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A former Disney star has been cast as Ronald Reagan in an upcoming biopic about the 40th President of the United States . David Henrie, who is best known for playing Selena Gomez's older brother on the Disney channel show Wizards Of Waverly Place, will play a young Reagan in the $25 million indie film. Called Reagan, the film will be told from the point of view of a KGB officer who was tasked with keeping tabs on Reagan from his days as a Hollywood actor in movies such as Bedtime for Bonzo. Former Disney star David Harrie, left, has been cast as Ronald Reagan in an upcoming biopic about the 40th President of the United States. he will play Reagan in his teens and 20s in the movie . Henrie will play Reagan in his teens and 20s, beginning with his time as a lifeguard, college football star and through his time as a radio announcer before he moved to Hollywood. 'I'm excited to play such an iconic figure in an era of his life that many people don't know about,' said Henrie. 'That makes this role more challenging as an actor. I look forward to that challenge.' 'It's a universal film with universal values and principles,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. 'David has the physicality of a lifeguard and a very strong presence,' producer Mark Joseph said. 'He also has a strong and consistent body of work that attracted us to him.' Henrie is best known for playing Selena Gomez's older brother on the Disney channel show Wizards Of Waverly Place . Henrie took to social media on Thursday to celebrate the announcement that he will play the 40th President of the United States . The film is adapted by Space Cowboy's Howard Klausner and based on two biographies by Paul Kengor. Henrie is the first cast member to be announced. This will be the first biopic made for the silver screen about Reagan, who is still a beloved icon for millions, especially Republicans and conservatives. Reagan started out in politics as president of the Screen Actors Guild union. Under the influence of the family of his second wife, actress Nancy Davis, he switched from being a Democrat to being a Republican and staunch anti-communist. He died in 2004 at age 93 after a long decline into Alzheimer's and was buried at his presidential library in Simi Valley, California. This will be the first biopic made for the silver screen about Reagan, right, although Alan Rickman played him in Lee Daniels' The Butler in 2013 .
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Best known for playing Selena Gomez's older brother on the Disney channel show Wizards Of Waverly Place, Henrie will play a young Reagan .
The movie will be told from the point of view of a KGB officer who was tasked with keeping tabs on Reagan since his days as a Hollywood actor .
Henrie will play Reagan in his teens and 20s, beginning with his time as a lifeguard, college football star before he moved to Hollywood .
'I'm excited to play such an iconic figure in an era of his life that many people don't know about,' said Henrie .
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UFC superstar Jon Jones is undergoing treatment in a drug facility after testing positive for cocaine metabolites. The light-heavyweight champion, who defended his title against Daniel Cormier on Saturday, failed a drug test on December 4. He tested positive for benzoylecgonine in the out-of-competition test but the substance is not on the banned list. Jones past a similar test a week later. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jon Bones Jones taking drug test before Cromier fight . UFC star Jon Jones (left) has announced that he has entered a drug treatment facility . The UFC light-heavyweight champion defended his title against Daniel Comier at the MGM Grand on Saturday . Jones (C) yells out after defeating Comier at the main event during UFC 182 in Las Vegas . In a statement released to Yahoo, he said: 'With the support of my family, I have entered into a drug treatment facility. 'I want to apologise to my fiancee, my children, as well as my mother, father, and brothers for the mistake that I made. 'I also want to apologise to the UFC, my coaches, my sponsors and equally important to my fans. 'I am taking this treatment program very seriously. Therefore, at this time my family and I would appreciate privacy.' The 27-year-old has apologised to his family, the UFC and sponsors for his 'mistake' Cormier receives treatment during the light heavyweight title bout before being defeated by Jones . Jones (left) is considered to be the best mixed martial arts fighter in the world right now . Jones, 27, is considered the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter in the world and has defended his belt eight times. He was previously arrested in May 2012, charged with driving under the influence and fined $1,000. The UFC said in a statement: 'We support UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones' decision to enter a drug treatment facility to address his recent issue. 'While we are disappointed in the failed test, we applaud him for making this decision to enter a drug treatment facility. Jon is a strong, courageous fighter inside the Octagon, and we expect him to fight this issue with the same poise and diligence. 'We commend him on his decision, and look forward to him emerging from this program a better man as a result.' Defeated challenger Cormier (left) has wished Jones 'good luck' with his treatment . UFC president Dana White claims he is proud that Jones has sought out treatment . President Dana White added: 'I am proud of Jon Jones for making the decision to enter a drug treatment facility. 'I'm confident that he'll emerge from this program like the champion he truly is.' Jones was expected to face his toughest test to date against Cormier but after a tricky second round, dominated thereafter. And Cormier told MMAFighting.com: 'I am aware of Jon's test and if there is anything to say it is this: there are a lot of people you impact, so please let's get it together. Good luck on your rehab!'
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UFC light-heavyweight champ Jon Jones is being treated at a drug facility .
He tested positive for cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine on December 4 .
Jones defended his title against Daniel Cormier in main event of UFC 182 .
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(CNN) -- Tender, loving vampires? Look elsewhere than FX's "The Strain." The new thriller series, produced by Guillermo del Toro, Carlton Cuse and author Chuck Hogan, wants to make bloodsuckers scary again. "The vampire genre has sort of been overrun by romance," Cuse told reporters on a press call. "We had had our fill of vampires that we're feeling sorry for because they had romantic problems." Instead, "The Strain's" vampires lose their heart, their hair and their genital organs. When these vampires fully transition, there's no mistaking them for the really pale guy in science class. For Cuse, that was the selling point for hopping aboard. "The idea of sort of reimagining the vampires, going back to the roots of what vampires are -- that they are scary, dangerous creatures -- that was something that was incredibly compelling for me; the idea that when you see these things, it's not good." An adaptation of Hogan and del Toro's books, "The Strain," premiering Sunday, July 13, begins with the mysterious deaths of passengers aboard an airplane that lands in New York. All but a few on the flight appear to be dead, and CDC epidemiologist Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Corey Stoll) heads over to investigate with a few colleagues. But the wormy outbreak they're examining is far more ancient and sinister then they realize -- and it isn't long before the horrific outbreak spreads. "I've been obsessed by vampires for a long, long time, since I was a very young kid, and a very strange kid," del Toro said during the press call. "I read about vampire mythology worldwide and I familiarized myself with the Japanese, Filipino, Malaysian and Eastern European variations on the vampire, and many, many others. And I kept very detailed notes as a kid on where to go with the vampire myth in terms of brutality, social structure (and) biology. Some of those notes made it into my first feature, 'Cronos.' Some of them made it in 'Blade II' when I directed that, and most of them made it into 'The Strain.'" In del Toro's world, the undead do not sparkle, do not brood and do not hesitate to take out someone they once loved. In fact, the first thing to go is their heart. "The older that they stay alive, the more they lose their humanity," del Toro explained. "They start literally by losing their heart; their heart is suffocated by a vampire heart that overtakes the functions. This was important metaphorically for me because the beacon that guides these vampires to their victims is love. Love is what makes them seek their victims. They go to the people they love the most. So they turn their instinct that is most innately human into the most inhuman feeding mechanism." With "The Strain" being on FX, hardcore horror fans are likely skeptical that the drama can be as graphic as an R-rated movie would be. Cuse told press that the network gave the producers "the latitude" to tell the story their way -- and critics have taken notice. "'The Strain' is packed with so much macabre imagery and so many clever ideas that it doesn't feel like the resuscitation of a tired genre, but the launch of something new and fun," says HitFix's Alan Sepinwall. Granted, like the show's gross-out billboards, the producers' commitment to "unadulterated" storytelling may not sit well with some viewers. "This is cult-classic, midnight-movie horror, designed in meticulous, mythology-respecting detail for comic-book readers and fangirls and -boys," says Entertainment Weekly. "The show isn't for everyone. But that special someone it is for? She's gonna love it."
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FX's new series "The Strain" is a return to scary vampires .
Series is produced by Guillermo del Toro, Carlton Cuse and Chuck Hogan .
Critics have lauded its debut .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 09:31 EST, 16 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 18:18 EST, 16 December 2012 . While the pain of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting is felt across the nation, the sports world is no different - as several players took part in pregame ceremonies and honoring the victims in their own way. Miami Heat star LeBron James, who has two children about the same age as Newtown, Connecticut's youngest victims, felt the pain of the parents who lost their kids when gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into the school and began firing. James wrote 'Newtown, CT' in several places on his sneakers before the Heat took on the Washington Wizards in Miami last night. Tribute in shoes: Miami Heat's LeBron James remembers the victims of the mass shooting in Newtown with the name of the small community on his sneakers . The team also took part in a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives, and some of the players - including James - brought their children onto the court with them. James and teammate Dwyane Wade came up with the idea. They said that if they were going to honor the victims of the shooting, then they wanted their own children to share in that solemn tribute. James said: 'Basketball, . this is nothing. These games are nothing compared to when you have a . tragedy like that. It sucks that sometimes you need a tragedy to put . things back in perspective, to appreciate what you have. 'But it does that to people. It's . unfortunate that you have to have something like that to understand . what's really important and some things that aren't important at all. Family is the No. 1 important thing in life.' James had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the Heat never trailed on the way to handily defeating the Washington Wizards 102-72 on Saturday night. Memorial: The team also took part in a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives, and some of the players - including James - brought their children onto the court with them . 'We were focused on the game,' teammate . Dwayne Wade said. "We had heavy hearts for the families that dealt with . the tragedy. But we had to play basketball, and... for our fans and our . family we had to come out here and do our job.' It was an emotional day in Miami, as . it has been at just about every U.S. sports venue since the school . shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday. Several . Heat players spoke about how the massacre that left 20 children and six . adults dead at an elementary school affected them, and before tip-off . on Saturday, Miami held a moment of silence. The players brought their children onto the court for that moment, with . During the pregame ceremony, Heat forward Chris Bosh held his son Jackson to his chest. Gesture: The New York Giants have adorned their helmets with 'S.H.E.S.' in honor the the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School. Receiver Victor Cruz paid tribute to one of his fans, Jack Pinto, right . 'I couldn't imagine being in the position some people are in right now,' Bosh said. 'It wasn't like they were dropping their kids off in a dangerous situation. It was school.' And the Miami Heat weren't alone, as several football teams will show their support for the small Connecticut community. New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz wrote a personal message to one of his biggest fans - six-year-old Jack Pinto, who was killed along with several classmates when Lanza burst into his classroom. Before the Giants took the field against the Atlanta Falcons, Cruz tweeted: 'Today's game is for you, Jack.' For his biggest fan: Before the Giants took the field against the Atlanta Falcons, Cruz tweeted: 'Today's game is for you, Jack' Accompanying the Twitter message were photos of his cleats, which had messages dedicated to the boy, like 'RIP' and 'my hero.' Both the Giants and New York Jets adorned their helmets with the letters 'S.H.E.S.' (Sandy Hook Elementary School). The New England Patriots will also take the field with a special decal on their helmets, according to NFL.com. The league has asked all home teams to observe a moment of silence before their games.
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James wrote 'Newtown, CT' in several places on his shoes .
He and other players were joined by their children as they took part in a pre-game moment of silence .
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(CNN) -- Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's new gig on Wall Street will line his pockets, to the tune of more than $1 million per year. And for those who played an instrumental role in his defeat in Virginia's primaries, the justification of their concerns about the former congressman is quite fulfilling. Kevin Broughton, communications director of the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, said, "many analysts accused Eric Cantor of paying more attention to Wall Street than to the people of Virginia's 7th District. He certainly didn't waste any time validating that theory." Cantor, who was the No. 2 Republican in the House, lost his primary this year to unknown college professor David Brat. Part of the reason was voters thought he was disconnected from his Richmond, Virginia, district by focusing instead on his duties as a fundraiser and national leader for the Republican Party. He left Congress early, resigning his seat last month. Since 1999, the seven-term congressman had raised more than $3 million from the investment industry. And in his last campaign, the industry was his largest contributor, donating $785,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. For disaffected conservatives, especially among the tea party, which came to life early in the Obama administration and took on a populist message, Cantor's move to a boutique investment bank, Moelis & Co., as a vice chairman and board member is proof that their concerns were spot on. In a statement, Cantor said, "When I considered options for the next chapter of my career, I knew I wanted to join a firm with a great entrepreneurial spirit that focused on its clients." Some took to Twitter to express their satisfaction: . . CNNMoney's Charles Riley contributed to this report.
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The ex-House majority leader will join Moelis & Co., making more than $1 million per year .
Tea party groups that helped to defeat him say his move justifies their concerns .
Cantor raised more than $3 million from investment banks throughout his career .
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Sen. Tim Kaine said Wednesday there's no legal authority for the current U.S. mission against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. "We have been engaged in a war -- that is not about imminent defense of the United States -- without legal authority," the Virginia Democrat said at the Wilson Center on Wednesday, ahead of a panel discussion on the legal authority for military intervention, moderated by CNN's Jim Sciutto. The mission is not covered by either the wording or intent of the 2001 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force as the White House argues, Kaine said, adding that such an argument is "ridiculous" and inconsistent with President Barack Obama's previously stated interpretation of the AUMF. Kaine, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has proposed a new, limited authorization, specifically targeted to the current mission against ISIS. "We should deal with it right away," he said, stressing that it could be accomplished in the lame-duck session in Congress. Rand Paul on ISIS response: 'This war is now illegal' He's also calling for changes to the War Powers Resolution that will result in a "better process" for war authorization. In a statement last week, Kaine said he was "encouraged" by Obama's recent willingness to work with Congress on a new authorization, but also "troubled by suggestions today that Congress should wait until the new Congressional session in 2015 to take this vote." "We have already asked too many U.S. service members to risk their lives without a political consensus behind this mission," he added. What to expect from the lame duck Congress . The current AUMF was passed in 2001, just days after the 9/11 attacks. Though the language of the authorization only covers military action against those who "planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons," in recent years it has been used to cover action against any group or individual the administration considers associated with al Qaeda. A second authorization for use of military force against Iraq was passed in 2002, permitting the president to "defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq" and "enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq."
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Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine argues that the fight against ISIS has not been legally authorized .
He wants the White House to come to Congress so the country can have a debate .
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By . Travelmail Reporter . In these days of movie megastars and overly precious pop stars, we have all heard stories of celebrity guests who make outrageous demands of the hotels they frequent. But it seems that many members of the general public can be just as diva-like – and delusional – when it comes to what they expect of the places in which they stay. Ring ring: According to the survey, strange requests made by hotel guests have included goat bells to aid sleep . Outrageous orders and crazy complaints regularly stretch the patience of even the best-trained staff, according to a research conducted by flight comparison website Skyscanner. The survey – which questioned 400 hotel staff in 49 countries – reveals a world of grasping guests and cantankerous customers for whom no tantrum is too ridiculous. Skyscanner has compiled a list of the ten most unusual requests made by hotel guests – as well as the top ten most outlandish complaints. Woof woof: One guest complained that his dog was unhappy with the level of service at the hotel, and did not enjoy its stay, while another difficult customer wanted mineral water - not for drinking, but for the toilet bowl . The latter line-up includes far-from-happy customers appalled that their room did not come with a sea view, even though they were staying miles from the coast, a light sleeper angry that they had been kept awake by their own girlfriend’s snoring – and a peeved diner unamused to find that a vegetarian menu in a hotel restaurant did not include steak. 1. One glass of water on the hour every hour, through the night2. 15 cucumbers a day3. Toilet to be filled with mineral water4. Bath filled with honey5. Sound of goat bells to aid sleep6. Only the right legs of a chicken to be served7. A dead mouse8. Bath full of chocolate milk9. 16 pillows (for a single guest)10. Crocodile soup . 1. The sheets are too white2. The sea is too blue3. Ice cream is too cold4. Bath is too big5. Girlfriend’s snoring has kept guest awake6. Guest’s dog did not enjoy its stay7. Hotel has no ocean view (in London)8. There is no steak on the vegetarian menu9. Waiter is too handsome10. Mother of groom has not been given the honeymoon suite . Other fantastical flashpoints included a guest upset that the bath in their suite was too big, and an animal lover who wanted a discount because his dog had not enjoyed its stay. And some people, it seems, are never happy. One guest was moved to raise a concern about the waiter who served them at dinner – saying he was too handsome for their liking. The list of unlikely requests features a range of demands that would surely make the most riotous rock star or highly-strung actress blush. One guest wanted a glass of water to be delivered to their room – on the hour, every hour, throughout the night. Another insisted that they could not drop off into the land of nod without the sounds of the mountains – and could a range of goat bells be provided? No no: According to the research, a guest complained that the waiter serving them was too handsome - while another asked for chicken for their dinner, as long as they were served only right legs from available poultry . Another wanted a dinner of chicken. Not too outrageous, you might think – except for the fact that, the guest stipulated, only legs from the right side of the chicken should be served as part of the meal. Other food-themed blasts from the barely believable included a customer who wanted a bowl of crocodile soup, and a weight-watcher who asked for 15 cucumbers per day. Incredible en-suite-related wishes included baths filled with honey or chocolate milk. And spare a thought for staff at the hotel where a guest demanded a further bathroom-linked change to the room: they wanted their toilet to be filled with mineral water.
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Survey of hotel staff in 49 countries reveals hotel guests' bizarre behaviour .
Requests have included baths full of honey and crocodile soup for dinner .
Guest wanted discount when he was kept awake by his girlfriend's snoring .
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By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:26 EST, 13 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:31 EST, 13 December 2013 . A 68-year-old Ohio man convicted of fatally shooting his ailing wife in her hospital bed was sentenced today to six years in prison. John Wise has said he shot his debilitated wife Barbara out of love in August 2012 after she suffered aneurysms and appeared to be in pain at an Akron hospital. Mercy is not a defense to a murder charge in Ohio. John Wise (pictured) broke down in tears in court today during his sentencing at Summit County Common Pleas Court in Akron, Ohio . The sentence issued by Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands was in line with a prosecutor's recommendation that Wise receive a lighter punishment than the minimum 23 years on his most serious conviction, an aggravated murder count with a firearm specification. Wise's attorney, Paul Adamson, said ahead of the sentencing that they will pursue clemency from the governor no matter the punishment. County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh had called Wise's actions illegal and dangerous but said the case warranted leniency. She had recommended that Wise be sentenced on a lesser offense, manslaughter. Neither side had found previous case law to support the prosecutor's suggestion that the judge could sentence Wise to six years for manslaughter, a charge that wasn't among the counts against him but is considered a lesser included offense. The prosecution instead asked the . judge to sentence Wise for his felonious assault conviction with a . firearms specification, and the judge did so. Wise was also convicted of aggravated murder and murder, which could have led to a life sentence. John Wise, left, is comforted by his attorney Paul Adamson after being sentenced during a hearing at Summit County Common Pleas Court to six years in prison today . Police say Wise calmly walked into his wife's hospital room on Aug. 4, 2012, and shot her at her bedside. She died the next day. Wise told police he intended to kill himself after shooting his wife, but the weapon jammed. 'My recollection is that I walked in there, and within two minutes, I kissed her on the cheek and shot her,' Wise told jurors. Barbara . Wise, 65, was in the intensive care unit at Akron General Medical . Center after suffering triple cerebral aneurysms that had left her . unable to speak, a family friend has said. A doctor testified that Barbara Wise wasn't terminally ill and seemed to be responding to treatment. Wise . testified that he couldn't stand to see his wife of 45 years in pain in . the hospital and decided on his course of action after seeing a tear . roll down her cheek. Those who know Wise described him as a loving husband devastated by his wife's sudden medical emergency. Terry Henderson, a longtime steel . plant co-worker of John Wise, said after the shooting that the couple . had agreed they didn't want to live out their years bedridden and . disabled. John . Wise suffered from diabetes and nerve damage that made his hands and . feet numb and had survived bladder cancer, according to Henderson. Wise calmly walked into his 65-year-old wife Barbara's room at Akron General Medical Center (pictured) and shot her on August 4, 2012 .
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John Wise, 68, shot dead his wife Barbara, 65, in her Ohio hospital bed last year out of mercy - but mercy is not a defense in Ohio .
Barbara suffered a serious stroke in 2012 .
John planned on shooting himself after his wife, but the gun jammed .
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(CNN) -- Small fish, turtles and other amphibians are being sold in Beijing as mobile phone trinkets and key rings, to the chagrin of animal rights groups. Kept in bags filled with colored, oxygenated water the animals cost around $1.50 each. One vendor selling the animals outside of a Beijing subway station told CNN that the bag contained crystallized oxygen and nutrients. She said that that the animals could live for days but also warned that they should be freed from the bag as soon as the air ran out or they would suffocate. Among the animals being sold are young Chinese soft-shell turtles - the adult turtles are a popular dish in Chinese cooking. The live trinkets have been condemned by animal rights groups who have highlighted the lack of animal protection laws in China. "Lack of food and diminishing oxygen concentrations within both the water and the small amount of air in these plastic pouches will cause the animals to die in a relatively short period of time after the pouches are sealed," said David Neale, animal welfare director of Animals Asia. "If a national animal protection law was enacted in China, such acts of cruelty could be prevented, and those who persist in causing harm and suffering to animals within their care could be prosecuted." Neale also warned that keeping a turtle in a bag and then as a pet could have health implications for people. "Individuals should also be aware of the potential human health risks associated with being in close contact with animals such as turtles. Turtles frequently carry salmonella bacteria that can cause serious illness," he said.
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Turtles sold as live key rings by Beijing street vendors .
Other amphibians and fish sold for around $1.50 each .
Animal rights groups have called for more animal protection laws in China .
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Many men shy away from the yoga studio, dismissing it as 'too feminine and spiritual'. But a new, 'manlier' form of the exercise loved by Miranda Kerr and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has launched to help men tone up. Yoga for men is being dubbed 'broga' and a photographer has released a photo series showing tattooed and bearded men practicing the spiritual exercise. Yoga for men: From downward dog to warrior pose, a new photo series created by a U.S.-based photographer shows tattooed and bearded men practicing the work-out . Photographer Amy Goalen, 40, from Santa Monica, California, has released her photo project, called Inside the Warrior, in the hope of proving that yoga has changed. From downward dog to warrior pose, Amy says that these tattooed and bearded men prove that you don't need to be a spiritual female or a hippy vegetarian to enjoy this activity. Making a point: Traditionally seen as an exercise regime for women, photographer Amy Goalen has released the project, which she calls Inside the Warrior, to prove that yoga has changed . Proof: Amy wanted to capture men practicing the gentle work-out to show that it's becoming more and more fashionable among macho men . Seeing things from a different perspective: The photo series shows macho men doing broga at every opportunity, including in the middle of a busy New York street . Work out: Every athlete needs to incorporate elements of stretching and lengthening into their programme, says broga's founder . Popular: Clearly popular over in the states, as these images prove, more and more broga studios are opening their doors in the UK, too . And it seems that the exercise is taking off. 'Yoga is not just for girls,' broga's creator Matt Miller, a college American football star turned bodybuilder and nutrition expert, recently told Men's Fitness magazine. 'Every athlete needs to incorporate elements of stretching and lengthening into their programme.' Miller learned that the hard way, dealing with injuries from years of running, colliding and lifting that left him with what he calls a 'severely limited' range of motion. He discovered yoga after signing on as an ambassador with clothing brand Lululemon - and soon started to wonder why he'd never done it before. Flexible: Experts say that broga can help athletes recover from injuries and boost their range of motion . Strength training: Fitness experts say that certain sequences and asanas are great for warm-ups and cool downs before training . Beneficial: Experts say that broga helps with increased mobility and, as a result, helps men lift heavier weights and boost their work-outs . Combining his studies with his own personal training experience, he created broga, a style designed to counteract everything from your desk hunch to your sofa-slouch - while emphasising moves that build upper-body strength and stability. It's now being taught at locations around southeast England, with more trainers and locations being created on a near-monthly basis. Personal trainer Jack Braniff added: 'Broga helps with your mobility, flexibility, strength, core, balance and also an increased blood flow to your muscles, all which can help with weight loss. Tranquil: Broga was designed to counteract everything from your desk hunch to your sofa-slouch - while emphasising moves that build upper-body strength and stability - and helping you relax . Picturesque: Amy wanted to promote the benefits of broga in her new photoseries of men practicing it in various locations across the U.S. 'Increased mobility, in particularly hip and shoulder will see a marked improvement in your big lifts, full ROM (range of motion) squats, deadlifts, overhead press etc and especially the Olympic lifts. All tools to get massive. 'Likewise, certain sequences and asanas are great for warm-ups and cool downs before training. 'Pro cycling teams for instance, use sun salutations before their rides, something I also use before my sessions. 'Although the breathing and chanting does have it's place to help calm, you take what you want from yoga, and in my case it's a more structured way to improve my mobility and help with my other gym activities, not to meditate.' Professional fans: Pro cycling teams apparently use sun salutations before their rides .
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Photo series shows tattooed and bearded men practicing spiritual exercise .
Photographer Amy Goalen, 40, from Santa Monica, California, released it .
Called Inside the Warrior and aims to prove that yoga has changed .
Broga creator says its extremely beneficial .
Broga studios opening up all over the UK .
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By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 20:56 EST, 26 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:56 EST, 26 November 2013 . Arrested: Wanted fugitive Brian Thexton, 37, has been detained by police in an isolated rural property in Cumbria . One of Britain's most wanted fugitives who is accused of being involved in a string of robberies has been arrested. Brian Thexton, 37, was detained by Cumbria Police at an isolated rural property near Kirkby Stephen shortly before 8pm yesterday. Thexton, from Durham, was recently highlighted by Crimestoppers as one of the country's most wanted fugitives. He is accused of being involved in robberies where a gang would tie up homeowners and force them to give up alarm codes and safe combinations. In one robbery, the gang impersonated police officers to dupe the victims into opening the door, before brandishing a pick axe handle and a baseball bat. Thexton is also awaiting trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine, over claims that he was the middleman in the sale of half a kilo of the drug, and had admitted conspiring to steal cars and machinery. Police had been hunting for the wanted criminal in Lancashire after he was sighted in a car on Aberdeen Road, Lancaster, earlier this month. A police officer told him to pull over, then walked over to the car and reached into the vehicle to remove the keys from the ignition. A Lancashire Police spokesman said the car was then driven away, trapping the officer's arm and dragging him a short distance down the road. The officer freed himself before he was seriously injured. Wanted: Robert Mortby, 26, is sought by police on suspicion of attempted murder over an attack on a man outside a pub in Elephant and Castle, south London. David Mather, 57, from Manchester, was convicted of conspiracy to import heroin and sentenced to 18 years in his absence. Caught after a lorry containing 32 packets of the drug stuffed in the bumper was stopped at Humber sea terminal . Lee Willis, 30, from Ashton Under Lyne admitted possessing cocaine and cannabis in March this year but went on the run before he was due to be sentenced in June. He is also accused of dealing the class A drug . Robert Knight, 52, from Walsall, is accusing of helping to arrange for 6kg of cocaine to be smuggled to Heathrow Airport from the Dominican Republic in 2008. Five others have been arrested and charged . Daniel Dugic, 32, from Serbia, is accused of trying to smuggle cocaine into the UK. He allegedly plotted a deal where a boat would meet a container ship in the English Channel to collect 255kg of the drug . Police said the car was then driven away at speed and was found a short time later having been set on fire on Fernham Carr Lane. Detective Superintendent Andrew Slattery said last night: 'Detectives from Cumbria Constabulary have worked hard with other police forces in the North of England over recent weeks to track down and arrest Thexton. 'After a uniformed policing operation tonight he was detained without incident at an isolated rural property. 'We would like to thank the community of North Cumbria for their support and can assure them that our county is not and will not become a safe haven for organised criminals.' Thexton was on a list issued by the charity Crimestoppers, the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), and Spanish police in Madrid earlier this month of 13 of Britain's most wanted criminals thought to be hiding in Spain. The list was published as part of Operation Captura, a scheme to trace criminals who are thought to have fled to Spain. Keith Turner, 60, from Northumbria (pictured, left, in his early 40s and, right, in an artist's impression of him aged 57) is sought by police for four offences of obtaining property by deception. He was released on licence in 1993 after serving 20 years in jail for the manslaughter of his mother and sister . Daniel Bowes, 43, from London, was allegedly a senior figure in a cocaine smuggling ring, acting as a go-between for the head of the gang with contacts and delivery drivers. He is wanted on suspicion of conspiracy to supply cocaine . Christopher Mealey, 37, from London, is accused of being a member of the same cocaine smuggling ring as Daniel Bowes. The gang was allegedly involved in smuggling the Class A drug from the Netherlands to the UK . Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Brian Thexton, 37, is suspected of being involved in several gang robberies .
He is also due to stand trial for conspiracy to supply cocaine .
Police arrested Thexton at an isolated property in Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria .
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When Staff Sergeant Thomas Baysore, 31, deployed to Afghanistan, he told his son Darren, that he could leave messages to him by talking to the moon. Then, 12 months ago, Staff Sgt Baysore was killed in action, the six-year-old boy said he wanted to leave his porch light on so his father could always see his house. Then on the first anniversary of his father's death, the youngster, through social media, got thousands of his neighbours in Clarksville, Tennessee to leave their lights on in remembrance of Sgt Baysore. Sgt Baysore was shot in the neck by a terrorist wearing an Afghan National Army Uniform in Paktya Province, Afghanistan on September 26, 2013. Darren Baysore, left, with his parents Thomas and Jamie, wanted to leave a light on so his father could see his way home from the moon. When Mrs Baysore published the request on Facebook, the story went viral, right . Darren, pictured hugging his mother Jamie has struggled to cope since his father's death in Afghanistan . But since his campaign, Darren has regained some of the happiness in his life because of the support . Darren's mother Jamie helped with the plan establishing a heartwarming Facebook page outlining the details of the story. As a result of the campaign page, which has so far attracted more than 35,000 'likes', people from around the world posted images of their porches. When Darren was told of his father's death, his mother told him that Sgt Baysore would split his time between heaven and the moon so they would still be able to talk. As a result of that, Darren developed his idea to light up his area on the anniversary of his father's death so he would be able to see home. Mrs Baysore said she fully expected the people of Fort Campbell, such as this, to get behind the campaign . But as soon as the campaign went viral on the internet the family received support from around the globe . Members of various emergency services sent photographs to show Darren they remembered his father . According to The Tennessean, Mrs Baysore has been stunned by the reaction to her son's campaign. She said: 'We really had no idea Darren's request would go much beyond Clarksville and Fort Campbell. I mean, we expected a response for sure, but nothing like what happened.' Mrs Baysore said the response to the campaign has even increased her son's faith in God. She wrote on the Shining Light Facebook page: 'Since my husband has been killed, Darren has not been to church but a few times because he is still upset about it and I choose as a mother to let him join on his own terms rather then forcing him and taking the chance of losing his faith forever. So with that being said, since this remembrance porch light has started and going around for the first time in about a year tonight Darren asked as I was walking out the room, "Mommy, can we pray?" 'My heart melted and tears were about to come out. But I pulled it together and we prayed. As we prayed all I could do was thank God for answering my prayers and helping Darren to start finding his light again. I just needed to share this joy that I am feeling inside.' Thousands of houses across the globe shone a light in memory of Staff Sgt Baysore who died in Afghanistan . Staff Sergeant Thomas Baysore was shot dead by a terrorist wearing an Afghan army uniform . Mat Rabe of Bedford Texas said he always displayed the flag but he was also shining a light for 'Daddy Baysore' This person from Belgium said they did not have a porch but that didn't stop them shining a light .
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Thomas Baysore was killed by a terrorist wearing an Afghan army uniform .
He told his son Darren to look at the moon to talk to him before deployment .
Darren, 6, asked his mother Jamie to help him shine a light for his father .
He wanted local people to all shine a light on his father's first anniversary .
Thousands of people worldwide responded to the heartwarming campaign .
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If you've ever needed proof that cutting down on the chocolate biscuits is a quick way to lose pounds, then this is it. Teenager Emma Day, 18, has lost nearly half of her body weight simply by giving up her favourite sweet treats, and now weighs a svelte 8 stone 11lbs. What's more, her diet success has paid off in more ways than one, as the pretty blonde now has modelling agencies knocking at her door. Addiction: Emma used to munch her way through piles of chocolate biscuits every single day . Change: Pretty Emma has shed almost half of her body weight by ditching the biscuits . Emma’s biscuit bingeing started in primary school and by the time she left, she weighed more than 12 stone. By 13, she was tipping the scales at 15 stone and had become the target of cruel jibes from school bullies. Emma, who hails from Dewsbury and is training as a make-up artist, said: 'I was one of the first girls to hit puberty and it was horrible. I would just come home and comfort eat a whole packet of chocolate digestives. 'I also drank about seven hot chocolates every day. Some nights I would go to my grandma’s for supper and then come home and have a second one with my mum. I hid the junk food I ate from my mum.' Bullies, who harassed her every day and once even physically attacked her with a tennis racket, only made the biscuit binges worse. Petite: Slender Emma has lost so much weight she's made it into the second round of Miss Teen Queen UK . Inspiration: Emma's mother helped her daughter to lose weight and beat cruel bullies . 'It was just awful and for about two years it was really bad,' says Emma. 'I was always off school and would pretend I was ill. 'I remember one time I ate raw chicken to make myself sick so I didn’t have to go in to school.' Eventually Emma's mother intervened and helped her to swap biscuits for salad. The pounds started to drop off almost immediately. 'I started eating fruit and vegetables instead of biscuits and snacks,' says Emma. 'I used to have sugary cereal or biscuits for breakfast but now I have fat free yoghurt and fruit I feel so much healthier.' A part time job as a waitress also helped to speed up the weight loss thanks to the physical effort required to wait on tables and carry piles of plates. 'I’m always running around and on my feet,' says Emma. 'There’s no way I could have done that before. No thanks! Emma's new look diet includes plenty of healthy salads, lots of broccoli and two Rich Tea biscuits . 'I can now run around without getting tired and I am so much more toned. Talking to people at work has given me my confidence back too. 'I was told every day that I was a fat nerd. I only had one friend and absolutely no confidence. I was afraid to talk to people and kept myself to myself, but now I just don’t hold back. 'I feel so much healthier now. Before I wouldn’t even wear trousers because I looked awful in them. 'Now I can wear anything I want and I have so much confidence. My mum calls me a chatterbox because I will talk to anyone.' So much confidence has Emma gained, she even felt able to enter Miss Teen Queen UK and, much to her delight, has made it through to the second heat. She said: 'My friends made me sign up to the pageant and I totally forgot about it until I got a letter through my door. 'I think deep down every girl would love to be a model, but I just never ever thought I could do it. Now I am being told to sign up to modelling agencies. I can’t really believe it.' Breakfast: White toast with butter, biscuits and sugary cereal. Hot chocolate or Coca Cola to drink . Snack: Hot chocolate and a chocolate bar. Lunch: Mashed potato, chips and bread. Sticky toffee pudding and custard. Snack: Chocolate biscuits, crisps, bread. Supper: Mashed potato and vegetables, pasta in creamy cheese sauce. Muffin or a cream bun or cake and custard. Snack: Crisps, biscuits, hot chocolate . Breakfast: Cereal bar, fruit salad and fat free yoghurt. Coffee to drink. Snack: Grapes and raisins . Lunch: Cracker breads with Quorn ham,lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad, fruit salad for pudding. Snack: Apple . Supper: Big portion of broccoli, served with salad and grilled mushrooms. Low fat Weight Watchers ice cream to follow. Snack: Cup of tea with two rich tea biscuits . Gone! Emma has binned the biscuits in more ways than one and the pretty blonde is now set to be a model .
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Teenager Emma Day has lost seven stone by cutting out biscuits .
At 13, she weighed 15 stone and cruel bullies made her life hell .
Mother helped her lose weight and now she's set to become a model .
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Atlanta (CNN) -- Jonathan Hanson and Katina Wright are determined to give their infant daughter a bright and stable future despite the cloud of uncertainty they face after years without steady work. Once successful real estate agents making six figures, Hanson and Wright are now living on the poverty line. "We made some good money," Hanson said. "But with new regulations in real estate and different laws and just the amount of foreclosures on the market, it literally took our business away." The last few years have been a downward spiral, says the Atlanta couple, who have been living off their savings. They've sold jewelry and cars, and now they're trying to sell their home to survive. Every day, they are faced with a tough decision. "You have to pick and choose what you want to do," Hanson said. "It's either eat that day or pay a bill." They're not alone. Millions of American families have slipped into what the U.S. Census Bureau defines as poor. About 46.2 million people are considered to be living in poverty, 2.6 million more than last year. "Those that are in dire need, they'll sell all their personal belongings to survive," said Sal Dimiceli, one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2011. Through his weekly newspaper column, Dimiceli hears from dozens of people each week who are facing hard times. And for decades, he has made every effort to help them get back on their feet. Through his nonprofit, The Time Is Now To Help, Dimiceli has provided about 500 people a year with food, rent, utilities and other necessities. "We get them back on a track (so) that ... their pride is given back to them," Dimiceli said this year. "They can catch up." There haven't been this many Americans living in poverty since 1993, according to the Census Bureau. More than 15% of the population is now considered poor. The rate is 22% for children, meaning at least one of every five U.S. kids is living in poverty. "If you qualify as being in poverty today, then you're really in deep poverty," said Mark Bergel, founder and executive director of A Wider Circle, a Maryland-based charity that provides furniture and other basic necessities to needy families. Bergel told CNN's Lisa Sylvester that the numbers used to define poverty today are extremely low and "based on an outdated formula from the '60s." The Census Bureau defines an individual as poor if they make less than $11,139 a year. The dollar amount rises for every member added to the household. For example, the average family of four is considered poor if they make less than $22,314. For a family of three like Hanson, Wright and their daughter, the threshold is just a little more than $17,000. "There's a lot of people suffering," said Karen Lee, a financial planner and author of several books, including "Simple Steps to Help People Get Unstuck Financially." Lee said it's important for people who've never faced poverty to keep a positive outlook and believe that things can get better. "I have seen people go from riches to rags to riches to rags," she said. "You can rebuild, and you can completely change careers and rebuild." That's what Hanson and Wright are doing. Hanson is betting on a new business he started: building security cages for air conditioners to prevent copper theft. Wright is teaching herself Web development. "I literally threw my Rolodex away, because it was all real-estate-related," she said. "It's no longer of any use to me. So being able to let go is going to be a person's biggest advantage."
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Poverty levels are the highest since 1993, according to the U.S. Census Bureau .
At least one of every five American children is considered poor .
Many families face tough decisions every day on bills and basic necessities .
CNN Hero Sal Dimiceli has helped the working poor for decades in Wisconsin .
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By . Helen Lawson . PUBLISHED: . 09:54 EST, 24 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:25 EST, 24 June 2013 . A Pakistani teenage actress is in a critical condition in hospital after a man threw acid in her face while she was asleep at her family home. Bushra Waiz, 18, was attacked in the early hours of Saturday morning, her brother said. Her family said a man had proposed to Ms Waiz and hurled acid at her when she turned him down. Actress Bushra Waiz, is seen lying in hospital in Peshawar with a relative by her side following an acid attack while she slept at her family home . The family was asleep in their courtyard in the city of Nowshera, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, when the man attacked Ms Waiz at about 3am. Akhtar Waiz told CNN that his sister suffered burns to the right of her face and her right leg, arm and eye. Ms Waiz, also known as Shazia Aziz, is a stage and television actress and singer. She is being treated at a Peshawar hospital. Her mother and brother also sustained minor injuries trying to protect her, reports Pakistan Today. Last year, 150 acid attacks were recorded in Pakistan, with 17 per cent of those linked to marriage proposals, reports Dawn.com.
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Bushra Waiz, 18, was attacked in the early hours of Saturday morning .
Her family says man threw acid at her when she turned down proposal .
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A Detroit family is being ripped apart after immigration officials gave a 40-year-old married mother 24 hours to leave the country despite having no criminal convictions, a husband who has lived here for decades and three U.S.-born children. Cile Precetaj, who came to the States seeking asylum 13 years ago, was ordered to report for deportation at Detroit Metro Airport at 10:30 a.m. today for a flight back to her native Albania, after receiving a letter from authorities Monday telling her to pack her bags. However, in a desperate bid to buy time, she deliberately missed the deadline, and is now waiting at home, with her family around her, until authorities take her to jail where she will be held until another flight is organized. Devastating: Cile Precetaj, pictured right, who came to the States seeking asylum 13 years ago, was ordered to report for deportation at Detroit Metro Airport at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday for a flight back to her native Albania . Tears: Precetaj, pictured with her three U.S.-born children Mikey, 11, right, Migena, 6, center, and Martina, 4, left, was told Monday that she had to leave . 'There is a level of insanity in this . case,' her New York-based immigration attorney Andrew Johnson told . MailOnline as he fights against the clock to keep Precetaj with her . husband and children. 'Someone is not doing what is ordinarily done. There is an abuse of power.' Precetaj . came to the U.S. through Canada in 2000 fearing that if she stayed in . Albania she would be kidnapped and sold into prostitution. She . immediately turned herself in and sought asylum. While here illegally, . she married Pjetero Gojcevic, who was born in Yugoslavia but moved here . 40 years ago, and the couple had three kids, Mikey, 11, Migena, 6 and . Martina 4, all U.S. citizens. Precetaj . is the sole carer of her elderly mother-in-law, another U.S. citizen, . whose toes were amputated and needs help eating, walking and washing. But . her case for political asylum was rejected after a judge said her . testimony about fearing the prostitution trade lacked credibility. He . said even if her concerns were warranted 'young, attractive women are . not a social group for asylum.' Packing up: Precetaj, pictured center with her kids, chose not to go to the airport and remained at home with her packed bags, waiting for authorities but they didn't come . Seeking asylum: Precetaj came to the U.S. through Canada in 2000 fearing that if she stayed in Albania she would be kidnapped and sold into prostitution. She immediately turned herself in and sought asylum . After losing her appeal, she was given a deportation order. An estimated 500,000 people are . living in the U.S. with a deportation order, however, U.S. Immigrations . Customs and Enforcement only acts on a portion of cases and the Obama . Administration specifically said targeting people with criminal . convictions was the priority. Precetaj . has none. In fact, she's a glowing member of her community, described . by friends and her children's teachers as a hard-working mother who pays . her taxes and helps her kids with schoolwork, not to mention keeping . her elderly mother-in-law out of a government-funded home. 'Detroit . has gone off the map here,' Johnson said. 'They are doing something . that has not been done around the country. This person probably has as . many positive evaluations as you can, she has three children who are . U.S. citizens and has been here for a long time. I'm just baffled.' Settled in: While here, she married Pjetero Gojcevic, who was born in Yugoslavia but moved here 40 years ago, and the couple had three kids, including Migena, 6, pictured . Precetaj . became concerned about two weeks ago, when at her regular six-month . check in with the deportation department she was fitted with a GPS ankle . bracelet. But the mother-of-three was convinced ICE wouldn't deport a . woman whose three kids are American-born. 'That is strange they put an ankle . bracelet on a mom with three kids,' Johnson said, referring to the low . risk of her fleeing. 'Then the day before her scheduled flight they said . "You're flying out tomorrow, here's your information." They didn't want . the bad press. 'I . think they wanted it to look as natural as possible because they . understood how egregious this case is. It just doesn't make sense.' Now, the authorities will be forced to collect Precetaj from her home and take her into custody. At midday Tuesday, she was pictured there, with her family surrounding her awaiting ICE officers. Precetaj . and her children were crying as they hugged by the Christmas tree, and . the woman's mother-in-law was asking what would become of her if her . daughter was sent home. Other relatives, including a cousin, were . visibly upset at the heartbreaking situation the family has been thrown . into. Hugs: Precetaj has not decided, if she is in fact deported, whether to take the kids, who have never been to Albania, with her . Review: The mother's case will be reviewed . 'They will jail . her for one to three weeks, however long it takes to organize another . flight,' Johnson told MailOnline. 'Then border guards will drive her to . the airport and take off her ankle bracelet like she's a mass murderer . or a terrorist going to Guantanamo.' In the meantime, Johnson and the family are working desperately for someone in Washington D.C. to interject. 'We need somebody in the White House, connected to ICE, to say "stop this immediately. This is wrong." If someone in DC hears about this, that is our best chance. Her story just hasn't been heard.' Understandably, Precetaj is beside herself, and is still trying to work out if she will take her children, who are enrolled in school and have never been to Albania, with her. Her husband works as a cook at restaurant in Detroit and said he can't afford to raise the children on his own. 'She is an emotional mess,' Johnson explained. Deportation: Precetaj was informed Monday that she had to report at Deport's McNamara terminal at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday as per the above order . Empty: But the terminal, pictured, was empty at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, as the mother-of-three defied the order by staying home . 'What she has been told by numerous people was that they don't deport women with three US citizen children and that is exactly what they're doing. 'She is crying all the time, trying to work out who she can take and who she can't. She's going back to Albania and that is not a good place to bring a 6-year-old girl, particularly.' He added: 'It happened in one day, she has no idea what to do.' Gojcevic told the Detroit Free Press Monday night the family was 'hoping for a miracle.' 'Let her stay with her children and raise them in a country that they know,' he said. 'She loves this country.'
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Cile Precetaj, 40, of Detroit, Michigan, was ordered to report for deportation at Detroit Metro Airport at 10:30 a.m. today for a flight back to Albania .
She received a letter from authorities informing her of her deportation on Monday, a day before her scheduled flight .
However, in a desperate bid to buy time, she deliberately missed her flight, instead staying at home with her family around her .
She will now likely be taken to jail as the authorities organize another flight .
Meanwhile, her lawyers are fighting to keep the hard-working mom in the country she's called home since 2000 .
Her husband has lived in the U.S. for 40 years and her three children, aged 11, 6 and 4, are U.S. citizens enrolled in the local school .
She is also the sole carer for her elderly mother-in-law who can't eat or walk on her own .
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By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 10:14 EST, 9 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:40 EST, 9 May 2012 . Prison: Peter Jee has been jailed for two years for engaging in a sex act with a vulnerable woman he knew had mental health difficulties . A married police officer has been jailed for two years for getting a vulnerable woman who had threatened to kill herself to perform a sex act on him. Peter Jee 38, who was a Greater Manchester Police sergeant at the time, committed the crime after she dialled 999 and he drove her home. Jee was one of three officers responding to the call from the confused woman who was threatening to take her own life. Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court was told she had taken a mix of drink and medication and just wanted police to take her home. Having satisfied themselves that she was in no danger, the officers had left her house in Rochdale. But Jee returned, minutes later, when he was sure his two colleagues had driven off and got the woman to perform a sex act on him as he fondled her. He was caught out after making what he thought had been discreet admissions to three colleagues - and from DNA found at the scene. The court was told that at first he denied he had even gone back to the house, and later claimed his victim had ‘come on’ to him. After the woman made an official complaint, Jee used police computer equipment to see how close he was to being arrested. Jee, who is married with children, later sent a text message to a colleague saying: 'I’m going to resign. It’s all my fault.' Jailing him, Judge Timothy Mort said: 'You went to this address as a serving police officer in uniform, with a very high degree of trust placed in you. Vulnerable: The woman had dialled 999 and had taken drugs and been drinking before Jee accosted her . 'You abused that trust to take advantage of her vulnerability to satisfy your own sexual needs, and you realised that you might be able to get away with it because of your position.' Jee - who was in the top three per cent in the country in his sergeant’s exams - had been arrested on suspicion of rape, but the Crown later accepted a guilty plea to a charge of misconduct in public office. His victim was described as having a bi-polar illness, which can make her appear at times elated, or in a low mood. Alcohol complicated her symptoms. When officers arrived she was drunk, was slurring her words, and couldn’t walk without stumbling. When asked why she had not made an immediate complaint, she said: 'Who would have believed me?' His victim told police that the incident had had a significant impact on her life, she suffered panic attacks, and she could no longer trust police officers. Michael Lavery, defending, said Jee’s greatest shame had been to have been arrested in front of his family. His main concern now was the impact on his children. Judge Mort added: 'What possessed you to go back to the address I just don’t know. You knew there were problems, and it should have been a clear red traffic light.' Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, said: 'Jee’s inexcusable actions let everyone down: those that we protect and those that work selflessly to deliver policing across Greater Manchester. The sentence given sends out a clear message that society expects the highest standards from those who have a duty to protect them.'
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Peter Jee returned to the victim's house in Rochdale after he knew that his colleagues had left the scene .
The woman had taken a cocktail of drink and drugs and just wanted to go home .
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A shooting gallery is raided for drugs, cars are searched for wanted men and political protesters lie on the streets as they are cuffed and chained up. These astonishing photos from a 1970s study give a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes working life of New York City police officers. It was a time when the city was facing near-bankruptcy and had become notorious for spiralling crime rates and social disorder on the streets. 1972: 'New York City, Police Raid a Shooting Gallery for drugs in old Harlem Building' shows Leonard Freed's attempt to portray a city drugs bust . 1979: 'New York City, Police Arrest Political Protesters' by Leonard Freed shows a young man and woman lying down on the street as they are handcuffed . 1978: 'New York City, 9th Police Precinct, Man Reported Sick on City Street, Waiting for Hospital Wagon' shows NYPD cops surrounding an ill man . 1972: 'New York City' is one of many astonishing photos from a 1970s study that give a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes working life of police officers . 1979: 'New York City' was taken a time when the city was facing near bankruptcy and was notorious for spiralling crime rates and social disorder on the streets . 1978: 'New York City' shows how Leonard Freed joined officers on the beat for his project, which went on display at the Museum of the City of New York on Tuesday . Photographer Leonard Freed joined officers on the beat for his project, which went on display at the Museum of the City of New York on Tuesday. The pictures first appeared in the Sunday Times in March 1973 under the controversial headline of: ‘Thugs, Mugs, Drugs; City In Terror’. The New York Daily News sued the Sunday Times for copying its style and the New York Times protested at the depiction, a museum press release said. Even New York City Mayor John Lindsay, who was on holiday abroad, slammed the Sunday Times article as ‘a gross insult to the city’ and ‘outrageous’. 1978: 'New York City, Dectectives at Police Station' is in a set of pictures - the first of which appeared in a Sunday British newspaper five years before in 1973 . 1979: 'Police Station, New York City, Back Room' was one of many photos taken by Mr Freed, who lived in Garrison, New York, with his wife . 1978: 'New York City' was photographed by Mr Freed, who also photographed subjects including the Ku Klux Klan in 1988 and the Berlin Wall in 1989 . 1972: 'New York City' was taken by Mr Freed, who said the public must know who the police really are because they are a 'symbol of society's efforts to control itself' 1972: 'New York City' is one of many photos Mr Freed did not want to offend people with - rather his intention was to perform a sociological study . 1978: 'New York City, 9th Police Station Back Room used for Questioning People' shows a policeman putting together a report with a typewriter . But Mr Freed did not set out to offend people - rather perform a sociological study - and claimed he had been asked for ‘blood and gore’. ‘I was more interested in who the police were,’ he told Worldview magazine. ‘I wanted to understand what they do - why we cannot do without them.’ Mr Freed lived in Garrison, New York, with his wife, and also photographed subjects including the Ku Klux Klan in 1988 and the Berlin Wall in 1989. He said that the public must concern themselves with who the police really are because of them being a ‘symbol of society’s efforts to control itself’.
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Photos taken at time when New York City was facing near-bankruptcy and notorious for spiralling crime rates .
Photographer Leonard Freed joined officers on the beat for his project - first pictured in British press in March 1973 .
Exhibition of impressive full collection of photos now on display at the Museum of the City of New York in Manhattan .
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The daughter of Casey Kasem has written a scathing open letter slamming her step-mom’s bizarre decision to bury her father in Norway. Kerri Kasem said she wants to ‘set the record straight’ about where her dad wanted to be buried and pleads with Norwegian government officials: ‘Do not be fooled into believing his wife, Jean Kasem.’ In the heart-felt letter, addressed to 'whom it may concern', Kerri wrote: ‘As beautiful as your country is, our father has never spoken of any desire to be buried in Norway either to us or to his friends. In fact, it was the opposite. Scroll down for video . Ongoing conflict: Casey Kasem's children and friends claim that he always wanted to be buried in California, rather than Norway as his second wife Jean is seeking to do. Jean and Casey are pictured in 2004 at the Beverly Hills Hotel in California . ‘Casey wanted to be buried in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, his home of over 53 years. ‘Do not be fooled into believing his wife, Jean Kasem, who abandoned and isolated him during the last year of his life.’ Kerri insists Jean is ‘not by any means of Norwegian descent’ and claims Jean’s grandmother is not Norwegian as the statuesque blonde claimed. ‘In fact, here is a quote from Jean's nephew Herbert "Tommy" Thompson who was named after Jean’s father, "As far as we know, we are English, German and Native American. We have never ever heard anyone speak of Norway or Norwegian for that matter in our house. We don't have an ounce of Norwegian blood to our knowledge,'" Kerri wrote. Kerri says she believes the ‘representations’ Jean made in a letter to the Norwegian government have been ‘perpetuated by not only Jean, but her daughter Liberty because of the ongoing investigation from local authorities of criminal elder abuse.’ Casey Kasem's daughter Kerri, right, has written a scathing open letter slamming her step-mom Jean’s bizarre decision to bury her father in Norway . She added: ‘We beg you, to please decline the request of Jean Kasem and her daughter Liberty to bury Casey Kasem in Norway.’ The heartfelt letter is signed by Kerri, her sister Julie and brother Mike and Casey’s brother Mouner, as well as several other members of the Kasem family and several of Casey’s close friends. Accompanying Kerri’s letter shown exclusively to MailOnline was a letter from Casey’s best friend former Lt. Governor of California Mike Curb. Casey asked Mike in 2010 to be buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Burbank, California, because he foresaw something like this happening with Jean, according to Kerri’s publicist Danny Deraney. ‘Mike back in 2010, offered to pay for the funeral and told Casey he would do everything in his power to make sure that happened,’ he said. In Mike’s letter to ‘whom it may concern’ he writes: 'I've been Casey Kasem’s best friend for close to 50 years and Casey always wanted to be buried in California.' Jean Kasem’s plans to bury her husband in Norway, were first confirmed by her publicist last week. She had already made arrangements for her husband's body to be flown to Oslo, the publicist said, after claiming that she has Norwegian heritage. Family and friends of the late radio star vowed to fight the plan and Casey’s daughter Kerri intended to contact the Norwegian government expressing her dismay at the situation. Embarrassingly for the statuesque blonde, one of her nephews revealed how his aunt did not have ‘an ounce’ of Norwegian blood in her. Kasem, host of American Top 40 and the voice of Scooby-Doo, died on June 15 at a hospital in Gig Harbor, Washington . Tommy Thompson, the son of one of Jean’s siblings, said: ‘As far as we know, we are English, German and Native American. ‘We have never ever heard anyone speak of Norway or [speak] Norwegian for that matter in our house. ‘We don't have an ounce of Norwegian blood to our knowledge.’ Casey's family are now working with L.A. private investigator Logan Clarke but have few legal options to prevent the overseas burial, the family’s publicist Danny Deraney said as Jean is the conservator of Casey’s body. Mr Deraney said last week: ‘As you may have seen, Jean Kasem is planning to attempt to bury Casey Kasem in Oslo, Norway. She sent an open letter to the Norwegian government declaring among other things, her Norwegian ancestry.‘ . The children, the family and friends want Casey Kasem to be buried in the place he requested, Forest Lawn in Glendale. Not to a foreign country he has never visited.’ Kasem, host of American Top 40 and the voice of Scooby-Doo, died on June 15 at a hospital in Gig Harbor, Washington. He was 82 and suffering from dementia and other health problems. His death followed a lengthy battle over his care between Jean, who was married to him for 34 years, and his three adult children from his first marriage. The Norwegian newspaper VG reported that Kasem will be buried in Oslo but it was not known when the burial may occur. 'It's been arranged, he's going to Oslo,' Wenche Madsen Eriksson, the head of the funeral service administration in Oslo, told the newspaper. Casey’s body is currently believed to be in Montreal, Canada, after it was apparently shipped there on July 14 - a month after his death - by Jean against the wishes of most of his family. Open letter: Kasem's children and some of his oldest friends have all co-signed the letter .
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Jean Kasem has arranged to have her late husband buried in Oslo .
Casey's daughter Casey has written a scathing open letter slamming her step-mom's bizarre decision .
'Our father has never spoken of any desire to be buried in Norway either to us or to h is friends,' she wrote .
Jean's nephew has admitted that her family 'don't have an ounce of Norwegian blood to our knowledge'
The family of the radio icon say he wanted to be buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Burbank, California .
Kasem, who suffered from dementia, died on June 15 aged 82 .
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A second Ebola patient to be treated at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha will arrive there early Monday morning, the center said in a statement. The patient is believed to be an American freelance cameraman who worked for NBC. Ashoka Mukpo was diagnosed with Ebola on Thursday. He left Liberia on a specially-equipped plane Sunday and was headed to Nebraska, the network reported. Upon arrival, the patient will be immediately taken to a remote part of the airport away from passenger areas, where an ambulance will wait for transport to the hospital. Increased screening . Screening could soon be increased at U.S. airports because of the Ebola outbreak, officials said Sunday. "All options are on the table for further strengthening the screening process here in the U.S., and that includes trying to screen people coming in from Ebola-affected countries with temperature checks," a federal official said. The source added: "It's not as easy as it sounds. There aren't that many direct flights from Ebola-affected countries to the U.S. anymore. Many passengers are arriving on connecting flights from other parts of the world, and then they come here, so that makes it more of a challenge." An official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention similarly said that enhanced CDC screening at major U.S. airports was under consideration. Any change must be useful enough to warrant the disruption to travelers, that official said. A separate, senior administration official stressed that enhanced screening is consistent with what Lisa Monaco, President Barack Obama's homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, said last week. However, officials then had argued that such screening could be counterproductive. Stopping in its tracks . The director of the CDC underscored that authorities are looking into all possibilities, including suggestions from Congress, the public and the media. "We'll look at those and see what works to protect Americans and to make sure that whatever we do doesn't unintentionally actually increase our risk," Dr. Tom Frieden told reporters. Earlier, the director told CNN that he is confident there is little risk of an Ebola outbreak in Dallas, where one infected patient is fighting for his life. Frieden is expected to brief Obama on Monday. He said on "State of the Union" that the CDC is concerned about family members who had "very close contact" with the victim but that they were being monitored constantly. "That's how you stop it in its tracks. That's why we're confident we won't see a large number of cases from this," he told CNN's Candy Crowley. Monitoring high and low-risk contacts . Relatives will be monitored for 21 days from their last contact with Thomas Eric Duncan, the only patient to develop Ebola in the United States. If any of them gets a fever, he or she will be isolated, Frieden said. "That's how we break the chain of transmission, and that's what is going to make sure that we don't have a large outbreak in Dallas or elsewhere in the U.S.," he added. About 10 people are at "higher risk" of catching Ebola after coming into contact with Duncan but have showed no symptoms, health officials said. That group includes health care workers, who are now on paid leave. The group is among 50 people being monitored daily, but the other 40 are considered "low risk," Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said Saturday. A homeless man who was on the low-risk list was found Sunday after a nearly day-long search. After being checked by medical workers and being told to stay where he was, the man left, and authorities began to look for him. He was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas on Sunday, according to the official Twitter account of Sana Syed, a spokeswoman for the city of Dallas. His temperature was normal, and he was not showing symptoms of Ebola before he disappeared, officials said. Authorities also found Sunday two other contacts of Duncan's they had previously been unable to locate, a federal official said. The two people, in addition to the homeless man, were in the same ambulance as Duncan on the same day. All three are considered low risk, but authorities want to monitor them for 21 days, said the official. Who's in charge of stopping Ebola in the U.S.? Critical condition patient . Duncan is in critical condition, a Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital spokeswoman said Saturday. The Liberian national had previously been listed as being in serious condition. Hospital spokeswoman Candace White offered no new details other than his condition. Duncan arrived in Dallas on September 20 and started feeling sick days later. He made his initial visit to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on September 25. He was released with antibiotics but went back three days later and was quickly isolated. A blood test Tuesday confirmed that he had Ebola. Can you catch Ebola on a plane? Relocated to undisclosed location . "We've been very busy the last 24 hours trying to make sure that everyone who has had potential exposure is identified and they have been evaluated," Lakey said. The high-risk list probably includes Duncan's partner, Louise, her 13-year-old son and her two 20-something nephews. The four had been holed up in the apartment where Duncan had stayed before he was hospitalized. They were relocated to an undisclosed place Friday and will be required to stay there until October 19. The incubation period -- the time between Ebola infection and the onset of symptoms -- ranges from two to 21 days. Louise spoke to CNN's Anderson Cooper on Sunday, telling him that she hasn't felt any symptoms. "She's very thankful for all the doctors' efforts, but she clearly believes that somehow more could be done," Cooper said Louise said about her partner. Their interview will air Monday night. The Dallas hospital where Duncan is being treated has come under fire for its handling of his first visit there eight days ago. Louise, who does not want her last name used, said Duncan told hospital staff that he had a fever and abdominal pain and had recently arrived from Liberia, key information that could have been a tipoff for Ebola. Health care workers across the nation "have to learn from the experience," Lakey said Saturday. "The travel history is very important to take, and it has to be communicated," he said. The hospital defended its handling of the case. "As a standard part of the nursing process, the patient's travel history was documented and available to the full care team in the electronic health record, including within the physician's workflow," it said in a statement. Your Ebola questions answered . The church Louise attends said Duncan came to the United States so the two could get married. Louise told the church's senior pastor, George Mason, about their marriage plan, according to Mark Wingfield, a spokesman at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas. How the Ebola virus spreads . American doctor tests negative for Ebola . An American patient treated for Ebola in Nebraska, then released, then put in isolation in a hospital in Massachusetts, was removed from isolation on Sunday. Laboratory tests showed Dr. Richard Sacra does not have Ebola, said Peggy Thrappas, spokeswoman for UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester. Physicians are continuing care for his upper respiratory tract infection, she said. Sacra went to an emergency room early Saturday in Boston with a cough and fever, according to the missionary organization Serving in Mission. He was afraid he might have pneumonia. Because of his previous infection, he was transferred and kept in isolation until his test results came back. "Dr. Sacra came to the hospital with a fever and slight cough. Today, he is in stable condition, his symptoms seem to be improving, and he is eating," lead physician Dr. Robert Finberg said earlier. Sacra had worked as a medical missionary in Liberia but not directly with Ebola patients. Nevertheless, he contracted the disease. He was treated in isolation at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and then released after testing negative for the virus. CDC responds to sick passenger on flight . Other Ebola scares . As nervous Dallas residents watch Duncan's case unfold, more Ebola scares have popped up in other parts of the nation. Howard University Hospital in Washington said Friday that it had admitted a low-risk patient with symptoms that could be associated with Ebola, but health officials said Saturday that Ebola had been ruled out in that case. The unnamed patient had recently traveled to Nigeria. Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone are the three main countries battling the deadly virus. The CDC remains very concerned about the Ebola outbreak in western Africa, where more than 3,000 people have died. The longer it remains a problem there, the greater the risk for other areas of the world, Frieden said. But battling the disease will be a "long, hard fight," he continued. "The virus is spreading so fast that it's hard to keep up," the CDC director said.
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An ambulance will pick up the patient from a remote part of the airport .
A doctor who once had Ebola tests negative for the disease .
CDC director to brief President Barack Obama on Monday .
Authorities find missing man who is considered at low risk of getting Ebola .
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Northern Nigeria (CNN)I didn't want to ask the question. I could already guess the pain behind the answer. "Do you think your husband is dead?" Her mouth twists, contorting her young face, tears welling in her already reddened eyes. "I don't know... I pray to God to give him another chance," she finally manages to stutter. Her sadness is heavy and blankets both of us. She tells me she has three children, and they last saw their father four months ago when he went back to his army unit on the front line in Nigeria's battle with the radical Islamist extremist group Boko Haram. Satellite images show devastation of Boko Haram attacks, rights groups say . His friends last saw him bloodied and shooting as Boko Haram fighters advanced and they all fled. If all this wasn't trauma enough, the young woman says the army has deserted her, too. "They didn't tell me anything, they still haven't told me what happened and they didn't pay me anything and no one is feeding us in the barracks," she said. We are in northern Nigeria, a few hours' drive north of the capital where the mostly Muslim north meets the mostly Christian south. Just last month, a double suicide bombing killed 12 people in a busy central market in the region. Driving northeast of here toward the borders with Chad, Cameroon and Niger puts you in the heart of Boko Haram territory -- a land mass the size of Belgium. So it's no surprise that the area is home to many thousands of troops, and, as I am finding out, it's also the backdrop of many more heart-wrenching stories. A mile or so from his base, I meet a soldier on a remote windswept hill. He is a veteran of African Union and United Nations peacekeeping missions in Liberia and Sudan, a professional soldier. We sit on plastic chairs as he tells me his story. He, too, was left on the battlefield by his comrades as they fled for safety in the face of a Boko Haram attack. He doesn't blame them. "The major problem the soldiers have is they don't have the equipment to fight," he says. Boko Haram has anti-aircraft guns, which he says are accurate up to three-quarters of a mile. All the Nigerian military has, he says, are AK47 small machine guns, accurate up to a few hundred meters. Often the Nigerian soldiers are given only 60 bullets each, so they quickly run out. Boko Haram, he says, has large supplies of ammunition and more fighters. Although the Nigerian soldiers do win some fights, he says they are regularly forced to turn tail and run for their lives by the sheer volume of gunfire from Boko Haram fighters. It took him three days -- on foot, alone -- to get back to his base, 70 kilometers away. When he arrived, his wife told him to quit the army, but his troubles were only just beginning. Army medics refused to pay the $200 for medicine to treat his injuries. Morale in the army is sinking, he says. That night, I meet a young officer, who, like the other soldier, is not authorized to talk to me. Our conversation is held in a hurry in a tiny darkened hut that sells biscuits and fizzy drinks at a roundabout on the outskirts of a town. Corruption, he tells me, is the root of the Nigerian military's problem. "Not just the generals... everybody in the country wants to get rich by any means necessary," he says. The soldiers don't ever benefit from the billions allocated to the defense budget, he explains. He even had to buy his own uniform. "The troop morale is actually very low, very low, because we are not issued a uniform, we buy the uniforms ourselves," he explained. The other soldier I met on the hill told me this, too. When they go into battle, no one has the same uniform, so when they run from Boko Haram it's chaos. They don't know who is friend or foe -- whom to shoot and whom to help. Most soldiers live in fear, the young officer tells me. A fear of what will happen to them, and how long they can survive in this battle, he says. The worrying doesn't stop there. They see enough war widows on the base to know the grim reality of what can happen to their loved ones if they die. A widow I meet explains. Her husband was killed in battle over a year ago, she tells me. "When my husband died, they never called me to tell me that I lost my husband," she says. "They buried him without notifying me." She gets no army pension, and she says there are many more like her: they feel abandoned, afraid to speak out because they still live in the barracks. Government officials tell us they will look into these shortcomings, that they are working on getting better weapons for the troops. If they do, according to the soldiers I met, it will easily turn the tide in this war. Nigerian president in Boko Haram territory, spokesman says .
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Some military families still don't know what's happened to their husbands, fathers .
The Nigerian military seems under-equipped compared to Boko Haram fighters .
Nigerian soldiers must buy their own uniforms .
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Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao scored his first international goal since November 2013 as Colombia eased past El Salvador in New Jersey. Making his first start for his country in 11 months, Falcao, who missed the World Cup in Brazil with a serious knee injury, took just eight minutes to break the deadlock. The 28-year-old met a Santiago Arias cross with a superb header from near the penalty spot to give Colombia the lead. ~ . VIDEO Scroll down to watch Falcao scores a stunning header for Colombia v El Salvador . Falcao celebrates his first Colombia goal since November 2013, in a first start for his country in almost a year . It was clear to see how much the goal meant to the Manchester United star, who headed in after eight minutes . The stadium in New Jersey was filled to capacity with 25,000, the majority in yellow, watching the game . A young fan watches on with a masked Colombia supporter as Colombia fans flocked to New Jersey . Alexander Larin of El Salvador holds off James Rodriguez as the men in blue tried to get back into the game . Falcao scored after eight minutes - see his pitch map, and more, in our brilliant Match Zone . El Salvador worked hard throughout, and almost got themselves back in the game before half time when the score was still 1-0, but Arias cleared off the line to preserve Colombia's lead. But, in a match Los Cafeteros dominated, Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca scored twice, from a combined distance of no more than four yards, as the El Salvador defence crumbled after the break. The first of Bacca's goals, just four minutes after half time, saw the striker smash the ball home from barely a yard out after some calamitous defending. Falcao's excellent header came at the end of an excellent move by Colombia down the right hand side . Aside from his goal and assist, Falcao was not hugely influential, but he made his mark when it mattered . James Rodriguez ran the show for Colombia operating behind the front pairing of Falcao and Bacca . Former West Ham defender Pablo Armero runs at the El Salvador defence for Colombia . El Salvador keeper Henry Hernandez gets down smartly to deny Colombia defender Santiago Arias . El Salvador worked hard but lacked the quality to break down Colombia, and made some defensive errors . Carlos Bacca pokes home from close range after Falcao had put the ball beyond the El Salvador keeper . Bacca celebrates his second goal in a game where Colombia outplayed their Central American opponents . Bacca, Pablo Armero and James Rodriguez perform their famous dancing celebration after the third goal . Then, just three minutes later, he was able to sneak in, again inside the six yard box, to ensure a Falcao knock-down ended up in the back of the net. After the game Colombia boss Jose Pekerman paid tribute to his returning captain Falcao, and said it was important for the striker to get back on the scoresheet for his country. 'I think we're happy to be able watch Falcao once again score a goal with the national team,' said Pekerman. 'We were hoping that it was going to happen. And that's very important tonight.' Colombia will face Canada in their next friendly on Tuesday, while El Salvador take on Ecuador. Colombia manager Jose Pekerman said it was 'very important' that Falcao was back on target for his country . Real Madrid star James Rodriguez shows his frustration after a miss, but Colombia were always in control . Rodriguez, one of the stars of last summer's World Cup in Brazil, bossed the game from the No 10 role .
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Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao scores after eight minutes .
Carlos Bacca scores twice in three minutes to wrap up the win .
Both Bacca's goals from close range as El Salvador defence crumbles .
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(CNN) -- A convicted child pornographer in Pennsylvania was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in federal prison, thanks in part to three girls featured in CNN's Freedom Project who provided information to U.S. authorities. Jeffrey Herschell, 54, of Washington, Pennsylvania, visited an Internet site that showed live sex shows that forced young girls in the Philippines to act out customers' fantasies, U.S. investigators said. "Whatever the American client wants us to do, we must do it," "Gen" told CNN in May 2011 for the documentary "The Fighters." "Gen" and her friends were schoolmates and just 8 years old when the abuse occurred. An investigator from Homeland Security Investigations, part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told CNN the information the three girls provided him was integral to the case against Herschell. Their information launched an investigation that uncovered a ring operating live-streaming shows of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Customers from around the globe, including an estimated 10 to 15 from the United States, paid to view the shows and direct them, in some cases. When HSI agents executed a search warrant on Herschell's home in 2011, they found computers, cell phones and hard drives containing dozens of explicit videos and images of children. The inquiry involved several U.S. agencies, the Philippines national police and the non-profit group Visayan Forum Foundation, which fights modern-day slavery. READ MORE: Victims endure lives degraded by traffickers .
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A Pennsylvania man gets 12 years in federal prison for child pornography .
He accessed live sex shows of girls in the Philippines on the Internet, investigators say .
Information from girls in a CNN Freedom Project documentary led to his arrest .
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By . Mark Duell . Last updated at 8:39 PM on 5th December 2011 . This unfortunate motorist may not be amused by the irony of the situation, but his 40mph car crash certainly made for a rather comical picture. Douglas Southard, 21, of Hickory, North Carolina, crashed into the back of a ‘Booze it and Lose it’ drink-driving mobile unit on Sunday morning. Authorities claim Southard had drunk alcohol before he crashed into the testing lab bus and are now deciding whether to press charges. Chevrolet crash: Douglas Southard, 21, of Hickory, North Carolina, ploughed into the back of a 'Booze it and Lose it' drink-driving mobile unit on Sunday . Southard was driving a 1989 red Chevrolet Camaro along U.S. Highway 321 at around 2:45am when the crash happened, police said. He went into the back of the testing lab, which had a magistrate, several officers and two drink-driving suspects inside at the time. He was allegedly driving with a revoked licence when he crashed into the DWI (driving while intoxicated) unit, reported WSOC TV. The officers from four local law enforcement agencies were closing down the checkpoint at the time of the crash, but nobody inside was hurt. Charges? Douglas Southard, 21, of Hickory, North Carolina, was allegedly driving with a revoked licence when he crashed . Vehicle: The testing lab, known as the 'BAT Mobile', had been stationed at a junction for around three hours when the crash happened (file picture) The mobile units go out on patrol in North Carolina as authorities try to get drunk-drivers off the roads. They contain a laboratory for testing alcohol levels in drivers and a magistrate's office on board. The units also come equipped with phones, computers, traffic cones, search batons and a lavatory. Southard meanwhile was drifting in and out of consciousness after the crash and an ambulance took him to Catawba Valley Medical Center. He did not have life-threatening injuries but authorities believe he consumed alcohol before the crash, reported the Charlotte Observer. The testing lab, known as the ‘BAT Mobile’, had been stationed at a junction for around three hours when the crash happened. Authorities say Southard was driving at between 35mph and 40mph when the crash happened. Charges could be filed after an investigation.
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Douglas Southard crashed 1989 red Camaro on Sunday .
Authorities claim he had been drinking before incident .
21-year-old was also 'driving with a revoked licence'
Crash happened in north Carolina at up to 40mph .
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(CNN) -- In a sense, Fred Schuster has a permanent reminder of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong etched into his skin. But to the 48-year-old New Jersey resident, the Livestrong Foundation bracelet tattooed on his wrist isn't about Armstrong or his long-awaited admission to doping as a professional cyclist. It's a symbol of his father's struggle with cancer and the bond they shared, Schuster said. Moreover, any time he's tempted to pick up a cigarette, the recovering smoker is reminded of why he stopped in the first place. "My decision to get the tattoo had absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Armstrong, and subsequently, these revelations do nothing to diminish the meaning it has for me. The tattoo was and will always be a symbol of the love that my father and I shared," Schuster said in a CNN iReport. "The effect he had on the foundation was huge, but they both should be able to stand on their own. The foundation should not be held accountable for his deception." Armstrong admitted this week in an interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey that he used an array of performance-enhancing drugs to win seven Tour de France titles. He had denied the drug use for years, often angrily. The first of the two-part interview aired Thursday night. Others who have worn the yellow bracelet or supported the cancer charity that Armstrong started in 1997 say Livestrong is now bigger than him. As long as people like Schuster continue to view Livestrong as an entity separate from its fallen founder, the cancer charity will likely withstand whatever controversy befalls Armstrong, charity experts said. Opinion: A loss for Lance, a win for Oprah . "The organization has done a lot to separate itself from Lance's image over the years. As a result, many people identify it as a cancer organization, which is why it's not already crumbling," said Stacy Palmer, editor of the The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a Washington-based news source for the nonprofit world. After all, this isn't the first time Armstrong has been mired in controversy in the past decade, and Livestrong is still around. Since 2004, when doping allegations against Armstrong first came to light in a book by French sports journalist Pierre Ballester, the foundation has experienced steady year-to-year revenue growth, according to financial records, with the exception of a dip from 2005 to 2006, the year Armstrong was cleared of allegations stemming from a 1999 drug test. Many nonprofits look up to Livestrong as a success model, especially for its social media campaigns, thanks in part to Armstrong's hands-off leadership, Palmer said. He hired a staff of experienced fundraisers with a history of running charities and nonprofits, which can be unusual among celebrity-driven charities, she said. "He's allowed them to go ahead without micromanaging, which some celebrities have a hard time doing," she said. "For foundations started by one person, It can be hard to get past the celebrity because that's how they've gotten so big." Livestrong has also built alliances with other organizations to fundraise and raise awareness around positive messaging, she said, which also makes it stand out from other cancer charities. In other words, If Livestrong was going to crumble under the mountain of scandals and deception now synonymous with Armstrong, it probably would have happened by now. That doesn't mean the foundation won't face some fallout, but its overall future probably won't hinge on Armstrong, she said. His decision to step down as chairman and leave the board has helped distance Livestrong from the controversy and give the impression that the foundation is charting an independent course, Palmer said. "It was one thing when there were a few weeks between him stepping down as chair but still remaining on the board that were questionable," she said. "But now that he's not on the board, it shows that (the board) is trying to become a new generation of the organization." Livestrong has indicated this would be part of its strategy going forward, regardless of what Armstrong revealed to Winfrey. Armstrong's doping drugs . "... We are charting a strong, independent course forward that is focused on helping people overcome financial, emotional and physical challenges related to cancer," the Austin, Texas-based foundation said Thursday. "Inspired by the people with cancer whom we serve, we feel confident and optimistic about the foundation's future and welcome an end to speculation." That's not to say the situation hasn't provoked a crisis of faith among many Livestrong supporters, especially those who were inspired by Armstrong's accomplishments as a cyclist and cancer survivor. Evan Andrew Del Colle Jr. admired Armstrong and everything he stood for, especially after reading his books, and started wearing the bracelets as soon as they came out in 2004. The Livestrong slogan resonated with him after his grandfather and aunt died from cancer, and he decided to get a Livestrong tattoo when he was 20 because he couldn't wear the yellow bracelets while playing college sports. "Livestrong represents being able to conquer even the toughest of obstacles, including cancer," he said. Now, after all that has come out, the tattoo embarrasses him and he is torn over what to do. "I still support the Livestrong cause and I am still in awe of what Lance Armstrong was able to do, doping or not, but both the foundation and Lance are now tainted," he said in a CNN iReport. "It is incredible that he won seven Tours, but he cheated. It's plain and simple. And the fact that after all the cancer he suffered from he would do unnatural things that could harm his body is just something I can't fathom." Why people cheat . Before he got his tattoo, Schuster started wearing the yellow bracelet in 2004 in an effort to scare himself out of smoking. Then, his father received an abrupt diagnosis of stomach cancer in 2005. Schuster gave him his bracelet when he went into the hospital for surgery related to his stomach cancer. He never left. The day his father died in 2005, Schuster held his hand and slipped the yellow Livestrong bracelet off his wrist and onto his. When the bracelet wore out a year later, he got it tattooed onto his wrist. The tattoo artist didn't think yellow would wear well and made it red instead, Schuster said, so people don't immediately recognize it. He has no plans to get rid of it, given all that it means to him. As for his father, he had a dry sense of humor, he said. "I would like to think he's chuckling somewhere and smiling about the whole situation." Follow Emanuella Grinberg on Twitter . CNN's Henry Hanks and Nicole Saidi contributed to this report.
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Livestrong supporters say cancer charity has identity separate from disgraced cyclist .
"Foundation should not be held accountable for his deception," says man with Livestrong tattoo .
Livestrong has distanced itself from Armstrong and forged its own identity, charity expert says .
Many nonprofits look up to Livestrong as a success model, expert says .
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AC Milan have renewed their interest in Adel Taarabt after being priced out of a move for Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa. Taarabt spent the second half of last season on loan at the San Siro and was hoping to seal a permanent move to Serie A. However, his dreams appeared to be dashed after the Rossoneri were put off by his £65,000-per-week wage packet. VIDEO: Scroll down to see Harry Redknapp on Loic Remy's failed move to Liverpool . Loan Ranger: Adel Taarabt impressed on loan at AC Milan last season . Second chance: Taarabt has been given an opportunity to prove his fitness . Milan turned their attention to Ben Arfa instead, but have baulked at United's £12million asking price. And now the Italians have reignited their interest in Taarabt, who has been offered a lifeline at QPR despite being slammed by boss Harry Redknapp over his poor fitness levels. The former Spurs youngster was included in the 20-man squad that travelled to Dublin on Thursday afternoon. But Jack Collison's hopes of earning a deal at Loftus Road look slim after the former West Ham midfielder was omitted from the group that face friendlies against Shamrock Rovers and Athlone Town. Uncertain future: Jack Collison was left out of the 20-man squad . Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland defender Richard Dunne has announced his retirement from international football. The 34-year-old QPR player made his debut for his country in 2000, going on to win 80 caps, the last of which came against Kazakhstan last October. Dunne told his club's official website: 'Retiring from international football has been an extremely difficult decision for me to make. 'I have represented Ireland since I was 15 years of age, and have thoroughly enjoyed all the highs and lows that have come with playing for my country. 'I will continue to support the team as they embark upon their new campaign under Martin O'Neill, and have every faith that they will qualify for France 2016.' Dunne and dusted: Irish defender Richard Dunne has decided to retire from international football .
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Taarabt spent last season out on loan at Fulham and then AC Milan .
Moroccan hopes of a permanent move to Serie A appeared to be over .
Rossoneri have revisited their interest in the former Spurs forward .
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By . Keith Gladdis and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:59 EST, 13 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:05 EST, 13 August 2013 . An anonymous donor has given $150,000 to a campaign aiming to stop a gold ring once owned by beloved novelist Jane Austen from being taken out of the UK by American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson. Jane Austen's House Museum began the campaign to raise the cost of the ring to keep the piece in the country. As a self-proclaimed ‘history nerd’, pop star Clarkson was happy to pay more than £150,000, or US$232,000, for the ring that once belonged to Jane Austen. Precious: The ring is one of only three surviving pieces of jewellery known to have belonged to Jane Austen . National treasure: Musician Kelly Clarkson, pictured at the Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas earlier this year, has been told she can't take the ring out of the UK . But the 31-year-old singer was told she could not take the item out of Britain and back to her native Texas because it is a ‘national treasure’. Clarkson, the first winner of talent show American Idol, saw off seven bidders in an auction at Sotheby’s last year for the gold and turquoise ring. Still in its original box, it was sold for $235,596 despite being expected to fetch only $46,362. But when Clarkson applied for an export license, a reviewing committee recommended that the ring should be kept in the UK. Culture Secretary Ed Vaizey has placed a temporary export bar on the item in the hope a UK buyer can be found to purchase it. He said: ‘Jane Austen’s modest lifestyle and her early death mean that objects associated with her of any kind are extremely rare, so I hope this simple but elegant ring can be saved for the nation.’ If no British bidder comes forward the Government will not be able to refuse an export license. Clarkson has indicated she will be willing to sell the piece of jewellery if an offer matching hers is made. The campaign to keep the ring in the UK was only begun on Friday, but with the help of the anonymous donor has already raised $160,000. The museum was able to make a 'serious expression' of its intention to buy the ring, and was able to gain an extension on the ban until 30 December, according to the Guardian. 'We have very few of Austen's effects, so the ring is very unusual. It has very good provenance, there's a note from 1863 handwritten by Eleanor Jackson, second wife of Jane's brother Henry Austen. 'Henry was the one to negotiate the deals with Austen's publishers and so was a significant character in her life – and a bit of a Wickham. The note is giving it to a niece, saying this was given to me by Cassandra (Jane's sister) when she knew I was marrying Henry and it belonged to aunt Jane,' Louise West, Jane Austen's House Museum manager told the Guardian. Jane's house: This house in Chawton, Hampshire, is where Jane Austen spent the last eight years of her life, and now houses the Jane Austen's House museum . If the museum manages to buy back the ring, Clarkson will be invited to visit the piece as often as she'd like. 'We can only speak to Clarkson's "people", so we don't know if she even knows she's been invited to visit,' said West. 'We were very excited that someone like Kelly Clarkson was a fan of Jane Austen - it's not what you'd expect from a young, cool US pop singer. It says a lot about Austen's popularity and who she's popular with. It's not just middle-aged women.' Miss Clarkson encountered a similar problem when she bought a first edition of Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion, saying last year: ‘We put in an export request but I can’t take it out of the UK as they’ve named it a national treasure.’ Beloved author and national treasure: The tomb of Jane Austen at Winchester Cathedral . The ring is one of three surviving pieces of jewellery known to have belonged to the Pride and Prejudice author . If the museum is successful in raising the remaining cash to buy back the ring, it will be displayed next year as part of the bicentenary of Mansfield Park's publication. In Mansfield Park, the protagonist Fanny Price is given an amber cross by her brother - inspiration for which seems to have come from Austen's own life. A cross gifted to Austen by her brother is now in the museum's collection. 'To have the cross and ring together is very exciting,' West told the Guardian. The museum had attempted to purchase the ring at auction, but the piece went so far above its expected price that the museum was unable to compete. 'The Heritage Lottery Fund would have helped us, but Sotheby's had generated a lot of interest and we were unable to raise the cash at such short notice,' said West.
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Kelly Clarkson bought the ring for five times the estimated price .
A temporary export ban was placed on the gold and turquoise ring .
A mystery donor has given $150,000 to Jane Austen's House Museum to buy back the ring .
The ring is one of only three surviving pieces of jewellery known to have belonged to the Pride and Prejudice author .
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By . Dan Bloom . No one likes being upstaged at their own party, but for these 95 Chinese 'birthday twins' it was worth grinning and bearing it. They brought more than 2,000 guests to a scenic park for what has been billed as the biggest mass birthday celebration in the country's history - including a 200ft-long cake. The huge event even included live entertainment and hundreds of plates of fried food heaped along a table. Save some for me! A Chinese park has held a massive birthday party for 95 people and 2,041 of their friends . Tuck in: The party included a 200ft-long birthday cake laid out on an enormous table for the guests . Party: Those celebrating were allowed to bring five friends and family each, unless they were over the age of 60 . The party at the Chongdungou park in Luanchan, Henan Province, was open to anyone born on July 12 or July 13. And they were allowed to bring give guests each - with over-60s allowed 10 guests each in recognition of their years, ShanghaiList reported. The over-80s were especially lucky, bringing up to 30 of their friends each to gorge on the free food and huge quantities of cake. In all, 2,136 people attended the party which was billed as China's largest ever. Messy: It's claimed the event in Henan Province, China, was the largest of its kind ever held in the country . Moreish: Stacks upon stacks of cooked meat and vegetables were heaped upon the enormous table . Who's going first? The guests lined up in an orderly fashion alongside their communal cake before tucking in . But it was not the biggest birthday party in the world. The Guinness World Record is held by a 2012 bash in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, when a zoo found 228 people all born on July 4. And it's claimed that record was thrashed by a party this year, which brought together 614 people born on January 26 to celebrate the 65th Indian Republic Day. That record has not yet been officially recognised by Guinness. Happy Birthday: The guests enjoyed live entertainment at the park - but the party was not the world's biggest . Fun: Over-80s were especially lucky, bringing 30 friends each to gorge on free food and huge quantities of cake .
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Party attended by 95 people who had their birthdays on July 12 or 13 .
They tucked in to a 200ft long cake accompanied by more than 2,000 friends .
Event in Luanchuan, Henan Province, set a national record for China .
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By . Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 12:16 EST, 16 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 15:51 EST, 16 March 2014 . These dazzling optics were created using nothing more than some homemade torches and a camera. Light artist Ian Hobson waves lights in a formation whilst capturing the movement through time using long exposure photography. The former lecturer in neuropharmacology and computing at Newcastle University creates his tools by adapting mains powered light sources for portable battery packs. The striking results are not photo-manipulated in any way. Dazzling objects: Light artist Ian Hobson's work entitled Rural Railway . Mr Hobson's work entitled 'Wool and water' which he created using homemade light tools . These dazzling optics were created by light artist Ian Hobson, 44, who paints the sky using homemade light tools . 'Collywell Silhouette' (left) and 'Throckley tunnel overload' by Ian Hobson . The former neurology and computing lecturer uses long exposure photography to capture the striking images, which are not photo-manipulated in any way . Mr Hobson first painted the night sky in 1980s but re-kindled his passion after advances in digital photography. Mr Hobson, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, said: 'The main attraction is the fun. It's very enjoyable jumping about waving lights, then rushing back to the camera to see what was captured by the sensor. 'But the technical and cognitive challenge is also a big part of the attraction, as there are so many variables to be juggled. 'It takes a lot of concentration, making a successful effort all the more rewarding. The 44-year-old employs recurrent motifs in his art, inspired by his previous studies of neurology and prehistoric rock carvings. He said: 'On one level, it's all very cerebral and abstract, in that I'd like the images and their mode of creation to be able to say something about the relationship between human cognition and space and time, but on another level I simply like making bonny patterns. A work by light artist Ian Hobson entitled 'Entoptic Overload Spiral' (left) and one entitled 'Chatton Blue Spirals', which was created using blue handheld LEDs above prehistoric rock carvings in Northumberland, England . Mr Hobson first painted the night sky in 1980s but re-kindled his passion after advances in digital photography . The former lecturer in neuropharmacology and computing at Newcastle University creates his tools by adapting mains powered light sources for portable battery packs . Mr Hobson, from Wallsend, North Tyneside, employs recurrent motifs in his art, inspired by his previous studies of neurology and prehistoric rock carvings . A work entitled 'Middle engine orb and self' by light artist Ian Hobson, made using LEDs spun on a wire, handheld LED strip with off camera flash and LEDs mounted on sunglasses, in a pedestrian underpass below a dual carriageway . A work entitled 'Culvertising' by light artist Ian Hobson, made using handheld LED strips and cold cathode tubes in an underground culvert . Mr Hobson took this using LEDS mounted on a bike wheel rolled inside concrete drainage . This image was made using handheld LEDs with perspex diffusers inside a concrete drainage pipe . 'In an age where computers can generate images that look like reality, I also get satisfaction from creating imagery that are reality looking like computer generated images. 'The lack of post processing in my light paintings hopefully raises some questions about the way in which our perception of the real world can be skewed by digital manipulation of images.' Mr Hobson's nocturnal light-beaming activities have been cause for concern for many people stumbling across him whilst painting the skies. A work entitled 'Antimatter Replacement Unit' by light artist Ian Hobson, features LEDs with perspex diffuser swung on a string above a cheesegrater mounted on the camera lens . 'Wills' Railway' by light artist Ian Hobson, produced by waving handheld LED strips below a railway tunnel . He said: 'I have had people ask me if I am performing some obscure kind of martial art, when shooting by rivers or by the sea. 'People have asked how on earth I expect to catch any fish with all those LEDs attached to the rod, on some occasions people will come over and ask what I'm up to, and this has resulted in them featuring in some of the shots. 'On one occasion, the images on the camera's screen persuaded members of the constabulary that despite me waving a power drill bedecked with flashing lights, I was in fact harmless.' Mr Hobson said: 'I have had people ask me if I am performing some obscure kind of martial art, when shooting by rivers or by the sea'
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Ian Hobson creates his pieces by adapting mains powered light sources for portable battery packs .
One was created using blue handheld .
LEDs above prehistoric rock carvings in Northumberland .
The striking results are not photo-manipulated in any way .
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f723e197457c89928cb88e50350e29656f5af8e4
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By . Liam Blackburn, Press Association . Corry Evans wants Blackburn to be sitting top of the Sky Bet Championship on Friday night and hopes that is a position they never deviate far from throughout the season. Rovers entertain Cardiff, who were one of the three sides relegated from the Barclays Premier League last year, at Ewood Park to kick off the new domestic campaign. The top tier is a division Blackburn have not been in since 2012 but, after ending the previous season on a 12-game unbeaten run and experiencing a much-welcome summer of stability, the belief is that they can follow their east Lancashire neighbours Burnley in winning promotion. 'We're wanting to get promotion, be it automatic or through the play-offs; that's our goal,' Evans told rovers.co.uk . On the up! Corry Evans wants to help Blackburn back to the Premier League this season . 'It's really everyone's goal in this division because anyone can beat anyone. But I think the experience we had as a team last year gelled us well. We know our style and we know the way we want to play. Hopefully we can put that into good practice this year.' Although Rovers finished the 2013-14 season with a flourish, they ultimately left themselves too much to do when it came to creeping into the play-offs. Evans, therefore, knows that it is crucial Gary Bowyer's side begin on a brighter note this time around. 'It sets out a marker to the rest of the league as well,' he said. 'We're the first team to open the season on a Friday and, who knows, we could be sitting top of the table come Friday night. It's important we start with a bang and put a marker down for where we go from there.' Blackburn discovered just how difficult the Championship can be when they first dropped out of the top flight, and they would have experienced back-to-back relegations were it not for Jordan Rhodes' goals. Top boyo! Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Cardiff are favourites to be promoted from the Championship . However, several bookmakers have Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Cardiff as favourites to win the Championship title, just as they did two seasons ago. 'I think it's a good bet,' Solskjaer, speaking at his Thursday morning press conference, said of the Bluebirds being tagged favourites. 'I hope so, but then again this league is tough. There's at least five or six that can look at themselves as candidates to go up. 'Blackburn, Fulham and Norwich - there's at least five or six that can go up and we play a few in the first eight games so let's see.' The Norwegian has presided over a period of change ahead of his first full campaign in the hot seat, with Federico Macheda and Adam Le Fondre adding to a bevy of attacking options. The likes of Fraizer Campbell, Jordan Mutch and Steven Caulker have departed, though, with Chile's World Cup star Gary Medel expected to follow suit. Mutch ado about nothing: The Cardiff manager insists he was right to release several star players . And Solskjaer is adamant Cardiff made the right decision to cash in on those players. 'When they don't want to sign a new contract I don't want them here anyway,' he said. 'I tried to convince Mutch to sign a new contract but he wanted to play in the Premier League so we'll see him in 12 months.' 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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Corry Evans has set his sights on promotion with Blackburn this season .
Rovers have not played in Premier League since relegation in 2012 .
Blackburn begin their Championship campaign against Cardiff .
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Welsh side are favourites to win promotion .
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f72405dfa232dc320e32475481415f1a27326ccd
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The U.S. military races to the moon to build a base -- to beat the Russians to the punch. Maybe test a nuclear weapon on the surface. Consider a lunar-based bombing system to target earthbound foes. That was the plan in the 1960s, according to declassified national security documents released this week -- some of them stamped as "SECRET." Today those schemes may sound as outlandish and dusty as a relic black-and-white episode of "Space Patrol." But consider this: . Currently, a vision of sending humans to Mars has begun to form in our collective imagination. Technological advances are swelling our anticipation of touching that dream in a decade or two. And already, the wild idea has sprouted of sending up a crew to Mars who would die there. Hold that mindset. Now, transport it back 55 years to the Cold War, when rockets born out of World War II had grown into skyscrapers with such enormous power that it was becoming clear they would put a trip to the moon within reach. It was only a matter of time before humans would set foot on a celestial body for the very first time. But the same rocket technology made for intercontinental ballistic missiles tipped with nuclear warheads, propelling an arms race against the West's opponent, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. One slip could result in a global nuclear holocaust. Neither side wanted to get behind, and in 1959, the Soviet Union was already ahead in the space race -- putting the first unmanned spacecraft on the moon, the Luna 2. Protecting the American way . The U.S. Army brainchild "Project Horizon" was born. Its proposal to leap beyond the Soviets opened with the line: "There is a requirement for a manned military outpost on the moon." The paper argued that it was imperative for the United States to develop and protect its potential interest on the Earth's natural satellite -- and to do so quickly to protect the American way of life. "To be second to the Soviet Union in establishing an outpost on the moon would be disastrous to our nation's prestige and in turn to our democratic philosophy," the paper surmised. It should have the kind of priority and authority given to the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb, the Army said. "Once established, the lunar base will be operated under the control of a unified space command." The space around the Earth and moon would be considered a military theater. Lunar nuclear power plants . After a thorough justification of the scientific, political and military need for the base, the proposal -- two documents and more than 400 typewritten pages -- calculated out the details of what could be done on the outpost and what it would take to make it reality. It offered graphs and mathematical formulas; considerations for low gravity and magnetic field, lack of water and air, and ballistic dynamics on the moon's surface; and design drawings of spacecraft, lunar bulldozers, modular moon cabins and special space suits. It contained photos of the moon with desirable spots for a colony mapped out on them. Project Horizon would start out with 10 to 20 crew members on a mission to build a somewhat self-sustaining colony capable of producing its own oxygen and water. Supply ships would bring the rest. Page after page was dedicated to the future capabilities of the Saturn rockets that would boost the supplies there. With expansion would come lunar nuclear power plants. Construction of the basic outpost would start in 1964 and be completed five years later. The visions were a bit ahead of schedule. Humans did not land on the moon for the first time until July 1969. And in the end, it wasn't the military, but NASA that sent them there. Lunar nuclear detonation . The nuclear arms race was omnipresent in the '60s, and Project Horizon made room for its possible expansion to the moon. It pondered the pros and cons -- scientifically, militarily and psychologically -- of detonating a nuclear device on the moon or nearby. And it reflected on the possibility of using nuclear weapons in space. Technological advances accelerated the Cold War and the space race through the 1960s, and U.S. military and intelligence agencies expounded in further papers on how the moon could be used for military purposes or intelligence gathering. George Washington University has collected the papers and published them on its National Security Archive website. The U.S. agencies also documented their space rivalry with the Soviet Union, how U.S. intelligence picked up Soviet anti-ballistic missile radar images, when their signals reflected off the moon. Intelligence officers feverishly studied Soviet space capabilities and intercepted pictures their spacecraft signaled back to Earth. And in 1967 the CIA documented how operatives "borrowed" a Lunik space capsule, analyzed it and returned it to the Soviets. The purpose of a nuclear detonation near or on the moon would be for show, a document said. Its "foremost intent was to impress the world with the prowess of the United States." The security archive said that Air Force leaders scrapped the idea after deciding that it was too risky. In 1967, the U.N. adopted the Outer Space Treaty banning the use of nuclear weapons from space -- including from the moon. Out of this world: The best selfies from space . Buzz Aldrin: After moon, next stop Mars . Britain's spaceport ambitions revealed .
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"Project Horizon" proposed a leap beyond the Soviets in the space race .
The U.S. Army said a military base on the moon was a "requirement"
Military officials considered the detonation of a nuclear device near the moon .
The military outpost was to have bulldozers, cabins, nuclear power plants .
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(CNN) -- Tamesha Means' water broke early on December 1, 2010. Just 18 weeks pregnant, she called a friend for a ride to Mercy Health Partners, the only hospital in Muskegon County, Michigan. During that visit, and two others the following day, Means was in excruciating pain. She was sent home twice -- given pain medication, told to return if her contractions became unbearable -- and was waiting to be discharged for a third time when she started to give birth. The baby died less than three hours after it was delivered. That's all according to a lawsuit filed on her behalf by the American Civil Liberties Union last week, which also said that Means' fetus had almost no chance of surviving and continuing the pregnancy posed serious risks to her health. Health care providers at the hospital knew those facts to be true, the suit alleges, but failed to tell Means about the risks and the option of ending her pregnancy because they follow directives from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which do not permit abortion. "As a direct result of these religious Directives, Ms. Means suffered severe, unnecessary, and foreseeable physical and emotional pain and suffering," reads the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. It accuses the USCCB and others of negligence "for promulgating and implementing directives that cause pregnant women who are suffering from a miscarriage to be denied appropriate medical care, including information about their condition and treatment options." It seeks damages and a declaration that the defendants' actions were negligent. 'Abortion ... is never permitted' At the center of the case is what is known as the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services -- a set of guidelines that advises Catholic health care providers and patients what to do. Specifically, the lawsuit mentions directives No. 27 and No. 45. Directive 27 states: "Free and informed consent requires that the person or the person's surrogate receive all reasonable information about the essential nature of the proposed treatment and its benefits; its risks, side-effects, consequences, and cost; and any reasonable and morally legitimate alternatives, including no treatment at all." The termination of a pregnancy would not be considered "morally legitimate," as outlined in directive 45. "Abortion (that is, the directly intended termination of pregnancy before viability or the directly intended destruction of a viable fetus) is never permitted," that directive reads. Still, the USCCB is not standing by doctors, whispering in their ears, telling them what to do, said Robin Wilson, a law professor at the University of Illinois who focuses on bioethics, health law and religious liberty. "You would have to show some sort of control, or agency, or direct duty in order to reach up to them. ... What I read didn't seem to make the linkages that I would have wanted to see," she said, adding that she thinks the case will be difficult for the ACLU to argue. "Creative claims win sometimes. It's just conceptually hard to get my mind around it," Wilson said. Don Clemmer, a spokesman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, declined to comment on the Michigan case. A call to Mercy Health Partners was not immediately returned Monday. 'It's about medical care' Means' lawsuit raises issues similar to a recent case in Ireland. There, a woman died after being denied an abortion last year. Seventeen weeks pregnant, Savita Halappanavar, 31, went into a hospital complaining of back pain. The doctors who examined her told her she was having a miscarriage but refused to do an abortion even though she was in extreme pain, her husband said. Days later, Halappanavar died from a blood infection, leading lawmakers to call for an investigation into what role abortion laws may have played in her death. "They knew they couldn't help the baby. Why did they not look at the bigger life?" her husband, Praveen Halappanavar, told the Irish Times. According to the Michigan lawsuit, Means was diagnosed with preterm premature rupture of membranes. At the time she gave birth, she had acute chorioamnionitis and acute funisitis, infections she developed after her membranes ruptured. When left untreated, both can result in infertility and cause other problems, the lawsuit states. It says that Means should have been told about her treatment options, including the termination of her pregnancy. She also should have been told about the risks associated with continuing the pregnancy and that even if she decided to go ahead with it, there was virtually no chance the fetus would survive, the lawsuit says. Had Means known the full extent of her condition, she would have opted to end the pregnancy, according to the lawsuit. The ACLU filed the suit to get relief for Means and to make sure that what happened to her won't happen to other women, said Louise Melling, national deputy legal director at the ACLU. "We care about the right to practice religion," she said. "But this case isn't about religious freedom. It's about medical care."
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The case centers around directives and a woman named Tamesha Means .
Means was only 18 weeks pregnant when her water broke .
The lawsuit alleges she was not told about treatment options, health risks .
"It's just conceptually hard to get my mind around," the suit, says a law professor .
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Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) -- Myanmar has alarmed Washington and the United Nations after it admitted carrying out airstrikes against rebel fighters in the northern state of Kachin. The conflict between the Myanmar military, which repressively ruled the southeast Asian nation for decades, and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has escalated in the past two years, displacing large numbers of civilians, according to human rights groups. Watch: Economic potential in Myanmar . Recent steps toward greater democracy and civil liberties in Myanmar under the government of President Thein Sein, a former military official, have prompted the United States and other countries to lift most of the sanctions that had been squeezing the country's economy. Terrorized, starving and homeless: Myanmar's Rohingya still forgotten . In November, President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Myanmar -- also known as Burma -- in a symbolic endorsement of the fledgling reforms. But the U.S. government expressed concern Wednesday after authorities in Myanmar said they had used air attacks in clashes with KIA fighters this week. Read more: Obama lauds Aung San Suu Kyi, gives a nod to Myanmar . "We're obviously deeply troubled by the increased violence," U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a news conference. "We are continuing to urge the government of Burma and the Kachin Independence Organization to cease this conflict, to get to a real dialogue to address grievances as the government of Burma has been able to do in virtually all of the other conflict areas." The Kachin Independence Organization is the political wing of the KIA. The Myanmar military has been using "air cover" in Kachin since December 27 in order to transport supplies to a base near Laiza, the capital of the state and headquarters of the KIA, said Zaw Htay, a spokesman for the president's office. The military carried out "air attacks" on Sunday and Monday, he said, adding that the president had instructed the troops not to invade Laiza. Attempts to reach a KIA spokesman for comment were unsuccessful Thursday. Read more: From Burma to Myanmar: Land of rising expectations . Ryan Roco, an American freelance photojournalist currently in Kachin, told CNN from Laiza that he had witnessed repeated heavy shelling and airstrikes by the Myanmar military. He has seen air attacks daily since December 28 around Laiza, he said. "They have targeted multiple positions but as of now, all have been primarily KIA military positions, some of which can be seen in plain sight from Laiza, bringing many residents to the streets and rooftops to watch in horror," Roco recounted via e-mail. "The shelling however is far less precise and far more widespread as hundreds of mortar rounds from 105mm and 120mm mortars are being fired from significant distance." Shelling in Lajayang, near Laiza, on 27 December left one man dead and three people seriously injured, said Roco. He met the victims, who he said were civilians hit as they worked on a watermelon farm, in the hospital where they had been taken for treatment. The heavy artillery shelling "poses extreme risk for civilians in the area already made vulnerable by war," he said. The photojournalist questioned the Myanmar government's account of its actions, saying what he had witnessed appeared to be "a clear offensive effort to take strategic KIA defensive positions surrounding Laiza." Roco traveled with the Free Burma Rangers, a non-governmental organization, which released images earlier this week that showed attacks by the Myanmar military in Kachin, but said he was not affiliated with the humanitarian group. Read more: Myanmar facing unfolding crisis . In the past year, the Myanmar government has made progress in peace talks with other minority groups, securing a cease-fire with Karen rebels. However, clashes this year between Buddhists and Muslims in the western state of Rakhine have set off a humanitarian crisis there and underscored the difficult task of managing the country's complex ethnic mix amid new political freedoms. The conflict in Kachin remains a serious challenge for the government, as acknowledged by the opposition leader and democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi. "A cease-fire is not enough," she said last year. "We have to have a political settlement if there is to be a lasting peace." Following reports of the recent airstrikes, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Myanmar authorities to "desist from any action that could endanger the lives of civilians living in the area or further intensify the conflict in the region," a spokesman said Wednesday. Ban also urged "all concerned parties to work toward political reconciliation," the spokesman said. Read more: Myanmar: Is now a good time to go? CNN's Kocha Olarn reported from Bangkok, and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong. CNN's Joseph Netto contributed to this report from Atlanta.
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NEW: U.S. photojournalist says he has seen repeated airstrikes and heavy shelling .
Myanmar says it used "air attacks" on Kachin rebels this week .
The conflict in the northern region has intensified recently, rights groups say .
The United States says it is "deeply troubled" by the airstrikes .
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San Francisco, California (CNN) -- Repair work on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge will continue nonstop into the weekend and the bridge may reopen Monday, but officials were making no promises Friday. "Commuters are going to need to check back with us over the weekend," said Bart Ney, a spokesman for the California Department of Transportation. "We're going to do everything we can to get the bridge open for the Monday morning commute, but safety is the priority for us right now." Repair work has not stopped since it began Tuesday night when two steel rods and a steel crossbeam plummeted from the bridge, landing on the roadway and forcing the span's closure. The same section had been the site of repairs over Labor Day weekend, when crews fixed a crack. On Friday, workers were grinding the areas where there was the potential for steel-on-steel connection, Ney said. "We want them to be very smooth." The rods' alignment has not been completed to the point where workers could begin stressing them, he said. Once that work is complete, a third-party group will look at how the system handles vibrations, he said, adding, "There is still a lot of work to be done." Transportation officials had said Thursday night that repairs of the bridge, which carried about 280,000 vehicles per day, would be complete by late Friday morning, but Ney said contractors were still working on custom-fitting steel for the structure. Crews worked Friday to replace four steel rods. One of those had failed and caused the problems, Dale Bonner, California's secretary of business, transportation and housing told reporters Thursday. Engineers also will make sure the rods are centered and will strengthen the welds to ensure stability, Bonner said. Vibrations in the rods, affected by strong winds, caused the break, officials said. In the wake of the bridge's closing, commuters flocked to the Bay Area's rail system. On Thursday, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) said, the system carried the most passengers ever, breaking a record set the day before. About 442,000 people took BART, 24 percent more than on an average Thursday, the agency said in a news release.
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NEW: "We're going to do everything we can to get the bridge open" Monday .
Pieces of steel from bridge fell onto roadway on Tuesday, forcing closure .
73-year-old bridge spans San Francisco Bay, carries about 280,000 vehicles daily .
BART has been swamped with riders since Bay Bridge closed .
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By . Sarah Dean . and Aap . Tony Abbott's perceived strong response to the Malaysia Airlines disaster has seen him achieve a ratings boost equal to any since the election campaign. But Labor is still the most popular party and rival Bill Shorten has also received a boost in support from voters for the bipartisanship he has shown in standing with the Prime Minister in the aftermath of the MH17 tragedy. Prime Minister Abbott's 12-point jump in net voter satisfaction is his best result in three months, according to the latest Newspoll published by The Australian. Scroll down for video . Tony Abbott's perceived strong response to the Malaysia Airlines disaster has seen him achieve a ratings boost . The rise in support for the Prime Minister more than reverses the popularity setback he copped after the delivery of his widely criticised May budget, which saw thousands of people march in capital cities around Australia in protest that it was 'unfair'. The boost lifts Mr Abbott to equal billing with Opposition Leader Mr Shorten as the nation's preferred leader after 12 weeks on the outer. Mr Abbott and Mr Shorten have put their usual fights aside during the handling of the MH17 tragedy which killed 298 people, including 37 Australians. Opposition leader Bill Shorten supported Mr Abbott while delivering a statement on the MH17 Malaysia Airlines plane crash . Prime Minister Tony Abbott spoke to opposition leader Bill Shorten after delivering a statement on the MH17 tragedy . Mr Shorten has echoed the Prime Minister by saying: 'We must see the victims identified, the bodies returned, the police investigation undertaken and those responsible brought to book'. 'If we ever in Australia thought that Australia was a small country far away without a place in global affairs, this illusion has been dispelled.' While the support for the leaders has risen, the poll also shows there has been almost no change in the standing of the parties in the past fortnight, with the Coalition and Labor both recording a primary vote of 36 per cent. The poll shows voters approve of the performance and leadership shown by both Mr Abbott and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in the aftermath of the MH17 tragedy . The Greens hold 12 per cent and the Palmer United Party and the independents sit at 16 per cent. In the two-party-preferred stakes, Labor still enjoys a lead of 54 per cent to 46 per cent. Mr Abbott's satisfaction rating has risen five points to 36 per cent while dissatisfaction with him has fallen seven points to 53 per cent. Newpoll was taken by 1157 people to assess how recent events may have impacted the politician's popularity but the next election will probably not be held until April 2016.
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36 per cent of people are satisfied with the way Mr Abbott is acting as PM .
38 per cent are satisfied with Bill Shorten as Opposition Leader .
Both have seen a rise in popularity after the MH17 tragedy .
In the two-party-preferred stakes, Labor popularity is at 54 per cent while the coalition is at 46 per cent .
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By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 02:47 EST, 22 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:25 EST, 22 October 2013 . Energy giant ScottishPower will pay £8.5million compensation to customers after an investigation by the industry regulator found they had mis-sold gas and electricity. Households were given misleading estimates of how much they would pay for energy if they switched their supplier, Ofgem found. ScottishPower will now write to 336,000 households that may have been the victim of mis-selling - and up to 50,000 of those could be in line for payouts of up to £60. Additionally, 140,000 of the company's most vulnerable customers will automatically receive £50 each in December, under the deal hammered out by the regulator. Compensation: ScottishPower persuaded people to switch suppliers by providing misleading estimates of how much they would pay for their energy, an investigation found . Ofgem launched an investigation after claims that the energy giant, who supply power to 5.6million households across Britain, provided misleading information to customers on the doorstep and over the telephone when persuading them to switch. Ofgem said that the mis-selling happened between October 2009 and January 2012. In separate developments today, MPs said they would haul bosses from the Big Six firms before a committee of MPs to give evidence about recent price hikes. SSE, British Gas and npower have all announced tariff rises in recent weeks. ScottishPower today apologised 'unreservedly' to those affected and said it had taken steps to address its failures. Under the deal agreed with regulators, the company has set up a £1million compensation fund for those affected - along with £7.5million for the most vulnerable. The automatic £50 payouts will be given to those on the government-led warm home discount scheme. Mis-selling: The company will write to 336,000 customers who could have been affected . ScottishPower . said that, of the households affected by mis-selling, around 50,000 . potentially lost out financially and could be due compensation. It . estimates compensation payments will vary from between £5 and £30 for . each gas and electricity service provided to households. Customers . who think they were the victims of mis-selling will have to provide . details of their previous supplier and Scottish Power will calculate . whether they are eligible for compensation. Ofgem said that, despite the sales . practice failures, it found no evidence that the company deliberately . set out to mis-sell to customers. The group stopped doorstep selling in June 2011 and has overhauled training and monitoring procedures for all telesales staff. Caroline Flint, Labour’s Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said: 'This is yet more evidence that Britain’s energy market is broken. 'Scottish Power is the third energy company to have been caught out misleading the public and two more are still under investigation. 'Yet again Ofgem’s response has been weak and David Cameron refuses to stand up to the energy giants. 'These companies need to know that if they mistreat their customers there will be a heavy price to pay.' Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said the compensation payout was evidence that energy companies were beind held to account. He said: 'This is a clear, strong signal that energy companies shouldn't expect to get away with bad practice. 'We're giving Ofgem powers that force energy companies to make direct payments to consumers hurt by these kinds of activities, and backing up Ofgem's reforms so that consumers get a simpler, fairer deal.' Neil Clitheroe, ScottishPower's chief executive of energy retail and generation, said: 'We accept Ofgem's findings and we apologise unreservedly to those customers affected. 'This arose as a result of new regulations which were introduced in 2009. I am sorry to say that we didn't implement these properly at that time.' The probe into ScottishPower comes as part of a wider market inquiry into mis-selling across the energy industry, which has already seen three investigations concluded. SSE was fined £10.5million in April for 'prolonged and extensive' sales practice failures. Sales overhaul: ScottishPower apologised 'unreservedly' to those affected and said it had taken steps to address its failures . Ofgem is still conducting two ongoing mis-selling investigations into npower, which was launched in 2010, and into E.ON, which was launched last year. Ofgem said it decided not to levy a . fine against ScottishPower as the £8.5 million customer payment package . agreed by the firm would be 'of greater benefit to energy customers than . if a substantial penalty was imposed'. It added that breaches of its rules on energy firm sales activities were vital to protect consumers. Ofgem . warned: 'Consumers can suffer financial detriment if they do not . benefit from savings that they are led to expect - they may switch to a . more expensive deal and competition suffers as consumers lose faith with . the market and the value of switching energy supplier.' Sarah . Harrison, Ofgem's senior partner in charge of enforcement, said: 'Ofgem . welcomes ScottishPower's recognition of its failure to comply with the . energy sales rules which are there to protect the consumer. 'This is an important step forward and demonstrates a commitment by ScottishPower towards re-establishing consumer trust.' Ofgem fined EDF Energy £4.5 million in March last year for misleading sales claims as part of the industry probe. Customers who believe they were affected . can also contact the group on 0800 0740 362 or online at www.scottishpower.co.uk/salescompensation.
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Energy giant misled new customers about how much they would pay if they switched supplier .
ScottishPower will write to 336,000 potentially affected households .
£7.5million will automatically be paid to 140,000 customers by Christmas .
Remaining £1million compensation available for those affected .
Ofgem found mis-selling went on between October 2009 and January 2012 .
Energy firms to be hauled before MPs' committee to explain price rises .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 10:47 EST, 4 July 2011 . Avoidable: If patients are moved around and their mattresses turned bedsores can be avoided (posed by model) Bedsores are killing almost as many hospital patients as the deadly superbug MRSA in 'completely avoidable' deaths. And treating sufferers, who develop the ulcers when they are not moved enough, is costing four per cent of the NHS budget. The sores, known as pressure ulcers, cause hundreds of deaths a year. And they take hold when bed-bound patients are not regularly turned over or given special mattresses by nurses. Most victims are elderly or long-term patients who need help to move. The worst offending hospitals have been named in a bid to end the epidemic. The statistics were drawn up by NHS standards watchdog Dr Foster after a survey of 150 hospitals. And the worst had pressure ulcer rates four times higher than the national average. Bedsores affected 412,000 NHS patients a year and the latest figures show they killed 4,708 people between 2003 and 2008 close to the MRSA death-toll. Two years ago Muriel Browning, 96, died at Suffolk's Ipswich Hospital after a hip operation. Her daughter Angela claimed she was left for hours in dirty nappies, causing a sore that infected a surgical wound and killed her. Angela said: 'Nurses couldn't be . bothered to take patients to the toilet. Its dreadful. But she was . left for hours in soiled and wet nappies. 'As a result she developed a massive sore on her torso'. Within a month of being admitted Mrs Browning was dead from an infection that got into her surgical wound. Unison's nursing union chief Gail Adams claimed Government moves to save £20billion in the NHS could make the crisis even worse. Vulnerable: Elderly people are the most likely sufferers of bedsores as they are immobile (Posed by models) She said: 'Thousands of nurses are losing their jobs and this could lead to a rise in the number of patients with bedsores.' Action Against Medical Accidents say they are completely avoidable. Chief Executive Peter Walsh said: 'It's down to poor nursing care and there should be zero tolerance of bedsores. But sadly they are accepted and it leads to a lot of misery and suffering for patients and their relatives. 'These are highly preventable. Stopping them is not rocket science. But in many hospitals they happen too easily.' The new league reveals that Cheshire's Warrington and Halton Hospitals Trust has the worst bedsores record. It is followed by the Medway Trust in . Kent, Southend University Hospital Trust in Essex, Royal Bolton . Hospital in Greater Manchester and West Herts Trust, which covers . Watford General. The final five on the list, with the lowest rate of bedsores, are Luton and . Dunstable Hospital Trust, West Suffolk Hospitals Trust, Northern Devon . Healthcare Trust, George Eliot Hospital Trust in Nuneaton, Warwicks, and . Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. The shamed hospitals were quick to insist they were taking action. A Warrington spokesman said: The prevention and reporting of ulcers has been strengthened over the past year. And the Royal Bolton said: A great deal of work has been undertaken to make improvements. But Southend chiefs disputed the accuracy of the statistics. The league table comes at a time when NHS care standards are already under the microscope.
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NHS spends four per cent of budget on treating sufferers .
Revealed: The five worst hospitals .
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By . Sian Boyle . The final survivor of the elite Bletchley Park codebreaking team that cracked Adolf Hitler's secret messages during the Second World War has died aged 93. Raymond 'Jerry' Roberts - who helped crack the system carrying messages between Hitler and his top generals – died at his home in Liphook, Hampshire on Tuesday following a short illness. Captain Roberts was the last remaining founder member of a team which cracked the German High Command’s Tunny code, and in doing so shortened the Second World War by at least two years. Bletchley Park codebreaker Raymond 'Jerry' Roberts, who helped smash the German high command's Tunny system, has died aged 93 . The German Tunny system was used by Hitler, Mussolini and other high ranking generals during the Second World War, and was made up of four times as many encryption wheels as the famous Enigma machine. Last year, to mark the significance of Captain Robert’s work, he received an MBE and a set of commemorative stamps issued in his name. He told the BBC: ‘This was intelligence gold dust, really top level stuff. [We cracked the] movements of troops, not just divisions or regiments but of [whole] armies.’ He also described seeing the messages between Hitler and his generals and says a landmark moment in his career was 'seeing the signature come up - of 'Adolf, spacer, Hitler, spacer, fuhrer, spacer'.' 'A very simple signature; I imagine the person who received the signature stood up and saluted.' The rebuilt Tunny machine at The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park and a wartime photograph of Captain Raymond 'Jerry' Roberts, one of the four man team who cracked the code . The highly-secretive work at the Bletchley Park listening post, is believed to have shortened the length of the war by at least two years . Capt Roberts joined Bletchley Park as a cryptographer and linguist in 1941 and was one of four founder members of the Testery, an elite unit named after the man leading it, Ralph Tester, which cracked the Tunny code - making it possible to read Hitler's messages during the war. The Testery team, which grew to 118 by the end of the war, managed to reverse-engineer the Tunny, which had 12 encryption wheels to the Enigma machine's three, described by Bletchley Park as 'an incredible feat of dedication'. The spokeswoman said: 'Jerry came to Bletchley Park straight from university but they were all in unchartered territory. It was new ground for everybody.' The intelligence gathered at Bletchley Park is credited with providing strategic information that was passing between the top level commanders and is believed to have shortened the war by two years and helped to save millions of lives. Captain Roberts worked at Bletchley Park until 1945 before moving to the War Crimes Investigation Unit for two years, followed by a 50-year career in marketing and research. Honoured: Captain Roberts receives his MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace last year . Later in life he became a tireless ambassador . for the memory of those who had served in secret, and spent years . campaigning for acknowledgement of his colleagues, including Alan . Turing, who broke the naval Enigma. He argued the Testery as a whole should be honoured for its work - including Bill Tutte who broke the Tunny system to help shorten the war; and Tommy Flowers, who designed and built the Colossus, which sped up some stages of the breaking of Tunny traffic. Their stream of intelligence proved vital in the D-Day invasion and helped save many lives. The codebreaker, originally from Liphook in Hampshire, worked at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, until the end of the Second World War before spending two years at the War Crimes Investigation Unit, and then moved on to a 50-year career in marketing and research. The rebuilt Tunny machine now sits in the new Tunny Gallery at The National Museum of Computing . The intelligence war waging in a quiet corner of Buckinghamshire was to be decisive in the Allied effort to win the Second World War. Station X - known now as Bletchley Park - was the hub of Britain's code-backing effort, where hugely talented mathematicians and inventors worked tirelessly to give the armed forces a crucial helping-hand. As Winston Churchill himself made clear, the accurate information which flowed from Bletchley Park, at a rate which sometimes reached 6,000 messages a day, saved lives and gave Britain a crucial edge in battle. Codenamed Ultra the intelligence provided crucial assistance to the Allied war effort. Sir Harry Hinsley, a Bletchley veteran and the official historian of British Intelligence during the Second World War, said that Ultra shortened the war by two to four years and that the outcome of the war would have been uncertain without it. Captain Roberts was one of the four founder members of the Testery in October 1941, along with team leader Ralph Tester, Major Denis Oswald and Captain Peter Ericsson. After a few months of breaking of a Double Playfair cipher system used by the German Military Police, the unit was tasked with breaking the German High Command’s most top-level code Tunny. Despite being Adolf Hitler’s most secret code system and having 12 wheels against well-known 3 wheel Enigma, tens of thousands of Tunny messages were intercepted by the British and broken at Bletchley Park. By the end of the War, the Testery had grown to 9 cryptanalysts, a team of 24 ATS, a total staff of 118, organised in three shifts working round the clock.
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Captain Raymond Roberts was last survivor of crucial codebreaking team .
They succeeded in cracking the German High Command's Tunny code .
Tunny used four times as many encryption wheels as the Enigma machine .
It was used to send messages between Hitler and his top Generals .
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f7263468c28a9c59985ca60912e69930f16fd8c0
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By . James Nye . At least three Boston firefighters were injured, one seriously, on . Wednesday when a fire broke out in a four-story building in the city's . historic Back Bay neighborhood, drawing a large-scale emergency . response, local officials said. EMS spokesman Nick Martin said 18 people were taken to hospitals but he said he had no information on their conditions other than they were taken to four hospitals across the city. Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald described the blaze as a nine-alarm incident, the . department's highest level of severity - drawing more than 150 firefighters and 30 trucks to the scene. The nine-alarm fire erupted at 2:43 p.m. and caused huge eruptions of flames from the roof of the four-story building, along with a massive column of smoke, according to pictures released by the Boston Fire Department. 'The fire right now is still not out. It is still . raging from the inside,' MacDonald told reporters. 'It's a very unstable . condition right now with the flames that are through the roof, and it's . hard fighting it from the outside.' Blaze: More than 150 firefighters from the Boston fire department rushed to battle the inferno that broke out in the densely populated Back Bay neighborhood . Injured comrade: Firefighters and emergency medical personnel rush a firefighter from the scene of a multi-alarm fire at a four-story brownstone in the Back Bay neighborhood near the Charles River, on Wednesday, March 26, 2014, in Boston . One witness, Kayla DaSilvia said she saw emergency workers battling to save the life of a fellow firefighter. 'They were doing compressions on him. They were trying to get him in an ambulance,’ she said to the Boston Globe. 'It was really chaotic ... The smoke was really thick.’ Of the three firefighters . brought to area hospitals, one was listed in serious condition while the . injuries to the other two were not believed to be life-threatening, . MacDonald said. Firefighters were focused on keeping the blaze . from spreading to neighboring buildings on a day the city was buffeted . by high winds, MacDonald said. Live television video showed an . enormous plume of smoke rising from the building, and hovering over the . city. State police said they closed a major roadway along the Charles . River behind the burning building. Control: The firefighters of the Boston FD battle to keep the flames from spreading across the densely populated neighborhood . An assistant district attorney was being sent to the scene, standard procedure in cases in which there are serious or potentially life-threatening injuries, said Jake Wark, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley. There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire. Despite strong winds and cold temperatures, people gathered to watch firefighters work from outside the building. 'The smoke was unbelievable,' said Kayla Dasilva, who lives a few blocks away and went with her roommate to see what was happening. Gilad Haas said that he saw firefighters battling the flames and then saw what he thought was an blast. 'I saw this explosion,’ Haas said at the scene. 'It was a burst, and then I saw the flames go up. It was definitely scary. I have such respect for the fire department.’ Injured hero: Firefighters and emergency medical personnel rush a firefighter from the scene of the nine-alarm fire in Boston on Wednesday afternoon . Two members of the Boston Fire Department became trapped in the building's basement - but managed to escape - their condition is unknown. The fire was fanned by wind that was gusting at up to 40 mph - producing a huge cloud of black smoke that was visible across the city. Jack Mahoney, registrar at the nearby Newman School on Marlborough Street, told the Boston Globe, 'We can see, feel, and smell the fire.' 'Smoke is in the alleyways. It’s everywhere. It’s so musty in here. ... We had to shut off the fans in the school because smoke was coming in,' he said. Student Kirby Paulson, 16, said the entire neighborhood is 'smoked out.''I heard people screaming, ‘Get an ambulance! Get an ambulance!’ he said. Assistance: In this photo released by the Boston Fire Department via Twitter, firefighters tend a colleague at the scene of a multi-alarm fire at a four-story brownstone in the Back Bay neighborhood near the Charles River Wednesday, on March 26, 2014 in Boston . Raging inferno: Boston EMS spokesman Nick Martin says four people, including at least three firefighters, have been taken to hospitals after the fire in Boston on Wednesday afternoon .
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Boston firefighters are battling a huge nine-alarm brownstone fire that injured more than a dozen people on Wednesday afternoon .
At least three firefighters have been injured, one seriously according to fire department spokesman Steve MacDonald .
EMS spokesman Nick Martin says 18 people have been taken to hospitals .
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Pope Francis surprised hundreds of commuters when he rode on a train to a Mass in Deajeon, Korea, instead of a helicopter . He has built a reputation for his down-to-earth style and has no patience for pomp. But even so, Pope Francis surprised hundreds of ordinary commuters when he took public transport to celebrate a Mass in Korea where he is on a five day visit. The pope scrapped his plans to take a helicopter from Seoul to his first public Mass instead taking a local train to Daejeon, where he held a service at a football stadium in the city. Francis was seen riding in the fourth car of the train, in first-class, while another 500 people were on board, Korean media reported. The last-minute change in plans was on account of bad weather, according to organisers of the visit. Spokesman Hur Young-yup told Yonhap news agency: 'The helicopter is his default means of transit because it is fast and safe, but the pontiff also considers other options, like the train, if taking them would allow him to arrive on schedule.' Pope Francis' pared back humble demeanour has taken locals in status-conscious, ostentatious, Korea by surprise. Having refused a Popemobile and instead requesting Korea’s smallest compact car, he arrived from the airport in a black Kia Soul that many South Koreans would consider beneath his status as a global figure. One South Korean user tweeted: 'The pope rode the Soul because he is full of soul.' Shon Cho-eun, a 22-year-old Christian . student said: 'I feel honoured that Pope Francis will not be in a . bulletproof vehicle. I hope he arrives safely and delivers good messages . to us.' Francis has already surprised several Koreans by using a Kia Soul - something many South Koreans see as beneath his global status - as his 'Popemobile' during his five-day visit . Francis has also rejected bullet proof popemobiles' , sparking security concerns on previous foreign trips such, as last year's trip to Rio. He has urged priests around the world to travel in low-key cars. In the Vatican he is driven around in a Ford Focus.
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Pope Francis took train to Daejeon, where he led service at football stadium .
He was seen in fourth car of train in first-class, with 500 other passengers .
Had already refused a Popemobile and arrived from airport in black Kia Soul .
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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 10:55 EST, 10 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:14 EST, 11 June 2013 . A couple admitted they are terrified of entering their bathroom after spotting a rat in the toilet. Margaret, 59, and Keith Woods, 67, of Sutton, south London, now flush their lavatory first and run the taps before going to the toilet, after the rodent apparently began swimming up the u-bend. The couple filmed the rat - which they have named Roland - poking its face up into the bowl, but investigators from Thames Water have done a search of the pipes at their home without success. Scroll down for video . 'Petrifying': The couple filmed the rat - which they have named Roland - poking its face up into the bowl . Worried: Margaret, 59, and Keith Woods, 67, of Sutton, south London, now flush their lavatory first and run the taps before going to the toilet, after the rodent apparently began swimming up the U-bend . Mrs Woods said: ‘I went to the loo and I could hear scratching. I jumped up and thought - this time I’m going to watch. I flushed the toilet straight away and went back, leaving the light on. ‘It was rearing its ugly head. In March I gave Thames Water two weeks to sort it out. We kept hearing scratching and we’d put the lid down. We are petrified to go to the toilet.’ The office manager added: ‘We flush the toilet and run the tap to be able to go to the toilet.’ The couple, who have lived in their home for 27 years, have experienced rat problems in the past and said they have had a rat in their toilet for the last eight months. Last October, when Mrs Woods was on . holiday, she received a panicked phone call from her daughter, who was . pregnant at the time, telling her that a rat had escaped from the . toilet. Her daughter said the rodent got out . into the bathroom until her son managed to get rid of it. Since then a . rat has been popping his head out most nights, much to the horror of the . Woods family. Rodent problem: The couple said they have had a rat in their toilet in south London for the last eight months . Looking down: Mrs Woods has contacted both Sutton Council and Thames Water, but said she has become frustrated with the lack of a solution and delays on the part of the water company . Mrs Woods has contacted both Sutton . Council and Thames Water, but said she has become frustrated with the . lack of a solution and delays on the part of the water company. Thames Water apologised for delays in conducting a probe of the sewage network - which was finally carried out two weeks ago. Following a similar incident of a rat found in a New York City toilet in January 2011, Brooklyn Pest Control exterminator Eddie Marco said it was a problem he had often dealt with. He told Gothamist: 'The pipe is empty, the rat crawls through the pipe and up over the hump and into the porcelain. And he can’t get back out. What I do? I flush it down.' Experts recommend squirting dishwasher liquid around the inside of the toilet bowl if you spot a rat inside, and to flush the lavatory many times. A spokesman said: ‘This is unacceptable and we have let Mr and Mrs Woods down.' He added: 'A CCTV investigation of the sewer was done last week and the network is working as it should. We have also carried out a thorough clean of the sewer pipes around the property and will putting down some poison to help the customer get rid of the problem.' David Cross, pest control firm Rentokil's head of technical training, said: 'Thankfully, this is still a very rare occurrence, but we have seen more of these cases in recent years. 'Rats are an ingenious species, and they will do anything within their power to access new sources of food. After navigating a u-bend for the first time, the rodents become more confident and will often make repeat visits to the same property. 'Use of one-way valves in the manhole chamber can provide - amongst other things - an additional barrier for rats by denying them access to the soil pipe.'
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Margaret, 59, and Keith Woods, 67, are now scared of going in bathroom .
Thames Water searched pipes at their Sutton home without success .
Couple flush the toilet first and run the taps before going to the toilet .
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By . Jason Groves and Leon Watson . PUBLISHED: . 19:11 EST, 1 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:11 EST, 2 February 2013 . Reneged: MPs said the Prime Minister faces a backlash on plans to legalise gay marriage as members resign in mass protest . David Cameron is facing a backlash over his support for gay marriage from within his own party as members desert Tory ranks in droves, it emerged today. Large numbers of activists are resigning or refusing to renew their membership in protest at the Government's plans to equalise marriage, MPs say. It is claimed those quitting range from a handful in some seats to dozens in others and more than a hundred in some. Although Tory party headquarters has no up-to-date record of membership, the evidence of MPs points to many hundreds if not thousands, of deserters. 'This is the straw that broke the camel's back,' one MP told The Times. David Burrowes, MP for Enfield Southgate and an opponent of gay marriage, said: 'There's serious unrest in the grass roots. 'You cannot avoid the fact that the troops are unhappy. People are drifting away.' It comes as Mr Cameron dashed Tory hopes of a tax break for married couples in next month’s Budget. A senior Government source said the Prime Minister had delayed the manifesto promise yet again after talks with George Osborne. The Chancellor does not want the issue of the tax break to distract from the Budget’s focus on the economy. The decision will dismay many Tories who were demanding action on the flagship pledge. It was hoped that the tax break would help to quell the anger over the decision to press ahead with a divisive vote on gay marriage next week. Former leader Iain Duncan Smith, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling and Environment Secretary Owen Paterson are among the Cabinet ministers who have lobbied Mr Cameron to act on tax for married couples. They argued that it was vital to bring the measure in now, so married couples would feel the benefit before the election – warning that it would be dismissed as a ‘token’ gesture if it was delayed again. Malcolm Higgs and Don Rainbow (in white) were one of the first gay couples to tie the knot in England. The ceremony was held in Richmond, west London . Pledge: Mr Osborne has always been less enthusiastic about the proposal, which was initially included in the party's election manifesto . Pressure: Former leader Iain Duncan Smith, left, Justice . Secretary Chris Grayling, right, and Environment Secretary Owen Paterson are . among the Cabinet ministers who have lobbied Mr Cameron to act . A senior Government source last night . said the Prime Minister – who was yesterday on a visit to Monrovia, . Liberia – remained committed to the policy, but agreed to a delay after . talks with Mr Osborne, who has always been less enthusiastic. ‘The recognition of marriage in the . tax system will be put forward,’ the source said, adding, ‘It won’t be . in this Budget but it will be in this Parliament,’ suggesting it will be . enacted before the next election, due in 2015. The Government's gay marriage proposals do not go far enough, according to a poll of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The controversial introduction of same-sex marriage will be put to a Commons vote next week. But in a survey, six out of 10 gay people said the Government's plans would not create 'equal marriage', and that equality would only be achieved when churches, synagogues and mosques are required to carry out same-sex weddings. The poll found that half of all LGBT people expect the courts to remove the remaining protections on places of worship. Nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) believed Prime Minister David Cameron was trying to extend marriage to LGBT people to make the Tories look more compassionate rather than because of his convictions. The poll - which questioned more than 500 LGBT people - was commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage - an alliance of groups and individuals opposed to attempts to redefine marriage. ‘It’s . an agenda the Prime Minister is very committed to,’ the source said. ‘It will be put forward – it is right to recognise marriage and . recognise commitment. It’s in the Coalition agreement and I can confirm . it will be going ahead.’ Under Mr Cameron’s plans, it is . expected that one member of a married couple or civil partnership would . be allowed to transfer £750 of their tax-free personal allowance, . reducing their partner’s tax bill. This would be worth about £150 a year . to basic rate taxpayers. On Thursday, the Daily Mail reported . that Mr Cameron was signalling the tax break would be left out as the . Government struggles to control spending. Confirmation of the delay . comes days after Nick Clegg poured scorn on the idea of the tax break. He said people would think it ‘odd’ to help families on the basis of whether they were married or not. The . Lib Dem leader, whose MPs will be allowed to abstain on the break when . it does comes to parliament, said: ‘The more people will look at this, . the more they will think – why should you be giving, whatever it is, £3 a . week to married couples.’ The Prime Minister is said to disagree with those Tories who say acting on marriage tax was a ‘quid pro quo’ for forcing through gay marriage. A source said: ‘There is a link between the two in that he believes strongly in both for similar reasons. If two people want to commit to each other and get married, and if they’re gay, they should be able to. ‘He also believes in recognising commitment in the tax system. There is a connection but there is not a quid pro quo.’ The source said Mr Cameron acknowledged that gay marriage was a ‘difficult’ issue for some in the Conservative party but said that he was ‘proud’ to be championing it. Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'Our complicated tax system makes it harder for people to start a family and often discriminates against married couples. 'Introducing an allowance that lets families share some of their personal allowance would help tackle poverty and reduce the perverse disincentives created by our dysfunctional tax code. 'The Government could go much further and reform our tax system to help everybody who is struggling with the cost of living, not just married couples.'
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Activists are resigning or refusing to renew their membership over issue .
One MP says: 'This is the straw that broke the camel's back'
Many Tories also demanding action on tax break for married couples .
Senior Cabinet ministers have lobbied Mr Cameron to act on the issue .
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By . Jamie Redknapp . When you look at the players in midfield at Manchester United and Chelsea, it’s hard to see anyone from United making it into Jose Mourinho’s side. They will think that’s a slur but unfortunately for them it’s a fact. Michael Carrick is a very good player and would have made it, but Nemanja Matic makes that tough for him now. Adnan Januzaj could become world class, but you still wouldn’t pick him ahead of Eden Hazard at the moment. United are not short of good players, they’re short of great players. They won the league at a canter last season, so this is not a bad squad, but every other side improved over the summer and United got left behind. Superstar: Eden Hazard has been in blistering form for Chelsea in the past few weeks . The return: Nemanja Matic trains for the first time since coming back to Chelsea, and tops Michael Carrick . United they stand: But would Michael Carrick (left) and Adnan Januzaj get a game at Chelsea? Splashing out: Chelsea have spent a staggering £229.9m since summer 2010 . They are missing that stardust and, particularly when Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie do not play, they are missing match-winners. Januzaj has been sensational and one of David Moyes’s most productive players, but, him apart, United lack creativity in the middle. Chelsea’s midfielders have scored 26 Premier League goals this season while United’s have scored just seven. Only Januzaj and Antonio Valencia have any assists (two each) and the entire United midfield has made just 96 chances. Between them, Eden Hazard, Oscar, . Willian and Juan Mata have created 122 chances and across the squad, . eight Chelsea midfielders have assisted goals. It’s that kind of creativity United are crying out for. It’s . a shame for Marouane Fellaini that he’s injured, because with Rooney . out, Moyes could have used him further forward as another option. Even . so, I’m still not sure he is a United player. Towards . the end of my career, when I lined up in the tunnel against them, you . would look across and see Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Ryan . Giggs. They were the game-changers but it’s hard to see that in the . current United midfield. Playmaker: Brazil star Oscar has emerged as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League . Hair apparent: Willian (left) has staked his claim for a place in the Chelsea starting Xi in recent weeks . Creative force? Japan star Shinji Kagawa can barely get a game in United's midfield . Big-money move: But is Marouane Fellaini really a top-quality United player? Instead, it’s Chelsea who have the exceptional talents. Hazard is the form man, but anyone in football won’t be surprised by his progress. Joe Cole said he was the best player he’d played with while he was on loan at Lille and now, with extra experience, he is performing out of his skin. Willian has really impressed me, too, and is a lot tougher than I thought he would be. We all know how good Oscar is. Then you look at the rest of Chelsea’s midfielders and the strength in depth is obvious. Any club that can afford to leave Mata on the bench is a contender for the title. And Mata is exactly the kind of player Moyes would love. Making his point: Jose Mourinho will finally have to concede his team are serious title contenders . Under-fire: David Moyes wants to be able to call upon the kind of star quality that Chelsea can . Strength in depth: The Blues can afford to leave quality like Andre Schurrle and Juan Mata on the bench . The re-signing of Matic will only improve Chelsea. He’s a real thoroughbred and will protect that back four. In any other business it would be madness to let go of an asset and then buy it back for a much greater price, but football plays by different rules and the best players come at a cost. Mourinho is the master of playing the underdog, but I hope he finally admits his squad are now capable of challenging. He talks about how much firepower Manchester City have, and they do, but if you look at the money Chelsea have spent, they are no paupers. I hate to say ‘transition’ — it’s an overused word — but that’s where United are. It will take time and money to rebuild the midfield and the rest of the squad, but it is something they need to address quickly. While Manchester United continue to crave for the players to fill the boots of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, rivals Chelsea have been busy snapping up the game's best midfielders. Indeed, since 2010 the Blues have splashed a staggering £229.9million strengthening their midfield options, this in comparison to United's £98m. It is the area of the park open to most fierce criticism at Old Trafford and, say many observers, the reason behind their decline. Bring it on home: Nemanja Matic re-joined Chelsea this month after a spell at Benfica . Samba star: Ramires signed for Chelsea in 2010 . New kid on the block: Bertrand Traore is one of two midfielders Chelsea have signed this transfer window . When United and Chelsea meet at . Stamford Bridge on Sunday, the disparity between the two engine-rooms . will be highlighted still further as the hosts unveil £21m new boy . Nemanja Matic, the midfield general they re-signed from Benfica this . week. What would David Moyes do for such a . signing? The Red Devils boss has been trawling the continent this past . fortnight in a bid to unearth the man to remedy his midfield woe. The Scot has been forced to field . 40-year-old Ryan Giggs at the heart of his team this season, as well as . on occasion defender Phil Jones. That they have been selected ahead of . Marouane Fellaini – Moyes' sole midfield acquisition – speaks volumes . for the faltering form of the £28m deadline-day purchase. Champions League winner: Raul Meireles holds the blue shirt after signing in 2011 . New boy: Marco van Ginkel's debut season at Stamford Bridge has been blighted by injury . Moyes will again be reliant on teenager Adnan Januzaj for midfield inspiration this weekend. Jose Mourinho, in comparison, will boast an embarrassment of riches. Since the summer of 2012 alone, Chelsea have now spent upwards of £15m on five midfield players. Eden Hazard was a £32m arrival from . Lille, Oscar a £25m recruit from Internacional, Leverkusen's Andre . Schurrle cost £18m, Willian was a £32m steal from under the noses of . Spurs and now Matic. Short stay: Yossi Benayoun made a £5.5million switch from Liverpool to Stamford Bridge . Marquee signing: Andre Schurrle holds his Chelsea shirt up at the Cobham training base . Rising star: A fresh-faced Oscar proudly holds up his home shirt at the Cobham HQ . In that same period United have . signed four midfielders; Shinji Kagawa, a player who has struggled to . impact, Nick Powell, currently on loan at Wigan, Wilfried Zaha, an . outcast under Moyes, and, of course, the disappointing Fellaini. But perhaps most galling of all for . Moyes and followers of United will be the sight of £23m Juan Mata . warming the bench; how they would long for the Spaniard to fill the . playmaker role once populated by Scholes. Mega money: Willian joined from Anzhi for a whopping £32million last summer . Then there is John Mikel Obi, . Chelsea's in-form anchorman who was all set for a move to United in 2005 . before the west Londoners intervened and prised him from their grasp. It all leaves Moyes casting envious eyes towards Mourinho and his midfield men. The United chief will seek to strengthen this month but that will not come in time for Sunday's battle at the Bridge. If that game is won or lost in the middle of the park, then there will surely be just one victor. Injury prone: Oriol Romeu is unveiled by former manager Andre Villas-Boas . Young gun: Victor Moses joined Chelsea from Wigan but has since been loaned out to Liverpool . On his way out? Kevin de Bruyne looks set to leave Chelsea this window for the Bundesliga . BY CRAIG HOPE .
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Chelsea have spent staggering £229.9m on midfielders since summer 2010 .
David Moyes continues to scout in Europe for recruits .
Adnan Januzaj is a rising star but you would pick Chelsea's in-form Eden Hazard over the Manchester United starlet .
Blues midfielders have scored 26 league goals this season compared to United's seven .
United used to have game-changers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes but now it's Jose Mourinho's side who have the talent .
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Monégasque royal Princess Stephanie looked thoroughly at home in the company of a friendly elephant this afternoon when she was guest of honour at the International Circus Festival of Monaco. The mother-of-three, who is president of the festival, had no qualms about get up-close and personal with the enormous animal - tickling its trunk, peeking into its mouth and even having a little chat. Stephanie, 49, is no stranger to the circus - back in 2000 she had a relationship with a Swiss elephant trainer called Franco Knie and their relationship was serious enough for her to move, along with her children, into his caravan. The relationship was over by 2003 though and she began a romance with a trapeze artist. Scroll down for video . Princess Stephanie of Monaco, 49, visited the International Circus Festival of Monaco today. The royal ooked thoroughly at home in the company of friendly elephant this afternoon, even looking into its mouth . Both the elephant and princess smile as the royal drops a snack into the animal's mouth . The Portuguese-Spanish trapeze artist Adans Lopez Peres was ten years younger than her and also a member of the Franco's Circus Knie. Today's festival had particularly strong memories for the royal though - It was at the same event back in 2000 that she met Franco, whom she later moved in with. But today's visit to the circus, at the 39th annual event, was far less controversial. Princess Stephanie (sixth from left) was guest of honour at the International Circus Festival of Monaco, of which she is the president . The mother-of-three appeared to strike up conversation with her huge grey friend . Princess Stephanie was first involved in the festival, which was created by her father Prince Rainier , when she was just nine years old . Princess Stephanie was first involved in the festival, which was created by her father Prince Rainier, when she was just nine years old. Now she is president and works to help preserve circus traditions for future generations. The royal is known to be very hands-on and helps oversee the entire operation. She has input into everything from the selection of acts and the choreography to the costumes, music and lighting, which is why she arrived at the event wearing a casual sweatshirt saying 'staff' rather than anything more glamorous. The royal is known to be a hands on and helps oversee the entire operation from the selection of acts to the choreography, costumes, music and lighting . The royal is so actively involved in the planning of the event that she even goes to all of the rehearsals. Happy to muck in! Princess Stephanie gets a right royal slobbering . The festival, of which the princess (third left) is president, features classical circus acts that claims to represent captivating clownery, awe-inspiring animals and gravity-defying acrobatics . She is so actively involved in the planning of the event that she even goes to all of the rehearsals. The festival features classical circus acts that claims to represent captivating clownery, awe-inspiring animals and gravity-defying acrobatics. As well as her role in this circus, Princess Stephanie has also created the Fédération Mondiale du Cirque under her patronage and serves as its Honorary President. The festival's ethos is to take the circus art-form to new and unexpected heights . Now she is president, the princess works to help preserve circus traditions for future generations . The royal princess clowns around with a performer .
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Stephanie, 49., appeared at the International Circus Festival of Monaco .
The mother-of-three is president of the organisation, set up by her father .
The royal is no stranger to the circus - once ran off with an elephant trainer .
She also dated Portuguese-Spanish trapeze artist, 10 years her junior .
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f72723457c0ed54b506ef9063132b3e7be921cf5
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Selfies, shots of legs on sun loungers, cocktails in the sunset ... social media users can be overwhelmed by a sense of 'déjà vu' while scrolling through other people's holiday photographs. And if your latest photo album contains 127 landscape shots, 45 selfies, five images of strangers and six stray cats, you've had the most run-of-the-mill summer break, according to new research. An online travel agency quizzed British holidaymakers about their latest photo collection to determine the most popular subject for their camera lens. 'Wish you were here?' If you can combine a selfie with a group shot and a landscape, you're on to a winner . The 'hotdog legs' trend of snapping your extremities while lying on the beach is very much a part of the modern holiday and is favourite with celebrities . Of the 2,176 people questioned by www.sunshine.co.uk, 89 per cent said they took photographs on their last holiday, using either a smartphone (66 per cent), camera (42 per cent) or a tablet device (27 per cent). The average photo collection contained 447 images, with just 216 of these images making it on to people's social media pages. The majority never get printed out: when asked whether their holiday photos ever made it into physical albums or photo frames, 76 per cent of people said ‘no, they stay in digital format forever’. In the frame: Most holidaymakers used a smartphone, with just 27 per cent opting to take photos on a tablet . The holidaymakers were then asked to analyse their latest photo collection and describe how many of each type of picture they’d taken. Landscape shots proved the most popular subject matter, accounting for a total of 127 images. In second place was images of the resort (62), followed by selfies (45) and portrait shots of fellow travellers (38). Snap happy: The ubiquitous 'selfie' accounted for 45 images in the average photo collection . The camera lens was also trained on the local wildlife (33), swimming pools (26) and local landmarks (21). Facebook friends were 'treated' to 27 images of food and drink, 16 shots of the hotel room and 10 photos of legs on a sun lounger. But 31 images were either blurred or blank. And the average photo collection also bizarrely contained five pictures of strangers and six of stray cats. Chris Clarkson, Managing Director of sunshine.co.uk said: 'I think it’s really important to take holiday photos, because having those memories to look back on and share with friends and family is great. 'Holiday selfies are clearly very popular, as are landscape shots of beaches and scenery. 'People should just make sure that they don’t spend too much of their holiday stuck behind a camera lens, as it is better to actually be looking around and enjoying your surroundings! 'As for those photos of stray cats and strangers, perhaps those holidaymakers should point their cameras towards the sunset or their next cocktail instead!' Best foot forward: Many people couldn't resist sharing a shot of their tanned legs on a sun lounger . Press paws: The average photo collection also contained six images of stray cats .
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The average British holidaymaker takes 447 images while abroad .
Landscapes and resort shots proved the most popular, followed by selfies .
Camera lens was also trained on wildlife, pools and local landmarks .
Average collection contained five pictures of strangers and six of stray cats .
Just 216 images make it on to social media and majority never get printed .
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f72744e3ae2b7d50dd39462a59d4d0e8e3d5f4ee
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In her last moments before embarking on a 15-month prison sentence for bankruptcy fraud, Teresa Giudice savored a $1.95 hot egg sandwich in a diner near the penitentiary. The Real Housewives of New Jersey star spent her last free hour at Elmer's Diner in Danbury in the early hours of Monday morning, where she spent most of the time saying goodbye to friends and checking her cell phone, according to TMZ. At midnight, Giudice's attorney James J Leonard Jr picked her up at her lavish mansion to drive her to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut . Scoll down for video . Savoring the taste: Teresa Giudice enjoyed a $1.95 egg sandwich and coffee at a local diner before jail . Saying goodbye: Diners said Giudice spent most of her time in the diner saying goodbye to friends . A last look: She also enjoyed some precious time on her cell phone before going to her daughter's party . It was a quick pit stop for the Real Housewives star after arriving early to her daughter's party . On her final day of freedom she went to church service and then squeezed in an early 14th birthday celebration for her daughter Gia. For Gia's party - two days before her actual birthday - they had 'cake and a celebration,' sources told Us Weekly. Teresa then made the lonely trip, leaving her husband Giuseppe 'Joe' Giudice at home with their four daughters. He will care for them until Teresa's release and then he will begin his own 41-month sentence for similar charges. Mr Leonard said the 41-year-old reality star was not tearful and instead was 'very upbeat and very positive - she was anxious to get it started.' Teresa Giudice hid in the back seat of an SUV as she left $4million Towaco mansion in the middle of the night to surrender at a federal prison and begin her 15-month prison sentence for bankruptcy fraud . The Real Housewives of New Jersey star was picked by her lawyer just after midnight and driven to the prison. Pictured: James Leonard, attorney for Teresa Giudice drives with an unidentified man in the passenger seat . Behind bars: Teresa Giudice reported to a Connecticut prison in the middle of the night on Monday to begin serving her 16-month prison sentence for fraud. Pictured: Teresa puts on a brave face as she attends mass on Sunday with her family . Explaining her decision to surrender early rather than at the usual time of 7am, he said: 'She wanted to spare her family and not have a spectacle.' The Atlantic City-based attorney told MailOnline her early arrival was pre-planned and the staff at the prison were all very 'polite and cordial.' He said Teresa took in $200 and a folder of legal documents. 'I gave her rosary beads and a necklace of Saint Christopher and Saint Teresa,' he added. Mr Leonard said the last thing his client said to him was, 'Tell everybody I'll be fine.' He explained a first visit for immediate family is this weekend and Joe will be allowed to visit. Hours after his wife left the family home, husband Joe was seen driving out to take their daughters to school . Joe drives out the family home on Monday morning - the girls bid farewell to their mother on Sunday night . The girls said goodbye to their mother on Sunday hours before she reported to the prison to begin her sentence . Joe - born Giuseppe - will be allowed to remain with the children until Teresa is released at which point he'll begin his 41-month sentence . The $4million home that Teresa is leaving behind to serve her sentence in Connecticut . A BOP spokesman confirmed that she surrendered early this Monday. On Monday morning Joe was pictured driving out of the family home in New Jersey to take their daughters to school. The photos caused a buzz on social media as in October Joe pleaded guilty in state court to unlawful use of identification in a case involving a bogus driver's license. His 18-month sentence will run concurrent with his federal sentence. MailOnline has contacted his lawyer for a response. On Monday morning his mother was also seen driving out the home a few hours later. On Sunday Teresa attended mass with her family at the Sacred Hearth Church in New Jersey. The reality star smiled at her four bundled-up daughters - Gia, 13; Gabriella, 10; Milania, 8; and Audriana, 5. Teresa is now serving time in the same Connecticut penitentiary where Piper Herman set her memoir Orange Is the New Black and Lauryn Hill did three months for tax evasion in 2013. People reports that the raven-haired socialite's first moments will involve a strip search and a 'squat and cough' to see if she is hiding anything. The former Celebrity Apprentice contestant will have to pay for up to 300 minutes a month of precious evening phone time. On Saturday Teresa Giudice was seen leaving a post office near her home Towaco, New Jersey with one of her young daughters . High-maintenance Teresa went into the prison with $200 - here is a list of the items that she can buy on the Commissary List which may make her feel a bit more at home, including hair dye, three-minute miracle hair care, pink hair rollers and Dove soap bars . Food that is available to buy from the Commissary List at the prison includes: Hummus, Albacore tuna, Honey Roasted Peanuts, Deli meat, Party Mix and Vanilla Chai Tea . According to TMZ, she will have to curb her extravagant spending habits due to the $320/month max allowance for the FCI Danbury store. High-maintenance Teresa went into the prison with just $200, but items available on the Commissary List which may make her feel a bit more at home, include hair dye, three-minute miracle hair care, pink hair rollers and Dove soap bars. The food on sale includes hummus, honey roasted peanuts, party mix and vanilla chai tea. Teresa told Bravo co-star Dina Manzo during a bizarre resolutions-themed Haute Hostess video for Glam.com that she plans to cut back on carbohydrates as her New Year's resolution. But according to Radar Online, her resolution may be tricky to uphold on a prison diet. Breakfast is a fresh orange, hot oatmeal, three slices of bread, a margarine pat, two packages of jelly and two cups of skim milk. When lunch is served Teresa will be tucking into beans and franks, potatoes, two mustard packets, three slices of bread, two margarine pats, a fresh apple and a drink. And dinner will be a fish filet, tomato sauce, white rice, lima beans, two tartar sauce packets, three slices of bread, two margarine packets, a fresh apple, and again another drink. Meanwhile Teresa will only be allowed 12 visits per month with her family, and she'll likely have to work in the prison factory. Wake-up is at 6am and Giudice will report to her prison-assigned job from 8am-3pm. On Saturday, her teenage daughter tweeted 'can't sleep, to much stuff on my mind,' along with a nervous face and gun emojis. On New Year's Day, Gia shared a snap with her mother captioned: 'Happy New Years with my best friend!! @Teresa_Giudice.' Teresa Giudice told Dina Manzo that she wants to give up bad carbs in 2015 . Teresa told Bravo co-star Dina Manzo during a bizarre resolutions-themed Haute Hostess video for Glam.com that she plans to cut back on carbohydrates as her New Year's resolution. But according to Radar Online, her resolution may be tricky to uphold on a prison diet. Breakfast is a fresh orange, hot oatmeal, three slices of bread, a margarine pat, two packages of jelly and two cups of skim milk. When lunch is served Teresa will be tucking into beans and franks, potatoes, two mustard packets, three slices of bread, two margarine pats, a fresh apple and a drink. And dinner will be a fish filet, tomato sauce, white rice, lima beans, two tartar sauce packets, three slices of bread, two margarine packets, a fresh apple, and again another drink. Giudice's last public event was watching her eldest perform with her girl-group 3KT at Iplay America in Freehold. The New York Times best-selling author has been spending her final days before surrender with her princesses - at a hockey game and a ski trip to Crystal Springs Resort. 'My family is probably one of the strongest families I know,' her daughter Gia - who's shopping around a reality show - told Access Hollywood in November. 'So we'll get through this. It's gonna be fine. And when it's over, we're gonna be better than ever.' The Real Housewives of New Jersey star has told daughters Gia and Gabriella about the family's legal woes, but she's reportedly keeping her incarceration a secret from her youngest girls. 'She told [Milania and Audriana] she is going to jail to work on a book about jail,' a source told Radar Online. 'Teresa and Joe feel that they are too young to fully comprehend what is going on.' They pleaded guilty last year to hiding assets from bankruptcy creditors and submitting phony loan applications to get some $5 million in mortgages and construction loans. Joe also pleaded guilty to failing to pay taxes totaling more than $200,000. At the Giudices' sentencing in October, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas criticized the couple for not disclosing all their assets as required under their plea agreement, calling it 'the same pattern of obstruction, concealment and manipulation as they showed in the bankruptcy case.' Still, Salas sentenced Teresa to a sentence below the range sought by the U.S. attorney's office and staggered her sentence with her husband's so they wouldn't be in prison at the same time and unable to care for their four daughters. Joe is not an American citizen, and he faces an immigration hearing when he completes his sentence and is expected to be deported. His attorney has said Giudice came to the U.S. as an infant and did not know he was not an American citizen until he was an adult. Last month, Teresa Giudice sued former attorney James Kridel, whose firm handled the couple's bankruptcy case, alleging legal malpractice and negligence. Reached by phone last week, Kridel called the lawsuit 'ridiculous' and denied the claims. 'We did what we were supposed to do,' he said. 'We can only rely on the facts that were provided to us. I don't wish her any ill will, but I would have preferred a 'thank you' rather than a lawsuit.'
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Real Housewives of New Jersey star was convicted of bankruptcy fraud .
Had last meal of a $1.95 egg sandwich at a local diner before entering .
Picked up by her lawyer just after midnight in an SUV from $4million home .
Husband Joe did not accompany her - stayed at home with their children .
Reported to a federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, at about 3 am .
Joe is taking care of their four daughters until he begins his own sentence which will start once his wife comes out of prison .
Teresa spent last free day attending church with her family in New Jersey .
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f727c9aaf9c693876d21bd7260b5085a0b3251d9
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By . Wills Robinson . A park ranger known for his dancing has been fired after a video emerged of him performing an 'R-rated' version of the Macarena. Deryl Nelson from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was captured holding his crouch during the routine, causing parents to cover their childrens' eyes. The 51-year-old had worked at Coolidge Park in North Shore for seven years and was known for being the 'dancing ranger', but city officials accused him of neglecting his duties and 'unbecoming conduct' after they noticed the video online. Scroll down for video . Routine: Deryl Nelson, 51, from Chattanooga, Tennessee, has been fired from his job as a park ranger after the 'R-rated' dance was caught on camera . Career: He has been working at Coolidge Park for seven years, but officials removed him from his post after accusing him of neglecting his duties and 'unbecoming conduct' A visitor to the park did not see the funny side of his antics, complained, and posted the video online . The mother who recorded the footage, Melissa Parsons, told WTVC: 'As a parent and seeing all the parents that were covering their kids’ eyes and turning their heads away, it wasn't something that you would expect to see in Coolidge Park or anywhere from a grown man, especially a man in uniform.' His records show that he was disciplined for making an 'unwelcome comment' to an employee and hitting a car, but has never been flagged up for dancing. 'It's all about enjoying what you do and that's the way I feel,' he said. 'Clean fun. It's nothing like doing any bumping and grinding. People just have nothing else to do but bash people. No twerks, no jerking, no nothing.' He added that he dances in front of people to bring a smile to their face. Deeanna Demian, a park patron, said: 'Sad. I mean somebody's trying to have fun and entertain people and they get fired for doing that. I don't understand.' An online petition set up in a bid to reinstate the park ranger has already reached 1,000 signatures. Officials, who saw the video when it was posted online, said they do not comment on 'personal matters'. Shocked: Melissa Parsons, a mother who recorded the footage, said she had to cover her childrens' eyes .
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Deryl Nelson, 51, was captured at Coolidge Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee .
A visitor failed to see the funny side of his antics, and complained .
Officials accused him of neglecting his duties and 'unbecoming conduct'
He defended actions, saying: 'It's nothing like doing any bumping and grinding'
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By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 05:01 EST, 25 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:17 EST, 25 September 2013 . A father of the bride suffered a fatal heart attack as he gave his speech at the reception. Alan Bates, 65, had just begun his toast to daughter Charlotte when he collapsed. The horrified bride, 36, was ushered out of the room by a friend as attempts were made to revive her father by guests, who included a first-aider and off-duty fireman. Joyous occasion: Alan Bates had walked his daughter Charlotte down the aisle to marry her husband Steve Galbraith that very same day . The groom, Steve Galbraith, 42, and his new wife followed paramedics as they took Mr Bates to hospital. But he never regained consciousness and the couple spent their wedding night in mourning. ‘He . just stopped talking,’ said Mrs Galbraith. ‘He fell to the floor and . there was screaming and panicking. I got rushed out of the room by one . of my best friends and was sitting in the foyer. I didn’t know what was . going on. I was just in stunned silence really. ‘Everything was fine during the ceremony and the photos. ‘We had drinks and canapes then we went in to sit down.’ Proud: Mrs Galbraith is glad her father, pictured left, was there to walk her down the aisle to marry Steve, pictured right with Mrs Galbraith . In . contrast to the traditional wedding service running order, speeches . were to be made before the meal at the Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley, West . Yorkshire because Mr Bates, the first to speak, was particularly . nervous. Photographer Howard Barnett said: ‘The father had only just stood up and told his first joke when he collapsed. ‘It just happened instantly – one minute he was standing, the next minute he fell. ‘Most of the guests thought him falling to the floor was part of the joke, so they were all laughing along. ‘You . could see in the bride’s face ... she went from broadly laughing to the . complete opposite, shock and horror. It went from her happiest day to . her saddest day. It is such a tragedy.’ Together: Family and friends including Mrs Galbraith's brother Matthew (left) and her mother Linda (second left) were celebrating the wedding in Ilkley, West Yorkshire . Beloved father: Mrs Galbraith said she was proud her daughter saw her on her big day and has raised funds in his memory . The couple, who run an IT firm together, live in Leeds with their two-year-old daughter Annabelle. Mrs . Galbraith is now four months pregnant with her second child. Of her . wedding day, last October, she said: ‘It was just devastating. ‘Obviously . it would have been lovely to have had an evening do, but at the end of . the day, the most important thing was my dad walked me down the aisle . and saw us get married, and that we are married.’ Following the tragedy, the Galbraiths’ wedding guests joined together to raise money in Mr Bates’s memory. A . group including the newlyweds, best man and bridesmaids raised £1,800 . through a fun run, and the money was used to buy a defibrillator for the . hotel. The Galbraiths do not believe the equipment would have saved Mr Bates – but hope it could help others in the future.
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Alan Bates, 65, collapsed as he stood to give his speech before dinner .
Bride, new husband and daughter leave Yorkshire hotel to attend hospital .
Charlotte Galbraith, 36, is proud her father walked her down the aisle .
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The man wanted by the United States for leaking details of National Security Agency intelligence gathering says journalists have been misled into printing false claims about his legal situation, The Huffington Post reported Thursday. In an e-mailed statement to the news organization, Edward Snowden distanced himself from his father, Lon Snowden; his father's attorney, Bruce Fein; and Fein's associates, saying "they do not possess any special knowledge regarding my situation." "None of them have been or are involved in my current situation, and this will not change in the future," the statement said. Snowden's father: 'I know my son' "I ask journalists to understand that they do not possess any special knowledge regarding my situation or future plans, and not to exploit the tragic vacuum of my father's emotional compromise for the sake of tabloid news." The statement was released the same day The Wall Street Journal reported that Lon Snowden's legal team does not trust his son's closest advisers: WikiLeaks and Guardian reporter Glenn Greenwald. "I would like to correct the record: I've been fortunate to have legal advice from an international team of some of the finest lawyers in the world, and to work with journalists whose integrity and courage are beyond question," Snowden said in the statement. Snowden stepped forward publicly in June to claim responsibility for leaking to the media, including The Guardian, that the NSA had secretly collected and stored millions of phone records from accounts in the United States. The agency also collected information from U.S. companies on the Internet activity of overseas residents, he said. Snowden, a former NSA contractor, fled first to Hong Kong and then to Russia, where he was granted temporary asylum despite pressure from the Obama administration to return him to the United States to face charges. He has been charged with three felony counts, including violations of the U.S. Espionage Act, for the leaks. The Huffington Post reported that the American Civil Liberties Union confirmed that the e-mailed statement was from Snowden. The ACLU has lauded Snowden's actions as a "service" to the country, and it reportedly is helping coordinate the former intelligence contractor's defense in the United States.
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Edward Snowden emailed a statement to The Huffington Post .
In it, he says his father's legal team does "not possess special knowledge regarding my situation"
"None of them have been or are involved in my current situation," the statement says .
Snowden's statement followed a news report about a rift .
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By . Richard Spillett . A three-bedroom bungalow on a Thames island once awarded to Admiral Nelson is going up for sale for £700,000. The small isle is known as 'Pharaoh's Island' after it was given to the famous naval commander to celebrate his victory in the Battle of Nile . The bungalow, named Pyramid after the battle's Egyptian setting, has a riverside lounge, luxury kitchen, two bathrooms and within the grounds are two summer houses. The three-bedroom bungalow, called Pyramid, on Pharaoh's Island near Shepperton Lock, Surrey, is up for sale for £700,000 . The property has a garden overlooking the river, where Admiral Nelson - who was given the island to honour his victories - used to fish . The only problem for a potential owner however is that the house is only accessible by boat. Many residents of the island have their own private boats but there are also communal rowing boats to get to shore. The bungalow features a stunning river garden on the water’s edge, where Nelson used to fish, but which has now modernized with a raised Jacuzzi hot tub. Pharaoh’s Island is on the Thames just upstream from Shepperton Lock, Surrey and the bungalow, named Pyramid, is one of 24 houses on the island. The isle was one of many honours Admiral Nelson received after winning the Battle of the Nile in 1798 - and each house has an Egyptian name. After reaching the island by a short boat trip, there is a central pathway leading through the wildlife haven to a large green used for various events in the island's social calendar. Admiral Nelson, pictured in the painting by Lemuel Francis Abbott, was given the island after his victory in the Battle of the Nile, and he used to fish in Thames . As well as being private because of its boat-only access, the house boasts a 31-foot riverside lounge, seperate guest accomodation, Jacuzzi hot-tub and a 61-foot deep water mooring . Estate agents say the property offers great views of the Thames, and the area where Nelson used to fish has now been modernised with a hot-tub . The house - named Pyramid - is one of 24 on the island, which all have names linked to Egypt in honour of Nelson's battle . Estate agent Robert King, who also lives on the island, said: 'It's a unique property and really a way of life for any prospective buyer. 'The island community is very close, it's not just a wave as you go past, it's "how are you? Can we help you?" 'Lots of residents on the island have their own boats, but there are also ferry boats which you can row across yourself. 'It's also very handy for day trips out of the Thames in both directions and obviously we have had a lot of interest because of the history of the island.' The Battle of the Nile was fought between the British and French navies at Aboukir Bay off the coast of the Egypt in August 1798. The British fleet, commanded by Nelson, had been pursuing the French fleet, under Admiral Paul D'Brueys, across the Mediterranean as French general Napolean Bonaparte sought to invade Egypt to constrict British trade routes to India. The fighting was ferocious and Nelson himself was hit in the forehead, but with a fleet of just fourteen ships, he managed to capture six French vessels and destroyed another seven out of a total of seventeen. The British suffered 218 killed and 677 wounded but French losses were far worse, with an estimated 5225 men killed, wounded and captured. The victory meant Napoleon's army in Egypt was cut off and forced to surrender by a British force in 1801. The battle has since been immortalised in a number of famous paintings, including the 1825 masterpiece by Mather Brown, pictured.
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The exclusive property is on an island once given to Nelson to honour his victory in the Battle of the Nile in 1978 .
All 24 homes on the isle - called 'Pharaoh's Island' - are given names linked to Egypt in memory of the battle .
The bungalow, which is only accessible by water, comes with riverside terrace, boat mooring and two summer houses .
Estate Agents say the community is close-knit and living in the middle of the Thames offers owners a 'new way-of-life'
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By . Sam Webb . PUBLISHED: . 07:08 EST, 5 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:10 EST, 5 March 2013 . A U.S. emigre, Daniel Pomerantz, on Tuesday launched the first Hebrew language edition of the popular men's magazine. Playboy has been widely available in Israel for years, but this marks the first local edition of the magazine. It features Israeli models and articles by Israeli writers. It's not clear how well the magazine will be received in the Holy Land, where religious sensitivities simmer under the surface and observant Jews and Muslims live by strict modesty rules. Scroll down for video . A Hebrew edition of adult magazine has been launched in religiously-conservative Israel and will feature local models . Adult magazines and videos are freely available, but not with local models and not in Hebrew. Playboy was launched in 1953 with the iconic Marilyn Monroe centerfold. It peaked in popularity in the 1970's. Circulation has declined since the rise of adult Internet sites. It is not the first time the magazine has faced anger from the religious community. In August Playboy featured the first Indian woman to pose naked for the magazine, incurring anger from the country's moral guardians. A model dressed as a Playboy bunny poses during today's launch of the first Hebrew language edition of the popular men's magazine in Tel Aviv, Israel . Small-time Bollywood actress Sherlyn Chopra, 28, says she is proud to have pushed the envelope in a country where public nudity in any form remains largely a taboo. Playboy, along with a host of other foreign adult magazines, is banned in the country. 'I had no apprehensions and have no regrets; just feelings of pure liberation and sheer excitement,' she said of the Playboy shoot in Los Angeles. Actress Sherlyn Chopra appeared nude in Playboy's November 2012 issue, the first Indian to do so .
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Deeply conservative nation gets its own edition of racy magazine .
Faces objections from Jewish and Muslim religious leaders .
It will feature local models and articles from the region's writers .
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(CNN) -- Noted for his versatility and breadth of achievement, American opera singer Thomas Hampson is one of the most respected baritones performing in the world today. The 56-year-old, who hails from Spokane, in Washington, boasts a discography of more than 150 albums, winning him multiple Grammy Awards, two Edison Prizes and the coveted Grand Prix de Disque -- the highest award for musical recordings in France. The grandeur of opera houses, tail coats and melodramatic librettos is a far cry from the thatched huts and sweltering sun of Durban's traditional Zulu townships. But this is where Hampson chose to land for his Fusion Journey. He was there to seek out famed South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, whose mix of low rumbling harmonies and ululating riffs gained worldwide appreciation when the group appeared on Paul Simon's seminal Graceland album in 1986. During a 10-day visit, the all-American opera singer was challenged to produce a fusion of sound that blended the diametrically contrasting traditions of Western classical music with Mambazo's distinctive take on ancient Zulu melodies. In his own words, this is the story of Hampson's journey. Thomas Hampson: I come from a very different musical tradition to the members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, but I believe that anyone who stands next to another person and sings is somehow a brother, somehow a sister -- and rarely have I felt this more acutely than on my journey to Durban. It was my first time there and what I saw of the city was beautiful. After landing I was struck by the deeply brushed low-lying hills and surrounding tundra, and the bustling atmosphere of the huge port. We traveled to the Clermont township, to the former home of Joseph Shabalala (leader of the group). His old township is on the outskirts of Durban and while, of course, there are many signs of modernization -- like new homes and roads -- the area still carries a distinctive sense of its Zulu roots. The people made a strong impression on me. They are physically very attractive and all seemed to have a wonderful sense of humor and warmth. It was in this spirit that Joseph and the band welcomed me with open arms and a song -- I couldn't have wished for a better introduction! See also: Royal Ballet star takes inspiration from Chinese dance . Mambazo showed me the room where the group gathered to rehearse as young men, and the stage on which they first stood to compete in local singing competitions. We went on to see a traditional Zulu wedding ceremony and I saw the modest village dwellings -- the circular huts -- the likes of which most members of the group would have called home as children. I'm glad we had this experience before we started making music together. I spend so much of my time in life understanding other people's ideas, getting into their language, their music ... their DNA. This is not something you can just imitate. It seemed to me that in the Zulu Nation, music is part of everyday communication. Their speech has a percussive rhythm, the intonation of the words creates a melody. See more: Fusion Journeys . We eventually began rehearsing in the garage of Joseph's current home. We all got in a half circle and sang to each other for a couple of hours. Just that simple: I sang their stuff, they sung mine and we'd say "how did that go again?" One of the most interesting parts of this process for me was seeing how all the members of the group would work off each other -- responding and reshaping each other's words as they sang, instantaneously mixing tone and intonation to create new sounds. Of course, as an opera singer I've now sung in 11 or 12 languages, but how many people get to say that they've sung in Zulu? A few hours together and a beautiful melody is starting to take shape. We decided to document this wonderful experience and collaboration against the stunning backdrop of Durban's Valley of a Thousand Hills -- where our final performance took place. We began with a Zulu piece -- and perhaps Mambazo's most iconic hit song -- "Homeless." The song is about the violence and displacement of South African Apartheid. What I find enchanting about it, and other Mambazo pieces that speak of pain and suffering, is that it still sounds so full of hope. I can tell you all the members of Mambazo have suffered incomprehensible loss in their lives, and yet none of their music ever feels angry or spiteful, it is always rich with love. I found that very inspiring. For my song, I selected an old American parlor piece called "Hard Times Come Again No More." It was enthralling to perform such a melancholy number with Mambazo's deep soulfulness added to it. How would I describe my journey looking back? I just put on their clothes for a period of time, but I won't even pretend that I can now walk in their shoes, make music the way they make music, sing how they sing. It is tempting to contrast the formal, intellectual way that much Western classical music expresses emotion with the mystical, organic way that we hear with Mambazo. But this, I think, is an over-easy simplification. We're musicians, we have different wells but we all draw from the same river. Would I go back? In a heartbeat.
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American baritone Thomas Hampson travels to Durban to create musical fusion .
During journey Hampson teams up with South African singers Ladysmith Black Mambazo .
The classically-trained opera singer delves deep into Zulu heritage to find inspiration .
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(CNN) -- Australian authorities on Monday pleaded with hundreds of people who had chosen to remain in a town in the path of rising flood waters to vacate their homes. The level of the Balonne River in the town of St. George, in the eastern state of Queensland, swelled to 13.63 meters at lunchtime on Monday, breaking its previous record, and was expected to crest overnight above 14 meters. "We can't and won't physically drag people out of their homes," Bob Atkinson, the Queensland police commissioner, said. "But we repeat the request for people to leave their homes." Queensland has been deluged with heavy rains over the past week even as some parts of the region are still struggling to recover from devastating floods that took place about a year ago. Thirty houses in St. George have already been inundated, according to Neil Roberts, the Queensland police and emergency services minister. "We do expect this to rise as the waters head towards their peak," he said. The majority of St. George's roughly 3,000 residents have left the danger area, by both bus and aircraft, Roberts said. The authorities had already been using military helicopters and a C-130 cargo plane to airlift thousands of stranded Queensland residents to safety. Hundreds of people were taking shelter in evacuation centers Monday. Rescue workers on Sunday recovered the body of a woman who died trying to drive her pickup through flood waters, the authorities said. Jane Sheahan was swept away Friday in the town of Roma. Witnesses told CNN affiliate Nine Network that Sheahan managed to hand off her 7-year-old son, Darcy, to a would-be rescuer before she was swept away. The floods have already damaged hundreds of homes in Roma and another town, Mitchell, according to Roberts. In the neighboring state of New South Wales, thousands of people remained isolated Sunday despite reports of receding floodwaters in some areas.
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The Balonne River in the town of St. George reaches record level and is expected to rise further .
The authorities urge hundreds of residents still in the town to leave their homes .
Thirty houses have already been submerged in St. George .
The authorities have been airlifting thousands of residents to safety across Queensland .
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By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 04:44 EST, 17 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:08 EST, 17 October 2013 . A controversial Muslim free school is set to be placed in special measures after a damning official report condemned it as 'dysfunctional' and says that it is 'in chaos'. Al-Madinah, a free school in Derby, has repeatedly been featured in the Press for allegedly forcing women teachers to cover their hair and making boys and girls sit separately in class. Ofsted inspectors launched an urgent investigation into the school, and listed a number of serious criticisms in their official report, which was published this morning. David Cameron said he would be prepared to shut down the school if it does not improve quickly. A minister told MPs today that the school would not be allowed to 'languish in failure' and insisted the Government had taken 'swift action' to deal with the problem. Damning: Al-Madinah free school in Derby has been heavily criticised in an official Ofsted inspection report . The report found that teachers were inexperienced, with many having never taught before, and were overly generous in assessing pupils' work. It also wrote that boys and girls ate lunch in separate shifts, while older pupils were segregated by sex in the classroom. 'This school is dysfunctional,' the report stated. 'The basic systems and processes a school needs to operate well are not in place. The school is in chaos and reliant on the goodwill of an interim principal to prevent it totally collapsing.' It continued: 'This is a school which has been set up and run by representatives of the community with limited knowledge and experience. 'Leadership and management, including governance, are inadequate and have been unable to improve the school.' Rules: A member of staff from the school, where female teachers were told to wear headscarves . Inspectors added: 'Staff have been . appointed to key roles for which they do not have qualifications and . experience. For example, most of the primary school teachers have not . taught before and the head of the primary school is experienced in . teaching secondary-aged pupils only.' Sir . Michael Wilshaw, the chief inspector of schools, called for Al-Madinah to be placed in special measures in the report, which . rates the school as 'inadequate' in every category. Al-Madinah . opened in September 2012 as one of the free schools which are the . cornerstone of the Coalition Government's education policy, and has 412 pupils aged between four and 16. It . boasts of having 'a strong Muslim ethos', with long school days and . shorter holiday, which 'maximise opportunities for pupil achievement and . success'. The Ofsted inspection was brought forward . following reports that religious hardliners had taken control of the . school and imposed Islamic rules on all staff and pupils, including . non-Muslims. After the first day of the inspection, officials found so many worrying problems that they asked management to close down the school entirely while the investigation continued. According to the report, pupils in the secondary school 'are generally given the same work regardless of their ability', meaning that the most able students are not sufficiently stretched. Inspectors wrote that one hour-long maths lesson consisted almost entirely of pupils cutting out and pasting different shapes, while they said that the only subject which taught crucial literacy skills was Islamic Studies. The school's problem's mean that 'attendance is low and declining', the report said, leading to problems with 'behaviour and safety'. Acting headteacher Stuart Wilson accepted that the school has 'significant and serious problems' and that some lessons are not challenging pupils enough. 'Obviously the report doesn't make pleasant reading for anybody,' he told the BBC. 'We don't want to be in this position - we wish we weren't in this position - but what we need to do now is to accept the report in full and use it to move the school forward.' He said today: 'Any school that faces special measures, as we clearly now do, has got its fair share of problems. I accept we have a whole range of problems. 'Some of those are things we can fix in the short term quite quickly. Some of them are longer-term in terms of the longer-term progress for students, teaching and learning etc.' Criticism: The report of the Ofsted inspection rated Al-Madinah as 'inadequate' on every criterion . When asked how parents have reacted . to the news, Dr Wilson said: 'In many ways the parents are aware more of . the reality of the school than the Press are. 'They . didn't have the concerns about the segregation. You'll notice in the . report that Ofsted said that there were no concerns about that. 'They . didn't have any concerns about the hijab. What they're seeing is the . school is on a journey. I think we're in a position now where we're not . where we want to be in terms of practicalities for the building. 'In . terms of having the right number of staff in place in key roles, that's . what we need to do now. We need key staff in key roles to allow the . school to move forward as quickly as possible.' Asked . whether he was concerned the school could face closure, he said: 'There . will need to be a school here for 412 children as of the end of last . month. 'There are . people on a daily basis who are doing a very difficult job very well. It's not something they signed up to when they came to the school to be a . member of staff here. 'We will do what's possible in the timescales that we're given. It's business as usual for our children.' 'Swift action': Schools minister David Laws told the House of Commons that the school's problems would be quickly tackled by the Government . The Prime Minister told the Derby Telegraph: 'I am not afraid to shut the school, of course. 'We are taking rapid corrective action towards the school. We are taking a tougher approach and schools will be shut.' He added: 'I am very disappointed all round by the Ofsted report and what is happening at the school, which is why we are acting swiftly.' Answering an urgent question in the . Commons today, schools minister David Laws said: 'After a steady start . by the school, we became aware of potential breaches of the conditions . in its funding agreement late this summer, and at the end of July we . began a wide-ranging investigation in to the financial management and . governance of the school. 'We . investigated whether the school was delivering on its requirement to be . inclusive and we investigated some allegations about the imposition of a . dress requirement on some members of staff. 'Our . investigations did indeed find significant and numerous breaches of the . conditions in its funding agreement and our concerns were such that we . requested Ofsted to bring forward its planned inspection.' Closed: The school was temporarily shut down during the urgent Ofsted investigation . He . added: 'The Ofsted report is published this morning. It has found the . school is dysfunctional and is inadequate across every category of . inspection . 'We will not let any school, whether a free school, an academy school or a local authority school, languish in failure. 'The . Ofsted report confirms we are taking the right actions. We are not . prepared to let a school fail its parents, its children and its . community. We said we would take swift action in these cases and that is . exactly what we are doing.' Shadow education secretary Tristram . Hunt said Michael Gove's free schools agenda was 'out of control', . adding that the policy had been dealt a 'devastating blow' by the . revelations in Derby. 'The . Education Secretary has sacrificed learning for ideology,' he told MPs. 'It is not just Al-Madinah school which is dysfunctional, it is the . Education Secretary's free schools policy.' As . the report was published, the Department for Education released a . letter sent to chairman of governors Shazia Parveen by schools minister . Lord Nash, in which he says that Ofsted's report confirms the 'very . serious concerns' he raised in a previous letter to the school. 'The report is further compelling evidence of the breaches of the funding agreement I have required you to address,' he writes. 'Contrary . to your suggestion that I have acted prematurely, I am even more . convinced of the need for very decisive and urgent action on the part of . the Trust to comply with all your obligations and remedy the serious . failings at the school.' Clash: Al-Madinah is one of the free schools championed by Education Secretary Michael Gove, left; his Labour opposite number Tristram Hunt, right, says that it shows the policy has failed . The local MP, Chris Williamson, has called for the school to be closed down completely following the litany of complaints. 'Frankly, . the position of Al-Madinah school is now untenable and I would fully . expect the school to close and for the children to be found alternative . places in the council schools in the city,' he told the BBC. Mr Hunt told the Guardian that the school's problems show that the Coalition's education reforms have failed. 'What . this report exposes is that David Cameron and Michael Gove's free . school programme has become a dangerous free-for-all - an out of control . ideological experiment that has closed a school, leaving 400 children . losing an entire week of learning,' he said. 'Pupils . have been failed on every possible measure and parents will want to . know how David Cameron and Michael Gove have allowed this to happen - . especially as Ofsted identified that this school was not meeting the . basic requirements on child protection before it was opened. 'Far . from an isolated incident, the failings at this school reveal the . systemic threat to education standards under this Government. David . Cameron and Michael Gove can no longer ignore this issue - it is a . crisis entirely of their own making.' A Department for Education spokesman said: 'We were already investigating this school before allegations became public. We discussed the problems with Ofsted and it launched an immediate inspection. 'We have received a response from the Al-Madinah Education Trust as well as a report on the school from Ofsted. Any decisions made will take into account all the available evidence.' Derby City Council said it acknowledged the findings of the Ofsted report. A statement said: 'Educational attainment for all children and young people in Derby is as always our priority. The council is keen to work with other agencies as partners to address the key issues outlined in the Ofsted report.'
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Al-Madinah school in Derby was closed for Ofsted inspection after reports that bosses segregated students and made staff cover their heads .
Inspectors' report denounces Islamic school as 'dysfunctional'
Damning verdict calls for Al-Madinah to be placed in special measures .
Minister insists Government has taken 'swift action' to address problems .
Cameron threatens to shut the school down if it does not improve .
Labour says the scandal shows failure of Coalition's free schools policy .
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(CNN) -- Michael Brown, Eric Garner and John Crawford all have one thing in common: It's not just that they were unarmed men of color killed by police officers -- it's that the responsibility to investigate each of their deaths fell to a medical examiner. We medical examiners investigate all homicides and violent deaths, and it is also part of our legal duty to investigate any death of a person under the control of, or in the custody of, a law enforcement agent. I have worked as a medical examiner for 13 years in four large cities in the United States. Medical examiner offices are independent public agencies, and one of our responsibilities is to act as quality control over law enforcement agencies. The medical examiner is the final arbiter of whether a death was the direct result of an arrest, or, instead, the result of natural disease or an incidental event. Medical examiner reports in most states are public records. We all deserve and should expect transparency in death investigation. The family of the deceased, the news media and anyone who asks for it can get a copy of the medical examiner's or coroner's autopsy report on any case that is not sealed as part of an active investigation. Medical examiners are physicians, specialists in forensic pathology. We are professionally protective of our independence. We know that it is our duty and responsibility, as the doctors who perform the autopsy, to speak for the dead. Unfortunately, in the wake of the death of a civilian at the hand of police officers, the public is often suspicious of the medical examiner. Because the law requires a local government agency to perform the death investigation, people often assume that this agency falls under the jurisdiction or influence of the police. News reports critical of the amount of time the dead body was left at the scene, or the amount of time it takes to get a final autopsy report, exacerbate this distrust. In St. Louis County, Missouri, where Michael Brown was autopsied, Dr. Mary Case, the chief medical examiner, is a board-certified forensic pathologist. She has years of experience and reports to the Health Department, not the police. Brown's official autopsy report was expedited and finalized on Monday. It was made available to the prosecuting attorney, who is now in charge of any release of information. Why does a death scene investigation take so long? An outdoor death scene is a messy and complicated place. As soon as the person has been declared dead, the area has to be frozen in time to ensure that we, the public, can later learn what really happened there. Crime scene photographers and trained evidence collection analysts have to "process the scene," an hourslong procedure when done properly. The body, the position of any vehicles, the lighting, the height of adjacent structures --everything needs to be photographed from multiple angles. In a shooting, crime scene investigators will have to measure and document the number and location of the casings, bullets and strike marks. If the evidence and its undisturbed location are not documented in this painstaking way, then criminal or civil complaints against the officer may not stand up in court. But what about the autopsy report? Why does that take so long? That's because a competent job in the morgue, too, takes time. The work I do as a doctor in the autopsy suite after a typical gunshot wound homicide case may take three or four hours to complete, but after I leave the morgue, the report is not done. I have to wait for the report from the toxicology lab, which usually takes a minimum of two weeks, and for histology slides to come back before I can examine them under a microscope. Any of these findings could impact the cause of death. Even gunshot wounds cannot be interpreted in a vacuum. As part of an investigation I have to try to figure out which defects in the body come from bullets entering, and which from their exit. Usually these wounds are distinctly different in appearance, but the more complex the body position of the deceased, the more complicated things get. Exit wounds in flesh pressed against the ground or against tight clothing can appear just like entrance wounds. An entrance wound inflicted through an intermediary target that deformed the bullet can look just like an exit wound. Sometimes I have to wait for the police reports or witness transcripts in to correctly interpret what I see on the body in the autopsy suite. After the shooting in Ferguson, Michael Brown's family hired Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York State Police medical examiner, to conduct a second autopsy, and the federal Department of Justice instructed the Armed Forces Medical Examiner to conduct a third. What you can tell from a second or third autopsy is limited by autopsy artifact -- changes to the evidence caused by the performance of the first autopsy. In the course of the first, legally mandated autopsy, the forensic pathologist will have taken the organs out and sliced them apart for examination. The gunshot wounds will have been probed, and sometimes even cut into. More importantly, any pathologist hired by the family, regardless of expertise, does not have access to the crime scene and other evidence. Even Baden, in the report he prepared for the Brown family, concluded that without the clothing, evidence or scene information, he had "too little information to forensically reconstruct the shooting." Why weren't the St. Louis medical examiner's autopsy findings made public immediately? Because releasing preliminary information when the investigation is still ongoing is premature and potentially inflammatory. Already the results of Baden's limited investigation are being used to support the contention that Brown was surrendering, and that the wounds were distant range, even though Baden himself said neither. To a forensic pathologist, the body diagram Brown's attorneys released tells a different story. The wound at the top of the head, the frontal wounds and angled right hand and arm wounds suggest that the victim was facing the officer, leaning forward with his right arm possibly extended in line with the gun's barrel, and not above his head. The image of a person standing upright with his hands in the air when he was shot does not appear compatible with the wounds documented on that diagram. Whether a forward-leaning position is a posture of attack or of surrender, however, is a matter of perspective. From the perspective of a witness, it could appear that the leaning person is complying with the officer and getting down. From the perspective of the officer, he may appear to be coming at him. Partial evidence yields partial answers, and a rush to conclusions based on one isolated set of data from a second autopsy only raises more questions. That is why it is so important to be patient and wait for all the scene information to come to light. But "be patient and wait" is not a demand that anyone has the right to make on a family that has lost a loved one in a sudden and violent event. When I have been assigned to investigate an in-custody or officer-involved death, I will often call the family right away. It's important to me to reach out to them, to tell the people who are awaiting answers from me that I am qualified to do the job I am trained for; that I will hide nothing from them; that everything I do on their behalf will be part of the public record; and to give them some idea of how long the process might take. When the report is finished, I meet with family members or their attorneys to discuss the findings and explain the medical diagnoses I have come to. This solemn conference takes place behind the scenes, months after the incident, and is never reported in the news media -- but it is probably the most important part of my job. As a doctor and a civil servant, I take my public role seriously. I strive to with all my ability, training and effort to answer any questions that person's family may have. I know that others in my field strive with the same effort. It's why we went into our field of medicine. We are servants of the public -- not of the state, not of any single law firm, and not of the police. Magazine: The Aftermath in Ferguson .
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Judy Melinek: Medical examiners act as quality control over law enforcement agencies .
Melinek: Body diagram of Michael Brown suggests he was facing the officer, leaning forward .
She says as doctors who perform the autopsy, medical examiners speak for the dead .
Melinek: Public should trust medical examiners' report since they act independent .
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By . Eleanor Harding . PUBLISHED: . 13:41 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:33 EST, 14 October 2013 . A critically ill grandmother died after being plunged into the icy North Sea wearing just her night gown in a bungled cruise ship rescue operation. An inquest heard yesterday how Janet Richardson, 72, fell into the water as crew members tried to transfer her to a lifeboat on a stretcher. Passengers shrieked in horror as the pensioner suffered ‘near drowning’ as she fought to stay afloat for up to eight minutes without a life jacket. Janet Richardson, pictured with her husband George, had been airlifted to Cumberland Hospital in Carlisle after falling into the subzero waters off the coast of Norway . She was eventually pulled to safety using a long pole - but she died in hospital three weeks later, the hearing was told. Yesterday, a pathologist said her immersion in the 2C water was a ‘significant contributory factor’ in her death. Mrs Richardson had been on a cruise with her husband George, 80, to see the Northern Lights when she collapsed in her cabin with a gastro-intestinal haemorrhage in in March 2011. The liner, the Ocean Countess, was at the time just off the coast of Norway and the captain decided she needed hospital treatment immediately. Crew members strapped her to a stretcher with a blanket and tried to pass her to a team on a lifeboat which had pulled up beside the liner. But a witness told yesterday how the two boats were not tethered together even though they were travelling side-by-side at 10 knots. The boats began to move apart at the crucial moment - plunging the stretcher and Mrs Richardson into the sea. As terrified passengers looked on from the deck, one woman was so shocked that she fainted. Eye . witness Colin Prescott said: ‘The bow wave from the cruise ship . separated it from the rescue ship. As the stretcher got extended, the . crew on the rescue boat let go. ‘The ones on the cruise ship could not bring it back. The stretcher was forced out of their hands and slid into the sea. ‘I . saw the stretcher hit the side of the vessel. They tried to hold onto . it, but it slid down vertically like a hinge and the blanket came off. ‘Mrs . Richardson went one way and the stretcher went the other. She just . floated off. There was abject panic on the cruise ship - that is the . only way I can describe it. Voices were raised, almost shrieking. The grandmother was plunged into the sea as cruise workers tried to transfer her to a lifeboat on a stretcher, an inquest heard . It is thought the boats moved apart at a crucial moment while the pensioner was being moved. Mrs Richardson died three weeks after being airlifted to hospital . ‘Her arm went out as if she was trying to swim.’ Mrs Richardson was treated in Norway and underwent brain and heart scans before being airlifted back to the UK. Mr Richardson kept a vigil by her bedside in Cumberland Hospital in Carlisle hospital until her death on April 21. Mrs Richardson, of Ousby, near Penrith, suffered from cirrhosis of the liver, raised blood pressure and was an insulin-dependent diabetic. Prior to the cruise, she had been hospitalised with pneumonia and was due for further medical treatment on her return. The inquest heard that she was 18st and had a history of ill-health but that fighting for her life in freezing temperatures may have contributed to her death. Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour said: ‘She suffered near-drowning. Her head was underwater for between two and four minutes and in that time her body temperature reduced to 32C, as opposed to the normal temperature of 37C. ‘Although the eventual cause of death was from natural disease, this episode would have has a serious impact on her condition.’ Mr and Mrs Richardson, who had both been married before, had children from previous relationships and together have a total of eight grandchildren. The hearing continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Janet Richardson was being transferred to a lifeboat on a stretcher when she fell into the freezing water .
An inquest hear how the pensioner was left fighting to stay afloat for up to eight minutes .
Mrs Richardson was pulled to safety but died three weeks after being taken to hospital .
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(CNN) -- An agreement could be reached before week's end between Washington University students and an Illinois nightclub that allegedly barred six African-American students while admitting nearly 200 of their white classmates. Fernando Cutz, senior class president at the university in Missouri, said the aggrieved students have been in contact with lawyers representing Original Mother's, a bar in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood. The two sides expect a resolution to their dispute as early as Wednesday, Cutz said. He did not, however, say what the students were demanding or why he was optimistic that a deal could be struck. The students complained to state and federal agencies after six African-American members from their senior class trip celebration were denied admission to the club on October 17. Bar personnel cited dress code violations -- specifically baggy jeans -- in barring the African-American students, Cutz said. A white student and a black student then exchanged jeans to see what would happen. The white student was admitted, while his classmate still was kept outside, Cutz said. Calls from CNN to the nightclub were not immediately returned. The bar told the Chicago Tribune newspaper that it was investigating. The celebration at Original Mother's was to top off a two-day senior class trip to Chicago, Cutz said. The party had been arranged with the bar in advance by the student class board, which includes two of the African-American students who were later denied entry, Cutz said. He said he was already inside the bar with some 200 other students, none of whom are African-American, when the first group of African-American classmates arrived. Cutz said he quickly learned that the manager of the bar had denied the six students entry, and he said the manager told the students their baggy pants violated the bar's dress code. Cutz, who is white, said he confronted the manager. "These six [students] were better dressed than I was," Cutz told CNN. He told the students to "go back to the hotel and change." But the manager of the bar stepped in to say that he had made his decision and that the six men could not return to the bar even if they changed clothes, Cutz said. The students became "more agitated" and "set up an experiment," Cutz said. Class Treasurer Regis Murayi, who is black, exchanged jeans with a white student, Jordan Roberts, who -- being 3 inches shorter than Murayi -- looked "substantially baggy." Roberts approached the same manager who had turned away the African-American students, paid the entry fee and was allowed in, Cutz said. CNN's Susan Candiotti also contributed to this report.
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Group: Bar kept African-American students out, let white classmates in .
Washington University's senior class was celebrating at the Chicago bar .
Class president: Bar cited dress code violations, but clothing swap didn't help .
Class complains to Illinois attorney general, others; bar hasn't returned CNN's calls .
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Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said he would make 'no apologies for putting sex offender where they deserve to be' The number of sex attackers behind bars has doubled in only a decade – with eight jails now containing no other type of inmate. The huge increase has in part been fuelled by convictions in historic abuse cases. In recent months, high-profile figures – including Stuart Hall, Max Clifford and Rolf Harris – have been imprisoned for crimes dating back decades. Prison officials have had to set up a string of new programmes to cope with the explosion in the sex offender population – which now stands at 11,150. It is the equivalent of one in every eight inmates and has leapt by 650 in the past year alone. A total of eight jails have been converted or opened that are exclusively for paedophiles, rapists and other sex offenders. Officials said holding sex offenders together makes them more likely to engage in treatment programmes. These include the use of ‘anti-libidinal’ drug treatments used to lessen prisoners’ sexual urges. A pilot project using the drugs is to be rolled out across prisons after proving successful at HMP Whatton near Nottingham, ministers will announce today. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: ‘As a Government we make no apologies for putting sex offenders where they deserve to be – in jail. ‘But when they are there it is important that we deal with their offending behaviour – that means programmes consistent with the best evidence, targeted at those who pose the greatest threat. ‘I don’t want a one-size-fits-all approach which costs the taxpayer lots of money and doesn’t reduce the risk posed by the most serious offenders.’ However, to cope with the huge increase of inmates, special treatment programmes are no longer being targeted at low-risk offenders. The move is likely to spark concern among penal reform groups about a lack of resources inside Britain’s packed jails. Stuart Hall, Max Clifford and Rolf Harris are among figures to be jailed in recent months for historic sex abuse allegations, and such offenders now make up one in eight prisoners . But officials last night insisted that international evidence showed it would be more effective to focus on more prolific offenders, who will pose a greater risk to the public on release. The Ministry of Justice says investment in all offending behaviour programmes – including sex offender treatment, drug treatment and domestic violence programmes – has increased by £280,000 in the past 12 months in prison and by £1.4million for those delivered in the community. There has been a huge increase in investigations into historic allegations of sexual assault since the full scale of Jimmy Savile’s crimes came to light following the former DJ’s death in October 2011. Operation Yewtree was launched to investigate his crimes but was widened to include other alleged offenders and by October 2012 police reported that more than 400 lines of inquiry had been assessed. A number of other former celebrities remain on bail or are awaiting trial for sexual offences. As well as the increase in historic cases, another factor behind the surging population of sex offenders is tougher sentencing. The average length of sentence for those convicted of sexual offences has gone up from 40 months in 2003 to more than 59 months in 2013 . Alongside Whatton, the prisons wholly dealing with sex offenders are Albany, Isle of Wight; Usk, South Wales; Bure, near Norwich; Ashfield, near Bristol; Stafford; Rye Hill, near Rugby; and Littlehey, Cambridgeshire.
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There are 11,150 sex offenders in UK jails, equivalent to one in eight inmates .
Surge fuelled by rise in historic offenders such as Rolf Harris being jailed .
Chris Grayling said he would make 'no apology' for the new statistics .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:35 EST, 14 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:21 EST, 14 November 2013 . A mysterious defendant in a $100 million, cross-country Navy veterans charity fraud case was convicted today of racketeering, theft, money laundering and other charges. The jury in Cleveland, Ohio, which deliberated for about three hours yesterday, heard nothing from the ex-fugitive, 'Bobby Thompson', who changed his mind and decided against testifying. His attorney said the 67-year-old wanted to tell his story but worried about his mental state if he faced aggressive cross-examination by prosecutors. Bobby Thompson, who authorities have identified as Harvard-trained attorney John Donald Cody, is handcuffed after being found guilty today . The defendant identifies himself as Bobby Thompson, but authorities say he's Harvard-trained attorney John Donald Cody. He was indicted in 2010, disappeared for nearly two years and was arrested last year in Portland, Oregon. He was charged with looting the United States Navy Veterans Association, a charity he ran in Tampa, Florida. As his five-week trial wound down before closing arguments on Tuesday, he had appeared disheveled in court, so much so that the judge suggested a break to allow him to get a clean shirt and comb his hair. His attorney, Joseph Patituce, noted during a break in the trial that the defendant had bloodied himself last week while pounding his head against the wall in a holding cell. A mess: John Donald Cody, 67, aka Bobby Thompson, entered the courtroom on Tuesday in Cleveland with an unbuttoned shirt . Thompson was convicted of racketeering, theft, money laundering and other charges . The judge said the defendant was checked by the jail medical staff. Authorities believe he defrauded donors of up to $100 million in 41 states. A fraction of that money was found. When he was arrested, authorities found fake IDs and a suitcase with $980,000 in cash. Records show the defendant had showered politicians, often Republicans, with political donations. The judge rejected a defense request to subpoena testimony from leading Ohio Republicans, including U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. Authorities said they traced the name Bobby Thompson to a man who wasn't connected to the charity case and had his identity stolen, including his Social Security number and date of birth. The defendant was identified through military fingerprint records. There was no requirement for him to testify on Tuesday, but the judge asked to hear from the defendant directly. Bobby Thompson, aka John Donald Cody, seen waiting to hear the verdict today in court in Cleveland, Ohio . ‘Mr Thompson,’ Judge Steven Gall said, raising his voice to repeat what he called ‘a simple question’ on whether he would testify. He had entered court with his shirt unbuttoned to the waist, his baggy pants bunched around his ankles and his hair disheveled. ‘I would like to put myself in physical appearance I think is reasonable,’ the defendant said without specifying if he would testify as the defense had signaled. The defendant returned from a judge-ordered break . and his attorney, Joseph Patituce, told the judge that the defense would . rest without testimony from his client. Judge Steven Gall raised his voice to repeat what he called 'a simple question' on whether Cody would testify. Cody finally declined . Politicians . who received donations from him, according to campaign finance filings, . include former President George W. Bush and former presidential . contenders Mitt Romney, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. Ohio . Attorney General Mike DeWine, whose office handled the trial . prosecution, said he believes that photos the defendant had taken with . high-profile Republicans such as Bush, Boehner and GOP strategist Karl . Rove were used to soften up potential donors. Besides . Boehner, political donations went to almost every member of the state’s . GOP congressional delegation and two of DeWine’s predecessors as . attorney general. Rubbing shoulders with the top: Politicians who received donations from him, according to campaign finance filings, include former President George W. Bush, who he is pictured with here . Many politicians: Cody, second from left, also gave donations to the likes of former presidential contender John McCain, far left . Strategy: The photos Cody had taken with high-profile Republicans such as GOP strategist Karl Rove, left, were used to soften up potential donors, according to the Ohio Attorney General, Mike DeWine . Authorities said the defendant used his VIP political connections to encourage donors to give to his charity. While . on the run, investigators tracked him through Arizona, Florida, . Indiana, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia. Cody had a prestigious educational background, with a . degree from the University of Virginia (UVA) and a law degree from . Harvard. He . had been a U.S. Army Captain in Military Intelligence and previously . practiced law in Sierra Vista, Arizona from 1980 to 1984. During . his law career in Arizona, he became the subject of an investigation . over claims he was stealing money from his clients but Cody skipped town . before he could be apprehended and since 1987 had been a fugitive from . the FBI. According to a federal warrant, dated May 4, 1987, out of the Eastern . District of Virginia, Cody is charged with interstate transportation of . fraudulent traveler’s checks from probate estates’ bank accounts, false . statements to an investment brokerage firm, and false statements on loan . applications. A . former colleague, Dennis Lusk, now chief judge of the Arizona Motor . Vehicle Division, had worked with Cody in Arizona and remembered him as . bizarre. D.C. elite: The suspect formerly known as Bobby Thompson poses with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) Wanted: The FBI has been searching for John Donald Cody since 1987 . He described the attorney as 'intelligent enough to get through Harvard Law School and was a great talker and BS-er,' in an interview with the Arizona Republic in 2002. His non-profit group boasted a membership of more than . 66,000 members in 40 states but little of the money raised ever made its . way to assist military service members. Law enforcement officials began investigating Cody and he was charged with multiple counts of fraud in 2010. Once again, he abandoned his identity and set off on a cross-country . journey using numerous aliases to evade police. From June 2010 to May 2012, investigators believe he hid out in Massachusetts, Arizona, New . Mexico Rhode Island, West Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Washington and ultimately Portland, Oregon - where he was finally caught. He . was arrested at a boarding house where he had rented a room, and . investigators say one of the few belongings they found was a DVD of . Catch Me If You Can, the Leonardo DiCaprio drama chronicling the wild . history of convicted conman Frank Abagnale.
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Harvard-trainer lawyer, John Donald Cody, has been wanted by the FBI since 1987 .
Cody .
practiced law in Sierra Vista, Arizona, in the 1980s, when he was .
accused of stealing money from his clients - but he fell off the grid .
Under .
the alias of Bobby Thompson, he operated a fraudulent charity, raising .
over $100 million and rubbing shoulders with D.C. power players such as former president, George W Bush .
His charity scam was discovered in 2010, though his true identity remained a mystery .
Jury deliberated for three hours and Cody did not testify .
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Protection: Harris has been moved to Stafford prison after being bullied by inmates at HMP Bullingdon . Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris has been moved to a 'soft' prison after being bullied by inmates. The 84-year-old has been transferred to Stafford jail, which has two separate wings for 'vulnerable' sex offenders, from HMP Bullingdon, in Oxfordshire. He was moved prison following a number of incidents where he was targeted by fellow inmates. A source said: 'The other prisoners were keen to take him down a peg or two. He was moved to another prison for his own safety about two weeks ago.' In July, the former TV personality was spat at by an inmate during a prison church service which sparked a mass brawl. Other prisoners verbally abused Harris from the pews of the chapel. Witnesses claimed the inmate tried to spit on the convicted paedophile but missed and hit another prisoner. The incident led to an attack between the two convicts, who began throwing punches and had to be separated by officers. Harris also angered fellow inmates when he was accused of receiving special treatment after landing the 'plum job' of prison gardener. The Australian was paid to look after the vegetable patch and parts of the ground, despite one prisoner saying he had been waiting 12 months for a similar job. Easy living: Harris has been moved to Stafford prison, which has separate wings for 'vulnerable' sex offenders . Elsewhere, Harris faced threats from prisoners on his wing for hogging the prison phones. The shamed TV star chattered for up to an hour each time on one of the five phones shared between 140 inmates to call his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi. It was also reported that Harris had lost a stone since being jailed, as he disliked the taste of prison food. Harris, who had previously enjoyed eating curried lobster and roast quail as part of his pre-prison diet, struggled to adjust to prison meals such as tuna salads and low-fat chicken curries. But more recently, it was claimed Harris had won over some of the prisoners by signing drawings for convicts who queue outside his cell. However, the artist, who painted an official portrait of the Queen, was banned from painting last week because prison bosses decided his oils pose a fire risk. It meant he was forced to use pencils for his sketches instead. Disgraced: Harris was convicted in June of 12 indecent assaults on four girls as young as eight. He is pictured here with his daughter Bindi, right, and his wife Alwen, left, who is said to regularly visit him in jail . Harris was convicted of 12 indecent assaults on June 30 at Southwark Crown Court by Mr Justice Sweeney - one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalogue of abuse of his daughter's friend over 16 years. During the trial, Harris, a family favourite for decades, was finally unmasked as a predator who was fixated with under-age girls. Jurors were told how his 16-year campaign of sex abuse against his daughter's friend ‘haunted’ her and made her abandon her dreams as he continued to be adored by millions of fans worldwide. Passing sentence, Justice Sweeney said: 'You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all. Your reputation now lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours but you have no one to blame but yourself.' His fall from grace was underlined as he was stripped of a Bafta fellowship and accolades in his native Australia were removed, and he faces losing his prestigious CBE. The performer's multi-million pound fortune is also at risk from potential compensation claims. He was jailed for five years and nine months for the sex abuse, meaning that he is due to serve just under three years for the crimes, which spanned between 1968 and 1986. The Prison Service said: 'We don't comment on individuals.' A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: 'We would not describe the prison as soft, it is more simply more appropriate for this type of offending. 'The prison is somewhere where they hold this type of offender and so it is easier to have them in one place.'
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Rolf Harris has been moved to Stafford jail from HMP Bullingdon .
Stafford prison has two separate wings for 'vulnerable' sex offenders .
Disgraced entertainer had been repeatedly targeted by inmates .
He was spat at by a prisoner during a church service which sparked a brawl .
Also angered inmates when he landed the plum job of prison gardener .
Harris was sentenced in July to five years and nine months for 12 indecent assaults on four girls .
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A new cosmetics ad goes against the typical girl-power creed of embracing your natural look by showing how make-up can actually empower women. In two videos for Dermablend, women with different skin conditions explain how they use make-up to present themselves to the world in a way that feels genuine, not as a means of hiding away. One of the women is Cheri Lindsay, a volleyball coach with the skin depigmentation condition called vitiligo. By camouflaging her condition with make-up, 'people could look completely through it and see who I was as a person,' she explains. 'It made me a little bit more approachable.' Scroll down for videos . Revealing: In two new videos for cosmetics brand Dermablend, women with skin conditions explain how make-up has helped them present themselves to the world in a way that feels genuine . True self: Cheri Lindsay (pictured), a volleyball coach with a skin depigmentation condition called vitiligo, uses make-up to be 'a little bit more approachable' Empowering: Cheri says when she wears make-up, it lets people look through her condition and see her for who she truly is . In the beginning of the video, Cheri appears, sitting in a chair, with what looks to be an even skin tone. 'My name is Cheri, and this is my Camo Confession,' she says before using a towel to rub the foundation off of half of her face, revealing a much lighter skin tone underneath. She explains that the condition began manifesting itself in her sophomore year of college when she lived in Texas. 'I have been . told that sun exposure just makes it spread that much faster,' she says. 'All of . this came within the past three years or so, and it was shocking . to me at first... It's not that easy to . deal with.' Cheri continues: 'When I first got vitiligo, I had to ask myself a couple . different questions, the first being, does it hurt? No. Is it contagious? Not at all. And can I still live with this and be successful? Hell yes.' Exposed: She adds that by putting herself out there, she hopes to inspire other women to do the same . Before: Model Cassandra Bankson (pictured), who is known for doing YouTube make-up tutorials, shares a similar message in her 'Camo Confession' video . She then explains how she uses . make-up not to hide her imperfections, but to encourage people to see . her for who she truly is instead of making assumptions based on her appearance. 'I . don't want people to think that I would get offended,' she says. 'Don't hide, you . know, there's something wrong with everybody. Nobody's 100per . cent perfect.' 'It wasn't until I found make-up and a passion within myself that I found purpose to my life' She adds that by putting herself out there in the commercial, she hopes to inspire other women to do the same. Model Cassandra Bankson, who is known for doing YouTube make-up tutorials, shares a similar message in her 'Camo Confession' video, which sees her removing all her make-up to reveal her acne. The 21-year-old opens up about how . she has struggled with severe acne since the third grade, which led to . other children calling her a 'freak of nature' and 'the exorcist'. Low self-esteem: The 21-year-old opens up about how she has struggled with severe acne since the third grade, which led to other children calling her a 'freak of nature' and 'the exorcist' Laid bare: After removing her foundation, she explains: 'It wasn't until I found make-up and cosmetics and a passion, really, within myself, that I found purpose to my own life' 'When you hear things like that on a daily basis, it becomes really, really hard to love yourself,' she explains. 'It wasn't until I found make-up and cosmetics and a passion, really, within myself, that I found purpose to my own life,' she adds. 'I used to use make-up to cover up and hide who I was,' she concludes. 'Now, I use it to express myself, and show the world who I truly am.' Dermablend, which was created in 1981, is a 'camouflage' cosmetics brand designed specifically for women with mild to severe skin conditions.
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The Dermablend ads come as millions of women have been posting no-make-up selfies .
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(CNN) -- First it was instant messaging during office hours that gave us the thrill of passing notes in class. Then it was ogling ourselves on Web cams, ranting our minds on blogs, uploading our baby photos on Flickr and poking each other on Facebook. These days, as corporate records show, we choose to spend our lunch breaks watching YouTube, if not chatting over Skype. CSL's flagship One2Free shop stands at the corner of Hong Kong's trendy Causeway Bay district. The bad news is the Web 2.0 revolution is over. The good news is now we can take it with us. Over the past two years, well over a dozen startups have sprung into action, bringing everything from IM to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to our mobile phones, in a quest to conquer the cellular fourth screen. Winner of Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal's 2007 Emerging Technologies Awards in the category of Social Networking, Mig33 is confident about the viability of its future: "The next wave of Internet growth is mobile. The number of mobile devices worldwide has exceeded three billion, and the next billion subscribers will have their first Internet experience using a mobile phone." Like the Rotterdam-based Nimbuzz, Mig33 also offers instant messaging, photo sharing and VoIP for cheaper telephony, in addition to social networking via profiles, chatrooms and, of course, friends. Applications are free to download and communities are free to join, while members are charged only for SMS and VoIP calls, bridging communications between mobile devices and desktop computers. The softwares are fully functional on both 3G and any smart (Internet-enabled) 2.5G phones running such platforms as Java, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, S60 and the iPhone OS. Nimbuzz in particular boasts compatibility with Skype, Google Talk, AOL Instant Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Live Messenger, Jabber, MySpace and Facebook. But it is hardly alone in partnering with traditional desktop live chat sites, as well as industry partners around the world. Playfully packaged, internationally-based Fring works with WiFi providers in Europe and Australia as well as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) providers based in both North and South America, Western and Eastern Europe, South Africa and China, also consolidating all chat buddies into a single mobile contact list. In this context, one way to stand out from the all-encompassing bunch with the global reach is through niche audience focus. MyHappyPlanet, a free online language-exchange network that allows members to create profiles and chat with language partners in real time (text, voice, video), will go mobile in the near future. A2Aworld, an upcoming mobile social networking startup, will focus on connecting social networkers between the world's two largest online communities -- America and Asia -- in terms of communication, information, culture and e-commerce. Furthermore, its business model is based on revenue from emerging online advertising, VoIP calls and premium membership fees, without the mobile ads and viral marketing. Fierce competition . Meanwhile in the mobile marketplace, VoIP competition is getting fierce. While SIPphone's open-source Gizmo Project was heralded by early beta testers as "the first viable Skype alternative" in July 2005, it's clear today that Skype itself is the big winner in the VoIP game. Most recently, iSkoot has extended its partnership with Skype, following its collaboration with mobile operator 3 for the global launch of the 3 Skypephone in October 2007, which was the first mass-market Skype-enabled handset as a carrier-integrated solution for mobile-VoIP IM services. But mobile VoIP itself still faces multiple challenges, including fragmented access and distribution. While some applications choose to collaborate with mobile network carriers, others choose to compete with them by using data networks such as WiFi. "In the near future, there will be a hyper-convergence solution," predicts A2Aworld's Michael Liu. "However, WiFi/WiMax to cell/IMS will be playing a bigger and bigger role. In the long run, there will be all-in-IP IMS solutions." Insecure communications also pose a new threat to VoIP, as Liu points out: "In the early days of VoIP, people were mostly concerned with its cost, functionality and reliability. Now that VoIP is gaining wide acceptance and becoming one of the mainstream communication technologies, security has become a major issue." And to satisfy the YouTube generation, applications such as myZen Mobile encourage the circulation of photos and viral videos optimized for mobile viewing in real time, with an all-in-one interface featuring YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, Yahoo podcast, etc, with the possibility to add other community sites such as ifilm and blogger. Going mobile . Simon Newstead, founder and CEO of Frenzoo, a social-networking site specialized in 3D fashion avatars, is enthusiastic about going mobile. "We have a roadmap to implement our service on mobile platforms such as iPhone," he says. "Today users are already using 3D in gaming platforms like the wildly successful Nintendo DS Lite, so the logical integration of 3D avatars into the mobile platform will certainly present a great opportunity. "Technically, new handsets already integrate hardware acceleration for 3G, and battery life is increasing rapidly. Now the only remaining factor is availability or higher-speed affordable mobile bandwidth, which is already emerging in advanced mobile markets such as South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan." Indeed in Hong Kong, where the mobile-phone penetration rate hovers around 150 percent, mastering the mobile market is becoming increasingly lucrative. Hong Kong's largest mobile network carrier CSL introduced Asia's first 3G video-sharing service in 2005, launched Hong Kong's first 3G interactive mobile TV in 2006, and partnered with blogging site Xanga in early 2008. From the carrier's point of view, people's choice of mobile communication is a question of coverage and user-friendliness -- of "price, packaging, usability," according to CSL's ("Create a Simple Life") chief marketing officer Christina Teo. "We try to 'replicate' any desktop experience to the mobile phone. You can call it replicating, extending, adding value," continues Teo. "And with every new partnership, we need to make sure that the application works on each new handset we launch... With mobile phones [as opposed to desktop computers] there is still some concern, stigma, so we need to educate people to get over that hurdle. It's the faster we can get it at the click of a button." More and more, the mission of the mobile industry is to make seamless that virtual space between desktop and handset. "It's where we want people to embrace life," says Teo. "It's what we all aim to do. No downtime, no downspace... Over time Xanga will add more features, and we will mobilize as much as possible." The good news is the Web 3.0 revolution is only beginning. E-mail to a friend .
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Startups offer applications to bring social networking sites to mobile platforms .
VoIP faces challenges on mobile market: competition, distribution, access .
Mobile mission to make seamless space between desktop and handset .
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A study has found that a quarter of teenagers in America have received explicit pictures on their cellphones (posed by models) Almost four in ten teenagers in America have received explicit pictures on their cellphones, new research reveals today. The study, by the University of Utah, also found that a fifth of youngsters have also sent a nude picture of themselves to someone else on their smartphone. This has prompted researchers to warn that the practice could be more widespread in schools and colleges than first thought. And they added that although the survey took place in the US, experts believe that the findings are applicable in most western countries where smartphones are widely used. The study surveyed 1,130 undergraduate students about their experiences of sending x-rated snaps in high school. Nearly 20 per cent reported they had sent a nude photo of themselves to another via cellphone while 38 per cent had received such a picture. Of the number who had received one of these messages, nearly one in five had forwarded the picture to someone else. Professor Don Strassberg, who conducted the study, said the risks of using a mobile phone to send intimate messages goes well beyond that of sharing print photographs as a form of flirting. He said: 'Nothing has changed in that realm - except that the technology makes it easy and thus, more vulnerable to misuse. 'You lose control of the image the moment you push send. 'From there the risks, which can be especially grave for teens, range from embarrassment and humiliation to unwanted sexual advances to cyberbullying and blackmail, and though rare, possibly to felony charges for pornography trafficking because they are minors.' The research was published online in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour and was conducted over a three-year period. Participants were students enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes and queried about their experiences of sending explicit messages during high school - after 2007, when it became more commonplace. Though the research was completed at a single, public institution, a quarter of the students surveyed attended high school outside Utah, and seven per cent outside the United States, providing a measure of economic and geographic diversity. The researchers have also warned that the practice of sending explicit pictures is more widespread in schools than first thought . Prof Strassberg added: 'Sexting is far from a rare occurrence and the ability of a recipient to forward on a sext to others can be problematic, especially for young women who share an explicit photo. 'Because once a sext has been sent, the sender has no control over who, or how many, will eventually see that picture. Other than the adolescent mentality that overestimates benefits over risks, we don’t yet know why teens are choosing to put themselves at risk.' The research also found that both men and women send explicit messages but significantly more males had received an initmate picture on their mobile phone. Professor Strassberg concluded that there are still a number of important questions about teen sexting that need reliable answers before adults can decide how - or even if - they should respond to the popular phenomenon. He said further study is needed to better understand teen motives, get a clearer sense of their appreciation of possible consequences of sexting and whether sexting increases or decreases initiation of physical sexual interaction, among other issues.
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Researchers find a quarter of teens have received explicit pictures .
Also found that 20 per cent have also sent intimate pictures to someone else .
University of Utah say practice is more widespread than first thought .
Added they believed the findings would be applicable to most western coutries .
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By . Sarah Harris . PUBLISHED: . 23:00 EST, 22 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:18 EST, 23 October 2012 . Schools must not bar children from their sixth forms just because they are badly behaved, the local government ombudsman has ruled. They are prohibited from ‘taking account of a pupil’s past behaviour’ when allocating places on A-level courses even if they fear disruption. This is despite Education Secretary Michael Gove urging schools to clamp down on classroom troublemakers. Push: Education Secretary Michael Gove has urged schools to clamp down on classroom troublemakers . The problems facing head teachers trying to take a hard line against indiscipline have come to light just months after the new school admissions code came into effect in February. The Latymer School, a top-performing mixed grammar in Edmonton, North London, was yesterday accused of ‘maladministration causing injustice’ after refusing to allow a pupil to join its sixth form because of an incident of poor behaviour. It was told by the ombudsman to ‘immediately’ admit the former Year 11 pupil. It is understood the boy was temporarily excluded for a ‘minor indiscretion’. The ombudsman said that because the teenager had ‘satisfied the academic requirements to join the sixth form, he should have been admitted’. Claim: The Latymer School in Edmonton, North London, was accused of 'maladministration causing injustice' after refusing to allow a pupil to join its sixth form because of an incident of poor behaviour . It stated that the ‘law prohibits the school from selecting sixth form pupils based on their behaviour records’ and was backed by the Department for Education. 'The ombudsman is entitled to make recommendations and the governing body will do what is required, which is to consider those recommendations' Mark Garbett, head teacher of Latymer School in Edmonton, North London . Head teacher Mark Garbett wrote to the boy’s father on April 26 to notify him about the fixed-term exclusion. He said the boy ‘had not met the requirements to join the sixth form’ this September and it would be ‘detrimental to the school community’ if the boy was admitted. The father reported the matter to the ombudsman. Mr Garbett yesterday refused to say whether the boy would finally be admitted. He said: ‘The ombudsman is entitled to make recommendations and the governing body will do what is required, which is to consider those recommendations.’
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Local government ombudsman has made ruling over sixth form admissions .
It's despite Michael Gove urging schools to clamp down on troublemakers .
Latymer School in London refused to allow pupil to .
join sixth form following incident .
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A British teenager fighting jihad in Syria shoulder-to-shoulder with his brother was allegedly a senior member of a notorious predominantly Muslim gang who carry knives and guns, it emerged today. Aseel Muthana, 17, who followed his older sibling Nasser to join Isis, has been described as a ringleader in the Docks Riverside Grangetown crew from Cardiff. The gang is made up of around 15 youths as young as ten who 'carry knives, knuckledusters and guns' and are also said to target white rivals, they call 'pastey boys'. Scroll down for video . Young recruit: 17-year-old Aseel Muthana was allegedly a member of a violent Cardiff gang before he fled to join his brother Nasser fighting for Isis in Syria . The DRG crew, as they are known locally, also produce their own rap videos filled with swearing and promoting violence. Last week his brother and another friend Reyaad Khan, also from Cardiff, appeared in a shocking recruitment video aimed at luring jihadists to Syria and Iraq. A school friend toldThe Sun: 'Aseel was a senior member. If you know of the group you would not go there at night — if they saw you they would probably start on you. They would often be in fights, sometimes caused by race. 'They would call some of the white kids "pastey boys".' One Cardiff boy, who was attacked by members of the gang, said in an online post: 'They've got ages from 10 - 16 and most of them carry knives.. knuckle dusters.. a few with guns. I was pinned down at 11 years of age in a lane and I was cut with a bottle up my arm and that was because they had beef with my cuzun (sic) and they couldn't get him'. In February Aseel fled Britain to fight in Syria after telling his parents he was staying at his friend's house ahead of a maths exam at his school. Cardiff link: Reyaad Khan and Aseel's brother Nasser Muthana appear in this Isis recruitment video encouraging others to fight jihad . School days: Third British jihadist Reyaad Khan having fun with friends in Cardiff before he fled to fight . But police then arrived at his home the following night after it emerged he had gained a second passport by lying about his age and was in Cyprus and about to sail to Syria. The father of two brothers fighting with Isis in Syria said today young Muslim men are being radicalised at 'pop-up' meetings in Cardiff - including at a suburban leisure centre. Distraught father Ahmed Muthana, 57, said extremists are leafleting Muslim communities in the Welsh capital encouraging young men to join the jihad in Syria and Iraq. He said the recruitment meetings are never held in the same venue twice to avoid being infiltrated by anti-terrorist police. But Mr Muthana told how one of the meetings was held in the Channel View Leisure Centre in the Grangetown area of Cardiff - after being rented out by the Labour-run council. Father-of-four Mr Muthana said: 'I believe my two sons went to one of these meetings and now they are with the Isis people in Syria. 'They never hold these meetings in the same place twice - they know what they are doing. 'I know they had a meeting at Channel View, there have been others in restaurants and in private homes. 'They just book a room at these places saying it is for a private function. It is like one of these pop-up restaurants. They are there for a few hours and then they move on.' Mr Muthana added: 'Some of the venues have been restaurants and businesses run by people sympathetic to the extremists.' His brother Nasser was a star medical student who secretly travelled to Syria from his family home in Cardiff despite being offered the opportunity to study medicine by four universities. His family have not seen him since November 2013. Furious father Ahmed Muthana, 57, said if his sons ever return to the UK, he would like to see them jailed. He added that his sons have 'betrayed his family and betrayed Britain' - before insisting he had already binned family pictures of his boys because 'you don't keep the devil in your house.' Mr Muthana, who moved to the UK from Yemen in the seventies and earned a living repairing televisions, collapsed and was rushed to hospital when he heard his second son had also gone to fight. There are concerns about radicalisation problems in Cardiff after three young men from the area rushed to fight in Syria. Former Cardiff councillor Mohammed Sarul Islam told BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning he did not believe young men in the city were being radicalised in mosques but instead some had been influenced by 'internet clerics.' Sheikh Zane Abdo, imam of the South Wales Islamic Centre, told BBC Breakfast that Nasser and Aseel had been 'normal teenagers' before they went through a 'very strange period' when they started expressing 'certain views'. 'The brothers were normal teenagers, very well-spoken, very sincere, liked watching movies, did a lot of school, normal teenagers,' he said. Pictured: Nasser's room in the family home in Cardiff where the brothers plotted how to take part in a holy war thousands of miles away in Syria . In shock: Nasser and Aseel's parents and youngest brother walk through their Cardiff estate. Their father has said they should be arrested and jailed if they return to the UK . 'However, they went through a very strange period when they said they were becoming quite serious in their faith and then began to start to expressing certain views that were quite political, particularly the older brother. Concerns: The Imam of the local mosque said the boys were 'normal teenagers' but both, especially Nasser (pictured) began to start to expressing certain views that were quite political . 'Neither of them in the past year and a half to two years frequented this mosque or attended any of the sermons or any of my classes that I have been giving for the past three and a half years.' He said he regretted the publicity that the video had attracted. 'I guarantee that many young people who are very susceptible to this type of message will have watched that video and maybe have been encouraged to now go and follow in the footsteps of Nasser and his brother, which is a real problem, the fact that a platform has been given to this video, that really shouldn't have been given.' He added that Reyaad Khan's mother had approached him, 'crying her eyes out', after he had given a lecture on extremism. 'Reyaad Khan's mother approached me several months ago. I did a lecture on extremism, on Jihad, several months ago, in a particular mosque and she came up to me afterwards, she was crying her eyes out, she said 'What can I have done, what can I do? 'I tried to console her. This happened several months ago.' He said he had spoken out, warning young people not to do the same. 'I expressed how young people should not be going. We have done this already, we have done the work, we have spoken out several months ago, way before the media even got a whiff of what was going on,' he said. A former director of MI6 has warned intelligence services faced an 'impossible' task of tracking the hundreds of Britons who have returned to UK after fighting in Syria. Richard Barrett, a former head of counter-terrorism at MI6, estimated 'possibly up to 300 people have come back to the UK' already. His comments came after it emerged that around 500 Britons had travelled to Syria and Iraq - a higher estimate than the 400 claimed by Foreign Secretary William Hague. Richard Barrett, a former director of MI6, has warned intelligence services faced an 'impossible' task of tracking the hundreds of Britons who have returned to UK after fighting in Syria . Mr Barrett told the BBC: 'Clearly they'll have to prioritise and they'll have to choose those that they think are likely to pose the greatest risk. 'Beyond that I think they'll have to rely very much on members of the community and other people expressing their concern and worry about the behaviour of perhaps their returned friend or family member.' Mr Barrett said that while recruiting networks across Europe suggested of greater radicalisation than people just going on their own, it did not necessarily indicate that people would progress from fighting in Syria to being a terrorist at home. Police across the UK have made 65 Syria-related arrests over the last 18 months, including 40 in the first three months of this year alone. Sir Peter Fahy, who leads on the Prevent counter-terrorism strategy for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said 'huge amounts of material' was being taken down from the internet every week as part of the effort to stop people being radicalised. But others say the figures are much higher. Birmingham MP Khalid Mahmood told Sky News: 'I imagine 1,500 certainly would be the lower end. If you look across the whole of the country, there's been a number of people going across. 'Originally you had the British Syrians settled here who wanted to go back and play a part, then you had the Kurdish community, then almost two years ago you had the young British Muslim community going across - so if you add all that up you've got serious figures that we need to look at. 'Those will come back - certainly more than we are saying at the moment - and we do need to look at that. 'So we need to look at exactly how this is happening, what our border controls are like and we really need to bolster those border controls in order to ensure that we see the people coming through and deal with them.'
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Aseel Muthana, 17, joined his brother Nasser, 20, fighting for Isis in Syria .
Teenager was a member of the notorious DRG crew in Cardiff, friends say .
Mainly Muslim group has members as young as ten with 'knives and guns'
'They'd often be in fights, sometimes caused by race. 'They would call some of the white kids "pastey boys". Aseel was a senior member,' source said .
Local Imam says brothers shunned mosque after expressing 'political views'
Labour MP says 1,500 British radicals may have gone to Syria to fight .
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Scroll down for video . The ex-wife of suspected killer Ron Lee Haskell – who fled her abusive and violent husband after 11 years of marriage - believes she has paid the ‘ultimate price for freedom’, her former divorce lawyer told MailOnline. Al Barker, the lawyer who represented Melanie Lyon in her divorce from Haskell, revealed she made the heart-breaking statement to family members after discovering her ex had slaughtered six of her relatives in cold blood. Melanie's sister Katie Stay, brother-in-law Stephen and four of their young children were gunned down at their Texas home on Wednesday. Melanie Lyon Haskell, pictured here with then-husband Ronald and the couple's three children is in 'shock' over the massacre. Al Barker, her former lawyer who became good friends with her, said: 'I just hope other victims (of domestic violence) don¿t look at her case and think,"this could happen to me"' Mr Barker, who works for Utah Legal Services, revealed that Melanie is still in ‘shock’ over the massacre as she tried to come to terms with the reasons behind it. Mr Barker tried to reach out to Melanie on Thursday but instead spoke to her mother Kelly Lyon. ‘It was a really brief conversation, I was trying to call Melanie to express my condolences, but her mom answered,’ said Mr Barker. ‘I asked her how Melanie was doing and she told me that Melanie was in shock over what happened.’ But for Mr Barker – who grew to know Melanie well during the seven month divorce – what she said next was hard to take. He said: ‘Melanie’s mother told me something that her daughter had said after the incident. ‘She said that she had to pay the ultimate price for freedom. ‘That sounds like something Melanie would have said, knowing her, it’s something that would have come out of her mouth. ‘But I felt terrible because it is not her fault'. Accused mass shooter Ronald Lee Haskell is escorted by deputies for a hearing in Houston, Texas July 11, 2014 . Haskell is accused of killing four children aged 4 to 14 and their parents in the Houston suburb of Spring . History: On the left is Ron Lee Haskell's . mugshot taken following his arrest, while on the . right is an undated mugshot taken from one of many run-ins with Utah authorities over the past six-years for domestic abuse . Total tragedy: This photograph is shows Stephen . Stay, 39 and Katie Stay, 34 and their five children, including their . heroic 15-year-old daughter, Cassidy, (left to right) Rebecca, seven, . Emily, nine, Zachary, four and Bryan, 14 . Today new details of the bitter split between Melanie and husband Haskell have emerged. Neighbors at their old family home in Logan, Utah say the couple had been building a house in nearby Smithfield, but Melanie tried to escape her abusive marriage before it was completed. Haskell pleaded guilty to simple assault in a domestic violence-related incident in 2008, according to Utah state court records. ‘Melanie Haskell stated her husband Ronald had (dragged) her by her hair and struck her in the head, and then did it again in front of the children," according to Logan police. The abuse allegedly continued after that court case ended. 'She was tired of him beating her up and her children witnessing it. And when she saw her oldest child start to become violent, she chose to move into a (Community Abuse Prevention Service Agency) home for their safety,' neighbor Jolyn Young told local Utah paper the Deseret News. 'I was heartbroken, just sick and devastated,' she said. While in the process of building their homes, Young said Melanie confided in her that she had left her husband. According to Deseret News she and her children had reportedly gone to live in a secure location for their safety, following years of abuse. Arrested: The Harris County Precinct 4 . Constable's Office says 33-year-old Ron Lee Haskell, shot seven family . members, including two adults and five children on Wednesday night in . Houston, Texas . Arrest: Law enforcement officers surround Ron . Haskell on Wednesday, July 9, 2014, in Spring, Texas. After hours of . waiting and negotiations, the suspect emerged from his car, raised his . hands and sank to his knees . Like many victims of abuse, Melanie told Young that she always thought things would improve, but when she saw one of her children exhibit violent behavior similar to her husband, that was her breaking point. Shockingly, Young said Melanie wanted to buy new pots and pans for her home — because the set she had reminded her of the times Haskell allegedly struck her with them. Mr Barker says he’s now anxious to reach out to Melanie to offer her words of support. ‘She needs space right now but I don’t want her to feel like this is her own fault, she did everything right. She was going through a difficult relationship, she knew it was harmful for her and her family. ‘She did all the right things to get out. I just hope that other victims don’t look at her case and think, “this could happen to me”. ‘Most of the time in a domestic violence situation the victim ends up dying a slow emotional death, being fearful, being manipulated and being controlled and doing everything you can do get out of that relationship is best for the individual so they can make a better life for themselves and their children. ‘Melanie did all the right things, this is just a terrible tragedy.' Mr Barker said he only saw Haskell on a few occasions during the divorce, but each time he was ‘silent, and he was calm and he was collected’. But the attorney doesn't believe that was the case behind closed doors. ‘We had some serious concerns about his stability,’ Mr Barker said. ‘I think Melanie knew she needed to get out of this relationship.’ Scene unfolding: This was the scene last night in Houston after . 34-year-old Ron Lee Haskell reportedly opened fire on members of his family in Houston . Stand off: The suspect, a male, was in his car during a stand off with police . Investigation: Harris County Precinct 4 . constables stand at the door of a home where several people were shot to . death, in the Houston suburb of Spring, in Texas late July 9, 2014 . Tragedy: A Harris County Medical Examiner places . one of the six bodies found in a house after several people were shot . to death, into the coroner's van in the Houston suburb of Spring, in . Texas early July 10, 2014 . Mr Barker said he spoke to Melanie not long after she left Utah to be close to family in Texas earlier this year and said she appeared to have moved on with her life. ‘We never expected something like this to happen,’ he added. According to the Associated Press, murder victim Katie Stay traveled to Utah last fall to help her sister Melanie get away from the abusive marriage. Melanie never moved into her new home. The couple’s divorce was finalized on February 14 and part of their divorce decree required Haskell to obtain a psychological evaluation and provide documentation that he is emotionally and mentally stable enough to care for his children without supervision. A judge granted joint custody of the couple’s four kids, with Haskell’s wife getting primary custody. The Haskells were married in California in 2002. They separated in June of 2013. In August of 2013, Melanie reported a protective order violation to police. Parents: Katie and Stephen Stay were shot dead . in their Houston home along with four of their five children by their . former brother-in-law, Ron Haskell . In October of 2013, Melanie reported another possible protective order violation because Haskell had shown up at one of the children’s elementary schools. This protective order was actually served on him the day of the complaint. 'Neither protective order violations were prosecuted,' police said in a statement. Today support for the devastated Stay family is still growing and a fund set up to raise money for them has reached almost $150,000 with a new goal of $200,000. Former Navy officer Jody Dellinger, a District Manager at Harris County Parks and Recreation, set up the fund with first responder Sergeant George Beck, the officer who found the massacre scene in Spring, Texas. Jody wrote on the site this morning: ‘We just broke $106,000 this morning at 0840, only about 20 hours after the site was created. This incredible outpouring has already brought this ole, rough, retired Navy Chief to tears! I cannot express how proud and excited I am to be a part of such an awesome show of love that this site has become!’ Meanwhile, the lone teenage survivor of the cold-blooded attack was released from hospital today, according to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. In to a statement the hospital said the 15-year-old was discharged earlier this afternoon in good condition and is expected to make a full recovery. 'As a hospital team, we were honored to be able to help care for this brave young woman at her critical time of need. The entire staff at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital has been profoundly touched by Cassidy's resilient spirit, inner strength, and hopeful heart during this time of indescribable shock and grief,' the hospital said. 'We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to her, and her extended family, as they begin the difficult healing process.' Cassidy had been hailed a hero after playing dead when Ron Haskell allegedly shot her in the head before executing we whole family. She escaped with her life and called the police shortly after Haskell left the home in Spring, Texas.Her mother, father and four siblings all lay dead next to her. Cassidy was able to warn police that the shooter had left to find her grandparents and shoot them too. Her grandparents have said they are in 'awe' of her bravery. Cassidy was always expected to make a full physical recovery after it emerged that amazingly the bullet only grazed her head. But she reportedly also lost a finger in the attack.
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Police in Houston, Texas, arrested 33-year-old Haskell Wednesday night after a tense stand-off at a suburban cul-de-sac .
He is charged with shooting dead six members of the same family .
Haskell and his wife Melanie Kaye Haskell were married in 2002 in California .
Melanie feels she's 'paid the ultimate price for freedom', her divorce lawyer Al Barker told MailOnline, adding: 'But I felt terrible because it is not her fault'
Lone survior, Cassidy Stay, 15, was released from hospital today .
A bullet grazed her head and she played dead until Haskell left .
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(CNN) -- A glance at some of the Wimbledon semifinalists in 1989 -- such as Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl -- evokes distant memories of yesteryear but one player from those championships is, remarkably, still playing today: Kimiko Date-Krumm. To illustrate her longevity another way, the Berlin Wall was still standing when the diminutive Japanese made her Wimbledon debut in June 1989. Her opponent on the day was another player reminiscent of another era -- Zina Garrison -- with the American beating the then 19-year-old in straight sets in an inauspicious start for the youngster. Over two decades on, the 42-year-old has become the oldest player to reach the third round at Wimbledon in the Open Era -- beating the mark held by Briton Virginia Wade (39 years, 362 days) when knocking out Romania's Alexandra Cadantu 6-4 7-5 on Thursday. The last time Date-Krumm contested the third round at Wimbledon was when she reached her one and only semifinal, where she was beaten by Steffi Graf -- some 17 years ago. Her reward is a showdown with world No. 1 Serena Williams, who cruised past French teenager Caroline Garcia in straight sets in round two (6-3 6-2) and who was a seven-year-old growing up with dreams of tennis stardom when the Japanese made her debut. "I'm very happy to be in the third round, especially since I love Wimbledon and have many good memories here," Date-Krumm told reporters after her match. "I think it's amazing. At the age of 42, I cannot believe it. "This year I skipped a lot of the clay court season so I could focus on the grass. And luckily this year I didn't play a seeded player in the first round, because most of the time I did. It's working. I'm very happy." Known simply as Date prior to her marriage to German motor racing driver Michael Krumm in 2001, the veteran of the women's tour knows her continuation at Wimbledon won't be easy against the five-time champion -- one who has won her last 33 matches. "She's so strong. It's very, very difficult to beat her," she said. "I played with Venus here two years ago, but of course there's a big difference between Venus and Serena. "Serena has more power and more speed. She has more confidence. She has more everything. I just need to try my best on the court and we'll see. I hope I can stay on the court more than an hour, an hour and a half." Williams herself is full of admiration for a player who quit the sport in 1996 -- only to make her comeback in 2008 at the age of 37, a time when most professionals have hung up their rackets. "I've never played her but I have so much respect for her," the defending champion told reporters after her match. "I think she's so inspiring to be playing such high level tennis at her age. And she's a real danger on grass courts - I know that - I will have to be ready." "Kimiko has great hand-eye coordination. Doesn't matter how hard you hit it, she sees the ball and gets it back. "She has great hands, a wonderful great volley, comes to the net a lot, and she plays really flat too, so the ball stays really low." Should Williams beat the second oldest woman to reach the third round of any grand slam in the Open Era since 45-year-old Renee Richards at the 1979 US Open, she will be just one victory away from equalling the longest winning streak in women's singles history -- the 35 straight wins achieved by her sister Venus in 2000. Venus beat Date-Krumm in a three-set epic at Wimbledon in 2011, prompting Serena to suggest she will talk to her elder sibling for some tips. "I think I lost four years of my life watching that match," Serena added. "So I will definitely be talking to Venus and figuring out what I can do to do the best that I can." In other matches on a rain-affected Thursday, fourth seed Agnieszka Radswanka -- last year's beaten finalist -- defeated France's Mathilde Johansson 6-1 6-3 to earn a clash against American Madison Keys for a place in the last 16. Sixth seed Li Na was another Asian to reach the third round as the Chinese saw off Simona Halep 6-2 1-6 6-0, although the Romanian needed treatment on a back injury. Also advancing on Thursday were former U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur and Sabine Lisicki, the big-hitting German who wasn't even born when Date-Krumm first played at Wimbledon.
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Kimiko Date-Krumm becomes oldest player to reach third round at Wimbledon in Open Era .
Japanese earns first meeting with Serena Williams, who beat Carolina Garcia in straight sets .
Fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska a comfortable winner against Mathilde Johansson .
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By . David Kent . Aston Villa have sounded out Rio Ferdinand over a possible move to Villa Park. However, the 35-year-old free agent is understood to be reluctant to make the move to the Midlands and is weighing up options in London where he has re-located his family, with QPR, Crystal Palace and West Ham showing initial interest. Ferdinand was spotted in Alderley Edge in Cheshire on Friday enjoying some lunch and shopping. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Rio Ferdinand's keepy up challenge with Sergio Aguero . Any news? Free agent Rio Ferdinand checks his phone after having lunch in Alderley Edge in Cheshire on Friday . Bagging a bargain? Ferdinand, who is available on a free transfer this summer, found time for a spot of shopping . Not for me: Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has turned down a move to Aston Villa . Villa signed Philippe Senderos on Thursday to add experience to their squad but are looking at other bargain deals also. Ferdinand, . who had considered retiring to take up more television work, is ready . for one last crack at the Premier League after an inauspicious final . season at Old Trafford with Manchester United. Tottenham . have also been credited with an interest and they would be Ferdinand's . preferred choice but Mauricio Pochettino is still weighing up his squad . before making any decisions. Galtasaray and LA Galaxy are also interested in Ferdinand. Long servant: Ferdinand is set to leave United on a free transfer following 12 years at Old Trafford . Taking its toll: Injuries have caught up with Ferdinand in recent seasons, but he appeared 23 times for the Red Devils last term . Trophy laden career: Ferdinand (third left) won the 2008 Champions League during his time at Manchester United as well as six Premier League titles, the FA Cup and two League Cups . Bolster the ranks: Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has targeted experience to add to his young side . Leaky: Outside the relegation zone, no side conceded more than Villa's 61 goals last term .
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Red Devils defender available on free transfer following contract expiry .
Former England defender would favour move to London and Tottenham .
QPR, Crystal Palace and West Ham showing interest .
Galatasaray and LA Galaxy also keen on 35-year-old .
No side outside relegation zone conceded more than Aston Villa last season .
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(CNN) -- It all started on my second date with Alex. It was 1997 and on a whim we went into Manhattan to see the ball drop on New Year's Eve in Times Square. The closest we could get was 55th Street and Seventh Avenue. That's pretty far away, but we could still see the glittering ball touching the sky. He was 19, I was 17. For him, I was his childhood dream girl: I'm tall, have curly brown hair and I play cello, so I was the real-life version of Sigourney Weaver's character in "Ghostbusters" (his favorite movie). To me, he was smart, doting and hilarious. On what had to be the coldest night in the history of the ball drop, we shivered next to each other waiting patiently, with a few thousand spectators, to get one year closer to the millennium. At midnight, the ball dropped and the crowd erupted. We looked at each other in anticipation and we kissed. Fireworks went off. Literally, behind us in Central Park fireworks set the sky ablaze to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the five boroughs constituting New York City. And when the heck did that saxophone player show up playing "Auld Lang Syne"? We took this only-in-the-movies moment as a sign from the universe that we were meant to be together. There was one problem: Alex is half-black. I am white, half-Spanish in fact. In the back of my mind, I knew Alex's race would pose a problem for my family. Not to get explicit, but racial epithets were common in my house. My dad emigrated from Spain in the early 1970s and worked in construction. The culture on the job, coupled with his solid self-righteousness and Old World thinking, led to an intense hatred of anything "different." The N-word, the C-word, the other C-word, the G-word, the S-word -- they all echoed in my house regularly. My mom, who moved to New York from Iowa, was indifferent on race but wasn't about to challenge my dad's way of thinking. How did I come out of this house without being a racist? That I can't answer. Race wasn't an issue for me. I grew up in Queens and was exposed to all races when I was young. When I met Alex, it sounds corny, but I never saw a color -- I just saw Alex. Fast-forward to senior prom: I decided this would be the time for my parents to meet the guy I'd been dating. I looked stunning in my red-sequined Jessica McClintock ball gown, and Alex was dapper in a tux and top hat. We had already, by that point, said we loved each other and knew this was something special. I thought that introducing him to my parents in a public place where my dad couldn't freak out was the way to go. The conversation in the parking lot at the prom literally went like this: . "Dad, this is Alex." Handshake. "Nice to meet you, Alex." "Nice to meet you, sir." "OK, have a good time." Then my dad walked away. Alex and I danced through the night and left the next day for the customary fun weekend to the Jersey Shore with my classmates. I returned home a day later. Saying a nuclear bomb went off in my family would not begin to describe what happened. My dad lost it. He had stewed while I was away, waiting to unleash his fury. I was led to the basement to receive the lecture of my life. No way was his daughter going to date a black man. "Do you want to be a big mama ... barefoot and pregnant for the rest of your life? Do you want a bunch of black babies?" he screamed. "You're going to throw your life away on that n-----?" Full coverage: "AC360°": Kids on Race" Those are just some of the lines I remember. It went on for hours, and he said a lot more, but I had shut my brain off after the first few minutes. In my mind, I was just dating Alex. In my dad's mind, my life was over. The fallout continued for months. My dad refused to talk to me or co-sign my school loan papers for college. I was kicked out of the house on more than one occasion. Alex felt helpless, livid at being judged by a handshake and his skin color, but he knew it didn't have anything to do with him. It was all in my dad's head. From what I'd heard about Alex's parents, it sounded like we were on track to repeat history. Alex's mom, a white woman from Long Island, had a troubled relationship with her own father as a result of her dating Alex's dad, a black man from Georgia. I was grateful that she let me hide out in her apartment and served as my refuge, and she stayed out of the drama. We had to figure this out on our own. All the fighting never changed my feelings for Alex, and I never considered breaking up with him to appease my family. I knew Alex was "the one," and I wasn't about to let my racist father get in the way of my happiness. For the next eight years, I dated Alex in secret. My dad didn't know a thing. It didn't matter since we barely talked. My mom had an inkling, but I didn't tell her much. Alex and I had milestones, we went to friends' weddings, became honorary aunts and uncles. We even moved in together, and for years my parents were none the wiser. By 2006, I was well into my job at CNN. My colleagues knew what was going on and encouraged me to talk to my dad again, this time as a strong adult woman who was succeeding in a career and no longer financially dependent on my parents. They were right. It was eating me up inside that I had to pretend that a huge part of my life didn't exist. I took my parents to lunch, hoping again that there would be safety in a public space. Sometime before the entrée, I explained that I was still dating the same man who was rejected so ferociously nearly 10 years earlier. I told my dad I understood he was trying to protect his daughter, but he should have trusted me to make the right decision for myself. I said I couldn't pretend I wasn't with Alex, we wanted to get married, and to be a part of my life, they had to accept it. "Do you love him? And does he love you?" my dad asked cautiously. "Yes. He's my soul mate," I answered. After eight years of tears and anxiety, my dad conceded. I sometimes wonder why my dad had a change of heart, because all discussion on the matter ended that day. I don't think he had one "aha" moment, but maybe it just took years of rolling it over in his head and realizing that his preconceived notions of what would happen to me if I dated Alex were wrong. I was neither a "big mama" (what does that even mean?) or barefoot, pregnant or destitute. I was solidly in my adult life and happy in love. Alex and I were married on August 4, 2007. My dad walked me down the aisle . It's been 14 years since the roller coaster started. It almost seems like the lying, the hurt and the drama happened to someone else. Alex is my family, my other half, the love of my life. He's just as much a member of the family as anyone else. Alex visits my parents often, and my dad sometimes calls him just to chat. Sometimes my dad will jokingly refer to him as "chocolate milk" or "Barack Obama," maybe as way of relieving some tension around the intense hatred he had once possessed. We even took a family trip to my dad's childhood home in Spain. I think my dad was secretly thrilled to have Alex to share his stories of walking for miles as a 5-year-old to see my grandmother in the hospital, or throwing a cat on a horse's back just to watch both animals squeal. Slowly, my dad shared the family myths and stories with my husband and we grew closer. As we get ready to start our own family, I think about how I will explain this all to my future child (or children -- that's still up for discussion) about what we went through to be together. Cheesy as it sounds, I think I'll tell them that love really conquers all, and time, with a dash of patience, heals many wounds. I'll teach them that change is always possible, even when you think it's not. And I'd emphasize that forgiveness for someone else's misperception doesn't have to come from an apology, but can be a way of allowing yourself to deal with a situation that is out of your control. And I'll make sure not to censor anything, because they deserve to know how we found a way to break through hatred to find acceptance. Join us at Facebook/CNNOpinion. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Elizabeth Mayo.
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Elizabeth Mayo says she and her husband met in their teens .
She says her dad was outraged to learn she was dating a man who's half-black .
She says she hid romance from dad for years, then confronted him when she planned to wed .
Mayo: Dad finally accepted love of her life, showing change is possible, forgiveness important .
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By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 11:54 EST, 14 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:21 EST, 14 March 2013 . Police officers in Russia forced three men in a Muslim cafe to cut their beards at gunpoint, it has been claimed. During an inspection of a Muslim cafe in the Russian city of Surgut police officers apparently threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter. One of the men claims an officer held a lighter to his chin and told him 'cut it off or I will burn it off'. Scroll down to watch . Police officers in Russia forced three men in a Muslim cafe to cut their beards at gunpoint, it has been claimed . During an inspection of a Muslim cafe in the Russian city of Surgut police officers threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter, it has been said . One of the men (pictured) claims an officer held a lighter to his chin and told him 'cut it off or I will burn it off' The incident allegedly took place on March 3 in the cafe located near a mosque as the men were eating after evening prayers. One of the men said he was forced to use scissors to cut off his long beard. It is believed there were 15 officers in masks and they arrived in four cars. According to Red Hot Russia, witnesses saw people in the uniform of riot police (OMON) burst into cafe place and force visitors onto their knees. The incident took place on March 3 in the cafe located near the mosque as the men were eating after evening prayers . It is believed there were 15 officers in masks and they arrived in four cars. It is believed there has been an internal investigation launched by the Russian police . Afterwards it claims several people were taken to the police station, where the law enforcement officers checked their documents. It is believed there has been an internal investigation launched by the Russian police. Russian news agencies have said the officers were implementing the rules of 'Peter the Great' who ruled the Tsardom of Russia in the late 1600s. He commanded all of his courtiers and officials to cut off their long beards and imposed an annual beard tax on those who refused.
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Officers forced into Muslim cafe in Russian city of Surgut, it is claimed .
They 'threatened some visitors with automatic weapons and with a lighter'
One man said he was told 'cut it off or I will burn it off' by riot officer .
Police say an internal investigation has now been launched .
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(CNN) -- Can anyone stop Bayern Munich? That's the question following the German side's 2-0 victory over Arsenal Wednesday in the last-16 of the Champions League. Already 16 points clear in the German Bundesliga and unbeaten in 21 league games, Bayern is looking like the team to beat once again. Bayern, which is hoping to become the first team to successfully defend the title since the competition was revamped in 1992, claimed a hard-fought win thanks to Toni Kroos' second half strike and Thomas Muller's header. It could and indeed should have been different but Arsenal wasted a glorious opportunity in the early stages when Mesut Ozil missed from the penalty spot. The home side's misery was compounded eight minutes before the break when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off after bringing down Arjen Robben in the penalty area. David Alaba stood up to take the spot kick but could only strike his effort against the post. Bayern, which won 3-1 at Emirates Stadium at the same stage last season, began to lay siege to the Arsenal goal. And with nine minutes of the second half having elapsed, Kross unleashed a sumptuous strike which flew past substitute goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. The visitors refused to let up in their pressure and Robben had an effort well saved when his shot appeared destined for the far corner. Pep Guardiola's side did finally secure the second goal it so badly craved when substitute Muller headed home Philipp Lahm's cross with three minutes of normal time remaining. There was still time for Kroos, who scored in the game between the clubs last season, to hit the post with a measured drive. Arsenal will now head to Munich on March 11 with hopes of pulling off a repeat of their 2-0 victory last season. The same result would give Arsene Wenger's men the opportunity to take the tie into extra-time but it faces an uphill struggle against a rampant Bayern. "We started really well and deserved one goal," Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker told Sky Sports. "We dropped and dropped after the red card. We kept our defensive spirit. "We lost here 3-1 last year against Bayern Munich and went there and beat them and we are looking forward to Munich. Why can't we get back in it? "I think there is no doubt there was contact (for the penalty). I don't know if it was a red card because the ball was a long way from Wojciech Szczesny." Bayern coach Pep Guardiola was pleased with his side's performance but says there is still work to do. "Arsenal were much much much better than us for the first 20 minutes. After the red card for their goalkeeper it was another game," he told Sky Sports. "When he is the last man then the referee says penalty and red card. "It is difficult to play when you see nine players in the box. It is not easy, never. But importantly we controlled this situation and played with patience and at the end found the goal. "Last year Bayern had a better result than this evening. It depends on our heads (the second leg)." In the night's other game, Diego Costa's 83rd minute strike gave Atletico Madrid a priceless 1-0 win at AC Milan. Milan, the seven time champion, enjoyed the better of the chances with Kaka's effort tipped onto the crossbar by Atletico goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian goalkeeper also produced a fine save to turn Andrea Pirlo's header onto the post as the home side threatened an opener. But Milan was made to pay for its wasteful nature when Costa stole in at the far post to score a crucial away goal. "It was a very difficult match against a great rival but we knew how to soak up the pressure and at the key moment we went after the win," Costa told Spain's Canal Plus. "We have a solid advantage and now it's about going back to the Calderon and maintaining it. "It's not over yet but we know it's a good result tonight. "We have confidence in ourselves. Some people have been doubting us recently but we have no doubts. We are a team and we are very strong."
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Bayern Munich defeats 10-man Arsenal 2-0 in London .
Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller both on target .
Arsenal missed early penalty and had goalkeeper sent off .
David Alaba also missed spot kick for Bayern .
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By . Lawrence Conway . PUBLISHED: . 16:20 EST, 3 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:42 EST, 3 May 2012 . Police have begun removing the last anti-war protest tent outside the Houses of Parliament. The move came after the High Court lifted an injunction leaving Westminster Council free to clear the tent from Parliament Square. The injunction had been in place . while veteran peace campaigner Maria Gallastegui challenged the legality . of new bylaws giving the council power to remove tents and sleeping . equipment from the road and pavement around the square. Removal: Police officers removing the last of the anti-war protest tents outside the Houses of Parliament . Ms Gallastegui, 53, has been conducting an authorised 24-hour vigil on the east pavement of Parliament Square since 2006 and obtained her injunction against the council preventing it from enforcing the bylaws. She co-operated with police officers as they moved her tent into a removal vehicle, even helping them to lift it. She said: 'This is not the end. We . are going to go to the Court of Appeal. If we lose at the Court of . Appeal we are going to go to Strasbourg.' However, she added: 'In a way this is a liberation for me. It is a big responsibility for me to have this in Parliament Square. Last chapter: The last anti-war protest tent in Parliament Square is loaded onto a van by the police . Removed: A large box which was the focal point of Ms Gallastegui's site could be auctioned off to raise money for an Iraqi orphanage . 'Of course it is also a very profound statement, that is why I wanted to make the signs so large. It has had a big impact, bigger than I could ever have imagined. 'My site has been photographed every day.' Ms Gallastegui has been offered assistance by Westminster Council to find temporary housing. Westminster Council leader Philippa . Roe said: 'We have worked hard to find a solution to this problem . without prohibiting the rights for free speech and protests. However, for some time what is a public open space has been dominated by tents and encampments which have restricted its use. Protest: Maria Gallastegui standing outside her Parliament Square protest box in May this year . 'The High Court also took this view after a full and fair hearing. It concluded the protesters did not have the right to inhabit a public square designed for everyone to use. 'Throughout this process we have sought to find a solution by talking to the protesters involved. 'People will always be allowed to protest in Parliament Square - what is not reasonable is setting up permanent camps there.' The case arose after the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act came into force which authorised the local council and police to remove sleeping facilities, including tents. Last hurrah: Ms Gallastegui co-operated with police officers even helping them to lift her protest tent from Parliament Square . They can also remove equipment used for noisy protests. Many have regarded protest tents in the square as an eyesore before the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics. Lifting the injunction preventing the removal of Ms Gallastegui's tent, High Court judge Sir John Thomas said the new bylaws were not interfering with Ms Gallastegui's democratic right of protest - a right the courts 'jealously guard'. He said: 'The right to protest is not affected save to a very, very limited extent that the claimant cannot have a tent or other similar facility in Parliament Square.' Police officers said that once removed, the large box which is the focal point of Ms Gallastegui's site will be kept for 28 days, unless it is claimed, before it can be destroyed. Ms Gallastegui said that she intends to claim the box and auction it to raise money for an orphanage in Iraq. Protest: Officers searching tents in 2010 when the anti-war camp in Parliament Square was far larger .
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Peace campaigner Maria Gallastegui has been holding a 24-hour vigil in the square since 2006 .
Despite apparent defeat she pledges to go .
to the Court of Appeal and Strasbourg if necessary .
A large box which was the focal point of Ms Gallastegui's site could be auctioned off to benefit an Iraqi orphanage .
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By . Wills Robinson . Fitted with laser-guided bombs and Hellfire missiles, these are the RAF's newest Reaper Drones which are being used in Afghanistan . Their main role is to gather intelligence and carry out surveillance for forces on the ground, but they can also be armed with deadly weapons. Pictures released today show the unmanned aircraft being assembled and flying from Kandahar airfield on missions which will help Afghan, UK and ISAF forces. Air support: The newest Reaper drones fly from Kandahar airfield on missions which will aid Afghan, UK and ISAF forces. The Ministry of Defence say they are key in maintaining security in the country . Information gathering: Their main role will be to gather intelligence and carry out surveillance operations . The deployment of five new Reapers means there are twice as many in Afghanistan operating alongside the Army’s Hermes 450 unmanned aircraft. Their ability to provide real-time video to commanders on the ground is said to be vital to efforts to cement security in Afghanistan as allied forces pull out of the country. The aircraft, dubbed by some as 'eyes in the sky', will be operated by XIII Sqn from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, and 39 Squadron at Creech Air Force Base in the USA. The MoD has been keen to step away from the term 'drone' when talking about unmanned air systems, because it elicits ideas of unaccountable computerised technology. In December the MoD said there had been more than 54,000 hours of operations using Reaper in Afghanistan, with only 459 weapons fired - less than one weapon for every 120 hours flying - while non-armed reconnaissance Unmanned Air Systems had flown almost three times as many operations, flying over 160,000 hours. 'Eyes in the sky': They are able to provide real-time video to commanders on the ground . Stability: The drone, being assembled at the Afghan base, is said to be vital as allied forces continue to pull out of the country . Speed: 287mph . Maximum altitude: 50,000ft . Thrust: 2,000lbs . Length: 36ft . Wingspan: 65ft . Engines: Honeywell TPE 331-10T . Announcing the latest Reapers, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Philip Dunne said: 'These new aircraft give the RAF enhanced Force Protection capability in support of UK, ISAF and Afghan troops. 'As we focus on the drawdown of UK forces from Afghanistan, the ability to provide force protection will become increasingly important and Reaper allows us to provide this assurance, remotely and without significant ground presence.' Air Commodore Al Gillespie, who is responsible for the command and control of UK Air assets over Afghanistan, added: 'These aircraft will support UK, ISAF and Afghan forces as they work to protect the people of Afghanistan. 'They provide vital intelligence and precise strike capability without putting our servicemen and women at risk. 'As we drawn down from Afghanistan it is precisely this technology that will keep us one step ahead and allow us to combat internal security in the country.' Prevelant: More than 50,000 hours worth of operations in Afghanistan have been completed using Reaper drones, according to the MoD .
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Images show aircraft flying from Kandahar to help Afghan and ISAF forces .
They will gather intelligence and carry out surveillance for ground operations .
Its top speed is around 287mph and its maximum altitude is 50,000ft .
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(CNN) -- If Sebastian Vettel's efficient march towards his fourth Formula One crown left fans of motor racing's premier competition stifling yawns, things in the top class on two wheels are rather different. Last month, the latest in Spain's prodigious production line of motorcycle racers, Marc Marquez, looked to have the MotoGP title sewn up. Arriving in Australia with a cavernous 43-point lead over compatriot Jorge Lorenzo, it seemed almost inevitable that the 20-year-old would become the division's youngest champion, and the first rookie to win the title since Kenny Roberts in 1978. Instead, the twisting undulations of Phillip Island flipped the season's story on its head. Bridgestone, MotoGP's tire supplier, had been unable to properly test on the newly resurfaced circuit, and the teams quickly discovered that the fresh tarmac was causing their rubber to disintegrate at a dangerous rate. For safety, the race was reduced to 19 laps, and a mandatory bike change introduced at the halfway point. To widespread astonishment, Marquez's Repsol Honda team misinterpreted the strict guidance on pit stops and he stayed out on track a lap too long, leading to his disqualification. The black flag for Marquez may have been harsh -- a tweet from veteran rider Colin Edwards summed up the feelings of many fans -- but Honda's loss was Yamaha's gain. Lorenzo went on to win, and suddenly the championship race was back on. Lorenzo carved further into Marquez's lead the following week, beating his younger rival into second place at Honda's home circuit in Motegi, Japan. Now, as the teams arrive in Valencia for Sunday's season finale, the title is well and truly up for grabs -- with just 13 points separating the top two. The most likely scenario for Lorenzo to defend his title, and claim a third overall, is for the Mallorcan to win the race and hope Marquez is no higher than fifth. The other permutations would require Marquez to either not finish -- which has happened only once this season, in June -- or be lower than eighth. However, he has been on the podium for 15 of 17 races. Hervé Poncharal, a former rider who is now principal of the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team he co-founded, is a big admirer of both men. "Lorenzo is an incredible racing machine," Poncharal told CNN. "He is so sharp, he is so methodical. I have incredible respect for the rider." However, he adds that the MotoGP paddock already considers Marquez to be a champion. "For everyone it doesn't matter the outcome of Valencia, he is the world champ in terms of speed. And this year is really incredible, because this is happening in a year when MotoGP is so competitive (at the top)." Poncharal also notes Marquez's startling maturity, which has given the youngster the consistency that many rookie riders struggle to deliver. "He is incredibly aggressive on the bike, but if you look at the record he's not a big crasher. When you look at how aggressive he is, how hard he tries, and the risks he's taking, you can see that already now he's a very mature guy, although he's the youngest." Former MotoGP rider and double World Superbike champion James Toseland agrees. "I've been amazed at how he pushes the bike to the limit consistently," Toseland, who is now forging a career in music, told CNN. "At Mugello (the Italian MotoGP, when Marquez fell close to the end of the race while riding in a comfortable second place) you saw an over-enthusiastic 20-year-old, but that's all I've seen of that kind of personality. He's been so consistent and so level-headed since then." The Briton also sees the two Spaniards as neck and neck in the talent stakes: "I truly believe that Lorenzo is more than a match for Marquez on the same day, on the same bike, in the same conditions." MotoGP is not immune to the problems F1 has faced with the dominance of Vettel's Red Bull. While an underachieving Ducati team continues to struggle, the factory outfits of Honda and Yamaha are simply blowing away the opposition, so the fact that this year's title is going to the wire will no doubt please the championship's governing body. Also, while the gap between Honda, Yamaha and the rest may be wide, there is no absence of personal rivalry at the top of the championship. Marquez's relationship with third-placed teammate Dani Pedrosa is not exactly cordial, and he has consistently riled his rivals with his combative and uncompromising style. Marquez was docked a point for a clash with Pedrosa at Aragon in early October, and controversially escaped censure for a rough pass on Lorenzo in Jerez. So while Lorenzo will be fighting tooth and nail for victory, Pedrosa may also be less than willing to help smooth his fellow Catalan's ride to glory. Poncharal doubts that any quarter will be given. "I'm not so sure Pedrosa is going to help Marquez a lot, but Dani winning the race, that's good news for Marc," he said. Intriguingly Valencia is a particularly happy hunting ground for Pedrosa, with a total of six wins at the track, including three in the MotoGP class. While his own hopes of a long-awaited first championship were ended in Japan, the diminutive 28-year-old will be looking to end the season on a high. Lorenzo has also won a MotoGP race at the track, in 2010 -- the year he won his first world title -- while Marquez rode to victory there last season on the way to winning the Moto2 class. Poncharal believes that Britain's Cal Crutchlow, who rides for Tech 3, could also play key role along with Lorenzo's seven-time world champion teammate Valentino Rossi. "Cal is going to wish to finish the season as high as possible; he was second last year (at Valencia) when he crashed four laps from the end. Valentino is going to be pushing; I'm not sure he will play Jorge's game." The last time a MotoGP season went down to the final race was in 2006, when America's Nicky Hayden, then riding for Honda, wrested the crown from the all-conquering Rossi. Rossi, in his first stint at Yamaha, fell early in the race and was unable to regain enough places to prevent Hayden clinching what would be his first and, to date, only title. This time around, Marquez will be hoping to avoid any mishaps as he looks to clinch motorcycle racing's ultimate prize. "It's going to be incredibly tense -- 13 points is good to have, but it's not a lot," Poncharal said. "It looks easier than it will be ... I think it's 50-50." With Europe heading towards winter, conditions at the track may also play a role. "Valencia is a special track," Poncharal said. "We know the weather this time will be difficult, there will be a lot of pressure because (in Japan) we saw Marc, for the first time, not being the Marc we know. He will be under more pressure at the last round. "In Jorge's mind it was game over (before Australia). Now everything has changed, Jorge is going to go out in Valencia not thinking, just pushing -- without any pressure." For motorsport fans looking for one last fix of excitement before the season ends, Sunday's race should provide it in spades. "The final is going to be like a dream scenario," Poncharal said. "Let the sport decide."
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Marc Marquez seeking to be first rookie to win motorcycling's premier title since 1978 .
The 20-year-old has a 13-point lead over defending MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo .
They will battle head-to-head in Sunday's final race of 2013 season at Valencia .
Fellow Spaniard Dani Pedrosa won last season's event at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo .
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A couple have been charged in connection to the savage murder of a Minnesota college student whose body bearing 22 knife wounds was found dumped in a field last fall. Shavelle Chavez-Nelson, 32, and Ashley Marie Conrade, 24, were both charged Friday with second-degree intentional murder in the slaying of 20-year-old University of Minnesota student Anarae Schnuk. The victim was reported missing September 23, 2013. A week later, her naked body turned up in a ditch next to a cornfield in Rice County. Justice for Anarae: Shavelle Chavez-Nelson, 32 (left), and his girlfriend Ashley Conrade, 24 (right) have been charged with murder in the stabbing death of 20-year-old Anarae Schnuk last September . Slaughtered: Schnuk, a student at University of Minnesota, was found dead from 22 stab wounds in a ditch September 30, 2013 . According to Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom, on the night of her death Schnuk was with Chavez-Nelson, her former boyfriend, and Conrade, his current girlfriend. Investigators still do not know which of the two suspects stabbed Ms Schnuk, but they say it does not matter because they have enough evidence to prove that both were responsible for causing her death, Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. First victim: Nelson allegedly shot and killed Palagor Jobi, 23, the night that Anarae Schunk vanished in Burnsville, Minnesota . Just hours before Schnuk was stabbed to death, the 32-year-old man allegedly shot dead Palagor Jobi at a Burnsville bar. On Friday, Nelson and Conrade appeared in a Hastings courtroom. The 32-year-old was brought before a judge from prison, where he is serving a nine-year sentence for an unrelated burglary. A public works crew came upon Anarae Schnuk's body September 30, 2013, while mowing ditches near an 80-acre field in Londsdale. An autopsy of the woman's body . revealed that the knife used in the murder severed Schnuk's carotid . artery and jugular vein, and she likely died within 20 seconds. Schnuk also suffered a number of defensive wounds to her hands proving that 'she fought for her life,' said Backstrom. Officials working on the case said they have found ample DNA evidence on items Nelson had brought to the home of his estranged wife in St Paul after the killing. The recovered black plastic bags contained Schnuk's white UMN jacket covered in blood and bearing more than 20 holes in it and other items of clothing, which looked as if they had been cut off a body. Police also recovered Nelson's socks and Conrade's flip flops, a pair of bloodied yellow gloves and gory towels. All the items reeked of bleach. The alleged murder weapon, an 8-inch knife, was found on the roof of the building, police said. Ms Schnuk was last seen outside Nina's Grill with her ex-boyfriend and Conrade, 24, of Rosemount, in the early hours of September 22. Police believe she asked to meet with Nelson to talk about the $5,000 he owed her. Grisly clues: Police found a bloody whlte jacket belonging to the UMN student with 20 holes in it, along with the suspects' clothing, inside bags that Nelson brought to his ex-wife's home . The night took a violent turn when police say Nelson shot dead Jobi, 23, outside the bar. The altercation . occurred after victim started talking to Nelson's current girlfriend, . Ashley Conrade. Conrade would later tell police that she too was jealous and angry that night seeing her boyfriend put his arm around Schnuk in front of her, reported TwinCities.com . After the shooting, Schnuk and the couple returned to Conrade's townhouse in Rosemount, where police believe the 20-year-old was killed sometime between 3.30am and 4.30am. When initially questioned by police , Conrade denied killing Schnuk or knowing what happened to her. Days later, she changed her story, admitting to investigators that she had seen Schnuk's body on her kitchen floor when she came home from work on the night of September 22. The 24-year-old woman also revealed that she helped her boyfriend, Nelson, carry a plastic tub containing Schnuk's body to her car, where the trunk had been lined in advance with black plastic bags. Hopeless search: olunteers search for the body of Anarae Schunk . in Lilydale Regional Park in St. Paul after she disappeared in the early . hours of September 22, 2013 . Follow the money: Police say the 20-year-old wanted to meet up with Nelson to discuss the $5,000 he owed her . Nelson . was eventually cornered by police in a gravel quarry and forced to surrender, reported Shakopee Valley News. According . to court documents, he was released on bail a week before his September 2013 . arrest for burglary and weapons charges. Anarae Schnuk, an accomplished chess player, met Nelson at a bus summer in the summer 2012. He lied to the college student that he was a stock broker. When Schnuk learned the truth about his criminal past, she stuck by him, believing she could help him turn a new leaf. She broke up with him a few months later when she discovered that Nelson had been living with a . woman and the pair had a child together. Kind soul: Schnuk wanted to help Nelson turn his life around after discovering that he was an ex-convict and not a stock broker like he had told her . Star-crossed affair: Anarae, an accomplished chess player, met Nelson at a bus stop in 2012; he lied to her that he was a stock broker . 'She was a lovely, intelligent and kid-hearted woman,' said the county attorney. Not . long before her murder, the UMN student got in touch with him as her . owed her $5,000 from when they were dating and she wanted the money . back. Ashley Conrade is being held on $2million bail without conditions and $750,000 with conditions. No bail has been set for Nelson since he is already incarcerated. They are due back in court July 11. Nelson is also facing first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree murder in Jobi’s killing, while Conrade is accused of aiding an offender after the fact in that case. Speaking of the charges against the couple, Anarae’s brother Owen Schnuk said it was ‘another step forward’ for their family. Agony: Anarae's brother Owen, left, pictured next to their sibling Tyson, right, said this week that the charges against the suspects were 'another step forward' for their family .
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Shavelle Chavez-Nelson, 32, and Ashley Conrade, 24, both charged with second-degree intentional murder .
Anarae Schunk, 20, was found dead in a ditch next to a cornfield in rural Minnesota last September a week after she went missing .
Nelson, Schnuk's ex-boyfriend, also faces murder charges in the shooting death of Palagos Jobi the same night she was stabbed .
Police say they found UMN student's bloody clothing, suspects' DNA evidence and 8-inch knife used as murder weapon .
Autopsy showed Anarae likely died within 20 seconds of having her jugular vein and carotid artery slashed .
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A businessman who stabbed to death a cousin of Ranulph Fiennes with a pair of scissors in a crazed attack has denied murder, claiming he was insane at the time. James Fiennes - second cousin of Arctic explorer Sir Ranulph - was having a drink in an upmarket tapas restaurant when a man went 'out of his mind' and repeatedly plunged the blades into his body. As assailant Nicholas Hunter was tackled by a former police officer, the 49-year-old victim collapsed to the floor. He underwent emergency surgery in hospital but died five hours later. Nicholas Hunter, pictured right, who stabbed to death a cousin of Ranulph Fiennes, left, with a pair of scissors in a crazed attack has denied murder . Nicholas Hunter, 37, today pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Fiennes and to threatening to kill Thomas Ollsen on April 22 last year at the restaurant in Mortlake, south west London. He does not deny the attack but his defence rests on the claim he was 'insane' when he launched himself at his victim. Speaking during the hearing at the Old Bailey, Judge Wendy Joseph said: 'His defence is he was insane at the time. 'If this is not accepted in relation to the murder charge he will bring up the question of diminished responsibility.' Dressed in a black suit, white shirt and blue tie, Hunter of Rodenhurst Road, Clapham, appeared via video link from Broadmoor Psychiatric Hospital. He pleaded not guilty to both charges in a loud voice. James Fiennes was having a drink in an upmarket tapas restaurant, pictured, when a man went 'out of his mind' and repeatedly stabbed him . Prosecutor Zoe Johnson said: 'He has been judged fit to plead. A trial date has been set for March 16 which is expected to last seven days. 'It is clear there are complex mental health issues. 'The defence will not be making large admissions, apart from the odd point of discussion. The trial will rest on issues of mental health.' Psychiatric reports are being prepared on behalf of the prosecution and defence and will be ready before the trial. Judge Joseph told the defendant: 'You will be tried on March 16 of this year. Until then you will be kept at the hospital you are being treated at.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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James Fiennes was stabbed to death by Nicholas Hunter in a tapas bar .
Hunter claims he was insane at the time of the attack and denies murder .
He pleaded not guilty at hearing at the Old Bailey earlier today .
Mr Fiennes was the second cousin of Arctic explorer Sir Ranulph .
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Morgantown, West Virginia (CNN) -- Wealthy Republican businessman John Raese has run three times for statewide office in West Virginia over the past few decades and has never won. It wasn't that long ago that most political observers here and in Washington thought his fourth campaign would be a losing battle too -- a Senate race against popular Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin. But now, several public surveys as well as parties' private polls show Raese within striking distance of snatching the seat of the late Sen. Robert Byrd from Democratic hands. In interview at his campaign headquarters, Raese, who joked that the Tea Party is to the left of him, said he believes voters are now more open to his anti-government views. "I've been a conservative in West Virginia before that was popular," said Raese. "I've seen a change in West Virginia." Raese's leading argument to voters fits neatly on a bumper sticker his campaign is distributing: "No rubber stamps." In television and radio ads, and on the campaign trail, Raese is pounding Manchin -- warning voters he would be a "rubber stamp" for President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress. Those are stinging accusations in a conservative state that voted decisively for John McCain over Obama, and where the president's approval rating is extremely low. Still, in any other election year, those charges might not resonate against Manchin, who is incredibly popular in West Virginia. But Democratic strategists say their internal polling and focus groups show that tying Manchin to Obama, Democratic congressional leaders and their policies is dragging him down. It could be heard in Milton, West Virginia, along the Pumpkin Festival parade route. "I think he's doing a great job here and I voted for him both times he's run here in West Virginia," said Dave Ridel, who had just waved to the governor going by, "but going to Washington, it scares me to death that he's just going to be a rubber stamp." It's a dichotomy that speaks volumes about the frustration voters have with Washington. Manchin says he knows it's a challenge for him. "Yeah, they're mad." he said in an interview, "The Democrats in Washington are in control and so absolutely it resonates to them. The bottom line here is that people don't want government on their backs and they want them out of their pocket." Manchin also admits that the president's unpopularity in West Virginia is a real issue. "It has made a difference in my race," said Manchin, but quickly noted, "President Obama is not on the ballot. He will not be a U.S. senator. He's definitely not on the ballot in West Virginia. It's me" The "me" Manchin reminds people of is the governor they really like who has brought the state's deficit down and kept unemployment lower than the national average. "Our state is stronger now than ever. Most states are struggling to survive," he said. "We have not cut any services. We have not raised any taxes. We're still cutting the taxes, you know, and we have not laid anybody off." Manchin also boasts about the broad coalition of support for his candidacy, from the AFL-CIO, to the Chamber of Commerce, to the NRA and coal miners associations. "I am fiercely independent," Manchin said. He is now working harder to reinforce that image and distance himself from his own party's policies that are unpopular in his state. Earlier this year, Manchin said he supported the Democratic Party's health care legislation. Now he wants to repeal all but a handful of provisions, like no discrimination for pre-existing conditions. "That's a pretty good start. Why don't you start with that? Kill the rest of it. Start with what you agree on," said Manchin. He also said in an interview that he now believes if the near $800 billion stimulus bill was before him as a senator, he would have voted no. "You know what? The expansion of that, that's not who I am," said Manchin. The federal government allocated about $1.5 billion in stimulus money for West Virginia, but Manchin said he would only take part of that, and insisted he would spend it slowly and judiciously. Manchin and Democrats here are hitting back against Raese by painting the wealthy miner and media magnate as out of touch with West Virginia voters. Democratic strategists have been pushing the fact that Raese's family lives in Florida, not West Virginia. The GOP candidate told CNN the reason for that is because his 12-year-old daughter has special needs. "There are not a lot of services around for that special child, and so we picked out a school that would be a very good school for her," said Raese. "But we have houses here in West Virginia. This is where I vote. This is where I'm from. I'm running for the U.S. Senate, but I'll do anything I can to take care of my children," he added. Democrats are also sending around a photo of a pink marble driveway outside of Raese's Florida home. "I think it's a good freedom of choice and the last time I checked here in America we are free, even to have a pink marble driveway," he said. But Manchin's television ad hits the Raese-is-not-like-you theme on an issue, not a personal preference: Raese wants to end the mimimum wage. "Minimum wage is something Franklin Delano Roosevelt put in during the Depression. It didn't work during the Depression and it certainly hasn't worked now," Raese said. "The laws of supply and demand have to start working. We have to get back to free enterprise in this country." He emphatically defended what he called his "conviction." "Minimum wage has never worked in this country. It's something that hurts a lot of youth employment in this country," he said. The GOP Senate candidate also wants to eliminate the Department of Education, which he calls redundant to what the states are doing, and get rid of the Department of Energy too. "It costs us $32 billion a year to have the Department of Energy. They don't drill wells and they don't dig mines," Raese said. If Raese makes it to the Senate, he says he'll also vote to do away with the Internal Revenue Service. "We spend millions of dollars every year just for the right to pay our taxes, but once again, do we really need to do that? Why don't we simplify it?" asked Raese, who says he is considering a "fair" or flat tax. It is unclear how much support Raese has for those views in West Virginia. What is clear is that to beat the popular governor, he's going to have to rely on a lot of voters like Nathan Rose, the manager at First Watch diner in Charleston. Rose said in an interview that he doesn't know a lot about Raese, and doesn't much care. "I just know that the primary thing about him is that he's going to oppose Obama," said Rose. "That's what matters to me."
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Republican millionaire is making a strong run against a popular governor running for Senate .
John Raese's campaign is his fourth attempt to win statewide office .
Raese says he's more conservative than the Tea Party .
Gov. Joe Manchin calls himself "fiercely independent"
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The cheers back in Wales were drowned out by boos around Murrayfield as Warren Gatland’s side secured a controversial victory over Scotland to get their RBS 6 Nations back on track. Following a passionately fought contest, referee Glen Jackson found himself in the firing line after he blew the final whistle with time seemingly still running on the clock. Scotland skipper Greig Laidlaw was adamant that his team should have been given the chance to take one last kick-off and go for the win, following a try from Jon Welsh in the dying moments that narrowed the deficit to just three points. Wales' Rhys Webb bursts past Scotland's Rob Harley to score a try in the first-half in the Six Nations game at Murrayfield . Scotland winger Sean Lamont is brought down by Liam Williams as he tries to get forward . Scotland's Blair Cowan receives the loose ball as Alun Wyn Jones (left) and Sam Warburton (right) close him down for Wales . ‘From where I was sitting, there was time to take the kick,’ said Laidlaw. ‘Whether we would have gone on to score, that’s a different matter. The majority of the stadium seemed to feel the same.’ Ironically, Jackson used to play under Scotland coach Vern Cotter during his days as a fly-half for New Zealand side Bay of Plenty. But the Kiwi offered no favours to his former boss. ‘I’m sure others will look at the referee’s performance and decisions,’ said Cotter. ‘We will send something through that will help them (in their assessment).’ The dispute brought a sour end to a fierce contest, with the metronomic boot of Wales full back Leigh Halfpenny ultimately proving the difference after both sides scored two tries apiece. Following an anonymous performance against England in round one, emphasis in the Welsh camp had been on go-forward initiative. It took less than a minute for Jamie Roberts to make his first charge into the No 10 channel, but there was an over-eagerness as Jonathan Davies was turned over and Richard Hibbard mis-fired at the line-out. Wales dominated initial territory and possession, capitalising with a Halfpenny penalty, yet the tables were quickly turned. Wales' Dan Biggar comes crashing down after he is taken out in mid-air by Scotland's Finn Russell . Stuart Hogg breaks away to score the opening try for Scotland at Murrayfield . Wales' Alwyn Jones and Scotland's Ritchie Gray battle for the ball following a line-out . Alex Cuthbert was left isolated after a lateral run and he was turned over by fly-half Finn Russell. Richie Gray recycled, allowing Stuart Hogg to step on the gas and run under the posts from inside his own half. His try was converted by Laidlaw, who followed up with a penalty. Wales had been criticised for unnecessary kicking against England but they used the boot more effectively in the Scottish capital. The high-ball skills of Halfpenny, Dan Biggar and Liam Williams provided a dangerous attacking weapon and the trio challenged well for up-and-unders in Scottish territory. Rhys Webb was pulled down just short after a fine take by Halfpenny, who subsequently had the chance to narrow the deficit with a second penalty. Then Biggar was taken out in mid-air by his opposite number, Russell, and Wales took the sting out of Scotland’s momentum with a penalty while a yellow card came for the Scottish No 10. Wales launched a pivotal pitch-length counter-attack. Cuthbert made the initial surge, Williams kept the move going and sent Webb clear for his second try of the competition. Jonathan Davies joined Russell in the sin-bin for a second mid-air collision, but Gatland felt the initial incident was far more serious. ‘My initial reaction was the first one was red and the second one I am not sure,’ said the Wales coach. Scotland's Alasdair Dickinson is tackled by Wales' Dan Lydiate . Leigh Halfpenny scored four penalties and two conversions for Wales as part of an assured kicking performance . Rhys Webb breaks away from the base of the scrum for Wales during the Six Nations match at Murrayfield . Wales centre Jonathan Davies takes on Scotland's Finn Russelll . Jonathan Davies is brought down by John Beattie in the Six Nations game at Murrayfield . Urged on by the home crowd, Scotland looked to seize the half-time initiative but Wales killed off a 13-man driving maul and, after some dazzling footwork, Hogg was denied a certain score following a tackle by the equally brilliant Halfpenny. With Russell returning to the fold shortly after the break, Laidlaw edged his side back with three points following an excellent turnover by Alex Dunbar on Roberts. The kickers exchanged further penalties, before Williams had a try ruled out just before the hour. Following a rare missed kick by Halfpenny, the Scottish defence was eventually breached. Gatland had kept faith in his Lions and, after his yellow card, Davies went some way to repaying that when he ran a fine line off Biggar. The centre evaded the attention of Matt Scott and stepped inside Hogg to pull his side clear. Scotland, meanwhile, failed to turn their pressure into points. Laidlaw turned down a kick at goal, while Mark Bennett had a late score chalked off for a forward pass. Welsh crashed over for the last-minute score and Russell eventually kicked the conversion, but Scotland were left to rue lost time.
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Wales edged Scotland 26-23 at Murrayfield to recover from their opening game defeat to England in the Six Nations .
Leigh Halfpenny scored four penalties and two conversions for the visitors with an assured kicking display .
Rhys Webb and Jonathan Davies scored the tries for Wales .
Scotland fans felt the final whistle was blown prematurely, just as their side looked set to stage a comeback .
The result leaves Scotland without a point from two games in the Six Nations .
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By . Adam Crafton . Follow @@AdamCrafton_ . As Brazil prepare to take on Germany in the World Cup semi-final on Tuesday evening, they do so deprived of the services of their talisman Neymar and shorn of the attacking spark so readily associated with the country’s brand of football. In Neymar,'s absence the burden passes to the underwhelming Fred, notable only for his Anglicised name and the increasingly exasperating Hulk. It begs the question as to just what has happened to a country famed for attacking brilliance. Here, Sportsmail charts the alarming decline of several celebrated names that should, really, have been destined to play a major part in Brazil…. Scroll down for videos . Out: Alexandre Pato . Out: Kaka . Out: Robinho . Out: Philippe Coutinho . Down and out: Neymar's spinal injury has left Brazil fans looking for alternative attacking options . VIDEO Brazilian celebration tempered by Neymar injury . Alexandre Pato . Caps: 27, Goals: 10 . As a teenager, Pato was destined to be the star of this World Cup in his native Brazil. A precocious talent of extraordinary ability, he drew comparisons with the great Zico and broke Pele’s record as the youngest goal scorer in a FIFA competition as a 17-year-old. He earned a move to Italian giants AC Milan and then the problems began. Milan’s medical experts attributed his series of injuries to a growth spurt, but his party-going exploits caused equal measures of anxiety. Things started well, with the forward scoring 48 goals in his first 105 appearances but a high-profile relationship with the daughter of Silvio Berlusconi exposed Pato to the glare of the paparazzi, with the couple playing to the hype and relishing the publicity. Forgotten man: Pato celebrates a goal for Brazil against the US less than four years ago . Return to Europe? Pato has been playing for Sao Paulo but might be on his way back to Milan with Inter . It was even alleged that she personally put a block on a move to PSG - out of love - after his form had begun to suffer. Eventually, after making just 15 Serie A appearances in his final two years at the San Siro, he returned to Corinthians in January 2013. His time at Corinthians was scarred by poor form and violence and now aged 24, a return to Europe with Inter may be on the cards this summer as he seeks to resuscitate his career. Difficulties: Pato was seen as the next world class Brazil striker but he suffered with injuries in Milan . Kaka . Caps: 87, Goals: 29 . Still only 32, Kaka, the former World Player of the Year remains an immensely popular figure in Brazil, with 20,000 supporters gathering at the Marumbi Stadium to welcome him back to Sao Paulo earlier this month. Kaka, such a magnificent talent for AC Milan as the Rossoneri won the UEFA Champions League in 2007, saw his career stagnate after a sensational £56million move to Real Madrid, mostly due a serious injury to his left knee. Playmaker: The one-time world player of the year was Brazil's big hope in 2010 but they flopped . Home from home: Kaka was back with Milan last season but now is heading for Brazil and then the MLS . VIDEO No ill-felings over Brazil snub - Kaka . Four years on, he re-joined Milan on a free transfer last summer. He netted seven times last season but was unable to win over Luiz Felipe Scolari on the occasions that the Brazilian manager came to Italy to assess his performances. Kaka is now heading to the MLS with Orlando - via a loan move to his very first club Sao Paulo. Disappointment: His form in Italy earned a £65million move to Real Madrid but he struggled in Spain . Robinho . Caps: 92, Goals: 27 . The boy wonder that once led one Spanish newspaper to declare: ‘And God created Robinho!’ is now 30-years-old. There has never been a doubt over Robinho natural talent and the show-pony step-overs and shimmies represent all that the Brazilians adore about the game. His application, however, brings his ability into question. He left both Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini exasperated during his time with Manchester City, even if there were occasions when training would be paused so City’s young stars could applaud the latest moment of extraordinary inspiration by the Brazilian. Outsider: Robinho had been tipped by some for a place in Scolari's squad but he was eventually left out . Up there with the best: The Brazil trickster holds off Gerard Pique during a Champions League game . After scoring just six goals in his last two season with AC Milan, one of the brightest sparks from Brazil’s disappointing 2010 World Cup was omitted by Scolari. Quite simply, the 2014 incarnation of the Brazil, characterised by their high intensity and highly disciplined game-plans, do not make allowances for luxury passengers. A move for US awaits. Trend setter: Robinho was the first of the big money signings for Manchester City but he was frustrating . And what about Coutinho? Caps: 1, Goals: 0 . The Liverpool playmaker was a surprise omission to most observers that have watched Coutinho’s glittering performances at Anfield in the last twelve months. And that perception has only been amplified by the shoddy showings produced by Hulk from the left wing in Brazil. Potential: Coutinho played alongside Oscar in Brazil's successful 2011 U-20 World Cup campaign . Club form: Coutinho was brilliant for Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool as they finish second in the Premier League . Scolari opted for Hulk and Chelsea pair Oscar and Willian ahead of Coutinho and it is perhaps this decision that looks the most questionable as Brazil toil in the absence of their traditional flair at this World Cup. Coutinho’s ability to produce an eye-of-the-needle pass and counter attack with pace and quality would have been a useful addition to Brazil’s forward line but at the age of 22, he still has time to break into his national squad in the coming years. Missing link: It seems Coutinho's late-season Liverpool form was not enough to impress Scolari .
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Those three Brazil stars plus Pato were all left out by Scolari .
Brazil go into their semi final with Brazil without the usual attacking flair .
Neymar's injury leaves just Fred and Hulk as the hosts' main threats .
Could the Selecao have benefited from those left out?
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(CNN) -- Authorities have charged a 44-year-old man with attempted murder after an early morning shooting at a bar in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, police said Tuesday. Suspect Nathan Van Wilkins was charged with 17 counts of attempted murder in the shooting, which occurred at 12:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Copper Top bar near the University of Alabama campus, Tuscaloosa Police Sgt. Brent Blankley said. Wilkins also faces another attempted murder charge for a shooting earlier that night in a nearby subdivision, he said. Wilkins was in the Tuscaloosa County Jail Tuesday night with a $2 million bond, Blankley said. Police were confident Wilkins was the shooter "based on some of the things he's told us," Police Chief Steve Anderson said earlier Tuesday. No weapon had been recovered, he added. Tuesday afternoon, the suspect went into a business in Jasper, about 50 miles north of Tuscaloosa, and "indicated he was involved in the incident," Anderson said. He was taken into custody by police there and returned to Tuscaloosa. Surveillance video showed a man walking up to the bar, standing outside for a few minutes looking for someone and then beginning to shoot a military-style assault rifle, Anderson said. Tuscaloosa police Sgt. Brent Blankley said 17 people were admitted to DCH hospital with injuries related to the shooting. Anderson could not confirm how many of those admitted were shot and how many were injured by shrapnel or flying objects. Of those hurt, he said, one was in "extremely critical" condition, and three others were in critical condition. Police will work with federal authorities to enhance the surveillance footage, he said. Eleven shell casings have been recovered, Blankley said. The casings will be compared with those from a shooting that happened in a nearby neighborhood earlier in the evening, Anderson said. DCH hospital briefly went on lockdown after the incident in order to handle the influx of patients. Arrest made in slain Alabama twins case . Riley Dunn, a University of Alabama senior who was injured in the shooting, told The Tuscaloosa News that 80 to 90 people were in the bar at the time. "We were all just shooting pool and hanging out," Dunn said. "It was kind of loud from the music, but we heard the gunshot, and no one really knew what to think. The first gunshot took place, then about 20 seconds later, that's when he really started firing them off. After that, everyone really scattered." Dunn said he suffered a shrapnel-like wound to his leg. Anderson said three of the people injured during the shooting were students. Justin McDaniel, who was with Dunn at the scene, told The Tuscaloosa News that the injured left trails of blood outside the bar. He wasn't injured, but his shirt had large splotches of blood on it from running through the bar, the newspaper said. "We started getting away from the gunshot, like going towards out front, and that's where all the shooting really took place at," one witness told CNN affiliate WBMA. All he could see, he said, were "sparks and people ducking and glass busting. ... We never saw the guy shooting." Tuscaloosa, about 60 miles southwest of Birmingham, is home to the University of Alabama. The Copper Top is about a mile from campus. Auburn killings suspect appears in court . CNN's George Howell, Joe Sutton, Dave Alsup and Meridith Edwards contributed to this report.
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NEW: Police: Nathan Van Wilkins, 44, is in jail with a $2 million bond .
He faces 18 attempted murder charges .
Wilkins taken into custody after turning himself in at business 50 miles away .
Police say 17 people injured, four with critical wounds .
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Actress Ann B. Davis, an American television legend who held "The Brady Bunch" together in her role as housekeeper Alice Nelson, died Sunday. She was 88. Bishop William Frey, a close friend of Davis, told CNN the actress died at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas, where she was treated after hitting her head in a fall. The actress suffered a subdural hematoma, he said, and never regained consciousness. Appearing in her trademark light blue maid's uniform with a white apron, Alice anchored "The Brady Bunch" with her cheerful attitude and witty one-liners. As the sitcom's famous theme song played, showing each member of the Brady family's face in a grid, the devoted housekeeper was always smiling in the center. In a 2004 interview with the Archive of American Television, Davis described how she created the iconic character. "I made up a background story. I did have a twin sister, so I used that as a basis. ... I cared very much about this family. It was my family. It was as close to my family as Alice would ever get. I would have died for any single one of them at any point," she said. "You know, they wrote me such gorgeous things to do, as the intermediary between the kids and the adults, and between the boys and the girls. And they gave me funny things to do." See some of Alice's top moments from 'The Brady Bunch' In real life, Davis said she wasn't quite as handy around the house as her character. "I basically don't do that well with children, although my sister says I'm a great aunt," she told People magazine in 1992, adding that she hated to cook. "When it's my turn in the house," she told the magazine, "we just eat out." Even so, Davis penned "Alice's Brady Bunch Cookbook" in 1994, featuring recipes from the show and anecdotes from life on the set. Actress Florence Henderson, who played mom Carol Brady on the sitcom, said she was devastated to learn of Davis' death Sunday. "I am so shocked and sad to learn that my dear friend and colleague, Ann B Davis, died today," Henderson said in a Facebook post. "I spoke with her a couple of months ago and she was doing great!" Davis had planned to study medicine at the University of Michigan but caught the acting bug from her brother, who was a dancer in the national company of "Oklahoma," according to a biography of the actress on IMDb.com. Her big break in Hollywood came when she won the role of Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz, the secretary on the 1950s sitcom "The Bob Cummings Show," IMDb said. It was that character that won her two Emmy awards, two additional nominations for best supporting actress and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. But to generations of American TV viewers, she was best known as Alice. Frey, who knew Davis for 38 years, said fans often told her that they felt like they'd been raised by the character of Alice. "Look how well you turned out," she would reply, according to Frey. "All of us wish we had an Alice. I wish I had an Alice," Davis told People. "What you see on 'The Brady Bunch' was who she was," Frey said. "She was a very faithful Christian person." Davis mostly retired from show business in the late 1970s to settle down in an Episcopal community. "I'm convinced we all have a God-shaped space in us, and until we fill that space with God, we'll never know what it is to be whole," she told People. Even as she turned her focus more toward religion, she appeared in commercials and several stage productions. In the 1995 "The Brady Bunch" movie, she played a truck driver, persuading a runaway Jan to return home. While she also shone in movie and stage roles, she told the Archive of American Television that she loved working on the small screen. "The neatest thing about television is that they write for you. ... They find out what you can do, what you do best, how it works, and how they can use you. And so from there on, it's wonderful. Because it's different. It's not like playing the same play forever and ever and ever," she said. "But the character's still the same. It just gets better and more developed. So that's great fun." People we lost in 2014 .
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Florence Henderson: "I am so shocked and sad"
Actress Ann B. Davis, who played Alice on "The Brady Bunch," has died .
She died after falling and hitting her head Saturday morning, a friend says .
Her character anchored the show with witty one-liners and a cheerful attitude .
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By . Caroline Mcguire for MailOnline . It's a phrase you never stop hearing: the modern woman can have it all. But for one in four women aged 45 or over in Britain, one thing they will never have is a family of their own. Helen Burke, 39, from Basingtoke tried for a baby for 15 years: from the age of 22, all she wanted to do was have children. Fifteen years on and ten rounds of IVF later, she started going though the early menopause aged just 37, ending her dreams of ever becoming a mother. Scroll down for the video . Having family is one of most women's priorities, but soon one in four will reach 45 without having a baby (posed by model) Helen put off going to university in order to start a family straight after getting married, with her main aim in life being having a brood of children living under her roof. The thought of it never happening had never even occurred to her. She told MailOnline: 'I spent 15 years in a baby bubble, it was all I ever thought about. 'My whole life was focused on having a baby, when I wasn't having treatment I lived my life in four week cycles. 'I stayed in really dull jobs because of the maternity benefits they would offer, I lived extremely healthily. 'I tried various different fertility drugs, I also tried herbal Chinese teas, which were foul. 'I was told that cough medicine might help, so I took that even when I didn't have a cough. 'Anything somebody said, I would try.' Struggling to conceive can place serious strain on a couple's relationship (posed by model). Helen Burke believes the problems affected her first marriage, she said: 'Not being able to have children certainly wasn't the only reason that we broke up, but it definitely had an impact.' The strain of trying for a baby didn't just impact on Helen's own emotional health - she and her first husband divorced when was 30. She said: 'This is my second marriage. I was first married at 22 and we started trying for children immediately, but then we were divorced by 30. 'Not being able to have children certainly wasn't the only reason that we broke up, but it definitely had an impact, especially when all of our family and friends were having children. 'Then I started another relationship at 32, which was with is the man I am now married to. 'So we only went through five years of trying for a child together.' During the 15 years of trying, like most women who are struggling to conceive, Helen's situation was made more difficult by several other factors in her life, including her friends having babies, but also the comments and questions about her struggle that came from well-meaning individuals. She said: "We're really lucky in that we've been really open with our friends, so they're great, but that's not to say it hasn't been hard at times. 'There were always conversations that would crop up with people who wanted to know why I didn't have children yet. 'We call them "Bingos" at Gateway Women - the community for childless women that she attends - Bingos are the same conversations that you have with lots of people. 'People try to be helpful and discuss the issue, but you just get the same questions over and over again. Even when women have overcome the upset of being unable to conceive, the stress and emotions can rise again when their friends and family members become grandmothers. 'They think that you haven't considered a whole load of things, when of course you have - it's all you think about. 'Things like, have you thought about adoption? Of course!' Then two years ago, Helen was given the news she had been dreading - that she would never be able to get pregnant. She said: 'I was 37, which although it is quite young compared to most people in my situation, wasn't really for me because I started trying when I was 22, so I had done a 15-year stint. 'I was told the only option was adoption or egg donation and I initially thought, "Yes! Let's try that!" 'But for various reasons, my husband and I have decided it wasn't right for us. 'So I had this moment of realisation - that this thing I had wanted for so long was never going to happen. 'I had a lot of grief and went through a very difficult time after that, there was a while when I couldn't see anyone with children anymore. 'It broke me. 'And of course, I do still sometimes look at my friends who have kids and think that could have been my life.' But after two difficult years, Helen and her husband have now come round to the idea of having life without children. She said: 'Being honest and open about it really helped me. 'We don't hear about women that pregnancy doesn't happen for, we only hear about the miracles cases - the ones where it works, . 'Going to Gateway Women has been a massive part of my recovery. 'I am now studying psychology at Open University - I am very interested in what makes people work.' And apart from that, she and her husband are just waiting to see what the future will bring them. She said: 'Sometimes when you're in my situation, people think you must do something really amazing with your life, but we decided we're happy as long as our life has meaning to us. 'Because you put so much pressure on yourself when you are trying for a child that it is nice to just calm down for a bit afterwards.' Helen is now sharing her story in an effort to help any other women who may be going through the same situation. Wanting a family of your own is one of the most natural things in the word, but more and more women are now reaching middle age without giving birth. She said: 'I spent about 15 years in this baby bubble and I never once heard anyone who had been in my situation talk about it. 'I think it's because it's just too scary, people don't always want to listen that things don't always work out, that life isn't fair. 'It's still a taboo. 'But what I'd like to get across is if you are in this situation, there are people who can help - it's not the end of the world. 'I don't want to belittle what I went though because it broke my heart not being able to have a baby, but you can come out the other side of it and things do get better.' Helen was talking out as part of a BBC Radio 4 programme called A Life Without A Child, which can now be listened to on BBC iPlayer, which talks to three women about what it means to be childless. The show addresses the taboo of being a woman with no kids and the trauma and stress of years women go through to try and make that happen.
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Helen Burke, 39, had been trying for children since she was 22 .
Had put her life on hold to start family, including skipping university .
She is now sharing her story to help others in the same situation .
Comes as R4 programme looks into emotional toll of childlessness .
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By . Amanda Williams and Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 12:36 EST, 20 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:17 EST, 20 February 2013 . A police special protection officer has been found shot dead at a house in London. The 43 year old PC, from the Specialist Protection Command, was found at the address in Camden yesterday afternoon. The unit covers protection duties for VIPs including the Prime Minister. Probe: A police special protection officer has been found shot dead at a house in Camden, north London. This is a view of King's Terrace, where the man was found . Horrific: Police officers forced their way into a property and found the body of the 43-year-old man with a gunshot injury . The Metropolitan Police said that the death is not being treated as suspicious. An investigation is now underway which will look at whether a police firearm was involved. The Met Police would not confirm or deny this evening if the officer would have had access to a police weapon. The officer, who has not been named, is thought to have moved with his . girlfriend to the cobbled mews tucked away in Camden less . than two years ago. Neighbours said they arrived home from work to see the front door of the . converted mews house smashed in and murder detectives stationed . outside. A neighbour who lived upstairs but did not want to comment said: . 'Yesterday the police turned up, the front door was smashed in and so . was the front of the door of the flat where the couple lived. I assumed . there had been a burglary, I didn't realise it was as serious as it is. 'I didn't know them. They were a young middle aged couple, they were a . professional couple. I just found out he was a police officer but I . didn't know that before. High profile: The officer found dead yesterday worked for Protection Command, which is responsible for protecting VIPs, including the Prime Minister. This is a file picture . 'It was very unexpected, we have never had any trouble or disturbances . before. It is shocking. It is upsetting for the family, they are only a . young couple.' Police officers went door to door to ask neighbours if they had heard anything and requested CCTV from nearby shops and offices. Another man who lives in the street said: 'There were four homicide . officers here last night and a couple of uniformed officers. They went . door to door to all the neighbours in the street and asked us if we had . heard anything. 'They just said something serious had happened. They didn't say he had . been shot but you could in infer by the amount officers in the area.' A Met Police spokesman said: 'At 4.04pm on Tuesday, 19 February 2013, police went . to a residential address in Camden following concerns about the . occupant. Investigation: This image shows King's Terrace during the daytime . 'Officers forced entry to the property in King's Terrace and found the body of a man with a gunshot injury. 'The man was pronounced dead at 4.45pm. 'He was a 43-year-old PC in the MPS Specialist Protection Command which is part of Specialist Operations.' The man was not under investigation . as part of either the 'plebgate' probe or the inquiries into alleged . phone hacking and corrupt payments to public officials. Specialist . Operations is divided into three sections which are known as commands. Within the three commands are several units which are used for . protection. The officer . found dead yesterday worked for Protection Command, which is made up of . three units. They are responsible for protection for ministers and public officials deemed to be at threat from . terrorism. This includes visiting heads of government and public . figures. The spokesman added that next of kin have been informed. Officers from the MPS Directorate of . Professional Standards (DPS) are investigating. They will prepare a . report for the coroner in due course. A post mortem examination will be held and an inquest will be opened and adjourned shortly. The Independent Police Complaints Commission has been informed.
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The 43-year-old was found dead at Camden address .
He worked for Specialist Protection Command .
Death is not being treated as suspicious .
Met Police would not confirm or deny if officer had access to police weapon .
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For those who are already married, most would know that organisation is key to planning a wedding and then there is the dreaded cost of a wedding. But a Sydney couple have decided not to worry too much about the big grand plan for their day, instead opting to stage a relatively casual affair with a pop up wedding. It was in Sydney's CBD that school sweethearts Annie and Isaac Ledley held their wedding ceremony which was documented by bridal blog Hello May. Pop up wedding : Annie and Isaac (pictured) opted for a more casual affair, their ceremony was in an alleyway in Sydney's CBD, where they didn't have to book . The boys : the Groom (Isaac middle left) with the groomsmen . A Sydney flashmob wedding or pop up wedding - Bride Annie (pictured) thought it would be better to have a wedding that suited the pairs style . Signing the wedding book : Annie and Isaac in their pop up wedding . The nervous wait : The couple had their wedding in a Sydney alleyway . 'We made sure there were no events around, and the restaurant in the alley was closed,' said Annie when they held their wedding ceremony in an alleyway . Equipped with giant-sized paper flowers, the pair took their group of guests to Angel Place, an alleyway in the city - unannounced and without the usual booking. 'It was actually my husband's idea, he wanted to have it on the Harbour Bridge but I didn't want to get arrested, so we scaled down and loved Angel Place,' Annie said. 'It's frustrating trying to organise outdoor weddings with all the restrictions. We took the risk, we like adventure and are always thinking outside the box.' Annie said they did not have to pay any councils fees for the ceremony on Sunday and they were done in about 10 minutes. 'We made sure there were no events around, and the restaurant in the alley was closed.' And the bride could not have been any happier with how everything turned out. 'It was incredible, amazing. Like a flashmob,' she said. 'Some people were quite concerned but everyone was blown away and everyone cried even the photographer, it was crazy.' Equip with giant sized paper flowers, the pair took their group of guests to Angel place, Sydney's CBD, an alleyway in the city where the ceremony took place . The wedding party having photos - part of a pop up wedding in Sydney . Isaac (groom) having photos with the backdrop of city buildings in Sydney's CBD . The Sydney couple loved their surroundings and the idea of a pop up wedding . Annie (left) had some of her photos walking in Sydney's streets before the unique ceremony in an alleyway in Angel place and a reception at Ripples Chowder Bay (right) Annie and Isaac (pictured) got to have photos within the streets of Sydney . Getting ready for the big day - Annie (pictured) fixing one her flower girls' flower head piece . 'Loved the sandstone and all the hangings and the birdcages, public art work and the great space.' And the special event certainly became a spectacle for the rest of the public, some who stood by and watching as the couple exchanged their vows. 'A lot of people were like, what the heck..... they joined the back of the ceremony, tour groups, another wedding was taking photos as well, two policeman walked down and watched and just left,' she said. The unique wedding saw the bride wearing a vintage style lace gown, with iced blue tulle underneath by Atelier Altaari. 'I loved the colour, didn't want the usual cookie cutter dress.' 'It took a while to know what to wear but I met the dress maker three months before the wedding, so there was not much time.' All the flowers were from Annie's boutique Francis Floristry which incorporated a brightly coloured flower headpiece, with hot pink, and a cascading bouquet. 'I did all the floristry, reception, everything head to toe,' said Annie. The couple also got photos taken as they walked down to Circular Quay and had their reception at Ripples Chowder Bay which they traveled to by boat. Drew a crowd : the wedding which took place in an alleyway in Sydney's CBD (Angel place) drew quite a crowd, even two policeman looked on as they exchanged vows . The birdcages in Angel Place in Sydney's CBD were a bit of a spectacle for wedding guests . 'Everyone was blown away,' said bride Annie who was very happy with how her pop up wedding turned out . The Sydney couple got on a boat to the reception venue at Ripples Chowder Bay . 'It was more about celebration of our love and families love for us,' said Bride Annie . Annie (pictured) with all her flower girls . 'It was more about celebration of our love and families love for us.' 'It was a lot more casual, I loved the idea.' 'It was more about the celebration of our love,' said bride Annie of having a pop up wedding . Celebrant Joshua Withers says the pop up wedding trend has really started to take off. 'When we first started doing it, I didn't think there'd be a wide appeal but week by week it is growing crazily,' he said. 'This coming Sunday I have seven couples, next May on the Gold Coast I am marrying 16 couples on the same day.' 'Some people want to get married without the fuss, it's a growing trend that's becoming popular but not for everyone.' He describes pop up weddings as a unique way to celebrate a couple getting married. 'It won't appeal or apply to everyone, usually find a place, time, date, it's simple, casual and not the big white wedding, like Will and Kate's.' 'Usually little down to the core and basics, relatable to people getting married.' And people it seems in Western Australia are relishing the idea and the need to have pop up weddings is becoming so popular it can be hard to keep up. 'WA gobbled it up, there's a lot of interest in Victoria, I'm too busy to get there, but there's interest everywhere,' said Joshua. 'People are getting married because they want to, it doesn't degrade the value of marriage, what happens on the day doesn't define them.' Pop up weddings are becoming a trend across Australia . More and more people are opting to have pop up weddings, considered a growing trend in Australia . After photos on a walk to Circular Quay, the couple (pictured) took a boat to their reception venue . An intimate and unique wedding in an alleyway in Sydney's CBD . Bride Annie (pictured) couldn't be any happier with how here pop up wedding turned out . Annie (pictured) styled all the flowers for her wedding (Francis Floristy) including her head piece . Wedding flowers : Annie who is a florist organised all the flowers on the day . Looking handsome : Isaac(groom ) The groom and groomsmen (pictured) used the old alleyways in Sydney's CBD for some great pics before the ceremony in Angel Place . A relaxing day for the groom and his groomsment . The stunning flowers Annie and Isaac had at their pop up wedding . More and more people are taking on the pop up wedding trend . Cutting the cake : Annie and Isaac (pictured) getting ready to cut their cake at their reception . The venue for reception : Ripples Chowder bay . Some beautiful photos at the couples Sydney pop up wedding .
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School sweethearts stage pop up wedding in Sydney's CBD .
Annie and Isaac say they didn't book a ceremony location, they just turned up with their guests .
Annie wore a vintage lace gown with iced blue tulle by Atelier Altaari .
Pop up weddings, an increasing trend in Australia .
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A computer programmer claims he increased his productivity at work by hiring a woman to slap him every time she catches him looking at Facebook. Maneesh Sethi placed an advert on the classified website Craigslist to recruit someone willing to monitor what he was looking at on his laptop. The computer expert and writer, from San Francisco, now pays a female employee £5 ($8) an hour to strike him in the face if she spots him wasting time on social media. Scroll down for video . Slap happy: Maneesh Sethi , a computer programmer claims he increased his productivity at work by hiring a woman to slap him every time she catches him looking at Facebook . Mr Seethi claims the unusual motivational system has helped him boost his productivity from just 35 percent to around 98 percent during the working day. Writing on his blog, he said he felt embarrassed after calculating he wasted around 19 hours every week looking at Facebook or other social media websites. He wrote: 'Humans are social animals - we aren't designed to live and work alone. Getting ready: Mr Seethi claims the unusual motivational system has helped him boost his productivity from just 35 percent to around 98 percent during the working day . 'Now that the average worker's job is to sit in front of a computer, often with no supervision, it's no surprise that we are only productive a three days each week. 'Having worked mostly alone, on my computer, I found that the majority of my time is spent unproductively.' He added: 'Nothing makes me more embarrassed than seeing the amount of hours I spend wasted on Reddit and Facebook chat. 'I figured 'This is stupid, why am I wasting this time doing nothing? When I have a boss, or someone of authority watching me, I always get my work done. How can I simulate the authority figure?' 'Naturally, I believe that an authority figure should have real authority. Reprimanded: Mr Seethi dodges out of sight after he has been slapped . 'So I went on Craigslist, put up an advertisement, and waited to see if anyone would bite.' Mr Seethi published details on his blog of his Craigslist advert, which was entitled '(Domestic gigs) Slap me if I get off task'. In it he wrote: 'I'm looking for someone who can work next to me at a defined location (my house or a cafe) and will make sure to watch what is happening on my screen. 'When I am wasting time, you'll have to yell at me or if need be, slap me. 'You can do your own work at the same time. Looking for help asap. Mission accomplished: The smiling pair go back to work . 'Compensation: $8 / hour, and you can do your own work from your computer at the same time.' Mr Seethi said he was inundated with offers from potential slappers and quickly hired a volunteer he names only as Kara. He wrote: 'Within minutes, my inbox began blowing up. 'I received 20 emails in less than an hour from people who loved the idea. I read through them, found one that stood out, and hired her to meet me at a cafe the day after. 'The next day, at 9am, I found Kara sitting and waiting for me. 'Pulling up a seat, I gave her the basic instructions - she would monitor me for the next few hours, and make sure that I was staying on task. 'I gave her a list of action items that I needed to accomplish, and made her promise to force me to stay on task.' A hilarious video on Youtube shows Mr Seethi working in a cafe alongside his new employee. Kara can be seen slapping him firming around the head when she spots him wasting time online. The computer programmer claimed the ever-present threat of a physical assault helped him to radically boost his output by staying focused on his work. He wrote: 'The Slap Challenge added a playful, silly element to working. 'It gave me a non-conventional reminder of what I was supposed to be doing - and it ended up being something I didn't want to happen again.'
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Maneesh Sethi placed an advert on the classified website Craigslist to recruit someone willing to monitor what he was looking at on his laptop .
Pays a female employee £5 ($8) an hour to strike him in the face .
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A D-Day veteran left for dead on a Normandy battlefield has unearthed a haunting letter that prematurely informed his family of his death. Private Bill Ward's superiors thought he'd been killed when they found him lying unconscious and covered in blood after a mortar bomb exploded and he was peppered with shrapnel. His unit was making its way back to Caen, following several hours of fighting, having earlier landed on the beach in Normandy as part of June 6, 1944's allied invasion of northern France. Back from the dead: Private Bill Ward's superiors sent his family a letter telling them he'd been killed in D-Day landings in France in June 1944 after finding him unconscious. Mr Ward is pictured holding the letter (left), and as a 19-year-old soldier (right) With the blood-soaked 19-year-old motionless, his commander Sergeant George Smith assumed the worst before running for cover. But fortune shone on the recent conscript, who was scooped up by the medical corps and awoke the following day in a Folkestone hospital. Deafened in one ear, he immediately wrote to his parents to give them the good news of his survival. But Sergeant Smith, believing his comrade had been killed, had also written to his family to share his sorrow at the news. It was only when his mother died, in 1988, that Mr Ward found the letter - and which the 87-year-old is now considering donating to his local museum in Dorking, Surrey. Bizarrely, Private Ward fought alongside Sergeant Smith again later on in the war, when Ward rejoined B Company of the 1st Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment. Historic: Private Ward was injured as allied troops landed on the beaches in Normandy in June 1944. Omaha Beach is pictured secured after D-Day . An astonished Sgt Smith described the unexpected reunion as like 'seeing a ghost'. But the pair never spoke about the note home that detailed how Ward had been buried in a tiny French village. Although his mother never mentioned the letter, Mr Ward said he felt sure his own had arrived first. 'When I found that letter it shook me,' he said. 'I had never seen it. It was brilliant that I got my letter in before he did. 'Had it been the other way round, I don't know what would have happened.' Triumphant: After landing at the shore, these British troops wait for the signal to move forward, during the initial Allied landing operations in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944 . Private Ward survived the war despite suffering a second injury in October 1944 and experiencing a fierce battle at Pavie, near Chjnedolli, where his comrade Corporal Sidney Bates died winning the Victoria Cross. In peacetime, North Holmwood-born Mr Ward married his wife Jean, had two daughters, and worked as a driver and conductor for London Country buses before retiring to Ockley in Surrey. Mr Ward said of his unusual piece of war memorabilia: 'I've got no grandchildren, my daughters aren't interested in it, so I'm not sure what to do with it. 'I've been debating for years whether to take it down to Dorking Museum.' Dear madam . Please let me on behalf of all ranks of my regiment convey our deepest sympathy in the loss of your dearly beloved son William. I was his section commander so I realise that it's my place to let you know all I can about your son. I found him a very happy person, very keen on his job. He was greatly liked by us all and [be] assured that he is missed terribly by everyone. He died at peace with the world and without any suffering, which I can thank God for. He was buried in a little French village by the military authorities with other mates of his. His grave is being attended to daily by a party of gallant little French people constantly under enemy fire. They are therefore showing their gratitude to us all by their action. We have all done our best for him and I sincerely hope you will be able to understand that I have written to make things more clear to you. If there is anything further we can do for you I would like you to say. In expressing our heartfelt feelings again from all concerned, I am yours sincerely . G Smith .
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Private Bill Ward was found unconscious following D-Day invasion in 1944 .
His superiors thought he'd been killed and wrote to his family to tell them .
But Private Ward had survived and also wrote home to tell them the news .
He only found the letter at the family home after his mother died .
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Olivier Giroud is positive he can form a destructive strike partnership with new Arsenal signing Alexis Sanchez this season. Manager Arsene Wenger has talked up the Chilean player's ability to play through the middle as a loan striker as well as from the flanks. But £30 million man Sanchez started out wide in the 3-0 Community Shield thrashing of Manchester City, and Giroud made the most of his chance, firing in the third goal. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Jack Wilshere order Giroud out for the warm-up . Back of the net: Olivier Giroud (centre) celebrates scoring against Manchester City at Wembley . Impressive: Alexis Sanchez (left) is pursued by Stevan Jovetic as he produced a decent performance on his competitive debut for Arsenal . The French striker said: 'I have a good understanding with Alexis. It is always easy to play with this kind of player. 'He will need some more games to adapt his game to the Premier League but he is a fantastic player so I think he will do a great season. 'He has different qualities. He can bring pace and technique and he's a great finisher.' Arsenal's title challenge last season faltered partly due to an over-reliance on Giroud. Wenger responded by snapping up 25-year-old World Cup star Sanchez from Barcelona and his new teammate is adamant Arsenal are ideally placed to win a first Premier League title since 2004. The experienced manager has also signed Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and David Ospina while World Cup winners Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil still to return from an extended break. Nice one lads: L-r Mathieu Debuchy, Mathieu Flamini, Giroud, Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain celebrate lifting some more silverware for Arsenal . Giroud, who scored 22 goals last season in all competitions, said: 'We have a good quality squad and that is why I think we will be stronger than last year. 'When our German World Cup players come back and join us we will be stronger and hopefully stay that way until May. 'Last year we did well until March and then had a bad run after.' Giroud's long-range strike clinched victory at Wembley after first half goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey. On the scoresheet: Giroud's brilliant effort loops over Man City goalkeeper Willy Caballero . Arsenal get their Premier League bid underway on Saturday against Crystal Palace at the Emirate and last season's top scorer is raring to go. 'I was feeling ok in the game and will be ready for the Crystal Palace match,' Giroud added. 'It's always great for a striker to score. 'I was man of the match and I will take it with pleasure.' Ticker tape parade: Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta lifts the Community Shield .
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French striker added to goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey as Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield at Wembley .
Giroud thinks he can play up front with new signing Sanchez .
He believes Arsenal are well-placed for a first Premier League title a decade .
Raring to go for league campaign's start against Crystal Palace on Saturday .
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(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic was a man in a hurry. The two-time defending champion at the ATP World Tour Finals might have been expected to be tested by the new U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, in their Group A opener, but it turned in to a one-sided rout Monday. World number one Djokovic broke the giant Croatian no less than six times on his way to a 6-1 6-1 victory in less than an hour at the 02 Arena in London. It was the Serbian's 11th straight victory at the end of season event and his 28th straight in matches played indoors. Cilic's powerful serve, which so helped him to his grand slam triumph at Flushing Meadow, was rendered impotent by the returning brilliance of the number one seed, . "It was a great performance obviously," he said after his quickfire victory. "Marin was a U.S. Open winner but I managed to neutralize his service and get a lot of balls back in play." Djokovic, who is looking to wrap up the season-ending No.1 ranking, will achieve that feat if he reaches the semifinal stage with a 3-0 winning record from the round-robin group. He plays Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland next on Wednesday and the Australian Open champion was also a commanding winner in his group opener. Wawrinka also dropped just two games in beating giant Czech Tomas Berdych in a little over an hour. The number three seed has been in poor recent form, but he showed a big improvement against the misfiring Berdych, who made 24 errors. He was damning in his verdict of his performance following the defeat. "Well, unfortunately it was my worst match of the whole season," Berdych told the ATP World Tour website. "My game is about hitting the ball nice, clean, then you can create something. But that's the beginning of what I didn't have today at all. I hit so many frames." Spectators at the prestigious eight-man event have now seen four matches with four straight sets victories, the pattern started as Japan's Kei Nishikori beat home favorite Andy Murray 6-4 6-4 in the opener Sunday. Roger Federer, who can still pip Djokovic to the top ranking, followed up with a 6-1 7-6 win over Milos Raonic as he began his quest for a record seventh ATP World Tour Finals crown.
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Novak Djokovic wins opening match in ATP World Tour Finals .
Beats U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic 6-1 6-1 .
Stanislas Wawrinka thrashes Tomas Berdcyh by same margin .
First day wins for Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori .
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(CNN) -- An off-duty fire department official in Columbus, Ohio, had to be resuscitated Saturday after being struck by lightning, Columbus Fire Battalion Chief Tracy Smith told CNN. The lieutenant with the Columbus Division of Fire went into cardiac arrest after the lightning strike at the Columbus Crew Stadium, Smith said. He was transported to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center where he remains in critical condition, Smith said. According to the firefighters union's Facebook page, the man who was struck is Lt. Stu Tudor, and firefighters as well as Columbus Police Department personnel are keeping watch at Tudor's bedside. The man was attending a charity soccer event, Smith said. The game was postponed because of the storm, according to the Columbus Crew Facebook page. Brad Williams, who was attending the game with his 5-year-old son, said he didn't see Tudor get hit, but was among the thousands caught up in the intense storm. "It was huge, we could literally feel it," Williams said of the lightning. "I could easily see everyone jump back gasping, 'Oh my God.'" CNN's Kristina Sgueglia contributed to this report.
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Fan at game describes the lightning storm as intense .
Lt. Stu Tudor was struck by lightning at a Columbus Crew charity game .
He is in critical condition, fire official says .
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Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has said it would be 'very good' for Champions League rival Pep Guardiola to manage one day in the Premier League. Pellegrini faces Guardiola on Tuesday night with the Bayern Munich manager tipped in some quarters to be his eventual successor at The Etihad due to his previous working relationship at Barcelona with City executives Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain. Far from baulking at the mention of Guardiola's name, Pellegrini has heaped praise on his counterpart and said he could see the benefits for the Bayern boss of working in England at some point. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Bayern Munich 4-0 Hoffenheim match highlights . Pep Guardiola showed the full range of his emotions as Bayern Munich beat Hoffenheim 4-0 on Saturday . Manuel Pellegrini's side warmed up for Bayern Munich with a 2-1 win over Swansea . Steven Jovetic celebrates scoring Manchester City's first goal against Swansea on Saturday . Yaya Toure (centre) scored the winning goal against Swansea in City's 2-1 win . 'I cannot read what will happen in the future but I am sure if sometime he arrives here, he will be a very important manager as he was in Barcelona and now at Bayern Munich. But it is impossible for me to know,' said Pellegrini. Asked if he though Guardiola would come to the Premier League, the City boss replied: 'Maybe, yes. I think it will be very good for him and very good for the Premier League also. But I cannot talk for Pep Guardiola. 'I think Pep always gives a style of play to all his teams. Maybe the players are not the same so Barcelona and Bayern Munich do not play exactly the same. But they are always very attractive teams and very offensive teams that likes to have high possession of the ball. 'I think that Pep is a very good manager, he demonstrated what he did in Barcelona and now at Bayern Munich but I think the most important thing for us is to try to make a very good game against a great team.' Guardiola's contract in Germany has another 18 months to run and he is likely to be coveted by every major team in Europe afterwards, including Arsenal and Manchester United if they have vacancies. Jerome Boateng celebrates scoring the winner against Manchester City when the teams met in September . Joe Hart was left helpless as Boateng (not pictured) scored the only goal in Bayern's 1-0 win over City . Tuesday night represents a huge match for Pellegrini who was hired to replace Roberto Mancini in 2013 partly due to his success in taking unfashionable Malaga to the last eight of the Champions League. Ironically the Chilean's greatest success at City so far has come in domestic competitions, winning the Premier League and Capital One Cup last season. City crashed out in the last-16 of the competition last season and have collected only two points from four games in their group games in this campaign. Defeat against Bayern will end their Champions League hopes and Pellegrini says he is putting more pressure on himself than the owners are applying to avoid that happening. 'My own pressure to continue to the next round is an important pressure – more maybe than the owners,' he said. 'Of course I think we must be in the next stage. A lot of times you don’t reach the target you are supposed to do but that is the way to sit down and think about what happened. I repeat, I will do that after we know if we are not in the next stage. Polish striker Robert Lewandowski rises to double Bayern Munich's lead just before the half-time break . Arjen Robben (centre) made it 3-0 to Bayern late in the second half against Hoffenheim . 'If we don’t continue to the round of 16 then of course it is a step back but we have to play two more games and we will see what happens in those games. After that I can answer, not at this moment.' Pellegrini's hopes aren't helped by missing Yaya Toure and Fernandinho on Tuesday due to their red cards against CSKA Moscow in their previous European games. David Silva, Aleksandr Kolarov and Edin Dzeko are also currently injured. In addition, the City boss has been hamstrung by Uefa restrictions on squad size and spending power due to the club breaching financial fair play regulations. It led to Pellegrini allowing striker Alvaro Negredo out on loan. 'We had a lot of restrictions, we cannot have more than 21 players in the Champions League squad. It is a lot of things but it is not my way to use all these things to excuse bad results. We have a squad, we have the reality of what happened this year and have to work that way.' Bayern have already qualified for the knockout stages and are favourites with Barcelona and Real Madrid to the win the Champions League, boasting star names like Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Robert Lewandowski and World Cup winners Mario Goetze, Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller. Captain Philippe Lahm is out though with a long-term injury.
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Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola will clash again on Tuesday .
Guardiola has 18 months left on his contract at Bayern Munich and has long been linked with a move to the Premier League .
If Manchester City lose to Bayern they will be out of the Champions League .
City beat Swansea 2-1 on Saturday while Bayern beat Hoffenheim 4-0 .
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By . James Chapman . PUBLISHED: . 20:14 EST, 3 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:38 EST, 5 June 2013 . Dragon's’ Den entrepreneur James Caan was accused of ‘total hypocrisy’ yesterday after he insisted parents should not help their children get jobs – but failed to mention he has employed both his daughters. On his first day as Nick Clegg’s adviser on social mobility, Mr Caan insisted that job prospects should not depend on ‘who you know rather than what you can do’. He suggested children should be encouraged to make their own way in life and that their parents should step in only if they were in serious difficulty. Double standards: New government tsar James Caan, pictured with wife Aisha (left), said parents should not help their children to get jobs despite employing his daughter Hanah (right) three times . However, Mr Caan, 52, a private equity . and recruitment tycoon and a former panellist on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, made no mention of the fact that his daughter Hanah has held three . positions in his various ventures. Miss Caan, 25, who describes herself . as ‘sort of like Maggie Thatcher meets Paris Hilton’ on Twitter, spent a . year working at her father’s private equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw. Since 2010, she has been on the board . of trustees of the James Caan Foundation, which helps fund building . projects in Pakistan among other causes. And in May last year, she started as . an adviser with the government-backed Start-Up Loans Company, of which . her father is chairman. It also emerged that his older daughter Jemma, 26, works for a recruitment firm he part-owns. Later, Mr Caan sought to defend his . daughters’ appointments but admitted that, like any parent, he has an . ‘innate’ sense he should help his children in to work. Tory MP Brian Binley, a member of the . Commons Business Select Committee, accused Mr Caan of being ‘totally . hypocritical’, adding: ‘If parents aren’t there to give all the help . they can to their children then I don’t know what they are there for.’ Embarrassment: Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is due to name Mr Caan as an adviser on opening up business to 'talent' tomorrow . Downing Street suggested David Cameron . does not agree with Mr Caan’s advice. ‘His view is every parent wants . what’s best for their children,’ a spokesman said. In response to the furore, Mr Caan, . who has been chosen to lead the Government’s Opening Doors campaign to . encourage businesses to have ‘open and fair’ recruitment processes, . insisted both his daughters were treated the same as other applicants to . his companies. He said: ‘I absolutely believe that . parents should encourage their children to explore their own . opportunities. The fact is that parents will always have the innate . feeling to help their children into jobs. I’m no different. ‘In my own situation, my eldest . daughter Jemma spent four years of pursuing many jobs to establish . herself on her own career path. More recently over the last six months . she joined a recruitment company that I have an investment in. ‘Despite my involvement she still had . to go through a rigorous recruitment process with a number of different . candidates and demonstrate her own abilities. ‘When my daughter Hanah... graduated . she volunteered in my then start-up business Hamilton Bradshaw. She . later submitted her CV and interviewed for a graduate internship . position within the business to enable her to follow a formal process.’ Speaking on Sky News today, he added: 'I find some parents have a very clear idea about what they want their children to do, but it is also important to understand what the child wants to do.'
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Parents should only use influence if children fail to find work after year .
Caan will be appointed as Government's new social mobility tsar this week .
He argued not assisting offspring was actually beneficial .
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(AOL Autos) -- Meet today's most powerful production cars. Call your banker: The 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 costs more than $313,000 . Today, we are experiencing the automobile world's Age of Superlative Speed. During no other decade have so many cars offered so much speed. The secret behind the speed is power, because to go fast you need horsepower...and lots of it. We took a look at the most powerful (and fastest) production vehicles sold in the United States plus the technology that makes the power possible. Want Horsepower? Bring money. There is a direct link between big horsepower and big money. The reason is simple; to make a reliable 600+ horsepower engine costs tens (or even hundreds) of thousands of dollars. Then you must wrap the engine in a vehicle capable of handling that prodigious power -- another hugely expensive proposition because to be safe at high speeds requires a sophisticated chassis, huge brakes and NASA-quality aerodynamics. The Horsepower per Dollar Champion Dodge Viper SRT-10 The first member of our 600+ Horsepower Club is the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT-10. It's also the value champion, with a list price of under $85,000. An 8.4-liter cam-in-block, two-valve per-cylinder V-10 produces exactly 600 horsepower the old-fashioned way, with lots of displacement -- not fancy technology. For those who still appraise engines in cubic inches, the V-10 measures out at 512 cubic inches. What does so much horsepower feel like? Of all the cars listed in this story, your author has only put significant miles on the Viper. We measured its limits at a Detroit drag strip where we experienced an epiphany of power. After completing ¼-mile runs in less than 11.8 seconds at over 123 mph, we now understand the lust unadulterated that power creates. Left to run, the Viper's top speed is over 200 mph. 2008 Mercedes SL 65 AMG If your tastes are more sophisticated than the Detroit-born and built Viper, perhaps you'll appreciate the Mercedes SL 65 AMG hard-top roadster. It's 6.0-liter V-12 is fitted with twin turbochargers to produce 604 horsepower and a staggering 738 ft-lb of torque. The engine's technology and the car's formidable provenance command a list price of almost $190,000. 2008 Mercedes S & CL 65 AMG Mercedes-Benz spent considerable engineering research and development dollars developing their hugely powerful V-12, so this engine finds its way into many of the company's highest performing models, including the handsome Mercedes S 65 AMG Sedan and Mercedes CL 65 AMG Coupe (both cost around $200k). In these configurations, the engine produces 612 horsepower. Top speed (as with many high-performance German cars) is electronically limited to 155 mph. 2008 Maybach 62 and 57 In case you didn't know, Mercedes-Benz owns Maybach. This division is for Mercedes what Lexus is to Toyota. Not surprisingly, Maybach makes use of the same 612-horse twin-turbo V-12 found in powerful Mercedes to propel the stately 62 and 57 limousine-like sedans. These ultra rare, ultra premium, and ultra powerful sedans are available at ultra prices ranging between $350,000-$440,000. 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren What do you get when you combine racing technology with supreme luxury? The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. McLaren is famous in racing series the world over for their advanced engineering, and the company's partnership with Mercedes resulted in the SLR. This 617-horsepower, 212 mph automotive arrow carries a list price of just under half a million. The power comes from a supercharged 5.5-liter V-8. 2008 Ferrari 599 Producing 620 horsepower at a screaming 7600 RPM, the 6-liter V-12 in the Ferrari 599 is the most powerful engine the legendary Italian company has ever let loose on the streets. With a top speed of 200+ mph and the ability to reach 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, the 599 is among the world's most impressive performers, especially at its list price of $302,584. 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 The horsepower war isn't just global, it's local. Ferrari and Lamborghini have been battling it out for Italian bragging rights since the 1960s. Currently, Lambo is on top with their 632-horsepower 6.5-liter V-12 found in their Murcielago coupe and roadster LP640 models. Audi now owns the Italian automaker, so quality is solid. Prepare to spend $313,600 for a coupe, more for a roadster. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 The Bugatti Veyron bends the mind in so many ways. First, its horsepower 1001 eclipses every other production car on the planet. The engine displaces 8 liters (less than the Dodge Viper) but utilizes 16 cylinders configured as a W (actually twin off-set V-8 engines that share a common crankshaft). There are four turbochargers. The Veyron's top speed has been confirmed by multiple sources to be over 250 mph, attainable only after utilizing the car's "top speed key." At this speed, the car burns 2.46 miles per gallon. This land-bound missile figuratively blasts off from a stop with a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system, reaching 60 mph in 2.5 seconds (say, "one Mississippi, two Mississippi.") With the exchange rate what it is, check with your banker, as you'll need approximately $1.5 million to put the German-built Bugatti Veyron 16.4 in your estate's carriage house (or under the car port of your apartment). With a 10-percent down, your monthly outlay over 60 months at 6.75% interest will be an affordable $26,572 prior to tax and title fees. Coming Soon: Corvette ZR1 Introduced at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show this past January, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will be unleashed with a supercharged V-8 producing at least 620 horsepower when it goes on sale this fall. Expect phenomenal performance with a top speed in excess of 200 mph at a relatively affordable price of around $100,000. (Chevy always did know how to deliver value.) Not quite production, but over 600 HP Most every American enthusiast knows about the $42,000 Mustang Shelby GT500. Its supercharged V-8 thumps out 500 horsepower. However, today there are dozens of equally powerful cars, so 500 ponies isn't much to brag about. A trip to Carroll Shelby's Las Vegas workshop with your GT500 and $28,000 gets you a 100 horsepower boost. Congratulations: For $70,000, you've discovered the cheapest way into the 600 Horsepower Club.
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Making a 600+ horsepower engine can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars .
Safety at high speeds requires NASA-quality aerodynamics .
The German-built Bugatti Veyron 16.4 goes 250 mph and costs $1.5 million .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:32 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:52 EST, 28 January 2014 . Sun is forecasted for the Super Bowl kickoff this Sunday - but it will still be the coldest on record. The Weather Channel predicts a high of 37F (3C) and a low of 24 F (-4C) on Sunday with sun, a low chance of showers and slow winds in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home to the MetLife Stadium. While this is far kinder than commentators, fans and meteorologists have predicted in the weeks leading up to Sunday's game, it will still take the crown for the coldest ever Super Bowl. The current record is 39 degrees, which was set in 1972 in New Orleans. Promising: The weather forecast for the Super Bowl, which is being held in New Jersey, shows that it'll be sunny in the afternoon - easing fears that it'll be too treacherous for fans and players . Chill: But even though there are low chances of rain, it is still expected to be the coldest Super Bowl on record as the rest of the country also battles freezing temperatures . This weekend's chilly temperatures mean that spectators will have to take precautions before watching the Seahawks battle the Broncos. Fans will get Warm Welcome packs that include ear muffs, hand warmers and lip balm to try and combat the chill inside the stadium. Super Bowl officials are also encouraging fans . to wear layers and arrive early to avoid any traffic delays from the weather. They added that crews are ready to clear . the stadium and streets of snow and ice should the area face more snow, the News Tribune reported. Whiteout: A photo shows the stadium surrounded by snow following a snowstorm last week . Getting ready: Crews were forced to shovel out the spectator stands following the snowstorm . The wettest Super Bowl XLI, 2007, in Miami, where the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears endured almost an inch of rain . The coldest Super Bowl VI, 1972, in New Orleans, where the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins battled each other in temperatures of 39F . The hottest Super Bowl XXXVII, in 2003, in San Diego, where the Oakland Raiders and Tama Bay played in 82 degrees. This was matched in 1973, in Los Angeles, as the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins played . The windiest Super Bowl XIV, 1980 in Pasadena, where gusts of winds reached 30mph in the northeast as the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers played . AccuWeather also warned against . troublesome travel conditions, saying it expects 'a typical winter day' and potentially 'slushy roads'. The . promising forecast comes after weeks of speculation about whether the . game would go ahead, after the area was blanketed with snow in recent . cold snaps. The NFL had even considered moving the time of the game if officials concluded that the fans' safety was in danger. It meant that the choice of New Jersey sparked upset from commentators, including form Chicago Bears coach, Mike Ditka. 'The weather's going to be a problem,' Ditka told the Detroit Free Press. 'They made a big mistake. The game shouldn’t be there. I mean, it’s stupid.' He added that the choice of stadium isn't fair on the players, who want to show off their skills. 'It'd be nice to be playing in Miami or . San Diego or New Orleans or somewhere the weather is conducive to guys . being able to show their talents,' he said. 'It's not fair to the players. It's not going to be fair to the fans. It's not going to be that enjoyable.' Chill: Fans at the MetLife Stadium, pictured on Monday with the Manhattan skyline in the background, could experience a high temperature of 37F (3C) and a low of 24 F (-4C) No complaints: Despite the cold, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning said they were excited to be there . The players arrived in the Big Apple . on Sunday to freezing temperatures and snow on the ground - but they . didn't have any complaints. 'My . team is excited,' Peyton Manning said after the Broncos’ flight landed . in New Jersey. 'We worked hard to earn this opportunity. We couldn’t be . more excited. 'We were excited getting on that plane and excited getting off that plane.'
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Sun and low chances of rain are predicted for New Jersey on Sunday .
Meteorologists predict a high of 37F and a low of 24F - putting the game on course to beat the 1972 record of 39F, set in New Orleans .
Officials will give out hand warmers and warned spectators to wear layers .
Mike Ditka: 'It's stupid holding a game there'
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- Mourners buried a senior Hamas militant Friday after his recent death in Dubai -- a death Hamas calls an "assassination." Mahmoud al-Mabhouh died in Dubai on January 20, said Izzat al Rishq, a Hamas member based in Syria. Al-Mabhouh was a founding member of the military wing of Hamas, which blamed Israel for his death. "We hold the enemy responsible for the assassination of Mahmoud Mabhouh," the militant wing said in an online statement. "The enemy will not escape punishment." It said Al-Mabhouh was responsible for capturing two Israeli soldiers during the first intifada and named the pair: Sgt. Avi Sasportas and Cpl. Ilan Saadon . The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Sasportas was kidnapped on Feb. 16, 1989 and shot to death. His body was found in May 1989. The ministry said the same Hamas terror cell that kidnapped Sasportas abducted Saadon on May 3, 1989. Saadon's body was discovered in 1996. Government officials in Israel declined to comment on the militant wing's statement. One official in Dubai told CNN that al-Mabhouh died of natural causes. But the Emirates News Agency said authorities determined that the man was killed and were working with Interpol to hunt down alleged perpetrators thought to be part of a "criminal gang," some of whom have European passports. Hamas said it is investigating the death and that it would publish details "in a timely manner." Al-Mabhouh's brother, Fayek al-Mabhouh, said that preliminary results of Hamas' investigation show he was killed by electrocution and strangulation with a piece of cloth. Fayek said his brother had survived other assassination attempts. The Emirates News Agency report quoted a security source saying the gang had been tracking the victim. Al-Mabhouh had lived in Syria for about 20 years. He traveled from Syria to Dubai on January 19 and died the next day, Hamas officials in Gaza said. It's not clear why he traveled to Dubai, but Fayek al-Mabhouh said his brother arrived at a Dubai hotel in charge of the Hamas mission. His body was returned to Damascus on Thursday night and was buried after Friday prayers, Hamas officials in Gaza said. CNN's Kevin Flower, Saad Abedine, Caroline Faraj, and Talal Abu Rahma contributed to this report .
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Mahmoud al-Mabhouh buried Friday after his death in Dubai on January 20 .
Hamas says al-Mabhouh was assassinated, blames Israel for death .
Official in Dubai told CNN that al-Mabhouh died of natural causes .
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SEOUL, South Korea (CNN) -- South Korea will open its market to most U.S. beef, a senior government official said Thursday, according to state media. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the South Korean capital in protest at the deal . South Korea banned imports of U.S. beef in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the United States. The ban closed what was then the third-largest market for U.S. beef exporters. It resumed limited imports last year -- allowing boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age -- but that re-opening was subject to interruptions and closed altogether in October 2007. A deal that South Korea and the United States struck last month bans the import of high-risk materials, like tonsils, brains, spinal cord marrow and a section of the small intestine, Agriculture Minister Chung Woon-chun said Thursday, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. These parts pose the greatest risk of transmitting mad cow disease to humans. The ban will be lifted within a few days, once the government's new import rules have been published. The pending resumption of U.S. beef imports hasn't been without political costs for President Lee Myung-bak. He apologized to the nation last week for failing to fully understand concerns about mad cow disease. In downtown Seoul, thousands of people have regularly staged protests, chanting "We don't want crazy cows," since the deal to revive beef imports was announced. And the main opposition party has taken up the fight. "We will be forced to make a critical decision if the government pushes through its plan to announce resumption of beef imports," said Sohn Hak-kyu, leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party, Yonhap reported. "If the government and the ruling party ignore this warning, we will come up with every possible measure to stop them." The opposition has already filed a suit to suspend implementation of new beef import terms, according to Yonhap. Lee's ruling Grand National Party (GNP) is working to soothe tensions, saying that American beef is safe to eat and that adequate safety precautions have been taken. "The government has tried its best to free the public from unnecessary concerns, and sufficient countermeasures have been prepared," said Lee Hahn-koo, the party's chief policymaker, Yonhap reported. When South Korea and the United States reached the deal in April to re-open the South Korean market, they removed the major obstacle to U.S. congressional approval of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Lee urged the National Assembly this month to ratify the agreement as soon as possible to provide fresh impetus to the sluggish Korean economy, saying it will create 300,000 jobs. But the opposition has promised to fight the FTA until the beef pact is nullified. In 2003, the United States exported $815 million pounds of beef and beef variety meats to South Korea. The U.S. beef industry has lost up to $4 billion since the market closed, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
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South Korea to open market to most U.S. beef says government official .
Ban began in 2003 amid concerns over a case of mad cow disease in the U.S.
New agreement bans the import of high-risk materials, like tonsils and brains .
Thousands of S. Koreans have regularly staged protests against U.S. beef imports .
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The Hard Rock Cafe's number one fan has spent more than £30,000 in his quest to visit every one of the rock 'n' roll themed restaurants in the world. Kay Kalkbrenner, aged 28, has made it to 243 of the Cafes on five continents in locations as far flung as Kazakhstan and Cancun. But after years of travelling and tens of thousands of pounds, Kay admits he has become so fed up of burgers and chips he now doesn't even order a meal. Scroll down for video . Kay Kalkbrenner has travelled to 243 Hard Rock Cafés around the world in his quest to visit them all . From Canada to Kuwait, Kalkbrenner, aged 28, has spent thousands of dollars in hopes of achieving his goal. Pictured: Johannesburg, South Africa . He's travelled five continents in the last 15 years - often missing family occasions and using up his annual leave. Pictured: Kalkbrenner in front of the Buenos Aires branch . In his bid to visit all the restaurants, Kay has missed family occasions, paid thousands for long-haul flights and regularly uses up all of his annual leave. But he doesn't regret his unusual quest. Kay said: 'I love the Hard Rock Cafes because it gives you a good excuse to travel, but the best part is the people. 'The other collectors are all great, friendly and helpful - they make it worth it.' Kalkbrenner poses for a photo in front of the Hard Rock Café Kuwait . During a family trip to Canada as a teen, Kalkbrenner managed to tick off both the Toronto (left) and Niagara Falls (right) locations . Kalkbrenner admits that while he loves the cafés, he is getting a bit tired of the food. Pictured: Hard Rock Café Cardiff . Kay, originally from Frankfurt, Germany, is always planning his next trip and is constantly on the lookout for new openings. He takes up to ten trips a year and a single visit can cost up to £1,500. He has just returned from a two week tour of Asia and is currently in Kazakhstan to visit the chain's new restaurant in Almaty. Kay visited his first Cafe, aged just eight years old, while in Miami with his parents in 1994. But it wasn't until a trip to Hong Kong in 1997 that his obsession truly began. While on holiday his family chanced upon a local Hard Rock Cafe. Inside he noticed a sign for the second restaurant on the island and convinced his parents to take him to the other branch. During family holidays he visited branches in London, Florida Key West and Orlando. And after finishing school he even got a job with an airline so he could see the world's Cafes without blowing his wages monthly wages. The Frankfurt-native admits that he is always on the lookout for a new opening. Pictured: Kalkbrenner in Myrtle Beach, Florida . As a child, his family helped fuel the obsession, bringing him to Key West (left) and San Francisco (right) On family vacations to London (left) and Orlando (right), Kalkbrenner began collecting key rings at each branch . Kalkbrenner visits a branch in the American capital of Washington, DC . Since then, he's spent more than £31,000 (€40,000) travelling from his native Germany to exotic Hard Rock locations - where he always buys a key ring. In just one year, he went to the USA, Mexico, Japan, and on a cruise through the Caribbean, clocking up more than 22 Hard Rock Cafes. Even when he can't take extended periods off work from his job for a travel company, he spends every weekend travelling around Europe to tick off the restaurants closer to home. But Kay's favourite branches aren't even in the chain's native United States - he loves the locations in Tenerife, Beirut, Cancun, Seoul and Kuwait. At his home, he has a room dedicated to his mission including a huge wall map with pins to show every restaurant he has visited, thousands of pictures of him, all of the 1,500 key rings he has purchased and one giant master spreadsheet so he can keep track of all the places he has been. But even Kay admits that his friends don't understand his obsession and have tried to get him to stop. Interestingly, Kalkbrenner's favourite branches aren't even in the chain's native United States. Pictured: Kay in Bogota, Venezuala . When Kalkbrenner can't get long periods of time off of work, he travels around Europe, visiting branches that are closer by. Pictured: Hard Rock Cafe and Shop in Athens, Greece . Kalkbrenner admits that his friends don't understand his obsession. Pictured: Hard Rock Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico . Kalkbrenner says that his mission to visit every Cafe really just gives him a great excuse to travel. Pictured: Kay in Acapulco . In just one year, Kalkbrenner visited over 22 locations - most in the Caribbean - like this Aruba branch . He said: 'Most of my friends don't really understand why I do it and why I spend so much time and money on my hobby. 'I think only other collectors and fans can really understand. 'My family likes my hobby very much - they appreciate that it's helped me come across so many amazing places in the world.' 'I never thought I'll make it to Colombia,' he explained, 'Now I have been there twice already.' 'I'd never even heard about Guam, Saipan, or Kota Kinabalu before. 'Who knows where the next Hard Rock Cafes will open up but I'll make it my mission to travel there.' The only downside? 'The food is almost the same everywhere in the world and a bit overpriced,' he admitted. 'The decor and memorabilia is nice to see but for me not so important. 'I don't walk around the cafe and take pictures of all the memorabilia but I know there are people out there doing that as they're interested in that. 'It's more a chance to see the world that I'm interested in and a chance to tick another Cafe off my list - I'm a collector at heart!'
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Kay Kalkbrenner of Frankfurt, Germany has spent years visiting the cafes .
His obsession began in 1997 during a family trip to Hong Kong .
Has spent over £30,000 and countless hours in his quest to travel the world .
So far, he's made it to 243 branches - but there are more opening each day .
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Katy Perry lit up Arizona with a show-stopping performance during the half-time show at the Super Bowl on Sunday night. The 30-year-old Californian provided the entertainment during the interval of the New England Patriots’ clash with the Seattle Seahawks at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. Perry has had two No 1 studio albums in the United States as well as nine No 1 hit singles since bursting onto the scene in 2008. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Katy Perry star at Super Bowl XLIX . Katy Perry performed the half-time show at Super Bowl XLIX at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona . The 30-year-old Californian produced an energetic and colourful performance for the crowd gathered in Glendale, Arizona . Perry added here name to the illustrious list of superstar who have performed during the prestigious half-time show . Perry entered the stadium for her performance riding a huge lion and singing her hit single 'roar' The Californian superstar also sang some of her other No 1 smash hits such as 'teenage dream' and 'California girls' The University of Phoenix Stadium is lit up during the half-time show in Super Bowl XLIX . Singing superstar Perry performs during the half-time show of Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks . The 30-year-old poked fun at 'deflate-gate' by saying that nothing in her performance would be underinflated . Perry sings some of her biggest hits for the crowd gathered at the University of Phoenix Stadium in the NFL's season finale . And at half-time on Sunday she became the latest pop superstar to perform in the show watched by millions around the world. In recent years the likes of Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Madonna have all graced the Super Bowl stage during the half-way stage of the NFL’s annual showpiece event. At her press conference during the week in Arizona, Perry poked fun at the New England Patriots ‘deflate-gate’. She said: ‘I don’t think I’m an expert on the game of football, but nothing in my performance will be deflated.’ Lenny Kravitz performs with Perry during the half-time show of the blockbuster event in Phoenix, Arizona . Perry and Kravitz perform one of the Californian's hit singles 'I kissed a girl' during the half-time show . Perry is joined by Missy Elliott on stage in one of the big surprises of the Super Bowl XLIX half-time show . The crowd take pictures as Perry enters the stadium while riding on a huge lion for her half-time show . Perry promised plenty of energy for the crowd and she delivered with her performance at the University of Phoenix Stadium . Singer Perry performs with dancers during the Super Bowl XLIX half-time show in Glendale, Arizona . During her press conference earlier in the week, Perry spoke of her excitement to be performing the half-time show . Perry flies through the air at the University of Phoenix Stadium as she performs her hit single 'firework' The 30-year-old performs for the crowd while floating through the air at the University of Phoenix Stadium . A general view of the stage as Perry performs during the half-time show in Glendale, Arizona . Fireworks go off at one end of the stadium in Glendale as part of Perry's colourful performance during the half-time interval . Perry rides on a pretend lion as fireworks erupt in the background during the half-time show in Glendale, Arizona . The crowd at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona enjoy the spectacular half-time show . Perry was joined on stage by Lenny Kravitz as well as Missy Elliott at the University of Phoenix Stadium. She entered the arena riding a huge lion while singing 'roar' before going onto some of her other hits such as 'dark magic', 'I kissed a girl' and 'California girls'. It was at that point that female rapper Elliott surprised the crowd in Arizona before Perry ended the energetic performance by flying through the sky while singing 'firework'.
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Katy Perry performs at half-time in NFL's showpiece season finale in Glendale, Arizona .
The 30-year-old Californian was joined on stage by Missy Elliott and Lenny Kravitz .
Perry sang some of her No 1 hit singles in a colourful, energetic performance at University of Phoenix Stadium .
New England Patriots beat Seattle Seahawks 28-24 at University of Phoenix Stadium .
CLICK HERE for all the reaction from Super Bowl XLIX .
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By . John Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 05:26 EST, 5 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:53 EST, 5 June 2013 . A millionaire gave £628,000 to a man who threatened to reveal he had sex with a rent boy, a court heard. The married father of three made payments for nine years in a desperate attempt to stop the secret life of which he was ‘extremely ashamed’ becoming public. He finally went to police last August after telling the truth to his wife because he was ‘nearing breaking point’ over the demands. After eight years the married father-of-three finally told his lawyers and police last August about the alleged blackmail, Chelmsford Crown Court heard . Yesterday the man, whose name is . protected by the court and is known only by the pseudonym ‘Barnaby’, . told Chelmsford Crown Court that he was a ‘bloody fool’ for paying up. The alleged blackmailer, Anthony . Still, 52, from Clacton, Essex, denies a charge of making unwarranted . demands for money between June 2003 and August last year. A jury of . seven men and five women heard that the man, who was chairman of a . successful family company, contacted an escort agency in 2002 after . reading an advert in Gay Times. He was put in contact with a 19-year-old, and Barnaby paid him for sex around nine times. They also took drugs together. Still is alleged to have started . blackmailing Barnaby after the boy’s father employed the private . investigation firm he worked for to look into his son, and he discovered . the relationship. Barnaby told the court: ‘I know if he had asked at the first meeting for £100,000 I would have told him to go and jump. ‘But I just wanted the problem to go . away, so I agreed to give the £35,000 that was demanded at the first . meeting. After that it became a “drip by drip” process.’ Asked why he . made the payments, Barnaby said: ‘In order to protect myself and my . family from exposure.’ Speaking quietly, he said he had been . led to believe by Still, who was using an alias, that the teenager’s . father would go to the police and the Press unless he handed money over. ‘I did not want my family to read about what I am extremely ashamed of having done,’ he said. ‘I would think to myself, I have . already paid so much out. If I paid another £10,000, hopefully that will . be it but if I don’t, all the money I have already spent will . essentially have been wasted.’ He said he was forced to sell his . stocks and shares from time to time to meet the blackmail demands, but . his salary and income from his investments was ‘simply not enough to . cover’ the sums of money involved. Barnaby told the court he met the . teenager after replying to an advert for an escort agency with an . Ipswich telephone number in Gay Times. A fee of £100 was agreed before he received a phone call from the rent boy. Oliver Glasgow, prosecuting, said the . pair met three times in 2002, before the rent boy moved to London. In . spring 2003, the rent boy told Barnaby that he was living in Colchester . in a house that his parents had provided for him, and the two met about . six times there. Barnaby and the rent boy stopped . contact after he agreed to pay off a £2,000 drug debt owed by his friend . in August 2003, shortly before the blackmail began. The businessman told the jury that . only his wife and a handful of relatives are aware of his bisexuality, . and that most of his family do not know about his relationship with the . rent boy. The trial continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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The married father-of-three claims he went to police after eight years of being blackmailed .
Anthony Still, 52, from Clacton, Essex, denies the charge .
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(CNN) -- Just days after he was released from a Louisiana prison for a murder he said he didn't commit, Herman Wallace has died, his legal team said Friday. Wallace -- one of the "Angola 3" inmates who protested what they said were injustices at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola -- died Friday morning at age 71 after a fight with liver cancer, his legal team said. Wallace spent decades in solitary confinement after being convicted in 1974 of killing a guard at the Angola prison. He was released Tuesday after a judge vacated his murder conviction and sentence. "Herman endured what very few of us can imagine, and he did it with grace, dignity, and empathy to the end," his legal team said in an e-mailed statement Friday. "Although his freedom was much too brief, it meant the world to Herman to spend these last three days surrounded by the love of his family and friends," the team said. "One of the final things that Herman said to us was, 'I am free. I am free.'" Ordering Wallace's release Tuesday, U.S. District Chief Judge Brian A. Jackson in Baton Rouge ruled that women were systematically excluded from the grand jury that indicted Wallace in the 1972 slaying of guard Brent Miller at Angola. Wallace, who was serving an armed robbery sentence at the time of Miller's death, and other witnesses claimed Wallace was in another part of the prison when Miller was killed, his legal team said. Jackson declined to address Wallace's other claims, including an allegation that the state knowingly used false testimony and withheld exculpatory evidence at trial. Wallace was in solitary confinement at Angola until 2009, when he was moved to Hunt Correctional Center. He remained in solitary until he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer this summer, according to one of his attorneys, Nick Trenticosta. The "Angola 3" who protested conditions at Angola were Wallace, Albert Woodfox and Robert King. Woodfox, like Wallace, was convicted in Miller's death. Before the guard's killing, Wallace and Woodfox tried to work to improve conditions at Angola, protesting bad sanitation and guard brutality, Wallace's lawyers said. They also tried to stop what they said were the rape of young men by fellow inmates, the lawyers said. Wallace founded a Black Panther chapter at the prison. Both Wallace and Woodfox claimed they were targeted because of their activism as Black Panthers. King, convicted in 1973 of killing a fellow inmate, was transferred to Angola just weeks after Miller was killed. Even so, he was investigated as a possible "conspirator" and put into solitary confinement alongside Wallace and Woodfox, according to the documentary "In the Land of the Free." King's conviction was overturned in 2001, and he was freed. Wallace and Woodfox, who remains in prison with appeals pending in his case, "endured very restrictive conditions, including periods of 23-hour cell confinement," according to Amnesty International USA. As recently as this year, two death row inmates at Angola testified in court about being subjected to "indescribable" heat where they were held. The testimony was part of a lawsuit against the prison alleging that authorities placed inmates with pre-existing medical conditions at risk, the New Orleans Times Picayune reported. CNN's Jason Hanna, Phil Gast, Joe Sutton and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report.
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Herman Wallace was in solitary confinement in Louisiana for more than 40 years .
A judge ordered him released from prison Tuesday .
Wallace claimed he was wrongly convicted in a prison guard's 1972 death .
Wallace was one of the "Angola 3" inmates who protested conditions at the prison .
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Havana, Cuba (CNN) -- If Diana Nyad never realizes her dream of swimming the Florida straits, it won't be for lack of trying. The 64-year-old began her fifth and last bid to swim from Cuba to the United States on Saturday morning. Previous attempts were thwarted by dehydration, ocean currents and excruciating jellyfish stings to her tongue. "There's the fine line between seeing that things are bigger than you and letting your ego go," Nyad said at a news conference in Havana Friday. "And there's another edge over that fine line where you don't ever want to give up and I am still at that place!" Were Nyad to swim the 103 miles from Havana to the Florida Keys, she would be the first person to do so without the benefits of a shark cage, flippers or wet suit. And it would validate her attempts, which have spanned 35 years. In 1997, Australian endurance swimmer Susie Maroney, then 22, completed the swim from within a shark cage. Along with the protection the cage offers against toothy predators, swimmers say the cage provides a barrier against waves and other weather hazards. Since Maroney's swim, some of the world's best endurance swimmers have tried to cross the straits of Florida without using a cage. All have been turned back. But few have done so as persistently or as colorfully as Nyad. The Key West, Florida, resident says she feels a special bond with Cubans and hopes her repeated efforts to swim between the two countries will help improve the still-tense relations between Havana and Washington. Nyad often tried to communicate in rudimentary Spanish during the news conference Friday. She has said that during her long swims, she sings the Cuban ballad, "Guantanmera," to herself hundreds of times. Cuban authorities said that after her latest attempt was announced in state media, they received a barrage of suggestions from across the island on how she could ward off the stinging jellyfish that ended previous attempts. This time, Nyad said, she will wear surgical gloves and a specially designed prosthetic face mask to prevent the jellyfish from stinging her. "It took us a year, we made mold after mold," Nyad said of the mask, adding it was the kind used to protect people who had suffered injuries to their faces. "It's a two-edged sword for me. It's cumbersome, it's difficult to swim with, but it doesn't matter. I am safe. There's no other way." Nyad will be accompanied by a 35-member crew aboard two sail boats. They will monitor her health, update her progress on social media and try to ward off sharks that might view her as a potential snack. If all goes to plan, Nyad said, the swim will take her three days to finish. CNN's Matt Sloane contributed to this report.
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Her attempts started 35 years ago .
She hopes to swim the 103 miles from Havana to the Florida Keys .
If she's successful, she'll be the first person to do so without a shark cage, flippers or wet suit .
During her long swims, she sings Cuban ballad, "Guantanmera," to herself .
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