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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 10:20 EST, 11 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:27 EST, 11 September 2012 . A 13-year-old boy collapsed and died after a suspected asthma attack in his classroom, following a rugby game on his second day at a new school. Hannan Ahmed, of Batley, West Yorkshire, suffered the attack in lessons at Mirfield Free Grammar School, where he only started the day before. The year-nine pupil was taken to Dewsbury and District Hospital and put on a life support machine, but he died in the early hours of last Thursday. Tragic: The year-nine pupil was taken to Dewsbury and District Hospital and put on a life support machine, but he died in the early hours of last Thursday . Hannan, who had previously studied at Batley Business and Enterprise College, was playing rugby before the suspected attack last Wednesday. Lorraine Baker, Hannan’s headteacher at his new school in Mirfield, said staff had done ‘everything we could until the paramedics arrived’. She added: ‘He was not alone. I express my sincere condolences and the school’s extreme sadness about such an unexpected death.’ His former headmaster Ian Dutton said that Hannan loved playing football and was a ‘real pleasure to be with’. Mr Dutton added: ‘We will always remember Hannan with his wide smile, his engaging conversation and his passion for enjoying life.’ PE lesson: Hannan was playing rugby at school before the suspected attack last Wednesday during a classroom lesson (file picture) Hannan had studied at the Madressah Hira mosque in nearby Staincliffe since the age of five and staff there described him as ‘a bubbly child’. 'He was a child who respected everybody. He was always there for everybody so it’s a big loss. He was like one of our own children here' Salma Ahmed, mosque teacher . His mosque teacher Salma Ahmed said: ‘He was a child who respected everybody. 'He was always there for everybody so it’s a big loss. He was like one of our own children here.' Up to 60 members of his family had visited him in hospital before his life support machine was switched off at 3:30am last Thursday, she added. Twitter user ‘Kearney’ said: 'RIP Hannan..no one really knew you at school but I'm sure you will be sadly missed by the people that did know you:(x'
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Yorkshire teen Hannan Ahmed had attack in classroom .
Had only just started at Mirfield Free Grammar School .
Described as a keen footballer and 'respectful child'
Up to 60 relatives visited him in hospital before death .
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049521d3ac15f361d84d0c9d87304ba586e13cd6
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Likely 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has made pointed comments on America's current foreign policy, putting some rare distance between herself and the Obama administration. The 66-year-old - who was Obama's top diplomat during her time as Secretary of State - said she disagreed with the government's embattled approach to international affairs during an extended interview with The Atlantic magazine. The interview was published as President Obama faces major backlash over the way he has handled the current crises in Israel, Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, Fox News reported. 'Great nations need organizing principles,' Clinton told The Atlantic. Keeping her distance: Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama's first secretary of state, dramatically distanced herself from the President's approach to foreign policy in an interview published Sunday . 'And ''don’t do stupid stuff'' is not an organizing principle.' Clinton specified her main concern was the situation in Syria. She said America should have armed Syrian rebels in the early stages of their uprising against President Bashar al Assad. 'The failure to help build up a credible fighting force of the people who were the originators of the protests against Assad — there were Islamists, there were secularists, there was everything in the middle — the failure to do that left a big vacuum, which the jihadists have now filled,' she told The Atlantic. Clinton has long advocated that more should have been done in Syria and those opinions in the memoir she wrote of her years in State Department called Hard Choices. Clinton did say that Obama's mantra of 'don't do stupid sh--' was an attempt to assure the American people the government was 'not going to do anything crazy', but that she doesn't think that was the right approach. Under fire: President Obama, who is currently on vacation on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard, has been widely criticised for his approached to halting ISIS advances in Syria . Last week Obama ordered air strikes and humantiarian airdrops in Syri - the first airstrikes in Iraq since 2011. The decision came after a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll showed his administration had a record-high disapproval rating, with 60 percent of those polled saying they did not approve of Obama's approach. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called Obama’s response 'clearly very, very ineffective, to say the least', according to The New York Post. 'This is the possibility of a cataclysmic scenario,” McCain told CNN’s State of the Union. He said the radical Islamist group is quickly spreading around the region.
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Criticized Obama's 'don't do stupid stuff' mantra for foreign policy .
Said more should have been done to prepare rebels in the early stages of their uprising against President Bashar al Assad .
Government facing international backlash over approach to international crises .
Obama is currently on vacation .
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04958d4f320ab6c02e162a1525b75077c641b253
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Swansea captain flies home to attend 'family matter' Premier League club insist it is 'nothing to worry about' Nathan Dyer scores as Garry Monk's men are held in 1-1 pre-season draw with Chivas . Neil Taylor sees red during heated Milwaukee friendly . By . Graeme Yorke . Ashley Williams missed Swansea's opening pre-season match on their tour of the USA after the Premier League club's captain was forced to fly home. The defender recently put an end to talks linking him away from the Liberty Stadium with a move to Arsenal after he signed a new and improved four-year contract. But the Wales international, 29, was a notable absentee as Garry Monk's were held by 11-time Mexican champions Chivas Guadalajara in a 1-1 draw in Milwaukee, after conceding a late penalty in a heated match in which defender Neil Taylor was sent-off. Early departure: Ashley Williams, pictured a day before Swansea's 1-0 win over Chivas in the US, had to jet home to attend a family matter . Midfield engine: Jonjo Shelvey kick started his pre-season in America . Swansea (First-half): Fabianski, Rangel, Bartley, Chico, Kingsley, Richards, Shelvey, Sheehan, Routledge, Bray, Gomis(Second-half): Tremmell, Tiendalli, Taylor, Davies, Amat, Dyer, King, Sheehan, Britton (c), Emnes, Donnelly. Chivas: Rodriguez, Vidrio, Pereira, Salcido, Rodriguez, Arce, Castro, Toledo, Reyna, De Nigris, Bravo . Left-back Taylor was sensationally dismissed after he was caught in an exchange with opponent Jesus Sanchez, reducing both teams to 10 men with just 10 minutes to play. Williams was not there to cool matters down, however, as he departed the trip . early due to 'family matters'. While Swansea stressed there was . 'nothing to worry about', but it is unlikely he will return to link-up . with the squad for their next friendly against Minnesota United. Nathan Dyer scored what appeared would be the winning goal, on 57 minutes, in front of a healthy crowd of over 31,000 at Miller Park. The . winger was one of 10 second-half substitutions made by Monk following a . goalless first half which featured new signing Befetimbi Gomis playing . for the Barclays Premier League club for the first time. The former Lyon striker lined-up . alongside the likes of Jonjo Shelvey and fellow new boy, goalkeeper . Lukasz Fabianski before they made way at half-time. But Swansea's hard work was undone when they were shocked by a penalty decision in the dying moments as Edgar Hernandez stepped up to beat Gerhard Tremmell from 12-yards. New boy: Lukasz Fabianski made his first start for Swansea .
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Swansea captain flies home to attend 'family matter'
Premier League club insist it is 'nothing to worry about'
Nathan Dyer scores as Garry Monk's men are held in 1-1 pre-season draw with Chivas .
Neil Taylor sees red during heated Milwaukee friendly .
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04961d7c02c419f9df37fe7e6493f7bc01773e15
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In the battle for the best red carpet body, Kate Hudson was the clear winner at last night's Golden Globes. The actress looked stunning in a revealing white Versace gown with a plunging neckline and cut away sides that showcased her toned figure. So what's the secret to the 35-year-old's amazing body? Does she have to work out 24/7 in order to look so athletic? Scroll down for video . Stole the show: Kate Hudson wore a revealing white Versace gown with a plunging neckline . Consistency is key: The actress admitted her slim and toned figure is down to working out regularly . Not at all, the mother-of-two told The Sunday Times Style magazine. In fact, she said her fitness is often thanks to just 20 minutes of exercise a day. She said: 'I'm a big believer in doing 20 minutes of exercise a day. I love skipping with a rope because it's one of the hardest cardio exercises you can do, but it's so easy. I do three sets of three minutes; I'm always shocked at how sweaty I get.' She added in a separate interview with US Weekly that consistency is key to her maintaining her fabulous figure. She said people can't expect to have a body like hers unless they are prepared to make exercise a way of life - which doesn't mean it becomes all-consuming. She explains: 'I wouldn't say (I work out) a lot, just consistently. People think for some reason you have to work out for two and a half hours… but, it can be little. It can be 20 minutes, it could be 40 minutes. Keep fit: Kate will often do a mile run before a Pilates class . 'You can't do like two weeks and go like do two days and then take a week off and then do three days and then go, 'Why aren't I seeing results? I don't get it.' You know, you just got to do it - sad, like anything else in life!' She admits that like most people, she can struggle with motivation to work out so her key to success to get up and get it over and done with first thing. She said: 'I'm a morning person. If I go past noon, it's hard for me to exercise. If you wake up and just do it, then it's done.' The How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days actress has long been a fan of Pilates and she credits this with keeping her toned and strong. Nicole Stuart, Kate's Pilates trainer, told Shape magazine the actress will do a Pilates class three times a week, usually preceded by a mile run. Look the part, feel the part: The actress has her own sports clothing range Fabletics which she says is flattering and functional for all body shapes . Support: The actress is passionate about encouraging more women to become active . Don't be shy: The actress gives it her all in the gym and says women shouldn't feel embarrassed about being seen working out . Explaining the benefits of Pilates, Nicole said: 'It primarily works your core, but not just the front. 'You'll work the entire body - front, sides, back, your whole midsection, trunk - it pulls everything in and together. 'You'll become tighter, more toned, and stronger. It makes you stand taller, makes you have more confidence, makes you more grounded. You'll lose inches and get that leaner, longer look. After the first 10 sessions, you'll feel different. After 20 sessions, you'll see a difference!' Kate has proved she's passionate about health and fitness and advocates everyone giving exercise a go, regardless of their current ability. She adds that women should not feel embarrassed about working out in public. Healthy eater: Maintaining a good diet also contributes to her amazing figure but she said she still enjoys M&Ms and wine . Dazzling: The mother-of-two on stage and on the red carpet at last night's awards . 'When you get into fitness classes, nobody cares, nobody's looking at anyone else. It doesn't matter what you do or where you come from, you just become a class and everybody's there supporting everybody, and you're all there for the same reason,' she said. The actress has founded the website Fabletics with the goal of getting more people active. Members of the site can gain access to fitness programmes and support from other users. She said: 'One of the reasons I love this company is that we are trying to make something affordable that could reach a demographic that don't necessarily have the means to go to a personal trainer every day, and to motivate people to just feel good in themselves. I think that all starts with being active.' Kate has also released an accompanying fashion range of fitness clothing which she says is functional and flattering for women of all shapes and sizes. As a mother to Bingham, ten, with ex-husband Chris Robinson. and Ryder, three, whose father, Matthew Bellamy, she split up with at the end of last year, Kate said getting the energy to exercise isn't always easy. So when she needs a good night's sleep, she calls on her mother Goldie Hawn to babysit. She revealed that diet is also an integral part of her health and wellbeing. 'Healthy food inspires me. It's important to know what you're eating because food is fuel, and we don't want to fuel our bodies in a way that could make them sick,' she said. But she added that she's not 'a health nut' as she'll tuck into M&Ms occasionally and loves to drink wine. Kate Hudson wasn't the only one making waves thanks to her stunning figure at the Golden Globes last night. Jennifer Aniston generated a Twitter frenzy thanks to her thigh-high split black dress that flashed her slim and toned legs. Legs on show: Jennifer Aniston wore a dress slashed to the thigh . 'I want to marry Jennifer Aniston's legs': Twitter users were in admiration of the star's perfect pins . The 45-year-old missed out on winning the best actress gong but if there was an award for perfect pins, she would certainly have won according to viewers. Among the people who took to social media to praise the Friends star's legs was 'JenniLo' who Tweeted: 'Jennifer Aniston's legs just stole the show'. Meanwhile Cheryl Smith Tweeted: 'I want to marry Jennifer Aniston's legs' and 'Brett' declared: 'I think Jennifer Aniston just gave Carrie Underwood a run for her money for the best legs.'
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Actress looked stunning in revealing Versace gown .
Revealed her toned figure isn't down to long workouts .
Instead, she gets into shape with 20 minute sessions .
Raises her heart rate by skipping and doing aerobics .
She's also a big fan of Pilates .
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04972467f92b3acee1a61943016ee5f6f938a905
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A former Sky TV worker is fighting for her life in a coma today after breaking her neck in a horrific car crash in the Caribbean where she was living and working as a diving instructor. Kate Clayton from Southampton suffered the devastating injuries when her car swerved off a country road in the Cayman Islands. The 30-year-old expat, who moved to the islands in December 2013, was driving her Jeep Wrangler 4x4 home from a night out when she lost control going round a tight corner and slammed into a tree. Kate Clayton, a former Sky TV worker, who is now a diving instructor in the Cayman Islands, who is in a critical condition in hospital following a car crash . She was today fighting for her life and was in a coma after sustaining serious injuries to her back as well as a broken neck and pelvis. It was thought her father, Bill, had flown out to be at her bedside at George Town Hospital, on Grand Cayman, where her condition was described as serious but stable. The 30-year-old, pictured broke her neck in the horrific crash, while she was driving home in her Jeep Wrangler . Friends on the island told how Miss Clayton had been out at a bar and restaurant called Over The Edge on the night the crash happened. She moved to Grand Cayman, which is popular with British tourists, in December 2013 after leaving her job as an analyst at broadcaster Sky. There she took up a job as a dive master, helping people to explore the Caribbean Sea with a company called Tortuga Divers. A spokesman from Royal Cayman Islands Police Service said: 'On January 11 2015 at about 21:52 pm, 911 received a report of a serious motor vehicle accident on Old Robin Road, North Side in the vicinity of the 'On the Bay Condos' involving a single vehicle. 'A Jeep Wrangler driven by a 30-year-old female resident of East End was travelling on Old Robin Road headed in the direction of Queens Highway when it veered off the Road before negotiating a sharp right bend corner and collided into large trees. 'The driver sustained serious head and back injuries. She was transported to the George Town Hospital where she is still admitted. 'A welfare check on her today by an officer of the RCIPS revealed that she is stable and responding, but she remains in critical condition. 'The matter is under investigation by officers of the Bodden Town Police Station.'
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Kate Clayton, 30, from Southampton moved to the Cayman Islands in 2013 .
Was driving home from a night out when she lost control of her car .
Suffered horrific injuries in the crash including a broken neck and pelvis .
Her father has flown out to be at her bedside .
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04997b28992926869e1b401ca48e2b718361afad
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By . Joshua Gardner . and Louise Boyle . An aerial acrobat injured during a daring circus stunt said today that she heard a huge popping noise before her and seven other female performers plummeted to the ground. Samantha Pitard, from Illinois, suffered spinal fractures, a cut on her head which required three stitches and bit her tongue hard on landing. She said today that she was a 'little bit sore' but pleased that she had no pain from her fractures. Scroll down for video . Samantha Pitard, from Illinois, suffered spinal fractures but said she expected to make a full recovery and would return to aerial stunts . She told GMA on Wednesday that all of the performers were expected to fully recover. 'Someone was watching over us for sure,' she said. Miss Pitard said the performers have done the act hundreds of times and that the troop leader's main priority is safety. She said that they were connected up as normal ahead of Sunday night's stunt. She said: 'The curtain went down as normal and then we heard a huge popping noise and just plummeted to the ground. I caught my breath and I landed sitting up.' She immediately looked around to see how the other performers were. Paramedics told her everyone was alive and conscious. Miss Pitard said that although she would be going back in the air: 'I'm not sure any of us will do hair again' referring to the stunt where the women dangle by their locks. 'I'm hoping to join back up with the tour . and show the world that I'm OK, and I'm hoping some of the other girls . will do the same,' Samantha Pitard told The Associated Press on Tuesday after she was released from a hospital. Samantha Pitard (third on the right of photograph) with the other performers of the Human Chandelier routine who were involved in Sunday's accident . Investigators suspect that a snapped clip sent the eight aerial acrobats plummeting to the ground. The investigation into the failed clip is ongoing. One injured performer told her father she didn't notice anything amiss before her 'plunge into darkness'. Another woman told Sgt. Sean Carroll: 'I can't feel my legs.' After the accident, a 4- to 5-inch steel clip or carabiner was found in three pieces on the ground with its spine snapped. Providence . Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare stopped short of saying the . carabiner caused Sunday's accident at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and . Bailey circus, witnessed by about 3,900 people, many of them children. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is trying to . make a final determination. 'We don't know if it was metal fatigue, if it wasn't properly positioned or something else,' Pare said. 'We just don't know.' Performance gone wrong: An injured female performer is lifted onto a stretcher after a platform collapsed during an aerial hair-hanging stunt at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in Providence . Eight performers remained hospitalized Monday after a platform collapsed during a performance by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Providence, Rhode Island on Sunday . All eight of the acrobats were hospitalized with injuries including a pierced liver and neck and back fractures, as well as head injuries. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, said Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, Ringling's parent company. The last two acrobats in critical condition were upgraded to serious condition on Monday night. Four of the acrobats were in good condition and four in serious. Providence Public Safety Commissioner . Steven Pare said investigators know that at least one clamp - D-ring . carabiner - attaching the human chandelier to the rafters at the Dunkin' Donuts Center failed. Eleven people were admitted to hospital on Sunday after the platform collapsed during an aerial hair-hanging stunt, . sending eight acrobats plummeting to the ground. Two of the performers had . surgery, including Widny Neves, 25, who suffered a badly broken arm. Her . father Roiter told NBC News that it is a miracle that no one died. In addition to a broken arm, his daughter suffered minor fractures to her back and neck and will need months of physical therapy to recover. The women are from the United States, Brazil, Bulgaria and Ukraine, the circus said. A dancer on the ground was also injured and was released from the hospital on Sunday. The rigging for the show was designed by the troupe's founder, Andre Medeiros, whose wife Viktoriya was in the air and is among the injured. The seriously injured . suffered broken bones and internal bleeding, while several other staff suffered minor . injuries. No audience members were hurt. 'All performers have received medial treatment and are resting comfortably, we are pleased though their injuries are serious none appear to be life threatening,' said Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Smart phone footage captured by a member of the audience shows a curtain fall to reveal a platform from which a number of performers were suspended by their hair . Suddenly the platform crashed to the ground on Sunday night and a loud gasp of horror can be heard from the audience .
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Samantha Pitard, from Illinois, suffered .
spinal fractures, a cut on her head which required three stitches and .
bit her tongue hard on landing .
An acrobatic stunt went horribly wrong on Sunday during a performance by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in Rhode Island .
A broken clamp has been determined as the cause of the collapse of the platform - known as the 'human chandelier'
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049a1cc620d77c55771d1c4692ce5709f2bd27ed
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An elementary school teacher from Lafayatte, Colorado stood up to the school's board about a policy towards poor children she felt was 'disrespectful.' A few weeks later she was fired. Noelle Roni, elementary school principal at the Peak to Peak Charter School of 9 years, believes she was fired because very publicly objected to students with no money in their lunch accounts having to get their hands stamped. Roni believes that school board politics are to blame for her termination and she is fighting to get her job back, reports CBS. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Nicole Roni was principal at Peak to Peak Charter School for 9 years before she was fired . Roni opposed the school board's decision to make kids with no lunch money in their account have their hands stamped for other children to see . 'The kids are humiliated. They’re branded. It’s disrespectful. Where’s the human compassion? And these are little children,' she told CBS. Roni felt that if students had to have their hands stamped based on socioeconomic differences, they would be bullied by their peers and made to feel uncomfortable. Parents from the school met at a local church in Erie on Monday to talk about potentially revoking two of the school's board members. 'I feel she was bullied, and we want her back,' one parent told CBS . Roni told reporters that she'd had heated discussions with the school board before but that she was taken aback by their reaction. 'I was shocked that their reaction was not outrage. That it was more of ‘Who are you to tell us not to do this?’ ' she said. CBS spoke with the school's attorney Barry Arrington who said that the school wont discuss their reason for firing Roni in depth but that her allegations are 'absurd.' 'Three outside lawyers agree her claims are baseless,' Arrington said in a statement. Roni says she isn't afraid to sue the school. 'If we have to, we’ll file suit,' she said. 'When I see something that I feel harms children, I speak up,' she continued. Roni's staff bio is still on the school's website. 'I look forward to working together, as a community, to meet the needs of every child,' she writes. Roni became the elementary school principal in 2005. Before that she was an elementary principal, teacher, amd couselor in Seattle reports The Daily Camera. Peak to Peak's K-12 assistant principal Melissa Christensen was named the acting elementary school principal. Parents met at a church in Eerie to discuss recalling two of the members of the school board for firing the principal .
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Noelle Roni was principal at Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette, Colorado for 9 years .
She opposed making students with no lunch money in their accounts have their hands stamped for all the other children to see .
'The kids are humiliated. They’re branded. It’s disrespectful. Where’s the human compassion? And these are little children,'she said .
Roni and a group of parents believe that the board fired her due to unfair 'politics'
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049adf711dc0adc2448d6566cf054b7864302e3b
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A grandfather has been swept out to sea while scattering the ashes of his dead sister. Shane Galliers, 51, met relatives to say a last goodbye to his sister, Michelle Galliers, who died in November. After waiting for the tide to go out, each scattered some of her ashes on the beach near Tintagel on the north Cornwall coast. But Mr Galliers walked away to say a private farewell. Scroll down for video . The search for Shane Galliers (left) who was swept out to sea, has been called off. The 51-year-old was scattering the ashes of his sister, Michelle Galliers (right) when he was dragged out to sea . As he stood at the water’s edge on Saturday at 5pm, a large wave hit the father of one and he slipped down a bank into the water. A relative went to help him, and was swept out to sea himself before making it back. But Mr Galliers, a grandfather of four from Launceston, disappeared. After rescue efforts were called off yesterday, his mother, Patricia Howells, spoke of her devastation at losing another child. She said: ‘The family were all meeting at Trebarwith Strand. The sea was very rough. ‘In the end we decided it would be safer to go up to a little river on the beach and do it there. ‘Michelle wanted her ashes scattered on the beach as that’s where her grandmother and uncle are. It was where she grew up. Each member of the family had their own pot of ashes. Shane decided he wanted to go the other side of the river. The search for Shane Galliers who was swept out to sea while scattering his sister's ashes at Trebarwith Strand in Cornwall (above) yesterday afternoon has been called off by coastguards . Officials described conditions at the beach near Tintagel, Cornwall, as 'treacherous' and 'chaotic' when Mr Galliers was struck by a large wave and dragged into the sea . The man's devastated mother, Patricia Howells (above), said her son wandered off to have a private moment with his sister's remains when he found himself in difficulty . The grandfather-of-four's brother-in-law tried to save him from the strong waves but was overpowered by the current, his relatives said today . ‘I think he wanted some space to have one last chat with his sister. We didn’t even know he was there. The first we knew about it was when someone shouted, “There’s someone in the water”. 'We didn’t think it could be any of our group as we were all together, but then we realised it was Shane. ‘His sister’s husband tried to reach him but he ended up slipping in too. Luckily the tide dragged him the other way and he was able to get out. ‘Unfortunately, Shane couldn’t stay afloat. It was so cold, we were very well wrapped up. He was wearing very thick clothes. They just dragged him down. ‘It’s all a very big shock. First I lost my daughter and now I have lost my son, it’s so difficult to come to terms with.’ Yesterday, a spokesman for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said: ‘The search for the man who was washed into the sea, co-ordinated by Falmouth Coastguard, has finished. Sadly, no sign has been found of him.’ Trebarwith Strand has long been a special place for the family with many relatives' ashes scattered there . Officials were called to the scene yesterday afternoon and undertook an extensive search of its waters .
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Shane Galliers was scattering his sister's ashes when he fell into the water .
The 51-year-old's family frantically tried to save him from 'chaotic' waves .
Coastguards called off the search at Trebarwith Strand, Cornwall, today .
The grandfather-of-four's family are appealing to local people for help .
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049b1d8409d96f729fd158cbc4e8ff65db35d994
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Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- A previously unknown armed group said Friday it attacked a Nigerian oil pipeline this week on the first full day in office for Nigeria's new acting president. The attempt by the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) of the Niger Delta was not successful, a spokesman for the military said. But it indicates not everyone in Nigeria is happy with the way the new president, who hails from the Niger Delta region, was given power. The JRC said that early Wednesday, one of its units attacked and "exploded" the Tura manifold owned by Royal Dutch Shell in Abonnema, near the coast. The manifold connects several pipelines to the Bonny Export Terminal. "Our patriotic fighters fought and overpowered the military guards on duty (as all Shell manifolds are always heavily guarded) before going ahead to explode the Tura manifold," the group's statement said. But Lt. Col. Timothy Antigua, a spokesman for the Nigerian military, said the attack failed. "On Wednesday night there was an attempt by criminals to sabotage a Shell pipeline," he told CNN. "They were thwarted in their attempt by a community surveillance group assigned to protect the Shell pipeline." Antigua said the group's dynamite and other explosives were recovered and that there were no injuries or deaths. A spokesman for Shell in The Hague, Netherlands, said the company had received no report of an attack. The JRC said its attack Wednesday followed another last weekend, and that both are aimed at incapacitating the export terminal and fighting the "occupation" in Nigeria. "The actions are continuous and are preparatory to the final war. Every little step we take today brings us closer to freedom," read the statement. Acting President Goodluck Jonathan was approved for the role Tuesday by Nigeria's House and Senate to fill the political void left after President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua departed in November for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Jonathan was previously the country's vice president. In his first address to the nation Tuesday, Jonathan praised the "resilience and unity of purpose" with which Nigerians reacted to the recent political upheaval, saying there were "no winners and no losers" and that it is now time to move forward. He called on all Nigerians and the country's political parties to "tackle the various challenges which we face as a nation," including those in the areas of power, infrastructure, security and job creation. Jonathan also vowed to pursue the "war against corruption" more robustly. His appointment has stirred controversy in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, with some arguing that the articles of the Nigerian constitution were not followed with the transfer of power. Nigeria's constitution says the president must formally communicate to the National Assembly that he is empowering the vice president to act as president in his absence. While no such formal communication was given, the Senate declared Tuesday that a January 13 BBC interview with Yar'Adua from his hospital bed could constitute such a notice. In the interview, the president acknowledged that he could not perform the duties of his office and would not be able to return until his doctors declared him fit. In a separate statement, the JRC called Jonathan a "lame-duck ruler" and termed his acting presidency an "illegality" because of questions over the transfer of power. The group said Jonathan was appointed in a "jungle manner." "The purported interview granted the British Broadcasting Corporation by the deserter president can never (be) approximated to a (formal)/official letter which ought to be duly endorsed by the writer," the JRC said. "The deserting act of Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua can only be appropriately categorized as gross misconduct and should naturally have attracted an impeachment. This ought to have been followed by the swearing in of the vice president as substantive president, not in an acting capacity." The group said the political events will not deter their "resolve to wage a continuous revolutionary war to liberate all parts of our territory." CNN's Christian Purefoy contributed to this report.
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Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) of the Niger Delta claims pipeline attack .
JRC said one of its units attacked and "exploded" the Tura manifold .
A spokesman for the Nigerian military said the attack failed .
Acting President Goodluck Jonathan was approved for the role Tuesday .
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049b24a2a9e8987b9abff25bd19aa32945e3b189
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Washington (CNN) -- Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales could be sentenced to death if convicted on any of the 17 counts of murder filed against him Friday for allegedly embarking on a bloody shooting rampage in Afghan villages, the U.S. military said. In addition to the charges of murder "with premeditation," the 38-year-old faces six counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault. Authorities say Bales left a remote outpost in Kandahar province's Panjwai district early March 11 and went house-to-house, gunning down villagers. U.S. and Afghan officials initially said 16 people died in those attacks. Col. Gary Kolb, a spokesman with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, on Friday said only that investigators assigned to the case felt they had evidence to charge Bales with 17 counts of murder. There was no immediate indication as to where the other fatality came from, besides the fact it was an an adult, and Afghan government officials in Kabul have said they have no record of another death. Read the charges against Bales (PDF) The six people wounded in the shootings are four children, one woman and one man, according to the charge sheet against Bales. Two of those have been released from a hospital, said Ahmad Javed Faisal, a Kandahar provincial government spokesman. At the minimum, Bales would be sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole if he's convicted on even one of the 17 murder charges, according to a statement from the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan public affairs office. At the maximum, he could face the death penalty. Prosecutors could levy more charges "as they see fit," said a defense official with knowledge of the charges preferred. "The Army investigators are still working," the official said. "There is no requirement to 'lock in' to certain charges at this point." Stunned friends recall good deeds of suspect . The Taliban, in an e-mail Friday to CNN, vowed "strong revenge" for the attacks and claimed justice won't be served in U.S. courts, which they said "are not reliable." The Islamic fundamentalist group, which been battling coalition and Afghan government forces for years, believes that "tens of American soldiers, and not one person" are responsible for the killings, according to the message. "We don't believe in these (American) courts and reject the decision," the Taliban said. "We will take practical revenge on every single American soldier." Bales, who was returned to the United States last week, is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Speaking from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, where Bales is assigned, Army Gen. Lloyd Austin called the developments Friday -- in which U.S. military lawyers in Afghanistan "preferred" the charges -- "the first step in a long process that's going to occur." The case is now in the hands of the special convening authority, Col. Kenneth Kamper from the 17th Fires Brigade. As a I Corps unit leader who is still at Lewis-McChord, Kamper handles courts-martial issues regarding Corps members, according to base spokesman Joe Piek. Bales' case could go straight to an Article 32 hearing -- a military hybrid of a civilian preliminary hearing and a grand jury session that Austin, the Army's vice chief of staff, acknowledged has "challenges associated with it." Or Bales could go before a group of mental health experts who would determine whether his mental health may be a factor in his defense. Jeffery King, a military defense lawyer, told CNN on Friday that he expected "the mental status of ... Bales will be the overriding factor in this case" -- including both his state of mind at the time of the attack, as well as whether he's mentally competent to stand trial. Eventually, after gathering prosecution and defense testimony, Kamper will recommend what charges should be pursued to a higher-ranking general convening authority, in this case Maj. Gen. Lloyd Miles. As deputy commanding general for I Corps, Miles is taking on this duty while the corps' commanding general, Lt. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, is deployed, Piek said. Miles is expected to offer his own recommendation on whether the case should go to trial and, if so, on what charges and whether a death penalty should be a possible sentence. If and when the case comes to trial, Bales' lawyer, John Henry Browne, said, it is going to be "extremely difficult" for the prosecution. "They have no murder scene, no forensics," the lawyer said Thursday night outside his Seattle office. "I'm going to make them prove every claim." Prosecution faces major hurdles . Military law experts acknowledge that proving the case may be difficult, especially given that there are no autopsies to help prove the cause of death -- in part because those killed were buried quickly, in accordance with Islamic tradition -- and difficulty in getting witnesses to testify. Afghans are insisting that the suspect be returned to Afghanistan to face trial, with villagers and lawmakers questioning the U.S. military's account of what happened. But a military official in Afghanistan has said that Bales will be tried in the United States. Kolb, the ISAF spokesman, said that defense attorneys would need coalition forces' protection if they choose to investigate in Afghanistan. He notes that the Taliban "has already taken some potshots at Afghan investigators that went to the area." Still, Kolb said witnesses may not necessarily have to fly to the United States to testify as they could speak via teleconference. And Gary Solis, a former U.S. Marine Corps lawyer and current Georgetown professor, told CNN that any bullet rounds recovered from the scene could be matched with Bales' weapon -- assuming it was "immediately seized" -- which would serve as "powerful evidence for the government." Suspect has memory loss, lawyer says . Lance Rosen, the lawyer for Bales' wife, Karilyn, said Bales did not surrender to U.S. authorities, as some have reported. Rather, Rosen said, Bales was taken into custody, though he wasn't sure why. Asked about Bales' state of mind, Browne said on "CBS This Morning" on Friday that his client hasn't said much in their meetings and appears to have memory problems predating the incident. "He has some memories about what happened before the alleged event and some memories after the alleged event and some windows here and there into things, but he really doesn't have any memory," Browne said. "He's kind of in shock." Bales told his wife, in the first of two phone conversations they had since he was detained, that something had happened and he didn't know what it was, according to Rosen. What's the link between violence and disorders? Browne told CBS that "The Hurt Locker," the acclaimed 2008 film about a bomb disposal unit in the Iraq war, is a "Disney movie compared to what these guys are going through." "Just seeing people blown apart ... picking up body parts, putting them in bags," he said. "You know, a lot of servicemen go through that and don't have incidents alleged like this, but it's pretty horrific. We do know he had a concussive head injury, which is serious. We also know it was not treated for a variety of reasons." Afghan villagers describe massacre's horror . Another member of Bales' defense team, Emma Scanlan, said Friday that she'd spoken recently with Bales, and he is "holding up." "He's concerned about the welfare of his family, first and foremost, and the safety of the people who are on the ground in Afghanistan," Scanlan said of the father of two. The massacre has strained already tense U.S.-Afghan relations and intensified a debate about whether to pull American troops ahead of their planned 2014 withdrawal. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has demanded that troops withdraw from villages in his nation and return to their larger bases, saying relations between the two countries are "at the end of their rope." Karzai urges U.S. pullback after massacre . CNN legal contributor and defense attorney Paul Callan said on CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" that he believes prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Bales "because this is one of the biggest alleged massacres in memory." "You have the diplomatic and political problems that are being caused by this crime," Callan said. "Afghan citizens will be looking, saying, 'Is the U.S. seeking justice in this case?' " But he said that even if prosecutors won a death sentence, it is unlikely that Bales would be executed for years, if not decades. Suspect held liable for financial fraud . Accounts from the military, Bales' family, friends and neighbors describe a man who remained committed to serving his country despite wounds he received during three previous combat tours to Iraq, including a traumatic brain injury suffered during a vehicle accident. But Michael Breen, a former Army captain, said the speculation about whether his injuries or a possible undiagnosed case of post-traumatic stress disorder contributed to Bales' actions is unfair to other veterans. "Sgt. Bales has been through a lot as a soldier. Many of us have," Breen said. "That is certainly no explanation or excuse for the gross violation of his code of honor, to say the least, and the horrific crimes that he committed." CNN's Mitra Mobasherat, Sara Sidner, Chris Lawrence, Miguel Marquez and Paul Vercammen contributed to this report.
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NEW: A top Army general calls the charges "the first step in a long process"
Sgt. Bales faces 17 murder counts, which are eligible for the death penalty .
He also faces 6 counts of attempted murder and 2 counts of assault .
The Taliban vow revenge, saying they believe U.S. courts are "not reliable"
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When a young Championship manager proclaimed in 2011 that his greatest influence and inspiration in life was himself, eyebrows were raised. As Brendan Rodgers' time in the limelight increased, the now-Liverpool manager's proverbs have become part of Premier League life. But more than a few of these have come back to haunt him. Here, Sportsmail gives you Rodgers' Anfield career in quotes... Brendan Rodgers' quotes and proverbs have become legendary, but not always for the right reasons . 2012-13 . 'It's not just about training players, it's about educating players. You train dogs.' 'I will leave no stone unturned in my quest - and that quest will be relentless.' 'That's the problem with being a manager - it's like trying to build an aircraft while it is flying.' 'It (the documentary Being Liverpool) was something I didn't watch, and thankfully it's over.' 'I think there are three players who will let us down this year - the cause, the fight, everything - and I have written them down already in these three envelopes. Make sure you are not in one of the envelopes.' Rodgers admitted that he never watched the documentary Being Liverpool, and didn't enjoy being in it . 'I use a quote with the players, "Per aspera as astra", which is Latin for "Through adversity to the stars".' On Luis Suarez: 'He's a good guy.' He also said: 'He's so clever.' 'I've always said that you can live without water for many days, but you can't live for a second without hope.' 'I always say a squad is like a good meal. I'm not a great cook, but a good meal takes a wee bit of time. But also, to offer a good meal you need good ingredients.' 'I believe a young man will run through a barbed-wire fence for you. An older player looks for a hole in the fence.' Rodgers described Luis Suarez as really clever and a good guy, some footbalelrs may disagree . 'I've always worked along the statistic, that if you can dominate the game with the ball you have a 79 per cent chance of winning a game of football.' 'When we have the football everybody's a player. The difference with us is that when we have the ball we play with 11 men, other teams play with 10 and a goalkeeper.' 2013-14 . On his speech about envelopes: 'There never were any names.' 'When we lost at Stoke last season I got home on Boxing Day night and family and guests were all around the house. I went straight upstairs to my room and didn't come out.' Rodgers said that Tottenham should be challenging for the title considering the money they spent in 2013 . 'Look at Tottenham. If you spend more than £100million, you expect to be challenging for the league.' (Liverpool spent £113m in the summer of 2014) 2014-15 . 'They don't have to sell. (Southampton) have a choice. Maybe Southampton's objectives have changed. They were looking to be a Champions League club, I believe. 'It's the nature of it. The players will want to compete at the highest level they possibly can.' 'Lots of players are really impressed by what we are doing as a club and really excited about coming to Liverpool.' 'The last 18 months we have been on a magic carpet ride of development but we still have a lot of growth to make. 'We obviously lost a world-class player but our challenge now is to progress. It will be slow but steady and that will always be the best way to get to where we want to.' Liverpool's boss also suggested that Southampton perhaps didn't have much ambition for the current season . VIDEO Rodgers shoulders blame for defeat .
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Liverpool are currently 12th in the Barclays Premier League .
Liverpool were beaten 3-1 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday .
Brendan Rodgers side have lost their last four games in all competitions .
Sportsmail gives you the manager's best quotes from his time at the club .
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Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu haven't liked each other for years -- they just aren't bothering to hide it anymore. Long time observers of the U.S.-Israeli relationship struggle to remember when the personal chemistry between the leaders of the two countries was so bad. Even the Israeli prime minister has compared their relationship to that of a bickering "old couple." The latest example of their dysfunctional marriage emerged Tuesday when a senior Obama administration official was quoted calling the Israeli leader a "chickens**t" who doesn't match war talk with action. The unnamed official, speaking to Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, was only saying in public what key Obama aides have been muttering privately for years. "You have a dysfunctional relationship between Netanyahu and Obama," said Aaron David Miller, a former US Middle East peace negotiator. A senior official with a prominent pro-Israel policy organization in Washington said : "These guys don't like each other, they don't pretend to like each other." Netanyahu offered a pointed response to the Goldberg article, saying he's "not prepared to make concessions that endanger our state." The relationship is troubled on multiple fronts. Goldberg also reported that the Israeli leader had "written off" the White House, an insult to an administration that still has two years in office. And tensions flared last week when the White House denied Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon meetings with Vice President Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry. The administration tried to contain the fallout from Goldberg's story on Wednesday. Alistair Baskey, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said Obama and Netanyahu have "forged an effective partnership, and consult closely and frequently." Still, irritants have long tested the alliance between Washington and the Jewish state — over peace talks, wars in Lebanon and Gaza, settlements and Israeli military action in places like Iraq and Syria. But the dislike between Netanyahu and Obama is particularly acute -- and personal. Goldberg lists a stunning string of insults he has heard officials fire off at Netanyahu over the years, including "recalcitrant, myopic, reactionary, obtuse, blustering, pompous and 'Aspergery.'" OPINION: U.S.-Israel quarrel doesn't point to a divorce . The Netanyahu-Obama relationship has played out in a series of awkward photo-ops, anonymous quotes in US and Israeli media and tense body language. White House officials were apoplectic in 2011 when Netanyahu lectured Obama in the Oval Office about the history of peace talks and warned him not to fall prey to "illusions." The same year, Obama was caught on an open mic, telling then-French president Nicolas Sarkozy: "You're fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day." The White House, for all its official praise for the "unshakeable bonds" between the U.S. and Israel, blames what it sees as Netanyahu's intransigence over Jewish settlement policy and his playing to a domestic political gallery for the collapse of John Kerry's peace drive with the Palestinians. Key officials fumed at Netanyahu's open backing for Republican Mitt Romney during Obama's re-election campaign and over what they see as interference in American politics through his strong ties to hawks in Congress. But the roots of the animosity lie deeper — in sharply differing perceptions of the threat posed by Iran — an issue coming to a head with a deadline looming for a deal between Tehran and world powers next month. For Obama, the Iranian nuclear challenge is another crisis to be managed, and a test case of his doctrine that the United States should be prepared to talk to its enemies. But people familiar with Netanyahu's worldview say he believes history has handed him the role of delivering the Jewish state from an existential threat posed by Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Israel worries that the agreement that emerges will leave Iran as a nuclear "threshold state" with the materials and expertise to quickly break out and build a nuclear weapon. "I fervently hope that under your leadership that will not happen," Netanyahu told Obama in a White House photo-op this month. The Obama administration says the kind of 'perfect' deal envisioned by Israel, which would strip Iran of centrifuges and nuclear infrastructure is not realistic, and says its goal is to ensure that Tehran does not have a nuclear bomb. The disagreement is likely to provoke a new political showdown over Iran in Congress, where a bipartisan coalition is mulling a number of steps including further sanctions which the White House warns could scupper a deal and lead to war. While the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu deteriorates, it does not so far appear to be harming the fundamental relationship between their two nations. That has not always been the case in the past. In 1981, the Reagan administration instructed U.N. ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick to back a resolution criticizing Israel for an air attack on an Iraqi nuclear reactor. Relations became so frayed between President George H.W. Bush and the administration of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir that his secretary of state, James Baker, told lawmakers that if Israel wanted to talk peace, it should call the White House switchboard. Personal relations may be fraught now with Netanyahu, but Obama has never suggested watering down or delaying mostly military U.S. aid to Israel which amounts to $3 billion a year. Indeed, the Obama administration asked Congress for hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for the Iron Dome anti-missile system which shielded Israel from Hamas rockets during the latest Gaza war this summer. Senior officials from both sides also say privately that the security relationship between the allies has never been better. Miller said that Obama's spats with Netanyahu will cause hurt feelings. "But what do they amount to? It is confined and contained to a soap opera-like exchange that never leads to anything of consequence," he said. What this latest soap opera may amount to for the White House is an unwelcome new political row with Congress over its Israel policy — just as it is gearing up for a fight over Iran. "When the president discusses Israel and Iran, it is sometimes hard to tell who he thinks is America's friend and who he thinks is America's enemy," House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it was a bit rich to get a lecture by Boehner on "salty language." He insisted that the remarks by the official about Netanyahu did not represent the view of the administration but pledged to continue to air differences with Israel on "illegitimate" building. That will all but ensure another bitter spat with Netanyahu soon.
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The relationship between the U.S. and Israel is hitting new lows .
An Obama administration official was quoted as calling Israeli PM "chickens--t"
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(CNN) -- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has issued a decree authorising a multi-party political system, state media reported Thursday, a day after the U.N. Security Council condemned the Syrian government's crackdown on protesters. The decree issued by Assad may have the power to bring to an end decades of single-party rule by the Baath Party in Syria, although it remains unclear how the new law will be implemented. The draft law was earlier passed by Syrian lawmakers, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported, and grants citizens the right to establish political parties with the aim of contributing to political life "through peaceful and democratic means." However, the Syrian opposition has argued the decrees are simply for show and will not bring about real change. Assad's move comes as reports of violence continue to prompt international outrage. Security forces killed four people after evening prayers on Wednesday, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, one in the southwestern town of Nawa, in Daraa province, one in the central city of Palmyra, and two in Damascus. The observatory said communications remained cut off Thursday in the western city of Hama, a center of discontent and bastion of anti-government protest. The group is concerned that many civilians may have died, as the military remains in the city. The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday issued a presidential statement condemning the Syrian government's crackdown on protesters and calling for an immediate end to violence by all parties. "The Security Council condemns the widespread violations of human rights and the use of force against civilians by the Syrian authorities," the eight-paragraph statement says. It calls for "all sides to act with utmost restraint, and to refrain from reprisals, including attacks against state institutions." The statement says those responsible for the violence should be held accountable but offers no suggestion that foreign intervention is being considered. "The Security Council reaffirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Syria," it says. "It stresses that the only solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process, with the aim of effectively addressing the legitimate aspirations and concerns of the population which will allow the full exercise of fundamental freedoms for its entire population, including that of expression and peaceful assembly." Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is to update the council on the situation in Syria within a week, welcomed the statement. "The world has watched the deteriorating situation in Syria with the most profound concern, but the events of the past few days have been brutally shocking," he told reporters. "Once again, I call on President (Bashar al-) Assad and the Syrian authorities to immediately cease all violence against their people, to fully respect human rights and implement reforms that they have already announced." He urged Damascus to comply with the Security Council's demand that international humanitarian organizations be granted unimpeded access to affected areas. "Those responsible should be held to account," he said. He praised the 15-nation Security Council for speaking out "with one voice and condemning all this violence and asking them to take necessary measures" after long discussions on the matter. But Lebanon's ambassador, Caroline Ziade, said her country, which is Syria's neighbor, dissociated itself from the statement. However, Lebanon chose not to block the measure, as it could have done. Resolutions usually carry with them some sort of action. Presidential statements are simply unanimous on-the-record positions. Though a resolution would have been more significant than the presidential statement, U.S. diplomats said they were glad the United Nations had taken a stance. U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice called the statement "long overdue." She added that she hoped Damascus will "be chastened by the strength and the unity of the condemnation." The statement came on the third consecutive day of talks in New York to address the crisis, which a White House spokesman called "grotesque and appalling." Witnesses said Wednesday that security forces were brazenly advancing into the heart of Hama. Hama, which has seen massive demonstrations by anti-government protesters in Friday demonstrations, was the site of the 1982 bloody crackdown by the Alawite-dominated government against a Muslim Brotherhood uprising. The city is under siege by security forces amid a military offensive, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and witnesses say communications have been closed down amid the military push. Rami Abdul-Rahman of the observatory told CNN Thursday that 1,000 families had fled west to surrounding villages and 500 families eastwards, leaving a city where violence has persisted for days. His group monitors the unrest in Syria through many contacts on the ground, and his sources have reported hearing explosions and seeing plumes of smoke. "There are great concerns of a massacre in the city," he said Wednesday. "The human situation is very bad," said a witness from an opposition movement who said he was in the center of Hama and asked not to be named for security reasons. Corpses were seen on the ground after tanks occupied parts of central Hama amid heavy shelling, said a resident who fled the city. Dozens more people have been killed in Hama and other Syrian cities in recent days, rights groups have said. Residents said the city is running short on food. Power and water are scarce and residents said they fear a humanitarian crisis. Across Hama, intermittent gunfire and shelling rang out, helicopters whirled overhead and government snipers took positions, making it difficult for people to venture out, residents said. Security forces also launched a series of raids and detentions in the Khaldiyeh neighborhood of Homs, another western city, and dozens of people have been detained in the area, the scene of marches by anti-government protesters. Syria's parliament plans to meet Sunday to discuss "issues related to the homeland and citizens' interests," SANA reported Wednesday. CNN is unable to independently confirm death tolls or events in Syria, which has restricted access to the country by international journalists, including CNN's. Since mid-March, anti-government protesters have taken to the streets across the whole country to demand reforms from or an end to the al-Assad's regime. The death toll in Syria since its uprising began in mid-March has reached 2,003, the observatory's Abdul-Rahman said. The dead include 1,629 civilians and 374 Syrian security forces. The figure doesn't include tolls from the Wednesday unrest in the city of Hama, where it is difficult confirming information because of the ongoing military offensive there. Activists blame the deaths of demonstrators on security forces, but the government has consistently attributed the violence to "armed groups." CNN's Salma Abdelaziz, Richard Roth, Amir Ahmed, Yasmin Amer, Arwa Damon, Nada Husseini, Elise Labott and Joe Vaccarello contributed to this report.
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Assad's decree could mean an end to decades of single-party rule in Syria .
Four deaths are reported Wednesday in Syria by activists .
"The Security Council condemns the widespread violations of human rights"
More than 2,000 people have died, an activist group says .
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Jerusalem (CNN) -- Five Israeli right-wing extremists have been indicted by an Israeli court which accused them of attempting to prevent the demolition of illegal settlements in the West Bank, organizing a break-in at a military base and planning riots. The extremists are also suspected of masterminding an attack on an Israel Defense Forces base in the West Bank on December 13. In that incident, about 50 extremists infiltrated and attacked the Ephraim Regional Division Headquarters. The activists entered the base, damaged property, set tires on fire, threw stones and damaged vehicles, according to an IDF statement at the time. A commander's car was attacked, and he sustained minor injuries. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the incident "crossed all lines." And Matan Vilnai, deputy defense minister, called the perpetrators "Jewish terrorists" in an interview on army radio. Israeli media reported in December that the attack came in response to rumors that Israeli security forces were about to demolish two illegal outposts in the West Bank. The indictment alleges the extremists operated from an apartment in Jerusalem, where they gathered intelligence information through surveillance, lookouts and patrols of Israeli troops. The intelligence was aimed at preventing "the evacuation of outposts by illegal means" and to prevent IDF operations, said the indictment, which was presented in court Sunday. "The indictment exposes the true and ugly face of the prosecution that proves once again the blatant discrimination against the settlers," said Adi Keidar, an attorney representing three of the five. The suspects are also being questioned about "price tag" attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to Israeli police. "Price tag" is a term used to describe attacks by Israeli extremists against Palestinians and Israeli security forces in retaliation for any action taken against settlers.
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The extremists are accused of collecting military information .
Authorities also allege they organized a break-in at a military base .
They are suspected in a December 13 attack on an Israel Defense Forces base .
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By . Adam Crafton for the Daily Mail . Mathieu Flamini believes Arsenal are finally getting to grips with the perils of life on the road in the Barclays Premier League after the Gunners rallied to hold Everton to a 2-2 draw at Goodison. The Londoners were humbled 3-0 on this ground late last season and looked to be heading for further embarrassment on Merseyside after Seamus Coleman and Steven Naismith gave Everton a two-goal lead going into the break. But, after Aaron Ramsey cut the deficit after 83 minutes, substitute Olivier Giroud headed a late equaliser from Nacho Monreal's cross. Scroll down for videos... On the road: Mathieu Flamini claims that Arsenal have learned how to play difficult away games . One downbeat note for the Gunners was the half-time substitution of Chilean Alexis Sanchez, their £35million summer signing, who manager Arsene Wenger felt 'struggled with the physicality' and which saw the lively Giroud brought on. But French midfielder Flamini said: 'We've learned a lot from last year about playing these kind of teams away and we came back today and tried to be stronger. 'We didn't give up until the last second so it was a game to remember for us. It was a great performance from the team because being 2-0 down was not easy for us. Even though we were losing in the first half we had a few occasions to score so it was a bit unfair for us.' Hope: Aaron Ramsey collects the ball after scoring late to bring the score to 2-1 at Goodison . Game changer: Olivier Giroud came off the bench to score the equaliser before a late ankle injury . Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger praised Giroud for changing the game after coming on as a second-half substitute. 'We looked much more dangerous (after Giroud came on),' the Arsenal manager said. 'I knew we were dominating the game in the second half and we needed some physical presence up front. That presence was very important. 'He had a very good second half.' Unfortunately for Wenger, Giroud suffered an ankle injury in the dying minutes and could now miss the second leg of Arsenal's Champions League play-off against Besiktas. 'It is a big game and I hope we have not lost him,' said Wenger of Giroud, who left Goodison Park with a protective boot on his left foot. 'In the final minute he stretched his ankle. At the moment it doesn't look too good. ' Not fit enough! Alexis Sanchez was withdrawn at half-time after an ineffectual performance . Sanchez is likely to lead the line against the Turks, who gained a 0-0 draw against the Gunners in Istanbul on Wednesday. Wenger said he had no option but to withdraw the £35million signing at half-time on Saturday. 'At the moment he is not completely ready physically,' Wenger said. 'He knows he is not at his best physically but when he is his confidence will come back.' It’s not too late to play MailOnline Fantasy Football… There’s £1,000 to be won EVERY WEEK by the highest scoring manager . CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There’s £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… .
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Arsenal came back from two goals down to draw with Everton away .
The Gunners lost the same fixture 3-0 in the Premier League last season .
Mathieu Flamini insists his side has learned how to cope away from home .
Aaron Ramsey and sub Olivier Giroud scored for Arsene Wenger's side .
Giroud suffered an ankle injury that looks set to keep him out of the Champions League qualifier with Besiktas .
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Breathometer, the firm that makes smartphone-connected breathalysers, is hoping to make it easier for drunk people to get home. The company has teamed up with taxi-service Uber to allow the Breathometer app to call a ride when the user's blood alcohol content is near the legal limit of 0.08 per cent. As well as the 'call Uber option', the app also allows you to call a friend, schedule a cab, find somewhere to get food, or find a place nearby to spend the night. Scroll down for video . As well as the 'call Uber option', the app also allows you to call a friend, find somewhere to get food, or find a place nearby to spend the night. Pictured are various stages the app takes you through to call an Uber . In a recent blog post published, Uber revealed that it integrated with Breathometer nine weeks ago as a case study. The company says more than 54 per cent of Breathometer users who made it to the 'Get Home Safe' screen decided to take an Uber rather than call a friend. 'Having to call a friend or schedule a cab isn't always an easy choice,' said Charles Michael Yim, CEO of Breathometer. The user has to open a Breathometer mobile app on their smartphone, and then power up their gadget using the small button on the bottom of the product. The device should the automatically with the smartphone, and once connected, asks you to confirm it has been 20 minutes since your last drink . 'Access to a dependable and on-demand ride solution directly from our app for anyone that has been consuming alcohol is critical.' California-based Breathometer sells the $99.99 Breeze, a wireless breathalyser that clips on to your clothing, and the $49.99 Original, which plugs into your phone via its headphone jack. The user has to open a Breathometer mobile app on their smartphone, and then power up their gadget using the small button on the bottom of the product. The device should the automatically with the smartphone, and once connected, asks you to confirm it has been 20 minutes since your last drink. California-based Breathometer sells the $99.99 Breeze (left), a wireless breathalyser that clips on to your clothing, and the $49.99 Original (right), which plugs into your phone via its headphone jack . The user is then asked to take a deep breath and blow into the mouth of the gadget for five seconds. Alcohol that a person drinks shows up in the breath because it gets absorbed from the mouth, throat, stomach into the bloodstream. As the blood moves through the lungs, some of the alcohol moves across the membranes of the lung's air sacs into the air. This concentration exhaled by the drinker can be detected by the device, which then uses a simple calculation to find out how much alcohol is in their blood. You no longer have to rely on an honest friend to tell you whether your breath smells unpleasant - now there's an app for that. Breathometer, has created Mint, a new gadget that assesses both the quality and hydration level of your breath. A small device that's placed in the mouth automatically draws an air sample and, seconds later, the Breathometer smartphone app reveals whether you're minty fresh or breathing fire. Users receive a 'mint score' between one and five, letting them know whether they're 'good to go' or 'need a mint'. Mint detects odor by measuring the volatile sulphur compounds in your mouth, which the company says can also indicate gum disease or tooth decay. The gadget also measures the moisture level of your mouth's mucus membrane and lets you know whether you need a glass of water.
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Breathalyser is connected to an app that records how drunk you are .
App lets you call an Uber when your blood alcohol content is near limit .
It also has options to call a friend, find a restaurant or go to a hotel .
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In a move that could spell the end of high-speed car chases, joyriding, and even terrorist attacks, a UK company has created a system that can stop vehicles at the press of a button. The RF Safe-Stop system uses blasts of electromagnetic pulses to remotely shut off any car engines that targeted by the device. The system was created by Chelmsford-based e2v Technologies and could also be used to stop the engines in boats because it can be triggered up to 165ft away. The RF Safe-Stop system, demonstrated in this graphic, fires electronic pulses towards a targeted car. The pulses immobilise the engine. It can be triggered at a distance of up to 165ft and police, as well as governments, have already expressed an interest in using the system . RF Safe-Stop works because the targeted . radio frequency pulses ‘confuse’ the electronics within the car, and . this causes the engine to cut out as a safety measure. The pulses travel through a wiring loom, or cable, which acts like an aerial to target where the pulses are fired. When a car enters the field of these pulses, the engine is cut off and rolls to a halt. As long as the car stays in this field range, the engine can't be restarted. RF Safe-Stop works because the targeted radio frequency pulses ‘confuse’ the electronics within the car, and this causes the engine to cut out as a safety measure. The radio frequencies used are from L and S parts of the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum. These frequencies are used in weather radar equipment, for example, as well as Nasa’s Space Shuttle and International Space Station communication satellites. The pulses travel through a wiring loom, or cable, which acts like an aerial that targets where the pulses are fired. When a car enters the field of these pulses, the engine is cut off and rolls to a halt. E2v's current prototype, pictured, weighs around 350kg and has been fitted onto 4x4 vehicles. Future models could be designed to fit onto helicopters. The system can stop joyriders, for example, or defend buildings from terrorists driving cars fitted with bombs into the buildings . Product manager Andy Wood said as long as the car stays in this field range, the engine can't be restarted. According to Wood, the system has already received interest from various governments and police forces and could be used as a ‘non-lethal’ weapon. It could be used to stop joyriders, for example, or defend buildings from terrorists driving cars fitted with bombs into the buildings. The RF Safe-Stop system could also be fitted at harbour and sea checkpoints to stop boats from entering restricted areas. E2V’s current prototype weighs around 350kg and has been fitted onto Nissan Nevara and Toyota Land Cruisers. Future models may be designed to fit onto helicopters.
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The RF Safe-Stop uses a blast of electromagnetic waves to stop engines .
It can be triggered at a distance of up to 165ft and also works on boats .
The waves is also used to disable a vehicle’s on-board electronic systems .
Future plans could see the technology fitted onto helicopters .
Police and governments could also use it as a 'non-lethal weapon' to stop joyriders and even car bombs .
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As far as manhunts go, Eric Matthew Frein is an especially challenging target. The suspected cop killer has extensive training as a marksman. Police say he's a survivalist who knows his way around the woods where they think he's hiding. And authorities worry he may be on the hunt for more officers. Here's what we know about Frein, the 31-year-old wanted for the death of Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Bryon Dickson and the shooting of another officer a week and a half ago. Police say he'd been plotting his attack for months . Before Dickson and Trooper Alex Douglass were shot outside the state police barracks in Blooming Grove on September 12, Frein had been mulling an ambush for months, authorities say. "Based on our investigations, we know Frein has prepared and planned extensively for months or maybe years," State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said Sunday. Investigators know Frein "has made statements about wanting to kill law enforcement officers and also to commit mass acts of murder," State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said last week. "He has very strong feelings about law enforcement and seems to be very angry with a lot of things that go on in our society." Bivens said while Frein planned his attack and retreat, "we believe we are closing in on him." He's the subject of an intense manhunt . Up to 400 law enforcement officers are searching for Frein, including members of the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. They've zeroed in on the woods not far from Frein's family home in Canadensis -- about 20 miles from where Dickson and Douglass were shot. His evasiveness has led schools to cancel classes and prompted authorities to ask hunters to avoid the woods in the area. Although Frein is on the run and possibly armed, there is no indication that he is a danger to anyone other than law enforcement, Bivens said. "I am convinced that Frein has engaged in a personal battle with law enforcement, specifically the Pennsylvania State Police, and will likely stay focused on that fight," he said. He's fascinated by the Cold War . Frein claims to have fought with Serbians in Africa and has studied Russian and Serbian languages, according to the FBI. He even belonged to a simulation group that re-enacted Cold War-era European conflicts, officials said. The simulation group, which police declined to name, would use non-lethal Airsoft guns. But authorities believe Frein has turned a non-lethal activity lethal. "It is believed that Frein has assumed the simulation role, and is now acting it out in real life," Bivens said. Frein started wearing a "mohawk"-type haircut -- different from what he had worn for years -- apparently as part of his mental preparation for his attacks on the troopers, Bivens said. He harbors a grudge against cops . While authorities believe Frein has an intense grudge against law enforcement, one friend said his angst is actually against the federal government. "He definitely let his opinions about the government be known," the friend, who wanted to be identified only as "Jack," told CNN. "He was obviously a big critic of the federal government, but he never specifically targeted police when he was talking to me," Jack said. "No indications of really any malice towards law enforcement in particular. Most of his aggression was (toward) the federal government." But others close to Frein told investigators that he had talked about his disdain for law enforcement, authorities said. "This was nothing he kept quiet," Noonan said, adding that he wished those people had spoken up before the shootings. He's a skilled marksman . A trail of clues led authorities to execute a search warrant on the suspect's family's home. That's when Frein's father told authorities that two firearms were missing, according to a probable cause affidavit. The father said one of those missing firearms was an AK-47; the other was a .308 rifle, which police believe was the same type of rifle used to shoot the troopers. The father said his son grew up with guns and was a member of his high school's rifle club. When Frein shoots, his father told authorities, he "doesn't miss."
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Eric Matthew Frein, 31, is wanted for the shootings of two Pennsylvania police officers .
Pennsylvania State Police Cpl. Bryon Dickson died in the ambush in front of police barracks .
Frein was fascinated by the Cold War and Eastern European armies .
A friend said he had more of a grudge against the federal government than law enforcement .
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By . Eve Mcgowan . Recent warnings that alcoholic drinks are high in sugar were depressing for those fond of a tipple. With four teaspoons of sugar in a pint of bitter and two-and-a-half in a glass of prosecco, experts say drinking can dramatically up your sugar consumption – the detrimental effects of which have lately been compared to tobacco. Doctors now agree that reducing sugar intake is key to good health and losing weight, and last month the UN’s World Health Organisation slashed the daily recommended amount by half to about six level teaspoons of added sugar a day. Great British Booze Swap: Debbie Lawrence, 31, swapped her two bottles of wine per week for beer, and her boyfriend Dan Bartholomew, 31, went from whisky to lager . Experts are advising people watching their weight and sugar intake to cut down on all alcohol. ‘It’s important people realise alcohol is a major source of calories and sugar,’ says Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at the Wolfson Institute, Queen Mary University of London, and chairman of Action on Sugar. ‘While a glass of red or white wine is a nice accompaniment to a meal, it means extra calories.’ But is cutting out alcohol a realistic goal – or even really necessary? With such a broad spectrum of sugar content, from only a trace in gin and rum to 10g in a pint of premium lager, clearly not all drinks are detrimental to your waistline. Changing tipple: London teacher Becky Swain, 30, switched her real ale for red wine while her partner Sri Sothall, 30, lost weight when he started drinking spirits . ‘It’s hard to avoid sugar when you drink but you can limit the damage by being careful,’ says nutritional therapist Jackie Lynch (well-well-well.co.uk). 'Spirits and red and dry white wine have far less sugar than beer or lager, so your choice of tipple makes a difference.’ However, it’s important to remember that per millilitre, spirts are still the highest in calories as alcohol contains more calories than sugar – and high alcohol consumption carries severe health risks. ‘I encourage clients to swap to a single shot of vodka with a slimline mixer. 'That avoids the peer pressure (and self-denial) of not drinking, yet you’ll consume up to four teaspoons less sugar than from a large glass of wine or beer.’ We set out to investigate whether you could change your health (and weight) by changing what you drink. We asked two couples to swap their drinking preferences for a month. Each couple drank two to three units of their chosen alcohol four times a week and stuck to their usual dietary and exercise routines. Jackie then helped explain changes in their weight. The couples used Tanita body composition monitor scales to measure their weight, fat and visceral fat – the fat around internal organs measured on a scale from 1 to 59: a rating of 13 or over indicates excess levels.
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Debbie Lawrence, 31, swapped her two bottles of wine per week for beer .
Her partner Dan Bartholomew, 31, went from whisky to lager for a month .
Teacher Becky Swain, 30, switched her real ale for red wine .
Boyfriend Sri Southall, 30, lost weight when he started drinking spirits .
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By . Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 23:32 EST, 26 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 23:40 EST, 26 October 2013 . A well-intentioned honest mistake could cost Major Jason Brezler his position as a Marine reservist. Maj Brezler found himself in hot water last summer when he responded to an email from troops in Helmand Province, Afghanistan who were inquiring about a local police chief named Sarwar Jan. Jan was being given access to the base in Delhi as part of the U.S. military's exit strategy from the country. Maj Jason Brezler, pictured in the middle on the right, will face a Marine hearing as early as next month for accidentally emailing classified information via his personal email account . Maj Brezler had prior knowledge of Jan, and immediately replied to warn his fellow marines about the dangerous police chief with ties to the Taliban. He also reported that Jan was a noted child abuser and there were allegations he sexually abused minors on U.S. bases in the past. Immediately after sending the email, Maj Brezler realized he had made a mistake and shouldn't have sent the message from his personal Yahoo email account. He reported himself to the Marines and is now facing judgement. He could face a Board of Inquiry hearing as early as next month where he will need to argue his case for remaining a Marine. But punishment for the email is causing an uproar among politicians and high-ranking military leaders since his email was a harbinger for a deadly attack carried out at the forward operating base in Delhi by one of Jan's boy assistants. The assistant, who is believed to be one of Jan's sexual-abuse victims, opened fire in a base gym on August 10, 2012 and killed three American soldiers: Staff Sergeant Scott Dickinson, Corporal Richard Rivera and Lance Corporal George Buckley, Jr. Warning: Shortly after sending a warning email to soldiers in Helmand Province about Sarwar Jar, one of Sanwar Jar's assistants shot and killed three soldiers on the base. Above, the body of victim Staff Sgt Scott Dickinson is brought back to the U.S. Maj Brezler lives in New York and in addition to being a Marine reservist, is a New York City fireman. Kevin Carroll, Maj Brezler's lawyer who is working pro bono, said it was 'inconceivable that a combat Marine and New York City fireman, such as Jason Brezler, would have lied or stayed silent when marines in Afghanistan sought his advice on an emergency force protection issue.' New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand and Representative Peter King have both written letters backing their fellow New Yorker. Rep King called it 'unfair' that Maj Brezler would be punished for his 'good-faith effort to warn his fellow Marines. 'The Marines and the (New York City) Fire Department need more good men such as Maj Brezler, not less,' Rep King wrote. Other military leaders have come to Maj Brezler's defense, describing him as a model Marine. Bing West, a former assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs and who has written several non-fiction books about the military, said Major Brezler 'has brass balls. We'd like to believe that's the definition of a marine, but I've seen Brezler in action'. He also described the time he saw Brezler 'brace a punk police chief and drag away from a young teen who was being used as a sex slave'. U.S. military in the area were able to convince the provincial governor to depose that police chief. Doing the right thing: Several politicians and high-ranking military officials have written to defend Maj Brezler's actions. Above, another picture of the casks of the three Marine victims from the shooting at FOB Delhi being brought back to the U.S. Maj Gen Larry Nicholson, the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division and Brig Gen Richard Simcock have also spoke up for Maj Brezler. 'Jason is a selfless, fearless and dedicated Marine officer. He accomplished much, for so many, with little regard for himself. I urge board members to take into consideration these aspects of his character and prior service in deliberations,' Maj Gen Nicholson wrote. Brig Gen Simcock called Maj Brezler a 'principled man of integrity who is not swayed by peer pressure or personal gain'. The Marine Corps Times also published an editorial in favor of leniency for Maj Brezler. 'Brezler's treatment sends the message that in the Marine Corps there's no room for honest mistakes. That's a dangerous precedent to set in any line of work, but most assuredly in the military where even four-star generals will acknowledged that an understanding commander showed them some leniency along the way.' A spokesman for the Marine Corps Forces Reserve declined to comment on Maj Brezler's impending hearing.
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Major Jason Brezler faces a disciplinary hearing as early as next month for sending an email from his personal account containing classified information .
Maj Brezler was trying to warn fellow soldiers about a shady police chief who was being given access to a U.S. base in Afghanistan .
One of the police chief's assistants would go on to shoot and kill three soldiers at the base in August 2012 .
Several politicians and high-ranking military officials have come to Maj Brezler's defense, saying he should be shown leniency for trying to do the right thing .
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(CNN) -- A white Mississippi man has been sentenced to life in prison for the 2011 murder of an African-American man, with the judge calling it an inexcusable, "despicable" crime. Deryl Dedmon pleaded guilty to murder and a hate-crime charge before a judge in Jackson on Wednesday afternoon, admitting to the June killing of James Craig Anderson. Hinds County Circuit Judge Jeff Weill sentenced him to two concurrent life terms, saying, "This craven act isn't who we are." "Whatever excuse you offer, forget that. There is no excuse," Weill said. He added, "The state of Mississippi condemns this despicable crime." Dedmon, 19, told the judge that he was a "changed man" who had found religion since his arrest. "I wish I could take it all back," he said, adding, "I was young and dumb, ignorant and full of hatred. I chose to go down the wrong path." Dedmon is also expected to plead guilty to still-undisclosed federal charges Thursday, three sources with knowledge of the case told CNN -- the first indication that a federal case was pending in Anderson's death. Officials would disclose no details, but Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith said he expected other charges -- and other arrests. "This is just the beginning," Smith said. Anderson's killing prompted several large marches and prayer vigils in Jackson, a city of about 537,000 people. His sister, Barbara Anderson Young, said during Wednesday's hearing that her family was praying for "racial conciliation." "These last months have been very difficult," Young said. "We cried. We wept. We reminisced about our beloved brother, Craig, a loss I cannot even explain. Craig was a big-hearted person who loved his fellow man." Anderson died after he was beaten and run over by a truck driven by Dedmon, according to police. Dedmon was part of a group of seven white youths from largely white Rankin County who decided to "go f**k with some niggers," after a night of partying and drinking, law enforcement officials have said, quoting some of the suspects in the case. Smith has said the evidence indicated the suspects, who ranged in age from 17 to 19, "went out with the intention to harm and, in this case, kill a black man." According to investigators, they drove 16 miles in two vehicles from Rankin County to Jackson, where after exiting the highway, they found Anderson alone in a parking lot about 4 a.m. on June 26. The white men allegedly beat Anderson repeatedly, yelling racial epithets. After the beating, Dedmon drove his Ford F-250 truck over him, leaving him to die, according to what some of the teens cooperating with police have told authorities. Anderson's death drew national attention after CNN first reported it and aired exclusive surveillance video of the killing, captured by a parking lot security camera in a Jackson suburb. A second man, John Aaron Rice, was initially charged with murder, but a judge reduced the charges to simple assault because Rice was not believed to be driving the vehicle used to kill Anderson. For months, lawyers had been working behind the scenes in Jackson, where Dedmon is being held, fighting over a change of venue in a possible trial. Smith had hoped to have a trial in Jackson, where the crime occurred and which is largely black. But defense attorneys wanted to move the trial to an area with a larger white population, the law enforcement officials said. Murder suspect carried 'backpack of hatred' Authorities believe Dedmon led and instigated the attack. On a sweltering Mississippi night in June, a gang of youths climbed into Dedmon's green truck and a white SUV and drove to the western edge of Jackson. They would have seen Anderson immediately as they exited the highway, officials said. He was standing in a hotel parking lot just beyond the exit ramp. On the videotape obtained exclusively by CNN, the group pulls into the parking lot and stops where Anderson is standing, although he is just off camera and not visible. The young men can then be seen going back and forth between their cars and Anderson. Witnesses told authorities this is when Anderson's beating took place, as the white youths yelled racial epithets, including "white power." Authorities allege Dedmon and many of the other teens pummeled Anderson repeatedly as he crumpled to the ground, although this is not visible on the tape. After the beating, some of the white youths left, and others got into the green Ford truck. At this moment, Anderson becomes visible on the tape as he staggers into view and walked toward the truck. "Defendant Dedmon drove the F-250 out of the parking lot and turned right onto Ellis Avenue," the lawsuit says. "Just as Dedmon turned right, his headlights shone directly on Anderson, who, having been severely beaten, was stumbling in a grassy area near the motel's entrance. Dedmon accelerated, drove onto and over the street curb, and struck Anderson with the front of the F-250." Shortly afterward, Dedmon allegedly boasted and laughed about the killing, according to statements some of the teens made to detectives. "I ran that nigger over," he allegedly said in a phone conversation to the youths in the other car. "He was not remorseful," Smith said. "He was laughing, laughing about the killing." But during a bail hearing last year, Dedmon's attorney told the court he saw nothing to back up the "racial allegations." The U.S. Justice Department had been looking into the death as a possible federal hate crime and assisting local prosecutors. Federal investigators also have been digging for months into other possible crimes in the area committed by Dedmon and others that might show a pattern of racial violence. Anderson's family had asked state and federal officials not to seek the death penalty against Dedmon or any other youths who might be charged in the case, saying they oppose capital punishment in part because of their religious faith. The family also filed a wrongful death suit against all seven of the white youths who were present at the beating of Anderson. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nationally recognized organization in Montgomery, Alabama, that opposes racism and intolerance, joined in the lawsuit to help the case, joining forces with the family's attorney, Winston J. Thompson III. "James Anderson lost his life for no other reason than the color of his skin," said Morris Dees, chief trial counsel for the law center . "Those responsible must be held accountable for their callous and deadly actions. We are filing this lawsuit today to ensure his family gets a measure of justice." Anderson, a line worker at a Nissan plant, sang in his church choir, Thompson said. He is survived by his partner of 17 years. "He was just a pillar of the community," Thompson said. "He paid his taxes on time; he went to work, came home -- he was just an average, ordinary citizen, good guy, wonderful gardener."
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Deryl Dedmon says he was "ignorant and full of hatred" when he killed Anderson .
The victim's sister says her family is praying for "racial conciliation"
The prosecutor says more charges and arrests are coming .
Dedmon has been sentenced to two concurrent life terms .
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A Met Office 'yellow snow warning' has sparked a series of online jokes as Britain braces itself for a cold snap. The weather centre categorises warnings as red, meaning 'take action', orange, meaning 'be prepared' or yellow, meaning 'be aware'. Pranksters poked fun after the BBC reported a warning this morning under the headline: 'Yellow snow warning for Wales'. Scroll down for video . A 'yellow warning' of snow over Wales and central England was later expanded to include most of Scotland . A BBC story was shared more than 1,000 times on Twitter as users of the website poked fun at the headline . The term yellow snow is commonly used to describe snow which has been urinated on and featured in the 1974 Frank Zappa song 'Don't Eat The Yellow Snow', about a man who dreams he was an Eskimo. When the 'yellow warning' for snow was released for large parts of England, Wales and Scotland this morning, online jokers saw an opportunity for a laugh. The hashtag #donteattheyellowsnow was soon being widely used, with one user writing: 'When you've got go, you've got to go.' A website user called Grandad Al tweeted: '@BBCNews BANK HOLIDAY? PUBLIC TOILETS CLOSED? #YELLOW #SNOW #WARNING . Another, called Planet Millie, added: 'Dear @metoffice, stop issuing yellow snow warnings. We know you mean well, but we're all immature and find it funny.' After the BBC used the term in one of its headlines, Twitter user Dan Kaszeta tweeted: 'Somebody tell the BBC what "yellow snow" really means. Or are they taking the p***?' The warning came as a band of snow is set to sweep across Wales, moving into the Midlands and parts of the North, before heading to East Anglia and the South East this evening. Severe weather warnings are in place from this afternoon, threatening severe disruption on one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Hundreds of tweets were posted making jokes about the 'yellow snow' said to be heading towards Wales .
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Forecasters use colour-coded weather warning system to alert public .
Yellow alert was given for snow this morning, leading to a series of jokes .
Twitter users mocked the BBC for using the term in one of its headlines .
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04a493862117e11b005ed42d3c23125c1b533dc3
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Arsenal have made a dramatic last-minute bid to sign Loic Remy in an attempt to scupper Chelsea’s move for the QPR striker. Chelsea are close to agreeing terms with Remy after meeting the Frenchman’s £8m release clause - but on Saturday night Arsenal contacted QPR to confirm that they too would pay £8m and will now attempt to persuade the player to join them. Arsene Wenger will have a natural advantage as a compatriot of the player and Remy, 27, has spent much of the summer holding out for a move to The Emirates and was pictured at games there at the end of last season. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Harry Redknapp express his shock at Loic Remy's Cheslea deal . Interest: Arseanl and Chelsea are battling over the services of QPR striker Loic Remy . Adios: Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has agreed a loan move to AC Milan on a two-year deal . However, Chelsea did make their move first, having launched their bid on Friday after Fernando Torres agreed to join AC Milan on a two-year loan. If Chelsea do miss out on Remy it will prove a major blow as Jose Mourinho has insisted the club need three strikers following Torres’ exit. Chelsea’s first-choice replacement for Torres was Roma striker Mattia Destro, but they have been put off by the Serie A club’s £20m valuation. Remy would be guaranteed more first-team football at Arsenal, with Olivier Giroud out with injury until Christmas and Arsenal lacking any other experienced centre forward other than new signing Alexis Sanchez, who has played more regularly as a wide player in recent years. If Wenger can persuade Remy to join Arsenal it will not only fill a gap in the Arsenal squad but also represent a significant disruption of Chelsea’s transfer plans. Form: Remy scored an impressive 14 goals in 26 league games during a loan spell at Newcastle last season . Versatile: France international Remy would give both clubs options both at central striker and in wide channels . It's not too late to play MailOnline Fantasy Football… There's £1,000 to be won EVERY WEEK by the highest scoring manager . CLICK HERE to start picking your Fantasy Football team NOW! There's £60,000 in prizes including £1,000 up for grabs EVERY WEEK… .
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Remy would be guaranteed first-team football at Arsenal .
The Blues triggered £8m release clause for France international .
But Gunners also meet it and will discuss personal terms .
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho wanted another striker in his squad .
Fernando Torres agreed a two-year deal to move to AC Milan on Friday .
Remy impressed on loan at Newcastle last season, scoring 14 goals .
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04a6a7ca67478bcfe4f1d01a68dfd18fdd87097a
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By . Bianca London . A wife who went back in time to live like it’s still the 1950s claims that the retro lifestyle has saved her marriage. Mandy Jones, 49, spends her free time cooking, cleaning and darning her husband Gary’s socks. She also dresses in vintage frocks, drives a 1949 Chevrolet and listens to rockabilly records on her jukebox, just like teens from sixty years ago. Scroll down for video . Blast from the past: Mandy and Gary Jones live in the Fifties wearing clothes from the era, driving a classic car and decorating their home with fifties memorabilia - and it has saved their marriage . Mandy, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, claims going back in time has saved her marriage which was 'stuck in a rut'. Controversially, the part-time caterer, said that all women should adopt the lifestyle if they want to keep their man happy. She said: 'It may seem strange and we get the odd nasty comment, but this way of life works for us and has saved our marriage. Living in the past: Mandy Jones spends her free time cooking, cleaning and darning her husband Gary's socks. She also dresses in vintage frocks, drives a 1949 Chevrolet and listens to rockabilly records on her jukebox, just like women did in the 1950s . Better than therapy? Mandy is urging all women to go back in time to the 1950s after she claims it saved her marriage . Old school: The part-time caterer, said that all women should adopt the lifestyle if they want to keep their man happy . 'We love everything about the 1950s, from the clothes to the way of life. Since we started living like this I’ve been a better wife and Gary and I are closer than ever. 'We should all take advice from our grandparents and start living the Fifties way.' After deciding something needed to be done to keep her marriage to Gary, 48, alive, she travelled back in time to the 1950s. Now every night when Gary comes home from work, his dutiful wife has dinner on the table - and they tuck into wholesome1950s food in their American diner-style kitchen. Dancing in love: Mandy, who loves to dance with her husband, claims going back in time has saved her marriage, which was 'stuck in a rut' Shaking things up: Bored of their everyday life, Mandy said she was willing to go to extreme lengths to save their marriage . The couple now also spend their free time Lindy Hop dancing or exploring local vintage fairs. When they first met 30 years ago they bonded over their love of rockabilly and Fifties fashion. But five years ago their passion for the decade reached new heights when they decided to go back in time and live like it is the 1950s. Bored of their everyday life, Mandy said she was willing to go to extreme lengths to save their marriage, saying: 'Gary and I were sick of the same routine and we were bickering on a daily basis. 'We spent our weekends drinking at the pub until the early hours and it just got so boring.' The couple decided to take the plunge and dedicate every aspect of their lives to the decade, decorating their entire house - and even building a 1950s-style diner. Pastime activities: The couple now also spend their free time Lindy Hop dancing or exploring local vintage fairs . Love songs: When the couple first met 30 years ago they bonded over their love of rockabilly and 50s fashion. But five years ago their passion for the decade reached new heights when they decided to go back in time and live like it is the 1950s . Mandy perfected vintage hairstyles and started making her own retro-style clothes in a bid to impress her husband. Now, instead of booze-filled weekends, the pair go dancing together and take trips in their Chevrolet to vintage fairs. She said: 'We’re a lot happier living in the 1950s way, it has improved our marriage and enriched our lives. 'Before, we didn’t have much to excite us apart from drinking but now we do all sorts together and it keeps our relationship fresh. Inspirational? Mandy says that all couples should embrace her lifestyle because the divorce rates were lower in the 50s . 'After a bad day there is nothing better than putting our jukebox on and doing a quick Lindy Hop.' Mandy is now encouraging others to follow in her and Gary’s footsteps, claiming they too could save their marriage. She said: '1950s marriages definitely work better than marriages these days. 'The divorce rate is so high at the moment and it never used to be in the past. We should all take advice from our grandparents and start living the Fifties way.' The divorce rate in 1950 was 26 per cent and 42 per cent in 2013. Vintage memorabilia: The home of Mandy and Gary Jones, from Tamworth in Staffordshire who live as though it was still the 1950s, is filled with fifties memorabilia .
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Mandy and Gary Jones live like they're in the 1950s .
Drive 1949 Chevrolet and listen to rockabilly records on jukebox .
Spend free time at vintage fairs and Lindy hop dancing .
Mandy says lifestyle saved her marriage and women should embrace it .
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04a6cfa460706fd548962b2bc3288e073b8ef7f9
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(CNN) -- Can car-loving Saudis be convinced to step out of their air-conditioned comfort and take public transport? The Saudi Arabian government believes they can and is backing its belief by investing $22 billion into a public transport mega-project in the capital Riyadh. Set to begin construction early next year, a new metro network will encompass over 176 km (110 miles) of train lines and 85 stations, linking the city center to universities, the airport, a newly built financial district and commercial areas. The first trains as slated to run in 2019. During construction, it will be the world's biggest public transport project, employing tens of thousands of people, developers say. According to the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh, all carriages will be air-conditioned and divided into first, family and single class. Buses and trains take a distant second to personal cars in Riyadh and according to FCC Construction only 2% of commuters in the Saudi Arabian capital take public transport. It's no surprise because gasoline is highly subsidized -- a gallon at the petrol pumps costs around $0.50. According to Bloomberg, the world's largest oil producer ranks only second to Venezuela for the world's cheapest gasoline. According to reports, the Saudi government is weighing up increasingly the cost of fuel to give public transport a boost. Read more: Ramadan's Super Bowl effect . Chronically underdeveloped until now, the expansion of public transport in the Saudi capital will also cope with the projected boom in the local population. It has more than doubled since 1990 to 5.3 million and is set to top 8 million by 2030. "Riyadh today is one of the world's fastest growing cities and our citizens deserve a world-class public transport system to enhance their quality of life... it will also help to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality," said Ibrahim Bin Muhammad Al Sultan President of Arriyadh Development Authority and Member of the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh. Of the six lines to be built, three will be constructed by Spain's FCC Construction company, working in partnership in a consortium including Samsung and Alstom. U.S. Firm Bechtel and Italian company Ansaldo STS lead the other two construction consortia. Read more: Google's view from world's tallest building . As well as an extensive network, it is hoped that the stunning look of some the new stations will help to tempt locals away from their cars. Zaha Hadid Architects will build the King Abdullah Financial District station, one of the flagship interchange stops along Line 1. With six platforms spread over four floors, and linking three of the new lines, the architects hope it will provide a multi-function public space. According to the architects, the white facade of the station will reduce heat from the punishing desert sun while the undulating lines of the building are meant to resemble the patterns generated by desert winds on sand dunes.
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$22 billion project to build new metro network in Saudi Arabian capital .
85 stations and 176 km of train lines will be built over five years .
Currently only 2% of commuters in Riyadh use public transport .
Zaha Hadid Architects have designed one of the flag-ship stations .
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Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama gave a nod to America's heartland Tuesday, saying in an interview conducted during halftime of an NCAA basketball game in Ohio he wanted to show his British counterpart, David Cameron, a part of America rarely seen by foreign visitors. "I thought it was going to be wonderful for the prime minister to have a chance not only to see a basketball game for first time, but also to come to the great state of Ohio, because sometimes when we have foreign visitors, they only see the coasts, they go to New York, they go to Washington, they go to Los Angeles, but you know the heartland is what it's all about," Obama said. Obama's hat tip to Ohio, and his choice of venue, may not be pure coincidence -- Ohio is historically a key swing state in presidential elections. Cameron and Obama flew together on Air Force One to Dayton, Ohio, to take in an opening game of the NCAA basketball tournament. Obama, well-known as a basketball fan, was treating Cameron to a little March Madness, and the pair conducted the joint television interview at halftime of the game between Western Kentucky and Mississippi Valley State. Asked how he thought the teams were playing, Obama replied candidly. "Both teams are shooting terribly," Obama said. "It may be nerves. These are not teams that normally end up coming to the tournament." Cameron, asked how he was enjoying watching his first basketball game, said he was "enjoying it," and that Obama was explaining the ins-and-outs of the American sport. "He was giving me some tips," Cameron said. "He's going to help me fill out my bracket." Cameron's trip to the United States is intended to demonstrate that ties between the countries remain as close as ever. The White House labeled Cameron's visit -- which started Tuesday and will include meetings with President Barack Obama followed by lunch and dinner at the White House on Wednesday -- an official one, not a state one. That's because the label of state visit is reserved for heads of state, and Cameron is the head of government. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state. However, the White House statement said Cameron would attend a state dinner Wednesday night, the sixth of the Obama administration so far. "The fact that we are hosting the prime minister in the manner that we are demonstrates the nature of the relationship between our two countries; the fact that it is a special relationship," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday. On Wednesday, Cameron and Obama will hold talks at the White House and address a joint news conference, followed by lunch and, later, the White House dinner with full diplomatic trappings and toasts. Cameron and his wife, Samantha, will leave Washington on Thursday. "The visit will highlight the fundamental importance of the U.S.-U.K. special relationship and the depth of the friendship between the American people and the people of the United Kingdom, as well as the strong personal bond that has developed between the two leaders and their families," a White House statement said. Topics expected to come up at Wednesday's meetings include the coming NATO and G-8 summits, as well as Afghanistan, the Middle East, Iran and the global economy, according to the White House. In a joint op-ed published Tuesday in The Washington Post, Obama and Cameron emphasized the global benefits of the strong alliance between their nations. "The alliance between the United States and Great Britain is a partnership of the heart, bound by the history, traditions and values we share," the two leaders wrote. "But what makes our relationship special -- a unique and essential asset -- is that we join hands across so many endeavors. Put simply, we count on each other and the world counts on our alliance." Troops and citizens of the two countries "have long shown what can be achieved when British and Americans work together, heart and hand, and why this remains an essential relationship -- to our nations and the world," the commentary by Obama and Cameron said. CNN's Stacia Deshishku and Lateef Mungin contributed to this report.
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NEW: Prime minister, president take in NCAA basketball tourney game in Ohio .
NEW: Obama is "going to help me fill out my bracket," Cameron says .
The White House stresses a special relationship with Britain .
Cameron and Obama will hold talks Wednesday .
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(CNN) -- On a cold, rainy night in late November, Douglas Wright sat amid brambles and thick East Texas underbrush, watching over the body of his 28-year-old son, Alfred, who had disappeared almost three weeks earlier. "His spirits got to me: 'Daddy, I knew you would find me,'" Wright says, recalling the relief that had washed over him. Sabine County sheriff's deputies had searched for Alfred Wright but didn't find him, and volunteer searchers later found his body, his family says. A medical examiner says the death was accidental, but the family rejects that notion, citing what a different pathologist says appears to be "severe trauma" to his body. The Texas Rangers and FBI are investigating. Alfred Wright was last seen around dusk on November 7. The physical therapist was on his way to treat a patient. He had been having trouble with his pickup and pulled into CL&M Grocer, one of the few stores along an isolated stretch of Route 87. He called his wife, Lauren, and gave her directions to the store. Because their two young sons were home sick, she called his parents, who immediately left on the hourlong drive. What happened next changed everything. "The last time I called him, I just heard heavy breathing. He was in distress of some sort. He was not responding to anything I was saying," Lauren Wright says. Around 6 p.m., Alfred Wright disappeared from where he was last seen alive. When his parents arrived about 20 minutes later, his truck was in the parking lot, but he was nowhere to be seen. His father asked the store clerk what happened. He says she told him that she was out having a smoke when Wright "all of a sudden put his cell phone in his sock and took off like the truck was going to blow up." The clerk did not want to be interviewed on camera but did tell CNN that Wright "left on his own free will," a phrase she repeated several times. The next day, his personal effects, including his watch and ID, turned up on a nearby ranch. Deputies searched the property with cadaver dogs. His family says it was told by the deputies that Wright's scent had "disappeared" at a nearby creek. Four days after Wright vanished, Sabine County Sheriff Thomas Maddox called off the search, telling the family, "Your son's just a missing person. My guys are tired. We've exhausted our resources and funds. We're done," family lawyer Ryan MacLeod says. Family members say the sheriff told them that "there was no foul play" and that Wright's disappearance was probably "drug-related," most likely related to methamphetamine. The sheriff's daughter and Wright apparently knew each other through their health care jobs, which made the sheriff's actions even more surprising to the Wrights, who were left to search for their son on their own. He had been missing for 19 days when, during Thanksgiving week, dozens of volunteers did their own search in the cold and rain. Wright's body was found nearly three weeks after his truck broke down, in an area of the ranch supposedly already searched by deputies. 'He was neatly laid' Walking to the spot, Douglas Wright describes the position in which his son lay: "His head was in this area, and his feet was back here. He was just, if I might say, he was neatly laid. He was neatly laid." Alfred Wright was wearing only boxer shorts, tennis shoes and a single sock, inside of which was his cell phone, just as the clerk had described. The second sock was under the body. "I was told by the mortician at the autopsy that when they pulled off his left sock, his keys was under his left foot in his shoe," his father says. "What was weird about his sock," says his father, is that it "was clean, and his sock was pulled up with his phone stuck in it as if he was in a Sunday school class. Neat. His tennis shoes was very clean." And not just the position of the body seemed strange. "This is the first thing I noticed -- how smooth his forearms and his back was. No scratches at all," his father says. After just one day, he and the other volunteers were caked in mud and their clothing torn from brambles, he says. Alfred Wright was missing an ear, two front teeth, and his throat appeared to be cut. The medical examiner attributed the trauma to "animal and insect activity." What's more, in an echo of the sheriff's prediction, the coroner's toxicology report described Wright's body as filled with drugs -- cocaine, meth and amphetamines. His death was ruled "accidental" due to a "combined drug intoxication." His family doesn't believe it. Family members say they never saw him do drugs, nor had his personality changed to suggest he was using drugs. They say he was the fun-loving, hardworking father he had always been. They want to know if the drugs entered his body while he was missing. Suspicious of the investigation, the family hired their own pathologist, who ultimately did a separate autopsy and, contrary to the medical examiner, found what appears to be "severe trauma to the neck and head." A month after Wright's body was found, Maddox handed the investigation over to the Texas Rangers. They have called the death "questionable" and say the autopsy is just one part of an active investigation. The week CNN was in Sabine County, the Texas Rangers announced they had called in the FBI to assist. After Alfred Wright's death, wife Lauren went through bank records. She found three charges her husband made at local hotels when she and the children were away the month before he died. Texas Rangers are pulling video from one of the hotels to review it for possible evidence. Feds, family seek answers a year after teen's mysterious death . CNN's Ross Levitt contributed to this report .
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Alfred Wright was missing for almost three weeks before volunteers found his body .
A coroner's report says his body was filled with drugs, and his death was ruled accidental .
Family members say they never saw him do drugs, nor did his personality suggest that he did .
Texas Rangers say the death is questionable and have called in the FBI to help investigate .
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By . Vanessa Allen . PUBLISHED: . 16:43 EST, 17 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:45 EST, 18 December 2012 . Bravery: Newsreader Carolyn Brown is going under the knife next month to donate a kidney to her husband of 18 months Bruce Connell . Newsreader Carolyn Brown is to donate a kidney to her new husband, she revealed yesterday. The BBC Radio 4 stalwart will go under the knife next month. Her husband Bruce Connell has been on medication since his own kidneys began to deteriorate more than eight years ago. He praised the bravery of his wife and other donors in selflessly ‘putting their life on the line’ by volunteering for major surgery to help others. Mrs Brown, 57, joked: ‘We’ve only been married 18 months. I thought he was marrying me because of my cosy little cottage in the country, it turns out he was after my spare parts.’ The pair met six years ago and married in summer 2011, just a few months before Mr Connell learned he needed a kidney transplant. He said his kidneys had been in ‘slow decline’ since he had a stroke eight years ago and last year he was told they had deteriorated so much that he would need regular dialysis if a transplant donor was not found. Mrs Brown, a Radio 4 newsreader and continuity announcer since 1991, said she had no hesitation over becoming his donor. She said on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour: ‘I’ve always felt quite ambivalent about donor cards, one of those people who thinks it’s something I ought to do but never quite got around to it. 'I knew very little about dialysis. I just knew how incredibly disruptive it is and how going into hospital three times a week for three or four hours just turns your life upside down. ‘So, as soon as all this got talked about, I thought transplant is the way we have got to go if we can.’ Mrs Brown laughed off suggestions she was ‘wonderful and selfless’. She said: ‘I’m doing it for very selfish reasons, I’m doing it to preserve my life and Bruce’s life and our life together.’ Two teams of surgeons will operate next month. One will remove Mrs Brown’s left kidney and it will be cooled and cleaned before the second team transplant it into Mr Connell. Risk: The Radio 4 presented has said she knows the procedure is 'serious' but expects to be back to work in six weeks . Mrs Brown said she knew it was ‘a serious operation’ and added: ‘I’m not underestimating it, but the recovery period is very short, I will be back at work probably in six weeks and I’m hoping to go skiing in March.’ Consultant transplant surgeon Paul Gibbs said organ donations between couples had become more common because advances in immune-suppressing medication meant an exact tissue match was no longer needed. Mr Gibbs, of the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, said waiting lists for transplants meant patients without donors could wait for years for a kidney. He added: ‘There’s between 6,500 and 7,000 people who are on the waiting list and only just over 2,000 a year get a transplant.’ For more information about donating organs, please visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk .
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Newsreader Carolyn Brown to donate a kidney to husband Bruce Connell .
57-year-old will have go through with the serious procedure next month .
Husband has praised her bravery along with other donors for risking life .
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By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 21:26 EST, 29 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:31 EST, 30 November 2012 . Lifelike: One of French artist Laurence Ruet's scarily realistic dolls . With her sparkling blue eyes, long red locks and pretty bow she looks just like a normal little girl. It's hard to believe that she won't start running around causing mischief or playing with the toy that she clutches. But the little red-head is actually a scarily realistic doll created by French artist Laurence Ruet. The doll is one of a collection of intricately crafted unique creations which normally fetch between 450 and 1,350 Euros each. Hardly a crying, walking living doll and a far cry from the Cabbage Patch Kid dolls of old, the creations are not advertised as toys but as collectors items. Each child takes Laurence around two weeks to craft and cannot be replicated - they are not made using a mould. Made from a malleable polymer resin, the dolls are cooked rather like ceramics with limbs and faces fashioned from acrylic. Laurence painstakingly shapes each child's facial expression - the hardest part to make she says - and seems to have a penchant for freckles. The eyes are made of glass and the hair either from mohair or real hair. As well as the dolls themselves, she also pays great attention to crafting unique cloths and shoes - with each child dressed in classical clothing. Living doll: Artist Laurence Ruet seems to have a predilection for creating dolls with red hair and freckles . Collectable: The dolls more often than not carry their own toy, but the creation on the left is a rare example of one without a doll of its own . She said: 'My aim is to give emotion. I am very sensitive to expressions like delicacy, timidity, surprise and tenderness.' The dolls range from newborn to nursery school age with 'mini-bebes' starting at eight inches long and the biggest creations standing at an almost lifelike 22 inches tall. Laurence of Dijon in France, who only makes a handful of the dolls each year, was a portrait painter until she discovered her love for creating the lifelike children 12 years ago. She now says that it is her favourite art medium. Range: The dolls come in a selection of different sizes and ages - with newborn baby dolls, children of nursery school age and boys and girls . Angelic: The dolls come with a range of uniquely crafted facial expressions .
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Laurence Ruet, of Dijon, France, starting creation the polymer resin dolls 12 years ago .
She spends two weeks beautifully handcrafting each one with its own unique expression .
The dolls fetch between 450 and 1,350 Euros and come in a range of ages and sizes .
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04ab6aa4f2953f3acc9368478263ab3078c413aa
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By . Jo Riley . PUBLISHED: . 12:54 EST, 26 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:54 EST, 26 February 2014 . These birds, butterflies, beasts and bugs are among hundreds of species which have become extinct in England over the last 200 years. Wildlife experts have today launched the largest ever online portal of information about the incredible 421 species which have disappeared from our country since 1814. The Species Recovery Trust, which is behind the Lost Life Project, hopes that by publicising this issue they can help prevent a further loss of biodiversity. Scroll down for video and the full list of England's extinct species . The Scottish Wildcat is much bulkier than a domestic cat, with thick fur and a non-tapered tail. They once roamed the forests and grasslands of Europe, but are now extinct in England, Wales and Scandinavia and numbers in Scotland are critically low with less than 100 remaining . 'It’s so easy to think of species . extinction as something that happened decades ago in England, but year . upon year we continue to lose species, at a rate which is far higher . than would occur naturally,' said Dominic Price, director of the Trust. 'Sometimes the list of extinct species names can seem rather dry and scientific so this project aimed to find as many pictures as still existed of these species, to give a fitting testament to the role they played in lighting up our countryside, and highlighting the tragedy that these lights have now gone out.' The Red-backed shrike became extinct in 1988 due to habitat loss, agricultural intensification and egg collecting. These birds, butterflies, beasts and bugs are among hundreds of species which have become extinct in England over the last 200 years . The black-backed meadow ant became extinct in 1988 due to urban development and inappropriate land management . The world is currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction event, with species disappearing as a result of habitat loss, intensification of agriculture and pollution, as well as other human activities. England’s lost species include ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, dragonflies, fish, fleas, fungi, mammals, moths, shrimps, spiders and wasps. The plant Davall’s Sedge was once found at a site in Somerset, but in the 19th Century it was drained for development and has never again been seen in this country. Ivell’s Sea Anemone, which was only ever found in England, has become globally extinct following changes in water quality as its one known site. The Trachea atriplicis or orache moth became extinct in 1905 due to the drainage of fens. The Species Recovery Trust aims to remove 50 species from the edge of extinction in the UK by 2050 through effective conservation strategies. The Gomphus clavatus or pig's ear fungus became extinct in 1927 due to habitat loss and degradation . In Victorian times the large tortoiseshell butterfly was widespread in southern England, but it became extinct in 1953 due to Dutch elm disease, which eradicated the main larval food source. The black-backed meadow ant became extinct in 1988 due to urban development and inappropriate land management. The great auk (left) was a flightless bird which grew up to 85cm tall and became globally extinct in the mid-19th century. The dainty damselfly (right), which has a blue body, was once found in Essex but severe flooding in 1953 destroyed its breeding sites . In Victorian times the Large tortoiseshell butterfly was common in woods in the south of England. But the beautiful insect has since suffered a severe decline and is now extinct in the British Isles. Causes of decline include climate change and Dutch Elm disease which eradicated its main larval food source. It is now found in mainland Europe, northern Africa and western Asia . The Species Recovery Trust has now launched an online database with information and images of England’s lost species. 'If we continue to allow these extinctions to occur, this country will soon be bereft of the biodiversity that remains,' added Dominic. 'We hope the website will raise awareness and knowledge about conservation issues in this country, and inspire people to become more involved in protecting their local biodiversity. Cladonia peziziformis became extinct in 1968 due to human disturbance, inappropriate use of burning for land management, the natural succession of heathland vegetation and high grazing levels . The Great yellow bumblebee (left) was once found across Great Britain, but habitat loss and agricultural intensification have caused its range to contract, and it became extinct in England in 1981. Chlorochroa juniperina(right), a type of beetle, became extinct in 1925 due to a decline of juniper, its host . Meloe variegatus became extinct in 1882 due to changes in land management. The Species Recovery Trust, which is behind the Lost Life Project, hopes that by publicising this issue they can help prevent a further loss of biodiversity . The Saxifraga rosacea (left) became extinct in 1960 due to overgrazing and pollution. Lixus angustatus nec algirus became extinct in 1928 . 'One of the primary aims of the Species Recovery Trust is to prevent this list from getting any longer. 'We believe that by both raising awareness about the tragic extinctions that have already occurred and focusing our work on the very rarest species in the UK, we can prevent further losses from occurring.' The Species Recovery Trust aims to remove 50 species from the edge of extinction in the UK by 2050 through effective conservation strategies.
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Wildlife experts have launched .
the largest ever online portal of information about the vast number of species which have disappeared from the UK .
Species Recovery Trust, which is .
behind the Lost Life Project, hopes that by publicising this issue they .
can help prevent a further loss of biodiversity .
England’s lost species include .
bees, beetles, dragonflies, fish, fleas, fungi, .
moths, spiders and wasps .
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04abb3aa3f121cc53e96e31a0bd250517508abf3
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If you didn't boast about it on Facebook, did it ever happen? The holiday brag is as common on social media as baby photos and cringe-worthy 'over shares'. And with a honeymoon being the ultimate holiday for most couples, it has become a regular occurrence to share envy-inducing photos and 'check in' to the destination when they arrive. Using this data, it has been discovered that Las Vegas is the most popular honeymoon destination in 2014 for Facebook users. What happens in Vegas: Las Vegas is the most popular honeymoon destination for Facebook users, according to a new report . Checking in: The findings have been based on honeymooners 'checking in' to a destination on Facebook . The Nevada party capital topped lists for honeymoons both worldwide and within the United States, while Hawaii destinations featured prominently - taking up five of the top ten US destinations for Facebook check-ins. Facebook based its findings on couples who 'checked in' somewhere more than 20 miles from their home location within two weeks of posting a marriage event on the social media site. Surprisingly, no European destinations feature in the list of top ten worldwide honeymoon check-ins. Hawaiian honeymoon: Honolulu and Lahaina in Hawaii both feature in the top three destinations worldwide and within the USA . Getaway: With US destination excluded, Playa del Carmen is the most popular worldwide honeymoon destination based on Facebook 'check ins' Hawaiian and Mexican destinations are clearly the most popular destination for honeymooners after Vegas, taking the top five places. Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, Montego Bay in Jamaica, Castries in St. Lucia and Gramado in Brazil were all included in the top ten. Antalya in Turkey was the only destination this side of the Atlantic ocean to feature in top ten worldwide. 1. Las Vegas, USA . 2. Lahaina, USA . 3. Honolulu, USA . 4. Playa del Carmen, Mexico . 5. Cancún, Mexico . 6. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic . 7. Montego Bay, Jamaica . 8. Antalya, Turkey . 9. Castries, St. Lucia . 10. Gramado, Brazil . 1. Las Vegas, Nevada . 2. Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii . 3. Honolulu, O’ahu, Hawaii . 4. Līhuʻe, Kaua’i, Hawaii . 5. Key West, Florida . 6. Poʻipū, Kaua’i, Hawaii . 7. Kīhei, Maui, Hawaii . 8. Gatlinburg, Tennessee . 9. New York City, New York . 10. Lake Buena Vista, Florida . 1. Las Vegas, Nevada . 2. Key West, Florida . 3. Gatlinburg, Tennessee . 4. New York City, New York . 5. Lake Buena Vista, Florida . 6. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee . 7. Orlando, Flordia . 8. Whitehouse, Texas . 9. San Francisco, California . 10. Miami, Florida . 1. Playa del Carmen, Mexico . 2. Cancún, Mexico . 3. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic . 4. Montego Bay, Jamaica . 5. Antalya, Turkey . 6. Castries, St. Lucia . 7. Gramado, Brazil . 8. Bodrum, Turkey . 9. Gros Islet, St. Lucia . 10. Malé, Maldives . When the USA was excluded, another Turkey location, Bodrum, also made the list at number eight. Despite being considered one of the top honeymoon destinations in the world, it was only when USA was excluded did the Maldives slip in at number 10. The data took into account couples from all over the globe. Surprising stats: Antalya in Turkey was the only destination this side of the Atlantic Ocean to make the top ten, with no European cities featuring . Popular: Montego Bay in Jamaica proved popular for worldwide destinations . Jetsetting honeymooners: The data took into account couples from all over the globe . More than 100 couples checked in somewhere more than 12,000 miles away from home within two weeks of their wedding, according to Facebook. Couples living in Spain who travelled to New Zealand and Peruvians who traveled to Thailand made up a large proportion of this group. Facebook users can change their relationship status to 'married' or add the 'got married' milestone to their life events in their timeline. Ultimate destination: Maldives only managed to make the top ten destinations when US locations were excluded . Romance: St Lucia is also a popular spot - and it's not hard to see why .
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Las Vegas tops both worldwide and USA destinations .
No European destinations feature in the top ten honeymoon check-ins .
Facebook based lists on couples who checked in to a destination within two weeks of posting a marriage event .
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04abb86f836211a26d9611ed65bef7308be47b8e
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By . Emily Davies . PUBLISHED: . 07:49 EST, 19 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:51 EST, 19 March 2013 . An antiques collector who sold a Chinese bowl may have lost out on £150,000 after forgetting he had another that would have made a lucrative pair. Tony Evans and his family were thrilled when his antique 'rice' bowl from the 18th century fetched a staggering £235,000 at auction. But it wasn't until after the sale that the family remembered a matching piece Mr Evans had given to son Simon 30 years ago. Tony Evans sold an antique rice bowl for £235,000 but had it been offered as a pair with another bowl he owned (pictured) experts believe the value would have increased by a third to nearer £650,000 . The second bowl is now set to command a . similar price when it sells as a single lot, making a total of nearly . £470,000 for the pair. But experts believe that had the items been offered together they could have fetched over £600,000. Mr . Evans, from Kent, had inherited the two Imperial porcelain bowls from . his father Fred who had brought them back from working in China in the . 1920s. The extremely rare . bowls are six inches in diameter, are decorated with pheasants and were . made for the Chinese Emperor Kangxi in the 1720s. Simon . Evans, a 55-year-old chartered surveyor, had no idea what his bowl was . when given it and has stored it in a box in the back of a cupboard for . three decades. Mr Evans, from East Anglia, said: ‘My jaw hit the floor when I found out my father's bowl sold for a six-figure sum. ‘A few days after the sale he suddenly announced that he thought there might have been a pair of them. ‘He had completely forgotten about giving it to me and I had also forgotten about receiving it. The second bowl is set to fetch a similar price when it sells as a single lot, making a total of nearly £470,000 . ‘It was my wife, Clare, who said 'oh . yes, we do have a Chinese bowl in a box' that prompted us to get it out . and low and behold there was the twin of the first bowl. ‘I had just put it in a cupboard for safekeeping and simply forgot about it. ‘I've decided to sell it not because I need the money but because I'm anxious about having something so valuable in the house. ‘It . is easy to wonder with the benefit of hindsight just how much a pair . would have been worth had we sold them together. A pair being sold . together must be extremely rare. ‘But it seems rather pointless to think like that now because it has been and gone.’ The . first pheasant bowl was sold last year by the Canterbury Auction . Galleries in Kent that had put a pre-sale estimate of £8,000 to £12,000 . on it. But because the . market for Oriental antiques is booming at the moment due to the . newly-rich Chinese buying back their heritage, bidding on it took off. It . eventually went to an anonymous Chinese buyer, who saw off 11 other . rival bidders to net it for £195,000. With the fees added on he would . have paid £235,000. Auctioneer Cliona Kilroy with the second Kangxi bowl which is due to be sold later next month . The same auction house is now selling the second bowl. Although the estimate is £150,000 there is no reason why it will not sell for a similar price. Tony Evans' father started collecting Oriental porcelain in 1925 during the time he worked for an Anglo/Chinese mining company in the port of Tientsin near Beijing. His son, now aged in his 80s, began his own collection in the 1960s and 1970s from top London dealers. Alastair Gibson, an expert of Chinese porcelain and consultant to the Canterbury Auction Galleries, said: ‘We obviously didn't know about the existence of the second bowl. ‘After the first sold for the significantly high price the vendor popped up and said he might have had a twin to that bowl. ‘Had we known it would have been nice to have the two bowls together in a single sale. Sadly, we didn't know.’ The auction for the second bowl takes place on April 16-17. A traditional chinese 'Phoenix' marriage bowl has sold for a whopping £260,000 at auction. The Chinese masterpiece would have been brought by the bride as part of her dowry to marriage. It . fetched £10,000 above the estimated price at auction at Chorley's in . Cheltenham, Gloscestershire, and sold to a mystery Chinese collector. The rare jade marriage bowl, which dates back to the 19th century, is . from a collection of the late Commander Paul Bridgeman of Dowdeswell . Manor, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. A rare jade marriage bowl is to be sold at auction and is estimated to fetch an incredible £250,000 . The bowl's ring handles, suspended from auspicious phoenix masks are typical of the form and the jade is of a pale celadon colour prized by the carvers of that era . Family members have passed it down over the years and the item was eventually handed to Chorley's auctioneers. The . jade bowl, thought to be around 270 years old, is a type which was . popular at the Imperial Qing court, the last imperial dynasty of China. It would have been brought with a quantity of gifts including . gold and porcelain, with jade being one of the most important of these . gifts. Its ring handles, suspended from auspicious phoenix masks are typical of the form and the . jade is of a pale celadon colour prized by the carvers of that era. The phoenix birds on the handles of this bowl are emblematic of new . beginnings or rebirth which is why it would have been given as a gift . from the bride's family to her new husband. John . Harvey, director of Chorley's, said: ‘We were delighted to be able to . offer this magnificent bowl for sale today and were very pleased with . the huge amount of international interest the bowl generated. ‘It will now be returning to China.’
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Tony Evans sold first bowl for £235,000 and later remembered second one .
Matching pair of bowls could have fetched £600,000 if he had sold together .
Bowls were made for Chinese Emperor Kangxi in the 18th century .
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04abe368013226100a98f7b342f743d20d205cbd
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(CNN) -- Rangers at Yosemite National Park in California recovered the body of a Minnesota man who fell to his death from a cliff near a waterfall, park officials said Tuesday in a news release. Kenneth Stensby, 73, of Edina, Minnesota, left a note with the concierge of his hotel on Sunday saying he was going to the top of Vernal Fall and planned to return around noon, officials said. The hotel staff contacted rangers around 5 p.m. when Stensby had not yet returned. Park officials conducted a search on foot with a dog team and a California Highway Patrol helicopter, and Stensby's body was found at the base of the 317-foot waterfall around 6 p.m. Monday, the release said. It was recovered Tuesday afternoon. Three California hikers died in 2011 when they were swept over Vernal Fall after climbing over a guardrail into the Merced River about 25 feet away from the waterfall. 2012: Boy drowns, another missing in Yosemite river . 2011: Bodies of missing hikers swept over waterfall recovered .
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Kenneth Stensby, 73, of Minnesota was found dead at the base of Vernal Fall .
Staff at the hiker's hotel alerted authorities when he did not return as expected .
Three California hikers were swept over the 317-foot waterfall in 2011 .
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04ac37aaca27b1f5c32dd8d03ccb152e171fb6f6
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Fallen: Thomas McGraw was awarded a Purple Heart after he was killed in Vietnam and now - decades after it was lost - it will be returned to his family . A Purple Heart awarded to a soldier who was killed in Vietnam in 1966 will be returned to his family on Tuesday - two decades after it vanished and turned up in an elementary school playground. Private First Class Thomas McGraw was awarded the Purple Heart after his death in an ambush in Vietnam on February 1, 1966, while serving in the Army's 1st Cavalry Division. He was just 19. His daughter, Robyn DeCuffa, was just a toddler when he died, and when she turned 18, her mother gave her McGraw's Army medals, the flag that had covered his coffin and a photo album from his military service. 'The medal was really all that I did have from my father,' said DeCuffa, now a 51-year-old mother of eight from Cortland in central New York. But years later, the Purple Heart disappeared while she was living outside Syracuse, where her father grew up. She said someone likely stole the medal, but she wouldn't elaborate. 'It was a part of him I could physically hang on to,' she said. 'It was devastating when it was missing.' Then somehow, in the early 1990s, the Purple Heart was found by Jason Galloway on the playground at his Syracuse elementary school. He handed it in to the front office. Although McGraw's name was engraved on the back, apparently no effort was made to return it to its owner. When school ended for the year, the medal was given back to Jason, who brought it home. Karen Galloway, Jason's mother, said the medal mostly sat in a drawer in the kitchen of her family's home in Liverpool. Every now and then, her husband would search the Internet in an effort to locate McGraw and return the medal, but had no luck finding any information. 'We didn't put tons and tons of effort into it,' she said. Then, last Christmas, the now 34-year-old Jason was visiting from Virginia when his wife saw the medal and asked why the family had it since Jason, an Air Force veteran, hadn't been wounded. Reunited: McGraw's daughter Robyn DeCuffa, pictured left, will receive the medal on Tuesday. It was found by Jason Galloway, pictured right, when he was a boy but his family were unable to find its owners . When she learned how it had been found, Jason's wife said it would be 'cool' to find its owner. Weeks later, she called her mother-in-law to say she had seen a local news story on Purple Hearts Reunited, a Vermont-based organization that returns lost or stolen military medals to veterans or their families. Karen Galloway contacted the founder, Zachariah Fike, who traced the medal's origins and located DeCuffa, a manager for Capital Region Off-Track Betting, and her mother Sarah Dallas, who lives in Mexico, New York. 'It almost feels like a miracle that this is being returned,' said DeCuffa, whose second-oldest son is an Army veteran and whose second-oldest daughter is in the Air Force. Award: The medal (file picture) will be returned during a ceremony outside Syracuse, New York on Tuesday . Fike will return the medal to DeCuffa and Dallas during a ceremony being held at the Cavalry Club, a former National Guard camp-turned-golf club in Manlius, outside Syracuse. She plans to display the award in the center of her living room. More than 150 people are expected to attend, including Dallas, the soldier's widow, as well as Galloway and her husband. 'I'm so excited about it,' Galloway said. 'He lost his life and I think that it's really important that it gets back to his family.'
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Pfc Thomas McGraw was killed in an ambush in Vietnam in 1966, aged 19 .
His widow and young daughter received a Purple Heart posthumously .
The medal was stolen and found outside an elementary school by a fourth-grader in the 1990s - but his family failed to track down its owner .
A volunteer organisation has now tracked down the family and the medal will be presented to the family at a ceremony on Tuesday .
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04ac4a30953affe042ba0f7c2333a0cd4a178a92
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Philadelphia (CNN) -- First came the whiteouts, then the blackouts. Utility companies scrambled Friday to restore power to the Northeast as hundreds of thousands shivered. A powerful snowstorm had moved Wednesday from the Midwest, arriving Thursday in the Northeast. It whacked a string of states along the way, dumping 13 inches of snow on Kansas, more than 10 inches on parts of Massachusetts and 4 inches on New York. In some areas, ice snapped tree limbs and downed power lines, causing massive blackouts. In Philadelphia alone, electric provider PECO said early Friday that 319,000 homes and businesses were without power. In Pennsylvania's Chester County, some traffic lights were powered by portable generators, CNN affiliate KFW reported. The vast majority of those who lost their power should see it restored Friday, though some may have to wait until Sunday, company spokeswoman Debbie Yemenijian said. Utility crews from Arkansas, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Canada joined PECO's workers to fix the damage, the company said. In all, more than 1,500 workers were in the field, it said. In the Baltimore area, about 19,000 homes and businesses remained without power early Friday, utility Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. said on its website. Tens of thousands more were without power elsewhere in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with a handful of outages remaining in Ohio as well. By Friday evening, more than 270,000 customers were still with power in the Mid-Atlantic states. The wet, heavy snow may have pleased children who got a snow day, but some grownups were not applauding. "Harder to push, not as easy actually to plow," said Boston snowplow driver Nick Sfravara. "It's definitely a challenge to get this stuff out of the way rather than the light stuff." Another system is forecast to bring snow to the region this weekend, but it's not expected to produce as many problems, CNN meteorologists said. On the West Coast, much-needed rain and snow should continue through the weekend. In Washington State, one person was killed and several others injured in a 28-car crash on Interstate 5 in Washington state after a new winter storm blew in off the Pacific, CNN affiliate KPTV reported. Portland, Oregon, got 3.8 inches of snow on Thursday, the fifth-greatest February snowfall since 1940. Thursday was also the coldest day in February since 1989, with a high of 23 degrees. A second round of snow is expected to fall Friday afternoon, according to KPTV. San Francisco received nearly three quarters of an inch of rain on Thursday. Another several inches are expected in the inland valleys and 8 to 10 inches in the coastal mountains through the weekend, bringing the possibility of flooding. Snow showers from the Midwest to the Northeast were expected to drop 2 to 4 inches of snow from the Midwest to the Northeast over the weekend. Cold air will hang on through the weekend, with highs 10 to 20 degreess below average. Another round of cold is expected to move Sunday into the Upper Midwest, with highs predicted at 30 degrees below average. CNN's Faith Karimi reported and wrote from Atlanta, and Margaret Conley reported from Philadelphia. CNN's Rick Martin, Monica Garrett, Michael Pearson and Tom Watkins contributed to this report.
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NEW: Northwest getting much-needed rain .
Utility workers head to Pennsylvania to help restore power .
Another system is forecast to bring snow to the region this weekend .
But it's not expected to produce as many problems in the Northeast .
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04acfefde18ce3ebc764ec8146dec3677c24fc44
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(CNN) -- Most Americans think of the Arctic as an icy, distant place; beautiful, remote and teeming with wildlife, but unrelated to their daily lives. Nothing could be further from the truth. This summer, big doings on America's northern doorstep will have enormous consequences to the economic, strategic and environmental future of the nation. Yet we are unprepared for the challenges and opportunities. What happens in the Arctic as ice melts there could soon cheapen the cost of the gas you buy and products you purchase from Asia. It could help make the nation more energy independent. It could draw our leaders into a conflict over undersea territory. It is already challenging Washington to protect millions of square miles filled with some of the most magnificent wildlife on Earth, and native people whose culture and way of life is at risk as a squall line of development sweeps across the once inaccessible top of the planet. Opinion: It's time to develop our Arctic resources . For America, the stakes are huge: A chance to gain wealth and global influence in the newest geopolitical playing field, but there is also potential environmental and security disaster if looming challenges are mishandled or ignored. If that sounds farfetched, consider the following: . -- Shell is poised to sink exploratory wells -- temporary ones drilled from ships -- 70 miles north of Alaska in a few weeks. The operation will assess whether an estimated 27 billion barrels of oil is there. This is roughly three times the amount that has been extracted from the Gulf of Mexico over the past 20 years. Shell Oil ship slips anchor; incident raises questions about Arctic drilling plan . Proponents believe a discovery would cut America's dependence on foreign oil and provide jobs and needed revenue to the Treasury Department. They say the oil could be extracted safely. Opponents fear a spill would be a disaster, being difficult to clean up in icy seas. More oil companies wait in the wings and also own offshore leases. -- In Washington, politicians are jockeying over whether to ratify "The Law of the Sea Treaty," under which countries abutting oceans will be able to claim up to 200 extra miles of undersea territory if they can prove it an extension of their continental shelves. For the U.S., that could mean extra territory the size of California off Alaska. President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush support the treaty, as does an oddly aligned group including the Pentagon, Sierra Club, oil companies, shipping companies and environmentalists, who favor the part of the treaty designed to help protect the world's oceans. Although every other Arctic country has ratified the treaty, in the U.S. it has been blocked for years by conservative senators who fear that it gives too much influence to multinational bodies. -- An undersea land rush has started under the treaty, with Russia claiming an area the size of France and Spain combined. Norway's claim has been granted, and other Arctic nations preparing to file claims. One U.S. Coast Guard admiral, speaking of the treaty, told me, "If this was a ball game, the U.S. wouldn't be on the field, in the stadium or even in the parking lot. We're last in this race." -- The Russian military has identified the Arctic as one of the likely places for conflict to erupt in the 21st century over resources. Even if actual combat never occurs, whoever controls the high north will wield enormous influence in the coming decades. Russia has 18 working icebreakers. The U.S. has one. Russia is opening their Arctic sea lanes to commercial shipping. The U.S. has no permanent Coast Guard or Naval presence yet in the high north, although both branches of the service are preparing to move north. Naval war games last fall anticipated security challenges in the near future: how to deal with terrorists in the Arctic, how to deal with a rogue ship carrying nuclear weapons in the Arctic, how to move a U.S. fleet around the top of the planet, how to help clean up an oil spill. Gamers concluded the Navy needs to prepare and needs more resources. -- The Northwest Passage is the long-dreamed-of, formerly iced-over sea route between Europe and Asia. This route around the top of Canada and Alaska has killed hundreds of sailors and explorers for centuries, locking their ships in ice, starving them, freezing them, driving them insane and causing survivors to eat each other. Yet in summers, that passage is now so clear that tourist ships routinely sail through it. Even private yachts make the trip. It is expected that commercial shipping will follow. That's because a single Chinese container ship sailing the Northwest Passage between Shanghai and New York instead of using the Panama Canal would save an estimated $2 million each way on gas and tolls. In short, the region is opening. For the past three years, I've spent much time in northern Alaska researching for my book, "The Eskimo and the Oil Man." It's about the grand challenges facing the world there, as seen through the eyes of an Inupiat Eskimo leader who is a grandfather and whale hunter, and the Shell executive sent to drill for oil off Alaska's North Slope. I sailed on the only U.S. icebreaker for six weeks, sat in on meetings at the Senate over the Arctic, attended a naval war game and met regularly with other oil executives and Inupiat leaders, whale hunters and families on the North Slope. That 4,000-year-old culture sits at the border between wise development and environmental anarchy, and the people of America's polar county will soon watch with hope and fear as the oil ships move north. Their concerns are not just local ones but should engage every American. If you care about the environment, if you care about gas prices, if you care about where our soldiers and navy may serve next, if you want the U.S. to remain strong and dominant in the world, look to the north this summer. Look to the Arctic. That's where much of our common future is about to play out. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bob Reiss.
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Shell is planning to drill 70 miles north of Alaska to see whether 27 billion barrels of oil are there .
Bob Reiss: For America, the stakes are huge in the Arctic .
He says opening of the region could cheapen price of gas and products from Asia .
Reiss: If you want the U.S. to remain strong and dominant in the world, look to the north .
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04addd1775f117dfd5dc3811e08c6fc34d78b664
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(CNN) -- Caroline Wozniacki is known as one of the fittest players in tennis, but even the rejuvenated Dane is feeling anxious as she prepares to take part in the New York City Marathon in early November. Wozniacki admits to having nightmares about the grueling 26.2-mile race, which comes just a week after the season-ending WTA Finals conclude in Singapore. "I dreamed one time that before I even got to the start line I was dead," Wozniacki laughs during an interview with CNN's Open Court. "Or I dreamed that someone had to get me through the finish line in a wheelchair. "So I don't know if I am that confident but I'm starting to get there. I definitely have a finish goal in mind but I want to keep it to myself." Wozniacki is competing in the marathon for charity, capping a rollercoaster 2014 in which the former world No. 1 suffered an array of injuries and a high-profile split with top golfer Rory McIlroy before making her first grand slam final in five years at the U.S. Open. She then continued her resurgence with good form on the WTA Tour's Asian swing, clinching a place at the elite eight-woman championships for the first time since 2011. "The running has definitely helped," she says. "In the middle of the year I had a tough time outside the court and in my personal life. "Just going for a run was nice to clear my mind and think about something else. Then you feel great about yourself as well. You get fit." Still, if you think Wozniacki is crazy for deciding to take part this year after tennis' tiring 10-month hop around the world, you aren't alone. Her dad and fitness coach both thought the same. "They said, 'You are crazy,' " Wozniacki says. And while two-time grand slam winner Andy Murray plans to one day run a marathon, he won't do it until he is retired. "That's an amazing effort, she's doing that while playing, because it takes a lot of training, a lot of hard work," he told reporters in Cincinnati in August. Wozniacki brought up the idea during a grass-court tournament in Eastbourne, England in June, where her career revival began. "I was sitting there with my dad and my team and I was like, 'Hey, I'm going to run the New York City Marathon' and my dad was like, 'No you are not,' " says Wozniacki, now ranked ninth. "So I made the phone call right there and then to my agent John (Tobias) and I said, 'John, look up charities I can run for.' "He was like, 'Funny joke' and I said, 'It's not a joke, I'm serious.' He came with a list that evening and I checked them out." Wozniacki eventually settled on Team for Kids, which according to the New York Road Runners' website, provides "free low-cost health and fitness programs to kids who would otherwise have little or no access to regular physical activity." Sports has always been an important part of the Wozniacki family, with dad Piotr a former pro footballer, mom Anna a former volleyball player and brother Patrik also into football in Denmark. Running a marathon had always been on her "bucket list," too, although it seems unlikely that Wozniacki would have participated this year had she and McIlroy not gone their separate ways. It was McIlroy who broke off the engagement. They were reportedly due to wed in November -- in New York. Wozniacki has stepped up her training while maintaining a full tennis schedule -- prior to losing to Serena Williams in last month's final at Flushing Meadows she told reporters how she believed it had helped her on-court fitness. She has run a half-marathon and through tennis may be equipped to deal with the "mental battle" faced by distance runners. "I know the marathon is breathing down my neck so I know I need to get out and run and it's great for me," she says. "I love it. "I think running a marathon is very mental. It's definitely a mental battle with yourself out there and I think that's the same on the tennis court. "Sometimes you are hitting the wall out there and you can't seem to get the points together but you just need to keep focusing, take one point at a time and somehow you manage to turn it around. I think it's the same in the marathon." Her reward when she gets to the finish line? "I told my friends and my manager to have chocolate and some sweets waiting for me," she said. "We are definitely going to go out for a very unhealthy dinner afterwards."
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Caroline Wozniacki won't be done exercising when the tennis season is over .
The Dane will be taking part in the New York City Marathon on November 2 .
Wozniacki has had nightmares about the marathon but that isn't stopping her .
After splitting with Rory McIlroy and getting over injuries, Wozniacki prospered on court .
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04b0a92133e49573d7b3d899c45f86952cb894d3
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By . Paul Donnelley . A male nurse accused of three murders has appeared in court. Victorino Chua, 48, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address for the three minute hearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court. Chua also faces 22 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, seven charges of attempting to administer poison and one count of causing poison to be administered with intent. Custody: Victorino Chua is alleged to have murdered three people and also faces 30 other charges . Chua wearing a Gap camouflage hoodie, was dwarfed by the prison officer next to him in the dock. As the charges are so serious, the case, and any bail application, can only be dealt with at the Crown Court, the defendant was told. Ben Southam, prosecuting, told the court: ‘Mr Chua faces 34 allegations. I would ask that the case be sent to the Crown Court for a bail and preliminary hearing next week. ‘Mr Chua is not able to apply for bail here given the nature of the allegations. ‘Bail will, in any event, be opposed by the Crown.’ In summer 2011, Rebecca Leighton, a 30-year-old nurse at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport was arrested and charged with the murders. After six weeks on remand she was released and all charges dropped. Police then went back to re-examine the evidence and arrested Chua, who emigrated to the UK from the Philippines more than ten years ago, in January 2012. Re-arrested: Nurse Victorino Chua, 48, is taken from his home in Heaton Chapel near Stockport earlier this week and has appeared in court charged with three murders . He then spent more than two years on bail before he was re-arrested earlier this week at his home near Stockport. The alleged poisoning offences relate to the reported tampering of medical records and the contamination of intravenous medicines at the hospital. Eight patients who were poisoned by contaminated products later died. Stepping Hill NHS Hospital, Stockport where 'every patient matters': Nurse Victorino Chua is accused of murdering three patients there . They were Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, Derek Weaver, 83, William Dickson, 82, Linda McDonagh, 60, John Beeley, 73, Beryl Hope, 70, and Mary Cartwright, 89. The deaths of Miss Arden, Mr Lancaster and Mr Weaver are being treated as murders. A total of 22 people were believed to have been poisoned when products were contaminated at the hospital in the summer of 2011. Chua was remanded in custody to appear at Manchester Crown Court next Tuesday. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Filipino Victorino Chua, 48, was arrested in January 2012 and kept on bail for more than two years .
Re-arrested earlier this week and charged with three murders .
Eight patients died after contact with contaminated products - three of the deaths are the suspected murders .
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04b0d79643bd8acaa5e202eb8236b9dcca0782c6
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(CNN) -- Calls by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary Hillary Clinton to "unite the world in the isolation of and dealing with the Iranians," in response to an alleged Iranian plot to kill Saudi Arabia's Ambassador in Washington, reflect a hubristic misapprehension of reality. The Obama Administration mistakenly believes it can exploit the accusations for strategic advantage. In fact, they are likely to play to Iran's advantage, not America's. The U.S. foreign policy community profoundly misunderstands the Islamic Republic's national security strategy. The Islamic Republic seeks to defend itself not primarily by conventional military power, in which it is deficient, but by forging ties to proxy allies around the region-actors with the ability to affect on-the-ground outcomes in key regional settings who are inclined to cooperate with Tehran. In some cases, these actors are discrete political movements, often with paramilitary capabilities, for example, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia political parties-cum-militias in Iraq. In other situations, Tehran sees public opinion as its chief ally. By contrasting some regimes' cooperation with the United States and Israel with its own posture of "resistance" to American and Israeli ambitions to regional hegemony, Tehran cultivates "soft power" across the Middle East. Iran conceives its strategy, especially in a period of relative decline in America's standing, as one that constrains unfriendly regimes in the short term and undermines them in the longer term. Over the last decade, it has helped the Islamic Republic reap significant political and strategic gains in important theaters across the Middle East-Iraq, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories. With the advent of the Arab awakening at the end of last year, Iranian decision-makers are confident that some Arab states' shift toward governments more reflective of their peoples' attitudes and concerns-and, hence, more inclined to pursue more independent foreign policies vis-Ã -vis the United States and Israel-will work to Iran's advantage. Iranian policymakers correctly calculated that virtually any successor to Saddam Hussein 's regime in Iraq would be a net positive for Iranian interests. Now, they calculate that a successor to the Mubarak regime in Egypt is bound to be less enthusiastic about strategic cooperation with the United States and Israel and more receptive to Iran's message of resistance. Iran's strategy toward Saudi Arabia runs very much along these lines. Tehran's approach is to highlight Saudi collusion with Washington and (at least indirectly) with Israel on important regional issues, thereby attracting support from ordinary Saudis-not just Saudi Shia but also Sunnis who dislike their government's pro-American stance. In the short term, Iran seeks to constrain the Saudi government from cooperating in military strikes or other coercive actions against it by making this an unpopular prospect for much of the Saudi population. In the longer term, Iran is working to transform the regional balance of power from one in which the United States, the Saudis, and other American allies dominate to one in which American, Israeli, and Saudi influence is marginalized by the diplomatic realignment of Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Turkey, post-Saddam Iraq, and now Egypt. The Saudi leadership tries to push back by portraying Iran as an "alien", Shia/Persian element in its environment. At times, this helps the Kingdom hold the line against the Islamic Republic's soft power offensive. But the long-term trend is toward rising Iranian influence. In this context, the notion of an Iranian government plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the United States simply has no logic. History also suggests we treat the Obama Administration's claims of Iranian government complicity with deep skepticism. For eight years, during 1980-1988, the fledgling Islamic Republic had to defend itself against a war of aggression launched by Saddam Hussein -- a war of aggression financed primarily by Saudi Arabia. Nearly 300,000 Iranians were killed in that war. But, during the entire conflict, the Iranian government never targeted a single Saudi anywhere in the world. This is not because the Islamic Republic loves the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is because Iran's national security strategy ultimately depends on appealing to the Saudi public not to support attacks against Iran, by harnessing popular anger over Israeli actions and U.S. overreach in the war on terror. Killing a Saudi Ambassador would have exactly the opposite effect. Whatever Mansour Ababsiar and his cousin may have talked about, it is wholly implausible that the Iranian leadership decided that this was a smart thing to do. The Obama Administration's calls for more concerted action against Iran will ultimately backfire-because they will be seen in most of the Muslim world (outside Saudi Arabia and Gulf Arab monarchies closely linked to Saudi Arabia) as the United States yet again leveling dubious life-and-death charges as the pretext to contain or even eliminate another Muslim power. President Obama, his advisers, and all Americans need to ask themselves if this is really the time to bring the United States even closer to another Middle East war fought in blind defiance of the region's strategic realities. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett.
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Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leveret say Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton reflect a hubristic version of reality .
They also say U.S. foreign policy misunderstands the Islamic Republic's national security strategy .
And that Saudi leadership is trying to push back by portraying Iran as an "alien", Shia/Persian element in its environment .
The Obama Administration's "calls for more concerted action against Iran will ultimately backfire"
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04b0f7886fef7f257b1901058c55e3af60750701
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What could be cuter than a tiny orphaned sea otter? A tiny orphaned sea otter that is learning to swim. The newest resident of Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, known as Pup 681, has become an instant celebrity, causing Internet users the world over to squeal with delight at the sight of her adorable antics. But it has not been all fun and games for the staff at the aquarium who have been working around the clock to teach the furry critter, who was found abandoned on a California beach in September, how to be a proper otter. Scroll down for videos . In her natural habitat: Pup 681 is taking swimming lessons at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago . The little tyke still has much to learn about being an otter from experts at the aquarium . Viral: Pup 681 has become an instant celebrity, causing Internet users the world over to squeal with delight at the sight of her adorable antics . Life is good: The 5-week-old pup is seen here enjoying her time in the pool under the watchful eyes of aquarium staffers . Fur ball: The little orphan weighs under 6lbs and measures 22.6 inches in length . Constant care: Pup 681 is currently being nurtured and cared for round the clock . Too hot to handle: Otters control their body temperature by jumping into the water . Miss Independent: The small sea mammal still has to learn how to groom herself, forage for food and eat on her own . Special diet: The baby otter is fed formula and solid foods like shrimp and chopped clams . Bright future: The plan is to eventually name the pup and have her transferred to the aquarium's otter nursery . Proud papa: A Shedd staffer cuddles Pup 681 like a proud dad showing off his newborn . The aquarium has released a heart-melting video showing staffers giving Pup 681 swimming lessons. In the 4-minute clip, the fluffy mammal is dipped into a small rectangular pool on her back under the watchful eyes of experts. The video also shows the infant otter being carefully dried with a towel, cuddled and fed from a bottle like a new-born baby. The abandoned orphan currently weighs under 6lbs and measures 22.6 inches in length. For now, Pup 681 will be kept away from other otters housed in the visible section of the aquarium as she learns to groom herself, forage for food and eat on her own, Washington Post reported. She is kept on a strict diet of formula and small solid foods like shrimp and chopped clams. In due time, the pup will be moved to Shedd's Regenstein Sea Otter Nursery. The pup was discovered on Coastways Beach in central California by a jogger four weeks ago, and immediately taken to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for care. The southern sea otter was severely underweight and had been abandoned by her mother at least 16 hours prior to being discovered workers there said, so it was immediately a rush to get her fed and healthy. A sea otter that was discovered all alone on a California beach when it was just 1 week old has been nursed back to health . Workers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium spent four weeks getting the pup healthy again . After four weeks of intensive care and stabilization in Monterey Bay's Sea Otter Program, the now 5-week-old pup, whose name is currently Pup 681, was transferred to her new home - in Chicago. Monterey Bay Aquarium reached out to aquariums in search of a facility that could provide necessary care for the pup, and the Shedd Aquarium in the Windy City answered their call. 'It truly takes a village to rehabilitate a young sea otter,' Tim Binder, the aquarium's vice president, told the Chicago Tribune. 'Our animal care team is teaching the pup how to be an otter.' Now, the 5-week-old otter is heading to her new home at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago . She spends her days swimming, playing with felt and drinking formula filled with minced clams . And Pup 681 seems to love her new surroundings, swimming around, playing with felt and enjoying meals of formula with minced clams. She is also learning how to feed and bathe herself. Best of all however, staff at the aquarium is hard at work picking out a name for the new lady in their lives.
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An otter orphaned by its mother was discovered malnourished on a beach in California four weeks ago .
Workers at the Moterey Nay Aquarium were able to nurse the tiny pup back to health .
Now, the southern sea otter has been transferred to Shedd Aquarium in Chicago .
Pup 681, as the tiny mammal is currently known, weighs under 6lbs and measures 22.6 inches in length .
She's on a strict diet of formula and solids like shrimp and chopped clams .
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04b2146d2b9d6fa8df5c80e2ea1e89a6143c6deb
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Plans to impose a compulsory ‘death tax’ levy of up to 15 per cent to pay for elderly care have been revived by the Labour Party. The idea was floated before the last election by Labour but was dropped after intense criticism from the Conservatives. But Labour’s health spokesman Andy Burnham has restated his desire to introduce the scheme that would see estates of the deceased taxed at 15 per cent. Scroll down for video . Labour has revived plans to impose a compulsory ‘death tax’ levy of up to 15 per cent to pay for elderly care . The Tory Party has again derided the idea after it emerged that Labour was holding ‘internal party discussions’ on the issue. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt described the levy as a ‘secret tax bombshell’ and said ‘pensioners deserve better’. The plans will prompt criticism that Labour is targeting the wealthy, who are likely to be charged on top of the 40 per cent inheritance tax rate. The plan would also cost the average Briton £46,000 on a 15 per cent tax, the Conservatives claimed. Labour health spokesman Andy Burnham said that the death tax was 'the best way' to fund elderly social care - but admitted the plan was controversial . The social care green paper was first unveiled by Mr Burnham in 2009, which included a favoured compulsory insurance scheme. A later incarnation, which suggested pensioners should pay 10 per cent of their estates rather than a flat rate of £20,000, was lambasted by the Conservatives. The Coalition has pledged to tackle England’s care crisis scandal by stating that no one will have to pay their care costs if they spend more than £72,000. The rising cost of care can see the elderly facing unlimited expense, leading to tens of thousands having to sell their homes every year. Mr Burnham said the death tax was ‘the best way’ to fund social care – but admitted the plan was controversial. He added: ‘It’s only where you create a system where everyone is in and everyone is then covered, that I think you’ll be able to help people protect their own homes. ‘If you have that system, people would pay, let’s say, ten, 15 whatever it might be per cent, well then they would be able to pay that as an insurance payment to protect the other 85 per cent that they would otherwise stand to lose.’ Mr Hunt said: ‘People who save all their lives deserve better than a secret tax bombshell if Labour were ever to get in.’
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Idea abandoned before last election after criticism from Tories .
But it has been revived by health spokesman Andy Burnham .
The plans will prompt criticism that Labour is targeting the wealthy .
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04b2d82e95fc5af26c5421aa81b45631e8aefcb8
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(CNN) -- U.S. gasoline prices have declined for four weeks straight and now average more than 20 cents a gallon cheaper than a year ago, according to a new nationwide survey. The average cost of a gallon across the continental United States of regular stands at $3.71, down 3 cents from two weeks earlier, said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey. Prices have fallen nearly 9 cents a gallon in the past four weeks and are 22 cents cheaper than at this point in 2012, Lundberg said. Lower prices in the Europe's benchmark Brent crude oil are largely behind the most recent fall. More U.S. refining capacity coming back on line after seasonal maintenance also contributed, Lundberg said. "From there, short-term, we may see more price-cutting soon, perhaps on the order of this approximate 3-cent decline," she said. "But the current picture suggests it won't be large." Gas prices broke a three-month upward spiral in early March, which had climbed nearly 54 cents since late December. The Lundberg Survey canvasses about 2,500 filling stations across the Lower 48 states every two weeks. The most expensive fuel in the latest survey, conducted Friday, was in Chicago, where pump prices averaged $4.10 a gallon; the cheapest could be found in Billings, Montana, at $3.33, Lundberg said. Average per-gallon prices in other cities: . Atlanta: $3.57 . Baton Rouge, Louisiana: $3.45 . Boston: $3.75 . Denver: $3.53 . Las Vegas: $3.72 . Memphis, Tennessee: $3.43 . Miami: $3.74 . Philadelphia: $3.64 . San Francisco: $4.07 . Seattle: $3.81 . CNNMoney: California could be next oil boom state .
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Cheaper European crude helps push down U.S. gas prices .
The average price of a gallon of U.S. regular was $3.71 on Friday .
The most expensive gas was in Chicago; the cheapest in Billings, Montana .
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04b387a5ab236cc64bc04df075f16510bc7be18d
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By . Sarah Michael . The idea to quit their jobs and buy a school bus started off as a joke. But for six Australian friends the idea took hold, and five months later they are in the middle of an epic road trip around the United States in a bus they gutted and renovated themselves. The young professionals - including a lawyer, a financial advisor and an engineer – started in Canada and have since driven through 18 states from the West Coast to the East Coast of the US. Scroll down for video . Friends (from left) Chris Crawford, Gerard Martin, Charlie Green, Olivia Murdoch, Lindsay Crawford and Matt McIver quit their jobs to travel across Canada and the US . The friends bought an old school bus, gutted it, renovated it and nicknamed it the 'Spruce Moose'. Here it is pictured in Montana . Charlie Green, 24, who worked in Sydney as a financial advisor before deciding to quit his job and join his friends in Canada, said the group got the idea off another guy's website after he converted a bus into a recreational vehicle. 'It was pretty much one of those situations where [friend] Matt [McIver] brought it up one day - hankboughtabus.com - and we just thought that was really cool,' Mr Green told MailOnline. At the beginning of the year Mr McIver, also 24, had just finished his university degree in Brisbane and was on a working holiday in Banff, Canada. He persuaded his friends Lindsay Crawford, 24, Gerard Martin, 24, Chris Crawford, 22, Olivia Murdoch, 21, and Mr Green to quit their various jobs and come join him to work as ski lift operators in Banff. The journey has seen them travel from Canada through US states including Montana, Idaho, Utah (pictured), Nevada, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania . The young professionals - including a lawyer, a financial advisor and an engineer - said the idea to buy a bus 'started off as a joke'. The group is pictured in Idaho . After searching online and finding a bus resale company, the group found themselves in Calgary, purchasing a school bus. 'It kind of started as a joke, like "How funny would it be if we did this",' Mr McIver said. 'Then it escalated to Gerard and I looking for buses, then we found a bus, then we bought a bus. 'It kind of just went from one of those crazy ideas to "We are actually doing this".' Their journey has seen them meet some interesting characters – including some elderly people in Arizona who were preparing for an apocalypse – and they even ran into former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the street in Washington DC. When they bought the vehicle in Calgary, Canada, it was an iconic yellow school bus but they stripped it and painted it white . None of the friends had renovated a bus before but Mr Martin, a mechanical engineer, did most of the carpentry and Chris Crawford did the digital design . 'We were drinking beers and walking along and she was walking towards us as we crossed the street,' Mr McIver said. 'I was just like "Hey Jules!" and she was on the phone but she stopped and excused herself and shook our hands. 'It was hilarious.' The group – most of who went to school together in Toowoomba, Queensland - purchased the bus at the end of January. It took two and a half months to renovate, during breaks in between skiing in Banff, Canada, and they worked in temperatures as cold as minus 30 degrees . The bus is nicknamed the Spruce Moose, because the friends lived on Moose St and they are Simpsons fans . It took two and a half months to renovate in temperatures as cold as minus 30 degrees. 'We did it on our days off while we weren't skiing,' Mr McIver said. 'Gerard is a pretty handy guy, he's a mechanical engineer, and he did most of the carpentry. 'Chris has finished an architecture degree so he did the digital design.' It was a yellow school bus when they bought it but they stripped everything out. After gutting the bus they covered the inside with plywood and insulated it before putting timber floor panels down . 'Getting rid of the seats was probably the hardest part, it was ridiculously cold because we had to go under the bus to undo the bolts because they were fixed to the bottom.' They then covered the inside with plywood and insulated it before putting timber floor panels down. The bus is nicknamed the Spruce Moose, because the friends lived on Moose St and they are Simpsons fans. On April 13 they left Canada to drive to Coachella Music Festival in California, and they finished painting it white the day before they left. The group of friends - most of who know each other from high school in Toowoomba - say the best part of their trip has been the people they have met along the way . The friends pictured at an Elvis Presley museum in Memphis, Tennessee . To get to California they drove through Montana, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. After the festival they drove through Arizona again, then New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Along the way they've been documenting their journey on their Project Moose Facebook Page. They park their bus in RV parks and sleep in it on the beds they customised themselves. 'We try to meet all the families and older people staying in the RV parks,' Mr McIver said. 'Everyone has been really nice and looked after us. 'The best part of the trip has been all the people that we've met.' Two of the boys ran into former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on the street in Washington DC while they were drinking beers . The group only has three weeks left on their US visas, so from Pennsylvania they will travel to New York and Boston. After that they will split up, with some going back to Canada and others returning to jobs in Australia. Mr McIver said the friends wouldn't have done anything differently – except for 'maybe buying a bus that had air conditioning'. 'I would say I guess there was a certain amount of risk, people think "That would be a cool idea to do" but a lot of people wouldn't have the perseverance or commitment to stick it out. 'We have a saying – "Everything comes up moose" – because for us there's always a solution. 'If something seems bad it always works out in the best possible way.' A map showing the West Coast to East Coast leg of their trip .
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Friends from Toowoomba in Queensland are in the middle of an epic road trip around the United States and Canada .
The six Australians in their 20s bought a school bus, gutted it, renovated it and nicknamed it the 'Spruce Moose'
Along the way they have met some interesting characters – and even ran into former Australian PM Julia Gillard .
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The husband of a jogger found strangled in a park has been charged with her murder, police said Sunday, days after they warned female runners to take extra precautions until the killer was caught. Authorities announced the arrest of 48-year-old Christopher Murray at a Sunday afternoon news conference. His 46-year-old wife, Constance, was found dead Tuesday in Pennypack Park in northeast Philadelphia. The mother of two had been out running the night before. 'The reality was he became a suspect early on and remained a suspect until he confessed,' Lt. Philip Riehl said. Killed: Christopher Murray has confessed to strangling his wife Constance after an argument. Her body was found in a cemetery last Tuesday morning in a Philadelphia suburb . Riehl said Murray has expressed remorse. 'I think it was more of a rage incident more than premeditated,' he said. Investigators say Murray trailed his wife in a car while she went out Monday night, and the two began to argue. Police say Murray continued to follow her, and the pair went to a bench at the park where they continued to fight. 'She went up there voluntarily to talk to him about whatever was going on and things went bad,' Riehl said. Christopher Murray strangled his wife and left her body near the bench, police said. He called police early Wednesday to report her missing, and a woman walking her dog found Connie Murray's body a few hours later. Surveillance video showed Christopher Murray in his vehicle, and he was taken in for questioning Saturday night, police said. Riehl said aspects of his story didn't add up. He failed a lie detector test and then confessed, Riehl said. On Friday a $36,000 reward was offered for information leading to her disappearance. Confession: Police say Christopher Murray, pictured with his wife Constance and the couple's two daughters admitted to strangling her . Connie Murray's headphones and cellphone were recovered in a sewer near to wear her body was found along the edge of a wooded area of Pennypack Park near Holme-Crisp Cemetery. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled. Her funeral was held Sunday. The couple have two daughters, ages 12 and 15. In a phone interview with the Philadelphia Daily News last week, Christopher Murray described his wife's death as 'devastating' and said she was 'a beautiful woman, a loving, caring mother, a fabulous friend.' The married mother was not sexually assaulted but bruising showed that a minor struggle had taken place. A large gathering of friends and family, including her two young daughters, were seen embracing each other outside the Murray home on Wednesday. she was found dead. Local residents have been left stunned in the leafy, suburban community. Court papers weren't immediately available, and it's unclear if Murray has an attorney. Murray was denied bail, and no attorney is listed for him in court papers. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 27. Investigation: Police were initially baffled by the mysterious nature of the crime and struggled to find a motive .
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Constance Murray was found dead on Tuesday morning after she was strangled on Monday night while out running .
On Sunday police arrested her husband Christopher Murray after he confessed to killing her .
Murray claims he followed her when she went running, the couple had an argument and he strangled her .
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At the school my two eldest children go to they have a unique form of parental torture surely invented purely to make my life a misery once a year. ‘Open Homework’: these two words do not belong together do they? Like ‘sugar’ and ‘free’ or ‘drink’ and ‘moderation’ they should never be in the same sentence. So, what, exactly is ‘Open Homework’? Well, it’s just like normal homework — only worse. Lorraine has recently come into contact with 'Open Homework' which has seen her attempt various dubious tasks including knitting in order to encourage her daughter's creative thinking . It’s the kind of homework the tyrannical teacher from Matilda would set; Miss Trunchbull homework. The idea behind Open Homework is to encourage creative free-thinking in a young mind (a dangerous concept to start with for my rebellious pre-teen girls). What happens is a subject is given and you can do whatever you want with it: build a sculpture, write an essay, set it to music, turn it into performance art, make an omelette; anything as long as you can explain the mental acrobatics which helped you come up with your idea in the first place. Lorraine says that working full-time and Open Homework does not mix . Past themes of this annual working-mum-stress-increaser have included ‘flight’ and ‘black and white’. I marvel at some of the pupils’ resulting creations, really I do. Even though parents are forbidden from helping, some of the work is so magnificent it looks like it has been handed in by architect Zaha Hadid or crafted by Professor Brian Cox. Ours, however, tend to end up looking like they’ve been made in the craft room at a lunatic asylum by an inmate with questionable motor skills. This is because I really do try not to help, despite Open Homework sucking up most of my evenings and once waking me up in the middle of the night with a nightmare about the toddler getting hold of the wood glue and sticking a rug to the floor. This project throws me into a week-long Sunday-night-gloom, looming large in the lengthy daily to-do list because my children enthusiastically throw everything they have got at it. When I suggest a little editing of their ideas, some focus perhaps, or possibly a less ambitious ‘build’, as Kevin from Grand Designs would say, I am shushed. I am sent out with a shopping list that once included ‘something that looks like a bug’s eye’. We’ve made board games, built aeroplanes and once Gracie asked me to construct a life-size model of a Friesian cow. Even Blue Peter couldn’t do that, I say, but she replies: ‘Maybe we could knit one and stuff it.’ In a busy household of four children aged three to 12, this kind of project takes over. Bits of the different creations are to be found drying/setting/cooking everywhere. On Sunday I heard Gracie describing Open Homework to her grandma on the phone: ‘It’s this fun thing we do that Mum hates,’ she said. ‘Mum sort of comes up with an idea and then we do it for her.’ I feel the meaning of the mission has been lost. This year we have the number ‘100’ as the theme — no doubt inspired by the centenary of the war. Of course Gracie does not want to do something so obvious as this anniversary. ‘God mum, everyone will do that,’ she says. And so begins the fraught discussion of ideas. She will have ten, develop five into an embryonic project for which all manner of empty jam jars, egg boxes, candles and silver paint will be required. By day three of Open Homework I will feel like lying down in the middle of the road clutching a sign saying ‘do not resuscitate’ as she narrows down her choice to one idea. The girls approach this with far more enthusiasm than any other homework. Perhaps because of my antipathy they love it as much as I fear it. Maybe if I didn’t work I would have more time and enjoy taking part? Maybe not. I find normal homework, especially maths, gruelling but this no-rules homework pains me more. And we never have enough glue. We have now come up with an idea after hours of discussion. Does anyone know where I can get something that looks like a small marsupial? Lorraine Candy is editor in chief of Elle magazine.
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Lorraine Candy has recently been introduced to 'Open Homework'
The idea behind Open Homework is to encourage creative free-thinking .
It has seen Lorraine indulge in dubious new hobbies such as knitting .
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04b43299114d0be071cde7dfb11b86aa378f4909
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(CNN) -- Firefighters in Washington have contained a massive blaze that started on one house's roof and spread to at least 15 other homes, authorities said. Stacked logs at a saw mill were also engulfed by the fire and helped fuel the flames, Yakima County Fire Chief George Spencer said late Saturday. "We're talking thousands and thousands of logs. It'll take about three or four days for that to burn out," he said. Authorities said the fire started around 2 p.m. Saturday in the town of White Swan, located on the Yakama Indian Reservation. Investigators do not know what caused the fire, Sgt. George Town of the Yakima County Sheriff's Office said. Firefighters have not official determined what sparked the blaze, but are considering it to be accidental, Spencer said. He said the fire may have destroyed or damaged at least 15 and as many as 20 homes. At least 60 firefighters from 12 different fire departments battled the flames for more than eight hours. Two firefighters sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
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NEW: Stacked logs at a saw mill were also engulfed by the fire .
The fire is on the Yakama Indian Reservation .
Two firefighters are injured while battling the blaze .
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04b5d78a29aa88ad18026f240b8500666f8f70d6
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Val Kilmer was rushed to the hospital on Monday after 911 was called from his Malibu home. The Batman Forever actor was 'bleeding from his mouth,' according to a Friday report from TMZ. It was claimed the 55-year-old star - who had several blockbusters in the 1980s - has been suffering from a throat tumor. Scroll down for video . Mending: Val Kilmer, pictured in 2013, was rushed to the hospital on Monday after bleeding from his mouth due to a throat tumor, TMZ has reported . Covering his throat: The Heat star was last seen on January 16 with a scarf around his neck during a Lakers game which he attended with his son Jack . 'Someone called 911 and reported bleeding,' a source told the site.. The star - who worked with Tom Cruise on 1986's Top Gun - was taken to UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, it was added. 'Doctors performed surgery and he's currently recovering,' a source also said. The throat tumor does not appear to be new. It is not known if the actor was a smoker, but he was seen in 2005 dragging on a cigarette while in London for a photo call for the play The Postman Always Rings Twice. He has lit up: It is not known if the actor was a smoker, but here he is seen in London in 2005 puffing on one during a photo call for the play The Postman Always Rings Twice . A changing man: The LA native looked heavier in 2006 (left) and much thinner in 2014 (right) Almost unrecognizable: The Tombstone star looked very trim in December 2014 while Christmas shopping in Malibu at Levi's . When the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang star was in small claims court in October he told a judge he was unable to speak because his tongue was swollen. He was in court because of a dispute that had to do with his home and renovations made there. Sources told TMZ that his family is 'upset' because they feel the actor has 'ignored the [tumor] problem and allowed it to get worse.' Not the most memorable Dark Knight: The ex-husband of Joanne Whalley in a Batsuit as he's pictured with Chris O'Donnell's Robin in 1995's Batman Forever . He was the Ice Man: Val (left) Tom Cruise (right) in the military drama Top Gun in 1986 . The Heat star was seen on January 16 with a scarf around his neck during a Lakers game which he attended with his son Jack. In December, while at an LA Clippers game, he had a grey sweater tied around his neck. In August Val looked much thinner when running errands in Malibu. TMZ reported at the time the star had been exercising more with regular walks. He also looked gaunt in December while Christmas shopping at Levi's. The year before he had looked much fuller. In 2006 she showed off a 'pot belly' while at the beach. Kilmer was married to Joanne Whalley from 1988 to 1996. In addition to Jack, he has a daughter Mercedes, 23. Not in the best health?: In December, while at an LA Clippers game, the 55-year-old star had a grey sweater tied around his neck .
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Kilmer 'bled from his mouth' on Monday while at his Malibu home .
911 was called by a friend and the Top Gun star was taken to the hospital .
A source has said they believe the 55-year-old has a throat tumor .
The actor was last seen on January 16 in LA with a scarf on his neck .
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04b636e2f38878fed51bdf38d1c54ec6635aa2fd
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By . Will Stewart . Secret services fugitive Edward Snowden claimed on Sunday that US government officials 'want to kill me' in an interview with a German TV channel. The intelligence leaker's Moscow lawyer had already voiced similar fears after controversial comments from unattributed sources. Snowden - currently hiding from US justice in Russia, where he is believed to be under the protection of the The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) - said he has received threats on his life. 'These people, and they are government officials, have said they would love to put a bullet in my head or poison me when I come out of the supermarket, and then watch as I die in the shower,' he said. Still hiding: Edward Snowden, 30, has revealed he has received threats against his life in the wake of his intelligence leaking scandal . The translated Snowden quotes were issued by German public television netowork ARD with the promise of further comments from the renegade intelligence contractor. The interview was broadcast in Moscow in secret. Snowden's concerns follow a BuzzFeed article entitled 'American Spies Want Edward Snowden Dead', which cited an alleged Pentagon official. 'I would love to put a bullet in his head,' said the source, who was not named. A current analyst for the National Security Agency - where Snowden used to work - was quoted as saying he would not hesitate in murder Snowden. 'In a world where I would not be restricted from killing an American, I personally would go and kill him myself,' they said. US President Barack Obama speaks about the . National Security Agency (NSA) and intelligence agencies surveillance . techniques in the US, reacting to leaks by former N.S.A contractor . Edward Snowden . In the speech Obama said more could be done to . protect the civil liberties of his citizens, and also pledged to end . spying on friendly heads of state . And an unnamed army source suggested Snowden could be 'poked' on his way back from a supermarket and administered with poison. Snowden 'thinks nothing of it at the time and starts to feel a little woozy,' he said. 'And the next thing you know he dies in the shower.' The fugitive's Russian lawyer said last week that additional security maybe needed for Snowden after the 'threats'. Snowden, 30, is wanted on treason charges after leaking highly classified details about the US - and the British - snooping on mobile phones and the internet. The American in recent days has ruled out a return to his homeland, despite a campaign to allow him back. In danger: Snowden took refuge in Moscow to . evade treason charges after disclosing U.S. state secrets on NSA . intelligence gathering, and now fears for his life and wants to increase . security . A man uses his cell phone to read updates about former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden answering users' questions on Twitter on January 23, 2014 . The 30-year-old said that while returning to the US would be the 'best resolution' for everyone, doing so is impossible because he believes there is 'no chance' of a fair trial. Snowden is barely seen in Moscow and officials have said since his arrival last summer that he is in danger from a possible hit by US agents. He received temporary asylum in Russia in August - a move that infuriated the United States and was a key factor behind President Barack Obama's decision to cancel a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin last year.
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In a new interview with a German TV channel, Edward Snowden reveals that threats have been made against his life .
The former NSA contractor says US government officials 'would love to put a bullet in my head'
He also shares claims of a poisoning scheme where he could be 'poked' exiting a supermarket and then die later at home .
Snowden continues to hide out in Russia .
He says a fair U.S. trial is hopeless as the Espionage Act 'forbids public interest defense'
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04b6dcf5df2af563255bb3f57761f32d2776210d
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(CNN) -- Facebook announced a major overhaul to its privacy controls Wednesday, adding a handful of features while simplifying and clarifying the ways users can already tweak their accounts. The changes, which will roll out over the next few weeks, include a new tool that lets users ask for photos of them to be removed from the site. Also being upgraded is a tool that lets users see what other people can -- and can't -- see on their Facebook pages. In addition, users will get more control over the apps they enable on the site by gaining the ability to grant permission for some access requests but deny others. Facebook says the changes are designed to help users better control, and understand, the information they're sharing on a site with roughly 1 billion accounts. "We deeply believe that surprises are bad," said Sam Lessin, Facebook's director of product development. "When users are surprised, no one wins." During its rise from dorm-room project to the world's largest social network, Facebook's most persistent complaints from users have centered on privacy. Online privacy advocates and even elected officials have objected on occasion to how Facebook handles user data. The company has consistently argued that appropriate privacy tools are in place, although Lessin acknowledged they haven't always been clear or easy to find. "It was pretty subtle, and we believe it wasn't clear enough to users," he said. Here's a look at some of the updates, which Lessin compared to some of the site's biggest changes in its eight-year history: . A "Request and Removal" tool for photos . Facebook users could already click to ask other users to remove tags of them on photos. But the new tool lets them request that photos be removed from the site entirely, and it gives the recipient the ability to do so with a single click. It also gives users the ability to select a reason for the request without having to begin a potentially embarrassing conversation themselves. "If you don't want something on Facebook, it shouldn't be on Facebook," Lessin said. "We need to give you the tools to address that in a straightforward way." More specific app permissions . Currently, approving an app on Facebook requires agreeing to a sometimes intimidating list of permissions for the app to do things like access your Friends list and post on your Timeline. New changes, which will roll out first on Apple's iOS mobile platform, let users give an app basic permissions to start with and then approve other, specific access requests when the app needs them. Not all apps will move to the new model, however. Perhaps most significantly, games won't change. Privacy shortcuts . A frequent complaint among privacy advocates has been that the controls that exist on Facebook are hard for the average user to find and understand. "[T]he privacy settings are confounding even for the most experienced digerati," danah boyd, a social-media researcher and privacy advocate, wrote for CNN during a 2010 privacy update. "People should be able to understand Facebook's changes and have choices available that allow them to make appropriate decisions." Under the new changes, there will be a privacy icon on Facebook's blue toolbar that takes users to the site's most used privacy tweaks ("Who can see my stuff?" "Who can contact me?" "How do I stop someone from bothering me?"). Help Center content for privacy will also be simplified, with tools that are currently divided between the site's Privacy and Security sections pulled together in one place. "Obviously, security and privacy are deeply tied together," Lessin said. "We knew that they were related, and we wanted to call that out." Expanded Activity Log . The Activity Log, rolled out last year, lets users manage the information that appears on their Timeline. The updated version includes new navigation tools and will let users more easily see photos, status updates or other posts that may have been removed from Timeline but still appear elsewhere on Facebook. It includes simplified tools to let users "view as" other people (a feature that already exists) to see whether they've hidden or displayed posts the way they wanted. Want to keep some Facebook activity hidden from your grandmother or your boss? This tool is for you. Lessin said new messages will begin appearing on users' pages, explaining the changes as well as more clearly outlining how existing privacy tools work. He said Facebook will also be killing a little-used "Who can look up my Timeline by name?" tool, saying new features will make doing so easier.
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Facebook announces a major privacy-control update .
Users will get a tool that asks for photos to be removed from site .
Privacy tools will be accessible from the top of every page .
Changes will start rolling out to users over next few weeks .
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04b722df3c6cb98a43e8e3a225ab77ce0ed2120a
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(CNN) -- Pollsters in Peru said Sunday that left-leaning Ollanta Humala looks poised to win the presidency, defeating rival Keiko Fujimori in a polarizing runoff election that pits the county's left and right against each other. Early exit polls released as voting closed at 5 p.m. ET gave Humala as much as a 5-percentage-point lead over Fujimori, the daughter of a former president who's serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses. Pollster CPI showed Humala with 52.5% of the vote and Fujimori with 47.5%. Ipsos Apoyo said Humala would win 52.6% of the ballots cast, while Fujimori would trail with 47.4%. A watchdog election group later released a quick count of ballots, showing Humala would win with 51.5% of the vote, vs. Fujimori's 48.5%. Official results are not expected until later Sunday. Still, supporters of Humala celebrated in downtown Lima, cheering the early results, waving flags and hoisting banners. One read: "Ollanta, Presidente." Peruvians went to the polls Sunday to pick their next president in a runoff election between two candidates with little in common. Humala, 48, narrowly lost a 2006 election bid, in part because many saw him as a close ally of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, intent on turning the country to the left. That's a point his rival, 36-year-old Fujimori, a right-wing lawmaker, hammered on throughout her campaign. At a closing rally last week in Paseo Colon, a historic avenue in the capital of Lima, Fujimori went on the offensive as she addressed a crowd of thousands. "There are recordings and witnesses that prove that this gentleman is a good soldier of Chavez," she said to cheering crowds. "I am not going to allow other countries to interfere in the sovereignty of our country. I'm going to defend it!" Humala, a former army officer linked to a 2000 military uprising, has tried to distance himself from such perceptions, swapping his trademark red T-shirts for suits this time around. In a recent interview with CNN en Espanol, he denied his goal is a Chavez-style social revolution in Peru. "When we speak about revolution, we're speaking about a revolution in education, which is something fundamental," Humala said. "We have to build our own future. We believe that the Venezuelan model doesn't apply in Peru." Like her opponent, Fujimori was forced to answer uncomfortable questions about her past during this year's election. She is the daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who is currently in prison on a 25-year sentence for human rights crimes. Many Peruvians credit the elder Fujimori with defeating insurgencies that ravaged the South American nation for years and for enacting economic reforms that stabilized the Peruvian economy. However, he is also criticized for corruption, having an authoritarian streak and the widespread rights abuses that were committed under his watch. During the campaign, protesters accused his daughter of planning to grant the former president amnesty if she wins, as she said she might do in a 2008 interview. She has since backed away from those remarks. Centrist candidates, including former President Alejandro Toledo, former Lima Mayor Luis Castaneda and former Finance Minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, cannibalized each others' votes during the first round of voting in April. In that round, Humala garnered more than 30% of the vote, while Fujimori ended slightly above 23%. Under Peruvian law, only the top two contenders advance to a second round. Peruvians are required by law to vote and some 20 million people were thought to have cast their ballots in Sunday's election. After the elimination of the more centrist candidates in April, Peru's 2010 Nobel literary laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, a former presidential candidate himself, described the race as a choice between "terminal cancer and AIDS." Andrea Stiglich, a member of the Economist Intelligence Unit team of Latin American analysts, said the election was a triumph of extremes. "This election was meant to be the election of a centrist policy continuity candidate, and what we have is a first round that has yielded a result between two extremes in the left and the right," she said before the second-round vote. Current Peruvian President Alan Garcia is not permitted to run for a consecutive term. "I will get behind whoever wins," he said on Sunday, before voting closed. "The task (of running the country) is not easy and they (will) need everyone's support." The new president will face many of the same challenges Garcia did: Persistent poverty, protests around the rights to natural resources and violence from remnants of a leftist insurgency that helped to make Peru the world's largest producer of coca, the raw ingredient of cocaine. On the eve of the election, five soldiers were killed in an attack in the country's southern province of Cusco, state news said. They were reportedly on their way to provide local police with additional security for the election when they were ambushed. CNN's Dana Ford contributed to this report.
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NEW: A quick count of ballots and exit polls put Ollanta Humala ahead .
NEW: Supporters of the former army officer rally in downtown Lima .
Centrist candidates cannibalized each other during the first round of voting .
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04b723f93cd3b06cafcb4b2f6e0355d28c8006ba
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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 14:49 EST, 11 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:09 EST, 11 October 2013 . A former cheerleading captain at a suburban Minneapolis high school was sentenced today to three years in prison for prostituting a younger squad member and keeping the money for herself. Montia Parker, 18, of Minnesota, previously pleaded guilty to three prostitution-related counts. She was immediately ordered into custody, and must spend at least two years behind bars before she's eligible for release. She must also register as a sex offender. Female pimp: 18-year-old Montia Parker, left and right, will serve at least two years in prison before being eligible for release . 'You were the leader of an attempted . high school prostitution ring,' Hennepin County District Court Judge . William Koch said at the sentencing hearing. 'And you did it all for a . pair of sneakers.' Parker . admitted that last March she told a 16-year-old fellow cheerleader at . Hopkins High School that the girl could earn money through prostitution. After the younger . girl agreed, Parker placed an ad for her online, then took her to an . apartment where the girl was paid to perform oral sex. The girl gave $60 . to Parker, who kept the money. The . next day, Parker drove the girl to another apartment, but the girl . didn't do what the man asked her to do - vaginal sex - and offered oral . sex instead. The client declined and no money was exchanged. The . victim's sister told Koch that Parker manipulated a girl with a . learning disability, and that she had trusted Parker whom she considered . a friend. Skipping classes: The crime was reported when the victim's mother was notified about unexcused absences and read the text message conversations between the two girls . She asked the judge to make an example of Parker, saying her sister's life had been destroyed. Her sister has since isolated herself, switched schools, and quit cheerleading, she said. Prosecutor . Joshua Larson asked that Parker be sentenced to up to five years in . prison, saying Parker was the'"instigator, designer, manager and CEO of . pimping this child.' Parker's . attorney, Leon Trawick, argued for time in the workhouse and probation, . saying his client was an honor student with no criminal history and a . bright future ahead of her. Parker apologized in a letter to the judge, which was not read in court. But Koch said the crimes demanded time in prison, calling her actions peer pressure of the worst kind. 'This took planning. It took preparation. It took follow through,' Koch said. It . was revealed in court that Parker had become familiar with online sex . ads after a former boyfriend tried to pressure her into selling herself . for sex. Koch said that because of that, Parker should have known better and should have protected the victim instead of exploiting her. The victim's family left the courtroom without saying anything. Parker's family declined comment. According to the criminal complaint, Parker posed as the girl's mother and took her out of school. The . girl's mother called police after she noticed changes in her daughter's . behavior and checked the girl's cellphone, finding messages between . Parker and the girl. Hopkins . High School has said it took immediate action when it heard of the . charges and followed its disciplinary policy, which includes permanently . removing a student from campus.
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Montia Parker, 18, previously pleaded guilty to three prostitution-related counts .
Parker will also be registered as a sex offender .
Parker talked her teammate into performing paid sex acts and kept the cash .
The business was found out when the victim's mother read their text messages .
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:39 EST, 5 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:19 EST, 5 November 2012 . Iain Duncan Smith said Barack Obama's White House had seen the national debt rise from $500billion to $1.3trillion . Cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith appears to have taken sides in the US election, less than 48 hours before Americans go to the polls. In an apparent break with impartiality before polling day, the senior Conservative defended Republican Mitt Romney from claims he is ‘stupid’ while warning Democrat Barack Obama’s economic strategy had created a ‘very worrying picture indeed’. The comments from a senior member of the UK government less than two days before voting takes place are likely to raise eyebrows on both sides of the Atlantic. The Conservatives are aligned to the Republicans, but David Cameron has played up his relationship with Mr Obama who remains hugely popular in the UK. British ministers of all parties have traditionally avoided commenting on foreign elections, because their government will have to work with whoever wins, particularly when the result is too close to call. But Mr Duncan Smith used a radio interview to hit out at the ‘appalling demonisation’ of Mr Romney while warning Mr Obama’s presidency had seen the US deficit had rise ‘gone from something like $500billion to $1.3trillion or so’. However, Downing Street today appeared to distance itself from the remarks. Asked whether David Cameron shared Mr Duncan Smith's concerns, the Prime Minister's official spokesman told a regular Westminster media briefing: ‘I don't think it is appropriate for me to be commenting on the US and the US economy and the record over the last few years this week.’ Mr Duncan Smith insisted he did not know Mr Romney personally, and was not necessarily a ‘fan’. But the Work and Pensions Secretary told BBC Radio 5Live: ‘The demonisation of Mitt Romney over here has been appalling really. He may have faults. All politicians have faults. But this is a guy who ran a state very well. ‘He got their debts and deficit down. He's turned around businesses. Whatever else you may say about him, he is not stupid, and he is made out to be stupid over here.’ David Cameron has garnered positive publicity from his relationship with Barack Obama including hosting a Downing Street barbecue in May last year . Mr Romney’s visit to the UK this summer was dominated by gaffes, including questioning preparations for the Olympics saying it was ‘hard to know just how well it will turn out’. He also described ‘looking out of the backside of 10 Downing Street’ and referred to Ed Miliband as ‘Mr Leader’. Mr Romney faced fifficult questions when he visited Downing Street in July . But Mr Duncan Smith blamed the British . media: ‘I think sometimes our reporting ... particularly the print media . have tended to convey a very shallow two-dimensional fight. ‘The American election has been appallingly reported, I think, in the UK. It has been misrepresented, the whole nature of it.’ He went on to cast doubt about on Mr Obama’s attempts to turn the US economy around by borrowing more money. ‘We don't want the American economy to go off the edge of a cliff, but at the same time, we can't sustain the level of debt that America is piling up with its increased deficits. ‘The present administration, they've gone from something like $500billion to $1.3trillion or so, so there comes a moment when these have to be paid back. 'So while we want America to grow, we also don't want it to grow though on just simply stacked up borrowed debt.’ Highlighting the importance of an American recovery to Britain's prospects, Mr Duncan Smith said: ‘The fact that it (the US economy) hasn't bounced back from this recession, arguably for the first time since the war, makes it a very worrying picture indeed - with unemployment really historically very high in the US and really not a lot of serious new economic activity taking place.’
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Work and Pensions Secretary breaks with the convention of British ministers not commenting on foreign elections .
He leaps to the defence of the Republican challenger and points out US debt has risen under Obama .
With less than 48 hours to go, the result is too close to call .
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By . Steph Cockroft . Vandals ironically daubed graffiti on a £650,000 Banksy mural - just hours before a wealthy philanthropist paid to stop the iconic artwork being removed. The elusive artist, whose identity is a jealously-guarded secret, painted three 1950s-style spies on the side of a £300,000 semi-detached house in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in April this year. But this week, vandals scratched a name into one of the spies' sunglasses, before messily scribbling it out. Vandals attacked one of Banksy's pieces of street art in Cheltenham by scribbling on one of the character's sunglasses - just hours before a millionaire stepped in to stop it being removed from the wall . The artwork featuring three spies, which is inspired by the town's GCHQ, . was painted on the side of a semi-detached house by the elusive artist . in April this year- and soon became the subject of an ownership war . Banksy made his name as an artist through his graffiti art, which he creates in secret, usually in public places. The vandalism came just hours before a millionaire stepped in to ensure the artwork stayed in place for the community. After the piece was created, the GCHQ-inspired artwork became the centre of an ownership war. Both the community and an art collector wanted to buy the piece from the homeowner. An art . collector offered to buy it from the homeowner and have it scraped off . the wall but the community wanted the painting to stay put . To abate the row, Cheltenham Borough Council issued a temporary notice to stop anyone undertaking any work to the listed property, which would include removing the painting. But . just hours before the notice ran out, Hekmat Kaveh stepped . in and offered the homeowner an undisclosed fee to leave the artwork in . place for the community. Mr . Kaveh said: 'Having spoken to many people over the last few weeks, and . reading many comments on social media, I have concluded that there is a . very strong feeling about this work. 'It . seems that Cheltenham generally is in support of, not only retaining . the Banksy in the town, but in its current location, where it was . clearly intended to be.' Hekmat Kaveh offered the homeowner an undisclosed sum to keep the painting in place just hours before a temporary notice put in place by Cheltenham Borough Council - which stopped anyone . doing any work to the listed building - expired . The move has been welcomed by the Save the Banksy Group, who had raised £115,000 towards buying the work. Group leader Angela de Souza said: 'I am sure the whole town extend their gratitude to Mr Kaveh for stepping in like this to prevent the loss of this artwork.' The move is still subject to receiving agreement from council planners, listed building authorities, the Highways Agency and Cheltenham Borough Council - but most have already expressed support. Speaking about the vandalism, Cheltenham’s . own street artist Dice67 - who previously put a layer of protective paint over the . work to stop the piece being defaced - said: 'It’s never nice to see someone defacing street art. 'But . at the end of the day, when you go out and paint on the street, that is . what happens sometimes. That is the nature of the game.'
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The elusive artist painted a mural on side of a house in Cheltenham in April .
Art expert wanted to buy mural from homeowner but public wanted it to stay .
Council issued temporary notice to stop mural being removed from property .
But vandals attacked the GCHQ-inspired piece by scribbling a name on it .
Hours later, a millionaire paid the homeowner to stop mural being removed .
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At 95, an elderly man from Denmark is still able to lift weights that most people a quarter of his age wouldn't be able to budge from the ground. Even more astonishingly, it was only two-and-a-half years ago that powerlifter Svend Stensgaard was rushed to hospital after having a heart attack. Yet a video filmed of him working out at the gym - in a room full of boys young enough to be his great-grandchildren - proves just how fit and healthy he is in later life. In the footage, the jacked Dane defies stereotypes of pensioners as frail and feeble beings clad in their bedroom slippers. Both standing and lying on his back, he is seen shifting a whopping 290 pounds of weight as he controls his breathing to establish a rhythm. Mr Stensgaard says in the interview that exercising, which releases a lot of stress-fighting endorphins, is comparable to a 'dosage of morphine' for him. Power pa: Svend Stensgaard, 95, showcases his impressive strength while powerlifting at his local gym in Denmark . Superman! The pensioner suffered a heart attack more than two years ago but that has not stopped him from doing what he loves the most . He explains that those closest to him are 'very impressed and also amazed' that he has continued to train despite his recent health troubles. 'I could barely lift more than 1kg in each hand,' he recalls. 'And so to add to their admiration, I lifted 130 kg in a deadlift.' At the end of the video, Mr Stensgaard adds that he was born to do this and has no plans to stop despite growing older. It gives him something pleasurable to do and look forward to. 'For me, I exercise because I can't think of myself sitting at home and doing nothing.' Determined: After suffering health problems, he could barely lift 1kg but now he is back to shifting 290 pounds above his head . Teaching the young'uns: Mr Stensgaard is seen training around boys a fraction of his age .
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Svend Stensgaard from Denmark is deemed the 'world's oldest powerlifter'
He can rival the strength of most fit youngsters by lifting 290 pounds .
Says family and friends are in awe of him following his health problems .
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By . Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline . We might not be quite ready to send humans to Mars, but that hasn’t stopped some bright minds coming up with ideas for what people might live in when they arrive. In a competition for Nasa called the 'Mars Base Challenge', innovators were tasked with designing living space for future astronauts. The winning design is one that intends to give explorers two bedrooms, two bathrooms and other six-sided rooms in a ‘honeycomb’ shape. Michigan-based designer has won a competition to design a home for future astronauts to live in on Mars with his 'Queen B' 3D printed design for a contest run by Nasa and Makerbot . In May this year Nasa's chief scientist Dr Ellen Stofan outlined the space agency's plans for Mars. In a series of talks across the UK she said we'll be there by the 2030s. But she explained there are key developments that must be made first . These include landing on an asteroid and building necessary components . This will ensure the first Mars-walkers survive a return trip to the red planet, she said. The competition was carried out by Nasa in alongside 3D-printing company MakerBot. It took place on Thingiverse, a website where people can share their designs for 3D printers. Contestants were tasked with designing their own abode using a 3D printer that future astronauts might one day live inside. The winning design was by Noah Hornberg from Michigan. Nasa asked entrants to design houses that could tackle Mars’ extremely cold temperature, high radiation levels, lack of oxygen and frequent dust storms. ‘My solution is to use the tessellating hexagon due to its compactness and modular potential,’ Mr Hornberg wrote in his entry. Mr Hornberg's design includes different rooms for people to use such as bedrooms and even a garden . Mr Hornberg says he chose the hexagon shape because it was less likely to break over time than squares . The hexagonal shape also allowed a number of amenities to be fitted into the separate rooms . Most of the time, Mars is clear, dry, cold, and clear. Clouds are very small, wispy and formed by carbon dioxide ice. It never rains on Mars because of the planet has a thin atmosphere and lacks a magnetic shield, the the one that cover Earth. Temperatures at the equator during the day can be as warm as 20°C. But at night, temperatures can drop to -90°C. This dramatic difference in temperature can create huge dust storms that can cover the entire planet for weeks. The maximum wind speeds on Mars recorded by the Viking Landers in the 1970's were about 30 meters per second (60 mph) with an average of 10 m/s (20 mph). ‘I have extrapolated on the idea of a fully functional apartment on Mars with all the modern amenities fit inside 16ft (5 metre) diameter hexagons. 'I think that to present Mars life to people and actually make it appealing to the public, it needs to feel like home and reflect the lifestyle trends of Earth living.’ He says his design, without any appendages sticking out, would be more practical for long-term living. And a hexagonal shape would also be less likely to distort or rupture under pressure than other shapes, such as a square. To stay warm, meanwhile, a large subterranean container would hold water to be heated in an underground electric heater. This would keep the bottom of the house heated, while the creation of steam would allow for steam-powered generators for energy. To stay warm, meanwhile, a large subterranean container would hold water to be heated in an underground electric heater. This would keep the bottom of the house warm, while the creation of steam would allow for steam-powered generators . In total the competition had 228 submissions, with first place winning a MakerBot Replicator Desktop 3D printer. Second place went to the Martian Pyramid from user Valcrow, who favoured the triangular shape. Their home was designed around sustainability and had a closed aquaponics system to grow food. The Mars Acropolis meanwhile, from project and design engineer Chris Starr, was a more complicated design that would have three greenhouses, a water tower to collect vapour from the atmosphere and even a runway. Second place went to the Martian Pyramid (illustration shown) from user Valcrow, who favoured the triangular shape. Their home was designed around sustainability and had a closed aquaponics system to grow food . The Mars Acropolis (shown) from project and design engineer Chris Starr was a rather more complicated design that would have three greenhouses and a water tower to collect vapour from the atmosphere .
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House is part of competition to design a base for astronauts on Mars .
The contest was run by Nasa and 3D-printing company MakerBot .
It asked innovators to find structures that would allow humans to survive .
The winning design focused on how to remain sustainable while coping with the hostile Martian environment .
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04bc4f5b03c530fe1263a262a72a2e8c136f31cb
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Being in the middle of an animal sanctuary in Jakarta, Indonesia was a huge change from the rugged Sumatran jungle where the Expedition: Sumatra crew and I had spent the last week and a half. We didn't set out to go to an animal sanctuary during Expedition: Sumatra. One of the local people we were working with suggested it while we were filming in the rainforest. We had a few hours in the schedule between leaving Jambi and flying out of Jakarta, so we decided to go see some of the animals we weren't able to see while we were exploring. Read more: The devastation of Indonesia's forests . We had a few obstacles to overcome, as usual, like rain and the nightmarish Jakarta traffic, but we arrived at Taman Safari Indonesia around lunchtime. At first, this seemed like a typical zoo tour. But, the head of Taman Safari Indonesia had other plans for us. We were going to see the highlight of the work being done at this facility: the animals bred in captivity to help preserve the species. We went to this small playroom which was the baby animal nursery. Here, there were a few caretakers and several Sumatran orangutan babies. There were also three baby cats: a leopard, a Bengal tiger and a Sumatran tiger. Philippe Cousteau and I did a debrief interview for the last show of Expedition: Sumatra and we talked about the experience at Taman Safari Indonesia. We didn't include it in the show, but he described the scene: . "We get in and the whole crew, everybody's eyes just got big and there's lots of giggling and energy. People were shaking. Oh my goodness. These are just the most adorable things on the planet." Read more: The battle to save Sumatra's elephants . It's an experience none of us will ever forget. Each of us was able to hold one of the tigers. We even talked about what it would be like to be baby animal caretakers. After the initial excitement wore off, Philippe reminded us that this is ultimately a sad situation. The Sumatran tiger cub had a defect in its back leg and was rejected by its mother. The orangutans were orphans. These animals will grow to adulthood and likely never live in the wild. The greater purpose of this nursery of babies is to make sure their species doesn't go extinct. It's a reminder of the tragic circumstances going on in the rainforst of Sumatra right now. If wildlife habitat cannot be saved, this kind of facility could be the only place where Sumatran tigers, orangutans and elephants will live. But with all the efforts of those trying to preserve this habitat, I'm hopeful that this worst case scenario will never become a reality. In 2011: Black rhino declared extinct .
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Jenni Watts produced Expedition: Sumatra, CNN's new environment special .
The team traveled round Indonesia charting some of the biggest issues affecting the country .
They visited an animal sanctuary and were amazed with what they found .
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04bd14e98c0b7a7d3d7c9d16d2c3cc9c8cc7864e
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By . Associated Press . and James Rush . The U.S. has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test planned for next week amid mounting tensions with North Korea, a senior defense official has said. The official told Associated Press that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel decided to put off the long-planned Minuteman 3 test, due to take place at an Air Force base in California, until sometime next month because of concerns the launch could be misinterpreted and exacerbate the Korean crisis. The test was not connected to the ongoing annual military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea in the region which have angered North Korea. Tensions: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (left) has postponed an intercontinental ballistic missile test next week. Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) has ratcheted up tensions with the West in the past week . Work: North Korean soldiers work beside their military fences near the demilitarized zone separating the North from South Korea, in this picture taken from an observation post of the South . Patrol: South Korean soldiers patrol along the military fences near the demilitarized zone . Hagel made the decision Friday, the official said yesterday. Meanwhile, South Korea's top military officer has put off a visit to Washington because of escalating tensions with North Korea that have also compelled more than a dozen South Korean companies to halt operations at a joint factory complex in the North, officials have said today. The tensions in the region have led South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jung Seung-jo to cancel his plan to meet with U.S. counterpart, General Martin Dempsey, in Washington on April 16 for regular talks. The allies have agreed to reschedule the meeting because Jung couldn't be away from South Korea for several days at a time when North Korea is intensifying its rhetoric, said a South Korean Joint Chiefs spokesman who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office policy. And with pressure growing on Beijing to get North Korea to step back from its war-like footing, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Sunday that no one country should be allowed to upset world peace and added China would work to reduce tensions over regional hotspots. In a speech to a regional business forum with political leaders from Australia to Zaire present, Xi did not offer any concrete plans for how to deal with China's neighbor, North Korea, which has elevated regional tensions through war-like rhetoric and missile deployments in recent weeks. Missiles: The launch has been put off until next month amid fears it could increase tensions in Korea (file pictures) Missile threat: A North Korean military vehicle carries a missile through Pyongyang. The state has repeatedly threatened to attack the U.S. and South Korea . Xi did not offer concessions to other . neighbors locked in fraught disputes with Beijing over outlying islands . - Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam. It isn't clear whether Xi was taking a . swipe at North Korea or at the United States, a frequent target of . Chinese criticism, when he criticized unilateral acts that threaten . stability. 'The international community should . advocate the vision of comprehensive security and co-operative security, . so as to turn the global village into a big stage for common development . rather than an arena where gladiators fight each other. Speech: Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured last month) has said no one country should be allowed to upset world peace and added China would work to reduce tensions over regional hotspots . 'And no one should be allowed to . throw the region, or even the whole world, into chaos for selfish . gains,' Xi said at the Boao Forum for Asia, a China-sponsored talk shop . for the global elite. The North's military warned this week . that it was authorized to attack the U.S. using 'smaller, lighter and . diversified' nuclear weapons. South . Korean officials say North Korea has moved at least one missile with . 'considerable range' to its east coast - possibly the untested Musudan . missile, believed to have a range of 1,800 miles. U.S. officials have said the move . suggests a North Korean launch could be imminent. But while Washington . is taking the North Korean threats seriously, U.S. leaders say they have . seen no visible signs that the North is preparing for a large-scale . attack. North Korea . held its latest nuclear test in February, and in December it launched a . long-range rocket that potentially could hit the continental U.S. Increasing tensions is the uncertainty around the intentions of the . country's new young leader, Kim Jong Un. North . Korea has been angered by increasing sanctions and the U.S.-South . Korean military exercises, which have included a broad show of force . ranging from stealthy B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters to a wide array of . ballistic missile defense-capable warships. The exercises are scheduled . to continue through the end of the month. This week, the U.S. said two of the . Navy's missile-defense ships were moved closer to the Korean peninsula, . and a land-based system is being deployed to the Pacific territory of . Guam later this month. The Pentagon last month announced longer-term . plans to strengthen its U.S.-based missile defenses. The defense official, who was not . authorized to speak publicly about the Minuteman 3 test delay and . requested anonymity, said U.S. policy continues to support the building . and testing of its nuclear deterrent capabilities. The official said the . launch was not put off because of any technical problems. The globe-circling intercontinental . ballistic missiles make up one of the three legs of America's nuclear . arsenal. About 450 Minuteman 3 missiles are based in underground silos . in the U.S. The other two legs of the nuclear arsenal are . submarine-launched ballistic missiles and weapons launched from big . bombers, such as the B-52 and the stealthy B-2. The traditional rationale for the 'nuclear triad' of weaponry is that it is essential to surviving any nuclear exchange.
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Fears the long-planned Minuteman 3 test could be misinterpreted .
Test not connected to ongoing U.S. and South Korean military exercises .
South Korean top military officer puts off visit to Washington .
North Korea has been angered by the annual exercises carried out in region .
Chinese president says no country should be allowed to upset world peace .
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By . Pa Reporter . Louis van Gaal's Manchester United travel to Sunderland looking to pick up their first points of the season after an opening-day defeat to Swansea at Old Trafford. But Sunderland won't roll over easily. Gus Poyet's men pulled off the great escape last year, winning four of their final five games, including a historic 1-0 victory at United. Ahead of Sunday's Premier League action, Sportsmail will be providing you with all you need to know about every fixture, with team news, provisional squads, betting odds and Opta stats... Here is all the information you need for Sunderland's home clash with Manchester United... Sunderland vs Manchester United (The Stadium of Light) Kick-off: Sunday 4pm - Sky Sports 1 . Odds (subject to change): . Sunderland 7/2 . Draw 11/4 . Manchester United 8/11 . Referee: Martin Atkinson . Managers: Gus Poyet (Sunderland), Louis van Gaal (Manchester United) Head-to-head league record: Sunderland wins 38, draws 28, Manchester United wins 56 . Team news . Sunderland . Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet will welcome defenders Billy Jones and Santiago Vergini back into his squad for Sunday's Barclays Premier League visit of Manchester United. Jones missed the 2-2 draw with former club West Brom last weekend because of a troublesome hamstring, while Vergini is understood to have sat out because of an administrative problem - but both will be available this weekend. Back in control: Billy Jones (left) could make his Sunderland debut following a hamstring complaint . That means Poyet's only significant absentee will be Italian midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini, who continues his recovery from a groin injury. Provisional squad: Mannone, Pantilimon, Jones, Van Aanholt, Brown, O'Shea, Vergini, Roberge, Cattermole, Bridcutt, Rodwell, Gomez, Larsson, Johnson, Buckley, Mavrias, Wickham, Fletcher, Altidore, Graham. Manchester United . Striker Robin van Persie is fully fit and available for Manchester United's game at Sunderland on Sunday. Midfielders Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera (all ankle) are out, as is utility man Jesse Lingard, who has a knee injury, but Antonio Valencia has recovered from the leg problem that kept him out of the defeat to Swansea. Van's the man? Robin van Persie is ready to return and boost Manchester United's attack . Defenders Jonny Evans (leg), Luke Shaw (hamstring) and Marcos Rojo (awaiting work permit) are unavailable while doubts remain over right-back Rafael (groin) and striker Danny Welbeck (knee), who has also been told he can leave the club. Provisional squad: De Gea, Lindegaard, Amos, Rafael, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, M Keane, Blackett, James, Fletcher, Cleverley, Anderson, Young, Mata, Kagawa, Zaha, Januzaj, Van Persie, Rooney, Welbeck, Hernandez, Powell, W Keane. Key match stats (supplied by Opta) Sunderland’s win at Old Trafford in May ended a run of 23 Premier League games against Manchester United without a win. Manchester United have conceded just two goals in their last seven trips to the Stadium of Light in the Premier League. Wayne Rooney has scored 81 Premier League away goals, only six short of Alan Shearer’s all-time record. Manchester United ended the 2013-14 season with exactly the same away record as Chelsea and Manchester City (W10 D4 L5) New kid on the block: Adnan Januzaj (left) scored twice as Manchester United came from behind to win 2-1 at Sunderland in their Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light last October . After assisting a goal in each of his opening three Premier League appearances for Manchester United, Juan Mata has assisted only one more in 13 games for them. Sunderland have scored at least once in 10 of their last 11 Premier League games. The Black Cats have won four of their last six league games, including victories against Chelsea and Manchester United. Manchester United have lost 13 Premier League games since September 1 last year. Adnan Januzaj has assisted only one goal in his last 14 Premier League appearances. Sebastian Larsson’s goal on the opening day equalled his haul in both 2013-14 and 2012-13. He scored seven times in his first season for Sunderland.
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Manchester United lost 1-0 to Sunderland at Old Trafford last year but travel to Stadium of Light looking for their first points of the season .
United face midfield crisis with Ander Herrera among those ruled out .
Marouane Fellaini and Jess Lingard also injured for Red Devils .
New signing Marcos Rojo cannot feature having not obtained work permit .
But Robin van Persie is fully fit for Man Utd ahead on Sunday clash .
Manchester United looking to bounce back from opening day defeat .
Sunderland could welcome Billy Jones and Santiago Vergini into squad .
Black Cats only without Emanuele Giaccherini who has a groin injury .
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By . David Gardner . PUBLISHED: . 15:25 EST, 26 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:16 EST, 27 April 2012 . Osama Bin Laden’s family were kicked out of Pakistan in the early hours of today – just days before the first anniversary of the terror mastermind’s death. The slain Al Qaeda leader’s three widows, their eight children and one grandchild were flown to Saudi Arabia. A Pakistani judge ordered earlier this month that the women be deported to their countries of citizenship after serving a six month sentence for illegally entering the country. Scroll down for video . Deported: Amal Ahmed Abdul Fateh, from Yemen (pictured), is one . of Osama Bin Laden's three widows who was flown out of Pakistan shortly after midnight . Protection: Police officers escort a vehicle carrying the family of Osama Bin Laden, in Islamabad, Pakistan in the early hours of the morning as they make their way to the airport for deportation . The widows – Amal Ahmed Abdul Fateh, . Khairiah Sabar and Siham Sabar – have all been in custody with their . children since the pre-dawn May 2 Navy SEAL raid last year on Bin . Laden’s hideaway compound in Abbottabad. Fateh, Bin Laden’s youngest widow, is expected to travel on to her native Yemen with her four children. The . first sign that the family was departing came when a bus arrived at the . home where they were being held under house arrest in Islamabad to take . them to the airport. It was covered with a big cloth to hide them from the media. A special plane was flown in from Saudi Arabia to pick them up under tight security. A statement from the Interior Ministry . said 14 members of the Bin Laden family had been deported to the . 'country of their choice, Saudi Arabia'. All aboard: Pakistani security officials cover the windscreen of the bus as Bin Laden's family get on board and are driven to the airport . Saudi officials relented after initially refusing to take the family. The . widows and two older daughters, aged 17 and 21, pleaded guilty to . impersonation, illegal entry into Pakistan and staying in the country . illegally. Fateh told . Pakistani investigators that Bin Laden spent years on the run in . Pakistan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, moving from . one safe house to another and fathering four children. The departure of the family closed another chapter in an affair that cemented Pakistan's reputation as a hub of Islamist extremism and cast doubt on its trustworthiness as a Western ally. In February, authorities bulldozed the large compound where Bin Laden had lived in the north-western garrison town of Abbottabad. Going: A vehicle carrying the Bin Laden family leaves for the airport shortly after midnight - almost exactly a year after the terror leader was shot dead by U.S. Navy Seals . Media scrum: The Bin Laden family are driven away from the property with a cloth covering the back of the vehicle to keep them hidden . The U.S. commandos took Bin Laden's body, which they later buried at sea, but left his family behind. It is unclear whether Pakistan gave U.S. intelligence officials any access to the wives, who are likely to have information about how Bin Laden managed to evade capture in Pakistan for nearly a decade following the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the United States. The Pakistani government has denied knowing the terrorist leader's whereabouts. Saudi officials have given little information about the family and the plan to deport them. At home with the Bin Ladens: The family in their property while they wait for deportation . Makeshift: The beds in the building where they were living were propped up with bricks, and the building appears to be windowless or have the windows barred . Inside the 'home' of Osama's family: One of the widows reads from the Koran as a toddler looks on . The country stripped bin Laden of his citizenship in 1994 because of his verbal attacks against the Saudi royal family, and there have been questions about whether the country would accept the women. Pakistani officials were outraged that the U.S. did not tell them about the operation against Bin Laden until after it happened - a decision American officials explained by saying they were worried the information would be leaked. Relations between the two countries plummeted after the raid, and have yet to recover. A boy, believed to be one of Osama's grandchildren, eats a snack while he and his family wait to be put back on their plane to Saudi Arabia . High security: Pakistani police commandos guard the house where the Bin Laden family were living after they had departed . Bin Laden's lair: The Abbottabad compound where the terror leader was living with his family is bulldozed earlier this year .
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Three widows, eight children and a grandchild put on plane at dawn .
Family put into van shortly after midnight and taken to airport .
They are deported days before anniversary of Bin Laden's death on May 2 .
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(CNN) -- A registered sex offender has been indicted on 85 counts -- including aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping -- in the deaths of 11 women whose bodies were found at his home, authorities said Tuesday. In addition, Anthony Sowell, 50, is charged with "brutalizing" three women and raping two of them, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason said. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Sowell, Mason said. Sowell is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday. Sowell is now charged with 11 counts of aggravated murder with a "mass murder specification," meaning multiple people were killed in a similar fashion, Mason said. He also is charged with abuse of a corpse, kidnapping and tampering with evidence. The indictment also alleges that Sowell assaulted women on December 8, 2008, and on September 22 and October 20 of this year. The September and October victims were raped, and the other woman was punched and choked before she escaped, Mason said. Sowell's charges in the incidents include attempted murder, rape or attempted rape, kidnapping, robbery and felonious assault. Sowell already faced charges in the September 22 rape and has pleaded not guilty. On October 20, neighbors reported seeing a naked woman fall from the second floor of his house. Firefighters responded and later notified police. But the woman told officers she fell off the roof while she was at the home "partying," police said earlier. No charges were filed at the time. Mason said, however, that the 51-year-old woman had been invited to Sowell's home and left, but was lured back in. After being choked and raped, she attempted to escape out a second-floor window as Sowell tried to pull her back in. When he was unsuccessful, he pushed her out, and she lay unconscious in an alley for a while before he pulled her back in the house. Sowell threatened his victims and warned them not to contact police, Mason said. It's possible there are other victims, he said, and he urged anyone who has not come forward to do so. Sowell "knew what he was doing was wrong at the time he was doing it," Mason said. As of last month, Sowell was on suicide watch at the request of his public defender, Kathleen DeMetz. She had said a psychiatric evaluation of Sowell had been ordered but was unlikely to happen until after an indictment was filed. Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid said Tuesday that Sowell has been a "model prisoner," is kept in an isolated unit and has declined visitation requests. All of the 11 victims were African-American women, authorities have said. Most of them were strangled by ligature -- which could include a string, cord or wire -- and at least one was strangled by hand, officials said. Seven still had ligatures wrapped around their necks. All that has been found of one woman is a skull that was wrapped in a paper bag and stuffed into a bucket in the home's basement. Sowell served 15 years in prison for a 1989 attempted rape and was released in 2005. He was required to register as a sex offender. After the 11 victims were found, police in mid-November used thermal imaging in an attempt to see whether any additional human remains were on the property. They dug certain areas by hand. No more were found. Police and the FBI have said they are looking at the unsolved murders of three women in East Cleveland to determine whether there are similarities with the remains found at Sowell's home. The inquiry continues, Mason said Tuesday. Police in Coronado, California, have said they are attempting to determine whether Sowell is linked to a 1979 rape there. Though the statute of limitations has expired, authorities said they would like to provide closure to the victim. Neighbors and police have said that women were seen at Sowell's home from time to time and that he would offer them alcohol. Police said he also might have offered them drugs. In the September assault, the 36-year-old woman told police that she encountered Sowell while walking in his neighborhood and he took her back to his home, where he became violent and raped her, according to prosecutors. "While raping her, he strangled her with a cord until she lost consciousness," authorities said in a statement. "When she regained consciousness, he let her out of the house."
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NEW: Indictment includes 11 aggravated murder charges with "mass murder specification"
Police say they found remains of 11 women after woman reported an assault .
Authorities investigating whether Sowell has connections to crimes in Ohio, California .
Sowell, registered sex offender, served 15 years in prison for 1989 attempted rape .
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Kyle Bennett lost control of his Toyota pickup and wasn't wearing a seatbelt . Survived by his fiancee and a daughter, aged four . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:53 EST, 15 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:34 EST, 15 October 2012 . Former Olympic BMX cyclist Kyle ‘Butter’ Bennett has been killed in a car accident in eastern Texas. He was 33. Highly regarded for his smooth-riding technique which earned him the nickname ‘Butter’, Bennett also had a reputation amongst BMX fans as a role model for younger riders. A three-time national and world champion, Bennett captained the U.S.'s first Olympic team when the sport made its debut at Beijing in 2008. He had recently been inducted into the BMX Hall of Fame. Scroll down for video . BMX cyclist Kyle Bennett, who died on Sunday, was a three time national and world champion . BMX cyclist Kyle Bennett pictured with his young daughter Kylie . The single-vehicle crash happened early Sunday in Conroe, Texas, north of Houston. Bennett was traveling at high speed, when he lost control of his 2006 Toyota Tundra pickup truck and drove off the roadway. His vehicle flipped and rolled through a ditch and crashed into the wrought-iron gate of a private residence. Bennett was cut from the wreckage but pronounced dead at the scene. Officials said he was not wearing a seat belt. Bennett was returning home from practice when the accident occurred, he had been preparing to return to competition at 33 - an advanced age for a top-flight BMX rider. USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson described Bennett as a pioneer of the sport. ‘Kyle was a pioneer in Olympic BMX and an inspiration to those of us that knew him. He will be sorely missed, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones,' he said. Bennett began riding at age seven, qualified for his first national championship aged nine and turned professional after graduating from high school. Champ in action: Kyle 'Butter' Bennett performing a bar-twist as he clears a jump during qualifying for the UCI BMX Supercross race at the Olympic BMX course in Beijing . Bennett has died aged 33, he is survived by his fiance and a young daughter Kylie, aged four . Kyle Bennett was a BMX pioneer and an inspiration to younger riders who followed in his footsteps . Speaking ahead of the sport debuting at the 2008 Olympics, Bennett told the Houston Chronicle: 'People don't know what BMX is. They think of tricks, but we don't do that. We're racers. It will be huge to show the world what we do.' Unfortunately Bennett got injured in his quarter-final heat. He managed to race with a reset dislocated . shoulder two days later in the semi-final, but finished sixth and so didn't qualify for the medal round. He is survived by his fiance and a young daughter Kylie, aged four. Video: Kyle ‘Butter’ Bennett in action . <br/> .
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Kyle Bennett lost control of his Toyota pickup and wasn't wearing a seatbelt .
Survived by his fiancee and a daughter, aged four .
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04c0309a4aeeed4ca58daba49e77e594878e07d2
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(CNN) -- In the playgrounds across Dortmund they will be re-enacting this night for years to come. Each child will take it in turns to take on the role of Felipe Santana, another will pretend to follow in the footsteps of Marco Reus, while others will fight it out to pull on the imaginary shirt of Robert Lewandowski. It is nights like these which inspire not only those inside the stadium, but the next generation of footballers. It's what makes the intangible, tangible. Trailing 2-1 to Malaga going into stoppage time in Tuesday's Champions League quarterfinal second leg, the Dortmund dream lay in tatters. This youthful and vibrant side, a team which has won admirers from across the globe, appeared to have choked when it was supposed to underline its status as one of the most exciting sides in Europe. But this is football -- a sport which still boasts the capacity to leave even the most seasoned of spectators transfixed in a state of disbelief. With the clock ticking down and all hope abating, Dortmund produced one of the most astonishing European comebacks in recent years. Two goals in added time broke Spanish hearts and propelled Jurgen Klopp's side into the semifinals in a manner befitting of its own film script. This was Hollywood. The German side, which had held Malaga to a goalless draw in the first leg, was expected to reach the semifinal with ease and qualify for the last four for the first time since 1998. It was not difficult to see why Dortmund was considered such a strong favourite -- it plays a brand of football which reawakens the youthful spirit in even the most weary of souls. In its yellow and black shirts, the players buzz and swarm around like bees, pushing, pressing and pestering. But while Dortmund dominated, it failed to make that crucial incision. Instead, it was Malaga which made the first move, giving the game a twist most did not expect to witness. Joaquin's fierce strike found the corner and temporarily silenced the raucous crowd packed inside the stadium. But that goal, which arrived after 25 minutes, only served to stir Dortmund into action. Suddenly Dortmund found its spark -- and what a spark. In the end it was a moment of magic which lit up the Dortmund sky as the home side drew level with a sublime demonstration of how to unlock a defense. This was not simply a "goal". No, this was a thing of sheer beauty from the moment the ball found its way to Marco Reus until it hit the back of the net; this was football from a different planet. Reus, the precociously talented playmaker, unfurled a flick of such cunning that it split the Malaga defense and allowed Robert Lewandowski to clip the ball over the goalkeeper and fire home. It was beautiful. If Barcelona had scored a goal of similar fashion then the world would have stopped and applauded -- Dortmund are not there yet, but this team is showing a potential which should excite those who embrace such pure football. But while its attacking prowess was clear to see, the backdoor always appeared ajar for a Malaga side determined to make light of its financial troubles and secure a last four berth. Joaquin twice failed to scored with headers when well placed, but those misses appeared not to matter when Eliseu touched home Julio Baptista's shot with eight minutes remaining. That goal, which was converted from an offside position, left the home supporters crushed. But Dortmund refused to be denied and with the game drifting into the 91st minute, Reus lashed home from close range to level the game at 2-2 and leave his side needing one more goal. With just a couple of minutes left to play, Malaga needed only to hold out and preserve the 2-2 scoreline to progress. But as the yellow and black shirts poured forward, the Malaga defense buckled. From a seemingly hopeless position, the ball was lumped into the penalty area before falling at the feet of Santana just a yard from goal. He was offside -- earlier in the move there were four Dortmund players offside -- but that didn't stop him. The Brazilian smashed the ball home, the assistant referee's flag didn't go up, the referee didn't blow. The goal stood as Malaga fell. Dortmund had triumphed. "There is one very disappointed team in this moment and one lucky team," Klopp told Sky Sports. "It's unbelievable. It was our worst game in the Champions League this season and not our best football. "If we play like tonight we won't win the Champions League, but we have reached our target of the semifinal." Malaga, which was making its debut in the competition, was left shell shocked as it suffered a heartbreaking exit. "We were four minutes away from the semis," striker Roque Santa Cruz told Sky Sports. "There is huge disappointment in the dressing room. We had the tie in our hands." In the night's other game, Real Madrid progressed to the final four, despite suffering a 3-2 defeat in Turkey against Galatasaray. Leading 3-0 from the first leg, Cristiano Ronaldo's early strike appeared to kill off any hope the home side might have had of causing an upset. But Fatih Terim's men produced an inspired performance with goals from Emmanuel Eboue, Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba firing it into a 3-1 lead on the night. Ronaldo grabbed a late second, his 48th goal in 47 games this season, to finally end the fightback. Real finished with 10-men after Alvaro Arbeloa was sent off. "I wasn't getting nervous because I have no time for it," Real boss Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports. "I am on the bench so I have no time to think or to feel it, they are strong, strong mentally. "They don't play against 11, they play 50,000 against 11 and it was hard for us. "We are there, in the semifinals and that is what that matters. "Today is the kind of match where you have everything to lose and nothing to win. "People think we are already in the semifinal and players that that feeling from the outside. I felt the team was ready to work hard and had the motivation to reach Wembley in the final. "I don't know who we will play in the semifinal, it will be against a great team, that's for sure and we need to play the semifinal and enjoy it."
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Borussia Dortmund scored twice in stoppage time to secure a 3-2 win over Malaga .
German side trailed 2-1 after 90 minutes before stunning late show .
Galatasaray claims 3-2 win over Real Madrid in Istanbul .
Spanish side prevails 5-3 on aggregate with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice .
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04c0eb81ea6d8128b515e7b9c288aa25cb7336f3
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:34 EST, 7 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:32 EST, 7 June 2012 . A husband and wife are accused of raping their 13-month-old daughter during what was supposed to be a supervised visit at a children's service center, and recorded it on a cellphone - which also contained 532 images of child bestiality. Felicia and Cody Beemer, from Trumbull County, Ohio, originally pleaded not guilty to the charges. But yesterday, Cody, 23, changed his plea to guilty on charges of rape, gross sexual imposition and four counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor. It also emerged that he previously raped his 18-month-old nephew while they were babysitting him, which was also taped on the phone. He also pleaded guilty to that charge. Scroll down for video . Accused: Cody, left, and Felicia Beemer, right, are accused of raping their daughter, one, and videoing it on a cellphone - which also contained 532 images of child bestiality . Mugshots: Felicia Beemer, left, has had four children taken off her from birth and Cody Beemer will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after admitting he raped his daughter, one . He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years on the rape charge. All other sentences will run along with the most stringent sentence. It was when an older relative found the SIM card with the footage on it that she turned it over to police. When they investigated, as well as the footage of the children being raped, police also found 532 images of minors either involved in or watching a 'montage of obscenity and bestiality', the indictment states. Judge Andrew Logan said: 'This is one of . the most outrageous and despicable acts that has ever come before this . court. We're talking about children of tender ages, newborns really . abused in the most outrageous manner.' Warren Law Director Greg Hicks said: 'The child is and has been in the custody of Children Services and during a scheduled visitation they are alleged to have raped the child. 'There are other allegations which we are . investigating, that there may in fact be more charges on one or both of . these individuals involving minors.' Mother: Felicia Beemer has had four of her children taken off her, all as soon as they were born, but was allowed to scheduled visits with them, which is when she is alleged to have raped one of them . Shackled: Cody, front, and Felicia Beemer, behind, are led into court in their orange prison suits and chains . The 13-month-old daughter was taken away from the couple as soon as she was born and there is currently an investigation underway as to how they were able to harm her during a supervised visit. Children's Services Board acknowledged they had relaxed the . supervised visitation for the Beemers prior to the rape and caseworkers were checking in on them only in 'timed . intervals' during the weekly two-hour-long visits, according to The Tribune Chronicle. Questions are also being asked about why Cody Breemer was even allowed on the premises as he is a registered sex offender. He sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl when he was a teenager, which CSB were aware of. In the wake of this investigation, CSB executive director Nick Kerosky has resigned. Felicia Beemer, 21, cried when she appeared in Warren County court. She has had three other children removed from her care in the past, including one-and-a-half-year-old Tiffany Sue Banks, who was murdered by foster mother Bonnie Pattison. Her trial is pending.
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Felicia Beemer, 21, has had four children removed from her care as soon as they were born .
Cody Beemer, 23, was a registered sex offender when he raped his child during a 'supervised' visit .
Investigation underway as to why the rape of their daughter was able to happen .
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04c1b8300f95b6cbf192df4eb5c893b9090b6394
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Washington (CNN) -- Three U.S. Navy SEALs face criminal charges after the alleged mastermind of one of the most notorious crimes against Americans in Iraq accused them of punching him after his capture, the military said Wednesday. Ahmed Hashim Abed -- thought to be behind the slayings and mutilation of four U.S. contractors in Falluja in 2004 and captured in summer -- made the accusations against the three servicemen, said Lt. Col. Holly Silkman, a spokeswoman for U.S. Central Command. A civilian lawyer for one of three SEALs said his client and the other SEALs declined a nonjudicial resolution to the case, a step sometimes called a "captain's mast." The servicemen say they did not harm the detainee in any way and they want their names cleared in a court-martial so they can continue their careers in the Navy, said the attorney, Neil Puckett. Because the charges against Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, Petty Officer Jonathan Keefe and Petty Officer Julio Heurtas are the military equivalent of misdemeanors, they will go before a special court-martial, which is for less serious offenses than those heard in a general court-martial. If found guilty, they could be sentenced to a maximum of a year in a military prison, demotion to the lowest Navy rank, a cut in pay and a bad conduct discharge. But if found innocent of all charges, they would be able to continue their careers with no record of the case in their personnel files. The three SEALs are with their unit in Norfolk, Virginia. They will make an initial appearance before a military judge on December 7. The court-martial is scheduled to begin in January. The attorney said he expects the SEALs will not waive their constitutional right to confront the accuser in court, which could cause a logistical challenge. Abed is believed to be in a U.S. military detention center overseas, and it is unclear if the military would want him brought to the United States for the court-martial. The four contractors, one of whom was a former Navy SEAL, were working for the Blackwater company when they were attacked in Falluja in 2004. After they were killed with hand grenades and rifles, their bodies were set on fire and dragged through the streets. The bodies of two of them were hung from a bridge in Falluja, an image that was broadcast around the world. Four days after the attack, the U.S. Marines launched a major offensive inside Falluja, in part to help find the killers.
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Ahmed Hashim Abed is accused of planning the '04 slayings and mutilations of 4 U.S. contractors .
Abed says SEALs punched him when he was captured in summer .
Contractors' bodies were set on fire and dragged through streets of Falluja .
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04c2ddcfc1370031977272eb5d7e61b412efe938
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By . Aladair Glennie . PUBLISHED: . 17:30 EST, 19 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:41 EST, 20 November 2013 . David Dimbleby says the BBC is too powerful for its own good and should be dramatically slimmed down . The BBC is too powerful for its own good and should be dramatically slimmed down, one of its top stars argued today. David Dimbleby – who has been at the Corporation for more than 50 years – called on the director-general to hand out the licence fee to its commercial rivals to create ‘more variety’ in TV and radio output. He said the BBC should ‘cut out some of the gardening and the cookery’ on TV, merge BBC4 with BBC2, and reduce its online presence to prevent it ‘crushing’ local newspapers. The 75-year-old, who has anchored every general election since 1979, also criticised the BBC’s ‘terrible’ coverage of last year’s Diamond Jubilee River Pageant, saying he was ‘rueful’ he hadn’t been asked to front it. Mr Dimbleby’s intervention will add to mounting pressure on director-general Tony Hall to accept dramatic cuts to his budget when the licence fee is renegotiated. Earlier this month, former head of TV news Roger Mosey admitted the BBC was too big and too left wing, and also suggested the licence fee should be shared with rivals and the number of TV channels reduced. Speaking to Richard Bacon on 5Live today, Mr Dimbleby said: ‘The public pay for the BBC is £3.5billion, more or less. It’s a very, very powerful, big organisation, so it’s right that it should be held to book, and of course when it gets something wrong... it’s a spectacular fall, as with the River Pageant.’ The Question Time host said the BBC needed to redefine its role when the Royal Charter is renewed in 2016. In the past month, senior Government figures have warned the BBC may face severe cuts unless it improves its coverage and addresses accusations of bias. Mr Dimbleby said: ‘[The management need] to answer questions about whether the BBC has got too big. Whether it is too powerful for its own good. Whether it’s crushing newspapers, local newspapers particularly. I think there is some truth in that. I’m not sure how you address it but I do think the BBC needs to pull back a bit from some of the things it does, maybe cut back a bit on some of its television channels. ‘I think that BBC4 for instance which has some very good high quality programming done on a shoe string, really on a shoe string... merge that with BBC2, cut out some of the gardening and the cookery and all that on BBC2 and focus on the quality stuff that it was meant to be. Then you have two big channels, One and Two.’ 'Terrible': The broadcaster criticised BBC coverage of last year's Diamond Jubilee River Pageant . Mr Dimbleby admitted he may be ‘taken to the cleaners’ by his bosses for criticising the BBC so openly. But he added: ‘If you have one organisation that controls so much of the airwaves, is that in the end democratic?’ He continued: ‘I would use some of the licence fee to set up or to subsidise other independent radio and broadcast stations, so that you’ve got variety.’ Last week, Home Secretary Theresa May accused the BBC of undermining democracy by encroaching unfairly on local newspapers with its news websites. Mr Dimbleby – who sold his family’s local newspaper business for £12million in 2001 – agreed with her assessment and suggested BBC websites should be slimmed down. He said: ‘I think the question has to be addressed about the scale of the BBC, and people need to ask themselves, however well run it is, however careful it is, however much it attempts to be objective, in the end, is democracy well served by that? Last week, Home Secretary Theresa May accused the BBC of undermining democracy by encroaching unfairly on local newspapers with its news websites . ‘Should we have more voices on the air, both on television and on radio, and should we pull back a bit on the thing [former director-general] John Birt set up so brilliantly at its time, which is the internet, to allow space for local papers and indeed the national press which at the moment are being steamrollered by what we do with public money that comes in from the licence fee, for which you go to prison if you fail to pay up.’ Asked for his opinion of the BBC’s much-criticised coverage of the River Pageant, Mr Dimbleby said: ‘I thought it was terrible. I don’t know what they thought they were doing frankly, but they thought that the pageant itself, the boats on the river, wouldn’t really work and it would be technically difficult. ‘So they thought they’d have lots of side shows and the presenters wouldn’t have to know about the boats, and they’d have some expert who knew about the boats. Then everything collapsed and the expert couldn’t be got on air.’
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Dimbleby called on BBC to 'cut out some of the gardening and cookery'
Question Time presenter also criticised 'terrible' coverage of River Pageant .
Intervention adds to pressure of director-general Tony Hall to accept cuts .
Monty Python star Michael Palin is to join indie musician PJ Harvey as a guest editor of Radio 4’s Today programme. The BBC said control of its flagship current affairs programme will be handed over to five guest editors in the week between Christmas and New Year. The other three names to take the helm will be former MI5 director-general Eliza Manningham-Buller, internet founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Barclays chief executive Antony Jenkins.
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04c2e8b10a4aea1eb4a08dfb3f664eee538f8242
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Istanbul (CNN) -- Syrian activists are denouncing the Turkish government in the wake of the Syrian regime's announcement that it has a deserted army officer in custody. Lt. Col. Hussein al-Harmoush defected months ago and began broadcasting video statements denouncing the Syrian government, before eventually fleeing to neighboring Turkey. News of his detention by Syria comes amid persistent international consternation with that country's regime for its fierce crackdown on anti-government protesters, a six-month outpouring that has resulted in more than 2,600 deaths. "Enough is enough," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said Thursday, urging "some coherent measures" against President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Omar al-Muqdad, a prominent Syrian opposition activist who is now in exile in Turkey applying for refugee status, said the Turks handed al-Harmoush over to the Syrian secret police. "The Turkish government is directly responsible for Harmoush's destiny, because Harmoush was a refugee on their territory. They have to be honest about him. ...under international rules, any country that receives him has to protect him," al-Muqdad said. Al-Harmoush had called on all Syrian soldiers to defect and mobilize against al-Assad. Eventually he fled Syria to Turkey. Two weeks ago, al-Muqdad called CNN in a panic, saying al-Harmoush had gone missing from the refugee camp in Turkey where he'd been living. At the time, he suspected Syrian security agents had kidnapped the defecting officer. "I talked to him on the morning of August 29th," al-Muqdad said. "He said 'I have a meeting with a Turkish security man. When I finish I will call you.' I waited for three days and didn't hear from him. Then after that we discovered that the security man took him and didn't send him back to the camp. They sent him to Syria directly. The Turks made a trick with Harmoush. They caught him in Turkey and sent him to Syria." The Syrian Arab News Agency said Syrian TV broadcast an interview or what it called a "confession from al-Harmoush" on Thursday night. Al-Harmoush said he defected because of bloody incidents, but he was not ordered to open fire on civilians. He said opposition members, including members of the Muslim Brotherhood, contacted him while he was in Turkey. He discussed talk of weapons and money. He said he didn't get the kind of support he was promised. The interview didn't indicate how he returned to Syria. Another Syrian activist, Omar Idilbi of the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, said that from what Syrian TV is showing, there are signs that al-Harmoush has been tortured. CNN has previously asked the Turkish Foreign Ministry about al-Harmoush, but Turkish diplomats said they were not familiar with his case. Turkish Foreign Ministry officials were accompanying Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on a tour of Egypt, Tunisia and Libya. One official who requested anonymity told CNN the government "on principle" never hands over people who came to Turkey on humanitarian grounds. There are more than 7,600 Syrian refugees in six Turkish refugee camps and there is daily traffic back and forth across the borders. In Egypt, the first stop on the Turkish delegation's trip, Syrian activists tried to confront Erdgoan about al-Harmoush. When Erdogan emerged from the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo on Tuesday, a crowd of angry Syrian activists stood outside the gates chanting "Erdogan coward" and "Erdogan, where is Harmoush?" Erdogan waved to the crowd, apparently not understanding the question. But one Syrian activist cornered a senior Turkish official next to the government motorcade and demanded to know al-Harmoush's whereabouts. The Turkish official had no idea what he was talking about. Turkey is critical to the Syrian opposition movement. Dissidents have fled to Turkey to escape the ongoing government crackdown in Syria and have been holding opposition meetings in Turkish cities. On Thursday, a Syrian opposition council is announcing its creation in Istanbul, the latest in a number of groups claiming to represent the opposition in Syria and abroad. But now, with Syria announcing it has al-Harmoush in custody, opposition activists said they feel betrayed by the Turkish government. "I can't trust the Turks any more. They are hypocrites," said al-Muqdad. "There are a lot of questions that the Syrian government and the Turkish government should answer," said Idilbi, who is based in Beirut, Lebanon. The importance of al-Harmoush to the Syrian regime became evident September 8, when opposition activists and residents inside Syria called CNN to report Syrian security forces had attacked the village of Ibleen, where al-Harmoush's brother Mohammed lived. According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a number of Syrian army defectors had taken shelter in Ibleen while awaiting the chance to smuggle themselves across the nearby border to Turkey. Video filmed of the aftermath of the Syrian government raid showed blood-spattered houses, burned-out cars and trucks, and a ransacked home. At least five people were killed in the raid, including al-Harmoush's brother. His corpse was shown in another video released by opposition activists. Thousands of people attended his funeral. Syria's state news agency claimed responsibility for the raid on Ibleen, saying Syrian security forces had killed a number of "armed terrorists" who had been residing there. Violence continued Thursday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said security forces killed one person and wounded five others in the Damascus countryside. A volunteer Red Crescent medic who was wounded in the western city of Homs last week has died of his injuries at a Lebanese hospital, the group said. Last month, al-Assad told the U.N. secretary general that military operations in the country had been halted. The regime has indicated that it wanted to end the fighting and foster stability. "These promises have been broken promises," Ban said said Thursday. CNN's Yesim Comert and Tracy Doueiry contributed to this report .
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NEW: In his "confession," al-Harmoush says he was not ordered to fire on civilians .
Lt. Col. Hussein al-Harmoush of the Syrian army defected to Turkey .
There's no explanation from the Turkish side about his reappearance in Syria .
Activists say they feel betrayed by Turkey .
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04c2f61bd7b25a6ef4112634db9e59f576de257c
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By . Adam Shergold . and Pete Jenson . PUBLISHED: . 03:00 EST, 7 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:47 EST, 7 February 2014 . The referee who dismissed Cristiano Ronaldo in Real Madrid's draw at Athletic Bilbao last weekend has been suspended amid suggestions he changed his story of the incident. The Spanish League's Refereeing Technical Committee (CTA) has dropped Miguel Angel Ayza Gamez for a month and he has been barred from officiating Real matches this season. According to reports in Spain, there is a real danger he could be demoted from the list of La Liga match officials following his poor handling of the game. Scroll down to read Graham Poll's verdict on the suspension . Rejected: Cristiano Ronaldo's appeal against his three-match suspension has been denied . Dismissed: Ronaldo was sent off in the 75th minute of the 1-1 draw at San Mames, a damaging result in the context of their La Liga title challenge . Bewildered: The Portuguese could scarcely believe he had been sent off . Ronaldo was sent off for the seventh time in his career in the 75th minute of Sunday's 1-1 draw at San Mames after he raised his hand to Bilbao captain Carlos Gurpegi, who fell to the floor theatrically. He also confronted Bilbao midfielder Ander Iturraspe during an ugly melee. Ayza Gamez is understood to have originally stated that he sent Ronaldo off for the incident with Gurpegi but then changed his story to say he had dismissed him for pushing Iturraspe - a fracas the Bilbao player started. Valencia born referee Ayza Gamez has a reputation in Spain for being consistently poor. For the last three seasons he has finished far enough down the refereeing authority's end of season's rankings that he has been a major candidate to be relegated to the second tier. He doesn't have the arrogance of several of his even more unpopular colleagues and is liable to be pressured into making mistakes by players rather than erring because of an exaggerated desire to be the focus of every game - but he is seen as incompetent all the same. He fell over in the Athletic Bilbao vs Real Madrid game last weekend and that fits his reputation for not being in control. He is also criticized for lacking the character needed to officiate in the top flight. Madrid have complained previously over his failure to send Dani Alves for dissent in a match where he had booked the full-back but then allowed him to call him 'loco' (crazy) to his face. PETE JENSON . Squaring up: Ronaldo argues with Bilbao midfielder Ander Iturraspe, sparking a melee involving a number of players from both sides . Trouble: Ronaldo puts his head into the face of Iturraspe having swiped his hand across the face of Bilbao captain Carlos Gurpegi (left) Scrap: Ronaldo postures as the players square up to each other . Ronaldo has been banned for three matches and will miss his team's forthcoming fixtures against Villarreal, Getafe and Elche - a major blow in Real's bid to beat rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona to the title. The Portuguese, who turned 29 on Wednesday, was banned for one match for violent conduct and a further two matches for dissent as he walked from the field. He was also fined just under £1,000. However, the news that Ayza Gamez has been suspended will encourage Real in their appeal against Ronaldo's ban. The innocent one: Ronaldo stands back as the arguments carry on . Long walk off: Ronaldo leaves the pitch after being shown a straight red card . The Spanish Football Federation's Appeals Committee convenes on Friday to consider their argument. Ronaldo, the Ballon d'Or winner who has scored 32 goals in 31 matches this season, is still eligible to play in the Copa del Rey and featuring during the midweek 3-0 win over Atletico at the Bernabeu. He will also be able to play in next week's second leg. Wow! What a remarkable decision by the Spanish Refereeing Technical Committee. I wouldn’t like to be the next referee who officiates in a Real Madrid game. This is all about Madrid. The fact Miguel Angel Ayza Gamez has been given a one month suspension and told he cannot referee any more Madrid games indicates the power and influence they have. It may have been a harsh red, but we have seen those before. The chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee is Spanish too, so he will be taking an interest in this. It also comes out the day Cristiano Ronaldo has his appeal hearing, which suggest he will be treated with leniency.
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Miguel Angel Ayza Gamez could be demoted from list of La Liga match officials .
Suggestions referee changed his story of incident surrounding sending off .
Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed in 75th minute of Real against Athletic Bilbao .
He raised his hand to Athletic captain Carlos Gurpegi .
Red card was the seventh of Portugal superstar's career .
Graham Poll says this decision shows how much influence Real have .
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04c3f5ada79af5f896858d328fb193662c084fff
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There may be a number of good reasons to vote against Mitt Romney, but based upon what we know so far, his honesty about his tenure at Bain Capital does not seem to be one of them. Let me acknowledge upfront what I have said several times on CNN: I have a past relationship with the top partners at Bain that is both personal and financial. I have worked with them in support of nonprofit organizations such as City Year. I have given a couple of paid speeches for Bain dinners, as I have for many other groups. I was on the board of a for-profit child care company, Bright Horizons, that was purchased by Bain Capital. It was a transaction with financial benefits for all board members and shareholders, including me. So, yes, I have a bias. But let me also add how that bias plays out: I have come to admire and like the leaders of Bain Capital because I have learned firsthand that in a private equity industry, where there are obviously some predatory companies, Bain stands out for the respect in which it is generally held and for the generous philanthropy of some of its partners. Nothing I have seen so far has shaken that view. With that on the table, let's turn to the controversy and offer answers to some basic questions: . Are President Barack Obama and his team right to demand close scrutiny of Romney's leadership at Bain? Absolutely. Central to Romney's candidacy is his claim that he will be better at creating jobs and growth than Obama because of his experience at Bain. Just as Republicans have relentlessly questioned Obama's record (often to the point of sheer demagoguery), it is absolutely fair to question Romney's. And given that critics have argued that Bain helped outsource jobs through its investments in the years immediately after Romney's departure to head the Olympics, it would be a significant revelation if it turned out that in fact he had still played a meaningful role in the company. Has Romney handled the scrutiny well? No, he hasn't. He and his team should have prepared a thorough, written record of his time at Bain and made it publicly available long before this stage of the campaign -- a record that would have explained in advance his accomplishments and failures while at Bain, the manner of his departure and the conflicts that have arisen over what he has said and filings Bain has made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Had he been proactive in laying it all out, it is unlikely he would be facing the barrage of today. (In another life, I made a similar argument to Bill and Hillary Clinton -- people I enormously respect -- over Whitewater and that went nowhere; naturally enough, politicians are not inclined to put out documents that may be discomforting, even if they also help clear the air.) Donna Brazile: Why Obama's Bain charges are working . Should Romney disclose his tax returns and other information relating to off-shore accounts? Yes, he should. Like many others who have been financially successful and as a result have complicated financial histories, Romney has shown a deep reluctance to disclose anything more than the bare minimum and has only released his tax return for one year. But he is asking voters to entrust him with the most powerful and important office in the world. In return, voters have a right to know who he is and how he got here. Put it out, take whatever hits are coming, and move on. If he has been as honest as all his friends believe, he will ultimately be a stronger candidate and can refocus on what matters: the country. Has Romney basically lied about when he actually departed Bain? Has he tried to mislead the public or investors? Here we come to the heart of the recent controversy. I may be wrong but based on what we know so far, I would conclude that we do not have persuasive evidence to show that he has. Romney has argued for years that after he was called in to rescue the Salt Lake City Olympics in February 1999, he turned his full attentions there and no longer exercised active management at Bain. The story is a complicated one because Bain was a complex partnership and because the company filed various SEC papers after February 1999 still listing Romney in various key roles, including CEO and chairman. But if one takes time to look behind the SEC filings, what emerges is much more supportive of Romney's statements. David Frum: Mitt Romney's painfully bad week . When the story first broke Thursday in The Boston Globe suggesting that Romney and Bain had fudged, CNN asked if I would do some reporting. I reached two of the top people whom I know in the company and, on background, they told me the same story that Bain sources told CNN's John King: When the call came from the Olympics that February, Romney met with his partners and said he and wife, Ann, had concluded that they had to do this and as difficult as it would be for the partnership, he had to leave in a matter of several days. That set off consternation within Bain because the company had exploded in size and Romney was not only CEO (or managing partner) but was also deeply tied into a variety of investments and partnerships. The partners had to turn quickly to reorganizing their teams and the way they ran their business. That was their priority. Had they known that one day Romney would be running for president, they might have acted with equal haste on cleaning up the many filings and paperwork that bore Romney's name but at the time, they didn't think that was an urgent task. So, as the company slowly unwound its records, some papers from Bain continued to list Romney even though he had left the partnership. A sloppy mistake? Yes. An attempt to mislead? The evidence so far doesn't show that. Also of note: At the time, it seemed that he might return from the Olympics to active management, but in any event, he did not. Secondly, I do not know of (nor is there any controversy suggesting) his involvement in other companies during that time. As the New York Times reports Monday, there was an expectation at first that Romney might return to active management of Bain so he did not sever his ownership ties right away -- an additional reason why his name was not struck from documents for a while. The Times account goes on to say there is no evidence that during this interim he was actively engaged in managing the firm. Both partners with whom I spoke firmly and unequivocally said that after he physically left in February 1999, Romney no longer made decisions for Bain regarding investments, hiring, firing or any other management issues. Subsequent to that February, the firm in 2000 offered another round of financing and, according to Bain, the investors well understood that Romney was no longer actively managing the company. Could these Bain partners now be lying? Possibly. On a rare occasion in the past, when I was wearing a reporter's hat, a friend has lied to me for self-protection. But based on relationships over several years, I trust his or her account. Even so, knowing my bias, you may well ask: Is there any corroborating evidence? As it turns out, there is. FactCheck.org, a respected website that nails candidates for inaccuracies, earlier investigated the whole issue of Romney's departure and reached a conclusion that he was telling the truth. Last week, little noticed by Romney's critics, FactCheck went back, reviewed the evidence again, and based on what we know so far, reaffirmed its earlier conclusion. FactCheck's recent article was co-written by a man who was once a top investigative journalist for CNN. (The piece last week also recalled an Associated Press report on the Olympics that said in his early tenure at the Olympics, Romney was working 112-hour weeks to save the Salt Lake City games. Does this sound like a man who was also managing a private equity firm on the East Coast?) Last week, in another article that critics tend to ignore, Fortune reported that it had obtained confidential documents that Bain gave to prospective investors in advance of that seventh round offering in 2000. The prospectus is the way a company such as Bain informs possible investors who will manage their money. The prospectus listed 18 managers at Bain who would have responsibility. Romney's name was not among them. It remains possible, of course, that new evidence will emerge that could sharply contradict both Romney and Bain. If so, that will be a whole new ball game. Both he and the company would be grievously damaged. But judgments today can only be fairly made on the evidence at hand and the reputations of the people who are coming forward. From my perspective -- yes, with a bias -- the weight comes down on the side that as he has said all along, Romney ended his active management at Bain when he left for the Olympics. Again, there are many other reasons why one might oppose his candidacy, but this does not strike me as a fair one. As long as fairness is the standard, it would be reassuring if some of the harshest critics of Romney and Bain would acknowledge their own biases. And for goodness sake, will the Obama campaign please withdraw its heavy suggestion that Mitt Romney could well have committed a felony? That was an injustice to both Romney and the president. Follow @CNNOpinion on Twitter .
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Obama campaign says Mitt Romney didn't leave Bain when he joined Olympics .
David Gergen: So far the facts don't support the Obama campaign's charges .
He says Romney has mishandled the response and should release more tax returns .
Gergen: Obama campaign should back off idea that Romney might be guilty of felony .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 8:32 AM on 14th December 2011 . Iran is threatening to close off the world's most important oil shipping lane as tensions between it and the West mount following the capture of an unmanned American spy plane. Parviz Sarvari, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, said his country was preparing to close off the crucial Strait of Hormuz as part of a military exercise. Around a third of all shipped oil passes through the four mile-wide Strait between Oman and Iran and U.S. warships patrol the area to ensure safe passage. Threat: An Iranian politician claims the country's military is preparing to close off the Strait of Hormuz - the most important oil transport channel in the world . Most of the crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq - together with nearly all the liquefied natural gas from lead exporter Qatar is transported through the channel. Mr Sarvari told the Iranian student news agency ISNA: 'Soon we will hold a military manoeuvre on how to close the Strait of Hormuz. If the world wants to make the region insecure, we will make the world insecure.' Parviz Sarvari, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, said Iran was preparing to close off the Strait as part of an exercise . After a news agency mistakenly reported the straight had already been closed, crude oil prices leapt by almost $2 to $100.45/per barrel, but they later stabilised. Last month, Iran's energy minister told Al Jazeera that Tehran could use oil as a political tool in the event of any future conflict over its nuclear program. Tensions over the program have increased since the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on November 8 that Tehran appears to have worked on designing a nuclear bomb and may still be pursuing research to that end. Iran strongly denies this and says it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Iran has warned it will respond to any attack by hitting Israel and U.S. interests in the Gulf and analysts say one way to retaliate would be to close the Strait of Hormuz. Yesterday former U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney said President Obama should have ordered an airstrike over Iran after their refusal to hand back the unmanned spyplane that crashed last week. During a White House news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Mr Obama said: 'We have asked for it back. We'll see how the Iranians respond.' But Mr Cheney told CNN: 'The right response would have been to go in immediately after it had gone down and destroy it. Important: Around a third of the world's shipped oil passes through the Strait . 'You can do that from the air and, in effect, make it impossible for them to benefit from having captured that drone, but [Obama] asked nicely for them to return it, and they aren't going to.' Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . said he had not intention of returning the RQ-170 Sentinel high-altitude . reconnaissance drone. Mr Cheney added that the Iranians will likely send the drone back 'in pieces after they’ve gotten all the intelligence they can out of it.' Interviewed on Venezuelan television last . night, President Ahmadinejad said: 'There are people here who have been . able to control this spy plane, who can surely analyse this plane's . system also. Former U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney said President Obama should have . ordered an airstrike over Iran after their refusal to hand back the . unmanned spy plane that crashed last week . 'The Americans have perhaps decided to give us this spy plane. We now have control of this plane.' Mr Obama refused to comment on what the Iranians might learn from studying the drone. U.S. officials say Iran had nothing to do with the drone crashing to earth and claim it simply malfunctioned. General Hossein Salami, deputy head of . Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard, said on state television that the . violation of Iran's airspace by the U.S. drone was a 'hostile act' and . warned of a 'bigger' response. Officials . in Iran even believe they can 'mass produce' the captured bat-winged . stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel and build a 'superior' version following its . crash on December 4. Parviz . Sorouri, the head of Iran's parliamentary national security committee, . said today: 'Our next action will be to reverse-engineer the aircraft. 'In . the near future, we will be able to mass produce it ... Iranian . engineers will soon build an aircraft superior to the American using . reverse engineering.' It also emerged today that Iran has . lodged a complaint with Interpol following calls made during U.S. congressional hearings to assassinate members of Tehran’s security . agency. Former U.S. Army . Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jack Keane and former CIA operative Reuel Marc . Gerecht, now a senior fellow for the Foundation for Defense of . Democracies, told the subcommittee hearing on 'Iranian Terror Operations . on American Soil,' that they were in favour of carrying out covert . operations against members of Qods, a special unit of Iran's . Revolutionary Guard. In his . speech, Keane suggested sanctions against Tehran were not sufficient and . suggested cyberattacks, covert actions and assassination would be more . effective. He told the . hearing: 'Why are we permitting the Qods Force leaders, who have been . organizing this killing of us for 30 years, to go around, still walking . around? 'Why don’t we kill . them? We kill other people who are running terrorist organizations . against the United States. These guys have killed almost a thousand of . us. Why don’t we kill them?' And Gerecht said: 'Iran would not look like the country it is today if they were concerned about the bottom line. Boast: Officials . in Iran claim they can 'mass produce' the captured RQ-170 Sentinel drone and build a 'superior' version following its . crash on December 4 . 'So I don’t think that you’re going to really intimidate these people, get their attention, unless you shoot somebody – it’s pretty blunt, but I don’t think you get to get around it.' Iran’s national prosecutor general, Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei told Iranian television that a case had been opened and that the judiciary was 'providing more documents to the Interpol, so that the two Americans, who have threatened the Iranian commander with assassination, would be prosecuted.' The hearing, which took place on October 26, was held in response to an alleged plot by Qods to assassinate of the Saudi ambassador in Washington and carry out a string of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. Qods' commander General Ghasem Soleimani has been accused of numerous covert terrorist activities, including helping Shi’ite militias carry out attacks on U.S. and British troops in Iraq. Gerecht told the hearing: 'Ghasem Soleimani travels a lot, he’s all over the place. 'Go get him. Either try to capture him, or kill him. I think you have to send a pretty powerful message to those who have undertaken this, or I think down the road you’re asking for it. They will read this not as a response of someone who’s strong, but as a response of someone who’s weak.' Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi claims the remarks were part of a 'devilish triangle of terrorism, human rights violation and use of WMDs' by the U.S..' The Iranians have also highlighted a letter to President Obama from House Homeland Security Committee chairman Rep. Peter King and two subcommittee chairs urging 'significant covert action against the Iranian regime, including against facilities and personnel responsible for killing our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.'
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Four mile-wide strait is world's most important oil shipping lane .
Price of crude leaps after false reports lane had already been closed off .
Cheney calls for airstrike after Iran's refusal to hand back downed spy plane .
Iranian fury over Congress calls to assassinate key members of their Revolutionary Guard .
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By . Tammy Hughes . PUBLISHED: . 03:27 EST, 20 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:33 EST, 20 June 2012 . A German woman has lived without money for 16 years following a lifetime of guilt about wealth stemming from her time as a World War Two refugee. Growing up in Prussia Heidemarie Schwermer was the daughter of a successful businessman and her family kept a nanny and full-time gardener on their payroll. But when war struck Europe in 1939 for the second time that century Schwermer and her family became penniless and were forced to flee to Germany. Documentary: Heidemarie Schwermer says she is much happier after living without money for 16 years. She speaks of her experiences in a film entitled 'Living Without Money' After years of hardship Schwermer's father was able to start over with a tobacco company and cash started pouring in again. But Schwermer now found herself at odds with their affluent lifestyle. 'We were well-off but ended up as riff-raff,' she said. 'We became rich again and we had to defend it. I've always had to justify myself, whether we were rich or poor.' Schwermer, now 69, worked at a teacher and then a psychotherapist on a good wage. But instead of welcoming the hard-earned cash she yearned for those formative childhood years of struggle and strife. As a result she became obsessed with finding new ways to live without money, eventually setting up Germany's first exchange circle in 1994. 'Give and Take Central' helped people swap simple services like babysitting or house cleaning for tangible goods and Schwermer found she need money less and less. Eventually when a friend asked the divorced mother-of-two to house-sit for her Schwermer decided to take the plunge and live without money for one whole year. Life without means: The 69-year-old told how friends and acquaintances are happy to take her in . She sold everything - including her apartment - saving just a few small items that she packed into a suitcase. What . was only meant to last 12 months became her life for the next 16 years. 'I only wanted to try to do an experiment and in that year, but I noticed a . new life,' she told Business Insider. 'I didn't want to go back to the old life.' In the beginning Schwermer stayed with old friends but as word of her lifestyle spread she began giving talks on her mission - meeting new hosts on the lecture circuit. She only accepts train fare for her speaking engagements and rejects any other attempts to pay her. At first she also did odd jobs around her hosts' homes, like gardening or window washing, to earn . her keep but she says that these days they don't expect anything in return. Message: Schwermer works a lecture circuit giving talks about her alternative lifestyle. She only accepts money for her train fare and refuses all other types of payment . Happy: The mother-of-two only meant to live without money for 12 months but she felt so much better without material wealth that she carried on for 16 years . In a documentary made about her life entitled 'Living Without Money', she's seen foraging for leftover produce at fresh air markets and trading a shopkeeper a few hours of cleaning services in return for food. She often receives clothing from friends, donating what she doesn't have room for in the small suitcase she carts from home to home.
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Heidemarie Schwermer grappled with a lifetime of guilt about wealth stemming from her time as a WWII refugee .
She sold everything 16 years ago and now she stays with friends and acquaintances .
The 69-year-old is given most of her clothes and she forages for food at outdoor markets .
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04c6d573fb7326ff0e46ea38448a22b947740748
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Egypt's interim government officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization on Wednesday, blamed it for a bombing this week that killed 16 people, and announced that anyone who is a member of the group will be punished. Hossam Issa, the interim minister of higher education and a deputy prime minister, announced the Cabinet's decision on state-run al-Masriaya television. "The government reiterates that there will be no return to the past under any circumstances and Egypt, the state and the people, will never succumb to the terrorism of the Muslim Brotherhood whose crimes have gone far beyond all moral, religious and human limits," he said. The government also will punish anyone giving the group financial support, Issa added. Hundreds of supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood took to the streets in towns and cities across Egypt after the announcement. In Alexandria, some protesters threw fireworks at authorities and set fire to police cars as young people marched through the streets chanting "Sisi is a traitor," according to the official Facebook page of the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood. "Sisi" refers to Egypt's new leader, Gen. Abdel Fatah El Sisi. "The terrorist coup authorities that are agents for the Zionists announced the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorists, similar to declaration made against the Palestinian resistance movement by Israel. The coup is terrorism," the group said in an online statement. Explosion rocks university in Cairo, injures 5 . In Cairo, demonstrators holding up the four-finger sign in honor of Rabaa ("four" in Arabic) flooded the residential neighborhood of Dokki. Police violently cleared the Muslim Brotherhood's protest camp at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque earlier this year, killing hundreds of people in the single bloodiest day in Egypt's modern history. Tamarod, the grass-roots political faction responsible for organizing the petition campaign that led to the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsy in July by the Egyptian military, issued a statement on its official website. "The government's decision announcing the Brotherhood group a terrorist organization is a good step, and it came late but better to come late than never," it said. Issa made the announcement despite the fact that Ansar Jerusalem, a jihadist group responsible for attacks in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, has claimed responsibility for the attack on a security forces headquarters. On Sunday, Ansar Jerusalem issued an online statement calling on army and police members to quit. "With your staying in these institutions from evening to morning, you are incurring the anger of Allah," the statement said. But Issa said it was an "ugly crime" perpetrated by the Brotherhood. In addition to the 16 people killed in the early morning twin bombings, 130 people were wounded. More than 40 people remained hospitalized Wednesday. CNN first learned of the blasts from Twitter. U.S.: Concern over current political conditions . The United States issued a strong reaction to the news that the Muslim Brotherhood was labeled as terrorists. "We think it is essential for Egypt to have an inclusive political process; it is the best means of restoring the stability that the Egyptian people want and that is necessary to the country's economic recovery," said Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department. "There needs to be dialogue and political participation across the political spectrum." She repeated the United States' condemnation of the bombings, noting the Muslim Brotherhood denounced the bombing and Ansar Jerusalem, in Arabic called Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, had taken credit for the attack. She said the United States has designated Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis as a terrorist group. "We are concerned about the current atmosphere and its potential effects on a democratic transition in Egypt," she said. Russia also condemned the bombings. "Political differences, no matter how sharp they may be, should be resolved by peaceful means in the ways of a broad dialogue with the participation of leading political and social forces of the country," the Foreign Ministry said. State media; Egypt's Morsy faces trial for 2011 prison break . Upcoming vote on proposed constitution . Morsy, backed by the Muslim Brotherhood and the nation's first democratically elected president, was forced out of office in July 2013, with detractors saying he was a tyrant trying to impose conservative values. Morsy faces charges of incitement to murder in connection with protests against his rule in December 2012. He has refused to recognize the court. The interim Egyptian government has cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood. The military and police have detained large numbers of Brotherhood officials and supporters since Morsy's ouster. Several hundred people have died in clashes between pro-Morsy demonstrators and security forces since the military removed him. The blasts come in the lead-up to Egypt's referendum on a new constitution, which will be held January 14-15. The draft constitution would ban religious parties and put more power in the hands of the military. Morsy has endured a series of other legal troubles. He and 132 others will face trial for escaping from prison in 2011, state media reported Saturday. Morsy will be tried along with members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestinian Hamas, the Al-Ahram state newspaper reported. He is also charged with raiding other prisons, and killing soldiers and officers in Rafah, according to the newspaper. Morsy has been in custody since his ouster.
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U.S. worries political process in Egypt is being negatively affected .
Cabinet declares Muslim Brotherhood a terror group, tells members to leave .
Muslim Brotherhood says military-backed government is the real terror group .
Jihadist group issues claim of responsibility for Tuesday bombings at police building .
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04c6d9e9cbd82a735831aa10aabf9060b62993d7
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While Rory McIlroy was forced to put his champagne on ice in Dubai, Ian Poulter was seething in the rain in Turkey. For two rounds Poulter had looked to be back to his best after a horrible year, with a lead at one stage of six shots at the Turkish Airlines Open. On Saturday, he produced what he described as a ‘c**p’ performance, shooting a three-over-par 75 that left him level with Lee Westwood and a shot behind Australia’s Wade Ormsby, who leads on 12 under. Ian Poulter described his third round three-over-par 75 at the Turkish Airlines Open as 'c**p' Wade Ormsby of Australia leads by a shot on 12 under par at the Turkish Airlines Open in Antalya . Englishman Lee Westwood is level on 11 under par alongside Ryder Cup team-mate Poulter . More relevant to McIlroy’s interests is the fact that Poulter’s drop in pace allowed Marcel Siem back into contention, with the German also at 11 under par. That raises the possibility of Siem winning the storm-ravaged tournament on Sunday, which would threaten McIlroy’s coronation as the Race to Dubai champion. Siem remains one of only three players - along with Jamie Donaldson and Sergio Garcia, who are respectively 10 and eight shots off the lead here - with a mathematical chance of stopping the Northern Irishman from winning his second Race crown in three years. But to do so Siem needs to wins both this event and the season-ending tournament in Dubai next week, where McIlroy would need to finish outside the top 17. McIlroy is currently practising in Dubai ahead of his return to competitive golf after more than a month off, which has been spent preparing for the trial over his legal dispute with his former management company. Poulter struggles during the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open on SDaturday as he plays from the rough . Danny Willet of England is also in contention at the Turkish Airlines Open on 10 under par after three rounds . Poulter’s concerns were closer to home after a round containing three bogeys and a double at 15 when he miscalculated with a wedge and hit a tree. He has seemingly turned a corner after plummeting from 12th to 44th in the world rankings this year, but was furious about his performance. He said: ‘It was c**p. I’m going to get my head down and do the job. It was really disappointing to be out of rhythm after playing such great golf. As good as it was for two days, this was as poor as it was and disappointing. ‘It’s brought obviously a lot of players back into the fray. Their dinner is going to taste lovely and mine is going to taste horrible.’ Westwood, who shot a brilliant five-under-par 67 after his own struggles this season, said: ‘I’m just going to be enjoying being in contention really. It’s been a while since I’ve been up there, and I know what to do. Just enjoy it and enjoy playing well again.’ England’s Danny Willett is at 10 under, while 48-year-old John Daly is in the frame at eight under. England's Luke Donald (left) and Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke during their third rounds on Saturday . Germany's Martin Kaymer looks on at one of his shots during his third round at the Turkish Airlines Open .
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Australian Wade Ormsby leads Turkish Airlines Open on 12 under .
He is a shot clear of English duo of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood .
Poulter was furious with what he termed his 'c**p' third round in Antalya .
He shot a three-over-par round of 75 on Saturday to move off the pace .
England's Danny Willett is 10 under, with John Daly on eight under .
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Last week Neil Lennon took the biggest gamble of his footballing career. After talks with chief executive Peter Lawwell he made the decision to bring a tempestuous four year reign as manager of Celtic to an end. Following further discussions with major shareholder Dermot Desmond at the beginning of this week the matter is settled. As Sportsmail first revealed on Thursday Lennon’s tenure as Parkhead manager is now over. To many his departure will come as no great surprise. That he appears to be leaving without a job to go to most certainly is. Taking a risk: Neil Lennon's decision to leave Celtic without a club to join is a gamble . No surprise: Lennon's departure from Celtic Park didn't come as a shock . Linked for weeks with Norwich City the Carrow Road hotseat is now Malky Mackay’ s to turn down. Brighton and West Brom are also in the market for a manager, but so far Lennon has barely rated a mention for either. Quitting a huge and relatively secure job, then, is a hell of a step. For some time it was speculated he might leave. On messageboards fans have already moved on from discussing the merits of the current coach to debating the pros and cons of potential successors. As player, captain, coach and manager the bond between Lennon and the Celtic support has been strong. But with Champions League qualifiers around the corner the Scottish champions have players to sign and planning to do. And they could no neither so long as the manager had no idea if he was coming or going. For some time now the matter has been coming to a head. It’s remarkable to think now that in the first 100 years of their existence, Celtic had just six managers. Willie Maley was dragged out of office kicking and screaming after 43 years. Jimmy McGrory lasted two full decades despite a marked lack of success. Jock Stein’s remarkable era ran from 1965 to 1978. Meet the new boss? Jackie McNamara and former team-mate Lennon discuss the good old days last month . But football management is now a very different business. Martin O’Neill and Gordon Strachan were successful at Celtic, but the Irishman stayed just five years and Strachan four. Lennon could probably have done another 12 months and become only the third manager in the club’s history to win four-in-a-row. The longest serving Celtic manager since Stein, indeed. But the trick of a successful managerial legacy in Glasgow is knowing when to quit. An Old Firm manager now has a finite shelf life. ‘Four years at Rangers takes a lot out of you,’ Dick Advocaat once said. ‘Every game has to be won. A draw is no good and that is hard for a manager. In the running: Malky Mackay has also been touted for a Celtic return . ‘The expectations are so high. If you can manage Rangers and Celtic you can manage any team in the world.’ The final part of that statement will now be put to the test. People will watch with fascination to see where Lennon surfaces in England, where the average managerial lifespan is 15 months. Norwich City - for now - is still vacant. And his resignation from Celtic makes it easier to have a conversations with Carrow Road chief David McNally. But Malky Mackay was interviewed by the Norwich board last Thursday and has been offered the job. The former Celtic manager is in no hurry to commit himself one way or the other. Partly because the Parkhead post is just one of the alternatives which could now open up. For Celtic fans it’s difficult to fathom why Lennon would sacrifice another crack at the Champions League for life at a smaller English club. The explanation lies in the £64million the Canaries will receive for relegation from the Premiership this season. Last summer Norwich spent big on Gary Hooper. Celtic, in contrast, were only too happy to take the £5.2million. Lennon was subsequently asked to reach the Champions League group stages despite losing his star striker, Victor Wanyama and Kelvin Wilson. This summer he could be asked to do the same again without Fraser Forster and Virgil van Dijk. All while trying to bed in unproven, £1.5million signings. This is now the Celtic model. By and large it works well. They buy young, sell for a big profit and start the process all over again. Lennon knew this when he accepted the job as manager four years ago. But reaching the Champions League - let alone the last 16 - is becoming more and more difficult. He has asked the Parkhead board to release more funds for a Champions League striker. But Celtic now have a system they like. The days of £6million signings have gone. After three titles, two Scottish Cups and a memorable run to the last 16 of the Champions League, then, Lennon has reached a bold, gutsy decision. He has been linked with a raft of high profile jobs in England. But firm offers have never arrived. Glory days: Lennon lifts the Scottish Cup in 2005 next to McNamara after beating Hibernian 3-0 . That may more of a reflection on English views of the SPFL than on the 42-year-old’s managerial abilities. When Gordon Strachan left Parkhead the best he was offered was a brief, unfulfilling spell with Championship Middlesbrough. And that was after winning three titles against a strong Rangers. Down south they believe Lennon has had it easy in comparison. Yet off the field it has been anything but. Live ammunition through the post. A touchline assault at Tynecastle. Assaults in Glasgow’s west end. Abuse at traffic lights. Hassle at a cup semi-final between Aberdeen and St Johnstone. One day soon the Lennon family will find themselves in Norfolk or another civilised posting in England. They will go to cafes and no one will point fingers. They will go to the seaside, walk freely and fill up the tank in a forecourt on the way home. And, for the first time in years, they won’t be looking over their shoulders as they go. Or have a six foot six bodyguard on speed-dial. Leaving Celtic and Glasgow will be a wrench. Lennon’s partner and son are from the west of Scotland. They have known nothing other than intense, relentless scrutiny. But managing Celtic is no job for a man with his heart in the right place and his head elsewhere. On his fourth anniversary Lennon touched on some of the strains and stresses of his first managerial post. 'The job has become more difficult because you’re under so much analysis – and social media has really gone into overdrive. 'Your personality traits, your tactics – everything is discussed to the nth degree. People out there in cyberworld analyse you to death.' They’ll be at it again in the coming days. Asking why he quit. Wondering where he is off to. If truth be told, we all will.
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Lennon's decision to leave Celtic is a gamble .
Northern Irishman appears to have left without a job to go to .
Former Bhoys player won three league titles as Celtic boss in four years .
Malky Mackay, Henrik Larsson and Jackie McNamara are all in the running .
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04c7877ebff06b50931c4961b16bd589a2fed321
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(CNN) -- Rebel leaders said early Monday that they had captured three of embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's sons -- Saif al-Islam, Saadi and Mohammed -- during their siege of Tripoli. "As for the other four sons, we think they are either hiding or they have run away," said Guma El-Gamaty, the Britain-based coordinator for Libya's Transitional National Council. The latest arrest was that of Mohammad Gadhafi, whom the rebels claimed was being confined to his house. "I'm being attacked right now. This is gunfire inside my house. They are inside my house," a man who identified himself as Mohammed Gadhafi told Al Jazeera in a phone call. A barrage of gunfire was then heard and the phone cut off. Later, the head of the Transitional National Council told the station that Mohammed Gadhafi was not harmed. Earlier, rebel leaders said they captured Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, a top official in his father's regime. Another of Gadhafi's sons, Saadi Gadhafi, was also in custody, the rebels announced. The International Criminal Court says it plans to negotiate the transfer of Saif Gadhafi who -- along with his father -- is wanted for crimes against humanity in connection with their attempts to put down the emerging revolt against Gadhafi's four-decade rule in February. The court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, issued a similar warrant for Abdullah al-Sanussi, the elder Gadhafi's brother-in-law and Libya's intelligence chief. The third son detained is Saadi Gadhafi, a businessman and onetime professional soccer player. He helped set up an April CNN interview with a woman who claimed she'd been raped by government troops. He later told CNN that those behind the attack should be prosecuted. Ali Suleiman Aujali, the Libyan Transitional National Council ambassador to the United States, told CNN early Monday he believes the Libyan people should decide whether to hand over the sons to the ICC. "I believe the choice for the Libyan people they have the rights, you know, what they want to do with them," he said. Aujali said the decision will be made at a later date. "It's very difficult to say at the present time," he said. There was no immediate reaction from Libyan government officials to the reports of the three sons' arrests. The whereabouts of Moammar Gadhafi was also unknown.
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NEW: Four other sons are either hiding or have run away, El Gamaty says .
The arrest of Mohammed Gadhafi plays out as the son is on the phone with a news network .
Heavy gunfire can be heard and the phone call abruptly ends .
The International Criminal Court said it will seek to transfer Saif al-Islam Gadhafi into its custody .
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Atlanta (CNN) -- Federal health officials say 14 people in six states have been sickened by the same strain of E. coli over the past couple of months. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Lola Russell, 14 cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli 0145 infection with the same DNA fingerprint have been identified in six states. "Their illness onsets range from April 15 to May 12," she said, adding that the most recent case was reported June 4. "Three ill persons have been hospitalized. One death has been reported in Louisiana." Cases have been reported in Alabama (2), California (1), Florida (1), Georgia (5), Louisiana (4) and Tennessee (1), according to the CDC. Louisiana health officials would confirm only that one child died and three adults were sickened in the New Orleans area. CNN affiliate WWL reported that the child was 21-month-old Maelan Elizabeth Graffagnini, who fought the infection for weeks at a local hospital. Feds speed up E. coli investigation procedures . Georgia is reporting five cases, the most in one state. "Four of five are female, and their ages range from 18 to 52, with a median of 34. Illness onsets range from (April 15-28); one case was hospitalized overnight for this illness, and no cases have died," said Suleima Salgado, deputy director of communications for the Georgia Department of Public Health. The cases in Georgia have been mild, according to Dr. J. Patrick O'Neal, who heads the Division of Health Protection within the Georgia Department of Public Health. He said Thursday, "I don't think there's need for great concern. I think awareness, yes, concern, no. We have outbreaks of various diarrheal diseases quite frequently." Neither of the Alabamans was hospitalized; both have recovered, the state's Department of Public Health said in a news release. According to the CDC, the most common strain is E. coli O157. The strain in this outbreak is 0145. "As whole, the non-O157 serogroup is less likely to cause severe illness than E. coli O157," it said. "However, some non-O157 (Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli) serogroups can cause the most severe manifestations of STEC illness." Russell said many clinical laboratories do not regularly test for this particular strain of E. coli. However, the O145 strain is one of six additional strains for which the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Services has begun testing for in ground beef. The cause of the outbreak is unknown, and the investigation is ongoing on the federal and local levels. Infectious disease investigators will interview the victims to determine what exposures they have in common. The CDC says it's looking at both food and non-food exposures as a source of the outbreak. However, Louisiana health officials say they suspect that food may be to blame, according to a statement from the state's Department of Health and Hospitals. "People usually get sick from STEC 2-8 days (average of 3-4 days) after swallowing the organism," Russell said in a statement. She added that most people infected with the 0145 strain develop diarrhea (usually watery and often bloody) and abdominal cramps. "Most illnesses resolve on their own within seven days, but sometimes the symptoms can last longer and can be more severe." So investigators are dependent on people accurately remembering what they ate or came into contact with before they got sick. Food such as meat and poultry but also fruit and vegetables is often the source of E. coli infections. However, unpasteurized or raw milk, water that has not been disinfected, contact with cattle or contact with the feces of infected people are other sources of infections. Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people who have weakened immune systems (like cancer or HIV patients) are at greater risk for severe illness and death. The best way to avoid getting sick is by washing hands frequently when preparing food as well as avoiding cross-contamination of food preparation areas by washing cutting boards, counters and utensils with hot, soapy water. Properly washing hands after using the bathroom and after coming into contact with animals or being in their environments -- anywhere there may be traces of feces, where the bacteria could be lurking -- also helps. Cooking meats thoroughly to at least 160°F or 70˚C kills the bacteria and prevents infection as well. Using a meat thermometer will most accurately help you determine that the food is thoroughly cooked. CNN's Joe Sutton contributed to this report.
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Local media report Louisiana toddler is only fatality .
Georgia has five cases, the most in one state .
Cause is unknown, but local and federal officials are investigating .
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04c8cc49e22a128b8bf806c2665ca27bb47eff5d
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A man with a unique sense of humour has added a twist to his Tinder account by including reviews from his ex-girlfriends. Jake Chapman, 26, from Seattle in Washington, US, is hoping to attract potential partners with the quirky tactic. His profile includes a wide range of write-ups from four-star reviews to requests from now married women asking him to go away. Jake Chapman, 26, decided to ask his girlfriends to add their comments to his Tinder dating profile . Jake Chapman hopes his light-hearted and humorous approach to Tinder will find him love . The charmer came up with the idea after deciding he was taking the dating game too seriously. His most-recent ex, Faith, responded: 'Well this is a 1am text if ever I have seen one' before writing a glowing review. Another, Danielle, said: 'We were young and dumb - you were an a**hole. Looks like you've changed and like your [sic] doing awesome now.' Jake, a web engineer, revealed his new profile - and the attention he has received on social media - has made his Tinder profile blow up. Single Jake, who follows Christian beliefs, hopes to make a connection with someone and form a long-term bond, rather than a hook-up. He said: 'I wanted to put up an honest view of what my exes thought of me, with just a bit of confidence about it because it's Tinder. Jake, right, asks his ex-girlfriends including one called Faith, left, to write reviews for his Tinder profile . 'Since then I've had numerous people reach out to me through social media and show me responses they too were getting from ex-girlfriends. 'Most people use it as a hook-up game but I swipe for people I actually think I could connect with. 'What I'm looking for is someone who shares my beliefs, but isn't afraid of life and what possibilities could be had. 'Someone who's passionate about their own life, what they're doing and want to somehow benefit the lives of people around them.'
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Jake Chapman, 26, from Seattle, asked his exes for reviews .
Came up with idea after deciding he was 'taking dating too seriously'
One review says: 'We were young and dumb, you were an a**hole'
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04c8f06d7f7e6cf9dc053556e33f39f098c3906a
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By . Emma Reynolds . PUBLISHED: . 07:57 EST, 10 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:39 EST, 10 December 2012 . A British ex-soldier so fascinated by TV series Ice Road Truckers that he flew out to Canada to become one died when his HGV careered off the frozen highway featured in the show. Former gunner Brett Colley, from Bewdley, Worcestershire, was killed when his truck came off the Alaska Highway - one of the toughest roads in the world - in sub-zero temperatures and plunged down an embankment. The 45-year-old had been driving the multi-ton, 18-wheeled rig through the remote Pink Mountain region of Canada when the accident happened on November 13. His body has just been flown home, and the funeral takes place this week. Taking risks: Former gunner Brett Colley, from Worcestershire, dreamed of recreating the scenes he had seen on the reality TV series by driving through the remote terrain . Tragic: The 45-year-old former gunner had moved from Worcestershire to Canada to fulfil his dream by working for a transport company . Father-of-one Mr Colley moved from Bewdley to Lethbridge in Alberta 18 months ago to fulfil an ambition to drive along the treacherous ice roads made famous by reality TV show. The programme follows HGV drivers as they cross frozen lakes and dangerously thin ice in temperatures of minus 30 degrees in Canada and the USA. Mr Colley's sister Alex Fidoe, 41, who now lives in Perth, Australia, said the show that fired his imagination. 'Brett loved the outdoors and adventure, and he was hooked on the Ice Road truckers TV show when it first came out in the UK,' she revealed. 'He used to watch it religiously and about two years ago he actually applied to be on the show, but was unsuccessful. Dangerous dream: Popular TV show Ice Road Truckers follows intrepid truckers driving on the roads of Alaska to make essential deliveries to remote settlements . Blue steel: Mr Colley had applied to be an Ice Road Trucker but had not been successful. Pictured, stars from the show (from left) George Spears, Cody Hyce, Jack Jessee, Tim Freeman and Lisa Kelly . 'Typical Brett, he was undeterred and he applied for a job with H and R Transport, which has routes along the ice roads in Canada. 'He joined the company 18 months ago and at first he was doing drives through the US deserts - but his goal was to get a chance to travel the ice roads. 'He finally got his chance about six months ago when they put him on the Alaska Superhighway route that takes in frozen lakes and has been featured on the TV show he loved so much. 'He was really excited when they put him on that route. He'd achieved his ambition after watching the show all those years ago. 'It made us all really proud. I told all my friends that my brother was a real-life ice road trucker.' Mr Colley was delivering food supplies with a co-driver when their truck inexplicably came off the highway close to Pink Mountain in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. Excited: The Ice Road Truckers fan finally got his chance to emulate his heroes six months ago, after a year working for a Canadian haulage company. Pictured, a terrifying scene from the show . The region is famed for its herds of wild bison and takes its name from a mountain that appears pink because of its burnt rock. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are currently investigating the accident, and have interviewed Mr Colley's co-driver, but have told the family it may still take up to six months to discover what went so tragically wrong. Last night, his grieving mother Rita paid tribute to her 'vibrant' son who had been planning a trip back home for a New Year family reunion. Mr Colley's wife Svetlana, whom he met in London, was living in Russia with their four-year-old son Misha. He had hoped to gain permanent residency in Canada and move his family out there. In the meantime, they were planning to meet the ice road trucker in Bewdley for the family get-together. 'Brett was really looking forward to being reunited with his wife and son and the rest of the family,' said his mother. 'It was going to be a big do. Even his sister, who had emigrated to Australia, was coming home. 'He had recently applied for permanent residency in Canada and was hoping to move his family out there for good. Dramatic accident: Mr Colley came off the road in the Pink Mountain region, after setting off from his hometown of 18 months, Alberta, Canada . 'His death has hit us all very hard but we know he was doing something that he really enjoyed.' Mrs Colley, from Bewdley, said the North American transport company employed her son after being impressed by his CV, which included the truck driving skills he had learned while serving with the 39th Regiment Royal Artillery about 20 years ago. 'He spent about six years in the Army after joining as a teenager, and that's where he got his HGV licence,' she explained. 'He was involved in the clean-up operation after the Falklands conflict. 'He also later did some work for the United Nations in Bosnia and Croatia. He loved the Army but he wanted to explore the world and had a real passion for travelling and adventure. He was a real outdoors type and enjoyed life to the full.' Sister Alex added: 'He was a very vibrant person, full of personality. He was one of those people who lit up a room when he walked in. If you sent him down the street for a loaf of bread it would take him two hours because everyone he bumped into, he knew. He had such a big heart. He was very kind-natured and very much a family man. He was always smiling.'
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Brett Colley, 45, had applied unsuccessfully to appear on the TV show .
He got a job with a transport company and was delivering food supplies when his truck came off the road close to Pink Mountain .
He had been planning a trip home to Worcestershire for a New Year family reunion and was hoping to move his wife and son out to Canada .
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04c91c35b6f238909d481e0a54ffd9e5509d4e38
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By . Marielle Simon for Daily Mail Australia . It is the retirement village gone wild; with Gold Coast residents claiming abuse, harassment and bullying from a group of other retirees on the body corporate committee - not to mention a still that allegedly has senior citizens illegally selling bottles of alcohol for $10. Now, victims at Aveo retirement village at Ashmore's Amity Gardens in the Gold Coast is fighting back at the perpetrators voicing their complaints about the body corporate clique. Great grandparents Jon Withers and his wife June, have begun protesting against the injustice, in order to stop the control of the corrupt body corporate and retiree members, Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Aveo retirement village describes the community as an 'oasis' After the 77 years-old resident discovered Aveo's official Facebook page was monitoring posts by only approving comments of their choice, Mr Withers decided to create a public Facebook page which allowed residents to openly voice their concerns without censorship. He and his wife, June, 70, wrote a letter to residents: . 'In the seven years we have lived in the village, from the beginning we endured bullying... a solid clique of supporters have held the control of the body corporate and residents committee, even protecting an illegal still operating in the village with sales to general consumers.' *Single female residents receive warning letters after having 'male visitors' at night . *Illegal alcohol operation, as clique members sell spirits for $10 to elderly residents . *A 79 year-old woman was rushed to hospital after a parking confrontation between her and a body corporate committee member caused the retiree to experience overwhelming stress . *An elderly Asian resident was denied a herb garden by body corporate, which resulted in her leaving the village . The couple claim they witnessed another resident carrying a box of spirits from a unit, driving off in a golf cart to sell the bottles to older women in the village, which apparently is initiation into the clique. Another resident at the 122-unit estate have affirmed an illegal moonshine distribution within the community, after noticing the still walking home through the village. 'There was steam coming up through a storm water drain. I thought something was on fire. It was from the still,' an elderly female said. But illegal alcohol sales to elderly residents is not the communities only concern, some single residents claim 'continual harassment and verbal abuse', with one claiming she received an unjust warning from body corporate after a 'male friend' visited her during the evenings. 'The send you a contravention notice for the car noise at night,' Dani Tobin said. A former member of the body corporate was pushed over the edge to resign after witnessing 'personal attacks' on residents at Aveo. The Withers said although advertising for the Facebook page has been removed, residents have not stopped posting their views on Facebook. The retirement village is located in Ashmore's Amity Gardens, in the Gold Coast, Australia . Gold Coast residents claim abuse, harassment and bullying from a group of other retirees on the body corporate committee - not to mention a still that allegedly has senior citizens illegally selling bottles of alcohol for $10 . The Withers said although advertising for the Facebook page has been removed, residents have not stopped posting their views on Facebook .
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Aveo retirement residents are claiming abuse, harrassment and bullying from a clique of body corporate and community members .
A still is in operation, with senior citizens illegally selling bottles of alcohol to other residents for $10 .
Jon Withers and his wife June have began protesting against the group, creating a Facebook page for other residents to openly voice their concerns .
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04c952f52ab2460f69588bae56dbbea0b2229826
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(CNN) -- The fear began just after news broke Thursday that a long-range business jet with an isolation pod left the United States for Liberia, where it will evacuate two Americans infected with Ebola. Twitter exploded with questions about the deadly virus, which according to the World Health Organization is believed to have killed hundreds in four West African nations. And with reaction to news that two infected Americans would soon be on their way back to the United States. "Why are they doing this?" Robin Hunter asked in a post on Twitter. While U.S. officials have remained mum on the issue, a source told CNN that a medical charter flight left from Cartersville, Georgia, on Thursday evening. A CNN crew saw the plane depart shortly after 5 p.m. ET. The plane matched the description provided by the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately known when the two Americans -- identified by the source as Dr. Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol -- would arrive in the United States, or where the plane would land. At least one of the two will be taken to a hospital at Emory University, near the headquarters of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, hospital officials told CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The patient will be cared for in an isolation unit at the hospital that is separate from patient areas, Gupta said. With the return of Brantly and Writebol to the United States, it will be the first time that patients diagnosed with Ebola will be known to be in the country. Brantly and Writebol are described as being in stable-but-grave conditions, with both reportedly taking a turn for the worse overnight, according to statements released Thursday by the faith-based charity Samaritan's Purse. No known cure . There is no known cure or vaccine for Ebola, which the World Health Organization says is believed to have infected 1,323 people in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria between March and July 27. Of those suspected cases, it is believed to have been fatal in at least 729 cases, according to the health organization. In the United States, the National Institutes of Health announced it will begin testing an experimental Ebola vaccine in people as early as September. The federal agency has been working on the vaccine over the last few years and says they've seen positive results when they tested it on primates. The NIH announcement came the same day as the CDC issued a Level 3 alert for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, warning against any nonessential travel to the region. As of now, the outbreak has been confined to West Africa. But it could spread via travel, especially since people who have Ebola may not know it; symptoms usually manifest two to 21 days. The symptoms include fever, headaches, weakness and vomiting, and at an advanced stage there is internal and external bleeding. The Eboloa outbreak is believed to be the worst in history, and even in a best-case scenario, it could take three to six months to stem the epidemic in West Africa, Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, told reporters on Thursday. Writebol gets 'experimental serum' Both Brantly, a 33-year-old who last lived in Texas, and Writebol were caring for Ebola patients in Liberia. An experimental serum was administered to Writebol this week. Only one dose of the serum was available, and Brantly asked that it be given to his colleague, said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. Samaritan's Purse said it did not have any additional detail about the serum. At the same time, Brantly received a unit of blood from a 14-year-old boy who survived Ebola, the statement said. Brantly had treated the teen, it said. It was not immediately clear what doctors hoped the blood transfusion would do for Brantly. While blood transfusions have been tried before, Frieden told reporters no one really knows why some people survive and some don't. There have been questions about the the health of Brantly's wife and his children, who left for Texas prior to his diagnosis. In a statement released Thursday, Amber Brantly said she and her children "are physically fine." "We had left Liberia prior to Kent's exposure to the virus," she said. "I am always anxiously awaiting any news from Liberia regarding Kent's condition." Meanwhile, Writebol's husband, David, who like his wife is with Samaritan's Purse, is near her, said their son Jeremy, who spoke with CNN's Chris Cuomo from the United States. But she is isolated from him, and he has to wear head-to-toe protective clothing similar to a hazmat suit so that he does not contract a disease that starts out with similar symptoms as a strong flu but can end in internal bleeding and death. "Mom continues in stable condition but it's very serious, and she's still fighting," her son said. "She's weak, but she's working through it." Liberian Information Minister Lewis Brown said his country could ill afford to lose health care workers like Writebol and Brantly. "We join the families in prayers that they can come through this and become ... shining examples that, if care is taken, one can come out of this." Another physician in West Africa was not so fortunate; Dr. Sheik Humarr Khan fell ill early last week while overseeing Ebola treatment at a Sierra Leone hospital and died days later. Rate of infection . Ebola fears hit close to home . The rate of infection has slowed in Guinea, but it has increased in neighboring Sierra Leone and Liberia. As infection accelerates, some aid groups are pulling out to protect their own. Samaritan's Purse and the missionary group Serving in Mission have recalled all nonessential personnel from Liberia. The Peace Corps announced Wednesday it is doing the same, removing its 340 volunteers from the three severely affected nations. While there are no confirmed cases, a Peace Corps spokeswoman said two volunteers came into contact with someone who ended up dying from the virus. Those Americans haven't shown signs of Ebola but are being isolated just in case. The spokeswoman said they can't return home until they get medical clearance. Meanwhile, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Sierra Leone's President Ernest Koroma both canceled trips to the United States, and Koroma declared a state of emergency. Koroma announced an action plan to tear down many barriers that international medical workers say they face while fighting disease. Sirleaf said on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" that the country is in desperate need of people with expertise in treating and dealing with Ebola. Some residents in affected villages have accused medical workers of bringing the disease into the country and have barricaded their towns or otherwise blocked access to Ebola victims. Koroma said he will deploy police and military to accompany the aid workers. They will search house to house for the infirm and enforce orders designed to curb the virus' spread. American dies in Nigeria . One American, 40-year-old Patrick Sawyer, died in a Nigerian hospital earlier this month -- having come from Liberia. He was in a plane to Lagos, when he became violently ill. He was planning to go back home to Minnesota to celebrate his daughters' birthdays, but the disease took his life before he could. The Nigerian government said Thursday it has located 10 more people who had contact with Sawyer, the first American who died in the Ebola outbreak. Meanwhile, none of the 67 people under surveillance and the two people in quarantine have shown symptoms of the disease, Nigerian Minister of Information Labaran Maku said. A naturalized American citizen who worked in Liberia, Sawyer flew to Nigeria intending to attend a conference. After exhibiting symptoms upon arrival July 20, he was hospitalized and died on July 25. Nigeria's Minister of Health Onyebuchi Chukwu says the government is still searching for more people that had contact with Sawyer on his journey on a plane that stopped in Accra, Ghana and Lome, Togo, before traveling on to Lagos. Ebola doctor in Sierra Leone dies . What you need to know . CNN's Millicent Smith, Caleb Hellerman, Jason Hanna, Jonathan Helman, Pamela Brown, Nana Karikari-apau and journalist Heather Murdock in Abuja, Nigeria, contributed to this report.
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The patient will be cared for in an area isolated from other patients, officials say .
One of the two infected Americans will be taken to hospital in Atlanta, officials say .
Medical charter flight leaves Georgia to evacuate infected Americans, source says .
Two American charity workers are described in stable, but grave condition .
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Two brothers have taken the concept of Throwback Thursday to a whole new level. Matt and Evan Breslow decided to reenact six of their favorite childhood photos some 30 years on. The duo spent around $300 scouring the internet for adult-sized replicas of their tiny outfits before meeting at a Target portrait studio in Monmouth County, New Jersey, to pull off the photo shoot. In one shot Matt, 35, appears in a white T-shirt with a blue cardigan pulled over, while his 37-year-old sibling stands behind wearing a smart tie and jacket. Spot the difference: Matt and Evan Breslow decided to reenact six of their favorite childhood photos some 30 years on . In the name of fun: The duo spent around $300 scouring the internet for adult-sized replicas of their tiny outfits before meeting at a Target portrait studio in Monmouth County, New Jersey, to pull off the photo shoot . The poses and ensembles match exactly with the brother's childhood shot. The mottled studio background also remains unchanged. However, stark differences include Matt's bearded face and Evan's balding head. In another frame they slip into matching sports kit with cheeky grins spread across their faces. The brothers decided to replicate the old family snaps to surprise their mother. Like for like: The poses and ensembles match exactly with the brother's childhood shot - The mottled studio background also remains unchanged . However, stark differences include Matt's bearded face and Evan's balding head. Sweet idea: The brothers decided to replicate the old family snaps to surprise their mother . Matt traveled from his home in Portland, Oregon, back to the east coast for the occasion. Recalling the chain of events, he told Yahoo News: 'We didn't surprise [mom] with the pictures, we surprised her with a suitcase full of clothes and took her to Target and told her we were going to take some photos.' Matt, who runs a grilled cheese food business, said he loved replicating the good old days. The updated photos are now on display at his parents' home alongside the originals. Friends and family have applauded the brothers for their novel idea. One fan wrote: 'So cute. Loved those days . . . where have they gone? From two adorable little boys, to two fabulous handsome young men!' Dedication: Matt traveled from his home in Portland, Oregon, back to the east coast for the occasion . Outgrown these! Friends and family have applauded the brothers for their novel idea .
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Matt and Evan Breslow decided to reenact six of their favorite childhood photos some 30 years on .
The duo spent around $300 scouring the internet for adult-sized replicas of their tiny outfits .
They then met at a Target portrait studio in Monmouth County, New Jersey, to pull off the photo shoot .
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04cb372a9db1d1223fca1582882a6e39f8db3072
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By . Ashley Collman . PUBLISHED: . 09:13 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:01 EST, 24 February 2014 . A retired police officer was killed and his current police officer wife critically injured when a drunk-driving teen crashed into their motorcycle during Mardi Gras festivities this weekend. Retired Houston Police Officer Dana Tweedie, 61, was riding with other officers to a Mardi Gras celebration in Galveston Saturday Evening with wife Linda, 52, on the back seat when Callie Inman rammed into them in her red Camaro. The 18-year-old former Dayton high . school cheerleader was pulling out of the Valero gas station parking lot . around 7:40pm when she hit the law enforcement couple going west on . Seawall Boulevard. Behind bars: 18-year-old Callie Inman was arrested for intoxication manslaughter and assault after killing and injuring a police officer couple on Saturday . Bikers: Dana Tweedie (left) was driving his wife Linda (right) on his motorcycle when they were hit by Inman . Collision site: The Tweedies were driving west on Seawall Boulevard when Inman pulled out of the Valero gas station and rammed into their bike . Police say Inman was drunk at the time of the accident and even tried to escape arrest by blending into a crowd after the crash. Dana Tweedie, a 25-year-veteran of the HPD, died from his injuries while wife Linda, who had been with the HPD 30 years, was taken to the hospital and last reported in critical condition. The Tweedies had one child together, a son who is in the military. He was able to get leave on Sunday to visit his mother in the hospital. Inman was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. Only son: The Tweedie's son Kyle, who is in the military, was able to get leave on Sunday to visit his mom in the hospital . Remembered: Kyle Tweedie changed his Facebook profile image to a picture of him and his dad following the fatal crash . She was booked at the Galveston County Jail where she is still being held on $150,000 bond. The Houston Police Department is currently fundraising to help pay for Mr Tweedie's burial and Mrs Tweedie's medical expenses. Houston Police Officers Union president Ray Hunt described Linda Tweedie as an officer with a 'great reputation' who never missed fundraisers for other officers hurt in the line of duty. 'It's very tragic when you lose one of your own,' Hunt told the Houston Chronicle. 'It's like losing a family member.' 'This is a tragic situation that need not occur,' added Galveston Police Department Chief Henry Porretto. 'An impaired driver took a great member of the Houston community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Tweedie family and the Houston Police Department.'
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Retired Houston Police Department officer Dana Tweedie, 61, was riding his motorcycle to a Mardi Gras celebration with wife Linda Tweedie, 52 .
Linda Tweedie is a current member of the HPD, while her husband was retired after 25 years of service .
The couple were traveling west on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston when Callie Inman, 18, rammed into their bike with her red Camaro .
Officers say the former high school cheerleader was drunk at the time of the crash and tried to evade arrest by blending into a crowd.
Mr Tweedie died from his injuries while his wife was taken to the hospital and last reported in critical condition .
The couple had one child together - a son who is in the military .
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04cb633eeb33e485f2be54b7355d93424aa24b2d
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:41 EST, 9 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:41 EST, 9 May 2013 . Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has scored a victory in an ongoing legal battle with his own mother, who planned to auction off more than a million dollars’ worth of his sports memorabilia. This week, a judge issued a temporary restraining order against Goldin Auctions barring the auction house from selling Bryant's basketball jerseys, jackets, high school championship rings, trophies and other collectibles pending a full hearing. The New Jersey-based auction business has filed a complaint claiming that Bryant's mother, Pamela Bryant, put up for sale a large collection of sports memorabilia, which she had received as a gift from her millionaire son. The items numbering in the hundreds were expected to fetch around $1.5million. Family feud: Lakers star Kobe Bryant has accused his mother, Pamela (pictured) of selling his valuable collection of memorabilia, and even stealing some of the items from his home . He said, she said: Kobe Bryant (left) insisted that his mother (right) was never given consent to take his collectibles and sell them, but Pamela Bryant claims her son had given her permission to auction them off . Earlier this year, Mrs Bryant joined forces with the Berlin, New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions to sell the sports mementos from her son's high school days and early NBA career. In return, Pamela Bryant received a $450,000 advance, which she in turn used to buy a house in Nevada. However, the 34-year-old athlete, who is currently recovering from a season-ending injury to his Achilles’ tendon, filed his own complaint against the auction house insisting that he had never given his mother permission to sell his memorabilia. Mr Bryant went on to stay in his court filing that his mother stole some of his personal items from his house, TMZ reported. 'I never told my mother that she could have my personal property, let alone consign it for public auction,' Bryant wrote. According to the complaint filed Wednesday in US District Court in Camden, New Jersey, the Lakers shooting guard claimed that Mrs Bryant admitted to him recently that she was never given consent to sell his possessions. 'I confronted her about her false . statement that I had given my memorabilia to her,' Bryant wrote in the filing cited by ESPN. 'I said . to her, "Mom, you know I never told you that you could have the . memorabilia." 'Her response . was, "Yes, but you never said you wanted it, either." Of course, this is . untrue, since my wife and I requested that she return my memorabilia . several years earlier.' Last . week, Kobe Bryant's lawyers demanded that Goldin Auctions scrap the . scheduled June sale. In response, the auction house sued the athlete for . the right to go ahead with the sale of The Kobe Bryant Collection. Mr . Bryant has emphasized that he was only suing the auctioneers and not . his mother, but both he and his wife, Vanessa, had testified in writing . that Pamela Bryant took the memorabilia and put it on the auction block . without their permission, and then refused to return the prized . possessions. Bryant said in . a sworn statement that the items at the center of the dispute go back . to his teenage years have 'tremendous sentimental value,' adding that he . was planning to hand down his 'well-deserved memorabilia’ to his . children, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Bryant said his mother can claim ownership of only two items, NBA Championship rings that he had custom-made for his parents. For sale: An advertisement for an auction of items belonging to Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is seen just before the basketball star ordered the auction house to stop . Deal: A lawsuit by the New Jersey auction house claims that Kobe Bryant's mother Pamela Bryant, seen beside his father Joe Bryant, already struck a deal with them for the items' sale . Vanessa . Bryant also weighed in on the mother-son spat, stating that when . confronted about the items, her mother-in-law agreed to return theme, . but said that she had moved all the jerseys and championship mementos to . a storage facility. Attorneys for both sides in the legal dispute will present their arguments in the case May 20 in Camden. The disagreement is a high-value, . high-profile version of a question many families face: Can Mom get rid . of the stuff a grown child left at home? In this case, the 900 mementos happen to be worth upward of $1.5 million. Among . the first 100 or so items Pamela Bryant intends to sell: the NBA star's . jerseys, practice gear and sweatsuits from Lower Merion High School; . varsity letters; a trophy for being the outstanding player at the 1995 . Adidas ABCD basketball camp; and a signed basketball from the 2000 NBA . championship game. And . then there are rings, for the 1996 Pennsylvania high school . championship, a pair that the Lakers made for Bryant's parents for the . 2000 NBA championship and one from the 1998 NBA All-Star game. According . to court filings, Pamela Bryant struck a deal in January with Goldin . Auctions in Berlin, N.J., which earlier this year sold a rare Honus . Wagner baseball card for a record $2.1 million. In its court filings, Goldin says . Pamela Bryant told the auction house that she asked her son five years . ago what he wanted to do with the items that were in her home. 'Kobe Bryant indicated to Pamela . Bryant that the items belonged to her and that he had no interest in . them,' the auction house's attorneys wrote. So she put them in a . $1,500-per-month New Jersey storage unit. Gifted: A Los Angeles Lakers championship ring given by Kobe to his father Joe Bryant is seen among the items the auction house hopes to sell . Fair game: Two Lower Merion High School basketball jerseys worn by Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant are seen for sale though Bryant contends that his mother doesn't have the right to sell the collectibles . Price tag: The 900 items belonging to Bryant, seen with his wife Vanessa at a cancer research benefit on Thursday, could bring in upward of $1.5 million . The challenge came last Tuesday when Goldin sent a news release announcing the auction. By day's end, Kobe Bryant's lawyer had sent a cease-and-desist letter telling the auction house to call off the sale and return the items to him. Kenneth Goldin, owner of the auction house, says he can't cancel the auction because he's already advanced $450,000 to Bryant's mother and put money into advertising the auction. Kobe Bryant's lawyer Mark Campbell said in a statement, 'Mr. Bryant's personal property has ended up in the possession of someone who does not lawfully own it. We look forward to resolving this legal matter through the legal system.' Bryant has had a sometimes icy relationship with his mother and father, Joe 'Jellybean' Bryant, a former pro basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers who is now coaching in Thailand.
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Auction house has filed a lawsuit after basketball great ordered them to stop .
Court documents: Pamela Bryant struck deal in January with Goldin Auctions and received $450,000 up front toward a new house .
Memorabilia includes high school clothing, gear, trophies and rings .
Kobe Bryant claims his mother, Pamela, stole some of his collectibles .
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04cbf2ddbd72de6930f27b529a8a015b1e4b6617
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State House Entebbe ebbed and flowed with dramatic contrasts: laughter at sexual jokes versus the pain of impending persecution and prosecution; Western freedoms clashing with African culture; an unwinnable battle between science and learned behavior; nature and nurture. Who decides? President Yoweri Museveni did, in this moment, inking into law harsh penalties for gay people, supported overwhelmingly by Ugandans. I was floored at the barrage of criticism belted out to The West. "Arrogant western groups are to blame." Applause. "Leave us alone." Applause. "We don't need your (donor) money." Huge applause. The press conference was attended by MPs, scientists, Ugandan officials and other journalists. I stepped out for a moment to do a report by telephone, which we call a beeper at CNN, and returned to a room that was pretty jovial. It felt uncomfortable to laugh about something that had such serious implications. "What did I miss?" I asked my producer Antonia. "Something about the mouth being for kissing and eating only, and not for going south, only north," comments delivered by the president to more laughter, she said. I approached the mic and asked two questions that were significantly less amusing -- there was palpable tension in the room as a blanket of silence descended. I was in the minority, raising subjects like human rights and freedom of speech, and asking if he wasn't taking Uganda a step backwards in time? The response tore into Western values and ripped to shreds any willingness to tolerate Western ideas around sexuality or "social imperialism," as the president put it. Now it's easy to roll your eyes but I know this region, and many Africans think the imposition of social norms by the U.S. or Western and former colonial powers is offensive and unwanted, though they love Western music, movies and cutting-edge technologies. Overall, East Africans are not generally anti-Western. I was shocked when Museveni declared, to even more clapping, that Uganda doesn't need aid money from the West. I turned to Antonia: "Did he really just say that?" She nodded and folded up the note we wrote to an aide requesting an exclusive interview with the president. Newsflash to me: I realized then that Uganda clearly didn't feel dependent on Western aid money. Perhaps China, a big Africa player, and Russia, could be stronger future allies. We caught the president on his way out of the room and he agreed to an exclusive CNN interview on the spot. We were whisked to the elegant boardroom and offices and set up. My colleagues Fabian and Antonia set up a two-camera shoot in five minutes. President Museveni made his argument: gay people are disgusting, and I made mine: they are not. He laid out his case based on the scientific research he was presented with and insisted homosexuality was a learned social behavior that can be unlearned. I was born and bred in Kenya and I believe that each individual has a right and the freedom to love whoever he or she chooses, gay, or straight. But here in Uganda, I am in the minority here. Why is he doing this? Moral conviction, but he is also looking ahead to the 2016 elections and the majority of his electorate is overwhelmingly anti-gay. However Museveni denies it is an election ploy. As I drove past the shimmering Lake Victoria, towards Kampala, one thing was for sure: It's going to take a long time before the West and Uganda can agree on this topic, if they ever will. For now, as the president articulated, the subject is "a no-go area."
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CNN's Zain Verjee challenges Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni over new anti-gay law .
Museveni says gay people are "disgusting"; Verjee says they are not .
Verjee attended a press conference to mark the new law .
She was taken aback by the level of criticism of the West .
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04cc302d0da5d0657b82d0751ddc401e0a17cd60
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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Are you one of the seemingly few Americans in the market for a car? There are more of you out there than you might think. Clark Howard: Before jumping at all the new car deals, think about the bigger picture of car ownership costs. CNW Marketing Research, a respected automotive marketing research firm, reports that 4 million used cars were purchased in the United States during the month of May alone. That's amazing when you consider that the market for new cars is 9 million in the United States over the course of an entire 12 months. Yet don't overlook the new car as a potential purchase just yet. New data from Comerica Bank's Auto Affordability Index shows that new cars are now the most affordable they've been since records started being kept in 1979. In fact, the average new car is now $1,700 cheaper than it was during the last quarter of 2008. And we've got more price cuts coming because of oversupply. As you probably know, I'm a used car guy, the self-proclaimed champion of driving a car until the wheels fall off. So I can't believe the advice that I am about to give ... but it's now possible to get a better deal on a brand new car than on a relatively new used car. Watch Clark Howard talk to a woman who learned what not to do when buying a used car » . It's really just a classic case of supply and demand. The used car market is up about 23 percent, and new car sales are down 34 percent, according to CNW. More new cars on dealer lots mean more deals for you. But realize this: It's just a temporary phenomenon. Do not take this blip on the radar as gospel for the future; in most instances, a used car will almost always be a better buy. Just not right now. When buying a new vehicle, you want to start by arranging your financing first. Go to your bank or credit union and prequalify for a car loan or apply online. This will tell you how much car you can afford and what type of monthly payment you will have to budget. Next, you want to get a price for the car you have in mind. In the past, I've talked about using CarsDirect.com to get a guaranteed quote. A car dealer then can do his or her best to beat that online quote and win your business. In some cases, the price from CarsDirect.com winds up being the best a consumer can get. But now there's a new kid on the block known as Zag.com. This service gives buyers instant guaranteed upfront prices from a network of certified dealers. It also offers an easy delivery process that helps you avoid "the grind" at a dealership. Do you know what "the grind" is? That's when you're at a dealer lot, and the sales representative says he or she will go talk to the manager about getting you the best deal. Instead they go watch TV for five minutes, and then come back and tell you that the manager couldn't help out with a good price -- despite their best efforts on your behalf. That's why sites such as Zag and CarsDirect are so appealing; they take you out of the car dealers' ballpark and put you on level playing ground. But before you jump at all the new car deals, take a moment to think about the bigger picture of car ownership costs. It's more than just the sticker price and the expense of gas. AAA reports that the true annual cost of owning and operating a car is $9,369. Ouch. That $9,369 takes into account somewhat hidden costs such as insurance, maintenance, interest on a car note, depreciation and other factors. Hey, maybe driving your current car until the wheels fall off is still a great idea.
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Four million used cars reportedly purchased in the U.S. during May .
Average new car is $1,700 cheaper than during the last quarter of 2008, data shows .
Clark Howard: Arrange financing first to see how much car you can afford .
AAA reports the annual cost of owning and operating a car is $9,369 .
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04cc965545bd85905d40a231dfbf97d2ea167151
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Barion Perry was detained at the crime scene, handcuffed after being suspected of breaking into cars. Without specifically being asked by police to identify the suspect, a neighbor pointed out Perry from a nearby window as the alleged thief. Now, the Supreme Court has found that initial identification was not overly suggestive and did not violate the due process rights of the defendant. The 8-1 ruling Wednesday is a victory for the state and for law enforcement. But Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg warned police and prosecutors in general to be careful about the trustworthiness of eyewitness testimony, when such evidence may be generated and manipulated by police. She said, however, that was not the case here. "We do not doubt the either the fallibility or the importance of eyewitness evidence generally, or the caution appropriate whenever suggestive circumstances may have influenced an identification," she wrote for the majority. "Safeguards built into our adversary system [of justice] can serve to inhibit juries from placing undue weight on eyewitness and other testimony of questionable reliability... Absent improper police conduct, these safeguards, we hold, keep the introduction of eyewitness identification evidence within constitutional bounds." Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the lone dissenter. The court's narrow ruling was not likely to open the legal floodgates to a range of new exceptions of evidence jurors would be excluded from hearing at trial, as some states had feared. The Perry appeal also raised larger questions about the unique power of eyewitness identifications to sway jurors, and whether innocent people are unfairly being sent to prison, particularly to death row. The court has not taken a hard look at the issue since 1977, and the opinion Wednesday only dealt indirectly with the concerns. The unique facts of the Perry case in fact, left a clear rule on the boundaries of using unreliable identification evidence even more elusive and muddled, despite the high court's current intervention. The message from the high court: A broader rule on the use of all eyewitness testimony is now not necessary, and that judges and juries can make those discretionary decisions, depending on each individual case. Several justices noted during November's oral arguments Perry's lawyers presented strong evidence, and that reforms may be necessary. But others on the bench wondered whether such changes are mandated under the Constitution, and if they would apply in other areas of criminal justice where evidence is problematic. The incident happened in August 2008 in Nashua, New Hampshire. A black male was reported at the back of an apartment parking lot in the middle of the night. A city police officer arrived and found Perry carrying two amplifiers, which he claimed he found on the ground. An apartment resident then approached police and said his car was broken into, information relayed by his neighbor. While Perry was detained in the parking lot, that officer went to the apartment to interview the neighbor. When asked to describe the suspect, she said it was a "tall black man," but offered no other physical details. When asked by the officer for more information, the neighbor looked back and said "it was the man that was in the back parking lot standing with the police officer," according to court records. Later at the police station, the female neighbor was unable to identify Perry from a photo lineup. Perry was then arrested, subsequently convicted of theft, and given a three- to 10-year prison term. He appealed, saying the eyewitness testimony should have been suppressed. Subsequent state courts rejected his claims that due process protections apply even when the suggestive circumstances were not "intentionally orchestrated by the police."Eyewitness identification has been closely scrutinized by a range of legal groups and social scientists -- some 2,000 empirical studies, in fact, over the past three decades, according to one legal brief filed with the high court. It has also become a staple of crime dramas: a witness rises from the stand, points to the defendant and says "That's the man who did it, I'm sure, your Honor." But not always. A variety of all-too-human factors can distort, manipulate, or mislead a person's memory, whether spurred by police involvement or not. A new book by law professor Brandon Garrett called "Convicting the Innocent" found the initial 250 DNA exonerations around the United States came about after 190 of the prisoners were convicted based on mistaken eyewitnesses. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution mandates the government not "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." That has led to a long line of jurisprudence over what areas of the criminal justice system are covered by the broad provision. The conservative high court majority two years ago said inmates could not go to court to demand, under due process, DNA testing to establish their innocence. "We are reluctant to enlist the federal judiciary in creating new constitutional code of rules for handling DNA," said Chief Justice John Roberts at the time, suggesting that was best left to legislatures. The eyewitness case is Perry v. New Hampshire (10-8974).
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The justices rule 8-1 on an issue of identification in a criminal case .
The ruling finds that an initial identification did not violate due process .
Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the lone dissenter .
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04cdb18befa65138f83a3a77a56317f833e6e4e9
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(CNN)Editor's note: This story is part of a series highlighting superlatives of countries around the world. Click here for pieces on Italy, the United States, Canada and South Korea, and watch for upcoming installments featuring other countries. With 23 million people crammed onto an island that covers just more than 36,000 square kilometers, Taiwan ranks among the 20 most densely populated places in the world. Although the industrious island has built a global reputation for cheap electronics, this is one Asian tiger that offers far more than stickers on the backs of calculators. Economically there's little it has left to prove, but Taiwanese people remain a proud and determined bunch. Here are 10 things they do better than anyone else. 1. Night markets . For an island smaller in area than Switzerland, Taiwan sure has a lot of night markets -- an estimated 300 island-wide. These open-air bazaars are particularly loved for street food, referred to locally as xiao-chi, literally "small eats." Perennial favorites are oyster omelets, stinky tofu and an assortment of snacks on a stick straight off the grill. Specialty drinks range from bubble tea to shots of snake blood. According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, some 70% of tourists to Taiwan will visit a night market. The top three Facebook check-ins for 2013 in Taiwan were all night markets; Tainan Flower Night Market (12th globally) nabbed the top spot, followed by Luodong and Feng Chia night markets in Yilan and Taichung, respectively. 2. Themed restaurants . If literal toilet humor (eating out of miniature urinals and toilet bowls) is your idea of an amuse bouche, Taiwan provides a belly full of laughs. Modern Toilet restaurants address taboos pertaining to dining etiquette, posing witty rhetoric on websites such as: "To eat or to pee? Now that is the question." At the other extreme, you can get a cutesy overdose at a Hello Kitty namesake cafe, where everything from burger buns to soup bowls is shaped like the mouthless cartoon cat. (For more on the kitty obsession, read point 9 below.) What's that? Can't get enough pink and glitter? That's OK, because Taiwan is home to the world's first Barbie-themed restaurant, with Mattel-approved smotherings of pink plastic and frilly tutus. Previous themed restaurants in Taiwan have included a cafe based on an Airbus A380, complete with trolly dollies serving food and drinks from a cart, as well as restaurants with jail, hospital and school-inspired themes. 3. Free WiFi . Since 2011, Taiwanese citizens have been able to log onto iTaiwan, the island's free WiFi network. Taiwan is one of the first places in the world to offer free WiFi on a mass scale. In June 2013, the service was rolled out to tourists in four of the five largest cities, using more than 4,400 hotspots. Visitors can sign up for an iTaiwan account with their passport at Taiwan Tourism Bureau centers and offices in transportation stations, then receive complimentary WiFi in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung and Tainan. More: Taiwan offers free WiFi to all foreign tourists . 4. Chinese artifacts . You might think it'd be in Beijing or Shanghai, but the National Palace Museum in Taipei houses the largest collection of Chinese artifacts and artwork in the world. The impressive permanent collection comprises more than 650,000 items. Chinese history is told through bronze statues, jade carvings, calligraphy, lacquerware and other historical pieces -- many of which belonged to Chinese imperial families -- including an intriguingly life-like, meat-shaped stone and a jadeite cabbage. Despite several rounds of building expansion, only a fraction of the collection is on display (no more than 10,000 items at any one time), making the museum worth returning to several times a year. 5. Animated news . With an army of about 400 animators, Next Media Animation (NMA), a Taiwan-based animation studio, can turn any news story into a cartoon in as fast as 90 minutes ('making-of' video here). More impressively -- the videos are usually satirical, outrageous and hilarious. The studio, created by a Hong Kong media tycoon, takes infotainment to another level. Founded in 2007 to create CGI-animated videos for news without real footage for Apple Daily News in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the talents of Taiwan's animators were exposed to the world with the 2009 release of their hilarious video of what might have happened during Tiger Woods' infamous car crash. In the video, now ex-wife Elin Nordegren chases Tiger Woods' car with a golf club after finding out about Woods' affair. After the video went viral, the company decided to service international audiences in Japanese and English. Some of the team's most popular recent works include a video about the execution of Kim Jong-un's uncle and a review of five stories that must die in 2014. 6. Mock meat . One of the world's most vegetarian-friendly destinations, Taiwan offers 6,000 or so restaurants serving an impressive variety of delicious vegetarian fare to feed the 10% of the country that shuns meat. But while it can't beat India in terms of the abundance and variety of vegetarian dishes on offer, Taiwan is the best place to hit when you're craving meat but don't actually want to eat any. That's right, we're talking about mock meat. Given how important flesh is to the traditional Chinese diet, it's no surprise Taiwan's fake meat -- usually made of soy protein or wheat gluten -- can fool even hardcore carnivores. Yes, there have been scandals that revealed actual meat inside supposed mock meat dishes. But it's is a thriving industry here and is considered a staple across Taiwan. Mock meat stir-fries in particular taste surprisingly like the real thing. 7. Little League baseball . Baseball may be Taiwan's most popular sport -- diamonds are almost as common as dumplings around the island. Taiwan holds the record for the most Little League World Series championship titles (17), nearly double that of its closest runner-up, Japan. Adding to a cabinet of trophies, a team from Taiwan won the 2013 Junior League Baseball Junior World Series. 8. National health coverage . In a year when the Obamacare debacle played out in global headlines, it's worth to noting that Taiwan has what many call the best universal healthcare system in the world. Legal residents can visit any specialist in the country. Docs anywhere will pull up their entire medical record via smart card, consult and prescribe Chinese medicine and/or prescription drugs. Fees are billed directly to and reimbursed by the National Health Insurance Administration, whose 2% administrative costs are the lowest in the world. 9. Hello Kitty obsession . Taiwan's obsession with the Japanese-born Sanrio character doesn't stop at feline-themed restaurants. Taiwan holds the distinction of being the first in the world to be honored with Hello Kitty-branded beer. Brewed by Taiwan Tsing Beer, the drink purred its way onto the shelves earlier this year. The light brew features fruity flavors, from lime to a distinctly avant garde banana infusion. Eva Airways in 2013 made headlines with the resurrection of its themed planes, which feature the ubiquitous cat on everything from exterior liveries to headrest covers to fruit, which is cut in the shape of you know what. Eva Airways' dedicated Hello Kitty Jets site offers horizon-expanding trivia, including Hello Kitty's height (five apples tall) and weight (three apples). The Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Kaohsiung offers Hello Kitty-themed rooms, the cat's iconic ribbon and/or silhouette stamped on everything within eye(sore)'s reach. Pink kitty curtains, kitty bath amenities, kitty tea set and a radio that plays Hello Kitty music are all involved. Not reaching for the insulin shot yet? Then you can book a breakfast date with a talking and moving "live" Hello Kitty. 10. Little dumplings . Yes, we recognize xiaolongbao as a delicacy homegrown in Shanghai, but Taiwan is slowly taking over the dumpling world, one broth-filled bite at a time. Starting from a single shop in Taipei, Din Tai Fung now serves its famed xiaolongbao in destinations as far flung as Australia, Thailand and the United States. Two of its Hong Kong branches have earned a coveted Michelin star, with the mothership Xinyi store in Taipei sneaking into the Miele Guide. Not bad for a chain restaurant, and not a "fancy" one at that. When Tom Cruise visited Taiwan in 2013, he joined in on the 18-pleats-per-dumpling action with a cooking class at the shop's Taipei 101 branch. Even better? CNN put Din Tai Fung at number two on its list of best franchises for travelers. With additional reporting by Hiufu Wong .
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About 70% of Taiwan tourists will visit a night market .
Taipei houses a collection of 650,000 Chinese artifacts and art -- largest in the world .
Taiwan has won the most Little League World Series championships .
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By . Rebecca Camber . and Martin Robinson . British detectives hunting for Madeleine McCann today issued two e-fits of a suspect seen carrying a little blonde girl near in Praia da Luz on the night she disappeared. Scotland Yard say a family saw him cradling a child in pyjamas, aged around three, and walking away towards the beach in Praia da Luz, Portugal at around 10pm. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood said today he could be the man who took Madeleine on May 3, 2007, and that tracing him was of 'vital importance'. Detectives say the suspect is white, aged 20 to 40 with short brown hair, medium height . and build, and clean-shaven. The images, based on statements from two key witnesses, differ – but each shows him with an intense stare and a hint of a smile. Scroll down for video . Suspect: The two e-fit images of the same man seen in Praia da Luz on the night Madeleine disappeared . Scotland Yard detectives released the computer generated images ahead of a BBC1 Crimewatch appeal tonight, which they hope will result in a major breakthrough. The programme features a reconstruction of the events leading up to Madeleine’s disappearance in Praia da Luz on Thursday, May 3, 2007. Madeleine is portrayed gathering tennis balls in echoes of one of the photographs used during the search for her. A short clip released ahead of the broadcast shows Gerry and Kate McCann drawing the curtains to their apartment before joining friends in a tapas restaurant. The reconstruction shows the moment Madeleine was taken from her bed. Prime Minister David Cameron gave his support to the investigation. 'I'm very pleased that Scotland Yard are doing this work,' he said. 'The Government has helped to fund the work that is being done. 'This was a crime that touched the heart of everyone in the country and everyone would like to see it resolved, so I hope Scotland Yard continue with their work and I wish them success.' Likeness: A three-year-old actress reenacts a game of tennis for the reconstruction (left) and a picture of Maddie on the court in 2007 . TV reconstruction: Actors portray Kate and Gerry McCann having dinner with their friends in the resort . Night: Another scene shows Maddie's parents closing the curtains in their room on the night their daughter disappeared . The devastated couple – who found themselves suspects in the initial inquiry by Portuguese police – talk about how her disappearance has left a ‘huge hole’ in their family’s life. In a moving interview with Kirsty Young, Kate McCann says: ‘We’re not the ones that have done something wrong here. It’s the person who’s gone into that apartment and taken a little girl away from her family.’ Gerry McCann says: ‘When it’s a special occasion, when you should be your happiest and Madeleine’s not there, that’s when it really hits home.’ His wife adds: ‘It’s when you have big family occasions really. That’s it isn’t it? Family occasion and you haven’t got your complete family.’ Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, the senior investigating officer, will announce ‘a revelation moment’ in Scotland Yard’s £5million investigation. Officers will also release further e-fits – electronic facial identification technique images – of other potential suspects. They are keen to trace at least two German-speaking men who were seen in the Algarve resort that day. Emotional: An interview with Kate and Gerry McCann will also be shown during the special episode of Crimewatch tonight . Witnesses reported the sightings to Portuguese police, but little importance was placed on them at the time. Now Scotland Yard says tracing the man in the two e-fits is ‘one of the main priorities for the investigation’ after scrutinising the time frame when the abduction could have taken place. They are the first to be issued in relation to the Home Office-funded inquiry into the case. Detectives say their timeline and version of events surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance has ‘significantly changed’, making the two witness sightings far more significant than previously thought. Officers are keeping an open mind as to whether more than one person was responsible for the abduction, which they think may be linked to a series of break-ins at the resort. Disappeared: Madeleine went missing from the Portuguese holiday apartment in 2007 when she was three years old . Mr Redwood said: ‘Whilst this man may or may not be the key to unlocking this investigation, tracing and speaking to him is of vital importance to us. We have witnesses placing him in the resort area around the time of Madeleine’s disappearance. ‘This is far from our only line of inquiry and there will be e-fits released of other sightings as well, who we are equally keen to trace. These people were seen on the day of Madeleine’s disappearance and the days leading up to it.’ The focus of the hunt for Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, who would now be ten years old, will move to Germany this week when her parents are expected to travel there to make a TV appeal. On Wednesday the German channel ZDF will feature the BBC Crimewatch reconstruction and release sketches of two German-speaking men in their programme Aktenzeichen XY... Ungelost [File Reference XY... Unsolved]. Publicity for that programme says detectives are now going on the ‘offensive’, with inquiries focusing on Germany. It adds: ‘This is the reason why XY will show sketches of two men who appear to speak German and who have so far been paid little or no importance.’ The e-fits will also be shown on Dutch TV as the two ‘German speakers’ may have been Dutch – the accents sound similar. Tonight’s Crimewatch reconstruction will give the most detailed sequence ever made public of the events that led to Madeleine’s disappearance. Detectives believe her kidnappers may have been lurking in or near the McCanns’ holiday apartment as her father went to check on his children. Earlier inquiries focused on the period after that, but they now believe the 45 minutes before that could hold the key. Mr Redwood said: ‘Our work has significantly changed the accepted version of events and it has allowed us to highlight very specific appeal points. I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward.’ It emerged yesterday that Greater Manchester Police arrested a man who bragged about seeing Madeleine on a Mediterranean island weeks ago. The man claimed the missing girl had been ‘introduced’ to him. Police were informed after a barrister, who had a conversation with the man at a party in a Manchester suburb in August, reported his concerns. The man was arrested last month on suspicion of possession of drugs and conspiracy to distribute indecent images of children. A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police refused to comment yesterday, but sources played down the significance of the arrest.
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Each image shows the man with an intense stare and a hint of a smile .
Detectives say he may be aged between 20 and 40 .
Suspect also has short brown hair, is medium height and is clean-shaven .
He was seen near the McCanns’ holiday flat on the night Madeleine vanished .
David Cameron says he is 'pleased Scotland Yard is doing this work'
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . A newly-released report has revealed that two of Governor Chris Christie's aides were romantically involved leading up to last year's traffic closures. Bridget Anne Kelly, who infamously sent an email saying 'time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee', was reportedly dating Christie's former campaign manager Bill Stepien throughout much of his re-election race. The report, released today by a law firm Christie hired to investigate the scandal, said that the two had been a couple for months but had called things off a month before the George Washington Bridge lane closures. Under examination: Bridget Anne Kelly, the Christie aide who sent the infamous 'time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee' email, was reportedly dating one of her colleagues for months before the scandal . Close: Bill Stepien (left) was Christie's campaign manager until April when he stepped down and Kelly took over, and it appears that is when their romantic relationship took off . Stepien, 36, worked as the Republican governor's deputy chief of staff and then when he left the post in April to become Christie's campaign manager, he was replaced by Kelly, 41. 'At . some point after Stepien’s departure to run the campaign, Kelly and . Stepien became personally involved, although, by early August 2013, . their personal relationship had cooled, apparently at Stepien’s choice, . and they largely stopped speaking,' the report by Randy Mastro states. 'Because Stepien was her "benefactor," Kelly relied heavily on him during this transition' ahead of their August break up. The . report also concluded that the governor was not involved in a plot to . create gridlock near a major bridge as part of a political retribution . scheme. The taxpayer-funded . report released by Mastro, a former federal prosecutor, relies on . interviews with Christie and other officials in his administration and . 250,000 documents, many of them emails and text messages. Chris Christie's government funded lawyer claims the New Jersey governor had nothing to do with the George Washington Bridge scandal . 'We . found that Governor Christie had no knowledge beforehand of this George . Washington Bridge realignment idea,' Mastro said at a news conference. His report comes out ahead of any results from independent investigations by federal prosecutors and a special committee of state lawmakers. Some of the key figures would not cooperate with Mastro's investigation, leading Democrats to question the credibility of the report and its thoroughness. Assembly Select Committee on Investigation Co-Chair John Wisniewski released a statement effectively calling the report an attempt by Christie to move past the issue without critically examining the scandal. 'Lawyers hired by and paid by the Christie administration itself to investigate the governor’s office who then say the governor and most of his office did nothing wrong will not be the final word on this matter,' he said in a statement. During a media conference call Thursday, Wisniewski said that the mention of Kelly and Stepien's romantic entanglements was 'irrelevant' especially because neither were interviewed for the report so there was no clear connection between their love life and the lane closures. 'It is very difficult to tell who is telling the truth when you don't hear from both sides,' he said. 'It reads more like a novel than a work of fact.' Defending the report at a news conference Thursday, Mastro said, 'We believe we have gotten to the truth or we wouldn't be reporting it.' The September closure of lanes near the bridge that caused four days of massive gridlock in the community of Fort Lee have become a major scandal for Christie, a possible 2016 Republican presidential contender. Christie said on a radio show Wednesday that the events will not affect his decisions about his political future. In his view: Governor Christie's office hired Randy Mastro, a former federal prosecutor, to investigate the scandal and the report released Thursday declares clears Christie of wrongdoing . The lawyer hired by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to review a traffic-blocking scandal that has engulfed Christie's administration released this report which a published report said clears the governor of any role in the plot . The report, issued at Mastro's New York law office, concludes that former Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official David Wildstein and ex-Christie aide Bridget Kelly were behind the closures and that they were targeting Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich. But it did not conclude why they wanted to hurt the Democrat and said there was no evidence that it was because he refused to endorse Christie for re-election last year. Mastro says that Kelly, who did not cooperate with the report, tried to cover her tracks when Christie began asking what happened last year by asking a colleague to delete an email about the plot but the other staffer retained the email anyway, the report says. Mastro also says that Wildstein suggested he mentioned traffic issues in Fort Lee to Christie at public event during the lane realignment. Wildstein says Christie did not recall it being brought up and if it was, it would not have registered as significant to Christie — something Christie has said before. The report also finds that a claim by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, that Christie's administration told her that Superstorm Sandy would be tied to a private redevelopment plan, is 'demonstrably false'. A spokesman for Zimmer did not immediately return a call. Mastro calls for Christie's office staffers to cease using personal email accounts for official business, eliminating the office where Kelly had worked and appointing an ethics officer in the governor's office. He also recommends major changes to the structure of Port Authority, an agency jointly run by the states of New York and New Jersey.
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Report reveals that top Christie aides Bridget Anne Kelly and Bill Stepien were romantically involved from April to August of last year .
Kelly sent the infamous email saying 'time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee' ahead of the early September lane closures .
Christie cleared in the report written by a former prosecutor he hired .
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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Michael Jackson's brothers are working on a reunion tour to perform their old Jackson 5 songs, Jermaine Jackson said Monday. "Michael would want us to continue on," Jackson said, after he unveiled an exhibit of his brother's wax statues at Madame Tussauds in Hollywood. Saturday marks the second anniversary of the pop icon's sudden death, which the coroner ruled was from an overdose of a surgical anesthetic. "The brothers now are ready just to keep the legacy going and the music," Jackson said. "We're meeting today about putting a tour together just to play the music because it's such wonderful music. We need to continue to play this music because it's healing for us." Jackson did not say which of his brothers were involved in the talks. Recent attempts to reunite the brothers on stage were met with frustration and division, including the effort documented by an A&E Network reality show in 2009. Monday's unveiling was a reunion of sorts for Michael Jackson. It featured wax figures depicting him as a child performing with the Jackson 5, as the "Smooth Criminal" from around 1987 and the "This Is It" Michael Jackson of his last year. Jermaine Jackson said his favorite was the last statue because of how it captured his brother's onstage posture. "Someone was really paying a lot of attention to detail," he said. The Michael Jackson exhibit is on a world tour, spending this summer in Hollywood before heading to Las Vegas in September.
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Jermaine Jackson says the brothers are meeting Monday to plan a new tour .
"Michael would want us to continue on," he says .
Jackson was unveiling wax figures of Michael Jackson on tour at Madame Tussauds .
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These breathtaking satellite images - shortlisted in a competition for the best aerial photos of 2014 - capture some of the year's most significant world events from miles above the surface of the Earth. The stunning images offer a spectacular view of the planet's landscapes - while also highlighting how the effects of natural phenomenon, human industry, war and mass gatherings of people can show up from space. In one picture, Californian wildfires appear to have had a devastating affect on the surrounding vegetation, while in another, an exodus of people flee the Iraqi city of Sinjar traversing steep mountain switchbacks to escape Islamic militants. The majestic-looking Kashagan oil project, which has become a prominent oil extraction scheme in the Caspian Sea, is owned by Kazakhstan . The photos were unveiled by DigitalGlobe, a provider of high-resolution earth imagery solutions, as part of the Top Satellite Images of 2014 contest. Each year DigitalGlobe rounds up the top satellite photos of the year and allows viewers to vote for a winner via Facebook. This year’s top pictures include never before seen imagery from the company’s recently launched WorldView-3 satellite and reflect the geospatial solutions the company has provided for various industries including oil and gas, mining, agriculture and many more. One monumental image captures Ukrainian protesters rallying in the streets of Kiev in February 2014 during violent demonstrations. This photo was taken above Kiev, Ukraine, in February 2014 and captures the civil unrest in the city with thousands of protesters in the streets . Smoke can obscure the view of those on the ground responding to events such as fires and volcanoes, making satellite imagery crucial. Above, smoke rises from the crater of Mount Sinabung, Indonesia, in January 2014 . Satellites captured an exodus from the Iraqi city of Sinjar, where at least 500 Yazidis were massacred by ISIS in August. Fleeing refugees were seen traversing steep mountain switchbacks to escape Islamic militants in this photo taken on September 15 this year . Government organizations relied on satellite imagery such as this to reveal the scale and nature of expanding protest movements in Kiev that began in 2013. Another photo, taken above Sulaibiya in Kuwait in June this year, offers an aerial view of the world's largest tire graveyard. The photo has been shortlisted to highlight how the standards for waste management and recycling vary hugely from nation to nation and how improper disposal practices can adversely affect public health. A satellite shot of the world's largest tire graveyard in Sulaibiya, Kuwait, also made the shortlist for the best aerial photos of 2014 . This high-resolution image was taken above the Syrian-Turkish border town of Kobane in November this year - where fierce fighting has taken place between resident Kurdish fighters and the invading ISIS militants . Other images bear political messages on global warming, the effects of fishing and mining and one even offers a glimpse of a volcano spewing out smoke in Indoensia. Current, high resolution satellite imagery can enable rapid assessments of displaced refugees, entry and exit points, food supply disruptions, and other effects of civil conflict. One photo, taken in November, captures the scene above Kobane, a Syrian town lying on the border with Turkey. Saving San Diego via satellite: Aerial views, such as this one taken above San Diego County, California, on May 15 2014, were used to monitor the wildfires' progress and assess damage . Aerial views, such as this photo taken in May, allowed rescue decisions to be made during flooding in Gunja, Croatia . A whole new view of Oktoberfest! A vast camp of marquees catering for Munich's annual beer festival can be seen from the sky . Kobane was besieged and infiltrated by ISIS - and has seen fierce fighting between Kurdish forces and ISIS militants. Other more light-hearted images submitted include a jaw-dropping aerial view of Glastonbury Festival in Somerset this year - where whole fields are obscured by a mass of revellers, their tents and staging. The shortlisted photos also include a shot of Munich's famous Oktoberfest and huge marquees catering for the beer festival are visible from miles above the Earth's surface. Satellite imagery is used for navigating in extremely densely populated areas and planning for growing neighborhoods. Pictured, Mexico City . The photo, taken in March this year, was shortlisted to highlight the affect of climate change on the Nordenskjold Basin in Antarctica . Satellite imagery of operational mines, such as The Diavikk Diamond Mine in Canada, (pictured) allows for environmental impact assessment . Aerial shots are used to monitor large areas of water and understand the impacts of building a new dam. Above, Itaipu Dam in Paraguay . Satellite shots are also a way of monitoring capacity and are used to determine the type and number of shipping containers being held in Garden City, Georgia, USA, above . Satellite photographs can also be used to enhance experiences - giving attendees of Glastonbury an astonishing aerial view of the festival . This dramatic photo captures a commercial offshore oil development in the Arctic - the Prirazlomnaya Oil Platform, owned by Russia . Geologists can save time and exploration costs by analysing imagery with shortwave infrared bands that identify specific minerals in order to focus their attention on the most promising areas. Above, a photo of the Rainbow Range of mountains, British Columbia, Canada . Aerial views also let mining companies monitor progress over time. Above, Bayan Obo Mining District, western Inner Mongolia, China . A spectacular aerial shot of the Henan Coal Mine in China. Satellite shots can indicate the plant's emission and fuel stockpile levels . The Defence and Intelligence community relies on images of airports for pattern analysis. Pictured, Boeing Everett Factory, Washington . The Maeslantkering Storm Surge Barrier in Rottenberg, Netherlands, is captured in this photo taken on August 27 this year .
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Amazing images offer a spectacular view of planet's landscapes while also highlighting effects of industry and war .
Photos include a line of refugees fleeing Iraqi city and an aerial view of Syrian-Turkish border town of Kobane .
Also feature breathtaking aerial shots of Glastonbury, Oktoberfest and smoke rising from volcano in Indonesia .
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04d1c33fa6019d97f216fd90c25f8534d4888b01
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By . Deborah Arthurs . PUBLISHED: . 07:07 EST, 14 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:23 EST, 15 May 2012 . It is a central London pied-a-terre with a price tag that only the world's richest can afford to pay. A lavish apartment at the Candy & Candy development One Hyde Park has come up for sale - one of only a handful of properties in the billionaire-friendly block to reach the open market - and it could be yours for a cool £65m. The five-bedroom flat, described on property finding website zoopla.co.uk as 'exceptional', has magnificent panoramic views of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge and has been fitted out to the highest specifications. Apartment C.08.1, marketed by luxury estate agents Aylesford & Co, appeared on zoopla four days ago and is already attracting a flurry of interest. In the literature, the apartment is said to stretch out across the entire floor plate of 'pavilion C', on the 8th floor, enjoying some of the city's finest views from picture windows running the length of the property. Panoramic: The spacious living areas have views across Hyde Park on one side and across Knightsbridge and beyond on the other . Opulent: The luxury sitting room has been created by the Candy & Candy interior design team . In addition to the five bedrooms, there are six bathrooms and three extensive reception areas. 'The interior design of Apartment C.08.1 responds both to its unique size of over 9,000 sq ft as well as its extraordinary location,' the description reads. It goes on to detail how the apartment is divided into two wings, with five bedrooms found in the city wing, and all living and entertaining spaces found in the park wing. An 'impressive' 65m hallway stretches from the park side to the city side, connecting both wings and forming the so-called 'spine' of the apartment. The apartment was decorated by the Candy & Candy interior design team and is said to have taken inspiration from 'the two diverse perspectives of London, which uniquely combine in this apartment, to provide a truly modern interpretation of sophisticated and luxurious city living.' The property has reportedly already attracted a number of interested parties from across the globe since going up on Aylesford & Co's website at the end of last week. When contacted, Aylesford & Co preferred not to comment on the sale of the property, saying only that they had received a number of inquiries. They would not be drawn on the price, nor on the apartment's potential to be sold for more or less than the asking price. Airy: The 8th floor living space has views over the treetops of London's Hyde Park . Comfort: With three reception rooms, there is no shortage of places for the eventual buyer of the apartment to entertain . They would say only that it is 'early days' for the sale of the property, and that they were expecting 'a lot of interest'. But while there will be many eager to catch a glimpse of the interior of the opulent development, industry insiders told MailOnline that there will likely be some system in place at Aylesford & Co to prevent the curious carpet-treader from gaining entry just to have a look around. Agencies who have previously represented properties at One Hyde Park agencies have requested proof that any interested party should be able to afford the purchase of the property. It is likely that Aylesford & Co will use a similar system. 'Other agencies who've marketed properties in the building have demanded financial paperwork to stop rubber-neckers getting in. There are so many people who just want to have a look but have no intention of buying, and the other residents at the development are incredibly private people, and some of the world's wealthiest,' they told us. While they refused to confirm details, Aylesford & Co agreed they would be likely to operate some sort of system to ensure that only those with the means to live in One Hyde Park would be shown around the property. The buyer will join a roll call of billionaire residents, including developer Christian Candy, who owns two properties at One Hyde Park. The property tycoon, who built the apartments with his brother Nick, owns two separate flats worth £31m and £26.2m on the 10th floor. Two other apartments were sold for a combined £136 million to Ukrainian mining tycoon Rinat Akhmetov, who is thought to be investing a further £50 million to knock the properties together and refit them. Despite being owned by some of the richest people in the world, the flats qualify for lower council tax than people living in an average Band D property because Westminster Council has one of the lowest property valuations in the country. Indeed, with many of the buyers never intending to live at the address, it was reported last year that just nine out of the 62 flats sold in . One Hyde Park - the world's most expensive residential block - had been . registered for council tax. Council records revealed last year that only four owners in the block were paying the full council tax of £755.60 a year, plus £619.64 to the Greater London Authority. A further five were reported to be paying the 50 per cent discounted . council tax owed on a second home, making a considerable saving that . will no doubt boost their already impressive wealth. But with so many of the building's residents based elsewhere, the place has earned . something of a reputation as a ghost town. Subtle decor: The interior of the flat is done in muted tones . One of the five bedrooms, with stunning views across Knightsbridge . Luxurious: The flat is one of the first to make it to the open market, and the first time the curious virtual carpet-treader has been afforded such an extensive glimpse inside the property . Prime spot: The development has panoramic views across Hyde Park and Kensington . One Hyde Park's developers, brothers Nick and Chris Candy,outside the development at its launch in January last year, and right, he glass-fronted exterior of One Hyde Park . For sale: The property has appeared on the website of luxury estate agents Aylesford & Co . Visit zoopla.co.uk to view the One Hyde Park apartment + see below for Candy & Candy's teaser, showing what life inside One Hyde Park could be like...
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Five-bedroom property is one of few from lavish Candy & Candy development to have reached open market .
Eighth-floor apartment boasts panoramic views of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge .
Development saw one flat sell for £136m last year .
Buyer will join roll call of billionaire residents in one of London's lowest council tax brackets .
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Disgust: Ira Isaacs, 61, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted on felony obscenity charges in Los Angeles . An adult film producer has been sentenced to four years in prison after selling fetish porn featuring bestiality and human excrement. Ira Isaacs, 61, was jailed on Wednesday after being convicted on five counts of felony obscenity by a jury last April in Los Angeles. The jury took two hours to reach its decision on April 27, 2012. During the trial, jurors were forced to watch hours of videos in which females engaged in sex acts involving human waste and animals. Other evidence at trial showed that Isaacs had made obscene videos where he directed women to perform sexual acts involving human waste. Isaacs claimed that the extreme pornography, . which he had bought from other people and sold through his business L.A. Media since 1999, was 'shock' art. The jail time ends a long-running legal . saga that saw two mistrials, including one in which sexually explicit . material was found on a personal website of the chief justice of the . U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, who was overseeing the case. Isaacs was indicted as part of an . effort by a Bush administration task force to crack down on smut in the . United States. The unit has since been disbanded. Isaacs's case is believed to be the last case of its kind in federal court. Isaacs' 2008 trial was halted after . Alex Kozinski, chief judge of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, had . sexually explicit material on a personal website. Among the questionable images was . video of a man cavorting with a farm animal and a picture of nude women . painted to look like cows. Kozinski recused himself and was admonished by a special committee of his colleagues for actions they deemed as poor judgment. Controversy: Isaacs' 2008 trial was thrown out after judge Alex Kozinski was found to have sexually explicit material on a personal website . At issue at the trial was whether the videos sold by Isaacs were obscene. The test hinged on a 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that held that a work is not legally obscene if it has 'literary, artistic, political or scientific value'. Jurors also were asked to decide whether the videos, some of which depicted fetishes involving feces, violated standards of what is acceptable to the community at large. In all three trials, jurors had to watch a series of explicit videos in entirety. In addition to prison time, Isaacs will be supervised for three years following his release and must pay a $10,000 fine.
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Ira Isaacs, 61, of California, found guilty of five federal charges last April .
Jurors forced to watch hours of graphic, sexual footage during long-running trial .
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04d4d0f463cbfe10956238f85b897461f92f0131
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(CNN) -- Samsung Electronics announced plans Wednesday to file preliminary injunction motions in Paris and Milan, Italy, to block the sale of Apple's iPhone 4S there. Samsung is accusing Apple of two patent infringement, both dealing with wireless telecommunications technology. It did not rule out filing preliminary injunctions in other countries as well. Apple could not immediately be reached for comment. Apple announced the latest incarnation of its smartphone -- the iPhone 4S -- on Tuesday. The two companies have been at odds, suing and countersuing, for several months -- both accusing the other of patent infringements. Apple claims Samsung's Galaxy tablets and smartphones have copied its own successful iPad tablets and iPhones. Samsung denies the accusations and have made several of its own. The latest accusation Wednesday deal with the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) standards for 3G mobile handsets. "Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology, and we will steadfastly protect our intellectual property," Samsung said in a statement. Worldwide, millions of mobile phones carry CDMA technology while others carry GSM. By incorporating both in its new iPhone 4S, Apple said it intends for it to be a "world phone," working on any mobile network around the world.
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Samsung accuses Apple of two patent infringements .
The two companies have sued and countersued each other in recent months .
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04d5853295599460c7871f44e8397c10ff9272c4
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:40 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 09:31 EST, 7 January 2014 . Attack: The mocked up newspaper which opened Sunday's episode of Sherlock featured a story, headlined 'Thames to become watery motorway' which took a swipe at the London Mayor . The BBC’s raison d’etre to spend the licence fee attacking Conservative politicians, Boris Johnson claimed today after a newspaper in hit show Sherlock branded him ‘dithering, incoherent and self-interested’. The mocked up page did not name Mr Johnson directly, but referred to the ‘current mayor’ and a ‘hair-brained’ (sic) plan to turn the River Thames into a motorway. It said it came after ‘recently-mocked concept of putting an airport in the middle of the estuary’ which Mr Johnson has championed as an alternative to expanding Heathrow. The BBC tried to claim that that the newspaper and mayor featured in Sunday night’s episode were ‘entirely fictional’. But the reference to the Boris Island airport plan and a quote from the ‘mayor’ saying ‘huzzah’ left little doubt who it referred to. Mr Johnson accused the BBC of political bias, but suggested it was in the Corporation’s nature to criticse the Tories. ‘Whatever the BBC may say, they are entitled to spend taxpayers money attacking Conservative politicians, that’s what they do, that’s their raison d’etre,’ he told LBC 97.3. ‘If people can’t make fun of politicians what has gone wrong with the BBC. ‘It is unbelievable, unbelievable… I think it’s perfectly legitimate for people to satirise politicians and there you go.’ His criticism of the BBC comes after he told The Times: ‘It is elementary my dear Watson, I deduce a simple case of BBC bias.’ Sunday’s episode of Sherlock, entitled The Sign of Three, opened with a series of robberies by a gang which police repeatedly failed to catch. Scroll down for video . Bias: Boris Johnson hit back at the political criticism in the newspaper seen in BBC show Sherlock starring Benedict Cumberbatch (right) Bizarre: The newspaper had nothing to do with the main storyline of the episode, which saw Dr John Watson marry his partner Mary Morstan, with Sherlock as best man . Boris Johnson appeared to compare Nick Clegg to a condom this morning in his latest attack on the Deputy Prime Minister. The Mayor of London said the Liberal Democrat leader was 'there to fulfil a very important . ceremonial function as David Cameron's lapdog come prophylactic . protection device for all the difficult things that David Cameron has to . do that cheese off' the public. The two men, who both take part in regular phone-in shows on LBC 97.3 have repeatedly taken potshots at one another in the past, with Mr Clegg branding the mayor a "slacker" for only hosting a monthly call-in on the station while Mr Johnson claimed the DPM was an 'idle bum'. In the opening seconds of the programme a newspaper page spun into view, with the headline ‘Bank gang leave cops clueless’. But underneath it had a story headlined: Thames to become watery motorway. The story, which could only be read by pausing the programme, said: ‘A new plan by the current Mayor of London to turn the Thames into a bustling water-bound version of the M25 has hit rush-hour traffic as reaction has been damper than a dip in the rat-infested drink.’ It went on to detail the ‘hair-brained scheme’ to create boats out of the iconic Routemaster bus, which Mr Johnson pledged to bring back to London’s streets. When asked to explain the plan at an event, the ‘mayor’ in the story ‘was found to be dithering, incoherent, and self-interested’. The story added that the plan comes . after ‘the recently-mocked concept of putting an airport in the middle . of the estuary’ which Mr Johnson has championed. The . newspaper had nothing to do with the main storyline of the episode, . which saw Dr John Watson marry his partner Mary Morstan, with Sherlock . as best man. But the . real-life London mayor joked that the real target of the story might . have been his predecessor, Labour’s Ken Livingstone. He . told LBC: ‘I don’t rule out the possibility by the way that this is an . attack on the previous Mayor who after all himself spent large sums of . public money on investigating whether there should be a Thames estuary . airport and used to drivel on about putting people on the river. ‘But unlike the previous mayor I actually expanded river transport. Mr Johnson added: ‘We doubled the number of passengers on the river and we are actually getting somewhere at last in sorting our aviation capacity problems. ‘So whatever the BBC may say, they are entitled to spend taxpayers money attacking Conservative politicians, that’s what they do, that’s their raison d’etre. I don’t in any way want to discourage them.’ A BBC spokesman said: ‘Sherlock is a fictional drama series, both the newspaper and mayor featured in the episode were entirely fictional and were not named or politically affiliated.’ A new plan by the current Mayor of London to turn the Thames into a bustling water-bound version of the M25 has hit rush-hour traffic as reaction has been damper than a dip in the rat-infested drink. The hair-brained (sic) scheme involved chartering disused boats, paying for their conversion into a version of London's famous bus, the Routemaster, but this plan has already foundered after pilot schemes revealed that customers were walking straight off the boat and into the icy currents of the Thames. When asked to explain how the system might move forward, or even be profitable, or perhaps even to explain the point, the Mayor, who was at a self-promotion event, was found to be dithering, incoherent, and self-interested. He said, "Well the fact of the matter is that Londoners need to recognise our great naval history, rather than naval gazing, and this will get the traffic moving while invoking memories of Nelson and the like. Huzzar! The plan joins a long list of bizarre concepts including the recently-mocked concept of putting an airport in the middle of the estuary.
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London Mayor hits back at the thinly-veiled attack in hit BBC show .
Latest episode opened with mocked up newspaper page on a bank gang .
But included story on 'hair-brained' plan to turn Thames into a motorway .
Quote from unnamed London Mayor ends with Johnson-eqsue 'huzzah!'
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By . Rob Draper . Follow @@draper_rob . Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is as positive a character as you might wish to find around the England camp, so even when his World Cup appeared to be in jeopardy he still clung to hope. In the sterile surroundings of a Miami medical centre last week Oxlade-Chamberlain submitted to the medical scan on his injured knee that would tell him if his World Cup was over and crossed his fingers — literally. ‘I actually sat in the scanner with the fingers crossed on both my hands for the whole 25 minutes,’ said Oxlade-Chamberlain. All smiles: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) is positive that he'll be fit to play a part for England at the World Cup . ‘At the end I couldn’t feel my fingers. After I came out our doctor saw the scan results and was pretty happy with them, considering what they’d feared. They’d thought it could have been a lot worse than it was. I was obviously a bit worried.’ With good reason: the collision with Ecuador’s Carlos Gruezo in England’s penultimate warm-up game looked bad, as the Arsenal man winced with pain and crumpled to the floor. He added: ‘In the next 10 seconds you try to figure out how painful it is, and how bad it could be. ‘You get up straight away to try to walk it off, and if you can’t walk it off you panic a bit more. On the mend: Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) is recovering from a knee injury sustained against Ecuador . ‘But I walked off the pitch — that was obviously a positive step — and, from my previous experience with my knee, I could gauge it wasn’t as bad as that in the dressing room. I just kept my fingers crossed and tried to keep positive about it. ‘Straight after, I sat in the dressing room and I was thinking, “You can’t get yourself in a pickle and get yourself down, because the situation is not going to change. What’s happened has happened”. ‘You can either stay positive and look forward and look how you are going to get over it or you do the opposite and get yourself down. And that is not going to get you anywhere.’ Heavy hit: Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) was fouled hard by Ecuador's Carlos Gruezo (bottom) in June's friendly . Eleven days on he is now out- running the physios overseeing his rehabilitation and hopes to be available to play against Uruguay — although you can see England manager Roy Hodgson holding him back for the Costa Rica game. ‘We are not sure about timescales but we are hopeful that Uruguay would be realistic,’ said Oxlade-Chamberlain. ‘There is nothing set in stone and I can’t say whether I will definitely be back or not. We just know we are very positive about it and we are going to keep pushing towards it.’ He was playing so well against Ecuador, especially given the fact that much of his Arsenal season was disrupted by a knee injury and then a groin strain, that you would imagine he will get his chance when he is back. As such he is now embracing everything the World Cup has to offer, the opening match between Brazil and Croatia having made quite an impression. Shattered dreams: Oxlade-Chamberlain (bottom) feared his World Cup could be over after Gruezo's challenge . ‘It started off in fine fashion with the Brazilian national anthem,’ he said. ‘That is where I really saw them going for it. The Brazilians singing the anthem really hit home. ‘Usually you have the Brazilians down to be cool calm customers but they were really passionate about it. You could see how much it meant to them and the whole nation. When you are in the mix of it here, it really brings it alive.’ Put Oxlade-Chamberlain down as a singer rather than a mumbler when he does get the chance to line up for the anthems. It will be fitting if he does get to play, for it was his performance last summer when he came on against Brazil in the Maracana that marked him down as potential game-changer in this tournament. Encouraging: Oxlade-Chamberlain (left) says walking off the pitch was a positive sign for his knee injury . ‘It’s a nice memory for me to cling to for the rest of my life,’ he said, recalling his goal and 30-minute appearance that changed the game. ‘Let’s hope there are more memories like that. Having that taste last year, and being able to score against Brazil in the Maracana, and now being in the World Cup with a chance to emulate that, it’s a massive motivation. I took that coming into this tournament and I still have that same thought in my head now.’ In playing at the Maracana, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Mark Chamberlain. The former England, Stoke and Portsmouth winger played in the 2-0 friendly win in 1984 and plans to come out to watch his son if England progress. However, Alex has already outstripped him in terms of England caps — 15 so far to his father’s eight — and playing at the World Cup would also be something his father never achieved. Golden moment: Oxlade-Chamberlain scored England's second goal in their 2-2 draw vs Brazil in June last year . As for the intensity and pressure that will surround a World Cup match, he is remarkably matter of fact. ‘It’s a game of football isn’t it?’ he deadpanned. When pressed, he conceded: ‘Well, it’s a big game of football; just more people watch it! It doesn’t change the game and how you approach it. ‘I will try to do the same things I always do. Because it is a World Cup, it’s on a bigger scale and more people watch it, so that gives you the extra motivation and buzz. On point: Oxlade-Chamberlain said Brazil's 3-1 opening World Cup win against Croatia made a mark on him . ‘It is what you watch as a kid growing up; it is what everyone back home is watching, everyone here and everyone around the world. It is just on a bigger stage.’ Oxlade-Chamberlain’s versatility also gives him increased hope of caps here, given that he can play central midfield as well as wide. ‘When I play in midfield and have a good game, that’s my favourite position; then I play out wide and score a goal, that’s my favourite position; and when I played in goal at Stamford Bridge I realised that’s not my best position…’ he said, offering the last phrase with a wry smile. Mistaken identity: Kieran Gibbs (left) was wrongly dismissed by Andre Marriner in Arsenal's 6-0 loss at Chelsea . He is, of course, referring to the debacle of his handball against Chelsea in Arsenal’s 6-0 defeat. It gave Chelsea their third goal from a penalty and saw his team-mate Kieran Gibbs sent off in error, even though Oxlade-Chamberlain told referee Andre Marriner that he was to blame. For now, despite his injury, he seems to be enjoying every aspect of this experience, except when he has to defer to Wayne Rooney at snooker. Oxlade-Chamberlain is, it appears, a bad loser. He revealed: ‘I lost to him at snooker the other day. I was on the black ball and I potted the white, it was unbelievable. It would have been the best comeback of my life. I stormed off to my room.’ So how did Rooney react? ‘Wazza was laughing, as always,’ he said.
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is positive he'll play in the World Cup .
Midfielder is currently recovering from a knee injury .
Oxlade-Chamberlain was injured in England's 2-2 friendly vs Ecuador .
20-year-old is hoping to feature against Uruguay on June 19 .
Arsenal star says hearing Brazil sing the national anthem made the reality of the World Cup sink in for hm .
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A shortage of midwives and beds is resulting in 'conveyor-belt' healthcare according to experts . New mothers are sent home from hospital more quickly in Britain than anywhere else in the EU. A shortage of midwives and beds is resulting in ‘conveyor-belt’ care that can put mother and baby’s health at risk, experts warn. The average hospital stay for a normal delivery in Britain is just 1.5 days, a major report revealed yesterday, compared with an EU average of 3.6. French mothers typically stay for 4.2 days, while in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia they stay for five. Britain’s maternity wards have been under pressure for years, largely because the birth rate has outstripped government expectations – rising by almost a quarter in the last decade – meaning not enough midwives have been recruited. Staff are concerned that too many exhausted mothers are sent home before they have properly recovered from labour, or got to grips with basic baby care. Yesterday’s OECD report states: ‘The average length of stay for a normal delivery in EU countries ranges from less than two days, in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, to five days or more in [Slovakia], Romania and Hungary.’ It warns: ‘Too short a stay could also cause adverse effects on health outcomes, or reduce the comfort and recovery of the patient.’ Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: ‘Midwives are under pressure to get women home earlier and earlier ... women in labour are basically queuing for a bed, so those in the post-natal wards have to be discharged far more quickly than we would like.’ She added: ‘Midwives say too often it feels conveyor belt-like ... they are under pressure to get a woman out and home.’ Elizabeth Duff of the National Childbirth Trust said: ‘This is a complex issue ... having a short stay may be the right thing for women who’ve had straightforward births as they often feel better at home.’ However, she added it is ‘crucial that women are not sent home before they are ready due to a lack of hospital staff, or leave because they want to get away from chaotic postnatal wards’. Simon Danczuk, Labour MP for Rochdale, said: ‘Even Mary was allowed to stay in the stable for longer than one-and-a-half days ... what the Government needs to do is recruit more midwives.’ The study, which examined every EU nation except Estonia, found that stays have become shorter ‘in nearly all countries over the past decade’, with Britain’s average falling from 1.8 days in 2000. The report did not distinguish between first babies and subsequent pregnancies, which typically result in quicker deliveries. Dr Catherine Calderwood, clinical director for maternity at NHS England, said: ‘Although many women prefer to go home as soon as possible, it is vital that they receive the care and support they need after they give birth. ‘This is why new mums will only return home once they are well enough and ready, and will continue to receive postnatal care from a community midwife for up to 28 days after giving birth.’
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The average stay in hospital for a new mother after giving birth is 1.5 days .
This compares to five days for women giving birth in Romania and Slovakia .
The short stays are being blamed on a shortage of midwives and beds .
Staff are concerned mothers are sent home before they have recovered from labour .
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04d7b42001e7249bef064a175aa1236be8211e4c
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By . Becky Barrow . PUBLISHED: . 17:28 EST, 9 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:25 EST, 10 October 2013 . Announcement: Vince Cable admitted that the 700,000 figure was in fact a 'very rough estimate' More than 700,000 private investors have applied for shares in Royal Mail – in a rush that could leave many people empty-handed. The controversial privatisation has been over-subscribed nearly seven times over, it was announced yesterday. Business Secretary Vince Cable told MPs his ‘very rough estimate’ was that 700,000 private investors signed up for shares before the midnight deadline on Tuesday. The total number is expected to rise even higher, possibly to 750,000, as some postal applications have not yet been included in the figure. Dr Tim May, chief executive of the Wealth Management Association which represents small shareholders, said: ‘It is clear that small investors should be the backbone of Royal Mail plc. Governments have been elected on smaller majorities than 700,000. ‘These investors will demand and expect fair play when the final allocation is made.’ Ian Gorham, chief executive of Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the authorised brokers, said the demand for shares highlights the ‘real appetite for private share ownership and investing’ in Britain. And Tom Stevenson, from investment giant Fidelity, said: ‘It has been many years since investors have been so excited about an IPO [a flotation, also known as an initial public offering].’ On Monday Business Minister Michael Fallon said he was ‘committed to making sure small investors get their fair share’. But he confirmed that around 70 per cent of the Government’s shares will be reserved for big investors such as hedge funds, leaving only ‘around 30 per cent’ for small private investors. It is still not clear how shares will be divided between members of the public who sign up to the flotation. Earlier this week, Chris Stevenson, . vice-president of Barclays Stockbrokers, another authorised broker, said . the ‘vast majority’ had asked for more than the minimum of £750. Delicate delivery: Given the sensitivity around the privitisation the final decision as to how to divide up the shares may end up being made by the Prime Minister . One option is for everybody to be given £750 of shares. People who applied for more than this might be given a percentage of the extra amount. For example, if they applied for £10,000 of shares, they also could get 20 per cent of £9,250. Given the political sensitivity of the privatisation, the final decision might end up being made by the Prime Minister, sources said last night. Meanwhile, Royal Mail’s executives and other staff will get priority over members of the public, under the ‘employee priority offer’. Chief executive Moya Greene and ten other directors have applied for a total of £500,000 of shares, according to the company’s prospectus. Under the deal, they will pay the same price as other retail investors – between £2.60 and £3.30 per share – but will ‘receive priority on up to the first £10,000 of shares applied for’. Yesterday Mr Cable warned the Canadian . boss, who currently earns £1.5million a year, that she will have to show . ‘appropriate restraint’ over her pay package after the State-owned . giant is privatised. Staff benefits: All Royal Mail employees will be eligible for a chunk of free shares in the company and could stand to make a substantial profit . Speaking to MPs on the Business Committee, he urged Miss Greene and her fellow directors to resist the temptation of rapidly escalating their pay – or face the Government trying to block their pay packages as a minority shareholder. He also rejected accusations that shares are being sold cheaply, insisting that the price range was ‘entirely sensible and robust’. He said the decision had been made after extensive consultation with the City. Adrian Bailey, chairman of the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee, then confronted him over the type of institutional investor who will be allowed to buy shares. He read out one of Mr Cable’s previous quotes, which said: ‘Why should good companies be destroyed by short-term investors looking for a speculative killing while their accomplices in the City make fat fees?’ But Mr Cable insisted attempts are being made to freeze such ‘spivs and speculators’ out of the flotation, and focus instead on ‘responsible, long-term institutional investors’.
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But the figure could still rise as Vince Cable calls it a 'very rough estimate'
And no-one yet knows how the shares will be divided up between hedge funds, employees and private investors .
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By . Anthony Bond . Last updated at 7:33 PM on 28th October 2011 . A chief fire officer splashed more than £26,000 of taxpayers' money on business class plane tickets to all corners of the globe. Lincolnshire County Council's former chief fire officer Mike Thomas took trips to the USA, Canada, Japan and New Zealand to attend international search and rescue training programmes on business class tickets. He then charged the tickets back to the council at a total cost of £26,768. Trips on the taxpayer: Lincolnshire County Council's former chief fire officer Mike Thomas visited Panama, reportedly travelling business class . The figures, which were obtained by the Taxpayers' Alliance, revealed the council spent more than £42,000 in total on overseas flights for its officers between April 2009 and March this year. Tony McArdle, council chief executive, admitted mistakes had been made and steps had been taken to address them. He said: 'Around 75 per cent of these flights were booked by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue. 'The majority were for one individual in his work with groups aiming to improve firefighter safety at an international level. Globe-trotting: The fire chief also visited Ottawa, Canada, famous for its red tulips . 'Regrettably, one senior fire and rescue officer often travelled at business class, contrary to the council's rules. 'The individual concerned is no longer employed by the council and we have tightened our procedures to make sure that the rules cannot be disregarded again. 'We will investigate the fire and rescue travelling arrangements and are reminding all of our staff of the need to minimise expenditure as a priority.' On his travels, Mr Thomas flew to Rhode Island, Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte and South Carolina in the USA, Ottawa in Canada, Berlin in Germany, Panama City in Panama, Tokyo in Japan and Wellington in New Zealand on a mixture of business and economy tickets. His biggest bill was the flight to Rhode Island, which cost £4,103 for a Club World ticket flying with British Airways. The biggest bill the council paid however was a £6,004 business class ticket for another employee to fly to the USA. Mr McArdle said the spending was justified as the worker had to go on a series of flights in a short space of time. He said: 'This involved internal flights between each site, as well as the flights between the UK and US. 'As this individual was making five flights within a three-day period, he decided to fly business class on the two between the UK and US. 'So basically it was because he was spending the best part of three days on planes.' Deeping St James Parish Council chairman Phil Dilks said: 'To see this kind of spending on business class tickets at a time when services are being cut is appalling. 'They should hang their heads in shame.'
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Trips taken to USA, Canada, Japan and New Zealand .
Council boss admits 'mistakes had been made'
Spending on plane tickets slammed as 'appalling'
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04d85d18a51aac57f74abbd49dd65e2f47534cde
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Mexico City (CNN) -- The helicopter crash in Mexico that killed Interior Minister Jose Francisco Blake Mora and all seven other people aboard shows no evidence of an explosion, a Mexican official said Saturday. "In visual and preliminary investigations of the crash site, the remains of the aircraft do not show evidence of any kind of damage from an explosion or fire," said Dionisio Perez-Jacome, minister of communication and transportation. "It is worth mentioning that according to the available information up until this moment, present at the place and time of the incident were layers of clouds and reduced visibility," Perez-Jacome said. His announcement on government television came as Mexico began a day of grieving for the eight killed Friday in the helicopter crash in a rural area just south of Mexico City. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife were among the government officials at a public funeral in Mexico City on Saturday afternoon. The eight caskets were each draped with the Mexican flag on the vast green grounds of Campo Militar Marte where Calderon led a tearful ceremony of handing portraits of the eight helicopter victims to their respective families and children. A military band played sorrowful dirges, as did a drum and bugle corps at other points in the funeral. "Here, in the earth, their example and memory will endure forever," Calderon told the black-attired mourners in the galleries and grandstand, all on their feet during the ceremony. "These are difficult times for the government and for the nation, but it is also a time to show the strength to overcome these adversities," Calderon said. The Friday incident -- which occurred 2.5 miles south of the town of Santa Catarina Atoyzingo in the municipality of Chalco -- evoked comparisons to a 2008 plane crash that also killed the country's then-interior minister. That crash, in a luxurious Mexico City neighborhood, was later determined to be an accident caused by turbulence. The Learjet carrying the minister and others was following a commercial airliner too closely, authorities said. Calderon on Friday called Blake Mora "a great Mexican who deeply loved his country and served until the last moment of his life." Analysts said that the crash puts renewed attention on the president's controversial efforts to fight the nation's notorious cartels because the interior minister oversees domestic security. "The national mood is such that even before this, people are alarmed" about cartel violence, said Stephen Zamora, professor at the University of Houston Law Center who's an expert on Mexican law and U.S.-Mexico relations. "Calderon is in the last year of his presidency, so Mexico is entering a presidential election year just as the United States is. President Calderon has been criticized because the number of persons killed has escalated during his presidency and so people see him as failed. I think that's a harsh judgment," Zamora said. "He inherited a country, especially in the northern states, that is being destabilized by the drug cartels. He's started employing the army, which hasn't been used much domestically, to fight the drug cartels," Zamora said. While Blake Mora was well regarded by U.S. officials, his loss won't devastate the Calderon administration, said Pamela K. Starr, associate professor of international relations at the University of Southern California. "I think there's an inevitability that there will be speculation that organized crime was involved in this, but it seems highly unlikely to me that indeed will be the case," Starr said, noting how the helicopter crashed under foggy conditions in a remote area. "He was very highly thought of both within Mexico and with his counterparts in the United States," Starr said of Blake Mora. "With that said, he has not been one of the central figures in the battle against drug cartels in Mexico. The lead has been taken more by the federal police and the president himself, along with the military and the prosecutor's office." The helicopter went down in the Xochimilco area south of Mexico City, government spokeswoman Alejandra Sota said. Two other government officials were killed in the crash: Undersecretary for Legal Affairs and Human Rights Felipe Zamora and the ministry's press office chief, Jose Alfredo Garcia, she said. In July 2010, Calderon appointed Blake Mora to the post that oversees security efforts against drug cartels in Mexico. That battle has cost thousands of lives. "I grieve his loss" and those of the other victims, Calderon said in a national address on Friday, adding that Blake Mora, who was 45, leaves behind a wife and two children. Authorities will continue to investigate the cause of the accident. A photograph of the crash site depicts a relatively concentrated debris field. The French-manufactured Super Puma THP06 helicopter was made in 1987 and had logged 717 hours of flight, Mexican officials said. The helicopter crashed while traveling between Mexico City and the Mexican state of Morelos south of the city, officials said. The others killed were Diana Miriam Hayton Sanchez, the technical secretary of the minister's office; Maj. Rene de Leon Sapien of the Presidential Guard, who was Blake Mora's personal security detail; and three members of the air force: pilot Lt. Col. Felipe Bacio Cortes, Lt. Pedro Ramon Escobar and Sgt. Jorge Luis Juarez Gomez. Before becoming interior minister, Blake Mora was an attorney from Baja California state who was chief of staff to the state government from 2007 until July 2010. Previously, he was a councilman in Tijuana, as well as a state and federal congressman. Blake Mora was considered to be politically close to the president and, in fact, led his political campaign in Baja California. Ironically, Blake Mora's last writing in his Twitter account refers to the November 2008 accident that killed a prior interior minister. "Today we remember Juan Camilo Mourino three years after his departure, a human being who worked on building a better Mexico," Blake Mora wrote in a tweet posted November 4, the third anniversary of the accident. CNN's Michael Martinez wrote this report. CNN's Esprit Smith, Mariano Castillo and CNNMexico.com contributed.
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NEW: Rural crash area had clouds and reduced visibility .
NEW: "These are difficult times," president says at public funeral .
Investigators don't find evidence of an explosion or a fire aboard the aircraft .
Mexican Interior Minister Jose Francisco Blake Mora dies with seven others .
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England manager Roy Hodgson can count himself very fortunate that the FA have moved on from the World Cup debacle in Brazil with him still in charge of the national team. The last word on England’s dismal showing comes from Greg Dyke in his chairman’s statement, contained in the annual FA accounts, to be published shortly after being lodged with Companies House. Dyke, in copies circulated to FA staff, writes: ‘Sadly our involvement in the competition did disappoint. Despite the excellent preparation and planning by Roy Hodgson and all his team, we were once again left reflecting on an early exit and underachievement.’ Roy Hodgson is fortunate to still be England manager after the debacle of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil . Sir Trevor Brooking (left) and Greg Dyke backed Hodgson to remain in the post after the World Cup . Dyke wrote: 'We were once again left reflecting on an early exit and underachievement’in his annual account . Tellingly, though, Club England officials Adrian Bevington, Alex Horne and Sir Trevor Brooking — who, along with Dyke, backed the manager after England failed to get out of their group —are no longer at the FA. RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie has emerged as the best-paid boss of a national sports governing body in the UK. The latest RFU annual accounts reveal Ritchie took home a hefty annual package of £600,000. This is more than the £550,000-a-year the FA were paying departed general secretary Alex Horne. Ritchie has restored order at Twickenham after the 2011 World Cup debacle and has put his long-term faith in England coach Stuart Lancaster. Everything for Ritchie now depends on how the hosts fare in the World Cup on home soil. RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie (left) has emerged as highest paid boss of a national sports governing body, above departed FA general secretary Alex Horne on £550,000 . The FA remained remarkably relaxed on Tuesday about the clinical director of St George’s Park healthcare partners Perform being held partially to blame in a £7million damages judgment on a Spurs apprentice suffering cardiac arrest and brain damage. Specialist sports physician Dr Charlotte Cowie, who also worked for Team GB at three Olympics, was found to have made a serious error of judgment while head of Spurs’ medical services when she concluded teenager Radwan Hamed bore no risk of an adverse cardiac attack. Hamed collapsed in his first game for Spurs — a youth match in Belgium. Spurs said the club ‘wholeheartedly regrets a former employee… was remiss in their duties to Radwan’. The FA said: ‘This is a private action and third-party matter. We are confident all of the medical staff operating at St George’s Park for our partners are of the highest calibre.’ Judo turned down a £250,000 sponsorship of their European Championship from Ultimate Fight Championship because it challenged their teaching of the art . Judo, a sport that only really registers every four years at the Olympics, nevertheless felt able to turn down a £250,000 sponsorship of their European Championships in Glasgow from mixed martial arts Ultimate Fight Championship — and abort the competition — because it challenged their teaching of the art. European Judo Union president Sergey Soloveychik wrote to Kerrith Brown, chairman of hosts British Judo, saying: ‘We must secure the image of judo as a kind of martial art and of sport that has an educational mission.’ Racing’s fury at Clare . If Clare Balding hadn’t been on holiday, allowing her to swerve the Crabbie’s Grand National weights lunch on Tuesday, she would have been made aware of the upset at her decision to host the first televised women’s Boat Race rather than the National on April 11. The consensus was that Balding owes horseracing for her stellar broadcasting career, which she has repaid by snubbing their flagship event. Meanwhile, Crabbie’s have not only ensured a £1m prize fund for the National, but their classy weights event at the Royal Opera House even included a rendering of Nessun Dorma from the in-house singing talent — taking the usual humdrum sports lunch to a whole different level. The consensus at Crabbie's Grand National weights lunch was that Balding owes horseracing for her stellar broadcasting career . Clare Balding (right) has opted to host the first televised women's boat race rather than the Grand National . Alex Horne, the departed FA general secretary, says in the annual accounts review: ‘Our disciplinary team handled a series of high-profile cases effectively.’ However, the wheels of justice continue to turn very slowly with a complaint about a racist comment made by a Leeds player during a match against MPE in the Kent Sunday League still being investigated at county and FA level 13 weeks after it was lodged. An FA spokesman said the inquiry was ongoing.
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Greg Dyke has written his chairman's statement in the FA's annual accounts .
On the World Cup, he wrote: 'We were once again left reflecting on an early exit and underachievement’
RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie has emerged as the best-paid boss of a national sports governing body in the UK .
Judo turned down a £250,000 sponsorship of their European Championships in Glasgow from mixed martial arts Ultimate Fight Championship .
Departed FA general secretary Alex Horne believes disciplinary team handled high-profile cases 'effectively' despite ongoing Leeds case .
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