40 degree heat .
She suffered a fractured left ankle, ligament damage, and scarring .
She is claiming damages for lost income and to compensate her family .
A five-day County Court trial is scheduled for February 2016 . |
1956ca81610dc550b6ada39b9a29ec811f11a865 | By . Associated Press . and Zoe Szathmary . Staffers were evacuated from the American embassy in Libya on Saturday and sent to Tunisia safely, officials said. 'All embassy personnel were relocated, including the Marine security guards who were providing security at the embassy and during the movement,' Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement Saturday. 'The embassy staff was driven in vehicles to Tunisia,' he said. 'During movement, F-16's, ISR assets and an Airborne Response Force with MV-22 Ospreys provided security.' Kirby said that 'The mission was conducted without incident, and the entire operation lasted approximately five hours.' Scroll down for video . Evacuated: The entrance to the US embassy in Libya in seen here in a May 13, 2009 file photo. Staffers and Marines were evacuated on Saturday morning and taken to Tunisia . Violent: Embassy staff escaped unscathed from the attack which occurred this morning. In this photograph from Saturday, fighters from the Islamist Misarata brigade fire towards Tripoli airport in an attempt to wrest control from a powerful rival militia, in Tripoli, Libya . The battle for control of Tripoli's international airport began two weeks ago when Islamist-led militias launched a surprise assault on the airport, under control of rival militias from the western mountain town of Zintan. On Saturday, the U.S. evacuated its diplomats in Tripoli to neighboring Tunisia and shut its embassy . Smoke rises in Tripoli on Thursday July 24 . An unnamed US official told ABC News a that a destroyer - which was not mentioned in Kirby's statement - was another possible resource. When asked about the number of evacuees, a State Department official told MailOnline 'We do not discuss exact numbers for security reasons.' However, ABC News reported 'there were about 150 Americans that were taken out in the convoy, with more than 80 of them being Marines,' citing its unnamed source. Tom Saunders, a spokesman for US Africa Command, told MailOnline that 'There were two MV-22s deployed from Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy. The MV-22s belong to the Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response (SP-MAGTAF-CR) element located at NAS Sigonella. 'The main component of the SP-MAGTAF-CR is located at Moron Air Base, Spain. A portion of the SP-MAGTF-CR matinains a [presence] at NAS Sigonella to be prepared to protect U.S. personnel and facilities on U.S. installations in north Africa. '[One] MV-22 carried one a quick response team of approximately 24 U.S military forces personnel, and the second carried a 2-person medical team. Three Air Force F-16s from Aviano provided air support. And an Air Force KC-135 from RAF Mildenhall, the UK, provided refueling support.' Saunders told MailOnline he was not aware of a destroyer, but said 'it’s not unusual for U.S. naval assets to be in that region during operations or training exercises.' State Department spokesman Marie Harf said in a Saturday statement the evacuation occurred '[d]ue to the ongoing violence resulting from clashes between Libyan militias in the immediate vicinity of the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli.' American personnel at the Tripoli . embassy, which had already been operating with limited staffing, left . the capital around dawn and traveled by road to neighboring Tunisia, . according to Harf. 'We are grateful to the Government of Tunisia for its cooperation and support,' Harf said. As the evacuation was underway, residents of the . city reported in real time on social media that American military . aircraft flew overhead while U.S. soldiers escorted a convoy of vehicles . out of town. The State Department would not confirm the evacuation . until all staffers were safely in Tunisia. The withdrawal underscored the Obama administration's concern about the heightened risk to American diplomats abroad, particularly in Libya where memories of the deadly 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in the eastern city of Benghazi are still vivid and the political uproar over it remain fresh ahead of a new congressional investigation into the incident. 'Securing our facilities and ensuring the safety of our personnel are top department priorities, and we did not make this decision lightly,' Harf said. 'Security has to come first. Regrettably, we had to take this step because the location of our embassy is in very close proximity to intense fighting and ongoing violence between armed Libyan factions.' Danger: An airplane on the tarmac of the Tripoli airport belches black smoke into the air during fighting between the Islamist Misarata brigade and a powerful rival militia on Saturday . Fighters are seen Saturday trying to fight another militia for control in Tripoli . Support: MV-22 Ospreys, like the one in this file photo, were on-hand during the evacuation, the Pentagon said in a statement . The Pentagon also said that F-16s were involved in the evacuation . The evacuation was accompanied by the release of a new State Department travel warning for Libya urging Americans not to go to the country and recommending that those already there leave immediately. 'The Libyan government has not been able to adequately build its military and police forces and improve security' it said. 'Many military-grade weapons remain in the hands of private individuals, including antiaircraft weapons that may be used against civilian aviation.' The department said embassy operations will be suspended until a determination is made that the security situation has improved, it said. Tripoli has been embroiled for weeks in inter-militia violence that has killed and wounded dozens on all sides. The fighting has been particularly intense at the city's airport. 'We are committed to supporting the Libyan people during this challenging time, and are currently exploring options for a permanent return to Tripoli as soon as the security situation on the ground improves. In the interim, staff will operate from Washington and other posts in the region,' Harf said. The evacuated staffers will continue to work on Libya issues in Tunis, elsewhere in North Africa and Washington. The move marks the second time in a little more than three years that Washington has closed its embassy in Libya. In Feb. 2011, the embassy suspended operations amid the uprising that eventually toppled longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. After the formation of a transitional government in July, 2011, the embassy reopened in September. Gadhafi was killed in October of 2011. The Obama administration has been particularly sensitive about security of U.S. government employees in Libya since the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. mission in the country's second largest city of Benghazi that killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. The administration is still fending off criticism from Republicans and others that it did not either enhance security in Benghazi or evacuate the mission due to rising violence in that city in the months prior to the attack. The Benghazi mission was abandoned after that attack and never reopened. The embassy In Tripoli has been operating with reduced staff since but has remained open even as the violence intensified. On Friday, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Deborah Jones appealed for fighting near the embassy to stop. 'We have not been attacked but our neighborhood a bit 2 close to the action,' she tweeted. 'Diplomatic missions 2 B avoided pls.' On Sunday, Jones tweeted about 'heavy shelling and other exchanges' of fire in the vicinity of the embassy and speculation about the potential evacuation had been rife at the State Department for more than a week. A man looks out at smoke on Thursday. American personnel at the Tripoli embassy, which had already been operating with limited staffing, left the capital around dawn Saturday and traveled by road to neighboring Tunisia . Clash: Smoke rises over the Airport Road area after heavy fighting between rival militias broke out near the airport in Tripoli July 25, 2014 . Libya is now witnessing one of its worst spasms of violence since Gadhafi's ouster. In Tripoli, the militias are fighting mostly for control of the airport. They are on the government's payroll since authorities have depended on them to restore order. The U.S. is just latest in a number of countries to have closed down their diplomatic operations in Libya. Turkey on Friday announced that it had closed down its embassy and militia clashes in Benghazi have prompted the United Nations, aid groups and foreign envoys to leave. In Tripoli, clashes near the international airport have forced residents to evacuate their homes nearby after they were hit by shells. On Friday, the official Libyan news agency LANA reported that explosions were heard early in the day near the airport area and continued into the afternoon. The battle in Tripoli began earlier this month when Islamist-led militias — mostly from the western city of Misrata — launched a surprise assault on the airport, under control of rival militias from the western mountain town of Zintan. On Monday, a $113 million Airbus A330 passenger jet for Libya's state-owned Afriqiyah Airways was destroyed in the fighting. The rival militias, made up largely of former anti-Gadhafi rebels, have forced a weeklong closure of gas stations and government offices. In recent days, armed men have attacked vehicles carrying money from the Central Bank to local banks, forcing their closure. Libyan government officials and activists have increasingly been targeted in the violence. Gunmen kidnapped two lawmakers in the western suburbs of Tripoli a week ago and on Friday armed men abducted Abdel-Moaz Banoun, a well-known Libyan political activist in Tripoli, according to his father. An umbrella group for Islamist militias, called the Operation Room of Libya's Revolutionaries, said in a brief statement on its Facebook page on Friday that 'troops arrested Abdel-Moaz over allegations that he served under Gadhafi' and 'instigated rallies against' the Islamists. | The United States shut down its embassy .
in Libya on Saturday and evacuated its diplomats to neighboring Tunisia .
under U.S. military escort .
American personnel at the Tripoli .
embassy, which had already been operating with limited staffing, left .
the capital around dawn and traveled by road to neighboring Tunisia .
'About 150 Americans' were reportedly evacuated .
The Pentagon said that F-16s, ISRs and MV-22 Ospreys were on-hand for protection .
The movement took place amid significant deterioration in security in Tripoli as fighting intensified between rival militias .
Order was accompanied by the .
release of a new State Department travel warning for Libya urging .
Americans not to go to the country and recommending that those already .
there leave immediately . |
1956f3bcadda444b66860624e8596697d680bed8 | By . Alex Greig . A Texas real-estate developer is in possession of footage of John F. Kennedy's motorcade from that fateful day in Dallas that he believes supports the theory that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone. Whether or not the footage is genuine isn't yet known, but if it is, it would represent a dramatic development in a story 50 years in the making. Following the 50th anniversary of the death of JFK, Stephen Bowen, who is also a principal in small film production company, decided the time was right to sell the footage, which reportedly depicts a second shooter, to the highest bidder. That fateful day: John F and Jackie Kennedy in the car in which he would be assassinated . According to The Wrap, Bowen acquired the film from a Houston television news producer, who had held onto it secretly for more than 40 years. While no one has yet viewed the footage, it's said to show a second shooter hiding in the bushes along the route the presidential motorcade took on 22 November, 1963. 'You can see a guy in the bushes with a gun,' the source told The Wrap. It also reportedly contains lost and damaged frames from the famous footage made by Abraham Zapruder and sold to Time in 1963. The 50th anniversary of John F Kennedy's death has reignited the debate about the assassination, with many speculating recently that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone, including Oswald's wife Marina Oswald, and John F Kennedy's nephew, Robert F Kennedy Jr. Still raw: Thousands gathered at the exact place and the exact time President John F. Kennedy lost his life on Friday as speculation about his death continues to swirl 50 years on . Not alone: Many, including John Kerry and Robert F Kennedy Jr, have expressed doubt at the Warren Commission's finding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone . Kennedy Jr recently said that his father, Robert Kennedy thought the Warren commission that found Oswald acted alone was a 'shoddy piece of craftsmanship.' 'The evidence at this point I think is very, very convincing that it was not a lone gunman,' said Kennedy Jr. John Kerry has also spoken about his misgivings on the findings of the Warren commission. 'Regarding possible conspiracies, to this day I have serious doubts that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone,' he said in Parade magazine. Conspiracy: New footage purports to show a second shooter hiding in bushes along the presidential motorcade's route . Bowen is represented by The Gersh Agency, which intends to hold private screenings of the footage for interested parties next week in Los Angeles. If the footage was owned by the Houston producer for more than 40 years, then Bowen must have owned it for a significant portion of the past 10 years. He has decided now is the time to 'bring it to market.' | Texas real-estate developer Stephen Bowen claims to have footage of JFK's assassination .
He says he footage was taken by a Houston news producer on November 22, 1963 .
The tape reportedly depicts a second shooter hiding in the bushes along the route of JFK's motorcade .
Bowen is hoping to sell the footage to the highest bidder . |
1957d0701bb64aaa36249f2b9b0a0e43ef31410b | Was a police officer justified in shooting and killing Michael Brown? That's the question at the heart of the looming legal battles over the controversial case. What charges could Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson face? What would state and federal authorities have to prove in order to pursue charges? And does the fact that the gunman was a police officer change how the case could play out? Here's a look at what legal analysts say could happen next. Was a state crime committed? A local grand jury has started hearing testimony, but that doesn't mean any particular charges are being recommended by prosecutors at this point, CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin said. "An investigation is just an investigation. ... It's just something that they're looking into," Toobin said. For a criminal case to go forward, the grand jury must decide whether a crime was committed, and whether it's more likely than not that the accused person -- in this case, Wilson -- committed the crime, said CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor. After a fatal shooting, a range of charges are typically on the table, said CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos, a criminal defense attorney. "They're going to be anything in the spectrum of murder, manslaughter (or) negligent homicide," he said. The prosecutor will make a recommendation to the grand jury. From there, the grand jury could decide to indict Wilson, or that there isn't enough evidence to move forward. In order to bring charges against Wilson, nine of 12 jurors will have to agree. But the prosecutor plays a key role in the hearings, which are not open to the public. "The grand jury ultimately decides whether to indict, but it's 100% the prosecution's show. ... The prosecutor could, in theory, make less of an effort if he doesn't want someone indicted," Cevallos said. Some residents and community leaders contend St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch has deep ties to the police and has favored law enforcement in criminal cases. J.Tom Morgan, a former district attorney in Georgia who knows McCulloch, defended him as fair and objective. "I believe Mr. McCulloch will present the facts and the evidence to the grand jury and the Missouri law as he is required to do so," Morgan said. "We do not put defendants on trial just to see what a jury will do." Were Brown's civil rights violated? As part of a federal civil rights investigation, authorities are interviewing witnesses and weighing a number of factors. Key among them: whether Wilson exhibited "racial hostility," Toobin said. "The most important thing would be, did he say anything that indicates racial hostility, either before, or after, or during (the shooting)?" Toobin said. Wilson is white, and Brown was African-American. "The bar is very high," Hostin said, "and they're difficult cases to prove." But race doesn't have to be a factor in the shooting for investigators to allege there was a federal civil rights violation, Cevallos said. Federal statute says it's a crime for government officials "to willfully deprive a person of a right or privilege protected by the Constitution." Federal prosecutors could argue that Brown's right to life was violated, Cevallos said, but it's a tough case to make. "They have to show that the officer intended to deprive somebody of that constitutional right. They would have to show intent to kill...which is not a particularly easy showing to make," he said. When can police use deadly force? The fact that Wilson is a police officer could influence whether he faces charges -- and how the case plays out. "Often jurors are extremely sympathetic to police officers," said Paul Butler, a professor at Georgetown University Law School and a former federal prosecutor. "They think, even if he made a mistake, he's got the hardest job in the world, so they often want to cut police officers some slack." Authorities also weigh different factors when deciding to prosecute police. "There are issues that come up when you're prosecuting cases against police officers, because police officers by the very nature of their jobs can use deadly force," Hostin said. Police officers have the same rights civilians have to self defense, Cevallos said, and they also have the right to make arrests. "To do that," he said, "they can use deadly force to prevent an escape." If Brown was trying to get away from the officer, Cevallos said, the Supreme Court case Tennessee v. Garner allows the use of deadly force when an alleged felon is trying to flee if "the suspect poses a significant threat of death or serious physical injury to the officer or others." But given the number of times Brown was shot, along with newly released audio that may show a pause in rapid gunfire, Wilson has a lot of explaining to do, the analysts said. "Evidence suggests that he wasn't fleeing and was facing the officer," Cevallos said. "If that's true ... the officer has to explain six shots. He has to explain a reason for each of those six shots. He has to have justifiably been in fear of his life or fear of some imminent serious bodily harm." Complete coverage of Ferguson shooting and protests . | A Missouri grand jury is considering whether to bring charges against Darren Wilson .
A federal civil rights investigation is also underway .
Analyst: Federal civil rights cases are difficult to prove .
Former prosecutor: "Jurors are extremely sympathetic to police officers" |
19581f32c352f810885f32aa735da27df0bfc4a7 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . A footballer has died from an injury suffered on the pitch following a horror challenge during an Indonesian Premier League match. Persiraja striker Akli Fairuz was injured after taking a boot to the body from PSAP Sigli goalkeeper Agus Rahman as the pair raced for the ball in the area. Players, clearly incensed by the tackle, clashed on the pitch while the referee had to be moved away by security. Horror challenge: Fairuz died from internal injuries suffered after goalkeeper Agus Rahman booted him . Persiraja striker Akli Fairuz was taken to hospital where he later died from internal injuries . The extent of striker Fairuz's injuries did not become clear until several days after the football game . Frontman Fairuz was substituted but managed to watch the rest of the game from the sidelines. However, the attacker later took a turn for the worse and had to be admitted to hospital. It . was soon discovered that Fairus had suffered bladder leakage and, a few . days after the match, passed away from his internal injuries. Tragedy: Striker Akli Fairuz died after a suffering an injury during an Indonesian Premier League match last week . Incensed: Persiraja players surround the referee following the challenge on their team-mate Fairuz . | Footballer dies after being injured in Indonesian Premier League match .
Suffered internal injuries after taking a boot to the body from goalkeeper .
Persiraja striker Akli Fairuz later passed away in hospital . |
195a0cfc4ca8f3bf0d48461d89d401e8a994c1c2 | (CNN) -- A U.S. default on its debt would be "devastating" for the global economy and would hit the poor particularly hard, World Bank president Jim Yong Kim told CNN's Richard Quest Wednesday. Quest spoke to Kim in Washington D.C., where the world's economic and political world leaders have gathered for the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. READ MORE: Will glitches derail Obamacare? The meetings come in the shadow of a partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government and amid fears the world's largest economy will be unable to pay all its bills later this month due to failure by politicians to raise the country's borrowing limit. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama said he was ready to talk about Republicans' demands in an effort to end the stand-off, but he wanted Congress to first end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling, even if just for a short period. Kim said he did not want to comment on the politics but those involved in the wrangling needed to remember that "even if there is something heroic right at the end...it's having an impact on the little guys." READ MORE: By the numbers: Shutdown and debt ceiling . The debt crisis had the potential to be "devastating," with the threat of default the "greatest concern" he said. The closer the U.S. got to default, the greater impact it would have on the globe's poorest -- such as the rice farmer in South East Asia, or young person in the Middle East trying to start a business -- as the cost of capital rose. "We often forget it has a direct impact on the poorest," Kim said. The World Bank had prepared contingency plans to support countries if the U.S. debt crisis further roiled global markets, Kim said. "We're ready to move...to support the poorest countries," he said. "The muscle memory is in place, we are ready to go." WATCH MORE: IMF: Debt default could damage economy . Meanwhile, the World Bank is focused on halving poverty from 18% to 9% by 2020, Kim told Quest. Extreme poverty is in retreat but the World Bank had set an interim target to ensure it was able to reach its goal of bringing poverty down to 3% by 2030. "We have a huge amount of work to do," but an interim goal would ensure the World Bank remained on track, Kim said. Those who remained in poverty beyond that are among the hardest to reach, and would require focused assistance, Kim added. | World Bank head says U.S. debt crisis could be 'devastating' for global economy .
Jim Yong Kim spoke Richard Quest in Washington D.C., where economic leaders are gathered .
Kim said those involved in the political wrangling needed to remember it would hit the 'little guys' hard . |
195a29a5dc3bb4f43121c9c73561159de0170453 | ((Mashable)) -- Be honest: has Facebook chat ever been your favorite form of instant messaging? For many of us, Gchat, Skype or even AIM are our preferred defaults. Now, a new gimmick is making us like Facebook's built-in chat function a whole lot more. As demonstrated in the photo above, you can make the profile pictures of Facebook users and pages show up inside your chat windows. Here's how: . 1. Start chatting with someone (pretty simple). 2. When you'd like to refer to a mutual friend or, say, Coca Cola, you dump their profile id (either their name or a string of numbers for those users who haven't claimed their choice URL) into double brackets. So, that would be [[cocacola]] for a picture of Coke, [[zuck]] for Mark Zuckerberg and [[mashable]] for the logo of where your learned about this new feature, and so on. 3. Amaze everyone on Facebook chat with this cool new gimmick. What do you think, will inserting your friend's faces bring the end of the emoticon era, or will the Internet forever be dominated by the : ) face? [Via Geekosystem] . © 2013 MASHABLE.com. All rights reserved. | Facebook chat gimmick lets you insert faces of friends, others .
A pair of double brackets around a profile ID name or number makes it happen . |
195d382536ba946c4bc49973680e208a493d733a | By . Daily Mail Reporter . Grayson Clamp's parents tried everything to help their deaf 3-year-old son hear. But when a cochlear implant failed to fix his auditory disability, Len and Nicole Clamp turned to an untested method that had never before been used on children in the United States: an 'auditory brain stem implant.' After the chip was implanted, Grayson - who was adopted by the Clamps as a newborn after he was placed in foster care - could hear for the first time in his life. Scroll down for video . What's all that noise? 3-year-old Grayson Clamp hears for the first time . Clamp's face 'lit up' the first time he could hear his father . 'We don't know exactly what it's like for him,' Nicole Clamp told WBTV. 'We don't know exactly what he hears. His brain is still . trying organize itself to use sound.' Grayson is missing the cochlear nerves in his ears that allow humans to process the sounds that we hear. After the cochlear implant failed, the Clamps decided to participate in a research trial at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where doctors were researching the use of the implant on children. Auditory brain stem implants have been used on adults in the U.S. since 1979. But researchers have never before tested the device on children - although, it is approved for use on children in Europe. The procedure requires doctors to implant a microchip into a patient's brain. The microchip then helps him recognize and process sound. Medical breakthrough: Clamp was the first child in the Unites States to receive an auditory brain stem implant . Surgery: To implant the device that now allows him to hear, Clamp had to undergo brain surgery . The technology is similar to that of a cochlear implant - using electrical stimulation - the brain stem implant uses electrical impulses to stimulate the brain, rather than the cochlea. To date, roughly 1,000 people have undergone the procedure, with varying degrees of success - most recipients of the implant only have an awareness of sound. It's described as being able to hear the beat, but not the melody. For Grayson, the device seems to be working - his parents say his face lit up when he heard his father's voice for the first time about three weeks ago. 'It's been phenomenal for us,' Len Clamp says. A good home: Clamp was adopted as a newborn after his parents found him in foster care . | Grayson Clamp is the first child in the U.S. to have an auditory brain stem implant .
About 1,000 people in the world have auditory brain stem implants .
Auditory brain stem implants were first used in humans in 1979 . |
195d662825941b766b6fdb489d10168632876898 | By . Jason Groves . PUBLISHED: . 16:22 EST, 14 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:56 EST, 14 January 2014 . Britain will increase aid to Nigeria this year despite its introduction of harsh anti-gay laws. David Cameron warned last year the UK would review its massive aid programme if the country pressed ahead with legislation that includes a ten-year jail sentence for gay men holding hands in public. But the Department for International Development, under pressure to meet targets on aid spending, said last night the West African state would not lose a penny despite a decision by President Goodluck Jonathan to sign off the law this week. New law: President Goodluck Jonathan (pictured) signed the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act on January 7 . A spokesman added that aid to Nigeria would be increased as planned, from £200million last year to almost £270million. Nigeria’s . anti-gay law is an embarrassment for the Government, which is already . under pressure to cut aid to a country wealthy enough to develop its own . space programme. It has . also been hailed in recent weeks as one of the ‘Mint’ countries – . Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey – emerging as potential economic . giants. Pledge: David Cameron said in 2011 that Britain would dock aid from countries that introduced anti-gay legislation . Mr Cameron said in 2011 that Britain would dock aid from countries that introduced anti-gay legislation. Asked . last year if he would block the aid increase to Nigeria if it pressed . ahead with its new law, the Prime Minister said: ‘When we meet with . Nigerian leaders, we will be clear about those things we agreed on. We . have to be clear where we disagree. We will make clear where we stand on . those issues.’ But DfID said last night it would not cut aid to Nigeria as none was channelled through the country’s government. It . added that all British aid money there was spent via agencies such as . Unicef and private contractors providing education, clean water and . anti-malaria projects, for example. The decision to increase aid will . dismay human rights groups, which have condemned Nigeria’s crackdown. The . Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act introduces penalties of up to 14 . years in jail for a gay marriage and up to ten years for membership or . encouragement of gay clubs and groups. It . also brings in ten-year sentences for gay couples who display affection . in public, and penalties for those who try to help homosexuals avoid . detection. Activist Dorothy . Aken’Ova said the legislation, known in the country as the ‘Jail the . Gays’ law, would criminalise programmes fighting Aids in the gay . community. She added the police had drawn up a list of 168 wanted gay . men, of whom 38 had been arrested recently. Controversial: The new law introduces penalties of up to 14 years in jail for a gay marriage. Above, Rashidi Williams, a gay man, rides in a car in Lagos, Nigeria . Harmful: President Jonathan, pictured with David Cameron, launched an initiative to fight AIDS a year ago . The . legislation was condemned by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is . also under pressure to cut aid to Nigeria. Mr Kerry said the law . dangerously restricted ‘freedom of assembly, association and expression . for all Nigerians’. The Act ‘undermines the democratic reforms and human rights protections enshrined in its 1999 constitution’. A spokesman for the Nigerian president said the law is ‘a reflection of the beliefs and orientation of Nigerian people’. | Anti-gay law was signed by President Goodluck Jonathan on January 7 .
Criminalises same-sex marriage, civil unions and even gay organisations .
Last year, David Cameron vowed to review aid if legislation went ahead .
But Britain will increase handouts to Nigeria this year, it has been revealed . |
195d82b78bffff2005fadf16b6f6fe977468a535 | (CNN) -- A study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics indicates about 1 percent of children ages 3 to 17 have autism or a related disorder, an increase over previous estimates. Children at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, Georgia, receive instruction on March 5, 2009. "This is a significant issue that needs immediate attention," Dr. Ileana Arias, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. "A concerted effort and substantial national response is warranted." The study used data from the federal government's 2007 national survey of children's health. The survey of parents was conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration, and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results are based on a national telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents of children ages 3 to 17.iReport.com: How has autism affected your family? In the study, parents were asked whether a health care provider had ever told them their child had an autism spectrum disorder. ASD is a group of brain disorders comprising autism and two less severe disorders: Asperger's disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. Children with the disorder show impairment in social interaction and in their ability to communicate. They often display repetitive behavior. Watch families discuss autism » . The investigators also asked a follow-up question: Were the children considered to have ASD now? Nearly 40 percent of the parents and guardians said no. That finding led the authors to question whether some of the children originally diagnosed as having ASD may have been improperly diagnosed, since the disorders are not considered curable. But Kogan said the two surveys cannot be compared because the earlier investigators did not ask the follow-up question about whether the children were still considered to have the disorder. Still, based on the findings, lead author Dr. Michael D. Kogan of HRSA's maternal and child health bureau estimated the prevalence of ASD among U.S. children ages 3 to 17 at 110 per 10,000 -- slightly more than 1 percent. Boys were four times as likely as girls to have ASD, and non-Hispanic black and multiracial children were less likely than non-Hispanic white children. He estimated that 673,000 children have ASD in the United States. Monday's findings of nearly 1 in 100 appear to indicate an increase from the average of 1 in 150 that was reported in 2003, the researchers said. The researchers urged caution in interpreting the change, noting that an increase in diagnoses does not necessarily mean that more children have the disorder. It could simply reflect a heightened awareness of the disorder. "We don't know whether the change in the number over time is a result of the change in the actual condition, in the actual number of conditions or in part due to the fact that the condition is being recognized differently," Arias said. She said that preliminary results from a separate, CDC-funded study she is working on also indicate that about 1 percent of children in the United States are affected by ASD. That study is to be published later this year, she said. "This is a behavioral diagnosis, and it's difficult to make, and it's difficult to make at young ages," said Dr. Peter van Dyck, HRSA's associate administrator for maternal and child health. Half of the cases were considered mild by their parents, the study reported. The results underscore the importance of creating policies that will result in early identification and intervention, the officials said. The reports raise "a lot of questions about how we are preparing in terms of housing, employment, social support -- all the issues that many of these people are going to need," said Dr. Tom Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health. "It also raises questions about how well we're prepared in the educational system to provide for the special needs of many of these kids." Insel said the federal government is beefing up the resources it is mobilizing to address autism and related disorders, with $85 million being appropriated by the National Institutes of Health and $48 million for next year by the HRSA. | Study indicates about 1% of children 3 to 17 have autism or related disorder .
Results based on national telephone survey of more than 78,000 parents .
CDC official: "This is a significant issue that needs immediate attention"
Researchers saying finding could reflect heightened awareness of disorder . |
195f5a397dcad7fe95e30b1976b5dec2d33f04d3 | By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Pressure is mounting on John Bercow over claims he is too biased against the Tories to remain as Commons Speaker. An anonymous Commons motion is already circulating in Parliament demanding he go after failing to ‘live up to the tradition of impartiality’ of his predecessors. Now outgoing Commons clerk, Sir Robert Rogers, has pointedly highlighted that the 'really remarkable powers' Mr Bercow enjoys depend on him being fair to all political parties. A Commons motion has been drafted accusing John Bercow of failing to ‘live up to the tradition of impartiality’ of his predecessors, and demanding an immediate search for a replacement . Sir Roberts Rogers is standing down as clerk of the Commons, ending a 42-year Parliamentary career . He added: ‘So this clerk will be sorely missed by . the House and by me. We don’t know why he has chosen to retire early, . though his working environment behind closed doors has not always been . easy, as those in the know have already alluded.’ Criticism of Mr Bercow has mounted in recent weeks, after he has appeared to repeatedly mock David Cameron in the Commons and faced accusations of being rude to staff. Aides to the Speaker were forced to deny claims made in the Commons chamber that part of the reason for Sir Robert's early retirement was he had been told to 'f*** off’ by Mr Bercow. In an interview with The Guardian, Sir Robert refuses to be drawn on the state of strained relations with the Speaker. He said: 'We give advice in confidence, and the other side of that coin is that personal relationships are also in confidence. 'Were that not so, we would start to breakdown the relationship of trust that rightly exists between officers of the house and the MPs. Wherever you start to break that trust down, you do the relationship damage.' But in a thinly-veiled swipe at Mr Bercow, amid swirling rumours of plots to oust him being bein too pro-Labour, Sir Robert added: 'All I can say is that historically, the House has given the Speaker, the chair, really remarkable powers and that rests on the tradition of impartiality and being a servant of the house, something which dates back to Arthur Onslow in the 18th century. 'I think I would leave that there as a statement of the relationship between the Speaker and the House.' Senior Tory MPs are privately plotting how to remove Mr Bercow from his post after the next election. Even some Labour frontbenchers are 'fed up' with his patronising manner during debates, and are unhappy at the way he has berated some of their own MPs. The anonymous letter is thought to have been sent to several MPs and journalists in Parliament . One of the most bizarre exchanges came this week, as Mr Cameron took questions during a lengthy sessions on Gaza and the Malaysian Airlines MH17 atrocity. Mr Bercow interrupted proceedings to say: ‘Somebody asked how long the statement would run, but I would just point out, if I may, that there is intense interest in it and that the frequency of the Prime Minister’s tennis playing on the one hand and his jogging regime on the other means that he is quite fit enough, I am sure.’ A draft Commons motion, seen by MailOnline, has been circulated in Parliament in an attempt to step up pressure on the 51-year-old to quit. Tory MP Michael Fabricant last week accused Mr Bercow of telling the Commons Clerk Sir Robert Rogers to 'f*** off' The Early Day Motion criticising Mr Bercow has not been formally tabled, and does not appear to have been signed. It states: ‘This House regrets that the Speaker has failed to live up to the tradition of impartiality established by his predecessors; notes his increasingly erratic behaviour; condemns his systematic bullying and humiliation of staff, which has no place in modern society, and especially not in a Parliament which should set a national example; and therefore resolves to proceed immediately to the election of a new Speaker, in which he shall not be a candidate.’ A similar motion was used by Tory MP Douglas Carswell to help to unseat the last Speaker, Labour MP Michael Martin, in June 2009. Tory MP Michael Fabricant, who denies being behind the letter, said at the weekend: ‘Parliament deserves better than hot-headed, unpredictable and foul-mouthed John Bercow. 'The sooner we get a new Speaker, the better. Bercow should go,’ he wrote in the Mail on Sunday. It followed his claim in the Commons that Mr Bercow swore at Sir Robert. The Speaker immediately denied the allegation about Sir Robert Rogers, saying: ‘I’ll ignore that last observation which suffered from the disadvantage of being wrong.’ But Mr Fabricant stood by the claim, declaring he does not believe things should be ‘swept under the carpet’. Earlier this year Mr Bercow tried to humiliate Mr Cameron in the Commons by cutting him off mid-sentence. During raucous exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron was shouted down by Labour MPs and interrupted by Mr Bercow. As the PM tried to protest that he had not finished, the Speaker hit back: 'He can take it from me that he is finished.' Last year relations reached such a low that MPs designed badges with three bees pictured, to show they were members of the BBB club: ‘Bol****ed By Bercow’. | Letter circulated in Parliament claiming Speaker is not being impartial .
Condemns 'systematic bullying and humiliation of staff' - which he denies .
Draft motion proposes an election for a new Speaker with him excluded .
Follows claim he told Commons Clerk Sir Robert Rogers to 'f*** off' |
195fea4f54e838c5f05c8ff37db14bb7fcff9bf1 | By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 19:18 EST, 20 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:47 EST, 21 October 2013 . Under attack: Clegg's 72-hour U-turn has drawn criticism from both his Conservative colleagues and his own party . Nick Clegg is under attack from the . Tories and even his own party after performing a 72-hour . U-turn on the Government’s flagship education policy. The Deputy Prime Minister was accused by one Government source of attempting to cling on to ‘chauffeurs and people greasing up to him’ by pandering to Labour in the hope of keeping his job in a Lib-Lab coalition after 2015. In the strongest condemnation of Mr Clegg since the coalition was formed, the source said his name had ‘become a byword for cheap sanctimony, opportunism, gimmicks and lying’. Jeremy Browne, the former Lib Dem Home Office minister, insisted the free schools programme now being criticised by Mr Clegg was ‘liberal with a small “l”’ and should be supported. Mr Clegg yesterday broke ranks with the Conservatives, declaring he will no longer support the fundamental principles of free schools, which have been set up by businesses, charities, religious organisations and groups of parents free from state control. He said he disagreed with several of the most important freedoms exercised by free school heads, including their power to set their own curriculum and hire teachers without union-recognised qualifications. Incredibly, his remarks came days after Lib Dem education minister David Laws enthusiastically praised the scheme, which has been largely opposed by Labour, in the Commons. Last Thursday, Mr Laws suggested the freedom to hire who they wanted had allowed free schools to take on ‘superb’ staff. But Mr Clegg suggested that the Lib Dem manifesto for the 2015 election will include a ‘parental guarantee’ that children in all schools are taught by qualified teachers, follow the national curriculum, and receive high-standard school meals. Mr Clegg said that the Tories are failing to apply the ‘minimum amount of basic standards’ to free schools by allowing them to employ whoever they want. He is expected to expand on the . remarks in a speech on Thursday in which he will criticise the Tory . ‘ideology’ which he says means free schools and academies have too much . freedom. The Deputy Prime Minister admitted . that his words on free schools contradict current Government policies, . but claimed the difference was not damaging. ‘It’s an open, grown-up . difference. It’s not a crisis,’ he said. One . Government source said: ‘It's no surprise that Nick Clegg - a man whose . name is a byword for cheap sanctimony, opportunism, gimmicks and lying - . wants to grab back power for MPs to meddle in schools. ‘Michael . Gove has pushed through academies to embed state schools' independence . from the meddling of MPs like Clegg - so he will never accept Clegg's . latest stunt as a serious policy. 'All . Clegg ever cares about in meetings is politics - never policy. He loves . the chauffeurs and people greasing up to him and he will try anything . to cling onto a cushy job if Miliband wins. But whenever he promises . anything, people should just think - how much was his cast iron promise . on tuition fees worth?' Conservative . planning minister Nick Boles, meanwhile, suggested Mr Clegg was a . hypocrite because he did not want state schools to have the same . freedoms enjoyed by his expensive private alma mater, Westminster . School. ‘Clegg thinks that . the freedoms enjoyed by his old school are too good for free schools. Don't look to Lib Dems to defend your freedoms, folks,’ he said. Mr Boles added that Mr Clegg, who sacked Mr Browne earlier this month to the dismay of those on the Right of his party, said the Deputy Prime Minister was ‘rejecting true Liberals’. Mr Browne, appearing on the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme, suggested that Mr Clegg was trying to distance the Lib Dems from some parts of the coalition agenda in order to appeal to left-leaning voters and party activists. ‘I support free schools. Free schools is a small ‘l’ liberal policy. I don’t want us to feel that we have to echo the policy positions of the Labour left… and crave the approval of columnists like Polly Toynbee [of the Guardian]. ‘I don’t want us to be a pale imitation of the Labour Party, I think we should be a proud and unambiguously liberal party. ‘If we look like a party that is uneasy and ambivalent about our role in government, people won’t give us credit for the successes of the government and we won’t be able to claim the authorship that we should be able to claim for our policy successes in government.’ Out of step: Clegg's outburst comes just a couple of days after Lib Dem education minister David Laws praised the scheme in the Commons last Thursday . Richard Cairns, headmaster of the independent Brighton College, said: ‘I strongly believe that teachers are born not made and I will actively seek out teachers from all walks of life who have the potential to inspire children. ‘We have 39 teachers without formal teaching qualifications, including me. Some have come straight from university: our History and politics department has three recent graduates, all with Firsts from Oxford or Cambridge and all excellent teachers. Others have come from other careers: an investment analyst, a lawyer, a management consultant, a nuclear physicist and someone from the BBC.’ Langley Free School appointed a professional actor as a drama teacher, and a professional singer for music, while West London Free School has appointed the former head of classics at a renowned independent school, as its classics teacher. They have also appointed an artist with several degrees as an art teacher. Education minister Liz Truss said it was a ‘shame’ some Lib Dems did not back free schools and suggested Mr Clegg was pretending to be opposed to elements of the programme to appease left-wing activists. She said the ‘whole point’ of the schools was ‘that hey have these freedoms... that's what's helping them outperform maintained schools’. ‘You shouldn't kill of the goose that's laid the golden egg,’ she added. Tristram Hunt, Labour's Shadow Education Secretary, said: ‘Michael Gove and David Cameron's divisive free schools programme is unravelling for all to see. But Nick Clegg is locked in to this failure too. It is his policies that have led to the mess we saw at the Al-Madinah free school earlier, the looming crisis in teacher recruitment and the 141 per cent rise in unqualified teachers since 2010. ‘What is clear is that Labour's policies of ensuring that all teachers should be qualified and that schools are subject to proper local oversight are the right ones for educating our children.’ A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘Free schools are raising standards and giving parents more choice. They are run by teachers – not local bureaucrats or Westminster politicians – and are free to set their own curriculum, decide how they spend their money and employ who they think are the best people for the job. This Government is not going to take these freedoms away. ‘Independent schools have always been able to hire brilliant people who have not got qualified teacher status. Free schools and academies now have the same freedoms as independent schools to hire great linguists, computer scientists, engineers and other specialists so they can inspire their pupils.’ | Clegg made attack on the government's flagship education policy .
It comes just 72 hours after it was backed by a Lib Dem education minister .
His comments have enraged both his own party and the Tories .
Deputy PM accused him of pandering to Labour ahead of 2015 election .
One source warned his name had ‘become a byword for cheap sanctimony, opportunism, gimmicks and lying’ |
1960336c302e4299df70b1d3bb3e4b4931820ec2 | By . Tom Kelly and Claire Ellicott . PUBLISHED: . 08:32 EST, 11 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:38 EST, 11 March 2013 . A socialite and friend of the stars has been found murdered in his £2million Mayfair home. Robert Troyan, 63, was discovered with a gash to his head in a pool of blood by his horrified maid in the kitchen of the luxury flat. He knew Sting and the musician’s wife Trudie Styler through his late partner, architect and interior designer Anthony Feldman, whose clients included Princess Michael of Kent and former Tory Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken. Murder probe launched: The body of Robert Troyan, 63, was discovered at his luxury flat in this apartment block in Mount Street, Mayfair . Before Mr Feldman’s death, the couple . were famed for their lavish Mayfair dinner parties where guests said the . champagne was ‘always chilled and ready to open’. Mr Troyan is believed to have spoken . to his maid by phone only two hours before his body was found last . Friday afternoon. After making the grim discovery when she arrived at . the mansion block at 4pm, she collapsed on her knees in hysterical . screams. The building's caretaker said retired American Mr Troyan's regular cleaner was 'uncontrollable' after finding his body on Friday afternoon . A source at the block said: ‘It was a head wound, there was blood pouring on the floor. ‘Workmen working above – they are . doing a new kitchen – heard her screaming and shouting. The workmen said . they didn’t touch his body, but could tell that he wasn’t breathing.’ ‘His cleaner was inconsolable. The . police had to take her to the police station, and she was on her hands . and knees crying her eyes out.’ The source said Mr Troyan was always . friendly but ‘would often be visited by strange men, at all times of the . day and night’, at the flat, which he rented. Black bags removed from the flat every . morning could be heard ‘rattling with bottles’. He added: ‘One guy who . visited was staggering a lot. This was in the afternoon. I think it was . just drink, not drugs. He never came back again.’ Mr Troyan sometimes played loud music . and had noisy conversations, and the people in the flat below had . complained on at least one occasion. He was born in Italy to a wealthy . family but lived in the US for most of his youth. Mr Troyan studied art . at college in Boston before moving to Britain, where he met Mr Feldman . in 1983. An obituary in the Times after Mr . Feldman’s death said: ‘They were both immensely kind and generous to . people in need and to charities for the homeless. Trudie Styler enlisted . them for her and Sting’s campaign for Tibet.’ Mr Feldman came to London from . Johannesburg as an 18-year-old to study and went on to become an . internationally successful interior designer and architect who took on . commissions in London, Paris, New York, Hungary and Turkey. Affluent: Flats on the street sell for £2-3million, while a nine-bedroom property on Mount Street is currently on the market for £32million . Top of his profession: Mr Feldman's clients included Princess Michael of Kent (above) in Kensington Palace . Mr Troyan and Mr Feldman worked on . many design projects together, but their most cherished one was the top . two storeys of the 1782 Henry Holland house in Mayfair they shared, . where they painted the floors and fireplace in eight shades of pale grey . and several shades of white. Their large drawing-room was adorned . with a Bechstein grand piano and a dining table laid with mixed old . china, napkins specially sewn in Turkey and Bohemian glasses for their . extravagant dinners. They became the first to take part in a . civil partnership in Westminster in 2005 after being given dispensation . to pre-empt the official start date because Mr Feldman had terminal . cancer. He died aged 52 eight days after the ceremony. About six years after Mr Feldman’s . death, Mr Troyan moved out of that flat and into the flat, also in . Mayfair, where he was found murdered. A neighbour in his former flat said: . ‘He [Mr Troyan] came from a very moneyed background in America. 'He was . totally devastated by Anthony’s death. It was Anthony that really kept . everything running smoothly in both their lives. ‘After Anthony died, there was quite a . lot of coming and going of various characters, and it caused some . problems. Nothing would surprise me.’ Detective Chief Inspector Tim . Duffield, from Scotland Yard’s homicide and serious crime Command, said: . ‘We are appealing for anyone who knew Robert to come forward. ‘He was a very well known character in Mayfair; whom friends describe as kind and extremely generous. ‘We are confident that his murder took place on the March 8 some time before 4pm.’ | Robert Troyan, 63, found by cleaner 'in pool of blood in his kitchen'
Caretaker: 'She was on her knees screaming, just uncontrollable'
Mr Troyan was ex-partner of interior designer Anthony Feldman .
Pair were first in London to enter into a civil partnership in 2005 .
Victim was 'a drinker who lived alone and very rarely went out'
Post-mortem examination gives cause of death as head injuries . |
19619b5fe09ab3f61691de350cb34d551b824451 | By . Jack Doyle . PUBLISHED: . 19:54 EST, 23 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:20 EST, 24 October 2013 . They sound like fairly obvious requirements for any employee, let alone an upholder of the law: Don’t turn up for work drunk; don’t have sex on duty; be honest. The police force, however, thinks otherwise. So much so, in fact, that those three instructions are to be issued to all officers in a new ten-point code. Other parts of the code tell police that they should ‘respect and obey the law’, act with integrity at all times and not abuse their positions. New code: Police officers will have to abide by the new ten-point plan . Ethics: Mrs May used the speech at The College of Policing Conference in Bramshill near Hook in Hampshire to set out a new code for all police officers . The code is to be introduced after a . series of scandals which have shaken public confidence in the force, . including the Plebgate row and the investigation into the Hillsborough . disaster. But critics said . telling officers not to break the law or be corrupt – and reminding them . to be courteous to the public – was a ‘statement of the blindingly . obvious’. The draft Code of Ethics was published yesterday by the . College of Policing, which was created up to set and maintain standards . for policing in England and Wales. It . was endorsed by Home Secretary Theresa May, who said it was . ‘astonishing’ that police had not had an explicit code of ethics before. The ten headings include honesty and integrity, courtesy towards the public, and equality and diversity. Under . the latter, officers are told to uphold the Human Rights Act, while . under ‘fitness for work’ officers are told to not make themselves ‘unfit . or impaired for duty as a result of drinking alcohol’ or using drugs. The . ‘work and responsibilities’ section includes an edict to ‘maintain . strictly professional behaviour when on duty, including not engaging in . sexual conduct’. Officers . are also told not to ‘use your professional position to establish or . pursue a sexual or improper emotional relationship’ with a ‘vulnerable’ person. The IPCC was given more powers in December 2012 for a probe into the Hillsborough Disaster . The code also . includes a new obligation on officers to report or challenge any of . their colleagues who fall below the standards of the code. Chief . Constable Alex Marshall, the head of the College of Policing, said: . ‘It’s right to spell out in plain language what’s expected of people and . also we have to learn lessons from the past.’ He . added: ‘We have a code of ethics for doctors, for lawyers for all the . serious professions and I don’t think they say they don’t need it . written down.’ He also accepted some individual officers had ‘let us . down’ in the past with their conduct. But . critics pointed to the oath which all police constables already have to . take. In it, they swear to serve the Queen with fairness, integrity, . diligence and to accord equal respect to ‘all people’. Gerard . Batten, of UKIP, said: ‘Aren’t these things that the police are . supposed to have been doing on duty since 1829 when the first police . force was set up? Do they know something we don’t that they feel the . need to re-state ten points of the blindingly obvious?’ | Draft Code of Ethics was unveiled by the College of Policing yesterday .
Comes after warning that public confidence has been hit by scandals .
Includes guidance for officers to 'respect and obey the law' |
1961ca6c001e8403590b160db9882b3027e791e3 | The owners of a 'monster' 130-pound pit bull Niko that mauled to death a young girl only one week before her fifth birthday are refusing to talk to investigators, police said. Mia DeRouen and mother Megan Touchet, 27, were attacked by her boyfriend’s pit bull last week in their Houma, Louisiana, home while watching television. It took police 10 shots to finally bring the beast down, officials said. Despite the young girl suffering severe wounds to her head, face and chest in the attack, and her mother handed her to paramedics through the window of a room she had barricaded herself in, Touchet and her boyfriend are refusing to talk. April 3 would have been her fifth birthday. Tragic: Four-year-old Mia Derouen, pictured, was mauled to death by her family's pit bull while she was watching TV Tuesday night - April 3 was to be her fifth birthday . 'Monster': Niko was a 130 pound beast of a dog - the average pit bull weighs in around 50 pounds . 'Happy birthday': Mia's father posted birthday wishes to his daughter online and pleaded with people to stop talking about pit bulls . ‘Our detectives are in the process of trying to interview Megan and Kerry, who were the owners of this dog, but so far they've been unsuccessful in their attempts to talk to them,’ a Houma Police spokesperson told WWL. Touchet and boyfriend Kerry Dominique are keeping tight-lipped on the advice of their attorneys, the spokesperson added. They have remained silent in the week since Niko attacked the girl around 7pm last Tuesday.Niko is said by police to have been aggressively pacing around the apartment when they entered, and even attacked one of the officers. Counselors have been called in to help even cops hardened through decades of service to get over the traumatic crime scene. Not so gentle giant: Niko (bigger dog at left) is blamed in the mauling death of Mia DeRouen (right) 'We have some counseling that we are looking to set up for some of these officers,' a police official told WVUE. 'The scene, from what I understand, was pretty horrific.' Investigators are looking into the series of events that led to the giant animal to commit the grisly act. They are trying to determine if criminal negligence in how the killer canine was treated or stored could have led to the girl's death. Niko tested negative for rabies, but authorities are still awaiting the results of testing for steroids, according to Houma Today. Normal pit bulls tip the scales at about 50 pounds, and in rare cases hit 80 pounds, according to the ASPCA. Niko weighed 130. There were early reports that investigators were looking into whether the dog was bred for fighting, but police have since dismissed those claims. Vicious attack: Mia, pictured with her dad Chris, was pounced on by the dog, one of two at her mom's home in the Houma Highland Apartments . According to police, the attack happened inside the family home. 'She was screaming for help,' Duplantis said of the desperate mother's 911 call. Mia . suffered facial and head injuries in the pit bull attack and was rushed . to Terrebonne General Medical Center but didn't make it. Touchet suffered moderate injuries and was hospitalized as well. She remains in hospital today. Duplantis did not know whether the girl was on a sofa or chair or on the floor when she was attacked. Police reported that it was 'running loose inside the apartment acting in a very vicious manner' and officers shot it three times to 'eliminate the threat of additional injuries.' 'It's a traumatic event,' said Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet told WWL. Her father, Chris DeRouen, has posted several times of his grief over losing his daughter. 'I'm just empty. I feel guilty the few times I've been able to smile or laugh....like I'm betraying her memory,' he wrote Wednesday. 'I know in my heart there's more I could have done. I can't shake it. I just want to go to sleep and shut my eyes forever. 'I dream a dream you never died, and there was never a day we didn't pick flowers... You bring me cups of tea and cook my favorite meals....bring them to me on your little colored plates. You ask me when I'm done, and serve me some more. And then I wake up.' Every one of his posts is filled with dozens of offers of help, condolences and prayers - but he replies to none. The devastated dad instead wished his dead daughter a happy birthday in one post and pleaded with everyone stop talking about pit bulls in the next. Frantic call: Police officers were called to the complex around 7 p.m. by the girl's mother, Megan Touchet, who was also injured as the fought the crazed dog off her child . Prayers: Her father, Chris Derouen, picured, took to Facebook to beg for a miracle as his daughter fought for life in hospital. She later died . He previously took to Facebook to beg for a miracle as his daughter fought for life in hospital. 'Please I need prayers,' he wrote. 'My daughter was attacked by a pitbull and they don't know if she will make it....please God...I need this miracle.' After she passed away he covered his wall with pictures of the two of them, and friends and family expressed their sympathies. Claudet said the family had another pit bull. 'They had two pit bulls, and one was over 100 pounds,' he said, adding that this larger dog was the one that attacked Mia. 'Unfortunately, that's what happened and it's such a horrific event,' he said. The second pit bull was taken away by animal control officers, police said. Duplantis described the scene as 'horrific' and said counseling was being offered to the officers who were on the scene. It's not clear if charges will be filed in the case, which is still being investigated. A gofundme page to raise money for the child's funeral expenses has surpassed the original $25,000 goal set. | Mia Derouen was attacked by the dog, one of two at the home in Houma, Louisiana, last week and died in hospital from her injuries .
Officers were called to the home around 7 p.m. by the girl's mother, Megan Touchet, who was also injured as she fought the crazed dog off her child .
Touchet and her boyfriend have refused to talk to police about the 'XL' dog being tested for steroids .
Mia suffered facial and head injuries in the pit bull attack and was handed to paramedics out a window as the dog raged inside .
Mia DeRouen would have celebrated her fifth birthday April 3 . |
1961f888029fbcaa44ef002d4e55faa4d00e7bc5 | (CNN) -- A veteran New York firefighter who darted into a burning high-rise building looking for trapped residents has died. "New York City and the FDNY suffered a terrible and tragic loss when one of our bravest, Lt. Gordon Ambelas, died while trying to save lives," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "We have lost a real hero tonight, and our hearts are heavy." Ambelas was one of more than 100 firefighters who responded to the blaze in Brooklyn late Saturday night, the Fire Department of New York said. Fellow firefighters found Ambelas' unconscious body inside an apartment, de Blasio said. Ambelas was taken to Woodhull Hospital and was later pronounced dead. Two other firefighters suffered minor injuries. The fire, which broke out on the 19th floor of a 21-floor building, was controlled in about one hour. The fire was determined to be accidental. The electrical cord of an air-conditioning unit where the fire started was "pinched between a bed frame and the wall," according to Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. Ambelas, who joined FDNY in 2000, was recently promoted to lieutenant. "I ask every New Yorker to keep Lt. Ambelas in your prayers, keep his family in your thoughts and prayers," the mayor said. "We are all very fortunate to have the men and women of the FDNY at the ready to risk their own lives so that each and every one of us can be safe." Two firefighters killed in Boston blaze . | NEW: Fire is ruled an accident from an electrical cord .
More than 100 firefighters responded to the high-rise blaze in Brooklyn .
Lt. Gordon Ambelas was looking for trapped residents in the high-rise . |
196477d04bbd0b5b8840ed5bce42a04babaa041b | Damaging leaks are the bread and butter of political reporting, but a leak of a different kind has got parliament aflutter. A thunderstorm over Canberra has exposed a leak in the ceiling of the House of Representatives chamber. Speaker Bronwyn Bishop ordered a bucket and mop. 'I notice that our roof is leaking,' she said. 'I realise leaking is a common problem for political parties. We may need a bucket.' Scroll down for video . An attendant looks up as he attempts to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the House of Representatives during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra . A number of politicians found it quite comical as an attendant tried to clean up the water which was leaking from the roof . Treasurer Joe Hockey used it to attack Labor, saying it exposed the dire state of infrastructure left by the previous government. The incident came just after Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce declared his support for more dams. The Canberra Times reported the nation's capital was pelted with rain, hail, lightning and thunder as a severe thunderstorm passed through on Wednesday afternoon. You've missed a spot. Politicians give direction to an attendant who is cleaning up water from a leaking roof at parliament house . An attendant looks up as he attemps to clean up water from a leak in the roof of the the House of Representatives during Question Time . It's believed there were wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres and hour. The ACT State Emergency Service said it received a total of 25 calls for help since 2pm following the wet weather. ACTSES and ACT Fire & Rescue responded to leaking roofs, as well as damaged trees and branches across a widespread area of Canberra. | Australian MPs were forced to deal with a leak at parliament house .
Speaker Bronwyn Bishop called for a mop and bucket .
The nation's capital was pelted with rain, hail and lightning as a severe thunderstorm passed through Wednesday afternoon . |
1964d12d450d92e1f0ef23f926f9693f34673795 | By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 08:41 EST, 26 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:16 EST, 6 January 2013 . This baby penguin clearly wasn't camera shy as he posed for a picture before hungrily snapping his beak around the cameraman's legs. The tiny King Penguin was among a gang of chirpy chicks which surrounded wildlife photographer Jon Cornforth as he set up his equipment. The young birds were part of a huge colony based in Salisbury Plain, on South Georgia Island, in the south Atlantic Ocean. A baby King Penguin looks down the lens as photographer Jon Cornforth captures this image . Picture perfect: The baby penguin flaps his little wings in front of the camera . Mr Cornforth, from Seattle, in the US, had to quickly hot foot it out as the hungry penguins went for his legs, while he set up a GoPro camera on the edge of the colony. He said: 'It was pretty comical to be able to go back and look through that footage. 'There were hundreds of thousands of penguins in that area. Colony: The island is known to be a breeding ground for thousands of King Penguins . A ground of King Penguins stand together in South Georgia Island . Out for a walk: A group of King Penguins waddle through the snow in South Georgia Island . Provider: An adult King Penguin keeps an eye over the colony on South Georgia Island . Crowded: Mr Cornforth said there was anywhere between 2,000 and 5,000 penguins in the colony when he visited the island . 'While I was being respectful and keeping my distance, I was still able to get these amazing opportunities for photographs. 'Once you land on the beach there you are struck by the noise and the smell. 'Your senses are just on overload from being in that kind of wildlife situation.' The area of Salisbury Plain is famous for being the breeding ground of up to 200,000 King Penguins. Gathering: The young penguins surrounded the photographer as he tried to set up his camera . Mr Cornforth said the area, which stretched over a mile in land from the coast, was home to a colony of anywhere between 2,000 to 5,000 penguins during his visit. He said: 'King penguins are the second largest penguins second only to the emperor penguins, which everyone is familiar with. 'King penguins are beautiful with that yellow-orange patch underneath their neck. They are just stunning to be able to photograph in person.' The baby penguins were around ten . months old and had reached the time in their upbringing where their . parents were weening them off being fed - causing them to become hungry. Mr . Cornforth, who spent two days observing the penguins, said: 'A lot of . them were getting to the point where their mum and dads weren't going to . be feeding them anymore so they were quite hungry and very curious. 'I'm six feet tall and the adult penguins came up to around my hip, with the babies being much, much smaller.' | Wildlife photographer captured the King Penguins on South Georgia Island .
The peckish baby birds swarmed at his feet and hungrily snipped at his legs .
The island, in the south Atlantic Ocean, is a breeding ground for penguins . |
1964efdb59e3be70478049b8f7938bb58065dd87 | By . Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 16:43 EST, 29 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:43 EST, 29 August 2012 . Religion does not seem to have been a factor in the vicious assault on a Jewish college student, police said. East Lansing police Captain Jeff Murphy said there was no dispute that Zach Tennen, 19, was seriously assaulted in the early hours of Sunday and suffered a broken jaw. However the police chief said witnesses have not confirmed Tennen's account that he attacked after being asked if he was Jewish at a party close to Michigan State University campus. Detectives also have no evidence that Tennen's mouth was stapled during the attack as he claimed. Vicious attack: Zach Tennen, 19, was beaten unconscious and had his jaw broken at a party close to Michigan State University. However police do not believe it was motivated by the fact the student is Jewish . Beaten: College student Zach Tennen (left) said his attackers stapled his mouth when he was unconscious. Police captain Jeff Murphy (right) also disputed this claim . The journalism student, from Franklin in Oakland County, is recovering from jaw surgery. Tennen's father Bruce says the conclusions by East Lansing police 'sicken us'. An 18-year-old man from Farmington Hills is a suspect, although no arrest has been made. East Lansing police did not return further calls from MailOnline today. Earlier this week, Zach Tennen said he was set upon by two men who asked if he was Jewish. The attackers, who claimed to be Ku Klux Klan, then raised their arms in a Nazi salute, saying 'Heil Hitler' and began hitting the teenager. Zach said that while he was passed out, the attackers managed to staple through his gums. He said: 'It was coming up in my two bottom teeth and it started in my gum, so, somehow they managed to staple it.' Vicious assault: Zach Tennen, 19, was recovering at home near Detroit, after he was beaten by two men in an apparent anti-Semitic attack . Violent: Zach indicates where he woke up to find he had a staple in his mouth after being attacked on Sunday . His mother told the Detroit Free Press that around 20 people at the party watched the attack but no one helped her son. He was then thrown out of the party. The teenager also has a broken jaw below his bottom teeth which required being set with wire. His family contacted the Anti-Defamation League, an organization which fights anti-Semitism, on account of the assault. In a statement to MailOnline, ADL Detroit Regional Director Betsy Kellman said: 'We . are horrified by this violent assault and allegations that the student . may have been viciously attacked because he was Jewish. Place of learning: Zach was beaten up close to the East Lansing campus of Michigan State University, pictured . 'We are confident that the East Lansing . Police will thoroughly investigate this deeply troubling case and, given . the allegations, treat it as a possible hate crime. We hope the . perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.' Zach, who graduated from Birmingham Groves High School last year and studies journalism at MSU, said he had drank alcohol at the party but only a small amount. After his attackers fled, he called a cab to take him to Lansing Sparrow Hospital. The hospital did not call the police but said that it was standard policy to alert authorities if someone reported being a victim of assault. Zach later had surgery at a Detroit hospital to have his jaw wired shut. Brutal: Zach Tennen said the men who assaulted him asked if he was Jewish and then made Nazi signs . Injuries: The 19-year-old took a cab to Lansing Sparrow Hospital, pictured, after being beaten unconscious . Michigan State's Student Affairs and Services released this statement: 'Michigan State University's Student Affairs and Services office has reached out to the family of the student assaulted in East Lansing to provide the academic and other support the student needs. 'MSU will work with the student and his professors to ensure he can fulfill his academic requirements, as we would with any student in need. 'As the incident occurred off campus in East Lansing, all questions about the police investigation need to go the East Lansing Police Department.' | Zach Tennen, 19, beaten unconscious at party close to Michigan University .
Teenager said attackers were in the KKK and yelled 'Heil Hitler'
Zach had surgery to have his jaw wired after vicious assault .
Police said assault was 'not likely a hate crime' but refused to elaborate .
Father Bruce Tennen said the police's conclusions 'sicken us' |
1965013da87a50fb2fac680825d5d931f7c2be42 | (CNN) -- They call it "The List." On it: the names, ages and addresses of 21 people accused by police of buying sex from a 29-year-old fitness instructor. And it's the talk of Kennebunk, the historic, picture-perfect Maine town that had been -- until recently, at least -- best known for its bygone shipbuilding industry and a money-making tourist trade. Police say the instructor, Alexis Wright, used her Zumba fitness studio and the office of her business partner, Mark Strong, to run a prostitution ring. They say she videotaped intimate encounters with some of the dozens of customers she allegedly entertained. On Monday, police released a partial list of those accused of hiring Wright after a judge rejected a request to shield their names from public view. The attorney for two men named on the list argued that identifying them would destroy their lives, families and careers. Police are releasing the names and addresses in batches, and more names are expected soon. Strong's lawyer, Dan Lilley, says the list of Wright's alleged johns runs 150 names long. Among them, according to Lilley: lawyers, accountants and a local TV personality. While much of the world is getting its first salacious tastes of the whole affair, Kennebunk residents have been dealing with it since at least July, when police arrested Strong and made the case public for the first time. The tawdry details have riveted residents of the small community of 10,000, a tree-shaded, picket-fenced tourist destination of stately sea captain's homes and 200-year-old inns just a short drive from the Bush family oceanside compound in nearby Kennebunkport. Everyone wants to know who's on that list. "You can't go anywhere without people bringing it up," said Kristen Schulze Muszynski, managing editor of the 6,000-circulation Journal-Tribune. And it's starting to wear on at least some of residents. "I'm tired of it, honestly," resident Tina Palanka told CNN affiliate WGME. "I'm really tired of it. There's got to be more to Kennebunk than this. This is not a good legacy." It's certainly not typical for a place where the most recent crime roundup issued by police leads off with charges against a 51-year-old man for letting his dog roam free. "Boy, it really hit us hard," resident Paul Bergeron told WGME. The sex allegedly occurred at a store-front Zumba exercise studio, run by Wright. Zumba is, according to the brand's official website, "an exhilarating, effective, easy-to-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party that's moving millions of people toward joy and health." According to Kennebunk police, someone tipped off authorities more than a year ago that something more than Latin-inspired dance was going on at the studio, located on a leafy stretch of York Street, next door to one pizza parlor and across the street from another. Maine's State Police and the state's Drug Enforcement Administration soon started looking into the case. And in February, five months after the investigation began, police raided Wright's fitness studio and Strong's office. What police found hasn't been officially released -- the search warrant records have been sealed. But the Press Herald newspaper of Portland reported that the findings included videotapes of Wright having sex with numerous men, a ledger containing prices for various sex acts and detailed customer records. A grand jury indicted Wright on 106 counts related to the alleged prostitution business, including invasion of privacy charges for allegedly filming some of her sessions, according to court documents. The grand jury indicted Strong, who is also a private investigator, on 59 counts. Both have pleaded not guilty. Neither Wright -- whose studio is now closed, according to its website -- nor her attorney, Sarah Churchill, returned calls from CNN. The York County district attorney's office declined to comment Tuesday. Police are also issuing summonses for the men on Wright's list, accusing them of engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor charge. Two men on the list argued the names shouldn't be made public because doing so would cause "irreparable harm" to their reputations, their families and their businesses, according to court documents. They deserved to be shielded under state victims' rights laws and the state constitution, their attorney argued. On Monday, Superior Court Justice Thomas D. Warren disagreed, ruling that the names of people accused of crimes have to be available to the public. "The principle that court proceedings are public is essential to public confidence. If persons charged with crimes could withhold their identities, the public would not be able to monitor proceedings to observe whether justice has been done and to observe whether certain defendants may have received favored treatment," Warren wrote in his decision. Warren ruled that some of them men, those who had been filmed during sex acts, could also be victims of a crime -- invasion of privacy -- and deserved to have their addresses shielded from the public, but Tuesday he revised his decision after a "conference call with counsel for the interested parties in the civil action," according to a Kennebunk police news release. One man told CNN affiliate WCSH TV that his name appears on the original list. But he said it's not him. "When I first saw my name on the computer I laughed," said the man, who CNN has chosen not to name. "And then as I got up I'm thinking, 'All my years in law enforcement, all my years, activities with children, coaching baseball, the young men that I know who are now dads today and responsible citizens, this is very misleading and I don't think it's fair.' And then I became upset, to say the least I was very upset." The release also has upset some of Muszynski's readers. The Journal-Tribune editor says she's getting letters wondering why the names of the men are coming out before trial. She said she isn't getting any letters from readers upset that Wright's name has been plastered in media accounts of the case, bringing up what some say is a long-held double standard in prostitution cases -- the accused prostitute gets all the attention, while her customers slip away out of public view. As it happens, that tide appears to be turning, said Michael Shively, a Cambridge, Massachusetts, criminal justice researcher with Abt Associates who has been tracking anti-prostitution programs since 2005. Nationwide, Shively said, 525 cities and counties have at least once tried some form of what's known as "shaming" -- publicizing the names of men who buy sex or focusing on them instead of the sellers. No one has formally studied the effectiveness of such efforts, he said. "But evidence that is available points in the direction of it being a pretty effective thing to do," he said. "But it's not definitive." Read Shively's national prostitution study for the U.S. Justice Department (PDF) And while Kennebunk doesn't appear to be intentionally shaming Wright's alleged customers -- the city releases a weekly list of people accused of crimes -- all the attention is putting a spotlight on the men, nevertheless. "Had the city hired a public relations firm, they couldn't have written a better script for generating as much attention as possible," Shively said, referring to the incremental release of the names of those charged as prostitution customers. CNN's Adam Reiss and Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report. | Police add ages and addresses to list of 21 alleged johns .
"You can't go anywhere" without hearing about "The List," says local editor .
Court denies request to shield clients' identities from the public .
Authorities: Clients paid fitness instructor for sex at her studio in Kennebunk, Maine . |
19652b1d167cb554906ab7028e2512cf0869468f | Bryn Parry-Jones was given a £90,000 Porsche as part of his contract with Pembrokeshire County Council . A shamed council boss at the centre of a row over misuse of public money drove a taxpayer-funded Porsche that his employers kept secret for eight months. Bryn Parry-Jones, 62, was provided with the £90,000 sports car to drive to and from work despite massive cuts to public services in his area. But the council refused to reveal the perk, despite repeated information requests by journalists, for eight months – citing ‘privacy’ reasons. Last night the former chief executive was facing a growing row over his use of public money after details of his lavish lifestyle were exposed. Mr Parry-Jones, whose £195,000-a-year salary made him the highest-earning official in Wales, has been repeatedly accused of abusing taxpayers’ money while heading cash-strapped Pembrokeshire County Council. Earlier this year he was handed a £280,000 ‘golden goodbye’ despite the fact he had been forced to quit over an unlawful payments scandal. Details of his car, a perk which cost around £900 a month to lease, only emerged this week after a long Freedom of Information battle with the council. Insiders said the extravagant expense had ‘stuck in the craw’ of cash-strapped council workers who knew about it for months. Yesterday, campaigners and politicians hit out at the ‘offensive waste of money’ at a time when the council was making cuts to local services. Earlier this year, Pembrokeshire Council revealed it would have to make savings of £20million over two years. Proposed measures include closing public toilets, charging for social services and increasing parking fees. Council tax rose by 3.4 per cent this year. Stephen Crabb, Welsh secretary and Pembrokeshire MP, said: ‘These kinds of lavish car deals for council officials, alongside salary and other perks, stick in the throats of people – especially at a time when there is huge pressure on spending.’ The average salary in the county last year was £21,587. Jonathan Isaby, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, added: ‘At a time when the council is trying to find savings, it’s particularly galling that local residents have been taken for such an extortionate ride.’ Mr Parry-Jones, who led the council for 18 years, was given an allowance to run a company car as part of his generous remuneration package. It is understood he took out a lease on the hybrid electric Porsche Panamera in March this year. Journalists first began requesting details of the car under the Freedom of Information Act in April, but the council said it must be kept secret because it was ‘private’. The expensive sports car was part of the 62-year-old's 'remuneration', according to county officials . It was leased by the council and has been returned since Mr Parry-Jones left his position earlier this year . It was only this week, after he left with his enormous pay out, that the council, run by the Independent Plus Group, revealed details. Conservative councillor David Bryan said the Porsche was known about within the council and had ‘stuck in the craw’ of council workers facing ‘drastic pay cuts’. Paul Miller, who leads the opposition Labour group on the council, added: ‘He was a dictator and it got to the point where he thought he could do whatever he wanted.’ A council spokesman said: ‘Mr Bryn Parry-Jones was entitled to a lease car as part of his remuneration package.’ Mr Parry-Jones quit his post as chief executive in October, ten months after it was revealed he received more than £45,000 in cash payments in lieu of pension contributions. The Wales Audit Office said the payments were ‘unlawful’, although a police investigation concluded that no further action should be taken. Mr Parry-Jones finally stepped down after a vote of no confidence from the council – though councillors voted through a sizeable severance package. Mr Miller applied in vain for a High Court injunction against the pay-off. The council also said it would not be trying to reclaim the £45,606 cash payment. Mr Parry-Jones, who lives in Letterston, Pembrokeshire could not be contacted for comment last night. ' | Bryn Parry-Jones oversaw thousands of cuts at Pembrokeshire Council .
The 62-year-old was given a £90,000 Porsche Panamera in his contract .
He left the position earlier this year with a £280,000 severance package .
Public petition called for his resignation over 'corruption' in council .
More than 1,000 staff faced pay cuts under his leadership last year . |
19655e0c13224f443618c2db921c01b576c74224 | By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:01 EST, 27 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:52 EST, 27 May 2013 . A pioneering electric car company, which planned to set up networks of battery swapping and charging stations to end drivers' concerns about running out of power has folded. Electric car company Better Place has filed a motion in an Israeli court to wind up the company, bringing an end to a venture whose battery charging network had aimed to boost electric car sales. Better Place partnered with Renault in 2008 to create an electric car system combining charging terminals with battery swap stations to increase the range of electric cars and put an end to drivers' worries about running out of power. Out of juice: Israeli-American electric car company Better Place announced it was filing a court motion for dissolution after its shareholders refused to provide further funding . It had raised more than £560million from top-tier investors and two years ago said it was valued at £1.5billion. Last August, Better Place secured a £34million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB)- the company's first credit facility from a financial institution - to further develop its global electric car network. But sales never took off, with just over a thousand cars on the road in Israel and Denmark, the first two countries where it began operating. 'The (gasoline-free) vision is still . valid and important and we remain hopeful that eventually the vision . will be realized for the benefit of a better world,' the company's board . of directors said in a statement. 'However, Better Place will not be able to take part in the realization of this vision.' Carmakers . have invested heavily in electric cars, but awareness is growing that . hybrid and battery cars may not be enough to win the race to meeting . rigid EU carbon dioxide emissions limits. Better Place's sales never took off, with only around a thousand cars on the road in Israel and Denmark, the first two countries where it began operating . 'This is a difficult day for all of us,' said Chief Executive Officer Dan Cohen. 'Unfortunately, after a year's commercial operation, it was clear to us that despite many satisfied customers, the wider public take up would not be sufficient,' he said in a statement. The company management, he said, requested the appointment of a voluntary liquidator who would decide on how to award compensation to customers and staff and maintain the network already in place. Sunday's announcement came as no surprise. With its partner Renault, Better Place committed to a production run of 100,000 electric cars for Israel and Denmark, counting on large fleets to sign up. At the same time it developed plans to expand into Australia and then onto markets like China and the United States. Replaced: Founder Shai Agassi was removed as CEO in October, and his successor was named four months later . But the large-scale deals never materialized. Only about 900 of its cars are on the road in Israel, and about 400 in Denmark. Renault could not immediately be reached for comment. In February 2008 it said Renault-Nissan and Better Place had signed an agreement 'to provide the necessary conditions for the successful launch of electric vehicles.' A November earnings report published by conglomerate Israel Corp, which owns about 30 percent of Better Place, said the company had an accumulated deficit of £371million with more losses expected. The company made changes and reduced its workforce. Founder Shai Agassi was removed as CEO in October, and his successor was named four months later. Alan Gelman, chief financial officer and head of operations in Israel, told Reuters at the time that the company knew why it was floundering and was trying to turn a corner. 'We at times were too focused on turning into a global company and expanded too fast, but we have to focus on local operations and selling cars,' he said. After a failed final round of fundraising, Better Place turned to the Tel Aviv area court. 'Revenues are still insufficient to cover operating costs, and in the light of the continued negative cash flow position, the board has decided that it has no option but to seek to make this application to the courts for an orderly liquidation of the company,' it said in a statement. Israel Corp, the largest shareholder in Better Place, said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on Sunday it had decided not to inject more cash into the beleaguered company. Other shareholders include HSBC, GE, Morgan Stanley and Vantage Point Venture Partners. None were immediately available to comment. Gene Gable, a spokesman for Vantage Point Venture Partners, confirmed that the group was an investor in Better Place and since 2008. However, he said he could not disclose the amount of Vantage Point's investment in the electric car venture. 'We are not making any further comment on Better Place right now,' he said. 'We may have a statement later in the week.' | Better Place has filed a motion in an Israeli court to wind up the company .
The firm planned to create a system combining charging terminals with battery swap stations .
But only a thousand cars on the road in the two countries where it began operating . |
1967a514488a236f11473f49797f712e1c1fb2ed | Britain's biggest lottery winners have answered a mother's plea for help by donating almost £30,000 to pay for her three-year-old daughter to have an operation to help her walk. Chris and Colin Weir, who scooped a record £161million Euromillions jackpot in July 2011, dipped into their huge fortune to pay for spastic diplegic cerebral palsy sufferer Skye Swinton to pay for revolutionary surgery. The pair wrote a cheque after Skye's desperate mother Ruth, 38, wrote to the couple asking for help. Scroll down for video . Skye Swinton, 3, from Cheltenham pictured with her parents John and Ruth who have raised £40k for a life changing operation to help their daughter walk with the help of record Euromillions winners Colin and Chris Weir . Little Skye, pictured, who was born 13 weeks prematurely and suffers from spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, has spent much of her life in a wheelchair . She had expected her letter to be 'politely binned' but was stunned when she received a phone call telling her that the pair, from Largs in North Ayrshire, were happy to donate £28,000. Ecstatic Ruth, a former teacher and now full-time carer to Skye, said: 'It is just unbelievable and we are so delighted. 'I sent the letter months ago and so I just thought it would have been politely binned, so to get the phone call with the news was just fantastic. Born 13 weeks early and weighing a tiny 1lb 15oz, Skye's condition has left her confined to a wheelchair for much of her life. She is unsteady on her feet and unable to go any distance without tiring and dreams of walking and running like other children. Skye's family and friends managed to raise £12,000 towards their target of £40,000 but were still £28,000 short until Ruth's heartfelt letter persuaded generous Chris and Colin to part with the remainder of the cash. Skye's mother Ruth had written a desperate letter to Colin and Chris Weir asking for their help to raise £40,000 for her daughter's surgery . It is hoped that Skye, from Cheltenham Gloucestershire, will undergo delicate surgery - which involves partially cutting the nerve roots where they join the spinal cord - next summer pending vital medical assessments. An initial assessment, scans and x-rays will cost the family £800, with the operation priced at £23,500 and subsequent physiotherapy, expected to last two years, will cost around £15,000. Without surgery now, the youngster would need major orthopaedic surgery by the time she turns 10 or 11. Ruth, who is married to Skye's father John, also 38, said: 'There are still a number of medical hurdles to overcome, but now that we have raised the money we need, we can now concentrate on helping Skye reach her full potential. 'We were absolutely blown away with the support we've had, and the generosity we have been shown.' The family will continue fundraising in aid of Skye and will use the additional money to help her during her rehabilitation with planned fundraising events still to go ahead. In a statement, Mr and Mrs Weir said: 'Skye faces many challenges in the next year and she needs her mum and dad to be focused on her. That's why we've given a donation. 'Without the additional worry and pressure of fundraising, their time can be spent on Skye.' Mr and Mrs Weir have shown enormous generosity since winning their vast fortune. They donated their former £180,000 home to their neighbours after buying their new home and sponsored 15-year-old Scottish racing driver Gregor Ramsey in the European and Italian Formula 3 events. Mr Weir, a former Scottish TV cameraman, donated £750,000 to his local football team, Largs Thistle, to pay off some of the club's debt and improve facilities. Colin and Chris Weir, pictured celebrating their Euromillions win, donated £28,000 towards Skye's £40,000 operation . The pair's £161million jackpot win in July 2012 remains the largest single lottery win in the UK . In August the couple also donated a five-figure sum to buy a prosthetic limb for cancer victim Kieran Maxwell, 13, of Heighington, near Darlington. They also pledged £900,000 towards a new £1.2million multi-use sports arena in their home town and helped talented young artist Lee Craigmile pay his fees to study in Italy. Mr and Mrs Weir payed a seven figure sum to the Scottish National Party to help fund its campaign for independence from the rest of the UK. They have also personally enjoyed their winnings, applying for planning permission to build a luxury indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi and conservatory at their home. VIDEO: Celebrating in style! Chris and Colin opened up the vino when they won in July 2011 . | Chris and Colin Weir have donated some of their £161million Euromillions win to help three-year-old Skye Swinton have a life-changing operation .
Skye was born prematurely and suffers from spastic diplegic cerebral palsy .
After spending much of her life in a wheelchair, the operation should help Skye walk . |
19681aab9687f60b6f0687d7a373aae935db12b6 | I've worked around politics and politicians for more than 25 years. And I thought I'd seen it all when it comes to political cynicism. Look at the long view and all the parties are as bad as each other, making promises they know can't be delivered or pledges they've no intention of honouring. But in nearly three decades of following politics, for sheer shameless, dishonourable and downright nasty cynicism, nothing I've encountered comes close to Ed Miliband's promise yesterday that for anyone with suspected cancer, under a Labour Government they will be able to 'go to the GP and within a week you get both the test and the result'. To read his interview, it was almost as if he was claiming a Miliband Government would be able to cure cancer in a week: . Criticised: Stephen Pollard says that in three decades of following politics, for sheer shameless, dishonourable and downright nasty cynicism, nothing he encountered comes close to Ed Miliband's cancer results promise . 'One in three of us is going to get cancer during our lifetime – that's incredibly scary,' he said. 'It's a massive killer. The number of people waiting more than six weeks has doubled – we are talking about millions of people each year. This will make a big difference to patients.' Except, of course, that the idea of a cancer test – any one test that can tell you 'yes' or 'no' – is utter nonsense. It's not just a false hope that he is holding out; it's a shameful piece of political posturing designed solely to boost Labour's poll rating without any basis in medicine or reality. We'll come to the specifics of his cynicism in a moment. But here's my context. The reason the Labour leader's pledge so disgusts me is that it is personal. Just under two years ago I was diagnosed with leukaemia. So, I know exactly what it means as a patient to be told that cancer is suspected, and then to have to go though the agonising waits involved. Anyone who has cancer will tell you that it's not just one wait, it's several. And while the jaw-dropping inefficiency of the NHS certainly prolongs those waits, even in Mr Miliband's fantasy world where the NHS could do everything at the drop of a hat, waiting would be inevitable. Because there is no one, single cancer test. There are many, of varying degrees of nastiness – just like cancers themselves. Cynical: Ed Miliband has chosen to make the centrepiece of his campaign on the NHS, one of the core issues of the General Election, a pledge on cancer that is essentially nonsense, according to Stephen Pollard . My own diagnosis was both fortunate and farcical. As I have a form of arthritis, I have to have steroid injections. After one, my brilliant GP looked at the blood tests that were part of the procedure and sniffed that something wasn't quite right. She sent me to a haematologist, who in turn sent me off to have a series of further blood tests. Looking back, I now think it's funny that she had the worst bedside manner imaginable. I saw her again when the results came back from the lab, and without looking up from her notes she uttered a sentence I will never forget: 'The tests show that you have either the after-effects of a virus or a form of leukaemia.' With hindsight, I was clearly an idiot because throughout the process to date the C-word never crossed my mind. I had been feeling run down and tired for years but thought it nothing other than the result of working long hours and having two toddlers. So when she said 'leukaemia' I was poleaxed. I needed more blood tests after some time had passed to see if a diagnosis was possible. Then, after these came through, she gave me the news: it was indeed 'a form of leukaemia' and I needed to see a consultant. When I saw him, he ordered yet another round of blood tests. So much for Mr Miliband's idea of one test. When these results came through, I was told I needed to have a sample of blood and bone scraped from my spine. I will spare you the full details. Suffice to say that no local anaesthetic is possible at the immediate place of incision, so the pain is, well, serious. The surgeon told me they only ever make two attempts to do the procedure in one session because it is so painful. Even if there was one overall cancer test that could be delivered within a week, it would be pointless without an NHS able to deliver the right care . They made an exception in my case – the house doctor was so incompetent that after five attempts she had still not got what was needed, before finally consenting to get the registrar. On his first go (and my sixth) he managed it perfectly. Then, finally, after four blood tests and a bungled procedure, the consultant was able to give me a full diagnosis, a month after my GP's initial concern. Even if the bone test had been carried out flawlessly, the process could not have been anything other than drawn out and ambiguous. And for good measure, when the consultant then tried to see when my leukaemia had actually developed by looking at the records of four previous operations I'd had over the past decade, not one of the four different hospitals – not one – could lay their hands on records they were supposed to have kept. So no one has any idea if I've had leukaemia for two years or 20. Seven days to find out if we have cancer, Mr Miliband? What disgusting cynicism. It is possible, I concede, that I am doing the Labour leader a disservice. Perhaps he doesn't actually know that this is how cancer diagnosis really happens, and that he's not being deliberately cynical. Perhaps, in other words, he's just being an idiot. Not exactly a comforting thought about a man who could be Prime Minister next year, is it? But given his track record, I've no doubt that it's naked cynicism. In July, Mr Miliband gave a little-noticed speech about political cynicism. According to him, what really threatens to stop Labour winning next year isn't the Conservatives – it's cynicism. He said: 'The belief that nobody can make a difference. That all politics is the same…They believe we value posturing more than principle. Good photos or soundbites more than a decent policy. Image more than ideas.' Ignore the breathtaking hypocrisy of such a speech from a man whose most stupid mistake so far was to forget to talk about the deficit in his party conference speech – a mistake that happened because he cared so much about his image that he chose to speak without any notes. Just think about this weekend's announcement in that context. Mr Miliband has chosen to make the centrepiece of his campaign on the NHS, one of the core issues of the General Election, a pledge on cancer that is essentially nonsense – based neither on medical reality nor patient need. Even if there was one overall cancer test that could be delivered within a week, it would be pointless without an NHS able to deliver the right care. But instead of focusing on a decent policy, as he put it in that speech, he is the one who is focused on posturing more than principle. Here's the cynicism. Labour has a 12-point lead over the Tories on the NHS – and Mr Miliband will do anything he can to keep the issue alive as one of the key battlegrounds of the General Election. Even if it means making cynical promises that leave this cancer patient simply nauseated. | Miliband criticised for promising Labour would speed up cancer tests .
Has been accused of making pledges he has no intention of honouring .
Labour leader yesterday said anyone who suspects they have cancer will be given results of tests within one week of first seeing their GP . |
1968a71ec2ffe4e13961c75a9d076a780344841e | (CNN) -- The motorsport community was in mourning on Monday as competitors from across various racing disciplines paid tribute to Marco Simoncelli, the Italian MotoGP rider who lost his life after a crash in Malaysia on Sunday. Simoncelli, 24, sustained critical injuries when he was struck by compatriot Valentino Rossi and American Colin Edwards after losing control of his Honda bike and sliding across Turn 11 of the Sepang Circuit. Rossi, a seven-time MotoGP world champion, used the @ValeYellow46 Twitter account to pay tribute to Simoncelli, who he described as "a younger brother." "Sic [Simoncelli's nickname] for me was like a youngest brother. So strong on track and so sweet in the normal life. I will miss him a lot," read the Tweet. Simoncelli killed in Malaysia crash . Honda president and CEO Takanobu Ito praised Simoncelli's commitment and personality, while expressing the team's gratitude for the results he achieved during two seasons with the Japanese outfit. "Marco Simoncelli was a passionate rider bubbling over with a challenging spirit and blessed with a cheerful personality," Ito said on Honda's official website. "With a promising future on the Grand Prix circuit, Marco had both genuine ability and a large following among racing fans. "We are very thankful for his sterling results riding for Honda Racing Corporation as a factory rider. We express our heartfelt condolences to Marco's family." Last year's title winner Jorge Lorenzo missed the race due to surgery on his finger, but the Yamaha rider also paid tribute to Simoncelli -- who was sixth in the 2011 MotoGP standings at the time of his death. "I don't know what to say on a day like today," Lorenzo said via his official Twitter account. "Only that you will be missed - rest in peace Marco." Another former world champion to pay his respects to the Cattolica-born star was 2006 winner and current Ducati rider Nicky Hayden. "Sometimes life just don't make sense," said the American. "RIP #58 you were a star on & off track we all going to miss you." Spaniard Jorge Martinez is a former rider and current owner of the Aspar Racing Team. The 49-year-old expressed his sadness, while also stating there was nothing Rossi or Edwards could have done to avoid the collision. "Marco lost the front end and attempted to save the crash, but unfortunately the inertia of the bike took him onto the inside of the corner just when Edwards and Valentino were passing," Martinez told the sport's official website. "There was nothing that they could do to avoid him. Today is a tremendously sad day for the entire paddock and for those who love motorcycle racing." Outside of MotoGP, drivers from other motorsport disciplines also passed on their condolences to Simoncelli's family and friends. "My thoughts are with his family, friends and team at this extremely sad time. Another tragic loss at such an early age," Tweeted 2008 Formula One world champion and McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton's teammate and 2009 champion Jenson Button also used Twitter to pass on his sympathies. "R.I.P Marco ... Such an exciting talent lost. My thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone involved in MotoGP," said the British driver, before later adding, "Sometimes motorsport can be so cruel." Simoncelli's death came a week after British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon lost his life during a fatal multi-car crash at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The president and CEO of the venue Jeff Belskus praised Simoncelli as a racer who was loved among motorsport fans. "We are deeply saddened at the passing of Marco Simoncelli," said Belskus in a statement. "He was one of the most charismatic figures in the world championship and had a fantastic future ahead of him in MotoGP. "Marco was one of the most popular riders at the MotoGP event at Indianapolis, as his talent on the motorcycle and his ability to connect with fans both were very special. We extend our sincere sympathies to his family, team and fans." | The motorsport community is in mourning after death of Marco Simoncelli .
Simoncelli lost his life after a fatal crash in Malaysia on Sunday .
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has described Simoncelli as like a brother . |
1968e1db693e48ed7754e908ce0fae46fc28c410 | By . Ian Drury . The true cost of Britain’s military operations since the Cold War could be as high as £72billion. Most of it has been squandered on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan seen as ‘strategic failures’, claims a respected defence think-tank. Toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein helped radicalise young Muslims in the UK, said the Royal United Services Institute. Taken down: Toppling Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein helped radicalise young Muslims in the UK, said the Royal United Services Institute. A statue of him is pulled down (above) in Baghdad in an iconic image from April 2003 . Far from reducing international terrorism, the Iraq war ‘had the effect of promoting it’. It had left Britain open to homegrown attacks such as the July 7 London bombings in 2005. The authoritative study, Wars In Peace, was published as Tony Blair provoked criticism by urging the West to do more to tackle Islamic extremism. Critics said the cost of the 2003 invasion of Iraq and sending thousands of troops to Helmand province in Afghanistan in 2006 - around £30billion and 627 lives lost - was simply not worth the results. Last night John Miller, 63, the father of Royal Military policeman Corporal Simon Miller, who was murdered by a mob in Iraq in 2003, said: ‘It is disgusting. ‘What have we actually achieved by spending that kind of money and losing that many troops’ lives in those conflicts? Nothing. Both places are worse off and thousands of people are still being killed.’ Attack: Far from reducing international terrorism, the Iraq war 'had the effect of promoting it', the RUSI. It had left Britain open to homegrown attacks such as the July 7 London bombings in 2005 (pictured) The study calculated the cost of UK . military interventions after the collapse of Communism, from the first . Gulf War in 1990-91 to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and EU . training missions last year, from Ministry of Defence freedom of . information responses. The bill for military action in the past . 24 years was £34.7billion. The sum is enough to pay nearly 5,000 nurses . or police officers for their entire career, or fund free university . tuition for all higher education students for a decade. Death: The father of Royal Military policeman Cpl Simon Miller (pictured), who was murdered by a mob in Iraq in 2003, branded the losses 'disgusting' This included £20.6billion in Afghanistan and £9.6billion during the Iraq war - 84 per cent of the total. Another £1.5billion was spent in Bosnia and £1.1billion in Kosovo on peacekeeping missions and £238million on the war in Libya. The figures do not include what the Armed Forces would have been spending on usual running costs such as training exercises, fuel, accommodation and pay. The study also estimates another £30billion may have to be spent on long-term care for war veterans and compensation payments for deaths and injuries could add another £7billion - bringing the total cost to £71.7billion. In the study, military analysts said the UK had succeeded in six out of ten major military operations - but failed in four. Interventions in the first Gulf War, Sierra Leone in 2000 and the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001 which drove out Al Qaeda and the Taliban leadership were among those praised. But the UK failed in Bosnia in the early 1990s, the 2003 invasion in Iraq, the deployment of troops to the insurgents’ stronghold of Helmand and the air strikes in Libya which helped oust Colonel Gaddafi but fuelled a brutal civil war. RUSI’s most scathing criticism is reserved for the Iraq deployment. It said: ‘Far from reducing international terrorism... the invasion had the effect of promoting it. ‘The rise of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) was a reaction to this invasion, and to the consequent marginalisation of Iraq’s Sunni population. Claim: The RISI said the true cost of Britain's military operations since the Cold War could be as high as £72billion, and most of it has been squandered on wars in Iraq and Afghanistan seen as 'strategic failures' ‘Today, AQAP and other radical jihadist groups stretching across the Iraqi-Syrian border, pose new terrorist threats to the UK and its allies that might not have existed, at least in this form, had Saddam remained in power.’ 'Far from reducing international terrorism... the invasion had the effect of promoting it' Royal United Services Institute . Sir David Omand, former senior security and intelligence adviser to Mr Blair, said that the term ‘War on Terror’ may have ‘helped to create the sense of an inevitable conflict between the west and the world of Islam’. However, he said Britain was now a safer place than at the time of the September 11 attacks on the US. The study said military action in Iraq and Afghanistan had dented the reputation of the Armed Forces and reduced the appetite for further overseas interventions. The failure of Parliament to vote for operations against Syria last year took place ‘in the shadow of Iraq’, said RUSI. | Most of it squandered on 'strategic failure' wars in Iraq and Afghanistan .
Toppling Saddam Hussein 'helped radicalise young Muslims in the UK'
Iraq war 'left UK open to homegrown attacks such as July 7 bombings' |
196a07ac5c2065a9378e675068986234f9e29f28 | Washington (CNN) -- Bomb plots targeting the New York Stock Exchange and the city's subway were among more than 50 terrorist acts worldwide thwarted by top-secret surveillance programs since the 2001 al Qaeda attacks on the United States, security officials said Tuesday. The startling details disclosed at a House intelligence committee hearing reflected a unified effort by the Obama administration and legislators to defend the telephone and e-mail surveillance made public this month by classified leaks to newspapers. Testimony by Gen. Keith Alexander, the National Security Agency director, as well as officials from the FBI, Department of Justice and the Director of National Intelligence office called the programs created under the Patriot Act in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks a vital tool against terrorist plots. Joined by panel Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers and other legislators, they condemned the document leaks by former government contractor Edward Snowden as harmful to the United States and its allies. The leaks also led to what officials called widespread public misinformation about the surveillance programs that necessitated the relatively rare open hearing by the intelligence panel, where they detailed previously classified information in order to set the record straight. It was the most comprehensive and specific defense of the surveillance methods that have come under ferocious criticism from civil liberties groups, some members of Congress and others concerned about the reach of government into the private lives of citizens. National security and law enforcement officials repeated that the programs are tightly run with significant regulation and oversight by federal judges and Congress. Addressing the most basic questions that have emerged, Rogers asked Alexander if intelligence workers have the ability to simply "flip a switch" in order to listen to phone calls or read the emails of Americans. When Alexander replied "no," Rogers asked again to reinforce the message for anyone listening. "So the technology does not exist for any individual or group of individuals at the NSA to flip a switch to listen to Americans' phone calls or read their e-mails?" he repeated. "That is correct," Alexander answered. He and others also asserted that the leaks were egregious and carry huge consequences for national security. "I think it was irreversible and significant damage to this nation," Alexander said when questioned by Rep. Michele Bachmann. "Has this helped America's enemies?" the conservative Minnesota Republican asked. "I believe it has and I believe it will hurt us and our allies," Alexander said. President Barack Obama has defended the programs as necessary in an era of terror. In an interview with PBS' Charlie Rose broadcast on Monday night, Obama said the situation requires a national debate on the balance between security and privacy. Obama bristles at suggestion he's shifted on snooping . Alexander told a Senate committee last week that the surveillance programs helped stop dozens of terror plots, but he was unable then to provide classified details. Under pressure from Rogers and other legislators, Alexander joined law enforcement officials Tuesday in making public some declassified details of the Patriot Act provisions. In recent years, Alexander said, information "gathered from these programs provided government with critical leads to prevent over 50 potential terrorist events in more than 20 countries around the world." Details of most of the thwarted terrorism acts remain secret, but national security officials said they were working on declassifying more information and could have a report to Congress as early as this week. Sean Joyce, the deputy FBI director, detailed how email surveillance of foreigners under one program helped authorities discover the two New York City plots. In the fall of 2009, Joyce said, the NSA intercepted an e-mail from a suspected terrorist in Pakistan. That person was talking with someone in the United States "about perfecting a recipe for explosives," he said. Authorities identified Afghan-born Najibullah Zazi of Denver. The FBI followed him to New York and eventually broke up planning to attack the city's subway system. Zazi pleaded guilty and is currently in prison. Snowden claims online Obama expanded 'abusive' security . In the other New York case, the NSA was monitoring a "known extremist" in Yemen who was in contact with a person in the United States, Joyce said. The FBI detected "nascent plotting" to bomb the stock exchange, long considered a target of terrorists, and the plotters were later convicted, according to Joyce. He also said e-mail surveillance disrupted an effort to attack the office of a Danish newspaper that was threatened for publishing a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in 2006. The plot involved David Headley, a U.S citizen living in Chicago. The FBI received intelligence at the time regarding his possible involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that killed 164 people, Joyce said. The NSA, through surveillance of an al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist, found that Headley was working on a plot to bomb the newspaper. Headley later confessed to conducting surveillance and was convicted. He also pleaded guilty to conducting surveillance in the Mumbai case. In a fourth case, secret surveillance "tipped us off" to a person who had indirect contacts with a known terrorist group overseas, Joyce said. "We were able to reopen this investigation, identify additional individuals through the legal process and were able to disrupt this terrorist activity," Joyce said. In an exchange with Joyce, Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas said the case involved someone financing a designated terrorist group in Somalia. Rogers, who scheduled the hearing in recent days after Alexander pledged to declassify information on terror plots thwarted by the secret programs, said it was necessary to clear up public confusion caused by misinformation. "If half the things I read in blog and other places were true, I wouldn't support it," the Michigan Republican said, later adding that skeptics "have no understanding" of what is going on. In particular, he said Snowden disclosed only a sliver of information about the programs without knowing the full extent of what they did and the strict regulation and oversight of them. "None of the things he talked about were accurate," Rogers said of Snowden. The hearing came one day after Snowden defended his actions in leaking classified documents to Britain's Guardian newpaper and the Washington Post. In a series of blog posts on the Guardian website, the 29-year-old Snowden said he disclosed the information because Obama worsened "abusive" surveillance practices instead of curtailing them as he promised as a presidential candidate. The former NSA contractor insisted that U.S. authorities have access to phone calls, e-mails and other communications far beyond constitutional bounds. While he said legal restrictions can be easily skirted by analysts at the NSA, FBI and CIA, Snowden stopped short of accusing authorities of violating specific laws. Instead, he said toothless regulations and policies were to blame for what he called "suspicionless surveillance," and he warned that policies can be changed to allow further abuses. At Tuesday's hearing, officials detailed how the programs operate and the judicial and legislative oversight involved, repeating several times how access to the content of e-mails or telephone calls -- or even the names of people involved -- required authorization. Deputy Attorney General James Cole noted that basic phone records collected under Section 215 of the Patriot Act were not protected by Fourth Amendment rights to privacy, citing a 1979 Supreme Court ruling. In the case, Smith v. Maryland, the justices ruled that information about telephone calls -- such as their time and duration -- was different from the content of the calls and therefore not protected under the Fourth Amendment. Cole also provided a detailed description of the legal framework of the programs, noting that the anti-terrorism surveillance effort is not "off the books" or "hidden away." "This is part of what government puts together and discusses," he said. "Statutes are passed. It is overseen by three branches of our government -- the Legislature, the Judiciary, and the Executive Branch." He described the U.S. phone records collected under Section 215 as basic information "just like what you would get in your own phone bill." "It is the number that was dialed from, the number that was dialed to, the date and the length of time. That's all we get," he said. "We do not get the identity of any of the parties to this phone call. We don't get any cell site or location information as to where any of these phones were located. And, most importantly, and you're probably going to hear this about 100 times today, we don't get any content under this. We don't listen in on anybody's calls under this program at all." Tech companies jockey to seem the most transparent . Instead, it takes permission from a special court to get access to further information, based on a verifiable link to a terrorism investigation, Cole explained. Such links have mostly come from another surveillance program that collects communications information of foreign terrorism suspects living overseas. Critics question the need to store the vast amount of U.S. phone records, saying it creates a database prone to abuses and provides little return for the risk and privacy concerns. Alexander said Tuesday the phone database played a role in stopping 10 terrorist acts since the 9/11 attacks. At the same time, he and other officials said there were no cases they knew of in which anyone willfully misused the system to access information. "If you're looking for the needle in a haystack," Cole said, "you have to have the haystack." | Officials disclose details of plots to bomb New York's subway system, stock exchange .
Secret surveillance programs helped uncover more than 50 terrorist acts, officials say .
The NSA chief says intelligence leaks about the surveillance programs harmed security .
NEW: Official: "If you're looking for the needle in a haystack, you have to have the haystack" |
196a26d373f3db8f83dc247248225fc9fc39565b | A Manhattan teen was distraught when she found the message 'trash like you' scrawled in her takeout box from trendy New York City burger spot Umami Burger, but learning the truth behind the message would make her feel even worse. Juliette Borghesan, 15, found the message on Sunday as she recovered from a nasty bout with pneumonia and her father treated her to the meaty treat. After her father called the restaurant to vent his outrage, the responsible Umami employee soon called to apologize--and to reveal that the to-go box had been filled with actual garbage throughout the day. Sick to her stomach: As she recovered slowly from a nasty bout with pneumonia, 15-year-old Juliette Borghesan was further sickened when she heard hear takeout box from Manhattan's Umami Burger had contained trash . Junk food: Juliette had already started digging in to her food when she noticed the message, 'trash like you' on the takeout box (left) Meanwhile, Umami Burger execs are denying the staffer's version of things completely. Not that that matters to Juliette. 'I’m sick to my stomach,' the teen told DNAinfo after the employee, who's not been identified, told the family the box had been used 'as a trash can for the entire day'. According to the employee, the trash was dumped out and the box used for Juliette's food after the restaurant ran out of takeout containers. 'It's a lot more severe now than just handwriting on a box,' her father Tom Borghesan fumed. 'You threatened the health of my daughter, who is presently very ill.' Juliette had already started digging in to her food when she noticed the message, DNA Info reports. And Umami Burger has since released a statement, which reads: . 'The writing on the box was an obvious mistake and was not intended for the customer. We've apologized to the customer and are dealing with the matter internally.' Unsatisfied, Juliette's father apparently pressed further and Umami Burger CEO Paul Clayton called him to personally apologize. Clayton also told Mr. Borghesan that the former employee was incorrect when he told them the box had contained trash. The Umami Burger spokesman also said the company was 'dealing with the matter internally.' After scrawling 'trash like you' on a takeout box, Umami staff used it for garbage all day before then usign it for Juliette's food, a fired employee said. The CEO has since enied this . | Juliette Borghesan, 15, was distraught to find the message written the takeout box her father brought her as she recovered from pneumonia .
The Manhattan teen felt even more ill when she learned from the burger restaurant employee responsible that it had held actual garbage .
The employee who wrote the note told Borghesan that staff had used the box as a makeshift 'trash can for the entire day' - he's been fired . |
196bef4543d3d2c222ec59c68d336f699b381c7f | By . Rebecca English Royal Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 10:20 EST, 23 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:21 EST, 23 September 2013 . In just a few days’ time the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be moving into their new home at Kensington Palace following a £1.5 million overhaul. Filled with priceless antiques from the Royal Collection, the elegant 20-room apartment will be the centrepiece of the couple’s new court and a family home for their baby son, Prince George. Decorated in shades of cream and eau du nil, it is said to be the epitome of ‘Style Anglaise’ –encapsulating the classic look of an English country house with a modern twist. And it couldn’t be more of a contrast to the relatively modest four-bedroom farmhouse William and Kate quit on Anglesey earlier this month when the prince left his job as a Search and Rescue pilot. One of Kate's favourite shopping destinations during her three years living on Anglesey was the decidedly unglamorous Homebase DIY store . The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will move into Kensington Palace with baby George in a few days . In fact, the Mail can reveal, one of Kate’s favourite shopping destinations during her three years living on the island was the decidedly unglamorous Homebase DIY store on the Penrhos Industrial Estate in Holyhead. According to staff, the royal would spend up to an hour browsing, particularly in the lighting and bathroom department, and couldn’t resist purchasing a few nick-nacks for her home. Among her purchases was a three-tier chocolate brown ‘faux leather’ letter tray costing £22.99. ‘You’ll never lose a document again’ the store boasts of this ‘polyurethane and MDF’ bargain. Perhaps William and Kate kept treasured pictures on this cork memo board, which she bought for £12.99 . The Duchess snapped up this faux leather magazine file in brown for just £10.99 . This three-tier letter tray, made of faux leather, £22.99, will undoubtedly have been useful for storing Royal correspondence . Kate apparently purchased this 'Love' cushion for £9.99, which the Homebase website says 'features applique stitched detail, and instantly updates any room' The Duchess also bought a matching ‘faux leatherette’ magazine file for just £10.99.She also snapped up a £12.99 cork memo board that is clearly popular amongst Homebase clientele, scoring an impressive four out of five star rating on the firm’s website. It also seems as if the couple ensured they dined royally, using pillar box-red House of Style Colourama Round plate coasters, a snip at £1.49 (a reduction of 50p). The website says helpfully that they will ‘protect your tables as well as adding a splash of colour to the room) The piece de resistance, however, has to be the shop’s red felt cushion with the word ‘Love’ emblazoned on it – which first hit the shelves costing £9.99 but can now be snapped up for just £3.99. Called the Home of Style Love Cushion, it is said to ‘instantly update any room’ – although it is not clear whether that includes one in an historic royal palace. The 20-room Kensington Palace apartment has undergone a £1.5 million overhaul and is said to be decorated in neutral shades and to be filled with priceless antiques from the Royal Collection . Whether any of her Homebase bargains will find their way into the Cambridges’ new home at Kensington Palace remains to be seen (although if they did, the Queen, who has a keen eye for a bargain herself and is a regular user of cheap Tupperware, would be sure to approve). The couple are due to move into Apartment 1A, which once belonged to Princess Margaret, in the next few days. The apartment is actually a spacious four-storey, 20-room property with its own large south-facing walled garden, which takes up half the Clock Tower wing originally designed by Sir Christopher Wren for King William and Queen Mary. It boasts generous living space, including five reception rooms, three main bedrooms, dressing rooms and bathrooms, a night and day nursery, staff bedrooms and ‘ancillary’ rooms. The previous resident of the young couple's apartment was Princess Margaret, and her husband, Lord Snowdon . Former residents include Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s daughter, and the late monarch’s grandson, the Marquess of Carisbrooke, followed by, most recently, the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, and her husband, Lord Snowdon. The couple, who moved in following a £1.5 million programme of refurbishment in 1963, famously installed a ‘futuristic’ new kitchen (which has since been ripped out) complete with sleek Formica and teak units. It has been barely touched since the death of the Queen’s sister in 2002, however, and in recent years has been managed by the charity Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), which used the apartment as office and exhibition space. As HRP has already spent a substantial amount of its own money on remedial work, the Queen was last year forced to compensate it for handing the building over to William and Kate. This was met by taxpayers and while it has been described by palace sources as ‘fair’, it is believed to be more than £100,000. It has since emerged that a further £1 million-worth of public money has been lavished so far this year on the transforming apartment into a home fit for a future king and queen. While William and Kate are footing the bill for decoration and other ‘soft furnishings’ personally (and it is understood that this will include a state-of-the-art new kitchen) all structural work, rewiring, re-plastering and the installation of new environmentally-friendly heating and hot water systems, is being met by the government. So far the bill is £600,000 and rising, much of which is down to the discovery of potentially lethal asbestos. A further £400,000 of taxpayer funds has also been spent on a new roof. The Duchess, we can also reveal, is being given her pick of priceless antiques from the Royal Collection, one of the largest art collections in the world which is held in trust by the Queen for the nation, with which to furnish her new home. The Collection is comprised of more than a million objects d’art collated by successive kings and queens over the past 500 years. Although it is a charitable institution whose objective is to preserve and display these items in trust for the nation, one of the perks of being a member of the royal family is that they are also permitted to ‘borrow’ items to furnish their private homes. Kate is said to be having great fun in using her history of art degree to pick out some really special pieces – paintings in particular - but also display cases, dining tables and chairs. The Duchess is being given her pick of priceless antiques from the Royal Collection to furnish her new apartment . A palace source argued: ‘It is the same for the Queen and other Members of the Royal Family with regards to both their private residences and their offices. The alternative is [that] everything sits in storage. ‘ . Contrary to reports that she has employed an interior designer, Kate has eschewed offers of professional help and is, it can be revealed, overseeing the work herself with the help of her private office. The Duchess, who has a history of art degree, is said to have ‘a real interest in design’ and has been encouraged by her father-in-law, Prince Charles, to ‘stamp her personality’ on the project, albeit using British-sourced, environmentally-friendly products as much as possible, naturally. She has been seen perusing fabrics in the upmarket Chelsea Design Centre in London but has also been seen shopping in department stores such as Peter Jones and John Lewis. ‘It’s a big task but she’s confident enough to know exactly what she wants and how she wants to do it,’ said a source. Although aides working for the Duke and Duchess admit the works being carried out at Kensington Palace are ‘extensive’, they insist that costs will be kept to a ‘bare minimum’ and maintain much of the outlay will fall to the couple privately. ‘Currently, the apartment is totally uninhabitable without major structural works being carried out and the only public money being used is for remedial work to turn the apartment back into living accommodation,’ said one. ‘The cost of any interior decorating and soft furnishings beyond basic re-plastering and painting and the like will be met by the Royal Family privately. ‘The couple are insistent that any costs to the public must be kept to the bare minimum.’ The spokesman added: ‘It is important to note that the last major works in the apartment took place around the time that Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon moved into the apartment, following their marriage in 1960. ‘ . | Kate loved shopping at Homebase while William was on RAF patrol .
The Duchess picked up a faux leather letter rack for £22.99 .
She also bought a red 'Love' pillow for just £9.99 .
The royal couple has lived on Anglesey for the past three years .
They are due to move into Kensington Palace this week with Prince George .
Apartment has a night and day nursery, staff rooms and five sitting rooms . |
196e2f9d2749c511394c386f6b2df26435e7dda2 | Sir Dave Brailsford likened it to the ‘initial jabs of a boxing match’; a moment when the main contenders in this year’s Tour de France flexed their muscles for the first time. That moment arrived on the steepest gradient the riders will encounter during this entire three-week race. It came on the 33 per cent incline of Jenkin Road in Sheffield; a residential street which has handrails for pedestrians who struggle with the severe gradient and which must have burned out more than a few clutches. VIDEO Scroll down for a guide to each Tour de France stage . Class: Chris Froome attacks on the steep incline demonstrating the ease with which he can break away . Popular: Reigning champion Froome signs an autograph on stage two as millions turn out to support him . Breakaway: Italy's Vincenzo Nibali celebrates as he crosses the finish line in Sheffield for the stage two win . Late burst: Nibali of Astana broke away from the lead group in the closing kilometres and held on . VIDEO Nibali takes yellow jersey after stage two win . As the most serious threat to . Britain’s Chris Froome, Alberto Contador was determined to make the . 800-metre ascent — some five kilometres from the finish — look as easy . as possible. Rising out . of the saddle and dancing on the pedals in that distinctive rocking . style, the Spaniard glanced over one shoulder and then the other as if . to say to Froome ‘Where are you? How you finding the pace?’ Froome’s . response was to deliver one of those trademark bursts he uses to . greatest effect on the slopes of the Alps and the Pyrenees. A sudden acceleration that propels him off the front of the peloton and crushes those left in his wake. Only . Froome was not trying to put any time on his rivals, or win this stage. Not least because it is far too soon to be defending the yellow jersey. No, . he simply wanted to show his rivals, much as he did on a similar ramp . on the second stage in Corsica last year, that he could open up a gap on . them at will. He pulled . a few metres clear and then eased off the gas as he passed over the . summit, enabling the leading contenders to regroup. On their way: Riders make their way past York Minster at the start of the second stage of the Tour de France . One for the album: Fans take photos as the peloton passes York Minster . Vincenzo . Nibali — perhaps third favourite this year having won the Giro D’Italia . in 2013 — then attacked on the run in to Sheffield to snatch the stage . and take yellow with a two-second lead. In . truth, most of the field could have taken yellow off Marcel Kittel, the German finishing the punishing 201km stage from York . racecourse almost 20 minutes down. ‘I . think what we saw was more psychological than anything at this stage of . the game,’ said Team Sky principal Brailsford of that Jenkin Road . ascent. ‘It’s only . stage two so it’s like the initial jabs of a boxing match. Chris wasn’t . having a go. It wasn’t an attack. The fact that Nibali is in yellow . works for us. They have to defend it now. ‘Nibali . is a bike racer. That’s why people like his style. He saw his . opportunity and he seized it. It was great to see. Good luck to him. We’re not unhappy about it because it’s only two seconds.’ No time for tea: The riders pass Bettys tea rooms in Saint Helen's Square as they speed through York . Climb: The peloton ride up Main Street in Haworth as spectators strain for a goof view . Cobble challenge: The riders make their way up Main Street in Haworth, West Yorkshire . Favourite: Britain's Chris Froome gets ready to race as thousands of fans watch on at York Racecourse . Froome declined the opportunity to discuss his performance in the context of his rivals. He . did make the valid point that going over the summit of Jenkin Road . first gave him a clear view of the tricky descent that followed. But . Geraint Thomas led Froome into the final climbs of the day, shielding . his team leader against a stiff wind when required, and could see what . was happening come that last, nasty rise. ‘It was great racing and on Jenkin Road all the GC (general category) guys tested each other out,’ he said. ‘Everyone wanted to be at the front and when one person eased up another one had a go. It was just having little digs.’ Once again they raced against the backdrop of some stunning Yorkshire scenery, benefiting from back-to-back sunny days. Out of action: Mark Cavendish has been forced to withdraw from Le Tour with a shoulder of injury . The leader: Germany's Marcel Kittel, wearing the yellow jersey, talks to compatriot Jens Voigt . Anticipation: Spectators packed deep on each side on Church Street in York await the start of the race . Making a dash: A breakaway group climb Cragg Vale, the longest continuous gradient in England at 5.5 miles . Away they go: The riders and support vehicles continue the slow climb of Cragg Vale . With nine category climbs to test the best and make sprinters like Kittel suffer, the stage drew yet more astonishing numbers. The . organisers claimed some two million spectators lined Yorkshire’s roads . on Saturday and by Sunday night Christian Prudhomme, the race director, . was estimating that five million had turned out over the entire . weekend. ‘It was a . tough stage today,’ said Froome. ‘Undulating all day with a big fight . for position. But the crowds out there were incredible. 'The . support we’ve had from Yorkshire has really been out of this world. At . times today I had goosebumps all over me. It was massive.’ After . leaving York a seven-man breakaway was formed with Cyril Lemoine . acquiring enough points over the climbs to secure the Polka Dot jersey . come the end of the day. They . rolled past a cornfield that had been transformed into a huge . advertising hoarding for Emmer- dale’s chief sponsors, and struggled . over the Cote de Blubberhouses before rolling up Cragg Vale — a gentle . climb but the longest continuous ascent in the country at 5km. In . all, there was 3,000m of climbing on Sunday but no ascent looked . prettier than the cobbles of Haworth village; once the home of the . Bronte sisters. A crowd . of 60,000 turned Holme Moss into something resembling an open air rock . concert. ‘Holme Moss was incredible,’ said Thomas. Lead out: Slovakia's Peter Sagan (left) wearing the best young's white jersey, Germany's Marcel Kittel (second left) wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, France's Bryan Coquard (second right) wearing the best sprinter's green jersey, and Germany's Jens Voigt (right) wearing the best climber's polka dot jersey, ride out of York Racecourse . Tightly bunched: The peloton ride down Clifford Street in York during the ceremonial opening to the second stage . What a view! The Tour de France general director Christian Prudhomme (right) and Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity hitch a lift ahead of the riders . Flying the flag: Crowds gather at Clifford's Tower in York in anticipation of the riders coming past . Grand Depart: Spectators line the balconies at York Racecourse ahead of the start . Capture the moment: Fans attempt to get a good shot of the riders as they pass by . Well played: This woman came prepared for the long wait for the riders to reach Holme Moss in the Peak District . Record breaker: Angus Wood, the co-founder of the Stod Fold brewing company puts the finishing touches to his attempt at the record for the world's largest glass of beer. The glass holds 3,664 pints of Stod Fold's GOLD ale, one pint for every kilometer of the Tour de France . Spicy: A group of fans dressed in Mexican garb wait for the arrival of the cyclists . Spotty: Some people in Hebden Bridge were truly in the spirit of the occasion, painting polka dots on their house . Stunning: A view over Holme Moss as spectators await the arrival of the riders . Party time: Spectators in fancy dress form a conga line in the North Yorkshire village of Muker . Man in the mask: A fan with a Mark Cavendish mask is given a lift while three cheering Beefeaters look on . Holmfirth, otherwise known as home to the beloved characters from Last of the Summer Wine, looked pretty damn splendid, too. It . was close to there that Richie Porte was involved in a relatively minor . crash but Froome’s chief lieutenant did well to recover from the two . minutes he lost waiting for a new bike. In the end he finished safely two places behind Froome. ‘With . around 35km to go it was really steep, up and down and the Garmin team . put the hammer down so there were only 20 guys left,’ said Thomas. ‘But . Chris and Richie came through in good shape and that was all that . mattered.’ Froome . agreed. ‘It was more about staying out of trouble,’ he said, before . joining his colleagues on the team bus for the journey to Cambridge for Monday’s stage into London. ‘All the main contenders were putting in a few moves. It was really just a case of making sure we didn’t lose any time.’ And letting the main contenders know he can hurt them whenever the mood takes him. | Italian takes race lead after second of three stages in Great Britain .
Froome showed his power by easing away from competitors on climb .
Mark Cavendish withdrew from Le Tour after crash on Saturday .
Alberto Contador was 13th and Chris Froome 19th for the stage .
Stage three on Monday takes riders from Cambridge to London . |
196e5544739553fe9cac18a65dcf7ad464d952c8 | (CNN) -- Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been dropped from Stuttgart's first-team after he paid an unauthorized visit to the Oktoberfest just hours after his side's defeat to Cologne. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been dropped from Stuttgart's first-team after he paid an unauthorized visit to the Oktoberfest. The 39-year-old former Germany international was spotted at Munich's beer festival following Stuttgart's 2-0 home defeat to Cologne in the Bundesliga and did not have permission to attend. Lehmann made an error to gift Cologne their second goal of the match when he raced out of his area only to lose possession and allow Wilfried Sanou to shoot into an empty net from 45 yards out. Marcus Babbel confirmed the decision to axe him from the side and told the Stuttgart Web site: "Director of sport Horst Heldt and I will talk with Jens about this on Thursday and then we will see where to go." Lehmann apologized for breaking club rules, accepted the suspension and claimed his motives were in a good cause. "The visit to the Wiesn (Oktoberfest) was part of a charity event and it had been planned for a long time," he explained. "However, it was not agreed with the club. Of course I accept the measures taken by the sporting management." Meanwhile Hamburg midfielder Ze Roberto has urged his teammates to set their sights on winning the Bundesliga title this season. The Brazilian, who won the league with Bayern Munich, has played a key role in the unbeaten start to the season which has left Bruno Labbadia's side at the top of the table. He said: "Hamburg must think big for the future. A team like Bayern Munich want to win the Bundesliga title every season. That should be our target as well. "I want to win the league title this year already. I feel like we have a good chance to win the Bundesliga if we continue like this." | Stuttgart goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been axed from the club's first team .
The 39-year-old made an unauthorized visit to the Munich beer festival .
Only hours earlier Lehmann had played in Stuttgart's 2-0 defeat to Cologne .
Hamburg midfielder Ze Roberto has targeted a Bundesliga title challenge . |
196f076f17d582ce5f394d916ad5b26c9b267701 | By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 11:13 EST, 8 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:02 EST, 8 May 2013 . With an 18ft-high ceiling, stained-glass windows, whitewashed internal walls and an estimated price of only £50,000, it looks like a property developer’s dream. But being surrounded by gravestones could make selling it something of a problem.St Paul’s church in Staverton, Wiltshire, is being sold by the Diocese of Salisbury, with bids invited from developers to convert the Grade II listed building into a private home. Picturesque: Grade II-listed St Paul's Church in Staverton, Wiltshire, is being sold by the Diocese of Salisbury with a guide price price of just £50,000 . Small catch: But any buyer would not own the surrounding graveyard which would remain open to mourners and have burials for people who have reserved plots . Future inhabitants will have to get . used to grieving relatives visiting burial sites – as well as actually . holding funerals in the grounds. The 19th-century building closed its doors in March 2011 because of dwindling parishioner numbers and a dilapidated structure. Whoever buys the building will not . own the graves – and will have to allow mourners to visit the headstones . and allow for the burial of people who have already reserved plots. The church boasts stained glass windows, a nave and vestry, and is listed as being of Special Architectural and Historic Interest along with its iron churchyard gates. Estate agent Colliers International is handling the sale and expects the building to go for around £50,000. Unusual: The property boasts traditional iron gates, stained glass windows, a nave and vestry, and is listed as being of Special Architectural and Historic Interest . On the market: The church could be transformed into the ideal home but buyers have been slow in coming forward . Spokesman Sam Williams said: 'It . would not be their responsibility to maintain the churchyard itself, but . it would have to remain open for those attending the graves. 'I . think there will still be a few more burials at the church. It is near . capacity, but there are still a few plots which have been reserved. 'I don’t think people will really . mind the graveyard. Of course it is not to everyone’s taste, but it is . up to people’s own preference. 'The sale would not come with the church yard, but they would get a 1.5 metre strip around the building. 'I think it would make a good community use for the village, but also it would make an ideal house, but a sensitive house which would not involve too much alteration to the interior. 'The new owners will have to abide by the covenants - just generally promising to maintain the building and keeping it in good repair.' However, potential buyers have been slow in coming forward because of the unusual nature of the building. Future funerals: The graveyard is near capacity but there are still a few empty plots that have been reserved . Development: The buyer of St Paul's Church would get a 1.5 metre strip of land around the building but the headstones will remain where they are . 'We have had interest, a little bit, but unfortunately so far people haven’t been able to follow it through,' said Mr Williams. 'It is quite a big challenge. It’s quite a long process buying it, and it is quite difficult to find the right buyer who has the patience.' Rev Stephen Ball, the priest in charge of the church, said: 'Until we get all the proposals in we won’t have any idea of its use. 'All I want to see is the people who care about the church be happy about what happens next, and a use for it that will conserve the building and recognise it has been a special place for a lot of people.' Challenging: Any new owners would have to abide by the covenants and strict rules surrounding any development of Grade listed buildings . Local history: Another one of the graves in the graveyard of St Paul's Church in Staverton, Wiltshire . | St Paul’s Church in Staverton, Wilts, closed after parishioner .
numbers fell .
The 13th century building is now being sold by the Diocese of Salisbury .
But the buyer will not own the graveyard which remains open to mourners . |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.