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(CNN) -- Two Connecticut police officers were found guilty Monday of violating the civil rights of Latinos after a federal investigation uncovered a culture of bias within the East Haven Police Department, according to prosecutors. Officer Dennis Spaulding and former officer David Cari were convicted of conspiring to violate and violating the civil rights of Latinos in the East Haven community, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney of the District of Connecticut. Spaulding and Cari worked together to "injure, threaten and intimidate" Latinos in the Connecticut community, according to prosecutors. Evidence presented during the month-long trial showed that the men made unlawful arrests, including the arrest of a Catholic priest, at times using excessive force. The men later conspired to cover up evidence of their conduct by falsifying reports and blocking an investigation, prosecutors said. "No one is above the law, and no one is beneath the law's protection," acting U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly said Monday. "The illegal behavior detailed during the course of this trial chips away at the public's trust in all members of law enforcement, the vast majority of whom serve honorably and bravely each and every day." Cari and Spaulding, along with two other East Haven police officers -- John Miller and Jason Zullo -- were arrested in January 2012 following a federal investigation into racial profiling in the city. "They behaved like bullies with badges," Janice Fedarcyk, assistant FBI director in New York, said in 2012. "For some in our community, today's verdict provides a sense of vindication and closure. For others, especially our Police family, it is a difficult and sad occasion," East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo said in a statement Monday. "What is clear is that for all of our residents, it is an opportunity to close a difficult chapter in our Town's past and move forward as one, unified community." Maturo said the city has made several changes since the arrests, such as opening up the police department, holding community meetings, offering cultural sensitivity training to town employees and providing resourced for residents with limited English proficiency. The indictment that led to the trial cited instances including an occasion on January 21, 2009, when Spaulding and Zullo assaulted two individuals they had arrested under false pretenses, slamming their heads against the station's cell block walls. The indictment cited a similar incident in which Miller struck a detainee who was handcuffed after the detainee was propped up by two other patrol officers. The 2012 arrests came just weeks after a scathing Department of Justice report, derived from an investigation that began in September 2009, accusing the town's police of engaging in "discriminatory policing against Latinos." In a letter to Mayor Maturo, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Thomas J. Perez said the practice was "deeply rooted in the department's culture," citing statistical analysis that showed Latinos had been "intentionally targeted" for traffic stops. The letter provided an example of a particular officer's stops, 40.5% of which were of Latino drivers. Overall, the investigation found that 19.9% of traffic stops made by East Haven police were against Latino drivers, concluding it "shows pervasive discrimination against Latinos on every level of EHPD traffic enforcement activity." The report also accused some officers of conducting unauthorized immigration investigations. It mentioned "numerous incident reports" in which officers contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement to check on the status or seek an immigration detention of a Latino. Investigators said the tactic was "used to harass and intimidate Latinos rather than pursue legitimate law enforcement objectives." Police Chief Leonard Gallo retired in February 2012 amid controversy after the arrests were made. The controversy spread beyond the police department to the mayor's office. After being asked by a reporter in 2012 what he'd do for the Latino community in light of the officers' arrest, Maturo said that "I might have tacos when I get home, I'm not quite sure yet." Cari and Spaulding are set to be sentenced on January 21, 2014. Miller pleaded guilty to a civil rights violation by use of unreasonable force during the course of an arrest in September 2012. Zullo pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction in October 2012, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Both Miller and Zullo are awaiting sentencing. Connecticut mayor apologizes for 'taco' comment . CNN's Susan Candiotti and Patricia Pedraza contributed to this report.
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Four East Haven officers were arrested in 2012 after a federal investigation into racial profiling .
Two had already pleded guilty to separate charges .
The remaining two were convicted Monday and will be sentenced in January .
Prosecutor: The cops' behavior "chips away at the public's trust in ... law enforcement"
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Imagine a diet on which you were permitted to stuff your face with biscuits while still losing weight. Have you imagined it? Right. Well, now you can stop imagining, because there is one eating plan that claims to let you do precisely that. The only catch is that you're only allowed six, specially formulated biscuits per day. So no reaching for the custard creams. And the biscuits are instead of meals. So put down that cutlery. Dr Siegal's Cookie Diet, founded by Miami-based weight-loss expert Dr Sanford Siegal in 1975, is a retro, meal-replacement eating plan of the same ilk as Slim-Fast. And it's coming to Britain. Can you lose weight by eating biscuits? Dr Siegal's diet claims to let you lose weight by eating low-calorie meal-replacement biscuits . The diet involves swapping breakfast, lunch and any snacks in between for just six of the brand's special 90-calorie biscuits - available in flavours including butterscotch, cinnamon oatmeal, chocolate brownie, blueberry, banana and maple syrup - or nine of the little 60-calorie ones. You are permitted to eat a healthy, sensible dinner - just so long as your daily calorific intake does not top 1,200 calories. The cookies - which, according to Madonna, made her then-husband Ritchie lose his sex drive in 2008 - are made from fibrous grains such as oats, fruit and amino acids. A week's supply will set you back upwards of £41.50, and the diet claims to help you drop 10lb per month. Weight loss made easy? The diet claims to enable you to lose 10lb per month . But nutritional therapist Jo Lewin doesn't believe that nutritionally restrictive diets of this nature are the key to long-term weight loss: . Speaking . to MailOnline, Jo said: 'Eating six cookies a day, with only one proper . balanced meal is not seen as a healthy approach to weight loss. 'Restricting calories on a diet like . this is unlikely to lead to long-term weight loss and may result in . nutritional deficiencies. Since when has balanced nutrition been . represented by a biscuit? 'This . looks like another fad diet which is misleading to the public. Restricting the diet and food choices like this is more like to hinder . our health than help it. 'For sustained, healthy weight loss you need adherence and compliance with a pattern of eating that works for you over time. 'You're . better off starting a food diary, watching portion size and cutting out . high sugar snacks than reaching for the cookie jar.' Durable and portable: Dr Siegal says he chose to make his low-calorie food take the form of a biscuit because they are easy to carry and fit in a handbag . Speaking to MailOnline about whether . he believes his diet is a healthy way to lose weight, Dr Siegal said: . 'Decidedly, yes. Any diet that safely takes weight off someone and gets . them to their proper weight is a safe diet, because nothing is more . unhealthy than being overweight. 'People on the Cookie Diet are not . getting the nutrition they need, but that's the purpose. To lose weight . you need to eat fewer calories than your body needs. 'But there's no question they are . getting the vitamins and minerals they need becasue one of the . instructions is to take a multivitamin - and in the US we give free . vitamins with packs of cookies. 'As far as remaining healthy I have . enough evidence of that over the years. I've been treating obesity for . 50 years and using the cookies since 1975. I've treated half a million . patients and we have yet to have the first case of someone not getting . enough vitamins.' Dr Siegal, right, and his son Matthew, CEO of the Cookie Diet, say the diet is healthy and provides clients with all the vitamins and minerals they need . Dr Siegal's son Matthew, CEO of Dr Siegal's Cookie Diet, added: 'As long as you're eating fewer calories than your body needs to maintain it's weight, you will lose eight. 'And as for whether people will regain all the weight they lost when they resume "normal" eating.... well, if "normally" means their previous eating habits that got them overweight to begin with, then of course they will gain weight. But I'm a big believer in exercise as a means of maintaining goal weight. 'One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to losing weight quickly is that once come off the diet you will regain the weight immediately. That's just silly. Once you . reach your goal weight the only thing that will determine whether you gain . weight is what you do from that point on. 'The method by which you lose weight has nothing to do with whether you go back to being overweight after. 'The Cookie . Diet takes you to a goal weight quickly and safely, but what you have beyond . that is a lifetime of weight maintenance through healthy eating and . exercise.' Dr Sanford Siegal with a batch of his weight-loss cookies . Writing on his blog, Dr Siegal said: . 'In the early 1970's, after treating overweight patients exclusively for . more than a decade, I came to the conclusion that hunger is the primary . cause of diet failures. 'Through trial and error, I had . determined that 800 calories a day produces the fastest rate of true fat . loss and is quite safe under the supervision of a trained physician. 'Of course, without strong hunger . suppression, an 800 calorie diet would be difficult to follow due to . hunger. I knew that, if I could control their hunger, I could help my . patients faithfully follow the low calorie diet that I favored. 'I decided to try to create a food that was particularly controlling of . hunger while relatively low in calories. After several years of . experimentation in my home kitchen, I developed a blend of particular . amino acids (food proteins) that proved to be quite hunger suppressing . and I baked it into a cookie. 'I . chose a cookie because it's durable; doesn't need refrigeration; fits . in a purse or briefcase; and is enjoyed by nearly everyone. I was . careful to make my cookie taste good but not too good.'
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Dr Sanford Siegal's Cookie Diet is a popular Hollywood eating plan .
Diet involves eating low-calorie meal-replacement biscuits .
Claims diet has helped half a million people lose weight since 1975 .
Denise Richards, Jennifer Hudson and Guy Ritchie have followed .
Costs from £41.50 per week and claims to help you lose 10lb a month .
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Ed Miliband today accused TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson of ‘belittling’ people with mental health problems. The Labour leader used a speech in central London to criticise the Top Gear host, who he claimed was responsible for promoting a culture of ‘intolerance’. Mr Mililband said stars were wrong to make light of mental illness, as he unveiled plans to tackle what he called ‘the biggest unaddressed health challenge of our age’. Scroll down for video . Ed Miliband criticised celebrities who 'belittle' people with mental health problems . In a speech at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Labour leader set out what he called a One Nation approach to mental health . He praised the example of people like cricketer Marcus Trescothick and television presenter Stephen Fry for speaking out about their battles with depression. But he said ‘far too often’ there was ‘scepticism and abuse’ that reinforced the taboo about mental health meaning many people who struggle with it do not feel able to discuss it or seek help. ‘It's not just casual name calling in the streets or the school playground. There are still people who abuse the privilege of their celebrity to insult, demean and belittle others,’ he said in a speech at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He added: ‘Jeremy Clarkson, who may have at least have acknowledged the tragedy of people who end their own lives, goes on to call them "Johnny Suicides" whose bodies should be left on train tracks rather than delay journeys. ‘It is attitudes like these that reinforce the stigma that blights millions of people's lives, and holds our country back. 'The fight against racism, against . sexism and against homophobia, made the acceptable unacceptable. So we . should join the fight against this intolerance. It is wrong, it costs . Britain dear, and it has to change.’ Mr Miliband criticised celebrities like Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson who made fun of people with a mental illness . Jeremy Clarkson caused controversy last December after criticising people who kill themselves on train lines. The . notorious presenter said that anyone who committed suicide in this way . was 'very selfish' for traumatising train drivers and inconveniencing . commuters. The outburst came just days after a joke about executing public . sector workers for going on strike cause outcry. In a newspaper column he . wrote that killing oneself by jumping in front of a train 'is a very . selfish way to go because the disruption it causes is immense.' He went on to label those who killed themselves 'Johnny Suicide'. Clarkson claimed that train drivers involved in these cases are . 'traumatised for life', and complained that passengers would 'have to . sit around for hours'. And . he added that trains should not wait until all the remains of the body . had been removed from tracks, saying - grotesquely - that drivers should . instead 'get the train moving as soon as possible and let foxy woxy and . the birds nibble away at the smaller, gooey parts that are far away and . hard to find.' However, in . his article for The Sun Mr Clarkson stressed that he had 'the deepest . sympathy for anyone whose life is so mangled and messed up that they . believe death's icy embrace will be better. He accepted that politicians had also largely failed to take a lead on the issue. ‘For far too long leading politicians from all parties, including my own, have maintained an almost complete silence about mental health,’ he said. Mental illness creates additional costs for the NHS of £10 billion in the provision of extra physical care, while the wider economy loses £26 billion a year to sickness absence, replacing staff and reduced productivity caused, he said. 'Now there will be some people who say that mental health is the kind of subject we can talk about in the good times, but not when the economy is such a priority. 'In my view, that is the opposite of the truth. Because mental health is an economic challenge holding back prosperity. 'Because however hard the economic challenges, we cannot forget about people's quality of life. And, finally, if we want a politics that talks directly to the challenges that British people face in their everyday lives, we cannot allow the silence to continue.' Mr Miliband announced the creation of a taskforce headed by the chair of Barts NHS Trust, Stephen O'Brien, to draw up a strategic plan for mental health in society. VIDEO: Miliband hits out at Clarkson over mental health jibes .
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Labour leader uses speech to the Royal College of Psychiatrists to set out what he called a One Nation approach to mental illness .
He criticised celebrities who ridicule sufferers of mental illness .
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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 13:56 EST, 5 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:56 EST, 5 June 2013 . One of the men accused of killing Lee Rigby said today: ‘I'm a man, I'm a soldier, I'm a British citizen.’ Michael Adebolajo, 28, of Romford, Essex, interrupted proceedings at the Old Bailey on several occasions during a bail hearing, telling judge Mr Justice Sweeney via videolink: ‘It's not about you.’ Adebolajo, whose left arm was in a plaster cast after allegedly murdering the soldier in Woolwich, south-east London, on May 22, added: ‘This whole trial is about more than that. It's not about me.’ 'I'm a soldier': Michael Adebolajo (pictured on Monday at Westminster Magistrates' Court), 28, of Romford, Essex, interrupted proceedings at the Old Bailey on several occasions during a bail hearing . He went on: ‘Really and truly it's about the good, honest, decent, hardworking British members of society, whether they be Muslim or non-Muslim. They are the ones that have suffered the most.’ Adebolajo added: ‘It's possible throughout life that people may sometimes smother you and say things about you that are false. But as a regular citizen and human being, we have to get over it. ‘I believe that the British people are decent. From my experience growing up in my country, only a fraction will wish to slander and lie against me. But the rest would prefer to know the truth.’ Adebolajo is also accused of the attempted murder of two police officers and possession of a firearm - a 9.4mm KNIL model 91 revolver - with intent to cause others to believe violence would be used. Death: Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, was killed on May 22 in Woolwich, south-east London . He was reprimanded by the judge for . interrupting several times and eventually the videolink was switched . off. The defendant was listed as Mujaahid Abu Hamza AKA Adebolajo by the . court. Adebolajo had asked to be referred to by the name when he appeared before magistrates on Monday, and was addressed as Mr Hamza today. He was charged with the four counts on Saturday, after being discharged from hospital on Friday having spent just over a week there being treated for his injuries after being shot by police. The court heard Adebolajo had been seen by psychiatrists three times while in hospital and at least twice since he had been discharged and in custody, and had been declared fit for interview in all. While this was discussed the defendant interjected with: ‘I'm not familiar with this legal jargon. I'm a soldier, not a lawyer.’ The start of the hearing had been delayed after Adebolajo complained about having to be handcuffed in the video-link room at Belmarsh Prison. He was eventually allowed to have them removed on the understanding that two prison officers sat beside him during the hearing. Wearing a burgundy top with a pink jumper that was only over one arm due to his cast, Adebolajo also complained that his privacy had been violated. Hearing: The defendant was listed as Mujaahid Abu Hamza AKA Adebolajo by the Old Bailey (pictured) He claimed he had been made to have his genitals examined twice ahead of his appearance on Wednesday. ‘I'm a man, I'm a soldier, I'm a British citizen,’ he said. ‘And you can't see my privates.’ Describing the prison officer who had asked to examine him as a ‘jobsworth’, he added that after the experience: ‘I cried like a baby, you know, into my sleeve.’ He said he had let him look at him as he had said ‘please’ when he asked, adding that he appreciated his politeness. 'I'm a man, I'm a soldier, I'm a British citizen' Michael Adebolajo . The packed courtroom listened as he likened the situation to when someone says ‘please’ when they ask to get past him when shopping for margarine in a supermarket. ‘It could be Flora or Utterly Butterly, you find it hard not to move,’ he said. When reprimanded by the judge for interrupting, the defendant said: ‘Stop trying to stifle the truth. Wouldn't want the truth to get out, would we? Wouldn't want that.’ But he later praised Mr Justice Sweeney after he let him have his handcuffs removed, saying ‘May Allah bless you’ three times. ‘That man who is wearing the white wig and the red robe. May Allah bless that man because he has had the courage to do something that many wouldn't have had the courage to do so.’ Adebolajo will appear at the court alongside co-defendant Michael Adebowale, 22, of Greenwich, south-east London, for a preliminary hearing on June 28. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Michael Adebolajo of Essex interrupts Old Bailey on several occasions .
28-year-old tells Mr Justice Sweeney via videolink: 'It's not about you'
Adebolajo's left arm was in cast after allegedly murdering Lee Rigby .
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Desperate times, desperate measures. This is the moment an NFL fan cuts a bathroom line mid-match and gets punched in the face. Instagram user idabchicago filmed the incident at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago on Thursday night. The unidentified Dallas Cowboys supporter - wearing a blue hoodie in honor of his team - tries to skip his way to a urinal before getting caught by an angry fan from the opposing team. Scroll down for video . Fight club: This is the moment an NFL fan cuts a bathroom line during a match and gets punched in the face . The Chicago Bears were up against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. As the fight erupts, other people join in and the jeers get increasingly loud. A bathroom attendant takes the role of referee, trying his best to break things up. However, he's unable to stop the Dallas Cowboys supporter from getting hit. Heated: Instagram user idabchicago filmed the incident at Soldier Field stadium in Chicago on Thursday . Caught on camera: The unidentified Dallas Cowboys fan - wearing a blue hoodie in honor of his team - tries to skip his way to a urinal before getting caught by an angry fan from the opposing team . Team effort: As the fight erupts, other people join in and the jeers get increasingly loud . Blow: As his jaw is punched by a man off screen, the Dallas Cowboys fan falls back against a wall with a surprised expression on his face . As his jaw is punched by a man off screen, he falls back against a wall with a surprised expression on his face. The room is filled with cheers. Despite suffering the blow, the man's mood was no doubt boosted by the fact his team won 41 - 28.
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Instagram user filmed the incident at Soldier Field stadium Thursday night .
The Cowboys went on to beat the Bears 41-28 .
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A judge praised the 'brave' mother who told the police her son had gone to Syria 'to do jihad' as he jailed two childhood friends for more than 12 years for joining an Al-Qaeda linked group. Mohammed Nahin Ahmed and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar, both 22, from Birmingham, fled to the war-torn country in May last year after contacting Islamic extremists online. Today Sarwar's mother was given credit for alerting the authorities after her son left a note saying he was going to Syria and told her the Taliban and Al Qaeda 'are not bad'. Jailed: Best friends Nahin Ahmed (left) and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar, both 22, fled Britain for Syria to 'do jihad'. They took pictures of themselves with guns that police found in their luggage . Woolwich Crown Court heard the pair ordered books Islam For Dummies, The Koran For Dummies and Arabic For Dummies from Amazon ahead of their trip. Ahmed also told his childhood friend Sarwar: 'I cannot tell anyone I'm going to do jihad. Lol. I'll get arrested' just before they left Birmingham and joined rebels in Aleppo. The men were arrested on their return to the UK in January and pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorism acts contrary to Section 5 of the Terrorism Act. They were sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court in London today to 12 years and eight months in prison with an extended licence period of five years. Sarwar left a scribbled letter for his mother when he fled for Syria, but she went to the police who intercepted him and his friend Ahmed when they flew back to Britain eight months later. It read: 'Make sure you don't get any authority involved its (sic) a kuffar (infidel) government. 'I will try to intercede for you but don't rely on my intercession for if Allah allows me to intercede make sure to perfect yourselfs (sic). 'Make sure to keep me in your dua (prayers) as I am doing the best deed in Allahs eyes in'shaa' Allah. 'I will be going to Sumya (Syria) Ash sham which I will help the oppressed and fight Allahs enemies there. 'Taliban, Al Quada (sic) etc are not bad the West portrays them as bad. 'The group I will be joining is Kataib Al Muhajireen which is part of Al Nusra. In 'shaa' Allah . 'WE WOULD STAND UP AND NEVER WOULD LET ALLAHS RELIGION BE DEMONISED' Judge Michael Topolski QC said: 'They willingly, enthusiastically and with a great deal of purpose, persistence and determination embarked on a course intended to commit acts of terrorism.' After eight months fighting in Syria they were arrested on their return to Heathrow Airport in January because their worried families tipped off counter-terrorism detectives. Before he left Sarwar had left a note for his mother arguing going 'to do jihad' in Syria was 'doing the best deed in Allah's eyes' and said the Taliban and Al Qaeda 'are not bad', so she went to the police. The judge said they believed in 'violent Islamist extremism' and praised the 'extraordinarily brave' mother who reported her son to the police. Prosecutor Brian Altman QC said: 'Without the mother's actions, the police would not have been in a position to be waiting for the men on their return.' The judge said they had made a careful plan 'to join the ranks of the Islamist forces', adding 'before travelling, you both went to some trouble to fabricate cover-stories'. The judge said both men 'intended to be martyred on the battlefield in Syria' and plotted 'to attack Assad's forces, with the obvious risk that these intended attacks may have resulted in both military and civilian losses'. He also discussed a note written from Sarwar to his mother, which hailed the Taliban. 'Its contents provide an insight into the true purpose of your journey. 'This was not a spontaneous response to travel to a humanitarian crisis. Without any doubt, it shows you were travelling to Syria intent on jihad'. Yusuf Zubair Sarwar (left) and Mohammed Nahin Ahmed, both 22, from Birmingham, fled to the war-torn country in May last year after contacting Islamic extremists online . Reference books: The pair bought Islam for Dummies, The Koran for dummies and Arabic for Dummies from Amazon ahead of their Syria trip, where they spent eight months fighting in Aleppo . He said the sentences were designed to 'punish, deter and incapacitate' and 'both of these defendants are fundamentalists who became interested in and then deeply committed to violent extremism'. He said he could not be sure the defendants planned to launch attacks in Britain, but noted 'the retention of the disk, containing detailed instructions of how to make an IED, is a deeply disturbing feature'. He handed both men a jail term of 12 years and 8 months, to be followed by five years on extended license. They will be also be subject to counter-terror notification requirements for 30 years. The court heard the men fled to Syria claiming it was a university trip elsewhere but after returning to Britain they told officers they had been doing humanitarian work but a camera containing 'thousands' of images, including some of them posing with guns on the front line, was found in their luggage. Traces of 'military-grade explosives', including TNT and nitro-glycerine were on the men's clothes and trainers. Sarwar's family reported him missing to police in May last year after they found a hand-written letter from him in which said he had left to join a terrorist group called Kataib al Muhajireen (KaM) - later renamed Kateeba al-Kawthar - 'to do jihad'. Family: Sarwar left a scribbled letter for his mother when he fled for Syria, but she went to the police who intercepted him and his friend Ahmed when they flew back to Britain eight months later . Ruse: The pair said they were travelling to Turkey as part of a two-week trip organised by Birmingham City University (pictured at Heathrow) but they then went on to Syria . Officers also found social media and email conversations between the pair and Islamic extremists. Over Skype, Ahmed talked to a Swedish national who was fighting with KaM. He told the fighter: 'I come to join KaM,' to which the Swede replies: 'Inshallah (God willing)'. Ahmed later asked a Danish Islamic extremist: 'Would the brothers in Yemen accept me?' The families of both men had put pressure on them to return to the UK once they discovered where they were. Days earlier he had told his family he was travelling to Turkey as part of a two-week trip organised by Birmingham City University, where he was a part-time computer science student. It prompted a search of the men's homes, which revealed an online conversation between Ahmed and a Swedish national fighting with the KaM, during which Ahmed said he wanted to join the terrorist group. West Midlands Police said the men showed the mind-set to go and join the jihad in Syria, before carrying out research, buying equipment, and finally travelling their via Turkey. Ahmed, who was born in Bangladesh, moved to Britain as a child, while Sarwar, who is of Pakistani descent, was born in Britain. An initial search of their homes revealed images of Islamic propaganda on both of their computers, including images of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) flags, shaheed (martyr) literature and several texts which are linked to the jihadi mindset.
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Mohammed Nahin Ahmed and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar admit terror offence .
Judge jailed them saying they 'enthusiastically and with a great deal of persistence and determination intended to commit acts of terrorism'
Sarwar had left his mother note explaining why he was going 'to do jihad'
Her 'extraordinary bravery' praised in court as it led to their convictions .
Pair arrested as they returned to Heathrow after mother went to the police .
Officers found cache of photos of them with weapons and TNT on clothes .
Online messages sent before they left UK showed they planned to fight .
One said: 'I cannot tell anyone I'm going to jihad. Lol. I'll get arrested'
Bought Islam For Dummies and The Koran For Dummies ahead of trip .
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(CNN) -- More than 200 indigenous people who refused to vacate their land in eastern Paraguay were sprayed late last week with what some believe was pesticide, sending seven to the hospital, a government cabinet member said this week. The 217 members of the Ava Guarani community in the Itakyry district suffered vomiting, diarrhea, headaches and nausea, said Esperanza Martinez, Paraguay's minister of health. Although one person was in serious condition, she said Monday, the rest are improving. "For us, it's very clear that this is an acute community-wide intoxication caused in a premeditated manner by an unknown substance," Martinez said on her ministry's Web site. "But it is very clear because all of the similar symptoms occurred after this incident." The Amnesty International human rights organization said Tuesday it "condemned the use of apparently toxic pesticides to intimidate an indigenous community after they resisted being forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands." The tension in Paraguay is identical to that found in other parts of Latin America, where the rights of indigenous communities collide with the business interests upon which nations' economies depend. The traditional ancestral homes of indigenous communities are sought for use by mining, oil, logging, agricultural and ranching businesses. Some in Paraguay say that legal protections often are not enough. "A new constitution recognizes indigenous rights, but political reality is proving to be quite different from the constitutional ideal; the problems facing Paraguay's indigenous people are not likely to go away anytime soon," the University of Maryland's Center for International Development and Conflict Management said in a 2006 study. "The economics and politics of Paraguay make sustained improvement unlikely." Government critics say not much has changed in three years. "Indigenous peoples' lives are being put in jeopardy by those who should protect them," said Louise Finer, Paraguay researcher at Amnesty International. "The risk faced by the Itakyry communities was predictable. Insufficient action was taken to protect them from the threats they faced from this renewed attempt to evict them from their ancestral lands." The latest incident occurred Friday near the border with Brazil, when more than 200 Ava Guarani community members refused to leave land local soy growers say belongs to them. An eviction order against the indigenous people was supposed to be carried out Friday, but a district prosecutor canceled the mandate right before it was to be executed. "And, according to what the indigenous said, that apparently angered the soy growers, who went there to try to remove them," Paraguayan Health Minister Martinez said. "They went in trucks to try to forcefully remove them." Amnesty International said the Ava Guarani fought back against the 50 men who tried to evict them. "The indigenous peoples resisted using bows and arrows," the rights group said in a release Tuesday. Police were present, which limited the fight, Martinez said. "Afterward," she said, "came a low-level flight by airplanes where the people were working in their fields, in their community orchards, with the spraying of a liquid over the people who were there, who later presented with massive symptoms." Officials are investigating who may have been responsible, she said. Amnesty International urged Paraguayan officials to step up their efforts to protect the indigenous communities. "The Paraguayan authorities -- the executive, congress and the judiciary -- must work together to address the immediate needs of the communities after this attack, but also to ensure that it does not happen again." Finer said. The native populations have been losing ground since the 1700s. "As agriculture and grazing came to occupy larger and larger tracts of land, the traditional subsistence foraging and hunting of most of the groups could not support their numbers, and they were forced to take extremely low-wage jobs," the University of Maryland's conflict and development group says. "Indigenous peoples throughout Paraguay are among the very poorest of society." Indigenous communities also were legally disenfranchised, the study said. "Until the 1960s, only one law addressed the future of indigenous groups in Paraguay, and well into the 1970s it was not a crime to kill 'Indians,' " the university study said. Some recent government efforts to help indigenous communities have been tied up in courts. "In 1996 and 1997 the Paraguayan Indigenous Institute, the state body that advises on protecting indigenous peoples' rights and processing land claims, acquired 2,638 hectares (6,518 acres) of the indigenous communities' ancestral land on their behalf," Amnesty International said in a recent release. "However, landowners have taken legal action against the five communities." More recently, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered Paraguay in 2005 and 2006 to return ancestral lands to two indigenous communities. It was not clear Tuesday whether that order had been carried out. The University of Maryland study points out that the indigenous population of Paraguay consists of 17 ethnic communities divided into five linguistic groups: the Mascoi, Mataco, Zamuco, Guarani and the Guaykuru. These communities live on either side of the Paraguayan River, in the sparsely populated Chaco region to the west, and along the Brazilian border to the east. Less than half of the indigenous population remaining in Paraguay lives in the Chaco; fewer groups, related to the Guarani, remain in the east. About 95 percent of Paraguayans are mestizo, of mixed Spanish and Amerindian ancestry, the CIA World Factbook says. The official language of Paraguay is Spanish. However, the university report said, the majority of Paraguay's 7 million residents speak Guarani better than they speak Spanish. Spanish is used mainly in public speech, while Guarani is used in everyday speech. The 1992 constitution stipulated that all government documents be published in Spanish and Guarani. But despite the general population's fluency with Guarani, the study said, Paraguayans do not consider themselves of Indian descent and their culture is thoroughly Hispanicized.
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Seven indigenous Paraguayans hospitalized after land dispute .
200 in Ava Guarani refuse to leave land soy growers say belongs to them .
After dispute, planes flew over fields and sprayed villagers, official says .
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By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 01:20 EST, 23 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:24 EST, 23 May 2013 . Houston Texans’ defensive end JJ Watt is fast gaining a reputation as the NFL’s Mr Nice and someone who’s heart is almost as big as his 6ft 5in, 295lb frame. Watt is the kind of sports star that goes out of his way to make space in his busy schedule to meet his fans, especially those that are most deserving. On Monday he came face-to-face with one of his bravest fans in the shape of a young man called Itzy Cagen. Magical meeting: On Monday Itzy Cagen came face-to-face with his hero Houston Texans' defensive end JJ Watt . As well as being one of Watt's biggest fans, Cagen is also the longest surviving quadriplegic in the world. The victim of a tragic accident at the age of two, for more than 20 years ago Itzy has been confined to his wheelchair, and lacks the ability to eat, sleep and move around without relying on the help of another person or machine. The meeting came about after Itzy’s helper Eran Melnik took to JJ’s Facebook fan page to tell him about one of his biggest fans. Melnik wrote: ‘I have been his nurse for four years now and I don't think there is a bigger Texans fan out there. During the season, every morning I would wake him up and he would announce "J. J. SWATT!!!". Itzy Cagen, right, is the world's longest surviving quadriplegic and a massive fan of JJ Watt . 'Just thought you would like to know that he is out there and would love to meet you if at all possible. We understand that you are busy, but who knows? Send me a message if anything comes up....’ Almost immediately, Itzy's friends created a social media storm around the effort. Comedy writer Jenny Johnson shared the photo in a tweet to more than 300,000 of her followers, reports Kids of Courage. After 103 days, nearly 1,500 Likes and more than 270 shares, the photo was seen by the NFL superstar on May 13. ‘We will make this happen,’ he succinctly commented on Melnik’s post. On May 21st, 111 days after Melnik posted the photo, the wait was over. Itzy Cagen and JJ Watt met for the first time. Later that day, Melnik took to Facebook once again: 'Thank you so much, JJ Watt, for taking the time out of your busy schedule to make Itzy extremely happy! JJ Watt tweet this picture of his time spent with Itzy and said it had been a pleasure to meet him . 'It was great to meet a superstar who honestly is a genuinely good person. Gives me faith in humanity to know that someone with his status can be so generous and giving.' 'He is my hero,' Itzy wrote referring to Watt. He writes using his head, the only portion of his body that he is able to move at free will. Equipped with a special device attached to his forehead, Itzy carefully pecked each letter. This isn't the first time the NFL star has gone out of his way to connect with his fans. On Monday he paid a surprise visit to the home of Cristian Beasley, a young fan dealing with leukemia in Splendora, Texas. Back in January, he ‘married’ a six-year-old fan whose mother had posted a heartbroken YouTube video of her sulking because she 'isn't 25 yet but wants to marry J.J. Watt.' The video featured young Breanna, sobbing and feeling very sorry for herself. Texans star Watt surprised young fan Breanna by asking her if she would be his bride for the day . The video posted on YouTube features young Breanna sobbing and feeling very sorry for herself because she can't marry JJ Watt . ‘I wish I was 25,’ she sobbed. ‘Why do you wish you were 25?’ her mother asks. ‘So I could marry JJ Watt.’ ‘Do you love JJ Watt?’ ‘Mmm-hmmm.’ ‘He's handsome, isn't he?’ 'Mm-hmm,' she nodded through the tears. Someone sent Watt a link to the video and he decided he wanted to do something about it. Breanna and JJ pose with ring pops and flowers as part of their very special one day marriage . 'I saw the YouTube video,' explained Watt. 'I hate to see . tears on my fans. So we put it out there on Twitter and Facebook to see . if we could find her. The two meet in person at the Houston Texans' Reliant Stadium on Wednesday. 'She didn’t know I was going to be there. When she walked in, I had flowers and was down on one knee with a ring . in my pocket,' explained Watt. 'I asked her if she would be my pretend wife for a day. She said yes of course.' Watt brought along one of his white jerseys to act as a pretend wedding dress and the couple had their first dance to her favorite singer Justin Bieber. 'It was a very cool day. Very special to see such a smile on her face. To . have the ability to do that is so neat. Anytime I can give back to the . fans. I want to do something if I can,' said Watt. Watt brought along one of his white jerseys to act as a pretend wedding dress and the couple had their first dance to her favorite singer Justin Bieber . This heart-warming interaction with a young fan has certainly boosted Watt’s nice guy image with his growing legion of fans. He posted the pictures from their 'wedding' on Facebook and so far they have attracted 51,302 Likes, been shared 5,331 times and received 3,374 comments, the majority of which are people . It’s almost impossible not to be a JJ Watt fan after this touching display of fan interaction, which puts so many of his NFL colleagues to shame. On the field Watt had a great second season, he led the NFL in sacks, the Texans won the AFC South and he started last Sunday's Pro Bowl. Up until recently Watt had complained that he is having trouble finding a girlfriend, but is now reported to be dating Sydney Leroux, a 20-year-old Forward on the US Women’s National soccer team. Hopefully young Breanna hasn’t found out about that or she will be heartbroken all over again. Young Breanna's marriage to JJ Watt was just for a day, in reality he is dating soccer star Sydney Leroux . Video: Six-year-old cries over football star JJ Watt .
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Itzy Cagen is the longest surviving quadriplegic in the world .
His idol is Houston Texans’ defensive end JJ Watt .
On Monday they got to meet for the first time after an online campaign by Cagen's helper to make it happen .
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By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 08:11 EST, 4 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:46 EST, 4 September 2012 . Watching Lancôme's latest fragrance advert, it is impossible to believe that Julia Roberts is nearing her half century. The 44-year-old actress positively glows in the latest offering for the brand, for which she is an ambassador. Directed by Mirror Mirror director Tarsem Singh, Julia glides through a crowded party as a bottle of Lancôme's latest fragrance, 'La Vie Est Belle', glimmers under the chandelier lights. Scroll down for video . Julia Roberts looks far younger than her 44 years in the new Lancome fragrance advert . Roberts has been an ambassador for Lancôme since 2010 but this is her first fragrance campaign with the French beauty company. A campaign she did for the brand last year was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, who deemed L'Oreal, parent company of Lancome, had used digitally retouched images that could 'mislead' the viewer. L’Oreal said at the time that image had been digitally re-touched to ‘lighten the skin, clean up make-up, reduce dark shadows and shading around the eyes, smooth the lips and darken the eyebrows’. However, again, it insisted that the image was an accurate reflection of the benefits of the product. The ASA was not convinced, ruling the images could not be used again in their current form. Here though, it cannot be denied that Julia Roberts is in possession of a striking natural beauty. Dressed in a floor length white dress that reveals her ample cleavage, the star shines in her role. Julia emerges in a stunning floor-length white dress as she walks through a crowded party . The Pretty Woman star's hair is flowing in curls and she shows off her ample cleavage . 'The only person that could embody this . kind of joyful femininity, this woman that could be all women at the . same time - in their honesty, truth and diversity - is Julia Roberts,' Youcef Nabi, president of Lancôme International, told WWD. The . perfume itself is made of just 63 subtle ingredients and was the . creation of three French masters of perfumery; Olivier Polge, Dominique . Ropion and Anne Flipo, who aimed to create 'the first ever feminine . iris'. The perfume has fruity flavour notes of blackcurrant and pear, with tones of tonka bean, praline, patchouli and vanilla. The Pretty Woman actress told Hello! magazine that it's important for her to wear a nice scent as it makes her feel more confident with herself. 'I like to smell nice. And I think it is best when perfume is kind of there, but still draws people in. You have to get close to figure out what you're dealing with. The Advertising Standards Agency banned this Lancome advert of actress Julia Roberts after complaints it was misleading . 'The bottle is beautiful. And in this day and age when everything's about the brand and everything's got the name of the company and the person and the place stamped all over it, what I think is amazing is that there's nothing written on the bottle,' she said.
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Actress's ad for La Vie Est Belle comes a year after ASA banned previous ad for 'misleading' use of airbrush .
Roberts, 44, looks youthful in film, directed by Tarsem Singh .
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In an effort to mark Guinness World Record Day, two German men have gotten their stomach into knots trying to speed eat a German food icon. Unfortunately, the two men failed their first World Record attempt: downing a pretzel in 30 seconds without any water. However, a winner was eventually declared - one minute and 12 seconds later than his initial attempt target. After taking their seats, the two contestants chose their pretzels, rubbed off the salt and waited for the timer to start. Realising the difficult task ahead, both men folded their pretzels - attempting to trick their minds into believing they only had half the amount in front of them left to eat. Their mind trick didn’t appear to help though, as neither men were quick to finish after the fold. Struggling: Alexander struggled to keep eating the pretzel, without any water, even after scraping off the salt and folding it in half . Eyes on the prize: Alexander's fellow competitor couldn't help but check how the eventual winner was getting along with the task at hand . Open Wide! Before declaring him the winner, the official from Guinness World Records had to inspect that Alexander had swallowed all of the pretzel . Eventually, after three attempts, Alexander scored the World Record with his pretzel scoffing time of one minute and 42 seconds. The men attempted the feat to mark Guinness World Record Day on Thursday at a shopping centre in Sulzbach, outside Frankfurt.
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The two men first attempted to speed eat a pretzel in thirty seconds .
Scraped the salt off the German baked good and folded them .
Winner eventually declared at one minute and 42 seconds .
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Raymond Maxwell was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs when al-Qaeda-linked militants stormed a US diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya and killed four Americans . U.S. State Department officials conspired to prevent an internal Accountability Review Board from seeing damning documents after the 2012 Benghazi terror attack which made then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton look bad, according to a former senior diplomat. A picture has emerged of a weekend boiler-room operation in which employees were instructed to sift through boxes of documents and 'pull out' anything that might make Clinton or her close associates look bad in the wake of the terrorist murders of four Americans including the ambassador to Libya. Raymond Maxwell, a former deputy assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs, claims he was scapegoated after the raid by militants acting with Ansar al-Shariah, an Islamist terror faction linked with al-Qaeda. He told The Daily Signal, a news outlet operated by the conservative Heritage Foundation, that a room in the basement of the State Department was converted to a makeshift document review center on a weekend, supervised by Clinton confidants. 'I was not invited to that after-hours endeavor, but I heard about it and decided to check it out on a Sunday afternoon,' Maxwell said. Inside, says Maxwell, employees – including one who reported to him – were busily covering up information that suggested higher-ups were responsible for the lax security at the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi Libya. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Maxwell claims State Department higher-ups close to then-Secretary Hillary Clinton worked over a weekend to scrub boxes of documents of anything that might make her look bad, before giving them to investigators . Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, shown Sunday at a political event in Iowa, was officially cleared of wrongdoing by an internal review board, even though it never interviewed her . The September 11 attack two years ago followed a separate bombing of the facility's outer wall four months earlier that left a giant hole. Days later, Ansar al-Shariah held two days of open-air rallies and parades including 30 fighting battalions in the city's main square. Speakers warned of 'assassinations' that would come. Clinton – the Democratic Party's front-runner in the 2016 presidential sweepstakes – and others at State have been criticized for denying repeated requests from Ambassador Chris Stevens for more security officers, including some that came after these events. . Maxwell was one of four officials officially saddled with responsibility. He was later cleared of wrongdoing. He was, however, placed on indefinite leave, with pay, while the State Department investigated. Struggling to clear his name, Maxwell met with an agency ombudsman who he says told him, 'You are taking this all too personally, Raymond. ... It’s not about you; it’s about Hillary and 2016.' Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton, whose organization has dented the Obama administration's Benghazi armor with a series of Freedom Of Information Act lawsuits, told MailOnline that 'Maxwell’s disclosures are no surprise to those of us who know the Clintons' penchant for illicit secrecy.' 'The Benghazi cover-up was and is about protecting two presidential campaigns – Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and Hillary’s nascent 2016 campaign,' Fitton said. 'Our Ambassador and three other American personnel die in a terrorist attack and the number one concern at State is protecting Hillary Clinton! First we have the supposedly missing IRS emails and now we may have missing Benghazi documents?' In May 2013 The Daily Beast interviewed American Foreign Service Association president Susan Johnson, who said disciplinary action meted out to diplomats like Maxwell creates 'a feeling that foreign-service officers often end up as scapegoats when scandals rise to congressional or public attention.' Maxwell told The Daily Signal that the weekend cover-up was held in a basement room at State Department headquarters. He witnessed senior Clinton aides overseeing the process of employees poring over boxes and stacks of documents. One of the worker-bees was an office director, his subordinate, who was recruited to help without his knowledge. 'She told me, "Ray, we are to go through these stacks and pull out anything that might put anybody in the [Near Eastern Affairs] front office or the seventh floor in a bad light",' she allegedly told Maxwell. Ansar al-Shariah, the terrorist group that laid waste to the US diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, held two days of threatening parades and rallies a few months earlier and called for 'assassinations' -- leading to questions about why security at the compound was lacking . 'What difference, at this point, does it make?' Clinton famously snapped in a 2013 Senate hearing when confronted with the tall tale that an anti-Islam YouTube video, not a terror plot, sparked the death and destruction in Sept. 11, 2012 . Maxwell said that when he asked her to explain herself, she responded that 'those are our orders.' The seventh floor of the State Department is the showplace level that houses Clinton's office and those of her closest aides. The agency's official Accountability Review Board tasked with investigating the Benghazi attack never interviewed Hillary Clinton. A month after the deadly military-style assault, the panel's leaders demanded to see documents that could help explain what happened. Top leaders of the of the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs were instructed to gather anything and everything that could help. Those documents, Maxwell told The Daily Signal, were boxed up and put in the basement room where Clinton insiders would later screen out the most damaging information before giving the ARB the rest. He called the investigation 'at best a shoddily executed attempt at damage control, both in Foggy Bottom and on Capitol Hill.' State Department spokesman Alec Gerlach calls Maxwell's accusations 'totally without merit.' But Utah Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who will serve on a special congressional committee empaneled to investigation the deadly Benghazi episode, told the news outlet that Maxwell's charges 'are as serious as it gets, and it’s something we have obviously followed up and pursued.' 'I'm 100 percent confident the Benghazi Select Committee is going to dive deep on that issue.'
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An Accountability Review Board demanded documents related to the 2012 Benghazi terror attack but the most important details were kept from them .
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary says weekend boiler-room scramble 'separated' papers that might reflect badly on Hillary Clinton .
He was scapegoated, he claims, and told by a State Department's ombudsman: 'It’s not about you; it’s about Hillary and 2016'
Obama administration says charges are 'totally without merit'; congressman says special Benghazi committee will 'dive deep'
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Hot stuff: The Naga Chilli Vodka packs 250,000 Scovilles . Vodka fans with an adventurous side can add a bit of spice to their lives as Master of Malt launches the world’s hottest chilli vodka. At 250,000 on the Scoville scale, the new Naga Chilli Vodka is so hot it comes with a special health warning. Its launch comes just months after the company released the 100,000 Scovilles Naga Chilli Vodka. The new version is 2.5 times hotter. The chilli used in the vodka is the Naga Jolokia, which is known to be one of the hottest chillis it is possible to grow, and rates higher on the Scoville scale than most law-enforcement grade pepper sprays. Each Scoville unit denotes how many times the chilli must be diluted by its own mass of water until the heat is only just detectable. A Jalapeno has an estimated 5,000 Scovilles. The Naga Jolokia can exceed 1,000,000 Scovilles. The drink is made by fermenting litres . of vodka with 18kg of the fiery peppers. The potent chillis are infused in large . vodka-filled carboys for many weeks before bottling, and the bottlers must wear . gas masks and rubber gloves when handling the chillis and final vodka to . protect their skin, eyes, noses, and lungs. The resulting concoction is . left for several weeks to infuse, and once the vodka has turned a dark caramel colour, the infusion is complete and the vodka can be bottled. The drink is recommended as a mixer, with expert mixologists suggesting it can be used in a classic Bloody Mary for a drink with extra kick. Dangerous: The Naga Jolokia chilli is fiercely hot and can be hazardous if ingested raw or unprocessed . The 250,000 Scovilles - Naga Chilli Vodka will be available from 2 October at www.masterofmalt.com and costs £31.95 for 50cl. 'I was blasé when the small, sinister-looking bottle of Naga Chilli vodka landed on my desk. Sure, it was made of the formidable Naga chilli - known to be one of the world’s hottest – and it promised to pack a palate-scorching 250,000 Scovilles - but I didn’t believe it could pose too much of a problem. 'i love hot stuff – I lived in Jalapa, the Mexican birthplace of the Jalapeno chilli, in my twenties and thought I’d battle-hardened my palate against scorching hot peppers with 14 months of regular chilli-chomping. 'I am as addicted to a regular hit of capsaicin as others are to nicotine, and I have eaten enough limp chilli sauces claiming to be straight out of Satan’s you-know-what that have not raised as much as a tingle that I take marketing spin with a very large pinch of salt. 'This time though, the product met up to its promise. One capful of the stuff had my eyes bulging out of my head. My gums were on fire, my tongue felt like it had been stung by a thousand ants and my lips felt like they’d doubled in size... I loved it. 'Rest assured, this initial pain doesn’t last long. Five minutes later the fierce sting subsided and I was left with nothing more than that pleasant warm tingle that had me reaching for a second hit.' DEBORAH ARTHURS .
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Fiery spirit made from Naga Jolokia peppers which can measure 1000,000 on Scoville scale .
Peppers rate higher on the Scoville than law enforcement pepper spray .
Scoville scale is chart used to measure heat of chillis .
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By . Mike Dawes . As Jonny Wilkinson played his last ever match on British soil, the Toulon fly-half rolled back time to his most famous moment in 2003. During the first half of the Heineken Cup final in Cardiff, Wilkinson kicked a drop goal reminiscent of his famous strike against Australia that won the Rugby World Cup for England 11 years ago in Sydney. The right-footed kick gave Toulon a 10-3 lead over Saracens, and the French side went on to win 23-6 at the Millennium Stadium. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Wilkinson say he will have to accept not playing anymore . Reminiscent: Jonny Wilkinson rolled back the years with this drop goal for Toulon in the Heineken Cup final . Way back when: Wilkinson's drop goal against Australia in 2003 won the Rugby World Cup for England . Champion: Wilkinson lifts the Heineken Cup after Toulon's win over Saracens in Cardiff . After the game, Wilkinson told Sky Sports: . 'It's a hell of a feeling. I can't say enough just how proud I am to be . part of this team, to have been able to play in this competition, . against teams like that. 'We've . had a hell of a time, week left in our season so we'll carry on. How . emotional? It's up there. There's a lot of relief, lot of excitement, . sheer adulation, and at the moment I'm just trying to take it all in.' At the death: Wlikinson's last-gasp strike sealed a 20-17 win over Australia in Sydney . Strike: The former England fly-half gave Toulon a 10-3 lead over Saracens with this kick in Cardiff . End of the road: Wilkinson will retire at the end of the season, after the French Top 14 final next weekend . Wilkinson will retire from rugby at the end of the season after the French Top 14 final against Castres next weekend. His drop goal against Australia in 2003 made him a national hero and delivered England their first ever Rugby World Cup victory with a 20-17 win. A Heineken Cup victory was a fitting way for Wilkinson to end his career on British soil. The fly half played 91 times for England between 1998 and 2011, scoring 1,179 points. Defining moment: Wilkinson with the William Webb Ellis trophy in 2003 after England's World Cup victory . Big stage: Wilkinson is congratulated by Toby Flood after his drop goal against France in the 2007 semi-final .
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Jonny Wilkinson will retire from rugby at the end of the season .
His drop goal against Australia in 2003 won England the World Cup and made him a national hero .
Heineken Cup final saw Wilkinson recreate 2003 drop goal .
Toulon beat Saracens 23-6 to win Heineken Cup in Cardiff .
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(CNN) -- The Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine causes neither autism nor gastrointestinal disorders, a study reported Wednesday, disputing a theory that has persisted for a decade. A researcher had theorized that the measles vaccine caused gastrointestinal problems that he linked to autism. The theory was created in 1998, when British researcher Andrew Wakefield published studies that suggested the measles vaccine caused gastrointestinal problems and that those GI problems led to autism. W. Ian Lipkin of Columbia University in New York, who co-authored the most recent study, said Wakefield theorized that the virus used in the vaccine grew in the intestinal tract, leading to inflammation that made the bowel porous. That allowed material to seep from the bowel into the blood, Wakefield's theory surmised, affecting the nervous system and causing autism. In Wednesday's study, the researchers replicated key parts of Wakefield's original study to determine whether the vaccine causes autism and GI problems, said Mady Hornig, a study co-author. Irish pathologist John O'Leary, co-author of Wakefield's studies that supported the autism link, also is a co-author of the new study. Watch and learn more about the study » . O'Leary and the other researchers looked for evidence of the measles vaccine in children's intestines after they had been vaccinated and sought to determine whether their GI problems and autism symptoms occurred before or after they were vaccinated. They analyzed samples taken from 38 children with bowel disorders, 25 of whom also had autism. The investigators found only one child in each group had trace amounts of the measles virus in their samples. The samples were analyzed at Columbia and at a laboratory of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as at O'Leary's lab -- the same one Wakefield used for his original studies. The conclusion: "no evidence" linked the vaccine to either autism or GI disorders, Lipkin said. They also said they found no relationship between the timing of the vaccine and children getting GI disorders or autism. "This really puts this issue to bed," said Andy Shih, vice president for scientific affairs of "Autism Speaks," an advocacy group. Dr. William Schaffner, vaccine expert and chairman of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, called the study results "conclusive." Watch more on the measles vaccine study » . Dr. Neal Halsey, a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins Children's Center who specializes in infectious diseases, told CNN, "They have shown the Wakefield study was incorrect." The new study shows "there's no temporal relationship between the vaccines and the gastrointestinal disorders and autism." But the Autism Society of America cautioned that the cause of autism is complex and more research is needed to fully understand the role, if any, of the vaccine. Another autism advocacy group, the National Autism Association (NAA), said the study is flawed. "This new study does nothing to resolve the controversy whether MMR vaccine has contributed to the autism epidemic," said a press release from the group. Wendy Fournier, an NAA spokeswoman, told CNN Thursday that the new study raises more questions than answers and should have looked at more children who developed autism and GI problems after they received the vaccine. Only 5 children in the Columbia study were vaccinated before they developed GI symptoms and autism. According to the CDC, measles is a highly infectious disease that can result in severe, sometimes permanent, complications -- even death. Measles remains widespread in most countries, but widespread vaccination has limited its spread in the United States. Some parents, familiar with the Wakefield theory's putative link between vaccine and autism, have chosen not to vaccinate their children. Last month, the CDC reported 131 cases of measles in the United States in the first seven months of the year, of which 112 were either among unvaccinated children or children whose vaccination status was unknown. Halsey hopes this new research will help convince new parents that (the MMR) vaccination is safe. The study is published in the peer-reviewed online journal of the Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE.
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Study disputes Wakefield theory linking vaccine to autism .
New study published in the journal of the Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE .
Autism Society of America cautions more research is needed .
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(CNN) -- Iran's supreme leader said Friday the Islamic republic isn't seeking and doesn't believe in pursuing nuclear bombs. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the remarks a day after a draft report from the U.N. nuclear watchdog said Iran may be working secretly to develop a nuclear warhead for a missile. "Iran will not get emotional in its response to these nonsensical statements, because we have often said that our religious tenets and beliefs consider these kinds of weapons of mass destruction to be symbols of genocide and are, therefore, forbidden and considered to be haram (religiously banned)," he said. "This is why we do not believe in atomic bombs and weapons and do not seek them." The ayatollah's remarks reflect the tensions between the West and Iran over its nuclear program. The United States and its allies fear that Iran aims to develop the capacity to build a nuclear bomb. Iran denies this, saying its nuclear program is designed solely to produce civilian energy and for medical use. The document is the first draft report by the International Atomic Energy Agency director general, Yukiya Amano, who replaced Mohamed ElBaradei late last year. It has not been approved by its board of governors, but the agency has expressed concerns over the years about Iran's nuclear activities. The draft report lists ways in which the Islamic state is allegedly defying U.N. orders about its nuclear program. It said Iran had begun enriching uranium to a level that can sustain a nuclear reaction before IAEA inspectors arrived to monitor the process, and in defiance of a request not to do so. In Washington, Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley said on Thursday the draft report is the first produced by the IAEA since the recent discovery of a secret nuclear facility at Qom. "There is no explanation for that facility that is consistent with the needs of a civilian nuclear program," he said. "And it characterizes the way in which Iran has conducted its... relations with the IAEA and its failure to satisfactorily explain, you know, what its activities and ambitions are in the nuclear sphere." Crowley called the conclusions of the draft report "consistent" with arguments Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made this week in the Middle East. "We have ongoing concerns about Iran's activities," Crowley told reporters. "We cannot explain why it refuses to come to the table and engage constructively to answer the questions that have been raised, and you have to draw some conclusions from that." The draft report highlighted concerns about rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly between Iran and Israel. Israel has often been the object of rhetoric by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has said the Jewish state "must be wiped off the map" politically. The United States has assured Israel that its interests will be protected. Former IAEA weapons inspector David Albright told CNN Thursday that Iran's behavior "has to make you worry more about a [potential] conflict." Iran appears to be "pushing" for concessions from Western powers, he said. "They're pushing on things that make them look like they're going for nuclear weapons, and that's risky. If they go much further, they may bring an attack on themselves by Israel. Iran needs to be a little more careful about its actions." Michael Levi, a nuclear proliferation analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, told CNN that, "in a sense, we should be pleased by this. ...Having such a clear statement from an international body can only help develop a robust international response." On Tuesday, Ahmadinejad warned the United States and other nations not to impose tougher sanctions in reaction to Iran's nuclear ambitions. He said recently that Iran will boost uranium enrichment to 20 percent. "It's high time for some people to open their eyes and adapt themselves to real changes that are under way," he told reporters in Tehran. The draft report became public on the same day that U.S. Vice President Joe Biden gave a speech in Washington warning about the dangers of nuclear proliferation. "The spread of nuclear weapons is the greatest threat facing the country -- and I would argue facing humanity -- and that is why we are working both to stop their proliferation and eventually to eliminate them," Biden said in remarks at National Defense University.
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Iran's Supreme leader says "why we do not believe in atomic bombs and weapons and do not seek them"
IAEA draft report obtained Thursday says Iran may be working on nuclear warhead for a missile .
Iran defying U.N. orders about its nuclear program, IAEA draft report says .
Iran began boosting uranium enrichment before inspectors arrived, IAEA says .
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(CNN) -- From the outside, the DC-10 jet parked on the airport runway looks like any ordinary plane. But if you step inside, you'll notice something is not quite right. Instead of rows of seats, you'll find a fully equipped operating theater; rather than uniform-clad flight attendants, you'll see a group of doctors in blue coats gathered around a microscope. This is the world's only "Flying Eye Hospital" -- a converted plane that has been landing at airports in the developing world for the last 30 years. Its mission is to treat people suffering from blinding diseases -- many of whom are children. But it's not just about treatment; the plane is also designed to train local ophthalmologists. Cameras inside the operating room broadcast eye surgeries to a 48-seat classroom at the front of the plane, where local doctors watch to learn new skills and techniques. A two-way audio system lets the observers ask the surgeons questions while they operate. Inspiring students . In October 2013, the Flying Eye Hospital landed in Cameroon, and its doctors visited the Yaounde Central Hospital in the country's capital. It was a revealing experience for everybody present, said Dr. Emilienne Epee, senior lecturer of ophthalmology at the University of Yaounde. "Officials, lecturers and senior staff were exposed to what is available and what can be done in a realistic way, easing the advocacy for ophthalmologists," she said. Epee added that the visit got many medical students interested in ophthalmology, and she hopes that this will increase the number of ophthalmologists in Cameroon. However, the country still faces many problems when it comes to eye health. "Equipment is an issue and for the time being we do not have the latest or high-tech facilities in our services," said Epee. "Nevertheless we can attend to the basic need and avoid blindness with what is available to us." Read this: Birth advice by text message . ORBIS, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that works in developing countries worldwide to prevent blindness and treat visually impaired people, is the organization behind the remarkable plane. "It's truly remarkable to see people regaining their eyesight every day," said Flavia Draganus, communications manager on board the Flying Eye Hospital. "When we take the patches off after the surgery we see them smile because they can see again, although they thought they'd never be able to." An estimated 285 million people worldwide are blind or visually impaired according to the WHO -- 90% of them live in low- and middle-income countries, yet 80% of them could be treated or cured with the right medical care. Flying Eye Hospital doctors treat blinding diseases like cataracts, glaucoma, trachoma and diabetic retinopathy; many of them are easily treatable with the right medical care, which developing countries often lack. During their stay, doctors also leave the plane to go to local hospitals to train doctors with the hospitals' existing equipment. Bruce Johnson, director of aircraft operations at ORBIS, said: "The main deficits in the eye care industry in the developing world are a lack of ophthalmologists and the right equipment as well as very few specialist hospitals. Also, often parents can't afford the surgery for their children." Johnson has been with ORBIS for nine years and has been on dozens of overseas programs. "We can take our hospital anywhere to reach people in remote regions that don't have access to the right eye care treatment," he said. The organization says the Flying Eye Hospital has so far carried out 925,000 surgeries and trained 92,000 doctors. Local knowledge . It is the training that offers long-term hope for better eye care. "There is a huge appetite for training among doctors in the developing world, as we've recently seen on a trip to Cameroon," Draganus said. "We leave knowledge behind and make sure that these doctors sustain the skills even after we left." ORBIS has been asked to build a pediatric eye care unit as part of the planned Yaounde Vision Institute. The institute would mark a step forward for eye health care in Cameroon, but a lack of training nationwide remains a challenge. Dr Henry Nkumbe is an ophthalmologist based in Yaounde, and secretary general of the African Ophthalmology Forum. He said: "No center in the country has the necessary skills set and equipment to regularly perform corneal grafts, advanced glaucoma surgeries. So Cameroon, through out-of-pocket payments by patients or covered by the Ministry of Health budget, spends a lot on medical evacuations abroad, for specialist eye care services currently not available in Cameroon." Nkumbe added: "At present at most 25% of people needing cataract surgery in Cameroon do indeed get it." More than 30 years ago, the American ophthalmologist Dr. David Paton created ORBIS based on the idea of using aviation to deliver medical education around the world. In 1980, United Airlines donated a plane to the project and after it was converted into a fully functional teaching eye hospital, it went on its first trip to Panama in 1982 and has so far visited 78 countries worldwide. A program in each country lasts around two to three weeks and there are up to 24 people on board including doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists and aircraft mechanics. In 2010, FedEx donated an MD-10 aircraft, which is currently being turned into the next flying hospital. Johnson said: "I never imagined that there are so many people out there that need treatment and whose blindness can easily be prevented, with just the right care." Read this: The free water helping hydrate Africa . Read this: Flying doctor takes to the skies after sister's death . Read this: How African doctors can cure medical 'brain drain'
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The world's only Flying Eye Hospital is a jet converted into a fully equipped eye hospital .
Eye specialists treat patients and train local doctors to ensure long-term benefit .
It has flown to 78 countries and trained thousands of doctors .
Flying hospital treats diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma .
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By . Laura Clark . PUBLISHED: . 20:43 EST, 6 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:55 EST, 7 December 2012 . Personal statements on university application forms should be scrapped because they are unfair to state school pupils, a study claimed today. The Sutton Trust education charity found state pupils are more likely to make writing errors and to struggle to draw on suitable work experience. Private school pupils are likelier to use ‘appropriate’ language in the 600-word texts and to describe prestigious job placements or other activities. Unfair: State school pupils were more likely to make errors in their personal statements, the study found . Half a million of the essays are penned every year by applicants seeking to sell themselves to their preferred universities. One private school pupil cited six high-status work placements including a stint on the trading floor of a top firm of stockbrokers and ‘most recently managing a small gastro pub’. In contrast, a state school pupil had written that ‘in the final GCSE year there was an opportunity for a group of us to manage the school lockers’. The study also warned of growing evidence that personal statements are ‘for sale’ and teenagers are paying up to £350 for statements written for them by graduates. The research, commissioned by the Sutton Trust education charity, called for the personal statement section of the UCAS application form to be radically overhauled to prevent pupils ‘exploiting school type advantages’. It said there was anecdotal evidence some pupils received so much help the statement could not be seen as their ‘own work’. Competition: More than half a million personal statements are penned every year by applicants eager to sell themselves to their chosen university . Applicants should be only be able to list a limited number of experiences - perhaps as few as one, the report said. Rather than allowing a ‘free response’, UCAS should consider inviting applicants to answer a specific question. Instead of simply listing their previous achievements, applicants should be asked to state which attributes they would bring to a course or university. Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: ‘Personal statements should be more than an excuse to highlight past advantages. ‘Applicants should outline how they might contribute to campus life, and universities should make it clear that applicants are not penalised for lacking opportunities in the past due to family circumstances.’ The study, by Dr Steven Jones, of Manchester University, analysed 309 personal statements written by teenagers with three Bs at A-levels who were applying to the same department of an elite university. He found that state school applicants appeared to receive less help in composing their statements and made three times more grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors. When discussing work experience, they were more likely to mention Saturday jobs such as waitressing at KFC or stacking shelves at Aldi rather than prestigious placements. University applicants should be allowed to outline how they might contribute to campus life, the study said . One private school applicant had talked of shadowing the Indian Ambassador to the United Nations. Privately-educated pupils were also more likely to cite working in family businesses. And when it came to listing hobbies and interests, the activities described by state school students tended to ‘carry little weight in the admissions process’, the study said. It highlighted examples of private school applicants citing cordon bleu cookery courses at Anton Mosimann’s school and skiing seasons at Meribel. But one state school applicant had written about following Manchester United, adding: ‘I regularly watch Match of the Day and I enjoy the diversity of the Champions League.’ Seventy per cent of the privately-educated applicants in the study ended up being accepted by an elite university, against just 50 per cent from comprehensives and colleges. The report called for state schools to give pupils better advice and guidance in drawing up their statements. It added: ‘UCAS should consider whether the personal statement, in its current form, is an appropriate and fair indicator of applicants’ potential.’ And it said: ‘A fairer structure for the personal statement might be one that allows one activity only to be listed.’ UCAS chief executive Mary Curnock Cook, said: ‘I have every confidence in the professionalism of admissions officers - they are highly experienced in recognising social factors in the content of personal statements. ‘The personal statement is one of a number of pieces of evidence that admissions staff look at when assessing an applicant’s potential to succeed in higher education.’
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State school pupils more likely to make errors and to struggle with suitable work experience, study found .
Sutton Trust also warned some teenagers pay up to £350 for a graduate to write their personal statement .
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San Francisco, California (CNN) -- Jurors wrapped up deliberations Friday and will continue next week in the racially charged murder trial of a white former police officer in Oakland, California, accused of killing an unarmed black man. Jurors deliberated for nearly three hours Friday afternoon without reaching a verdict in the case against Johannes Mehserle. Mehserle, a former Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer, is accused of shooting 22- year-old Oscar Grant dead on a California train platform on January 1, 2009. The jurors will resume their deliberations Tuesday morning; court is closed Monday due to the extended holiday weekend. Closing arguments concluded earlier in the day Friday. Mehserle could be found not guilty, guilty of murder, or guilty of a lesser offense like manslaughter. The shooting was captured on a bystander's cell-phone video camera. The video was widely circulated on the internet and on news broadcasts, and it spurred several protests and riots in and around Oakland. The trial was moved from Alameda County to Los Angeles due to pre-trial publicity. Bay Area Rapid Transit police were called to Oakland's Fruitvale station on January 1 after passengers complained about fights on a train. Officers pulled several men, including Grant, off the train when it arrived at Fruitvale. The video showed Mehserle pulling his gun and fatally shooting Grant in the back as another officer kneeled on the unarmed man. Mehserle has said at the trial that he intended to draw and fire his Taser rather than his gun, CNN affiliate KTVU eported. Mehserle resigned his position a few days after the incident and was later arrested in Nevada. He was released on a $3 million bond. Meanwhile, police in Oakland are bracing for riots as a verdict nears in the racially charged trial. An Oakland police department website has messages from the police chief and the mayor of Oakland warning people to stay calm. "We anticipate that regardless of the verdict reached by the jury, demonstrations could occur in downtown Oakland, and potentially throughout the city," one of the messages said. "We will not tolerate destruction or violence. We live here, and we love Oakland. We understand that the community is grieving, and we are in this together. We will get through this together." Grant's family filed a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit against the officers involved in the incident. In January, the transit system agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle the suit. The money will provide financial support to Grant's young daughter.
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NEW: Jury deliberations to continue Tuesday .
Oakland police and mayor are warning people to be peaceful .
A former police officer is accused of shooting unarmed man .
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He was on track for victory in the world’s most famous steeplechase. Across The Bay was leading the field in the 167th Grand National yesterday with two miles to go. But then calamity struck. Spectators gasped as the ten-year-old gelding was knocked off course by a stray runner. Leighton Aspell celebrates on Pineau De Re after winning the 2014 Grand National. Second was Balthazar King, followed by Double Seven - ridden by Tony McCoy . Leighton Aspell leads Pineau De Re across the final fence and on towards victory in the 167th Grand National at Aintree . The jockey celebrated with trainer and former GP Dr Richard Newland (right) - who only has 12 horses in his stable . With mud splattered over his face, victorious Leighton Aspell punches the air in celebration at winning the race . Leighton Aspell is congratulated by Tony McCoy (right) and Richard Johnson (left) moments after the end of the race . Leighton Aspell celebrates by kissing the trophy after riding Pineau De Re to victory . Family photo: The winning jockey with his wife Nicky, daughters Niamh and Lucy. Support: Leighton Aspell celebrates with his family after being presented with the Grand National trophy at Aintree . The 25-1 shot crosses the finishing line and wins the 2014 Grand National by five lengths in front of a crowd of thousands . The 40 horses and riders line up at the start of the 167th Grand National - finally setting off after a false start . And they're off: The field get underway as thousands of spectators seated behind them wait in anticipation . The horses fire over an early fence in the race. The going at the course was good-to-soft and good in places before the runners set off . One of the pre-race favourites Teaforthree, ridden by Nick Scholfield, falls at The Chair. Early suggestions indicate no horses died during the race . A dramatic shot shows Nick Scholfield falling from Teaforthree. 18 out of the 40 horses running finished the course . Tidal Bay suddenly careered across his path, forcing him to the side of the track. The . loose horse crashed through a guard rail but Across The Bay’s jockey, . Henry Brooke, managed to stay in the saddle and continue the race, . finishing 14th. The mishap . was a disaster for thousands of punters who had placed around £1million . on the horse, which started the race at odds of 50-1. There . was a flurry of angry messages on Twitter after the horse’s chance of . victory at Aintree was destroyed in a moment of mayhem in front of a . sell-out crowd of 71,500. But the day belonged to outsider Pineau de Re, which thrilled spectators with a storming finish. Trainer Richard Newland, a Worcestershire GP, had entered the 11-year-old in the National for the first time. Double Seven, number 14, leads the way across The Chair with Wayward Prince ridden by Jack Doyle. Pineau De Re can be seen making jumping the fence mid centre . Sam Waley-Cohen protects his head as he falls from Long Run. Other riders continue to gallop past in dramatic scenes . Down and out: Jamie Moore comes off Mountainous and Sam Waley-Cohen falls from Long Run. The pair take cover after they both tumbled at Valentines hurdle . Seconds later Jamie Moore on Mountainous tumbles next to Sam Waley-Cohen at Valentine's fence . Quito De La Roque (pictured centre) ridden by Brian O'Connell briefly stumbles at the Water Jump . Trailing: Pineau De Re, in the white helmet, white shirt and green stripe, catches up with the leaders during a crucial point in the race . The 40 jockeys - 39 male and 1 female - pose for a photograph before mounting their horses . The . race was also a triumph for jockey Leighton Aspell, 37, who came out of . retirement five years ago and has enjoyed his best season to date. ‘It’s . a wonderful day,’ he said. ‘I have been watching the National since I . was a very young boy. It’s what we’re here for. I think you crave it . inside.’ Dr Newland, 50, only stopped holding surgeries a year ago when he and his wife Laura decided to take up training full-time. He said: ‘Leighton had a plan and delivered it superbly well. He’s a great guy and a good jockey and I’m thrilled for him.’ Owner John Provan said: ‘We love taking on the big guys.’ Pineau . de Re’s victory provoked a sigh of relief from Britain’s bookies, who . feared being wiped out if either of the favourites – Balthazar King or . Double Seven – had won. Enormous crowds eagerly awaiting the start of the 167th Grand National at Aintree Racecourse today - which will kick off at 4.15 . Scores of racing fans pack into the Liverpool racecourse this afternoon. 40 horses will run in the race - which takes place over four-and-a-half miles . Crowds of people gather to watch the runners in the Silver Cross Stayers' Hurdle this afternoon . Hurdles: A view down one of the straights at Aintree with most of the horses and jockeys still up and running . Racegoers arrive ahead of today's Grand National. There will be 30 fences in the course today including The Chair and Becker's Book . Race goers can barely be seen in between the umbrellas at a damp Aintree - with the main event to kick off shortly . A collection of rather soggy looking ladies enjoy some drinks and rest their feet while enjoying the races . Balthazar King ran a fine race to finish second, ahead of champion jockey Tony McCoy on Double Seven. Alvarado stayed on from a long way back to finish fourth. Improved safety measures meant that no horses or jockeys were injured on the four-and-a-half mile course. But . Rebecca Taylor, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, . said: ‘Of course we are relieved that no horses died, but there were . several horrific falls and only 18 were able to finish the race. The . welfare of horses must be prioritised above bookies’ profits.’ Monbeg Dude – part-owned by Zara Phillips’s husband Mike Tindall – came in seventh. Hundreds of racing fans applause for one minute as a mark of respect to those who died in the Hillsborough disaster . The crowd cheer on runners in the first race at 1.30 this afternoon - which was won by Lac Fontana, mounted by Tony McCoy . The weather was not on the side of race goers today - many of whom could be seen clutching umbrellas as they watched other races . Sea of umbrellas: As the horses crossed the finish line, thousands of spectators had to shelter themselves from the rain . Thousands of spectators cheer on the jockeys and horses as they pass one of the open-air stands at Aintree . Tidal Bay, Teaforthree and Long Run are today's top picks in the National - which boasts a £1million prize fund this year . Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall are joined by Princess Anne to watch their horse in the competition this afternoon . The group looked in good spirits at a rainy Aintree. Tindall co-owns Monbeg Dude, which he bought for following a drink-filled dinner at Cheltenham . Appropriate footwear? Zara Phillips strolls around the Parade ring and walks away from the Grandstand in her heels before the race begins . Happy: She gives a thumbs up to fellow supporters as she makes her way to the box to watch the race . Dressed in a nude-coloured dress with black detail, Coleen Rooney arrives with her sons at the racecourse . Aintree regular and WAG Coleen Rooney watches the races this afternoon with her sons Kia and Klay. She has been seen at the racecourse for the past couple of days . Coleen looked gorgeous as she enjoyed a drink while watching the races with her friends this afternoon . Sir Cliff punches the air before celebrating with a female companion after backing a winner at the races today . Gloria Hunniford celebrates in the stands as the horses come home in this afternoon's races. Sir Cliff Richard (left) also looks on with keen interest . The television presenter raised her arms in the air in triumph as the horses hurtled home before looking less than pleased with the result . Paddy McGuinness had a look of concentration on his face this afternoon as he watched the drama unfolding . Passed out: One spectator takes a time out from drinking and rests on the concrete floor outside one of the enclosures . Five glamorous ladies pose for the cameras in light rain. Bookmakers say about £250million will be placed on bets this afternoon . Glamour: The rain and sea of umbrellas at the finish line did not stop the female spectators from showing off their attires . Covered up: Those without shelter from the rain had to improvise, using shawls and scarves to cover their heads, but one spectator still managed to hold onto her drink . Attire: Two women walk arm-in-arm on the final day of the Grand National Festival while two women pose for a selfie under an orange umbrella . Keeping dry: Two spectators take cover under their colourful umbrella. The rain started to fall at the beginning of the race . Suit up: Four men show off a variety of coloured attires, accompanied with an array of flamboyant patterns . Relaxed: Leighton Aspell arrives at the course this morning with one of his children resting on his shoulders. He went on to win the Grand National a few hours later .
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Across The Bay was leading the field in the 167th Grand National yesterday with two miles to go .
Tidal Bay suddenly careered across his path, forcing him to the side of the track. The horse managed to finish 14th .
Mishap .
was a disaster for punters who had placed around £1million .
on the horse, which started race at odds of 50-1 .
25-1 bet Pineau De Re has won the race by five lengths with 16-1 Balthazar King second in front of 71,500 spectators .
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By . John Stevens . Last updated at 10:00 PM on 16th August 2011 . Kathy Griffin confronted potential Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and asked her if she was born a bigot or had become one, the comedian has revealed. The 50-year-old stand-up comic said that the congresswoman from Minnesota replied that she would have to get back to her with an answer. The revelation came as Mrs Bachmann was found to have falsely claimed to have been late for a fundraiser because of a family reunion. Scroll down for video . Clash: Kathy Griffin, left, asked Michele Bachmann if she was born a bigot . The GOP candidate was busted after her mother told reporters that her daughter had not been with her family. Appearing on Conan O'Brien's chat show last night, Ms Griffin told how she met Mrs Bachmann while researching for her rally against Don't Ask, Don't Tell last year. She said they bumped into each other on an escalator, but she thinks the congresswoman confused her with Today Show host Kathie Lee Gifford. After asking her if she would support her rally to repeal the law banning homosexuals in the military, Ms Griffin said she asked: 'Congresswoman Bachmann, were you born a bigot or did you, like, grow into it?' According to Ms Griffin, the Republican replied: 'That's a good question. I'm gonna have to get back to ya.' Encounter: Kathy Griffin told Conan O'Brien that the congresswoman from Minnesota had told her she would get back to her with an answer . Mrs Bachmann was today facing further embarrassment after it was revealed that she had claimed to be late for an event because of a family reunion she did not attend. As Mrs Bachmann did a victory lap after her Iowa straw poll victory on Saturday, she repeatedly talked up her local credentials mentioning a family reunion on Sunday in the state. After arriving late at a fundraiser in Waterloo that evening she told reporters she had been delayed because it had been a 'busy day'. 'We had a big family reunion just north of Waterloo,' she said. But Mrs Bachmann's mother and two cousins told Politico that while her husband and children had attended the reunion she had not. Mum's the word: Michele Bachmann's mother Jean Amble told reporters that her daughter had not attended the family reunion as she had claimed . In a further humiliation the congresswoman today wrongly wished Elvis Presley a happy birthday on the anniversary of his death. The Republican who has adopted the singer's song 'Promised Land' as somewhat of a campaign anthem told a crowd of 300 in Spartanburg that she wanted to say happy birthday to the King of Rock and Roll. Someone in the crowd shouted back, 'He died today.' Watch the video .
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In a further humiliation she wrongly wished Elvis Presley a happy birthday on the anniversary of his death .
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By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 14:45 EST, 7 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 14:56 EST, 7 January 2014 . The skeleton of an unusual primate, which some have claimed to be the oldest member of the human family tree, has baffled scientists since it was discovered. Short, hairy and with long arms, she roamed the forests of Africa 4.4million years ago, but scientists were unsure whether she was more closely related to humans than to apes. Now a team of international scientists seeking to unravel whether the African species helps to explain the origins of man, believe Ardipithecus ramidus really is related to the human lineage, based on an examination of its cranial base. This is the 4.4 million-year-old cranial base of Ardipithecus ramidus from Aramis, Middle Awash research area, Ethiopia. Ardi's cranial base (pictured) shows the distinguishing features that separate humans and Australopithecus from the apes, the researchers said . The creature, known as Ardi, possessed a tiny brain and a grasping big toe for climbing trees, but had small, human-like canine teeth and an upper pelvis allowing it to walk like man. Experts believe Ardi is very, very close to the 'missing link' common ancestor of humans and chimps, thought to have lived five to seven million years ago. Now new research led by William Kimbel, a palaeoanthropologist at the University of Arizona, has confirmed Ardi’s close evolutionary relationship to humans. Together with a group of international . researchers, he studied the base of the Ardi’s partial cranium to . reveal a pattern of similarity that links Ardi to Australopithecus and . modern humans and not to apes. Professor . Kimbel said: ‘Given the very tiny size of the Ardi skull, the . similarity of its cranial base to a human's is astonishing.’ Ardi's skeleton (left) revealed she was 4ft tall and weighed 7st 12oz. She lived a million years before Lucy, the previous earliest skeleton of a hominid who was dug up in 1974. Experts believe Ardi (illustrated right) is very close . to the 'missing link' common ancestor of humans and chimps . The human cranial base is substantially different to that of apes and other primates, which is why it is a valuable resource for studying phylogenetic, or natural evolutionary relationships. Its anatomical complexity and association with the brain, posture, and chewing system have provided numerous opportunities for adaptive evolution over time. In humans, the structures marking the articulation of the spine with the skull are more forwardly located than in apes, the base is shorter from front to back and the openings on each side for passage of blood vessels and nerves are more widely separated. These shape differences affect the way the bones are arranged on the skull base, so it is fairly easy for experts to work out if even isolated bone fragments belong to an ape or human. Scientists have questioned whether Ardi . was an ape with a few humanlike features retained from an ancestor . living between six and eight years ago, or a true relative of the human . line that had yet to shed signs of its remote tree-dwelling ancestry. Ardi was found in Ethiopia's Afar Rift (pictured) and bones discovered near the skeleton indicate that at the time it was a wooded environment. Fossils of 29 species of birds and 20 species of small mammals were found at the site . In the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the researchers explained that Ardi's cranial base shows the distinguishing features that separate humans and Australopithecus from the apes. Professor Kimbel's earlier research had shown that these human peculiarities were present in the earliest known Australopithecus skulls by 3.4 million years ago. Paleoanthropologists generally fall into one of two camps on the cause of evolutionary changes in the human cranial base. They believe they could either be explained by the adoption of upright posture and the ability to walk on two legs causing a shift in the poise of the head on the vertebral column or be a sign of brain reorganisation in the human lineage. 'The Ardi cranial base fills some important gaps in our understanding of human evolution above the neck,’ Professor Kimbel said. ‘But it opens up a host of new questions…just as it should!’ The scattered skeleton of Ardi was . first discovered in Ethiopia’s Afar Rift in 1994 and the skull was . crushed to just two inches in height. However, . it was found to be relatively complete with features of the head, hands . and feet preserved after researchers took years to painstakingly piece . together 125 fragments of bone. Before . the discovery, scientists believed our common ancestor would have been . very chimp-like, and that ancient hominids such as Ardi would still have . much in common with them. Digital representations of Ardi's skull (left) and hand (right) The scattered skeleton of Ardi was first discovered in Ethiopia's Afar Rift in1994 and the skull was crushed to just two inches in height. Years of painstaking work by scientists manged to put the pieces together . But she was not suited like a modern-day chimp to swinging or hanging from trees or walking on her knuckles. This suggests that chimps and gorillas developed those characteristics after the split with humans - challenging the idea that they are merely an 'unevolved' version of us. Ardi's feet were rigid enough to allow her to walk upright some of the time, but she still had a grasping big toe for use in climbing trees. She had long arms but short palms and fingers which were flexible, allowing her to support her body weight on her palms. Her upper canine teeth are more like the stubby teeth of modern people than the long, sharp ones of chimps. An analysis of her tooth enamel suggests she ate fruit, nuts and leaves. Scientists believe she was a female because her skull is relatively small and lightly built. Her teeth were also smaller than other members of the same family that were found later. Conventional wisdom says our earliest ancestors first stood up on two legs when they moved out of the forest and into the open savannas. But this does not explain why Ardi's species was bipedal (able to walk on two legs) while still living partly in the trees. Owen Lovejoy from Kent State University said the answer could be as simple as food and sex. He pointed out that throughout evolution males have fought with other males for the right to mate with fertile females. Therefore you would expect dominant males with big fierce canines to pass their genes down the generations. But say a lesser male, with small stubby teeth realised he could entice a fertile female into mating by bringing her some food? Males would be far more successful food-providers if they had their hands free to carry home items like fruit and roots if they walked on two legs. Mr Lovejoy said this could explain why males from Ardi's species had small canines and stood upright - it was all in the pursuit of sex. He added that it could also suggest that monogamous relationships may be far older than was first thought.
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Research led by University of Arizona confirmed Ardi’s close evolutionary relationship to humans by examining its skull .
Ardi's cranial base shows the distinguishing features that separate humans and Australopithecus from the apes .
Ardipithecus ramidus, known as Ardi, was discovered in the Afar Rift, Ethiopia in pieces in 1994 and has puzzled scientists ever since .
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(CNN) -- Just as the sun peeked over the horizon, Brian Fuchs arrived at work. Eight floors up, he opened a Diet Coke, looked out his office window at the frozen Nebraska plains and smiled. Maybe the rest of America is tired of this winter's punishing snows, but Fuchs and his colleagues are thrilled. "Yeah, realistically we do like seeing that snow accumulation," he says, "because that water will go into the water cycle. There is a lot of moisture going into lakes and reservoirs and that is a good thing." Fuchs is with the National Drought Mitigation Center based in Lincoln. For the past decade, the center staff has watched dry conditions hurt farming, tourism and even city water supplies, so they can see good in this winter's storms, and even in the catastrophic floods that ravaged Colorado in September. Last year at this time, well over half the country was in drought. "Now, it's 37.6%," Fuchs says, "so we've had some improvement over that time." Whether a big snowfall is seen as lovely, treacherous or both depends, like beauty, on the beholder. Certainly, millions of Americans who have been pounded by storms are not pleased. Schools have lost days of education, airlines have lost millions of dollars, cars have been wrecked, houses plunged into darkness, and the entire industry of Valentine's Day has been thrown into a heart stopping tailspin. I can't even guess how many young lovers in the East were scrambling to find flowers and chocolates after being snowed in for the critical days before the holiday. It could be worse, of course. Modern meteorology gives us better warning about bad weather than mankind has ever known. Sure, the Al Roker- Bill de Blasio dustup suggests there is still room for disagreement about forecasts. But back in 1888, when the U.S. Weather Bureau was in its infancy, an unexpected blizzard on the Great Plains left more than 200 people dead, many of them children who were trying to get home from rural schools. It was a national tragedy, unimaginable today. Yet greatness grows beneath the drifts, too. At the same time as that disaster in the West, some of Europe's greatest impressionist painters were enthralled with winter scenes. Monet, Renoir, Gaugin, Pissarro, Sisley and many others stood in the freezing cold to capture landscapes of snow and ice. Although the whites, blues and grays of the winter scenes are often overlooked even by art enthusiasts, who tend to favor the bold colors of spring and summer, the artists themselves were fascinated by the delicate interplay of light on the luminous, frozen surfaces. Well before the impressionists took off, acclaimed painter Frederic Edwin Church, from Connecticut, unveiled a winter masterpiece. "The Icebergs" is huge, powerful and cools the Dallas Museum of Art even on the steamiest days. The Russians, of course, would love to have more snow at Sochi, where soaring temperatures have threatened to turn ski slopes into mudslides. But in Moscow, at the famed Tretyakov Gallery, one of the world's most treasured paintings is a winter scene. No one knows the identity of the beautiful young woman riding in a sleigh in Ivan Kramskoi's "Portrait of an Unknown Woman," but it captures something of the rare spirit of people around the world who find beauty and contentedness living in cold climes. Brutal snow and cold have informed many of the arts, and sometimes in ways that produce visceral reactions. Read Jack London's short story, "To Build a Fire," about a man freezing to death in the Yukon, and chances are you'll start to shiver. Recall the frosted face of Jack Nicholson at the end of "The Shining," and the cold fairly seeps into your bones. Science also enjoys the cold. Core samples of ice from the poles tell us volumes about climate change, natural history and perhaps even the origins of the Earth itself. Tiny bubbles, sealed in the ice, allow us to sample the air of the ancients. Mammoths and men alike, frozen in time, have been preserved in remarkable ways, giving us glimpses of life on Earth long, long ago. In the early 1990s, a German couple hiking around the Alps found the head and shoulders of a frozen man poking up from the ice. Turns out he was something of a time traveler. Researchers concluded he died during the Bronze Age, some 3,000 years before Christ. Yet the perpetual winter of the mountains preserved him so well, scientists knew he ate venison not long before dying, and they could even tell the color of his eyes. Brown. Greatness has come in from the cold. Polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship, The Endurance, was crushed by Antarctic ice in the early 1900s. His expedition was a failure. But the daring journey he and his men made in an open boat to escape the savage cold made him into a hero. Like I said, as hard as this winter has been, it's all in how you see it. So, with much of the West still hurting for water, maybe it's not surprising that back in Lincoln, Brian Fuchs and his pals look at reports of blizzards blanketing much of the nation and say, "From our perspective here, we wish we'd seen a little bit more." The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Tom Foreman.
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Tom Foreman: Snow has many benefits, especially for the drought-stricken Midwest .
Winter has been the subject for many artists, from Monet to Renoir .
Snow and ice serve as important indicators for scientists .
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(CNN) -- When Ji Yeqing awakened, she was already in the recovery room. Chinese authorities had dragged her out of her home and down four flights of stairs, she said, restraining and beating her husband as he tried to come to her aid. They whisked her into a clinic, held her down on a bed and forced her to undergo an abortion. Her offense? Becoming pregnant with a second child, in violation of China's one-child policy. "After the abortion, I felt empty, as if something was scooped out of me," Ji told a congressional panel in September. "My husband and I had been so excited for our new baby. Now suddenly all that hope and joy and excitement disappeared. ... I was very depressed and despondent. For a long time, whenever I thought about my lost child, I would cry." As she lay unconscious, she said, an IUD to prevent future pregnancies was inserted. The issue of forced abortions -- and in some cases, forced sterilizations -- in China has seized the spotlight in recent days with news of escaped activist Chen Guangcheng. Chen, a blind, self-taught lawyer, rose to fame in the late 1990s because of his advocacy for what he calls victims of abusive practices, such as forced abortions, by Chinese family planning officials. He investigated forced abortions and sterilizations in eastern China -- a practice China denies -- and helped organize a class-action lawsuit on behalf of victims, for which he served four years in prison. A fellow activist, Hu Jia, said Chen has taken refuge at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. "Chen may be safe for the moment, but the women for whom he risked everything are not," said Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, a California-based organization that describes itself as a "broad-based, international coalition that opposes forced abortion and sexual slavery in China." "Forced abortion is not a choice," Littlejohn said. "It is official government rape." On a January 2011 visit to the United States, Chinese President Hu Jintao reportedly denied that China was forcing women to submit to abortions. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, who gave Hu a list of human rights concerns, said that Hu insisted a forced-abortion policy did not exist, according to media reports. China's population is the largest on earth, with more than 1.34 billion people. Since its implementation in 1979, the one-child policy has prevented more than 400 million births in China, according to China's National Population and Family Planning Commission. About 13 million abortions are performed nationwide each year, the commission has said -- about 35,000 a day. It is unknown how many of those are coerced. But the one-child policy has been blamed for abuses. In some cases, advocates say, fetuses identified as female are aborted, or midwives strangle a female infant with the umbilical cord during delivery, identifying the baby as "stillborn," according to All Girls Allowed, a nonprofit group that aims to end female "gendercide," educate abandoned girls, rescue trafficked children and defend women's reproductive rights. Other females are abandoned, left to die or raised as orphans. Chinese traditionally prefer boys over girls because they are seen as better able to provide for the family and carry on the family bloodline. As a result, the practice of aborting female fetuses or abandoning infant girls continues, particularly in rural areas. In November, according to state-run news agency Xinhua, Premier Wen Jiabao, in a speech to the National Working Conference on Women and Children, "urged banning illegal fetus gender identification and illegal abortion." "The social status of the female population indicates the level of social progress (of a nation), while children are the future and hope of a nationality and a nation," Wen said. Last summer, Xinhua reported that "millions of Chinese men of marrying age may be living as frustrated bachelors by 2020" because of the gender imbalance. In 2010, China's sex ratio at birth was 118 boys for every 100 girls, the news agency said. China kicked off a national campaign "to significantly curb non-medical sex determinations and sex-selective abortions to balance the gender ratio," Xinhua said. Also during the campaign, "efforts will be made to raise awareness of gender equality, to severely punish those involved in cases of non-medical sex determinations and sex-selective abortions, and to strengthen monitoring." Liu Qian, vice minister of the Ministry of Health, said that doctors violating the ban would be stripped of their licenses or penalized, and involved medical institutions would also be punished, according to Xinhua. The one-child policy could contribute to China's high rate of female suicide, according to All Girls Allowed. China is the only country in the world where the female suicide rate is higher than that of men -- some 500 women a day, the group said, citing statistics from the World Health Organization and the U.S. State Department. In its 2009 Human Rights Report, the State Department noted that "many observers believed that violence against women and girls, discrimination in education and employment, the traditional preference for male children, birth-limitation policies, and other societal factors contributed to the high female suicide rate. Women in rural areas, where the suicide rate for women was three to four times higher than for men, were especially vulnerable." Sometimes the consequences are even more severe. In October 2011, a woman who was six months pregnant died during a forced abortion in eastern China, according to Women's Rights Without Frontiers. Last month, a woman in the same region was forced to undergo an abortion while nine months pregnant, the organization reported. The baby was born alive, but then was drowned in a bucket, according to the organization. A photo of the infant's body floating in the bucket was circulated on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, sparking widespread outrage. Chinese officials are prohibited under law from "infringing on the rights and interests of citizens when promoting compliance with population planning policies," according to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, created by Congress to monitor human rights and the rule of law in China. However, the commission in its most recent annual report noted "reports of official campaigns, as well as numerous individual cases in which officials used violent methods to coerce citizens to undergo sterilizations or abortions or pay heavy fines for having 'out-of-plan' children," meaning a family's second child. In one example from October 2010, the commission said, a woman in southeastern China who was eight months pregnant with her second child was kidnapped and detained for 40 hours. She was forcibly injected with a substance that caused the fetus to abort. Her husband reportedly was not permitted to see her during this time, the commission said. "Nothing in human history compares to the magnitude of China's 33-year assault on women and children," said Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey and chairman of the commission, during the September hearing at which Ji Yeqing testified. "Today in China, rather than being given maternal care, pregnant women without birth-allowed permits are hunted down and forcibly aborted. ... For over three decades, brothers and sisters have been illegal; a mother has absolutely no right to protect her unborn baby from state-sponsored violence." "Out of plan" children whose parents do not pay fines may go without household registration, or hukou, which presents obstacles to social benefits including subsidized health care and public education, All Girls Allowed said, citing the commission's 2010 report. A woman's family members, including her husband, parents, in-laws or siblings, may also be targeted for violations of the policy, according to Women's Rights Without Borders, which published a 2005 report compiled from Chen's notes into cases he was investigating before his arrest. The report alleges arrest, torture, beatings and fines of family members for the violations of relatives. It also documents a case where a woman suffered health problems after being forced to undergo a tubal ligation despite her high blood pressure. Ji told lawmakers her first forced abortion was in 2003, after officials said she and her husband would be fined $31,000 for their second child and fired from their jobs. Her second came in 2006, despite the fact she and her husband at that time were willing to pay the fine and lose their jobs. She continues to suffer consequences from the abortions. Her husband divorced her, she said, because she could not give him a son (the couple already had a daughter). After she remarried and moved to the United States in 2010, she said, she visited a clinic to have her IUD removed and undergo an exam. "The doctor told me that I had cervical erosion, likely due to the poor medical conditions of my forced abortions," she said. Liu Ping told a similar story to Congress last year. She said after giving birth to her son, she was required to undergo five abortions between 1983 and 1990. During the last procedure, an IUD was inserted. "When I learned of the procedure, I protested that I had a kidney disease and could not keep the IUD, but they completely ignored me," she said. "The doctor just gave the bill to my husband and told him to pay." Her husband was later arrested, she said, and she was given a "serious administrative warning" at her job and fined six months' pay. Liu had to report to the factory clinic each month for an exam to make sure she had not removed the IUD on her own or become pregnant again, she said. In 1997, she missed a monthly pregnancy check because she was caring for her terminally ill mother, she testified. "Agents from the Family Planning Commission waited at my home to drag me to the exam," she said. "When they pushed me to the ground, I fell and hurt my neck vertebrae. My spirit completely collapsed after this one. I attempted suicide, but was stopped by my family from jumping." Liu was able to move to the United States and she and her husband reconciled after a divorce. "I feel happiness and joyful," she told lawmakers. "But I know in my homeland, China, there are millions of women who are suffering as I did. Each day thousands of young lives are being destroyed. I beg everyone to save them." CNN's Jaime FlorCruz contributed to this report.
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China's one-child policy results in forced abortions and sterilizations, activists say .
Women tell of emotional and physical consequences from the procedures .
Activist Chen Guangcheng works to advocate for victims of such practices .
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Washington (CNN) -- It's been five years since the banking and credit crisis rocked the U.S. economy, causing markets to plunge, unemployment to spike, housing values to crumble and placing more Americans in financial peril than at any time since the Great Depression. On Monday, President Barack Obama touted his administration's successes in helping to turn things around even though national economic growth remains sluggish and millions of people have given up looking for work. Obama said government's response "put a floor under the fall" and his policies set the stage for an end to economic contraction and created an environment for the economy to grow again. The president specifically pointed to the impact of the economic stimulus, creation of seven million jobs, the resurgence of the bailed out Detroit automakers, higher taxes on the wealthiest earners and an increase in exports. "We've cleared away the rubble from the financial crisis and we've begun to lay a new foundation for economic growth and prosperity," Obama said. Although Obama paints a rosy scenario, there are still key questions on the economy. Larry Summers, a leading name to become the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, withdrew his name from consideration on Sunday, clearing the way for Janet Yellen, who serves as vice chairwoman at the Fed, to become the leading candidate. Also, the White House announced last week that top economic adviser, Gene Sperling, will step down as head of the National Economic Council and be replaced by Jeffrey Zients, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget. There is also the looming showdown with Congress on funding the government, raising the ability of the nation to borrow money to pay its bills, and continuation of the drastic budget cuts that took effect earlier this year absent a deal in Washington to reduce the deficit. There is also the potential impact of the Affordable Care Act, the sweeping health care law backed by Obama that is taking effect this year and remains a political flashpoint with Republicans. It's the economy, stupid . That motto was made famous by political strategist James Carville during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, and rang true for Obama's first presidential campaign as well. And the American public agrees. In poll after poll, fixing the economy is a stubborn No. 1 when it comes to the issues the voters most care about. A CNN/ORC International poll conducted this month indicates that 41% of the public says the economy is the most important issue facing the country right now, with health care at 16% and the crisis in Syria at 15%. Soon after taking office, Obama signed a massive economic stimulus bill, led the charge for Wall Street reform and accelerated the bailout of the U.S. auto industry, which threatened to collapse and take more than 1 million jobs with it. Some began to compare Obama to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who transformed the fabric of American society in the face of the Depression with aggressive government intervention. 'Poor marks' But since his first two years in office, some experts say, the president has struggled to keep focused on the economy. Liberal economist Dean Baker has been highly critical of his record. "I give him very poor marks. Five years later, the economy is still very far from recovering," said Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, pointing to an unemployment rate that he says would hover around 9% instead of 7.3% if so many people hadn't given up and dropped out of the work force. And it shows in Obama's approval ratings. Through much of last year, he had a 30% approval rating on the economy. That number is up this year -- to 43% -- but most still disapprove of his handling of the issue. A screeching halt . In 2010, many conservatives, led by the tea party movement, sought to stop the president's agenda. They voted out the Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and replaced them with conservative Republicans. Then, those Republicans did what they were sent to Washington to do. The president has struggled to pass any major economic legislation since 2010. Instead, he's been jumping from one political crisis to the next. Fights over federal budget and spending levels locked Congress in multiple battles in 2011 and 2012 that nearly led to the shutdown of the government. The narrative didn't always fall in Obama's favor; nor did the policies that ensued. Republicans shifted the conversation from economic stimulus to deficit reduction. The president jumped on the deficit-reduction bandwagon and made that a priority. Through protracted political battles over the size of the government, forced spending cuts, which sliced up to 10% of most of the federal budget, went into effect. It wasn't the president's favorite idea, however, for how to revive the economy. He still had hopes of repairing old bridges and building new windmills. So did his supporters, who grew frustrated with the president. "We're getting tired. ... The unemployment is unconscionable. We don't know what the (president's) strategy is," Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, said in 2012. But in the frame of deficit reduction, Obama was able to obtain a few concessions. He won a series of tax increases, including an increase on the top tax earners: those making more than $400,000 per year. And the needle moved. The budget cuts, tax increases and a recovering economy will reduce the deficit by about $4 trillion over 10 years, according to the White House. The nation's debt ratio to size of the gross domestic product is expected to stabilize in the next decade, which economists hail as good for the economy. The foreign affairs president . While the president came into office with little experience in foreign affairs and hopes to implement an expansive domestic agenda, overseas conflict has kept his plate full. He expanded the war in Afghanistan and ended the war in Iraq. He kept his attention on the citizen-led revolts that swept the Arab world and expanded the use of drones. Under his administration, al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed and the U.S. joined a NATO campaign to overthrow Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, and Obama is now working on an intense campaign to respond to the use of chemical weapons in Syria's civil war. Although presidents are forced to walk and chew gum at the same time, world events have created challenges for Obama's ability to implement his domestic agenda. "When you look at issues like military strikes in Syria ... it takes the full time and attention of the leaders," Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute said recently. As the president decided to hold off on a military strike in Syria while Secretary of State John Kerry works with his counterpart in Russia to devise a plan to rid the regime of its chemical weapons, the president attempted to revitalize discussion of his domestic agenda. "Even as we have been spending a lot of time on the Syria issue ... it is still important to recognize that we've got a lot more stuff to do here in this government," Obama said during a meeting with his Cabinet on Thursday. Economist Mark Zandi said that, all things considered, the president has been fairly successful on the domestic front. "It has been a tough road, but I think he did a pretty good job," said Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. But economist Baker offered a more critical perspective, saying the president hasn't shown a willingness to push an economic agenda. "Let's say Syria didn't happen. What would he be doing right now? I am not sure he has some agenda that is being obstructed by events in the world," he said. Syria aside, much of the White House's attention this fall will be spent on getting Americans to sign up for the health insurance exchanges, the heart of the Affordable Care Act. Open enrollment begins October 1, and the administration is expected to spend $8.7 million on a media blitz to promote the exchanges. Super Bowl champs to promote Obamacare . Second term, second chance . After his re-election, the president hoped to reset his economic agenda. In his 2013 State of the Union address, Obama said he will work to "reignite the true engine of America's economic growth: a rising, thriving middle class." This summer, he launched a campaign to revive his focus on the economy. In a series of speeches this year, he acknowledged the troubling economic indicators that are keeping the economy from a full recovery, including income inequality and employment disparities. Americans' real median household income fell from $63,000 to $55,600 between 2000 and 2011, and as of December, 9.1 million jobs were necessary to restore the job market to pre-recession levels, according to the Economic Policy Institute. "Reversing these trends has to be Washington's highest priority. It has to be Washington's highest priority. It's certainly my highest priority," Obama said in Galesburg, Illinois, in July. Job creation, affordable education and home ownership were central to his proposals. Those initiatives included expanding development of renewable energy, creating new power grids and expanding access to early childhood education. But what has the president done since that July speech? Some say, not much. "Nothing has happened on any front," economist Zandi said. White House press secretary Jay Carney pushed back, arguing that the president is still focused on those economic priorities. "The president remains committed to pushing forward on an economic agenda that creates a better bargain for the middle class," Carney said Wednesday. As new threats of a government shutdown over government funding and the debt ceiling loom, the president confronted the issue Monday. "I can''t remember a time when one faction of one party promises economic chaos if it doesn't get 100% of what it wants," the president said, blaming the Republicans for potential "massive economic turmoil." With ongoing political stalemates and a protracted fight over the budget and debt ceiling, Zandi said immigration reform, which would be a major catalyst for economic growth, appears to be heading nowhere in the House. And tax and entitlement reform, which would also help to stimulate the economy, have no chance of happening this year. There's always next year. But 2014 is an election year, which creates an even more difficult environment for passing legislation. After that, the president is in his final two years of office, and the political machine begins shaping the next occupant of the Oval Office. Then, by definition, it can be hard for a lame duck president to get much done. CNN's Dan Merica, Paul Steinhauser and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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Other issues take attention away from economic struggle .
Obstinate House, threats of shutdowns, fears of starting war have been obstacles .
Still, the deficit has been reduced, and the economy is improving .
White House report: "We've cleared away the rubble from the financial crisis"
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By . Jamie Mcginnes . PUBLISHED: . 06:11 EST, 25 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 09:24 EST, 26 May 2012 . Hours of audio recordings of 'confessions' made by Charles Manson's right-hand man could provide vital details of unsolved murders carried out by their notorious 1960s gang. Los Angeles Police Department has made a request for eight hours of taped conversations between Charles 'Tex' Watson and his lawyer Bill Boyd, America's NBC reported. Detectives believe the recordings could hold new information about killings carried out by the Manson Family, which in 1969 murdered seven people including film director Roman Polanski's pregnant wife Sharon Tate. Notorious: Serial killers Charles 'Tex' Watson, 66, (left) and Charles Manson, 77 . In a letter obtained by NBC, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck asked the US Department of Justice to hand over the tapes . 'The LAPD has information that Mr Watson discussed additional unsolved murders committed by followers of Charles Manson,' Chief Beck said in the March 19 letter. 'It is requested that the original recordings be given to the LAPD in order to determine if information regarding unsolved murders was included.' Watson, 66, like his one-time leader Manson, is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in the murders. He was originally sentenced to death for killing Sharon Tate Polanski, Abigail Ann Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Thomas Jay Sebring and Steven Earl Parent. However, California temporarily suspended the death penalty in 1972, and he has been serving a life sentence ever since. Murdered: Actress Sharon Tate was eight and a half months pregnant when she was killed . He was denied parole last November, as was Manson this April - Manson's 12th, and possibly last, bid for freedom. Mr Boyd was Watson's attorney from 1969 and 'for some time thereafter', according to the letter from Chief Beck. However, the lawyer died in 2009 and his Texas-based firm is being liquidated. Request: An excerpt of the letter from LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to the US Department of Justice, asking them to hand over the Charles 'Tex' Watson recordings . NBC reported that a decision on whether to give LAPD the recordings will be made at a bankruptcy court hearing due to take place next Tuesday in Plano, Texas. Chief Beck asked for the audio tapes to be given to a detective in the LAPD's 'special section', which is part of its robbery-homicide division. The recordings were private until September 1976 when Watson authorised their sale to author Chaplain Ray Hoekstra to help cover legal fees. The material was used in Mr Hoekstra's book 'Will You Die For Me?' which was released in 1976. Targeted: The Benedict Canyon estate, sheltered in the hills of Los Angeles, where actress Sharon Tate was murdered along with four others on August 9, 1969 . Charles Manson, now 77, is one of America's most notorious mass murderers. Amid the hippie culture of the 1960s, the charismatic ex-convict put together a collection of runaways and outcasts known as the Manson Family. In the summer of 1969 he became one of the 20th century's most infamous criminals when he directed his mostly young, female followers to murder seven people. Actress Sharon Tate was stabbed 16 times by members of the cult in the early morning hours of August 9, 1969 at the Benedict Canyon estate, sheltered in the hills of Los Angeles. She was eight and a half months pregnant. Four other people were stabbed or shot to death in Tate's home that night by the Manson followers, who scrawled the word 'Pig' in blood on the front door before leaving. The following night, Manson's group stabbed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca to death, using their blood to write 'Rise,' 'Death to Pigs' and 'Helter Skelter' - a misspelled reference to the Beatles song - on the walls and refrigerator door. Murder scene: The room where Sharon Tate was brutally killed by the Manson Family . Manson is imprisoned at Corcoran State Prison in Kings County, California. He was convicted of the seven slayings as well as the murder of an acquaintance, Gary Hinman, who was stabbed to death in July 1969. Like Watson, he was originally given a death sentence but spared execution after the California Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional. In 1977, his sentence was commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Manson will next be eligible for parole in 15 years, when he will be 92-years-old. When he was denied release in 2007 the parole board ruled that he 'continues to pose an unreasonable danger to others and may still bring harm to anyone he would come in contact with'.
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LAPD requests eight hours of taped conversations between Manson Family member Charles 'Tex' Watson and his lawyer Bill Boyd .
Gang brutally murdered actress Sharon Tate and six others in August 1969 .
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House Speaker John Boehner flatly denied Tuesday that congressional Republicans are moving to impeach President Barack Obama, blasting talk about it as "a scam started by Democrats at the White House." "We have no plans to impeach the President. We have no future plans," Boehner told reporters after a weekly meeting with GOP members. Boehner said "this whole talk about impeachment" comes from "the President's own staff" and from congressional Democrats. "Why? Because they're trying to rally their people to give money and to show up in this year's elections," he said. Boehner has emphasized several times publicly that he disagrees with former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and other conservatives pushing impeachment over their claims Obama's grossly exceeded his executive authority. A recent CNN-ORC opinion poll shows that almost two thirds of Americans do not believe Obama deserves to be impeached. In that same poll, however, a partisan split shows that 57% of Republicans support such a step, while 86% of Democrats and 63% of Independents don't. White House: Game on . Boehner's decision to sue Obama was designed to address outrage from tea party activists and others within the GOP base over a string of Obama executive orders they say circumvented Congress. The lawsuit covers his decision last year to defer a health law requirement that businesses provide insurance coverage to their employees. But the suit also opened the door to more discussion about impeaching the second-straight Democratic president by a Republican-led House. The issue was magnified when incoming House GOP whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana refused to take the issue off the table during an interview over the weekend. Dan Pfeiffer, a longtime aide and senior Obama adviser said last week that impeachment talk should not be considered a long shot. "I would not discount that possibility," Pfeiffer said. Pfeiffer said that the lawsuit was evidence Republicans would consider impeachment down the road. Congressional Democrats have seized on the issue and show no sign of letting up. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid raised the subject on the Senate floor on Tuesday at about the same time Boehner was ruling it out. "Look in the papers today, the American people are totally opposed to this," Reid said. "We shouldn't be off on those tracks of impeachment and suing the President. We should be legislating." In the month since Boehner announced his lawsuit, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has raised nearly $7.6 million ahead of the November midterms. But the campaign arm has pulled in $1 million alone since Scalise's comments on impeachment over the weekend. With the resolution to formally authorize the lawsuit expected on the House floor on Wednesday, House Democrats are likely to continue to argue, regardless of Boehner's comments, that that move is simply the first step toward impeachment. Cheney: Any attempt to impeach Obama would be distraction .
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Boehner says talk of impeachment coming from Dems and White House .
He says House GOP has no plans to impeach Obama over executive actions .
Sarah Palin and other conservatives are pushing for such a step .
Boehner, however, is suing the President over Obamacare .
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(CNN) -- Rafael Nadal battled for nearly six hours with Novak Djokovic at the 2012 Australian Open, the longest grand slam final in history. Seemingly on the verge of exiting in the fourth set, Nadal rallied and then led by a break in the fifth before his Serbian opponent ultimately had the last word. When the bruising slugfest was over, in an unusual move, the players were given chairs during the trophy presentation. Nadal's loss to Stanislas Wawrinka this January in the Australian Open final featured a more routine looking scoreline and lasted a shade over two hours, so nowhere near as tiring -- but the world No. 1 says it was tougher to deal with than the reverse to Djokovic. That's because Nadal hurt his back in the warm-up and wasn't able to compete at 100%. The injury, coupled with Wawrinka's play, led to the Swiss claiming his first grand slam title. Nadal was the heavy favorite pre-match, owning a 12-0 head-to-head record without dropping a set. "It was one of the toughest moments in my career," Nadal was quoted as saying by the ATP's website Thursday at the BNP Paribas Open. "It was tough being there for 90 minutes knowing that you will not win. But not winning was not the worst thing. The worst thing was knowing I could not compete. "When you are losing and competing, that's part of sport. This loss was worse for me than 2012 and the six hours against Novak. I did everything right to be there and compete in the final, and I couldn't. Wawrinka was playing unbelievable. I don't know if I would have had the chance to win that match because he was playing amazing." Nadal admitted it took a while for him to get the loss out of his system. "I am a great loser," he said. "Normally after a few hours I forget about the losses and look straight to the next thing, but after this tournament it took a little bit more time." The back still not recovered, Nadal skipped an event in Argentina last month but returned -- and won -- in Brazil. He says the back is now "healthy," bad news for his opponents in the California desert. It's Nadal's most successful hard-court Masters tournament, having won in Indian Wells three times and only failing to reach the semifinals once. Last year Nadal triumphed not long after his comeback from a serious knee injury. "It was one of my most special titles," he said. Nadal faces a tricky draw, however, with Wawrinka, Roger Federer and Andy Murray in his half. Azarenka uncertain . Meanwhile in the women's draw, two-time grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka played down her chances after only recently recovering from a foot injury. Azarenka was forced to wear a protective boot so the foot could heal. "When you hear for the first time from the doctor, 'You've got to wear a boot for three weeks,' and the tournament is in four and a half weeks you're like, 'Okay, well, we'll see how it goes.' "What I expect for myself is to fight for every ball. The rest is a little bit of an unknown for me right now. "The first match is going to happen. I'm going to go out there and I'm going to play. The most important thing for me is that my foot feels good." Azarenka -- a walkover in Indian Wells last year after retiring in 2011 -- begins against American Lauren Davis.
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Rafael Nadal says losing the Australian Open final was worse than his six-hour defeat in 2012 .
A back injury hampered the Spaniard and he was beaten in four sets by Stanislas Wawrinka .
A return to Indian Wells excites Nadal since he has won the Masters event three times .
Former champion Victoria Azarenka plays down her chances due to a foot injury .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:22 EST, 10 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:47 EST, 11 October 2012 . A footballer who mimed shooting a teammate dead as part of an elaborate goal celebration found himself promptly rewarded with a red card. Ecuadorian player Fidel Martinez, 22, pretended to gun down team-mate Dubier Riascos after he scored for Mexico's Tijuana during a match against rivals Toluca. After scoring in the 50th minute and taking his team to the top of the tables, Riascos was joined by teammates Martinez - number 11 - and Alfredo Moreno - number 9 - for an extended goal celebration. Scroll down to watch video . Going for goal: Tijuana player Dubier Riascos scored a 50th minute goal taking them into the lead against Toluca . Jubilant: Riascos, Fidel Martinez and Alfrendo Moreno celebrating at the sidelines . Bang, bang: Martinez mimes shotting two guns at Riascos . The three players began dancing before Martinez ‘executed’ Riascos by raising both hands up in the shape of two guns and aiming them at Riascos. As Martinez mock fired the guns, Riascos played dead and started falling to the ground. Once down on the pitch, Riascos followed up the unusual display with some retro dancing by performing the worm - blissfully unaware his fellow player Martinez was being shown the red card by referee Jose Alfredo Penaloza. Penaloza later reduced the punishment to a yellow card and allowed the midfielder back on the pitch. You knocked me down: Riascos is fully committed to the goal celebration and starts to fall backwards . Going, going, gone: Riascos falls on to the floor and his two teammates move to help him up . Going all out: Riascos then launches into a spot of retro dancing by performing the worm - unaware the referee is approaching . Sent off: Referee Jose Alfredo Penaloza shows Martinez the red card while Riascos carries on with his victory worm . Such celebrations are frowned upon in Mexico where there is serious gun crime and around 15,000 murders a year. The Mexican league president said that celebrations should be 'friendly and fun'. FIFA has also attempted to crack down on some of the more enthusiastic celebrations by players, such as removing football shirts or dropping their shorts. Now watch the video .
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Fidel Martinez, 22, pretended to gun down team-mate Dubier Riascos .
Both play for Mexico's Tijuana and the goal took them to the top of the table .
Referee Jose Alfredo Penaloza showed him a red card for the stunt but later reduced the punishment to a yellow card .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Dr Nurpur Mittal, arriving for sentencing at Canterbury Crown Court yesterday, after being convicted of stealing money from a patient's handbag . A GP who stole money from a mother’s purse during an appointment for her sick baby was fined £5,000 yesterday and now faces being struck off. Dr Nurpur Mittal, 33, took £130 cash from Kelly Wissenden’s purse after the mother-of-two left the consultation room to obtain a specimen from her nine-month-old son Zaio Headley. Miss Wissenden, 29, said she thought it was ‘odd’ when she returned and saw Dr Mittal ‘fiddling around’ in her bag, which she had left on her child’s buggy in the doctor’s room. But she only realised the money was missing when she checked the purse as she left White Cliffs Medical Centre in Dover, Kent. It emerged in court that Dr Mittal had previously been given a ‘fiscal warning’ for shoplifting in Scotland. She now faces the possibility of being struck off the medical register as she will be ordered to appear before a General Medical Council disciplinary board. And she was warned yesterday by Judge James O’Mahony at Canterbury Crown Court that she will be sent to jail if she doesn’t pay the fine within six months. Dr Mittal, from Shepherdswell, near Dover, was convicted of theft by a jury last month. Judge O’Mahony told her: ‘This is a sad state of affairs. ‘A patient has the right to expect that the last person in the world who would steal from them was a doctor.’ The court heard that Miss Wissenden was intending to use the money to pay for repairs to her car. Andrew Forsyth, prosecuting, said: 'Miss Wissenden later described seeing Dr Mittal fiddling around near the change bag and the buggy, looking very flustered. 'She thought it strange at the time but didn't say anything.' After checking her bag outside and finding the money had gone missing, she returned inside the surgery and told the receptionist Christine Button about her cash disappearing from her purse. Dr Mittal stole the cash from Kelly Wissenden, pictured, when she attended an appointment with her son Zaio Headley at the White Cliffs Medical Centre in Dover . She said they searched the doctor's room and the changing area where they had taken her son but did not find anything. However, after following Dr Mittal's advice, they returned a short while later and found the cash on the floor of the changing room. Miss Wissenden phoned the police later that day to report the doctor and what had happened. The court was told Dr Mittal phoned Miss Wissenden later that evening asking her to withdraw the theft allegation. Dr Mittal, from Shepherdswell, near Dover, was convicted of theft by a jury last month after she had denied the charge. Before sentencing Dr Mittal, he asked for a report about her mental state as he could not understand why someone who 'probably receives a healthy salary' would want to steal £130. The theft took place at White Cliff's Medical Centre in Dover, pictured, and Dr Mittal's name has been removed from the website as a list of doctors practicing at the centre . The court also heard yesterday that Dr Mittal was married but her husband is filing for divorce from her. Her name has been taken off the website list of doctors practising at the White Cliffs Medical Centre in Dover. Yesterday the practice manager at the medical centre said they did not want to comment. After the court hearing, Miss Wissenden, who works as a stewardess for P&O Ferries, said: 'It's really shocking, it's horrible. 'I put my faith in her, my son's life was in her hands and she stole from me. 'It's been such a stressful time. The reaction you get when you tell people is 'really, but she's a doctor?'. 'The barrister even told me to expect a not guilty verdict because the jury was more likely to believe a doctor over me.'
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Dr Nurpur Mittal, 33, took £130 cash from Kelly Wissenden's purse .
Miss Wissenden was attending an appointment for her nine-month-old son .
Found the doctor 'fiddling around' in her bag after leaving room to obtain a specimen from son .
Dr Mittal, of Dover was convicted of theft by a jury last month .
Has now been fined £5,000 by Judge James O'Mahony at Canterbury Crown Court .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government is buying 10,000 Taser stun guns for police officers across England and Wales, Britain's Home Office said Monday. British police officers use a Taser gun to tackle a mock suspect in a training exercise. The move will expand the ranks of officers carrying the weapons from "select firearms squads" to "thousands of trained frontline officers," according to the Home Office, which is responsible for domestic policing. Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Jacqui Smith said police "deserve our support, so I want to give the police the tools they tell me they need to confront dangerous people. That is why I am giving the police 10,000 Tasers." The guns fire barbed darts charged with enough electricity to stun a person, the Home Office said. But Amnesty International UK described them as "potentially lethal electrical weapons" that deliver "50,000 volts of electricity into a person's body. The result is excruciatingly painful, causing a person to fall to the ground and, at times, lose control of their bodily functions." The human rights group, however, expressed qualified support for the British government move, urging that the weapons be given only to officers specially trained to use them. "We don't actually oppose the use of Tasers as long as it's by a limited number of highly trained specialist officers, responding to genuinely life-threatening or very dangerous situations," said Oliver Sprague, the organization's arms program director. But, he added: "Tasers are potentially lethal weapons which are already linked to numerous deaths in North America and that's why wide deployment without adequate training is a dangerous step too far for British policing." "The home secretary should urgently review this decision and ensure that Tasers only end up in the hands of a small number of fully trained officers capable of making the potentially fatal decision over whether to fire 50,000 volts into a person's body." Amnesty says more than 300 people have died after being shot with Tasers since 2001. The decision to introduce Tasers across England and Wales follows what the government called a successful pilot program with officers from 10 police forces, including London's Metropolitan Police and forces responsible for Liverpool and Bristol. The test ran for 12 months from September 2007 with constables who had not previously carried firearms, a Home Office spokesman said. Before the pilot program, approximately 6,000 specially trained firearms officers across the country had access to Tasers starting in 2004. Most British police officers do not carry any kind of firearm, Home Secretary Smith emphasized in her statement, a fact she said she was proud of.
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Police officers across England and Wales to armed with Taser stun guns .
Guns fire barbed darts charged with enough electricity to stun a person .
Decision to roll out Tasers across England and Wales follows pilot program .
Human rights group criticizes plan to use "potentially lethal electrical weapons"
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Tunis, Tunisia (CNN) -- World powers meeting Friday in Tunisia called for a political solution in Syria and what one diplomat called a "tsunami wave" of pressure to peel away internal support for the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad. "We agreed on increasing the pressure on Assad, getting humanitarian aid in as quickly as possible and preparing for a democratic transition," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters. "That was my message, and that was the message of the chairman statement that reflected the consensus reached here." That consensus was reached during a day of meetings by the "Friends of Syria" in the cradle of the Arab Spring, where participants laid out the groundwork for a political transition in Syria, not unlike the international planning that preceded the changes in Libya, where Moammar Gadhafi's regime was toppled last year. Representatives of dozens of countries and entities developed a plan to deliver immediate humanitarian aid, to give political legitimacy to the Syrian opposition and to endorse the idea of a joint Arab-U.N. peacekeeping force. As the conference unfolded, Red Crescent volunteer rescue crews evacuated seven wounded people in the besieged Syrian city of Homs to Al Amin Hospital on the outskirts of the city's Baba Amr neighborhood, a spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross said. Twenty unhurt Syrians were also taken to safety, she said. The evacuation of victims marks a glimmer of hope for residents who'd been pinned down under shelling and sniper fire for weeks. ICRC spokeswoman Carla Haddad Mardini told CNN that the organization planned to ask Syrian authorities for a pause in the fighting every day. "We would prefer to have a two-hour humanitarian pause daily, where we would enter the different affected areas, including Homs, and deliver much-needed humanitarian aid," she said in a telephone interview from Geneva. Asked whether international journalists wounded in the city would be taken out, Mardini said the mission was "to evacuate all wounded and sick in urgent need of medical assistance without any exception." The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing an official source at the Foreign Ministry, said Red Crescent vehicles were dispatched Friday, "for humanitarian considerations, to retrieve the foreign journalists who entered Syria illegally. The source added that the armed groups in Baba Amr declined to hand over an injured journalist and the bodies of two others, which jeopardizes the life of the injured journalist and thwarts efforts to return the two bodies to their countries." Activists acknowledged that they had declined to turn over the journalists' bodies or the wounded journalists unless civilians also were taken to safety. They said the wounded journalists agreed with that decision. In addition, they said, Friday's ambulance runs were carried out as shelling continued in the area. The meeting in Tunis took place as Syrian security forces continued a nearly year-long crackdown on civilian protesters. European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Friday that the "humanitarian situation and lack of access for food and medical supplies is our most urgent and immediate concern." At least 103 people were killed Friday. The dead include 18 corpses found in the Hama province town of Khatab and 30 people in Homs, the epicenter of resistance that has endured 21 days of daily shelling, according to the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition groups. SANA said terrorists shot and killed a law enforcement member and wounded two others Friday in Homs. It also said that dozens of members of "armed terrorist groups" in the city had surrendered and given their weapons to authorities. Regarding events in Tunis, Syrian state television was dismissive. "It is quite ironic that in a conference called 'The Friends of Syria,' we haven't seen one Syrian delivering a speech," said an anchor, who added that the conference was dominated by "icons from the colonial era who are conspiring against Syria and the Arab world." A guest implied that some of the countries in attendance had been paid, bribed or ordered to show up against their will. At the conference, Clinton said the end of al-Assad's regime "can mark a new beginning." She urged a negotiated political solution and a democratic transition for Syria, and announced that the United States is providing $10 million for humanitarian efforts. Clinton also said the "crimes against humanity must stop." In a statement, the Syrian National Council said it was seeking international recognition "as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people." The group formed last October as a coalition of local coordinating committees, political, ethnic and religious groups. It asked for humanitarian assistance and the creation of safe havens inside Syria to protect refugees seeking sanctuary. "The clear goal of the SNC and one for which tens of thousands of Syrians have died or suffered is to achieve full regime change through a process controlled by the Syrians themselves," the statement said. Clinton gave the group qualified support, calling it "a leading, legitimate representative of Syrians seeking peaceful democratic change." She continued to hold out hope for a political solution. "Assad can still make the choice to end the violence, save lives and spare his country from descending further into ruin but, if he continues to reject that choice, we and the Syrian people will keep pressure on him until his deadly regime cracks and collapses, because it will," she said. And she appealed to Assad's security forces to end the killing. "Their continuing to kill their brothers and sisters is a stain on their honor," she said. "Their refusal to continue this slaughter will make them heroes in the eyes of not only Syrians, but people of conscience everywhere. They can help the guns fall silent. We know from many sources there are people around Assad who are beginning to hedge their bets. They didn't sign up to slaughter people, and they are looking for ways out." She made no reference to helping the militias fighting the al-Assad regime. But Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that arming the Syrian opposition is an "excellent idea." U.S. officials have said they are not ready to take that step but they have not ruled out other options. Clinton said she would address the issue later. In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was "encouraged by the international unity" displayed in Tunis. "We are going to continue to keep the pressure up and look for every tool available to prevent the slaughter of innocents in Syria," he said. Neither Russia, which is a Soviet-era ally and arms dealer to Syria, nor China is participating in the Tunisia meeting. Both countries vetoed the U.N. resolution. The nations participating in the meeting unveiled a plan for delivering emergency aid. It called on al-Assad to "immediately cease all violence" and allow unimpeded access for aid, an effort that would be spearheaded by the United Nations. The United Nations is expected to play a major role in a post-Assad Syria. Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan was named Thursday joint special envoy of the United Nations and Arab League on the Syrian crisis. The Friends of Syria group stressed that an alternative to al-Assad exists and it believes it can persuade traditional regime supporters, such as business elites, the military and minority Alawites -- who prevail in the military -- to switch allegiances. "To those Syrians who still support Assad, especially members of the Syrian military: understand that this regime has no future," Clinton said. "The longer you carry out its campaign of violence, the more it will stain your honor. But if you refuse to take part in attacks on your fellow citizens, your countrymen will hail you as heroes." A senior State Department official said members of the council told Clinton they were pleased with the conference turnout and the initiative. "The Syrian people have not surrendered, nor will they give up," SNC leader Burhan Ghalioun said. " A free people was born in Syria and it does not fear death, nor does it accept any bargain to give away its long-deprived rights or give up its sovereignty by any definition." The Friends of Syria intends to address economic issues by creating a working group on economic recovery and development, a diplomat said. The diplomat said the conference communique will endorse the Arab League's request to the Security Council to form a joint Arab-U.N. peacekeeping force after the cessation of violence. CNN's Elizabeth Joseph, Saad Abedine, Raja Razek, Hala Gorani, Salma Abdelaziz, Chelsea J. Carter, Tracey Doueiry, Kareem Khadder and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
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NEW: At least 103 killed Friday .
Red Cross asks two-hour humanitarian pause in fighting .
Clinton says Syrian security forces can help "guns fall silent"
Evacuation of wounded and sick begins in Homs .
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The federal government drew up plans to detonate 23 nuclear bombs in a California mountain range to blast over a passage for a new railroad and highway, it has been revealed. The scheme, which was deemed 'safe' by scientists at the time, is one of more than two-dozen ideas dreamed up at the height of the atomic age for Operation Plowshares - a bid to harness the devastating power of nuclear weapons for civilian use. Other ideas included using five bombs to dig out a harbor on Alaska's North Slope, digging an alternative to the Panama Canal across Nicaragua and using underground blasting to unleash the oil from the tar sands in Canada. During this time, engineers were testing the limits of nuclear propulsion - drawing up plans for nuclear yachts and ferries, nuclear-powered rocket ships, nuclear powered planes and Ford even designed a prototype for a car - the Nucleon - with an atomic reactor. Scroll down for video . The plan called for 50 kilotons of nuclear bombs to blow out 68million cubic yards of rock and debris from a mountain pass in the Mojave Desert in California . 'The friendly atom': A 1962 test in Nevada blasted a 320-foot-deep crater in the Earth. Plumes from the blast exposed thousands of people to radiation . The map shows that few people lived with a 50-mile radius of the proposed blast site. Experts predicted it would have little effect on people on the environment . Project Carryall intended to blow open the mountains to make room for a new highway and rail line through the southern Mojave desert. Route 66 and the parallel train line had to run several miles of the way to get around the steep mountains. The operation would have saved the federal government $8million over the cost of conventional blasting through the Bristol Mountains in the Mojave Desert, the Atomic Energy Commission estimated in 1963, according to Gizmodo. The plan called for 22 nuclear bombs to be detonated deep in the mountain to blast a 500-foot deep chasm. The final fission explosive would have been used to create a crater for drainage. 'The study group has concluded that this project is technically feasible. It can be done, and it can be done safely,' California highway engineers wrote in a report. The blasts would have excavated 68million cubic yards of rock and gravel. The atomic age caused America to dream of world without internal combustion engines or fuel. Engineers designed small ships, airplanes and even rocket ships with nuclear reactors - though few came to reality. Ford even fleshed out a prototype Ford Nucleon fission-powered car equipped with its own nuclear reactor. One project that did come to fruition - the NS Savannah, a 600-foot cargo ship and cruiseliner - was built in 1959 to show off the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Barely bigger than some modern day super yachts, the ship was dramatically smaller than nuclear-powered warships of the day. The Convair NB-36H flew several dozen flights with a nuclear reactor, but the program was scrapped . The NS Savannah was the world's first civilian nuclear-powered ship. At less than 600 feet long, it was barely bigger than some modern super yachts . End the end, however, the Savannah proved too costly to operate for commercial purposes. Both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. built nuclear-power long-range bombers in the 1950s and early 60s, as well. Both the Soviet Tupolev Tu-95LAL and the Convair NB-36H flew dozens of test flights with a reactor in place - though they never ran on nuclear propulsion. Cost, safety and environmental concerns led to both the Soviets and the Americans the cancel the programs. Ford built a scale model of a Neutrino - a fanciful concept car that would have run on a nuclear reactor and a steam turbine . Project Carryall was actually deemed safe by engineers in the day - though thankfully it was never tested . The mountains in California were too high to build roads or rails across - so either a tunnel or a passage way had to be blasted out . Cutting through the mountain: Project Carryall was meant to allow a highway to pass through the mountains - rather than around them, like Route 66 was forced to do. Modern day I-40 passes near the planned route . The study - and all other Plowshares projects - come around when Americans were still enamored by the potential of nuclear explosions. Disasters and near disasters that have shaped the modern fear of nuclear power had not yet happened. The partial nuclear reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island took place in 1979. The Chernobyl disaster was not until 1989. The 1962 Sedan nuclear test in Nevada exposed the dangers of using nuclear weapons for engineering when a radiation plume contaminated people as far away as Iowa - exposing the risks of detonating nuclear weapons. The Carryall project was shelved and eventually engineers used conventional explosives to blast through the Bristol Mountains to build Interstate 40. Project Pan-Atomic Canal would have blasted a new trans-ocean canal across Nicaragua . Operation Plowshares spent nearly a quarter billion dollars researching civilian uses for nuclear weapons between 1959 and 1971. The project carried out 27 nuclear tests during that time. Here are some of the more outlandish plans from Operation Plowshares: .
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The 1963 plan would have blown at hole through the Bristol Mountains in California, to make way for a road .
It was part of Operation Plowshares, which sought to find civilian engineering uses for nuclear weapons .
Plan was scrapped in favor of using conventional explosives .
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A pair of hungry thieves got a little more than they bargained for when police spotted them eating quiche in a cafe that had closed for the day. Upon realising they had been caught red-handed, the two men armed themselves with knives and had to be talked out of the 50-seater Cafe@Marshalls in Berwick-upon-Tweed by police negotiators. They eventually gave themselves up after five hours and were arrested for aggravated burglary. Angela Marshall, who runs the cafe with her husband Howard, went to the scene at 1am on Monday when she heard about the stand off and was told that they just wanted some flan. Hungry: The thieves broke into Cafe @Marshalls, in the early hours of Monday in an apparent attempt to steal some quiche sparking a five hour stand off with police . The men were eventually brought out of the cafe and arrested at 6am. Mrs Marshall said: 'Apparently they were hungry and wanted some quiche. There was a little bit of money in the till, but I think they just wanted food and then it got out of hand. 'It obviously must be very good quiche.' Shocked: Howard and Angela Marshall who own the leisure shop where Cafe @Marshalls is based . According to Mrs Marshall, there was around 15 police cars surrounding the store when she arrived shortly after 1am. She said: 'There was negotiators and all sorts. They had riot gear on and Tasers. 'From what I can gather the men had smashed a window and climbed through it. The police were driving past and saw two lads in the cafe and called back-up. 'But when they saw the police they grabbed some knives and started threatening them. 'They were in there a long time and they trashed the cafe.' Northumbria Police confirmed that two men, aged 21 and 20 have been arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary. A force spokesman said: 'The two men were armed with knives, refused to come out of the premises and threatened police. 'After speaking with officers two men, aged 21 and 20, were arrested on suspicion of aggravated burglary. No one was injured during the incident.' Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Police disturbed two men as they broke into the cafe in Northumberland .
But the men armed themselves with knives and refused to leave .
Officers armed with Tasers and dressed in riot gear were called in .
Trained negotiators attempted to coax the men from the cafe .
Two men, aged 20 and 21, were eventually arrested at around 6am .
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It's always nice, and brave on their part, for hotel staff to tell guests on arrival that they will try and deal with any requests they may have. An extra towel, having an ironing board sent to your room, and replacement toilet rolls are easy enough to arrange. But how about getting a llama to run amok in the hotel or allowing 6ft long monitor lizard in the room? It seems there is nothing concierges at these hotels won't do to make a guest's stay perfect. But just what are the strangest requests they have ever received? Hotel concierges are usually only too keen to fulfil their guests' requests, but some travellers push it too far . A personal invite for a llama - Grand Del Mar, San Diego . A guest staying at the Grand Del Mar in San Diego, California, wanted to surprise a friend with news of a trip away. So to give a clue, he negotiated with hotel staff to bring a llama in to help give a clue as to where he was whisking his mate off to. It was of course Peru, and they happily went off some time later. The llama was of course taken home safely. One man keen to reveal a surprise destination in a clever way to a friend asked for, and got, a llama . Penguins waiting in the room - Four Seasons, Hawaii . Sitting alongside the llama for one of the wackiest requests comes courtesy of the fantasy island of Hawaii. A concierge at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has revealed that one guest asked for a group of penguins to be waiting for them in their room, with Morgan Freeman narrating the meeting. Sadly, the guest didn't get chance to p-p-p-pick up a penguin, and the request was dismissed. No shock that a request for penguins to be waiting in the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai was dismissed . Room full of Nicholas Cages - Hotel Indigo San Antonio Riverwalk, Texas . Sarah Kovacs Grzywacz decided to have some fun when she checked into the Hotel Indigo San Antonio Riverwalk during a business trip. After receiving a welcome text that offered assistance 'any time,' Ms Grzywacz replied back saying she would like a signed picture of Nicholas Cage in Con Air on her bed. And the well-meaning staff adhered to her request, and the actors face was waiting on entry. The rest of the trip involved various other requests for Nicholas Cage in an array of films, all granted by the hotel. Sarah Kovacs Grzywacz was delighted when her jokey requests for images of Nicholas Cage were fulfilled . The dedicated staff delivered the requested images, and even apologised when one didn't come in time . Three M&Ms and a bacon portrait - Woodlands Resort, Houston . Bacon is a beautiful thing to many people, so much so a guest asked for a picture of it in his room along with three red M&Ms . Dustin Wray and girlfriend Lauren Taylor decided to spent the night at the Woodlands Resort in Houston after purchasing tickets to see their favorite singer John Mayer perform there. When Dustin had completed the online booking for the hotel room a month earlier he couldn’t resist having some fun when it came to the ‘special requests’ section. Dustin requested: ‘Three red M&Ms on the counter. Not packages, just three single M&Ms. One for me, one for my girlfriend, and one to split if we get hungry late at night. And a picture of bacon set on the bed. I love pictures of bacon.’ And sure enough, on checking into their room they were met by the M&Ms, which they shared, and the delicious photo of bacon. Lovely stuff. A large rubber duck in the bathroom? - Premier Inn, Godstone . It's always nice to have some element of home comforts when your staying in a hotel. And one guest made sure he wasn't going to miss out during his stay at the Premier Inn in Goldstone, Surrey, when he requested a large rubber duck for the bathroom. Other requests received by staff for the brand with the Lenny Henry commercials include a team member loaning a guest their trousers for an important last minute meeting in Liverpool, helping a guest buy a new bridesmaid's dress as the original had ripped on a wedding day in Ross on Wye and helping a guest propose to their bride to be because they were too nervous in Bournemouth. Can I bring my 6ft-long lizard? - Travelodge, Lowestoft . Can you tell me how many stars are in the sky tonight? Can you call Windsor Castle and find out if the Queen is in? Can you store my lobster in your freezer? These are just some of the peculiar requests Travelodge staff have been asked by customers. One such customer who was staying at Docklands Travelodge asked the hotel team if he could practice his board presentation in Mandarin to the hotel team prior to a meeting. A 6ft-long monitor lizard wasn't included in the Lowestoft Travelodge's list of permitted pets . Another, staying at Edinburgh Central Travelodge, asked the hotel manager if he could borrow his suit for the morning as he had a job interview and he forgot his suit at home. Meanwhile, the hotel receptionist at Luton Travelodge received a call from a PA to see if her boss could be dropped off by helicopter in the hotel car-park. And the best of all was a man who was unsure if the pet policy covered his far-from-domestic animal at the Lowestoft Travelodge - a 6ft monitor lizard. Help to buy two camels? - Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Arizona . A guests asked the staff at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona if they could assist him buy two camels. The concierge, who was on her first month in the job, kept her cool, and a straight face, located a nearby dealer, and the guest's wish was fulfilled. Well nearly... after giving the camels a 'once over,' the camel had one too few humps for the guest's liking and he pulled out of the deal. He clearly should have specified he wanted a bactrian breed of camel so he didn't get a dromedary. Although a concierge found a camel dealer in Arizona, the guest wanted them to have two humps not one . Wild goat's milk from Wales... for a bath - Savoy Hotel, London . The Savoy's head butler Sean Davoren has had some wacky requests in his days service elite guests, with wild goat's milk for a guest's bath among the more unusual. But it was certainly achievable, at a cost. The milk itself cost a manageable £50, but the taxi fare to Wales and back to get it ran up £600 on the meter. The milk was then warmed up, and 30 bottles of heated Evian was used to rinse the white stuff off the picky client afterwards. A unicorn greeting - Hotel Indigo in Asheville, North Carolina . For all of a hotel employee's good intentions, mythical animals are a request too far. But the concierge at the Hotel Indigo in Asheville, North Carolina, thought outside the box, and purchased a cuddly unicorn toy instead. Citing that the unicorn had 'migrated' for the season, the toy was left with an apology of not being able to purchase the real thing.
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Unicorns, goat's milk and bacon feature in world's wackiest hotel requests .
Portraits of Nicholas Cage were granted by one helpful staff member .
But mythical creatures and penguins are beyond their capabilities .
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(CNN) -- He may not be hitting the fairways with the same bite as he did in his 1980s heyday, but the man sports commentators nicknamed "The Great White Shark" still has plenty of appetite for the game. Plenty of bite: Norman is one of golf's most successful and recognizable stars. Earlier this month Greg Norman appeared in the British Open, 23 years after his debut major win. Yet while he's still driving for success on the course, off it he's taken his life in a different direction. Under his Great White Shark Enterprises company he has numerous business ventures from property, golf course design and turfing to restaurants, wine and even Australian beef. "There are very, very few athletes that do that on a global basis and to do it takes a lot of energy. You have to be on the ball, you have to be because you are the brand, you are that person walking around," he told CNN. Unlike many sports people thinking about their life after sport, he made the conscious decision that he didn't want to end up in a commentary box after his days on the links. "I think it just grew out of reality, being very much realistic in my 40s. I knew I didn't want to play golf for the rest of my life professionally. I knew physically I couldn't do it as number 1, so I had to think to the future. I wanted to know where I was going to be when I was 60," he said. Now 54, Norman took up golf at the age of 15. During his career he spent 331 weeks as the game's number 1-ranked player. Having hit the heights with two British Open titles and a total of 20 U.S. PGA wins, he also suffered his share of disappointments, losing leads and never clinching a U.S. Masters or U.S. Open. "With golf, you're going to have your ups and downs. You're going to win some, you're going to lose some," he said. And it's a reflectively mentality he's taken with him into the business world. "You have to learn by your mistakes, and in business I've made mistakes. You learn by it, and you build on those mistakes. ... By learning how to build a brand, I had to learn about business. So. ... all that tied into one, and I enjoy the process. I enjoy the idea of being the brand, living the brand." Away from being the brand, a high-profile wedding in June 2008 to retired American tennis champion Chris Evert (after both had ended long term marriages) provided headlines away from the back pages. For Norman, Evert has given his life, and even his golfing game, new impetus. "She's been a great support and a role model in a lot of ways ... She brings a lot of peace and calm and happiness around in my life, so it makes it easy for me to go out there and enjoy the things I love to do," he said. One of which is expanding his brand into new and challenging territories, including bringing more opportunities to China's growing number of golfers. "Golf is a great outlet in many ways, you know. It's got a lot of emotional qualities about it, and the Chinese are very, very strong in their mind. They're very, very strong in their belief in doing something. And I think golf completely suits their mentality and style and their physical abilities," he said.
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Australian golfer spent 331 weeks as world number 1; won two British Open titles .
His business ventures include golf course design and restaurants .
Married to retired American tennis star Chris Evert .
Looking to China to expand his Great White Shark brand businesses .
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Urumqi, China (CNN) -- Urumqi, the capital of China's far-western Xinjiang Province, was calm but definitely tense Friday, four years after violent clashes left hundreds dead and exposed deep ethnic rifts in the region. In the days leading up to the anniversary, and in the wake of recent attacks that left 35 dead in Xinjiang, Chinese authorities have taken measures to thwart further unrest. Paramilitary police in camouflaged fatigues with automatic weapons and riot gear have been stationed outside key points throughout the capital, including government buildings, banks and major intersections. While it is not unusual for there to be a visible police presence in a city known for past troubles, the number of armed troops on the streets has increased dramatically -- one main street next to a local theater in the city was backed up with a column of police trucks, armored personnel carriers and other riot-control vehicles. According to tourist operators and local residents, the government has also banned all night markets and non-tourist public events to avoid crowds gathering at this sensitive time. Periodic bursts of violence are nothing new in Xinjiang, a resource-rich region of western China where the arrival of waves of Han Chinese people over the decades has fueled tensions with the Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking, predominantly Muslim ethnic group. Uyghurs have complained of discrimination and harsh treatment by security forces in Xinjiang, despite official promises of equal rights and ethnic harmony. In China as a whole, Han Chinese account for 92% of the population. They now make up about 40% of the population of Xinjiang, where Uyghurs used to be predominant. The violence last Wednesday -- when police stations were attacked by a mob in the remote township of Lukqun, about 250 kilometers southeast of Urumqi -- was the worst the region has seen since 2009, when rioting between the two ethnic groups left around 200 people dead and 1,700 injured in Urumqi. This followed clashes in April when 21 people were killed in Xinjiang's Kashgar prefecture. The government has blamed recent attacks on "gangsters" and "religious extremists" who they claim have links to foreign jihadi groups. But many scholars and Uyghur diaspora groups dispute this official interpretation. "The increasing frequency with which these incidents occur illustrates the PRC's reticence to address the root causes of the tensions that are escalating," said the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), a Germany-based Uyghur advocacy group. It used an abbreviation of People's Republic of China to describe China. Meanwhile, Chinese state media has widely reported on other measures taken by local authorities to curb further unrest ahead of Friday's anniversary. The local public security department in Xinjiang has offered a 50,000 to 100,000-Yuan (US$8,162 to 16,319) reward for information regarding what they called "separatist activities," the China Daily reported. It also released a wanted list of 11 suspects, encouraging residents to provide information. Police also called on the public to hand in any "dangerous knives, explosives and propaganda materials on terrorism or violent crimes" they may have -- police officers in Urumqi were actually registering knives this week, with blades more than 8 inches confiscated. "I can't display anything longer than this," said one local merchant who had just been registered by police. Rumors have also been rife in this city before and during the July 5 anniversary. Uyghur restaurants are struggling to get Han customers at times because of rumors that they could be looking to poison their customers. In the center of the capital, street vendors say domestic tourist numbers, normally at their peak at this time of year, are dramatically down because of the fear of attacks. But despite the heavy police presence and the rumors, the city continues to function. Though the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, a major tourist attraction, was largely quiet this week, other shopping streets teemed with locals bargaining for a range of products, from scarves to fruit. They didn't seem to pay much attention to the paramilitary police units who now patrol 24 hours a day -- some Han Chinese tourists were even taking photos of the patrols. But this remains a divided city. Uyghurs and Han Chinese generally frequent different shops, live in different neighborhoods and go to different schools. But most people seem reluctant to speak about these divisions, a sign perhaps of the tightening grip the security forces have over this remote city.
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China has deployed armed police in cities in Xinjiang in past week .
July 5 marks 4th anniversary of deadly clashes in region that killed more than 200 .
Tensions fueled by increased number of Han Chinese moving to western region .
Ethnic Uyghurs, a Turkic-speaking, mainly Muslim ethnic group, complain of discrimination .
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PUBLISHED: . 19:25 EST, 10 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:35 EST, 11 July 2013 . Following fashion slavishly has never been my thing. But since my daughter Katie told me, about 15 years ago, that I 'must stop wearing those ridiculous jeans' (high-waisted, bit baggy, tapering to the ankle - you know the kind of thing) I've tried to at least be influenced by current trends. Katie put me into a pair of straight-legged Levis and I was a new woman; or at least the old one refurbished, like a second-hand armchair. There have been many fashions over the past decade or so that have been only too easy and flattering to adopt, from flared trousers to skinny jeans. But there comes a point, once over a certain age, when you have to tread very carefully when adopting the latest Big Thing In Fashion. City shorts are a case in point. I'm not going to alert you to my legs' many faults, but given they don't even turn a respectable honey colour in the summer, I generally save shorts for holidays and only wear skirts at a comforting mid-knee length. The thought of sporting short shorts, no matter how tailored, begs several tricky questions. Will they have a pocket for my bus pass? Will my bare knees turn blue in the supermarket frozen food section? Can any mature woman wear them without looking like mutton dressed as very young, inappropriately frisky lamb? But though I may be 67, I'm still waiting to wake up feeling like a grown-up, so I decide the only answer is to give them a try . . . SPORTY TWEED . NOT SO DOTTY . Boucle shorts, £79, and silk top, £74, jigsaw-online.com; sandals, £59.99, zara.com . I felt rather jolly in these and like both the cut and the material - soft and slightly tweedy. If they were just a couple of inches longer I might, just might, be tempted to wear them. And as long as you could guarantee me a hot, sunny day - it's not as if you can slip a cardigan over your legs, is it? BEST FOR: Skimming your bottom half thanks to the attractive, giving fabric. WHERE I'D WEAR THEM: On holiday or to a low-key barbecue. RATING: 3/5 . Polka dot shorts, £15, asos.com; top, £49, John Smedley at Fenwick, 020 7629 9161; cream jacket, £175, jaeger.co.uk; tights, £6, and heels, £19.50, marksandspencer.com . The safety of opaque tights cannot only hide many of your leg problems, but turns the wearing of shorts into a layered, funky business. Smashing, spotty fabric and a cute shape. But without the tights? No way. BEST FOR: Those with complete confidence in their pins. WHERE I'D WEAR THEM: To any informal occasion, as long as I'm safely clad in opaques. RATING: 1/5 (without the tights) FLASH OF RED . Shorts, £21, asos.com; silk top, £189, Ellie Tahari at Fenwick, 020 7629 9161; jacket, £360, Theory at Fenwick, as before; shoes, £97, hobbs.co.uk . These are too 'look at me' to wear in my children's company. I'm very happy in red or orange of the right shade: this one is uncomfortably brash. The cut and feel, though, is pretty good. At this price I'd be tempted, if they came in another colour. BEST FOR: Covering the thighs without looking frumpy. WHERE I'D WEAR THEM: Topped with a T-shirt on holiday - but not in this colour. RATING: 2/5 . HIGH HEMMED . SLIM CHANCE . Pale blue shorts, £49, jaeger. co.uk; top, £29.99, and jacket, £79.99, zara.com; shoes, £19.50, marksandspencer.com . I love the colour, soft fabric and pretty, full cut, but they're too short. With a couple more inches I might consider them for holidays, a picnic or barbecue. But teamed with this smart jacket, I look like that game of heads, bodies and legs, with mismatched sections making an uneasy whole. What a shame. BEST FOR: Someone half my age. WHERE I'D WEAR THEM: I simply wouldn't! RATING: 2/5 . Shorts, £162, DKNY at my-wardrobe.com; . peplum top, £99, Max & Co at Fenwick, 020 7629 9161; belt, £39, . Twiggy at Fenwick, as before; shoes, £139, johnlewis.com . My . favourite. The touch of stretch in the cotton (thanks to a hint of . Elastane) makes them extremely comfortable and the snug fit is . flattering. The peplum top means even after a large lunch you can get . away with the cling over the tummy. BEST FOR: Flattering the legs, at the perfect length. WHERE I'D WEAR THEM: Business meetings, lunch with friends. RATING: 4/5 . Jane is in Pride And Prejudice at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre until July 20. For tickets, visit openairtheatre.com .
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Jane Asher, 67, tries out the latest Big Thing in Fashion: Shorts .
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By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 07:44 EST, 20 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:39 EST, 20 August 2013 . Ducks and geese have been banned from eating white bread at a nature reserve because keepers are concerned it is making them fat. They claim families are arriving with bin bags full of white loaves to feed the birds at ponds in a Cambridgeshire country park, where they have been for the past 36 years. But officials say the creatures have now piled on the pounds, and as a result conservationists have had to put the hundreds of birds at Ferry Meadows Country Park, in Peterborough, on a diet. Ducks have been banned from eating white bread at a nature reserve because keepers are concerned it is making them fat . Some of the fat geese at Ferry Meadows Country Park which are being overfed by visitors. The weight gain shows in the thickness of the geese's legs . In a bid to cut out the huge quantities of carbohydrates being consumed by the birds, members of the public will be stopped from feeding them bread. The park shop has also stopped selling bread, and instead will be offering wildlife lovers 'healthy pellets'. Chris Park, 55, the park’s conservation officer since 1990, said he had no doubt white bread was the reason his ducks had become so plump. He said: 'About 90 per cent of people bring white bread to feed the ducks. 'If you put your children on an exclusive diet of bread then they would get fat too. 'People come along and think they aren’t getting fed but then ten minutes later somebody else will turn up with a big bag full. 'The weight issues were really apparent in some of our geese as well. 'Their stomachs and inside between their legs were nearly touching the ground.' Visitors to the park have been given the commercially available healthy duck pellets for the last four months, after the problem was first identified. Park wardens now plan to clamp down on the bread ban further amid concerns birth defects in chicks is linked to their parents living exclusively on white loaves. One condition, called angel wing, saw some of the ducklings and goslings unable to fly when their feathers grew in at protruding angles. It left them vulnerable to attacks from dogs and foxes but now Mr Park has revealed that the situation has drastically improved. They claim families are arriving with bin bags full of white loaves to feed the birds at ponds in a Cambridgeshire country park, where they have been for the past 36 years . Chris Park, 55, the park's conservation officer since 1990, said he had no doubt white bread was the reason his ducks, geese and swans had become so plump . Bread handouts led to the ducks, geese and swans on the pond crowding around the park visitor centre in a 'quacking mob' rather than foraging for themselves. A a fence has been erected around the water edge, and new feeding platforms installed, in a bid to control the birds’ weight. Mr Park added: 'The pellets we are using can float on the surface on the water and it encourages the ducks to forage naturally. The birds have now been placed on a diet by keepers who will only allow visitors to feed them healthy pellets . 'Since we brought in the changes there has already been a drastic improvement. 'We don’t have a rat problem any more and we don’t have any issues with angel wing among the ducklings.' A spokesperson from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) confirmed that obesity in birds is something that needs to be looked at across the UK. Graham Appleton, from the BTO, said: 'Quite a few people are worried about how much white bread is being fed to ducks. 'We’re trying to encourage a more natural diet - nuts, fruit and seeds - where possible. 'When you’ve got ducks on a pond, that’s all they’re doing, sitting on the pond and eating, so they do tend to eat too much food and gain that extra weight.' Nene Park was opened in 1976 where both wild and domestic birds have lived on the pond in Ferry Meadows.
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Birds have piled on weight at Ferry Meadows Country Park, Peterborough .
Now wardens have put them on diet and replaced bread with 'health pellets'
Visitors to the park have also been banned from bringing in loaves .
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The United States has issued a global travel warning after recent terror attacks in France, Australia and Canada. The alert by the U.S. Department of State comes hours after French police killed three hostage-takers in a pair of incidents. Two of the men, Said and Cherif Kouachi, are believed to be responsible for Wednesday's attack on a satirical magazine in Paris, Charlie Hebdo. Scroll down for video . Said and Cherif Kouachi, the brothers who assassinated 12 people at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7, both have been killed by authorities. The Yemen branch of al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack . Je Suis Charlie: Since the massacre, people around the globe have been expressing their support of the satirical newspaper by proclaiming 'Je Suis Charlie,' -- or I am Charlie . Twelve people were killed in that assault, France's deadliest terror incident in decades. The Yemen branch of al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack . The State Department's warning says attacks against Americans are becoming increasingly prevalent. 'Recent terrorist attacks, whether by those affiliated with terrorist entities, copycats, or individual perpetrators, serve as a reminder that U.S. citizens need to maintain a high level of vigilance,' the Department said Friday. It also cites an increased risk of reprisals against U.S. and Western targets for the U.S.-led intervention against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Twelve people were killed in the Charlie Hebdo attack France's deadliest terror incident in decades (photographed is Jean Cabut a cartoonist for the magazine) ISIS: The warning also cited the US' ongoing battle with the Islamic State -- or ISIS -- which has vowed to retaliate after U.S. led airstrikes against the group . High Risk: The warning notes that U.S. citizens are at high risk for kidnapping and terrorist violence from ISIS (photographed) The bulletin notes the high 'degree of sophistication and advance weapons handling,' the terrorists displayed in the attack on Charlie Hebdo, NBC reports. The notice also provides information about threats that U.S. citizens might face abroad, citing potential threats in Europe, the middle east, Africa, and south, central, and east Asia. The bulletin stated that the attacker's 'confidence' in the attack indicated prior training. The warning also cited last month's hostage standoff at a Sydney cafe and the October killing of a soldier near Canada's parliament.
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The United States has issued a global travel warning after recent terror attacks in France, Australia and Canada .
The alert by the U.S. Department of State comes hours after French police killed three hostage-takers in a pair of incidents .
The warning cites the recent attack on Charlie Hebdo, ISIS threats, and other threats U.S. citizens might face abroad .
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(CNN) -- Paris Saint Germain recorded their first home victory of the season at Parc des Princes with a comfortable 2-0 win over Toulouse on Friday. Goals in either half by Argentina's Javier Pastore and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic earned Carlo Ancelotti's men their second successive league win and lifts them to third in Ligue 1 behind leaders Olympic Marseille and second-placed Lyon. Pastore opened the scoring seven minutes before the break when he latched onto Marco Verratti's through ball before lofting the ball over Ali Ahamada in the Toulouse goal. Ibrahimovic scored his fifth goal for his new club midway through the second half tapping home from close range after French international Jeremy Menez had beaten the offside trap. Reigning champions, Montpellier indifferent start to the season continued with a 3-1 loss away to newly-promoted Reims. Rene Girard's side are currently lying 14th, while Reims second win of the season sees them rise to eighth. Meanwhile in Italy, Juventus coach Antonio Conte's 10-month ban for corruption has been extended by football's world governing body, FIFA to include all matches worldwide. "This suspension covers all types of matches, including domestic, international, friendly and official fixtures," a statement on the FIFA website said. Conte, who led Juventus to the Serie A title last season, was suspended by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on August 10 for failing to report alleged corruption in two Serie B matches when he was previously in charge of then second flight Siena in 2010-11. The 43-year-old, who appealed, but failed to overturn the FIGC ban, will now not take charge of the Turin club's upcoming Champions League campaign which kicks off against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on September 19.
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Goals in either half from Javier Pastore and Zlatan Ibrahimovic earn Paris Saint Germain a 2-0 win over Toulouse .
Reigning champions Montpellier lose at Reims 3-1 to stay in 14th position in the table .
FIFA extend Juventus coach Antonio Conte's ban to include all matches worldwide .
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By . Gemma Mullin . Is this the woman who has stolen the heart of Argentine soccer star Diego Maradona? According to reports in Argentina, the 53-year-old was reportedly spotted 'very close' to journalism student Eva Amodeo at a nightclub in Buenes Aires. The glamorous 25-year-old blonde posted a picture online of the two of them, sparking rumours of a romance, according to ciudad.com. Scroll down for video... Journalism student Eva Amodeo sparked rumours after posting a picture of the pair together online . The 25-year-old has been spotted with Maradonna at a nightclub in Buenos Aires and at other social events . However, Ms Amodeo has already moved to quash talk of a relationship after she took to Facebook in an attempt to clarify the situation. After describing Maradona as a 'genius' she then suggested she would not go out with a person of the 'age of my dad'. She ended the message: 'So just friendship.' The World Cup winner is currently locked in a legal battle with his ex-girlfriend Rocio Oliva. Ms Amodeo took to Facebook to deny claims that she was in a relationship with the former soccer star . She described Maradona as a 'genius' but said she would not go out with someone the same 'age as my dad' The blonde is studying journalism and says the relationship between her and the soccer star is 'just friendship' World Cup winner Diego Maradona is currently locked in a legal battle with his ex-girlfriend Rocio Oliva . The 24-year-old, an ex women’s football player, was arrested after Maradona accused her of stealing more than £200,000 of valuables from his mansion in Dubai. He had asked her to leave the home following an argument over Manchester United goalie David de Gea. She was detained on an international arrest warrant as she landed at Buenes Aires, the Mirror reported on July 17. The former footballer had accused her of taking jewellery worth almost £250,000. Eva Amodeo shows off her trim body in pink training gear as she exercises in Palermo, Buenos Aires . Ms Amodeo is put through her paces by personal trainer (left) and listens to music while she stretches (right) Blonde Eva Amodeo takes to the park in a pink crop top and matching shorts with personal trainer . The former footballer has accused ex-girlfriend Rocio Oliva of taking jewellery worth almost £250,000. The pair are pictured here together in June, 2013 .
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Eva Amodeo sparked romance rumours after posting picture of pair online .
Reports say Maradona was 'very close' to her at Buenes Aires nightclub .
She has quashed rumours clarifying on Facebook that it is 'just friendship'
Former footballer is currently in legal battle with ex-girlfriend Rocio Oliva .
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Las Vegas, Nevada (CNN) -- Joseph Horman already had seen the lock-picking videos on YouTube. But it was a different thing entirely for the 13-year-old puzzle-lover to get lessons in lock picking and computer hacking at an event sanctioned by adults. The world's largest gathering of computer hackers -- DEF CON, which is happening this weekend at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas -- held its first-ever hacking classes for kids this year, at an event appropriately called DEF CON Kids. Sessions in hacking were designed for kiddos ages 8 to 16. A common parent's reaction to something this might be: They're teaching them what?! But hear these hackers out. Their intentions are good. Take Horman's uncle, Adam Steed, a computer security professional in Salt Lake City, Utah, who brought his nephew to these training sessions because he already was fascinated with games and coding. (He actually has written his own computer game, called "Blooks," in which players "try to build as many buildings as you can while avoiding enemies," he said.) "You can watch lock-picking videos on YouTube, but where do you hear the ethical side of this?" said Steed, the uncle. "Not on YouTube." He added: "I would rather someone learn in a controlled environment. They're going to learn it anyway." Horman, the video game-writing nephew, sat attentively in the second row of a small classroom on Saturday, fiddling with a Rubik's Cube during sessions with titles like "Secrets Revealed," "Meet the Feds" and "Google Hacking." That last class title is a bit misleading, since instructor-hacker Johnny Long focused more on non-technical hacking -- looking at people's laptops over their backs in airports; picking locks with toilet paper rolls and pen caps; and digging social security numbers out of corporate trash bins -- instead of actual search-engine hacking. Long went to great lengths to remind the kids in attendance that the point of the class was to teach them what bad guys might be doing -- and how to avoid breaches in their own security or privacy. "Don't let me catch you guys stealing toilet paper and breaking locks," he said. "If you do, it's not my fault." Horman said he would only pick a lock if his family got locked out of their own house or car. That's happened before, he said, so that skill might be handy. "Our family has had some trouble with locks," he said, smiling. "Let's say the younger ones love playing with the key and slipping them under the door." In the "Meet the Feds" session, representatives from NASA, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Security Agency and the Navy told the kids they were smart to pick up hacking skills early because the government needs employees who can hack. Several kids raised their hands to ask about hacking as a career path. Part of the potential confusion about DEF CON Kids comes from the very term "hacker," which people here use to refer to anyone who has the skills needed to modify computer software and hardware. Some hackers extend the domain further, to locks and such. Those skills could be used for criminal activity, but quite a few DEF CON attendees are actually computer security professionals -- the "good guys" trying to make the Internet less vulnerable to attacks by computer criminals. Still, all this talk about malicious hacking made 10-year-old Dennis Mikhaylov a bit nervous. "I'm getting a locker next year," he said after one of the class sessions. He's about to start middle school. "I thought it was cool, but now I'm afraid someone might open it." Mikhaylov said he'd deal with this by keeping any valuables, which he defined as anything with his address on it; textbooks; and his Nook e-reader, which he apparently carries around all the time, out of that school locker. The DEF CON Kids event also included a competition, where kids went around the hacker conference trying to break codes and solve puzzles. Isabel Holland, 10, made up one-half of a team called "Sonic Death-Monkeys," a name she says is "weird" but went with because the boy who was her partner chose it. "You have to, like, find people, and it's really hard because they're all over the place," she said of one piece of the challenge which required her to search out hackers. Her dad, Bo Holland, from Austin, Texas, said it's cool for kids to get a chance to see how the technology and video games they use all the time actually work. Ultimately, it will make the kids safer, he said, especially in this age of social networking, when the collective memory of the Internet has no expiration date. "You're building up your reputation and it's not going to go away. If you do bad things, that's going to stick with you," he said. He added: "You can say, 'Oh, we don't want to hear how this (hacking) stuff works and that's scary ... but it's really important kids know how to protect themselves."
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DEF CON is the world's largest gathering of computer hackers .
This year, the conference held classes for kids age 8 to 16 .
DEF CON Kids aims to teach kids to be more secure online .
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(CNN) -- We first thought about starting this piece with the story of Saleha Begum, a survivor of Bangladesh's 1971 war in which, some reports say, as many as 400,000 women were raped. Begum had been tied to a banana tree and repeatedly gang raped and burned with cigarettes for months until she was shot and left for dead in a pile of women. She didn't die, though, and was able to return home, ravaged and five months pregnant. When she got home she was branded a "slut." We also thought of starting with the story of Ester Abeja, a woman in Uganda who was forcibly held as a "bush wife" by the Lord's Resistance Army. Repeated rape with objects destroyed her insides. Her captors also made her kill her 1-year-old daughter by smashing the baby's head into a tree. We ran through a dozen other stories of women like Begum and Abeja, and finally realized that it would be too difficult to find the right one -- the tale that would express exactly how and in what ways sexualized violence is being used as a weapon of war to devastate women and tear apart communities around the world, conflict by conflict, from Libya to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is because of this complexity that we must understand how sexualized violence is being used. We must understand in order to stop it -- just as, when seeking to defuse a bomb, it is crucial to know its components. Both the World Health Organization and the U.N. Security Council have recognized that there is a lack of research on the nature and extent of sexualized violence in conflict, even as there is increasing demand from U.N. bodies, donors, and others for better analysis to work toward prevention and healing. All of this is why we have begun a new project at the Women's Media Center that breaks down the specifics of sexualized violence into areas such as its motives and patterns, its fallout, and the gender and cultural attitudes that may have led to it. We're calling our project Women Under Siege, because with four women being raped every five minutes in Congo alone, we can say it is nothing less than that -- an ongoing siege. And it's time we began to put an end to it. Sexualized violence may be the only form of violence in which the victim is blamed or is even said to have invited it. In war, rape shames women, men, children, entire societies. The stigma imposed on all who are touched by this violence makes this weapon incredibly effective as a means of destroying the enemy. But it is crucial to remember that it wasn't always like this, nor does it have to be. Sexualized violence isn't a "natural" part of conflict. For the first 90% or more of human history, females and males had roles that were balanced and porous. Our societal positions weren't based on the domination of females by males. Humans and nature, women and men, were linked rather than ranked. The circle, not the hierarchy, was the organizing principle of our thinking. By analyzing how sexualized violence was used to ethnically cleanse, as it was in Bosnia; to force pregnancies that would literally change the face of the next generation; or, as in Egypt, to stop dissent, we can look to future wars and possibly prevent a reoccurrence. For generations, we have ignored or been denied knowledge of the mass sexualized violence inflicted on Jewish women in the Holocaust. Women who survived brutal attacks have even been accused of collaborating in order to survive, just as, say, a raped woman in the Congo may never be accepted back into her village or family because she is considered culpable. Last year, a book called "Sexual Violence Against Jewish Women During the Holocaust" brought to light how the Nazis perpetrated rape and sexual humiliation on a tremendous scale. Yet none of this had been revealed or tried at Nuremburg. If we'd known about this earlier, might it have helped prevent rape camps in the former Yugoslavia? Or rape as a weapon of genocide in the Congo? Naming sexualized violence as a weapon of war makes it visible -- and once visible, prosecutable. What happened to men in the past was political, but what happened to women was cultural. The political was public and could be changed; the other was private -- even sacred -- and could not or even should not be changed. Making clear that sexualized violence is political and public breaks down that wall. It acknowledges that sexualized violence does not need to happen. When masculinity is no longer defined by the possession and domination of women, when femininity is no longer about the absence of sexual experience or being owned, then we will have begun. But first, we have to stop saying sexualized violence is inevitable, or allowing its victims to be blamed. We have to imagine change before we can create it. Follow CNN Opinion on Twitter. Join the conversation on Facebook. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Gloria Steinem and Lauren Wolfe.
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Gloria Steinem, Lauren Wolfe: Rape is used as tool of war to devastate women, communities .
They say it hasn't been well studied; understanding its roots is important to stopping it .
New project, Women Under Siege, aims to study causes of sexualized violence .
Writers: Ensuring this violence is acknowledged as political, public is crucial first step .
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Fantasist: Academics have compiled over 700 of Himmler's letters and photographs . Heinrich Himmler - S.S. chief and organiser of the Holocaust of six million Jews - has been exposed as an insecure romantic fantasist who kept the secret of the mass Jewish extermination programme he directed from his wife and mistress in case it upset them. Academics in Germany have spent the last three years examining the letters, photos, memorandums - even a recipe book - of the most feared man in Nazi Germany after they were discovered in Israel. Himmler, who as S.S. Reichsfuehrer was in charge of the entire complex of concentration camps throughout Europe and oversaw the systematic murder of around six million Jews during the Second World War. But in the letters and diaries being serialised by Germany’s Die Welt newspaper he comes across as a foppish, even diffident accomplice to mass slaughter. In all, the SS commander sent some 700 letters to his wife, Marga. many evoking the 'banality of evil’ famously ascribed to his murderous SS lieutenant Adolph Eichmann, who organised the transportation of Jews to gas chambers. On the eve of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Unon in June 1941, one of the letters Himmler wrote to his wife Marga said: 'Now it is war again. I knew it - I slept so badly.' Collection: A trove of letters, notes and photos that were in possession of an Israeli family. The letters are believed to be written by Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler and had not been shown to the public . Marga wrote back; 'There is a box of caviar in the fridge. Take that with you.' Twenty seven million Russians and millions more German soldiers were to die in the campaign that the Third Reich launched on June 22 that year. Himmler, who was in charge of the entire complex of concentration camps throughout Europe, wrote to Marga on July 7, 15 days after the invasion had begun, apologising for missing his wedding anniversary. 'I am so sorry I missed our anniversary for the first time', he wrote four days after the event. 'There was lots going on in these days. The fighting is very hard for the S.S.' Not that Himmler was anywhere near the frontline - the letter was sent from his holiday home in Bavaria. Historians have spent three years studying the archive, which belonged to a Jewish man before it was sealed in a bank vault in Tel Aviv, in order to test its authenticity, before coming to the conclusion that it is genuine. In an editorial Die Welt writes: 'At . first glance Himmler’s letters, especially his early ones, to his wife . revolve around mundane things. 'But they say much about the world of . ideas and the self-image of an apparently unfeeling, self-righteous . bureaucrat who became the pioneer and chief organizer of humanity’s . greatest crime - the Holocaust.' Himmler is seen here with his daughter, Gudrun . Himmler, who was in charge of the entire complex of concentration camps throughout Europe, is seen here inspecting a Russian prisoner of war . The newspaper adds: 'There was ´no word . about the countless crimes in which he was involved as Reichsführer SS, . or that he had arranged. 'Not a word about the persecution, deprivation . of rights and murder of approximately six million European Jews. And . barely a word about the ghettos guarded by his SS and his police, and . the death camps, which he also attended. Family: Heinrich Himmler in Valepp, Bavaria, with his wife Marga (back right) his daughter Gudrun (front centre), his son Gerhard (front right), and a friend of Gudrun (front left) ''I'm going to Auschwitz. Kisses, your Heini'. That was all what the closest advisor to Hitler wrote.' The Himmler correspondence was taken from his home at Gmund on the shores of Lake Tegernsee in Bavaria in 1945 as he went on the run. He had taken the identity of a lowly serviceman, shaved off his moustache and went walking across Germany before he was caught by a British patrol in May 1945. He committed suicide with a phial of cyanide hidden in his mouth before he could be questioned. Himmler met his future wife, Margarethe Siegroth, seven years his senior, on a train in September 1927 where, according to Die Welt, he displayed his 'anti-Semitism' on a trip from Berchtesgaden to Munich. From Christmas that year they were a partnership. Later she would write to him: 'I am so . happy to have a good bad man that loves his evil wife!' The academics . who authenticated the correspondence for Die Welt said that he often . referred to himself as a 'beast' and a 'wild man' in his letters to . Marga that fuelled the sexual fantasies of them both. 'My black soul thinks of only the most impossible things,' she wrote to him in 1928. He . refers to her often in the letters as 'beloved, golden woman,' and . describes himself as a 'good and wild Landsknecht' - a class of . mercenary soldier in Germany in the 16th and 17th centuries. They . traded insults about the Jews in letters before the war, and in one . Marga wrote: 'The Jew pack has much dread of you.' In another. 'The Jew . remains the Jew!' Himmler . wrote back to her on June 21 1928; 'Don’t get angry about the Jews, . good woman, I can help you.' The previous year he wrote: 'I like Berlin . today because you are there, just like I would like the small poor . village where you came from if you were still there.' As head of the SS, Himmler was one of the most feared men in Nazi Germany. He was widely considered to be one of Adolf Hitler's key henchman during the Second World War . The young couple shared not only common . distaste for Jews. Also, the Imperial capital Berlin, where Marga . managed small private sanatorium at the beginning of their relationship, . not particularly good came away. 'Berlin is today like me because you . live there, just like me the poor small village would love if it were . your home', Himmler wrote on Christmas day 1927 at his girlfriend. 'The . system of Berlin, that does not treat well a good and pure woman like . you, I hate, and will always hate.' Historians spent three years studying the archive, which once belonged to a Jewish man . Himmler addressed his letters to his 'small, sweet, beloved wife' and later 'Beloved mummy.' But in 1938 he began a long term affair with his secretary Hedwig Potthast and fathered daughters Helge and Nanette-Dorothea with her. He called her 'My dear love' and the letters show he assauaged his guilt with his wife by sending her enormous food parcels later in the war from the conquered lands. The archive also reveals letters from Himmler’s and Marga’s daughter Gudrun, now living as an 85-year-old pensioner in Munich who assists still-surviving wanted Nazis to keep out of the claws of justice through the sinister Stille Hilfe - Silent Aid - organisation. On the actual day of the invasion of the Soviet Union the 13-year-old Gudrun wrote to him with a presience the regime’s hierachy did not possess: 'It's awful that we make war against Russia. They were our allies. Russia is soooo big. When we take over the whole of Russia the fight will be very difficult.' The serialisation begins ahead of World Holocaust Memorial Day on Monday, which marks the date in January 1945 when the major Nazi slaughterhouse of Auschwitz was liberated by the Red Army. Commenting on the publication, Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: 'The Nazis were not "monsters" but people who committed monstrous acts. 'As these photos and letters show, Heinrich Himmler was a family man - which makes the choices he made elsewhere in his life all the more shocking and incomprehensible.'
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Academics have compiled over 700 of Himmler's letters and photographs .
The compilation even includes a recipe book which was found in Israel .
Himmler was worried Holocaust truth would upset wife and mistresses .
As SS chief Himmler was one of the most feared men in Nazi Germany .
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(CNN) -- While most college students are hooking up on the dance floor or checking each other out by scrolling through Facebook profile pictures, a small number of students are doing something really counter-cultural -- they're getting married before they graduate. Marrying as an undergrad is like putting a "scarlet M on your forehead," said Bradford Wilcox, director of The Marriage Project, which studies marriages in America at the University of Virginia. "In the 19th century, to commit adultery or premarital sex was sort of a big deal, whereas in college circles today, getting married is kind of the ultimate rebellion," he said. Peter Nesbitt, 20, proposed to Lane Ritchie, 19, in a park earlier this month. The third-year University of Michigan students have decided to get married in less than two months. The couple, who have dated since freshman year of high school, is more excited to spend the rest of their college days -- and lives -- together than worried about planning a backyard wedding that will be held after the first week of classes in September. As Nesbitt explained, there are many "benefits" to getting married while still in school. "You're with your best friend all the time, so it's not like, oh my gosh, it's a ball and chain now," he joked. "Yeah, college is stressful, but now you're getting to share it officially with someone else." The average national age of marriage is 28, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, and experts say planning a wedding while still taking finals and cheering at football games is going against the norm. Out of 20,928 undergraduates surveyed by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2008, about 18% reported they were married. While there are various reasons why college sweethearts decide to tie the knot, one thing is for sure: Married students face more challenges than they did in the past. It's financially more difficult for married students today than just five years ago, said Kelly Roberts, a marriage and family therapist and clinical instructor at Oklahoma State University. She cited the decreasing number of student loans available and married students taking on more jobs to cover expenses. "Students are not just juggling one job to try to make ends meet, but they're juggling two," she said. The high cost of being a bridesmaid . Nesbitt and Ritchie are responsible for paying their own tuition. To cut down education costs, both are cramming in courses so they can graduate in less than four years. "We're both excited just to have one job that we can focus on, rather than school and work," Ritchie said. For any couple, Roberts recommends waiting at least six months from the engagement announcement to the wedding, just so couples are certain they're making the right move. Andy and Brittany Hudson were engaged for 14 months, but Andy Hudson said he would have married his wife sooner if she wasn't finishing her master's at Southern Illinois University. "You just find the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with them," he said. But promising to take care of someone for better or worse might get in the way of a typical college experience. At Oklahoma State University, approximately 7% of the 18,541 undergraduates were married in 2010. Kami Schwerdtfeger, an OSU assistant professor of marriage and family therapy who counsels married students, said some of these students find adulthood, which can mean paying bills and keeping up a home, can "butt heads" with adolescence -- attending parties, staying out late with friends. Mark Regnerus, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin and author of "Premarital Sex in America," explained that married college students are forced to "grow up pretty quickly." "You have to mature and take on a new role," he said. "It's not only your schoolwork that you're tending to, but it's also tending to your marriage." New dating site helps college students find love . Harvard University senior Chris Jackson married Leah Cogan, a senior at Brown University, on July 1. Before getting married, Jackson said he found it difficult to balance school and his relationship with Cogan, who was about an hourlong train ride away. "Ideally, you'd have all your work done during the week so we could hang out during the weekend, but it didn't usually work out that way," he said. Both have one more semester to complete. They plan to divide the year in two, starting at Cambridge in the fall and ending at Providence in the spring, so they're not separated again. Though all marriages are vulnerable in the first few years, experts say people who marry at age 21 or younger are more susceptible to divorce. "The longer you can wait to get married up to approximately age 30, the greater your chances are at having a successful and stable committed relationship stay intact," Roberts said . Kate and Paul Bowers got married before their senior year at the University of South Carolina and celebrated their first anniversary last month. Kate Bowers said she appreciates the "smaller moments" of married life -- like grocery shopping together -- which they didn't experience when dating. Paul Bowers, who started a blog called Married in College, said he didn't miss out on anything by becoming a husband as an undergrad. "There's this idea that the college experience is based on watching 'Animal House' too many times, but we didn't go to a lot of parties ... we lived a pretty simple lifestyle," he said. Though the Bowers are confident they'll be together forever, the average divorce or separation rate for a couple marrying for the first time is 40% to 50%, according to the 2010 State of Our Unions report by the National Marriage Project. Wilcox said financial trouble is a leading cause of marital distress and divorce, which could pose problems for married college students accruing debt from student loans. "Once they've graduated from college and are in the process of paying off that debt, that's something that would be a drag on their marriage and would hang like a cloud over them," he said. Despite dealing with the stress of student debt, educated couples have better chances for a happy marriage. Americans with at least a bachelor's degree are more likely than those with only a high school diploma to have a stable, high-quality marriage, according to the State of Our Unions report. Religious couples are also less likely to divorce than nonreligious couples. Arwa Abdelhadi, a 19-year-old student at the University of Missouri, signed the Islamic marriage contract with her 27-year-old fiancé last month. Though she's a devout Muslim, Abdelhadi said her religion played no part in her decision to marry at a young age. "I've had several older ladies come up to me from the community and tell me, 'Oh, you're so young. You have so much time,' but I think if I've found the right person -- he's the one -- then why should I wait?" Abdelhadi said. As Wilcox put it, married students often get pestered because they are "breaking the norm." "You get a lot of raised eyebrows and questions directed to you when you marry in college," he said. Society expects people to go to college, get a job and then get married, he said. Research also supports the position that the best age to wed is in the mid- to upper-20s, he added. "It's at that point when you can really form a common life together," Wilcox said. "You're not set in your ways, you can build traditions, you can build hobbies -- things you do together as a couple that will really shape your entire adult life." Balancing books and babies . Regnerus added that parents and peers "suspect there's no way you could possibly know what you want at age 20 or 21." Ritchie's mother, Doris Ritchie, is one exception. She's thrilled about her daughter's marriage and said she will chip in financially and help plan the wedding as much as possible. She's also not ashamed to admit, "I'm anxious and eager for them to bring me grandchildren."
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Tying the knot in college is considered counter-cultural today .
Americans with a bachelor's degree are more likely to have a stable marriage .
The average national age of marriage is 28 .
Experts: People who marry at age 21 or younger are more susceptible to divorce .
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In December last year, Amanda Hacche went on a day trip for work and for the first time ever she left her eight-month-old son Devon behind. When she returned from Auckland, New Zealand, to her hometown of Tauranga to collect Devon from a family member she noticed he was unsettled and seemed like he had a sore throat. For three days doctors insisted he had bronchiolitis, but Ms Hacche, 37, was unconvinced and when she took him to hospital three days later an X-ray revealed he had a lithium-ion battery lodged in his throat. Now 10 months old, Devon faces an uncertain future and months in hospital intensive care as Ms Hacche comes to terms with the fact he may never speak or breathe unassisted. Devon, now 10 months old, from Tauranga in New Zealand, swallowed a lithium-ion battery . His mother Amanda Hacche has to come to terms with the fact he may never speak or breathe unassisted . 'In the beginning it seemed so surreal, I kept thinking "Is this really happening?"' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'And it's a process of the more you know, the more you realise how bad things are.' Ms Hacche said after she picked Devon up on the evening of December 15 - a Monday – he started wheezing as he breathed. Devon pictured before his horrific injury . 'The doctor thought he had bronchiolitis, and I did question that at the time, the wheezing seemed to not be coming from his lungs but almost in his throat,' she said. 'By Wednesday evening he hadn't improved at all, which I thought the medicine should have given him some improvement. 'We were given asthma medication to open up and relax his throat but I couldn't do it, it was too upsetting for me, he became too distressed using the spacer.' On Thursday morning Devon still hadn't improved so Ms Hacche took him to the emergency department at the hospital, where he was given an X-ray within 20 minutes. The X-ray revealed the battery in his throat, with subsequent tests showing it had caused major internal corrosive burns. 'When they're inside the body the acids, excretions and moisture amplifies the electric charge [of the battery],' Ms Hacche said. 'It increases the rate of corrosion so the battery is actually speeding up the process of tissue damage. 'While the battery had been lodged low in his oesophagus it had actually corroded the tissue right through and caused a hole in oesophagus right through to his trachea.' In addition an abscess formed with the laryngeal nerve – the nerve which controls his voice box – running right through it. 'We can't leave hospital, he can't breathe,' Ms Hacche said. 'It's been two months now, but we expect to be here a long time.' Devon has undergone three major operations and more than 30 other smaller procedures. An X-ray revealed a battery in his throat, with subsequent tests showing it had caused internal corrosive burns . In addition an abscess formed, with the nerve which controls his voice box running right through it . He is confined to his hospital bed, and can only sit up out of bed if he's held by a family member. This is particularly heartbreaking for Ms Hacche, who last year was watching her son meet all his milestones early. 'He was meeting them and blowing them away,' she said. 'He was pulling himself to standing. He started crawling at six months. 'He was saying words like "Mama" and "Da". "Da" was his favourite.' Ms Hacche has to be by her son's side every day and is now living at Auckland's Ronald McDonald house with her six-year-old daughter. She had spent years building up her own successful human resources and employment law business but has had to let her clients go to be there for Devon. With her main source of income gone, her sister has set up a fundraising page to help the family cover their living and medical expenses. Ms Hacche has to be by her son's side every day and is now living at Auckland's Ronald McDonald house with her six-year-old daughter . Devon is confined to his hospital bed, and can only sit up out of bed if he's held by a family member . But Ms Hacche said even more important than raising money was telling her story to spread a warning about the danger of batteries to other parents. 'I'm anally-retentive, vacuum cleaning, OCD tidier upperer,' she said. 'And these things are so prevalent in our homes, from kitchen scales to little bedside alarm clocks, car keys, digital remotes from iPod docking stations.' 'They seem so benign and that's the way we treat them but they're not they're incredibly dangerous.' Ms Hacche said battery wounds can be fatal within a few hours. 'We don't always have eyes in the back of our heads so it can happen to anybody and you've just got to be so aware of how dangerous they are,' she said. 'If our story shows one parent the dangers and saves one family from this journey to hell that we've been on and the tortuous situation for Devon and what it means for his future then it's worth it.'
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Amanda Hacche's baby son Devon swallowed a lithium-ion battery .
It corroded his oesophagus and wind pipe and now he may never be able to talk or breathe without the assistance of a machine .
For days doctors said he had bronchiolitis before took him to get an X-ray .
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By . Matt Barlow . Follow @@Matt_Barlow_DM . Didier Drogba may miss the start of the season after twisting an ankle in Sunday’s friendly against Ferencvaros. Drogba hopes to resume training before the end of the week after scan yesterday showed no serious damage to ligaments but Jose Mourinho is not likely to risk the 36-year-old at Burnley on Monday if there is any doubt about his readiness. The injury scare does, however, issue a reminder that Mourinho’s squad is light on strikers, despite the £32million signing of Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Cesc Fabregas score a brilliant individual goal in the match . In a heap: Didier Drogba is hoping for a quick return from his ankle injury against Ferencvaros . Early night: Drogba picked up the injury midway through the first half of the game at Groupama Arena . Treatment: Drogba bites his hand as the Chelsea medical team look at his injured ankle in Budapest . Can't continue: The veteran forward tried to carry on but eventually had to be replaced by Brazil attacker Oscar . Not happy: The 36-year-old did not look happy as he limped down the tunnel after making way in 28th minute . Samuel Eto’o, Demba Ba and Romelu Lukaku have all been sold, leaving three senior strikers at the club: Costa, Fernando Torres and Drogba. If he is unable to reinforce this department before the end of the month it places great pressure on Costa to adjust quickly to English football and to avoid injury. Speaking about his injury the striker told chelseafc.com: 'I twisted my ankle and I couldn't continue. 'In the next few days we are going to do some treatment and I hope everything will be better.' Grand opening: Chelsea were playing in Budapest to mark the first game at Ferencvaros' Groupama Arena . VIDEO Chelsea need games - Mourinho .
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Didier Drogba hopes to return to Chelsea action soon after ankle injury .
Drogba injured himself during Chelsea's 2-1 win at Ferencvaros on Sunday .
36-year-old was forced off through injury during the first-half as a result .
Game was Ivorian's first start for Chelsea since his summer return .
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(CNN) -- The remake of the movie "Sparkle" seemed tailor-made for Whitney Houston. After years largely in the shadows, the 48-year-old singer took on a part that seemed to have parallels to real life. The story, a remake of the 1976 film of the same name, is loosely based on The Supremes, and follows three sisters who have to face the difficulties that come along with fame as their singing careers take off. The movie currently is in post-production for release late this summer. "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks portrays the title character, Sparkle, one of three sisters, and Houston plays their mother. "When she (Houston) walked out there and began to perform, we were all just stunned at how well she did, not only with the singing but also with the acting as well," Bishop T.D. Jakes, who produced the movie, told CNN's Soledad O'Brien on Thursday. Jakes -- who will attend Houston's funeral on Saturday, a week after she was found dead at a Beverly Hills, California, hotel -- recalled being drawn to the script. "I saw the original 'Sparkle' and loved it," he said. "It spoke to hope and the resilience of the human spirit in the midst of the decadence of life." He told CNN of the "synergy" between Houston and Sparks on and off the set, with Houston serving as a mentor. In the movie, Houston, who had a daughter of her own, plays a mother who had reached the apex of her career and had settled down to singing in her church, Jakes said. Sparkle is in the choir, poised to make her own move toward the big time. "There is some interesting parallels between the script and the lives of the two women," Jakes said. Houston, who helped produced the film, chose to sing "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," leaving everyone on the set teary-eyed, the pastor said. "Sparkle" is scheduled to hit the big screen on August 17, according to Sony Pictures Entertainment. Industry observers are waiting to see how "Sparkle" fares, perhaps in comparison to "This Is It," the documentary film that showed Michael Jackson preparing for a series of London concerts. The film was released after Jackson died in June 2009. According to the website Box Office Mojo, the 2009 release of "This Is It" performed well at the box office for its genre. It ranked as the fourth highest-grossing Halloween debut on record, and grossed $34.4 million in five and a half days, according to the website. With "Sparkle," Houston posthumously will showcase the talent that made her loved by millions since the 1980s. Her last film was 1996's "The Preacher's Wife." To Jakes and others, the movie was going to help relaunch Houston's career. "We did not know that we would be left with the (film)," Jakes said. "I think it's a responsibility to hold in our hands her last cinematic production." CNN's JD Cargill and Nischelle Turner contributed to this report.
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Whitney Houston took her first movie role in 15 years .
The remake of "Sparkle" will be released later this summer .
Producer T.D. Jakes said crew was "stunned" by her performance .
Jakes is attending Houston's funeral in New Jersey on Saturday .
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Over 1,000 people have been left homeless after a massive fire ripped through a 400-unit luxury apartment complex in New Jersey starting Wednesday evening. Authorities said everyone in the four-story building—where a two-bedroom with views of Manhattan would set you back around $3,000 per month—was able to flee to safety. The fire gutted 240 of the 408 units. Now authorities in Edgewater must piece together how the five-alarm blaze began in very spot where, 14 years prior, a similar 5-story complex under construction was totally destroyed along with several neighboring homes. Scroll down for video . Blaze: Part of the New York City skyline peers through smoke rising at an apartment complex the morning after flames engulfed the building in Edgewater, New Jersey . Homeless: Over 1,000 residents are now effectively homeless following the blaze, which broke out in the city with sweeping Manhattan views around 4;30opm Wednesday . Gutted: Firefighters continued to douse the smoldering ashes as the sun rose early Thursday morning. The fire gutted 240 of the 408 units . Desperate: Everyone escaped to safety from the 400-unit building but now many residents must scramble to find new homes . State of emergency: Edgewater Mayor Michael McPartland declared a local state of emergency. He said schools would be closed on Thursday and access to roads would be restricted until further notice. Hampered by winds and frigid temperatures, firefighters battled the huge fire Wednesday night at the Avalon apartment complex, home to New York Yankees announcer John Sterling and a thousand others. The enormous fire sent flames sky high and left smoke still visible from Manhattan in the early hours of Thursday. Residents in parts of New York City could not only see the thick smoke coming from across the Hudson, but they could smell it, as well. Residents were ordered to evacuate and many were sheltered at a nearby school. As the fire continued to rage, hundreds who lived at the complex wondered what would be left of their homes. By morning, the true extent of the disaster was revealed as smoke billowed from the once gleaming complex's ashes. 'I was wondering what I was going to do for clothes,' Sterling said in an interview with the New York Daily News. 'But then I started thinking about all the stuff, all the memories, whether it be music, books, and a lot of other stuff. 'You know I was planning on moving to a new apartment complex and felt I was going to throw a lot of that stuff out. Now I hope I haven't lost it.' The Yankees personality is staying at a hotel, the Daily News reported. Engulfed in flames: A fire broke out at an Edgewater, New Jersey, apartment complex Wednesday night, sending flames sky high and creating smoke visible across the Hudson River in Manhattan . Battling the blaze: Firefighters stand on a ladder while hosing water onto the Avalon at Edgewater apartment complex Wednesday night . Hopeless: Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire that broke out around 4:30pm. The building is home to New York Yankees announcer John Sterling . Smoke signals: Above, smoke billows from the multi-alarm fire burning in Edgewater as seen from the New York City side of the Hudson River . 'I don't know what to expect. Now, I have nowhere to go. And I need a toothbrush,' Sterling told the paper. Plumes of thick, black smoke issued from the blaze and residents in Manhattan and the rest of New Jersey were still overcome with the smell of the fire on Thursday morning. Edgewater Mayor Michael McPartland declared a local state of emergency, according to NJ.com. He said schools would be closed on Thursday and access to roads would be restricted until further notice. 160 people are being sheltered at a local community center but he said he was just relieved there had been no loss of life. 'To have no loss of life and so many people displaced, we actually feel fortunate and thankful,' he said. 'Everyone got out…You can always rebuild.' Hours after the fire started, the entire building was engulfed in flames, The Bergen Record reported. Hamza Abdul told the newspaper he was at work when a colleague called to tell him about the fire so he rushed home. Out of control: Smoke is seeing blowing west against a backdrop of the Hudson River and George Washington Bridge, which connects New Jersey to Upper Manhattan . Destruction: No injuries have been reported in the blaze that broke out across the river from New York City . Scene: Firefighters work at the multi-alarm fire at an Edgewater apartment building, as the light is illuminated by the flames . Resident: New York Yankees announcer John Sterling, pictured, is one of the residents who live at The Avalon of Edgewater . 'I can't believe it,' he said. 'It's all ashes now.' He told the newspaper he planned to stay at a friend's house. Authorities cordoned off some streets around the burning building, but no major traffic problems were reported. More than 14 years ago, a fire started at the same location where a five-story condominium complex was under construction and destroyed nine homes and damaged several others. The August 30 2000, fire forced the evacuation of dozens of nearby residents, including patients at a nearby nursing home. The cause was never determined, although investigators ruled out arson. In a civil lawsuit, a jury found that negligence by the developer of the Avalon River Mews contributed to the 2000 blaze. AvalonBay Communities, a Virginia-based developer, was managing the construction of the $75 million complex at the site of the former Alcoa factory. Amazed: Authorities cordoned off some streets around the burning building, but no major traffic problems were reported. Not a first: More than 14 years ago, a fire started at the same location where a five-story condominium complex was under construction and destroyed nine homes and damaged several others. The cause was never determined, although investigators ruled out arson.
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Firefighters battled a huge fire Wednesday night at a New Jersey apartment complex home to Yankees announcer John Sterling and over 1,000 others who are now displaced .
The fire sent flames sky high and smoke was visible from New York City across the Hudson River even as the sun rose Thursday morning .
Everyone escaped injury after the blaze broke out around 4:30pm at The Avalon at Edgewater in the city of Edgewater, about 10 miles north of New York City .
On the same spot 14 years prior, a five-story complex under construction erupted in flames and was totally destroyed along with nine adjacent homes .
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(CNN) -- Duwon Steven Clark is standing on the white rock patio, just to the right of the now-silent cannons of Ghana's Cape Coast Castle, trying to get himself around a memory he never had. Clark, a 21-year old Haitian-American student at Florida A&M University, came to Cape Coast to find his great ancestors, men and maybe women whose names he doesn't, and likely, won't ever know. What he found here was so much better, and so much worse. "I just took a quick minute to look at the water crashing up against this castle," he says. "It's just overwhelming." Clark stares out at the sea, as if trying to figure the route the slave ships carrying his ancestors sailed from the shores of West Africa to Haiti, to the "New World." He is in Ghana studying abroad at the University of Ghana, trying, he tells me, "to get that African experience, that experience of being home and being connected and learning about where I came from and where my ancestors came from." Below his feet and all around him, he is finding diabolical answers. Tortuous voyage . Our guide tells us that between the late 17th and early 19th centuries, some three million West African slaves -- many traded to the British by African tribes -- were shipped out to the Americas from this ironically picturesque, fading white prison. Four in 10 never survived the tortuous transoceanic voyage, crammed barely alive in the hull below the deck. Here one learns, just surviving to get on board was a victory of the human spirit. Our guide takes our small group from the sunny bright patio into the tunnel that leads to the men's dungeons. In one dungeon, Clark studies the thick stone walls and looks toward the two tiny windows high up near the ceiling at the end of the room. He hears each word the guide says, grabs the words as they hang in the musty air: "They put about 1,000 men at a time in this room, no light. Many went blind. They had to go on the floor, and live in it." There's only a small channel running through the center of the room, their sewer. "See this patch on the floor here?" our guide says. "This is what's left of human excrement, 300 years-old. "This is what they lived in, died in." The average stay was two to six months. Clark tells me, "1,000 men. How did they lie down to sleep? How could they bear the smell?" The guide says: "Some slept sitting, others in rows, their heads between the legs of their fellows. After a while, they had no senses anymore. They were chattel." Clark sees a lot in the dungeon's darkness. "I was just standing there in the dungeon room," he says, "and I was thinking, how many songs were sung to get them through the night? How many tears fell? How many solemn prayers were enough?" The 'lucky ones' Prayers indeed. The British built their church directly above the men's dungeons. Our guide says the slaves likely could hear the Sunday prayers. In the women's dungeons, much smaller, the guide tells us, some 400 female slaves were kept. "Can anyone tell me why they had women slaves?" he asks. Clark listens, the words hang, suspended across centuries. The guide: "Breeding. Slave buyers in the Americas wanted to make sure their slaves could produce more slaves, so they sent some women too." A few women became the "lucky ones." When the castle's commander wanted companionship, the soldiers would march the women into the courtyard, and from a walkway above, the commander would pick one out. She was washed and brought to him. If she got pregnant, she was sent to a house in town and taken care of, and her mulatto child was sent to school and treated well. The words come slowly to Clark. "So the "lucky ones," he pauses, taking a breath of repulsed recognition. "Those were the ones who were raped. They were the "lucky ones." Later, I realize this experience is so different for Clark than it is for most tourists, who are shocked by the barbarity but ultimately, one step removed. For them, it is history. But for Clark, it is personal. "I can't feel disconnected," he explains. "These are the people you heard stories about, the people who came through your grandmother, your great grandfather, your great uncles -- these are the people who I came through." Condemned cell . We cross the patio and walk into another room, small, tight, the walls made of thick stone, no windows. The guide closes the door and all light disappears. A few people quickly become uncomfortable. After a few seconds, he opens the door, and light pours back in. He explains this is the "Condemned Cell," where they put slaves who resisted. He says they threw them in here, behind three locked doors, and just left them, with no food, no water, no ventilation. On the floor and lower walls, you can see scratch marks. Clark thinks of those slaves, their last scrawls of hope and life, vanishing in the darkness, as they brutally died. Clark says he feels helpless, angry. He wants to do something, anything, but time is the insurmountable obstacle. "I wonder what I could have done to help that person make it through the night," he says, "to help him through that moment when he felt it was so necessary to scrape the ground." And lastly, we walk toward the infamous door, the "Door of No Return." This is the doorway where slaves were led, to be loaded on to ships, their last moments in their native land. As we walk toward the Door down the corridor, the guide points off to the right, to a deep tunnel where the slaves were walked. He explains they never came to the surface, instead led through tunnels from the dungeons to the sea. Clark steps through the Door and looks out. Our guide explains, in those days, the water came right up to the door. Now it has receded several dozen meters. But for Clark, the water, the reality, is still right at his feet. 'So much anger' I asked him what he would say to those who ran this place. He looks down, seems to shake slightly. "Anger, just so much anger. But I would have so many questions why. No religion, no amount of wealth, nothing can amount or perpetuate or give you that confidence or okay to think that it's okay to do this to another human being. I would just want to know why." I asked him what he would say to his ancestors, who survived this place and the journey by ship to live in the Americas as slaves, still strong enough there to make a family, to give him life centuries later. "I would say, hold on. What you're going through is not going to last long." Clark named American civil rights leaders Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and Malcolm X, Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba, and Ghana's first president Kwame Nkrumah. "It's up to us to carry on the legacy of those who came after our ancestors." Unfinished story . For Clark, Cape Coast, and other slave forts like it up and down what they used to call the "Gold Coast," is a story that is not finished. It is making him something better. "Being here today is going to enable me to step into those lanes I was afraid to step into before, and just walk proud, to not be afraid to go after those things that I hope for and to stand for those rights I dream of." He says he owes that to his ancestors who survived, and that it is a way of telling those who ran this place -- they did not win. Act of liberation . For Clark, what happened here centuries ago, is very much a part of the present. Clark is angry, yes, but this visit is also an act of liberation. In the early 2000s, the bones of two African slaves were repatriated from their U.S. graves to Cape Coast Castle. They were carried back from the beach through the Door of No Return. Our guide says, on that day, the horrific spell was finally broken. A sign over the door as one walks back through now says simply, "Door of Return." Clark walks back through it too. "Just make sure whatever you're doing is for the right, for the just, and it's always positive," he says. He tells me he leaves with a new purpose: To walk back through the Door, to carry his ancestors back through it, every day of his life. The International Center for Journalists and the Media Foundation for West Africa sponsored David Gurien's reporting trip to Ghana.
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Haitian American Duwon Steven Clark returned to Ghana in search of his ancestors .
He visited Cape Coast Castle, one of more than two dozen "slave castles" on the coast .
Four out of 10 West African slaves shipped to the Americas never survived the journey .
Clark's ancestors did. He says his presence at the castle shows the slavers did not win .
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(CNN) -- Seeing more mustaches this month? Many of them may be fighting cancer. On November 1, global health charity Movember kicked off its signature event, a monthlong campaign encouraging participants to grow mustaches (or "mo"s) to raise cancer-fighting awareness and funds. Why I'm growing the 'stache . According to Adam Garone, Movember's CEO and co-founder, there are already more than 700,000 registered participants this year, and he expects to break 1 million -- a record for the organization. That's quite the growth for a project that started with 30 guys in Australia in 2003. It was a social experiment back then, Garone said, with a simple goal: "It was really just for fun. We wanted to bring back the mustache." But people quickly caught on, and it began generating a "surprising amount" of conversation, Garone said. The following year, four of the original 30 got together and decided to do it all over again -- for a cause. With a little research, they discovered that prostate cancer was a major health concern for men and decided it could benefit from an open, ongoing conversation. Unlike breast cancer, which has been supported by major educational and fund-raising campaigns for years, prostate cancer hadn't been spotlighted in a substantial way. "Growing a mustache is a very manly pursuit," Garone said, so the group chose prostate cancer as its primary cause, with men using their mustaches, and faces, as billboards. That year, 450 guys participated, raising $43,000. Last year, 855,203 people participated around the world, raising $126.3 million. The funds go directly to Movember and its partners, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Livestrong Foundation. The organization's strategy is simple: Keep people talking -- about mustaches, and the larger issue of men's health. Research last year showed that participants have, on average, 2,400 Movember-related conversations a month, Garone said. About 30 are face to face. Social media causes that message to amplify, he said. Users have taken to Facebook pages and Twitter accounts to document their individual, ongoing facial hair activism. It isn't just one person asking another, "Why the mustache?" The answer spreads to 100 -- or 1,000. "The conversations do lead to a greater understanding," Garone said. Movember encourages both men and women (nicknamed "Mo Sistas") to participate throughout the month by registering through Movember.com. The website has evolved an elaborate internal slang, including terms such as "Mo Mentor" and "Gala Parté," which is what participants call their end-of-the-month celebrations, and it has information on everything from grooming tips to health risks. The rules are simple: Don't start with any facial hair and end with a lot. Garone's been asked before: Why a mustache, not a goatee or beard? "It is a mustache,'" he said. "And it's a mustache for a reason."
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Movember encourages men to grow mustaches to raise cancer awareness .
The health charity includes almost 1 million participants globally .
Last year, Movember raised $126.3 million to fight cancer .
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Accused: Gucci heir Guccio Gucci has been arrested for alleged fraud worth 800,000 euros (£650,000) Gucci heir Guccio Gucci has been arrested for alleged fraud worth 800,000 euros (£650,000). The Florentine fashion entrepreneur, named after his great grandfather, the world famous fashion label’s founder, is accused of removing hundreds of thousands of pounds from the coffers of his own fashion company to pay off personal debts, before declaring bankruptcy. Mr Gucci, who worked at the family company for 12 years before leaving in 1989 has been put under house arrest following the seizure of 400,000 euros. Financial police said Mr Gucci, the owner of the fashion brand TobG, which named a handbag after the Duchess of Cambridge, declared bankruptcy in December after removing 800,000 euros in cash and assets from the company. According to police he transferred all the assets to a new company with a head office in Perugia. The investigating magistrate in Florence wrote in the arrest warrant: ‘Gucci, the great-grandson of the founder of the label Gucci, skilfully exploited the goodwill of some individuals with few scruples to pursue his intents. ‘We are not looking at the classic example of problems of a company that has failed because of the crisis. The operation was a complex one and was designed almost entirely to pay off some debts.’ Prosecutor Christine Von Borries said that Gucci acting with another conspirator ‘emptied the coffers of the company so as to render debt collection by the Italian Inland Revenue of 386,000 euros for the years 2007-12 impossible.' Patrizia Reggiani, left, who was dubbed the Black Widow, serving 18 years for mudering Maurizio Gucci, and Guccio Gucci, right, who founded the fashion label . The dynasty has been plagued by rifts and infighting. In 2012 the fashion heir and his brother Alessandro were sued by Gucci for trademark infringement. The company has also taken legal action against three others members of the families for using their famous name to launch products. Patriarch Guccio Gucci originally founded the label as a family-owned saddlery and luggage shop in Florence in 1920, later adding handbags. In 2012 Guccio Cucci and his brother Alessandro were sued by Gucci for trademark infringement . His son Aldo was convicted of tax fraud in the US in 1986 and served a year in a Florida jail. Guccio's grandson Maurizio took over as chairman but was accused by his cousins of forgery. In 1995 he was shot dead outside his office. His wife Patrizia Gucci, dubbed the Black Widow, served 18 years for his murder before being released last year. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Guccio Gucci is accused of fleecing his own fashion company to pay debts .
Police said 'he exploited the goodwill of individuals to pursue his intent'
The world-famous Gucci dynasty has been plagued by rifts and infighting .
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By . Kerry Mcqueeney and Helen Pow . PUBLISHED: . 15:49 EST, 13 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:12 EST, 13 February 2013 . Victim: Kalyn Pennygraph, then 3, was riding the Techno Jump at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo last March when she slipped from under a restraint and fell off the ride . A Texas family has received an almost $80,000 pay out after their young daughter was thrown up to 8 feet off a carnival ride and suffered concussion. Kalyn Pennygraph, then 3, was riding the Techno Jump at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo last March when she slipped from under a restraint and fell off the ride. The dramatic accident was caught on tape. Her mother, Shaniea Pennygraph, sued the carnival operator, Ray Cammack Shows, in November seeking compensation for medical care, physical pain and mental anguish as well as current and probable future physical impairment, and the case was settled on Monday. According to the Chron.com, Kalyn . will receive payments worth at least $50,000 to help during her college . years and another $27,500 to cover medical expenses and attorneys' fees. John Neese, the Pennygraph family's lawyer, told Chron.com that Kaylyn was 'doing fine' almost a year after the accident. According to an injury report, the . girl boarded the ride with her brother while her mother was supervising . on the sidelines and suffered a concussion and head abrasions from the . fall. The incident has forced stricter fairground ride requirements for children. Kalyn was reportedly tall enough to . ride on the Techno Jump under earlier rules. Scroll down for video . Ride of terror: Footage shows the moment three-year-old Kalyn slipped under the restraining barrier . Fall: The child is seen coming coming loose from the car, about 25 seconds into the ride . Coming loose: Earlier in the ride, the child is seen sliding down in her seat before the contraption's 'bouncing' mechanism is activated . For the reminder of the . March 2012 carnival children too short to ride alone had to be . accompanied by an adult aged 16 or over. The new rules will kick in for this year's show, according to Chron.com. The shocking video of Kalyn's tumble . emerged just days after the three-year-old girl was hurled from the . fairground ride after she slipped under the restraining bar. The child is shown in the video with her feet in the air seconds before flying off the Techno Jump carnival ride. The child suffered concussion and . bruising to her face and head after she was thrown from the moving . contraption between six and eight feet above the ground. Techno Jump: The three-seat cars in the Techno Jump ride all come with separate lap belts and a restraining bar, which is lowered over riders . The incident was caught on camera by . chance as a reveler filmed other thrill-seekers on the ride, which is . why the girl's fall is only partially visible from the edge of the . frame. Rodeo Chief Operating Officer Leroy Shafer said at the time: 'It’s a very scary-looking piece of . video. We are just thankful that this young lady was not more injured. 'It boils down to a three-year-old not knowing what to do and . was probably scared to death.' In . an initial account of the incident, the rodeo organizers had claimed . that Kalyn got on the ride with her mother and brother. However, after deciding the ride was too small for an adult, the mother left the young girl with her brother, it was claimed. Concussion: The child suffered concussion and bruising to her face and head after she was thrown from the moving contraption, pictured, between six and eight feet above the ground . Officials then said the girl tried to . climb out of the car to get back to her mother about 15 seconds into the . ride but fell out and landed on a metal platform. Shafer revised the rodeo's account . after viewing the video, . adding: 'We now know more definitely at what point she came out.' The three-seat cars in the Techno Jump ride all come with separate lap belts and a restraining bar, which is lowered over all riders. It is unclear whether the three-year-old was able to comply with the ride instructions, which require all passengers to sit up, hold the lap bar and place their feet on the floor. Investigators do not yet know whether she slipped under both restraints or if she managed to free herself from the belt before flying from the car.
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Shaniea Pennygraph, sued the carnival operator, Ray Cammack Shows, in November seeking compensation after Kalyn's March 2012 fall .
Kalyn will receive payments worth at .
least $50,000 during her college years and another $27,500 to .
cover medical expenses and attorneys' fees .
Child sustained concussion and bruising after falling from the contraption .
Rodeo organisers first claimed she tried to climb out of the ride's car .
Video of incident shows she slipped under at least one safety restraint .
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A cat who made his local Tesco store home for four years is feared dead after a witness claimed he saw the popular tabby get run over. Mango had become such huge hit with customers at the supermarket's Tiverton branch, in Devon, he had even got his own dedicated Facebook page with more than 15,000 'likes'. He spent years sleeping in the foyer, hiding among stock and curling up on the entrance mat. Scroll down for video . Mango the cat, who made his local Tesco store home is feared dead after a lorry driver claimed he saw him get run over . The cat, pictured getting some ear scratching and affection from customers in the store, has now been missing for two days . Now his owner is 'sick with worry' after a lorry driver reported seeing someone run the cat over in the supermarket's car park. The much-loved tabby has not been seen in two days. Some customers claimed to have witnessed the cat being ejected by store staff before he disappeared. Owner, Kimberley Sheppard, is appealing for the public's help. The 31-year-old, of Tiverton, Devon, said she has been to the local store but couldn't find him. She said: 'I'm literally running around the streets looking for him crying my eyes out. Owner, Kimberley Sheppard, is now appealing for the public's help to find out what happened to her cat . Worried fans are already begging for information on the Tesco tabby's whereabouts . A spokesman for Tesco has denied forcing the cat to leave the store which had been his second home for four years . The popular cat has his own Facebook page where the majority of his pictures show him snoozing in various locations within the store . 'It isn't unusual for him to go for a day or two but he ain't come home so am getting really worried. I just seen two coppers, they are keeping a look out. Worried fans are already begging for information on the Tesco tabby's whereabouts. Natasha Philp wrote on Facebook: 'Hey, have you found him? If you need any help I can come and help look xx.' And Catrina Daniels added: 'Someone posted on Spotted Tiverton that Mango was hit by a car.' An employee who did not want to be named said it was a shame that this has happened. 'It would have been better if we kept this in Tiverton then this might not have happened,' they said. But a spokesman for Tesco denied evicting Mango. 'Mango is very welcome and much loved by our customers in Tiverton,' they said. 'He is often seen in our foyer and we have invested in a kennel for him to make him feel more comfortable.' Despite Mango's presence at the store, his owner and home was just a stone's throw away . Mango the tabby cat (pictured in a trolley's baby seat) had made his local Tesco store his second home for four years . Mango even had his own 'house' in the store where he can have a snooze in peace . Mango appeared to be searching in vain for some cat treats that may have rolled underneath the pet food aisle . He was also a master at finding excellent hiding places, for times when he gets tired of being adored . The adorable cat, pictured sun bathing in a basket full of seeds, has been missing for the last two days .
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Mango the cat spent four years living in Tesco's foyer in Tiverton, Devon .
He was such as hit with customers he even had his own Facebook page .
Now he is feared dead after reports of a cat run over in Tesco's car park .
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David Cameron last night urged Britain to shake off the spectre of the Iraq war and back potentially years of RAF strikes against the ‘psychopathic murderers’ of Islamic State. MPs have been scrambled for an emergency recall of Parliament tomorrow to sanction bombing raids on terrorist positions in northern Iraq. All three party leaders indicated support for air strikes, and the attacks are expected to begin as early as tomorrow night. But the Prime Minister said the fight against Islamic terrorism could last for years. Mr Cameron, who last night held talks with Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi to finalise military plans, stressed that British troops would not be sent back to Iraq. Scroll down for video . The world stage: Prime Minister David Cameron speaks at the 69th United Nations General Assembly in New York City yesterday, where he called on his fellow national leaders to join in the campaign against Islamist extremism from Iraq and Syria to Yemen, Libya and Nigeria . And he said that any bombing raids on IS forces in Syria would have to be subject to a separate vote in Parliament. In a speech to the United Nations general assembly in New York, Mr Cameron acknowledged the long shadow cast by the disastrous legacy of the 2003 Iraq war, which left the region in near anarchy - and, some say, sowed the seeds of the rise of Islamic State. But he said it was vital to 'learn the right lessons - Yes to careful preparation; no to rushing to join a conflict without a clear plan'. Mr Cameron warned: 'We must not be so frozen with fear that we don't do anything at all. 'Isolation and withdrawing from a problem like Isil will only make things worse. 'We must not allow past mistakes to become an excuse for indifference or inaction.' Action against IS should be 'comprehensive, intelligent and inclusive', working with partners in the region, potentially including Iran - whose president Hassan Rouhani he met for historic talks at the UN. And he added: 'We should be uncompromising, using all the means at our disposal - including military force - to hunt down these extremists.' The struggle with extremism must be waged not only against IS in Iraq and Syria, but also against Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Shabaab in Somalia, Ansar Al-Sharia in Libya and al-Qaida in Yemen, Mr Cameron said. While the threat would not be best solved by Western ground troops 'directly trying to pacify or reconstruct Middle Eastern or African countries', there was a place for the military in training, advising and supporting humanitarian missions, as well as in responding to the Iraqi government's request to the UN for support. 'My message today is simple,' he told the UN. 'We are facing an evil against which the whole world must unite. And, as ever in the cause of freedom, democracy and justice, Britain will play its part.' Ahead of his speech he told reporters: ‘This is completely different to 2003. Everyone can see that Isil (IS) is a direct threat to the UK. They have taken hostages, they have conducted plots to kill and maim British citizens. They are a clear and present danger to the United Kingdom. They are also clearly a massive danger to the region. RAF Tornado GR4 fighter bombers fly in formation as two refuel from a VC-10 in 2009. Six of the fighters are currently based in Cyprus . David Cameron last night urged Britain to shake off the spectre of the Iraq war and back RAF strikes against the ‘psychopathic murderers’ of Islamic State . ‘So this organisation is a direct threat. We need to be part of a comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy it. It’s right that Britain plays our part in that. ‘This is going to take time, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s right to be part of this action. The Iraqi government has requested it and we have capabilities that are needed for it and so it’s the right thing to do.’ IS has murdered three Western hostages in recent weeks and is now threatening to kill kidnapped British taxi driver Alan Henning. Some relatives of Mr Henning have warned this week that air strikes could reduce the hopes of ever seeing him alive again. Mr Cameron acknowledged their plight, but insisted Britain now had to take the fight to IS. An IS militant fires a rocket propelled grenade launcher during fighting near the Syrian Kurdish town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobane by the Kurds . Barrage: An IS militant fires a heavy machine gun during the fighting. Some 140,000 mainly Kurdish refugees have now crossed the border into Turkey after the militants moved on the town of Ain al-Arab . An IS militant firing a cannon mounted on a truck during fighting near the Syrian Kurdish town of Ain al-Arab, . He said: ‘It’s a desperate situation but let’s be clear about two things. ‘One is that we are dealing with psychopathic murderous brutal people who will stop at nothing to carry out dreadful acts on these hostages. ‘And secondly, it’s very important that we do the right thing as a country and we stick to the path that we set out about having a comprehensive strategy including all the elements at our disposal – humanitarian aid, diplomacy and also where appropriate military action.’ The Prime Minister said Britain would never give up the hunt for Jihadi John, the British extremist thought to have beheaded three hostages. Asked if he wanted him to face justice in a British court, a visibly angry Mr Cameron said: ‘I’m not sure I can describe in words what I’d like to happen to him, but I’m not going to say any more about it. He should see justice one way or another.’ He backed US and Arab air strikes against IS in Syria but said Britain would not be joining in at this stage. The wife of British hostage Alan Henning last night thanked wellwishers for their support as more than 150 people attended a multi-faith peace vigil in Bolton to pray for his release. A statement from Barbara Henning was read to the crowd by her husband’s friend Sadir Jameel, who described the taxi driver as ‘like a brother to me’. It read: ‘We are very grateful for your support and kind words at this difficult time. I ask you all to pray for Alan and all the other people unfairly imprisoned worldwide.’ Muslim, Christian and Hindu faith leaders all called for Mr Henning’s release. Sabir Khan, of the Bolton Council of Mosques, said the Muslim community ‘unreservedly and absolutely condemned’ both his kidnap and the recent murder of Briton David Haines. A vigil for captured Salford Taxi driver Alan Henning at Bolton mosque. He is currently being held by IS militants, who snatched him as he delivered aid to Syria . The wife of the British hostage has called on 'the people of the Islamic State to see it in their hearts to release my husband', describing him as a 'peaceful, selfless man' Last night it appeared Mr Cameron had sufficient support in Parliament to win a vote on military strikes tomorrow – meaning Britain will be at war by the weekend. Labour leader Ed Miliband held an emergency meeting of his shadow cabinet at the party’s annual conference in Manchester, and spoke by telephone to the Prime Minister. He indicated that his party, which inflicted a humiliating defeat on Mr Cameron last year when it pulled its support for military strikes in Syria, is ready to back action in Iraq. But to the anger of some Conservative MPs, he said joining the US in hitting Syria, where IS is thought to be holding Mr Henning, would need to be approved by a UN Security Council resolution – something that is politically impossible given the opposition of Russia and China. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said his party backed the air strikes because they were requested by the Iraqis. Mr Cameron also held talks with Iranian president Hassan Rouhani – the first face-to-face talks between the leaders of the two countries since the Iranian revolution in 1979. Air raids eliminate top terrorist in Syria... and Obama promises to end 'the network of death' Islamic State’s ‘network of death’ will be destroyed by military force, Barack Obama vowed yesterday. Warning jihadis to leave the battlefield, the US president said the terror group understood only violence. ‘No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning – no negotiation – with this brand of evil,’ he told the UN. ‘The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. So the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death.’ Attack: The U.S. has released footage of Tomahawk missiles being fired from the USS Arleigh Burke - a guided missile destroyer stationed in the Red Sea . The president spoke after a second night of air strikes on Syria destroyed IS weapons caches and infrastructure. US officials said they believed one of the world’s most wanted terrorists was killed in the first wave of attacks. Muhsin Al Fadhli was said to have died with 50 fellow members of his Al Qaeda-affiliated Khorasan Group at a training camp near Aleppo in Syria. The Pentagon said the group was nearing the ‘execution phase’ of an attack in Europe or America, probably against airports and passenger planes. The aerial bombardment has been carried out with support from Arab nations including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and Qatar. IS has seized a huge swathe of Syria and Iraq, forcing entire communities to flee in terror. Obama: 'The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. So the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death' The threat has drawn the Obama presidency back into conflicts in the Middle East which he had sought to avoid after Washington’s lengthy involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq. His officials have said the aerial campaign could last for years. ‘In this effort, we do not act alone. Nor do we intend to send US troops to occupy foreign lands,’ the president said. ‘Instead, we will support Iraqis and Syrians fighting to reclaim their communities. We will use our military might in a campaign of air strikes to roll back Isil (IS). We will train and equip forces fighting against these terrorists on the ground. ‘We will work to cut off their financing and to stop the flow of fighters into and out of the region. Already over 40 nations have offered to join this coalition. ‘Today, I ask the world to join in this effort.’ Mr Obama recounted IS atrocities against women and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria and beheadings of hostages.
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MPs have been recalled to Parliament tomorrow to sanction strikes on IS positions in Syria and Iraq .
All three party leaders indicated support for air campaign, and the attacks could begin as early as tomorrow night .
But the Prime Minister warned the fight against Islamic terrorism could last for years .
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(CNN) -- Tiger Woods admits his personal problems are affecting his game, but the world's top golfer refused to blame media intrusion on his life for his disastrous return to the PGA Tour this week. Woods defied expectation when he tied for fourth on his comeback last month at the Masters, one of golf's four major events, but struggled at the Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina as he missed the halfway cut for only the sixth time in 14 years as a professional. On Friday, he slumped to a seven-over-par 79 that saw him miss the weekend rounds by eight shots -- and a massive 17 behind leader Billy Mayfair. It was his second-worst single-round score behind the 81 he carded at the 2002 British Open, and his highest 36-hole total meant he missed the cut in a non-major for the first time since 2005. The 34-year-old, who took a five-month break from playing following the scandal over his admitted marital infidelities, admitted he was feeling pressure due to continued questioning about his private life. "Well, I get asked every day. Every day I do media, I get asked it, so it doesn't go away. Even when I'm at home, paparazzi still follow us, helicopters still hover around," Woods told reporters in quotes carried by his personal Web site. "Does it test you? Yes, of course it does. Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number, and I didn't do that." Woods will hope to address problems with his game ahead of the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida starting next Thursday. "It'll be interesting because I'll probably get home and hit balls on the range, and I'm going to have to get up there to Ponte Vedra a little early to putt because Isleworth is all torn up," he said. "My short game was terrible. I three-putted there twice back-to-back, and you can't do that. I didn't get up-and-down at six and chipped the ball off the green at seven. Those shots, you're just throwing away shots when you do stuff like that. "You have to let it go. It's like baseball, you go 0 for 4 two days in a row like I did, you've got a whole new tournament next week, which is great." While Woods struggled at Quail Hollow, the 43-year-old Mayfair shot his second successive 68 to claim a one-shot lead from Argentina's Angel Cabrera. Last year's Masters champion, who played his first two rounds with Woods, fired a 67 featuring an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys. Current Masters champion Phil Mickelson also carded 68 to be in a tie for third another shot back on 138 along with fellow Americans J.P. Hayes (64), Dustin Johnson (65) and Paul Goydos (70). Meanwhile, England's Mark Foster will take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Spanish Open in Seville. The world No. 363, seeking his second victory on the European Tour, carded a three-under-par 69 in his third round on Saturday. Spanish duo Alvaro Quiros (67) and Carlos Del Moral (70) were tied for second along with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin (71).
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Tiger Woods admits personal problems are affecting his golf, but refuses to blame media .
World's top golfer misses cut at a U.S. PGA Tour event for first time since 2005 .
He shot seven-over-par 79 at Quail Hollow, the second-worst score of his career .
Woods will line up again at the Players Championship at Ponte Vedra next week .
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By . Chris Parsons . Last updated at 12:48 PM on 9th September 2011 . This is the dramatic moment a pharmacist used his own gun to ward off masked raiders who burst into his store during a late night robbery. Jeremy Hoven was fired from his pharmacy job at Walgreens in Benton Township, Michigan, despite being hailed a hero for using his firearm to defend the store. Now chilling footage has emerged of the armed masked robbers bursting into the store and holding a manager at gunpoint during the raid at 4.30am on May 8. Defending himself: Jeremy Hoven opened fire towards masked raiders after they burst into the pharmacy at 4.30am . Terrifying: Thieves had seconds earlier burst into the store and help up a manager at gunpoint . Spotted: Mr Hoven shot towards the robbers after deciding to 'do what I had to do' The shocking video shows one of the men leap over the counter after leading the employee with a gun pointed at his back. But as the robbers attempt to make off with items from the store, quick-thinking Mr Hoven draws his own weapon and fires several downward shots in their direction. The two men are immediately rattled and hastily scramble away out of the store, their robbery foiled. Mr Hoven was hailed a hero by locals and gun rights activists, but was nonetheless sacked from his job by Walgreens bosses. The three other employees at the store at the time have praised Mr Hoven for his bravery and quick thinking. No customers were apparently in the building. Scarpered: The raiders were scared from the store by Mr Hoven, who was hailed a hero but fired from his job . The pharmacist told the Herald-Palladium at the time: 'In my mind, I can look at myself in the mirror. I can lay my head down in bed and sleep. In my mind, I did what I had to do.' The 36-year-old is now pursuing legal action for wrongful dismissal. Hoven's court papers say he had a permit to carry a concealed weapon and only used it to protect himself and other store staff . Mr Hoven also told the Herald-Palladium he had tried to call 911 during the raid, 'but couldn't get it done'. 'Within seconds he was over the counter. And I'm looking at the wrong end of a 9-millimeter (gun). He was holding it gangster-style (sideways)', Mr Hoven said. Shot up: Jeremy Hoven was fired from his pharmacy job at this Walgreens in Benton Township, Michigan, after he shot at armed robbers there . He said he started firing to 'create a safe zone for myself'. 'I was reacting out of fear, and the adrenaline was taking over... You could have probably taken my pulse from my breath because my heart was beating that much', he said. Mr Hoven has worked as a night shift pharmacist at the store since 2007, when it opened. He told the paper he decided to get a concealed weapon permit after the store was robbed in 2007, but had felt management hadn't done enough to address security. The company contests Hoven's claims that it neglected safety after the 2007 robbery. 'We've made significant investments in security technology in recent years, including increasing the number of digital surveillance cameras at our stores,' the company said. 'We continue to invest in state-of-the-art security measures and high-definition surveillance equipment and hope that the apprehension of robbery suspects in the Benton Harbor area will prevent future crimes.'
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Jeremy Hoven fired despite being hailed a hero .
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An insurance giant is appealing against paying up to £5million compensation to a schoolgirl left brain damaged in a car accident – because she wasn’t wearing a high-visibility jacket at the time. Bethany Probert was 13 when she was hit by a car while was walking home from riding stables along a country lane on a December evening. The schoolgirl, now 16, suffered a broken collarbone, lung damage, and devastating head injuries which have caused permanent brain damage. Hit: Bethany Probert was hit when walking home from a horse-riding lesson - and left brain damaged . A High Court judge found the driver . 100 per cent liable for the crash but his insurers, Churchill, have . appealed, claiming it was partly Bethany’s fault. Yesterday her mother, Joanna, hit out . at the insurers. ‘I think it’s disgraceful that they have appealed,’ she . said. ‘Our lives have all been ruined. We had to sell a house to afford . her care and I had to leave my job to care for Bethany full time. ‘We have run out of money now and even if they lose the appeal, the process is delaying any compensation claims.’ Bethany, of Silverstone, Northamptonshire, had been to see her horse Troy at the stables near her home in December 2009. Devastating: Bethany's family have had to sell their home and her mother Joanna (right) has been forced to quit her job (Left, sister Ceris) Instead of waiting for her mother to . collect her, she decided to walk home down the narrow, bending, unlit . lane. She was listening to music on earphones. Paul Moore, a fitter, who was driving . to work in his Saab 9-3, clipped Bethany as she walked on the grass . verge, knocking her into a hedge. He stopped, found her and alerted the . emergency services. Bethany was left with limited walking . ability, depression and a lack of concentration or spatial awareness. She now requires specialist equipment, a support worker and an open . plan, single-storey home. Mrs Probert, 51, sued Mr Moore for . compensation to sustain care costs for the rest of Bethany’s life. Last . August, at the High Court in London Bethany was cleared of any . contributory negligence and Churchill was held to be fully liable. Mr Moore was found to be driving at about 50mph – which the judge considered to be too fast for such a road in darkness. But the Court of Appeal has allowed . the insurers to appeal against the original ruling. The test case will . decide to what extent children can be held responsible for their . injuries in road accidents. Trauma: Bethany, now 16, suffered a broken collarbone, lung damage and head injuries in the accident . 'Disgraceful': Churchill is trying to avoid paying the cash - claiming the accident was Bethany's fault . Churchill’s lawyers plan to tell the . court Bethany should have known to wear reflective clothing because she . was an experienced horse rider. But Mrs Probert said: ‘It is . ridiculous. They are saying she should have been wearing a . high-visibility jacket because she rode a horse but she only ever rode a . horse in the field. You don’t expect three years down the line to be . still waiting for closure.’ Bethany’s solicitor, Richard Langton, . said the size of the payout was due to be set at a separate hearing, . which has been delayed by Churchill’s appeal. ‘The final amount due is decided once . the future costs for the victim are known,’ he said. ‘The likely value . of this claim was due to be between £3million and £5million.’ Churchill said: ‘While we accept that . our insured was liable in part for the accident, we are appealing . [against] the decision that he was entirely to blame.’
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High Court cleared Bethany Probert of any contributory negligence .
Insurers Churchill were fully liable as driver going too fast, judge ruled .
But the insurers appealed claiming that it was partly Bethany's fault .
Girl's mother Joanna says the family's lives have been 'ruined'
Mrs Probert quit work to care for the teenager and house has been sold .
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First lady Michelle Obama has taken heat for her low-calorie and low-fat push in school lunchrooms and vending machines, but her punishing food austerity has spared the White House occupants whom her husband needs to please most: journalists. The White House press corps doesn't get many perks – tiny bathrooms, tinier cubicles and awful coffee are the norm –and reporters pay for their own snacks. But while soy chips and apple slices have replaced Kit Kat bars and Doritos in hundreds of thousands of vending machines nationwide, the one adjacent to the White House press briefing room has escaped untouched. One reporter snapped a photo of the machine's artery-clogging jackpot, a 590-calorie 'jumbo honey bun.' There was only one left in the machine, suggesting that it's among the most popular offerings. The pastry packs 17 grams of saturated fat, 360 milligrams of sodium and 30 grams of sugar. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS . Breakfast of champions? White House reporters, photographers and video camera operators have a smorgasbord of snacks to choose from that would make the first lady's blood boil . Power lunch: Mrs. Obama has championed the eviction of added fat, sugar and salt from school lunchrooms, but hasn't yet taken her food sledgehammer to the press corps that will help frame her husband's legacy . World Health Organization nutritionists recommend a daily sugar intake of 25 grams, and scientists at University College London recommended this week that a better target would be just 14 grams – an even more unrealistic number for most. But either way, a single honey bun would put a hungry deadline-driven journalist on Mrs. Obama's 'naughty' list. The Broad Street Bakery brand pastry sells for $1.50 and is made by Flowers Foods, which also manufactures Nature's Own breads and Tastykake snacks. Other Broad Street snacks available in the White House press snack machine this week included 'chocolate frosted creme cakes,' 'rich frosted mini donuts' and 'double chocolate cupcakes.' One member of the White House daily print press pool told MailOnline with his best Mel Gibson 'Braveheart' accent that 'the Obamas can take our weekends, and they can take our holidays – but they can't take away our gargantuan glazed donuts!' The journalist begged to not be identified, and MailOnline obliged. The new normal: Vending machines in American schools are now mostly chock full of healthier but less popular options . The first lady made herself a national emblem of healthier eating in 2010 with a legislative push for more fruit, vegetables and whole grains in school meals, along with less sodium, sugar and fat. School nutritionists and foodservice workers, and their unions, hailed the law's passage but have since turned on Mrs. Obama, saying her caloric inflexibility has sparked a dramatic downturn in lunch sales. Many school districts, they say, are now losing money on food instead of turning a profit that pays for books, computers and football-field scoreboards. Mrs. Obama said in July that she would 'fight until the bitter end to make sure that every kid in this country continues to have the best nutrition that they can have.' But for now, at least, she's leaving the journalists who will help frame the president's legacy alone. And that, said MailOnline's cheeky William Wallace impersonator from the White House press corps, is in the Obama administration's best interest. 'If they started rationing sugar and fat around here,' he grimaced, 'you'd have a lot of sluggish people in the briefing room when the 1:00 briefing starts. You don't want cranky, hungry reporters peppering you with questions. Of course, he added, 'we'd probably just double our coffee intake. Or open a bodega on the South Lawn.' Best option for White House correspondents if the snack machine should go the way of the ashtray? The black market, one reporter chuckles .
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Decadent, gooey $1.50 treat also packs 30g of sugars and 360mg of sodium .
One reporter who covers the president said in his best 'Braveheart' accent that 'the Obamas can take our weekends, and they can take our holidays – but they can't take away our gargantuan glazed donuts!'
MailOnline has seen other tasty snacks in the White House press room vending machine from the same manufacturer .
Other junk food available to journalists who cover the administration include 'chocolate frosted creme cakes,' 'rich frosted mini donuts' and 'double chocolate cupcakes'
White House press corps gets few perks but has been spared from Mrs. Obama's legendary calorie-cutting spree .
School districts have pulled first-lady-approved menus in several states because children aren't buying the food .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Police said they have interviewed more than 100 people in connection with the murder of a popular North Carolina school counselor but refused to give any details about a suspicious neighbor the victim and her friends had tweeted about. Newton Police Department said Tuesday they've eliminated several suspects in the case of Discovery High School counselor Maggie Daniels, whose body was discovered in her apartment on June 28. Detectives have asked the public for any information about who she had contact with in the days leading up to her death, and have been scouring the 31-year-old's social media accounts for any clues. Security video: On July 8, Newton police released a picture showing Daniels, pictured, leaving a Walmart in nearby Conover the day before she died . According to WSOC TV, a friend tweeted to Daniels about a suspicious neighbor in August. 'Be . careful with your neighbor you mentioned, I would really encourage you . to take a self-defense class,' the tweet read. But police refused to . shed any light on the tweet. On July 8, . Newton police released a picture showing Daniels leaving a Walmart in . nearby Conover the day before she died, hoping to jolt people's . memories. Her cause of death was initially listed as undetermined, but after an autopsy, investigators ruled it was a homicide. Last Wednesday, a memorial service was held for Daniels in the lobby of Newton-Conover High School's gymnasium. Students . and friends hugged each other and cried as they remembered the . counselor. They also wrote notes for Daniels to be collected and given . to her family. Authorities . immediately launched a manhunt for the killer after Daniels was found . dead in her apartment. Her body was found around 10:30 a.m. Saturday . June 28 in her Windsor Apartments home on West 17th Street. Tragic: The body of Maggie Daniels, pictured, a popular school counselor at Discovery High School in Newton, was found around 10:30 a.m. June 28 in her Windsor Apartments home on West 17th Street . On July 1, . Newton Police Department said autopsy results suggested she'd been . murdered though they have not released any information about cause of . death or suspects or other leads in the case. 'The . evidence obtained from the autopsy led us to a homicide investigation,' Newton Police Chief Donald Brown said at a press conference that day. Officers arrived at Daniels' apartment complex around 9 a.m. Saturday responding to a call about property damage. When . they were there, neighbors alerted them to Daniels' body. Someone had . reportedly tried to phone the teacher and went to check on her when she . didn't respond. A friend of Daniels' called 911 to express concern for her. 'One of my friends is in her apartment, and I think she's been in there for like a day,' the friend says in the recording. 'She was in there laying down. I didn't even want to touch her... it shook me up when I seen her.' She reportedly had no visible injuries, but there was a broken mirror nearby. The . janitor at the apartment complex, Joe McCorkle, said he last saw . Daniels around 11 a.m. Friday and was there when police discovered her . body. Foul play: Newton Police Department said autopsy results suggested the popular teacher, pictured left with a colleague, had been murdered though they have not released any information about cause of death or suspects or other leads in the case . Investigation: Officers arrived at Daniels' apartment complex, pictured, around 9 a.m. June 28 responding to a call about property damage and were then alerted to her body . Grim discovery: Someone had reportedly tried to phone the teacher and went to check on her when she didn't respond, discovering her lifeless body. Police have not released much information on how she died . 'It just . tore me up to pieces,' he told the Charlotte Observer, adding that the . woman he referred to as 'the schoolteacher' was 'real nice' any time he . waved hello. 'She was a good girl.' Daniels moved into the apartment a year ago, he said. He said she often left her door unlocked, which was unusual for the complex, and had a boyfriend who visited one or twice a month from South Carolina. Investigators said they interviewed several people, and also checked video from surveillance cameras around downtown Newton to try and pinpoint when Daniels was last seen alive. They were also searching social media for leads, Fox 5 reported. The Daniels' family said in a statement Monday night that they are in shock at the tragic news. 'We are deeply saddened by the terrible news surrounding the death of our loved one, Maggie Daniels,' the statement reads. 'Words cannot describe the grief that we are going through right now. We, as a family, have decided not to comment while there is an ongoing investigation.' The Discovery school community also expressed their devastation as word of the popular staff member's death spread. Unsafe: The janitor at her apartment complex said Daniels, pictured left and right, often left her door unlocked, which was unusual for the complex, and had a boyfriend who visited one or twice a month from South Carolina . School: Daniels was a counselor at Discovery High School, pictured, in Newton . 'Our . hearts are definitely broken,' Aron Gabriel, the assistant . superintendent of the Newton-Conover City Schools district, told the . Observer. He said she was well-respected and loved as her school's only counselor. In 2011, Daniels was named teacher of the year by the school district. The Notre Dame College graduate moved from the Cleveland area to North Carolina in 2005 to teach English at Newton-Conover High School and also coached the school's basketball team. She left N-CHS to pursue a master’s degree in counseling from Appalachian State University and in 2013, she began counseling students at Discovery High School. 'It just seemed very natural to her,' Gabriel told the newspaper. 'I think she really was like a hand in a glove.' Gabriel and his colleagues held a memorial the day after Daniels was found so the community could grieve and around 300 people attended. 'People realized they're part of a community,' he said. 'They're not by themselves.'
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Police in Newton, North Carolina, said they've eliminated several suspects in the case of Maggie Daniels, who was found dead in her home on June 28 .
Detectives have asked the public for any information about who she had contact with in the days leading up to her death, and have been scouring the 31-year-old's social media accounts for any clues .
A friend tweeted to Daniels about a suspicious neighbor in August but police wouldn't elaborate on the message .
'Be careful with your neighbor you mentioned, I would really encourage you to take a self-defense class,' the tweet read .
Last week, police released a surveillance footage of her the day before her death .
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:55 EST, 11 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:54 EST, 11 September 2013 . Nigel Evans today delivered an extraordinary Commons speech protesting his innocence after being charged with a series of sex offences against seven men. Quitting as Deputy Speaker, he addressed hundreds of MPs including the Prime Minister about his desire to ‘robustly defend my innocence and seek acquittal’. Quoting Churchill, he referred to the death of his mother and the spiritual support of Parliament’s chaplain before thanking fellow MPs for their ‘hugs, prayers and good wishes’. Scroll down for video . Speech: Nigel Evans addressed MPs in a personal statement after Prime Minister's Questions . Last night Evans was charged with the rape of a man between March 29 and April 1, 2013, five sexual assaults dating back to 2009 and two indecent assaults dating back to 2002. The Conservative says he will continue to represent his Ribble Valley constituency in Lancashire but as an independent MP. The decision to charge the openly-gay politician – a popular figure in Westminster – came after he was arrested for a third time yesterday morning. Speaking immediately after Prime Minster’s Questions, he told a packed Commons chamber: ‘I hope you will bear with me while I make this statement, it’s been a few years since I made a speech in this chamber and I’m sad to say this is the speech. ‘As many of you will know following recent allegations, I was charged with alleged offences yesterday. I now have the opportunity to robustly defend my innocence and seek acquittal. ‘I have therefore decided the best course of action is for me to return to the backbenches and this is a decision I have made myself after careful consideration.’ When he left Preston police station last night, he gave a short statement before saying he ‘will not be making any further comment until after the case concludes’. But in the Commons he spoke at length about the impact of the case on his. Thanks: Evans listed the many people he says have shown him 'compassionate consideration' Evans said: ‘It was one of the happiest days of my life when I was elected deputy speaker in 2010, it was an endorsement of my abilities to do the job by my colleagues and for that I am grateful. ‘Since these allegations, I have not been able to fully fulfil my duties in the chair, which left me in a land of limbo. ‘None of us were elected to the fine office of Member of Parliament to be put in that invidious position, unable to fully fulfil the reason why we were sent here.’ He said he was ‘grateful’ for the ‘unstinting support’ he has revceived from Mr Bercow and the other two deputy speakers, Lindsay Hoyle and Dawn Primarolo. Evans went on: ‘When I told Ms Primarolo on Saturday my decision, I even got a hug from her - thank you Dawn. ‘I have had so many hugs, prayers and good wishes since May 4 and I would like to thank everyone who has shown me such compassionate consideration, my family particularly, my association, who have been marvellous, and even seasoned, crusty journalists have displayed a heart I have never before witnessed. ‘I was told I would soon see who my real friends are and that has been true. But the truth is there have been so many of them - so thank you to my dearest loyal friends, including loyal members of my staff at Westminster and the Ribble Valley. Grateful: Speaker John Bercow paid tribute to Mr Evans twice in the Commons . ‘And to you, my colleagues, on all sides of the House who have spoken with me, looked after me and just shown loving attention. Party divisions disappear in times like this and they have, thank you. ‘Rose Hudson-Wilkin, the Speaker’s chaplain, and Andrew Tremlett, the canon of Westminster Abbey, have given me superb spiritual guidance which has given me the one thing everyone in this world needs, alongside air, water and food: that is hope. ‘Hope is that essential key to giving us a fulfilled life and they have ensured I have retained that hope.’ Evans said: ‘This is clearly the most painful thing I have endured in my life alongside the loss of my mother in 2009 and the loss of my brother earlier this year. ‘Winston Churchill said when you are going through hell, keep going. Sage advice. And so I will see this through to the end with the support of the people that mean so much to me.’ The Ribble Valley MP added: ‘Returning to the backbenches gives me the opportunity to speak out on issues such as the over-building of new homes in the Ribble Valley, threats to the Slaidburn doctors’ surgery and cuts to rural bus services. ‘It’s the bread and butter of politics, giving support to the people who put me in the mother of parliaments, my home for the past 21 years and a place that has meant so much to me. ‘I am proud to serve the people of the Ribble Valley and the best tribute I can give them now is to get on with the job that they sent me here to do.’ Tory MP Nadine Dorries placed a hand on Evans’s shoulder as he sat down after his statement. Earlier, at the start of Commons session, Mr Bercow said: ‘I have received his resignation with sadness. I wish to thank Nigel for his three years of service to the House as deputy speaker, in which he has proved to be highly competent, fair and good-humoured. ‘He has been a loyal and valued member of the team of deputy speakers who assist me in chairing our proceedings. I am warmly grateful to him.’ Evans will appear before magistrates in Preston on September 18. The indecent assaults are alleged to have been committed between January 1, 2002 and January 1, 2004; the sexual assaults between January 1, 2009 and April 1 this year; and the rape between March 29 and April 1 this year. Evans's initial arrest in early May related to offences alleged to have been committed in Pendleton, Lancashire . Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer said: ‘Following an investigation by Lancashire police, the Crown Prosecution Service has received a file of evidence in the case of Mr Nigel Evans MP which concerns allegations of a sexual nature. ‘After careful consideration, we have concluded that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to prosecute Evans. ‘Lancashire Constabulary has therefore been authorised to charge two counts of indecent assault, five counts of sexual assault and one count of rape relating to a total of seven alleged victims. ‘The decision in this case was taken by Joanne Cunliffe, an experienced specialist rape prosecutor, in consultation with John Dilworth, head of the CPS North West Complex Casework Unit and in consultation with an external and highly experienced criminal QC. ‘I have also been consulted on this case. The decision has been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and the CPS legal guidance on rape and sexual offences.’ Evans, from Pendleton, Lancashire, stepped aside from his deputy speaker duties after his arrest but had continued to work as an MP. He was one of three deputy speakers elected in a secret ballot of MPs in 2010. Later that year he came out as gay, saying he was ‘’tired of living a lie’’. He was a vice chairman of the Conservative Party from 1999 to 2001. When Iain Duncan Smith became party leader in 2001, he was promoted to the shadow cabinet as shadow Welsh secretary - a post he held for two years. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Nigel Evans charged with rape, 5 sexual assaults and 2 indecent assaults .
Evans denies allegations but has now resigned his Commons post .
Gave lengthy personal statement after Prime Minister's Questions .
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A couple has been awarded £4,200 after contracting gastroenteritis whilst holidaying at Al Diwan Resort, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt. Barry Stuart Lawton and his partner, Cheryl O'Brien, had travelled for a two-week holiday to Egypt for a 'recuperating' holiday after Cheryl had suffered two miscarriages. But, just half way into their holiday, booked with Olympic Holidays, Mr Lawton and Miss O'Brien began to experience nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting. Barry Stuart Lawton and partner Cheryl O'Brien have been awarded £4,200 in compensation after their 'recuperating' holiday to Sharm El Sheikh turned into a nightmare . Mr Lawton witnessed flies on food being served in the restaurant, bugs in cakes, dirty plates, cutlery and cups and hot plate lids stained with pre-existing food. Hot food was allegedly left to go cold and Mr Lawton said there was cross-contamination of meat on the cheese platter. Mr Lawton complained to the hotel representative who suggested medical advice be obtained from the local pharmacist. Regrettably, the couple's illnesses continued to persist up to four weeks after the initial symptoms began. After consulting with their GP on return home, it was confirmed they had both contracted gastroenteritis – an inflammation of the intestines commonly caused by viral, bacterial or parasitic infections. The couple were diagnosed with gastroenteritis on their return from the Al Diwan Resort in Sharm El Sheikh . Mr Lawton claims he 'repeatedly saw staff walking into the kitchen while smoking and chefs' uniforms were dirty and stained'. He said: 'The barbeque area was covered with food and fat that then attracted flies and had not been cleaned since the previous night.' Following their complaints, Mr Lawton and Miss O'Brien, who live in Upper Gillingham, Kent, were later moved to a three-star hotel nearby. Mr Lawton added: 'When we arrived at the Falcon Nama Star, I thought I had walked into a five-star hotel and not a three-star. 'I couldn't believe the difference between the two considering they had the same star rating.' Head of travel law at Your Holiday Claims, a division of Farnworth Rose solicitors, Anne Thomson, added: 'I am very pleased we were able to obtain compensation for Mr Lawton and Miss O'Brien. 'The most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis is food poisoning so it is imperative that all-inclusive resorts maintain high hygiene standards for their guests otherwise outbreaks of illness will continue to occur.' The couple, on arrival back home, found out Cheryl was pregnant and they now have a 17 month old beautiful little girl named Beth. They have since married too.
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Barry Stuart Lawton and Cheryl O'Brien booked two-week Egypt stay .
Couple were recuperating after suffering two miscarriages .
But flies on food, dirty cutlery and cold food saw both fall ill .
Had booked two-week stay at Al Diwan Resort, Sharm El Sheikh .
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Thousands of patients face being left without a doctor’s surgery after two GPs suddenly quit, complaining about their workload. Dr Holly Hardy and Dr Karen Houghton have handed in their resignations to NHS England, blaming the Government's NHS reforms and cutbacks. But the move means 6,000 patients will be left without a GP unless the NHS finds replacements - something the Bristol, surgery has failed to do since January 2012. Dr Holly Hardy (left) and Dr Karen Houghton (right) have resigned in protest at their workload - blaiming the Government's NHS reforms and cutbacks . There is growing dissatisfaction with GP services, a new poll has revealed. Patients' ratings of services have fallen across the board, according to the survey of 900,000 people across England. Families are less satisfied with their overall experience of the GP surgery, how they make appointments and their out of hours care, the poll found. Fewer people would also recommend their practice to someone else, according to the GP Patient Survey. While the levels of satisfaction have dipped, 85.7% of patients still rate their overall experience of their GP surgery as good. But this is a one percent down on last year. The number of people who thought making an appointment was good, meanwhile, dipped 1.7 percent. Satisfaction levels about out-of-hours GP services has also fallen four percent since June last year to 66.2%. Meanwhile, less than eight in 10 would recommend their GP surgery to someone who had just moved into their local area - a decrease of 1.3 percent. Dr Hardy, 49, blamed NHS restructuring which she said is putting off new recruits and driving older doctors into early retirement. She said the last two years at St Martin’s Surgery in Knowle had been 'horrible'. The doctor said: 'For the last six months it has been another doctor and myself who are supposed to work just three days between us, running a practice for 6,000 patients. 'It has been a very difficult decision to resign our contract with NHS England but we have been running at a third capacity. It has been horrible. 'We’ve been working extra hours - sometime till midnight - to clear paperwork.' Asked for the reasons behind the shortage in staff, she said: 'I think it is a reflection on a national issue that has been in the background. 'There is more work for GPs than ever before. There has been a move to bring services out into primary care from secondary care which is great, but the funding and resources have not followed. 'Also there is an issue with recruitment. Young doctors don’t want to go into GP practice because they are seeing how difficult it is. 'And a lot of GPs are retiring early because it is just too much.' South Bristol Labour MP Dawn Primarolo has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt demanding action. She said: 'There is no doubt this will cause significant anxiety and distress for patients registered at St Martins, which I know has an outstanding local reputation. 'They will want to know why young doctors don’t want to join a well-run successful surgery and what action NHS England has taken. 'The bigger question is how many GP surgeries in Bristol and in other parts of the country are under similar threat? 'Rather than focusing on patients, this Government has created chaos within the NHS with a massive reorganisation which has created a crisis in primary care. 'Jeremy Hunt should stop criticising GPs and get a grip of what is really happening.' St Martin's Surgery in Knowle, Bristol, is now facing closure - leaving thousands of people without a doctor's surgery . A spokeswoman for NHS England said the move does not necessarily mean the surgery will close. She said: “While the resignation of the current contract holders at St Martin’s Surgery has been accepted, this does not mean that the surgery will close. 'We will be seeking a provider for an interim GP service whilst options for the long-term future of the surgery are considered. 'We will engage with stakeholders and patients about these options as they are developed. 'We are committed to ensuring that patients have access to high quality, local GP services.'
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GPs have quit leaving up to 6,000 patients without a doctors surgery .
Dr Holly Hardy and Dr Karen Houghton can no longer cope with work load .
Pair blame the Government's NHS reforms and cuts for crisis .
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f7f6e4463017dd9669dd44c5068b42e050db325d
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Wayne Swan regrets 'not telling the Australian public more' about the removal of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister . The former Treasurer believes the failure to convince Kevin Rudd to contest the first ballot after he was removed in 2010 was the party's downfall . Mr Swan said Labor should have been 'more open' about why the party dumped Kevin Rudd which would have removed him as a destabilising force within the government . Wayne Swan says it's unlikely they'll bury the hatchet over a quiet drink because Kevin Rudd 'is not a couple of beers kind of guy' Mr Swan claims Julia Gillard was 'the better politician' not just the best PM and Bill Shorten can lead the party to victory over Tony Abbott . By . Frank Coletta for Daily Mail Australia . For Wayne Swan the bitterness still runs deep. The former Treasurer, now sitting on Labor's backbench and in the middle of promoting his new book 'The Good Fight' on his time in government, said if there was one regret from those turbulent six years of the Rudd-Gillard governments, it was not putting an end to the Kevin Rudd threat once and for all in 2010 by way of a party room ballot. Mr Swan believes if he and his ALP colleagues had been able to convince Kevin Rudd to contest the leadership within the party room, a heavy loss would have humiliated the then PM and saved the Labor government from three subsequent years of turmoil. Scroll down for video . Wayne Swan regrets not getting Kevin Rudd to contest the 2010 party room ballot. He's convinced a heavy defeat would have stopped the ousted PM having any influence on Julia Gillard's leadership . The former Treasurer told Daily Mail Australia today that 'in retrospect we should have dealt with Kevin through his running for the leadership (against Julia Gillard) in 2010'. 'I regret not telling the Australian public more,' Mr Swan said. 'We should have been more forthright (publicly) as to the reasons why it all came about and then had a vote about it, rather than leaving it and let it sit,' Mr Swan said. The resentment over Rudd's sniping and destabilising of the Gillard leadership clearly still festers inside Wayne Swan. When mention was made of their friendship coming through the Labor ranks and Kevin Rudd being Godfather to his son, the Member for Lilley in Queensland was quick to interrupt and say: 'but that was a long time ago remember, well before I became a Minister'. The end of the road. Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan leave the leadership ballot in 2013 when the then PM was defeated by Kevin Rudd . As for letting bygones be bygones, Mr Swan said he wasn't expecting a call from the ex-PM any time soon. 'I'm not holding any ongoing grudge but he's not the let's have a couple of beers kind of guy anyway.' In his book 'The Good Fight', Mr Swan says Kevin Rudd's 'prime ministership was not built to last'. 'Its shelf life, being built on celebrity, as it was, was likely quite short unless he changed. ‘Kevin’s treatment of people was extraordinarily vindictive and juvenile. And it was frequently on display.’ Wayne Swan says he's not waiting for a phone call from Kevin Rudd 'I don't think he's a couple of beers kind of guy' He writes in the book that 'Kevin Rudd had left no stone unturned in wreaking his revenge on Julia Gillard and the government'. Mr Swan said his biggest acts of treachery was during the But he added 'all of his subsequent treachery pales into insignificance compared to what he and his agents did in the 2010 election campaign'. Mr Swan said of allegations Mr Rudd was the source of leaks from strategy room discussions as being 'an act of treachery worthy only of someone of the standing of Billy Hughes as a Labor Party rat'. Wayne Swan launches 'The Good Fight', in which he accuses Kevin Rudd of 'an act of treachery worthy only of someone of the standing of Billy Hughes as a Labor Party rat'. Just as quick, his response to the question, with hindsight, as to which of the two Prime Ministers he served was the better politician. 'I'd vote for Julia Gillard, unquestionably and I don't say that with any recall,' he added. Julia Gillard is 'unquestionably the better politician' when compared with Kevin Rudd, says Wayne Swan . As for current leader Bill Shorten, Wayne Swan has given his seal of approval. 'What he did yesterday was courageous, it was the right thing to do. That's the sort of thing leadership is made of,' he said in reference to the ALP leader going public on Victoria Police investigations clearing him of rape allegations. And as for Labor returning to power at the next election, under Shorten. 'Too right, I'm very optimistic and you wouldn't have made that judgement six months ago.'
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Wayne Swan regrets 'not telling the Australian public more' about the removal of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister .
The former Treasurer believes the failure to convince Kevin Rudd to contest the first ballot after he was removed in 2010 was the party's downfall .
Mr Swan said Labor should have been 'more open' about why the party dumped Kevin Rudd which would have removed him as a destabilising force within the government .
Wayne Swan says it's unlikely they'll bury the hatchet over a quiet drink because Kevin Rudd 'is not a couple of beers kind of guy'
Mr Swan claims Julia Gillard was 'the better politician' not just the best PM and Bill Shorten can lead the party to victory over Tony Abbott .
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f7f744f91c29d83585888ae2f94a8acac360e44f
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(CNN) -- The roar of the jubilant crowd assembled in Cairo's Tahrir Square said it all. Nearly four months ago, longtime Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak finally yielded to political reality and stepped down from power. Mubarak's fall -- coming on the heels of the ouster of neighboring Tunisia's Zine El Abidine Ben Ali -- was seen by many as part of a domino effect. The Arab world, it seemed, was finally on the brink of a peaceful democratic transition that had eluded the troubled region for generations. Today, however, the promise of a peaceful Arab Spring appears to be yielding to the reality of a long, violent summer as dictators across the Middle East and North Africa draw a line in the sand and fight to maintain control of their countries. Protesters, meanwhile, are showing no sign of backing down. "We've seen the last (Middle East) dictator leave voluntarily," Michael Rubin, a regional expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank, recently told CNN. See the latest daily developments at CNN's This Just In . U.S. President Barack Obama and other Western leaders will continue to push for peaceful change when possible, Rubin said. But dictators in the region have been spooked by the fate of Mubarak, who is now facing trial and a possible death sentence, and Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, who is facing an onslaught from armed rebels and NATO air forces. They "see there is no possibility of a peaceful retirement," Rubin said. And many of them also "believe that their country is their personal fight." While it is possible to identify trends that pertain to the entire region, a number of analysts stress that each country has unique circumstances and challenges that throw the notion of an all-encompassing Arab Spring into question. Libya: No signs of waning . In Libya, opposition to Gadhafi has been hampered by the fact that the country's sense of national identity is "very weak," according to Robert Danin, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Tribal loyalty in the sparsely populated North African country comes first, a fact that has made it extremely tough for Gadhafi's opponents to present a unified front. Gadhafi's violent reaction to protesters -- and threats of a massacre in the rebel-held city of Benghazi -- led to the passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing military steps to protect civilians. NATO leaders, who believe the safety of Libyan civilians can't be secured without Gadhafi's ouster, have since embarked on a two-month bombing campaign targeting government forces. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen announced Wednesday that the alliance has decided to extend its mission in the country by 90 days. Gadhafi still refuses to step aside, but has been discussing a possible African Union-brokered cease-fire with South African President Jacob Zuma. Libya's war has the potential to become a "protracted and costly stalemate," Max Boot, another senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, recently told reporters. There's a "real danger of chaos" and protracted tribal warfare if Gadhafi falls, Boot said. Al Qaeda may be able to exploit such a situation, he warned. 5 options for the U.S. in Libya . Close to 900,000 people have fled Libya since that country's conflict began in February, according to the United Nations. Egypt: Tension escalates . Meanwhile, in nearby Egypt reformers are upset with the pace of change since Mubarak's fall. "We've waited ... and nothing has happened," Mehdi Ibrahim, 43, said Friday at a demonstration in Tahrir Square. "Mubarak and his men have not (yet) been punished for their crimes. We need accountability." Some protesters on Friday urged the creation of a civil presidential council to replace the military regime now running the country until democratic elections are held in September. Others called for the expeditious return of stolen assets, as well as a generally more open society. Fareed Zakaria: Military threatens Egypt's revolution . Tension continues to exist between some of the more secular, liberal-minded activists and the more conservative Muslim Brotherhood, Mubarak's primary opposition for years. "We need rules and regulations to guide us and to protect individual freedoms and the rights of minorities" before the elections, said law student Mohamed Badawi. But Saffa Mohamed, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, said the September election will be good for the country, even if it benefits more established groups like his or remnants of the once-ruling National Democratic Party at the expense of newer political parties. "Why won't Egyptians just accept the results of the recent referendum?" he asked. "The date ... has already been set." Syrian powder keg . To the northeast, Syria's government stands accused of committing atrocities against its own people. The international watchdog group Human Rights Watch released a report Wednesday alleging that President Bashar al-Assad's regime has carried out a "systematic" series of abuses against protesters that could "qualify as crimes against humanity." The group's 57-page document contains details from dozens of victims and witnesses to abuses in Daraa province, the southwestern Syrian powder keg where the unrest engulfing the country began in mid-March before spreading across the country. At present, the report said, there have been around 887 deaths across Syria, including at least 418 people in Daraa. The crackdown in Daraa last month became so intense that eyewitnesses spoke of bodies bloating in the streets and injured people being treated at makeshift secret clinics to avoid detection by government security forces. Human Rights Watch is urging the United Nations to hold al-Assad's regime accountable. Western leaders have imposed new sanctions against al-Assad and several of his most prominent supporters. For its part, the Syrian protest movement shows no sign of waning. A two and a half minute YouTube video clip showing multiple wounds on the body of a 13-year-old boy from Daraa -- Hamza Ali al-Khateeb -- has prompted international outrage. A Facebook page calling itself "We are all the martyr, the child Hamza Ali Al-Khateeb" had 60,000 followers by Tuesday. Bahrain: 'Iran's Kuwait' The push for democratic reform is also encountering fierce resistance on the strategically critical Arabian Peninsula. The leaders of two key U.S. allies, Bahrain and Yemen, are struggling to maintain control despite slowly mounting international pressure. On Wednesday, Bahrain lifted state of emergency laws in place since March that had allowed the silencing of opposition leaders and journalists. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has appealed for dialogue, saying that talks with opposition groups will begin in July. The minority Sunni government, however, continued its crackdown on the country's major Shiite political opposition movement. Among other things, security forces fired tear gas to disperse pro-reform demonstrators in several Shiite residential areas, according to one human rights activist. A source for the opposition told CNN that "sporadic sounds of bombs and bird-shot clusters were also heard." The government also filed charges Wednesday against four top opposition leaders in a move that could weaken the country's Al Wefaq party, according to two opposition sources. Regional monarchies eye Bahrain unrest . Bahrain is set to hold parliamentary elections in September, filling seats vacated by members of Al Wefaq, which left parliament in protest over the crackdown. The question of how hard Western powers -- the United States in particular -- should push for change in Bahrain is complicated by the fact that the tiny Persian Gulf country is home to the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. Neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United States are both worried that a successful Shiite uprising would transform Bahrain into an Iranian client state. "Bahrain is Iran's Kuwait," Rubin said, referencing former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein's insistence that Kuwait was rightfully an Iraqi province. If Bahrain's government falls, "there is no question -- no ifs, ands or buts -- Bahrain would become an Iranian satellite, and the Fifth Fleet would be sent packing," he predicted. Bahrain is "pretty much the one country where (Washington) can't afford regime change," he said. Yemen: Possible al Qaeda stronghold? Finally, nearby Yemen continues to be rocked by escalating clashes between rebels and forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh. CNN's Mohammed Jamjoom on the worsening crisis in Yemen . Four missiles struck a compound Wednesday where generals who defected from the Yemeni regime were meeting, according to a spokesman for the generals. Fierce clashes also erupted between government security forces and Hashed tribesmen Wednesday in front of the Ministry of Local Administration in Sanna, eyewitnesses and residents said. The Hashed tribe has opposed government forces in intermittent fighting for more than a month. Fifteen tribesmen have died and 31 have been injured from clashes in the past two days, said Abdul Qawi Qaisi, spokesman for the head of Hashed tribe. Witnesses also reported seeing at least three houses on fire near where the clashes were taking place Wednesday. Saleh, who has ruled his poor, arid country since 1978, "does not want peace," said the spokesman for the head of the Hashed tribe. "Saleh thrives with blood being spilt. They attacked us and we had to defend." Government spokesman Tarek Shami said mediation efforts meant to stem the rash of recent violence between the country's tribal groups and Saleh's government ended Saturday without a peace accord because Hashed tribesmen would not negotiate. At least 100 people have also been arrested in the city of Taiz, while hundreds more have been injured across the country in recent fighting, according to a U.N. statement released Tuesday. The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa has condemned what it called the "unprovoked and unjustified attack" on demonstrators in Taiz. It praised the protesters and called on Saleh "to move immediately" on the president's previous promise to transfer power. Saleh, however, has been a leading U.S. ally against al Qaeda, which has a Yemen-based branch that has claimed responsibility for two attempted attacks on the United States. America's main concern regarding Yemen is that the country could become an al Qaeda stronghold if Saleh falls, Rubin said. But U.S. policymakers also "have to recognize that al Qaeda rose under Saleh," he said. "Keeping him in doesn't keep al Qaeda out."
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Violence has escalated across the Middle East and North Africa in recent months .
Dictators across the region are fighting to cling to power, while protesters refuse to back down .
Each country faces unique circumstances and challenges .
The U.S. and other Western powers have not pushed as hard for change in certain countries .
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f7f75230c902bf7915a546fe3e70adaf6a926d37
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Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell warned LGBT Youth North West's plans for a school for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children was not a good idea . Gay rights campaigners have criticised plans for Britain’s first school for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children. A taxpayer-funded youth group wants to set up a school for pupils 13 and older who are being bullied because of their sexuality. LGBT Youth North West denied that the school would be a ‘ghetto’ for gay youngsters and said mainstream schools can be ‘one of the last bastions of homophobia’. But critics said the move would amount to segregation and would ‘foster division’. Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said: ‘For some vulnerable young gay kids who have been badly bullied because of their sexuality, it might be good to temporarily take them out of the mainstream school system so they can study in a safe secure environment. 'But in the long term separate schooling is not a good idea. The real way to deal with homophobic bullying is not to take kids out of schools, but to stop the bullying and educate pupils on gay understanding and acceptance.’ Ruth Hunt, of gay rights group Stonewall, said LGBT-only schools were not the answer, adding: ‘Our experience working with more than 12,000 schools … shows that it is possible to create safe and inclusive environments where all pupils can be themselves. ‘This makes the learning environment better for all students – regardless of their sexual orientation – and is key to eradicating homophobia in every single school in Britain.’ Tory MP Graham Stuart, chairman of the Commons Education Select Committee, said care was needed to ensure the free school movement does not lead to ‘segregation’. He said his concerns about the plans were: ‘First, what this says about the treatment of gay children in some mainstream schools, and why this isn’t being more effectively addressed, and second … LGBT schools may reduce rather than reinforce the need for all schools to be inclusive of every type of pupil.’ Ukip’s education spokesman, Paul Nuttall, said: ‘This idea does nothing but foster division … it is utterly bizarre to be taking a step that highlights differences.’ LGBT Youth North West’s Amelia Lee said her organisation has carried out a survey of gay, lesbian and transgender young people which found many felt teachers had been unsupportive and in some cases simply urged them to ‘ignore’ bullying. She said mainstream schools struggle to tackle bullying of gay pupils, adding: ‘Schools can be one of the last bastions of homophobia.’ The youth group's plans for Britain's first all-LGBT school (posed by model left) has also been criticised by Tory MP Graham Stuart, chairman of the Commons Education Select Committee, who said care was needed to ensure the free school movement does not lead to ‘segregation’ The group is using a grant for £63,000 from the Department for Communities and Local Government to pay for a feasibility study into setting up the school at the Joyce Layland LGBT Centre in central Manchester. But a source close to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: ‘There is simply no way that we will approve a free school specifically for LGBT young people.’ The source added that all pupils should be in mainstream schools ‘which should be equipped to tackle any bullying’. Miss Lee said the proposed school would also be open to heterosexual pupils and to those questioning their sexuality.
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LGBT group wants to set up a school for pupils bullied for their sexuality .
They claimed mainstream schools can be ‘last bastions of homophobia'
But gay rights campaigners said the move would amount to segregation .
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f7f79e078b555ba832c74492946e09189d81c725
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President Barack Obama told a large union audience in Wisconsin on Monday that while "Republicans in Congress love to say no," he is the one who "placed a bet on America's workers." In a speech that skirted the line between politics and policy, Obama outlined what many Democrats are using as a midterm platform, highlighting hopes to raise the minimum wage and pass immigration reform. Obama also used the speech to portray Republicans as obstructionists who are holding the country back. The President told the receptive audience that "most of the policies I am talking about have two things in common. They are going to help more families get ahead. And Republicans who run our Congress oppose almost all of them." When the crowd broke out in a chorus of boos, Obama reflexively turned to a now oft-used line: "Don't boo, vote. Don't boo, vote. It is easy to boo, I want you to vote." The political line was a staple during Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. "I want an economy where your hard work pays off with higher wages and higher income and fair pay for women and workplace flexibility for parents and affordable health insurance and decent retirement benefits," Obama said. "I'm not asking for the moon, I just want a good deal for American workers." Although the Obama administration billed the appearance as an official White House event set to "underscore the important progress America has made since the economic collapse," the Laborfest speech featured a jacket-less Obama who, for most the most part, appeared to be in campaign mode. "I think eventually Congress is going to hear them. We'll break those folks down. We'll just stay on it. We'll just keep at it," Obama said. "'Cause the only thing more powerful than an idea whose time has come is when millions of people organizing around an idea whose time has come. Millions of people are voting for an idea whose time has come." The President used the Labor Day gathering of 6,000 union members and their families to herald organized labor's role in passing the 40-hour work week, overtime pay for workers and a minimum wage. Standing before helmet-clad workers sporting "We Are One" t-shirts, Obama also said he would likely join a union. "If I were looking for a good job that lets me build some security for my job, I'd join a union," the President said to raucous applause. "If I were busting my butt in the service industry and wanted an honest day's pay for an honest day's work, I'd join a union...I'd want a union looking out for me and if I cared about these things I'd also want more Democrats looking out for me." The midterms are important for Democrats and Obama's legacy. Midterms in a second term are historically bad for the President's party, and Democrats are facing the prospect of losing the Senate and staying the minority in the House in 2014. "Republicans in Congress love to say no," Obama said. "Those are just facts, the facts of life. They say no to everything." While Obama focused much of the speech on the midterms, he was noticeably mum on Wisconsin's hotly contested race for governor between Democrat Mary Burke and Republican incumbent Scott Walker. According to a Marquette Law School poll, 49% of likely Wisconsin voters support Burke compared to 47% for Walker. The survey has a sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points, which means the two candidates are locked in a statistical dead heat. Before Obama's speech, Burke walked around Laborfest and shook hands with supporters and union members. Burke and Obama did not appear on stage together, but the gubernatorial candidate did tweet that she had a "great chat" with Obama backstage and that she looks "fwd to seeing him again b4 11/4." A spokesman for Burke said before the event that the two won't appear together because the event is "an official White House event and not a campaign event," therefore her "participation in the public portion of events would not be appropriate." A Democratic National Committee official told CNN last week that Obama will appear with Burke before Election Day. Obama also met Walker, who greeted and shook hands with the President when he walked off Air Force One at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee. "Had no problem greeting the President just like I have no problem explaining how I differ with him on things like ObamaCare," Walker tweeted Monday night. Wisconsin has been a friendly state for Obama. In 2008, he won the state by 14 points and in 2012 he carried the state by seven points. Opinion: How labor unions and Democrats fell out of love .
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President Obama praised unions in a Milwaukee speech on Labor Day .
He blasted Republicans for being obstructionists, arguing they "say no to everything"
Democrat Mary Burke, who's running for governor in Wisconsin, didn't appear publicly with Obama .
Republican Gov. Scott Walker greeted Obama at the airport .
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f7f7e229b50749351a61b898302576b9a82a2435
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned on Wednesday that the Islamic State is far more dangerous than previous terrorist groups, including the one that led the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. 'It’s a serious threat because this is the best-funded, most professional, expansionist jihadist military force that we have ever seen,' Clinton told the Economic Club of Chicago, according to the Washington Post. 'This is far more advanced and far richer than al Qaeda ever was,' Clinton declared. The former U.S. official's claim follows an admission from President Barack Obama last week that intelligence officials 'underestimated' ISIS' rapid accession in Iraq and 'overestimated' the Middle Eastern country's ability to fight off the extremist group. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the Economic Club of Chicago on Wednesday. Clinton told attendees the Islamic State is far more dangerous than previous terrorist groups, . Just last January the president himself blew the terrorist group off as 'jayvee' level threat. 'I think there is a distinction between the capacity and reach of a bin Laden and a network that is actively planning major terrorist plots against the homeland versus jihadists who are engaged in various local power struggles and disputes, often sectarian,' he asserted. Nine months later, ISIS has taken key areas of Iraq, and large portions of Syria. It has also beheaded two Americans and threatened to kill more if the U.S. continues to intervene in Iraq. The extremist group has stepped up its efforts to assume control of Syria in recent days, making a crippling assault on the city of Kobani. A spokesman for the Pentagon admitted to reporters on Wednesday that the U.S. airstrikes 'are not going to save' the Syrian city from succumbing to the terrorist group. 'We've been very honest about the limits of air power here. The ground forces that matter the most are indigenous ground forces, and we don't have a willing, capable, effective partner on the ground inside Syria right now -- it's just a fact,' Rear Adm. John Kirby proclaimed, according to CNN. Both Kirby and current Secretary of State John Kerry argued on Wednesday that protecting Kobani isn't critical to the United States' long term goal of weakening and ultimately causing the collapse of ISIS. Clinton, left, speaks as moderator J.B. Pritzker looks on. The presumed 2016 candidate warned that ISIS 'will attempt to launch attacks against Western targets if it has the ability to do so.' Meanwhile, Obama administration officials sought to quell concerns this week that ISIS may be in the midst of taking its fight to a third country: the United States. California Rep. Duncan Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services, told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren this week that he has knowledge that 'at least ten ISIS fighters have been caught coming across the Mexican border in Texas.' 'If they catch five or ten of them, then you know there's gonna be dozens more that did not get caught by the border patrol,' he said. 'But that's how you know: All you have to do is ask the border patrol.' The Department of Homeland Security rushed to discredit the Republican congressman's claims on Wednesday. 'The suggestion that individuals who have ties to ISIL have been apprehended at the Southwest border is categorically false, and not supported by any credible intelligence or the facts on the ground,' a Homeland Security spokesman said in a statement. Homeland Security head Jeh Johnson has said multiple times, including in testimony before Congress, that no ISIS affiliates have been detained while trying to infiltrate the U.S. through it's border with Mexico. In the agency's statement on Wednesday, it reassured Americans that 'DHS continues to have no credible intelligence to suggest terrorist organizations are actively plotting to cross the southwest border.' Top government officials have not denied that the Islamic State could attempt an attack on the U.S. While acknowledging that the U.S. has no intelligence that ISIS is involved in 'specific plotting against our homeland,' President Obama suggested last month that Americans abroad who have ties to ISIS could try to return and attack the homeland. 'I know many Americans are concerned about these threats,' he said. 'I want you to know that the United States of America is meeting them with strength and resolve.' On Wednesday the New York Times reported that the Justice Department had taken into custody 10 individuals this year attempting to leave the country to join ISIS ranks. If allowed to depart, the detainees could potentially return to the U.S. one day and commit acts of jihad, government officials have said. Hillary Clinton said Wednesday she believes ISIS 'will attempt to launch attacks against Western targets if it has the ability to do so.' The presumed 2016 presidential candidate forecast 'some kind of legislative action' from Congress when it returns from recess that would give President Obama the necessary authorization to engage ISIS militarily. Congress excused itself last month for an extended break ahead of the midterm elections. It's not scheduled to reconvene until the second week in November.
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'This is the best-funded, most professional, expansionist jihadist military force that we have ever seen,' Clinton told the Economic Club of Chicago .
President Barack Obama admitted last week that intelligence officials 'underestimated' ISIS' rapid accession in Iraq .
Clinton said Wednesday she believes ISIS 'will attempt to launch attacks against Western targets if it has the ability to do so'
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f7f80b3296129ba51dd10108c95a81bf923a01e9
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Twitter users warn the change is another step towards the 'extinction' of the apostrophe . For 30 years it has been a sight to gladden the hearts of all who like to see punctuation used correctly. Now, however, the bookshop chain founded by Tim Waterstone is dropping the apostrophe from its name. Waterstone’s said it is phasing out . the apostrophe in its logo because it is no longer ‘practical’ in the . age of the internet and email addresses. 'Plain wrong': Angry punctuation experts say the move is grammatically incorrect . But the move sparked outrage among customers and punctuation experts who insist that the apostrophe should remain. John Richards, chairman of the Apostrophe Protection Society said: ‘It’s just plain wrong. It’s grammatically incorrect. ‘If Sainsbury’s and McDonald’s can get it right, then why can’t Waterstone’s? 'You would really hope that a bookshop is the last place to be so slapdash with English.’ James Daunt, who became managing director last year when the chain was sold to a Russian billionaire, said: ‘Waterstones without an apostrophe is, in a digital world of URLs and email addresses, a more versatile and practical spelling.’ But the adjustment also appeared to be a slight to Tim Waterstone who founded the chain with a single store in Kensington in 1982. Mr Daunt said the change ‘reflects an . altogether truer picture of our business today which, while created by . one, is now built on the continued contribution of thousands of . individual booksellers’. The . former investment banker started his own chain of bookstores, Daunt . Books, in 1990, but with only six stores it is dwarfed by Waterstone’s . 296 outlets nationwide. James Daunt started his own chain of bookstores, Daunt Books, in 1990 but it has only six stores . Twitter users warned that the change was another step towards the ‘extinction’ of the apostrophe. ‘Seeing as Waterstone’s thinks the public is too stupid to manage apostrophes, maybe it’s time they just stopped selling books,’ one user wrote. ‘Waterstone’s is now officially called Waterstones. You sell BOOKS, idiots. As in language and proper grammar and all that stuff. Remember?!’ wrote another. The bookseller announced the removal of the apostrophe at the same time as it revealed a U-turn on a previous rebranding. The retailer’s logo will revert to . its old Baskerville typeface after a trendy redesign a few years ago . resulted in the ‘W’ being in lower case. The latest attempt to reverse the chain’s decline in sales comes after HMV sold it to Russian businessman Alexander Mamut last year. Mr Waterstone launched the store in 1982 with £6,000 of redundancy money from WH Smith, before selling it to his former employer for £47million 11 years later. He tried to buy back the chain in 2006, but failed.
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Move sparked outrage among customers .
Punctuation experts say it's 'grammatically incorrect'
Twitter users warn the change is another step towards the 'extinction' of the apostrophe .
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Grief and rage erupted on the streets of Turkey's largest city after a 15-year-old boy struck in the head by a tear gas canister died Tuesday morning in a hospital. Much of the anger was focused on Turkey's embattled prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A crowd chanted "fascist government, Erdogan killer," as Berkin Elvan's coffin was carried through the streets of the working-class Istanbul neighborhood his family calls home. Some bystanders wept in the freezing, pouring rain. President Abdullah Gul spoke with the boy's father Monday and was saddened by Tuesday's news, according to the semiofficial Anadolu news agency. "I extend my condolences to his family. I share their pain," he said. Elvan was only 14 when he was critically wounded last summer, at the height of a wave of anti-government protests that erupted across Istanbul and other Turkish cities. His parents said he left home on the morning of June 16, 2013, to buy a loaf of bread. Less than 15 minutes later, neighbors arrived, telling them their son had been wounded. The boy suffered blunt trauma to the head. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, an eyewitness said the child was hit by a police tear gas canister. For the next nine months, Elvan lay in a hospital bed in a coma. When Elvan's mother attempted to make a public statement about her son's ordeal in central Istanbul in July 2013, CNN journalists witnessed and filmed Turkish riot police hitting demonstrators with pepper spray and beating one man with a club in an apparent effort to break up the demonstration. More recently, riot police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators holding a vigil outside the hospital where Elvan was being treated. Members of the family said the boy wasted away to a weight of 16 kilograms (about 35 pounds) during his nine-month-long coma. "The government has not accepted any responsibility and they have not brought the police who were responsible for this to justice," said Ali Kan, one of the men who attended the funeral procession. News of Elvan's death sparked a fresh round of protests in other parts of Istanbul, as well as in the capital Ankara, where riot police reportedly intervened using tear gas. Istanbul police denied using tear gas to disperse crowds that gathered Tuesday at the hospital where Elvan died, Anadolu reported. See photos from the protests on CNN iReport . Political passions are running high in Turkey. In less than three weeks, the country is expected to go to the polls in nationwide elections. Though voters will be electing town and city mayors in a series of municipal elections, the contest is widely seen as a referendum on Turkey's long-serving prime minister. Erdogan has been on the political defensive since December, when police detained dozens of people close to his government as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe. In subsequent weeks, the prime minister dismissed thousands of police commanders, as well as the prosecutors leading the investigation. He has also mounted a media offensive against his former political ally, the powerful Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Erdogan has repeatedly accused Gulen and his supporters of establishing a "parallel state" within the Turkish police and judiciary aimed at toppling his democratically-elected government. As the corruption probe ground to a halt, anonymous critics began publishing a series of audio recordings online that appear to be wiretaps of Erdogan's telephone conversations. Erdogan has denounced some of the recordings, calling them "immorally edited material." But the prime minister has also confirmed the authenticity of at least one recording, in which he is overheard instructing the executive of a Turkish TV channel to censor the live broadcast of a rival politician's speech in parliament. On Tuesday night, Elvan's body lay in a "cemevi," the house of worship of the Alevi religious sect to which he belongs. The boy is expected to be buried following a funeral service on Wednesday. In the meantime, activists have called for symbolic funeral protests to be held in other cities across Turkey. More than 100 Turkish riot police walled off the center of Istanbul's busy Taksim Square on Tuesday evening, in a clear effort to prevent demonstrators from gathering in the heart of the city.
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Turkey's president says he shares the family's pain, news agency reports .
Berkin Elvan was hit in the head by a tear gas canister last summer .
He was in a coma in the hospital for nine months .
His family wants the government to take responsibility .
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Three men accused in the latest Russian spy case didn't hide behind fake identities and weren't stealing military secrets. The evidence even suggests they were annoyed that their assignment wasn't more like a James Bond film. Their alleged plot to dig up 'economic intelligence' on possible banking penalties and alternative energy sources may not be the stuff of Hollywood movies, but U.S. authorities insist the case is proof that Russian spying is thriving in America more than two decades after the end of the Cold War. It also shows the time and resources the U.S. still throws at those suspected of being Putin-era spies, using methods developed before many of them were born: listening bugs, hidden cameras and intercepted phone calls. Scroll down for video . Over twenty years after the Cold War: Defence attorney Sabrina Shroff speaks as Evgeny Buryakov sits in court in New York on January 26. Authorities say Buryakov's activities, as well as those of his alleged cohorts Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobnyy, indicate a continued Russian spy presence in the country . Real threat: U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara says the threat of Russian espionage is real, over 20 years after the end of the Cold War . 'Russian spies continue to seek to operate in our midst,' U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara warned after the arrests last week. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich countered by accusing U.S. authorities of manufacturing a spy scandal as part of its 'anti-Russian campaign.' Annemarie McAvoy, a Fordham Law professor and former federal prosecutor, said the latest case shouldn't be taken lightly. 'We have to be concerned about the economic warfare end of this. That's what worries me,' she said, noting the recent crippling cyberattack on Sony Pictures involving the movie 'The Interview.' She said the arrests might demonstrate that the spy game has changed as countries seek information to poise themselves to attack businesses and the economy. 'It's not looking for military secrets. That's almost passe now,' McAvoy said. The case against Evgeny Buryakov, Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobnyy comes less than five years after the arrest of 10 covert agents - a sleeper cell referred to as 'The Illegals' by the SVR, the foreign intelligence agency headquartered in Moscow - who led ordinary lives for several years in the United States using aliases. All 10 pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to conspiracy charges and were ordered out of the country as part of a spy swap for four people convicted of betraying Moscow to the West. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn brought another spy case in 2013, accusing Alexander Fishenko, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Kazakhstan who made millions off his Texas export firm, of being a secret agent for the Russian military. Fishenko, who pleaded not guilty, is scheduled to go to trial later this year. Not everyone views the latest case as a scary new wrinkle in spy tactics. 'What is interesting about this case, just like the 2010 sleeper spy case, is how little these accused Russian spies are accomplishing. Either the FBI is just getting the low-hanging fruit, or the Russian foreign intelligence agency isn't doing its job very well,' said Kimberly Marten, a political scientist at Barnard College, Columbia University. Prosecutors say the latest investigation exposed espionage by Sporyshev and Podobnyy, who held low-level diplomatic positions, and Buryakov, a Bronx resident with a valid visa, a position in the Manhattan branch of a Russian bank and a LinkedIn profile. No joke: Authorities claim spies like those in this latest case are in the U.S. to undermine the country's economic foundations . U.S. prosecutors say that under orders from Moscow, Sporyshev's main duty was to give Buryakov assignments to gather intelligence on potential U.S. sanctions against Russian banks and efforts here to develop alternative energy resources. They say Sporyshev and Podobnyy would analyze the information and report back to the SVR behind the walls of a Russian Federation office in New York they thought was secure but apparently was bugged. In a secretly recorded conversation, Podobnyy let down his guard and complained to Sporyshev that their work was nothing like 'movies about James Bond,' according to the papers. 'Of course, I wouldn't fly helicopters, but pretend to be someone else at a minimum,' he said. Sporyshev griped that he too thought he 'at least would go abroad with a different passport.' The court papers also detail demands on Buryakov from SVR to come up with questions for a Russian 'news organization' - believed to be Tass - to ask about the inner workings of the U.S. stock market. The conversation was an exception to how the pair normally did business, prosecutors said. Typically, they would speak on the phone in code to set up meetings in outdoor settings, with 'Buryakov passing a bag, magazine or slip of paper to Sporyshev,' court papers said. Some of the meetings took place near Buryakov's red-brick home on a quiet block in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, not far from a monolithic high-rise used to house Russian diplomats. Economic warfare? Authorities worry that the presence of spies like Buryakov, Sporyshev and Podobnyy could undermine the countries economic security . Evgeny Buryakov, 39, masked this work by posing as a banker for Russia's Vnesheconombank, (pictured) according to the complaint and the bank's website . Neighbors said 39-year-old Buryakov, his wife and two children largely kept to themselves. They recalled a man sitting in a car on the block for hours at a time - in hindsight, they say, probably surveillance - but were surprised when the FBI raided the home last Monday. 'I got home from work and saw all these cars, about 10 of them, blocking the street. One blocked my driveway,' said Damian McShane, who lives across the street. 'We didn't know what was happening.' A judge ordered Buryakov held without bail. Podobnyy and Sporyshev, whose diplomatic status gave them immunity, have returned to Russia. Tass reported that Russian diplomats had visited Buryakov in a federal lockup in lower Manhattan and found conditions of his confinement 'satisfactory.' A Russian spokesman told the news agency that Buryakov 'vehemently denies the alleged offenses.' Undercover: Anna Chapman was one of a large Russian spy ring arrested in New York and New Jersey in 2010 . Infiltrated: Anna Chapman and her fellow spies lived apparently normal American lives. She refused to comment today on the arrest of an alleged member of a new spy ring .
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Evgeny Buryakov is one of three Russians accused of operating in New York to gain 'economic intelligence' and recruit .
U.S. Attorneys warn the discovery of Buryakov--and his cohorts Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobnyy--means espionage is alive and well .
Authorities say their alleged activities reveal a continued threat of economic warfare on the U.S.
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Athens (CNN) -- The new Greek government, formed after four days of horse-trading by three party leaders, is the country's first coalition in 60 years. Since 1952, a combination of electoral systems and political polarization produced a comfortable single party majority every time an election was held in Greece. This glorified tradition was supposed to provide the country with stable governments and strong leadership, as two big parties were alternating in power. But after 60 years -- or at least 38, counting from the collapse of the military dictatorship in 1974 -- it has provided the country with an ossified political class, inept public service, deep-routed clientelism and omnipresent corruption. A retired public servant once described to me the process: "When parties alternate in power after an election, what goes on in the public service is a hand over from one mafia organization to its rival." Ministers walk into their fiefs, escorted by dozens of political counselors who take over from the counselors of the previous minister and do the job, instead of the top public servants, who are discarded, unless they are party loyalists. Public service has thus become gradually annexed to a party system, distributing the spoils of power. Parliament has been subdued to party leaders, as members of the majority usually express loyalty to the leader, waiting their turn for a ministerial post. Justice has been also partly subdued: since the heads of the three supreme courts are chosen by the government, career judges learn that they have to have friends in politics, if they wish to have a chance at the top jobs. The result of decades of single party majorities was a special brand of democratic regime. Let's call it "partitocracy:" Two big parties running the country -- and killing it softly, by bribing it to its death. Does this explain Greece's present economic woes? In part, yes. Greece was the first victim of a euro-wide crisis, which would have hit its small, open, vulnerable economy even if the country were run by the wisest of men with the integrity of monks. But partitocracy has certainly precipitated the crisis, made Greece the hardest hit among all peripheral economies and, most importantly, made it almost impossible for Greece to reform itself out of the crisis. Public service reform, tax collection reform, electoral law reform are made impossible, because an unreformed party system would always treat reform as a deadly threats. So, yes! Forming a coalition government, with intra-party checks and balances and the presence of a newcomer, a party that has not participated as yet in corrupt party politics, might be good news for the country. I am not sure the new government will prove able to negotiate a better deal with its European partners or lucky enough to live through a change in the core European policies that will address the fundamentals of the euro crisis. But I hope that at least it can rid Greece of its main plague: partitocracy.
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New Greek government, formed after four days of horse-trading, is country's first coalition in 60 years .
Old form of government has led to ossified political class and corruption, says Pavlos Tsimas .
This system has led to financial crisis and made it almost impossible for Greece to reform, he says .
Tsimas says presence of party that has not participated in corrupt party politics might be good news .
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By . Kieran Corcoran . PUBLISHED: . 11:29 EST, 22 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:15 EST, 23 September 2013 . A female referee was left ‘in floods of tears’ at a youth football match after a player’s father launched a 30-second tirade of sexist abuse at her, telling her to ‘get her handbag and go home’. Shelby Davis, 21, called off the game in response to the sexist comments, made at half-time in a Youth Cup game between the Wyvern Youths and Pirelli Pirates Youth in Southampton. The abusive man was reportedly the father of a Pirelli Pirates player, and the team is now facing a disciplinary hearing after the matter was reported to the FA. Shelby Davis, who has been referring for seven years, abandoned a football match after sexist comments were made towards her by a spectator . The Pirates were losing 2 goals to nil at the time of the astonishing outburst. Miss Davis, who has been refereeing for seven years, said: ‘I reported the matter to the Hampshire FA. I hope the dad will be disciplined. ‘I abandoned the match for sexist comments made towards myself by the dad. 'I regarded it as being very offensive. They lasted about 30 seconds. ‘I was standing by the dug out at half time after I had blown the half time whistle. 'The spectator was standing at the other side of the pitch.’ Miss Davis, 21, has reported the incident to the FA in hope the man responsible will be 'disciplined' Ryan Andress, the manager of the Wyvern Youths team whom the Pirates were playing, said: ‘Shelby was in floods of tears. She was crying and everything. She took it to heart and could not take it any longer. ‘It was appalling, it was disgraceful. I am ashamed at what happened. ‘The dad shouted at her “you are a female you should not be involved in football - go and get your handbag and go home.”’ Len Lacey who founded Pirelli Pirates in 1996 and is currently the secretary yesterday said: ‘I know who the spectator is.’ ‘We will be requesting a personal hearing. If this is the truth it is absolutely disgusting.’
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Shelby Davis, 21, received a 30-second tirade of sexist abusive at the game in Southampton .
The cup match match between the Wyvern Youths and Pirelli Pirates Youth team was called off at half-time after the remarks .
They were reportedly made by father of a Pirelli Pirates Youth player when the team was 2-0 down .
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Police are searching the compound of controversial 'godman' Rampal Maharaj for explosives after he was arrested following a bloody siege on the 12-acre property. Rampal was arrested at his sprawling compound in northern India overnight, ending a days-long standoff in which six people died and hundreds were injured. The hugely popular religious leader, who considers himself the reincarnation of a 15th century mystic poet, was wanted on murder charges and had repeatedly ignored court summons. This led to police storming the fortified compound with tear gas, water cannons and batons in an assault met with fierce opposition from thousands of Rampal's devoted followers. Scroll down for video . Rampal Maharaj pictured behind bars after the 10-day long confrontation between police and his disciples . 'Godman' Rampal (pictured as he is escorted to court) refused to answer to court summons and police had no choice but to raid the sprawling compound where he lived among thousands of devotees . A policeman stands guard at the main entrance to Rampal's compound in Haryana following the siege . A policeman sleeps on a field while dozens more keep watch during the search for explosives inside Rampal's compound . A policeman keeps watch as dozens of Rampal's followers stream out of the compound's main gate . A woman wanders past dozens of policemen, who have spent two days laying siege to the compound . The compound remains a mess after followers clashed with police and arrested more than 500 people . Jawahar Yadav, a Haryana state government spokesman, said police had arrested Rampal and taken him away in an ambulance. No violence or confrontation took place between his supporters and the police at the time of his arrest, Yadav told reporters. More than 500 of his supporters were also arrested and another 15,000 evacuated from the 12-acre compound before he was taken into custody. Rampal said he regretted the deaths, but denied police allegations he used his followers as human shields. 'I did not use them (as shields). They were acting on their own,' he said after being taken into police custody. Police also have filed fresh charges against him and some of his supporters, including sedition, murder, criminal conspiracy and detaining people illegally in his fortress. Supporters of 'godman' Rampal Maharaj stand on a roof above Indian police during the confrontation . Some of Rampal's supporters hurl rocks at police as the clashes turn violent. The bodies of five women and a baby were later taken from the compound . Police spray Rampal's supporters with water cannons as they storm the 12-acre compound, despite fierce resistance . Police, armed with heavy sticks, drag a bloody man away from the scene of the violent clashes . During the siege, police said they arrested more than 500 devotees, including 250 members of a 'private army' dedicated to his protection. 'It was a tough operation, we had to deal with hostile supporters,' police inspector Anil Kumar said. 'At the moment we are trying to clear the ashram, the clearing operations are on, our personnel are inside the ashram. They are trying to find if any explosives have been hidden there.' Police believe around 2,000 followers are still inside the 12-acre compound and officers using loudspeakers today urged them to come out. Supporters of Rampal Maharaj hold a poster of him during a non-violent protest in New Dehli . A man stands up to pray during the protest. The New Dehli demonstration (pictured) was in stark contrast to the violent scenes at Rampal's compound 170km northeast of the city . Indian police use batons and water cannons to disperse supporters at the sprawling compound . A group of police wearing helmets, padding and armed with heavy sticks, prepare to engage with Rampal's supporters . Shriniwas Vashisht, director-general of police in Haryana, said many of the thousands of people holed up with Rampal were held against their will or were used as human shields to prevent police action. 'They know that we will not allow innocent women and children to be caught in the crossfire and they are taking advantage of that.' Authorities earlier tried to flush him out by cutting off electricity and water to the compound. Thousands of people began streaming out of the compound yesterday, and many said armed followers of the guru had prevented them from leaving earlier. 'They closed and locked the gates inside the compound and would not let us out,' said Birender Satya, who had traveled from central India with his mother to listen to Rampal's preaching. Another member, Jawan Singh, said he had gone into the ashram in the hope that Rampal could cure his chronic back pain, but devotees prevented him from leaving. 'I came here hoping that I'll get healed. Instead it was a war-like situation here,' the 34-year-old said from the window of a bus that was taking people away from the compound. 'The guards manning the complex gate didn't allow us to come out. They told the people to go back in.' Four hundred people were arrested by police during the clashes. Here two of Rampal's supporters are dragged away . Rampal is a self-styled 'godman', who believes he is a reincarnation of the 15th century mystic poet Kabir. Here, police are pictured detaining one of his supporters . Rampal and 38 others have been charged with murder and other offenses after a clash between his supporters and another group killed one person in July 2006. He was freed on bail, which was canceled after his followers entered a courtroom and threatened lawyers in July. Yesterday the guru's followers handed over to police the bodies of four women who apparently died inside the complex, about 175 kilometers from New Delhi. Earlier in the day, a woman and an 18-month-old child died in a hospital after leaving the ashram. India has been rocked by several scandals involving immensely popular 'godmen', mostly Hindu ascetics who claim to possess mystical powers. Last year one was charged with sexually assaulting a schoolgirl. For many Indians, gurus play an integral role in daily life. They say they offer a pathway to enlightenment in return for spiritual devotion and often give donations to ashrams, temples and charity projects.
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Indian police arrest 'godman' Rampal Maharaj at his sect's fortress .
They are searching the 12-acre property for explosives following siege .
Rampal claims to be an incarnation of the 15th-century mystic poet Kabir .
His followers, armed with stones and petrol bombs, clashed with police .
Four bodies found inside compound and two others died in hospital .
More than 250 members of his 'private army' were arrested during clashes .
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A former Miss Chile has accused Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez of texting her behind his doting girlfriend's back. Camila Andrade claimed the striker sent her holiday snaps during a winter break in Disneyland Paris with partner Laia Grassi claiming he was with a younger relative and not his other half. And she explained how she turned down the £33million signing when he invited her out to dinner during his World Cup preparation weeks before he was pictured on a romantic beach holiday in Mexico with his current girlfriend. MailOnline has been unable to verify whether Miss Andrade can support her claims and attempts to contact Sanchez for comment have failed to elicit a response. 'He invited me out for dinner': Former Miss Chile Camila Andrade (pictured, left, during the Miss World opening ceremony last year) has accused Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez (right, with his girlfriend Laia Grassi) of texting her behind his lover's back . Beauty: Miss Andrade (pictured) claimed she turned down the £33million Arsenal striker when he invited her out to dinner during his World Cup preparation weeks before he was pictured on a romantic beach holiday in Mexico with his girlfriend . In reports which have made headlines across the media in Chile, Miss Andrade, 23, told an interviewer in her home country how he asked her out earlier this year. She said: 'Alexis invited me out for a meal while he was back in Chile preparing for the World Cup. 'I was between boyfriends at the time and it was the first time that he'd asked if we could meet up. 'I turned him down because he wasn't my type and I knew that many of the times he'd messaged me he was with his girlfriend and I liked that even less. 'When he was in Disneyland Paris with Laia in February he sent me a picture of himself on his own. 'I knew he was with her because I'd seen pictures in the paper and I really couldn't stop laughing. 'I messaged him to say: "How nice, you're with your girlfriend, I've love to be where you are with my boyfriend" and he replied: "No I'm with my little nephew or young cousin or some young relative", I can't remember exactly. 'He never said he was with his girlfriend and the following day there was a big picture in the paper of the two of them. It was very strange. 'All these starstruck young girls need to see all these footballers are the same and are not to be believed.' 'I've no idea how he got my number': Miss Andrade, who narrowly missed out on the Miss World finals in July last year, claims the footballer sent her a Whatsapp message out of the blue just after she won Miss Chile . Miss Andrade said 'starstruck girls need to see all these footballers are the same and not to be believed' It's not the first time Sanchez, 25, has made headlines off the pitch. Spanish art director and designer Laia stuck by the Premiership marksman, who has scored six goals in his last four games, when an old squeeze claimed she was pregnant with the football star’s child. The day after Barcelona-based Mary Plaza, 28, made her pregnancy claim in April Laia posted a picture of her and Alexis on her Instagram page with the message: 'Amor Verdadero' - Spanish for 'True Love.' Another ex, Brazilian model Michelle Carvalho, claimed last year the blue-eyed Spanish blonde, who posed in an Arsenal shirt on her Instagram page after Alexis joined the Gunners in July, was fooling herself if she thought she was the love of his life. She said: 'I don't think it's anything stable, I think it's a passing thing. He only wants a good time.' Alexis Sanchez with his girlfriend Laia Grassi on a winter break to Disneyland Paris during which, Miss Andrade claims he sent her pictures claiming he was with a younger relative and not his other half . Biggest fan: Sanchez's girlfriend Laia Grassi posted this photo of her wearing an Arsenal shirt after the Chilean completed his £33million move to the Gunners earlier this year . Miss Andrade, who narrowly missed out on the Miss World finals after being chosen as her nation's most beautiful woman in July last year, said the footballer sent her a Whatsapp message out of the blue just after she won Miss Chile. She revealed: 'I was with an ex-boyfriend when he sent his first message. 'I'd never met him in my life so when he said he was Alexis Sanchez, I replied saying: "No, you're lying, you know what, Ciao." 'He responded by phoning me straight away. I didn't answer him. I rejected the call. 'Why am I going to answer him if I don't know him? And then he sent me a message saying I phoned you so you'd know it was me.' Star striker: Sanchez in action for Arsenal during the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday . She added: 'I've no idea how he got my number but he did what a lot of footballers like him do which is to speak to girls via Whatsapp. 'I don't want to go into so much detail, but I have to say he seemed very kind and very funny. 'It makes me laugh how all the young girls speak to him. I could never ever have taken seriously some of the things he said to me. 'We never had regular conversations but I stopped answering him about two months ago after I turned down his meal invite. 'I found it tasteless he'd ask me out while he was with someone else so I gave him the red card. 'When someone doesn't answer you, I think the other person normally gets it and understands that you don't want to speak with them. 'Nothing happened between Alexis and me and I'm doing nothing wrong by revealing how he's been messaging me. 'But if I had said "yes" that time he phoned me and invited me out for a meal, I can assure you nobody would have found out.' Sanchez has not yet responded to a request for comment from MailOnline.
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Camila Andrade claims striker first contacted her after she won Miss Chile'
'He sent her pictures while he was on Disneyland break with his girlfriend'
Miss Andrade claims he also asked her to dinner during World Cup training .
But she 'turned him down' because he wasn't her type and had a girlfriend .
She says: 'I could never have taken seriously some of the things he said'
Sanchez, 25, is dating Spanish art director and designer Laia Grassi .
Miss Grassi stuck by him in June when an ex claimed he got her pregnant .
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f7faa9bc2a59558eb5db24b9a7cfcd7334738171
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By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 15:21 EST, 18 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:21 EST, 18 November 2013 . Shakil Munir, of Middlesbrough, is one of four defendants accused of sexually exploiting a number of teenagers from the town . A taxi driver had underage sex with a 14-year-old schoolgirl in a layby and later told her mother he believed she was 16, a court heard today. Shakil Munir, of Middlesbrough, is one of four defendants accused of sexually exploiting a number of teenagers from the town. The prosecution alleged the Bradford-born 32-year-old picked up a 14-year-old girl and had sex with her in the early hours in a parking spot on the A19 after they sent each other explicit messages on Facebook. But he told a court nothing happened between them in his car and he insisted he thought she was 16. Late on one night in January, she asked Munir to pick her up and take her to the garage to buy cigarettes, but it was alleged he stopped in a lay-by where, the prosecution said, he got her to give him oral sex, then full intercourse. Munir told the jury of ten women and two men at Teesside Crown Court he thought the sexual messages between them on Facebook were 'banter'. The driver, then aged 31, believed she was 16, he told the court. Asked by his barrister Ekwall Tiwana why he got involved in the conversation, Munir who is twice-married said: 'To be honest with you, I was going through a bad patch and I was bored and I just started chatting.' He had recently picked up the girl and two of her friends and given them a free lift, the jury heard. He denied they had sex in his car when they stopped in a lay-by. He explained that she had wanted to talk and told him about her family life and her problems. Munir parked up and they talked, he said, but he denied having sex with the girl. That night, with the girl still in his car, Munir received a text from her mother, telling him to bring her home immediately or she would call the police. It was only when the mother said her daughter was 14 that he realised her age, he said. 'I thought she was 16,' he told the jury. In a later meeting with the mother, he told her: 'Your daughter told me she was 16.' Munir said he had an arranged marriage when he was 17, which lasted 'two to three years' and that he remarried in 2004 in Pakistan. He denies child abduction and five counts of having sex with a child. Munir - who denies having sex with the girl - told the jury of ten women and two men at Teesside Crown Court he thought the sexual messages between them on Facebook were 'banter' His co-accused, two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old, also deny all the charges against them. At the close of the prosecution case, the jury was told police had received reports that attempts had been made to stop girls from giving evidence. Christopher Knox, prosecuting, asked Detective Inspector Dino Carlucci, who is in charge of the investigation: 'There were in the course of the investigation reports reaching the police that there were pressures upon girls at or about school, discouraging them from reporting events to the police or agreeing to give evidence.' Mr Carlucci replied: 'That is a fair summary.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Shakil Munir is one of four accused of sexually exploiting teenagers .
Prosecution alleges he met girl after sending explicit messages on Facebook .
But he told a court nothing happened between them in his car .
The driver, then aged 31, believed she was 16, he told the court .
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Warning: Former foreign office minister Kim Howells said that the upcoming NATO summit in Britain could be targeted by IS terrorists . Home grown Islamic State terrorists could be plotting a 'spectacular' attack on the upcoming Nato summit in Britain, a former foreign office minister has said. Kim Howells, who served under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, fears jihadists may be planning to attack Barack Obama, David Cameron and other world leaders when they meet in Wales on September 4 and 5. Security barriers and fences to stop car bombs have been put up around the Celtic Manor resort where meetings will be held and also in the centre of Cardiff where leaders will spend an evening. Dr Howells warned that there was 'no question' terrorist organisations would be planning an atrocity but admitted there was no 'general intelligence' an attack was imminent. He said: 'It will be a target, there is no question about it, that is why the security measures taken are so intense. 'With a Nato summit there is going to be a raised expectation or raised awareness that there might be an attack - that is why all the special measures have been taken. 'They might try and coordinate something with the Nato summit targeting somewhere there are a lot of infidels, as they see them. 'Like their predecessors Al Qaeda they like mounting spectaculars so I would imagine the work of the security services is pretty intense now.' Dr Howells said an 'added element' of the security risk is that three Cardiff men have fled to Syria to fight with IS, also known as ISIS and ISIL, and are believed to have joined the terrorist organisation. Terror suspects Nasser Muthana, Aseel Muthana and Reyaad Khan have detailed knowledge of the Welsh capital where the world leaders will be attending a lavish dinner. Ring of steel: The perimeter of Celtic Manor in South Wales has been surrounded with fencing to prevent attacks . Major event: The Celtic Manor Resort, outside Newport, south Wales, will host the 2014 NATO Summit in September 4 and 5 . Dr Howells claimed Islamic State could target the summit which is taking place in Newport and Cardiff at the start of September. The former Labour MP for Pontypridd, South Wales, said terrorists may also be planning something similar to the 7/7 bombings in London. Falklands hero Simon Weston, who lives in Cardiff, echoed the warnings. He said: 'We've got these youngsters from Cardiff who have gone to join the Islamic movement. 'That means they would not have been acting on their own at this end. There are others who have similar points of view. 'We run a real risk of something happening.' 'Everyone knows how difficult it is to get to the people they want to affect. 'But we have got to be right 100 per cent of the time. They have only got to be right once.That's the big difficulty for us.' Assistant Chief Constable Chris Armitt - the Merseyside police officer overseeing security at the gathering - warned Isis were a 'very real threat.'
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Dr Kim Howells believes home grown terrorists could target world leaders .
Barack Obama, David Cameron and others will meet on September 4 and 5 .
Barriers and fences now surround Celtic Manor and Cardiff landmarks .
'It will be a target, there is no question about it, that is why the security measures taken are so intense,' Dr Howells has said .
Three young extremists from Cardiff have fled to Syria to fight with IS .
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A primary school teacher kissed a 15-year-old girl in a classroom cupboard and engaged in sex acts with her and another teenager in his car, a court heard. Jonathan Norbury, 33, is accused of sexually touching two teenage girls as well 'inciting' the pair to perform sex acts on him. Swansea Crown Court was told he would sneak the 15-year-old, who can not be named for legal reasons, into his classroom after school and take her into the stationery cupboard where he asked to see her underwear. Jonathan Norbury, pictured arriving at court with his wife, is accused of sexually touching two teenage girls as well 'inciting' the pair to perform sex acts on him . As well as letting the secondary school student into the classroom through the fire exit, the girl claims she would creep out of her house in the middle of the night, where they would perform sex acts on one another. The girl, who is now an adult, said: 'We would go into the cupboard, he would normally ask me to show him my underwear which I would. 'Then he would say something sexual, and then we would start kissing.' The girl claims her sexual relationship with Norbury started not long after she turned 15 when he allegedly texted her to say she looked 'hot'. Recalling the message, she said: 'I was quite shocked to start with but also quite pleased....pleased because I thought he was good-looking and an older man.' The woman said she had bought a second phone to keep in contact with Norbury, and would send Norbury photographs of herself in her underwear. During their secret meetings in his car, she said they would kiss and touch each other's genitals. Swansea Crown Court (pictured) was told Norbury would sneak the 15-year-old into his classroom after school and take her into the stationery cupboard where he asked to see her underwear . 'After I turned 16, it seemed that he sort of lost interest,' she said. The pair later kept in touch via phone, with a jury hearing that Norbury told his future wife about his relationship with her. The witness said: 'I told him "I bet you didn't tell her how old I was". I then heard what sounded like crying. I never heard from him again.' During cross-examination, defence QC Elwen Evans questioned the witness's account of the text message Norbury allegedly sent. The court heard the woman had written about the alleged text on her personal organiser - and the note was dated. But Miss Evans asked whether you could put any date in the organiser and 'backdate it'. The witness agreed that this was possible to do. Norbury admits having mutual sexual relations with both girls, but denies the charges against him, insisting that the relationships took place only when the girls were aged 16 or over . After telling the jury she had used the organiser off and on for around a year, Miss Evans asked why there were only two entries on it. 'There were all sorts of things that you said Jonathan said and did after that ... none of which you have noted on your organiser,' Miss Evans said. The QC also asked the witness: 'Did you want some form of revenge (on Norbury)?' She replied: 'No. I have got no reason to.' Another alleged victim claims she was also in a relationship with Norbury when she was 15 - with the teacher taking her to beauty spots in his car, where they would have 'sexual contact'. She alleges that she and Norbury, a devout Christian, continued their relationship until she was around 19, but she agreed to keep their trysts a secret as it might affect Norbury's respected position at a local church. She says she lost her virginity to Norbury a few weeks after her 16th birthday, having met him in early 2005, but said they had engaged in sexual contact before then. However, she told the court she could not remember exactly when the relationship had started, or when the sexual activity began. She also said Norbury contacted her in 2012 to apologise 'for everything that happened' ahead of him getting married. Earlier in the trial, she told the jury that her decision to break her silence was not motivated by jealousy. During cross-examination, the woman was asked how she felt when their relationship ended. She said: 'Did I accept the relationship was over? No. I would phone him and text him. 'Do I accept that I would text him 30 or 40 times a day? I could have done. 'Two years after the break-up was I still trying to get back with Jonathan? Yes.' But the woman insisted it was the police who contacted her about Norbury after detectives began investigating allegations involving him and the other 15-year-old. She said: 'My job is working with vulnerable children under the age of 16. The reason why I brought this up (to police) was if I thought one of my children were being sexually abused or groomed by an older man, then I would want something done about it. That's the reason why I brought this (up to police). 'I would have never have brought the case against him... it was the police who approached me.' Norbury admits having mutual sexual relations with both girls, but denies the charges against him, insisting that the relationships took place only when the girls were aged 16 or over. Neither of the women were his pupils. Neither the church Norbury was a member of and the primary school he was working at the time of the alleged offences can be revealed for legal reasons. A judge has also issued an order preventing the media from naming the address where Norbury currently resides. The case continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Jonathan Norbury, 33, accused of sexually touching two teenage girls .
He is also accused of 'inciting' the teenagers to perform sex acts on him .
Swansea Crown Court told he would sneak girl, 15, into his school .
He 'kissed her in cupboard and asked to see her underwear'
Norbury and girl would 'touch each other in his car'
He is also accused of touching another teenage girl in his car .
She says Norbury apologised to her in 2012 before he was due to marry .
Norbury admits sexual relationships with girls, but after they were 16 .
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Catching sight of Nigel Pearson up in the stands next to assistants on laptops as his Leicester side dismantled Manchester United, you began to wonder why more managers don’t adopt this high-tech, high-vantage approach. It is a position Pearson came to by circumstance but has adopted to brilliant effect, with the 5-3 comeback victory over Louis van Gaal’s team the latest in a series of matches he has been able to influence from distance. Pearson was sent to the stands last August, receiving a one-game touchline ban for remonstrating with officials following defeat by Charlton. Leicester beat Wigan 2-0 the following game, with Pearson able to observe tactical shifts from his panoramic view and react. So he decided to stay. Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson watches his side beat Manchester United from high up in the stands . Assistant manager Kevin Phillips (left) and assistant first team coach Craig Shakespeare (right) direct operations from pitchside level . Pearson celebrates his side's remarkable 5-3 win against United with star striker Leonardo Ulloa . Ulloa wheels away after making it 5-3 from the penalty spot as United capitulated and Leicester capitalised . ‘I choose to do what I do because it is in the best interest of the team,’ he said recently. ‘There is no gimmick about it.’ He sits alongside assistant manager Steve Walsh, also head of recruitment, with performance analysts Peter Clark and Andy Blake next in line — three Apple MacBooks on the desk in front logging the action, offering replays. Pearson is in contact with the dugout via Kevin Phillips, who became first-team coach after retiring this summer, and the former England striker relays messages to Pearson’s other assistant manager Craig Shakespeare. Leicester right back Ritchie de Laet (left) exploited the space down United's left side on Sunday . He was the man at the edge of the technical area on Sunday. There is no direct link because it suits to have Shakepeare assessing the match from ground level without the Leicester manager constantly in his ear. Pearson heads down for the half time team-talk and is always pitchside at full time to shake the opposing manager’s hand. Much of the tactical work is done in the days leading up to the match, of course, and Leicester’s team are said to be one of the best in the business. Rob MacKenzie, head of technical scouting, ensures each player is sent a personalised video briefing on their direct opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, even on their days off. You can be sure Richie de Laet and Paul Konchesky knew about United full backs Rafael and Marcos Rojo’s preference for bombing forward, leaving space behind to exploit. Former England manager Steve McClaren prefers the vantage point up in the stands . Clive Woodward, who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup managing England, advocates watching from higher up . ‘Generally I think it works pretty well,’ Pearson explained. ‘I can see things in a different way in the stand. Touchline-wise your perspective is limited. ‘I trust my staff implicitly. It is about preparing the team for the game and then helping players manage situations as they arise.’ Other managers have done it, notably Graham Taylor at Watford — where he would then watch the second half in the dugout — and Sam Allardyce at Bolton. He said he would sit in the stands at West Ham once the team was playing the way he wanted, but never has. Steve McClaren does it at Derby, only heading to the touchline in the latter stages of games, but Pearson is a Premier League maverick in this sense. In rugby coaches often watch from on high. Sir Clive Woodward was able to assess the 2003 World Cup final from the stands and make changes accordingly. He believes more football managers should try it. ‘If you’re on the touchline screaming at people, it can be a distraction,’ he says. ‘I used to have messages passed to me from people on all corners of the stadium so I as the head coach could make a proper decision. Sam Allardyce is another gaffer who has spent time in the stands, but he now prefers the being in the dugout . ‘You are far better higher up, in terms of being able to see the game but also being away from the action you have a clearer head. It is good to see Pearson having the foresight and bottle for going against what most people do.’ Woodward also suggests that when he would travel to the Twickenham touchline it carried greater impact for the players. ‘If a team sees you on the touchline then something big is going on.’ Pearson seems to agree and is reluctant to engage in the fashion for English managers to display their involvement to fans. ‘It becomes a theatre at times which I am not interested in,’ he says. ‘But I also feel at times managers should be visible. I’m not saying there is a right way or a wrong way, it just works for us.’ Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel is overjoyed at the astonishing turnaround against Manchester United . VIDEO United gave the game away - Van Gaal .
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Nigel Pearson watches matches from the stands for a better vantage point .
The Foxes boss has coaches next to him analysing the action on laptops .
He relays instructions to assistants Kevin Phillips and Craig Shakespeare .
His side beat Manchester United 5-3 at the King Power Stadium on Sunday .
Previous managers to have watched games from the stands include Clive Woodward, Steve McClaren and Sam Allardyce .
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Porn star Christy Mack has written a horrifying account of the night that ended with her in the hospital and her ex-boyfriend Jon Koppenhaver on the run from police, as well as releasing pictures of her brutal injuries. Mack was allegedly beaten at the hands of her MMA . fighter boyfriend at their Las Vegas home. Christy Mack is in hospital . and Jon Koppenhaver, known in the ring as War Machine, is wanted by . police. Scroll down for video . Porn star Christy Mack released these horrific images of her injuries from the hospital, claiming they were sustained when she was assaulted by former boyfriend and MMA fighter Jon Koppenhaver . Mack said that not only did Koppenhaver beat her, but that he also attacked her with a knife stabbing her repeatedly before the blade broke off . 'About 2 a.m. Friday morning, Jon . Koppenhaver arrived unannounced to my home in Las Vegas, NV, after he . broke up with me in May he moved out of my house and back to San Diego,' Mack wrote on Twitter. 'When he arrived, he found myself and one other fully clothed and unarmed . in the house. Without a single word spoken, he began beating my friend; . once he was finished, he sent my friend away and turned his attention . to me. 'He made me undress and shower in front of him, then dragged me . out and beat my face. I have . no recollection of how many times I was hit, I just know my injuries . that resulted from my beating. My injuries include 18 broken bones . around my eyes, my nose is broken in 2 places, I am missing teeth and . several more are broken.' Mack went on to write that she was unable to see from her left eye or chew or speak clearly because of her damaged teeth. She also said she could not walk on her own, and had a fractured rib and ruptured liver from a kick to her side. 'I also attained several lesions from a knife he got from my kitchen,' she wrote. 'He pushed the knife into me in some areas such as my hand, ear, and head. He also sawed much of my hair off with this dull knife. Mack writes that she made her escape when Koppenhaver went into her kitchen where she assumed he was searching for a new knife . Mack said that Koppenhaver had long been abusive in their relationship but that this beating had made her fear for her life . 'After some time, the knife broke off of the handle and continued to threaten me with the blade. I believed I was going to die. He has beaten me many times before, but never this badly. He took my phone and cancelled all of my plans for the following week to make sure no one would worry about my whereabouts. He told me he was going to rape me, but was disappointed in himself when he could not get hard. After another hit or two, he left me on the floor bleeding and shaking, holding my side from the pain of my rib.' Mack writes that she made her escape when Koppenhaver went into her kitchen where she assumed he was searching for a new knife. 'I ran out my back door, shutting it . behind me so the dogs didn't run inside to tip him off. I hoped the . fence to the golf course behind my house and ran to a neighboring house. Naked and afraid he would catch me, I kept running through the . neighborhood knocking on doors. Finally one answered and I was brought . to the hospital and treated for my injuries.' Mack concluded that she had been living in fear of Koppenhaver for months, and that the pair had an abusive relationship in which she tolerated beatings and infidelity in the past. Tainted love: Christy Mack (left) is in hospital and War Machine, aka Jon Koppenhaver, is at large after he allegedly beat her brutally at their Las Vegas home . 'After many months of fear and pressure to keep this man happy, although I fear for my life, I feel that I can no longer put myself in this situation,' she wrote. She added that there was a $10,000 reward for his capture. Police have yet to identify the third party who was in Mack's home and assaulted. confirming only that both Mack and the third party sustained 'severe but non-life-threatening injures.' Koppenhaver has not come forward but he has tweeted about the incident. '@ChristyMack I love you and hope you're okay. I came him (sic) early to surprise you and help you set up for your convention. I can't believe what I found and can't believe what happened. 'I'm so heart broken...in all ways. I will always love you.' TMZ reports that Mack is 'in very bad shape' after the attack and can barely speak from her injuries. A representative for the porn actress told TMZ that Mack's friends and relatives are offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can provide clues as to Koppenhaver's whereabouts. Koppenhaver has also taken to Twitter about the incident, writing that he wanted to surprise Mack with an engagement ring but couldn't 'believe what I found.' 'I love you and hope you're okay. I came him (sic) early to surprise . you and help you set up for your convention. I can't believe what I . found and can't believe what happened. All I wanted was to surprise you . and help and do something nice ...now this,' he wrote. 'I'm not a bad guy, I went to surprise my gf, help her set up her show . and to give her an engagement ring and ended up fighting for my life,' he added. Then: "The cops will never give me fair play, never believe . me. Still deciding what to do but at the end of the day it's all just . heart breaking." 'I only wish that man hadn't been there and that Christy & I would . be happily engaged.I don't know y I'm so cursed.One day truth will come out.' Welterweight Koppenhaver, who appears on the FOX show Ultimate Fighter, has been released from his contract with MMA tournament group Bellator. Big man: Koppenhaver has spent time in jail for assault, and Mack has previously spoken about his physical violence towards her . Porn star: The tattooed brunette works in the porn industry but is currently in hospital with injuries so severe that she has difficulty speaking . Selfie-obsessed: 'War Machine' tweeted about the attack, hinting that he had found Mack en flagrante with another person . Bellator's president told TMZ that Koppenhaver would not be welcome back. 'We have a zero tolerance policy here at Bellator when it relates to any form of domestic violence, and after learning of this latest incident involving (Jon Koppenhaver) War Machine, Bellator is releasing him from his promotional contract with the organization,' Bellator president Scott Coker told TMZ. Koppenhaver served a year in jail in 2012 for an assault in a San Diego nightclub. Fox Sports reports that last November she wrote that Koppenhaver 'threatened to kill' her. She deleted the tweets not long after and Koppenhaver tweeted that she had been joking. Later, she tweeted that she had endured 'several slapping, choking unconscious, smothering, kicking and throwings' at his hands.
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WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS .
Porn star Christy Mack is in hospital with serious injuries .
Her MMA fighter boyfriend War Machine, aka Jon Koppenhaver, is wanted by police .
He is believed to have brutally beaten Mack and another person in the couple's Las Vegas home .
Mack writes that attack left her with 18 broken bones around her eyes, a nose broken in two places, and hair sawed off by a knife .
Claims she escaped when Koppenhaver went to kitchen to get a new knife after the first broke .
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f7fc9827f803bc985ac085fe33ceb6afa87c6510
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(CNN) -- An eco-friendly building material might have saved some of the 80 homes destroyed in a recent wildfire in Southern California. But it can't be used there. Rajesh Kanwar built his Alpine, California, house out of AAC after his previous house burned down. The masonry material, called autoclaved aerated concrete or AAC, can withstand a 2,000-degree fire for four hours, according to Underwriters Laboratories' test results. "I just think the material's awesome. There's nothing like it," said Doug Edwards, an architect whose Edwards Design Group designs and builds green homes in the Scottsdale, Arizona, area. "It's the best building material in the world." AAC is a mixture of sand, water, lime, portland cement and aluminum powder that is formed into blocks and cured in an autoclave, a sort of industrial pressure cooker. It has been used in Europe, where it was invented, for more than 70 years. Besides being fire-resistant, AAC also deadens sound, is energy efficient, is impervious to termites, is bulletproof and waterproof, generates no waste in its creation, and can be recycled, its fans say. See AAC survive a fire-and-water test » . A sort of concrete bread, it's full of tiny air pockets, making it one-fifth the weight of traditional concrete, which means more can be transported with less use of fuel. Workers can cut it and shape it with hand tools, and its thermal qualities significantly lower energy use, experts say. Exton Quinn, an architect who fled her Santa Barbara, California, home as wildfires approached in early May, learned about the material at a green building seminar. "It's a natural insulator, it's completely nontoxic, it's just absolutely fabulous," she said. "And with our homes going up here, we should be building with this. ... The idea that we can't build with a fireproof material, I think, is insane." But in California, wildfires aren't the only concern. Small earthquakes are part of daily life in many areas, and stronger ones occur fairly frequently. And that's the regulators' problem with AAC. "Autoclaved aerated concrete cannot be used to resist seismic forces because it has not been seismically tested," said David Walls, executive director of the California Building Standards Commission in Sacramento. The restriction is based on guidelines from the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, he said. The next International Building Code, slated to take effect in 2011, will permit use of AAC in more places that have minimal seismic activity, Walls said. But even under those somewhat relaxed standards, most of California would not qualify, he added. Advocates for the product say California's qualms are baseless -- and political. "We've done all the testing, and the testing showed the material works fine in any seismic area," said Felipe Babbitt, a Mesa, Arizona, engineer who helped develop code standards for AAC block. "It has not been approved by California not because it can't perform, but because they have not done a thorough review of the testing data and are not convinced that it performs." California's standards are no different from those of other states, Walls insisted. "We base ours off the national model code. For the most part, for private buildings in California, we do not add any extra stuff," he said. "So it would be strictly based on what is the national standard." That's not entirely true, Babbitt said. California is the only state that adopted the 2006 International Building Code without the companion housing code that includes acceptance of AAC in seismic areas, he said. The two documents were meant to be applied in tandem, he said. "A lot of it's politics," Babbitt said. "Everybody's protecting their own interests. You've got the wood industry protecting theirs, you've got the steel protecting theirs, and the AAC is just going up against all these people." The AAC industry hasn't been around long enough yet to earn its place in the code, he said. Wood, on the other hand, faces no challenge despite its obvious vulnerability to wind, fire, flood, pests, mold and earthquakes, he said. "Each state has different code adoption laws and processes," Walls responded by e-mail. "I cannot explain what or why any other state makes their choices. I can tell you that California has never adopted a residential code." Another architect isn't satisfied. "What is baffling is this is a product that could be enormously beneficial in California," said Michael McDonough, a world-renowned New York architect who specializes in sustainable industry. "The testing standards they are rejecting are the testing standards that are used in 49 other states, and they've been extant for 10 years. "Therefore we believe it's reasonable to assume there's some other agenda than the standards," he said. "This stuff has been tested within an inch of its life." Walls denies that politics played a role. "I have been involved in the code adoption in California for more that eight years and I am not aware of any 'agenda' in California," he wrote in an e-mail. Mike Quaka, vice president-general manager of manufacturer AERCON Florida in Haines City, Florida, defended his company's product. "From all of our independent testing, it meets all the seismic zones, just as it does in Europe," he said. "I think there's a lot of external variables floating out there when we talk about California and AAC. ... We can build anywhere else without a hiccup." Richard Klingner, an expert in earthquake-resistant design at the University of Texas at Austin, conducted what the industry considers the definitive tests of AAC in 2000 and found it more than adequate to handle seismic loading. "In my opinion, testing done by me and others has demonstrated that ductile shear walls of AAC can safely be used anywhere in the U.S.," Klingner said in an e-mail from Venezuela, where he was giving a lecture on the seismic resistance of masonry. Ductile shear walls are walls that flex slightly to resist lateral force, the main cause of damage in earthquakes. "I do not know why AAC has not had wider acceptance in California," he wrote. "It may be a combination of lack of familiarity, caution, and 'not invented here.' That's too bad, because AAC offers many advantages." A few houses made of AAC are scattered around California, built before restrictions were put in place. One is in Alpine, built by Rajesh Kanwar and Lori Ende after their previous house burned down in the 2003 Cedar Fire, which killed 13 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes. "When our home burned down, I looked into materials that were less likely to burn down," said Kanwar, who runs a small business. "Before I went to the material, I did a substantial amount of ground work to make sure I wasn't doing something which was going to come back and bite me," he said. "So when I looked into that, I didn't just look into the fireproof aspect of it, I also looked into the seismic aspect of it, because I was really concerned about that. "And from everything I learned ... it has done very well under earthquake conditions." AERCON's Quaka admits to being a little discouraged by the long struggle for acceptance in California. "You beat your head against a door so many times, your head gets sore. And we're not there yet with California, but our heads are pretty bloody."
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An eco-friendly masonry material can withstand a 2,000-degree fire for four hours .
Advocates say it may have saved some of the 80 homes destroyed in a recent wildfire .
But the product is banned in California because it hasn't passed seismic tests .
The material also is impervious to termites and is bulletproof and waterproof .
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f7fcfc4afbfbe9aacb24a49cef44220ca6c6bf57
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The change has already been dubbed Chloe's Law after Justice Secretary Chris Grayling made reference to the case of Chloe Madeley (pictured) Internet trolls who subject victims to vile abuse are to be jailed for up to two years under a tough Government crackdown. Harsher sentences are to be introduced following a series of shocking, high-profile cases, including rape threats made against model Chloe Madeley last week. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling revealed to The Mail on Sunday that the maximum six month sentence for internet abuse will be quadrupled. Miss Madeley, who was targeted after her mother Judy Finnigan made controversial remarks about the footballer and convicted rapist Ched Evans, last night welcomed the move, saying that the most sickening comments amounted to ‘online terrorism’. The tougher new legislation is already being dubbed ‘Chloe’s Law’ after her public stance against the disturbing messages. Mr Grayling said: ‘These internet trolls are cowards who are poisoning our national life. ‘No one would permit such venom in person, so there should be no place for it on social media. That is why we are determined to quadruple the current six-month sentence. ‘As the terrible case of Chloe Madeley showed last week, people are being abused online in the most crude and degrading fashion. ‘This is a law to combat cruelty – and marks our determination to take a stand against a baying cyber-mob. We must send out a clear message: if you troll you risk being behind bars for two years.’ Currently, offenders who subject their victims to sexually offensive, verbally abusive or threatening material on the internet can only be prosecuted in magistrates courts under the Malicious Communications Act, which carries a maximum prison sentence of six months. But the planned changes will allow magistrates to pass on serious cases to the crown courts, where offenders would face a maximum sentence of 24 months. Miss Madeley, 27, was targeted with what she described as ‘extremely chilling and cowardly’ threats after she defended her mother for suggesting on a TV panel show that Mr Evans’s offence was less serious because he had not physically harmed the teenager he attacked. Last night Miss Madeley said it was right for Mr Grayling to update the ten-year-old law, since it pre-dates Twitter. She told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The current law obviously needs to be reviewed. It needs to be accepted that physical threats should not fall under the “freedom of speech” umbrella. 'It should be seen as online terrorism and it should be illegal.’ Scroll down for video . The change comes after model Chloe Madeley, daughter of TV presenters Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan (right) received rape threats on Twitter . The 27-year-old was abused online after her mother Judy Finnigan made comments on the case of Ched Evans during an episode of Loose Women . Sheffield United fans chanted their support for Ched Evans yesterday after he was released from prison having served half his sentence for rape. Some sections of the United supporters chanted: ‘Super Ched, Super Ched. He can do what he wants’ as the League One team visited Bradford. The fans’ show of support follows reports Evans was to be offered a two-year £500,000 contract by his former club – although United insist they have made no such decision. Judy Finnigan’s comments on Evans’s case led to the trolling of her daughter Chloe. Sky Sports News presenter Charlie Webster said she would quit her role as a ‘patron’ of Sheffield United if the club were to re-sign Evans. Webster told Radio 5 Live: ‘You will have young people cheering him on when he scores a goal. Not under my name.’ West Ham vice-chairman and Apprentice star Karren Brady agreed, saying there is ‘no place anywhere in football’ for Evans. Former Welsh international Evans, 25, was released last week after serving half of a five-year sentence for raping a 19-year-old woman. Her remarks come after her father, TV presenter Richard Madeley, warned the trolls: ‘Prosecution awaits you.’ The changes will be made as an amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill currently going through Parliament. They would also give the police more time to collect enough evidence to enable successful prosecutions to be brought. Earlier this month, 63-year-old Brenda Leyland, who subjected the family of missing Madeleine McCann to online abuse, was found dead in a hotel after being confronted outside her home by a Sky News reporter. Mrs Leyland was one of a number of trolls who compounded Gerry and Kate McCann’s distress by abusing them on social media. One tweet read: ‘#mccann To Kate and Gerry, you will be hated by millions for the rest of your miserable, evil, conniving lives, have a nice day!’ Mr McCann commented at the time: ‘Clearly something needs to be done about the abuse on the internet. I think we probably need more people charged.’ Miss Madeley explained last week why she had gone public with the threats, saying: ‘I always ignore the disgusting troll tweets I get because I honestly do not want to give them any attention. Kate and Gerry McCann have been abused on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook over the disappearance of their daughter in 2007 . ‘But the tweet in question took it to another level and I wanted to stand up against it. ‘There is a line where rationality ends and criminality begins. The person who threatened me crossed that line.’ Dr Az Hakeem, consultant psychiatrist at The Priory Hospital, Roehampton, south-west London, told The Mail on Sunday: 'The sadistic pleasure derived by trolling may have an addictive quality to it and the sense of power for the troll may be difficult to resist. 'The most useful intervention is to be reminded that the emotional pain inflicted is real and that they are not able to hide behind apparent anonymity, and to be held legally accountable for the actions for which they have mental capacity and intend to make.' He said that the illusion of anonymity 'facilitates for some callous and wounding attacks upon people which for the Intranet troll provides sadistic pleasure combined with the false reassurance that the attack is 'not really real' due to the lack of real face to face contact of the 'hit and run' style of encounter, often hidden behind the camouflage of the screen name.' The move by Mr Grayling follows the announcement he would include a measure in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to make it an offence to post so-called ‘revenge pornography’ online, which would also carry a maximum jail term of two years.
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Maximum six month sentence for internet trolls to be quadrupled .
Comes after model Chloe Madeley received rape threats on Twitter .
Model's mother Judy Finnigan had shared view on release of Ched Evans .
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said trolls 'poisoned our national life'
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By . Steph Cockroft . This is the moment a gormless burglar realises he has been caught red-handed on CCTV - seconds before he attempts to cover up his crime by stealing the camera. The open-mouthed thief stares directly into the lens for several seconds, seemingly unable to decide what to do with himself. He then appears to shout the word ‘camera’, before continuing to stare at the lens - still with his mouth wide open. Scroll down for video . Caught: This is the moment a burglar stares gormlessly into the lens of a camera after realising he has been caught on CCTV in Daventry, Northamptonshire . The open-mouthed thief looks directly at the camera for several seconds, seemingly unable to decide what to do with himself . Despite being caught on tape for the past 20 seconds, the burglar then . attempts to hide from the wall-mounted camera by ducking down out of . its view and shuffling underneath the lens. The defeated-looking burglar is then seen turning the camera to face the wall, before wrenching it from its stand and stuffing it in his bag. But unbeknown to the burglar, his efforts were pointless - because the video is still accessible in online storage. Phi Chong installed the high-tech camera in his parent's home in Daventry, Northamptonshire, in a bid to catch any intruders after they were burgled in November. The camera, which he had imported from the US, records straight onto the internet and goes into online storage. He has now shared the footage - including several still image from the video - on social media websites. The man seems to shout the word 'camera', suggesting there could have been an accomplice with him during the raid at the family home . The 30-year-old, a property developer . based in London, said: 'The look on the guy’s face is priceless as he . tries to figure out what to do next. 'Hilariously he then belatedly tries to hide from the camera by ducking underneath it. He obviously thought by stealing it would hide his crime but the footage was already sent to an online server. 'My parents were robbed in November and I suspected they would be back so I installed the camera. 'It’s the first camera of its kind and it’s not available in the UK, I had it imported from the US. There’s no evidence for the burglars to steal. It records straight to the internet and goes into storage. The defeated-looking burglar, who took cash and sentimental jewellery from the home, then starts to walk towards the lens . Hilariously, the thief then ducks beneath the camera, despite having . been recorded on film for the past 20 seconds. He then turns the camera . away from him . 'It is basically a web camera but the . sophisticated stuff is where it gets recorded to. You can hear him . talking and he is talking to someone else so there’s at least two of . them. 'He was mentioning a camera and before that he shouts something, it sounds like he is calling out a name.' The man raided the family home on Saturday afternoon between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. Mr Chong said nothing expensive was taken during the raid but he has appealed for help in tracing two items of sentimental value which he believes were taken. Before realising he was caught on CCTV, the brazen thief fiddled with the door in the living room . He said: 'My brother Vay Chong passed away and left a gold necklace and Buddha amulet. This was intended for his unborn son. He is having a child and it was meant to be gift for him.' His sister, Siu-Lan Chong, 32, added: 'We are upset and angry this has happened, given the recent death of my brother we are all going through an emotional time. 'The thoughtless and irresponsible act of these criminals has had an enormous impact on our family and we urge anyone who knows or has seen anything to come forward.' The burglary took place in Daventry, Northamptonshire, on Saturday between 1.30pm and 2.30pm . Northamptonshire Police have also released still photos from the footage in a bid to track down the thief, who they believe was carrying a weapon. Inspector Phil Mills said: 'We are investigating a number of leads, including CCTV footage provided by the home owner. 'We would like to speak to anyone who may recognise the man in the photograph or indeed anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area around the time of the burglary. 'We believe he may have been carrying a weapon at the time of the burglary and would urge people to get in touch straight away if they recognise him..' A spokesperson for the force added: 'Officers are investigating all leads, including CCTV footage provided by the home owner.' Anyone with information is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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The burglar stares into lens for several seconds, not knowing what to do .
He then tries to duck out of the camera's view before stuffing it in his bag .
Man was spotted during raid of family home in Daventry, Northamptonshire .
Jewellery belonging to couple's late son and money taken during burglary .
Couple's son Phi Chong, 30, said: 'The look on the guy's face is priceless'
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:35 EST, 2 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:05 EST, 2 October 2013 . An estimated 10,000 walruses unable to find sea ice over shallow Arctic Ocean water have come ashore on Alaska's northwest coast. Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Friday photographed walruses packed onto a beach on a barrier island near Point Lay, an Inupiat Eskimo village 300 miles southwest of Barrow and 700 miles northwest of Anchorage. The walruses have been coming to shore since mid-September. The large herd was spotted during NOAA's annual arctic marine mammal aerial survey, an effort conducted with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the agency that conducts offshore lease sales. Refuge: Thousands of walruses pack onto a remote Alaskan island after being unable to locate any Arctic sea ice . An estimated 2,000 to 4,000 walruses were photographed at the site Sept. 12. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that manages walruses, immediately took steps to prevent a stampede among the animals packed shoulder to shoulder on the rocky coastline. The agency works with villages to keep people and airplanes a safe distance from herds. Young animals are especially vulnerable to stampedes triggered by a polar bear, a human hunter or a low-flying airplane. The carcasses of more than 130 mostly young walruses were counted after a stampede in September 2009 at Alaska's Icy Cape. The gathering of walruses on shore is a phenomenon that has accompanied the loss of summer sea ice as the climate has warmed. The gathering of the Pacific Walruses on shore is a phenomenon that has . accompanied the loss of summer sea ice as the world's climate has warmed . Pacific walruses spend winters in the . Bering Sea. Females give birth on sea ice and use ice as a diving . platform to reach snails, clams and worms on the shallow continental . shelf. As temperatures warm in summer, the edge of the sea ice recedes north. Females and their young ride the edge of the sea ice into the Chukchi Sea. However, in recent years, sea ice has receded north beyond continental shelf waters and into Arctic Ocean water 10,000 feet deep or more where walrus cannot dive to the bottom. Walrus in large numbers were first spotted on the U.S. side of the Chukchi Sea in 2007. They returned in 2009, and in 2011, scientists estimated 30,000 walruses along one kilometer of beach near Point Lay. A close up of a Pacific Walrus male among a colony in Alaska. Females give birth on sea ice and use ice as a diving platform to reach snails, clams and worms on the shallow continental shelf (file picture) Remnant ice kept walruses offshore in 2008 and again last year. The goal of the marine mammals survey is to record the abundance of bowhead, gray, minke, fin and beluga whales plus other marine mammals in areas of potential oil and natural gas development, said NOAA Fisheries marine mammal scientist Megan Ferguson in an announcement. 'In addition to photographing the walrus haulout area, NOAA scientists documented more bowhead whales, including calves and feeding adults in the Beaufort Sea this summer compared to 2012," said Ferguson. "We are also seeing more gray whale calves in the Chukchi Sea than we have in recent years.' Environmental groups say the loss of sea ice due to climate warming is harming marine mammals and oil and gas development would add to their stress.
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The Pacific Walrus have been coming ashore on an island 700 miles northwest of Anchorage since mid-September .
In recent years the sea ice has receded north to deeper water where walrus cannot dive to the bottom .
Young animals are vulnerable .
to stampedes triggered by a polar bear, a human hunter or a low-flying airplanes .
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(CNN) -- When Rep. Anthony Weiner admitted Monday to sending inappropriate messages and photos "of an explicit nature" to women online, his wife of 11 months was not standing at his side. Huma Abedin was with another politician, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Abedin, 34, began working for Clinton as a White House intern in 1996, eventually becoming the former first lady's traveling chief of staff -- or "body man" -- during her campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. Her popularity among movers and shakers in the Democratic Party should have been an asset for Weiner's future. However, now that she is the victim of the congressman's indiscretion, "... the Democrats are furious at this guy," Democratic insider James Carville told CNN Monday. "He is married to one of the most popular people in the Democratic Party." Weiner: Liberal firebrand or political opportunist? Although she is described as a very private person, Abedin's intelligence, striking style, unusual background and ability "to make the trains run on time," brought her attention well before last summer's marriage to Weiner. Vogue magazine profiled her in 2007, an unusual distinction for a campaign aide. "Huma Abedin has the energy of a woman in her 20s, the confidence of a woman in her 30s, the experience of a woman in her 40s and the grace of a woman in her 50s," Clinton told Vogue. "She is timeless, her combination of poise, kindness and intelligence are matchless, and I am lucky to have had her on my team for a decade now." Abedin is the daughter of college professors. Her late father, an Islamic scholar, was from India and her mother, a sociologist, was from Pakistan. She was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, but the family moved to Saudi Arabia when she was 2. She moved back to the United States to attend George Washington University. She told Vogue that she decided at 15 that she wanted to be an international journalist, inspired by former CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Can Weiner survive scandal? Abedin's plans changed when the White House intern program assigned her to the first lady's office, not the press office as she had requested. She has not been far from Clinton since then, friends say. "I don't think you could say they are like mother and daughter," actress Mary Steenburgen and longtime friend to the Clintons told Vogue in 2007. "It's more like an older sister-younger sister relationship, but it's definitely familial." She joined Clinton's State Department staff in 2009, serving as a senior aide. Her efficiency, language abilities, attention to detail and remarkable ability to pack for long trips -- noted by the Vogue reporter -- make her invaluable to the globe-trotting Clinton. New York voters divided on Weiner's future . "Huma does make the trains run on time," Clinton lawyer Bob Barnett told Vogue. The Vogue story hinted in 2007 that she dated actor John Cusack and cyclist Lance Armstrong. Abedin was introduced to Weiner during the 2008 campaign. Former President Bill Clinton officiated at their July 2010 wedding. Their marriage drew extra attention because Abedin is Muslim and Weiner is Jewish. Ruben Navarrette: Weiner's only choice is to resign . Weiner rose through New York City politics as a young man unafraid of a fight and eager for media attention. Abedin, in contrast, is known for her diplomacy and privacy.
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Huma Abedin, 34, joined Hillary Clinton's staff 14 years ago .
She is a senior aide to the secretary of state .
Vogue profiled her in 2007 because of her style .
She's Muslim and he's Jewish .
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By . Richard Shears . PUBLISHED: . 07:08 EST, 14 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:15 EST, 14 October 2013 . Japan has reportedly struck a deal to sell millions of pounds worth of machinery to the Royal Navy. Approving the move, the Japanese government said to would not violate Tokyo's policy against arms sales. The gas turbine parts will be manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a name associated more around the world with top quality, high-speed motorcycles. HMS Kent: The Japanese government said the deal will not contravene Tokyo's anti-arms selling policy because the gas turbines are 'not regarded as weapons' The parts are to be produced for Rolls-Royce, which has a manufacturing co-operation arrangement with Kawasaki, and RR will then supply them to the navy, according to Japan's business daily Nikkei and Kyodo News. 'The parts are not regarded as weapons,' said a government spokesman. 'They are to be used in navy ships as well as in civilian aircraft and in emergency generators.' No further comment was available today as Japan is enjoying a public holiday. But Kawasaki has pointed out through Kyodo that it has been making the engine parts for its own naval defence force and other users under license from Rolls-Royce. Bike maker: The parts will be manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, a name associated more around the world with top quality, high-speed motorcycles . The report in Kyodo said Rolls-Royce stopped making the components for the Royal Navy but when replacements were needed the navy ordered them from Kawasaki. The Royal Navy, said the report, asked Japan's naval defence force to examine whether the export of the parts would contravene Tokyo's policy against arms sales. The Nikkei daily said Japan was looking to increase exports of such dual-use technology, which would help the the country's defence industry increase output and cut down on production costs. Not weapons: Japan's giant helicopter destroyer DDH183 Izumo was launched in August this year. Under its constitution, Japan cannot sell weapons to communist states, countries subject to UN embargoes and nations involved in international conflicts . 'Such exports can also help Japan forge stronger defence ties with friendly countries,' said the daily. A policy adopted in 1967, and strengthened nine years later, resulted in Japan prohibiting weapons sales to communist states, countries which are subject to embargoes under UN resolutions and nations involved in international conflicts. Such ban, on the face of it, would seem to involve Britain, which still has troops in Afghanistan. But one country which would have no hope of receiving machinery of any kind from Japan is its belligerent neighbour, North Korea.
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Japanese government says deal would not violate policy against arms sales .
The gas turbine parts will be manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries .
The parts are to be produced for Rolls-Royce, which will pass them on the Navy .
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f7fdac72341320931f541a99561fc9bf831ec6fc
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By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 14:50 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 17:37 EST, 25 July 2013 . A Christian chaplain stationed at a military base in Alaska has been censored for posting an article on the site’s website that an organization fighting for soldiers right to religious freedom has described as 'bigoted.' Air Force Lt. Col. Kenneth Reyes, who serves at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, wrote an article entitled, ‘No Atheists in Foxholes: Chaplains Gave All in World War II’ for his regular ‘Chaplain’s Corner’ column. The title referenced a famous 1954 speech by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who said: ‘I am delighted that our veterans are sponsoring a movement to increase our awareness of God in our daily lives. In battle, they learned a great truth - that there are no atheists in the foxholes.’ The Military Religious Freedom Foundation, run by Michael Weinstein, left, is calling for Lt. Col. Kenneth Reyes, right, to be disciplined for his 'anti-secular diatribe' Just five hours after the article was posted, it was taken down following complaints from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), reports Fox News. It describes itself as a ‘civil rights organization’ whose goal is to 'ensure that members of the United States Armed Forces receive the Constitutional guarantee of religious freedom to which they are entitled by virtue of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.’ The organization contacted the base commander, Col. Brian Duffy, on behalf of its 42 members stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and demanding he take action Reyes’ 'anti-secular diatribe.' The MRFF claimed Lt. Col. Reyes violated military regulation AFI 1-1, section 2.11 which requires 'Leaders at all levels must...avoid the actual or apparent use of their position to promote their personal religious beliefs to their subordinates...' 'No Atheists in Foxholes': The title of Reyes' article was a reference to a famous remark made in a 1954 speech by President Eisenhower . In a letter to Duffy the organization accused Lt. Col. Reyes of using a 'bigoted, religious supremacist phrase' which 'defiles the dignity of service members.' Now the MRFF, which is run by Michael Weinstein, is also demanding that the chaplain should be disciplined. ‘Faith based hate is hate all the same,’ the group said in the letter. ‘Lt. Col. Reyes must be appropriately punished.’ Meanwhile pro-Christian groups are angered that the article was taken down and claim that it is Lt. Col. Reyes' first amendment rights that have been violated. 'A chaplain has been censored for expressing his beliefs about the role of faith in the lives of service members. … Why do we have chaplains if they aren’t allowed to fulfill that purpose?,' the Family Research Council told Breitbart. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation claims to represent 34,115 men and women in uniform and says 96% of those clients are Protestant or Roman Catholic. Air Force Lt. Col. Kenneth Reyes, currently serves as chaplain at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska .
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Lt. Col. Kenneth Reyes referenced the famous Eisenhower quote on the website of the Alaska army base where he serves .
His article was taken down just hours later after protests from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation .
They accused the chaplain of making an 'anti-secular diatribe' that violated the religious freedom rights of non-Christians .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:00 EST, 23 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:00 EST, 23 January 2014 . He can detect the opening of a biscuit tin from 100 paces and performs tricks at the click of your fingers. But it seems the true display of your dog’s intelligence comes when he interacts with his canine friends. Researchers have found that, when walking in a pack, dogs adopt a social hierarchy that gives away leadership roles, social rank and personality trait. Dogs that lead when out for a walk with other canines are more responsive to training, research shows . Using high-resolution GPS harnesses, researchers from Oxford University, Evtvvs University, Budapest and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences tracked the movements of six dogs and their owner across fourteen 30 to 40 minute walks off the lead. Results showed pooches that take the lead are more responsive to training, more controllable, older and more aggressive than dogs that follow. Dogs that led more often had higher dominance ranks in everyday situations, the study for PLOS Computational Biology revealed. The researchers say the technology used in the study could be applied to other dogs used for search and rescue to allow handlers to compare how different dogs work together and pick those with the highest compatibility. Lead author Dr Mati Nagy, of Oxford University’s Department of Zoology, said: 'We showed that it is possible to determine the social ranking and personality traits of each dog from their GPS movement data. 'On individual walks it is hard to identify one permanent leader, but over longer timescales it soon becomes clear that some dogs are followed by peers more often than others. 'Overall, the collective motion of the pack is strongly influenced by an underlying social network.' Dr Enik Kubinyi, of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, said: 'The dominance questionnaire tells us the pecking order of dog groups by quantifying interactions between pairs. 'For example, the dogs that bark first and more when strangers enter the house, eat first at meals and wins fights are judged as more dominant. 'Conversely, dogs that lick other dogs’ mouths more often are less dominant as this is a submissive display.' The researchers say pack leadership is well-established in wolves, where packs are typically led by a single breeding pair, but it is unclear whether groups of domestic dogs have a social hierarchy. 'These dogs have no breeding pair', said Dr Kubinyi. 'However, there are dogs who take the lead more often than others. On average, an individual took the role of the leader in a given pair in about three-quarters of the time. 'This ratio is of similar magnitude to the case of wild wolf packs with several breeding individuals. 'Using this qualitative data over longer time scales allows us to see the more subtle relationships that might otherwise be missed. Of course, hierarchies are likely to vary across breeds and individual groups, so we hope to use this technology on other animals in future to investigate further.'
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Researchers found dogs adopt a social hierarchy when walking in pack .
Tracked movements of six dogs and owners with GPS harnesses .
Animals that take the lead found to be more responsive and controllable .
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f7fe4b167226f0a1edf3646c89558a36deab7892
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By . Ted Thornhill . As Malaysia mourns the victims of flight MH370 - which included 38 Malaysians - the nation's queen was photographed enjoying a round of golf. Her Majesty The Raja Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah, The Queen of Malaysia, laughed heartily at Glenmarie Golf & Country Club in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday during a pro-am event prior to the EurAsia Cup. The pictures emerged as search teams from several nations continued to scour the southern Indian Ocean for debris from the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines plane in a bid to bring the relatives of the passengers some closure. Sheer joy: Her Majesty The Raja Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah, The Queen of Malaysia, looks happy and carefree as Malaysia endures some of its darkest days . Tragic days: Pictures of the Queen enjoying herself on the golf course came as search teams continued to scour the oceans for MH370's wreckage . New satellite images have revealed 122 . objects in the southern Indian Ocean that could be debris from the . Malaysian jetliner, missing since March 8 with 239 people on board, . Malaysia's acting transport minister said on Wednesday. The . find has dramatically narrowed the search zone, with the debris spotted . across an area measuring just 155 square miles (400 square kilometres). In . the past few days the search area has measured around 622,000 square . miles - six times the size of the UK. On Wednesday around 31,000 square . miles was scoured. Delight: The Queen of Malaysia and Miguel Angel Jimenez, the Team Europe Captain, on the first tee during the pro-am event . Concentration: The Queen of Malaysia watches her shot on the second hole . Grief stricken: A relative of the Chinese passengers aboard the Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight grieves after being told that the missing plane might have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean . Hishammuddin Hussein told a news conference that the images were captured by France-based Airbus Defence and Space on March 23. They are the fourth set of satellite . images to show potential debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in a . remote part of the Indian Ocean roughly 2,500 km (1,550 miles) south . west of Perth. The objects are believed to be solid and range from one metre to 23 metres (three to 75 feet) long. It . is understood some pieces of debris are 'bright' but authorities have . not confirmed whether they are from missing Malaysia Airlines flight . MH370. Anguish: Relatives of the passengers have been tortured by a lack of concrete information about the fate of MH370 . Flight MH370 vanished . from civilian radar screens less than an hour after taking off from . Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing, and investigators believe someone on the . flight may have shut off the plane's communications systems. Partial . military radar tracking showed it turning west and recrossing the Malay . Peninsula, apparently under the control of a skilled pilot. Malaysia's . air force has released few details of its radar tracking beyond saying . the plane was last detected off the northwest coast heading towards . India. But . the country's deputy defence minister, Abdul Rahim Bakri, told . parliament that no action was taken when the unidentified plane was . spotted because it was assumed it had been ordered to turn back, local . media said. 'It was detected by our radar, but the . turn back was by a non-hostile plane and we thought maybe it was at the . directive of the control tower,' he was quoted as saying. Asked . at the news conference whether air force radar operators thought the . plane had been told to turn back by air traffic controllers, . Hishammuddin, who is also defence minister, said he could not confirm . it. A dozen aircraft from . Australia, the United States, New Zealand, China, Japan and South Korea . were once more scouring the seas southwest of Perth in the hunt for . wreckage on Wednesday, after bad weather the previous day forced the . suspension of the search. But the area is renowned among mariners for high winds and big waves and the good weather is unlikely to last. ‘This . is only going to be a narrow window of opportunity by the looks of . things, because another weather system is moving in for Thursday, which . looks like that will bring an increase in winds again and also lead to a . reduction in visibility through the rain associated with the cold . front,’ Neil Bennett, a spokesman for Australia's Bureau of Meteorology, . told Reuters. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak this week confirmed Flight MH370 had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.
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Malaysia's queen was pictured playing golf in Kuala Lumpur .
She laughed heartily on the course at Glenmarie Golf & Country Club .
Nation is mourning the loss of MH370, which had 38 Malaysians on board .
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f7feddfb67fcb5b43a10970dce7af20cd2da1115
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By . Bianca London for MailOnline . She has a wardrobe to rival Victoria Beckham's, wore a dazzling Alexander McQueen gown to tie the knot and is a member of the Royal family. No, we're not talking about the Duchess of Cambridge, but another glossy member of the family who's been hiding in her shadow - until now. Meet Sara Parker Bowles, the wife of food critic an Camilla's son Tom Parker Bowles. Scroll down for video . The other stylish royal: Sara Parker Bowles is married to Camilla's son Tom and has a wardrobe even more enviable than the Duchess of Cambridge's . Sara, who married Tom back in 2005 in a dress designed by Sarah Burton in St. Nicholas' Anglican Church in Rotherfield Grey, Oxfordshire, has never been one to court the media's attention. 'It's lovely to have all of that attention, but having everybody dissecting what you look like, what you're wearing - it's quite a strange thing,' she told The Telegraph's Ellie Plithers. However, away from the camera's glare, the 40-something stylista is making waves in the fashion industry. She worked as PA to Alexandra Shulman, the editor of British Vogue, but claims she was the 'worst PA in the world'. Wedding style: Sara married Tom back in 2005 in a dress designed by Sarah Burton in St. Nicholas' Anglican Church in Rotherfield Grey, Oxfordshire, the same designer that created the Duchess of Cambridge's . Part of the royal set: Sara, who holds a prestigious job at a glossy fashion magazine, says that Camilla is a very hands-on grandmother who loves to cook for the family . 'Justine Picardie, who was deputy editor of Vogue at the time, totally saved me and took me into the features fold,' she told The Telegraph. She now works as an associate editor of Harper's Bazaar, and senior editor of Town & Country magazine, as well as mothering her two children, Lola, 6, and son, Freddy, 4. So does the Duchess of Cambridge seek style advice from her? 'We've talked about designers we admire in the past and she's always very complimentary about what I wear but, clearly, she feels she's got more important things to think about - and that's what makes her so endearing,' revealed Sara. Fashion's darling: Sara currently works as an associate editor at Harper's Bazaar and loves the tailored look - but she buys her shoes from sample sales! She seems quite at home in the Royal family, who she describes as a 'completely relaxed' set. Sara revealed that The Duchess of Cornwall is quite the hands-on grandmother who apparently loves to cook roast dinners and scrambled eggs for the whole family. A regular on the front row, she loves to wear J Brand jeans - Kate's favourite - as well as Christopher Kane shirts and tuxedo-style style blazers from the Olsen twins' brand The Row. As for accessories, only Celine totes will do and while she loves Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Charlotte Olympia shoes, proving she's a down-to-earth fashion fan, she always snaps up the bargains at sample sales. We wonder if she ever grabs a pair or two for Kate. Fashionable friends: Sara said that while she and Kate have talked about designers they admire in the past, Kate feels she's got more important things to think about - and that's what makes her so endearing .
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Sara Parker Bowles is married to Camilla's son Tom .
Is associate editor at Harper's Bazaar magazine .
Loves to buy her shoes at sample sales .
Says Camilla loves cooking roast dinners and scrambled eggs for family .
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f7ff91b359d357c8d1624c101965da280f871f57
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Washington (CNN) -- Top Democrats put the issue of climate change back in the spotlight Tuesday, debating legislation to cut greenhouse gas emissions while announcing $3.4 billion in new clean energy funds. A key congressional committee began hearings on a "cap-and-trade" bill requiring emissions to be cut by more than 80 percent over the next four decades. Questions related to global warming have been among the most politically contentious in recent years. Democrats are generally more receptive to proposals designed to curb energy consumption in order to slow climate change; leading Republicans continue to express concern about the necessity and economic impact of such measures. President Obama has made the push for greater investment in a clean energy agenda one of his top domestic priorities. Attempting to move that agenda forward, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee kicked off hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. Supporters say the bill would reduce nationwide greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050 through a cap-and-trade program under which companies would buy and sell emissions credits. Almost one-third of the credits would be given away to the electric power sector through 2026 in an effort to diminish negative economic effects. Leading Democrats have expressed optimism that the bill would help stimulate the creation of new "green energy" jobs. The measure is similar to a climate change bill narrowly passed by the House of Representatives in June. Scientists "tell us that we have a narrow window of time in which to avert the ravages of global warming," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-California. Boxer, who chairs the environment committee, called the legislation "our best insurance against a dangerous future." It is "a responsible approach that sets attainable goals for gradual reductions in carbon emissions, and it protects consumers, businesses and workers as we move toward clean energy," she said. Committee Republicans tore into the measure. It is "a tax, and it will mean more economic pain and suffering and fewer jobs," warned Sen. James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma. "The victims of cap-and-trade can't just move on and get new, green jobs. The transition will mean leaving high-paying jobs, moving away from hometowns and significant reductions in lifetime earnings," he said. Administration officials testified on behalf of the bill, including Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. In all, 54 witnesses are scheduled to testify on the bill over the next three days. Obama, meanwhile, unveiled what the White House called the largest energy grid modernization investment in American history. At a Florida solar energy center, the president announced $3.4 billion in Smart Grid Investment Grant awards. "By facilitating the creation of a clean energy economy, building this 21st century energy infrastructure will help us lay a foundation for lasting growth and prosperity," Obama said. The White House said the awards, which are being funded through the $787 billion stimulus act, will fund "a broad range of technologies that will spur the nation's transition to a smarter, stronger, more efficient and reliable electric system." Among other things, the awards will help support the installation of "smart meters" designed to help consumers monitor and control their energy consumption. The awards, going to 100 private companies, utilities and cities, will be divided into grants ranging from $400,000 to $200 million. They will be matched by $4.7 billion in private sector funds. Vice President Joe Biden also highlighted the issue of global warming Tuesday, visiting a former General Motors plant in Delaware that is being converted to allow for the production of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The plant is being purchased by California-based Fisker Automotive for an estimated $18 million. The new climate change push is being made against a backdrop of broad public support for federal action to slow global warming. Six in 10 Americans support a cap-and-trade proposal to cut pollution, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey. Thirty-seven percent are opposed to such a plan. The survey indicates a generational divide, with 68 percent of Americans under age 50 supporting cap-and-trade, but those 50 and older split on the issue. "This is one more example of the growing generation gap that is shaping politics and policy in this country," said Keating Holland, CNN polling director. "Younger Americans voted for Obama and tend to welcome change. Older Americans were less enamored of change in the 2008 election, and senior citizens were the only age group that voted for John McCain." The poll also suggests a partisan divide, with three in four Democrats backing the proposal and nearly six in 10 independents on board as well, but only four in 10 Republicans supporting "cap and trade." "Independents believe in global warming and believe that the government can take steps to curtail the problem," Holland said. "But the environment is not a big priority for independents, as it is with Democrats." The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted October 16-18, with 1,038 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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Senate Environment and Public Works Committee debates act to cut greenhouse gases .
President unveils Smart Grid Investment Grant awards to modernize energy grid .
$3.4 billion in grants seeks "smarter, stronger, more efficient and reliable electric system"
Climate change push being made amid broad public support for slowing global warming .
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It might not be his traditional attire but as storms lashed the city of Tacloban in the Philippines, Pope Francis seemed thankful for a yellow rain poncho to keep him dry. The leader of the Catholic Church travelled to the area to meet with survivors of the devastating Typhoon Haiyan - but was forced to cut his own trip short because of another approaching storm. Arriving at a cathedral in the city of Palo today, without the usual ceremony and procession, he told a surprised crowd that he would have to leave four hours ahead of schedule. Scroll down for video . Big smiles: Pope Francis looked happy as he waved to the hundreds of thousands of people who turned out in strong winds and rains today . Waiting: People donned plastic rain ponchos in a bid to keep dry as they lined the streets on Palo in the Philippines waiting for Pope Francis . 'I apologise to all of you,' he said, speaking in Italian through a translator. 'I am sad about this, truly saddened.' The Pope said the pilots of the Philippine Airlines jet told him the weather would worsen, adding: 'We barely have time to get to the plane.' Meanwhile a private jet carrying several Philippine cabinet officials who accompanied Francis to Leyte blew its front tyres during take-off following the Pope's plane and veered off the runway. There were no injuries and ambulances evacuated the passengers, police said, while the Pope's plane apparently left without incident. The storms also ended in tragedy for a 27-year-old volunteer who was killed when a scaffolding holding huge speakers was blown over by the wind, Leyte health officials said. Kristel Padasas was volunteering with charity Catholic Relief Services at a mass today when she suffered a fractured skull and was rushed to hospital, where she died. Earlier, Francis had addressed 150,000 Catholic faithful gathered in an open field near the airport in Tacloban, the city hit hardest by Typhoon Haiyan. He told them: 'So many of you have lost everything. I don't know what to say to you, but the Lord does know what to say to you. Some of you lost part of your families. All I can do is keep silent. And I walk with you all with my silent heart.' Procession: The Pope stood in solidarity with the faithful as he wore the same yellow rain poncho as tropical storm Mekkhala hit . Pilgrims: Screaming people clutch rosary bears and cameras as they try to catch a glimpse of the leader of the Catholic Church today . Colourful rain coats: Filipino typhoon victims wear plastic ponchos at a mass at the airport which was severely damaged by Typhoon Haiyan . Symbolic: A woman holds a religious statute of Mary and rosary beads as she stands with thousands of people in the rain awaiting the Pope . Giving a thumbs up: Pope Francis arrived in Tacloban, Philippines today to greet a rain-drenched but lively crowd to welcome him to the city . Many in the crowd wept as Francis spoke, overcome by the memory of the November 2013 storm that levelled entire villages with ferocious winds and 21ft waves and left more than 7,300 people dead or missing. Tropical Storm Mekkhala was expected to make landfall on nearby Samar Island in the late afternoon or early evening with winds of up to 80mph, the weather bureau said. Francis drew applause when he told the audience that he had decided to visit the city of 200,000 in eastern Leyte province in the days immediately after the storm. 'I wanted to come to be with you. It's a bit late, I have to say, but I am here.' Catching a glimpse: At a mass near the airport, he put aside his prepared homily and delivered a very personal, emotional message of comfort to survivors, who stood amid puddles in mud-soaked fields and along roadsides . Popemobile: He travelled through the streets to greet well-wishers before having to inform people that the storms would cut his trip short . Patience: The Pope told residents he had vowed to make the trip in November 2013 when he saw reports of the devastation Haiyan had caused . Keeping dry: A group of well-wishers in yellow ponchos attempt to keep themselves dry underneath a large sheet of plastic in Tacloban today . Service: Woman clutch their hands together in prayer as they listen to a mass being officiated by Pope Francis at Tacloban airport earlier today . Good spirits: Despite being lashed by rains brought to the island by storm Mekkhala, people kept their spirits up as they wait for the Pope . Soaked through: Undeterred by the weather, people sit on barricades as they wait for Pope Francis to arrive in Tacloban - the city hit hardest by storm Haiyan in November 2013 . The Pope, speaking through an interpreter who translated his comments into English from his native Spanish, said he 'respected the feelings' of those who felt they had been let down by God because of the disaster but implored them to move forward in their faith. Pope Francis told the congregation (right): 'I apologise to all of you,' he said, speaking in Italian through a translator. 'I am sad about this, truly saddened', as a woman (left) clutches her rosary beads . Pope Francis leading a mass in Tacloban, this morning. It is a fourth papal visit since 1970 and he is the third pope to visit in 45 years . Francis spoke in his native Spanish, which he reverts to when he wants to speak from the heart. He ditched his prepared homily and instead composed a brief prayer off the cuff that began: 'Thank you, Lord, for sharing our pain. Thank you, Lord, for giving us hope.' As he spoke, the winds whipped the altar cloth and threatened to topple the candlesticks. After the mass, his motorcade took him past cheering crowds and following a quick exchange of gifts, in which Francis received a wood image of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception made from the debris from the typhoon-damaged church, his convoy sped to the airport in Tacloban. The papal delegation was soaked when it boarded the plane, and trip organisers asked the flight crew to turn off the air conditioning to prevent the passengers from catching a cold. In prayer: A woman clasps her hands together during the emotional visit as survivors of the storm remember those that lost their lives . Children use sheets of plastic to try and keep dry as they join hundreds of thousands waiting to see the leader of the Catholic Church today . A mother smiles as she waits with her children for the imminent arrival of the Pope, which he quickly had to cut short earlier today in Asia . Remaining religious: The Philippines is the only Catholic majority nation in Asia with around 90 percent of the population professing the faith . A child peers out from under a barricade, put in place to keep the hundreds of the thousands of people from the roads during the pope's visit . Trying to keep dry: With wind gusts of up to 80 mph, people attempted to keep from getting wet by wearing brightly-coloured rain ponchos . Littered: Strewn bottles of rubbish clutter the floor as people turned out hours before he was due to arrive in the city of Tacloban earlier today . Prepared: People stand along the side of roads with plastic sheeting as they wait to hear comfort in the words of the important religious leader . Struggling: A girl grimaces as she's lashed by winds and rain hitting the area at the moment. Storms have forced the Pope to cut his visit short . Double layers: One entrepreneurial well-wisher uses a second transparent poncho to keep himself try as he peers out among the crowds . Waiting game: On the advice of the pilots, Pope Francis decided to fly back from Tacloban early because of an approaching storm . Smart move: One well-wisher even used plastic sheeting to protect their camera from the rain as they try to get a photograph of the Pope . A woman wears a transparent poncho on her head as she joins many of the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan as they wait to see Pope Francis . He asked the crowd to hold a moment of silence and thanked those who helped in the rescue effort after the worst recorded storm ever to make landfall . Ferry services were suspended to Leyte province, stranding thousands of travellers including some who wanted to see the Pope. A police official estimated the crowd at the mass at 150,000 before the Pope's arrival and said tens of thousands more were lined up outside the airport area. Francis blew kisses, waved and flashed the thumbs-up sign to the crowd while riding on a covered popemobile from the airport terminal to the nearby altar. Tomorrow, he is due to celebrate the final mass of the visit in Manila's Rizal Park, where as many as six million people are expected. St John Paul II drew a record five million people to his final mass in Manila in 1995, and organisers say they think Francis could top that record. The papal Mass was accelerated and the remainder of the programme - a visit to a nearby cathedral, lunch with survivors and the blessing of a new centre for the poor - was compacted so he could leave four hours early because of worsening conditions . The Vatican said he blessed the centre from his car and he also stopped briefly at the home of a poor fisherman on his way into Tacloban city after the Mass . Before announcing he was cutting short his visit Saturday to Palo, one of the towns devastated by Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, Pope Francis told people inside the packed Palo Cathedral that it was the birthday of his No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and asked to sing Happy Birthday . Arriving: The strong wind blew the white skull cap from Francis' head and rippled his white cassock as he disembarked from his plane . A private jet carrying several Philippine cabinet officials who accompanied Francis to Leyte blew its front tyres during take-off following the Pope's plane and veered off the runway . A boy and a member of security person stand next to a piece of debris after a plane accident at the international airport in Tacloban today .
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Pope Francis has arrived in Philippines to meet with survivors of devastating Typhoon Haiyan which hit in 2013 .
He arrived at cathedral in Palo today and told a surprised crowd he would have to leave four hours before schedule .
Pilots of Philippine Airlines jet told him the weather would worsen, adding: 'We barely have time to get to the plane'
He is due to celebrate final mass in Manila's Rizal Park, where as many as six million people are expected tomorrow .
Winds caused his officials' plane to veer off runway while a volunteer, 21, was killed when a speaker collapsed .
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By . Emily Andrews . PUBLISHED: . 08:30 EST, 1 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:37 EST, 2 May 2012 . She has never taken a spelling test before, not even one set by her parents. But with a name like Agnieszka . Runa-Ann Kolaczynska, and living in a Welsh village called . Llidiartywaun, perhaps it's no wonder she's a spelling champion. In the World Education Games spelling . championships – a live online event in which more than 1.5million pupils . competed from 200 countries – the nine-year-old won first place for . Wales. Home schooled Agnieszka Kolaczynska, from Llidiartywaen, Mid Wales, who is a champion speller after competing in an international spelling bee . Agnieszka also came seventh in the UK . and 31st in the world – even though she is educated at home and has . never been tested against other children. She put her success down to her love . of reading and writing, plus plenty of practice spelling her long Polish . family name and her address in Wales. 'If you can spell my name you can spell just about anything,' Agnieszka said. 'After learning to spell Polish names and Welsh places, English is a doddle. 'I don't have lessons like children . do at school, and I've never compared myself to anyone before. So we . were a bit shocked as I had no idea that I was good at spelling. 'I had to spell correctly as many . words as I could and as fast as I could in one hour. But I do type very . fast, because I have learned to touch type.' Modern bee: Children from more than 200 countries take part in the World Education Games Spelling championships. Unlike a traditional bee, the children submit their answers online against the clock . Agnieszka's favourite writers are Michael Morpurgo and Malachy Doyle and her parents take her to the library every week . Agnieszka is taught by her mother . Anita, a teacher, and doctor father Alex, along with her sisters . Isabella, 17, and Magdalena, six, who has Down's Syndrome. She sometimes reads three books a day and has to be told to take a rest by her parents. Agnieszka has a smattering of Polish . from her paternal grandmother and has learned some Welsh living in . Llidiartywaun, near Llanidloes, Powys. Mrs Kolaczynska, 45, said: 'She . entered the spelling games because it looked fun to compete live against . children from all over the world. 'She went on the computer on her own . and just got on with it. We were amazed to see her name appear on the . leaderboard. 'Agnieszka is determined and . self-motivated and we are very proud of her. Let's face it, she has to . check her spellings with a name like hers and living here.' The computer-based spelling contest, . held in March, took an hour and had to be done within a 48-hour period. It was against the clock and Agnieszka had to go through five levels of . difficulty. Her mother said: 'I would never have been able to do it myself at that speed.' Agnieszka's favourite writers are . Michael Morpurgo and Malachy Doyle and her parents take her to the . library every week to restock on books. Her mother added: 'I provide the . children with a lot of stimulation and a nourishing environment, then . support them by accessing people who know about the things they want to . learn.' She said she will be happy for . Agnieszka to go to school and university later on but for the moment she . feels she can give her a better education at home. 'We have a TV but only watch it when . there is a specific programme we want to see,' she said. 'They don't . have screens to distract them – if they go on the computer they have to . think about it first.'
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Youngster says after learning to spell Polish names and Welsh places, English is a 'doddle'
Online spelling test attracts 1.57million competitors from more than 200 countries .
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By . Mike Jaccarino . PUBLISHED: . 00:39 EST, 19 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:06 EST, 19 January 2013 . A Mennonite community in Tennessee is grieving after one of its members - and two of his kids- presumably died in a freak canoe accident on a rain-swollen creek in the southeastern area of the state. The Cleveland Daily Banner reports the Mennonite and five of his children were tossed into the frigid Canosauga Creek around 4pm Wednesday, when their canoe capsized amidst the fast-moving waters. Three of the children - and are all under 10 - were reportedly able to swim to the safety of the creek's banks, while their dad and siblings were swept away in the creek's currents. Tragedy: The father and five children tossed into the frigid Canosauga Creek Wednesday were not wearing life vests when their canoe capsized (stock image) All six people - the five children and their still-missing father - reportedly belong to the same Mennonite family from Delano, an unincorporated community in Tennessee's Polk County. 'It's a real shock to the community, and I'm sure the grief that is spreading out among the Mennonites is significant," Polk County Mayor Hoyt Firestone told The Chattanooga Free Times Press. 'It's just one of those freak accidents that you don't plan for. It's just a regrettable situation all over.' Authorities had yet to identify the concerned family by Friday, although the father was said to be in his 30s. An intense search: Rescue workers (pictured) look upon the creek where the accident occurred Wednesday around 4 pm . Flooded: The Canosauga Creek was reportedly flooded by the seven inches of rainfall that had pounded Polk County since Sunday . The family was canoeing along what authorities described as a fast-moving creek, swollen from the seven inches of rain that reportedly deluged Polk County since last Sunday. Emergency workers reportedly canvassed the creek to no avail, beginning their search early Thursday morning. The search was reportedly called off on Friday as authorities coped with freezing temperatures and continued snow and rainfall. A community in mourning: Three of the children were able to swim to safety, while their father and siblings were swept away. All six belong to the local Mennonite community in Delano, Polk County . Newspaper accounts of the search depict concerned Mennonites slogging along the creek's bank, as rescue workers search for their missing brethren. A community farm market where Mennonites usually hawk fresh produce had been turned into a staging area for authorities as they continued the hunt. Polk County is located about 50 miles northeast of Chattanooga. None of the six people who were in the canoe at the time of the accident were reportedly wearing a life preserver at the time it capsized. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Co-Chair Dan Hicks had previously said rescuers hoped to find the missing people clinging to trees or fences along the creek, but hope was fading with the cold weather.
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Authorities are yet to identify the man - and three kids - believed dead .
Search in southeastern Tennessee yields nothing .
Three of the man's children, also in the canoe, swim to safety .
None of the six people wore a life preserver .
Canoe somehow capsized in fast-moving waters .
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(CNN) -- Rapper DMX has found himself in trouble with the law again, this time with a DUI charge in South Carolina, authorities said Friday. Troopers in Greenville pulled over in a 1978 Plymouth station wagon Thursday night after spotting it traveling erratically, the South Carolina Highway Patrol said. DMX, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was driving, he was given a field sobriety test and failed, the agency said. The rapper was charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license and driving without a seat belt, the patrol said.. However, his publicist, Domenick Nati, said DMX wasn't arrested for DUI. "He was arrested early this morning but quickly released," Nati told CNN. "X was given a breathalyzer test and easily passed it. He is back at his home in South Carolina and we are continuing our focus on his upcoming album and acting roles." But the state highway patrol responded to a CNN inquiry Friday evening by repeating that the 42-year-old rapper was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, driving without a license and driving without a seat belt. DMX has faced various criminal charges in the past, including probation violation, illegal drug possession and animal cruelty. Maricopa County, Arizona, authorities said he was arrested five times after August 2007. That included a May 2008 arrest on drug and animal cruelty charges, when Simmons attempted to barricade himself inside his Cave Creek home, sheriff's deputies said. Simmons also ran into trouble while in prison, being placed on "lockdown status" and forced to eat only bread and water for "jailhouse infractions." In February 2009, he threw a food tray in anger at a corrections officer, according to the sheriff's office. In 2010 he was sent to prison after violating his probation. Four days later DMX was admitted to the Flamenco Mental Health unit for an undisclosed disorder.
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NEW: Publicist for DMX counters report of DUI arrest .
Rapper DMX arrested after failing a field sobriety test, South Carolina authorities say .
He was also driving without a license, without a seat belt, SC Highway Patrol says .
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By . Meghan Keneally . PUBLISHED: . 09:23 EST, 9 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:34 EST, 9 September 2013 . Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tried to clarify his remarks in an interview where he alleged that one of the Democrats trying to replace him is running a 'racist' campaign. Bloomberg said that former public advocate Bill de Blasio was running a campaign that was based around 'class warfare and racist'. 'Well no, no, I mean, he’s making an appeal using his family to gain support. I think it’s pretty obvious to anyone watching what he’s been doing,' Bloomberg said in an interview with New York Magazine. Modern family: Bloomberg blasted Bill de Blasio's decision to regularly feature his wife Chirlane McCray (left) and their daughter Chiara (center) during the campaign . De Blasio, who is leading in the polls going into Tuesday's Democratic primary, is white and his wife Chirlane McCray is African American. They have two children and their son Dante- who has a very prominent afro- has been featured in a number of his father's ads. Altering the words: Outgoing Mayor Bloomberg had an injection added to the quote so that it is clear he said 'Well, no, no, I mean' before saying that he thought de Blasio's campaign was racist . 'I do not think he himself is racist,' Bloomberg said. 'It’s comparable to me pointing out I’m Jewish in attracting the Jewish vote. You tailor messages to your audiences and address issues you think your audience cares about.' Bloomberg's aides contacted New York Magazine shortly after the article was first published on Friday saying that the quote was missing an interjection. Originally the quote did not have 'Well, no, no, I mean' and the New York Magazine editors said that it was 'inaudible in our audiotape of the interview, which was conducted over speakerphone'. De Blasio's daughter Chiara came to his . defense at a rally on Saturday, saying: 'I would say that 20 years ago, my . dad did not know he was running for mayor, and he did not seek to marry a . black woman to put her on display'. According to Salon, De Blasio responded at the same campaign event: 'All I can say is, I hope the mayor will reconsider what he said. I hope he’ll realize that it was inappropriate, and I think the people of this city are ready for us to move forward together.' That togetherness is a point of contention- at least for Bloomberg- as he said that de Blasio based much of his platform around the idea that New York is a 'tale of two cities', turning the famous title into a slogan. 'I’ve never liked that kind of division,' Bloomberg said during the interview. 'Tearing people apart with this “two cities” thing doesn’t make any sense to me. It’s a destructive strategy for those you want to help the most. He’s a very populist, very left-wing guy, but this city is not two groups, and if to some extent it is, it’s one group paying for services for the other. Making a statement: De Blasio's son Dante has been featured prominently in the campaign and has spoken in a number of his father's commercials . 'It’s a shame, because I’ve always thought he was a very smart guy.' His criticism of de Blasio did not stop there. 'And he doesn’t have any ideas. “I’m gonna raise the taxes.” You know that Albany, under no circumstances, nor the governor, under any circumstances, is going to allow that! So come up with some real ideas, Bill!' Bloomberg said. Bloomberg has been careful not to give an official endorsement to any of the candidates running to replace him, though he has worked very closely with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn for the past seven years. Down to the wire: De Blasio (right) is leading the Democratic race, and Christine Quinn (left) is now in third place after leading for much of the beginning months . The closest he came to giving her an endorsement came earlier in the New York Magazine interview when he said he supported the New York Times' decision to endorse Quinn as the Democratic candidate. It could not be considered a full show of support, however, as he also said they were right to choose Joe Lhota as their pick for the Republican candidate. At the beginning of this year's long mayoral campaign, Quinn was very much seen as the person to beat, leading the five-person Democratic race the longest. Now, de Blasio has 39 per cent of the Democratic vote heading into tomorrow's primary. Former comptroller Bill Thompson follows him with 25 per cent of the vote, and Quinn is in third place with 18 per cent.
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Former Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is running for New York City mayor .
Outgoing Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that de Blasio's campaign is about 'class warfare and racist'
De Blasio's wife is African American and his son has an afro .
De Blasio is now leading in the polls going into the Democratic primary .
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By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 07:01 EST, 18 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:07 EST, 18 September 2013 . Google is believed to be working on a new, anonymous way for advertisers to track what people like based on what sites they visit. The anonymous identifier for advertising, being referred to as AdID, would be an alternative to third-party cookies currently used by advertisers to serve relevant, personalised adverts. Reports in USA Today also state that Google's new system could make it simpler for customers to monitor how they are tracked. Google is believed to be working on a a new, anonymous way for advertisers to track what people like based on what sites they visit. The rumoured AdID system could make it easier for customers to control how they're tracked and for Google to share details anonymously with advertisers . Under the plans, when a person visits a . site, an anonymous AdID would be sent to advertisers and advertising . networks that have signed up to the system. These advertisers would have to adhere . to a set of basic guidelines about what they can and can't track, and . how they can and can't use the information they are sent. Only advertisers who stick to the . guidelines would be given the IDs and if they break the terms and . conditions, they would lose access to them. Users may be able to create 'secondary AdIDs' for when they want to keep their browsing history private. It is also thought that the system . will be opt-in, similar to the current way cookies are handled, and . people can disable the tracking at any time. Google accounts for around a third of worldwide online ad revenue and is rumoured to be looking into new methods of working with advertisers according to someone 'familiar with the plans.' Under the plans, when a person visits a site, an anonymous AdID would be sent to advertisers and advertising networks that have signed up to the system. These advertisers would have to adhere to a set of basic guidelines about what they can and can't track, and how they can and can't use the information they are sent. This could potentially make the process easier for consumers to understand and make sure there isn't any confusion about their anonymity. At the moment, first-party cookies that are used to identify basic details about a person are put on the site by the site's owner. Third-party cookies are added to sites by advertisers and can track what products they like based on what they click on. As they move around websites, these cookies can create a profile of interests and make sure the adverts shown are relevant to that individual. This can be disabled through a browser. Under the plans, when a person visits a site or shops online, an anonymous AdID would be sent to advertisers and advertising networks that have signed up to the system. These advertisers would have to adhere to a set of basic guidelines about what they can and can't track, and how they can and can't use the information . The AdID system would still track people for the same reasons and ultimate outcomes, but would simplify the process and could create an industry standard that all advertisers who want to use Google would adhere to. This could prevent rogue third-party cookies being added to sites, as an example, or different advertisers each taking and using different data in different ways. Only advertisers who stick to the guidelines would be given the IDs and if they break the terms and conditions, they would lose access to them. USA Today continued that the AdID could be automatically reset by the browser each year. Users may also be able to create 'secondary AdID' for when they want to keep their browsing history private. It is also thought that the system will be opt-in, similar to the current way cookies are handled, and people can disable the tracking at any time. The Interactive Advertising Bureau, which represents the industry, told USA Today that it 'at least wants some type of tracking technology available for advertisers, whether third-party cookies or something else'.
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Google believed to be working on an advertising system called AdID .
It could be an alternative to cookies currently used by advertisers .
Cookies are used to monitor what people like and what sites they visit .
This makes it easier to only show relevant, personalised adverts .
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f802fc8784816e7828cd4b3fcc0c6fbc19d9aa9c
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James Mears, 25, has been charged with killing two women in Philadelphia, one of whom was dubbed 'Grandma' because of her willingness to help . A man charged with murder has claimed the 'kind-hearted' elderly woman he is accused of killing was a crack cocaine dealer. James Mears, 25, has been charged with killing two women in Philadelphia. He is accused of murdering 67-year-old Dollie Evans, who was dubbed 'Grandma' by her neighbors because of her willingness to help those in need, in her Philadelphia kitchen. He is also on trial for the alleged murder of her house-guest, Ruby Thomas, 57, which took place in August. Mears has claimed that Evans was a crack cocaine dealer who kept large stashes of cash in her house. A court was told how he colluded with another man to rob the elderly woman and steal her drugs. In a statement to homicide detectives, Mears, who had also been living in Evans' house for the previous two months, said that in August he got a phone call from an accomplice named 'Mann.' He and Mann agreed to set up a robbery in which Mears would leave the door to the house unlocked and Mann would enter and rob Evans at gunpoint and pretend to rob Mears, too. The accomplice entered the home with a silver handgun and allegedly shot Evans as she got her purse. He then went upstairs and shot her house-guest Ms Thomas, Mears told police. The two women were shot dead inside their home where Mr Mears had also been living for the past two months . Mr Mears told a court that Dollie Evans, 67, was a crack cocaine dealer who had wads of cash in her house . According to Mr Mears' statement to homicide detectives he plotted with another man to rob Evans . Mears said 'Mann' took between $700 to $800 in cash and about $500 worth of drugs. They were supposed to share the loot a week later, but Mears said he got locked up before then. Asked why he would help another man rob an elderly woman who was housing him, Mears replied in his statement: 'For the money. It was rough times.' The investigation into the case continues.
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James Mears, 25, charged with killing two women in Philadelphia .
Accused of murdering 67-year-old Dollie Evans, who he was living with .
Also on trial for the alleged murder of her house-guest, Ruby Thomas, 57 .
Claimed Ms Evans, who was known as 'Grandma', was a crack dealer .
Court was told he colluded with another man to rob her and take money .
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f8032b833e45729772a379a0e2eec895b1fa15d7
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Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon remains a doubt for Friday's World Cup match against Costa Rica, and centre back Andrea Barzagli could also be missing after injury problems. Buffon twisted his left ankle and knee before the Azzurri's opening game against England and watched from the bench as Salvatore Sirigu filled in admirably for him in a 2-1 win while Barzagli has a tendinitis problem. Anything but a win for Italy in their second Group D game would send England crashing out of the World Cup, so Three Lions supporters will be praying for the fitness of the legendary Italian 'keeper and the Azzurri's first choice centre back. Getting there: Buffon trained for Italy on Thursday but is still suffering from swelling to his injured ankle . Missing link: Key defender Barzagli could be the latest player that the Italians lose to injury . Coach Cesare Prandelli said Buffon: 'had three great days of training but the ankle is still slightly swollen. If he feels good after today's training he'll play.' Barzagli was held out of training Wednesday due to a tendinitis problem that bothered him all season with Italian champions Juventus. Key duo: Buffon and Barzagli would be a couple of big misses for the Italians if they are ruled out by injury . Able deputy: Sirigu performed well in Buffon's absence and could be called upon again by Prandelli . 'Barzagli is better but we'll evaluate him tomorrow morning,' Prandelli said. If Barzagli is unable to play, Leonardo Bonucci could take over in defense alongside Giorgio Chiellini. Easy does it: Buffon saves a shot during the session but might not be back in time to face Costa Rica .
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Buffon could miss second World Cup game with ankle still swollen .
First choice centre back Barzagli bothered by tendinitis problems .
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f80332c6dd5f14cb4e636f38f19adbf4a6912314
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It is the bane of many an enthusiastic foodie's life - the lingering smell and teary process of chopping onions. But supermarket giant Asda might have found the solution. The chain has unveiled what it describes as the UK's first sweet red onion, promising to rid shoppers of tears and bad breath after eating. Asda has unveiled what it describes as the UK's first sweet red onion, promising to rid shoppers of tears and bad breath after eating . The Asda Sweet Red has 'lower pungency levels', meaning the flavour is less overpowering, fewer tears are shed when chopping and the odour will not linger on the breath as long as a regular onion. The new bulb is said to boast a milder, juicier and crunchier flavour and texture than regular red onions. In an initiative spanning more than 20 years, farmer Alastair Findlay of Bedfordshire Growers personally tasted and evaluated some 400 to 500 bulbs per season to cultivate the new product. More than 40 tonnes of Sweet Reds are hitting selected Asda stores this weekend priced at £1. The new bulb is said to boast a milder, juicier and crunchier flavour and texture than regular red onions . Andy Wareham, vegetable buyer at Asda, said: 'We're incredibly proud to have worked and supported Alastair on his journey. 'Introducing the UK's very first sweet red onion is a fantastic achievement and like the USA, the UK has a sweeter palate than most so will appreciate the same tangy flavour, without the strong acidity of some onions. 'It's funny to think that prior to the 1990s, there were no red onions grown within the UK, however, due to the popularity and versatility of the variety, they now account for 20% of the total onions sold within the UK.'
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Asda has unveiled what it describes as the UK's first sweet red onion .
It promises to rid shoppers of tears and bad breath after eating .
Asda Sweet Red has 'lower pungency levels', and flavour isn't as strong .
The odour will also not linger on the breath as long as a regular onion .
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