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A series of emails leaked by journalists at Al Jazeera English reveal a divide among staff regarding the news organisation's coverage of the Charlie Hebdo massacre. In the exchange, some staff members brand the satirical magazine as 'racist' and 'extremist,' over the publication of controversial cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. While others defended Charlie Hebdo's decision, saying that it needed to be done to ensure that the 'violent' do not have control over 'liberal civilization'. Scroll down for video . 'Alienating': One of the emails urged staff to discuss the potentially divisive 'Je suis Charlie' slogan. The phrase has been used to unite those standing in solidarity with the victims. Above, rally in Clermont-Ferrand . The publication of the exchange comes as the first pictures of three of the four hostages killed in yesterday's kosher supermarket siege in Paris have emerged. Meanwhile, there are reports that the wife of the Paris supermarket gunman - named France's most wanted woman - may already be in Syria. In an email sent out to staff on Thursday, London-based editor and executive producer Salah-Aldeen Khadr, suggests a list of questions that should guide the channel's coverage of the attack. He starts by explaining that the email is intended to ensure that the channel's 'coverage is the best it can be', according to the National Review, who has published the emails in full. Khadr urged his employees to question if the terrorist attack was 'really an attack on free speech,' asking whether an 'attack by 2-3 guys' on 'a controversial magazine' was equal to a 'civilizational attack on European values'. He goes on to ask staff members to discuss whether 'I am Charlie' - a slogan used to unite those standing in solidarity with the terror victims - was 'alienating', creating an 'us and them' mentality. 'Extremist': London-based editor and executive producer Salah-Aldeen Khadr suggests framing the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris, pictured above, as a 'clash of extremist fringes' Khadr explains that people can be 'against CH [Charlie Hebdo] racism and also against murdering people'. Finally, he states that the massacre should be viewed as 'a clash of extremist fringes', apparently referring to the Islamic fundamentalists on one side and the team at Charlie Hebdo on the other. The email sparked a heated debate among its recipients. Just hours after it was sent, U.S.-based correspondent Tom Ackerman responded by quoting an excerpt of a New York Times article by Ross Douthat. It read: 'If a large enough group of someone is willing to kill you for saying something, then it's something that almost certainly needs to be said, because otherwise the violent have veto power over liberal civilization.' This prompted a response from Qatar-based Mohamed Vall Salem, who reported for Al Jazeera's Arab-language channel before joining its English wing in 2006. He said that 'what Charlie Hebdo did was not free speech', adding that 'it was an abuse of free speech in my opinion'. He urged colleagues to take another look at the cartoons, explaining it was not 'what they said' but 'how they said it'. Ending his email, he wrote: 'I condemn those heinous killings, but I'M NOT CHARLIE'. Senior Paris correspondent Jacky Rowland wrote a simple response to her colleagues, saying '#journalismisnotacrime.' The exchange concludes with a response from Roving reporter Omar Al Saleh: 'First I condemn the brutal killing. But I AM NOT CHARLIE.' 'Journalism is not a crime... insultism is not journalism.. and not doing journalism properly is crime.' A spokesman from Al Jazeera told MailOnline: 'We have arguably the most diverse newsroom in the world, and the robustness of our internal discussions that flow from this are a great strength. 'Viewers judge us on our actual output - on the horrific story in Paris our coverage has been first class, relaying events in real time, all the while providing expert context and analysis from across the spectrum.'
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Emails reportedly linked by Al Jazeera staff show conflicting viewpoints .
Some brand satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo as 'racist' and 'extremist'
Others defend right to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad .
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Madrid (CNN) -- The first day of the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona on Thursday was a swift race through old town for hundreds of runners trying to stay a step ahead of the raging bulls, but just four runners went to the hospital with injuries, officials said. Commentators on Spanish state television TVE considered it a relatively safe start to the dangerous annual tradition in Pamplona, which has tallied thousands of injuries and 15 deaths since record-keeping began in 1924, including the fatal goring of a Spanish man in 2009. The run in Pamplona started 400 years ago and became popular worldwide after author Ernest Hemingway wrote about it in the 1920s in his book "The Sun Also Rises," also published under the title "Fiesta." It is now broadcast live across Spain by state television TVE, which pays Pamplona for exclusive rights, and positions some 20 cameras along the course. A Red Cross official at the scene initially said just one runner went to the hospital, but the Navarra regional government issued a medical report later showing that four male runners were taken to hospitals. The most seriously injured was a 40-year-old Spanish man who suffered broken ribs and a fractured shoulder blade and remained hospitalized later Thursday. The other three were released from the hospital hours after arriving. They included two Spaniards, one with bruised ribs and the other with an eye injury, and a Panamanian man, 35, with a nose injury. Television images showed numerous runners falling hard to the pavement and the bulls trying to step over them. Most of the runners were men, mainly dressed in the traditional white outfits with red handkerchiefs, but there was also a small number of women. The six bulls were from the Torrestrella breeding ranch and weigh between 470 kgs to 635 kgs (about 1,034 pounds to 1,397 pounds). Accompanied by a pack of tame steers, they exited the corral just 10 seconds after the opening rocket was fired to signal the start of the run. They moved quickly along the 825-meter (902 yard) course, and it took two minutes and 30 seconds until the bulls reached the corrals of the bull ring. The bulls face certain death against matadors in a bullfight later in the day. Pamplona's new mayor, Enrique Maya, told TVE just before the race that he had never run. He said he watched it from one of the numerous balconies along the course, which are filled with local residents or visitors, the latter typically paying top dollar for a safe vantage point. The daily run continues for eight days, through July 14, at 8 a.m. (2 a.m. ET). It is the highlight of the San Fermin festival in Pamplona that attracts hundreds of thousands to the nonstop fiesta.
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NEW: Four runners go to the hospital with injuries .
Numerous runners fall hard as the bulls try to step over them .
Hundreds of thousands expected at nonstop festival in Pamplona .
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(CNN) -- As the crisis in Syria intensifies and Bashar al-Assad's hold on power starts to unravel, concerns are mounting over what may come next for the beleaguered nation. Some foresee bloody sectarian strife or a descent into militia rule, while others fear what might become of its chemical weapons stockpile. Not all observers agree it's the beginning of the endgame for al-Assad, but all are sure there's no clear road map for what lies ahead. The prospects for al-Assad are "very grim," said Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the UK-based Royal United Services Institute think tank and a doctoral student at Harvard University. Syria's chemical weapons threat demands a response . "There's no going back," he said. "He's not far from collapse, because what's occurred through defection or assassination is that the political part of his regime has been hollowed out." By contrast Dr. Dan Plesch, director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, considers it too soon to write al-Assad out of the picture. But in a scenario where he is pushed out -- bringing to an end four decades of rule by him and his father before him -- the Syrian military will likely play a major role in what happens next, Plesch said. Recent defections of high-level officers -- notably regime insider Brig. Gen. Manaf Tlas -- on top of the desertion of many rank and file personnel, signal an erosion of the army's coherence in the face of the rebellion. Many of those at the top are determined to fight on to the end because they fear the personal consequences for them if they lose, analysts say. In what some saw as a turning point after more than 16 months of violence, al-Assad lost four top aides following an explosion in Damascus last week, as rebel forces attacked the capital and Syria's commercial hub, Aleppo. Reinforcements head to Aleppo . So far, al-Assad has shown no signs of quitting. But what's not yet clear is how much stomach he has for a continued bloody conflict, and whether he might be more inclined to negotiate a transition than some of his immediate entourage, Plesch said. If al-Assad's ouster were the result of a "palace coup," involving negotiation between some insiders and the insurgency, slightly more continuity would ensue, said Joshi. However, such a transition is likely to be unstable because many rebels would refuse to accept it and would fight on. He believes it more likely that the regime collapses entirely and the Syrian National Council -- an opposition coalition whose leadership resides outside of Syria -- stakes a claim to lead the transition as part of a coalition also involving opposition figures within Syria and Kurdish and liberal representatives. However, unlike Libya, where the National Transitional Council presented a fairly unified voice as Gadhafi's regime crumbled, the opposition in Syria remains more fragmented and no credible transitional leader has yet come to the fore, Joshi said. Plesch agrees that while the Syrian National Council "aspires to be the linchpin in the transition," questions remain over how effective it could be and what support it commands among rebels on the ground. Ausama Monajed, who advised a previous president of the Syrian National Council, told CNN in March that his group has a plan for a post-Assad era, including the formation of a transitional unity government and a body to draw up a new constitution and election laws, leading eventually to parliamentary and presidential elections. At the time, observers responded with skepticism. "There's a lack of coordination amongst the insiders, and they represent the outsiders, not the insiders," said former U.S. ambassador to Syria Edward Djerejian. "It's not a coherent opposition leadership." What we need to know about Syria . Another scenario sees Syria descend into a chaotic and bloody sectarian conflict, pitting Syria's majority Sunni Muslims against the ruling Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, and embroiling its Christian, Druze and other minority groups too. Such a conflict risks destabilizing the wider region. The recent defection of two key Sunni figures, Tlas and Syria's ambassador to Iraq, Nawaf Fares, means all al-Assad has left is a narrow Alawite bloc with shrinking public support, Joshi said. If the regime collapses, the Alawites could retreat to strongholds in the northwest of the country around Latakia and attempt to reconstitute a state there, he said. Syria's Kurds could also seek greater autonomy, a move which would worry Turkey, which has a troubled relationship with its own Kurdish population. However, Rime Allaf, an associate fellow at the Chatham House think tank, argues against making too much of Syria's sectarian tensions. The regime "has been using the sectarian line, but the opposition and the rebels have increasingly repeated that they do not view it in those terms," she said. "So it's not the Alawites who are crumbling, it's a regime. ... It means many people within that regime, whatever religious denomination they are, they don't necessarily agree with the way things are happening." Sectarianism aside, the large number of militia groups that have taken up arms across Syria will present a "significant challenge" to the country's future stability whoever ends up in power, Joshi said. They range from the pro-government Shabiha militia groups, blamed by opposition activists for many of the more brutal attacks on civilians, to rebel hardline Islamist groups and local networks that have formed to protect their villages. At the same time, the rebel Free Syrian Army, largely composed of soldiers who defected from the al-Assad regime, is more a loose organization of armed groups than a coherent military body, said Joshi. Faces of the Free Syrian Army . He predicts that whatever Syrian government results from the conflict will not be in charge of its whole territory, a problem made worse by the porous nature of the country's borders. If the Syrian National Council ultimately does take charge, it may struggle to contain the worst excesses of the militia groups, he said. The International Committee of the Red Cross said this month that it considers the conflict a "non-international armed conflict" -- or a civil war -- but some analysts say international forces are in fact involved. Opposition forces are being "quite well-armed and probably trained by external clandestine forces from the Gulf states and probably from Turkey," Plesch said. Questions should also be asked about some European and North American involvement, he added. At the same time, Syria's neighbors, which include Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon, all have a stake in how the conflict plays out and exert varying degrees of influence within Syria. Part of the international community's unease stems from Syria's position as a regional powerhouse. "Syria really is the epicenter of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the international community's confrontation with Iran," said Plesch. Another concern to those watching from the wings is Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons. Syria's foreign ministry said Monday that the country has chemical weapons that it would be willing to use against foreign attackers, although it sought to roll back the message Tuesday. Its remarks led to strong warnings from U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama, who said such a move would be a "tragic mistake." Obama administration officials are now holding regular high-level meetings to discuss the ongoing situation in Syria and begin thinking about U.S. priorities in a post-Assad era, a senior U.S. official told CNN Monday. The Obama administration has also stepped up its discussions with Israel, Jordan and Turkey about Syria's chemical weapons arsenal . The al-Assad regime "probably has the largest and most advanced chemical warfare program in the Arab world," according to Michael Eisenstadt, senior fellow and director of the military and security studies program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. A Syrian town's 'street of death' But there is good reason to be skeptical that this arsenal would ever be used, Joshi said. Syrian commanders would not want to be held individually responsible with no regime to protect them, he said. Commanders are also well aware that the risk of such weapons getting into the hands of allies such as Hezbollah would likely induce external intervention, particularly from Israel. For some observers, the international community's increasing focus on Syria's weapons stockpile also conjures unwelcome echoes of the run-up to the Iraq war. Syrian allies China and Russia, who last week blocked another United Nations Security Council resolution for new sanctions if Syrian government forces don't stop attacks against civilians, are opposed to the kind of foreign intervention seen in Iraq as well as in Libya last year. Moscow indicated Tuesday that Damascus should refrain from making use of chemical weapons in line with its ratification of Geneva protocols. "Russia's policy is based on the understanding that Syrian authorities will continue to strictly follow their international obligations," the foreign ministry said. As for al-Assad, if he is forced from power, his personal fate will likely depend on whether he remains in Syria, and in whose hands. A new regime might want to prosecute him for alleged war crimes or it might decide it would be more advantageous to allow him to go into exile, said Plesch. Al-Assad's options for exile appear limited, with much of the world outraged by the thousands of civilian deaths resulting from his regime's crackdown on what it calls "armed terrorists." Plesch speculates that a country that is "not quite Russia," such as Moldova or South Ossetia, could offer a haven. Alternatively, al-Assad could hang on to power for months yet, if regime forces and the Free Syrian Army continue to battle without a decisive victory on either side and the international community declines to step in. So long as Russia and China continue to block tougher U.N. Security Council action on Syria, foreign intervention seems unlikely. And although U.S. officicals have led calls for an end to the conflict, Plesch suggests that a prolonged conflict in Syria might not be the "worst option" from an Israeli or American militarist point of view, because neutralizing Syria would have the effect of isolating Hezbollah, and to a degree Hamas, from Iran, an ally of Damascus. "If you are a Western security planner who thinks it's highly likely that there has to be a military confrontation with Iran sooner or later, then keeping Syria off the board is probably one of the things that's quite desirable to do," he said. Why Syria could get even uglier . CNN's Holly Yan, Barbara Starr and Pam Benson contributed to this report.
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It is hard to predict what might follow the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, analysts say .
Syria's warning it could use chemical weapons against foreign attackers prompts alarm .
Some fear Syria may descend into sectarian violence, destabilizing the region .
Syria's military is likely to play a key role in how events pan out .
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- The United States may have been behind the killing of Neda Agha-Soltan, the 26-year-old Iranian woman whose fatal videotaped shooting Saturday made her a symbol of opposition to the June 12 presidential election results, the country's ambassador to Mexico said Thursday. Neda Agha-Soltan, 26, was shot to death in Tehran on Saturday. "This death of Neda is very suspicious," Ambassador Mohammad Hassan Ghadiri said. "My question is, how is it that this Miss Neda is shot from behind, got shot in front of several cameras, and is shot in an area where no significant demonstration was behind held?" He suggested that the CIA or another intelligence service may have been responsible. "Well, if the CIA wants to kill some people and attribute that to the government elements, then choosing women is an appropriate choice, because the death of a woman draws more sympathy," Ghadiri said. In response, CIA spokesman George Little said, "Any suggestion that the CIA was responsible for the death of this young woman is wrong, absurd and offensive." Though the video appeared to show that she had been shot in the chest, Ghadiri said that the bullet was found in her head and that it was not of a type used in Iran. "These are the methods that terrorists, the CIA and spy agencies employ," he said. "Naturally, they would like to see blood spilled in these demonstrations, so that they can use it against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is of the common methods that the CIA employs in various countries." But, he added, "I am not saying that now the CIA has done this. There are different groups. It could be the [work of another] intelligence service; it could be the CIA; it could be the terrorists. Anyway, there are people who employ these types of methods." Asked about his government's imposition of restrictions on reporting by international journalists, Ghadiri blamed the reporters themselves. "Some of the reporters and mass media do not reflect the truth," he said. For example, he said, international news organizations have lavished coverage on demonstrations by supporters of Mir Hossein Moussavi, whom the government has said lost to the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by a landslide. But those same news organizations have not shown "many, many demonstrations in favor of the winner," he said. Further, he said, members of the international news media have failed to report on people setting banks and buses afire or attacking other people. "The only things they show are the reactions of the police," he said. Because of restrictions on reporting in Iran, CNN has been unable to confirm many of the reports and claims relating to protests. Ghadiri said it is only fair that security forces protect the lives and property of the Iranian people. "If in America supporters of Mr. McCain had gotten out on the street and tried to burn the banks during the last election, do you think the police would just sit idly by and be a spectator?" he asked, referring to the GOP presidential candidate who lost the presidential vote in November to Barack Obama. Ghadiri called on backers of Moussavi to "accept the majority's victory." Ahmadinejad's overwhelming victory was no surprise, Ghadiri said, noting that a poll published in the United States three weeks before the June 12 elections showed Ahmadinejad with a commanding lead. "Why don't you show that?" he asked. Ghadiri also addressed questions about the rapid reporting of the election results, which the opposition has cited as evidence that the ballots were not properly counted. "It wasn't said that only four people counted the 40 million votes," he said. "There were tens of thousands of people in Iran who counted these votes. They declared that this is very simple."
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Ambassador to Mexico says CIA or other intelligence service may be to blame .
CIA spokesman says idea is "wrong, absurd and offensive"
Envoy says foreign forces wanted to use bloodshed against Iranian government .
Media aren't reporting on pro-Ahmadinejad demonstrations, he says .
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Uncomfortable topic: Director Amy Berg attends New York premiere of her controversial documentary An Open Secret about child sex abuse in Hollywood . A controversial documentary that allegedly links X-Men director Bryan Singer to a gang of Hollywood pedophiles got its first – and possibly only – viewing in New York last night. An Open Secret contains the astonishing revelation that a major child star was sexually abused by X-Men actor Brian Peck but refused to speak out for fear of wrecking his career. Whilst there is no suggestion that Singer was involved in the abuse of the unnamed actor, Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg admitted she had yet to find any company willing to distribute the disturbing 100-minute film. Stopping short of saying that Hollywood was protecting its own, Ms Berg confessed that even small movie festivals had refused to show An Open Secret. ‘We have this one screening. Maybe we will get distribution but it is not very likely,’ she said. ‘But people will talk about it.’ The documentary – discredited after one of the major accusers filed, then dropped lawsuits against Singer and three other men -- finally aired at the Doc New York festival before 400 people in a quarter-empty Chelsea theater. Singer, 49, gets several mentions in the film. He is shown in archive footage discussing X-Men and his inspirations, yet only once does his young male accuser Mark Egan allege impropriety. Former child actor Egan filed lawsuits against Singer, TV executive Garth Ancier, Broadway producer Gary Goddard and ex Disney honcho David Neuman in California and Hawaii earlier this year alleging wide-scale sexual abuse, only to dramatically drop the action a few months later. Egan is one of the major voices in the documentary and claims Singer, who vehemently denies the allegations, was one of the big players at drug-fueled male-only parties. Scroll down for video . Emotions running high: Evan Henzi, 21, who had accused talent manager Marty Weiss of grooming him for sex abuse, wept throughout the movie . Photo-op: Amy Berg, second from right, poses with (L to R) Paula Dorn, Anne Henry, Evan Henzi and Anita Henzi at DOC NYC at the SVA Theater Friday . He alleges he and other young boys were urged to get naked in a hot tub with Singer and his middle-aged entertainment industry friends. Amy Berg refused to cut Egan, who also sued another group of Hollywood players 10 years ago alleging similar abuse, from her documentary. ‘He puts Bryan Singer at the party,’ she told MailOnline. ‘He talks about him being at the party.’ Asked about 31-year-old Egan’s rocky history filing, then dropping, lawsuits, she snapped: ‘I met him two years ago and I am not changing my film.’ Berg, 44, uncovered large-scale sex abuse in the Catholic Church for her Oscar-nominated 2006 documentary Deliver Us From Evil. The initial premise of An Open Secret was to follow the lives of five aspiring child stars whose innocence was destroyed by predatory older males in Hollywood. Now adults, they tell how a network of Hollywood agents and managers including Bob Villard, who represented Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey McGuire when they were children, abused them. Villard was later convicted of selling images of young boys on eBay. Hollywood's wall of silence: Berg (center) said she has been having trouble finding a distributor for her film . Changing the culture: Anne Henry (right) started the organization BizParentz to help families of child actors navigate the pitfalls of Hollywood . Berg’s film revolves around an early web TV company called Digital Entertainment Network and its owners Marc Collins-Rector, Chad Shackley and Brock Pierce. Major Hollywood players including Singer, David Geffen and Arianna Huffington’s gay ex-husband Michael invested $150million into the company, according to the documentary. Collins-Rector, Shackley and Pierce threw lavish parties where young boys were encouraged to drink and take drugs before mandatory skinny-dipping sessions in the swimming pool and hot-tub. Naming names: Actor Brian Peck (left), who had a role in Bryan Singer's (right) X-Men, is named in the documentary as one of the major abusers. The boys claimed Collins-Rector, who later fled to Spain before being jailed for child abuse, hinted he could have people ‘eliminated’ and would derail the careers of anyone who spoke out. Egan, who filed lawsuits against the DEN owners a decade ago, did not attend the New York screening but two other accusers, Evan Henzi and Joey Coleman, did. Henzi, 21, cried throughout the film and fought back tears when he told MailOnline how talent manager Marty Weiss had groomed him for abuse. Coleman, who appeared in Growing Pains, confronts one of his alleged abusers Michael Harrah, a Screen Actors Guild child rep, in the documentary. X-Men and Return of the Living Dead star Peck, a close friend of Charlie Sheen, is named in the documentary as one of the major abusers. Accuser: Michael Egan III, pictured in April after he filed lawsuits against four Hollywood figures, appears in the film and recounts the alleged abuse he witnessed at pool parties hosted by internet company bosses . Lawsuit: Egan, pictured left as a boy, accused X-Men director Bryan Singer, right, of abuse but later dropped the lawsuits after it emerged he had given inconsistent stories. Singer has always denied the abuse . Change of heart: Egan filed a lawsuit against ex Disney executive David Neuman (pictured), but later dropped it . Anne Henry, who set up BizParentz to help families navigate the pitfalls of Hollywood, claims that a major child star filed charges against 50-year-old Peck anonymously. ‘People don’t want this out,’ she said. ’Brian Peck moved to Nickelodeon. He befriended a pretty major child actor, who filed charges against him. ‘Peck pleaded guilty. The victim was anonymous so he was able to continue to work. ‘The kid who wants to speak out would have to give up their career. Named: The film also looks at accusations that Marc Collins-Rector, an internet company owner, pictured, hosted pool parties for men and young boys . ‘Peck is still working on kids shows and he has been convicted.’ Henry slammed the handful of convictions as ‘the tip of the iceberg,’ questioning how Peck could continue to work with children. Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges also talks in the documentary about abuse he suffered as a child star and Corey Feldman is seen in archive footage discussing his own experiences at the hands of older Hollywood men. The documentary also flashes up a clip of Home Alone star Macauley Culkin discussing his career with David Letterman. Perhaps the most disturbing story in the documentary involves Mark Ryan, an aspiring model from Cincinnati, Ohio, who turned to drink after being abused in Hollywood. His parents, Fred and Jane, appear throughout the film, initially proudly showing off Mark’s high school sports photos and modeling shots. Then as the film progresses, they talk about how he returned from Hollywood withdrawn and broken. After attempting to give up booze cold-turkey, he suffered an alcohol-withdrawal seizure and is now confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak or feed himself. His friend Egan is seen visiting him at the nursing home, where he needs 24/7 medical care. And his father is in tears as he recounts finding legal papers in Mark’s bedroom recounting the sexual abuse he suffered in Hollywood. Some filmgoers who saw Friday’s screening believe if Berg had concentrated on Mark’s story she would probably have had another award-winning documentary on her hands. Instead, An Open Secret has become tangled up in Egan’s allegations against Singer, whose girlfriend, Michelle Clunie, is expecting their first baby. Familiar faces: Diff’rent Strokes star Todd Bridges (left) also talks in the documentary about abuse he suffered as a child star and Corey Feldman (right) is seen in archive footage discussing his own experiences . Accused: Marty Weiss, a talent agent, pleaded no contest in 2012 to two counts of committing lewd acts . His lawyer Martin Singer, who is not related to the Usual Suspects director, told MailOnline: ‘My client and his representatives have not seen the movie. ‘It’s disappointing and sad that Amy Berg would rely on the word of Michael Egan, a proven liar, who recently was admonished by a federal judge for lying in court. ‘Egan continues to lie about our client. He has no credibility at all and can hardly be considered a reliable source for Berg’s so-called documentary.’
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An Open Secret, by Oscar-nominated documentarian Amy Berg, debuted at the DOC NYC festival Friday .
Film claims X-Men star Brian Peck abused a well known child star and got away with it .
Among the men named are talent managers Marty Weiss, Michael Harrah and Bob Villard, who represented Leonardo DiCaprio as a budding actor .
It also includes interviews with Michael Egan III who accused X-Men director Bryan Singer of raping him before dropping his suit earlier this year .
Berg said she has been having trouble finding a distributor for her controversial film .
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By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 08:40 EST, 27 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:16 EST, 27 March 2013 . Sitting on the sidewalk with his head bowed, drunk driver Mark Mullan can't bear to look back at the two covered bodies lying on the Seattle road - whose deaths he was allegedly responsible for. Led away in tears from the scene, Mullan, who has five prior DUI arrests and a suspended license, plowed into doting grandparents Dennis and Judith Schulte while they were out for a walk on Monday morning with their daughter-in-law and their 10-day-old grandson. The much-loved teachers had moved recently from Indiana to the West Coast and were pronounced dead at the scene, while pediatric nurse Karina and son, Elias Ulkiksen-Schulte are currently in a critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Scroll Down to Watch Video . Realization: Mark Mullan, 50 sits on the sidewalk after killing two pedestrians and critically injuring two others _ a woman and a 10-day-old infant - in Seattle, Washington . Dennis and Judith Schulte were killed when a suspected drunk driver collided with them on a notorious blind spot on a Seattle road . Mullan is being held on investigation of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. Prosecutors have until Thursday to formally charge him. A police officer said in court documents that he smelled alcohol on Mullan's breath and that Mullan showed impairment on sobriety tests. A preliminary test showed a breath alcohol level of 0.22, nearly three times the legal limit of 0.08, the officer said. His license was suspended at the time of the crash at an intersection in a residential neighborhood, according to the documents. 'He does not have a valid license,' said Brad Benfield, a spokesman with the Department of Licensing. He also did not have an ignition interlock deivce installed on his Chevrolet pick-up, which an earlier court ruling ordered him to have installed. 'They were so elated. This is their only grandchild,' said Judith Schulte's sister, Susan Morton. Mark Mullan, 50, (pictured) was arrested Monday after his pickup slammed into a group of people near Eckstein Middle School in Seattle's Wedgwood . Judy Schulte with her grandson Elias Ulriksen-Schulte who was critically injured in the car crash on Monday in Seattle . Seattle Police investigate a dented pickup at the scene of a deadly traffic accident in northern Seattle neighborhood on Monday . Karina Schulte 'had the baby in a sling on the front. He just hit all four of them,' said Morton, of Cottonwood, Minn., in a telephone interview. Mullan told police he was unable to see the pedestrians because the sun was in his eyes, according to court documents. His license was suspended at the time of the crash, according to the documents. 'He does not have a valid license,' said Brad Benfield, a spokesman with the Department of Licensing. It was unclear Tuesday whether Mullan had legal representation. A message left with an attorney who represented him in a drunken driving case in December was not immediately returned Tuesday. Mullan didn't answer reporters' questions as police led him away from the scene of the crash in handcuffs Monday. Police said he stopped after the crash and was cooperative. A phone number listed for Mullan was disconnected. The Schulte's had just moved from Indiana to be near their new-born grandchild who was delivered just two weeks ago . Mullan has a history of driving drunk. His most recent arrest for drunken driving was on Christmas Day when he struck a Seattle motel and was found to have a blood-alcohol content four times the legal limit. Prior to the Christmas Day arrest, Mullan was arrested four other times related to driving under the influence. In October of 2012, Mullan was arrested by Washington State Patrol in his black Chevrolet pickup, after speeding on the Alderwood Mall Parkway. His blood-alcohol level was measured at .14 percent. His Christmas Day arrest came after he drove into The Seals Motel in Seattle on two separate occasions on the same evening. Police wrote that he was so intoxicated he could not get out of his truck without help. He also provided police with a false name - his twin brothers' - something that he has done at least once before according to police documents. On that occasion his blood alcohol level measured .32 percent, which is more than four times the legal limit. Police believed that he was so drunk that they called paramedics and sent him to Harborview Medical Center. The victims were crossing 33rd Avenue Northeast at Northeast 75th Street in Seattle, with Ulriksen-Schulte carrying her son, when the pickup struck them . At the time of his accident his license was suspended due to the five prior occasions he had been in trouble with the law. Morton said Karina Schulte, who is from Chile, works as a pediatric nurse specialist and is dedicated to her work. Dennis and Judith Schulte were both longtime high school teachers; she taught English and was a head guidance counselor at Northwestern High School for years, while he taught math and coached at Western High School. 'People like her don't come around very often,' said Northwestern High School Principal Al Remaly. 'She was just all about the kids and all about anything she could do for them.' Judy's brother, J. Hugh Dwyer, said his sister and her husband made a big impact in their community. 'Between the two of them, they probably positively influenced thousands of high school students,' he said. They had moved to Seattle from Kokomo in February to witness the birth of their first grandson. They had planned to spend six months in Seattle to be near their son and his family. They were renting an apartment near the intersection where they were killed. 'They were so elated. This is their only grandchild,' Morton said. 'They wanted to be there when he was born. They got to hold him and be there with him for 10 days.' Judy Schulte was a dedicated volunteer at Kokomo Urban Outreach , said DeAnna Ancil, who directs the group's food pantry operations. Ancil said Judy Schulte 'beamed' about having a grandchild. Friends and relatives say the couple had begun planning a move to Seattle when they learned Ulriksen-Schulte was expecting their first grandchild . 'That's the positive thing, that they were able to see the grandchild and enjoy him for two weeks and enjoy the family connection,' Ancil said. 'But (it's) just such a shock still for all of us.' Retired teachers Judy and Dennis Schulte had devoted their lives to helping children. 'That was their thing, and they were very good at it,' said Reverand Ronald Mann, pastor of Russiaville United Methodist Church near Kokomo, to the Seattle Times. 'They were wonderful people who will be greatly missed. 'They were both very active in the life of our church,' said Mann, who noted Judy Schulte was in charge of the children’s ministry and gave sermons to children. Ulriksen-Schulte, who suffered a crushed pelvis and cranial bleeding, and Elias, whose injuries were not disclosed, were in critical condition Tuesday at Harborview Medical Center. The Schultes celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in June 2011. Judy Schulte worked as a guidance counselor and teacher at Indiana's Northwestern Schools and colleague Ryan Snoddy said that even after her retirement in 2008, she still would return to help. 'She was a great lady who inspired a lot of kids,' he said. 'Judy and Dennis were doing what they loved, which is spending time with their family. To have this kind of tragedy just really takes the breath out of you.'
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Dennis and Judith Schulte were hit and killed by drunk driver Mark Mullan on Monday .
Mullan had a suspended license at the time of the crash and five-prior arrests for DUI .
He is being held on $2.5 million bail .
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Britain’s oldest person – and the last survivor of the Victorian age – has died at the age of 114. Great-grandmother Ethel Lang lived through six monarchs and 22 prime ministers. Born on May 27, 1900, a year before the end of Queen Victoria’s reign, she was said to be the eighth oldest person in the world. Mrs Lang’s lifetime spanned the Wright Brothers’ first flight in 1903, both world wars, the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Moon landings and the invention of the internet. Ethel Lang, pictured with staff at the Water Royd House, Barnsley, on her birthday, died aged 114 yesterday . When the Titanic sank she was 11 – and she was 101 when terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers, triggering the War on Terror. Mrs Lang died yesterday at the Water Royd House nursing home, in Barnsley. The home confirmed her death but said it could not comment any further. Her daughter Margaret Bates, 91, led tributes to her yesterday, saying: ‘She was such a good mum. I’m so proud of her. ‘She was registered blind in 1988 but it never stemmed her enthusiasm for life, even in her later years. 'I would take her into town and she would ask me to point out to her things like buildings and landmarks. She hated to be stuck indoors.’ She was the youngest daughter of Charles Lancaster, a miner, and his wife Sarah and was born when the Marquess of Salisbury was prime minister. She lived in the Worsbrough area of Barnsley all her life and left school aged 13 to go to work at Sudgen's shirt factory. In 1922, she married William Lang, a young plumber and the only son of Barnsley councillor Thomas Lang, at St Mary's Church, Barnsley. Widowed when her husband died in 1988, aged 92, she lived independently until she was 105, when she moved into a care home. Mrs Lang, pictured left aged 20, and right, aged 27 with husband William and daughter Margaret in 1927 . Her hobby was dancing, which she enjoyed until 107. She was also a keen snooker fan and her favourite player was Jimmy White. Her longevity was perhaps helped by the fact that she never smoked and rarely touched alcohol. She was a good cook, made her own bread and always ate wholesome food, according to her family. Genetics were also on her side. Her mother lived to 91 and, when a relative traced her family tree, many ancestors turned out to have had long lives all the way back to the early 1700s. Mrs Lang, pictured right aged 106, has a daughter Margaret Bates, pictured left, who is now 91 . Mrs Lang became the longest surviving person after Londoner Grace Jones, died aged 113 in 2013. Pictured, celebrating her 112th birthday at Water Royd House, in Barnsley . Last year, Mrs Lang celebrated her 114th birthday with a piece of cake and a cup of tea along with her family and friends. She became the longest surviving person after Londoner Grace Jones, died aged 113 in 2013. Mrs Lang’s death means that Gladys Hooper, of the Isle of Wight, now appears to be Britain’s oldest person. She will be 112 tomorrow. The world’s oldest person is thought to Japan’s Misao Okawa. She is due to turn 117 in March. According to the Isle of Wight County Press, Mrs Hooper was born on January 18, 1903. She was brought up in Rottingdean, Brighton, and was friends with aviation pioneer Amy Johnson. She played the piano to a high standard and became a concert pianist in London and mixed with the likes of band leaders Jack Payne, Debroy Somers and Maurice Winnick.
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Ethel Lang was born in the Worsbrough area of Barnsley in May 1900 .
Queen Victoria was on the throne and the Marquess of Salisbury was PM .
Mrs Lang died yesterday at the Water Royd House nursing home .
She lived independently until she was 105 when she moved into the home .
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By . Lucy Osborne . The Crufts ‘Good Citizen’ award is reserved for the most obedient and well-trained dog – so you would expect only the best of behaviour from the winner. But last year’s victor Eddie – a brown and snow-white Akita – disgraced the title just hours after claiming it. As the award winner was posing with his proud owner for photographs he suddenly lunged at a nearby woman, sinking his teeth into her knee and hand. Attack dog: Eddie the Akita, left, had just passed an award at a Crufts show in Birmingham when he suddenly lunged at Louise Nelson, right, leaving her needing surgery on her knee and with permanent nerve damage . Former accountant Louise Nelson was left needing surgery on her knee and with permanent nerve damage to her hand. A . district judge at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court found Eddie’s owner . Lorain Ronis, 52, guilty of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of . control in a public place. Mrs . Ronis, a dog trainer and dog walker, claims witnesses exaggerated the . attack because they were fierce rivals on the dog circuit and wanted . her out of the way. The . court heard she was posing with her five-year-old dog for a celebratory . picture after he triumphed in the Good Citizen Dog category. But Eddie . took a dislike to a nearby Akita called Banks and sprang forward. Convicted: Lorain Ronis (above), 52, was found guilty of letting Eddie be dangerously out of control in public . After being pulled away by his owner he lunged a second time, clamping Miss Nelson’s kneecap in his jaws. She . told the court she feared her kneecap would be ripped off during the . six-second attack on March 8 last year during the Crufts show at . Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre. Miss . Nelson, 33, an experienced dog owner who has been attending shows for . 13 years, said: ‘I tried to get out of the way but it grabbed hold of my . knee and was shaking my kneecap.’ As . she attempted to free herself she also received a bite to the hand. Witness June Watson said she saw Mrs Ronis and Eddie standing ‘too . close’ to the other Akita. Lunge: Eddie took a dislike to a nearby Akita called Banks and sprang forward. Above, an Akita like Eddie . She said: ‘There was a little bit of contact . [between the dogs] and then they were separated. ‘The lady on the bench [Miss Nelson] stood up and it [Eddie] went towards her and grabbed her leg.’ Denying . the offence Mrs Ronis, from Luton, said her dog had never been . aggressive and claimed the other Akita had attacked first. She said: ‘Eddie was never dangerous or out of control. She suffered her injury by getting between two dogs.’ Mrs Ronis claims that Miss Nelson had told her at the time ‘dogs will be dogs, don’t worry about it’. ‘If I had known then how this was going to unravel I would have got more witnesses,’ she said. During . the trial it was revealed Miss Nelson, from County Durham, had been . sacked from her accountant’s job after stealing £10,000 from her . employer and had pleaded guilty to 11 counts of fraud by abuse of . position. She was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months. Mrs . Ronis claimed Miss Nelson’s need for money to repay her employer was . behind the allegation. She also claimed that the other witnesses were . fierce rivals on the dog show circuit. ‘They are my competitors, they . don’t like me,’ she told the court. Convicting . Mrs Ronis of the offence, district judge Ian Strongman said he found . Eddie had caused the injuries to Miss Nelson, but made no order to have . the dog destroyed. He said: . ‘I’m satisfied when the dog started misbehaving Mrs Ronis tried her . best to pull it back.’ He adjourned the case for sentence until August . 14.
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Five-year-old Eddie had just won award with his owner Lorain Ronis, 52 .
Pair were posing for photographs when Eddie lunged at nearby woman .
Louise Nelson, 33, was left needing surgery on knee and nerve damage .
Ronis was convicted of letting her dog be dangerously out of control .
Due to be sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates' Court next month .
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A British man who at one time was the fattest in the world is pleading with the NHS to remove unsightly flaps of flesh after he managed to lose more than half of his body weight. Paul Mason, 50, who weighed 60 stone two years ago, underwent a gastric bypass after he was told he otherwise faced certain death. But he has been left with rolls of unsightly excess skin after the extreme weight loss and now needs an operation to remove the flaps hanging from his stomach, arms and legs. Scroll down for video . Slimmed down: Paul Mason now weighs 30st instead of 70st but wants surgery to remove rolls of unsightly fat . Back on his feet: Mr Mason is now no longer bed bound, but still requires walking sticks . NHS bosses have refused to perform cosmetic surgery, insisting that he needs to maintain a stable weight before it can be considered . However, NHS bosses have refused to perform cosmetic surgery, insisting that he needs to maintain a stable weight before it can be considered. But Mr Mason, who can now leave the house in a motorised wheelchair, said: 'I just need a little bit more help. I feel like I have been just left high and dry. 'I need this operation to . be able to get my life back, to be able to get back into society. It is . stopping me living a reasonable life.' The former postman, who weighed 70st - or half a tonne - at his heaviest, used to consume 20,000 calories a day, 10 times the normal for the average man. He said his binge eating was spurred by heartbreak in his twenties at the time of his father's death and a deterioration in his mother's health. He quit his . job as a postman when his weight prevented him from completing his . deliveries. He was transferred to a sorting . office, where he worked until 1989 when he was sacked and imprisoned for . six months for stealing from customers' letters. Mobile: Paul Mason in his motorised chair, in early 2011, on a rare day out near his home in Ipswich after losing 20st . Paul Mason, pictured in 2009, was airlifted to hospital for an operation to reduce his weight . The former postman used to consume 20,000 calories a day -10 times the normal for the average man - and sometimes went naked to avoid having to get dressed . Mr Mason spent around £30,000 a year on food and sometimes went naked to avoid having to get dressed. Then in 2009, Mr Mason, from Ipswich, underwent a £30,000 operation on the NHS at Chichester Hospital which drastically reduced the amount he could eat. Now his frame has shrunk so much that he has been left with swathes of loose skin. Surgery can be used to remove the excess skin but as the treatment is for cosmetic and not clinical reasons, it is not automatically available on the NHS. Mr Mason has been left with rolls of unsightly excess skin on his arms, legs and stomach . It will cost Mr Mason around £1,500 to £6,000 if he wants to have the surgery privately depending on the amount of flesh that needs to be removed . Mr Mason will have to pay around £1,500 to £6,000 if he wants to have the surgery privately depending on the amount of flesh that needs to be removed. His care bill costs taxpayers an estimated £100,000 a year and it is believed to have topped £1million over the past 15 years . On one occasion firefighters had to be called out to demolish the front wall of his former . home so they could drive a fork lift truck inside to lift . him out and put him into an ambulance when he needed a hernia operation . in 2002. Now and then: Paul Mason says he is desperate for plastic surgery. He is pictured at 18-months-old (right) PAUL'S OLD DIET . Breakfast: A packet . of bacon, four sausages, four eggs, bread and hash browns. Lunch: Four portions of fish and chips with two kebabs. Dinner: A takeaway such as a curry or pizza . Snacks: Pastries, . chocolate, crisps . (He would spend £10-£15 per day on . chocolate and £60 a day on takeaways) PAUL'S NEW DIET . Breakfast: Toast . Lunch or dinner: Now . he has just one main meal a day usually consisting of lean meat fresh fruit and vegetables . But Mr Mason, who has a a new target weight of 23 stone, is angered by the NHS's decision. He said: 'My consultant says he's always seen . there is a skinny man waiting to get out but it is so frustrating to . have got so far and just be at the final hurdle. 'I have times when I just sit and cry but then I think "I'm not going to let it get me down."' Health bosses have remained firm about their decision, stating that Mr Mason, who also suffered a heart attack following his gastric bypass, must wait before he has further cosmetic surgery. An NHS Suffolk spokesperson said: 'Before a . patient has an operation it is important to take a balanced decision . that is in the best interest of that patient. 'In cases like this NHS . Suffolk has a panel of people - including clinicians - who decide . whether the patient should have such an operation. 'A patient must have a . stable weight before he or she is considered.' Mr Mason also claimed that the NHS failed to help him as his size soared and instead of receiving a treatment programme to manage his weight, he said he was told in 1996: 'Ride your bike more.' He now hopes to learn how to drive and to use his experience to help others with eating disorders, including anorexia. He has also set up his own craft company to produce Christmas tree decorations and birthday cards. The heaviest man of all time was American John Minnoch, who weighed 100.2 stone. He died in 1983 aged 42. Two female carers take up to four . hours to wash Paul Mason because his size makes it impossible for him to clean himself. The women, who visit him three times a day, have to apply cream to every inch of his bulging body to stop chafing. He manages to soap his upper body himself and the nurses wipe him down. They used to look after him from 8am until 8pm but Ipswich NHS were forced to axe the service because of cutbacks. Mr Mason, who wears incontinence pads, has not walked properly since 2000 and wears size XXXXXXXXL clothes.
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'I feel like I've been left high and dry,' says 30st man after £30,000 NHS operation .
NHS says Mr Mason must maintain stable weight before they consider cosmetic surgery to remove flaps of skin .
Over the past 15 years it is estimated Mr Mason's care bill has cost taxpayers around £1million .
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By . Mike Dawes . Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman suffered a sickening injury on Wednesday night when he was hit by a line drive in Surprise, Arizona during a Spring training game. The closer broke bones above his left eye and nose when the ball which he pitched at 99mph came hurtling back towards his face - the latest frightening injury to a pitcher struck in the head by a batted ball. Chapman was undergoing further testing at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, where he was set to spend the night for observation, according to a statement from the Reds. Scroll Down for Video . Pitch: Reds closer Ardolis Chapman fires off a 99mph pitch towards Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night in Arizona . Manager Bryan Price said Chapman was conscious and talking as he was taken off the field during Cincinnati's spring training game against the Kansas City Royals. The exhibition was called after an 8-minute delay with Kansas City leading 6-3. 'Not good,' Price said. 'He left the field on a stretcher, took a line drive just above his left eye is what it looks like — a contusion, a laceration, and certainly needs to be taken to the hospital and checked. 'We've got Tomas Vera, an assistant trainer, is going to be with him. And then we'll get our updates from there.' Return: Perez rifles back the ball towards Chapman (left) who is still following through on his pitch at the stadium in Surprise, Arizona and (right) the ball can be seen as a white speck just above Chapman's left arm about to hit his face . Contact: The ball ricochets off Chapman's face at speed - causing him to raise his left hand to his face in agony . The hard-throwing left-hander was struck by Salvador Perez's liner with two outs in the sixth inning — the pitch was clocked at 99 mph. Chapman crumbled to the ground, face down, his legs flailing. The ball caromed into the third base dugout. Medical personnel, including Royals Dr. Vincent Key, rushed onto the field. Blood could be seen on the mound. Perez put his hands on his helmet before reaching first base. He immediately went to the mound where players from both teams huddled as the 26-year-old Cuban reliever was being attended to in an eerily silent stadium. An ambulance's siren could be heard in the background while Chapman was loaded onto the stretcher. 'It was an absolute bullet that Sal hit,' Royals manager Ned Yost said. 'It's just a real sickening feeling for everybody.' Collapse: Chapman falls to the ground as concerned team mates and umpires dash over to help him as he writhes in agony on the floor . Players from both teams knelt, some bowing their heads and crossing themselves in prayer. Chapman was taken to Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City. He was then transferred to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center. Perez appeared to be in tears as he left the field, and first baseman Eric Hosmer hugged him. Perez quickly left the clubhouse without speaking to reporters. Hosmer hit a line drive off the head of Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb last June. Cobb sustained a concussion. Playing right field, Reds teammate Jay Bruce heard the ball hit Chapman. 'It was one of the more frightening and non-fun moments I've been a part of on the baseball field,' he said. After Chapman was driven off to the waiting ambulance, Price and Yost met with the umpires. 'It was really a mutual agreement,' crew chief Chris Guccione said. 'Players were rattled. The staff was rattled. The umpires were rattled. We figured it was best, along with both teams in agreement, that the game should end.' Prayers: Cincinnati Reds players and Kansas City Chief players kneel as Chapman receives urgent medical care on the field on Wednesday night . Treatment: Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is taken off the field after being hit by a line drive Wednesday night March 19, 2014, after another frightening incident involving a pitcher being struck by a batted ball . Yost said neither he nor his players wanted to keep playing. Price felt the same way. 'You can't find it in your heart to go out there and play,' he said. Oakland pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who had emergency surgery after he was struck in the head by a line drive in September 2012, urged caution in a post on Twitter. 'all reporting at this point means zilch, until he gets a scan,' he said in a tweet. Chapman, who throws a 100 mph fastball, had walked four Royals in the inning before being injured. The two-time All-Star had 38 saves for the Reds last season. When reporters walked into the Royals clubhouse, third baseman Mike Moustakas asked a team official to request that they leave. Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman throws in the third inning of a spring training baseball game against the Cleveland Indians in Goodyear, Arizona in this 2012 file photo . 'No one wants to talk,' Moustakas said. In January, Major League Baseball approved a protective cap for pitchers following several terrifying scenes similar to this one in the last few years, including Toronto's J.A. Happ, who sustained a skull fracture. The heavier and bigger hats were available for testing during spring training on a voluntary basis, but the cap apparently would not have helped Chapman in this case. 'I know this isn't uncommon as we would like it to be, but it was frightening,' Price said. 'Certainly frightening.'
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Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman suffered fractures to bones in his nose and left eye while taking a line drive to the face on Wednesday night .
Chapman carted off the field and transported by ambulance to hospital .
The game between the Reds and the Kansas City Chiefs was abandoned .
Reds manager Bryan Price said Chapman was conscious and talking as he was taken off the field .
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By . Bianca London . He's best known for his role as Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in Homeland, which earned him an Emmy and Golden Globe, but Damian Lewis has proven his worth as a model too. The 43-year-old Homeland star, who hails from North London, has been snapped up by British brand Aquascutum to front its AW14 campaign. The acclaimed actor is joined by top model Eliza Cummings, who has walked for nearly every big designer and fronted countless high fashion campaigns. Scroll down for video . New campaign: Homeland star Damian Lewis and supermodel Eliza Cummings have been recruited to front Aquascutum's AW14 campaign . Shot by renowned fashion photographer . Alasdair McLellan and in partnership with creative agency Art Partner, . Aquascutum say they are delighted to present the new campaign. The couple are captured in romantic and elegant black and white portraits under the . atmospheric iron arches of Macclesfield bridge on London’s Regent’s . Canal. Romantic: The black and white campaign was shot by Alasdair McLellan by the river in North London . Actor to model: He's best known for his role as Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in Homeland, which earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe, but Damian Lewis has proven his worth as a model . Top model: Eliza, who has walked for all the big names in fashion, looks effortlessly stylish in the oversized cloud-coloured Baxter coat . 'The cinematic environment aims to capture the two in an . intimate stolen moment, just steps away from the hustle and bustle of . the city,' said a spokesperson for the brand. The brand’s iconic trench makes an . appearance in the seam-sealed navy wool single breasted Howell coat worn . by Damian, whilst Eliza looks effortlessly stylish in the oversized . cloud-coloured Baxter coat. Founded in 1851, Aquascutum prides itself on its British tailoring and promises to offer luxurious elegance. ‘Aqua Scutum’, which in Latin translate to ‘Water Shield’, was the brainchild of founder of the brand John Emary. He was also the person responsible for pioneering the first waterproof wool fabric, then used from 1914 to make the functional trench coats for officers in the First World War. Posterboy: Founded in 1851, Aquascutum prides itself on its British tailoring and promises to offer luxurious elegance .
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Damien Lewis, 43, plays Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in Homeland .
Stars alongside top model Eliza Cummings in new campaign .
Aquascutum trench celebrates 100th birthday this year .
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(CNN) -- As a teenager, it's easy to feel lost, to get swallowed up into the mob mentality and lose your voice. We've all been victim to that; anyone who says they haven't is either lying or under the age of 13 years. And so when a teenage girl undertakes such an incredible task of courage, one adults cower in fear of doing, the event takes on utmost significance. This is exactly what Malala Yousafzai, a huge inspiration to me and so many other girls, did. Malala stood up for herself, for her education and for her fundamental rights when confronted by a fearsome terrorist group. Malala has created a chain reaction all around the world, bringing change, light and hope to girls across all continents. Being teenage girls in the United States, so many times, we forget the opportunities we have been given. We roll our eyes and joke about dropping out of school, a right we take for granted in this country. I don't know if I speak for all girls when I say this, but I know for me that after hearing about Malala's fight for education, I cannot take mine so lightly any longer. I plan to continue my education so that I can fight for those who cannot. Malala has inspired me to study politics, gender studies, social justice and peace so that I am equipped with the tools I need to help others, the tools so many girls are not given. Malala wins Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought . But Malala has inspired more than just my own education; she has inspired my entire outlook and goals. After I first learned of Malala, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Yes, I was more serious about my education and understood its importance now, but I wanted to become an activist and do something. I became co-president of my school's club School Girls Unite, a group that sponsors the education of 66 girls in Mali and lobbies Congress annually to increase foreign aid for education. I also became involved with the International Day of the Girl Child as the Day of the Girl U.S. youth outreach coordinator so I could speak to more girls about issues like education. I have heard some people say that Malala is a mere poster child for Western ideals of education, but that could not be further from the truth; Malala is the hero who created the domino effect of change, bringing attention and empowering girls and boys alike to act on this issue. Malala: Accolades, applause and a grim milestone . It may sound corny, but I assure you that it is true: I believe that Malala has changed the course of my life, and I only hope that through activism around the world, other girls will have their lives changed as well. Thank you, Malala. Thank you for your bravery, your passion and your heroism. You inspire me and so many other girls so much, and what you do is incredible. You go, girl! The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julia Fine.
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Julia Fine submitted the winning entry in a CNN contest about Malala Yousufzai .
Fine: Malala, in her bravery, is a huge inspiration to her and so many other girls .
She says Malala is a hero who brought attention to education and empowers kids .
Watch Malala on "The Bravest Girl in the World" at 7 p.m. ET Sunday on CNN .
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(CNN) -- In decades past, your grandfather may have taken granny to the park, got down on one knee and proposed to her, with a sparkling ring in hand. Nowadays, some suitors are reaching out to their brides-to-be through their computer, pushing a button and proposing: right through the internet. As technology continues to touch on almost every aspect of social life, there is no stopping this generation's use of the internet as a tool -- even for marriage. But with these nontraditional methods of courtship, can we help but wonder: Is chivalry dead? Johannes S. Beals was surfing the net recently when he was inspired to propose marriage. The engagement ring for his long-time girlfriend had been hidden in his home for four months, and it was while chatting with other filmmakers that he figured out how he would propose to his wife. "I saw Alyssa Milano tweet about the Old Spice Guy's personalized video responses and that's when the idea popped in my head to ask him to propose to my wife," said Beals, a producer and director in California. He tweeted to Isaiah Mustafa, the shirtless shower man who plays the Old Spice Guy, "Can U Ask my girlfriend to marry me? Her name is Angela A. Hutt-Chamberlin." Three hours later the deal was done. The Old Spice Guy, wrapped in his towel, appears in a bathroom, dims the lights, rolls in candles, holds out a ring and reads the proposal in a deep, chivalrous voice. The video proposal went viral and Beals is now on his way to becoming a married man. Beals' proposal is one example of the power the internet can have in personal lives, and raised the question about how technology impacts the tradition of the marriage proposal. Sarah Pease, owner of Brilliant Event Planning, said that as time passes, proposals are becoming more elaborate and that technology encourages more opportunities for lovers to express their creativity. However, she finds the idea of proposing online as a substitute for the traditional act of getting down on one knee a bit puzzling. "Any proposal where the girl says yes is a great proposal," Pease said. "But would I recommend proposing on Twitter or online to my clients? Never." The current world of technology pressures people to do things bigger and better than they were done in the past, she said. Yet she believes that by using social media or the internet as a sole medium to propose devalues the wedding proposal and denies the man the true creative buzz that comes from planning a wedding proposal. "Proposing online may work for some people, but I think there are just so many other creative ways that you can pop the question and still embrace the tradition of getting down on one knee," Pease said. It is men's fear of rejection that pushes them to want to go public with their proposals online, said Michael Rosenfeld, an associate professor of sociology at Stanford University. Just like proposing on a JumboTron at a baseball game, proposing in public gives men control by creating a situation that pressures women into saying yes. Watch her propose during commencement speech . "Proposing online or in any public space has something to do with power in the relationship," Rosenfeld said. "There might be fear if you ask them one-on-one because the woman might say no. Proposing in public helps to reduce that risk." What also makes proposing online more attractive is the economic benefit and feasibility. "The internet is a lot more accessible -- it's more difficult to get a billboard at a baseball game or to hire a jumbo jet," said Christina Warren, whose fiancé proposed to her on Twitter in January 2009. "Grand gestures can be made online at little to no cost, and depending on the people that are involved, the proposal becomes more meaningful," Warren said. The reporter for Mashable.com and her computer programmer fiancé are self-proclaimed computer nerds whose obsessions with all things tech made their online proposal feel appropriate. Yet it is this dramatic sense of efficiency, Rosenfeld said, that supports technology's "obsessive and overtrumping culture." The meaning behind the tradition of the wedding proposal and the chivalrous man coming to court his lady's hand gets lost in a whirlwind of information that appears to be attempts at just being noticed. "With the internet, people tend to be less concerned with privacy," Rosenfeld said. "They want to be obsessively public about something that people may think of as a private matter." "Fame and notoriety is something that people always have sought. In the internet age, the border to fame and notoriety is much lower, and because we live in an age of very gratifying self promotion, online proposals can sometimes devalue tradition." Watch man propose on live TV . But for those who fame has hit for venturing online with a wedding proposal -- such as Stephanie Sullivan Rewis and Greg Rewis, who became the first couple to propose on Twitter -- chivalry is still alive. "I didn't feel any different than women whose boyfriend proposes on the JumboTron or billboard in Times Square feel," said Stephanie Rewis. "Is it the method that matters or the thought and outcome?" Rosenfeld said he agrees with the latter. "I think that people can still have a very old fashioned view of relationships and the pursuit of marriage. The way people meet and are doing things are rapidly changing, and the internet is increasingly becoming the intermediary for all that. "So chivalry isn't dead. I think it is every bit of alive as it has ever been."
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Some couples use sites such as Twitter or YouTube to propose .
Sociologist says that proposing online pressures women into saying "yes"
Online proposals might be appropriate for a couple, some say .
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By . Mia De Graaf . Stabbed: Ernest Moyo, 27, now has prosthetic arms and legs after a gang stabbed his thigh and stomach outside a party in 2012, forcing doctors to amputate his limbs . A gang whose vicious attack caused a man to lose all four of his limbs have been jailed for 61 years. Ernest Moyo, 27, was leaving a party when he was accosted by the four thugs, demanding his mobile phone. When he refused, he was stabbed in the thigh and stomach then left lying in the road in Worthing, Sussex. Emergency services took him to hospital but infections from his wounds had already spread to his vital organs and he was put on life support. Doctors were left with no choice but to amputate both his arms and legs. That night, police arrested and charged Patrick Brookes, 27, before his three accomplices - Dominic Brookes, 19, Jeremiah Reynolds, 26, and Trey Johnson, 18 - were caught nine days later. Today, they were sentenced to a total of 61 years imprisonment for the 2012 attack. During trials at Hove Crown Court, all four denied involvement in the attack but the jury found them guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent. Unemployed Patrick Brookes, from Worthing, was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment. Reynolds, from North London, Dominic Brookes, from South London, and Johnson, from Worthing, were all sentenced to 15 years. Mr Moyo, who is also known as 'Joe', said: 'I am pleased with the outcome and me and my fiancé both agree that justice has been served. 'We are hoping to get married next year - this has now given us closure on what happened and we can put it behind us. 'We are glad this has now all finished and we can move on.' Mr Moyo fought for his life in hospital for months after the late night attack. Jailed: Patrick Brookes, 27 (left), has been jailed for 16 years for the attack which left Mr Moyo with infections that spread to his vital organs, forcing him onto life support. Dominic Brookes, 19 (right), was jailed for 15 years . Guilty: Trey Johnson, 18 (left), was 16 when he attacked Mr Moyo in Worthing, Sussex. He and Jeremiah Reynolds, 26 (right) were found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and jailed for 15 years each . He is now adapting to the tasks of daily life with the help of prosthetic limbs. Mr Moyo’s fiancée, Amy Dunne, said: 'For two to three months every day both our families visited him hoping and praying, before finally he was taken off the life support. 'Joe and myself will have to deal with his injuries every day for the rest of our lives as we make a future together. 'Our lives will be totally different from what they would have been. 'We would like to thank all the nurses, doctors and surgeons at the hospitals for all their care and support that they gave to Joe. 'We would also like to thank Sussex . Police, especially DCs Tony Taylor and Laura Sinden and PC Vicky Bailey, . for all of their hard work and support. Battled through: Mr Moyo and his fiancée Amy Dunne have finally decided to get married after two years spent recuperating from the attack and working with doctors . Relieved: The couple have applauded the police for catching the men that left Mr Moyo wounded in the street . 'We are relieved that four people have now been held accountable for their actions and will face many years in prison.' After the case Detective Constable Laura Sinden said: 'I have been with Joe and his family throughout the investigation and the trial. 'I am pleased for them that these four people have been brought to justice. 'Each of the men have received significant sentences for their involvement in what happened that night. 'This was a vicious attack that left Joe fighting for his life in the middle of the road and the injuries he sustained meant he had to have his limbs amputated. 'The consequences of that night will be with him for the rest of his life.'
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Ernest Moyo, 27, was leaving a party when gang demanded his phone .
During argument the four men stabbed him in thigh and stomach then fled .
Mr Moyo was put on life support but infections had already spread to organs .
Doctors forced to amputate both arms and legs, he now has prosthetic limbs .
Patrick Brookes, Dominic Brookes, Jeremiah Reynolds, Trey Johnson jailed .
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(CNN) -- "No one's ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that I was born and raised." With that comment to a crowd in Michigan, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney officially embraced the "birther" movement and touched off a firestorm of protest across the airwaves and internet. Of course, those protesting didn't include his live audience or the extremists on the right. Nor, given Romney's embrace of Donald Trump, should we be surprised by this joke-that's-not-a-joke. Ari Melber of The Nation put it succinctly: "Jokes can be more revealing than talking points." But what, exactly, did Romney reveal with this pre-meditated "offhand" remark? That he's courting the radical right? He already chose Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential nominee. That he's pandering to the right-wing noise machine and the corporate special interest propaganda machine? We already know that because he appears on media friendly to the right but limits the number and kind of questions reporters can ask him, and then responds with dodging answers. Opinion: Election a stark choice on America's future . That he's following the Bush-Cheney-Rove "keep it vague, keep them afraid" playbook? Commentators and analysts have been pointing this out since Romney entered the campaign. Romney -- hiding behind the plausible deniability that it was just a joke, with a wink and a nod to the extremists in his base -- tried to divert attention from the ABC's haunting his campaign: Akin, Bain, "Corporations are people." His comment has the added benefit of satisfying his most fervent supporters and those anonymous supporters bankrolling one of the most misleading advertising campaigns, a blitzkrieg that strikes just the right partisan undertones. The real story is that there's nothing unusual about the remark. It's no more in the gutter than a lot of things that have been said about President Barack Obama since coming into office. It's just one more insinuation designed to distract us from the most disconcerting weaknesses of Romney's candidacy -- that he fails to offer details about his policy proposals and stubbornly refuses to disclose more than two years of tax returns. But it is sad and revealing, nevertheless. It is sad that a campaign stretch that began with his asking Obama to stop apologizing for America (something fact checkers noted the president never did) and roundly debunked welfare attack ad ended with a xenophobic and roundly debunked birther reference. And it reveals not just moral turpitude, but moral vacuity. His birth certificate dog-whistles are not just desperate, they are deliberate. Romney is campaigning as if he feels he is entitled to the White House -- that, like a feudal lord or European aristocrat, he does not have to answer questions, he does not have to be forthright, he does not have to be honest. It also reveals, as so much before it has done, that he believes the American people are too ignorant, too indifferent, too lazy, too afraid to bother and that we can be fooled. He also knows that the American press will, after huffing and puffing, give him a free pass on this one, too. How we respond to Romney's remark will reveal a lot about us, as well. Will we get what he's doing? Will we reject the noxious condescension and the patronizing? Will we demand an open and honest accounting of his business dealings? If he wants to be in charge of our business, we should see how he's run his. Isaac could hinder GOP chance to define Romney at convention . The media, too, will reveal a lot about itself by its response. Outrage, shock, tongue-clicking - these are superficial and useless. Allowing Romney to backpedal -- "it's only a joke" -- misses the point. The media needs to press for policy specifics and contrast claims with facts. As I said, we shouldn't be surprised by Romney's remark. Trying to pretend that somehow Obama is not an American-born leader, or questioning his patrioism, or his values by using the Big Lie often speaks in code. But let's decode some of the implications: . -- Show us your birth certificate, but I won't show you my tax returns. -- You need to prove your identity to vote, but my super PAC allies don't need to identify their donors. -- I'll lie about Obama's plans, but won't explain my own. -- I'll blame Obama for the problems he didn't cause, and take credit for his solutions that work. Romney's birther remark was less a surprise than a confirmation that his moral compass is off center. Mr. Romney, America's not an aristocracy. It's not where you were born -- in a cabin or a mansion -- or how you were raised -- in poverty by a single parent or with money and privilege -- that matters. It matters where you go and what you do. It's who you help, what you're willing to sacrifice, and how honest you are. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile.
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Donna Brazile: Mitt Romney's birth certificate "joke" wasn't innocuous .
She says it's part of a campaign that uses coded messages to devalue the president .
Brazile: Romney wrongly accused Obama of weakening welfare reform .
She says Romney is seeking to distract attention from questions he won't answer .
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Ryanair was forced to correct its website this week after it claimed that Sicily's capital has been dominated by the Cosa Nostra for 'many years'. 'Palermo is a forgotten treasure,' said Ryanair in the tourist guide section on its website, 'dominated for many years by the Mafia and poverty, the city has reclaimed a place among European cultural cities.' The description sparked outrage from Sicilian regional tourism alderman Cleo Li Catzi and Fabio Giambrone, president of the Gesap company managing Palermo's Falcone-Borsellino airport. Officials in Palermo, Sicily have reacted angrily after Ryanair described the city as being run by the Mafia for many years . If you look closely in the circle, you will spot the word 'mafia', which has caused outrage in Italy . Users on Twitter reacted to Ryanair's description of Palermo by describing it as an #epicfail . Ryanair marketing manager Giuseppe Belladone said: 'We are removing the content in question, this is content supplied to us by a third party and this detail escaped an internal check.' The Sicilian Mafia, also known as Cosa Nostra ('Our Thing'), is a criminal syndicate in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose core activities are protection racketeering and the arbitration of disputes in the black market. Each group, known as a 'family', 'clan', or 'cosca', claims sovereignty over a territory, usually a town or village or a neighbourhood (borgata) of a larger city, in which it operates its rackets. Its members call themselves 'men of honour', although the public often refers to them as 'mafiosi'. Police crackdowns in recent years have sought to limit the power of the group. Many key leaders have been arrested and jailed. 'On behalf of Ryanair I want to apologise for what happened. 'The statements do not reflect the content in question or the thoughts of Ryanair on the city of Palermo.' The site description now speaks of Palermo as 'intoxicating, lively and energetic.' Twitter users reacted to the description by labelling it as an 'epic fail' and a 'sensational gaffe'. Steve Knox labelled the description 'typical lazy Ryanair,' and labelled Palermo a 'great city.' Meanwhile John Hard Tweeted his belief that those upset with the description should 'boycott' the airline. However, there are others who have simply stated that the original description was 'telling the truth.' One supporter on Twitter, interestingly, is a group called 'Live Palermo'. They Tweeted to the no-frills airline expressing their 'support' and Tweeted that they failed to see the 'error' in the original description. Sicily is known as the birthplace of the Italian Mafia, however in recent years police crackdowns have detained some of the key players. Dozens were arrested in 'Operation Apocalypse' in June last year, with local police saying that two entire Mafia families had been wiped out. The investigation also solved a 100-year-old murder of a New York policeman. Extortion, money laundering and drug trafficking are among the offences alleged by the Palermo Anti-Mafia Investigation Department, which co-ordinated the operation - codenamed Apocalypse or Apocalisse in Italian. 'There hasn't been a dragnet on this scale in many years,' finance police Colonel Calogero Scibetta told Reuters at the time. 'These arrests have wiped out two entire mob families.' In recent years police have dealt severe blows to the Sicilian Mafia, historically Italy's most powerful criminal group while 'Ndrangheta, which operates out of Calabria at the southern end of the Italian mainland, has grown in strength by becoming a big importer of cocaine. Domenico Rancadore, now residing in the UK, is believed to be one of the Sicilian Mafia's big players . Mafia fugitive Domenico Rancadore was arrested last year over his connections to Italian crime gangs. The 65-year-old is described as 'one of the heads of one of the most powerful mafia associations in Italy' by Adam Harbinson, representing the Italian authorities. The Metropolitan Police arrested Rancadore at his home in Uxbridge, west London, following a new European Arrest Warrant request from Italy. Mr Harbinson told the court that the latest arrest warrant is identical to the previous one, save for assurances about the prison conditions he faced with in Italy. It alleges that Rancadore has an 'outstanding sentence of seven years imprisonment to serve for participation in Mafia association' between 1987 and 1995 in Palermo. Rancadore, known as The Professor, was first arrested in August last year under a European Arrest Warrant for the same allegations. He had evaded Italian authorities for 20 years, who accused him of fleeing Italy, where he faced trial over his alleged Cosa Nostra 'man of honour' connections. Rancadore and his wife moved with their two children to Uxbridge in 1994 and lived under the name of Skinner, the maiden name of Mrs Rancadore's British mother. Police arrested 'Marc Skinner' under a European arrest warrant on August 7, 2014 at his upmarket semi-detached home. At a previous hearing, Mr Rancadore said he came to the UK to give his children 'a good life', and to bring his time in Italy to an end. Police arrested Mafia don Domenico Rancadore at his west London home; wanted in Italy for connections to the Cosa Nostra crime syndicate . Details about this unassuming pensioner's secret double life — part-time chauffeur and devoted father who slipped into the United Kingdom 20 years ago and mafia crime boss during a 25-year criminal career in Italy — emerged this week after a British judge refused an Italian request for extradition. It is claimed Rancadore ordered henchmen to send a lamb's head still dripping with blood, along with three silver bullets, to a Sicilian priest who had dared speak out against his mafia clan. Accompanying them was a note to Father Gino Sacchetti, who ran a charity on land wanted by Domenico, making clear what would happen if he did not give it up: 'One is for your head, one for your heart. One is for the coup de grace. This is your final warning. His father, Giuseppe, was one of the most feared mobsters in Sicily.
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Description sparked outrage from Sicilian regional tourism members .
Ryanair apologise and say description was done by 'a third party'
Company now describe Palermo as 'intoxicating, lively and energetic'
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(CNN) -- He is India's most successful Test match captain but Mahendra Singh Dhoni has decided enough is enough. The 33-year-old has retired from Test match cricket, bringing down the curtain on an illustrious career in which he thrilled crowds across the world. Dhoni, who made his debut in 2005, captained India in 60 of his 90 Test matches but decided to quit on Tuesday following the draw with Australia in Melbourne which meant his side conceded the series. In a statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said that Dhoni made the decision to retire from Tests "in order to concentrate" on one-day and Twenty20 cricket. "One of India's greatest Test Captains under whose leadership India became the No. 1 team in the Test Rankings MS Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test Cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of Cricket," said the statement. "MS Dhoni has chosen to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODI and T20 formats. "BCCI while respecting the decision of MS Dhoni to retire from Test Cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to Test Cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India." The decision comes following a difficult year for Dhoni, who has been hampered by a succession of injuries. The wicket-keeper batsman missed five one-day games against Sri Lanka in November after suffering a hand injury, the same problem which forced him out of the opening Test against Australia earlier this month. That should not detract from a stellar career in which Dhoni has become India's highest earning sports star. According to Forbes, he is the fourth highest earning sportsman in the world, raking in $20 million in 2014, placing him ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, Usain Bolt, Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi. His decision comes just weeks ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand where India will defend its one-day crown. Dhoni will now start preparing for the tournament while Virat Kohli, one of the team's star batsmen, takes charge of the final Test match against Australia in Sydney which starts on January 6. Trailing 2-0 in the four match series, India required victory in Melbourne to keep the series alive. The draw meant that it was unable to overturn the deficit and slumped to yet another overseas defeat -- a recurring theme during Dhoni's reign. Since 2011, India has managed to win just two out of 22 away Tests and lost 13. During his 90-match Test career, Dhoni scored 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09, while his highest score of 224 came against Australia in February 2013. The wicket-keeper batsman also claimed 256 catches and made 38 stumpings. Dhoni replaced Anil Kumble as captain in 2008 after guiding India to victory in the very first World Twenty20 title the previous year. He enjoyed a hugely successful start to his reign, losing just one of 13 Test series and winning eight. That run allowed India to top the world rankings towards the end of 2009, a position in which it remained until 2011. But India has struggled for success outside of its own country in the Test match arena in recent times. This latest defeat by Australia comes on the back of similar results in England, New Zealand and South Africa. Last August, Dhoni hinted he may leave his role as captain after his side's 3-1 Test series defeat by England. When asked if he had taken his team as far as possible, he said: "Maybe, yes. "You'll have to wait and watch. If I'm strong enough or not strong enough, you'll have to wait and get the news." India begins its defense of the World Cup title on February 15 against Pakistan in Adelaide. It will also face South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and United Arab Emirates in the group stages. Dhoni has excelled in the one-day game having made 250 appearances for India. He has scored 8,192 runs at an average of 52.85.
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MS Dhoni has retired from Test cricket .
Indian captain made announcement after series defeat by Australia .
Dhoni led India to 27 victories in 60 Test matches as captain .
The 33-year-old will now concentrate on one-day and Twenty20 cricket .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration told the CIA in 2002 that its interrogators working abroad would not violate U.S. prohibitions against torture unless they "have the specific intent to inflict severe pain or suffering," according to a previously secret Justice Department memo released Thursday. Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft testifies before Congress July 17 about waterboarding. The interrogator's "good faith" and "honest belief" that the interrogation will not cause such suffering protects the interrogator, the memo adds. "Because specific intent is an element of the offense, the absence of specific intent negates the charge of torture," Jay Bybee, then the assistant attorney general, wrote in the memo. The 18-page memo is heavily redacted, with 10 of its 18 pages completely blacked out and only a few paragraphs legible on the others. Another memo released Thursday advises that "the waterboard," or simulated drowning, does "not violate the Torture Statute." It also cites a number of warnings against torture, including statements by President Bush and a then-new Supreme Court ruling "which raises possible concerns about future U.S. judicial review of the [interrogation] Program." A third memo instructs interrogators to keep records of sessions in which "enhanced interrogation techniques" are used. The memo is signed by then-CIA director George Tenet and dated January 28, 2003. The memos were made public by the American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained the three CIA-related documents under Freedom of Information Act requests. "These documents supply further evidence, if any were needed, that the Justice Department authorized the CIA to torture prisoners in its custody," said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project. The Bush administration has consistently denied that the United States tortures detainees. Reports say the CIA waterboarded three "high-value detainees," including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, although former Justice Department official Daniel Levin suggested in congressional testimony in June that there had been more than three instances of the practice, which critics call torture. The third document released Thursday was blacked out except for a line saying "Unless otherwise approved by Headquarters, CIA officers (redacted) may use only Permissible Interrogation Techniques. Permissible Interrogation Techniques consist of both (a) Standard Techniques and (b) Enhanced Techniques," plus the instruction for interrogators to keep records of sessions in which enhanced interrogation techniques are used.
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Previously secret Justice Department memo released Thursday .
18-page memo heavily redacted; 10 of 18 pages blacked out .
Only a few paragraphs legible on the other pages .
DOJ authorized the CIA to torture prisoners, says ACLU official .
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By . MailOnline Reporter . BUSTED: Briana Buchana, 27, remains in jail on accusations that she had a meth lab in her and cooked the drug in front of 7-year-old son . A Florida mother has been arrested after her 7-year-old son told her landlord she was cooking meth in the trunk of her car — and the boy even walked authorities through her recipe. For days, the boy told his landlord in the Orlando suburb of Edgewood that he wanted to show him 'mommy's bad stuff,' according to police reports. The 7-year-old said his mother, Briana Buchanan, 27, was cooking 'something bad.' On Friday, he once again said 'there's really bad stuff in my mom's car' — and this time he picked up the keys and took the landlord to see it. 'He opened up the car and he pointed to a bag and right away its everything you've seen online related to meth labs,' the man, Peter Arnold, told WESH-TV. Arnold, who considers the boy a nephew, called 911. The 7-year-old told police that, to make the 'bad stuff,' his mother 'goes to the store and lies to people that she is sick and needs medicine,' according to her arrest report. 'She then mixes the stuff she buys in a Gatorade bottle and she shakes it,' the boy told police, according to WESH-TV. On Facebook, Buchanan seems every bit the doting . mother, posting picture and picture with her 7-year-old son. But police . say that she often cooked methamphetamine in front of the boy, who . eventually called cops on her . Police also found syringes filled with meth inside the woman's home, the station reported. When confronted by officers, Buchanan admitted that she knew how to cook meth and had done it while her son was in the car, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Buchanan is facing accusations of child neglect with great bodily harm and a slew of charges relating to possessing and manufacturing methamphetamine. She remains at the Volusia County Branch Jail, unable to post $32,000 bail, the News-Journal reported. The boy, whose name was not released, is now with his grandmother. 'I can already tell you, just looking at his face, he is relieved to be out of the situation,' Arnold told News 13. Buchanan's charges may yet be upgraded to trafficking, which carries a stiffer sentence, the station reported.
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Florida mom Briana Buchanan, 27, is charged with child neglect and manufacturing methamphetamine .
Her 7-year-old son told police that Buchanan had a meth lab in her car .
The boy said had seen how she 'mixes the stuff she buys in a Gatorade bottle and she shakes it'
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By . Chris Greenwood . and Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 12:07 EST, 30 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:37 EST, 2 December 2013 . Victim: Christopher Foster is believed to have been stabbed to death in a case of mistaken identity . A father who became the unintended victim of a gangland stabbing 'didn’t have an enemy in the world', friends said today. Chris Foster, 34, was attacked without warning as he smoked a cigarette with a friend outside a pub in Borough, London. Murder squad detectives believe he was mistaken for someone else by up to seven armed youths who were seen running away. The law firm administrative . clerk, who had a four-year-old daughter, suffered catastrophic internal . injuries and died an hour later in hospital. Since the tragedy on Friday, tributes have been flooding in for the father. Laying flowers at the scene of the murder, devastated friends of Mr Foster paid tribute said he was a 'proper gentleman' murdered while out for a 'Christmas drink.' One childhood friend who asked not to be identified said: 'His family are devastated, his daughter is devastated. 'There wasn’t a nicer or more genuine guy in the world. 'The geezer didn’t have one enemy in the world. It’s a complete case of mistaken identity. 'He was the most genuine, nicest person you could have met.' Dozens of friends met in a nearby pub to remember their friend on Saturday as news of his death spread through social media, she added. 'Christopher was always popular, the funniest bloke who would never have caused harm to anyone and never had any arguments in his life. 'When we heard the news on Saturday we met at a pub nearby as it sunk in. In memory: Scores of flowers and tributes have been left for Mr Foster near to the scene . 'Within no time there were more than thirty people there who knew him and had found out over social media. It amazes me so many people came together. 'It happened in outside St Christopher’s Inn and his name was Christopher, it’s ridiculous.' Another added: 'It’s really worrying, that you could be walking down the road and get stabbed. It could happen to anyone.' The murder took place outside the packed St Christopher’s Inn in Borough, south London. Mr Foster had gone into an alley to have a cigarette when he was stabbed fatally from behind with no warning shortly before midnight. Investigators believe his attackers may have been circling the area looking for another man to target, but they do not know why. Within moments, the gang ran off towards a nearby housing estate, making use of several back streets and alleys. Mr Foster was rushed to the Royal London Hospital, in East London, but died just over an hour later. Attack: The murder took place outside St Christopher's Inn, right, in Borough, south London . Crime: Mr Foster was outside the pub having a cigarette when he was attacked . Detective . Chief Inspector John Sandlin, who is leading the inquiry, said that the . victim was ‘entirely innocent’. He said: ‘We believe this was a case . of mistaken identity. He was out with his friends, minding his own . business. Chris was . standing there chatting with a friend when seven people come up the . alley and one of them stabs him in the back. 'Almost immediately five . carry on and two double back, there is a commotion and it appears they . have gone after someone else at the end of the alley. 'This was an . innocent guy doing what most of us are doing on a Friday night, . socialising with friends. ‘It . is a cowardly attack, made even more tragic by the fact there is a . four-year-old girl who has lost her dad.’ The senior officer said Mr . Foster was not struck with a baseball bat and no knives had been . recovered from the scene. He added: ‘We don’t know anything more than that they were hooded and carrying weapons, some may have been female. ‘A group of bystanders who were also out in the alleyway smoking administered first aid to Chris before the paramedics arrived. ‘At that time on a Friday night there will have been a lot of people in the area, someone must have seen something.’ Tribute: One of the emotional messages left for the victim near to the south London crime scene . 'Gone too soon': Another message pays tribute to Mr Foster, saying he was a 'great dad' In . recent years the maze of streets around trendy Borough Market, close to . the River Thames, has become a popular evening destination for young . professionals. But it is a short walk from some of the capital’s toughest estates. Today colleagues at international law firm Pinsent Masons where Mr Foster worked for six years as a facilities assistant paid tribute to the 'very popular' worker. Martin Roberts, Head of Pinsent Masons’ London office, said: 'Everyone at the firm was shocked and saddened to hear this news. 'Chris was a very popular member of staff and we are doing all that we can to support his family and colleagues at this difficult time.' A Facebook page RIP Chris Foster was set up by friend Lee Sefton for friends to post thought and comments about their friend nicknamed 'Chicken.' On Saturday night he wrote: 'RIP to Chris foster an absolute true gentleman and someone that I will never forget the scummy cowardly c***s that did this to you mate are gonna pay and this I promise with all my heart you sleep with the angels now mate and party on.' Sadness: Police believe Mr Foster, a tribute to the father pictured, was killed in a case of mistaken identity . Mr Sefton added: 'A great young man, a great dad and an amazing friend whose smile and laugh will be missed by many.' Louise Ward wrote: 'Another young life taken too soon. Sleep tight Chris Rip 3 x' Estelle O’Brien said: 'Still in total shock, such a lovely funny bloke, nursery, primary, secondary, all the Old Kent Road days. 'Never forget all our crazy nights in the Frog, u cutting one on the dance floor with the crazy chicken dance. R.I.P mate.' Roly Cater wrote: 'Shocked lost touch with Chris a few years back but my memories were always fond good laugh fun guy RIP my thoughts are firmly with his family.' Nichole Clarke said: 'So sad & unfair. My thoughts are with Chris’s family! R.I.P God Bless!' Those who knew Chris also posted tributes on Twitter, angry that he had been caught up in gang violence. RIP: Around 40 bunches of flowers have been left outside the pub today - which is close to one of London's toughest estates . Jess Dunphy wrote: 'I can’t believe you have been taken Chris Foster in such an awful way, it makes me feel sick.' Another, Paul Fiander wrote: 'I wish I had the vocabulary to express how much the loss of an old friend has shaken me. But instead I’m failing. R.I.P Chris Foster.' Around 40 bouquets of . flowers had also been left near to the scene. Speaking about the . victim, who was one of three brothers, Neil and Hayley McGovern said: . ‘He was a great guy, he would never fight.’ One . tribute said: ‘You were an amazing guy, our brother and devoted father, . we love you so much, you were always there to help us, cared and loved . us. You have brought up an amazing daughter who will be so proud of . you.’ Last night the alley remained sealed off as forensic teams carried out a fingertip search for evidence. A 32-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was being held at an east London police station.
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Chris Foster, 34, attacked without warning outside pub in Borough, London .
He was stabbed in the back by gang after being mistaken for someone else .
Mr Foster was taken to the Royal London Hospital but died an hour later .
Shocked relatives and friends have described victim as a 'great guy'
Tributes left to the father on Facebook today, with flowers left at scene .
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An Indian father has told MailOnline how he tortured and murdered his 14-year-old daughter's rapist - who also got her pregnant in a sickening attack. The 36-year-old father lured the suspected rapist to his Delhi home and cooked him dinner before slipping him a sleeping pill, torturing him and killing him. He said: 'Initially, I didn’t want to kill him and asked him to quietly leave my home and life but he taunted me. I became very, very angry and lost my mind. 'I wrapped a towel around his neck and tied his hand, and dragged him to the floor. I switched on the gas and put the iron tongs and made it hot. 'I lost my mind and I wrapped a towel around his neck': The father who killed his daughter's alleged rapist reveals his torment . Horror: The Indian father took revenge for raping his daughter, 14, when she was home alone (file photo) Strangled and 'tortured': The victim of the attack, left, was accused of rape by the girl's father and mother, right . 'I thought he was dead but he was still breathing, so with one hand I strangled him and also put the heated tong on his genitals. 'He screamed so loudly so I put a part of the towel in his mouth to silence his noise. 'I burnt his genitals a second time, his body twisted and I was so enraged that I did it a third time in succession. After some time he stopped breathing and collapsed on the ground.' The father-of-six, who cannot be named but is from the Khajuri Khas region, said: 'I killed him to avenge what he did to my daughter. He spoilt her childhood. She was not be same girl as she was.' He then turned himself in to the police who arrested and charged him with murder - a crime carries a maximum sentence of 25 years imprisonment in India. From his prison cell he said: 'It was not easy for me after that. I drank half the cold drink left in the bottle and soothed my mind. When I got some composure I realised what I had done. I decided to surrender to authorities. 'I could have run away and even destroyed the body but instead I went to police after three hours and told them about what I had done. He was a blot on society and a constant threat to women.' The murdered attacker, who was a tenant of the girl's father, reportedly attacked the girl when he found her home alone and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. She eventually confessed to her father when symptoms of morning sickness began to surface. He kept the secret to himself for two months, afraid the revelation would tarnish the honour of his daughter and his family. He said: 'After my daughter told me about what happened to her I became very worried and was not able to sleep or eat properly for few days and then I got scared about the future of my girl. 'I didn’t share this info even with my own parents or brother who all live with me. I told my wife and told her not to speak to anyone about it because it would bring bad name for us and also would make it difficult for my daughter to get married. 'Even my little daughter stopped smiling and stopped eating properly or going out with her friends while he continued with his normal life and had no remorse. 'Can you imagine this man is the father of two married daughters - yet he dared to do this my young innocent daughter.' The number of rapes being reported in India has risen annually over the last five years, according to the country's Ministry of Home Affairs. The frequency of reported attacks against girls aged 14 to 18 has almost tripled in that time. Shock: Inspector Arvind Pratap Singh (pictured, right), who headed the murder investigation, said he's never encountered such a horrifying case . Protests: Anti-rape rallies have become common in India. Indian students in Hyderabad (pictured) burned an effigy to protest the gang rape of a 23-year-old Delhi girl in early November . Activists say this could be in part down to increased awareness which has inspired more women to report sexual violence. According to Mandakini Surie, a Senior Program Officer at the Asia Foundation, the 'Nirbhaya' incident in 2012, which involved the gang-rape of a 23-year-old woman on a private bus, thrust the issue of women's safety into the spotlight. She said: 'More and more women are coming forward to report instances of rape, assault, domestic violence and abuse even as the government has introduced more stringent legislation on sexual assault and introduced fast track courts to deal with rape cases.' However, victims of rape can face personal and professional discrimination. Surie added: 'Despite the rapid economic progress that India has made over the last decade, it remains - socially and culturally - a deeply patriarchal society. 'Victims who have come forward have reportedly faced social ostracisation, finding it difficult in many cases to find employment, marry and live full lives.' Violent protests erupted in India in 2012 when the girl known as 'Nirbhaya' was thrown off a moving bus following her sexual assault. Campaigners said it highlighted the incompetence of local police authorities in protecting women against sexual violence. More recently in the northern region of Kumaon, thousands of angry protesters took to the streets over the rape of a seven-year-old. Kahsish Shand's dead body, found five days after her uncle's wedding in Haldwani, showed signs of serious hemorrhaging through sexual assault. The father of the 14-year-old, assaulted by a man he considered family, believed he needed to take the law into his own hands. He said: 'I started thinking what is point of living this life if I can’t get justice for my daughter. 'I do not regret that I took revenge of what he did.
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Daughter became pregnant after alleged horror attack .
Father says he considered the suspected rapist as part of the family .
He drugged the man and attacked him when he refused to apologise .
Enraged father from Delhi then burned the man's genitals .
36-year-old kept his daughter's rape a secret to protect her honour .
But he acted when she 'stopped smiling' while her attacker roamed free .
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Tragic: The fire at the animal rescue centre killed conservationist Rita Miljo as well as three baboons . An horrific blaze has destroyed a baboon rescue centre killing a renowned conservationist as well as three animals. Rita Miljo, who reintroduced packs of baboons into the wilds of South Africa, died in the fire which destroyed much of the headquarters of the sanctuary she built, an official said. Karl Pierce, a director with the sanctuary said the 81-year-old died in the small apartment she kept above the clinic of the Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education in the bush of Limpopo province. Also killed in the fire were three . baboons including Bobby, the first chacma baboon she rescued and nursed . back to health in 1980 after spiriting her away from a national park . without a permit, Mr Pierce said. The fire broke out around 8pm yesterday after volunteers and workers left the centre for the evening, he added. No . one else was injured in the blaze, which consumed the clinic, offices . and a house on the property, about 250 miles north east of Johannesburg. The cause of the fire is under investigation. While . Ms Miljo no longer ran day-to-day operations of the centre, which cares . for more than 400 baboons, she remained a constant presence and a . figurehead for the organisation she founded in 1989. 'Everybody's still in shock about this,' Mr Pierce said. Born in Germany in 1931, Ms Miljo arrived in South Africa in the 1950s. In a 2008 article about her in the Washington Post Magazine, she said helping baboons taught her 'why people behave the way they do'. 'Chimpanzees can be deceitful, just like humans, whereas baboons haven't learned that yet,' she said. 'So what you learn from the baboons is the truth about yourself. Rita Miljo was renowned for helping to reintroduced packs of baboons into the wilds of South Africa . Chimpanzees have already learned to find beautiful little excuses for their behaviour.' In South Africa, baboons have a troublesome reputation. In Cape Town, they are known for . raiding cars and frightening tourists. Baboons are a protected species . under South African legislation but their aggressive pursuits of food . have led to conflicts with residents. Ms Miljo nursed orphaned and injured . baboons back to health, then pioneered ways of reintroducing whole . troops of cared-for baboons back into the wild, her centre said. In 1994, the centre released 10 hand-reared baboons back into the wild. Rita Miljo nursed orphaned and injured baboons back to health, then pioneered ways of reintroducing whole troops of cared-for baboons back into the wild . A year later, seven had survived and integrated back into the wild population, the centre said, a success as many thought the cared-for baboons would not be able to adjust. Ms Miljo is survived by a brother who lives in Botswana, Mr Pierce said. Her first husband, Lothar Simon, and her 17-year-old daughter died in 1972 in a plane crash. Despite personal tragedies in her own life, she remained focused on her work to help sick and injured baboons. When asked in 2008 where the body of one of the baboons she sheltered would be buried, she offered a quick answer: 'I remember where each one is and that's where I'm going to be buried too.'
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Rita Miljo, 81, dies after fire rips through Centre for Animal Rehabilitation and Education in the bush of Limpopo province .
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As a teenager, Jejoen Bontinck danced in music videos and was a regular kid hanging out with friends in Antwerp, Belgium. But within a year, he went from a hip-hop-loving teenager to a young Muslim convert, preaching on the streets of Antwerp. His father, Dimitri Bontinck, claims that in 2010, when Jejoen was 15, he became infatuated with a Moroccan girl, which eventually led to him converting to Islam. His parents started noticing a radical change in their son about eight to nine months after the conversion. "He started to become very religious. He stopped wearing his normal clothes. So we really see the progress of radicalization -- this is the right word -- we really see the signs," Dimitri explained. Dimitri says he called the authorities after his son joined a radical Muslim organization in Belgium, but they took no action. "[They told me] there is no law forbidding a child to be a member of this organization," Dimitri says. "It's freedom of speech. Its freedom of religion. Its freedom of organization." When Jejoen, still a teenager, asked his parents if he could move to Cairo to study Islam last year, they said yes. But Dimitri knew something was wrong when Jejoen didn't call his sister on her birthday -- and he began to believe that his son wasn't in Egypt at all. Dimitri searched for clues online to where his son really was, and he was shocked by what he found -- videos and pictures of his son's hometown friends in Syria. "It was Syria this, Syria that. One day I find a video ... of friends of his from Antwerp. So when I saw that, I knew right away -- my son is there," he says. So Dimitri, a former Belgian soldier who says he used to work with the U.N., decided to go after Jejoen himself. He took out an ad in a local newspaper asking for volunteers to take him to Syria. In April of last year, a Dutch war reporter agreed to accompany Dimitri to Syria, but their trip turned up few leads on where Jejoen might be. So six months later, Dimitri returned to the war-torn country on his own. Dimitri says it didn't take long before he encountered some of the militants who were fighting to bring down the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Dimitri says he was warned that he would be killed by the Islamists, but instead they took him in. Along the way, Dmitri shot videos of his time in Syria. In one he appears to sympathize with the militants, even parading around with their weapons. "They took me in and they all respect me," he says. "I was eating with leaders (of these groups) and they pray for me." "I have been in Syria and I meet with so many groups like Jabhat al-Nusra ... and I am not Muslim. And when you see what these people have done for me! They arranged for my sleeping and food." Jabhat al-Nusra, a hard-line al Qaeda affiliate, is one of the most notorious groups operating in Syria today. Dimitri says militants from the group nearly beat him to death. "They beat me, they almost killed me," he says. "They took all my clothes off. They put a cap on me, they put cuffs on me. And I was almost dead, because always they suspect [I was] CIA," he says. But in the end, Dimitri says, they let him go -- and led him to his son, who he says was living with al-Nusra militants at the time. Dimitri gets emotional when describing what it was like to come face to face with his son for the first time inside Syria. "I never cried before when I was searching for him, when I didn't know anything," he says. "But the first physical contact -- I held him like a small baby. I was really in harmony with him. And he was too. Because he was like a children who has lost his way." But the saga didn't end when Dimitri and his son boarded the plane home. Police detained Jejoen, now 19, when they landed in Belgium, and charged him with participating in a terrorist organization. Jejoen says he was only there to deliver medical supplies to the group. Jejoen is now at home with his dad, but he is being closely monitored by Belgian authorities as he awaits his trial, which is expected to begin at the end of June. He is barred from speaking to the press. Dimitri insists his son is innocent and says that the Belgian authorities haven't done enough to keep their own citizens safe from extremist groups. Many questions remain unanswered. What was Jejoen's role inside Syria? Was he truly on a humanitarian mission? There are more questions than answers as Jejoen's day in court approaches -- but for both father and son, the journey has transformed their lives forever.
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Jejeon Bontinck left Belgium to join militant group Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria last year .
Bontinck's dad Dimitri decided to try to track his son down in Syria .
Al-Nusra militants nearly killed Dimitri, but ultimately led him to his son .
Jejeon, now 19, is back in Belgium and facing terrorism charges .
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(CNN) -- Spring breaks are starting up across the country, which means it's the beginning of road trip season. In "Travels with Charley: In Search of America," one of literature's most famous road trips, John Steinbeck wrote, "We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us." In the spirit of Steinbeck's philosophy on travel, we encourage you to take a road trip with no planning whatsoever, so that the journey can unfold without the interference of plans or expectation. Here are a few apps that you can download on your phone that will allow you to go on a trip at a moment's notice, with nothing more than a bag of clothes, a full tank of gas and a healthy dose of wanderlust. Spotify . No need to burn dozens of CDs or deliberate over the perfect iPod playlist. With Spotify, you have an infinite jukebox at your fingertips. Driving through the deserts of the Southwest, try "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" soundtrack. Cue up some Louis Armstrong on the way to Chicago. Let Sinatra pump you up for a weekend in Sin City. You can search as you go, make playlists beforehand, or snag other Spotify members' playlists. In order to listen to Spotify on your iPhone, you have to pay a monthly fee. But remember, that means never buying or pirating an album again. Available on Apple products and Android. The app is free but the premium service costs $9.99 per month. Roadside America . You can get your kitsch on Route 66 with the aid of this app. After all, it's not a road trip without at least one detour to a bizarre roadside attraction. Make sure you don't miss out on a slice of Americana pie by mapping out all the offbeat tourists traps on your route. Let's face it, you'd be devastated if you discovered you had passed right by the world's largest ball of twine, the world's largest garden gnome or the world's largest shoe house. Available on Apple products. $2.99 for permanent access to one region, $1.99 for temporary access to one region, $5.99 for all regions. GasBuddy . Today it would probably cost you between $300 and $600 to drive from Chicago to Los Angeles on Route 66. You can shoot for the lower end of that range by using this app to seek out the cheapest gas once the fuel gauge needle starts getting cozy with the E. Available free on Apple products and Android. Audible . Sometimes the best way to pass the time or enhance the experience is with a good audio book. And as much fun as it can be to comb the truck stop racks for the most ridiculous science fiction book on tape you can find, you'd probably prefer to catch up on your reading list. Or perhaps a little travel writing will get you in the mood: "Travels with Charley," Jack Kerouac's "On the Road," or Robert M. Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" are sure to hit the spot. Available for free on Apple products and Android. Most audiobooks cost between $20 and $30 unless you purchase an AudibleListener Gold Membership. License Plate Travel Game . A part of the exhilaration of road trips is reliving the family vacation experience, minus the family (if possible). Nothing takes you back to your childhood in the backseat quite like road games. The incessant punching of Slug Bug can lower morale, but you can't go wrong with the license plate game. With this app, you can play continuously throughout your trip, as the app logs all your finds and keeps score -- one point for plates already found and two for new plates. Available for $0.99 on Apple products and free on Android. Yelp . You're in a new city you know nothing about and you don't know what to do next. Yelp can help with anything. Restaurants -- read reviews of the highest rated. Coffee shops -- which ones have Wi-Fi. Hotels -- which ones have never housed a serial killer. Car is spewing brake fluid -- which mechanics won't rip you off. Available free for Apple products and Android. Navigon . Sure you're fine with the Google maps app, but if you really want to step up your navigational game (and don't mind coughing up 60 bucks) then you should download Navigon. Yes, it sounds like a "Transformer" character and yes it has a couple features you'll probably only use once, like the Reality Scanner, which uses augmented reality by superimposing points of interest over a live camera. Just as Navigon's parent company, Garmin, produces some of the world's best GPS devices, Navigon has created the ultimate travel app. With route planning, emergency assistance, speed assistance, lane choice assistance and the choice of 2-D or 3-D map display, this app has just about everything you'll need when it comes to getting from point A to point B. Or plan B, if your free spirit kicks in to high gear and you decide to change travel plans. Available for $59.99 on Apple products and Android. App comes with several extra in-app options for purchase. iExit Interstate Exit Guide . It never fails. You keep holding off for a Chick-fil-A until you're so hungry you go for the next McDonald's you see. Then the next exit leads directly to sandwiched hand-breaded chicken delight. But with iExit you can see exactly what awaits at the next exit, and the one after that, and the one after that. Do you have enough gas to wait until the next town? Is there a bathroom coming up any time soon? Need to buy a tent at Wal-Mart? The iExit app will tell you exactly what lies ahead. Available for $1.99 on Apple products and free on Android. Trapster . It's not that we condone speeding, we just condone you knowing where speed traps and speed cameras are. So far, Trapster boasts a community of nearly 15 million users who have reported a total of more than 5.2 million speed traps across the world. Available free on Apple products and Android. Priceline Negotiator . Gone are the days of scheduling hotel reservations weeks in advance or going from motel to motel, comparing prices and sanitary conditions. Now you can make hotel arrangements, find the best deals, negotiate, and compare and filter hotels, all on the way to that night's destination. Thank you, William Shatner. Available free on Apple products and Android.
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Get your kitsch on Route 66 with the aid of the Roadside America app .
Plan your fast-food fix with the iExit Interstate Exit Guide .
Use the License Plate Travel Game for a throwback to your youth .
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Liverpool and Everton are showing interest in QPR midfielder Stephane Mbia. The 28-year-old Cameroon midfielder has impressed on loan at Sevilla who want him to return while he is also attracting interest from Inter Milan as reported in Sportsmail. Wanted: Liverpool and Everton are interested in signing Cameroon international Stephane Mbia (left) Disappointing debut: Mbia (right) endured a frustrating first season at QPR with the club relegated in 2013 . VIDEO Just the beginning for rejuvenated Liverpool - Rodgers . Mbia is out of contract at QPR and would be an attractive free signing after his performances in La Liga showed a stark improvement on his debut season displays in the Premier League. The former Marseille man featured 27 times last season at Sevilla as the Spanish outfit won the Europa League. Everton boss Roberto Martinez is interested in Mbia, who can also play in defence, as Gareth Barry is deliberating over their contract offer with West Ham interested in the 33-year-old free agent too. Mbia is currently on international duty with Cameroon in the World Cup and started for the African nation in their 1-0 Group A defeat to Mexico on Saturday. Cameroon face Croatia on Thursday in Manaus' Arena Amazonia. Impressive: Mbia (centre) had a happy loan spell at Sevilla last year helping them win the Europa League . VIDEO Jubilant fans greet triumphant Sevilla .
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Liverpool and Everton in signing QPR midfielder Stephane Mbia .
Inter Milan are reportedly also keen on out of contract Mbia .
Cameroon international won the Europa League with Sevilla last season .
Mbia is currently on World Cup duty with Cameroon .
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From his cell in a maximum security prison, terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui is reviving old allegations and making new ones against al Qaeda and a handful of Saudi royals. The 46-year old French national is claiming that Saudi Embassy officials were involved in a plot to shoot down Air Force One to assassinate Bill Clinton and/or Hillary Clinton during a trip to the United Kingdom. Moussaoui says he met with a Secret Service agent several months ago and told him what he knew. CNN has reached out to the Secret Service for comment. In two handwritten letters filed this month in federal court in New York and Oklahoma, Moussaoui claimed that, during the time he was taking flying lessons in Norman, Oklahoma, he met with a Saudi prince and princess and that she "gave me money," and provided funding for 9/11 hijackers. Lawyers for the Saudi government have repeatedly denied connections, maintaining Saudi Arabia was cleared by the 9/11 Commission. Moussaoui, who suffers from mental illness, is in the supermax federal prison in Florence, Colorado, and is eight years into a life sentence, having pleaded guilty to terrorism and murder conspiracy in connection with the September 11, 2001, terror hijackings. Moussaoui claims in both letters that he was attacked in prison on orders of terrorist Ramzi Yousef, who Moussaoui says tried to stop him from testifying against the Saudis. Yousef, a convicted terrorist, is considered the mastermind in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, and is in the same supermax prison as Moussaoui. It is unclear at this time if prisoners in the Colorado federal prison are able to communicate. Moussaoui claims he is being mistreated by prison officials in what he calls a "campaign of harassment and intimidation." Citing "venue" issues, Oklahoma Magistrate Judge Shon T Erwin ruled to dismiss the case of Zacarias Moussaoui v. Federal Bureau of Prisons. The court also denied a request for appointment of counsel. A ruling is not yet available with regard to the letter he sent to a New York judge. In the letters, Moussaoui asks for new lawyers and says he wants to be moved out of the H-unit within the prison, which he calls a "Saudi stronghold." In exchange he says he would provide information against the Saudis. He also says he wants a warmer cell, not infested with rodents. He wants authorities to unblock his source to money so he can buy stamps to write to the inspector general. Attorneys interview Moussaoui . Moussaoui reached out to a New York court, seeking lawyers for 9/11 victims, offering to provide what he believed to be important information pertaining to current 9/11 litigation, according to one of the four lead counsels, attorney Jerry Goldman. Lawyers interviewed Moussaoui in late October. The counsel believe the interview provided "relevant" and "critical" information pertinent to pending litigation, according to attorneys. The transcripts of the interview are being reviewed by the Department. of Justice and limited information can be shared about their contents, Goldman said. Lawyers for Saudi government deny involvement . In a court document filed in September in the Southern District of New York in connection to the 9/11 terror attacks, lawyers for Saudi Arabia deny involvement, financial or otherwise, saying: . "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had no role in the attacks of September 11, 2001." The Saudis' lawyers highlight that the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, known as the 9/11 Commission, in 2004 found "no evidence" ... "the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded" either al Qaeda or the 9/11 hijackers. The original complaint, filed over 10 years ago on behalf of victims and insurance companies, targets various terrorist organizations, and alleges Saudi involvement. Lawyers want the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be dropped from the suit, arguing they had no involvement in 9/11 attacks. The lawyers for the 9/11 families have requested extended time to reply to the motion for dismissal. "Plaintiffs believe that Moussaoui's sworn testimony is not only relevant, but critical to their (opposition)," according to a court document submitted by the 9/11 lawyers. Moussaoui diagnosed with schizophrenia . The expert who literally helped write the book on diagnosing mental illness testified during Moussaoui's 2006 trial that Moussaoui is schizophrenic. Michael First, a psychiatrist who edited the latest edition of the profession's standard diagnostic guidebook, told jurors that Moussaoui also suffers from paranoid and grandiose delusions and disorganized thinking. Both Moussaoui's sisters, who lived in France at the time of the trial, were diagnosed with forms of schizophrenia and took drugs to control their symptoms. Moussaoui's father at the time of the trial was hospitalized in France with bipolar disorder. Bin Laden distanced himself from Moussaoui . 9/11 mastermind Osama Bin Laden at the time denied Moussaoui was part of the hijacking plot. In May 2006, bin Laden released an audiotape in which he refutes Moussaoui's confession by saying, "I am the one in charge of the 19 brothers and I never assigned brother Zacarias to be with them in that mission." Blacked out 28 pages . The U.S. government commission report investigating the 9/11 attacks cleared the Saudi Arabian government of involvement in al Qaeda funding. The commission found that Saudi Arabia was a rich fundraising ground for al Qaeda, but said it had found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior officials within the Saudi government funded al Qaeda. The Saudi government defended its nation's record in fighting terrorism, and urged then-U.S. President George W. Bush to unseal 28 classified pages of an 800-plus-page report on intelligence surrounding the September 11 attacks to allow the Saudi government to defend itself. Bush refused the request, saying declassifying the entire report, which runs more than 800 pages, would compromise intelligence sources. Some of those still grieving the loss of family members from that horrific day are also on a mission to declassify the 28 pages from the congressional investigation into the attacks, pages specifically focused on the role of foreign governments in the al Qaeda plot. These 9/11 family members say President Barack Obama promised he would declassify those 28 pages, but now they say the White House does not even acknowledge them, or their requests.
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Saudis deny connection to 9/11 attacks, note 9/11 Commission said they weren't involved .
Lawyers for 9/11 families say Moussaoui gave "relevant" and "critical" information .
At Moussaoui's trial, a psychiatrist said he is schizophrenic .
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Earlier this year, CNN asked a good friend and business associate of Joseph McStay what he thought happened to the California salesman and his family. How did Charles "Chase" Merritt think they were killed? "I have absolutely no clue," Merritt told CNN in an exclusive television interview in January. Police believe he does. On Wednesday, they arrested Merritt, 57. He is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of McStay, his wife Summer and their two small boys. The family disappeared from their home in northern San Diego County in February 2010. Their remains were found a year ago, in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, about 100 miles north of their home. The discovery ended the mystery of what happened to the McStays. But who killed them, and why? 'Cold and callous' murders of McStay family solved, authorities say . "If I were to guess, like anyone else, I would think it was probably random because I honestly don't believe that family had anything to do with it. I don't think that any of his friends had anything to do with it. Joseph was just too well-liked," Merritt told CNN in January. Announcing the arrest Friday, authorities in San Bernardino County said they believe the family died of blunt force trauma inside their home, but they declined to discuss specifics of the deaths or a motive. "I am definitely the last person he saw," Merritt told CNN . In his interview with Kaye, Merritt said he and McStay were business associates who became friends. Merritt made custom indoor waterfalls and McStay would buy them, he said. They had met in 2007 when McStay needed some help with a water feature. They played paintball together. They had dinner at Merritt's place a couple times a week, he said. Merritt helped him move. He'd also spent time with the McStays and gotten to know the family, he said. Merritt and McStay met for a business lunch in Rancho Cucamonga the day the family disappeared. "I am definitely the last person he saw," Merritt said. He told CNN they were also on the phone constantly, perhaps 12 to 13 times that day. There was another call from McStay's phone to Merritt the night of February 4, 2010. It came about 40 minutes after a neighbor's security camera captured the family's Isuzu pulling out of their cul-de-sac. Merritt didn't answer. Merritt told he told CNN's Kaye in January he was watching television with his then-girlfriend and he picked up the phone, looked at it and set it back down. He was tired. He called back the next day, he said. Was that just a regular call from his friend, or could it have been a call for help? "There are hundreds of scenarios. I have gone over all of them in my head," he said. "Of course I regret not picking up the phone." The disappearance of the McStays . Merritt was questioned by police after the disappearance. They just asked him the "standard questions," he said. He also claimed to have taken a polygraph test. What did it show? "I don't know," he said. "Apparently -- I mean I haven't -- after I took the polygraph test, law enforcement has not contacted me at all since. So, I kind of simply assumed: Well, apparently that resolved the issues that they may be looking at with me." Merritt said he didn't recall the police directly asking him if he killed the McStays. That was because at the time it seemed they were four people who left on their own volition, he said. Lucrative waterfall project lay ahead, Merritt told CNN . Police had never named Merritt as a suspect before Wednesday's arrest. He has served time in prison, according to criminal records from California, but none of the crimes involved violence. According to the Los Angeles Times, Merritt spent most of his life working with his hands. He received a metalworking license in 1982. At their lunch the day of the disappearance, Merritt said, he and McStay talked business -- just business. They were working on a waterfall project for a Saudi couple and Merritt said there needed to be a large check written to a stainless steel company that was doing work for them. McStay seemed happy. On the horizon was another project that would involve 500 waterfalls. Each one would sell for $17,000 or $18,000 -- as much as $9 million total -- but McStay still needed to sign the contract. "It was pretty much a done deal," Merritt said. San Bernardino authorities said Friday that after reviewing 4,500 pages of investigative records, executing 60 search warrants and conducting 200 interviews, they believe Merritt acted alone. He appeared in court on Friday, but his arraignment was postponed until next Wednesday. His lawyer, Robert Ponce, left court without speaking to reporters.
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Chase Merritt told CNN in January that he met Joseph McStay in 2007 .
They did business together but they were also close friends, Merritt says .
He was the last person to see McStay the day he, his wife and two kids vanished, he told CNN .
Police believe Merritt, acting alone, killed the four family members in their home .
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Didier Drogba will head for the World Cup on the back of his induction into the Ivory Coast's '100 club'. Drogba, 36, will lead Les Elephants to Brazil as the talisman of their 23-man squad, and having won 101 caps for his country following his goalscoring appearance in Friday's friendly against Bosnia. Ahead of the tournament, he was presented with a commemorative shirt by fellow centurions Didier Zokora and Kolo Toure and took the chance to thank team-mates past and present - including those who missed the cut for the World Cup. All smiles: Centurion Drogba is presented with a commemorative shirt after his landmark cap for Ivory Coast . Centurion: Didier Drogba has been selected in Ivory Coast's final 23-man squad after winning his 101st cap . Grateful: Drogba (left) thanked his team-mates past and present for helping with his international success . 'It is a personal distinction but it has been made possible thanks to my team-mates - all those here and those who have preceded them in the 10 years I have been in the squad,' he said. 'I dedicate this distinction also to the five team-mates who have left us after almost two weeks together.' Defenders Benjamin Brou Angoua and Brice Dja Djedje, forwards Lacina Traore and Seydou Doumbia and uncapped goalkeeper Badra Ali were the unfortunate quintet to miss out as coach Sabri Lamouchi cut his squad to 23 on Sunday. 100-club: Centurions Kolo Toure (left) and Didier Zakora (right) presented Drogba with a commemorative shirt . Lamouchi said: 'In two years at the head of the Ivory Coast national team, I have known some difficult moments but this was the most difficult day by far. 'My job demands that I take responsibility and make decisions and I had to tell five players, who have been exemplary throughout, that they will not play in the World Cup in Brazil.' Goalkeepers: Boubacar Barry (Lokeren), Sylvain Gbohouo (Sewe Sport), Sayouba Mande (Stabaek). Defenders: . Serge Aurier (Toulouse), Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro (Toulouse), Didier . Zokora (Trabzonspor), Kolo Toure (Liverpool), Sol Bamba (Trabzonspor), . Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Constant Djakpa (Frankfurt), Ousmane . Diarrassouba (Caykur Rizespor). Midfielders: . Cheik Tiote (Newcastle), Die Serey (Basle), Ismael Diomande (St . Etienne), Didier Ya Konan (Hannover), Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Max . Gradel (St Etienne). Forwards: . Didier Drogba (Galatasaray), Wilfried Bony (Swansea), Gervinho (Roma), . Salomon Kalou (Lille), Giovanni Sio (Basle), Mathis Bolly (Fortuna . Dusseldorf).
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Drogba included in final squad as seven players are cut from original 28 .
The 36-year-old striker will captain Les Elephants to Brazil .
He was presented with a commemorative shirt after his 101st cap .
Thanked his team-mates past and present for helping him achieve this .
Lacina Traore, Seydou Doumbia, Badra Ali, Brou Angoua and Brice Dja Djedje cut from original 28-man squad .
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(CNN) -- "Sex and the City's" Mr. Big always did have a bad habit of putting his foot in his mouth. While doing press for his work with Chivas Regal Extra Scotch, the actor who played that wealthy gent on HBO's iconic series apparently tried to make a joke that's not likely to go over well among "SATC" fans. While speaking with Australian outlet News.com.au, Noth dropped this comment about the charming but manipulative Mr. Big and his relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker's romance-loving Carrie Bradshaw: . "He was what he was. One of the things I tell people is that he never tried to pretend he was anything other than what he was," Noth said. "It was (Carrie) who tried to pretend he was something he wasn't. He was always honest about himself; he never cheated on her. The relationship just didn't work, and he went on to get married while she went on to ... how many boyfriends did she have? She was such a whore! There's a misconception that Carrie was a victim of him, and that's not the case. She was a strong, smart woman." News.com.au notes that Noth made his remark about the Carrie Bradshaw character with a laugh, which would indicate that the actor was being facetious. As Salon points out, the triumph of "Sex and the City" -- and what made it a landmark program during its six-season run -- was Carrie Bradshaw's navigation of being single and all the elation, struggle, boyfriends and one-night-stands that came with it. For once, the idea of getting married was just one of life's many questions for a 30-something woman, not the explicit goal. Questionable humor aside, Noth was more serious about how theshow affected his beloved city, New York. "The New York that 'Sex and the City' depicted is not the New York that I love," Noth said. "New York was a much bigger, more interesting place than just fashion and glitz and all that crap. It's become its own nightmare. ... Manhattan used to have a real rainbow coalition of class and ethnicity, but it's being pushed out. It's almost like New York became the (fantasy) city that 'Sex and the City' depicted, which I find particularly boring." A third movie based on the long-running show is rumored to be in the works. Sarah Jessica Parker teams up with Manolo Blahnik CEO .
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Chris Noth made a questionable joke in an Australian paper .
The "Sex and the City" actor called character Carrie Bradshaw "a whore"
He also isn't happy with how "Sex and the City" depicted New York .
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(CNN) -- Bode Miller fulfilled his Olympic dream at last with a gold medal in the men's super-combined at Whistler Creekside on Sunday. The flamboyant U.S star has been in superb form at the Vancouver Winter Games and his victory completes a full set of medals, after he claimed silver in the super-G and bronze in the downhill. Miller, seventh after the downhill section, relegated pre-race favorite Ivica Kostelic of Croatia to the silver medal position after producing a superb slalom run. Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland claimed the bronze medal ahead of teammate Carlo Janka, with reigning Olympic champion Ted Ligety of the United States back in fifth. Super-G gold medalist Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal, quickest on the downhill, slid out near the finish to spark scenes of wild celebration as Miller realized the gold was his after drawing blank in the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. SI.com: Gold medal proves Bode has finally come full circle . Miller, who snubbed the official U.S. ski team in 2007 and appeared on the brink of retirement, returned to the fold last year and prepared carefully for the Games. He added to his two silvers from Salt Lake City in his first two events and finally made his breakthrough with another virtuoso display. "When I passed the line I did my normal thing and stood for a second and I was like, 'that was unbelievable, I can't ask for anything more'," Miller told reporters. "For my first Olympic gold, it was absolutely perfect." Miller's combined time of 2:44.92 left him 0.33 seconds faster than Kostelic, who won silver in the discipline in Turin behind Ligety, who left himself with too much to do after a lackluster downhill display. SKI CROSS . The first ever gold in the new Winter Olympic sport of ski cross went to Switzerland's Michael Schmid with Austria's Andreas Matt taking the silver and Audun Groenvold in the bronze medal position. Canada's Christopher Del Bosco was the fourth member of the final but saw his medal hopes disappear when he crashed near the end of the final at Cypress Mountain. BIATHLON . Russia's Evgeny Ustyugov took the first gold of the tenth day with a comfortable victory in the men's 15km mass start biathlon. His flawless shooting display saw him cross the line ahead of France's Martin Fourcade and Slovakian Pavol Hurajt. Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen failed in his bid for a sixth Olympic gold as poor shooting saw him finish 27th. The women's 12.5km mass start event led to a second gold of the Games for Germany's Magdalena Neuner, who also took a silver in the sprint. SPEEDSKATING . Ireen Wust of the Netherlands claimed the women's 1500m crown at the Richmond Oval as she got the better of home hope Christine Nesbitt in the final heat. Nesbitt blew up on the final lap and failed in her bid for a second gold at the Games, finishing sixth but fellow Canadian Kristina Groves did take silver ahead of Czech Martina Sablikova.
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Bode Miller claims his first Olympic gold medal by winning super-combined in Vancouver .
Miller produces a superb slalom run to edge out Ivica Kostelic of Croatia by 0.33 seconds .
Miller has already won silver and bronze in earlier events at the Winter Games .
Swiss Michael Schmid wins first Olympic gold in new discipline of ski cross .
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By . Tom Kelly, John Stevens and Ryan Kisiel . PUBLISHED: . 18:14 EST, 7 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:19 EST, 7 August 2013 . 'Disgrace': Barrister Robert Colover has been criticised by campaigners for describing a 13-year-old victim of a sex abuse case 'predatory' David Cameron yesterday condemned a prosecution barrister for describing the 13-year-old victim of a paedophile as sexually ‘predatory’. He urged the courts to ‘stand up for victims’ after Neil Wilson, 41, escaped jail despite luring the girl to his home, where she performed a sex act on him. Child protection campaigners labelled barrister Robert Colover a ‘disgrace’ and called for his dismissal. They also warned that his ‘crass’ comments would stop other young abuse victims from coming forward. Mr Colover has been suspended from prosecuting sex trials after he told Snaresbrook Crown Court in London that the girl ‘forced’ herself on Wilson, describing her as ‘predatory in all her actions’ and ‘sexually experienced’. He said: ‘She appeared to look around 14 or 15 and had the mental age of a 14 or 15-year-old. There was sexual activity but it was not of Mr Wilson’s doing. ‘You might say it was forced upon him despite his being older and stronger than her.’ Judge Nigel Peters, QC, is also being investigated for telling Wilson the girl was ‘egging you on’ and that she looked and behaved ‘a little bit older’ than her age as he gave him a suspended sentence. Wilson admitted two counts of making extreme pornographic images and one count of sexual activity with a child. His own solicitor told Monday’s sentencing hearing that the paedophile could still pose a risk to children. In a separate move, it emerged that sex offence trials involving vulnerable children will be conducted by a newly chosen team of specially vetted judges, to protect child witnesses from brutal cross-examination by trial barristers. Under fire: Judge Nigel Peters is also being investigated for suggesting the victim was 'egging on' paedophile Neil Wilson . Neil Wilson spotted his victim amid the bustle of Romford town centre at the start of March last year. The 13-year-old girl was playing truant from school and wandering the streets asking strangers for cigarettes. Wilson obliged when she asked him – offering her an entire packet. He then took her back to his flat near the town centre for coffee. The girl allegedly looked around 14 or 15 and acted as if she was older than her years. However, she was clearly underage – and nearly three decades younger than Wilson who was 39 at the time. Over the next two weeks the pair enjoyed a brief ‘fling’, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard. The girl was described by the prosecutor and judge as a ‘sexual predator’. But during this time it was Wilson who bombarded her with phone calls and text messages as she continued to visit his home, the court heard. On March 20, exactly two weeks after her first visit, the girl went back to Wilson’s flat after they agreed to meet. They sat in his lounge and talked about their relationship. Wilson claims at this point he told her they had to stop seeing each other because they would get in trouble. The girl, who was dressed in her school uniform, asked if she could change out of it and Wilson left the room. When he returned she had undressed and was sat wearing a T-shirt. Wilson claims he asked her to put her clothes on, but she started kissing him before touching his genitals. He said he pushed her away and told her he did not want to see her any more. At no point did they have sex. Robert Colover, prosecuting, told the court that the sexual activity was ‘not of Mr Wilson’s doing’. He added: ‘You might say it was forced upon him despite being older and stronger than her.’ The abuse came to light only when the girl told a friend what happened and the police were called. When officers went to Wilson’s home, they found images of child sexual abuse and videos depicting bestiality on his computer. Four of the images were surreptitiously taken photographs of children in play areas or other safe environments showing either underwear or varying degrees of nakedness. There were also 11 sexually explicit images involving horses and dogs. Wilson told police that he watched hardcore pornography but that he had deleted it from his computer. Yesterday the Prime Minister said it was ‘absolutely right’ that the Crown Prosecution Service had rebuked Mr Colover for his comments. He said: ‘It isn’t appropriate. We need a criminal justice system that stands up properly for victims. The victims should always be at the centre of our thinking. ‘The CPS themselves have said that this isn’t appropriate, the Attorney General is going to look into the case and we need a system that properly stands up for victims.’ Marilyn Hawes, director of child protection charity Enough Abuse, said: ‘This needs to be nipped in the bud. Are we in 1913 or 2013? Judges and barristers should be removed if they use language like this. ‘Vulnerable witnesses won’t come forward if they are going to be treated this way in court. They are fragile children, they are not just pieces of evidence to be used in a case.' Emily Thornberry, Labour’s Shadow Attorney General, said: ‘It is appalling that after the scandals of Jimmy Savile and Rochdale these awful Lolita prejudices are still being served up in court, and by the prosecution of all people.’ She has written to the Bar Standards Board to examine whether Mr Colover violated its code of conduct. Investigation: The Crown Prosecution Service has launched a probe following the case at Snaresbrook Crown Court . Charity Victim Support also condemned the teenager’s treatment. Its chief executive Javed Khan said: ‘It is completely unacceptable for victims to be blamed in any way for the abuse they have suffered. ‘The state owes a duty of care to victims and witnesses, which in this case appears to have been woefully neglected. We have strenuously campaigned for cultural change to this often adversarial, aggressive courts system.’ There was further anger yesterday as a high profile human rights lawyer appeared to defend the prosecutor’s comments. Barbara Hewson, a barrister for Hardwicke Chambers, tweeted: ‘It takes two to tango. Disgusting tho’ these men are, frankly the girls are often not much better – and no shrieking martyrs.’ The CPS said: ‘The word predatory in this context should not have been used and is of real concern to the CPS. The Director of Public Prosecutions will be undertaking a review of this case to determine what happened and to decide what action needs to be taken. The Attorney General’s Office said the case had been drawn to its attention ‘as a possibly unduly lenient sentence’. The Office for Judicial Complaints said it would consider a number of complaints it had received about Judge Peters’s remarks. There was no answer at Mr Colover’s £900,000 home in Streatham, South London, yesterday.
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Robert Colover labelled a 'disgrace' by campaigners after comments .
Suspended from prosecuting sex trials and CPS investigation launched .
Prime Minister says review of case is 'absolutely right'
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The FA charter plane, top heavy with England’s bloated World Cup party of around 80 underperforming personnel, will touch down first in Manchester and then Luton on Wednesday afternoon on their hasty retreat from Brazil. The pampered underachievers — both players and officials — will scuttle towards a convoy of chauffeured cars and then home to their families. There will be no welcoming party of England fans thankful for having been entertained by their heroes on the greatest football stage in the world. Just a miserable retreat for a pathetic Team England. VIDEO Scroll down for Roy Hodgson: I will continue leading England . End of the World: England's players were supported by nearly 60 staff but still they crashed out early . Home time: England's players will pack their bags and return to the UK on Wednesday . What an unedifying — but fitting — end to this World Cup debacle. This was the team of athletes, coaches, and a myriad of experts that flew from England in the belief that they would be the ‘best prepared team at the World Cup’. What they weren’t prepared for, and neither were the fans who paid thousands of pounds to follow a dream to Brazil, was that England would be out eight days after the tournament had begun. Even now, the humiliation may not be over. England play Costa Rica on Tuesday night in Belo Horizonte. If they lose, this will be their most miserable World Cup since 1950 when England were defeated by the USA in the same city. At least in those days England managed one victory, a 2-0 win over Chile in Rio. That tweed-and-brogue clad party numbered only 17 players, four referees, two trainers, eight sports writers and the manager. It was long before an England team needed an army of sports scientists.So how did it come to this? And how did we get to the stage that the FA’s reaction is to keep calm and carry on? The FA’s blundering chairman Greg Dyke’s timing on Friday was bizarre in the face of such an abject display. A time for review or consideration? Best to review the operations of the whole England set-up? No, Dyke blurted out his and the FA’s full support for Roy Hodgson just minutes before Costa Rica scored the goal against Italy that sealed England’s fate. Unnecessary: Greg Dyke has made a series of needless comments in his role as FA chairman . Hasty: England crashed at the group stage in Brazil but Dyke says Roy Hodgson will not be sacked . Dyke, who likes a report as his ill-conceived England Commission shows, should have, at the very least, played a straight bat when asked about Hodgson’s future. Then he should have set about a root-and-branch review of England’s approach to this World Cup. The starting point? What exactly did everyone in that ridiculously excessive FA party — only Germany had a bigger delegation — do to justify their place in Brazil? Not a lot in many cases. Trevor Brooking, England’s retiring director of football development who somehow thinks England can win the World Cup in 2018, made a short address in a ceremony in a Miami cathedral to mark the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Apart from that his only noticeable contribution seems to have been endlessly walking around the training ground keeping fit. Keep fit: Sir Trevor Brooking appeared to spend most of his time walking around the training ground . Dyke might also ask why England need a load of blazers hanging around the hotel with nothing to do but wait for the next free drink or dinner. The defunct dinosaur international committee, who haven’t had a meeting for three years since being marginalised by the Club England set-up, still had Robert Coar and Dave Barnard in Miami. Then another four — Ivan Gazidis, Keith Lamb, Peter Barnes and Barry Taylor — took their places on the FA gravy train for the Brazil leg. And as if this isn’t enough freeloading largesse, Tottenham’s Darren Eales has arrived for the meaningless match against Costa Rica because Gazidis went home after the Uruguay humiliation. Team England flew out with all manner of specialists: fitness and conditioning coaches, doctors, sports scientists, video analysts, security officers, four Club England and FA executives and numerous commercial figures. The whole team will fly back as what Jose Mourinho might call ‘specialists in failure’. Impact? Steven Gerrard talks with sports psychologist Steve Peters but his contribution has been questioned . Perhaps the most heralded member of the team was the acclaimed sports psychiatrist Steve Peters. But he has cut a timid, detached figure, who did nothing either to empower Steven Gerrard and his team-mates. One leading European coach asked: ‘When is the last time that group of players lined up in the tunnel with a look about them that said to the opposition: “You’re gonna have to play well to beat us today, lads”.’ The answer is probably against Portugal, in the quarter-final of the World Cup in Gelsenkirchen. It was there that England played for an hour with 10 men and were beaten, inevitably, in a penalty shootout. Dyke, who attended a couple of training sessions at the Urca military base, should also demand specific data on the impact of so many sports scientists. England had the best of everything — except the football. At their base in Urca, the FA lavished over £100,000 on ensuring the training pitch was up to standard yet used it on just seven occasions; likewise the media centre, which cost £80,000, partly paid by sponsors Vauxhall, to install. Firing line: Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney fronted up to the early exit at the expensively-assembled media centre . This extravagance was also in evidence during the squad’s three weeks of training before they arrived in Rio. The FA spent more than £100million building a national training centre at St George’s Park outside Burton, yet had less than three full days there during that time. Instead they preferred to go to the Algarve — colder than Burton for part of the week — and then on to Miami at the start of the hurricane season with the first day’s training washed out by rain. And only the FA in their wisdom could complete their World Cup from hell by having a closed training session on Sunday when already out of competition. How much better it would have been to let in fans, who have been totally let down by England, to watch them practise. It was ‘business as usual on a match day minus two,’ said an FA spokesman. Try telling that to the short-changed England supporter. The FA have a habit of putting a positive spin on everything. Why even this World Cup has been a success: due to FIFA appearance money for World Cup finalists they will make a net profit from their brief stay in Brazil. Nowhere was the FA’s financial obsession better illustrated than when the team was used as clothes horses for kit suppliers Nike’s vast wardrobe of gear. The smiles of the FA officials and staff at England’s military training base on Sunday said it all. School’s out. Soon enough they will pack up their boxes of Nike T-shirts, shorts and socks and travel home with the rest of the team. Grand setting: The FA paid £100,000 for one training pitch but it was barely used . This has been an appalling World Cup campaign and yet the public are supposed to accept the same, dreadful excuses from the FA. To the outsider, no one is really taking this shameful experience seriously enough within that organisation. When Germany, Holland and France have found themselves in similar positions, they have opted for a cathartic overhaul. Not England. At their training camp, you are met by armed, Brazilian military personnel on the way in. Once inside, there is a cossetted, almost arrogant, atmosphere. We are England, it says. We know best. Hodgson is a lovely, charming man. But he has proved beyond reasonable doubt he cannot lead England to success at tournament football. The facts speak for themselves. ‘The players gave me everything I could have asked for and more,’ Hodgson claimed and that proves the point. If they really have given him everything and more, and still lost their opening two group games, there is something profoundly wrong. Every time England come up against elite competition, they get well beaten. Every. Single. Time.That the jobs of Hodgson and his assistants are safe after such a fiasco – even before the last dead rubber of is played — is beyond belief. However, it is worth casting the mind back to England’s Ashes surrender in Australia last winter. England Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke was adamant that Andy Flower would remain in charge. And Flower, like Hodgson insisted, couldn’t see any reason why he shouldn’t. A month later Flower, once out of the England bubble of a major sporting event, realised the depth of national feeling and resigned. He admitted that those who had questioned him had been right all along. Hodgson should do the same, but he won’t.
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Around 80 England staff will return to the UK on Wednesday .
That includes an army of specialists who had no impact on the team .
£100,000 was spent on a pitch they hardly used in Brazil .
Arrogant FA blazers swanned around the team hotel .
FA have offered same excuses for humiliation as they did at previous finals .
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By . Paul Bentley . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 4 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:38 EST, 5 November 2012 . This boy wouldn't have been allowed to have fun with a sparkler thanks to health and safety officers . Over-zealous ’elf and safety officers extinguished the fun for hundreds of families attending public firework displays at the weekend by banning sparklers. Families said they were ‘disgusted’ by the rules, which needlessly upset children and patronised parents. The Round Table group, which organised 70 firework parties this year in public parks and stadiums, has also spoken out against the rules, which it says it is bound to comply with. At one of the displays on Saturday night in Moseley, Birmingham, a large sign stated ‘Strictly no sparklers’ on site. Around 3,000 people attended, paying £5 for adults and £2 for children to enter. But anybody who attempted to light sparklers were told to extinguish them immediately. Gordon Avery, from Sheldon, Birmingham, who was there with grandsons Kieran, 13, and Elliot, 11, said: ‘There are so many kids here, if they are being supervised by their parents then I don’t see why it is a problem. ‘I’ve gone to fireworks shows for decades. It’s health and safety gone mad.’ Similar rules were in place at other Round Table displays across the country. At its fireworks party on Saturday night at Ascot Racecourse, stewards also warned members of the public not to light sparklers. The event website advised: ‘For your own safety, we do not allow you to bring alcohol or your own fireworks to the event. This includes sparklers: They are too dangerous where there are crowds and excited children.’ Cait Allen, chief executive of Round Table, agreed that banning sparklers was ‘health and safety gone mad’, but added: ‘It’s just the venues’ insurance companies. We have to comply.’ Health and safety officers extinguished the fun for many by banning sparklers at at least 70 displays (file picture) A major new campaign has been launched ahead of Bonfire Night to highlight the stress fireworks can cause to cats, dogs and wildlife.As research revealed that 49 per cent of owners say their pet is afraid of the noises of firework season, Ceva Animal Health UK is calling for veterinary practices and the public to back a major new online petition.The e-petition appeals for the Government to enforce all fireworks manufacturers to carry information about pet and wildlife safety both online and on packaging and is available at: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/36648.Ceva, whose pheromone products Feliway and Adaptil are proven to help pets in stressful situations, has joined with TV vet Marc Abraham to highlight the extent to which pets are affected by loud noises at this time of year.Signs of stress in dogs include trembling, shaking, hiding behind furniture, barking excessively and trying to run away. If the problem isn’t confronted at the outset it could result in long-term, serious noise phobias developing.Vet Marc Abraham says: 'Pet safety, health and happiness are serious issues arising on and around every Bonfire Night. During the year I treat a number of animals suffering from stress-related health problems - many of these originating from loud noises such as fireworks or an unsettled environment. 'All pet owners have a responsibility to prepare their dog or cat well ahead of Bonfire Night - employing preventative measures such as creating safe dens, adjusting normal walking routines to avoid the dark, and providing pheromone appeasing products such as Adaptil and Feliway.'If you own a pet, or live next door to someone with a cat or a dog, please make sure everyone's educated in animal welfare and safety when it comes to Bonfire Night.'Sarah Endersby at Ceva Animal Health UK, said: 'This will be the second year running we have called upon the fireworks industry to recognise its responsibilities when it comes to protecting pets and wildlife during what is the most stressful season for them. For example, many dogs find fireworks distressing and may go on to develop noise phobia.'Many owners will seek advice from pet specialists such as vets, vet nurses, pharmacists and pet shop staff. However, by producing warnings on the packaging, fireworks manufacturers can also help advise and guide pet owners to minimise the stress caused to pets.'
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Families say that the rules imposed by health and safety officers needlessly upset children and patronised parents .
Firework party organiser the Round Table group has spoken out against the rules .
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By . Rebecca English . PUBLISHED: . 14:32 EST, 28 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:54 EST, 28 January 2013 . The 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation is to be marked by a service of celebration at Westminster Abbey. The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family will attend the event, which is likely to attract thousands to the streets of London. The service is one of the major highlights of this year's coronation celebrations, along with a four-day festival in Buckingham Palace Gardens in July. Party time: Revellers on The Mall in central London last June wave flags to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee . Although the official Diamond Jubilee . celebrations took place last year – the anniversary of the death of . King George V1 and the Queen’s official accession to the throne – the . Queen’s actual coronation took place more than a year later, on June 2 . 1953. Buckingham Palace . said today that the service will take place on Tuesday June 4, a few . days after the 60th anniversary of the coronation, followed by a lunch. Foreign . dignitaries are expected to be among the congregation along with . leading UK figures, from Prime Minister David Cameron and members of his . Cabinet to military chiefs. A . spokesman for Westminster Abbey also revealed that the Queen’s . coronation chair – used by almost all kings and queens since the 14th . Century – will be on display in time for the event following extensive . restoration. Celebrations: Prince Charles kisses the hand of his mother Queen Elizabeth at the end her Diamond Jubilee concert in front of Buckingham Palace . The delicate . work has taken many months to undertake and the chair will be presented . under a new red fabric canopy supported by four posts of turned oak. The design, by Ptolmy Dean, Surveyor . of the Fabric at Westminster Abbey, has been inspired by the gold canopy . traditionally used during the anointing ceremony in the coronation. The Queen acceded to the throne on . February 6 1952 when her father, George VI, died unexpectedly in his . sleep at Sandringham in Norfolk. The . country was still in the grip of post-war austerity but a glittering . coronation was staged on June 2 the following year at Westminster Abbey, . which saw millions take to the streets in celebration and was broadcast . live on television around the world for the first time. The . other major celebration of the landmark anniversary will be a festival . of ‘innovation, excellence and industry’ held in the gardens at . Buckingham Palace by the Royal Warrant Holders Association from July 11 . to 14. People will flock to Buckingham Palace once again for this year's coronation celebrations . Regal: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II posed for this photo after her Coronation on June 2, 1953 . Displaying the ‘best of British’ – from fashion to technology, car design to food and drink – the palace gardens will be packed with display stands. A gala performance of music and dance will also be held on a specially-designed stage on selected evenings. Unlike the official Diamond Jubilee events last year, which were largely free, tickets for the festival are priced at £30 for the daytime event and £90 each evening. Tickets are available at www.coronationfestival.com. According to Buckingham Palace, events to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation will be far more low-key than those of the Diamond Jubilee. ‘The jubilee was very much the focus of the national celebrations,’ a spokesman said.
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The Queen, Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family will attend the event .
Festival expected to attract thousands of people to streets of London .
Although the official Diamond Jubilee celebrations took place last year, the Queen’s actual coronation took place more than a year later, on June 2, 1953 .
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David Cameron today vowed to hunt down British-raised ISIS executioner ‘Jihadi John’ and put him ‘out of action’. The Prime Minister refused to confirm that the Islamist fanatic filmed beheading hostages in Syria was the Londoner Mohammed Emwazi after he was finally identified yesterday. But Mr Cameron said the Government would do everything it could to tack down terrorists committing ‘appalling and heinous crimes’ against British citizens anywhere in the world. Scroll down for video . David Cameron said the Government would do everything it could to tack down terrorists committing ‘appalling and heinous crimes’ against British citizens anywhere in the world . The PM also hit back at criticism of the security services in the wake of yesterday’s unmasking of Emwazi, amid revelations that he had been on MI5’s radar for years. He said the security services did ‘extraordinary’ work to keep Britain safe – and revealed they had even foiled a terror plot ‘in the last few months’. Kuwaiti-born Emwazi moved to Britain as a six-year-old child – and quickly embraced British life, playing football in the affluent streets of West London while supporting Manchester United. Neighbours recalled a polite, quietly spoken boy who was studious at his Church of England school, where he was the only Muslim pupil in his class. After finishing primary school in 1999, Emwazi moved to Quintin Kynaston Community Academy, in St John’s Wood, where he is believed to have studied alongside former X Factor judge and pop star Tulisa Contostavlos . Once there, he became more observant of his religion and began wearing more traditional Islamic dress, and his sisters began to wear the hijab. Speaking in Wales, alongside the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Mr Cameron launched an impassioned defence of the security services . In August 2009, after his graduation, Emwazi flew to Tanzania where they were picked up by MI5 – who accused him of planning to travel to Somalia to join the militant group Al Shabaab. Mr Cameron today refused to name Enwazi but said: ‘When there are people anywhere in the world who commit appalling and heinous crimes against British citizens we will do everything we can with the police with the security services with all that we have at our disposal to find these people and put them out of action.’ The PM said this was his ‘number one priority’. Speaking in Wales, alongside the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Mr Cameron also launched an impassioned defence of the security services. But he suggested the House of Commons Security and Intelligence Committee could review MI5’s failure to stop Enwazi travelling to Syria to join ISIS. Mr Cameron said: ‘I work very closely with our security services. I meet with them regularly, I ask them searching questions about that they do – and in my almost five years of experience as Prime Minister I think they are incredibly impressive, hardworking, dedicated, courageous and affective at protecting our country. ‘All of the time they are having to make incredibly difficult judgements and I think basically they make very good judgements on our behalf. ‘While we are in the middle of this vast effort to make sure British citizens are sage, the most important thing is to get behind them.’ The ISIS executioner Jihadi John was finally identified as Londoner Mohammed Emwazi yesterday . Mohammed Emwazi pictured at St Marys School, first row, second from left, after moving to Britain from Kuwait . But the Prime Minister said there were ‘proper ways of calling security and intelligence services to account’ where there were concerns – and pointed to the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee. However, he added: ‘I am satisfied we have in place the right ways of scrutinising the work these extraordinary men and women do on our behalf. ‘All I can say is even in the last few months their dedication and work has saved us from plots on the streets of the United Kingdom that could’ve done immense damage, so it is a moment to stand up and thank them for the work they do on our behalf.’
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PM refused to confirm ISIS fanatic is Londoner Mohammed Emwazi .
But he said the Government would track down terrorists attacking UK .
Cameron said 'appalling and heinous crimes' would not go unpunished .
He also hit back at criticism of MI5 following the unmasking of Emwazi .
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Mother-of-four Leighanne Rumbelow, 26, sent abusive and threatening messages to herself, pretending to be student Leonard Smith, 21 . A mother-of-four who tried to frame a fellow student by sending herself abusive and threatening emails using his video game username has been jailed for eleven months. A police helicopter was scrambled and police dog units searched the area around Leighanne Rumbelow's house, in Foxborough Gardens, Brockley, south London, twice in the hunt for innocent Bromley College student Leonard Smith. Mr Smith, 21, was arrested three times, had his family home searched, electronic equipment seized and spent a total of thirty-five hours in police custody during the 'sustained, extended campaign' to frame him. Rumbelow, 26, initially blamed her sister for sending the emails but pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice between April 4 and June 2 last year. Woolwich Crown Court heard on Wednesday that Rumbelow, using Mr Smith's gaming username, 'Striker', sent herself emails which read: 'You'll have to watch your back. I know where your daughters are. 'You're [sic] life is over and so are your kids. I know you are home. I'll get you, your husband won't mind, you're a slut. 'Your husband is next. We'll get him when he's walking home. 'I can see you shutting your curtains. Goodnight, sleep well.' Prosecutor Neil Ross told the court: 'There was a persistent and deliberate series of false allegations against Mr Smith that led to his arrest, the seizure of property and considerable use of his time and resources.' In 2011 Rumbelow accused Mr Smith of touching her sexually, but the police did not pursue her complaint and early last year he tried to contact her on Facebook to 'clear the air'. 'As a result she went to the police and said she was being harassed and Mr Smith was given a warning,' explained Mr Ross. Rumbelow wrote herself abusive and threatening emails from 'Striker', and told police she wanted Mr Smith arrested. Mr Smith was arrested in the early hours of April 6 last year and was released shortly afterwards, but found himself in police custody again on April 7 - this time for twenty hours - when officers again attended his address in the middle of the night. On April 10, 14 and 22 Rumbelow repeated her lies, telling officers that she spotted Mr Smith in her garden, from where he emailed further threats. This led to a helicopter search and sniffer dogs being dispatched to the surrounding area. On May 31 Rumbelow told police she received another email from Mr Smith which read: 'I see you are cheating on me again. I'm going to slit your throat you dirty little slag.' 'Phone the police and I swear you'll get it,' read another email, resulting in Mr White spending another five hours in police custody. Officers became suspicious and it was revealed that the IP address of the 'Striker' emails was traced to the home Rumbelow shared with her mother and sister. A police helicopter was scrambled and police dog units searched the area around Leighanne Rumbelow's house in Brockley, South London, Woolwich Crown Court heard. Emma Stuart Smith, defending, told the court: 'She's vulnerable due to her emotional and mental health condition. She realises she was selfish in her actions.' Mr Smith said in a statement: 'The whole ordeal was very distressing.' Judge Alan Saggerson said: 'This is an offence of great severity and gravity. The offence brought with it a high level of harm. 'The public confidence in the entire criminal justice system is undermined when allegations are fabricated against innocent people and resources are wasted making inquiries, using helicopters and dog units and wasting police man hours. 'Not only was an innocent man arrested three times during your extended sequence of lies, spending thirty-five hours in custody, but you also caused suspicion to fall on other innocent people, including his mother and sister and their property was searched. 'Suspicion also fell on your own mother and sister, particularly your sister, who you continued to blame. 'This was not a single, isolated allegation, but a sustained, extended campaign in creating these false emails. 'They were repeated messages that you fabricated to to sustain your fictitious claims and must have involved significant thought and planning on your part.'
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Leighanne Rumbelow told officers Leonard Smith was sending her threats .
Police helicopter scrambled and sniffer dogs hunted for non-existent stalker .
Mr Smith, who was completely innocent, was arrested three times .
He spent 35 hours in police custody and had his home searched .
Rumbelow jailed for eleven months for perverting the course of justice .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:26 EST, 28 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:26 EST, 28 December 2012 . The common assumption that a Christmas tipple is good for you may be wrong for most Britons . The common assumption that a couple of glasses of wine are good for you may be wrong for most Britons, new research reveals. Scientists at Australia’s Curtin University have discovered that if you are overweight, far from boosting your heart’s health, moderate alcohol consumption may actually put it at risk. Writing in this month’s issue of the Australia and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Dr Tim Lobstein and Professor Mike Daube acknowledged that previous studies show that a little alcohol may lower your risk of heart disease, while a lot will raise the risk. However, the researchers in Perth were concerned that the data used in these studies had come from surveys undertaken more than 40 years ago when people were much slimmer than they are today. Therefore, they believed that the findings may no longer stand. Dr Lobstein, who is director of policy at the International Association for the Study of Obesity in London and who co-authored the research, said: ‘We were concerned that the findings from a previous generation may not apply to our modern, fatter population. ‘So we revisited the data in the classic Framingham Heart Study (a landmark study which identifies risk factors for heart disease), and examined the differences between slimmer and fatter men to see how the J-shaped curve held up.’ The researchers discovered that the health benefits still hold for slim men but not for those with a Body Mass Index above 27.5. Healthcare professionals recommend that a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25. The study comes at a time when the latest NHS figures show that 42 per cent of men and 32 per cent of women are overweight - they have a BMI of more than 25. Furthermore, 26 per cent of adults in the UK are classed as obese because their BMI is more than 30. Moderate alcohol consumption is not good for people with a BMI of more than 27.5 . Research published in The Lancet last year showed that the average BMI for adults in the UK is currently 27. Dr Lobstein said: ‘In effect, the standard advice about a small amount of alcohol being good for the heart doesn’t stack up for overweight men. ‘We will need to check other surveys and see if they show the same pattern, and we will need to check the data for women. ‘We know that apart from heart disease, other causes of disease are made worse by even small amounts of alcohol, including cancer, diabetes and stroke – the major chronic disease killers,’ he added. ‘For now, the advice has to be that there is no such thing as a beneficial level of consumption, especially if you are overweight.’ Other recent research has shown that wine could have additional health-giving properties. Studies have indicated alcohol may raise levels of good cholesterol and be beneficial to blood vessels, while antioxidants in wine are thought to protect arteries. Cardiologist Geoffrey Tofler, of the University of Sydney, has found that moderate wine drinkers have higher levels of HDL, the so-called ‘good cholesterol’. His study of 3,000 people found that the platelets of people who drank three to six standard measures a week are much less likely to clump together in a way that could cause clotting. Meanwhile, researchers at Leicester University also found that drinking a large glass of red wine each day could help prevent bowel cancer. Their research showed that resveratrol, a substance found in the skin of red grapes, has cancer-fighting properties. Just small quantities of the substance were shown to halve the growth of tumours. Similarly, researchers at the University of Missouri discovered that resveratrol can make prostate tumour cells more susceptible to radiation treatment.
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Researchers have found moderate alcohol consumption may only be good for your heart if you are thin .
Australian scientists found it increases the risk of heart disease in those with a BMI of more than 27.5 .
Original studies on the health benefits of alcohol may be outdated, they say .
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Two men who were charged after counter terrorism police raided their homes will remain behind bars until at least next week. Omar Ammouche was charged with ammunition possession offences after counter-terrorism police raided a home on Chiswick Road in Greenacre in Sydney's west on Friday. The 33-year-old man was arrested and was later charged with acquiring and possessing prohibited ammunition without holding a licence. Following ongoing investigation, Jibryl Almaouie was charged with a string of offences, including unauthorised firearm possession, also on Friday after a separate terrorism raid in December. Scroll down for video . Omar Ammouche was charged after counter terrorism police raided a number of properties on Friday morning . The 33-year-old Greenacre man was arrested when police raided a home on Chiswick Road . The man has been refused bail to appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday . The 21-year-old attended Surry Hills Police Station on Friday where he was arrested at 2.30pm after counter-terrorism police seized a rifle, two shotguns and a large amount of ammunition at a Condell Park house in Sydney's west on December 18. The two men, who are not co-accused, did not appear when their cases were mentioned in Parramatta Local Court on Saturday. It comes as the raids were carried out in Sydney's southwest, in relation to Operation Duntulm which is part of the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, and allegedly seized a number of items including a quantity of prohibited drugs and documents. It was the same operation which saw the arrest of Mohamed Elomar's wife, Fatima, at Sydney Airport on May 3 when she was trying to board a flight to Malaysia with her four children. It is part of Operation Appleby, which is investigating domestic terrorism and foreign incursions in Syria and Iraq. Other warrants were executed in Leppington, Condell Park and Punchbowl. Police allege that a quantity of prohibited drugs were seized from another man in Punchbowl. A NSW Police statement said the raids were executed 'not as a result of any specific terrorism threat'. The raids were carried out in Sydney's southwest, in relation to Operation Duntulm which is part of the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, and allegedly seized a number of items including a quantity of prohibited drugs and documents . Other warrants were executed in Leppington, Condell Park and Punchbowl . Operation Duntulm is an ongoing Joint Counter Terrorism Team (Sydney) investigation into alleged financial assistance and support being provided for foreign fighters overseas. Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch, Commander of the Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command said Operation Duntulm the raids are a timely reminder that police 'will not become complacent, and remain committed to disrupting criminal activity'. 'The operation today is about the gathering of evidence and intelligence to enable us to take action against those who think they can engage in these activities,' he said. 'Investigators this morning seized a range of items from the premises searched including documents and computers, and these will be forensically examined. 'It doesn't matter who you are or what you believe in, if you choose to illegally fight in an overseas conflict you are not only breaking the law, you are placing yourself in immense danger.' Australian Federal Police Acting National Manager Counter Terrorism Peter Crozier said community safety was the primary objective of all Joint Counter Terrorism Team activities. 'The priority for all agencies involved in these operations is to ensure the safety of the community, and we encourage all people to speak to us if they have any concerns or have information they wish to provide,' Acting Assistant Commissioner Crozier said . 'Now more than ever, it is important for the community and police to continue to work together and promote the diverse, inclusive and supportive society we have here in Australia.' Counter terrorism police have raided a number of properties on Friday morning in relation to an ongoing operation which saw the arrest of Mohamed Elomar's wife, Fatima (pictured), at Sydney Airport on May 3 . Mohamed Elomar's wife, Fatima, was arrested at Sydney Airport on May 3 when she was trying to board a flight to Malaysia with her four children . Mrs Elomar was then charged with preparing for incursions into a foreign state with the intention of engaging in hostile activities. She has denied the charges . Mr Elomar (pictured) is believed to have flown to Syria late last year with Khaled Sharrouf, a convicted terrorist, who fled the country on his brother's passport . Back in May, officers from Operation Duntulm arrested and charged Mohamed Elomar's wife, Fatima, with preparing for incursions into a foreign state with the intention of engaging in hostile activities. She has denied the charges. Her husband, Mohamed Elomar, is believed to be fighting with terror group the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Mr Elomar is believed to have flown to Syria late last year with Khaled Sharrouf, a convicted terrorist, who fled the country on his brother's passport. Ms Elomar's property was not one of those raided by police. They raided one property in Greenacre and seized items not related. The raids come after 800 police from The Joint Counter Terrorism Team were involved in searching a number of homes in Sydney and detained 15 people, the Sydney Morning Herald reports. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Two men arrested after separate anti-terror raids in Sydney are expected to make bail applications next week .
Omar Ammouche, 33, was charged with ammunition possession offences .
Jibryl Almaouie, 21, was charged with a string of offences, including unauthorised firearm possession .
The two men, who are not co-accused, did not appear when their cases were mentioned in court on Saturday .
Police conducted new raids in Sydney's southwest on Friday morning .
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By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 10:21 EST, 15 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:27 EST, 15 October 2012 . For a rock with human qualities, this one's a little hard-faced. The expression might be a little stony, but there's something captivating about this boulder. This stone resembling a human face is proving to be quite the tourist attraction in Western Java, Indonesia. Hard-faced: The curiously-shaped rock was found in the garden of a villager and is believed to have been formed following the eruption of Mount Guntur a few years ago . Crowd-pleaser: Children sit on the top of the rock-face at Pananjung Village in Garut, Indonesia . The boulder - complete with eyes, nose and mouth - has been attracting scores of curious villagers since it was discovered in Pananjung, Garut, Indonesia. About two feet in size, the curiously-shaped rock was found in the . garden of a villager and is believed to have been formed following the eruption of Mount Guntur a few years ago. However, its unusual facial features were only discovered when a small pool was drained of its water and locals saw the uncanny resemblance to a human face. Villagers have named the boulder the 'crying stone' because they say it looks like it is grieving. While rocks of this appearance are not considered to be especially significant in local culture, it has been drawing many people to the region who want to see it for themselves. Java's authorities now want to investigate the origins of the rock to ascertain whether it is a natural phenomenon or a . remnant from an earlier culture which might have been wiped out in a . volcanic eruption. Stony expression: The boulder's unusual features were only discovered when a small pool was drained of its water and locals saw the uncanny resemblance to a human face . Slab: Authorities now want to investigate the origins of the rock to ascertain whether it is a natural phenomenon or a remnant from an earlier culture .
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Boulder has been attracting scores of curious onlookers in Java .
It is believed to have been formed following the eruption of a volcano .
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Washington (CNN) -- The National Security Agency spent Friday on the defensive, after details got out about an internal audit that found the agency had broken privacy rules "thousands of times each year" since 2008. The audit was first reported by the Washington Post on Thursday, setting off another round of heated discussion -- and criticism -- in Washington over how the NSA had wrongly impinged on Americans' privacy. "I ... will continue to demand honest and forthright answers from the intelligence community," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, noting the Senate Judiciary Committee he chairs will hold a hearing on the Post's revelations. "I remain concerned that we are still not getting straightforward answers from the NSA." In a call with reporters Friday, John DeLong -- the NSA's director of compliance -- acknowledged "mistakes occur," even as he insisted only a "tiny" amount of such problems were intentional. "No one at NSA thinks a mistake is OK," DeLong said several times in the call, which a spokesman said was conducted to "address inaccuracies." NSA leaker Edward Snowden -- whose ongoing leaks have riled the Obama administration and intelligence community -- provided the material to the Post earlier this summer. The May 2012 audit found 2,776 incidents of "unauthorized collection, storage, access to or distribution of legally protected communications" in the preceding 12 months, the Post reported in its story. "Most were unintended. Many involved failures of due diligence or violations of standard operating procedure," said the Post article by reporter Barton Gellman. "The most serious incidents included a violation of a court order and unauthorized use of data about more than 3,000 Americans and green-card holders." Leahy was not the only lawmaker, nor the only member of President Barack Obama's Democratic party, to call for more oversight and hearings. "Press reports that the National Security Agency broke privacy rules thousands of times per year and reportedly sought to shield required disclosure of privacy violations are extremely disturbing," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi called for "rigorous oversight" by Congress on the "incidents of non-compliance." Another Democrat from California, Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman Sen. Dianne Feinstein, told the Post in a statement late Thursday night that her committee "can and should do more to independently verify that NSA's operations are appropriate, and its reports of compliance incidents are accurate." The Washington Post reported that most incidents involved unauthorized surveillance of Americans or foreign intelligence targets in the country. In one case, the NSA decided it didn't need to report the unintended surveillance. In 2008, a "large number" of calls placed from Washington were intercepted due to a programming error that confused the capitol's 202 area code for 20, the international dialing code for Egypt. The information came from a "quality assurance" review that wasn't distributed to the NSA overnight staff, according to the Post. Separately, an NSA new collection method went undiscovered by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for months. The court, which has authority over some of the agency's operations, ruled it unconstitutional. Responding to the Post's story, the NSA said, "A variety of factors can cause the numbers of incidents to trend up or down from one quarter to the next." Factors can include implementation of new procedures, technology or software changes and expanded access. "The one constant across all of the quarters is a persistent, dedicated effort to identify incidents or risks of incidents at the earliest possible moment, implement mitigation measures wherever possible, and drive the numbers down," the agency said. The agency released another statement Thursday night defending its programs. "NSA's foreign intelligence collection activities are continually audited and overseen internally and externally," it said. "When NSA makes a mistake in carrying out its foreign intelligence mission, the agency reports the issue internally and to federal overseers -- and aggressively gets to the bottom of it." On Friday, DeLong said his agency "detects and corrects mistakes" as these occur and are identified, which stops them from being "propagated." "The NSA has zero tolerance for misconduct," he said, noting that those who make repeated mistakes lose access to key databases. Overall, DeLong insisted, the NSA carefully adheres to privacy protections. White House spokesman Josh Earnest offered a similar statement Friday, saying the NSA compliance office's review reflects its commitment to abiding by the law and protecting people's privacy. "The documents demonstrate that the NSA is monitoring, detecting, addressing and reporting compliance incidents," Earnest said. The man who leaked the audit to the Post, Snowden, stepped forward publicly in June to claim responsibility for leaking to the media 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 fled first to Hong Kong and then to Russia before Moscow granted him 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. NSA: We read .00004% of Web traffic . Although polling shows Americans harbor skepticism of the domestic surveillance programs Snowden revealed, a majority of Americans don't approve of the actions he took and they think he, as an American citizen, should be brought to justice. A CNN/ORC International survey released last month indicated that 52% of the public disapproved of Snowden's actions, while 44% said they approved of the leaks. Fifty-four percent of those questioned in the poll said the government should attempt to bring Snowden back to the United States and prosecute him for his leaks. As for the program Snowden revealed, there is a noticeable generational divide on the surveillance tactics, with younger Americans more likely to support Snowden than older Americans. CNN's Lesa Jansen and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.
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NEW: White House: Audit shows NSA's efforts to find, address privacy violations .
NEW: NSA admits "mistakes" do occur, insists most are quickly addressed .
Washington Post counts 2,776 incidents -- violations of rules of court orders on surveillance .
Congressional leaders express concern about mistakes, call for more oversight .
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MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- You don't expect to hear an electric saw in church, but Kevin Cross uses the tool along with a frying pan, blender and toaster oven to help free people from debt. Kevin Cross holds the boards steady as a woman uses a reciprocating saw to cut up her credit cards. This money missionary helps people destroy those little plastic shovels, otherwise known as credit cards, that so many people have used to dig their way to financial ruin. "It's such an easy message. It really is," says Cross, an ex-con who credits religion for his conversion from thief to money coach. "That's why it doesn't take a rocket scientist, it doesn't take a CPA to do it. A first-year bookkeeper can figure out that you can't spend more than you make," he said. Earlier this month, Cross spoke to about 150 people at the Miami Vineyard Community Church where Kevin Fischer is the pastor. "You've got to plan your spending; you've got to give back a part to God. You've got to save for the future, and you've got to learn to be content," said Fischer. Fischer says the pressure of money and debt is enormous on people, especially more recently. "We should change the marriage vows from 'till death do us part' to 'debt do us part' because that's what's going on, and it's so true," he said. Cross is breathless. As he speaks to the crowd, he's a non-stop, doesn't-come-up-for-air, high-octane money missionary. He uses Christian principles, prayer, common sense, and a few good one-liners to get his message across. "I had a 401k, it went to a 201k, went to 101k, now it's just K," he said as the crowd laughs. "I'm thinking I got a thousand bucks left, and I can retire for about a week." Cross presides over a day-long sermon on how people can make their lives better by taking control of their spending. He says he tries to demonstrate the long-term effects of irresponsible borrowing. Simple stuff, he says, will make people more content and give them the cushion necessary to give back. His new book is "Building Your Financial Fortress in 52 Days." "I want to get people to have more margin, so instead of investing in stuff, and stuff that doesn't last, they can invest in people's lives," he said. The tools he uses to hammer home his message go beyond his overhead TV screens, charts and calculators. Cross invites his guests, who pay $25 a head to hear his message, to come up to the front of the room for what he calls the beginning of "freedom." On a table, sit a frying pan, a toaster oven, a blender and a wooden sawhorse and an electric saw. About six people cut up their credit cards and bake them in the toaster oven as if they were TV dinners. Others sliced and diced their Visa, MasterCard and Amex, before mixing the pieces with Spam in the blender. At one point, Cross called for some cooking oil as one lady stood over her credit card-saute with a spatula. Holding a plate full of the little pieces of credit card, Cross said, "This looks like a melted credit card, but this really represents freedom in these people's lives, because it's the first step." Cellie Mayol says she used to have 10 or 11 credit cards. She put on protective goggles, taped her cards to a two-by-four and shredded them with a reciprocating saw. "It just felt like the right thing to do to get me started on the right path," she said. "The Sawzall [reciprocating saw] was exhilarating. I love that feeling." Kevin Cross wasn't always this way. About 20 years ago, as a teen, he embezzled about $300,000 from the sheriff's office in Broward County, Florida. Yes, the sheriff's office. Cross was a bookkeeper and skimmed money from an account filled by payments from court judgments. He invested the stolen funds and profited about $50,000 before he was caught. He was charged with fraud and theft, and spent minimal time in jail. He paid half the money back. But, he says, that was another life ago. Cross says it took him four years to crawl out of his own hole; He was $100,000 in debt. "I could spend a thousand dollars a day," Cross told the crowd. "Although, I'd have to spend about two days recovering from that -- you know what I mean," he said. "I completely sabotaged my life, all in one year. I did more damage in one year than most people do in their whole life." One night, as a 20 year old, he says, he was parking cars at Miami's Hyatt Regency hotel. He was wearing black ladies garden shoes, because he couldn't afford the black sneakers that were part of his uniform. A Jaguar pulled up, and inside was one of Miami's most recognizable newsmen, anchorman Dwight Lauderdale. He took the car, turned on the radio, and heard a Christian financial expert say, "There is hope for the hopeless. All you have to do is give your heart and soul to the Lord." "And then, I thought, oh Lord, if you're there. I need you." "I wasn't going to find satisfaction in money. The only place I was going to find it was outside of that, and I found it, in turning my heart over to God." He became a CPA and spends one full day each week doing free financial counseling for needy people. He says he no longer gets high on money. He only helps people understand that they can manage their money in a way that can help themselves, their families and others. Juan and Beth Diaz were at the seminar. They said they ran up their credit cards and that their home, south of Miami, went into foreclosure last year. "America has been a very greedy, give-me-now country for so long, and I think it's a wake-up call for everybody that we can live differently," said Beth Diaz. Juan Diaz, her husband, says doing away with credit cards has helped them. The couple plans to be debt free in about 18 months. "They're telling you: 'Use me, you need me' -- and they own you. We've gotten to the point where we just don't need credit cards," he explained. "Everything we do, we plan, and if we don't have the money, we just don't buy it," he said.
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Kevin Cross teaches churchgoers about the evil of credit cards .
Cross was convicted of fraud and theft as a teenager .
He turned to religion after hearing a radio message in a car while a valet .
Saws and frying pans among the tools he uses to "free" clients .
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Ballistic tests show bullets that killed a suburban Washington woman last month are similar to those in two other unsolved killings, police in Virginia said Thursday. "We are looking at these as if they are linked, but until we have evidence that points to only one suspect, we investigate all possibilities," Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook said at a news conference. The slayings have alarmed the community located across the Potomac River from the nation's capital, raising concerns a serial killer may be responsible. Authorities Thursday renewed their warnings to residents to be "on guard," after announcing their findings from the forensic examinations. The new evidence shows bullets recovered in the killing of music teacher Ruthanne Lodato on February 6 have "the same general rifling class and characteristics and are similar in design to bullets submitted in two other homicides in the city,'' Cook said. Police have said a gunman knocked on Lodato's door late that morning and began shooting. The 59-year-old woman died, and her mother's caretaker was seriously wounded. The survivor helped provide a sketch of the suspect. The previous victims were also prominent in the area. Nancy Dunning, once married to Alexandria's sheriff, was killed in December 2003; and Ron Kirby, director of transportation planning at the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, was gunned down last November. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are assisting local police in the investigation, including sending a profiler. Investigators are also reviewing shootings across the nation for any similarities.
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Bullets that killed a music teacher are similar to those in two other slayings, police say .
Ruthanne Lodato was fatally shot after answering her door in suburban Washington last month .
The killings raised fears of a serial killer, prompted police warning to be "on guard"
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Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- A cyber attack Friday morning hit 40 South Korean websites, including those of several government agencies and major banks, the country's internet security agency said. The government detected the first wave of the attack Thursday. It was coordinated from outside South Korea using "zombie" computers -- computers which have downloaded malicious codes -- to target designated websites, slow them down or paralyze their operation, the internet security agency said. Infected computers directed a giant traffic surge to targeted websites. That's called a DDoS attack, short for distributed denial-of-service -- and it's hard for most sites to defend against. By Friday, South Korea's leading security software company had developed a free anti-virus program to treat infected computers. Software company AhnLab said it developed the anti-virus program after receiving reports of the attack from the South Korean government Thursday. The company warned that another attack would hit websites at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Targeted sites include South Korea's presidential office, the foreign ministry, the defense ministry and main banking websites, according to a statement issued by AhnLab. No severe damage has been reported so far, but the government said it was monitoring the attack. During a similar attack in 2009, 17 South Korean websites were hit over a three-day period.
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Officials say the attack is being coordinated from outside South Korea .
Infected "zombie" computers are directing traffic surges to certain sites .
Targets include South Korea's presidential office, foreign ministry and defense ministry .
17 South Korean sites were hit during a similar attack over three days in 2009 .
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(CNN) -- On the day Alisher Usmanov was named as Britain's wealthiest man, his soccer club Arsenal overtook that of one of his "rich list" rivals in the race for a European Champions League place next season. Usmanov, the English team's joint-biggest shareholder along with American Stan Kroenke, is worth £13.3 billion ($20.2 billion) according to the annual Sunday Times table -- a rise of almost £1 billion ($1.5 billion) since last year. Arsenal moved up into third place in the Premier League with Saturday's 1-0 win at Fulham, putting Arsene Wenger's side two points above Chelsea -- owned by Usmanov's fellow Russian Roman Abramovich. Abramovich is fifth on the Sunday Times list with an estimated wealth of £9.3 billion (£14.16 billion) -- a drop of two places. His team's fortunes have also been sliding since last year's Champions League success, but the Blues can regain third with victory in Sunday's trip to Liverpool. Defeat, however, could allow fifth-placed Tottenham to join Chelsea on 61 points if the London side beat second-placed Manchester City earlier in the day. Despite moving five points clear of Spurs, Arsenal's top-four hopes remain in the balance, having played two more matches than both London rivals. The Gunners next face runaway leaders Manchester United, but the final three games are against teams near the bottom of the table. "We are on a strong run and we just go into the next game and focus on winning that," Wenger told Arsenal's website. "The next game will be Man United so it's a good challenge for us." Defender Per Mertesacker scored the only goal against Fulham just before halftime, as the home team had former Arsenal midfielder Steven Sidwell sent off for a rash lunge on Mikel Arteta early on -- his second red card in as many matches. Arsenal also ended the game with 10 men after France striker Olivier Giroud was sent off. "He said to me that he slipped at the moment he went for the ball, and it's confirmed by the television," Wenger said. "I haven't seen it but he's not a tackler. "He went over the ball and, knowing that Sidwell had been sent off before, I had no illusion of the color of the card." Another club with connections to a man on the rich list took another step towards relegation on Saturday as Queens Park Rangers lost 2-0 at home to Stoke. Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal retained a one-third stake in QPR after Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes became principal shareholder in 2011, but the club's fortunes have mirrored his own. Mittal had been Britain's wealthiest man eight years in a row, but has dropped to fourth on £10 billion ($15 billion) -- with £2.7 billion ($4.1 billion) wiped off his value. His shares in QPR may also be worth considerably less if the club returns to the second division after just two seasons in the EPL, despite having spent large sums on players under Fernandes -- that will happen on Monday if Aston Villa manage an unlikely victory against Manchester United. Saturday's defeat left the London club level on points with bottom side Reading, who lost 2-1 at Norwich, while Stoke climbed six points clear of the relegation zone after ending a run of six defeats and a draw. It put Stoke on 37 points along with Newcastle -- who held eighth-placed West Brom 1-1 -- and Sunderland, whose 1-0 win over Everton was the second successive victory for new manager Paolo Di Canio. Sunderland's victory -- the club's second since January 23 -- dented sixth-placed Everton's hopes of European qualification, leaving David Moyes' team two points behind Tottenham having played two more matches. Wigan stayed in the third and final relegation place after a 2-0 defeat at Wigan, while ninth-placed Swansea drew 0-0 with Southampton, who stayed 12th.
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Derby victory gives Arsenal the edge in race for Champions League place .
Win at 10-man Fulham comes as shareholder Alisher Usmanov is named UK's richest .
It lifts club above Chelsea, owned by fellow Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich .
Former rich list leader Lakshmi Mittal drops to fifth as relegation looms for his club QPR .
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Lawmakers and activists are denouncing the Obama administration's collection of phone records for millions of Americans as an Orwellian, outrageous breach of privacy that calls for investigation, while the White House is defending the practice as a 'critical tool' for fighting terrorism. 'From a civil liberties perspective, the program could hardly be any more alarming,' said Jameel Jaffer, the ACLU's deputy legal director. 'It is beyond Orwellian, and it provides further evidence of the extent to which basic democratic rights are being surrendered in secret to the demands of unaccountable intelligence agencies.' The ACLU is demanding an investigation into the practice, which Jaffer says is unconstitutional. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the . Senate Intelligence committee, confirmed on Thursday that the Obama . administration has been collecting telephone records of millions of U.S. Verizon customers. The top . secret court order for the telephone records, which was . reported by The Guardian newspaper late Wednesday, is actually a three-month . renewal of an ongoing practice, she said. Spying: The NSA has been getting millions of phone records from Verizon on a daily basis for months without any justification for the order, that was only revealed today . Double bind: Part of the order mandated that Verizon not tell its' customer's about the record transfer nor could they admit that the order existed . Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of . Oregon damned the practice as an 'outrageous breach of Americans' privacy.' The . Obama administration defended the order on Thursday, calling it 'a . critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats.' A . senior administration official said the practice 'does not allow the . government to listen in on anyone’s telephone calls' and 'does not . include the content of any communications or the name of any . subscriber,' but rather 'relates exclusively to metadata, such as a . telephone number or the length of the call.' The order requires Verizon, . one of the nation's largest telecommunications companies, on an . 'ongoing, daily basis' to give the NSA information on all telephone . calls in its systems, both within the U.S. and between the U.S. and . other countries. The order was granted by the secret . Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on April 25 and is good until . July 19. Because of the lack of distinction, it means that the phone records are not just being collected for suspected terrorists, but the company's entire consumer base. The only restriction set forth in the order seems to be the duration of the exchange. It was approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on April 25 and it denoted that it would only hold water until July 19, so just shy of three months. Verizon is believed to have nearly 150million customers across the U.S., all of whom could potentially be affected by the controversial court order. Lashing out: Former Vice President Al Gore called the surveillance 'outrageous', not supporting his fellow Democrats . Timing: The revelation comes the same day as President Obama announced his appointment of Susan Rice (right) to be the new head of the NSA, replacing Tom Donilon (center) This news comes just as the Obama . administration is in the process of explaining itself for secretly . subpoenaing the phone records of journalists at the Associated Press and . Fox News without notifying either organization. That case was tied to a national security leak, and caused uproar from which the Department of Justice is still reeling. In this latest instance of unexplained government spying, the government order gives them records of all calls made from certain numbers, and lists what phone numbers they called and how long the call lasted. The data does not include recordings of the conversation or a transcription of those calls. The Guardian reports that the copy of the order shows that the court ordered Verizon to give the NSA 'all call detail records or 'telephony metadata' created by Verizon for communications between the United States and abroad'. Wide-reaching: Millions of Verizon customers had their data turned over to the NSA, and it is not known whether similar orders were given to other phone companies as well . These records must 'continue production on an ongoing daily basis thereafter for the duration of this order'. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, the Custodian of Records shall produce to the National Security Agency (NSA) upon service of this Order, and continue production on an ongoing daily basis thereafter for the duration of this Order....an electronic copy of the following tangible things: all call detail records or "telephony metadata" created by Verizon for communications (i) between the United States and abroad; or (ii) wholly within the United States, including local telephone calls. Telephony metadata includes comprehensive communications routing information,. including but not limited to session identifying information (e.g., originating and terminating telephone number... and time and duration of call. Telephony metadata does not include the substantive content of any communication, as defined by 18 U.S.C. ? 2510(8), or the name, address, or financial information of a subscriber or customer. The secret nature of the order means that Verizon was forbidden to disclose the nature of the order and the existence of the order itself. As such, there is no way of knowing whether similar orders have been put upon other telephone carriers, making the web of possible victims unlimited. An expert in electronic freedom practices says that it was unlikely that Verizon would be the only subject of such an order and that the other major carriers probably had similar orders against them. 'That's not the society we've built in the United States,' said Kurt Opsahl, an attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is suing the NSA over surveillance inside the country. 'It's not the society we set forth in the Constitution, and it's not the society we should have.' He isn't the only one reacting to the news, as former Vice President Al Gore took to Twitter to call the revelation 'obscenely outrageous'. His decision to come forward is an important one, as he served for two terms under former President Bill Clinton, who will most likely remain silent because of his close association with President Obama- particularly as his wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the likely 2016 Democratic nominee for President. Looking back, Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall warned that the government was abusing their privileges when it came to spying. The two men, who sit on the Senate Intelligence Committee, cryptically warned that there would be backlash should any of the federal tricks be revealed. 'When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they are going to be stunned and they are going to be angry,' they wrote in a joint letter to Attorney General Eric Holder in 2012. 'As we see it, there is now a significant gap between what most Americans think the law allows and what the government secretly claims the law allows.' Warning: Senators Mark Udall (left) and Ron Wyden (right) wrote a letter warning the Attorney General that there would be public outcry should the government's actions become public . The American Civil Liberties Union . put out an immediate statement calling for an end to the program - which . is scheduled to run until July 19 - and a investigation into the order. 'From a civil liberties perspective, . the program could hardly be any more alarming,' ACLU deputy legal . director Jameel Jaffer said in a statement. 'It’s a program in which some untold . number of innocent people have been put under the constant surveillance . of government agents. 'It is beyond Orwellian, and it provides further evidence of the extent to which basic democratic rights are being surrendered in secret to the demands of unaccountable intelligence agencies.' The order is the first concrete evidence that U.S. intelligence officials are continuing a broad campaign of domestic surveillance that began under President George W. Bush and caused great controversy when it was first exposed. In 2005, the New York Times reported that the NSA was wiretapping Americans without warrants on international calls. Los Angeles Times and USA Today later reported that the agency also had unchecked access to records on domestic calls. In addition, a former AT&T technician, Mark Klein, said that a room accessible only with NSA clearance in the carrier's main San Francisco hub received perfect copies of all transmissions. Verizon is the second biggest U.S. telephone company behind AT&T in terms of revenue. The vast majority of Verizon's overseas operations come from its acquisition of MCI Communications, which is also covered by the order although foreign-to-foreign calls are exempted from it.
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A copy of a secret order shows that the National Security Agency ordered Verizon to hand over millions of phone records with no explanation .
Order extends from until July 19 and includes domestic and foreign calls .
Nearly 150million Verizon customers could be affected by the court order .
Comes just after news of the Department of Justice spying on journalists .
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George Osborne said anyone caught fiddling markets will now face ‘the full force of the law’ Traders caught rigging foreign exchange markets will face up to seven years behind bars under plans confirmed today by Chancellor George Osborne. The new rules, which come into force in April, come just a month after six banks were fined £2.6billion for rigging foreign exchange for profit. Mr Osborne said anyone caught fiddling markets will now face ‘the full force of the law’. The clampdown come on top of rules introduced last year to tackle the manipulation of the interest rate used by banks to lend to each other – known as Libor. From next year traders will face criminal charges if they are caught fiddling a host of ‘benchmark’ rates, which are traded around the world, including gold, silver and Brent crude oil prices. It comes after the Chancellor set out plans to introduce criminal sanctions to clean up the forex market in his Mansion House speech in June. Mr Osborne said today: ‘The integrity of the City matters to the economy of Britain. ‘Ensuring that the key rates that underpin financial markets here and around the world are robust, and that anyone who seeks to manipulate them is subject to the full force of the law, is an important part of our long-term economic plan. ‘That’s why the Government is determined to deal with abuses, tackle the unacceptable behaviour of the few and ensure that markets are fair for the many who depend on them.’ The Treasury said the changes announced today would extend the criminal offence applied to any person guilty of manipulating a ‘relevant benchmark’, which was originally introduced for Libor. Those who administrate the benchmarks and submit figures used in their calculation will also be subject to proposed new FCA rules with firms facing financial penalties, suspensions or censure for breaking them. Key requirements include identifying potential manipulation, controlling conflicts of interest and implementing robust governance and oversight, the watchdog said. The new rules, which come into force in April, come just a month after six banks were fined £2.6billion for rigging foreign exchange for profit. FCA chief executive Martin Wheatley said: ‘I am determined to ensure that markets work well and preserve the UK’s reputation as a centre of excellence for financial services - today’s announcement is a vital step in achieving this. ‘This builds on our work to strengthen Libor, and drive up standards on benchmarks across the board.’
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The new rules come after six banks were fined £2.6bn for rigging markets .
George Osborne said crooked traders will now face 'full force of the law'
Clampdown follows rules introduced last year to tackle interest rate rigging .
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Jonas Gutierrez scored his first goal after beating testicular cancer and admitted that he is enjoying his football more than ever. The 31-year-old Newcastle winger curled a 20-yard shot into the top corner for the Under 21s during their 1-1 draw with Bolton on Monday night. Gutierrez only returned to Tyneside last month after undergoing chemotherapy in Argentina and has now enjoyed several run-outs for Peter Beardsley’s development side. Jonas Gutierrez returned to Newcastle last month after beating testicular cancer . The midfielder played for Newcastle Under 21s against Bolton on Monday night . Jonas Gutierrez (hidden) is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring his first goal since returning to footballl . Adam Armstrong shoots from distance during Newcastle Under 21s 1-1 draw with Bolton . And he would have done his claims for a first senior outing since October 2013 no harm at all with a fine goal and energetic display in front of watching caretaker boss John Carver. Gutierrez said: ‘The most important thing is to get fit and play games. ‘Of course, you always want to win, but for me it’s about trying to get fit and do the best in training and give 100 per cent. Adam Campbell passes the ball as he is closed down by two Bolton players at Whitley Park, Newcastle . Peter Beardsley watches on from the sidelines as his development squad draw with Bolton on Monday night . Gutierrez captained the Under 21s last Thursday against their counterparts from Celtic . ‘It’s always nice waking up in the morning and knowing I have to train – with the chemotherapy and the treatment I wasn’t allowed to do it. ‘I missed it a lot and I enjoy it more than ever.’
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Jonas Gutierrez returned to Newcastle last month following chemotherapy .
The 31-year-old curled a 20-yard effort into the top corner for Under 21s .
The midfielder has made a number of appearances for development side .
Gutierrez said he missed football and is enjoying it now more than ever .
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Fearless: Celebrity chef Annabel Karmel has a spine of steel and the coolest of heads in a crisis . Annabel Karmel, celebrity chef, author and businesswoman, doesn’t look like the sort of person you’d immediately turn to for help if you found yourself in a tight corner. She is 51, petite — a little over 5ft tall — fine-boned and glamorous, her blonde hair cascading in a tumble of luxuriant curls. She’s a doll-like size six, wears a floral pinny and pads round her elegant £20 million town house in North London in bare feet, her dainty toenails painted vermillion. She looks as if a gust of wind would blow her over. But appearances are deceptive: Annabel has a spine of steel, the tenacity of a terrier and the coolest of heads in a crisis. Last summer, she was robbed by a gang of muggers. They pounced after she parked her car in a quiet side street to go shopping, held her in an arm-lock and wrenched her £12,000 Rolex watch from her wrist, then snatched her shopping bag from the boot of her car. While such an ordeal would have reduced most of us to quivering wrecks, Annabel, a divorced mum-of-three, had the presence of mind to note the registration number of one of the gang’s getaway mopeds. She handed it to the police at the crime scene. The thugs, who had by then terrorised and robbed a string of affluent victims in the wealthy Hampstead area of north London — including a 70-year-old man who they hit with a hammer — were swiftly identified. Within a couple of weeks they were arrested and charged. Their violent three-month crime spree abruptly curtailed, the trio — Corrie Moroney, 23, Alan Fitzgerald, 20 and Ellis Parkinson, 21 — were this week jailed for a total of 23 years. Does Annabel now live in fear? ‘You can’t!’ she exclaims. ‘Otherwise, the muggers have won. They’ve got away with it. I won’t become a prisoner in my own home because of them. ‘I won’t pretend I’m not wary. I don’t wear an expensive watch any more. And I make sure I’ve got my house keys in my hand before I get out of my car as thieves often strike when people are standing on their own doorsteps. ‘I don’t take unnecessary risks. But I’m resilient. And, actually, I feel rather lucky. They could have hit me with the hammer.’ But the fact is, Annabel seems to be rather more unlucky than most: two years ago, she was forced to track down her beloved Samoyed, Hamilton, when he was dognapped by a gang. She says: ‘I plastered posters, offering a reward for his safe return, all over London. So when a woman rang — she said she’d seen my poster, and although she was cagey and vague, she said she might be able to help — I went off on my own to meet her. ‘I suppose it seems reckless, but I was prepared to take a risk to get him back. ‘She lived on a council estate in north London. It was the sort of place you wouldn’t want to be alone in after dark, but I don’t remember feeling trepidation. I just wanted my dog back. Unlucky: Two years ago, Annabel was forced to track down her beloved Samoyed, Hamilton, pictured, when he was dognapped by a gang. She found him filthy and almost unrecognisable at a flat in north London . ‘I knocked on the door, went into the flat and there was Hamilton, filthy and almost unrecognisable. There was a split second’s delay before he leapt into my arms. We’d been apart for ten days and he was mad with joy.’ The woman who was harbouring Annabel’s beloved dog claimed, improbably, he had been ‘dumped’ on her doorstep. Police, it later emerged, found she had links with an armed robber, a member of the gang they believed was responsible for snatching him, along with 11 other pedigrees, all ransomed for ‘reward’ money. There was insufficient evidence to charge them; even so, Annabel felt she had won a small victory. With the muggers, however, the evidence she provided was enough to convict them. It happened on June 30 last year when she was nearing home. ‘It was a warm day, 5pm and broad daylight, and I wasn’t wearing anything ostentatious,’ says Annabel. ‘I parked my Mercedes in a side street to do some shopping — no one was around — and went to the boot to get a bag out. Just then, three men on mopeds sped up out of nowhere. One had a hammer and their faces were obscured by helmets and scarves. There was no time to feel scared. ‘They cornered me. I couldn’t run. One of them shouted: “Give us the watch,” but I couldn’t give it to them. I just froze. They’d pinioned me by my arms, wrenched the watch off, making my wrist bleed. ‘Then they took my striped canvas bag from the boot. I told them it was empty, but I think they thought my purse was in it. ‘Then I heard raised voices from people across the road: “Leave her alone!” For a second, the gang loitered and it was then that I took down the number plate. Then they sped off and it was over. ‘All I felt was relief: that I wasn’t hurt and all they’d taken were things which were replaceable.’ Thugs: Annabel was robbed by muggers Corrie Moroney (left), 23, Alan Fitzgerald (centre), 20 and Ellis Parkinson (right), 21 - who were this week jailed for a total of 23 years - as she parked in a quiet side street . The police, summoned by passers-by, arrived within five minutes. ‘They tracked the gang in a helicopter and just over an hour later came back to me with a photo of my canvas bag under the seat of one of the mopeds. I was amazed how quick they were.’ The bag and registration number Annabel took were vital evidence that helped persuade the gang to plead guilty to 12 robberies at Blackfriars Crown Court this week. Annabel, who chose not to attend court, feels their sentences — 11 years for ringleader Moroney, eight for Parkinson and four for accomplice Fitzgerald — were just. She’s been told one of the men has since expressed his repentance in a letter that will be sent to her soon. ‘I’d like to read it,’ she says. ‘I’d even like to visit him in prison. I think I could tell then if his remorse was genuine. Can he really be sorry if he’s mugged 12 people? I’m curious to know.’ Successful: Annabel's business is worth £10million . Annabel’s no-nonsense attitude has been shaped by her upbringing and by life’s events. Born in 1962, she was raised by prosperous parents in Marble Arch, central London, attending the prestigious St Paul’s School for Girls. Her father, Gordon, owned a manufacturing business, making shoe soles. But the family’s prosperity ended when the business failed. Annabel’s mother, Evelyn, an architect, assumed the role of bread-winner, instilling in her daughter the values of self-sufficiency and hard work. But her first career as a harpist — she trained at the Royal College of Music — ended after a terrible family tragedy. In 1985, Annabel married oil broker Simon Karmel and two years later a daughter, Natasha, arrived. Just 13 weeks later, she died of encephalitis. It is the defining tragedy of Annabel’s life and the reason she gives short shrift to muggers and dognappers. Nothing could hurt her more than that loss. ‘Natasha’s hands were twitching involuntarily,’ she remembers of that dreadful day the illness first took hold. ‘She was projectile vomiting. I called the doctor who was quite dismissive. I felt embarrassed that I was being an over-protective first-time mum. ‘But the next morning Natasha was no better. I took her to hospital. She had a scan. I held her in my arms for four-and-a-half hours, and then she died. That is the most devastating loss a mother can bear. ‘I stopped playing the harp. Music seemed superficial. I re-evaluated my life. I knew the only way to deal with the grief was to have another child.’ Three more children followed — Nicholas, 26, Lara, 25 and Scarlett, 22 — and Annabel built a career round her family. She began to cook for her children and published a book of recipes to great acclaim. More books followed, and today her business is worth £10million. ‘Cooking became my therapy, my route through grief,’ she explains. ‘The books, the cooking ... they will be my legacy, because what you do for others lives on. What you do for yourself dies with you.’ Eight years ago, she and Simon were divorced — they remain amicable — and now shares her home with her partner, Stephen Margolis, a former film producer. Natasha’s death puts everything into perspective. When in June 2013 Annabel sacked an employee, Mark Salter (then her sales director), his retaliation was vicious: he accused her of sexually harassing him. She spent £60,000 on legal fees, fighting to clear her name. Last summer she was vindicated — on the morning the case was due in court, Salter, 39, retracted his allegation. ‘I wouldn’t be bullied,’ she says. ‘I stood up for what was right and I put up a good fight.’ No doubt, those three muggers now languishing in jail would wholeheartedly agree. After building her business from scratch at the kitchen table, Annabel believes that having children doesn't mean a full stop at the end of your CV. She is now helping equip other mums with the confidence and power to start-up their own businesses with her new book, Mumpreneur. Mumpreneur, by Annabel Karmel (published by Vermillion), is out now. See www.annabelkarmel.com .
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Celebrity chef Annabel Karmel, 51, is petite, fine-boned and glamorous .
But she has tenacity, a spine of steel, and the coolest of heads in a crisis .
The brave mother-of-three rescued her beloved dog when he was stolen .
And gave police evidence vital evidence after she was robbed by muggers .
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By . Alex Brummer, City Editor . PUBLISHED: . 17:00 EST, 8 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:32 EST, 8 March 2013 . Justine Greening, International Development Secretary, wants British businesses to help build up 'responsible trade' with developing countries . Foreign aid is to be diverted through British companies to prevent it falling into the hands of corrupt and wasteful regimes. Firms will use the money to win infrastructure contracts and boost struggling economies in Africa, Latin America and Asia. The radical move, to be announced by International Development Secretary Justine Greening next week, is being seen as a victory for common sense in the bitter controversy over the £11billion international development budget, which has been ringfenced while other departments face cuts. It follows years of criticism that the nation’s ballooning aid budget is being squandered by Third World governments on ineffective projects, or lining the pockets of corrupt officials. Prime Minister David Cameron was said to be ‘hugely enthusiastic’ about the shift of emphasis from simply fighting poverty with handouts to economic development. In future, a significant portion of the aid budget – adding up to billions over the years – will be used to secure contracts for British firms to build roads, railways and key buildings such as schools and hospitals. Miss Greening will tell the London Stock Exchange next week: ‘I want to see British business joining the development push with [the Department for International Development]. We all have a huge opportunity to help build up responsible trade with the emerging economies of developing countries. ‘DfID will work not just across government with the Business Department and the Foreign Office. For the first time we will be teaming up with the CBI, industry and others to see how we can help UK businesses make a difference for developing countries. ‘We’re not doing anyone a favour leaving the economic coast clear and I believe British companies can have a real role in growing developing economies through trade.’ Haitians receiving foreign aid - the Government is promising an overhaul of the way Britain's aid budget is handed out . One of the problems Miss Greening will face is the UK's self-imposed ban on so-called ‘tied aid’. This ban means development projects using foreign aid money have to go out to an open bidding process. For the last 12 years, the Government has followed rules that stop UK firms directly benefiting from contracts funded by British aid. 'Tied aid’ has been frowned upon by the World Bank and the development community, which insist on international tenders. But this hasn’t prevented Britain’s competitors, such as France, from insisting only their firms can benefit from their cash. Since replacing Andrew Mitchell, pictured, Justine Greening has said she wants Britain's aid money to be spent more usefully . The move is certain to be resisted by the aid lobby and Labour, which led the Millennium Development goals designed to end poverty and hunger in poor countries by 2015. Miss Greening wants investment money to be available to typical British firms – not just the multinational giants – which wish to take advantage of Africa’s emergence as the fastest growing continent in the world. Aid . The Government has faced huge . hostility for sticking with its target of spending 0.7 per cent of . national output on foreign aid, while departments at home are cut. But . since replacing Andrew Mitchell in the post last September, Miss . Greening has made it clear that if Britain is to maintain its commitment . to international aid, the money must be spent more usefully. She . has cancelled future assistance to India, where there are more . billionaires than in Britain, and earmarked part of the budget to . support Ministry of Defence peacekeeping programmes. And . now she proposes to make UK investment overseas the main priority. The . department will continue existing spending in ‘crisis countries’ such as . Afghanistan, where the Government believes that ‘soft’ help in the . shape of aid can help Britain’s broader foreign policy objectives. To support the new policy, Miss Greening plans to use the expertise of the free market London Business School to help design and implement projects. The Government is acutely aware that while China has been paying for and building infrastructure across Africa, Britain is being left behind. Companies such as Balfour Beatty, one of the best road and rail contractors in the world, are being left at the starting blocks because there is no real government support for investment projects. Kenya and Uganda have told Britain that it is now growth, infrastructure and prosperity that need cultivating. And the Government has formed the opinion that countries across the Commonwealth no longer need general development assistance, and can work on their own or with experts in the field to address health and poverty issues. Ideas to implement the new policy include creating some kind of British Development Bank to organise and scrutinise investment programmes and joint ventures. It would work alongside existing institutions including the British-based Commonwealth Development Corporation and the African Development Bank. Ideally, the Government would like the policy to reach Britain’s smaller companies, which do not currently have expertise in Africa.
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British companies will use money to win infrastructure contracts .
International Development Secretary Justine Greening to announce change .
Follows years of critcism of aid budget being squandered .
Prime Minister David Cameron said to be 'hugely enthusiastic'
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By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 09:13 EST, 9 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:35 EST, 9 January 2013 . Police caught up with a 'person of interest' on Monday in the gruesome massacre of four women in an Oklahoma apartment. Joseph Tillman, 33, was arrested yesterday during a traffic stop in Independence, Kansas, on an outstanding warrant for a domestic assault and battery case, police revealed today. While police have been looking to speak with Tillman, he has not been named a suspect in the murder of twins Rebeika Powell and Kayetie Melchor, 23; Misty Nunley, 33, and Julie Jackson, 55. Caught: Joseph Tillman, a 'person of interest' in the grisly murder, was taken into custody yesterday in Kansas . Police told the Tulsa World that Tillman has been 'known to frequent' the 61st Street and Peoria Avenue area, a crime-ridden location and the scene of the horrific murders on Monday. Cops are now working to have Tillman transported back to Tulsa. The arrest came just after a mother of one of the victims spoke out about how her daughter was getting her life back together when it was tragically cut short. Back on track: The mother of Misty Nunley, pictured, said her 33-year-old daughter was putting her life back together . Misty Nunley's mother, Cheryl Nunley, said her 33-year-old daughter had befriended Rebeika Powell and had been staying with her on and off in the apartment for the past week. She said she called her daughter nearly every morning to check in, and spoke to her Monday - just hours before the women were found shot to death. 'She had positive people back in her . life,' Cheryl Nunley told The Associated Press, holding back tears while . sitting with family and friends in a tiny apartment a few blocks away . from the crime scene. 'She's not perfect. She ran around . with some people she shouldn't have been running around with, but she . was getting her life back together.' Misty Nunley was found murdered on Monday, along with the twins - both mothers of young children - and Julie Jackson, 55. Also in the apartment was a 3-year-old boy who is believed to have witnessed the entire shooting. He was unharmed. Detectives and officers were 'beating the bushes' to figure out what happened, police spokesman Leland Ashley said Monday. Relatives and neighbors have told Nunley's family there may have been a romantic spat between one of the women who lived at the apartment and a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. Police wouldn't comment on those rumors. In an interview with CBS News, Rebeika and Kayetie's grief-stricken father, Larry Powell cried out: 'My life's gone. My kids are gone.' According . to reports, police and EMS . workers were called to the apartment near 61st Street and Peoria Avenue . in the Riverwood section of Tulsa at 12:36pm after an unidentified . person stumbled across the corpses. Tragic twins: Rebeika Powell, left, and Kayetie Melchor, right, were shot to death on Monday . Murdered: The bodies of Rebeika Powell, left, and twin sister Kayetie Melchor, were found in the apartment building with two others . Mystery: Police have not yet determined a suspect or a motive in the killings, which occurred in a crime-ridden area of Tulsa . Mothers: Both of the twins were the mothers of young children . At the run-down apartment complex, . bed sheets or cardboard hang as improvised draperies in many windows . behind a black wrought-iron gate. The . guard shack is empty and signs read 'Curfew 10pm for everyone, . everyday' and 'Photo ID required to be on property.' Three of the units . are burned out and boarded up with plywood. Riverwood . has long been plagued by crime, and Tulsa police say there were two . murders in the Fairmont Terrace Apartments in 2012. Innocent: Police lead two children to a police car after an unidentified 4-year-old was found unharmed among the dead bodies of four women . On scene: Sgt. Dave Walker, head of the Tulsa Police Department's homicide unit, leads an investigation into the mysterious deaths . Heartland: Police told reporters that such violent crimes as uncommon to the Oklahoma city . Residents say gunfire and break-ins are part of the pattern of their everyday lives. 'We're in the eye of the storm,' says Charles Burke, a 48-year-old construction worker. 'You're on your toes. You can't be too careful.' Neighbor Jamie Kramer, a 28-year-old mother of two young children, has lived at the apartment complex for 10 years. She said the crime seems to come in cycles and that things had been pretty quiet for several months until Monday. 'It escalates and goes back down, it escalates and it goes back down,' she says. 'Usually, it's bad when it gets hot.' Mystery: Officers have canvassed the area for witnesses but have yet to determine a motive or lead . Neighbor Ladawn Mack, a 25-year-old cashier, says she's used to seeing police cars in the street, and that Monday's quadruple homicide is enough to make her take extra precautions. 'We have a house alarm and I've always had a gun for my home,' Mack said. Resident Alexis Draite, 20, recently moved to Tulsa from Oklahoma City, believing it to be safer. Her strategy for staying alive: 'Lock the doors, lock the cars and don't stay outside longer than you need to.' Anyone with information on the case can contact Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS.
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Joseph Tillman was wanted for questioning in a domestic violence case, and wanted for questioning in Monday's Tulsa murders .
Victims identified as twins Rebeika Powell and Kayetie Melchor, 23; Misty Nunley, 33, and Julie Jackson, 55 .
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By . Tara Brady . Even big kids would struggle to outgrow the world's largest model railway. Northlandz model railroad, in Flemington, New Jersey, was painstakingly constructed by hand and took 16 years to complete. Bruce Williams Zaccagnino started the project as a hobby in his basement with the help of his wife Jean before opening its doors to the public as a tourist attraction in 1997. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Northlandz model railroad, in Flemington, New Jersey, was painstakingly constructed by hand and took 16 years to complete . LIfe's work: It took creator Bruce Williams Zaccagnino 16 years to finally bring his dream of Northlandz - the world's biggest model railway - to life . The . model railway has an impressive 100 trains, 400 bridges and more than nine . miles of track, as well as 3,000 miniature buildings that make up . idyllic miniature towns and villages. There . are also 50,000 streets and 40ft bridges spanning across vast . canyons, all of which Mr Zaccagnino designed and painstakingly . handcrafted on his own. He said: 'There's just nothing else like it. Visitors come out saying it's one of the wonders of the world. 'I think people might be put off because they think it is just about model trains, but it is so much more than that. Bruce Williams Zaccagnino started the project as a hobby in his basement with the help of his wife Jean before opening its doors to the public . The model boasts an impressive 100 trains, 400 bridges and more than nine miles of track as well as 3,000 miniature buildings . There are 50,000 streets and 40ft bridges spanning across vast canyons, all of which Mr Zaccagnino designed and painstakingly handcrafted on his own . The hit attraction was recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest model of its kind in the world . Bruce Williams Zaccagnino said most of the scenes are representative of places in the world where you would see trains such as a Swiss village or big city . According to Bruce Williams Zaccagnino visitors describe the model railway as one of the wonders of the world . Historic: The model railway aims to show the history of the railroads across the U.S. through the years with famous scenes . Some people say the model railway is better than the Grand Canyon according to Mr Zaccagnino who spent 16 years building the railway . 'Most . of the scenes are representative of places in the world where you would . see trains - such as a Swiss village or a big city. 'And . part of it also shows the history of railroads across the U.S. through . the years - with famous scenes including when they connected the East . and West Coasts. 'If . I could, I'd love to see it all for the first time. People have come in . and told me it's better than the Grand Canyon - I wish I could . experience that.' The . hit attraction was recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest . model of its kind in the world - with competition from Miniatur . Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany. Attention to detail: This part of the nine mile track depicts a snowy scene with trees lining a town which the railway runs through . Wonderful: Mr Zaccagnino designed and painstakingly handcrafted the railway on his own over 16 years . Mr Zaccagnino said people might be put off because they think it is just about model trains but it is so much more than that . Part of the model railway shows the history of railroads across the U.S. through the years - with famous scenes including when they connected the East and West Coasts . Intricate: Northlandz, in Flemington, New Jersey, was painstakingly constructed by hand by Bruce Williams Zaccagnino . The largest bridges span 40ft across vast canyons which were designed by Mr Zaccagnino who began building the railway 16 years ago . Delicate: Northlandz is a 16 acre world class attraction developed by Bruce and his wife Jean . Popular tourist attraction: Along with the art, music and doll displays, outdoors you will find an 1890s replica narrow gauge steam train . There are also 50,000 streets and 40 foot bridges spanning across vast canyons, all of which Mr Zaccagnino designed and painstakingly handcrafted on his own . Bruce Williams Zaccagnino started the project as a hobby in his basement with the help of his wife Jean . Tunnels and intricate bridges are everywhere crossing each other on multiple levels . The sky's the limit: The model railway is made up city scenes as well as countryside landscapes designed by Mr Zaccagnino . The model railways boasts an impressive 100 trains, 400 bridges and more than nine miles of track, as well as 3,000 miniature buildings that make up idyllic miniature towns and villages .
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Northlandz model railroad, is in Flemington, New Jersey .
It took 16 years to complete and was constructed by hand by Bruce Williams Zaccagnino .
The model railway has an impressive 100 trains, 400 bridges and more than nine miles of track .
There are also 50,000 streets and 40ft bridges spanning across vast canyons .
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Eurostar has started taking bookings for its new destinations in the south of France - Lyon, Avignon and Marseille - with fares as low as £89 for a standard return. Travellers can look forward to a seamless journey from the heart of London or Ashford to the centre of Lyon, the French capital of gastronomy, in just over four and a half hours, to Avignon in under six hours, or the bright lights of Marseille in just over six hours. Eurostar celebrated the opening of ticket sales for its new year-round service by converting one of its carriages into a Provencal lavender field at St Pancras Station. The London to Marseille 'best journey time' will be six hours and 27 minutes, says Eurostar . The newly launched Eurostar e320 train will run to Lyon, Marseille and Avignon, with fares starting at £89 . The Channel Tunnel high-speed train company will begin the new services on May 1, 2015, with returns to Marseille and Avignon starting at £99. Passengers travelling from southern France back to the UK can board their train without the need to arrive 30 minutes before departure. But they will have to go through check-in, security and immigration checks at Lille in northern France, where they will have to leave the train before continuing their journey. Lille has recently reopened following extension and refurbishment in preparation for welcoming passengers from Lyon and the South of France. Eurostar filled a carriage with lavender to promote its new services to Marseille in the region of Provence . 'Longstanding love affair': Eurostar will offer trains to the South of France from May next year . The London to Lyon best journey time will be four hours and 41 minutes, with Avignon at five hours and 49 minutes, and Marseille at six hours and 27 minutes. Eurostar commercial director Nick Mercer said: 'Brits have a long-standing love affair with the south of France, and our new service brings the gastronomy, culture and art from the region closer to the UK. 'Eurostar provides an effortless and seamless journey all year round whether it’s for a gastronomic weekend in Lyon, or to soak up Marseille’s sunshine.' With the new route comes some new partnerships for Eurostar’s 'two for one' offer for entry to temporary exhibitions and permanent collections. Entry to the MuCEM in Marseille, a national museum dedicated to Mediterranean cultures, and the Musée des Confluences in Lyon (opening December 20), a science centre and anthropology museum, are both part of this offer.
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Passengers will be able to get to Marseille in just over six hours by rail .
The new year-round service sees fares start at £89 for a return .
New partnerships will see free entry to a range of exhibitions included .
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Ancient artefacts thought to be early gaming pieces will have to be reclassified after new research which claims they were actually used to wipe bottoms. The flat, disc-shaped Roman relics have been in the collection at Fishbourne Roman Palace in Chichester, West Sussex, since the Sixties. Up until now museum experts thought the items were used for early games like draughts, but an article in the British Medical Journal has now proposed that they have a very different function. 'Now they are suddenly engaging items': Dr . Robert Symmons, curator of the Fishbourne Roman Palace reserve . collection, said he thinks the new 'hilarious' explanation of the disks . will help people better relate to them . How far we've come: These are the ancient Roman . artefacts thought to be gaming chips that experts now believe were an . early equivalent to toilet paper . It is well publicised that Romans used sponges mounted on sticks and dipped in vinegar as an alternative to toilet paper. Yet the idea these ceramic discs might also have been used for such personal hygiene is a revelation. The broken pieces - known as 'pessoi', . meaning pebbles - range in size from 1in to 4in in diameter and were . excavated near to the museum in 1960. It had been thought that they were . chips used to play an ancient game, also known as 'pessoi', but . research published last month in the BMJ drew from classical sources to . present evidence that they were also used to clean up after going to the . toilet. Noting the ancient Greek proverb . 'three stones are enough to wipe one's a***', Philippe Charlier, . assistant professor in forensic medicine at the Raymond Poincaré . University Hospital in Paris, points to archaeological excavations which . have uncovered pessoi inside the pits of Greek and Roman latrines . across the Mediterranean. In one such dig in Athens, American . archaeologists found a range of such pessoi 1.2-4in in diameter and . 0.2-0.8in thick which, Professor Charlier wrote, were 're-cut from old . broken ceramics to give smooth angles that would minimise anal trauma'. Ancient Roman householders revelled in having graffiti on their walls, especially if an election was coming up, researchers believe. Hundreds of political slogans have been found in Pompeii and the walls of the wealthiest voters offered prime advertising space for candidates. It would have been the Roman equivalent of posting a Facebook message, hiring an advertising hoarding or sticking a campaign poster in a front window. The discovery of slogans on the walls of the homes of Pompeii's riches inhabitants would have meant that homeowners gave their active approval to whoever scrawled the messages, archaeologist Eeva-Maria Viitanen said. ‘The facades of the private houses and even the streetwalks in front of them were controlled and maintained by the owner of the house, and in that respect, the idea that the wall space could be appropriated by anyone who wanted to do it seems unlikely,’ she told LiveScience. Other evidence from the classical world has been passed down to us in the form of ceramics painted with representations of figures using pessoi to clean their buttocks. According to Professor Charlier's article, the Greeks and Romans even inscribed some of their pessoi with the names of their enemies or others they didn't like. Thus everytime they went to the toilet they would literally be wiping their faecal matter on the names of hated individuals. Examples of such stones have been found by archaeologists bearing the names of such noted historical figures as Socrates, Themisthocles and Pericles, Professor Charlier reported. Museum curator Dr Rob Symmons said: 'When pottery like this is excavated it is someone's job to wash it clean. 'So, some poor and unsuspecting archaeologist has probably had the delight of scrubbing some Roman waste off of these pieces. 'It is not beyond the realms of possibility that we could still find some further signs of waste or residue. 'However, these pottery pieces have no monetary value because we are essentially talking about items once used as toilet roll. 'The pieces had always been catalogued as as broken gaming pieces but I was never particularly happy with that explanation. 'But when the article produced the theory they were used to wipe people's bums I thought it was hilarious and it just appealed to me. 'I love the idea we've had these in the museum for 50 years being largely ignored and now they are suddenly engaging items you can relate to.' Ancient: An article in the British Medical Journal by a noted French pathologist said that examples of the stones - known as 'pessoi' - had been unearthed in excavations of latrines across the classical world . Uncomfortable: Study author Philippe Charlier suggests the abrasive texture of the pessoi could have led to skin irritation, mucosal damage, or complications of external haemorrhoids . Dr Charlier's research indicates that the use of such stones would have probably been rather hard on the rear ends of the ancients, and could have caused a variety of medical issues. He suggests the abrasive texture of the pessoi could have led to skin irritation, mucosal damage, or complications of external haemorrhoids. He wrote: 'Maybe this crude and satiric description by Horace in his 8th epode (1st century BC) — “an a*** at the centre of dry and old buttocks mimicking that of a defecating cow”— refers to complications arising from such anal irritation.' 'In the Roman era it was that or very little else': Dr Symmons said the museum will now reclassify the relics . Dr Symmons, who has been at the Fishbourne Roman Palace museum for seven years, added: 'We will obviously have to think about re-classifying these objects on our catalogue. 'But we hope the pieces will make people smile when they learn what they were used for. 'They would have probably been quite scratchy to use and I doubt they would be as comfortable as using toilet roll. 'But in the Roman era it was that or very little else.'
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The flat, disc-shaped relics were unearthed in West Sussex in 1960 .
British Medical Journal article proposed their personal hygiene function .
Museum curator says he doubts they would have been comfortable to use .
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Thousands of American Indians are now in line to receive part of a $3.4 billion settlement with the federal government, ending a long-running dispute over government mismanagement of tribal lands and accounts. After an initial agreement was outlined in 2009, Congress approved it in November 2010 and it spent the last two years going through an appeals process. It was finalized Saturday, with government officials announcing and touting it on Monday. "I welcome the final approval of the Cobell settlement agreement, clearing the way for reconciliation between the trust beneficiaries and the federal government," President Barack Obama said in a statement. The settlement is named after the late Elouise Cobell, a member of Montana's Blackfeet Indian tribe. The deal follows a class-action lawsuit, filed in 1996, which accused the U.S. Department of the Interior of failing to account for and provide revenue from a trust fund representing the value of Indian assets managed by the government. The missing funds at the center of the class-action case involve what are called Individual Indian Money accounts, which are supposed to represent the property of individual Indians. The accounts are held by the United States as trustee. The lawsuit had accused the government of failing to account for the money, failing to make proper payments, and converting tribal money for the government's own use. In making the announcement Monday, Obama remembered Cobell for "her honorable work." In 2009, she said that many represented in the class-action lawsuit "subsist in the direst poverty," and that the settlement is "significantly less than the full amount to which the Indians are owed." "It's not fair," Cobell said then of the long process to reach a settlement, but "in the future we may be treated more fairly." The agreement calls for $1.5 billion to be distributed among those who were part of the lawsuit. Another $1.9 billion will go into a "land consolidation program" that will allow people to sell fractions of land they own, which are slivers of once larger ancestral plots that have been divided and subdivided over generations. The group ownership of land by American Indians dates back more than 100 years, before American Indians were permitted to write wills. As a result, the government says many pieces of tribal lands are held by many owners -- possibly hundreds, if not thousands of people per parcel. Officials have said the project allows individual landowners to receive greater value for their share, while cutting administrative costs for the federal government, which manages the Indian land trust. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he hopes the agreement helps the government and American Indians turn the page on the ordeal. "With the settlement now final, we can put years of discord behind us and start a new chapter in our nation-to-nation relationship," he said. Who's a Native American? It's complicated . Opinion: Just say no to Indian dress-up . Crazy Horse memorial not done after 64 years . Activist Russell Means dies .
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Thousands of American Indians sued the government for financial mismanagement .
Under the finalized settlement, $1.5 billion will be distributed among individuals .
Another $1.9 billion will go toward buying some Indians' slivers of land .
Obama says the settlement clears "the way for reconciliation"
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Derry, New Hampshire (CNN) -- The war over women arrived in New Hampshire this week -- in the form of a press release. "New Shaheen Campaign Ad Highlights Scott Brown's Anti-Choice Record and Extreme Bill He Introduced," reporters were informed Tuesday morning by email, just hours before Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was to host a women's-themed campaign event in Derry. Shaheen's ad is a brutal one -- particularly against someone who is a self-proclaimed "pro-choice independent Republican." In ominous tones, the ad reveals that when he was a state legislator in Massachusetts, the state Brown used to live in and later represented in the U.S. Senate, he backed a bill that would "force women considering abortion to look at color photographs of developing fetuses." Though Democrats in tough races nationwide have been running on women's issues for the better part of a year, the message had not taken center stage in New Hampshire's Senate race until this week. The shift foreshadows what could be a rough and tumble end to election season in this typically tranquil New England state. Brown is less vulnerable to the "war on women" attack than other down-the-line conservative Republicans -- one reason the issue is only now surfacing in the race. Beyond his pro-choice stance, he has broken with his party by supporting the Violence Against Women Act and funding for Planned Parenthood. But Shaheen's new offensive struck a nerve, forcing Brown to throw together a slapdash press conference to respond to her "despicable attacks." He was thrown off-message on a day when he was supposed to be talking about foreign policy and tying Shaheen to President Obama and his in-the-dumps poll numbers. The next morning, Brown went up with a defensive television ad stressing his support for abortion rights and accusing the senator of running a "smear campaign." Shaheen, a cunning, no-holds-barred campaigner despite her pleasant demeanor, is leaving nothing to chance as she clings to a steady single-digit lead in a treacherous political environment for Democrats. In the latest poll of the race this week, from WMUR and the University of New Hampshire, Shaheen led Brown by 6 points, but she was topping out at 47%: the under-50 danger zone for any incumbent. But she has a healthy 15-point advantage among likely women voters, and is doing everything she can to keep it that way. "You get the sense this race could turn at just a moment's notice," said James Pindell, the always-on political director at Manchester television station WMUR. Pindell was joining me for a slice of pepperoni at Romano's Pizza in Derry for this week's episode of "Hambycast." "The race seems to be primed for that," Pindell said. "It gets all the attention in this state. This state has got four major races. We have two congressional races and a competitive governor's race. But all people talk about is Shaheen and Brown, every single day." At her lone campaign event Tuesday, inside a Derry-based food incubator called Creative Chef Kitchens, Shaheen rattled through a laundry list of female-focused issues she supports — equal pay, access to contraception, abortion rights — as a small crowd of women nodded in approval. The message was heavy-handed and impossible to miss, but Shaheen put an exclamation point on it just in case: "Scott Brown," she said, "is being disingenuous when he says he is pro-choice." Reporters surrounded her after her appearance. One asked her why she waited until October to thrust women's issues into the campaign, using "probably the most negative ad of the campaign." Shaheen has highlighted the topic before, memorably in July, after Brown hid in a restaurant bathroom when a reporter asked him about the Supreme Court's controversial decision in Burwell vs. Hobby Lobby that allowed corporations to deny birth control coverage in their insurance plans. But her campaign had not put money behind a television ad on women's health before, particularly such a blistering one. "I think this is something that we planned to talk about all along," Shaheen responded. "I think access to health care, access to reproductive choice is critical to women. I've worked on it my entire career. This is an issue that is important to women and families. Ninety-nine percent of women use contraceptives at some point in their lives." Then I asked Shaheen about Brown's topic of choice: President Obama, whose disapproval ratings in New Hampshire approach 60%. What is it about him, exactly, that Democrats are so wary of? Shaheen would rather not talk about Obama, which is why Brown spent their first one-on-one debate on Monday reminding voters that the senator has voted with the president "99% of the time." It's one reason he has seized on the ascendancy of ISIS, the terrorist group roiling Syria and Iraq, and border security. National security is becoming a winning talking point, Republican operatives here argue, claiming it scores points among the very women Shaheen is trying to keep in her fold. "There is a leadership void," Brown said at an event Tuesday in Derry, where he was joined by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a foreign policy hawk and potential presidential candidate in 2016. "Our allies don't trust us, and our foes don't fear or respect us." Like Republican candidates across the country, Brown wants the race to be about national issues. Shaheen does not, so she brings up another sore point for Brown: his decision to sell his home in Massachusetts last year and move to the Granite State to run for Senate. Brown is not exactly a carpetbagger -- he's long owned property in New Hampshire and many thousands of people have moved here from somewhere else thanks to the low tax rates — but it's still a reliable campaign jab. "This race is not about President Obama," Shaheen said. "This race is about Scott Brown and me. I know that Scott Brown would like to be running against the President, because he has not done anything in New Hampshire, he doesn't have a history here, he just moved here. I have spent my entire professional life here in New Hampshire."
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Jeanne Shaheen releases a campaign ad hitting Scott Brown's record on abortion .
Brown identifies as a "pro-choice independent Republican"
Shaheen leads Brown by 6 points in latest poll .
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American Apparel has issued a new ethics code which demands employees who are 'casually dating' or involved in 'committed romantic relationships' inform human resources to seek approval. The new code, which is four times the length of the previous version, was introduced in order to help 'prevent sexual harassment in the workplace', and comes less than a month after the retailer's founder Dov Charney was fired as a consultant over allegations of such offenses. 'No management-level employee may make sexual advances, welcome or unwelcome, toward any subordinate,' the code states, adding that 'company personnel should never engage in any public displays of affection in the workplace.' Scroll down for video . Cracking down: The new code has been introduced to 'prevent sexual harassment in the workplace', and comes after the retailer's founder Dov Charney (pictured) was fired over allegations of such offenses . The lengthy new code states that romantic relationships between employees should be disclosed to American Apparel's human resources department to be assessed for potential 'concern.' It also forbids 'favoritism' and includes a 'fair treatment of employees' section, which specifically bans 'discriminatory slurs' related to sexism and racism. American Apparel's controversial former-CEO Mr Charney, who founded the company in 1998, was terminated as chairman last June after the company compiled a long list of his alleged offenses; including sexual harassment, misuse of company funds, and racist comments. He stayed on in a consultant role but was fired from that position in December. Longtime fashion executive Paula Schneider has joined the company as CEO. Strict: The lengthy new code states that romantic relationships between employees should be disclosed to American Apparel's human resources department to be assessed for potential 'concern' Last month, Mr Charney claimed to be almost broke and reduced to crashing on a friend's couch in New York after being ousted from his company. As CEO, he earned an $800,000 annual salary, but recently told Bloomberg that he only has $100,000 left in the bank. He remains the company's largest shareholder, but doesn't have control of his 43per cent stake because of an agreement with hedge fund Standard General. Mr Charney said he felt betrayed by the hedge fund that had given him a loan in July so he could boost his ownership of the company he had founded. Mr Charney turned to the firm for help when he was ousted as CEO the previous month. 'I gave them my entire life's work and they agreed to put me back in,' he stated. 'But instead they used this investigation to fire me. They betrayed me. I gave them my heart.' Standard General disagrees with Mr Charney's version of events and released the following statement: . 'We supported the independent, third-party and very thorough investigation into the allegations against Mr Charney, and respect the Board of Directors' decision to terminate him based on the results of that investigation.' Despite what has happened, Mr Charney has said he plans to keep fighting and is 'suing everyone' with what little funds he has left. The Montreal-born Mr Charney has famously been the subject of lawsuits that allege he had inappropriate sexual conduct with female employees. He has admitted he had consensual sexual relationships with workers. In 2011, a former employee accused Mr Charney of keeping her as a teenage sex slave, fearing she could lose her job otherwise. She also sued American Apparel and its directors for failing to stop him from acting as a 'sexual predator.' Moving on: Longtime fashion executive Paula Schneider (left, in 2004), formerly of Warnaco, Gores Group and BCBG Max Azria, started as the retailer's new CEO this week . In 2012, Mr Charney once again came under fire when Michael Bumblis, a former store manager in Malibu, California, accused the CEO of rubbing dirt in his face and choking him. Mr Charney also allegedly called the man 'a wannabe Jew' and used a derogatory term for homosexuals. Mr Bumblis was later fired from his job. The company has suffered financially. It has recorded annual losses since 2010 and reported three quarterly losses last year. Its stock dropped 53per cent in 2014. Ms Schneider, who officially started as CEO on January 5, has been a senior executive at retail and clothing companies including Warnaco, Gores Group and BCBG Max Azria. She said in a statement that she hopes to 'make American Apparel a better company, while staying true to its core values of quality and creativity and preserving its sweatshop-free, Made in USA manufacturing philosophy.'
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American Apparel's conversational former CEO Dov Charney was terminated last June over allegations including sexual harassment and racism .
He stands accused of using one employee as a 'teenage sex slave' and calling another 'a wannabe Jew'
Despite this, Mr Charney stayed on in a consultant role but was fired from that position in December .
The new code of ethics - which has been instated to help 'prevent sexual harassment' - is four times the length of its previous version .
It forbids 'welcome or unwelcome sexual advances' and 'public displays of affection'
Employees involved in romantic relationships must inform human resources - and may then be redistributed .
Longtime fashion executive Paula Schneider commenced her role as American Apparel's new CEO on Monday .
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By . Mail Foreign Service . Last updated at 7:19 AM on 5th October 2011 . Global power: Vladimir Putin said the new group could compete for influence with the USA, Europe and Asia . Vladimir Putin has raised fears of a revival of the USSR after he revealed plans to create a so-called ‘Eurasian Union’ of former Soviet nations. The Russian prime minister – who is all but certain to regain the presidency next year – wants the bloc to become ‘one of the poles of the modern world’, and a rival to the United States, the European Union and Asia. In the past, Mr Putin has lamented the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 as the ‘greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century’. But he denies the Kremlin’s proposed new alliance is an attempt to rebuild Russia’s old communist empire. Instead, Mr Putin – who has effectively led the country for more than a decade, first as president and now as prime minister – claims the union would merely act as ‘an efficient link between Europe and the dynamic Asia-Pacific region’. His assurances will do little to convince some ex-Soviet nations, however, many of whom are already suspicious of the Kremlin’s intentions. Alexander Dugin, a political scholar, said the ‘Eurasian Union’ would become one of Mr Putin’s chief policies as president. He added: ‘From the geopolitical viewpoint it represents an attempt to revive the USSR.’ But announcing the plans in a Russian newspaper, Mr Putin claimed: ‘There is no talk about rebuilding the USSR in one way or another. It would be naive to try to restore or copy something that belongs to the past, but a close integration based on new values and economic and political foundation is a demand of the present time.’ Empire-building: Vladimir Putin has mourned the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union . Dominant: A map from 1986 shows the span of the former Soviet Union, which incorporates cities such as Tblisi, Talin and Donetsk, which are now the capital cities of Georgia, Estonia and the Ukraine . Near collapse: Three years later, however, the USSR's borders had retreated . [caption . The concept of Eurasia, the huge area . of land mass comprising Russia and some of its European and North Asian . neighbours, was first featured in George Orwell's dystopian fantasy . 1984. Under Orwell's . vision of a Totalitarian dystopia after the Second World War, the UK . falls into civil war and is integrated to Oceania, a society ruled by . the dictatorship of 'the Party'. At the same time, the USSR annexed continental Europe and created the second superstate of Eurasia. The novel's third state, Eastasia is made of large regions of East Asia and Southeast Asia. The . novel describes the story of Winston Smith, who records how the world's . three superstates are constantly fighting for the unconquered lands of . the world. Smith . recounts the Atomic Wars fought in western Russia, North America and . Europe, and describes how 'the Party' referred to the postwar . reorganisation of society as 'the Revolution'. Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan have . already formed an economic alliance to remove customs barriers between . the countries, and now Mr Putin is pushing for Kyrgyzstan and . Tajikistan to join, too. In January, the group will adopt unified market rules. He said: ‘We aren’t going to stop at . that and are putting forward an ambitious task of reaching a new, higher . level of integration with the Eurasian Union. ‘Along with other key players and . regional structures, such as the European Union, the United States, . China and the Asia Pacific Economic Community, it should ensure . stability of global development.’ But Mr Putin’s plans are likely to . meet with fierce opposition from some of his prospective ‘Eurasian . Union’ partners, who are far keener to forge closer ties with Europe . than their old communist masters. Last month Ukrainian president Viktor . Yanukovych complained that the Kremlin was trying to coerce his country . into joining the new customs union. And the Russian government has also . caused tensions with Belarus – one of its closest allies – after it . tried to gain a huge stake in its top state-controlled industrial . assets, a move Belarus has strongly resisted. Mr Putin served as Russia’s president . from 2000 to 2008, when he was frequently accused of undoing the former . communist state’s transition to democracy. He only stepped down – to make way . for his protege, Dmitry Medvedev – because rules barred him from serving . a third consecutive term. By becoming prime minister he has . remained Russia’s leader in all but name, and is likely to regain the . presidency in elections next March. Mr Medvedev has already proposed . that he should run .
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Proposed alliance between Russia and other nations could be 'one of the poles of the modern world'
Unified market rules to be introduced between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan next year .
Putin seeking 'higher integration with the Eurasian Union'
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(CNN) -- Now the Democrats are stepping into the spotlight. With the Republicans packed up from their stormy convention in Tampa, Florida, and back on the campaign trail, the Democrats gather in Charlotte, North Carolina, to explain to Americans why their candidate is a better choice in November. Like Republicans, Democrats must use this high-visibility media opportunity to outline their arguments for the fall. Although President Barack Obama is more of a known commodity than GOP candidate Mitt Romney after three and a half years in the White House, there is still a lot of work for Democrats to do in the coming days. Outside of his strong favorability ratings, polls continue to show that Obama is extremely vulnerable as a result of the slow economic recovery. With so much of the workforce struggling with unemployment and unstable jobs, Romney has a fighting chance. Many Americans are unhappy with what the Democrats have offered. They don't feel that they are better off in 2012 than they were in 2008. At their convention, Democrats need to lay out a series of arguments if they are to strengthen their chances of victory. Obama's personal popularity is not enough under these conditions. Democrats must offer a straightforward, ringing defense of what their president has been able to accomplish. Opinion: Can Obama convince voters to turn to him again? With Republicans talking about failed leadership, Democrats must seek to show this is not the case. Too often, Democrats have been on the defensive, explaining away the shortcomings of Obama's legislative legacy or blaming congressional Republicans for the fate of his initiatives. Obama has sometimes been reluctant to tell his side of the story, often responding to Republican criticism rather than laying out his understanding of what has happened. If Democrats are to do well, the president will have to do more than blame President George W. Bush or congressional Republicans, or just warn about what a Romney-Ryan White House would do. For example, Obama could do more to explain how his economic stimulus played an important role in stabilizing economic conditions and investing funds in important programs that will shape the nation's future. In his new book, "The New New Deal", Time correspondent Michael Grunwald argues that the stimulus created over 2 million jobs, prevented a more dire economic collapse, and resulted in billions of dollars being spent on clean energy projects (with the failure of the solar energy company Solyndra really being atypical), information technology projects (such as rationalizing health care billing), education programs, and more. Obama must also make a stronger case about what his health care bill will achieve -- such as allowing people under 26 to retain health insurance under their parents' coverage and preventing companies from denying benefits to those with pre-existing conditions. He will need to connect his programs to a broader economic strategy, explaining how programs like health care -- which the administration argues will lower overall deficits and lower the cost of premiums for individuals and business -- will be important to a robust economic future. In general, Americans like government when they are asked about specific policies but don't like government in the abstract. For Obama, the lesson is that the more he talks about his record with specifics, the better he will do. Democrats must also offer a bolder defense of government as a necessity for strong economic growth. Democrats continue to be hesitant and reluctant to mount a defense of government. Still seeing themselves as living in the Ronald Reagan era, they try to rebut the charge that they are anti-market. Opinion: Young voters, don't give up on Obama . In his keynote address to the Republican convention, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie argued that "Our ideas are right for America and their ideas have failed America." Democrats will need to respond. Recently, Obama sloppily tried to explain how governments have been essential to businesses, but said this in a way that opened him up to attack for being anti-business, leading to the GOP mantra of "I built this!" In a fascinating new book entitled "To Promote the General Welfare: The Case for Big Government," a group of historians shows how important government has been in almost every area of American life, from our information networks, to our schools, to our transportation, to our homes. In a chapter about housing, the historian Tom Sugrue writes that "federal housing policies remade the whole landscape of America. Most important, they made possible the rapid expansion of suburbia." Without a strong government, private markets can't thrive. The two go hand in hand. The point is not to say that business people are not responsible for their success, but, rather, that the best business people need a strong foundation on which to build their projects. One can't run a successful store if police don't protect the shop from thieves, if roads are not built and paved so that customers can reach their destination, if tax incentives are not in place to alleviate some of the costs that the owner must shoulder. The last argument that Democrats, and especially President Obama, must make is that he has not given up on his vision of changing the way that politics works. When Obama ran in 2008, Americans were excited about the possibility of a politician who would transcend the old politics and devote political capital to fixing a broken process. But in Mitt Romney's acceptance speech, the Republican candidate asked, "If you felt that excitement when you voted for Barack Obama, shouldn't you feel that way now that he's President Obama?" Obama must respond. His promise was not just one of bipartisanship, but a promise to look seriously at the flaws in our political system. Unfortunately, Obama abandoned many of those goals. Even worse, as a result of both parties walking away from the public finance system that came out of the Watergate scandal, and a series of court decisions, the 2012 campaign has turned into an orgy of campaign contributors, on both sides of the aisle, funneling millions of dollars into advertising. There is so much unregulated money floating around this campaign that it seems likely to produce a major scandal. We're living in a political atmosphere comparable to a film where viewers can clearly see something bad is about to happen, but the characters remain oblivious to what surrounds them. While a speech about change won't work, because Obama now represents the status quo, he and other Democrats should talk about one or two specific ideas for dealing with the hurricane of money that has hit our political shores. John King: To win, Obama must make history again . Even if many Americans still don't like Mitt Romney, and the tea party Republicans make it hard for the GOP to appeal to the center of the electorate, Democrats, with this economy, have a million points of vulnerability. They need to offer Americans something more than the status quo, something more than an alternative to what Democrats call radical conservatism. They need to offer Americans policies they can believe in. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian Zelizer.
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Democrats hold their political convention this week in Charlotte, North Carolina .
Julian Zelizer says it's vital that Democrats respond to the charges made by the GOP .
He says Obama can't rely on blaming Bush or warning what a Romney White House would do .
Zelizer: Obama should strongly defend his record, including stimulus, health care law .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:32 EST, 13 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:32 EST, 13 September 2013 . The National Park Service says a pair of hikers made it down one of Colorado's highest peaks on their own after being stranded by an ice storm for two days. The news came just as the Park Service was organizing its latest effort to rescue the women from 14,200-foot Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. 'They are fine, they were not injured,' said Patrick O'Driscoll, a spokesman for the Intermountain Region office of the National Park Service. Conditions created by the ice storm were so bad that 32-year-old Connie Yang and 33-year-old Suzanne Turell had sent text messages urging rescuers to come quickly. Out of danger: Connie Yang (left) and her girlfriend Suzanne Turell were . caught out by an ice storm and had to spend two days trapped on one of . Colorado's highest mountains . Challenging: Longs Peak is one of Colorado's highest summits standing at over 14,000 feet . SOS by SMS: The mountain is around 70 miles northwest of Denver but weather conditions can change rapidly and trap even the most experienced climbers . The climbers provided their precise latitude and longitude and said they were not hurt, but raging floods at the bottom of the peak have left roads impassable and made it impossible for rescue crews to reach them. A text sent on Thursday morning read: ‘We need help. At top of longs peak. 13400 feet. Whiteout snowstorm.’ A follow up text sent shortly afterwards conveyed the hopeless nature of the situation. ‘Can’t move because of ice Storm, don’t know how long it will last. Been here for 1 day trying to wait it out.’ Desperate: Texts were sent from climbers Suzanne Turell and Connie Yang to Connie's sister who created a Tumblr page . No help needed... in the end: Two experienced climbers trapped for two days by an ice storm near the peak of a 14,000-foot mountain in Colorado managed to get down on their own . The texts were sent to Ms. Yang’s sister who set up a Tumblr page to keep friends and family up to date on the rescue. The women were hunkered down inside a tent in whiteout conditions. The couple, who live in York, Maine, are experienced when it comes to mountaineering and have spent several weeks on and off the Pacific Coast Trail last year and work for New Hampshire-based outdoor gear manufacturer NEMO Equipment Inc. Employers and family members say the two set out a week ago on a backpacking trip in Rocky Mountain National Park. They got stranded 800 feet below the summit.
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Mountaineers got stuck at the top of one of Colorado's highest peak as an ice storm closed in .
Text messages were sent to family members requesting help .
Climbers are now safely off the mountain unaided .
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By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 13:02 EST, 9 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:56 EST, 9 December 2013 . A mother has told how her three-year-old son has been given only a 50 per cent chance of survival just weeks after doctors first diagnosed him with constipation. Ashton Hutcheson was in tears with constant stomach pains and sickness, but despite several visits to the doctors, his mother was told there was nothing seriously wrong with him. But after a week of sleepless nights, his mother Shanna Hutcheson, 21, begged a paediatrician to check her son again. Ashton Hutcheson, three, was taken to the doctor by his mother, Shanna, 21, when he developed stomach pains and sickness. Ms Hutcheson was told he was constipated and was sent away with medication . He found Ashton had an enlarged liver and a rapid heartbeat and advised him to be rushed to hospital. After a series of scans and checks, it was discovered Ashton had a rare condition called dilated cardiomyopathy and his heart was operating at just five per cent capacity - barely keeping him alive. As a result, he will now need a risky heart transplant. Ms Hutcheson said: ‘He’s the only kid in Scotland to have the condition, as it normally only affects adults, but I will be complaining about the doctors. ‘They basically left me at home for a week with him fighting for his life and it’s just not good enough. ‘We’re now waiting for a heart donor to be found, but they’re saying it is 50/50 whether he’ll survive the operation or not - it’s horrible. When Ashton's condition did not improve, Ms Hutcheson (pictured) begged a paediatrician to check him over again and he was found to have an enlarged liver and an excessively fast heart beat . ‘Ashton’s condition means only five per cent of his heart is actually working - it is basically just keeping him alive and no more.’ Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition which causes the heart muscle to become stretched and thin meaning it cannot cannot pump blood around the body effectively. Ms Hutcheson, from Aberdeen, says the news knocked her for six and admitted she couldn’t have kept herself together if it wasn’t for the support of her mother, Deborah Hutcheson, 42. She said: ‘My mum has been such a great help to me. She was just as worried about Ashton when he had a sore tummy and was being sick. ‘We were both convinced there was something wrong with him, so I took him to a doctor, but he said “no that’s just constipation” and we were told to go home. Ashton (pictured in hospital) was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition which means the heart muscle becomes stretched and thin preventing it from beating effectively . ‘Ashton got worse and I tried to get a doctor to see him a number of times for a whole week, but they said just to keep on giving him the medication they had given me. ‘Eventually I said “I’ve had enough of this” and demanded to see a doctor again. ‘A paediatrician came around and found that Ashton’s heart was beating a too fast and his liver was enlarged, so he got us into hospital straight away.’ After being admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI), Ashton was given echocardiography and an ultrasound. He was then diagnosed with stage two dilated cardiomyopathy and flown by air ambulance to the intensive care unit at Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital. Ashton is now waiting for a heart transplant but his mother has been told there is only a 50 per cent chance of him surviving the operation . Ashton spent eight days in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow in the intensive care unit and high dependency unit before being driven back to ARI in an ambulance for another three nights. Ms Hutcheson said: ‘The doctor at ARI explained Ashton’s condition had deteriorated to stage three by then. ‘He then told me that he would need a heart transplant, which will be carried out at a hospital in Newcastle. ‘When I found out that he needed a heart transplant I just kept thinking he was going to die. ‘The doctor sat me down to tell me and I just started screaming and crying.’ Ms Hutcheson now faces an agonising wait . as a heart donor for Ashton is tracked down, but she is worried the . operation won’t come quick enough as her son battles for survival. Ms Hutcheson said: 'When I found out that he needed a heart transplant I just kept thinking he was going to die. The doctor sat me down to tell me and I just started screaming and crying' She said: ‘The operation could be any time from now until the New Year. ‘He’ll be going down to Newcastle soon for a couple of days to have tests done, but we have no word on the op yet. ‘I’ve been told there’s a chance his body could reject the heart, but the main concern at the moment is getting him fit enough for the operation as the medication he’s been taking is making him sick and they couldn’t operate on him at the moment anyway because he’s too thin. ‘I just want to appeal to people and highlight how important organ donation is. ‘I want everyone to go and sign up because it could save a life.’ A spokesman for NHS Grampian said a complaint about Aston's treatment had not been received and that he would encourage his mother to register her concerns through the complaint system. To find out more about organ donation visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk . Dilated cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle which causes it to become stretched and thin. This means it is unable to pump blood around the body effectively. The condition can be inherited but it can also be caused by viral infections, uncontrolled high blood pressure, problems with the heart valves, excessive alcohol consumption and pregnancy. The disease can cause fluid to build up in the lungs, ankles, abdomen and other organs - this collection of symptoms is known as heart failure. The most common symptoms of dilated cardiomyopathy are shortness of breath, swelling of the ankle and abdomen, excessive tiredness and palpitations. There is no cure for the condition but treatment can be used to control the symptoms and to prevent complications. Treatment options include medicine to control the heart rhythm, a pacemaker and an ICD - an implant which gives the heart an electric shock if it slips out of a normal rhythm. Source: British Heart Foundation .
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Ashton Hutcheson was taken to the doctor by his mother, Shanna, 21, when he developed stomach pains and sickness .
Ms Hutcheson was told he was constipated and was given medication .
When he didn't improve, she begged a paediatrician to check him again .
Ashton was found to have an enlarged liver and a rapid heartbeat .
He was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy which causes the heart muscle to become stretched and weak meaning it can't pump effectively .
He now needs a heart transplant but there is only a 50% chance of him surviving the operation .
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Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic clearly thought one day of pre-season training with a thick beard was enough as the Serbian showed up at Cobham cleanly shaven on Thursday. The 30-year-old looked as though he'd spent the summer in the wilderness as he posed for a picture with Blues team-mates John Terry, Marco van Ginkel and Nathan Ake on Wednesday as they labelled him 'beast'. Ivanovic looked in good shape during Chelsea's second training session of pre-season as he kept the ball away from Demba Ba and youngster Dom Solanke. VIDEO Scroll down to watch new Chelsea signing Kurt Zouma give his first interview . Close: A clean shaven Branislav Ivanovic in action during a Chelsea session . Blues brothers: Ivanovic (left) turned up to Chelsea's first pre-season training session with this huge beard . Power: Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic takes the ball away from John Terry and Nathan Ake (right) Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho looked on as the group of players went through their warm-ups before breaking into some small sided games. Several Blues youngsters are being given the chance to shine before the host of players that have taken part in the 2014 World Cup return to action. The likes of Solanke, Isaiah Brown and Lewis Baker will all be hoping to make an impression before the start of the new season. In the mix: Ivanovic leaves a few team-mates trailing during the session on Thursday . Chance to impress: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho looks on as Marco van Ginkel controls the ball . Pace: Blues youngsters Dominic Solanke (right) races away from Andrea Christensen . VIDEO Schurrle leads Premier League goal scoring in Brazil .
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Branislav Ivanovic turns up clean-shaven for second day of Chelsea's pre-season training .
Blues defender had grown huge beard during summer break .
Ivanovic trained alongside John Terry, Nemanja Matic and Demba Ba .
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Guests included Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Joan Crawford, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill . It was referred to as the 'ranch' by newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst - a rather misleading term of endearment for his 165-room castle that took 28 years to design and build. Hearst worked with architect Julia Morgan from 1919 to create the grand property in San Simeon, California. It was developed in 127 acres of land that the media magnate inherited from his wealthy family, and completed in 1947. The palatial home is nestled amid gardens, pools, terraces and walkways. Hearst made his money in newspapers and magazines before expanding into politics. He was believed to be the inspiration behind Orson Welles' film Citizen Kane. Palace paradise: The castle was built for publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst high on a hill half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles and was completed in 1947 . He was only able to enjoy his . magnificent castle for a brief time before having to leave the remote location, several hundred miles from both San Francisco and Los Angeles, . for medical care in the same year that the property was completed. Hearst . died in Beverly Hills on August 14, 1951, at the age of 88. The castle was bequeathed to the state of California in 1957 and opened to the public. It attracts around one million visits each year thanks to its plethora of antiques and substantial art collection - despite its remote location, high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Hearst, who ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of New York but was twice elected to the House of Representatives, officially named the estate La Cuesta Encantada, 'The Enchanted Hill'. However he lovingly dubbed it the 'ranch' because the castle was built on Rancho Piedra Blanca - land that Hearst's father, George Hearst, bought in 1865 after making his fortune in mining. California dreaming: The striking indoor Roman tiled pool at the castle is one of several that dots the 165-room property in San Simeon . A fantastic read: The Gothic study at the castle contains a large library lined with rare books which newspaper tycoon Hearst collected . William Hearst originally approached architect . Julia Morgan in 1915 with plans for a modest bungalow. The tycoon . loved the views from the estate so much but felt he had become too old . to go camping in the hills. Morgan, . who had studied at the distinguished Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, . designed more than 700 buildings in California during her long career. However she is best known for the stamp she made on what was to become . Hearst Castle. The castle and surrounding buildings are a mix of European architectural styles that appealed to Hearst on his travels. In total, Hearst Castle has 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms and 19 sitting rooms. There are 127 acres of manicured gardens along with numerous indoor and outdoor pools. The tiled indoor pool, for example, draws from the Roman tradition of baths and is lined with statues of gods, goddesses and heroes. Tennis courts, a movie theater, airport, wine cellar and a one-time private zoo completed the estate. While Hearst Castle was in the process of being completed in the 1920s and 30s, invitations were highly conveted by the Hollywood elite. Among the distinguished guests who graced its majestic halls were Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Castle in the sky: The magnificent palace has uninterrupted views to the Pacific Ocean from the Hearst family's San Simeon estate . Pastiche: Hearst Castle incorporates a mixture of historic European styles influenced by the tycoon's travels on the continent . Fountain of wealth: The estate took more than 28 years to build and was funded by William Hearst's media empire . Hearst Castle was the inspiration for . the 'Xanadu' mansion of the 1941 Orson Welles film Citizen Kane, which . was itself a fictionalization of William Randolph Hearst's life. However the castle was not used as a location for the film. One of the conditions for the property being opened up to the public was that the Hearst family were still allowed to use the estate. They reportedly continue to use the original house built on the estate in the late-19th century as a retreat. This Friday the castle will revive some of its old-school Hollywood glamour by hosting a screening of Citizen Kane at the theater in the grounds along with an exhibition from Hollywood photographer Timothy White. For added glitz, Harrison Ford is also expected to attend the public event. When in Rome: The temple front was shipped in pieces from Italy and reconstructed to overlook the Neptune Pool at the castle . Grand ideas: Tycoon William Randolph Hearst (left) bequeathed his castle to the state of California. It was designed by architect Julia Morgan (right) who created more than 700 buildings in California during her long career .
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165-room palace took 28 years to build and offers unrestricted views over Pacific .
Guests included Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Joan Crawford, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 03:29 EST, 22 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:54 EST, 23 June 2012 . The ranger who plunged more than 3,000 feet to his death yesterday while helping rescue four injured climbers down a crevasse has been pictured. Mount Rainier ranger Nick Hall was helping to prepare the climbers to be taken off the 14,411-foot Cascade Range peak when he fell before shortly before 5pm, said Mount Rainier National Park spokesman Kevin Bacher. Mr Bacher said Mr Hall, 34, didn't respond to attempts to contact him and was not moving, and he was dead when other rangers reached him at the 10,000-foot level several hours later. Tragedy: Ranger Nick Hall, 34, was helping prepare the climbers to be taken from the 14,411-ft Washington state peak when he fell . Life: Mr Hall worked as an avalanche forecaster, ski patroller, climbing ranger and in the U.S. Marines Corps according to his Facebook page . Park officials notified relatives and other rangers before announcing Mr Hall's death late Thursday. A . Chinook helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord plucked three of the . injured climbers off the mountain Thursday night while one member of the . party from Waco, Texas, remained overnight, waiting out a worsening . storm in the company of park rangers. Bacher . says all four had injuries that were not life-threatening. The two . rescued from the mountain were taken to a hospital. None was immediately . identified. Worsening visibility and 40 mph winds kept rescuers from removing the other two climbers late Thursday. Storms on Mount Rainier are notoriously fierce and obstinate with severe winter-like storms said to not be uncommon during the summer months, according to the National Park Service. 'We were lucky to get two off the mountain' the spokesman said. About . 10,000 people attempt to summit the massive volcano each year, with . most doing so in the summer. Only a few hundred climb the iconic . mountain in the winter. Rescue attempt: The two men and two women were caught on a crevasse of Mt Rainier, pictured, after falling during a storm that sent 40 MPH winds . The Texas climbers were roped together when they fell on Emmons Glacier. The two women at the end of the rope ended up in a crevasse. Rangers who responded to a cell phone call helped them out of the crevasse. Mr Hall, who was unmarried and without children, is originally from Patten, Maine, the park spokesman said. He attended Western State College of . Colorado and worked as a ski patroller at Stevens Pass, an avalanche . forecaster at Yellowstone National Park and also served in the U.S. Marines Corps according to his Facebook page. Tragic year: Mr Hall is the second ranger to die on the job this year at the park, with the first killed on New Year's Day after shot by a guest . The Seattle Times reports Hall had been with Mount Rainier National Park's climbing program for four years. His death comes during what has already proven a difficult year for park staff. On New Year's Day, Mount Rainier Ranger Margaret Anderson was fatally shot as she tried to stop a man who drove through a tire chain checkpoint near Longmire . The 24-year-old man, Benjamin Colton Barnes, was suspected in a shooting early New Year's Day in Seattle, and his body was found the next day about a mile away in the snow. Mr Hill is the third climbing ranger to die during service at the park and the seventh person this year, The Olympian reports.
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Ranger Nick Hall was helping to prepare climbers to be airlifted off the 14,411-foot Cascade Range peak .
Two of four stranded climbers removed with two others waiting out storm .
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By . Snejana Farberov . Dexter Richardson, 47, a former police officer in Riviera Beach, Florida, was charged Tuesday with having uninformed HIV infected sexual intercourse with his girlfriend . A former police officer from Florida has been arrested for allegedly failing to disclose to his long-term girlfriend that he was HIV positive. Dexter Richardson, 47, of Riviera Beach, was charged Tuesday with having uninformed HIV infected sexual intercourse. Police first became aware of the allegations back in May when Richardson’s girlfriend contacted the department accusing the former cop of infecting her with the virus. The woman said when she confronted the 47-year-old man, he initially denied being HIV positive but then admitted that he has been living with the illness for about a decade. It has been determined by detectives that Richardson has been aware for several years that he had tested positive for HIV, Palm Beach Post reported. The former Riviera Beach cop, however, kept that information about his health status from his girlfriend, according to investigators. Richardson had a troubled past in law enforcement; he was fired from the Riviera Beach Police Department in 1998 after allegedly sharing information with another officer who was under investigation at the time. In the late 1980s, Richardson served on the force in Pompano Beach but was terminated for being involved in up to eight 'unjustified accidents' in his patrol car. After being hired by the Riviera Beach police, the cop got into six more crashes between 1993 and 1996. That year, Richardson was also arrested for getting into a confrontation with a gas station clerk in Delray Beach who refused to let him use the bathroom. Dexter Richardson was taken into custody in the HIV case on Sunday. He has since been released on bond. Police suspect that he may have had other sexual partners who were unaware that he was HIV positive. Richardson’s arrest marks the second time this year that an officer from Palm Beach County has been accused of knowingly spreading HIV. In January, Greenacres cop Ervans Saintclair has been charged with two counts of criminal transmission of the potentially deadly virus. Saintclair entered a not guilty plea in March and is due back in court later this month.
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Dexter Richardson, 47, charged with having uninformed HIV infected sexual intercourse with his long-time girlfriend .
The woman complained to police in May that Richardson had infected her with the virus, which he had known he had for years .
The 47-year-old was fired from two Florida police departments, most recently in 1998 in Riviera Beach .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Brand new runways are opening at three major airports Thursday, giving the aviation community something to cheer about in a year of dismal economic and travel news. Washington Dulles International Airport's new runway opens Thursday ahead of the busy holiday travel season. Washington Dulles International Airport will get a fourth runway, its first runway addition since the airport opened in 1962. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport's new runway is part of a massive, multi-billion dollar modernization program. Previously, six of the airport's seven runways intersected. When the entire project is completed in 2014, the airport will have eight runways in parallel configurations considered safer and more efficient. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's new runway is being especially welcomed because of the region's notoriously wet climate. The airport's third runway will allow planes to take off and land two abreast during inclement weather. The current runways are too close to allow simultaneous operations in foul weather. Airport officials claim the new runway will cut delays in half. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said travelers will benefit from coast to coast. See runways at the three airports » . "It is going to make a difference," Peters said. "It is going to allow us to conduct more operations, meaning more takeoffs and landings per hour at these airports and will help move passengers efficiently through. "That, we hope, will give travelers a good experience this holiday season," she said. President Bush, this week, touted the arrival of the three new runways, noting that 14 new runways will have opened during his administration. However, aviation experts warn airport infrastructure still lags behind demand, and that real estate realities in the New York area, perceived to be the epicenter of aviation delays, mean that new runways are least likely to be built where they are most needed. Watch what Web sites offer best travel deals » . "It would really be nice if we had even one new runway" at each of the nation's most congested airports, namely LaGuardia, Newark and JFK," aviation consultant Darryl Jenkins said. "It would do an enormous amount to relieve congestion throughout the entire nation." iReport.com: What are your holiday travel plans? Jenkins said new runways in New York are pipe dreams because of land constraints and local opposition. "Local opposition wins. There's no opposition that is as tough to beat down as local opposition," he said. Chicago O'Hare's International Airport, which has purchased more than 500 single-family homes to make room for expansion, remains in court battles with several property owners. Aviation experts argue the experience at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia demonstrate that new runways are invaluable to airlines and travelers. A new runway that opened there in 2006 has increased operations by 25 to 30 flights an hour, shaved minutes off average flight delays and saved airlines $10 million a week in fuel costs, airport officials said. Air traffic controllers are generally happy with the added concrete they will lord over. "There's no greater supporter of runways than controllers," said Doug Church, spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). "It's reason to shout and celebrate from the rooftops." However, the new Dulles airport runway may not be of much benefit at the start. Controller Chris Sutherland, the NATCA representative for the Potomac Consolidated Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON), explained that because only one taxiway has been completed, planes that land heading north must roll to a stop, turn around and taxi more than a mile and a half to the taxiway, costing the airlines both time and money. "Bottom line, the users are going to fight us tooth and nail if we try to land them on that runway out there," Sutherland said. The airport also does not have the technology necessary to use all three parallel runways in inclement weather, he said. "We're actually creating delays with additional new concrete and that's kind of going against why we built it in the first place," Sutherland said. An airport official and Department of Transportation officials said Washington-Dulles International Airport must open the new runway before it can close the center runway and complete work on the remaining taxiways. Work is scheduled for the spring. Jenkins jokingly said new runways inevitably come on line precisely when they are not needed, but he said airline delays are here to stay. "There's every reason to believe that until we're all comfortably dead, we will all enjoy delays in air traffic," Jenkins said.
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New airport runways open Thursday in Seattle, Chicago and Washington .
Officials say new runways will make airports safer, more efficient .
However, aviation experts caution airport infrastructure still lags behind demand .
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Watch your step as you climb these stairs, whether spiraling up mountains, narrow passageways or sky-scraping attractions. All is right with the world when you're gazing down from the rooftop of Milan's Duomo. That is, until you remember the steep marble stairs that got you there—and are your only way down. Stairways can leave just as much of an impact on your memory as the places they lead you. Some are so eye-catching they look like they belong in an M.C. Escher painting, while other stairs are downright intimidating, especially when they stand between you and a site you flew halfway across the world to experience. In Peru, for instance, travelers need to tackle about 600 feet of slippery granite rocks carved into the mountainside to reach the Moon Temple at Machu Picchu. And at Yosemite National Park, you can't take a selfie at the top of Half Dome without climbing a cable ladder up the rock face for more than 400 feet. All it takes is a misstep for any old staircase to become treacherous (just ask Jennifer Lawrence), yet some standout for being especially scary. A set of stairs in Hawaii is so precariously perched that climbing is now illegal. In China, there's a stairway with an age requirement. Other stairs are intimidating for more psychological reasons, such as the creaking noises made by the world's longest wooden stairway in Norway or the eerie atmosphere at "The Stairway to Hell," part of an abandoned industrial complex in Japan. Travelers with nerves of steel—and eager for bragging rights—follow these stairs because of what they find at the end, whether a sacred Hindu temple or the top of a spectacular waterfall. There's nothing quite like the thrill of accomplishment that comes once you've taken that last step. Safely, that is. Angkor Wat Temple Stairs, Cambodia . In this super-humid hotbox of Buddhist history, there's no shame in bowing down on your hands and knees or pulling yourself up with the provided ropes to scale the nearly 70 percent inclined stairs of Angkor Wat's uppermost temples. Guides claim the steps were made to be so steep to remind people that heaven was hard to reach—though you might make the same argument about Earth as you try not to tumble on the way down. The Verrückt, Kansas City, Kansas . It takes guts just to reach the starting point of the world's tallest and fastest water slide, opened July 2014. To get to the top, you've got to climb the 264 steps that snake up the slide's tower in 25 turns. When you've summited at 168 feet—that's one foot taller than Niagara Falls—pat yourself on the back and take a selfie. Then brace yourself for the water slide's initial 50-foot linear drop, which can reach 65 mph. The only alternative is to turn around and suffer the 17-story walk back down those nauseating steps. Pailon del Diablo Waterfall, Ecuador . At first it's lovely to notice that the staircase adjacent to these waterfalls was designed to blend in with the tropical landscape. But consider the name—in English, the Devil's Cauldron—and the evil tricks the steep steps can play. They are made of smooth, oversize pebbles that provide little traction, and when you're looking down, they blend together, creating an optical illusion of a stone slide. They're also slippery from the constant mist from the falls and even though there's a metal railing to save you from any spills—but don't count on that too much—it too is drenched with water droplets. Half Dome, Cable Route, California . What's between you and the most iconic peak in Yosemite Valley? A seven-mile (one-way) all-incline hike through the wilderness that culminates with climbing up the rock face along a cable ladder for more than 400 vertical feet. If you're up for the challenge, snag one of the 300 hard-to-get daily permits available for Half Dome between Memorial Day and mid-October. (Check your footwear and the forecast; rainy conditions have proven fatal.) From the summit, you'll take in panoramic views of Yosemite Valley and the High Sierra. Travel + Leisure: World's coolest playgrounds . Inca Stairs, Peru . At Machu Picchu, 600 feet or so of steep, slippery, cloud-covered granite rocks the Inca carved more than 500 years ago into the side of Huayna Picchu (the peak in everyone's photos) lead to the rarely visited Moon Temple—and a spectacular view of the ruins. The park limits the climb to the first 400 visitors each morning and has added some metallic chains in the worst parts, so hold on because on one side is a sheer, damp wall and on the other, a straight drop into the Urubamba river. Statue of Liberty, New York City . If you want to gaze out from Lady Liberty's crown, check your claustrophobia at her feet. The platform's only access is via a cramped, 146-step double-helix spiral staircase with just six feet of head clearance—and it's teeming with tourists. Real troopers, however, will make the entire tight 377-step hike up all the way from the lobby, the equivalent of climbing a 20-story building. These physical challenges all come after you've managed another feat: snagging one of the hard to get passes that allow entry into the crown. They have to be booked at least three months in advance, are name and date specific and are limited to four per order. Florli Stairs, Norway . Norway's Flørli Power Station is the starting point for the best hikes around the town of Lysefjord—and its stairs will make you gasp for two reasons. First, there are 4,444 steps that ascend a staggering 2,427 feet from the bottom. Second, it is the longest staircase in the world made entirely out of wood, meaning you should be paying close attention to each mysterious creak and crack you hear. Mount Huashan Heavenly Stairs, China . There's no official count of steps on this cardiac stress test carved into a sacred Taoist mountain. Perhaps because anyone attempting to conquer this vertiginous washboard wall has lost count, distracted by the dizzying drop and its threat of death. Eventually, the steep "heavenly stairs" stop, and this becomes the most hellish horizontal walk in the world—a three-plank-wide walkway with only a chain to hold onto, flush against the wall of flat rock. When that's done, there's another set of meandering, mountainside stairs. If you get to the top of Mount Huashan, you'll discover that "heaven" is a remote tea house with a terrific view. Travel + Leisure: World's scariest bridges . Janssen Observatory, Mont Blanc, France . The steps are short and sweet. They're not cramped, they come with railings, and they don't get too crowded. What can make these stairs squeamish is their placement at the summit of the tallest mountain in the Alps, when they're open to the elements—gale-force winds and chilly temperatures. Batu Caves, Malaysia . One of the most important Hindu holy sites outside of India is this series of cave shrines nestled into the side of a mountain about eight miles from Kuala Lumpur. The highlight: accomplishing the ascent of 272 steps that lead 330 feet up the rock to the main Temple Cave. It's not just the stone stairs that test your temerity; it's the sneaky macaque monkeys. They aren't afraid of people and are liable to steal stuff right out of your bag. So while it's a good idea to climb without any food, it also can't hurt to say a prayer before going up. You may do so at the temple of Hanuman—the "noble monkey"—to the far left of the entrance, near Ramayana Cave. Sagrada Familia, Barcelona . Gaudí envisioned a forest canopy when designing the rooftop of this Roman Catholic church, but climbing the spiral staircase to its towers feels more like crawling up a Slinky. Not only does it coil high along the tightly enclosed walls, but there's also no banister to prevent you from barreling over the middling edge while you're walking up and down with hordes of other people. Haiku Stairs, Oahu, Hawaii . Can stairs be so seriously scary that they've been banned? Answer: Yes. The 3,922 rickety steps that lead a half mile up Oahu's Koolau Mountain Range pose such a risk, it's actually illegal to climb them. There's even a guard placed at the bottom to stop you from going up. Nicknamed the Highway to Heaven, they were built in 1942 by the U.S. Navy as a means to installing communications wires. After World War II, they became popular with daredevil hikers. But by 1987, they had closed to the public for safety concerns, and they stay that way, despite a 2003 renovation project. Duomo di Milano, Milan . No visit to Milan is complete without having marveled at the view of Italy's northern city from the roof of this famed cathedral stacked with about 2,000 statues. But in order to check it off your bucket list, you're required to wiggle up and down a steep, slender staircase in a shaft way clogged with tourists. Tip: Head to La Rinascente, a department store across the street with a rooftop café that serves up perfect views of the cathedral and skyline—no stairs necessary. See all of the world's scariest stairs .
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Moon Temple at Machu Picchu can be reached by 600-foot slippery granite steps .
The journey to Yosemite's Half Dome requires a long cable ladder .
A misstep on any of these staircases can be lethal .
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By . David Kent . Alan Hansen has left the door open for a return to TV just days after leaving the BBC and Match of the Day. Hansen was a regular pundit on the MotD sofa for over 20 years and Sunday’s World Cup final was his final job for the Beeb. But the former Scotland defender, who won eight league titles in 14 years at Liverpool, says he would be tempted to return to punditry to work on Champions League games featuring his former club. VIDEO Scroll down for Hansen's infamous remark: 'You can't win anything with kids' End of an era: Alan Hansen works as a pundit for the BBC for the last time during the World Cup final . Front men: Hansen and Lineker pose in the Match of the Day studio in 2002 ahead of another season . Hansen said in his column for the Daily Telegraph: ‘The viewing public have not got rid of me forever because I will dip in and out of television in the future, but I will not be under contract again to become a permanent pundit on another show. 'There is an appeal to covering certain Liverpool games, perhaps in the Champions League, but I am now happy to take a step back and see what the future brings for the first time since I started out at Partick Thistle more than 40 years ago.' Hansen says he decided to quit Match of . the Day after two decades when he saw younger footballers, such as Rio . Ferdinand, come on the scene and be more able to relate to the modern game. He also cited the rise of social media as another factor in his decision to leave the BBC. Stalwarts: Hansen and Alan Shearer (right) have become familiar faces on the BBC's iconic Saturday night highlights show Match of the Day . Final line-up: Hansen (right) and the World Cup gang as he lines up for the final time with the BBC . He added: ‘Rio Ferdinand, and Twitter, are two of the factors which prove to me that the time is right to move on after more than two decades. ‘Rio and I have both played the game at . the back at the top level for the biggest clubs and we see and say many . of the same things, but Rio brings a freshness to it and ensures that . what he says sounds different to what I say, even if we are saying the . same thing.’ A trophy life: Hansen (second right) won eight league titles during his time at Liverpool .
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Hansen says he could work on Liverpool Champions League games in the future .
The Scotsman is leaving Match of the Day after 22 years .
Hansen won eight titles and three European Cups in his 14 years at Anfield .
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By . Shari Miller . The wallet of a German soldier killed on the battlefield during the First World War will finally be returned to his family after 100 years, thanks to the efforts of two Britons who set out to 'do the right thing'. Friends Ivor White, 85, from North Tyneside, and Dennis Picton, who now lives in Australia, have spent the last six months tracing the family of the soldier, who was killed around 1914. The wallet - pierced by the very bullet that killed its owner - belonged to Herman Karl Ernst Musold and contains a German Iron Cross military medal, a picture of Kaiser Wilhelm II and payment coupons. Detective work: Ivor White from North Tyneside has tracked down the grandson of a German soldier killed in 1914, whose wallet has been in his family for 100 years . Patriotic: The wallet contained an Iron Cross medal, a book of coupons and a picture of Kaiser Wilhelm II . It was picked up from the battlefield by Vic Garside - Mr White's step-father, who was a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps, and has been kept by his family in Tyneside ever since. But he was unsure how to trace the original owner's family, until Mr Picton offered to help. 'We got chatting and I showed him the wallet and he became very interested in it. 'He said he'd try and trace the original owner's family and sure enough, he has. 'I didn't think it could be done but they seem to be delighted we got in touch.' Mr Picton, who lives in Adelaide, said: 'I scoured the internet and came up with the addresses of archives in Germany. 'The first one had seen its records destroyed by floods in the 1970s, but eventually I located one which deals with the history of those who fought for the German army.' The pair were eventually able to trace the soldier's grandson, Wolfgang Musold, who lives in Rathenow, a small town in the district of Havelland in Brandenburg. Identity: The official papers carried by the soldier name him as Herman Karl Ernst Musold . Historic: Ivor White is pleased he can return the war memorabilia to the soldier's family . War-torn: Ivor White holds the wallet pierced by a bullet passed and right, its historic World War One contents . The town is reportedly the place where Adolf Hitler was secretly buried alongside Eva Braun, as well as Joseph Goebbels and his family. Letters have been exchanged and Mr White is preparing to post the wallet back to Mr Musold. Mr Picton said: 'I am pleased for Ivor in that he was really keen to find the man's family. 'He wanted to get the stuff back and I am sure the relatives will be very pleased to have a bit of family history back.' Mr White added: 'I'm glad they'll get it back. It seemed the right thing to do.'
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Ivor White and Dennis Picton were determined to find wallet owner's family .
Belonged to Herman Karl Ernst Musold who was killed in battle in 1914 .
Wallet contained German Iron Cross medal and picture of the Kaiser .
Internet research helped pair track down soldier's grandson in Germany .
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The most common form of cancer in women, breast cancer, is easier to treat than the most common form in men, prostate cancer . Women are far more likely to survive cancer than men are, research shows. Nearly twice as many women as men are still alive at least ten years after being diagnosed. This is largely because the most common form of cancer in women – breast cancer – is easier to treat than the most common form in men, prostate cancer. Research by Macmillan Cancer Support shows that 260,000 women are still alive ten years after their cancer diagnosis, compared with 140,000 men. The charity says this is partly because almost 80 per cent of the 50,000 women diagnosed annually with breast cancer can expect to live at least another decade. In contrast, just over 65 per cent of the 41,000 men diagnosed with prostate cancer will survive for this length of time. Men are also more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer, which has only a 10 per cent survival rate. There are nearly 23,000 new cases of cancer in men each year compared with 19,000 in women.In general, men are notoriously reluctant to see a doctor whenever they are ill. This means that if they have cancer, they are more likely to ignore the symptoms and it may not be picked up until it has spread and is untreatable. Ciaran Devane, of Macmillan Cancer Support said: ‘Breast cancer is the big success story of cancer. Since the 1980s, the average survival rate has been above ten years. Lots of people get it, almost exclusively women, but they will live a long time. ‘But if you compare that with the big male cancer, prostate, survival isn’t as good.’ The findings of the study will be presented tomorrow at the National Cancer Intelligence Network conference in Brighton. There were 288,600 new cancer diagnoses in England in 2010, the latest figures available, compared with 246,400 in 2000 and 212,700 in 1990. MPs have previously warned that men with prostate cancer receive far worse care than women with breast cancer . But cancer survival rates have quadrupled in the past 40 years. MPs have previously warned that men with prostate cancer receive far worse care than women with breast cancer. A report in 2009 by the All Parliamentary Group on Cancer said that treatment for men was less prompt and they were not offered as much support. Figures also show that while breast cancer research receives an average of £815 per case diagnosed, prostate cancer only gets £417. Last week, Macmillan published figures showing that by 2020, one in two Britons will develop cancer at some time in their life.
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Breast cancer is easier to treat than prostate cancer .
Research was carried out by Macmillan Cancer Support .
Men are more likely to be diagnosed with lung cancer which has only a 10 per cent survival rate .
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It's an iconic piece of video. For more than three minutes, a mob of enraged men toss Moammar Gadhafi around like a broken mannequin. His body and face bloody, his black bushy hair a crazy mess, the 69-year-old Libyan leader is pummeled. His shirt is ripped open to reveal a pudgy belly. The cell phone camera then focuses on a gulf of red spreading across Gadhafi's backside as someone stabs him in the rear with a bayonet. Later, a young man holds a golden pistol triumphantly in the air as he's cheered by the mob in Sirte, Libya. It didn't take long before the video was uploaded to the Internet, where the world watched the violent end to Libya's eight-month uprising in 2011 -- and to Gadhafi's life. To critics of the long-ruling dictator, it appeared to be a fitting conclusion. But human rights investigators now say there's much more to what happened on October 20 last year than rebels acting in the heat of the moment. Human Rights Watch says the militiamen who ravaged Gadhafi also captured, tortured and killed dozens of his loyalists following his death, violating international war crimes laws. That assertion is laid out in a 50-page report released by HRW this week. The rights group based its findings on witness accounts and amateur videos shot with cell phones. In its report, HRW lambastes Libya's current transitional government, saying it has taken no serious steps in investigating or prosecuting anti-Gadhafi militias. It also says its findings do not match Libya's assertion that Gadhafi was killed in the crossfire, and not after his capture. HRW called on Libya's leaders to honor their pledge formally and investigate Gadhafi's death. CNN has reached out to Libyan authorities for comment on the Human Rights Watch report, but has not received a response. If Libya is going to truly rid itself of violence and extremists -- a timely demand considering last month's fatal U.S. consulate attack -- justice, the group believes, must be meted out on all sides. Gadhafi and crew run . In February 2011, protesters took to the streets in Libya demanding peacefully that Gadhafi step down. His 42 years of hardline rule had to end, they said. A man who rarely embraced reality, Gadhafi retorted, "All my people...love me." As rallies continued, Gadhafi responded by ordering his forces to fire into the crowds. The movement descended into a violent uprising that dragged on for months. By March, the opposition gained a foothold in the city of Benghazi. In response, Gadhafi's forces closed in on the city. At the United Nations, the Security Council passed a resolution imposing a no-fly zone over Libya and authorized the use of "all necessary measures" -- except an occupation -- to protect civilians from the violence raging in their country. In August, as Tripoli looked ever more fragile, Gadhafi, his crew and his sons jumped into cars and sped off in various directions. Khamis Gadhafi, active in his father's regime, was killed in a NATO airstrike as he tried to skip town. Another son, Saif al-Islam, managed to make his way to the Misrata suburb of Bani Walid, surrounded by desert. Al-Islam later told Human Rights Watch that a NATO airstrike had left him mildly wounded. He was captured in November near Libya's border. National security adviser Mutassim Gadhafi, another son, made it safely to Sirte, his father's hometown. That's also where the dictator and his crew headed. Senior security adviser Mansour Dhao was in tow, he told Human Rights Watch, as well as Gadhafi's personal guard, driver and a bunch of other bodyguards. Libya's intelligence chief was there, but only briefly, because he was dispatched hundreds of miles to the south of Sirte. His job? He had to tell Khamis' mother that her son was dead. From luxury to squatting . For some time, Gadhafi and his inner circle stayed in the middle of the city. But as the fighting intensified, they began moving from empty house to empty house, eating the food left in the cupboards, Dhao said. The homes they sought shelter in had already been looted. As the weeks wore on, food was sparse. The medicine they had was running out. It was getting tougher to find water. This group, who once dined in luxury, was subsisting on pasta and rice. "Living (was) very hard... we didn't even have bread," Dhao recounted. Gadhafi spent most of his time reading the Quran and praying. "His communications with the world was cut off... no television, nothing," Dhao said. "No news. Maybe we could use the (satellite phone) and get some news from al-Rai, Russia Today, BBC or France 24. I mean, (we) could call people who watch those channels. "We had no duties," he said. "We were just between sleeping and being awake." The militias hunting Gadhafi were getting closer. And the dictator was getting moodier. "(He was) becoming more and more angry," Dhao said. "Mostly he was angry about the lack of electricity, communications, and television, his inability to communicate with the outside world." The men would sit with Gadhafi and try to calm him down. "Why is there no electricity?" he screamed at them. "Why is there no water?" A doomed escape . By mid-October, Mutassim, one of the two surviving sons, decided enough was enough. He told the group in Sirte to meet at an ad-hoc clinic. They were going to try to escape. The plan was to break out around 3:30 or 4 a.m. But it took until about 8 a.m. to load the supplies and the men who were wounded. By that time, anti-Gadhafi militia fighters had returned to their fighting positions. Odds were stacked against the convoy, not least of all because it was unwieldy, including some 250 people. When it set out, it came under heavy attack. It swerved and snaked onto dirt roads. A missile struck so close to the convoy that airbags in some of the vehicles inflated, Dhao said. Disoriented and out of options, Gadhafi's men drove right into a militia base. As NATO jets flew overhead, the vehicles were trapped. Munitions inside the convoy were triggered by the firepower all around. Explosions shook Gadhafi's crew from the convoy and they ran for their lives. Younis Abu Bakr Younis, the son of Gadhafi's defense minister, was among several who ran to a villa and took cover. When he got there, he saw Gadhafi hiding, wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest. The dictator had a handgun in his pocket and was carrying an automatic weapon, Younis and another witness told Human Rights Watch. Shots picked away at the concrete. Mutassim Gadhafi was injured but he still called the shots. He ordered the men to make a run for it, and motioned toward a drainage pipe near a main road several hundred feet away. Mutassim turned to his father. "I will try and find you a way out of here," he promised. Once they made it to the pipe, fighters ran toward the group. Gadhafi's guard threw a grenade at them. It bounced off the concrete and back at them. The mob descends . Shrapnel sliced Gadhafi. Dhao saw that the leader's head was bleeding. But he was more concerned with his father, who was also with the group. He'd fallen to the ground. "I ran towards my father, but he didn't answer when I asked him if he was okay," Dhao told Human Rights Watch. Younis, the son of Gadhafi's defense minister, was fatally injured. A guard was dead. Exposed, the group was overrun by militia fighters. The 3-minute, 38-second cell phone clip that seems to show the last moments of Moammar Gadhafi's life is choppy. Whoever was filming moves the camera around dizzily in the chaos. But the audio is clear. The mob shouts "Allahu Akbar!" or "God is the greatest!" They chant "Misrata," the name of the town where hatred of Gadhafi burned most intensely during the uprising, primarily because his army had shelled it nonstop for two months in the spring. To understand precisely what shelling means here, imagine the kind of Fourth of July firework that shoots up to the sky in a single rocket and then bursts into a thousand pieces in the sky. If you were on the ground in Misrata, it was like that, only in reverse, a thousand tiny death pellets careening in all directions at speeds impossible to run from. Scores of innocent people were killed there, and even if they survived the shelling, there wasn't much hope. It was next to impossible to get medical aid, food and other supplies there. It was the militias of Misrata that brutalized Gadhafi loyalists the worst, the rights group says. The group also alleges it has evidence that indicates opposition militias took Mutassim from Sirte to Misrata and killed him, and it has cell phone video taken by opposition fighters showing captured convoy members being abused, the group said in its report. Human Rights Watch matched morgue pictures with video of men executed together in a hotel. HRW had investigators inside Libya the day Gadhafi died. The team documented more than 100 bodies and wrote in the Wednesday report that the bodies lingered for a while but were later buried by volunteers. The rights group alleges that no Libyan investigators have attempted to document how many people died, who killed them and how. The problem, Human Rights Watch says, is twofold. First, those militias from Misrata are still quite active. Today, they are preventing about 30,000 people from returning to their homes in the area, for example. Second, the country's transitional government perceives them as undermining governmental authority, the rights group said. Suspicion -- rather than order and forgiveness -- continues to grip Libya, the rights group suggests, and justice is being ignored.
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Human Rights Watch: Libya should investigate rebels who killed Gadhafi forces .
Witness in Gadhafi inner circle describes dictator on the run, eating food in empty houses .
Trying to escape, the leader's guards threw grenades but one bounced back and exploded .
A mob descended on Gadhafi October 20, but it's still unclear how he died, HRW says .
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By . Talal Musa . PUBLISHED: . 13:16 EST, 12 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 14:23 EST, 12 February 2013 . The next generation Xbox console will require Microsoft's Kinect motion sensors to be connected when playing games, according to games industry sources. The machine - the follow up to the hugely successful Xbox 360 - will also feature new-look control pads and be capable of simultaneously running apps alongside video games. Having Kinect as a requirement has . raised eyebrows among gamers as it is still widely criticised by 'hardcore' gamers for being a gimmick that adds little value to games. Successor: The Xbox 360 is a hugely popular system, but recent games have showed a gulf in the graphical quality between its aging hardware and the current crop of PCs . That's despite Microsoft having sold 20million of the motion-sensor units. The new machine is codenamed Durango. A source who is said to have previously revealed details on games consoles, told Kotaku he has had access to the development kits. The source went on to describe the graphical leap between Durango and the current 360 to echo the difference between Halo 2 on the original Xbox and Crysis on a high-powered PC. The website claims that a new Kinect-style motion control will be included with every Durango sold, and must be plugged in and calibrated for the console to even function. It will also 'always be watching you', with a new camera able to track up to six individual skeletons in the same room at all times. This would suggest that the system could instantly identity the person and also be related to the recently-patented Microsoft system for monitoring or charging users based on who is watching what. The quality of the Kinect camera has been improved, too, with reports that it is capable of tracking thumb movement or recognise when your hand is open and closed. Other reports suggest it can also recognise when you are angry, sad and exited. Big reveal: Sony are almost certain to showcase their next-gen console on February 20 . The next Xbox console could require gamers to be permanently connected to the internet - ruling out the use of second-hand games, according to a magazine report. The next-generation console will 'be absolutely committed to online functionality', says the magazine, quoting sources with first-hand experience of Microsoft's latest console. Gamers will be required to activate games in the same way as most other software from Microsoft and other publishers is already activated online, the report in Edge magazine claimed. This would mean that the game is tied to the console it is activated on, and to the Xbox Live account activating it, making it impossible to sell on old games. An activation system would check that you are the registered user of the game each time you start it up - you wouldn't even be able to lend it to a friend. The site claims the new Xbox will run on custom hardware, including an 8-core, 64-bit CPU running at 1.6ghz, 800mhz DirectX11 graphics processor units and custom hardware blocks to take help take the pressure off the CPU. The console is also reportedly capable of delivering stereo 3D content and ships with built-in wifi. Audio output will be via either HDMI or S/PDIF (optical) and can support 7.1 channels. It will ship with 500GB hard drive, too. Cleverly, Durango titles can be designed in sections, so the now mandatory installations can take place automatically while you play. Sadly, Kotaku claims that Xbox 360 controllers will not work with Durango as Microsoft are using what they call a 'new wireless technology'. Sony, meanwhile, have kept their hand even closer to their chest regarding their next-generation console. However, it is widely expected that they will reveal their PS3 successor at a major event in New York City on Feburary 20. Microsoft will likely wait until E3 to make an announcement with the console expected to retail at the end of the year.
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New console, code-named 'Durango', can simultaneously run apps and video games, according to rumours .
Reports claim highly-advanced Kinect sensor can track the slightest body movements and recognise if person is angry, sad or happy .
Xbox 360 controllers will not work with Durango .
Video games rival Sony set to unveil their new console on February 20 .
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By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 09:39 EST, 29 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:19 EST, 29 August 2013 . It turns out that even in Sin City, some sins are hard to overlook. The Palazzo hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip is trying to evict a 10-month-old nightclub for shows it says are so raunchy that they violate obscenity laws. It says actors — some nearly naked — toss condoms into the crowd and simulate sex acts and bestiality on stage. The club is seeking a restraining order to halt the closure, arguing that simulated sex acts don't constitute obscenity. Scroll down for video . Sex Fueled: In this image provided by The Act nightclub, patrons enjoy a perfromance at the club located at the Palazzo hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The Palazzo is trying to terminate their 10-year agreement with the nightclub . Casino officials 'were well aware of our brand,' said Sean Dunn, special events director at The Act, in an email statement, adding that representatives of the hotel-casino have frequently attended shows and did not complain. Las Vegas Sands, which owns the casino, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Act remains open for business while a district judge considers its fate, but the fight over its future has exposed an underlying reality in Vegas: While the city sells itself as a racy, no-holds-barred destination, there are limits. 'I think there's the perception that anything goes in Vegas — there's no boundaries, no lines,' said Lynn Comella, a professor of sexuality and women's studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 'In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.' Unhappy: The Palazzo Resort Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA wants its resident nightclub The Act to close . Raunchy: The Palazzo hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip is trying to evict a 10-month-old nightclub for shows it says are so raunchy that they violate obscenity laws . Hanging in the Balance: The Act remains open for business while a district judge considers its fate . That perception, in part, is fueled by what tourists see. Trucks roll down Las Vegas Boulevard advertising 'hot babes' delivered directly to hotel rooms, the phone book is full of come-ons for escorts and private dancers, and taxis and billboards feature scantily clad women who leave little to the imagination. While Las Vegas is also rife with strip clubs, tourists won't find them along the Strip or in the city's hotel-casinos. They can take in a topless stage show or lounge at a European-style topless pool, but they have to catch a ride to a side street to see strippers. 'The goal for Las Vegas was to be naughty enough to attract you but not naughty enough to repel you,' said Michael Green, a history professor at the College of Southern Nevada. Too Sexy? While Las Vegas is also rife with strip clubs, tourists won't find them along the Strip or in the city's hotel-casinos . The city — which rises and falls on the pocketbooks of its 40 million annual visitors — must balance the sexiness with the sensibilities of foreign tourists and large, multinational casinos. 'It's highly sexualized and gets a lot of mileage out of that, but it's a very particular version of that,' Comella said. In The Act's case, Sands executives notified club officials on April 26 that they'd crossed a line with the show and were no longer welcome in the $15 million space. The casino giant wants to evict it, ending a 10-year lease. The casino notified club officials after undercover security officers went into the venue in March. The details of the show were laid bare this week in court, when an investigator apologized for getting graphic and looked pained while describing some kinky scenes. The club contends Sands 'manufactured this 'breach' in an attempt to improperly evict' it. 'We believe we are on the leading edge of the next evolution of nightlife in Las Vegas and that The Act fills a niche for patrons looking for an alternative to the typical Las Vegas big-box club scene,' Dunn said. The casino notified club officials after undercover security officers went into the venue in March . Those who stray outside the limits of what is considered acceptable in the city risk invoking the wrath of the state's powerful Gaming Control Board and losing their lucrative gambling permits. The board smacked the Planet Hollywood casino with a $750,000 fine in 2009 amid accusations that employees at the independently owned Prive nightclub allowed toplessness, turned a blind eye to prostitution and physically and sexually assaulted patrons. The board isn't investigating The Act and is waiting for the lawsuit to play out, according to chairman A.G. Burnett. Entertainment: The Las Vegas Strip at twilight - most of the largest attractions and hotels are located on the Strip . There's no doubt that Las Vegas markets itself as an adult playground, said Oscar Goodman, the larger-than-life former Las Vegas mayor who's often flanked by scantily clad showgirls, martini in hand. 'We have standards and we're not going to advocate illegal activity,' he said. 'Unless the sex goes out of the line, we embrace it.'
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The Act nightclub in Las Vegas faces closure for its burlesque nights - which their proprietor claims are too obscene .
The club is fighting the closure and says that simulated sex acts are not the same as actual sexual acts .
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Michael Phelps' self-proclaimed 'intersex' girlfriend has been offered a role in a porn film to act out their alleged fling. Taylor Lianne Chandler has been approached by porn baron Vivid Entertainment boss Steve Hirsch, who has made millions from hardcore pornography films for the internet. Chandler, 41, told TMZ who reported the news, that she was still in the 'wine and dine me' stage of negotiations. Scroll down for video . Michael Phelps' (left) self-proclaimed 'intersex' girlfriend Taylor Lianne Chandler (right) has been offered a role in a porn film to act out their alleged fling . Porn baron: Steven Hirsch poses with Savanna Samson, one of his Vivid Entertainment stars. Hirsch, who has made millions from hardcore pornography films for the internet, reportedly approached Chandler . Last month Chandler claimed that the most decorated Olympian of all time pursued her on Tinder – but that they are no longer an item. Phelps has yet to comment on Chandler’s claims. Chandler, claims to have had a romance with the US athlete, 12 years her junior, before he went into rehab in September and that they became involved after he approached her on the dating app. However, such is Phelps' fame, that she wasn't sure if the messages were coming from a made-up account. I'm yelling Tinder: A look at Phelps' alleged Tinder profile, which is how he and Chandler first met . She told The Daily Beast's Aurora Snow: 'He pursued me [on Tinder]. He was actually outside the age range for what my account was setup for. But what I've learned is when someone looks at whatever and likes you, even if they're younger it shows up in your feed. 'But at the time I just didn't think it was real. You just figure it's fake.' Chandler explained that once they'd met up, their relationship seemed quite serious. She said: 'We talked about the fact that I wasn't looking to get involved with someone unless it was serious. I'm not ugly, so its not like men don't approach me, but I wanted something real. And it felt real with him. I've been to his house four times, we talk everyday, and I've slept with him more than once.' Chandler admitted on a Facebook post that she'd been born an 'intersex' - someone who had male genitalia, but no testicles, while also having a uterus and no ovaries . Chandler claims she was with Phelps when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI on September 30 in Baltimore . Feet in the sand: Chandler has been a champion for gender rights . Her choice: Chandler began taking testosterone blockers in her teens, and had corrective surgery in her early twenties to get rid of her male genitalia . The blonde says that she had a fulfilling sex life with Phelps, who made her feel 'like the most beautiful woman in the world'. The pair are no longer together, but for reasons that Chandler won't disclose. She insists that the split is not because she was forced to admit her past, and says that the reason is for Phelps to disclose. Chandler admitted on a Facebook post that she'd been born an 'intersex' – someone who had male genitalia, but no testicles, while also having a uterus and no ovaries - with the name David Roy Fitch. She later had surgery. She wrote: 'I was never a man, never lived as a man. No one can say they knew me as a man or produce a photo of me as a man. 'There are people that remember me as an androgynous child at times because of what was forced upon me.' GUILTY: Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps walks into a courthouse Friday morning for a trial on drunken driving and other charges. He pled guilty . After his arrest Phelps went to rehab. He was busted with a .14 blood alcohol level. He has since gone to rehab . She had previously detailed their first date, to a Baltimore Ravens games, to the National Enquirer. 'One thing led to the next, and we made love during halftime,' she claims in the interview. 'Later, we had sex again. The intimacy with him was amazing! It was the first time in my life that someone has made me feel like a true woman.' She also told the magazine that she never lied to the swimmer about her past, saying it just never came up. Chandler claims she was with Phelps when he was arrested on suspicion of DUI on September 30 in Baltimore, Maryland. Showing some skin: Photos of Michael Phelps in a jail cell after his DUI arrest have been released . The swimmer entered rehab just a few days after the incident. On Friday Phelps pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and received 18 months of supervised probation and a one-year suspended jail sentence. The 18-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested for drunken driving early on September 30 after speeding and then crossing the double yellow lines inside a Baltimore tunnel, police said. 'The last three months of my life have been some of the hardest times I've ever gone through, some of the biggest learning experiences I've ever had,' Phelps, wearing a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie, told reporters. 'I'm happy to be moving forward. I'll continue to grow from this.' Phelps, 29, was clocked by radar at around 1:40 a.m. traveling 84 miles per hour (135 kph) in a 45-mph (72-kph) zone, police said, adding that he blew a .14 on a Breathalyzer, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Maryland. He faced up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. 'I hope we don't have this conversation again and I'm optimistic that we won't have this conversation again,' Judge Nathan Braverman told Phelps during his sentencing. Police said an officer followed Phelps' 2014 Land Rover onto northbound Interstate 95, through the Fort McHenry Tunnel, and pulled him over just beyond the tunnel's toll plaza. The drunken-driving arrest was the second for Phelps, who has spent most his life working feverishly in the pool but admits he likes to have a good time when not competing. Following his arrest, Phelps, who is eyeing a spot on the U.S. team for the 2016 Olympics, was suspended for six months by USA Swimming and barred from representing the United States at the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships in Russia. Phelps said he completed a 45-day rehab program at an Arizona treatment center following his arrest, continues aftercare in Baltimore, and will participate in Alcoholics Anonymous.
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Taylor Lianne Chandler claims to have dated US swimmer Michael Phelps .
Approached by porn baron Vivid Entertainment boss Steve Hirsch, says TMZ .
Says she is in 'wine and dine me' stage of negotiations .
Born an 'intersex' - male genitalia but no testicles, and uterus but no ovaries .
Chandler claims that Phelps approached her on dating app Tinder .
They began a romance during which they had sex several times, she says .
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By . Victoria Woollaston . Behind all the reports about Google’s Android Wear, and the countless Apple iWatch rumours, Microsoft’s own smartwatch has slipped under the radar a little. But two patents published this week suggest the firm is definitely still on track to launch its own range of wearable tech - and it could be released as soon as October. A source close to the plans confirmed the release date, said it would be cross-platform, and added the watch could also have its display on the inside of the wrist. Two patents published this week (file pictured) suggest Microsoft is still on track to release its own range of wearable tech - and it could be released as soon as October. A source close to the plans confirmed this release date, and added the watch could have its display on the inside of the wrist . Nothing has been officially confirmed by Microsoft yet, but previous rumours claim: . The watch will have a removable band that will come in a red, black, yellow and blue. It will be made of oxynitride aluminium - a translucent form of the metal. Microsoft's smartwatch is also said to run a version of Windows 8. Prototypes of the device are being tested by the Surface team and the watch could have the connector featured on the tablet. A source close to the plans has said the . device will launch in October, and it could have its display on the . inside of the wrist. It is also expected to work across multiple platforms, including Android, iOS and Windows PC. This would make the watch more 'natural' to use, and the screen would be visible by turning the wrist upwards. The source also said the gadget wouldn't be as bulky as Samsung's range of smartwatches, or the Moto 360. Instead, it is expected to be sleeker, thinner, and more closely resemble a fitness band, such as the Nike Fuelband. Both the patents published earlier this week were originally filed back in 2012. The first is titled Discreetly Displaying Contextually Relevant Information on a display device, and shows a smartwatch displaying notifications and GPS navigation. It was filed on 24 December 2012. The second, called Dynamic User Interfaces Adapted to Inferred User Contexts, shows how Microsoft plans to add sensors to track the level of activity the wearer is doing - from sitting down to running. The source also said the gadget wouldn't be as bulky as Samsung's watch range, or the Moto 360. Instead, it is expected to be sleeker and thinner, and more closely resemble a fitness band, such as the Nike Fuelband (pictured). Both the patents published earlier this week were filed back in 2012 . Both patents show wrist worn devices that connect with a phone, and are fitted with built-in heart rate monitors, accelerometers and GPS units (pictured) This second patent also explained that the interface would react to varying activity levels in different ways. It was filed on 26 December 2012. Both patents show wrist worn devices that . connect with a phone or other smart device, and are fitted with built-in . heart rate monitors, accelerometers and GPS units. Although this technology is not new, Microsoft's patents pre-date current devices on the market and there may be patent infringements filed as a result. The rumours about an October launch originated from website Tom’s Hardware, which stated that a ‘trusted source with knowledge of the development’ confirmed the release, and that the phone will work across multiple platforms. At the moment, Samsung’s range of smartwatches only work with its own handsets, and its expected that any watch Apple releases will be similarly proprietary. Last month, a similar patent was published that revealed Microsoft was working on sports watch, with built-in heart rate monitor. According to the latest rumours, there will be 11 sensors inside the firm’s watch including accelerometer, GPS and microphone. Apple is expected to launch its own smartwatch in September. Microsoft's watch is rumoured to work across platforms, including Android, iOS and Windows. At the moment, Samsung's Gear and Gear Fit work with its own handsets. The Gear Live (pictured) will work with any Android device running the latest software, and its expected any watch Apple releases will be similarly proprietary . Tag Heuer, part of luxury goods group LVMH, said on Friday its vice president for sales, Patrick Pruniaux, who had been with the brand for seven years, was leaving on Monday to join Apple - and is expected to work on the iWatch.
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Latest Microsoft patents add extra weight to the smartwatch rumours .
Two patents show wrist worn devices that connect with a phone .
A source close to the plans claims the watch could launch in October .
Unlike current smartwatches, Microsoft’s is rumoured to be cross-platform .
This means it could be used with any phone or operating system .
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By . Daniel Miller . Gina Marie Rayner allegedly had sex in a public hot tub while her young child wandered around calling for his 'mommy' A drunken mother had a threesome with her boyfriend and another woman in an apartment block's public hot tub while her young child wandered around crying for his 'mommy', it has been claimed. Gina Marie Rayner, 28, her boyfriend Anthony Michael Vechiola, 30 and Jennifer Duchnowski, 29, reportedly refused to stop having sex when officers confronted them in Peoria, Arizona. After the trio were finally separated an officer reported hearing a child crying for his mother, according to a police statement. The five-year-old boy later was identified as Rayner's and her three-year-old child was found sleeping in Vechiola's apartment. A concerned resident had called the police on Sunday night claiming he had seen a small child wandering around the apartment complex calling for his 'mommy', the statement said. Minutes later the same resident called again to report a fight near the pool saying they believed the child’s mother was involved. A witness claimed to have seen Rayner and Vechioloa having sex in front of the children, while one person allegedly recorded the incident on a cell phone, according to the statement. The trio were accused of public sexual indecency with Rayner also being held on suspicion of child abuse on the grounds she allegedly left her children alone in an apartment. Rayner denied that the children were present when she was having sex. Vechiola . reportedly said he had taken the children to his apartment and had told them to go . to sleep before leaving them alone and returning to the pool area. Michael Vechiola, 30 and Jennifer Duchnowski, 29, reportedly refused to stop having sex after officers were called to the apartment block's public spa . Vechiola and Rayner were charged with one count of misdemeanor public sexual indecency, one count of felony public sexual indecency with a minor present, and two counts of felony child abuse. Duchnowski was charged with on one count of misdemeanor public sexual indecency and one count of felony public sexual indecency with a minor present. She told police she was not aware there were children at the spa during the sexual tryst. Bond was set at $2,100 for both Rayner and Vechiola while Duchnowski was released on her own recognizance.
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Three arrested following alleged romp in apartment's public spa .
They reportedly refused to stop having sex when confronted by officers .
One person allegedly .
recorded the incident on a cell phone .
Witness claims two of the group were having sex in front of the children .
Mother-of-two Gina Marie Rayner, 28, charged with child abuse .
She denied that the children were present when she was having sex .
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Police were last night urged to patrol in pairs for their own safety amid rising fears of a terrorist plot to murder an officer on UK streets. The advice was issued by the nation's counter-terrorism chief as it was revealed that hundreds of extra firearms officers will be deployed across London. Fears of an attack in Britain were raised after the atrocities in France that left 17 dead, among them three police officers. Scroll down for video . Armed and ready: The equipment carried by some armed officers in London, here outside Horse Guards . And they intensified last week when Belgian commandos killed Islamic State (IS) fanatics who wanted to behead a policeman or judge in a plot echoing the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the national police lead for counter-terrorism, has now advised force chiefs in England and Wales to 'review the safety and security of staff' urgently – and to abandon lone patrols where necessary. In response, the country's biggest force, the Met, has adopted dual patrols as policy – something previously considered a luxury. With resources stretched, Home Secretary Theresa May had previously encouraged forces to let officers take to the streets alone. The reversal will be welcomed by London's frontline officers who have felt increasingly in danger, amid warnings from Islamists that uniformed police or soldiers would be targets for terror attacks. Some officers have spoken of concern that they have been subject to 'hostile reconnaissance' in the vicinity of police stations when travelling to or from work. It led to calls for them to be allowed to carry protective equipment such as CS spray and batons while off-duty. Mark Rowley, the national police lead for counter-terrorism, has now advised force chiefs in England and Wales to 'review the safety and security of staff' urgently – and to abandon lone patrols where necessary . Mr Rowley, who briefed chief constables at a meeting last Thursday, has advised officers not to go to and from work in 'half-blue' – wearing part of their uniform often hidden under a jacket – instead asking them to adopt purely civilian clothes while travelling. In October, a court heard that four men charged with a terror plot had allegedly sworn allegiance to IS and planned to murder police or soldiers in a drive-by shooting on the streets of London. It was claimed they carried out 'reconnaissance' of Shepherd's Bush police station in West London and a barracks in nearby White City. Yesterday, as Europe remained on high alert, it was revealed that hundreds of extra firearms officers were being deployed across London, which already has 2,700 heavily-equipped officers authorised to carry guns. Scotland Yard is also likely to double the number of its officers carrying Tasers from 2,500 to 5,000. Officers have been given a four-page document with advice on safety measures. It urges caution, for instance, when using social media accounts. Meanwhile, Britain's border forces have stepped up security checks to prevent automatic weapons, such as those used in Paris, from entering the country. Security sources say the French cities of Marseilles and Toulouse have become a 'hotbed' for high-powered assault rifles in recent years. 'France in particular has seen a huge expansion in the number of weapons on the streets, and there is no guarantee they won't end up here,' said a source. The Charlie Hebdo killers possessed an array of weaponry almost unthinkable on the streets of Britain. It included a Czech-made Skorpion sub-machine gun, several Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifles, Tokarev pistols, an M82 grenade launcher and hand grenades. Border checks at the Channel have so far kept Britain relatively free of such hardware, but security chiefs admit that there are now so many in Europe that they are more likely to be smuggled into the country. Officials estimate there could be as many as 10 million weapons in illegal circulation across the EU and say an assault rifle can be bought for under £1,000 on the black market and handguns for half that amount. Many are understood to come from Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslav republics as well as from the Middle East and North Africa. Last night, immigration and security Minister James Brokenshire said: 'This Government is doing more than any previous government to disrupt organised crime and protect the security of the border.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Advice issued by nation's counter-terrorism chief Mark Rowley .
Fears of an attack raised after events in France that left 17 dead .
Among the dead in the atrocities in Paris were three police officers .
Last week Belgian police killed jihadists wanting to behead a policeman .
Mr Rowley advised force chiefs to abandon lone patrols where possible .
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By . Ray Massey . PUBLISHED: . 21:02 EST, 27 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:02 EST, 27 November 2013 . Figures by MoneySupermarket also found men were twice as likely to have a conviction than women (file picture) Rural motorists are twice as likely to have a drink-drive conviction than their ‘urban’ counterparts, a new report reveals today. And building workers top the list of jobs where motorists most likely to have a drink- or drug driving conviction . Across the UK it is drivers from the North of Scotland, Wales and Northern England who top the list of post-codes with the highest rates of drink-driving. And men are twice as likely to offend as women. The figures are revealed from analysis of nearly 12 million car insurance quotes by comparison website MoneySuperMarket. The MoneySuperMarket report says: ‘Drivers in rural areas have a higher proportion of drink and drug driving convictions than those living in urban hubs. Motorists in north Scotland and mid Wales are the most likely to have a conviction (a rate of 1.51 and 1.4 convictions per 1000 quotes per year respectively), double that of those living in the Greater London region (0.77 convictions). Those in London are the least likely. Scotland . and Wales dominate the postcode breakdown – representing six of the . UK’s top ten postcodes for drivers with a drink or drug driving . conviction. Across the UK Aberdeen tops the list . with a rate of 1.521 convictions per 1,000 insurance quotes, followed . by Inverness (1.491), Swansea (1.490), Dundee (1.486), Carlisle (1.485), . Cardiff (1.471), Blackpool (1.443), Stoke-on-Trent (1.390), Kirkcaldy . (1.387) and Telford (1.381). At . the other end of the scale, London postcodes predominate in the 10 . areas with the lowest drink-drive convictions, along with Bradford, . Liverpool and Manchester. The report notes:’ Blue-collar professions are the most likely to have a drink or drug driving conviction.’ Scaffolders are revealed as the . worst, registering 4.6 convictions per 1000 quotes per year, followed by . builders labourers, roofers and floor layers all with 4.0 convictions . per 1000. Midwives and . paramedics have least number of offences for drink or drug driving , in . a ‘bottom 10’ group which includes along with police officers, taxi . drivers and driving instructors. The . car insurance research searches reveals those aged 20 to 24 years old . had the highest conviction rate, at 2.3 convictions per 1000 quotes per . year, while drivers aged 50 to 64 are less likely to have a conviction, a . lower rate of 0.5 per 1000 quotes. Men have a rate of 1.4 per 1000 per year of driving, compared to a rate of 0.6 for women. Failed tests: The statistics revealed building workers top the list of jobs where motorists most likely to have a drink- or drug driving conviction . Kevin Pratt, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket.com, said: ‘The manual occupations at the top of the table are typical ‘thirsty’ jobs, where many workers finish work relatively early and go to the pub. They’re also jobs that involve early starts, driving to the site and starting work first thing the morning, even after a night out. There’s a risk workers can take to the road before the alcohol has left their system, which means they would read positive if breathalysed. ‘ . Simon Best, chief executive of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) said: ‘A hard day’s work may seem a good justification for a quick pint on the way home but responsibility for your and others safety comes with every driving licence.’ Drink-driving offences can lead to fines of up to £5,000, a 12-month driving ban and in some circumstances a possible prison sentence. Drivers may also see their insurance premiums rocket by an average of £315.
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Figures by MoneySuperMarket analysed 12 million car insurance quotes .
Statistics also found that men were twice as likely to offend as women .
Motorists in north Scotland are the most likely to have a conviction .
Scaffolders are the worst for getting behind the wheel after having a drink .
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(CNN) -- Kenyan police have detained a suspect in connection with the killing of a British tourist and the kidnapping of his wife, police spokesman Charles Owino told CNN Tuesday. The attack happened at a remote safari lodge on the coast, near the border with Somalia. About 12:30 a.m. Sunday, bandits attacked the couple, who were staying at Kiwayu Safari Village, a tourist resort on Kiwayu Island in Kiyunga division of Lamu west district on the coast, Kenyan police said. During the attack, David Tebbut was shot dead and his wife, Judith Tebbut, was abducted, police said. The couple had arrived at the hotel Saturday afternoon after spending a week in the Masai Mara game reserve in southwestern Kenya. They were the sole guests in the hotel, which has cloth doors. "From what we can be able to gather, he resisted, and that's why he was shot dead," Kenyan Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said Sunday. "Maybe they wanted to take the two, but he resisted and that's why he was shot dead." Iteere said the motive was not known. "We are treating it just as a bandit attack," he said. A travel website lists rates at the 18-cottage resort as beginning at $400 per night. A maritime security source aware of the situation said Sunday that Islamic militants probably took Judith Tebbut by boat toward Ras Kamboni in Somalia. From CNN's Divina Mims .
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Police say a suspect linked to the killing of a British tourist was detained .
The dead man's wife was kidnapped .
The attack happened Sunday at a remote safari lodge .
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Britain is a nation of shop assistants, cleaners and restaurant staff despite increasingly better educated and skilled professionals, according to a new report. The top five largest single occupational groupings include 1.1 million sales and retail assistants, 600,000 cleaners and domestics and 450,000 kitchen and catering assistants, said the Jobs Economist consultancy. The 10 occupations which have expanded most over the past three years are taxation experts (up 88 per cent to 34,000), advertising accounts managers and creative directors (up 75 per cent to 33,000), window cleaners (up 73 per cent, to 47,000), planning process and production technicians (up 72 per cent to 44,000), paramedics (up 62 per cent to 22,000), psychologists (up 59 per cent to 39,000), collector salespersons and credit agents (up 59 per cent to 24,000), process and production engineers (up 58 per cent to 66,000), town planning officers (up 55 per cent to 24,000) and bakers and flour confectioners (up 54 per cent to 40,000). High street Britain: The top largest single occupational grouping is sales/retail assistants, numbering 1.1million . All these increases are much greater than the average increase in total UK employment of around 5 per cent in the corresponding period, said the report. The 10 occupations which have contracted most over the past three years are debt, rent and other cash collectors (down 52 per cent to 20,000), TV, video and audio engineers (down 46 per cent to 6,000), insurance underwriters (down 45 per cent to 20,000), social and humanities scientists (down 42 per cent to 10,000), waste disposal and environmental services managers (down 40 per cent to 13,000), floorers and wall tilers (down 39 per cent to 25,000), managers and proprietors in forestry and fishing (down 34 per cent to 8,000), quarry workers and related operatives (down 38 per cent to 9,000), rail construction and maintenance officers (down 32 per cent to 9,000) and sheet metal workers (down 33 per cent to 13,000). Tuning out: TV, video and audio engineers have dropped 6 per cent to 6,000. File picture . Cleaning up: The number of window cleaners has risen by 73 per cent, to 47,000 . Dr John Philpott, director of the Jobs Economist, said: 'Our complex and fluid occupational structure explains why there are so many conflicting views on how the British way of work is changing. 'From one perspective it's clear that so-called 'knowledge work' is firmly on the rise, requiring a high level of professional and technical skill and offering decent pay prospects. 'Yet equally apparent is a substantial bedrock of low skill, low wage service work which accounts for the UK's relatively high incidence of low pay, with around one in five (five million) employees earning less than the commonly used low pay threshold for developed economies. 'While with considerable justification we like to portray ourselves as a nation of increasingly better educated and skilled professionals, we could also reasonably be described as a nation of shop assistants, cleaners and restaurant or cafe washer-uppers.'
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There are 1.1million sales and retail assistants in Britain .
Other large employment groupings are cleaners and kitchen assistants .
The number of debt collectors dropped 52 per cent to 20,000 .
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(CNN) -- It's a 12-year-old oft-mocked clunker of an automobile. Brenton Netz has made a side business out of fixing up Geo Metros and selling them locally and on eBay. But Marci Solomon is hoping she'll be the one laughing -- all the way to the bank -- when her Geo Metro saves her from skyrocketing gas prices. Solomon, like many others, was taking a huge hit when it came to gas prices. With her 100-mile commute to and from work each day, she saw no end in sight. Then she rediscovered the Geo Metro. "I used to be a car snob, and I used to be too vain to drive anything that doesn't shine," said Solomon, an electrician. "But now it's about, do I want to eat, or do I want to make it to work? I want to do both." The Metro has been making a huge comeback, especially on eBay, where Solomon bought the car, because of its extremely high gas mileage. The 1996 Metro's average of 40 miles per gallon nears that of the hybrid 2008 Toyota Prius -- priced at $21,000 for the cheapest model -- and bests most current cars by a long shot, according to government ratings. Older models of the Geo Metro, specifically cars from 1991 and the XFi edition, have the same average as the hybrid. See how the Geo Metro stacks up with the Toyota Prius » . Solomon toyed with the idea of purchasing a Prius but decided that for a price of $7,300, the Metro was the more economical option. For the most part, Solomon plans on using the car for commuting from her home in Rochester, Washington, to her job. The vehicle she has now, a Honda Element, was getting 28 mpg, and she was filling up twice a week, costing her nearly $100. Stations were charging $3.97 a gallon in her area Tuesday, she said. iReport: Tell us how high gas prices are affecting you . The Metro is an investment in the future, Solomon said, even if she did pay more than five times the Blue Book value of the car. "It was all about saving money," she said. "I don't think gas is ever going to go down, and these are going to be the types of solutions we have to turn to. I wanted to beat the rush." The rush may have begun. The 1996 2-door 3-cylinder Metro Solomon now owns opened on eBay May 7 with a bid of $200. A week later, Solomon won the car auction with a bid of $7,300. In 1995, a new Metro hatchback sold for about $9,000, according to Auto Mall USA. In May alone, 43 Metros of various years and models were sold on eBay, ranging in price from $221.50 to Solomon's bid of $7,300. The cars have been hot items, drawing upwards of 49 bids on certain vehicles, with many of the auctions coming down to last-second bidding wars. On Tuesday morning, 34 Metros were still up for grabs. Since her eBay purchase, Solomon has acquired another Metro, which she is considering flipping on eBay for profit. She has her eye on a third at a local car lot. "To be honest, I'm thinking of scarfing up any Geo Metro I can find," she said. Solomon isn't alone in trying to profit off of a gas-saving craze. Brenton Netz has been selling fixed-up Metros and Ford Festivas for two years now. After buying a Metro on Craigslist in Montana and driving it back to his home in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Netz realized how rarely he was making trips to the pump. "I thought the gas gauge was broken," Netz said. "I couldn't believe the gas mileage I was getting." He realized that he had stumbled upon a possible side business and began buying one-way tickets to states in the West to purchase as many of the cars as he could. Netz said he has sold about a dozen cars and has eight more sitting in his backyard. His cars go up for sale only one at a time because he knows that putting up a couple at a time would drive down the value and cut into his profit. Netz says consumers don't seem to mind paying more than the retail value, and if they do, they generally stop feeling that way after they pick up the cars. He's gotten phone calls and e-mails from customers saying how thrilled they are with the mileage. It seems, Netz said, people are beginning to realize that their car choices need to be focused more on practicality than status and appearance. "Gas prices are definitely driving increased popularity in the Metro, which at times wasn't cool," he said. "Now the coolness factor is stemming from the fact that you're getting 50 miles per gallon and never having to fill up."
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Marci Solomon bought 1996 Geo Metro for $7,300 .
Solomon's old car got 28 miles per gallon; Metro averages 40 .
Brandon Netz has side business finding, fixing and selling Metros, Festivas .
Solomon: "It's about, do I want to eat, or do I want to make it to work?"
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By . Ryan Gorman . and Ashley Collman . and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:58 EST, 9 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:05 EST, 9 February 2014 . The jury in the trial of Michael Dunn, accused of gunning down a black teen for playing music too loud, was shown the victim's bullet-riddled SUV this week. Michael Dunn, 47, is accused of killing Jordan Davis, 17, he has pleaded not guilty but prosecutors showed the jury his SUV with nine bullet holes - his girlfriend previously testified he turned to her and said 'I hate that thug music' before she heard gun shots. Ronda Rouer told the court they had both been drinking before went inside a gas station for wine and potato chips and Dunn shot the SUV up - he claims the shooting was in self-defense. Scroll down for video . Riddled with bullets: Evidence markers on the shot up SUV show where nine bullets entered the vehicle . Too loud: Michael Dunn (left) is facing a first-degree murder charge for fatally shooting 17-year-old Jordan Davis (right) in an argument about speaker volume in November 2012 . Defense: He is also facing three charges for attempted first-degree murder for the other passengers in the car . The pair consumed a few rum and cokes at Dunn's son's wedding earlier in the night before they went to the gas station where the fateful shooting occurred. Dunn has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder for the other passengers in the car. The man's defense attorney Cory Strolla says he was only trying to defend himself, after seeing Davis grab what looked to be either a shotgun or a lead pipe. But prosecutors say the four men in the vehicle weren't armed, and while they did disrespect him, they never threatened the man. Assistant State Attorney John Guy says the four men were out for a day of 'mall hopping and girl shopping' when they decided to stop at the gas station to get gum and cigarettes. Before coming over to tell the men to turn down their music, Dunn town his girlfriend 'I hate that thug music' as she walked over to the convenience store. Like this: Shawn Atkins, a witness for the prosecution, shows how he saw Dunn shoot that day. Atkins is currently in prison and tried to leverage for a lighter sentence in exchange for testifying . Dunn then went over and 'politely' asked the men to turn their music down - which was so loud it was rattling the windows. Davis responded rudely telling one of his friends 'f*** that n*****' and to turn the music back up. Guy says both Dunn and Davis exchanged the f-word in the ensuing argument, but that Davis never threatened the older man. However, defense attorneys say Dunn never cursed at Davis and that Davis got much more explicit in their fight. According to Dunn, Davis threatened: 'I'm going to f*****g kill you. You're dead, b***h. This is going down now.' Aftermath: Instead of turning himself in, Dunn and his girlfriend drove 40 miles south to a bed and breakfast and ordered pizza. Above, the couple's Volkswagen . They also say Davis reached for a weapon, which Dunn believed to be either a gun or a lead pipe, and seemed to be getting out of the car, prompting Dunn to take out his 9mm pistol and shoot three times at Davis' door. Dunn shot each of Jordan's legs and the third bullet tore through the teen's liver, lungs and aorta. Rouer said she heard a 'pop, pop, pop' while she was inside and that Dunn told her to get in the car when she came out - he then calmly walked over and put a gun in the car's glovebox. Dunn claims to have owned the gun for years but never used it before that occasion. But prosecutors say Davis couldn't have gotten out of the car since the child locks were on. The defense pointed out that friend Leland Brunson, who was in the car at the time, initially told police that Davis was getting out of the car, but changed his story four days later. Despite the driver of the SUV backing up to drive away, prosecutors say Dunn continued to barrage the car with gunfire. Another point of contention is what happened immediately after the shooting and whether or not the four teens had time to hide the weapon Dunn claims to have seen. Prosecutors say the teens had no time to hide a weapon since they never left the parking lot. A police search of their vehicle only turned up a basketball, basketball shoes, some clothing and cups on the floor but 'no weapons'. Murder: Protesters gathered outside the court to express their support for the prosecution . The defense on the other hand says the boys drove off to an adjacent parking lot first before returning to the gas station to call 911. Police didn't search the area around the gas station until several days later, giving the men 'ample time to get rid of a firearm or pipe'. Strolla points out that two witnesses initially reported that the teens seemed to be stashing something, and that two of the passengers in the SUV were unaccounted for a period after the shooting. As for Dunn, when his girlfriend Rhonda Rouer heard the shots, she left her food and change at the counter and ran out to their car. Instead of turning himself in, the couple drove 40 miles south to St Augustine where they had a reservation at a bed and breakfast. The two ordered pizza, took the dog for a walk and Dunn 'poured a big, tall drink - rum and Coke. 'They had cell phones, but they didn't call 911. He didn't drive to a police substation,' Guy said. 'That defendant put his head on his hotel pillow and went to sleep.' Hiding out? Dunn told interrogators the day after the shooting that he didn't turn himself in because he wanted to get things settled at home first . The next day they saw a news report on TV about a 17-year-old who had been fatally shot at a gas station in Jacksonville, and instead of calling police then, they drove 130 miles home to Satellite where police caught up with him . The defense attorney blames most of that strange behavior on Dunn's girlfriend, who ordered the pizza because she hadn't had much to eat all day and was hungry. They decided to go home the next day instead of turn Dunn in because Rouer was 'petrified' and 'didn't know the law of self-defense'. A day after the shooting, Dunn told interrogators he 'was waiting till we get around people we know' to turn himself in. He wanted to make sure his dog and 'everybody were where they needed to be. I did not want to being a s***storm down on them in Jacksonville'. The prosecution may have a problem in their case when it comes to witnesses. The witness who took down Dunn's license plate is currently in prison and tried to leverage a lighter sentence for agreeing to testify. And the teen driver of the SUV was on probation and violating curfew when the incident happened. In the end, the defense painted Dunn as a man who could have been a victim if he hadn't taken out his gun that day. 'God didn't make all men equal. Colt did. Colt is a firearm,' Strolla said. '(Dunn) had every right under the law to not be a victim, to be judged by 12 rather than carried by six.' Prosecutors say the teen was innocent, and did nothing to provoke a gun being fired. 'Jordan Davis was sitting in his car seat with the door closed with nothing in his hands,' Guy told the jury. The trial is expected to conclude as early as February 14.
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Michael Dunn, 47, has plead not-guilty to first-degree murder for shooting dead 17-year-old Jordan Davis in November 2012 .
The jury has seen the bullet-riddled SUV Dunn fired into .
The defense says Dunn was defending himself after seeing Davis grab either a shotgun or a lead pipe .
But police found no evidence of a weapon in the vehicle and the prosecution says the men did not threaten Dunn .
The case could conclude as early as February 14 .
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One Australian has been airlifted to safety after being trapped in an avalanche in the Himalayas, which has so far reportedly claimed the lives of at least 29 people. While fears continue to grow for more than a dozen Australian trekkers in Nepal, who are believed to be missing after the snowstorm swept the mountains on Tuesday, Nicole Wise was lucky to be found and rescued. Her anxious boyfriend Bazil Plumb was 'stoked' once he received reports about Ms Wise. However the death toll is expected to rise as search teams, hampered by bad weather, scour the snow and debris in the areas hit by the storms. Scroll down for video . Sydney woman Nicole Wise was trekking in the area hit by the storm. Her boyfriend Bazil Plumb says he has been told Ms Wise has been rescued from the area . Ms Wise's partner Bazil Plumb, who's currently in Sydney, shared the good news on social media on Friday . Mr Plumb was anxiously waiting to hear back from his girlfriend after the avalanche earlier in the week . Mr Plumb, who has been waiting in Sydney to hear back from his girlfriend, shared the good news on social media on Friday. 'Just got word that Nikki is well and has been found and airlifted to safety out of the mountains!' he wrote. 'Was so hard to stay positive from the other side of the world and everyone who cared definitely helped me a lot. 'Stoked!' Mr Plumb says he was overjoyed at the news. 'I felt so relieved, I hadn't heard from anyone at all and was stressing so much,' he said. 'I've been watching all these bodies and tourists on television: I've barely slept. I thought I lost my girl.' Plumb says he has been contacting the Department of Foreign Affairs, numerous trekking companies and rescue crews and missing person lists. While the news is uplifting, Mr Plumb's concerns remain as he is yet to hear from his partner. 'I can't get too excited as I haven't heard from her. I have taken the news with a grain of salt but it was awesome hearing news about her.' Rescue members carry the dead bodies of trekkers from the Thorung La mountain pass in Nepal, which was hammered by severe snowstorms and avalanches . The storm has claimed the lives of at least 29 people, and that number is expected to rise as search teams scour the snow and debris in the areas hit by the storms . The severe storm was caused by the tail end of Cyclone Hudhud, which hammered southern India over the weekend. Many of those who have died during the storm are foreigners. A spokesperson for The Department of Foreign Affairs has told Daily Mail Australia 'the Australian Embassy in Kathmandu is in close and on-going contact with Nepalese authorities following the snow storm in the Annapurna region on Tuesday 14 October.' 'Our Embassy is actively seeking information about the welfare and whereabouts of Australians possibly in the affected area. 'Embassy staff remain ready to assist any Australians affected by this tragedy. Nepalese authorities continue to advise there are no reports of Australian casualties, so far.' Among the missing Australians are Melbourne brothers David and John Hallford. The Sydney Morning Herald has reported the pair had been trekking without a guide in the days leading up to the storm. The last post on John Hallford Facebook reads: . 'Tomorrow we flight out to the Himalaya foothills, escape from our phones and start our long trek. Cya soon friends and family' Fears are also high for Nicole Wise, a Sydney woman who was trekking with a Sherpa in the area hit by the storm. A New Zealand national, Lisa Walton, and her British partner Lizi Hamer were found safe on Saturday. Anyone with concerns for the welfare of family and friends in NepalI should call the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on (02) 6261-3305 or within Australia on 1300 555 135 (local call cost).' Amongst the missing Australians are Melbourne brothers David and John Hallford from Melbourne, who had been trekking without a guide in the days leading up to the storm . British woman Lizi Hamer (pictured left in each photograph) and her New Zealand partner Lisa Walton were among those missing but were found by rescuers .
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Reports emerged on Friday that Nicole Wise was rescued .
Her partner Bazil Plumb, of Sydney, is 'stoked' and shared the good news on social media .
Severe snowstorms and avalanches have hammered Nepal this week, leaving at least 29 dead .
Many of those who died in the storm are foreigners .
There are fears for over a dozen Australians trekking in the area .
A spokesman for The Department of Foreign Affairs says there are no reports of Australian casualties .
The weather has impaired telecommunications in the Himalayas .
Loved ones are left with little means of reaching the missing Australians .
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By . Ryan Gorman . PUBLISHED: . 17:40 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:41 EST, 24 January 2014 . Polish authorities are now investigating claims the CIA operated a secret prison in used to torture suspected terrorists. News of the investigation comes after a Washington Post report Thursday that detailed the CIA bribe made to Polish intelligence officers and the egregious abuse that took place on the site. The spy agency paid millions to its Polish counterpart during a secret 2003 meeting at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw for the right to use a remote villa for detaining terror suspects, according to the Post. Tortured: 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times at the secret Polish prison, according to the Washington Post . CIA operatives used the clandestine confines to waterboard 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times during interrogations. The former al-Qaida member is now being held in Guantanamo Bay. The ‘black site’ was allowed to open after the CIA handed over two cardboard boxes filled with $15million, according to the Post. It was one of several across Europe. The report spurred prosecutors in the Polish city of Krakow to open an enquiry into the matter. ‘In the course of the investigation that is underway, we will analyze this Washington Post article and will include it in our investigation,’ Krakow sicty spokesperson Piotr Kosmaty told Reuters. The only way criminal charges could be filed is if Polish officials colluded CIA spooks to illegally detain or torture American prisoners, Reuters noted. Poland has long refuted claims of any secret CIA prison within its borders, and the country’s prime minister moved to further distance himself from any responsibility. Detained at the black site: Abu Zubaida (left) and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri (right) were both tortured at the site, CIA operatives reportedly performed a mock execution on al-Nashiri . ‘These allegations that appear in the public sphere are allegations about prisons and torture committed by the CIA, not Poles but Americans,’ said PM Donald Tusk. ‘Irrespective of what prosecutors determine with regard to the responsibility of Poland's civil servants in this case, our role is to guard the interests of the Polish state,’ he added. Hearings were held last month at the European Court of Human Rights regarding whether Poland had ever been complicit in torture, a decision is expected this year, the paper reported. The CIA decided on the remote Polish villa after a ‘remodeled chicken coop’ it had been using in Thailand became overcrowded with Middle Eastern detainees, according to the Post. Though the facility was not big, the American spies agreed to retrofit it with $300,000 in cameras and even converted a backyard shed into a cell. 'It was pretty spartan,’ an agency official told the paper. Once remodeled, a number of prisoners were taken there – including Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. Agents performed a mock execution on the man despite him being of little intelligence value, the official said. Waterboarding: CIA operatives reportedly coerced prisoners to talk by putting rags over their faces and dumping water over them to simulate drowning . Spy agency: CIA operatives carried out secret missions and reportedly opened black sites around the world while fighting the 'war on terror' ‘He was an idiot,’ said the former CIA official. ‘He couldn’t read or comprehend a comic book.’ Mohammed was able to outlast the waterboarding because he memorized how long the waterboardings lasted and would just count down the seconds, according to the paper, but he eventually cracked. So did Zubaida, he even offered to help get new detainees to talk, the official said. These results likely are what led then-CIA director of operations Jose Rodriguez to say the techniques produced ‘dramatic positive results.’ Polish authorities will now determine if any laws were broken to achieve them.
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The secret prison reportedly opened in 2003 after the CIA paid a $15million bribe to Polish intelligence officials .
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded at the site almost 200 times .
Other 9/11 co-conspirators were also taken there .
Polish officials are trying to determine if any Polish citizens were complicit in the torture of terror suspects .
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(CNN) -- A new study finds that 54 percent of teens talk about behaviors such as sex, alcohol use, and violence on the social networking giant MySpace -- presenting potential risks even if all they're doing is talking, researchers said Monday. Do you know what your teen has posted on social networking Web sites? The study looked at MySpace profiles of 500 people who identified themselves as 18-year-old males and females in the United States. References to risky behaviors included both words and photos, the authors said. Not all teens who write about risky behaviors in their profiles actually engage in them in real life, said Dr. Megan Moreno of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, one of the authors of the study, which appears in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. They may instead talk about sex, substance use, or violence because they are contemplating doing those things, or because they want to brag without actually doing what they say, Moreno said. Even if teens have not actually engaged in risky behaviors but merely brag about them online, this can still affect their future behavior, said study co-author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Hospital. Those who lie about the behaviors to show off may receive positive feedback from others -- comments such as "that's great" or "I do the same thing" -- that encourage them to actually try out the behaviors, he said. Apart from that, teens who claim such behaviors are more likely to be victims of bullying and unwanted invitations for sex, he said. In a second study, Moreno and colleagues identified 190 profiles of 18- to 20-year-olds that contained three or more references to sexual behaviors or substance abuse. The authors then made a profile of their own, called "Dr. Meg," from which they sent a single e-mail to half these profiles, warning them about the risky information and offering information about clinical resources. They found that, after three months, 42.1 percent of the profile owners who received the e-mail -- and 29.5 percent of those who did not -- either removed references to risky behaviors or made their profiles private. "It's really not that MySpace is bad or good. I think the lesson is that it's a tool, and how you use it determines the kinds of outcome you're going to get," Moreno said. Experts say the bottom line is that parents should get more involved in the online lives of their children. "I tell parents that they should absolutely create their own MySpace and Facebook page," Christakis said. The study inspired him to create his own Facebook account, and his 10-year-old already wants to know about his "friends," he said. In some cases, parents should even have their children's passwords for these social networking sites, especially when the children are around age 13 or 14, said Vivian Friedman, child-adolescent psychologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Friedman was not involved with the study, but she is well aware of the problem. One of Friedman's patients, the daughter of a preacher, posted nude photographs of herself online, a move that cost her father his job, Friedman said. But she said 54 percent as a figure for profiles with risky behaviors seems too high, given that most of what happens on social networking sites is "chit-chat." "I have parents that catch their kids bragging about something on MySpace, and when you actually confront them, the kid says 'I really wasn't doing it,' and they can prove they were not at the party where they were supposed to have been drinking," she said. Beyond keeping a watchful eye on risky interests and pictures, parents should also use social networking sites such as MySpace -- which had about 120 million users as of this summer -- as an opportunity to learn about their childrens' favorite movies and hobbies, as well as their top friends, she said. "You so often hear parents say 'I don't even know my kid anymore.' Here's a very easy tool to get to know your kid again," she said. , .
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Study: 54 percent of MySpace profiles of 18-year-olds mentioned risky behaviors .
Authors looked at 500 randomly chosen Web profiles from U.S. teens .
Many teens took down content or made profiles private after e-mail warning .
Experts: Parents should know what their children are doing online .
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Mitt Romney last night stood by remarks secretly recorded at a campaign fundraising event in which he said that 47 per cent of Americans are dependent on government and that 'my job is not to worry about those people.' Referring to Obama supporters, Romney said: 'All right, there are 47 per cent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. 'That, that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what…These are people who pay no income tax.' He added that 'my job is not to worry about those people -- I'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.' Scroll down to hear the leaked recording . Controversy: Romney said his plan is to create jobs -- not government dependency -- for the '47 per cent' Leaked: Mother Jones, a liberal news magazine, says it obtained the footage from an anonymous person who attended the fundraiser . Blunder: The resulting outcry is still regarded as one of the main reasons why the Republican lost the race to the White House . Romney added to the controversy by referring to his family's Mexican heritage and saying if his father George had been 'born of Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot at winning this'. He then made a further reference to how voting based on race favours the Democrats, saying: 'We are having a much harder time with Hispanic voters, and if the Hispanic voting bloc becomes as committed to the Democrats as the African American voting block has in the past, why, we're in trouble as a party and, I think, as a nation.' In a hastily-arranged evening press conference in California, Romney said that Obama believes in 'a government-centred society' whereas the Republican nominee believed in a 'free people, free enterprise, free market' society and had an approach that would put 23 million people back to work. He added that 'my campaign is about helping people take more responsibility' and 'getting people back to work.' Romney conceded only that his sentiments were 'not elegantly stated' because he was 'speaking off the cuff.' But it will be difficult for Romney to rebut charges that he is contemptuous of almost half the population and has no desire to persuade them or win them over. VIDEO: Mitt Romney reacts to the undercover filming from MotherJones . The timing of the release of the clip -- 50 days before the election -- could make it even more damaging than the 2008 audio of then-Senator Barack Obama saying at a 2008 fundraiser that rural voters 'get bitter, they cling to guns or religion'. Obama made those comments in the April of election year when he was already all but guaranteed to win the Democratic primaries. He then had seven months in which to overcome them. The Obama campaign was quick to exploit the potential political bombshell of the Republican nominee effectively writing off almost half the country. Facts: Romney has statistics on his side when it comes to the 47 per cent comment - only 53 per cent of Americans pay federal income tax after deductions and rebates . In a statement reacting to the secret recordings, Jim Messina, Obama's campaign manager, said: 'It's shocking that a candidate for President of the United States would go behind closed doors and declare to a group of wealthy donors that half the American people view themselves as "victims" entitled to handouts, and are unwilling to take "personal responsibility" for their lives. 'It’s hard to serve as president for all Americans when you’ve disdainfully written off half the nation.' In an initial attempt at damage limitation, . Gail Gitcho, Romney’s communications director, said in a statement: . ‘Mitt Romney wants to help all Americans struggling in the Obama . economy. The campaign did not dispute the authenticity of the clip. Gracious host: Hedge fund manage Marc Leder threw the $50,000-a-plate fundraiser where Romney made the comments . ‘As the . governor has made clear all year, he is concerned about the growing . number of people who are dependent on the federal government, including . the record number of people who are on food stamps, nearly one in six . Americans in poverty, and the 23 million Americans who are struggling to . find work. Mitt Romney's plan creates 12 million new jobs in four . years, grows the economy and moves Americans off of government . dependency and into jobs.’ The videos, posted on YouTube, were obtained by Mother Jones, a left-wing magazine. Romney's 47 per cent figure seems to have come from a Tax Policy Center report that found 46.4 per cent of American households paid zero income taxes or received a net refund from the government. This leaves 53.6 per cent of households shouldering the nation's entire tax burden. When the report was released, some Republicans took up a rallying cry of 'the other 53 per cent' -- a response to the Occupy movement's 'the other 99 per cent' slogan. The startling figure is the result of a number of tax loopholes -- mostly credits given to the elderly and the poor. But Romney appeared to mix up the 47 per cent of people who did not pay income tax -- many of whom pay state and local taxes and payroll taxes -- with the proportion of core Obama supporters. Many of of those who don't pay income tax are Republican supporters -- particularly working class white men and the elderly. According to David Corn, who wrote the Mother Jones article, the video was filmed at a $50,000-per-plate fundraiser thrown by hedge fund manager Marc Leder. Battered: The Obama campaign quickly jumped on the statement saying Romney 'disdained' half of the nation . No responsibility: Romney claimed he could never convince Obama supporters to 'take responsibility for their lives' The New York Post reported last year that Leder, worth an estimated $400million, threw an end-of-summer bash in the Hamptons last year where 'guests cavorted nude in a pool and performed sex acts, while scantily clad Russian women danced on platforms. Dancers at the party also twirled flaming torches to booming beats.' The May fundraiser in Boca Raton was part of a two-day sweep through Florida that netted Romney $10million in two days. South Palm Beach County campaign chairwoman Bonnie Re told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel at the time that the fundraiser was a success. 'He really ad libbed a lot,' she said. 'He's loosening up so much more each time I see him.' New . York magazine’s Daily Intel reported that former President Jimmy Carter’s grandson helped . unearth the footage. James Carter IV is credited . as a research assistant on the Mother . Jones piece that broke the story. Carter . spends much of his time searching for video clips of Republicans. Once . he discovered the video on YouTube, he put the owner of it in contact with Mother Jones, who he has worked . with before. Buzz Feed's McKay Coppins writes that the comments reveal Mitt Romney is a true conservative. 'Romney's condemnation of America's entitlement society -- and his assessment that Obama voters are part of the problem -- fit firmly into contemporary movement conservatism, and seem to demonstrate an internalization of the Republican Party narrative about meritocratic success,' the Buzz Feed article says. Standing by his words: At a press conference on Monday, Romney said his remarks were 'not elegantly stated,' but did not back away from the message . In the tapes, Romney also referred to his family heritage in Mexico and joked that if his father George had been 'born of Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot at winning this'. The tape emerged as the GOP nominee spoke at US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles in a bid to erode the strong advantage among Latinos enjoyed by President Barack Obama. But in comments very different from those to the Chamber, Romney told wealthy voters at an event that has not been identified by the anonymous film maker, Romney made light of the problem he has attracting Hispanic voters. 'My dad, as you probably know, was the governor of Michigan and was the head of a car company,' he said. 'But he was born in Mexico ... and uh, had he been born of uh, Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot at winning this. But he was unfortunately born to Americans living in Mexico. He lived there for a number of years. I mean, I say that jokingly, but it would be helpful to be Latino.' At the same event, he dismissed Obama voters as freeloaders who pay no taxes, don't take responsibility for their own lives and who expect government to take care of them. Talking about his wealth, Romney said: 'I have inherited nothing. There is a perception, "Oh, we were born with a silver spoon, he never had to earn anything" and so forth. Frankly, I was born with a silver spoon, which is the greatest gift you can have: which is to get born in America.' Romney told the donors that 'women are open to supporting me' but that 'we are having a much harder time with Hispanic voters, and if the Hispanic voting bloc becomes as committed to the Democrats as the African American voting block has in the past, why, we're in trouble as a party and, I think, as a nation'. When one contributor asked how those present could help Romney sell himself to others, he replied: 'Frankly, what I need you to do is to raise millions of dollars.'
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Romney says voters support Obama because they depend on government .
Leaked footage was discovered by the grandson of former Democratic President Jimmy Carter .
Obama campaign hits back saying Republican has 'disdainfully written off half the nation'
Romney's 47% figure comes from a Tax Policy Center report that found 46.4% of American households do not pay federal income tax .
Candidate also joked he would be winning if he was Hispanic .
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River Plate defeated arch rivals Boca Juniors 1-0 to progress to the final of the Copa Sudamericana in a typically feisty match which saw a pitch invasion and a sending off. The first-leg of their semi-final ended goalless last week, leaving the contest at the Estadio Monumental finely poised. Boca Juniors missed an early penalty before River Plate took the lead through Leonardo Pisculichi. Boca couldn’t respond and River Plate held on to take on Colombia's Atletico Nacional in the final. VIDEO Scroll down to watch River Plate 1-0 Boca Juniors match highlights . The players witnessed another special atmosphere for the Superclasico derby at the Estadio Monumental for their semi-final clash . The crowd at the Estadio Monumental dressed for the occasion as River fans cheered on their side in the Superclasico derby . The River Plate home crowd at the Estadio Monumental created a spectacular atmosphere for the much anticipated clash . The packed crowd at the Estadio Monumental created an incredible carnival atmosphere for the Superclasico contest in Buenos Aires . The passionate River Plate support managed to cheer on their side to victory in the Copa Sudamericana semi-final second-leg clash . The River Plate fans set off red flares after their side beat arch rivals Boca Juniors 1-0 in the Copa Sudamericana semi-final second-leg . Just like the first-leg, the feisty encounter produced nine bookings as the Buenos Aires rivals attempted to secure the valuable victory. Almost immediately from the kick-off, Boca Juniors went on the attack and were awarded a penalty after River’s Ariel Rojas was adjudged to have taken down Marcelo Meli instead of the ball. Emmanuel Gigliotti delayed his spot kick after River fans shone lasers into his eyes from the crowd. The wait can’t have helped as the striker’s penalty was easily palmed away by goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero. Leonardo Pisculichi celebrates his early first-time strike which eventually fired River Plate into the Copa Sudamericana final . River Plate players celebrate at the final whistle having defeated fierce Buenos Aires rivals Boca Juniors in the Copa Sudamericana . Boca Juniors head coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena contests a decision with the referee during the ill-tempered match . River Plate goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero was a hero after saving a third minute Boca Juniors penalty at the Estadio Monumental . River Plate's Leonardo Ponzio and Boca Juniors' Jonathan Calleri challenge for the ball during their semi-final contest . River took hold of the game and managed to take the lead after 16 minutes. Leonel Vangioni surged down the left and Boca failed to clear his attempted cross. The ball fell kindly for Leonardo Pisculichi who hit a precise first-time shot low into the corner of the net. Tempers flared throughout the contest and with time running out for Boca in added time, Daniel Diaz was sent off for kicking out at Teofilo Gutierrez off the ball. The final whistle cued chaotic scenes as the River Plate squad commenced celebrating but the despondent Boca players had to fend off their own supporters who managed to invade the pitch. The River Plate players celebrate in front of the passionate home crowd after taking an early lead on Thursday in Buenos Aires . River Plate's Teofilo Gutierrez takes out Boca Juniors' Cristian Erbes after a tough challenge during the Copa Sudamericana semi-final . The physical match produced nine bookings, just like the first-leg, as the players gave strong tackles against their arch rivals . The night ended on a sour note for Boca Juniors as some of their fans invaded the pitch to confront the players following the defeat . Boca Juniors' coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena (2nd right) intervenes as his players are confronted by disgruntled fans after the loss .
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Semi-final first-leg ended 0-0 last week in Copa Sudamericana as the arch rivals faced off again in Buenos Aires .
Boca Juniors had a penalty saved after just three minutes but Leonardo Pisculichi scored the winner for River Plate .
River Plate fave Colombia's Atletico Nacional in the final to qualify for the prestigious Copa Libertadores next year .
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This is the moment a daredevil skier flies down a vertical crevice in the Alaskan wilderness. Cody Townsend, 31, from California, took to the Tordrillo Mountains, 75 miles northwest of Anchorage to perform the death-defying stunt. A video shows him peering down the run before taking a deep breath and bombing it down at high speed. He is seen weaving steadily through the snow, managing to avoid the sharp rock which towers above him on each side. Townsend told the Daily News that the chute was around five to six feet wide at its narrowest, leaving little room for error. It takes him just 30 seconds to complete the steep course. Terrifying: This is the moment a daredevil skier flies down a vertical crevice in the Alaskan wilderness . Don't look down: Cody Townsend, 31, from California, took to the Tordrillo Mountains, 75 miles northwest of Anchorage to perform the death-defying stunt . Ready, set, go: A video shows him peering down the run before taking a deep breath and bombing it down . 'Holy f***!' he exclaims as he exits the chute into daylight. Townsend was honored Saturday at the 2014 Powder Awards in Salt Lake City for skiing what was deemed the most challenging line of the year. The sportsman can be heard saying, 'oh, I’m getting nervous,' before his descent but his run was completed without consequence. Townsend says that he's 'never skied to win an award' it's just a passion he's had since childhood. Carefully does it: He is seen weaving steadily through the snow, managing to avoid the sharp rock which towers above him on each side . Little room for error: Townsend said the chute was around five to six feet wide at its narrowest . New terrotry: There is apparently no official name for either the peak or the chute which Townsend tackled . Over in a flash: It takes him just 30 seconds to complete the steep course . There is apparently no official name for either the peak or the chute which Townsend tackled. 'There are so many mountains in Alaska that only the biggest and most iconic peaks tend to have official names,' he said. 'We have some unofficial name for the zone and for the chute, but they're pretty vulgar and not quite fit to print.' Townsend's video, titled Days Of My Youth, has been viewed more than 1.3 million times to date with many applauding the skier's mind-boggling skill. Daredevil: Townsend says that he's 'never skied to win an award' it's just a passion he's had since childhood .
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Cody Townsend, 31, from California, took to the Tordrillo Mountains, 75 miles northwest of Anchorage to perform the death-defying stunt .
A video shows him peering down the run before taking a deep breath and bombing it down at high speed .
It takes him just 30 seconds to complete the steep course .
Townsend was honored Saturday at the 2014 Powder Awards in Salt Lake City for skiing what was deemed the most challenging line of the year .
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By . Craig Mackenzie . PUBLISHED: . 09:29 EST, 13 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:52 EST, 13 October 2013 . A cabal of police officers hatched the ‘Plebgate’ plot to ‘stitch up’ Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell, a senior police officer has claimed. The insider, said to be a serving superintendent, alleges that officers ‘orchestrated’ the downfall of the Cabinet minister after an incident the night before the actual clash between Mr Mitchell and police on duty at Downing Street on September 19 last year. He claims that the previous evening Mr Mitchell jabbed a finger at an officer, demanding that he open the Downing Street gates as he cycled through. 'Stitched up': Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell on his bycycle. A police whisteblower has claimed the minister was the victim of an alleged plot by Met officers . The insider stated: ‘Following this . [officer X] said to the other officers: “Right, we can stitch him up”.’ The word ‘plebs’ was then added by officer X to the police log of the . conversation Mr Mitchell was said to have had with the officer guarding . the gates on September 19, the whistleblower alleges. Mr Mitchell was forced to quit after it was claimed he called police officers ‘plebs’, which he has hotly denied. After . doubts emerged about the evidence against him, Scotland Yard began an . inquiry. A statement from the superintendent has been given to the Met. He . says he received the information about officer X from a superior, and . does not have direct knowledge of the conspiracy he has outlined. Nonetheless, his account is being taken seriously by the Met. The Crown . Prosecution Service is expected to announce shortly if anyone will face . charges over the affair. A Scotland Yard inquiry into the affair has led to eight arrests, including five Met police officers for allegedly fabricating evidence or leaking to the media. Confrontation: Andrew Mitchell is pictured on CCTV leaving Downing Street by a side gate. There is no sign of the passers-by said to have overheard him call police officers 'f******* plebs' Guards: Two Met Police officers unconnected with the row at the front gates of Downing Street . Two bogus emails were sent to Mitchell's then deputy which claimed two people had overheard the exchange, but CCTV footage showed there was no-one passing at the time of the row. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: 'This has been a lengthy and complex investigation involving the supervision of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. 'Many lines of inquiry have been investigated and the final file is now with the Crown Prosecution Service who are considering all the evidence.'
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Senior officer claims plot was 'orchestrated' by colleague in the Met after confrontation the night BEFORE the row at Downing St gates .
Yard probe has led to eight arrests including five police officers for allegedly fabricating evidence or leaking to the media .
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By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 02:13 EST, 17 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:16 EST, 17 June 2013 . American audiences will see a much racier version of the BBC's latest historical drama, White Queen. Max Irons, who plays King Edward in the drama admitted that the 'cameras kept rolling' in the version for the United States. The £25 million costume drama tells the story of the decades-long fight between the Houses of York and Lancaster for the English throne. Saucier: The White Queen based on the War of The Roses its depiction of the coming together of King Edward of York (Max Irons) and Lancastrian, Lady Elizabeth Grey, played by Rebecca Ferguson . Starring roles: David Oakes as George, Duke of Clarence, left, and right, Max Irons as King Edward IV . Based on three of author Philippa Gregory’s best-selling novels about the Wars of the Roses, it a co-production between the BBC and American commercial channel Starz. 'There’s the BBC cut and the Starz cut,’ he told the Metro newspaper. ‘You get a lot more arse in the Starz version – the cameras kept rolling after the BBC stopped the scene.’ He also said the U.S company needed different lines. ‘The other funny thing with Starz was that you had to do extra lines. 'For the BBC, I’d say to my brother: “Come here, George.” But for Starz . it would be: “Come here George, Duke of Clarence,’ so they’d know what I . was on about.’ A spokesman for the series told the The Daily Telegraph that the camera had kept rolling for an additional 30 seconds 'on two or three ' occasions, but emphasised no extra scenes had been written. The movie was filmed on location in Bruges, Belgium and spans 10 episodes. It has been hyped as 'one of the most ambitious series the BBC has made”, according to its “Controller of Drama', Ben Stephenson. Last night's episode saw Irons take his shirt off as he became intimate with Lady Elizabeth. The latest television hit, Game of Thrones was also inspired by the War of The Roses, according to its creator George RR Martin. Ambitious: It has been hyped as 'one of the most ambitious series the BBC has made', according to its Controller of Drama Ben Stephenson .
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Max Irons, who plays King Edward admitted that the scenes were rauchier .
The £25 million costume was co-produced by BBC and American channel .
Based on fight between Houses of York and Lancaster for English throne .
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By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 05:46 EST, 7 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:54 EST, 8 April 2013 . A 46-stone woman is said to be in a critical condition in hospital after a dangerous skin infection left her fighting for her life. Previously named Britain’s fattest teenager, Georgia Davis, 20, was admitted to the hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, on Friday suffering with the skin infection cellulitis. Georgia is said to be drifting in and out of consciousness on a resuscitation ward, and requires assistance to breathe. Georgia Davis was admitted to hospital on Friday suffering from a severe skin infection . Georgia Davis, now aged 20,was previously named Britain's fattest teenager, having battled with her weight since childhood . Georgia, who currently weighs about 46st after re-gaining 4st of the 16st she lost in a 9 month hospital stay, is said to be seriously ill, and requiring help with her breathing after cellulitis spread around her body . Stepdad Arthur Treloar, 73, told The Sun: ‘We've been told it's bad — really serious. ‘She was put on the ward on Friday and now she's having to be helped to breathe. We've been told she might not make it.’ Georgia had lost nearly 16 stone during a nine month hospital stay, dropping from 56st to 40st 6lb, but has returned to her unhealthy diet since her release, piling on four stone in just five months. She contracted cellulitis, a usually easily treated skin infection, in her leg, which left her unable to leave her armchair. Georgia was dramatically admitted to hospital last summer after a desperate call to her mother Lesley, seen here with her daughter, when she become unable to stand . The infection, which is caused by bacteria entering the skin through a cut or abrasion, worsened and spread around her body. Obese . people are at increased risk of cellulitis due to skin breaking and . becoming thin at fat folds and decreased circulation which allows the . bacteria to enter and spread. If the infection enters the blood stream it can cause sepsis and become life threatening. A 10ft by 10ft space was cut into to the top floor of her house so that the emergency services could remove Georgia when she was admitted to hospital last year . Extracting Georgia from her house, v, to take her to hospital last year, cost an estimated £100,000 and took 50 emergency workers eight hours . Georgia first hit the headlines aged 15, when it was revealed she was flying to the US to enrol in a fat camp in a desperate attempt to shed some of her 33st girth. Georgia seen here aged 15 after she shed weight at a US fat camp, however she soon began to gain back the pounds . She successfully lost 15 stone at the camp, however the teen began to gain weight again when she moved back into her parent’s home when her step father was diagnosed with lung cancer. The teenager used to order up to 20 . kebabs each week from a takeaway and gorge throughout the day on . chocolate, crisps and two litre bottles of Coca Cola, causing her weight . to balloon to 56st. Georgia was dramatically admitted to the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales in June last year, after a terrifying call to her mother from her bedroom to tell her she couldn’t stand up. Her size meant that the emergency services were unable to extract Georgia from her bedroom, and eventually were forced to demolish the walls of her house. It cost an estimated £100,000 as emergency workers spent eight hours cutting her free as two walls of her home in Aberdare, South Wales, were demolished to remove her from her first-floor bedroom. By the time the 50-man emergency team cut her free, she had not left the house for about eight months. The then 19-year-old lost weight during her stay in the Prince Charles Hospital, going from 56st to 40st 6lb, after being placed on a strict diet. At the time she vowed to lose weight and get her life back on track, saying: ‘I'm sick of being like this - I'm getting my life back.’
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Georgia Davis, 20, admitted to hospital with skin infection cellulitis .
Said to be fighting for her life and requiring help to breathe .
Stepdad Arthur Treloar, says ‘We've been told it's bad — really serious'
Previously Britain's fattest teen, Georgia currently weights 46st .
Has gained 4st in 5months after losing 16st during 9month hospital stay .
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When Al Jazeera becomes a major U.S. cable channel, as it plans, some Americans are likely to click past it, recalling the alleged anti-American tone by the pan-Arab network during the Iraq war a decade ago. "My guess is that when people hear about Al Jazeera, they will not be paying attention to the news quality or correspondents," said media analyst Stuart Fischoff, a retired professor at California State University at Los Angeles. "They will just hear Qatar, and say it's an Arab country and it's full of terrorists and ... therefore bias in the news," he said. The Qatari government owns Al Jazeera. Others, however, may find any past political slants overshadowed by a newscast striving toward U.S. standards. Viewers may be curious just to hear Al Jazeera America, which will have access to millions of U.S. homes now that the traditional Arabic-language network this week acquired Current TV, once owned by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and others. "I think it's a very, very well-done news network," said media expert and former White House correspondent Porter Bibb of Mediatech Capital Partners in New York, where he listens to a related network, Al Jazeera English, now available in a tiny fraction of U.S. markets. Al Jazeera English also is live-streamed at no cost online and provides insight into what the bigger, new Al Jazeera America will look like, he said. The emergence of Al Jazeera as a major U.S. cable network has resurrected debate about past accusations of anti-American bias during the Iraq invasion under President George W. Bush. The Bush administration excoriated the Arab peninsula's network for broadcasting Osama bin Laden videos. Today, evidence of U.S. antipathy at the Arabic network has dissipated significantly, though not entirely, several analysts say. "It has obviously been demonized by our politicians for almost a decade," said Rory O'Connor, a former CBS News producer and a media expert. He noted how an Al Jazeera cameraman was detained for six years at the U.S. Navy prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But Al Jazeera's current English broadcast is "excellent," without the bias alleged by U.S. politicians, said O'Connor, author of the roryoconnor.org blog and a contributor to Al Jazeera's website. He disputed conservatives' portrayal of Al Jazeera as a "terror network" and propaganda outlet. Other analysts, however, say Al Jazeera continues to telecast content that they deem to be anti-American. "Surely they will be careful in the beginning. They will try to prove that they are a professional channel that's objective," said Yigal Carmon, president of the Middle East Media Research Institute, which has gathered several Al Jazeera video clips in recent years that the institute says show anti-American bias. Carmon is a former chief counterterrorism adviser to Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin and Yitzhak Shamir. "It's much less anti-American than in the past, and the English (broadcast) is a soft version" of the Arabic telecast, Carmon continued. "But this is the government of Qatar. It's to discuss the government of Qatar. It's a policy arm of the ruler of Qatar." Spokesmen for Al Jazeera couldn't be reached by CNN for comment. In language that will surely be open for debate once Al Jazeera America enters U.S. homes, Carmon used strong words in describing the Qatari government. "Qatar, after all, is a dictatorship, and in a dictatorship, they use media as an arm of foreign policy, be it Arab or Muslim foreign policy or an international one," he said. The Qatari government's decision to bring Al Jazeera into American homes is a provocative political maneuver -- as well as an emerging business strategy now being pursued by other government-sponsored networks, experts said. "Can I note the unusual nature or essential weirdness of a former vice president of the United States selling his network to an Arab-based network that is owned by a foreign government?" said media expert Howard Kurtz, host of the weekly CNN program "Reliable Sources." Al Jazeera has always been regarded as something of a vanity venture by the wealthy emir of Qatar, which is home to the world's third largest gas reserve and is spending billions of dollars on its public image profile by sponsoring sports events at home and in Europe, experts said. "Al Jazeera has been trying and failing for years to get on television here in the United States," media writer Brian Stelter of New York Times told CNN. "For the most part, Al Jazeera is buying this for the real estate because it's beachfront real estate." Bibb, of Mediatech Capital Partners, referred to how Al Jazeera reportedly paid $500 million to acquire Current TV, whose access to 60 million households is now expected to be largely transferred to Al Jazeera America. "If you have bottomless pockets, it doesn't make any difference what you pay or how you go forward," Bibb said. "I think the assumed price of $500 million is absurd for what they got. On the other hand, it makes no difference to the emir of Qatar because it's chump change to him." But one cable company has balked at carrying Al Jazeera America: Time Warner Cable stopped carrying Current TV upon the announcement of the Al Jazeera deal. A Time Warner Cable spokeswoman said that past bias allegations against Al Jazeera didn't factor into the firm's decision. Analysts agreed, saying the company could be leveraging Al Jazeera America, seeking to get a per-subscriber payment for the cable firm in exchange for carrying the channel. "This has nothing to do with politics. We treat Al Jazeera like any other network," said a Time Warner Cable spokeswoman. "We will look to gauge our customer interest in Al Jazeera America and assess whether it is a good value for our customers." Commentary: Why Al Jazeera has set its sites on the U.S. Al Jazeera America isn't an isolated phenomenon. Another government-sponsored media outlet that has ventured into U.S. broadcasting is China's CCTV America, launched last year. "The Chinese have about a similar coverage of the U.S. media market as Al Jazeera does right now," Bibb said. "They are using a soft diplomacy and no one is saying it's a propaganda outlet. Their approach is very thoughtful, but it's all China and that's what people are hungry for." Bibb wondered why Al Jazeera America would plan to produce 60% of its content in the United States, as it has said, when Al Jazeera has increasingly become renowned for its coverage of the Middle East, especially during the recent Arab Spring revolutions. Politics aside, Al Jazeera America will find American audiences to be tough customers. The Arab royal-family-owned network will be entering a tumultuous, fragmented marketplace for news programming where the top-ranked cable news shows garner ratings only in the hundreds of thousands at any one time, not millions, analysts said. Furthermore, access to 60 million homes doesn't guarantee that many people will be watching the program, analysts said. International newscasts in particular can also be a hard sell, experts said. "A lot will depend on how much appetite there is in the American market for international news. A lot of these organizations have cut back on that," Kurtz said. Carriers "are getting hate mail from some viewers who don't want to see it on their cable lineup," the New York TImes' Stelter said about Al Jazeera. "But money can change a lot of these problems and they have a lot of it."
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Media analysts say the past anti-American bias of Al Jazeera has largely subsided .
But one group collects Al Jazeera video clips that it says show bias .
The decision to bring Al Jazeera into American homes is a political maneuver, some say .
The new venture will find the cable news market competitive .
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By . Anna Edwards . PUBLISHED: . 11:04 EST, 2 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:43 EST, 2 October 2013 . Smith, 29, was transferred to Hollesley Bay prison at Woodbridge, Suffolk, just weeks after being jailed for more than five years . A bank raider who has gone on the run from a notorious open jail was moved there just two months after he was locked up. Kevin Smith, 29, was transferred to Hollesley Bay prison at Woodbridge, Suffolk, just weeks after being jailed for more than five years. The bank raider escaped from the jail on Monday just 10 days after arriving. Smith was part of a four-man gang who stole £34,000 from a Barclays Bank cash point at Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire, in September 2012 after ramming it with a JCB digger in a late-night raid. Smith, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, was jailed for five years and three months at Peterborough Crown Court in July. Smith was jailed for conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal a motor vehicle. He had been remanded in custody since being arrested last December, which could explain why he was moved so quickly to the low-level security facility. The Prison Officers' Association (POA) last night branded the decision to move him there 'absolutely ridiculous'. The organisation also warned that fast-tracking inmates into insecure open jails is putting the public in danger. Glyn Travis, POA assistant secretary and spokesman, stormed: 'It's absolutely ridiculous. 'This demonstrates that the tick-box mentality of allocating prisoners is not fit for purpose and puts the public at risk. Prison staff contacted police at 5.45pm on Monday to report that he was not present at a 5pm security check . 'The observation, classification and allocation of prisoners is outdated, inefficient, and doesn't do anything to serve the public.' He added: 'The Government prison quota closure programme will do nothing other than endanger the public because prisoners are being moved down (to open prisons) far too early in their sentences and will no doubt commit more crimes at a significant cost to the taxpayer.' Prison staff contacted police at 5.45pm on Monday to report that he was not present at a 5pm security check. Lifer Gregory Dennett, 43, also went missing from Hollesley Bay on Monday - bringing the total for the last year to 12. Dennett had been behind bars for nine years after carrying out a homophobic attack in Luton, Bedfordshire. He failed to return after being given resettlement leave to Luton. Dennett was serving a life sentence for wounding with intent to do GBH. Police have warned the public not to approach either men, but to telephone 101 if anyone knows their whereabouts. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'The number of absconds from open prisons in 2012/13 was the second lowest since records began, but we are determined to do more. 'We are working on plans to put prisoners on temporary release on a tag, which will allow us to better track their movements and enforce curfews and exclusion zones. 'This will ultimately help us to protect the public better. 'Anyone who does abscond - or fail to return to prison after a period of temporary release ~ will be returned to a closed prison and may face further criminal charges.' Disgraced peer Jeffrey Archer served part of his four-year sentence at Hollesley Bay. Lord Archer was freed in September 2003 after two years after being jailed for perjury and perverting the course of justice.
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Bank raider Kevin Smith escaped from jail just 10 days after arriving .
Part of a gang who stole £34,000 from a Barclays Bank cashpoint in September 2012 after ramming it with a JCB digger in a late-night raid .
Smith was jailed for five years and three months in July .
Prison staff contacted police at 5.45pm on Monday to report that he was not present at 5pm security check .
Police have warned the public not to approach him .
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By . Mia De Graaf . PUBLISHED: . 11:29 EST, 15 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:18 EST, 16 September 2013 . var twitterVia = 'DailyMailUS'; . DM.has('shareLinkTop', 'shareLinks', { . 'id': '2421111', . 'title': 'Grand Prix car made by Mussolini to race Nazi Germany sells for £6m', . 'url': 'http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2421111/Grand-Prix-car-Mussolini-race-Nazi-Germany-sells-6million-record-breaking-auction-deal.html', . 'eTwitterStatus': 'Grand+Prix+car+made+by+Mussolini+to+race+Nazi+Germany+sells+for+%C2%A36m http:\/\/dailym.ai\/148oGJu via @' + twitterVia, . 'articleChannelFollowButton': 'MailOnline ', . 'isChannel': false, . 'placement': 'top' }); . 153 . shares . 34 . View comments . It was crafted by Mussolini to do battle with Nazi Germany. Deep red, shaped like a bullet, with a top speed of 165mph, its force and precision was unrivaled. Now, decades on, the Alfa Romeo 8C-35 is setting records again after it sold at auction for almost £6million, making it Europe's second most-expensive car. Scroll down for video . Sold: The 'uneconomical relic', here driven by an auctioneer at Goodwood Revival Sale, can still hit 165mph . Legendary: The Alfa Romeo 8C-35 cast all other race cars into shadow when it debuted in 1935. Italian star racer Tazio Nuvolari (pictured) made headlines when he spontaneously leaped in after his car broke down half way through a race - and still took the title. The winning motor has now sold for £6million at auction . The Italian Grand Prix contender first hit the tracks in 1935 - under the management of Scuderia Ferrari before they put their own brand to cars. It was the latest product of a long-standing rivalry between Nazi Germany's racing team and Mussolini's. In 1933, Adolf Hitler ploughed state funds into the coffers of Mercedes Benz and Audi, who responded with seemingly unbeatable models. But in time for the Italian Grand Prix, Mussolini commissioned Alfa to launch the 8C-35, and everything changed. After one race, rivals were shaking behind the wheel. The groundbreaking car's lucky drivers would routinely leap from fifth place to first in under two minutes. Immaculate: After 80 years, it is still on top form. For four decades it lay unused in a garage in Buckinghamshire . Wartime: Despite a revamp, the car still retains all of its original features including the gear stick and mirrors . Full throttle: Rivals feared the Italian record-maker, which routinely leaped into pole position from nowhere . A household name of the day, Italian racing legend Tazio Nuvolari, did just that when his own ride - Alfa's sister car - broke down on the second lap of the 1936 Coppa Ciano race. The pint-sized racer pushed aside the assigned driver Carlo Pintacuda and zoomed into the lead to take the title - and left a media frenzy trailing in his wake. Yesterday a besotted buyer could not resist making history again by handing over £5,937,500 for the Alfa Romeo 8C-35 at the Goodwood Revival Sale near Chichester. The offer beat the previous world record for an Alfa Romeo set in 2010, with a motor enthusiast handing over £4,245,118 for the historical vehicle. Often regarded as uneconomical relics, . Alfa Romeos are the holy grail of motors, according to Jeremy Clarkson, . who announced on Top Gear that you have to own one to be a true . 'petrolhead'. But after the war, Mussolini's motor spent almost four decades decades unused. It was bought . by wealthy industrialist Dennis Poore who could drive it whenever and . wherever he wanted. He often took it for a spin at local hill climb . competitions. But by 1955 he retired it to a barn at his home in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, where it remained untouched until his death in 1987. Post-war life: wealthy industrialist Dennis Poore bought the car for his own entertainment but soon tired of it . Rivalry: Mussolini commissioned Alfa Romeo to craft the 8C-35 to beat Hitler's government-funded winning fleet . Star racer: It was the headline act in the Ferrari team before they started producing their own Grand Prix cars . It has since undergone a complete restoration and is now in full working order - and it can still hit its top speed. Doug Nye, a motoring historian for . Bonhams, said: 'This car is a piece of Italian automotive artistry. It . really is an exquisite thing. 'You . feel the vibration of it beat through your chest when you are stood . alongside it when it is started up. It has a tremendous presence.' James Knight, director of Bonhams' motoring department, said: 'Once again Bonhams has been privileged to offer a world-beating motorcar and help it to achieve a world-beating price. 'Selling something like this, one is aware that history is a guest at the auction, due to the car's past, its performance today, and what all automotive enthusiasts will say about the car in the future. 'It is more than a car for all of us who are passionate about cars.'
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Alfa Romeo can still reach 165mph after lying dormat for 40 years .
Mussolini commissioned it to beat Hitler's government-funded fleet .
Sold at Goodwood Revival Sale near Chichester for £5,937,500 .
Makes it second most expensive car in Europe after £19m Mercedes W196 .
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By . Deni Kirkova for MailOnline . She may star in campaigns for some of the most high-profile designers in the industry, but that hasn't stopped Suki Waterhouse pushing her creative boundaries. The 22-year-old Burberry model appears as the face of a range of unisex T-shirts featuring X-rated graphics of naked bodies in compromising positions. The explicit tops which 'push the last taboos of sex' come from new fashion label True Love, the brainchild of independent magazine Prowl. Scroll down for video . The 22-year-old Burberry model appears as the face of a range of X-rated T-shirts . Suki, who is dating Hollywood actor Bradley Cooper, even art directed and edited the photo shoot. The Londoner wears items - coming in at £25 each - with provocative names such as Serpent B***, Sexy Lips and Lady Finger. The illustrations were all created by Jacob Escott, art director of the London-based magazine. Suki's relationship with the magazine stems from its inception last year. The model was a huge fan of the poetry of Lisa Luxx, who is Prowl's so-called 'preditor in chief'. The Londoner wears unisex items - coming in at £25 each - with provocative names . Suki then approached Lisa and asked to be part of its pilot issue, subsequently becoming the publication's main backer. She has been involved in Prowl's creative projects from the beginning, including performances at events and contributing with a regular photo column featuring her private imagery. Soon after, umbrella company Prowl House, 'a creative network which celebrates the art of being human', decided to launch the True Love T-shirt line. The illustrations were all created by Jacob Escott, the art director of Prowl magazine . The 22-year-old appears as the face of the range of unisex T-shirts that feature x-rated graphics . Suki - who has established design credentials with a capsule collection of trainers for Superga - was then made creative director of the new collection. '[The True Love collection is] all about pushing the last taboos of sex into the public sphere, because as we say in the Indigo Kids issue of PROWL magazine, being flippant about these things totally levels the playing field,' say Prowl. 'Suki loves what Prowl represents because it gives fresh talent an uncensored international platform to celebrate their creativity,' a spokesperson for the magazine told the Telegraph. 'Basically, it means that unestablished artists can get print coverage without having to adhere to regular industry rules.' The sexually explicit tops from new label True Love are said to 'push the last taboos of sex'
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Suki, 22, is the face of a range of unisex T-shirts featuring x-rated graphics .
Naked bodies are depicted in compromising positions on 'True Love' tops .
Fashion project comes from independent London-based magazine, Prowl .
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By . Sam Cunningham . Follow @@samcunningham . Mario Balotelli has already written off England’s chances of winning the World Cup. Italy face England in Manaus on June 14 in the opening game of their tournament. And Balotelli has already begun to fan the flames ahead of the fixture by questioning the big-tournament mentality of England’s players. No sweat: Mario Balotelli says England won't win the World Cup this summer, and are not Italy's rivals . Cracking up: The two teams face each other in their first game in Brazil, but Balotelli isn't worried . ‘I don’t look at England as a team that can win the World Cup,’ he said. ‘They have some good players, but they are no real rivals for Italy. ‘I am not saying that Italy are favourites, but we have the mentality and experienced players to surprise people — I don’t think England have that. ‘We have players who have won the World Cup, I don’t think England have a player who knows what it is like to play past the quarter-final.’ The former Manchester City striker will be aiming to damage England’s chances of progressing through a tough group with Uruguay and Costa Rica. Balotelli was notorious for his erratic off-field antics during three years in England, after he joined City from Inter Milan for £24million in 2010. He scored 30 goals in 49 starts for City, helping them win the Barclays Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield. Blow: Balotelli says England don't have a player who knows what it's like to get past a quarter-final . Joking around: Balotelli plays a prank on team-mate Andrea Pirlo during training on Wednesday . And the 23-year-old is confident that Italy will kick off their campaign with a victory over England. ‘In the opening game we have to respect England because it is important to get off to a good start,’ he said. ‘They have maybe two or three players who can hurt us, but we feel well prepared for the tournament and expect to start off with a win.’
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Balotelli confident of beating England in first World Cup game .
Three Lions don't have players that are used to getting past quarter-final .
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(CNN) -- Dueling theories of how the universe was created got a split decision Friday night from the Texas Board of Education, which required examination of "all sides of scientific evidence" in new science standards, but rejected language requiring teachers to teach the "strengths and weaknesses" of scientific theories. A woman stands in front of a mural depicting the development from ape to computer user. The debate pitted proponents of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution against supporters of religion-based theories of intelligent design, or creationism. "Science loses. Texas loses, and the kids lose because of this," board chairman Don McLeroy, a creationist, told the Dallas Morning News. A final 13-2 vote approved language that will be printed in textbooks beginning in 2011 and remain there for 10 years, CNN affiliate KPRC-TV in Houston reported: . "In all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental observation and testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those explanations so as to encourage critical thinking by the students." Earlier, the board rejected two sections written by McLeroy on identical 8-7 votes, the Dallas Morning News said. One section required teachers to "analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information," and the other required high school students to study the "sufficiency or insufficiency" of key principles of evolution. Opponents were pleased with the board's action on McLeroy's sections, but unsatisfied with the final result. "The phrase has been an open door to religious indoctrination in public schools," Mark Finkelstein, a lawyer with the Anti-Defamation League, told KPRC, referring to the "strengths and weaknesses" phrase in the material voted down. "This document still has plenty of potential footholds for creationist attacks on evolution to make their way into Texas classrooms," Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, told the Dallas Morning News. She predicted battles over textbooks in the coming years, a prediction McLeroy bolstered. Publishers, he said, will "have to get their textbooks approved by us in a few years." The size of the textbook market in Texas gives it influence nationwide, as publishers adapt their material to its standards. Darwin's theory of evolution proposes that humans evolved over millions of years from animal species -- including, most famously, early primates that also are the ancestors of modern-day apes. Such thinking, which challenged religious accounts of a deity creating humans, was considered radical, even blasphemous, when Darwin published it in 1859. Central to Darwin's thesis was his scientific explanation of life's diversity: that natural selection is enough to explain the evolution of all species. The scientific community has overwhelmingly scorned creationism and its latest incarnation, intelligent design, as a pretext for biblical explanations of how the world came to be, and asserts that there is no weakness or doubt in the scientific community about evolution. Last year, the National Academy of Sciences called for the public to be better informed about the importance of understanding and teaching evolution. The academy released a booklet titled "Science, Evolution, and Creationism" -- the third explanation of evolution put out since 1984 by one of the nation's leading scientific organizations. However, those who take issue with evolution believe it should be treated with healthy skepticism and argue that having high school students question a scientific theory overwhelmingly accepted by scientists teaches them critical thinking. "This debate will impact whether students are taught to think critically and scientifically when you learn about evolution. It's important for students to learn how to think like scientists and not be forced to treat these controversial topics like a dogma," Casey Luskin, a policy analyst with the Discovery Institute, a group that questions the theory of evolution, said in an article in the San Antonio Express-News. Proponents of evolution say the dogma is on the other side, with the Discovery Institute and others purposely distorting and ignoring scientific evidence to reach their desired conclusion. For decades, the teaching of evolution in public schools has been a flash point in some states, with proponents of ideas such as creationism and intelligent design trying to gain a place in science classes. The issue has been before school officials, legislators and courts in Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Virginia. The controversy over the teaching of intelligent design came to a head in Pennsylvania, where the Dover School Board voted that ninth-grade students must be read a statement encouraging them to read about intelligent design. A federal judge said the board violated the Constitution in doing so because intelligent design is religious creationism in disguise and injecting it into the curriculum violates the constitutional separation of church and state. "Academic freedom" bills have emerged but failed in various state legislatures, the National Center for Science Education said. An "academic freedom" act has been adopted as law in Louisiana, and there is legislation in Florida calling for an "academic freedom" bill that would mandate a "thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution." The center says such bills are strategies by creationists to appeal to the American sense of balance, and give the false sense that there are different sides to scientific issues such as evolution. "Two plus 2 is not 5," said the group's spokesman, Robert Luhn.
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Texas Board of Education votes on science curriculum amendments .
Board votes to require examination of "all sides of scientific evidence"
Board votes down requirement to present "strengths and weaknesses" of theories .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 6:45 PM on 28th October 2011 . Nowadays quirky weddings are all the rage, with couples being read their nuptials anywhere from hot-air balloons to under the ocean. But meet the Glaziers, who 20 years ago were ahead of their time with a bizarre marriage stunt. In 1991 Sue and Chris Glazier won a radio competition's 'mystery prize', meaning they spent the evening after they tied the knot circling the M25 in a huge bus. Chris and Sue Glazier who spent their wedding night driving around the M25 motorway in a coach . Their odd story has emerged in a BBC documentary about the M25 being screened on its 25th anniversary tomorrow. Today Mr Glazier, 44, a metal polisher from Lydd, Kent, spoke of their delight after they were picked for the unusual stunt. 'They told us the night before that we would be travelling at 50mph. 'My wife was thinking we were going to be on the Orient Express.' Instead, after their wedding in Ashford on March 27, 1991, they were driven to the newly opened Thurrock service station for the reception. Then came their big treat: a bus arrived to take them and their guests around the full 114-mile length of the M25. The wedding party on the happy day in March 1991 . Four hours and one complete circuit later, the guests were dropped off - and the happy couple were driven around the orbital twice more. 'There was a massive four-poster bed fitted into the bus, with a TV, video and ice box. It was a bumpy night ... but quiet,' said Mr Glazier. Eventually the bus pulled back into the service station where the couple enjoyed a hearty fry-up. Mrs Glazier, 43, a self-employed cleaner, said she was 'shocked' when they found out what lay in store on their wedding night. The love bus: The happy couple take to the wheel, in a quirky story which will be remembered in a documentary about the M25 . But she soon realised she'd be just as happy being Mrs Glazier on a bus as she would in a five-star hotel. 'As long as we were going to be together, that's all that mattered. 'Most people want to see the back of the M25 as quickly as possible. I just hope I'm never stuck on it. I don't want to tarnish the memories.' The M25 took more than 11 years to . build at a cost of £1 billion. It was opened by the then prime minister . Margaret Thatcher to a fanfare on October 29, 1986. Another £1 billion is now being spent on an expansion that will see the motorway grow to eight lanes wide in parts. The . documentary, The Road To Nowhere, tells how house prices have gone up . 300-400 per cent since the M25 opened, making huge profits for the . landowners whose farmland was snapped up by developers. Its construction saw a big influx of US companies attracted to American-style business parks that sprang up near the route. The M25 was also the centre of an illegal rave scene that developed shortly after it opened. 'All that everybody knew was these raves would happen somewhere on the periphery of the M25,' said DJ Judge Jules. You . set off in the direction of the M25 and at a certain point in the . night, through mobile phone and word of mouth, the location would be . given away.' The Road to Nowhere is at 5.10pm tomorrow on BBC1. Hellish: The M25 is known as Britain's biggest car park today .
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'My wife was thinking we were going to be on the Orient Express'
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f7e2726b020b70df21588a4b77c0f1fc50438a2a
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Anti-terror police in Germany have arrested a man codenamed 'The Tailor' who they claim ran a secret textile factory supplying large amounts of clothes and boots for ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria. The Lebanese man, identified only as 31-year-old Kassem R., was woken up at his home in a suburb of Bonn by GSG-9 officers blowing off the front door of his apartment with explosives. Similar raids at other addresses in Germany on Saturday resulted in more arrests of ISIS sympathisers. Terror tailor: A man codenamed 'the tailor', who is believed to have run a textile factory producing clothes for ISIS militants (pictured) has been arrested in Germany . He was led away for questioning along with his wife and children. Computers, mobile phones and paperwork were seized by officers who suspect him of supplying ISIS terrorists with combat suits, 7,500 pairs of boots, 6,000 military-issue parkas and 100 military shirts - in all worth £100,000 - from a secret plant inside Germany. Fifteen people were held in other raids in Germany as the intelligence service attempts to dismantle the support system underwriting the killers on the ground in the Middle East. A 38-year-old Tunisian called Kamel Ben Yahia S. is accused of also sending clothing and cash to ISIS while Yusup G., 28, a Russian, was identified as the quartermaster responsible for shipping the goods. The man identified only as Kassem R., 31 is suspected of supplying ISIS terrorists with combat suits, 7,500 pairs of boots, 6,000 military-issue parkas and 100 military shirts worth £100,000 . A 38-year-old Tunisian man named Kamel Ben Yahia S. is accused of also sending clothing and cash to ISIS while Yusup G., 28, a Russian, was identified as the quartermaster responsible for shipping the goods . Germany has seen some 400 of its citizens leave to fight for the jihad in Syria and Iraq in recent years. Spy chiefs say that a well-structured support system in the country is helping them with materials and goods to continue fighting. Meanwhile Turkey said it would allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to reinforce fellow Kurds in the Syrian town of Kobani, while the United States air-dropped arms for the first time to help the defenders resist an Islamic State assault. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington had asked Ankara to let Iraqi Kurds cross its territory so that they could help defend the town which lies on the Turkish frontier, adding that he hoped the Kurds would 'take this fight on'. Smoke and flames rise over Syrian town of Kobane after an airstrike today. Turkey said it would allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to reinforce fellow Kurds in the Syrian town of Kobani . Strike: The United States air-dropped arms into Kobane for the first time today to help the defenders resist an Islamic State assault. Smoke rises from a building after an ISIS mortar strike in the town of Kobane today . Smoke billows out from behind a building in the Syrian city of Kobane following an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition planes . Bombing run: A U.S.-led coalition aircraft is seen over the Syrian city of Kobane today . Kurdish militias in Kobane have been fighting off an Islamic State offensive since September without, until now, outside help apart from U.S.-led airstrikes on the jihadists. The town, which is besieged by Islamic State on three sides, lies on the frontline of the battle to foil the radical group's attempt to reshape the Middle East. The U.S. Central Command said it had delivered weapons, ammunition and medical supplies to allow the Kurdish fighters to keep up their resistance in the town which is called Kobani in Kurdish and Ayn al-Arab in Arabic. Kurdish fighters gather at a position near the Mursitpinar border crossing. The militias have been fighting off an Isis offensive since September without, until now, outside help apart from U.S.-led airstrikes on the jihadists . Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) fighters take position in the Syrian town of Kobani, as seen from inside Turkey . A Turkish tank near the Turkish-Syrian. Turkey will reportedly allow Iraqi Kurdish fighters to cross the Syrian border to fight Islamic State (IS) militants in the Syrian city of Kobane . The main Syrian Kurdish armed group, the YPG, said it had received 'a large quantity' of ammunition and weapons. The Islamic State relies on its global online propaganda machine, run largely by supporters far from the battle, to entice fighters, funding and other aid to the front. If the militants' victories begin to ebb in such a public forum, U.S. officials believe, so too will their lines of support. That alone makes the battle for Kobani a must-win fight for the U.S. strategy.
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Lebanese man, identified as 31-year-old Kassem R, arrested in dawn raid .
Suspected of supplying ISIS with equipment produced in a secret factory .
He is believed to have sent combat suits, 7,500 pairs of boots, 6,000 parkas and 100 military shirts .
Similar raids at other addresses in Germany resulted in more arrests of ISIS sympathisers .
Germany has seen some 400 citizens leave to fight for the jihad in Syria .
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Two men escaped certain death this morning after crashing into the barrier on a bridge, leaving them teetering 50ft above a busy motorway. It is believed the driver skidded on a wet section of the M25 ,at J5, near Sevenoaks, before his vehicle became wedged on the barrier. Half of the Renault remained on the motorway, while the other half dangled over the M26 below. Two men were lucky to survive today after crashing into a barrier on a motorway over bridge on the M25, leaving the car teetering 50ft over the M26 below . The car smashed through the barrier, but one of the railings wedged under the rare axle and above the front wheel, which stopped it from falling onto the M26 . Police said the men suffered only 'cuts and bruises' in the accident which caused parts of the motorway, and parts of the M26 east-bound, to be closed. The crash caused large tailbacks as officers at the Highway Agency removed the car and carried out emergency repairs on the barrier. The Kent Road Policing unit later used the accident as an example of what can happen in wet conditions. In this Highway Agency still, the car can be seen straddling the barrier as rescuers, left, go to their aid . Highway Agency staff cleared the car from the scene and emergency repairs were made to the barrier . They tweeted: 'Crash from M25 Jct 5 earlier this morning. Car nearly fell down onto M26 below. 'Two occupants received cuts and bruises only. Please remember this as the danger of driving on a wet road.'
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The driver skidded in wet conditions and crashed into a barrier on the M25 .
His vehicle was left teetering 50ft above the busy M26 below .
The driver and his passenger escaped with only 'cuts and bruises'
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f7e33c247dcae43039c56c4ffb2d10641228adb8
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Adam Steele (pictured) was sacked after he left his friend and colleague 'bleeding profusely' when he headbutted him . A favourite chef of The Queen who headbutted a colleague in a drunken rage during a party at the Buckingham Palace staff living quarters has been handed a community order. Adam Steele, 28, was popular with the Royal Family and was regularly requested by Prince Philip to cook for his guests. But the experienced sous chef was sacked after he left his friend and colleague James Thompson 'bleeding profusely' after telling him he was going to 'f*** him up' during a party at the Palace's staff accommodation. He had downed ten cans of lager and four shots before suddenly turning aggressive and launching the unprovoked attack on October 17. Steele pleaded guilty to common assault at an earlier hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court and was given community service and a fine today. Prosecutor Izolda Switala-Gribbin said: 'The defendant and victim were chefs working together at Buckingham Palace. On the day in question, Friday the 17th of October, they were having a party at the premises. 'The individual had some alcohol on the night in question and they were playing games. 'At some point he was seen becoming aggressive towards Mr Thompson, who asked the defendant if he was OK before he headbutted the victim in the face and was swinging punches at him. 'He had a split eyebrow and was bleeding profusely from his nose and eyebrow area. 'Prior to headbutting the complainant, the defendant said I'm going to f*** you up.' 'He was being aggressive for no apparent reason and there were complaints about his behaviour becoming difficult when consuming alcohol in the past.' Ms Switala-Gribbin said that after his arrest Steele told officers he had drunk 'eight to ten cans of lager and three or four shots of spirits'. 'He couldn't remember the incident and admitted to it being stupid.' Edward Jones, defending Steele, told the court his client had been dismissed from work over the assault and was still looking for a job. Steele (right, wearing cap) and friends at Buckingham Palace during the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 . Police were called when the fight broke out at the impromptu Friday night gathering in the Royal Mews (pictured), which was also attended by footmen, housemaids and other servants . He said: 'He has no previous convictions and does display remorse. He realises what he did was incredibly foolish and very costly for him. He let himself down very badly on this occasion.' Mr Jones added that Steele had 'lost a friend' in Mr Thompson over the incident and had tried to apologise to him in person. Magistrate Christina Townsend ordered the chef to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work over the next 12 months. He was also made to pay £200 compensation to Mr Thompson, £85 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge. She said: 'This offence is so serious it should be dealt with by a community order.'
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Adam Steele left his colleague 'bleeding profusely' after a fight at a party .
He downed ten cans of lager and four shots before becoming aggressive .
In a drunken rage, he headbutted friend James Thompson on October 17 .
He has now been ordered to pay compensation, and work 80 hours unpaid .
The sous chef was popular with the Royals and a favourite of Prince Philip .
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