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(MNN.com) -- If you're a dog owner and call yourself eco-conscious, guilt might set in after reading the book "Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living" by Robert and Brenda Vale, which reveals dogs are worse for the environment than SUVs. The authors, who designed the first sustainable settlement in the United Kingdom in 1996 and are architecture professors at Victory University of Wellington in New Zealand, measured the environmental impact of our lifestyles from the food we eat to how we travel to sports, hobbies and pets based on the Ecological Footprint technique created by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees. Bottom line: Our pooches cost the Earth more than a Toyota Land Cruiser. According to the Vales' research, a medium-sized dog has twice the impact of driving the luxury SUV 10,000 miles. Why? "Basically dogs are bad for the environment because they are large carnivores, so it takes a lot of land to provide their foods," says Robert Vale. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to get Fido out of the proverbial doghouse. MNN.com: Photos: 7 pudgy pets that should lay off the kibble . Put your dog on a diet . Since your canine's carnivorous diet is the biggest factor in his environmental impact, start by looking at what goes in the dog bowl. Most dog food isn't produced in an eco-friendly way, and the heavy bags of kibble or cans of wet food have to travel miles to get to your door. Dr. Viv Harris, veterinarian and author of "Natural Remedies Dogs and Cats Wish You Knew: A Holistic Care Guide," suggests making your own dog food using locally grown or organic veggies. Your vet can help you work out the perfect mix of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins to meet your dog's needs. And with all of the tainted pet food scandals in recent years, your dog may be better off eating home-made meals anyway. After all, many dog foods that claim to be natural still contain byproducts or low-grade meats. If the do-it-yourself doggie diet sounds like too much work, look for smaller, locally made dog food brands. Or select chicken or rabbit based-kibble, which have a lower impact than beef. MNN.com: Nutrition tips for your pet . Do your doodie duty . If you ask the Vales, dog poo isn't such a big deal compared to what goes in the other end. However, if you don't scoop up the poop, it can contaminate our waterways. If you're a city dweller and use plastic bags to clean up, choose biodegradable poop bags. Shop smart . Just like when you shop for yourself, think about the impact of the products you buy for your pets. Choose dog shampoos that are free of sodium lauryl sulfate. For toys and dog beds, avoid plastic and synthetic products and look to natural fibers like organic cotton or hemp as well as products made from recycled goods. Use birth control . Spaying and neutering your dog might sound inhumane, but it's the eco-conscious thing to do. "Reducing the overpopulation of dogs is crucial," Harris says. If your dog alone creates a impact bigger than an SUV, just think what its accidental litter of puppies could do! MNN.com: 10 ways owning a pet benefits your health . Choose safe flea and tick treatments . According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), some flea control products pose a cancer risk to children up to 1,000 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's acceptable limits. Keep these chemicals off little fingers and your pet's fur by talking to your vet about safer treatments or by choosing from the NRDC's list of safer flea control choices. You can also make natural solutions at home. In her book, Harris suggests creating a DIY flea wash. Start with a base of castile soap and add 10 drops of lavender, five drops of eucalyptus, five drops of rosemary and five drops of cajuput oil. Consider other pets . We're not suggesting you part ways with your pooch right now, but if you don't have a dog yet or are considering a second pet, you might want to think outside the dog box. According to the Vales, a goldfish is equal to the impact of just two cell phones; two hamsters or four canaries can be compared to a plasma TV; and a cat is only as bad as a Smart Car. Even smaller dogs are better than big dogs. Change your own habits . Just like you can buy carbon credits when you take a long-haul flight, you can try to balance out your dog's impact by making some changes of your own. If you don't want to give up Fido, maybe you should give up meat or your car instead. Of course, smaller changes or buying carbon credits can help, too. © Copyright 2011 Mother Nature Network .
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Authors Robert and Brenda Vale reveal dogs are worse for the environment than SUVs .
Put your doggie on a diet .
You can consider other pets or change your own habits .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:18 EST, 22 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:36 EST, 23 May 2012 . Police, neighbors and friends struggled to unravel the mysterious deaths of a Nebraska woman and her 10-year-old son that began with them appearing to go on an excursion and ended with their bodies found deep in the woods of an Iowa state park. Charlotte Schilling, 41, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, and her son, Owen, had been missing since May 10, when the mother checked the boy out of his elementary school. It was not unusual for the stay-at-home mother-of-three to surprise her children with short road trips to parks, zoos and other nearby attractions, relatives said. But the Schilling always called home and the excursions never lasted long. Her family grew worried when neither she nor Owen returned home, and her cellphone went unanswered. Gone: Charlotte Schilling, 41, checked her son Owen, 10, out of his elementary school on May 10 to go camping and had not been heard from since . Charlotte's daughter, Lindsay Schilling, 20, said that is when she became concerned. 'I called until her phone died - every minute,' she told KETV.com. 'The fact that she didn't pick up mine - that's when it hit me: there's something wrong right now.' 'None of this makes sense,' said Polly Best, who lives next door to the Schillings. 'It's just tragic. There was never a hint of anything wrong there.' Best stood outside the family's home on Tuesday holding a roast she had cooked for relatives gathered inside. Yellow police tape blocked the Schillings' driveway and front steps from reporters trying to talk to family members and neighbors wanting to offer condolences. Surveillance video from a convenience store in the area where the woman and boy's bodies were found Sunday showed Owen hugging his mom and Schilling kissing her son on the head. KETV in Omaha aired the store video footage. 'I just can't believe it,' Best said. 'That did not look to me like a woman who would hurt her child.' But that appears to be what investigators believe may have happened. Mystery: Police have not ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide in the deaths of Charlotte Schilling, left, and her son Owen, right . Police in Council Bluffs, Iowa, said on Tuesday they 'do not suspect any outside foul play' in the deaths of Schilling and her son. Their bodies were found on Sunday evening in Lake Manawa State Park, south of Council Bluffs in western Iowa, about 20 miles north of Plattsmouth. Authorities investigating the deaths added they are not looking for an 'outside' killer or at-large suspect. Asked whether that means police believe Mrs Schilling killed her son and then herself, Police Sgt. Dave Dawson replied: 'I can't say at this point.' Dawson told the Omaha World-Herald that police are convinced 'a murderer is not on the loose,' adding that the mother and son were not victims of an attacker. Investigators stopped short of labeling the case a murder-suicide, saying they must wait for further autopsy results before determining the cause of death. Council Bluffs Sgt. Dave Dawson said he expected to announce the cause of death by the end of the week. Investigators are leaning toward the belief that the bodies had been in the spot where they were found since May 10, the day that Schilling checked Owen out of Wade Robin Elementary School in Bellevue, Nebraska, and they went missing. Happy: Carl schilling, left, with his wife Charlotte Schilling, centre, and their son Owen, right, in a family photo posted on Facebook in 2010 . The day after they disappeared, police found Schilling's vehicle at the same park where the pair would eventually be found dead. Schilling's cellphone and wallet were in her car. Nine days after the discovery of the vehicle, a passer-by found the woman and boy's bodies in thick woods about a half-mile from where the car had been parked. Authorities had to rely on autopsy results to confirm the identities because the bodies had decomposed. 'I just about went to my knees,' said the family's neighbor, Naomi Raposo, 50, describing her reaction to news of the deaths. She just found out Tuesday, not realizing that earlier reports of bodies being found were about Schilling and her son. 'They've been very peaceful neighbors. They're very friendly,' Raposo said. The night before the woman and boy went missing, another neighbor, Athena Meneses, said she spoke to Schilling at a local Cub Scout meeting, where Meneses had taken her own son and Owen. Owen had wanted to join the group, Meneses said. 'I didn't really know her very well, but she seemed upset. She had a bump on her head," Meneses said of Schilling. "She didn't seem like she was really happy that night. She said she wasn't feeling well and that she'd like to go home. She told me that she had fallen down earlier that day.' Sunday night a passerby saw two decomposed bodies found at Lake Manawa State Park . After an autopsy officials confirmed on Tuesday that they were the mother and son . The night before she disappeared Charlotte told a neighbor she didn't feel well and had fallen and bumped her head. But her husband said nothing was out of the ordinary . Meneses and her family moved to Plattsmouth about two years ago, just blocks from the Schillings. She said Owen was a playmate to her four oldest children, ages 6 to 14. 'We had a trampoline, and he would come over almost every day to play on that,' she said. Owen was closest to her eight-year-old son, Christian. 'I think my son said it best: He was energy-filled, and a very happy little boy,' Meneses said. School officials said students were having difficulty coping with the fifth-grader's death. Tuesday was the last day of school before summer break. 'There's a lot of sadness and a lot of confusion,' said Bellevue Public Schools Superintendent Frank Harwood. Cody Johnson, a clerk at the Lake Manawa convenience store where surveillance video captured Schilling and her son shortly after she checked him out of school, was one of the last people to see them alive. Schilling bought a pack of cigarettes for herself, and apple juice and snacks for Owen. 'The kid came in all hyper, like a normal kid would be, and went around looking at stuff,' Johnson said. 'Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They were just like any other mom and son. There was nothing that showed me anything bad was going to happen.' Investigators have been treating the case as if the boy had been kidnapped, but they had said they didn't believe he was in danger.
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Investigators are not looking for an outside killer or at-large suspect .
Police said Charlotte Schilling, 41, and her son Owen, 10, were not attacked .
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By . Jill Reilly . A family is suing a New Jersey school district, contending that the phrase 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance is discriminatory toward atheist children. The lawsuit against the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District was filed in state court last month and announced Monday by the American Humanist Association. The group says the phrase, added in 1954, 'marginalizes atheist and humanist kids as something less than ideal patriots.' A family is suing a New Jersey school district, contending that the phrase 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance is discriminatory toward atheist children (file photo) The anonymous plaintiffs say those two words violate the state constitution. According to the suit, the humanist group complained to school officials in February, but the district would not change the pledge. David Niose, an attorney for the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center, said public schools should not permit an exercise that 'teaches students that patriotism is tied to a belief in God.' 'Such a daily exercise portrays atheist and humanist children as second-class citizens, and certainly contributes to anti-atheist prejudices,' Niose said in a statement reported Fox News. But school district lawyer David Rubin said the district is merely following a state law that requires schools to have a daily recitation of the pledge. In March last year Enidris Siurano Rodríguez, a sophomore at Damascus High School in Montgomery County, faced suspension for refusing to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance . He told NorthJersey.com that individual students do not have to participate. 'We are disappointed that this national organization has targeted Matawan-Aberdeen for merely obeying the law as it stands,' Rubin said in a written statement. The group is awaiting a ruling from a court on a similar case in Massachusetts. In March last year a high school student faced suspension for refusing to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Enidris Siurano Rodríguez, a sophomore at Damascus High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, had refused to participate in the daily pledge since she was in seventh grade because of the federal government's policies toward her native Puerto Rico. The American Civil Liberties Union became and filed a complaint against the school, saying it is Enidris' right to sit in silence during the pledge. A group in one Massachusetts town wants to ban students from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in the public schools, saying it is reminiscent of a totalitarian regime.
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Lawsuit is against the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District .
Filed in state court last month by the American Humanist Association .
Group is awaiting a ruling from a court on a similar case in Massachusetts .
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By . John Hall . PUBLISHED: . 11:21 EST, 12 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:16 EST, 12 January 2014 . Never before seen letters written by hellraising poet Dylan Thomas to the American journalist he had a passionate affair with are to be published for the first time. Over the course of six letters, the Welsh writer tells Pearl Kazin 'I kiss your heart. I kiss you everywhere' while delighting in a secret liaison behind his wife Caitlin's back. Thomas' stormy marriage never recovered from the affair, widely considered to be the most passionate and destructive of several he was known to have had before his death from complications relating to alcoholism aged 39 in 1953. Stormy: Dylan Thomas' marriage never recovered from the affair, considered to be the most passionate of several he was known to have had before his death in 1953 from complications relating to alcoholism . Telling Kazin that he feels so close to her 'that the earth stops, the seas dry up', whenever he thinks of her, the letters provide a unique insight into Thomas' famous affair with the former deputy literary editor of Harper's Bazaar magazine. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Thomas' birth, the collection will be published for the first time next month in a book titled 'A Pearl of Great Price' by Jeff Towns. The first letter sent by Thomas to Kazin was written in April 1950 and sent from the Savage Gentleman's Club, then based in St James', London. Beginning 'Peal, darling', the letter ends 'I'll sit here drinking Punch and reading sherry until your letter comes. The world is empty this side of the damned sea. I love you, Dylan'. His final letter, dated February 1951 and written in Iran while producing a film-script for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, is equally dramatic. Dylan Thomas' long-suffering wife Caitlin (pictured left with Thomas) is believed to have never forgiven the poet for his affair with Pearl Kazin. Caitlin was portrayed by Sienna Miller in the 2008 biopic The Edge of Love (right) In it Thomas says: 'I am writing this is tasty, stiff-lipped, liverish. British guesthouse in puking Abadan, on the foul blue boiling Persian buggering Gulf'. Thomas first met Kazin in early 1950 when he visited the offices of Harpar's Bazaar to sell an essay. Although the affair is believed to have lasted only around a year, it is widely considered have been more passionate and destructive than his relationships with Pamela Glendower and Liz Reitell. His long-suffering wife Caitlin, who was portrayed by Sienna Miller in the 2008 biopic The Edge of Love, is believed to have never forgiven the poet for his affair with Kazin, who he took on a high-profile trip around Europe at the height of their affair. The letters were given to Dylan Thomas expert Jeff Towns by Kazin's son David after death three years ago. Tribute: The letters have been released as part of a book marking 100 years since Dylan Thomas' birth . As well as regularly writing about the poet, Towns also ran Dylan's Bookshop in Swansea for nearly 20 years. There are a number of other tributes to Thomas planned to mark the centenary of his birth, including the Dylan Thomas 100 Festival, of which Prince Charles is Royal Patron. As part of that event, a replica of Thomas' iconic writing shed, where he penned his famous work Under Milk Wood, will go on tour around the country. It will be popping up at places and . events across the country, including the Hay Festival, the Royal Welsh . Show and the National Eisteddfod. Visitors . to the shed will be encouraged to make up a new word which will be . published in a Dictionary of Dylan - in honour of his love of words. The . real writing shed in the picturesque Welsh village of . Laugharne is a magnet for fans wanting to experience where Thomas found . his inspiration. Prince Charles is Royal Patron of the year-long festival and visited Thomas' isolated home on the Taf estuary last summer with his wife the Duchess of Cornwall. He said after visiting the Carmarthenshire boathouse: 'I think I can begin to understand something of the love of that county which inspired Thomas himself. 'I can only hope that these centenary celebrations will help to spark fresh interest in the genius of one of Wales's greatest poets.' Thomas lived in the boathouse, which sits below the writing shed, in the four years leading up to his death in New York in 1953. The first poem Thomas wrote in the shed was Over Sir John's Hill, in which he described the view and wrote of birds stalking their prey and bringing death in the midst of beauty. Thomas, who was born in Swansea in October 1914 became a popular national figure with his 'play for voices' Under Milk Wood, and stories and radio broadcasts such as 'A Child's Christmas in Wales'. In his later life he acquired a reputation, which he encouraged, as a 'roistering, drunken and doomed poet'. Controversy still surrounds the exact cause of his death at the age of 39 in New York in 1953 - whether it was pneumonia or a drink-induced coma during a literary tour.
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Six letters detail the passionate affair Dylan Thomas had with Pearl Kazin .
Hellraising Welsh poet met the literary journalist two years before his death .
Embarked on a year-long relationship that virtually destroyed his marriage .
Caitlin Thomas never forgave her husband for his public affair with Kazin .
Poet died of complications relating to alcoholism in 1953 at the age of 39 .
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Oscar Pistorius is depressed, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and is a suicide risk, the doctors who spent a month evaluating his mental health concluded. But he does not appear to have a history of abnormal aggression or psychopathic tendencies linked to "rage-type murders in intimate relations," they found. The conclusions, read at the athlete's murder trial on Wednesday, are a "slam-dunk for the defense," CNN legal expert Kelly Phelps said. The double amputee sprinter is on trial for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home last year. He admits killing her but says he mistook her for a burglar and thought he was defending himself. The prosecution says the two had an argument and he killed her intentionally. The psychiatric report seemed to suggest that Pistorius's version of events was plausible. "When Mr. Pistorius's appraisal of the situation is that he might be physically threatened, a fear response follows that might seem extraordinary when viewed from the perspective of a normal bodied person, but normal in the context of a disabled person with his history," the doctors found. One of the questions Judge Thokozile Masipa must consider in determining her verdict is whether Pistorius behaved reasonably in the circumstances. Several witnesses have testified that Pistorius tends to arm himself and go towards danger, rather than away from it, when he thinks he is under threat. The track star's specialist sports doctor testified Wednesday after defense lawyer Barry Roux read the mental health report. Wayne Derman said that Pistorius was "hypervigilant." Mentally sound . The trial restarted Monday after a monthlong break when Pistorius was evaluated by mental health experts at the prosecution's request. They found he was not mentally incapacitated when he shot and killed Steenkamp. An independent panel of doctors said that Pistorius was, at the time he shot Steenkamp, not mentally ill or incapacitated in any way that would make him "criminally not responsible of the offenses charged." The report added that "Mr. Pistorius was capable of appreciating the wrongfulness of his act." Had the doctors deemed Pistorius mentally incapacitated during the shooting, the trial would have immediately ended in a verdict of not guilty by reason of mental illness. Verdict . At the trial's conclusion, Judge Masipa will have to decide whether Pistorius genuinely made a mistake or killed Steenkamp intentionally. If she does not believe the athlete thought there was an intruder, she will find him guilty of murder and sentence him to a prison term ranging from 15 years to life. South Africa does not have the death penalty. If Masipa accepts that Pistorius did not know Steenkamp was the person he was shooting at, she could find him guilty of culpable homicide, a lesser charge than murder, or acquit him, according to CNN legal analyst Kelly Phelps. A verdict of culpable homicide would leave the sentence at Masipa's discretion. Read more: Judge sends Pistorius for psychiatric tests .
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Oscar Pistorius does not have signs associated with violence against partners, doctors find .
Pistorius is accused of deliberately shooting his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp .
He says he shot Steenkamp accidentally in his bathroom, mistaking her for an intruder .
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Kagadi, Uganda (CNN) -- Two more people have died in Uganda's Ebola outbreak, officials working at a hospital said Wednesday. This brings the death toll to 16 people. They died in an outbreak that began in the Kibaale district in western Uganda. One of the two latest deaths was of a 14-year-old boy whose nine relatives also have died in the outbreak in the district's Nyanswiga village, where the first case is thought to have been. The two died in a hospital in Kagadi, a town close to the Congolese border. About three dozen suspected cases have been reported, World Health Organization spokesman Tariq Jasarevic said Tuesday. What does the Ebola outbreak mean? The deaths have stoked heightened fear about the spread of the virus, a highly infectious, often fatal agent spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, a measles-like rash, red eyes and, at times, bleeding from body openings. Market day was canceled Wednesday after Uganda's president warned people not to gather in large groups. Drivers of taxi motorbikes called boda-boda have become reluctant to take on passengers and there have been rumors that public transportation will be banned. Health officials urged the public to report any suspected cases, to avoid contact with anyone infected and to wear gloves and masks while disinfecting bedding and clothing of infected people. Officials also advised avoiding public gatherings in the affected district. Teams in Uganda are taking an aggressive approach, including trying to track down anyone who came into contact with patients infected with the virus and health workers have been gearing up for better protection of health workers and an influx of cases. The workers include people from Uganda's ministry of health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO. The outbreak initially went undetected because patients did not show typical symptoms, Ugandan Health Minister Dr. Christine Ondoa told CNN on Sunday. Patients had fevers and were vomiting, but did not show other typical symptoms, such as hemorrhaging. Diagnosis in an individual who has only recently been infected can be difficult since early symptoms, such as red eyes and skin rash, are seen more frequently in patients who have more common diseases, the CDC said. Uganda's Ministry of Health declared the outbreak in Kibaale district Saturday after the Uganda Virus Research Institute identified the disease as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Sudan strain. Some people delayed seeking treatment, in part, because they believed that "evil spirits" had sickened them, according to a report from district health authorities. "This caused civil strife among the community, requiring police intervention to quell the animosity," the Health Ministry said. An emergency team of 100 volunteers underwent training this week to help spread the word in vulnerable communities about the disease and its transmission, the Uganda Red Cross Society said. Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, helped set up a hospital isolation center. The WHO did not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied to Uganda because of the outbreak. The U.S. Embassy in Kampala issued an emergency message for U.S. citizens that said the outbreak appeared to be centered in Nyamarunda Sub County, Kibaale district, although one suspected victim is reported to have traveled to Kampala for treatment at Mulago Hospital, where he died on July 22. It urged avoiding contact with dead animals, especially primates, and refraining from eating "bushmeat." The Ebola virus was first detected in 1976 in the central African nation of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The virus is named after a river in that country, where the first outbreak of the disease was found. There are five species of Ebola viruses, all named after the areas where they were found: Zaire, Sudan, Cote d'Ivoire, Bundibugyo and Reston, according to the WHO.
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One of the dead is a teen whose relatives previously died of the virus .
Concerns over infection ripple across Uganda .
Health teams are working to deal with the issue .
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Wayne Rooney has described England team-mate John Terry as the 'toughest defender' he has ever faced - while Danny Welbeck has lifted the lid on why he is nicknamed 'dat guy'. The Manchester United duo answered fans' questions in a Nike Football video and revealed what they think their best goals for the club have been and what their favourite moments at Old Trafford have been. The pair have endured a difficult start to the season, with Louis van Gaal's side having taken just one point from two Premier League matches. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck in a Nike Q&A session . All smiles: Manchester United duo Wayne Rooney (left) and Danny Welbeck (right) answered fans' questions . Q&A: Manchester United's striking duo Wayne Rooney (left) and Danny Welbeck (right) answered questions . Opponent: Wayne Rooney (right) described Chelsea's John Terry (left) as the 'toughest defender' he has faced . When asked who the toughest defender he has ever faced is, Rooney replied: 'I would have to say John Terry is the toughest defender I've played against. He reads the game really well, he's physical and he's tough to play against so you know you're always in for a tough game when you play against him.' Welbeck, meanwhile, explained why he is referred to as 'dat guy'. He said: 'It's something you can't really explain, "dat guy", and anyone can be "dat guy" in a certain situation. Wazza (Rooney) was "dat guy" the other day. It's just a bit of slang like, growing up in Manchester people are called "dat guy" or if you do something you're "dat guy" and I think that's how it just started. I'm "dat guy".' The young striker also revealed his admiration for United legend, and current assistant manager, Ryan Giggs when he was growing up. 'Obviously as a United fan it was Ryan Giggs - I loved watching him play since I was a little kid,' he said. Unsurprisingly, United captain Rooney declared that his overhead kick against Manchester City was his best goal. Youngster: Boyhood Manchester United fan Danny Welbeck grew up watching Old Trafford legend Ryan Giggs . Inspiration: Welbeck says he grew up idolising Ryan Giggs (pictured) before playing with the United legend . Tough start: Manchester United have taken just one point from their first two Premier League games . He said: 'I would have to say my goal against Manchester City. It was 1-1 with 10 minutes to go. Scored an overhead kick in the derby which won us the game. It was definitely my best goal. When asked the same question, Welbeck joked: 'At Old Trafford against City I scored an overhead kick and ran to the corner... 'No, I think my favourite goal is my first goal for Manchester United against Stoke in the Premier League.' Wonder strike: Rooney described his overhead kick against Manchester City as the best goal of his career . Memories: Rooney believes his overhead kick against Manchester City is the best goal he has ever scored .
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Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck took part in a Nike Football Q&A .
Manchester United striking duo answered fans' questions in a video .
Rooney describes Chelsea's John Terry as 'toughest defender' he has faced .
Welbeck is nicknamed 'dat guy' and says it is a Manchester nickname .
United have only taken one point from their first two Premier League games .
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A 63-stone man had to be rescued using a giant digger after he had heart failure. Michael Lehberger called the emergency services when he began to notice symptoms. But it soon became apparent that he would not fit through the door of his home in Riegelsberg, Germany. Scroll down for video . Michael Lehberger had to be rescued after feeling symptoms of heart failure last week . The 29-year-old had to be lifted using a cushioned CAT digger as the emergency services struggled to rescue him . Firefighters were forced to smash a hole into the side of his house to allow him to escape, reported the Sun. He was then loaded into a cushioned CAT digger and lifted to safety. The specialists had spent time building scaffolding outside his house, but found that it was too dangerous to try and carry him. Mr Lehberger was loaded into a cushioned CAT digger and carried from his home . Neighbours have said that they have not seen him outside of his house in approximately two years . Firefighters and paramedics worked for six hours overnight to rescue the 29-year-old . A firefighter covers the patient in a blanket as they carry him to safety . A window had to be expanded to allow the man to escape the house. He could not fit through his front door . Firefighters discuss how best to get the man out of his house and to the hospital . The 29-year-old was taken to hospital in an ambulance that is designed to hold four people. The entire rescue mission took six hours to complete. He was taken to a hospital with special beds designed for the patient's needs. They were forced to extend a window in the side of the house until it was big enough to get him out . The rescue mission began shortly after midnight and took six hours to complete . The emergency services were forced to build scaffolding in an attempt to get him out . The team tried to use a crane, but it was too dangerous to lift him out that way . An ambulance and firefighters outside Mr Lehberger's home . Head of the operation Volker Klien said: 'I have never experienced such a situation. Klien added that the man was too heavy to be taken in a car. A neighbour said that they had not seen him beyond his doorstep for approximately two years. The customised private bathroom for Mr Lehberger. His weight makes it difficult for him to do everyday things . An old photo of 400-pound man Michael Lehberger flamed mountain as Goal keeper of the DJK Puettlingen (front centre) Michael Lehberger's bedrom inside the Riegelsberg home he had to be rescued from .
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Michael Lehberger called emergency services when he had heart failure .
The 63-stone man could not fit through the door of his Riegelsberg home .
Firefighters had to extend a window to rescue him from the building .
He was then carried to safety using a cushioned CAT digger .
An ambulance built for four people took him to hospital .
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Hong Kong (CNN) -- "Big Brother is watching you." This is the sinister maxim repeated throughout George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four," his dark portrayal of life inside an authoritarian state characterized by its omniscient and paranoid leadership. Fortunately this kind of dystopian nightmare is confined to fiction for most of us -- or more recently the world of reality television with the phenomenally successful Big Brother show, where groups of hapless "housemates" try to outlast each in an isolated environment where their every move is monitored 24 hours a day. And now the show is coming to China's small screen, an irony that won't be lost on many in a country that purportedly has more people employed to censor the Internet than its army (the world's largest) has soldiers. Launching in early 2015, the first-ever Chinese version of Big Brother will air for ten weeks, with production in China set to begin shortly, according to Endemol China -- part of the Asian arm of one of the world's leading multi-platform program makers -- who will partner with Chinese digital video platform Youku Tudou Inc. to produce the show. "In a market that annually generates hundreds of billions of video views, partnering with the number one digital video platform will allow us to bring Big Brother to a young audience and deliver the most immersive, interactive and unique experience to fans across the nation," said Endemol's CEO of Asian Operations Arjen van Mierlo. Victor Koo, Chairman and CEO of Youku Tudou Inc. said: "We are delighted to be joining forces with Endemol to finally bring this groundbreaking format to China. Fifteen years after its launch, Big Brother continues to be a worldwide hit that engages passionate young fans across multiple platforms." 'Excessive' and 'vulgar' The announcement comes at a time when authorities are concerned about the lack of originality and diversity of Chinese programs, as well as "excessive" and "vulgar" entertainment -- with foreign content in their crosshairs. Shows such as "Chinese Idol," a talent show that replicates the formula of the hugely popular "American idol," have been a huge success with viewers and sponsors alike. But as of this year, satellite broadcasters are only permitted to buy the rights to more than one foreign-made program per year. Big Brother, which has been running for 15 years, continues to be a hit in the USA, Europe, Australia, Canada and Israel, as well across Latin America, Scandinavia, Africa and Asia.
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Launching in early 2015, the first-ever Chinese version of Big Brother will air for ten weeks .
Will follow the format of the hugely successful reality show popular across the world .
Comes at a time when China has been clamping down on "excessive, vulgar" content .
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By . Martin Beckford . It is every Antiques Roadshow fan’s dream – a painting picked up in a shop for just £400 has been identified as a Van Dyck masterpiece. The piece, worth up to £400,000, will be revealed tonight to be the most valuable painting to feature in the show’s 36-year history. It was identified after a hunch by presenter Fiona Bruce when the owner of the painting, Father Jamie MacLeod, took it along to be valued at Newstead Abbey in Nottinghamshire. Scroll down for video . Materpiece: Fiona Bruce with FR Jamie MacLeod with the 17th century work of art . Ms Bruce, who recently made a TV programme about Anthony van Dyck, thought it might be a genuine work by the Flemish master and showed it to an expert. It was later confirmed to be by the leading court painter in 17th Century England. ‘It’s everyone’s dream to spot a hidden masterpiece,’ she said. ‘I’m thrilled that my hunch paid off – to discover a genuine Van Dyck is incredibly exciting.’ The picture, showing a Brussels magistrate, is believed to be a preparatory piece for a larger work painted in 1634. While the main painting was destroyed in 1695, the smaller single portrait survived and somehow found its way to an antiques shop in Nantwich, Cheshire. From there it was bought for £400 by Fr MacLeod – mainly because he liked its golden frame. Could it be? Antiques Roadshow expert Philip Mould inspects the piece before it was officially verified as a genuine Van Dyck . Stunning: The artwork will now be sold to pay for new bells at Father MacLeod's church . It hung in the hallway of a retreat . he runs for the clergy in Derbyshire. At at one stage, the painting fell . off its hook on the wall and landed on a CD player, smashing the . device. After . art expert Philip Mould inspected it, it underwent a thorough . restoration and was officially verified as a genuine Van Dyck by Dr . Christopher Brown, who is a world authority on the artist. Mr . Mould said: ‘Discoveries of this type are exceptionally rare. The . painting’s emergence from beneath layers of paint was dramatic. ‘It’s . been revealed as a thrilling example of Van Dyck’s skills of direct . observation that made him so great a portrait painter.’ The . artwork will now be sold by Fr MacLeod to pay for the restoration of . bells at the chapel within the grounds of the retreat he runs. Maestro: One of Van Dyck's best known works entitled Mary with child and boy Johannes . He . said: ‘It’s wonderful that new church bells hopefully will be pealing . out to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War in . 2018.’ The discovery, to be revealed on BBC1 at 7pm tonight, makes the portrait the most valuable painting ever found on Antiques Roadshow. Among the show’s other most famous previous discoveries is a glass vase bought for £1 at a car boot sale. It was later identified as a rare Art Nouveau piece and was sold at auction for £32,450. Tonight’s edition of Antiques Roadshow will also reveal that a leather-covered chest inscribed with the initials ‘Q’ and ‘A’ almost certainly belonged to Queen Anne. It has been studied by experts at Hampton Court Palace, who have unearthed records suggesting the chest was used to transport Queen Anne’s bed linen when she travelled between various Royal palaces. Experts on the show estimate it is worth up to £30,000.
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Painting taken to be valued at show in Newstead Abbey, Nottinghamshire .
Ms Bruce has recently made a TV programme about Van Dyck .
She suspected it might be a genuine work by the Flemish master .
Owner Father Jamie MacLeod will sell it to raise money for new church bells .
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By . David Richards . UPDATED: . 10:12 EST, 29 October 2011 . Budget retailer Poundland has been forced to review its dress code after a row erupted on Twitter and Facebook following claims that it had banned staff from wearing remembrance poppies. In a statement on Facebook, Poundland said it was not against employees wearing a poppy, but they were not allowed to do so on the shop floor because it is not part of staff uniform. But the company said today that it will now allow workers to 'use their own discretion in wearing poppies' after hundreds of customers threatened to boycott its stores. The claims that Poundland had banned staff from wearing them sparked the row on Twitter and the store's Facebook page, with hundreds of people expressing outrage at the policy . It had been claimed on Facebook that one member of staff was sent home from work and faced losing her job after refusing to remove her poppy. But in a statement Poundland said: 'On Friday 28th October a situation in Northern Ireland was brought to the company's attention where a store colleague was politely asked to remove a poppy by our store manager in order to comply with company policy. 'The store colleague decided to walk out and stated that she would return on Monday next wearing her poppy.' Proud: Poppy-wearing Chelsea captain John Terry and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger at the Stamford Bridge match this afternoon . The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day and is worn as a mark of respect to servicemen and women who have been killed or injured fighting for their country. Poppy pride: David Dimbleby displays his one at Question Time . The claims that Poundland had banned staff from wearing them sparked the row on Twitter and the store's Facebook page, with hundreds of people expressing outrage at the policy. Comments included 'disgusting' and 'shameful', and some customers said they would no longer shop at the store, describing it as a 'disgrace'. One Poundland employee, Vicky Hill, left the message: 'I don't think this is right. It's a sign of respect. Everyone has the right to wear a poppy. 'Of course, I shan't be wearing my poppy at work simply because rules are rules, and at the end of the day I abide by them. But I am not pleased with this at all.' Shane Brown said: 'I'm a Poundland employee and I find this a disgrace tbh we should be allowed to wear them with pride and respect at ALL times!!!' Poundland customer Linda Williams wrote: 'So wrong of you! Have some respect for those who fought and died for this country.' Poundland responded on the website yesterday saying it listens to its customers and was giving their views 'serious consideration'. Today, chief executive Jim McCarthy said: "We have listened to the views of customers and colleagues and have, in light of their feedback, reviewed the policy. "We have decided in the case of the poppy appeal to allow store colleagues to use their own discretion in wearing poppies. "This change in policy is consistent with recent reviews of policy made by other leading High street retailers. "We apologise for any unintended offence that has been caused." The 2011 Poppy Appeal was launched on Thursday and is the culmination of the Royal British Legion's 90th anniversary year. Television presenter David Dimbleby ignored BBC guidelines and wore his poppy on Thursday night's edition of Question Time - 36 hours before the go-ahead from BBC bosses. David Jordan, director of editorial policy and standards, ordered that poppies should be worn on screen from 6am today until '23.59pm on Sunday November 13 — Remembrance Sunday.' Last year the Armed Forces charity achieved a record-breaking total of £36million and hope to improve on this in 2011 with a fundraising goal of £40million.
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Massive Facebook storm after staff member claimed she'd been sent home after refusing to remove emblem .
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New York (CNN) -- New Yorkers are sweating-out a steamy summer thinking about sex. A pair of rogue politicians running for re-election and redemption leave them no choice. "People have forgiveness in their hearts," said Eliot Spitzer, a former crime-fighting prosecutor and then governor who resigned in 2008 after revelations that he frequented prostitutes. Spitzer, who briefly joined us at CNN as a TV host during his exile from elected politics, began his comeback campaign this week with a surprise decision to run for comptroller of New York City. The job would essentially make him the Big Apple's accountant -- a huge demotion from his days running the entire state. He's sharing the city's summer-of-scandal spotlight with Anthony Weiner, a former Washington lawmaker who resigned from the House of Representatives in 2011 after acknowledging he sent sexually explicit photographs to several women. Weiner is running for mayor and would have to work closely with Spitzer if both men win. Could they? Both are Democrats -- a party that typically does well in New York -- and would first have to face a September vote for their party's nomination, even before the municipal election in November. Zombie politicians find new life after disgrace . Weiner represented a New York district in Congress and ran a credible campaign for mayor of the city back in 2005. Media accounts suggest he spent months planning this year's campaign. Polls make him the frontrunner among Democrats. By contrast, Spitzer started late and had a rough first week simply trying to collect enough signatures to get a place on the ballot. He also faced a particularly awkward opponent for the comptroller's office: an ex-madam who says she actually supplied Spitzer with women. Kristin Davis has no proof of that allegation but she did spend several months behind bars because of her business. Spitzer has to hope that it's something voters can overlook come September. Is the road to redemption getting shorter? "Ten minutes in politics is 50 years in anything else," said Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic strategist who has worked with Spitzer in the past. "And anything can happen, all times, any time, forever." The prospect of the disgraced duo running 'the city that never sleeps' hasn't escaped the attention of America's comedians. In the words of late night TV host Conan O'Brien, "New York is changing its name to the city that never sleeps with its wife." Opinion: New York's sex scandal candidates .
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Scandal tainted politicians look for redemption at the ballot box .
One-time governor Eliot Spitzer running to control New York's purse strings .
Former Congressman Anthony Weiner wants to be city mayor .
Spitzer was ousted for using prostitutes; Weiner for sending sexual photos .
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By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 13:56 EST, 4 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:31 EST, 4 December 2012 . Tens of thousands of pounds have already been bet on what the royal baby will be called, barely a day after the news was first announced. And clever marketing will ensure firms will make the most of the royal couple's happy announcement over the next nine months and beyond. Less than 24 hours after Kate and William were forced to confirm that she was expecting their first child after she was taken into hospital with severe morning sickness, shrewd souvenir companies had kick-started the kilns ready for a batch of commemorative keepsakes. Scroll down for video . Dragons of Walton Street, the high end nursery outfitters based in Knightsbridge, say they have already received a peak in interest in their four-poster 'Duchess cot', since the news was announced yesterday afternoon . The name Elizabeth is already the favourite for the couple's new arrival at Ladbrokes where odds have dropped to 7/1 . A mug celebrating the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s happy news has already gone into production following yesterday’s official announcement by St James’s Palace. Elizabeth 7/1 . John 10/1 . Charles 10/1 . George 10/1 . Diana 12/1 . Anne 12/1 . James 12/1 . Victoria 12/1 . Mary 14/1 . Phillip 14/1 . Richard 16/1 . Edward 16/1 . Catherine 16/1 . Spencer 20/1 . Andrew 20/1 . David 20/1 . Jessica 20/1 . Alexander 20/1 . Henry 25/1 . Phillipa 25/1 . Alexandra 25/1 . Albert 33/1 . Marie 33/1 . Jane 33/1 . Stephen 33/1 . Arthur 33/1 . Carole 33/1 . Caroline 33/1 . Oliver 33/1 . Isabella 33/1 . High-end pottery company Emma Bridgewater, which hand-makes all its products at its Victorian factory in Stoke-on-Trent, has yet to confirm a release date for the items out of respect for the royal couple. But the manufacturer confirmed that sample products had already been drawn up and the first batch was heading for the ovens. Designed by managing director Emma Bridgewater and her husband, Matthew Rice, the half-pint mug bears red and blue hearts in the firm’s signature sponged technique. Finished with the words 'A Royal Baby in 2013' on one side and 'Hooray for Will & Kate' on the other, the commemorative pieces will cost £19.95. And Dragons of Walton Street, the high end nursery outfitters based in Knightsbridge, say they have already received a peak in interest in their four-poster 'Duchess cot', since the news was announced yesterday afternoon. The company is already a royal favourite. Diana was said to be a 'huge fan' and they designed the nursery of Prince William and Harry in a pale blue Beatrix Potter design, while princesses Beatrice and Eugenie also had Dragons' dens - in pale pink gingham and Flower Fairies. But at £12,000 and taking an eight strong team 12 weeks to make, the cot is not perhaps as affordable as the raft of other memorabilia which will no doubt soon hit shelves and the internet. On the other end of the spectrum Italian craftsmen in the city of Naples, who are more commonly associated with Nativity scenes, are already stocking carved figurines of a pregnant Duchess of Cambridge. The gaudy figures feature Wills and Kate in their wedding clothes - but Kate is also sporting a heavily swollen stomach under her white dress. Twitter quickly exploded in response to the news of the baby yesterday. 'I may not have bones yet, but I'm already more important than everyone reading this,' was the Tweet from @RoyalFetus, which already has nearly 9,000 followers. The surprise announcement yesterday . beat the bookies odds by one month, and now it is bets on the new arrival's name . that are hotting up. Bookmakers William Hill and Ladbrookes say tens of thousands of pounds have been staked on what the baby's name will be - with Elizabeth a clear favourite at 7/1. Paddy Power has said the name Victoria is currently the favourite with odds at 9/1. But other strong family names, . including Alexandra, Victoria and . Diana are also being offered. Jessica Bridge of Ladbrookes said: 'It's still very early days at the moment but by Christmas Day we reckon we'll have taken £25,000 worth of bets on baby names alone. ' Contenders: Elizabeth and John are strong baby name contenders - but other favourites are Diana and Charles, after the prince's parents . The firm have also been inundated with requests on the chances of the couple conceiving twins, having previously been a 33/1 shot it is now just 10/1 that Kate and Wills hear the pitter patter of two sets tiny of feet next year. Miss Bridge added: 'The odds are now suggesting the nation should expect two new arrivals, giving us all a reason for a double celebration.' As speculation mounted last week one gambler who believed the couple would be expecting sooner rather than later placed a £10 bet on Rylan to be the chosen name at odds of 1000/1. Speculation as to what they might name their first child began even before Kate was pregnant with predictions posted ranging from Mary and Matilda to Edmund and George on the mumsnet website before their wedding. Bookmaker William Hill said it will pay out a 'small five-figure sum' after many people betted on a 2013 royal baby. Spokesman Joe Crilly said: 'We fully . expect that the betting public will get involved in speculating what the . baby will be called. 'When William and Catherine got . married we were bowled over by a million pounds worth of bets and we . predict similar levels of excitement before the birth of their first . child.' William Hill is even offering odds on the colour of the newborn's hair - 6/4 brown, 2/1 blonde, 5/2 black, and 8/1 ginger. Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran, the authors of Cool Names for Babies, already have their predictions on the babyzone website - posted before Kate was even pregnant. Suggestions include Alice (the name of Queen Victoria's second daughter and also the Duke of Edinburgh's mother), Amelia (George II's second daughter), Dorothea (meaning gift of god) and Charlotte (wife of George III) for a girl and Augustus (George II's middle name), Frederick (a son of George III) or Leopold (a son of Queen Victoria). If the baby is boy, he would be expected to be styled a Prince and if the baby was a girl, a Princess. The last example of a great granddaughter of a still serving Sovereign born on the male line was Princess Mary, who was born in 1897 and was George VI's sister and a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria. William uses the surname 'Wales' professionally in the forces . According to the monarchy's official . website: 'For the most part, members of the Royal Family who are . entitled to the style and dignity of HRH Prince or Princess do not need a . surname, but if at any time any of them do need a surname (such as upon . marriage), that surname is Mountbatten-Windsor.' In 1917, George V adopted Windsor as the royal family's House and . surname. In 1960, for the direct descendants of the Queen and the Duke . of Edinburgh, other than those with the style of Royal Highness and the title of Prince/Princess, or female descendants who marry, it became Mountbatten-Windsor. Mountbatten was the surname Greek-born Prince Philip assumed when he . became naturalised in 1947. William has used Wales professionally in the forces. His children might . use Cambridge in the same way, or even Wales too as William still . retains his title Prince William of Wales. If a boy, the baby is also likely to one day be Prince of Wales. The . title is usually given to the male heir to the throne, but it is not . automatic. VIDEO: Royal baby! All the latest on the surprise announcement and what to 'expect'...
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Just like Royal Wedding souvenir bonanza - the baby gold rush has begun .
Prince William's nursery designers unveil £12,000 four poster 'Duchess cot'
Top pottery designer produces 'Royal Baby 2013' celebratory mug .
Bookies slash odds on Elizabeth as baby name game gets under way .
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By . Snejana Farberov . A Texas mother returned home Tuesday afternoon to discover her daughter and two sons shot dead in what police are calling an apparent murder-suicide. The bodies of Rebecca Mughal, 15; Faheed Mughal, 23, and Fahad Mughal, 18, were found scattered around the family's home in the quiet Houston suburb of Stafford at around 2pm. A fourth sibling, a woman in her 20s, was attending classes at Houston Community College at the time of the killings, according to the Stafford Police Department. Scroll down for video . Siblings slain: Rebecca Mughal, 15 (left), her 18-year-old brother, Fahad (right) and 23-year-old brother Faheem were found shot dead from close range in an apparent murder-suicide Tuesday . Neighborhood in shock: The murders took place in board daylight inside a red-brick home on the tree-lined Venice Circle in Stafford, Texas . Multiple weapons, including pistols and rifles, have been removed from the crime scene in the 13300 block of Venice Circle. Ballistics experts will have to perform tests to determine which guns were used in the killings, the Houston Chronicle reported. Police say they received a frantic 911 call at around 2pm from a woman screaming that 'her baby was dead.' Responding officers discovered three of the mother's four children slain in separate rooms inside the family home. One of the brothers was armed. On Wednesday afternoon, officials revealed that it was 18-year-old Fahad who used an AR-15 assault rifle to murder his brother and sister at close range before shooting himself in the head. Neighbors described the Mughals as a quiet family of Pakistani descent who have lived in the red-brick home on Venice Circle for at least two years. Faheem Mughal, who was known to his friends as Jacob, worked as a mechanic, buying used cars, repairing them in an auto shop located on his parents' property and then reselling them for profit. His younger brother, Fahad, sometimes helped the 23-year-old fix up vehicles. Gruesome sight: Police officers found the Mughal siblings' bodies with fatal gunshot wounds in different rooms around the house . Conflicting accounts: Neighbors said they have not heard any arguing coming from the home, but police say they had received calls for service in the past . Next-door neighbor Larry Rangel told the paper he has never heard the Mughal family fight or argue out loud. However, in a brief phone interview with MailOnlne Wednesday, Lt James Leedom, of the Stafford Police Department, revealed that there had been 'calls for service' at the Mughal residence in the past. Rebecca Mughal, the youngest of the family, attended Stafford High School. Former classmate Juan Lopez said the 16-year-old was smart and talked about her aspirations to work in the medical field. According to Lauren Garza, Rebecca's older brother Fahad dropped out of Stafford High School before graduating. 'Warning sign': A Twitter user by the name Fahad Mughal from Stafford, Texas, wrote in January: 'People cant keep their fingers off a trigger these days' Youngest victim: Rebecca Mughal attended Stafford High School, where a former classmate said the 15-year-old talked about her aspiration to work in the medical profession . She described the 18-year-old as a person with an explosive temper ready to go off on anyone who made him upset. A Twitter user by the name Fahad Mughal from Stafford, Texas, wrote in January: ‘People cant keep their fingers off a trigger these days.' When asked about a possible motive, Lt Leedom replied: 'We may never know.'
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Rebecca Mughal, 15, her 18-year-old brother, Fahad, and 23-year-old brother Faheem were found shot dead in their Stafford, Texas, home .
Police determined Fahad Mughal was the one who killed his family before shooting himself in the head .
The slain siblings' older sister was in college at the time of the killings; the discovery was made by the mother .
Police recovered multiple firearms from the home, including a gun that was found next to Fahad .
It is believed an AR-15 was the murder weapon and that it was fired at close range .
The 18-year-old high school dropout tweeted in January how people cannot 'keep their fingers off a trigger these days'
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Australian doctors have added to evidence that there can be life after death by reviving a woman 42 minutes after she had been declared dead. Mother-of-two Vanessa Tanasio, 41, was rushed to hospital in Melbourne after suffering a major heart attack at her home in the suburb of Narre Warren. Paramedics tried desperately to revive her in the ambulance but on arrival at the Monash Heart Hospital she was declared clinically dead. But today Mrs Tanasio was sitting up . in her hospital bed smiling and chatting to her mother Virginia and . children Ella,, 11, and Max, 9, who had come to visit. Scroll down for video . 'Miracle patient': Mrs Tanasio was sitting up in her hospital bed smiling and chatting to her children Ella, 11, and Max, 9, who had come to visit. They are pictured with Sergeant Mark Robertson from the Victoria Police . Mrs Tanasio, described by Australian media as a 'miracle patient', owes her life to a high-tech machine that kept blood flowing to her brain. With her brain continuing to function thanks to the £10,000 device called LUCAS2, surgeons were able to perform emergency treatment on her heart and return it to a normal rhythm. 'I feel excellent, ' Mrs Tanasio said in a brief telephone interview from hospital. 'For someone who has been dead for nearly an hour I am feeling tremendously well.' A saleswoman with an earth-moving company, Mrs Tanasio said she had not previously been troubled with heart problems. 'This has taken me completely by surprise. I'm relieved to be still here for my children. 'The doctors and nurses have been awesome - the machine is awesome.' Police sergeant Mark Robertson, part of the police team that raised the money for the machine in conjunction with the hospital, told Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper that he was thrilled with Mrs Tanasio's recovery. Dead on arrival: Paramedics tried desperately to revive her in the ambulance but on arrival at the Monash Heart Hospital (pictured) she was declared clinically dead . A hospital spokesman today described Mrs Tanasio's survival as 'astonishing'. Cardiologist Wally Ahmar worked to unblock the arteries to Mrs Tanasio's heart before other doctors moved in to shock the heart back to normal. 'She's in good spirits,' said the hospital spokesman. 'This is exceedingly good news.' Earlier this year, Melbourne man Colin Fiedler, 39, was 'brought back to life' after suffering a major heart attack and was declared clinically dead for more than half an hour. On that occasion, doctors used the same high-tech compression machine which fits around the chest and helps the heart to restart. A New York cardiologist said in a recent interview that there can be life after what is perceived as death as long as the brain is kept functioning. But he said that if the brain becomes severely damaged there would be no quality of life if a patient is brought back to a vegetative state. He told of a Japanese girl who he said had been declared dead for more than three hours but had been resuscitated and was able to live such a normal life that he had heard she had given birth.
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Vanessa Tanasio, 41, was rushed to .
hospital in Melbourne after heart attack .
Paramedics tried to revive .
her she was .
declared clinically dead at hospital .
But thanks to a machine that kept blood flowing to her brain, she came back .
She was today smiling and chatting to mother and children, 11 and nine .
She said: 'For someone who's been dead an hour, I feel tremendously well'
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:59 EST, 29 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 19:59 EST, 29 November 2012 . More than 30 years after Jerry Hartfield's murder conviction was overturned he still sits in a Texas prison because two courts can't agree on what to do with him. A federal appeals court claims the 56-year-old is being illegally held since his conviction was overturned in 1983 and ordered a retrial, but the state argues otherwise, leaving both unsure what to do with his case. This spat between the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and state attorney general's office promises without found agreement a new series of legal proceedings potentially dragged out even longer before he could finally face trial. Stuck: Jerry Hartfield has remained behind bars for the last three decades despite his murder conviction's overturn in 1983 by a Texas court of appeals, pictured . He’s 'stuck,' according to his federal public defender, with Hartfield arguing his constitutional right to a speedy trial have been violated with the state failing to retry him while also not setting him free. 'It's one of those one-in-a-million deals,' Kenneth R Hawk II said of his client's imprisonment. 'When you see it, it's kind of breath taking.' Hartfield was 21 when he was convicted in the gruesome 1976 slaying of a 55-year-old ticket agent at a bus station in Bay City. Eunice Job Lowe was beaten with a pickaxe . and her body left in a bus station storeroom, where her 19-year-old . daughter found it. Waiting: After Hartfield's conviction was overturned, ordering a retrial in 1980, he's sat in a Texas federal prison waiting for that date which has still not come . Hartfield was convicted and sentenced to die, but in 1980, a Texas appeals court ordered a new trial, saying a potential juror had been wrongly excluded from the original trial because of her reservations about imposing the death penalty. Naming a previous case as an example of Hartfield's situation, his appeal states that the order for retrial 'only affected the sentence and not the determination of guilty. Nonetheless, Texas law at that time required an entirely new trial in such circumstances.' Eleven days later, then Gov. Mark White . commuted Hartfield's death sentence to life in prison. At that point, . both sides let the case lie for about 20 years. On Wednesday a federal appeals court . sent his case back to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals asking they . define the status of its ruling overturning Hartfield’s conviction. If . the Texas appeals court accepts the federal appeals court's request, it . could set off a new series of legal proceedings that ties up the . attorney general's office and drags out the case. State attorneys twice requested a rehearing on the appeals court’s decision, with the court rejecting their second request on March 4, 1983. Hartfield, described in court documents as illiterate and mentally impaired with an IQ of 51, got the ball rolling again in 2006, when he filed a handwritten writ of habeas corpus with the help of another inmate. The writ essentially said he should be retried or set free. It was rejected twice by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals before Hartfield submitted it in the federal court system. A judge there agreed with him. 'Hartfield's position is as straightforward and subtle as a freight train,' U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes said. The state had claimed that Hartfield was legally serving the life sentence ordered by White. It said he had had one year under federal rules to file an appeal on any aspect of his case, and that year started when the retrial was ordered in 1983. Hughes disagreed, saying the clock on an appeal doesn't start until there's a conviction, and none exists in this case. 'The court's mandate was never recalled, its decision never overturned, the conviction never reinstated; yet Hartfield never received the `entirely new trial' ordered by the court,' he wrote. The state's appeal of Hughes' decision eventually ended up before a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which described the state's defense of Hartfield's incarceration as 'disturbingly unprofessional' in its Wednesday decision. The panel had said in October that it couldn't make a formal decision on Hartfield's complaint that his constitutional right to a speedy trial has been violated because the issue hadn't been resolved yet by his state trial court in Wharton County, about 60 miles southwest of Houston. But the federal appeals judges left little doubt about their position, saying the state appeals court reversal 30 years ago meant 'there was no longer a death sentence to commute, and thus the governor's order could not have had any effect.' The state's request for a rehearing on that decision led to Wednesday's ruling. Hartfield, who is originally from Wichita, Kan., has been moved to a Texas prison hospital for an undisclosed illness and was not available for an interview. Hawk said he'd discussed the court activity with Hartfield but found it useless to write him. 'Because he can't read it,' he said.
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Jerry Hartfield, now 56, was 21 when convicted for murdering a woman found beaten with a pickaxe .
In 1983 his conviction was overturned with a court of appeals ordering a retrial that has yet to take action .
Hartfield claims his constitutional right to a speedy trial have been violated .
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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Disney star Demi Lovato left the treatment center she voluntarily entered three months ago and returned to her home in Los Angeles this week, a source close to her family said. Lovato, 18, dropped out of a world tour with the Jonas Brothers and sought help for "emotional and physical issues" in early November after an "altercation" with a dancer on her concert tour, a source close to Lovato's camp said at the time. With her prescribed treatment and an outpatient program completed, Lovato is getting back into her regular routine and spending time with family and close friends, the family source said. Her treatment for issues she was working on at the inpatient facility will continue with doctors in Los Angeles, the source said. Little information had been made public about the issues, but a statement by her publicist in November described them as "emotional and physical issues she has dealt with for some time." The publicist cautioned against describing the treatment as "rehab." "Demi has decided to take personal responsibility for her actions and seek help," the November statement said. "She is doing just that." Last year, Lovato also suffered a public end to a short romance with Joe Jonas, one of the three brothers she had been traveling the world with. The 18-year-old singer-actress has talked extensively about being bullied while in middle school. "People say sticks and stones may break your bones, but names can never hurt you, but that's not true," Lovato wrote on a anti-bullying website in October. "Words can hurt. They hurt me. Things were said to me that I still haven't forgotten." Along with her solo music career, Lovato co-starred in Disney's "Camp Rock" movies with the Jonases. She also has the lead role in Disney's TV series "Sonny With a Chance." CNN's Denise Quan contributed to this report.
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Lovato checked into a treatment center in November .
The singer-actress sought help for "emotional and physical issues," her publicist says .
18-year-old entered center after "altercation" with one of her tour dancers .
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Life beyond the Earth seems 'inevitable' given the immensity of the universe, according to planetary scientist Dr Sara Seager (pictured) Astronomers are standing on a 'great threshold' of space exploration that could see evidence of extra-terrestrial life being discovered in the next 20 years, an expert has claimed. Life beyond the Earth seems 'inevitable' given the immensity of the universe, according to planetary scientist Dr Sara Seager. In the coming decades, chemical fingerprints of life written in the atmospheres of planets orbiting nearby stars could be found by the next generation of space telescopes. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr Seager, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said: 'We can say with certainty that, for the first time in human history, we are finally on the verge of being able to search for signs of life beyond our solar system around the nearest hundreds of stars.' Astronomers now know that statistically, every star in our galaxy, the Milky Way, should have at least one planet, and small rocky worlds like the Earth are common. 'Our own galaxy has 100 billion stars and our universe has upwards of 100 billion galaxies - making the chance for life elsewhere seem inevitable based on sheer probability,' said Dr Seager. In the next decade or two, a handful of 'potentially habitable' exoplanets will have been found with atmospheres that can be studied in detail by sophisticated space telescopes. The first of these next generation telescopes will be Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) due to be launched in 2018. It will analyse the atmospheres of dozens of 'super-Earths' - rocky planets somewhat larger than our own planet - including several that could harbour life. Studying a planet's atmosphere for signs of life involves capturing starlight filtering through its gases. In the next decade or two, a handful of 'potentially habitable' exoplanets will have been found with atmospheres that can be studied in detail by sophisticated space telescopes. The first of these next generation telescopes will be Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope (pictured) due to be launched in 2018 . Different elements absorb different wavelengths of light, providing information about the atmosphere's make-up. Living things, from bacteria to large animals, are expected to produce 'biosignature' gases that could be detected in a planet's atmosphere. They include oxygen, ozone, nitrous oxide, and methane. The problem faced by scientists is that some of these, such as methane, can be generated by geological processes as well as life. The likelihood of false positives could be reduced by searching for rarer biosignature gases more closely tied to living systems, such as dimethyl sulphide (DMS), and methanethiol, said Dr Seager. But she pointed out that observations using telescopes such as the JWST, which will focus on backlit transiting planets that happen to passing in front of their parent stars, will be limited. A 'starshade' is an umbrella-like screen tens of metres in diameter placed tens of thousands of kilometres in front of a space telescope lens. The starshade is designed to cast a shadow blocking out light from a star while leaving a planet's reflected light unaffected . Aliens are real - not little green men visiting Earth as depicted in movies, but rather microbial life in our own solar system and intelligent life beyond. That’s according to two leading Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (Seti) researchers, who yesterday took part in a hearing at the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in Washington DC. During the talk dubbed ‘Astrobiology and the Search for Life in the Universe’ in May, the scientists laid out the evidence and reasoning for believing we are not alone. The speech was made by Dr Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer at the Seti Institute in California, and Dr Dan Wethimer, Director of Seti Research. And, they added, with adequate support it is likely we will find alien life in some form or another within 20 years. Dr Wethimer said: ‘It would be bizarre if we are alone,’ he told the committee. ‘It would be a cramped mind that didn’t wonder what other life is out there.’ Maximising the chances of finding evidence of extraterrestrial life will require a technological leap to methods of directly imaging large numbers of exoplanets. Such an undertaking is daunting, given that directly imaging an Earth-like exoplanet is equivalent to picking out a firefly in the glare of a searchlight from a distance of 2,500 miles. Yet two techniques now under development could make direct imaging of Earth twins possible. One involves specialised optics to block out interfering starlight and reveal the presence of orbiting exoplanets. The other is the 'starshade' - an umbrella-like screen tens of metres in diameter placed tens of thousands of kilometres in front of a space telescope lens. The starshade is designed to cast a shadow blocking out light from a star while leaving a planet's reflected light unaffected. 'To be confident of finding a large enough pool of exoplanets to search for biosignature gases, we require the ability to directly image exoplanets orbiting 1,000 or more of the nearest sun-like stars,' said Dr Seager. She added: 'We stand on a great threshold in the human history of space exploration...If life is prevalent in our neighbourhood of the galaxy, it is within our reach to be the first generation in human history to finally cross this threshold and learn if there is life of any kind beyond Earth.' 'Our own galaxy has 100 billion stars and our universe has upwards of 100 billion galaxies - making the chance for life elsewhere seem inevitable based on sheer probability,' said Dr Seager. An artist's impression of an alien planet is pictured .
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Life beyond Earth seems 'inevitable' given the immensity of the universe .
The comments come from MIT-based planetary scientist Dr Sara Seager .
Improving chances of finding alien life will require a technological leap .
Two techniques under development could help the search significantly .
One involves using specialised optics to block out interfering starlight .
The other is the 'starshade' - an umbrella-like screen tens of metres in diameter placed tens of thousands of kilometres in front of a telescope .
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Swansea City defender Neil Taylor looked as if he had gone 15 rounds in a boxing ring after receiving a badly-cut eye following a challenge by Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany during Saturday's game at the Etihad Stadium. Taylor looked dazed as he was treated on the touchline with blood streaming down the left side of his face and returned to the pitch a few minutes with his eye virtually closed after being sprayed to heal the wound. A pumped-up Kompany, back in the Manchester City team after a calf injury, led with his arm and a high boot as he jumped above Taylor in an aerial challenge after half-an-hour and appeared to catch his opponent with the point of his elbow. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Sportsmail's Big Match Stats: Manchester City 2-1 Swansea . Neil Taylor was left with a gruesome cut on his eye after an aerial collision with Vincent Kompany . Taylor (second right) collided with Kompany (third right) as the pair went up to win a header . Kompany was returning to the Manchester City side after a calf injury and the contact seemed unintentional . Taylor leaves the pitch with blood streaming from his eyebrow after his collision with Kompany . Taylor (centre) required lengthy treatment to stifle the bleeding and prevent it from starting up again . Taylor played the remainder of the game with a bandage around his head . Kompany was warned by referee Neil Swarbrick who then booked him soon afterwards for a foul on Wilfried Bony. Swans boss Garry Monk didn't blame the Manchester City captain though. 'Neil is better-looking now. The scars will do him some good,' he joked. 'He took a nasty bump to the eye, it was quite swollen. had a bad bump but he will be fine. I didn't see the actual challenge but I don't think it was intentional or had any malice in it. Neil didn't mention in the dressing-room afterwards anything untowards had happened.'
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Neil Taylor needed treatment from collision with Vincent Kompany .
The pair collided during Manchester City's 2-1 win at home to Swansea .
Taylor looked dazed as Swansea staff treated the wound .
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A drug costing up to £9million per patient is to be made available on the NHS - making it the health service's most expensive medicine. Eculizumab - also known as Soliris - will be offered to about 200 people suffering from a rare kidney condition, the treatments watchdog confirmed last night. The National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (Nice) said the drug – which will cost the NHS up to £82million a year – would allow patients to live independently for decades. A Nice spokeswoman confirmed last night that the drug would be the most expensive funded by the NHS. Sir Andrew Dillon, left, of the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence (NICE), said he was pleased to have authorised the new 'wonder' drug Soliris, also known as Eculizumab, to treat a rare kidney condition . The drug will treat atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (aHUS) - a life-threatening disease affecting around hundreds of people in England. It causes inflammation of blood vessels and the formation of blood clots throughout the body. There are only around 200 sufferers, with 20 to 30 new patients with the condition diagnosed each year. Currently there are about 56 patients receiving the drug through a temporary agreement with NHS England. Patients are constantly at risk of sudden damage and failure of their vital organs, particularly the kidneys. Nice said the drug – which will be funded on an interim basis - was a 'significant innovation' and offered 'gains of a magnitude that is rarely seen for any new drug treatment'. Its chief executive Sir Andrew Dillon conceded the drug would prove to be 'very expensive' and recommended NHS England find ways of reducing the cost. The decision to provide Eculizumab, developed and marketed by US firm Alexion Pharmaceuticals, was only approved on the basis of ultra-rare conditions, rather than being assessed on its standard value-for-money formula. Atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (aHUS) is a life-threatening disease affecting around 200 people in England. It causes severe damage to the kidneys, pictured, leading to kidney failure in some patients . The health watchdog said that it was unfair to apply the usual rules because it was such a rare condition – meaning drug companies had to recoup their research costs from only a handful of patients. With the drug offering an extra 25 years of good-quality life, Nice deemed it worth the annual £340,000 cost per patient to the NHS. Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare, life-threatening, genetic disease. It causes damage to the vital organs, the kidneys, heart and brain in particular. Although the condition does affect children, around a half of sufferers are adults. The condition affects the immune system and in sufferers. Scientists believe an abnormality in proteins in the immune system causes cells along blood vessel walls to become damaged. Platelets become overactive and blood clots form in tiny blood vessels throughout the body. Clots can block the flow of blood, create inflammation and travel to other organs, causing further damage. aHUS is caused by changes or mutations in the genes that produce proteins that help control the part of the body's immune system. The changes cause that part of the immune system to attack the body doing great damage to vital organs if left untreated. Symptoms of the condition include diarrhoea, nausea and vomitting, shortness of breath, fatigue, heart and kidney abnormalities. aHUS causes damage to the kidneys, causing many sufferers to require long-term dialysis or a kidney transplant if their kidneys stop working. Other complications include high blood pressure, around half of patients will experience neurological symptoms, four in 10 will suffer heart problems, while almost a third will have diarrhoea and other digestive problems. Source: ahussource.com . But the decision will come as a blow to cancer patients after a quarter of treatments that can offer a few extra months of life were stopped on cost grounds this month. Sir Andrew Dillon said: 'aHUS is a very distressing condition that imposes a significant burden both on those with the condition and their carers and families. 'We are therefore pleased to be able to recommend Eculizumab for funding. 'The Committee accepted that Eculizumab is a step change in the management of aHUS and can be considered a significant innovation for a disease with a high un-met clinical need.' He added: 'The drug is, however, very expensive. The Committee felt that the budget impact of Eculizumab would be lower if the potential for adjusting the dose of the drug and stopping treatment was explored. 'This is reflected in the guidance which recommends Eculizumab should be funded only if important conditions are met, including the development of rules for starting and stopping treatment for clinical reasons. 'In the meantime NHS England and the company should consider what opportunities might exist to reduce the cost of Eculizumab to the NHS.' Research has shown that Eculizumab is an effective treatment, which can block the faulty part of the immune system, stopping it causing the cell damage. Kidney Research UK said the drug has been 'proven to prevent kidney failure' in patients with newly diagnosed aHUS. 'Without it, their kidneys would fail, and as there is no other effective treatment available, patients would have no choice but to start a gruelling dialysis routine to stay alive,' a spokesman said. Research funded by the charity at Newcastle University has been central to understanding aHUS and to finding an effective treatment for the disease. Elaine Davies, from Kidney Research UK, said: 'We are thrilled with Nice's decision. 'Although there is a high cost attached to Eculizumab, this treatment is life-changing for aHUS patients and will help improve their quality of life dramatically. 'We're very proud that some of our research has played a role in understanding the disease.'
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Around 200 patients suffering from atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome .
The drug Eculizumab, known as Soliris, allows them to live normally .
NHS officials have said the £340,000 a year cost is value for money .
Each year 20 to 30 new patients are diagnosed with the rare disease .
The drug offers patients an extra 25 years of good quality life .
NICE recently withdrew authorisation for some cancer drugs over cost .
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(CNN) -- Jose Mourinho, the self-appointed "Special One", was the man charged with winning the European Champions League and finally recognizing the dream of "La Decima." Instead, should he leave this summer, his epitaph will read "decimated". Just minutes after watching his Real Madrid blow its chance of an unprecedented tenth triumph in Europe's elite competition Tuesday, Mourinho was already busy plotting his escape route from the Spanish capital following his fifth semifinal defeat in seven attempts. "I want to be where people love me to be," he told ITV immediately after the game. Just quite how much love there is in Madrid for Mourinho is open for debate, but his side's 2-0 victory was not enough to earn him the opportunity to become the first man to win the competition with three different clubs. Last week's humiliating 4-1 defeat in Dortmund left Real with an uphill struggle and despite late goals from Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos, it failed to take advantage of the number of glorious chances which came its way. Now, all eyes are on Mourinho, with former employers Chelsea just one of several high profile clubs likely to be interested in employing the Portuguese coach. But the 50-year-old, who left Stamford Bridge in September 2007 in acrimonious circumstances, insists he will wait until the end of the season before making a decision. Real sits 11 points behind league leader and arch rival Barcelona in the title race, while it faces city neighbor Atletico Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey, the country's top domestic cup competition. "I didn't make a decision because I have a contract and more than that, because in football people break contracts when they want to, is the respect I have for the club and the president," he told a press conference. "It's why I want to play the [Copa del Rey] final and win the cup and finish second in the league. I want to sit with my president, my friend, and decide the best for me." Last year's league title win seems a long time ago now. Mourinho's reign has been tempestuous from the very moment he arrived in May 2010. Style of play which has frustrated supporters, a falling out club captain Iker Casillas and a constant war of words with the Spanish media has not helped his case. "I know in England I am loved by the fans, the media they treat me in a fair way," he explained to reporters. "I know I am loved by some clubs, especially one. In Spain the situation is a bit different because some people hate me. "Many of you are in this room. It's difficult to make a decision because I like the club and we made a fantastic team that is ready to do big things. "I need to be honest and fair. At the end of the season I will speak." Mourinho's mood may have been different had Real profited from the number of opportunities gifted to it by a youthful and inexperienced Dortmund side. Robert Lewandowski's four-goal salvo in Germany last week had given the visiting side a cushion of comfort heading into the encounter. But manager Jurgen Klopp was left sweating on the touchlines as his players held on to amidst a barrage of pressure from the home side. "It isn't too hard to reveal what I thought during those last 10 minutes: if God wished it then we would qualify for the final," he told a press conference. "But it has to be said that it was a crazy match, from start to finish." Trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Real needed a fast start and it almost got one when Gonzalo Higuain ran through on goal only to shoot straight at Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller. Dortmund, which was forced into an early change following an injury to influential playmaker Mario Goetze, appeared nervous as Real continued to pile on the pressure. Those nerves should have been increased when Mesut Ozil escaped the Dortmund defense, but fired his effort wide of the post with just the goalkeeper to beat. Ronaldo was next to go close, this time sending a close range volley straight against Weidenfeller when he looked certain to score. With the home side consistently failing to take its chances, Dortmund began to grown in stature and Jakub Blaszczykowski should have done better after meeting Lukasz Piszczek's cutback. Dortmund, which drew 2-2 in Madrid during the group stage of the competition, continued to create opportunities after the break and Lewandowski fired over when well placed. The Polish striker should have given his side the lead on the night just minutes later when he burst clear of the Real defense, but his thunderous effort cannoned against the crossbar and bounced down to safety. The German side then went close again when Ilkay Gundogan's close-range effort forced Diego Lopez into a stunning save to keep the scores level. Mourinho threw on Kaka and Benzema to try and inspire Real and the pair gave the home side a fresh impetus going forward. Twice Angel Di Maria went close before Real finally made the breakthrough with eight minutes remaining. After watching Lewandowski go close at the other end, the home side broke at pace and Benzema swept the ball past Weidenfeller after connecting with Ozil's pass. Benzema then set up Ramos six minutes later to leave Real within touching distance, but that elusive goal just wouldn't come. "It's a shame," Ramos told reporters. "Sometimes you lose, that is football. "In Dortmund we should have played the way we did tonight. We feel for the fans. It's a shame to have been so close but the missed chances in the first half were costly." For Mourinho, the tie was lost on German soil a week ago, a result which condemned Real to becoming the first team to suffer three consecutive semifinal defeats. He told ITV: "In football you win or you lose. I think we could have won. They had a couple of big chances but that was a consequence of the way we were playing late on where we risked everything. "Today we were a team with character and desire and we could have done it. "I don't forget the first match, we were very bad and we were punished because of the result of the first leg." The prospect of an all-German final now looms large with Bayern Munich taking a 4-0 lead to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona Wednesday. But while Bayern still has work to do, Dortmund can now relax in the knowledge they have booked a dream date with destiny, despite suffering a first defeat of the competition. "We knew if they scored a goal in the first half, the crowd would get euphoric and loud," Mats Hummels told ITV. "We had the game under control but with the goal the whole game changed - like the game against Malaga. "It's unbelievable; something everyone in the team dreamed of since being an child. Some of us are still children. We are looking forward to Wembley."
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Borussia Dortmund is through to the Champions League final at Wembley .
German side beaten 2-0 on the night but go through 4-3 on aggregate .
Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos were on target for Spanish champions .
Dortmund will face either Bayern Munich or Barcelona in its first final since 1997 .
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Lille (CNN) -- A year that began in uncertainty for Roger Federer ended with a historic title for the 17-time grand slam champion and his country. When Federer defeated Richard Gasquet of France 6-4 6-2 6-2 in front of another record crowd Sunday, it gave Federer a maiden Davis Cup title at the not so tender age of 33. The visitors prevailed 3-1 in the best-of-five match series. Switzerland had never before won team tennis' most prestigious event, playing in one previous final in 1992 when Federer was merely 11. "For me personally, obviously I'm unbelievably happy because I've been playing in this competition for probably almost 15 years now," Federer told reporters as he sat among his teammates. "At the end of the day I wanted it more for the guys. "This is one for the boys." With Federer committing to every round of the Davis Cup this season -- unlike in years past -- and the emergence of compatriot Stan Wawrinka, it greatly boosted Switzerland's chances of success. Federer thus concluded 2014 with one of the biggest titles to elude him and a ranking of No. 2, a considerable achievement given back issues largely contributed to his ranking slipping to eighth in January. Indeed, some wondered -- with justification -- if Federer could ever come close to recapturing his old form. He did, and Federer was sharp Saturday in doubles alongside Wawrinka and then dominant against Gasquet in Lille, northern France. Only one week ago Federer was, according to Novak Djokovic, a "question mark" for the Davis Cup final after he withdrew from the final of the World Tour Finals in London against the No. 1 with further back troubles. His name was included in the Davis Cup draw Thursday, ensuring one of the highest profile finals in recent memory, but Federer suffered his most lopsided loss in the competition Friday against Gael Monfils. The positive, he insisted afterwards, was that his body felt fine as the match progressed, and his words ultimately were not a smoke screen. To say that Federer toyed with Gasquet wouldn't be much of a stretch. Gasquet, 2-12 versus Federer entering the match, started with an emphatic hold, but that was as good as it got for the prodigy who has never quite delivered. "You saw how well Roger was playing, how he just killed Richard today," said Wawrinka. Gasquet, replacing the injured Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, was broken for 2-1, which set the tone. Federer lost just 14 points on his own serve and didn't face a break point. Evidencing how well his back must have been feeling, he soared and stretched to put away a smash with venomous side spin in the second set. There was deft touch to seal the tie, Federer executing a half-volley drop shot before falling onto the clay at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. He joined the likes of Rafael Nadal, Rod Laver and Andre Agassi in winning a Davis Cup plus all four majors. Unlike in majors, when players usually make the trek to their box after a title, in the Davis Cup the team habitually floods the court. Federer noticed the difference. "It was definitely one of the better feelings in my career, no doubt about it," he said. "So much nicer to celebrate it all together. "So thanks for running up to me and screaming in my ear. It was good fun." Though he applied the knockout blow, Wawrinka's performance this weekend shouldn't be forgotten, and Federer took note. He crushed Tsonga to give Switzerland its first point Friday and combined wonderfully with Federer in the doubles, his raw power a fine accompaniment to the artistry of Federer. If he harbored any animosity towards Federer for reportedly being taunted by Federer's wife, Mirka, last week at the World Tour Finals, he didn't show it. Wawrinka's season began in superb fashion with a first grand slam title in Melbourne and Sunday ensures it terminates well, following some bumps in between. "It is an exceptional year for me," said Wawrinka. But what to make of the French? The brief fireworks produced inside the stadium after Switzerland's win provided more electricity than anything produced by Tsonga or Gasquet on the court. About 90 percent of the record crowd of 27,448 for a pro tennis match Sunday were French fans, but they barely had an opportunity to get into the match. Over the three days, France claimed one set in the matches it lost. "The French team said they were ready to go to war, if I can quote them," Wawrinka said. "What happened was totally the opposite." Tsonga said a lingering arm injury returned Friday and the pain intensified following his outing against Wawrinka, yet the French No. 1 has not had a good year -- barring one tournament in Toronto. Gasquet has never had the reputation of being a clutch player -- his play in doubles and against Federer won't help to shed the label. And so France's drought, at least on the men's side, continues. A generation that promised plenty and was so determined to win the Davis Cup this year for a tennis loving nation has underachieved. France, in an atypical luxury, contested all four of its series this year at home but was still unable to snap a 13-year drought. "If you look at the tie as a whole, you can see that the Swiss players are at a higher level than us," French captain Arnaud Clement told reporters. "They're top (two) and top four of the world. We prepared for that as much as we could. But we knew that beating them would need an exceptional performance." When Wawrinka was asked for a percentage regarding his availability for Switzerland's opening tie against Belgium next year, he replied, "I think the percentage we're going to drink alcohol tonight is very high." If the French players were to drink some alcohol, it would be for different reasons.
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Switzerland wins its first Davis Cup title after Roger Federer routs Richard Gasquet .
The Swiss win the series 3-1 in Lille to disappoint most of the large crowd in northern France .
Federer has won almost everything in his career, just missing an Olympic singles gold .
He got support from Stan Wawrinka, who shone in his two matches this weekend .
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By . Mark Duell . A 23-year-old bodybuiler who spends £400 a month on anabolic steroids has revealed how he cannot live without them - despite suffering a cyst bigger than a tennis ball. Carpet fitter Oli Smith, of Halesowen, West Midlands, claims the potentially-deadly steroids help him have sex until he ‘passes out’, and he can bench-press almost 5st more than his body weight. He said that he wants to ‘lift heavy weights, have sex, eat food and be a wild animal’ while on the steroids, which are illegal to possess with intent to supply - but legal to own for personal use. Workout: Carpet fitter Oli Smith, of Halesowen, West Midlands, claims the potentially-deadly steroids help him have sex until he 'passes out', and he can bench-press almost five stone more than his body weight . Dangerous: He said that he wants to 'lift heavy weights, have sex, eat food and be a wild animal' while on the steroids, which are illegal to possess with intent to supply - but legal to own for personal use . Mr Smith told The Sun: ‘Apart from the side-effects you feel fantastic. In a club you feel like the biggest, strongest, best-looking, most powerful man in the world.’ But he added that he developed painful hard lumps in his bottom after injecting it with the drugs twice a week, and grew a ‘cyst that was bigger than a tennis ball’ when injecting his shoulder. Doctors told Mr Smith to get the cyst removed - which would have meant cutting away part of the muscle - but instead he drew out the liquid himself with a syringe, reported the newspaper. He also developed hard tissue in his breasts, and was told by medics that he needed an operation for that too. But he got hold of tamoxifen, which is used to treat breast cancer, and ‘that sorted it out’. Change Mr Smith, 23, is pictured (left) before he embarked on using steroids, and at the gym now (right) Painful: Mr Smith said he developed hard lumps in his bottom after injecting it with the drugs twice a week, and grew a 'cyst that was bigger than a tennis ball' when injecting his shoulder . He was not discouraged from steroids despite the side-effects, and still refuses to stop taking them. Mr Smith has been using steroids since he was 17 - shortly after starting at the gym when he left school at 16 - and doubled his weight from 7st to 14st in three years, reported The Sun. 'Apart from the side-effects you feel fantastic. In a club you feel like the biggest, strongest, best-looking, most powerful man in the world' Oli Smith . While steroids can enhance performance by increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat, they can also lead to lower sperm count, breast development and overgrowth of the forehead. And Mr Smith told The Sun: ‘Aggression is one of the main problems. I lost my first job because I pushed over my team leader. I wasn't at all aware of how it happened. I had a blackout.’ Some 60,000 people in Britain aged between 16 and 59 are said by medical guidance body the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to have used steroids over the past year. Concerns: While steroids can enhance performance by increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat, they can also lead to lower sperm count, breast development and overgrowth of the forehead . Earlier this month an inquest in Bradford heard how an obsessive bodybuilder who suffered two heart attacks and three strokes because of his massive intake of anabolic steroids died aged just 20. Anabolic steroids are similar to the male hormone testosterone. They can improve endurance and stimulate muscle growth. They can help athletes train for longer and some men take them to look more 'manly', according to the drug advice website Frank. The steroids are available as tablets - which cost around £20 for 100 - or as a liquid for injection. But some of the side-effects in men include reduced sperm count, infertility, baldness, breast development, severe acne and increased risk of developing prostate cancer. According to NHS Choices, the side-effects in women include facial hair growth, loss of breasts, a deepened voice, problems with periods and hair loss. The steroids are Class C drugs to be sold only by pharmacists with a doctor's prescription. It is legal to possess or import them for personal use - but possession or importing with intent to supply is illegal, and punishable by up to 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine. Fitness fanatic Oli Cooney had been told by doctors when he was 18 that he was putting his life at risk if he did not limit his weightlifting but he refused to listen - and told family he was ‘invincible’. Prices vary, but anabolic steroids cost about £20 for 100 tablets - and are also available in liquid form, the drug advice website Frank says. The abuse of steroids was highlighted in 2010 when relatives of Raoul Moat said the 37-year-old ex-nightclub bouncer, who went on a shooting spree in Northumberland, was addicted to the muscle-building drugs and prone to 'unpredictable' eruptions of anger. Increased aggression and violent episodes among anabolic steroid users have been documented across the world since the 1970s by researchers examining what is sometimes labelled 'roid rage'. Experts have also highlighted how a disturbing number of bodybuilders have been involved in murders compared with other sportsmen. In 1998, an article in the US magazine Sports Illustrated highlighted the large number of bodybuilders jailed for killings compared with other athletes. One well-known case is that of former Mr Universe Bertil Fox, who was convicted of the murders of his girlfriend and her mother on the Caribbean island of St Kitts in 1998.
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Oli Smith claims Class C drugs help him have sex until he 'passes out'
23-year-old carpet fitter can bench-press 5st more than body weight .
Wants to 'lift heavy weights, eat food and be a wild animal' on steroids .
They're illegal to possess with intent to supply, but legal for personal use .
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Sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250% this year alone . Hairy Bikers knocked E.L James off number one bestsellers lists . Jamie Oliver is Britain’s second biggest-selling author since records began – with total book sales of £126m . From Nigella Lawson's food porn bibles to silver fox Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry baking up a storm on The Great British Bake Off, cooking has never been cooler. But while sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250 per cent this year alone, one in 10 Brits admit to never even opening the ones they buy. Half say that they own more than four books but only pull them off the shelf when they need to make ‘something special’. Although sales of cookbooks are on the rise, one in ten of us admit to never even opening them . And a time-poor five per cent claimed . that while they own a mountain of cookbooks, they don't spend any time . in the kitchen at all. But despite the fact their spines remain unbroken and their recipes untested, it transpires that these beautifully designed, mouthwatering reads are beginning to eclipse other bestsellers. The diet cookbook from The Hairy Bikers, for example, has aroused enough interest to knock Fifty Shades Of Grey off the bestsellers lists. Jamie Oliver is now the second most valuable author of all time, missing out to just J.K Rowling . But despite half of Brits showcasing impressive cookbooks on their shelves, findings reveal that the meals most regularly cooked are traditional classics like spaghetti bolognese (60 per cent), meat and two veg-style roast dinners (54 per cent) and sausage and mash (48 per cent), with only a handful of Brits regularly taking on more exotic dishes such as Thai curry (16 per cent) or paella (10 per cent). The nation's favourite cuisines ranked as Italian (20 per cent), Indian (18 per cent), British fish and chips (17 per cent) and Chinese (15 per cent), however, only 30 per cent of those polled had tried to cook one of their favourite cuisines at home - and a naughty one in ten lied to friends about trying a certain cuisine or ingredients. With the help of celebrity chefs like Heston Blumenthal and Nigella Lawson, sales of celebrity cookbooks have soared by 250 per cent . The Great British Bake Off has become a firm favourite in the nation¿s homes . And it isn't just cookbooks . that are drawing in cooking aficionados, over a quarter of British . foodies admit to tuning in to at least two food programmes a week, with . Masterchef and Great British Bake Off being firm favourites in the . nation’s homes. Not that the nation's TV addiction is rubbing off on their domestic ambitions: despite immersing themselves in celebrity cook books and TV shows, when quizzed on how long they spend preparing and cooking meals, 78 per cent said they managed to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner in less than 30 minutes. 1. JK Rowling . 2. Jamie Oliver . 3. James Patterson . 4. Terry Pratchet . 5. Jacqueline Wilson . 6. Dan Brown . 7. John Grisham . 8. Richard Parsons . 9. Bill Bryson . 10. Delia Smith . 11. Julia Donaldson . 12. Danielle Steele . 13. Stephenie Meyer . 14. Patricia Cornwell . 15. Martina Cole . 16. JRR Tolkien . 17. Bernard Cornwell . 18. Ian Rankin . 19. Nigella Lawson . 20. Alexander McCall Smith . Jason Gissing, co-founder of Ocado, who . carried out the research, said: 'We know that Brits love to buy all of . the latest celebrity cookery books and enjoy watching recipes being . created on TV, but many of us just don’t have the time to recreate . delicious meals for ourselves.' Ocado also predicts that cookbooks are set to . be a staple stocking filler this festive season, including the new . titles from Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Heston Blumenthal. Jamie Oliver was recently named as Britain’s second . biggest-selling author since records began – with total book sales of . £126 million. The . Essex-born television chef and school meals campaigner, who has sold . more than 10 million cook books, is ranked second only to Harry Potter . author J K Rowling. Father-of-four Oliver, 37, who is famous . for his ‘Pukka’ catchphrase and whose bestsellers include The Naked . Chef and Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals, is joined on the bestseller list by . some of his culinary rivals. Delia Smith is in tenth place, Nigella Lawson is ranked 19th and Gordon Ramsay is towards the bottom of the chart at 45. Together, the four chefs account for a tasty 40 per cent of all the cook books sold in Britain since records began in 1998.
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Sales of celebrity cookbooks have risen by 250% this year alone .
Hairy Bikers knocked E.L James off number one bestsellers lists .
Jamie Oliver is Britain’s second biggest-selling author since records began – with total book sales of £126m .
Despite our passion for cookbooks we stick to traditional classics like spaghetti bolognese, 'meat .
and two veg' roasts and sausage and mash .
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New York (CNN) -- Whew!! Something stinks! But before you run to take out the trash, check the stack of mail you just carried inside. A few thousand New York household received an odoriferous gift in the mail from Carl Paladino, the Republican nominee for governor - and it doesn't smell like roses. Paladino's campaign mailed out garbage-scented fliers declaring "Something Stinks in Albany" and featuring photos of seven New York Democrats whose political careers were marred by scandal. "It's basically a folder and then when you open it, when the oxygen hits the card the stink starts," Paladino explained to Anderson Cooper on "AC360" Thursday night. "The longer you keep it open the worse the stink gets. That's our analogy of Albany," he added. Paladino claims no one has complained about the pungent mailings and they have been well received.
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Candidate says stinky mail is referring to problems in New York politics .
Smelly mail was sent to a few thousand New Yorkers .
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A 66-year-old Wall Street veteran has won the lottery, after two decades of gambling just to make a point. Robert Fagenson placed second in the New York State Lotto drawn on December 27, matching five of the six numbers and the bonus number to take home a check for $65,243. He told the New York Post that he has been playing twice a week for more than two decades, with numbers connected to his wife's birthday, their anniversary and the birthdays of his two daughters. Wall Street veteran Robert Fagenson (left) won $65,000 on the New York State Lotto last week, after some two decades playing twice a week with a specific set of numbers . 'I was just wondering if the system really worked,' Fagenson told the Post. 'Now I know it actually works.' While Fagenson spent an estimated $5,800 on the lottery in the 20 years he has been playing, it does seem to have been a worthy investment - so he plans to continue. In the end, $65,000 likely doesn't make much of a dent on Fagenson's overall fortune, since it's approximately the amount he donated to a Long Island-based animal charity in 2011, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Native New Yorker graduated from Syracuse University in 1970 with a degree in Transportation Sciences & Finance. He went on to spend most of his career on the New York Stock Exchange, where he was once governor of the trading floor and served on the board of directors. He is currently the CEO of Fagenson and Co, a 50-year-old brokerage that works in investment brokerage and money management as well. According to public records, he owns an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan worth approximately $2.8million according to Zillow.
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Robert Fagenson says he has been playing the lottery twice weekly for two decades using a specific set of numbers .
On December 27, he placed second place in the New York State Lotto to win a $65,243 prize .
Fagenson spent most of his career at the New York Stock Exchange, but is now the CEO of a brokerage firm .
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(CNN) -- Sir Elton John faces surgery soon for appendicitis that has derailed his European tour, a spokesman for the singer said Tuesday. John, 66, was diagnosed with "appendix abscess surrounding retrocaecal appendicitis" after falling ill during the tour, publicist Gary Farrow said in a written statement. The surgery will be performed in the United Kingdom in "the coming weeks" after he undergoes an intensive course of antibiotics and "doctors can be confident they have sufficiently reduced toxins within the inflamed appendicitis site," Farrow said. The remaining shows in his tour have been canceled, including Friday's headline show at London's Hyde Park, he said. The concert will still happen with Ray Davies, Elvis Costello, Gabrielle Aplin and Nick Lowe performing. "Elton is incredibly disappointed to postpone these tour dates," he said. "To know that he made such super-human efforts and continued to perform to thousands through his illness only confirms his dedication to his European fans. He is eager to be back on top form and return to play the remaining shows starting in early September 2013." Touring will resume only after "he has fully recovered from both the planned surgery and any damage caused by the appendix abscess," the statement said. Sir Elton and David Furnish welcome another son . CNN's Jane Caffrey contributed to this report.
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Sir Elton John, 66, was diagnosed with appendicitis during his European tour .
Surgery will be performed in the United Kingdom in "the coming weeks"
The remaining shows in his tour have been canceled .
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A mother-of-two fed up of waiting for late buses invoiced the company £103 for her wasted time and was given £70 back in free day passes. Elizabeth Thomas, 44, said she wasted 11.24 hours waiting for the delayed service to and from her office job in Clifton, Bristol, and was less able to spend time with her children. The single mother from Stoke Gifford complained to First Buses about their late running service on 30 occasions within the past three years, but said she received no response. So she produced an invoice for her time which she worked out was worth £9.19 per hour – resulting in a cost of £103.30 - and handed a bill to bosses at a public meeting. Elizabeth Thomas, 44, invoiced First Buses £103 for her wasted time and was given £70 back in free day passes . 'I don't mind waiting for buses. If I arrive a couple of minutes early at the stop, or if I have to wait between changes, I don't mind that,' she said. 'But it's when they are late or don't show up with absolutely no explanation. 'I've had to start leaving an hour earlier just to be sure I get to work on time, and by the time I get home I'm looking at a 12-hour day most days. 'That's time I should be spending with my children. Is my time not valuable to First? 'It is time I am never going to get back and I believe my time is valuable.' First West of England agreed the company was at fault on six of the 30 occasions and decided to reimburse her with 10 day travel passes worth £7 each. Ms Thomas, whose children are aged 14 and 17, uses two buses each way to make the daily eight mile journey to her office in Clifton and back. First West of England agreed the company was at fault on six of the 30 occasions and decided to reimburse her with 10 day travel passes worth £7 each (stock picture) She uses her Twitter account to document any late or no-show services and decided to go back through it and tot up the total amount of hours wasted waiting. The mother-of-two calculated that since summer 2012 she had wasted 11.24 hours waiting for buses. A spokesperson for First West of England said: 'In line with the terms of our customer promise we have sent Ms Thomas a number of free day tickets for her to use at her leisure. 'These take into account the fact that on some of the occasions she noted the buses she tried to catch did not run as scheduled. 'We're really sorry that she has encountered problems using our services. 'While we will -to some extent - always be hampered by things beyond our control, such as roadworks, incidents and accidents on the highway, we are committed to improving the punctuality and reliability of services, and ensuring that those things within our control run as they should.' Mrs Thomas leaves her home at 6.55am and attempts to get the number 75 or the X75 bus from Bristol Parkway station at 7.12am. She then changes bus at Rupert Street bus stop, in Bristol City Centre, at around 7.30am before getting on a new bus five minutes later. The final bus, which could be any number of buses, drops her off at Whiteladies Road, Clifton, where she works as an operational manager. She produced an invoice for her time which she worked out was worth £9.19 per hour – resulting in a cost of £103.30 .
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Elizabeth Thomas, 44, sent bus company £103 invoice for her wasted time .
Mother-of-two complained about late service 30 times in three years .
She said she wasted 11.24 hours and her time was worth £9.19 per hour .
Single mother from Bristol was given £70 back in First Buses day passes .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:01 EST, 27 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:01 EST, 27 September 2012 . A promising young football player jumped to his death from 120ft high viaduct after racking up gambling debts online. Talented Adam Billing, 27, from Liskeard, near Plymouth had been a youth team player with Plymouth Argyle FC but suffered a serious knee injury which hindered his career. He threw himself from the 120ft high Moorswater viaduct in Liskeard, east Cornwall, in April after spiralling into debt through an online gambling addiction. Tragedy: Adam Billing, 27, plunged to his death after becoming addicted to online gambling . Promising: Adam had been a youth team player with Plymouth Argyle before career was cut short . An inquest in Truro heard how Adam ran a building business with his . friend Leon Caers. Mr Caers said that £10,000 of payments had been . transferred from the firm’s account into Adam’s personal bank account. In a statement he said: 'For whatever reason Adam had been drawn into a cycle of . gambling that became more and more costly to him and he felt he couldn’t . approach me or anyone else for help.' Heartache: The Liskeard viaduct in Cornwall where Adam plunged to his death in April this year . Adam's parents said he had seemed happier after meeting girlfriend Jenny Dodds. Shortly before his death he sent a heartbreaking message to his mother Karen saying 'I'm so sorry mum - I've let you down again.' His family said Adam had been 'a fun-loving joker' who became become depressed after his knee injury and an assault in which he had his ear bitten off. Gambling: Adam was described as a 'fun-loving joker' by his parents . Talent: Adam Billing had been a promising footballer in the Plymouth Argyle youth team . Mother Karen and father Bill said: 'It is our opinion that Adam turned to online gambling after a number of personal circumstances left him at a low ebb and made him vulnerable to the lure of online gambling. 'Unfortunately, within a few weeks, Adam became caught in a vicious circle and could not see a way out.' Mrs Billing went on to warn others about online gambling. ‘Vast amounts of money can be easily lost, just by clicking a button. Those who gamble get embroiled, not acknowledging that they are losing real money,' she said. His parents and sister Shelley paid tribute to Mr Billing, who also . played for local teams Dobwalls and Liskeard Athletic. They said: ‘He lived his life to the full, . packing more into his 27 years than most of us would in a whole . lifetime.' The Cornwall coroner Dr Emma Carlyon recorded a verdict of suicide. Earlier this week the government announced plans to toughen gambling laws in a bid to protect problem punters. The Lib Dems have launched a campaign to clampdown on gambling regulations which were relaxed under the previous Labour government. For help and support and information about gambling addiction see http://www.gamcare.org.uk/ .
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Adam Billing, 27, from Liskeard, had been a promising youth team player with Plymouth Argyle .
For help and support and information about gambling addiction see http://www.gamcare.org.uk/ .
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The Wimbledon women’s draw was blown wide open when top-seed Serena Williams was dramatically bundled out by the unheralded Alize Cornet of France. The world No 1 crumbled after a dominant start in a rain-delayed third-round clash to lose 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 124 minutes against the 24-year-old from Nice, who has never made the last 16 of these championships. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Sportsmail's Wimbledon day six verdict . Sealed with a kiss: Alize Cornet celebrates stunning victory against Serena Williams . The world No 24 continually wrongfooted the sluggish American in the chill evening air out on Court No 1 following the first prolonged rain interruptions of the tournament. A dazed Cornet tried to address her amazing accomplishment soon after winning and declared: ‘I just cannot believe it. ‘A few years ago I couldn’t even play on grass, I was so bad. And she’s at home here, she plays so good here. Wow, it’s just a dream. I tried to fight on every point. I don’t know how I did it, just with heart. ‘She played very well, but I tried to focus and make sure I had nothing to regret. Delight: Cornet celebrates beating top seed Serena Williams in the third round . ‘She helped me a bit because she made two big mistakes, she is human like everyone else and that’s what I was thinking about. ‘This is the biggest upset of the tournament because she is number one and has won so many titles at Wimbledon. ‘I cannot believe that it was me who did it, I’m going to have to celebrate with my team.’Williams has won 17 Grand Slam titles but her inconsistency in the Slams is becoming something of a problem. This is the fourth time in the last five that she has been knocked out in the fourth round or earlier, and the latest upset comes barely three weeks after she was defeated in the second round of the French Open. Agony: Serena Williams lost her way after zipping through the first . Hard-hitting: Williams plays a return to Cornet . 1. Cornet is 24 and comes from the Mediterranean port of Nice, which is also her favourite city. 2. The Frenchwoman has won four WTA Tour singles titles, the most recent of which came in April in Katowice. 3. Cornet had only won one of her previous four matches against Williams but that also came this year in the semi-finals in Dubai. 4. She went on to lose the final of that tournament to Williams' sister Venus, who she has never beaten in four attempts. 5. Saturday's victory was Cornet's first over a top-20 player at a grand slam and the first over a current world No 1 in her career. 6. Cornet's favourite surface is clay and she won the junior title at the French Open in 2007. 7. Cornet had never previously reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and has never gone beyond the last 16 at any grand slam. 8. The Frenchwoman made her senior slam debut at the French Open in 2005 aged just 15, beating Alina Jidkova in round one before losing to Amelie Mauresmo. 9. She reached her highest ranking of 11 as a teenager in 2009 but slipped out of the top 100 in 2012 before climbing back up over the last two seasons. Her current ranking is 24. 10. Cornet has a cat called Papyrus and a dog named Andy.
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Top seed serena lost out in three-set thriller at Wimbledon 2014 .
Five-time champion lost to Cornet for second time in 2014 .
Serena and Venus fail to reach last 16 for first time since 2006 .
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By . Emma Innes . PUBLISHED: . 06:33 EST, 10 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 07:58 EST, 10 January 2014 . An undertaker lost an incredible 14 stone after his daughter feared he was going to become his own customer. Colin Cuthell, 64, from Bo’ness, Scotland, tipped the scales at a whopping 31st, after years of binge eating and no exercise. Mr Cuthell, who runs family funeral firm Thomas Cuthell & Sons, had type 2 diabetes caused by obesity and had to be pushed around in a wheelchair on family holidays. Colin Cuthell, a 64-year-old funeral director, lost 14st after his daughter, Michelle, 31, warned him that he was in serious danger of becoming one of his own customers . Mr Cuthell (pictured with his wife, Marian) dropped from 31st to 17st by ditching his deep fat fryer and swapping unhealthy snacks for fruit and vegetables . But now he has transformed his life after his daughter, Michelle, 31, told him she didn’t want to lose him. Mr Cuthell, who is 6ft 3ins, now weighs 17st. He said: ‘Hearing my daughter say that really brought home to me how serious my weight issue had become. ‘I wanted to be around to walk her down the aisle and watch her have children but I knew my unhealthy ways would put me in an early grave. ‘In a few years I would have been dead if I’d continued with my unhealthy lifestyle. ‘My wife, Marian, had always nagged at me to lose weight but I never listened as I’d been big for so long I felt trapped.’ Mr Cuthell says that he feels he now has a new lease of life and that his life no longer hangs in the balance . Ms Cuthell, who works at the family run funeral directors, faces death on a daily basis, adding to her worry over her father’s health. She said: ‘I was petrified about my dad just dropping down dead, I hear about it happening to people all the time with the job I have. ‘I’m such a daddy’s girl, we have always been really close, I couldn’t imagine losing him, it would be unimaginable. ‘Over the past few years he had become bigger than I’d ever seen him and I watched helplessly as his health deteriorated. Mr Cuthell (pictured with his son Paul before his weight loss) had type 2 diabetes and was so overweight he sometimes had to use a wheelchair to get around . Ms Cuthell said: 'I'm such a daddy's girl, we have always been really close, I couldn't imagine losing him. Over the past few years he'd become bigger than I'd ever seen him - I watched helplessly as his health deteriorated' ‘I had to help him before it was too late, so I started researching weight loss options for him and I came across the Cambridge diet and researched it online.’ The pair met up with a consultant and Mr Cuthell’s staggering weight loss began. Ms Cuthell said: ‘I’m so proud of him, it’s unbelievable how much weight he’s managed to lose. ‘He’s like a new man, no longer insecure or out of breath, it’s amazing, I feel like a proud parent even though he’s my dad. Mr Cuthell worked unsociable hours which led to him eating at all hours of the day. Mr Cuthell lost weight by joining the Cambridge Weight Plan which saw him swap normal meals for low calorie soups, shakes and bars . He would drink hot chocolate with heaps of sugar and often deep fried food for his dinner. Thanks to the help of Cambridge Weight Plan he has managed to change his ways. The Cambridge Weight Plan sees dieters swap their ordinary food for a range of specially formulated soups, shakes, bars and rice puddings. People who follow the plan are also offered support from a consultant. Mr Cuthell said: 'I wanted to be around to walk my daughter down the aisle and watch her have children but I knew my unhealthy ways would put me in an early grave. In a few years I would have been dead' Mr Cuthell said: ‘I owe a lot to my daughter and my consultant, Deborah Paris. Thanks to them I have a new lease of life and my future is no longer hanging in the balance.’ Mr Cuthell has swapped his unhealthy snacks for fruit and vegetables. He has also ditched his deep fat fryer. Cambridge Weight Plan consultant, Deborah Paris, said: ‘Colin is such a lovely guy, his weight loss will hopefully inspire many other people to do the same. ‘He’s an amazing man and it makes my day knowing how much healthier and happier he is now.’
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Colin Cuthell dropped from 31st to 17st after Michelle warned him he was heading for an early grave - he had type 2 diabetes and used a wheelchair .
He has swapped unhealthy snacks for fruit and vegetables and has stopped using his deep fat fryer - he says he is now much happier .
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Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The human cost of the Afghan conflict is escalating, with killings and attacks on children by the Taliban and other insurgent groups soaring, the United Nations said in a report released Tuesday. "Afghan children and women are increasingly bearing the brunt of this conflict," says Staffan de Mistura, special representative of the U.N. secretary-general. "They are being killed and injured in their homes and communities in greater numbers than ever before." According to the United Nations' 2010 Mid-Year Report on Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, in the first six months of this year, 55 percent more children were killed or wounded by the Taliban and other anti-government groups than in the same period in 2009. The number of women killed or wounded by the Taliban and other insurgents increased by six percent. The report says casualties caused by pro-government forces, including the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan security forces, fell 30 percent in the first six months of 2010. From January 1 to June 30, 2010, the UNAMA Human Rights Unit documented a total of 3,268 civilian casualties, including 1,271 deaths and 1,997 injuries. Anti-government forces were responsible for 2,477 casualties. That is 76 percent of all casualties, up 53 percent from 2009. Pro-government forces were responsible for 386 civilian casualties, 12 percent of all casualties, down from 30 percent in 2009. The United Nations notes two lethal developments: Insurgents, it says, are using more improvised explosive devices (IEDs) throughout the country and are assassinating and executing more civilians. IEDs alone accounted for 29 percent of all civilian deaths in the period, including 74 children, a 155-percent surge from the same span last year. Assassinations and executions, meanwhile, soared by more than 95 percent and included the public executions of children. Aerial attacks are the most harmful tactic used by ISAF forces, causing 69 of the 223 civilian deaths attributed to pro-government forces in the first six months of 2010 -- a total of 31 percent -- and injuring 45 Afghan civilians. However, civilian deaths caused by aerial attacks decreased 64 percent from the same period in 2009, according to the report. The United Nations says this reflects greater implementation of an ISAF tactical directive from July 2009 on regulating the use of airstrikes and other measures to reduce civilian casualties. ISAF, in a statement, said the new U.N. report is consistent with figures tracked by ISAF headquarters. It quoted Gen. David Petraeus's new tactical directive, in which he says, "We must continue our emphasis on reducing the loss of innocent civilian life to an absolute minimum. "Every Afghan death diminishes our cause. While we have made progress in our efforts to reduce coalition-caused civilian casualties, we know the measure by which our mission will be judged is protecting the population from harm by either side. We will redouble our efforts to prevent insurgents from harming their neighbors."
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New U.N. report says killings and attacks in Afghanistan are soaring .
Children and women are bearing the brunt of the attacks, the report says .
The Taliban is responsible for the most attacks .
Pro-government forces are also to blame, the report says .
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By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 05:12 EST, 5 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:08 EST, 7 July 2013 . With the Royal birth just days away, it seems that a baby has become the must-have modern accessory. As a result, the . range of novelty products on the market for babies is ever expanding. But from diamante dummies to moustache-themed pacifiers, the abundance of baby accessories is fast becoming more and more ridiculous. And the latest crazy baby accessory to hit the market? A wig for fashion-forward baby girls who have no hair but want to make sure no one thinks they're a little boy. The latest must-have accessory? Baby Bangs! are a new wig for baby girls who want to be fashion-forward and differentiate themselves from boys . Baby Bangs! is the . brainchild of a mother and daughter who wanted to create a miniature hair piece . suitable for newborns to wear. Writing on their website, they say: 'At Baby Bangs! we believe in the beauty of childhood. 'Our unique designs are sprinkled with magic- inspiring a world of whimsical wonder and mystical magical memorable moments for you and your baby girl to cherish forever! 'For she is, and always will be, your little princess!.' Baldness, be gone! Baby Bangs! is the brainchild of a mother, daughter, and baby granddaughter who wanted to create a miniature hair piece suitable for newborns to wear . The design trio called in hair replacement artist, Lisa Griggs-Campbell, as well as a real live baby model for styling, sizing and . comfort testing. After two years of designing, they unveiled the 'Fleurs Collection', a collection of miniature hair pieces in a range of colours made size-appropriate for infants, . toddlers and little girls priced at around £20. Baby model: The design trio called in hair replacement artist, Lisa Griggs-Campbell, as well as a real live baby model for styling, sizing and comfort testing to showcase the £20 wig . And it seems that Baby Bangs! aren't being well received. Callie Beusman writes on Jezebel: 'So the princess dogma is starting at such a young age that a newborn's natural (downy-headed) state is somehow undesirable? 'Is the window of time during which a . woman's physical appearance isn't subjected to constant scrutiny and . held up to strict standards going to narrow so much that all fetuses . will need beautiful virtual makeovers. 'Babies . all look the same; that's kind of their thing. It's not only . unnecessary, but also pretty much insane, to start forcing cosmetic . enhancements on a child too young to even have hair on her head.' And the Twittersphere are also up in arms about the latest baby accessory. One . user wrote: 'I despair... RT"@pandy92: There's a website selling wigs . for baby girls so they don't get mistaken for baby boys.' Another added: '*Projectile vomit* RT @mssusieday 'I'm not a boy!' AAAAARGH. RT @sarahcrossan: No no no no no. http://baby-bangs.com/index2.php' Not impressed: The Twittersphere are also up in arms about the latest baby accessory .
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Baby Bangs! created £20 wigs for bald baby girls .
Say they believe in 'the beauty of childhood'
Internet users infuriated by new accessory .
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(CNN) -- Federal accident investigators issued two "urgent" recommendations to the Chicago Transit Authority on Friday urging action to prevent another crash similar to one this week in which an unoccupied CTA train collided with another at a station, injuring 33 people. The National Transportation Safety Board told the authority in a letter that it needed to take steps, including using wheel chocks, to prevent trains from moving unintentionally. CTA said in response it had taken those and other steps immediately after the crash on Monday. The accident occurred when a four-car train -- unoccupied but powered up -- departed the Forest Park Repair Terminal where it was awaiting repairs. It traveled almost a mile downhill through five devices designed to stop trains, eventually colliding with an occupied train stopped at the Harlem Station on CTA's Blue Line. Some 33 passengers were injured. Those who were hospitalized have been released, authorities said. The empty train movement remains under investigation, but the CTA said neither criminal conduct nor vandalism is suspected. The safety board said unoccupied CTA trains are "routinely left powered up" while stored at the repair yard. But CTA spokesman Brian Steele disputed that, saying trains are typically powered up prior to going into service. Steele said preliminary indications show the train was powered up at the time of the incident, but it was unclear when it was scheduled to depart the repair yard to go to another maintenance yard. "That's one of the questions we are trying to answer," he said. The NTSB said the investigation continues, noting that one of the cars had heat-damaged wiring and water in electrical connection boxes. Steele said the CTA has inspected about half of the 600 to 700 cars in its fleet without finding similar damage. The inspections were to be completed this weekend, he said. The NTSB typically rolls out recommendations at the conclusion of investigations, but can issue guidance earlier if it identifies a safety problem. In this case, it issued the recommendations while most of the agency was on furlough because of the government shutdown. The furlough rules allow for ongoing investigations in cases that are necessary to "prevent the imminent potential for loss of life and significant property damage." The NTSB also can launch investigations into "major accidents involving significant casualties." The actions recommended by the board need "to be addressed expeditiously to prevent a recurrence," NTSB chairwoman Deborah Hersman wrote in the letter to Forrest Claypool, president of the CTA. In addition to wheel chocks, the NTSB recommended turning off propulsion power and using an alternative brake setting, and a system to derail cars before they enter the main track. The NTSB also wrote to the Federal Transit Administration requesting it issue a safety advisory to all transit systems asking them to review operating and maintenance procedures for stored, unoccupied cars. All but 28 of the FTA's 529 employees have been furloughed. An FTA spokeswoman said that the administration complied and issued the safety advisory.
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Rail collision this week in Chicago injured 33 people .
NTSB recommends transit agency take urgent safety action .
Board wants steps to prevent trains from moving unintentionally .
CTA said it has done so already; investigation continues into crash .
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Berlin (CNN) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity will not be enough to ensure a continuation of the government she would like to lead after Germans go to the polls - and a newcomer on the political scene could throw a wrench in the gears of her plans for the nation. Despite standing 20 points higher in the ratings than challenger Peer Steinbrueck of the SPD, Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) are unlikely to secure enough votes for an absolute majority. It is actually the Chancellor's own camp in the political spectrum of the right that threatens the current government, made up of the Christian Democrats and their junior partner, the liberal democratic FDP. The upstart Alternative for Germany (AfD) party could deliver payback to Europe's paymaster, because of Chancellor Merkel's ad hoc reactions to financial instability in the Eurozone. With a populist platform cloaked in its profile as the "party of professors," the nascent AfD touts an anti-euro platform, and is channelling supporters away from the right and enticing protest voters. Together, they could be enough to help the AfD garner the five per cent of the vote they need to gain seats in Germany's parliament, the Bundestag. The party currently scores between 2% and 4% in the polls. Read more: Germany playing beggar-my-neighbor with eurozone? If they succeed, it could then be difficult for the current government to muster a majority. Just as suddenly as the AfD party appeared on the scene earlier this year, consensus on Germany's role in Europe may disintegrate in Berlin, since there is now a conservative political voice breaking the taboo on questioning Germany's integration within the European Union. Neither the political parties nor the German electorate has mobilized around any burning issues this campaign season, but the AfD has tapped into an undercurrent of frustration about the euro and unease about Germany's economic resilience. Merkel has steered Europe's biggest economy well during the global economic crisis: today, unemployment is under 7% and Germany's export engine is the envy of many countries. Two decades after reunification, the nation seems to have reached the zenith in economic indicators, but looming in the background are structural factors such as a demographic decline and income disparity which, coupled with aiding Eurozone countries in the periphery, creates unease among this nation of savers. According to the 2013 Transatlantic Trends Survey, a majority of Germans would like to see each EU member state maintain authority over its own economic and budgetary policies. Read more: It's the economy Dummkopf - CNN debate highights key issue . The AfD may only have 20,000 party members, but about a third of the country's 50 million voters are believed to be undecided. As a result, there is ample recruiting ground for parties like the AfD to generate a critical mass. Even if it doesn't enter the Bundestag this time around, its mere existence could create more political fragmentation and upend Merkel's current center-right coalition. Just as election campaigning swung into gear at the end of the summer, Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble predicted another bailout for Greece. This was the moment for Merkel to outline a plan for the European project in order to neutralize the opposition complaining about her lack of a plan and calm the euroskeptics in her midst, reinforcing her credibility as a measured leader in times of crisis. Instead she is riding on Germans' current sense of prosperity to usher in a third term as Chancellor. But as long as the AfD remains a potential player in Berlin, Germans will always be reminded of the solidity of the Deutschmark, and Merkel may soon see the conservatives splinter, just as the German left has done over the past decade. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sudha David-Wilp.
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Germans go to the polls Sunday; Chancellor Angela Merkel up for re-election .
Anti-euro Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is campaigning for the first time .
Sudha David-Wilp: Fledgling party could throw wrench in gears of Merkel's plans .
If it wins seats in parliament, AfD could splinter the conservative alliance, says David-Wilp .
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Mike Tyson swore at a television presenter live on air after he brought up his conviction for rape. The former world heavyweight champion had been expressing his support for Toronto mayor Rob Ford when the presenter suggested that Tyson's 1992 conviction may actually harm Ford's bid for re-election. After initially saying he had 'no comment' to make, the 48-year-old said to CP24 news anchor Nathan Downer: 'You're being negative. I met the mayor and there's nothing they can do about it.' Mike Tyson directed an expletive-filled rant at a Canadian television anchor in a live interview after the host brought up the former heavyweight champion's conviction for sexual assault . Mike Tyson swore at the television presenter live on air, calling him a 'rat piece of s***' Tyson was jailed in the 1990s for raping 18-year-old beauty queen Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room which he has always denied. He received 10 years for each charge on which he was convicted - one count of rape and two of criminal deviate conduct. After suspending four years from each, the judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently and he served three years of a six-year sentence. In the interview Tyson said to his interviewer: 'You come across like a nice guy but you're really a piece of s***. F*** you, that (question) was a piece of s***.' Downer then puts up his hands and says 'Hey, come on. We're doing live TV now.' In a tweet after the incident, Downer told his followers he was 'not taking it personally' New friends: Mike Tyson and Mayor Rob Ford at Toronto City Hall - Tyson later called Ford the 'best mayor in Toronto history' Tyson responds: 'I don't care. What are you going to do about it?' Downer then asks Tyson about his one-man show 'Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth.' Tyson appeared on CP24 with the Canadian promoter of the show. Tyson tells Downer the show it 'speaks for itself' before the promoter talks about it. When asked about whether he found acting or boxing more nerve racking, Tyson responded: 'It's more nerve-wracking talking to a rat piece of s*** like you.' 'Come on, Mike,' Downer responds. Tyson insults him again before Downer wraps up the interview and thanks Tyson for coming as Tyson swears at him. In a tweet after the incident, Downer said it was unfortunate his question hurt Tyson's feelings and that it wasn't his intention. 'I'm okay everybody,' Downer tweeted. Mike Tyson leaves court after being convicted of raping beauty queen Desiree Washington, which he has always denied. He was jailed in 1992 . Downer apologized for the language and followed that up with another tweet. 'No ill will toward Mike Tyson. He lashed out at me and that's okay. Not taking it personally.' In his turbulent life Tyson has been married three times, fathered eight children and became the youngest heavyweight champion the world has ever seen at just 20. But fame ruined him and his troubled upbringing - his mother was a prostitute and he never knew his pimp father - came back to haunt him. Mug shot: In his turbulent life Tyson has been married three times, fathered eight children and became the youngest heavyweight champion the world has ever seen at just 20 . He used to keep a white Bengal Tiger named Kenya in his backyard. It cost him around £2,000 a month just to care for him, and the story goes that one day Kenya got loose and caused quite a commotion in Southington, Ohio. He was also in the grip of numerous addictions; to sex, often with strippers and prostitutes, even though he was married with children; and to spending on an improbable scale. He spent around £200million, much of it on gifts to people he barely knew, on cars he never drove, and on bad business deals which he barely troubled to understand. Tyson bites the ear of Evander Holyfield's during their infamous 1997 fight . He was also addicted to alcohol and drugs, having a long dependence on marijuana and a fondness for cocaine and Hennessy brandy. Three years ago, he was jailed for driving under the influence of cocaine and was found with three bags of the drug in his car. At times, he has used prescription drugs like Zoloft for depression, too. 'I'm on the Zoloft to keep me from killing y'all,' he once announced at a press conference. After years of controversial headlines, at the age of 39, Tyson retired in 2005 – but he admits he’s ‘the same guy – I just grew up a little bit’. He has spent his recent years trying to reconnect with his six children by four different mothers. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Tyson had been talking about supporting Toronto mayor Rob Ford .
Boxer was jailed in 1990s for raping teenage beauty-pageant contestant .
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England and Scotland fans have been advised to leave extra time when travelling to Tuesday’s friendly at Celtic Park. A number of Scotland fans complained on Twitter at missing kick off for Friday’s Euro 2016 qualifier with Ireland with some supporters claiming they were still queuing outside Celtic Park up to 30 minutes after kick off. Friday night’s problems are being blamed on heavy tragic on the A9 around the ground and the late arrival of fans. England's players traveled to Scotland via plane on Monday ahead of their friendly at Celtic Park . Scotland's players prepare for Tuesday's clash with England at training session in Glasgow on Monday . Some fans complained that they missed 30 minutes of action on Friday due to delays getting into Celtic Park . And fans are being advised to leave extra time to get to the ground to avoid a repeat of the problems. The FA have sold 5,077 of their 7,200 away ticket allocation and all travelling fans have to collect their tickets in Glasgow due to ongoing security procedures. But The FA opened their ticket collection point in Glasgow city centre at 4pm on Monday and it will be open until 5pm on Tuesday. There will also be a ticket collection point for England fans at Celtic Park up until 8pm and despite every travelling fan having to collect their tickets, The FA insist it is ‘standard practice’ to stop ticket touting and they are not anticipating any problems.
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Some fans were still not in the ground 30 minutes after kick-off on Friday during Scotland's 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland .
But FA insist there will be no repeat on Tuesday .
England fans can collect tickets in Glasgow from 4pm on Monday .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:59 EST, 5 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:59 EST, 5 March 2014 . Jailed: Thief Adrian Robertson, 40, had previously robbed a partially-sighted musician . An 81-year-old woman had her handbag stolen after she stood up from her church pew to take communion. Silvia Federicei-Palmieri, a Brazilian believed to be on a long holiday in the UK, was at a morning church service on her birthday when a couple snatched her bag. Adrian Robertson, 40, was sentenced to five months in jail on Tuesday for the theft. Rebecca Mills, 32, pleaded guilty last month and was handed an eight-week sentence. The couple walked into a Sunday service at Our Lady Immaculate RC Church in Surbiton, Surrey, on January 19, the court heard. Congregation member Deborah Roberts said she saw Mills take the bag from the pew. She told Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court: ‘As they were about to go to sit down, she seemed to bend down and grab something. 'They walked back out of the pews together while he was looking over his shoulder.’ Churchgoers including Sunday school pupils chased the pair down the road but did not catch them. They were later arrested by police. Sunday school teacher Rachel Street told the court: ‘They were getting away. I was shouting at them, “I’m from the church, you have taken the bag”.’ Robertson, of West Ewell, Surrey, claimed he did not know Mills had taken the bag until after they left. Mills, of Epsom, Surrey, said she had not planned to steal it, but was drunk and ‘saw the opportunity’. Sentencing Robertson, District Judge Ken Grant described the theft as a ‘joint enterprise’, adding that stealing from an 81-year-old woman in church made the crime ‘particularly unpleasant’. Robertson, who stood trial at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court, is already serving a 13-week sentence for an earlier theft, and in 2009 was jailed for two and a half years for robbing a partially-sighted musician in Epsom. Communion: The theft took place during a morning service at Our Lady Immaculate Church in Surbiton . Congregation member Deborah Roberts, who gave evidence behind a screen, said she saw the pair enter the pews and thought they were going to sit down as people went up for communion. She said: 'As they were about to go to sit down, she seemed to bend down and grab something then they walked back out of the pews together while he was looking over his shoulder.' Ms Roberts said she pursued the pair out of the church and called after them but they walked away quickly and broke into a run. She said: 'She had gone to take communion, she had left her handbag in the pew to walk down the central aisle.' In the dock, Robertson claimed they only went into the church in order to use the toilet after sleeping rough under a flight of stairs the previous night. He claimed he did not know Mills had taken the bag until they had left the church. He said: 'I think she picked the bag up, it was by mistake. Nothing was taken from the bag. It was a drunken mistake.' Callous: The 81-year-old worshipper from Brazil stood up to take communion and left her purse behind . Robertson denied being on the look-out or playing any part in the theft. He said: 'Why would I want to take a bag when I was on the way to my Mum’s for Sunday dinner? 'That’s totally wrong. I’m Catholic myself. I did not see no bag or anything when I was in the church.' He said they walked out of the church, adding: 'The only time I ran is when I ran across the road and I stopped after that. I had no need to run.' While giving evidence Mills, who had a ponytail and navy top, said she did not plan to take the bag but just 'saw the opportunity' while under the influence of drink. She said: 'It was on the floor. I just picked it up. I went round the back towards M&S and threw it down because I thought it was wrong. I didn’t even open it.' She added: 'I threw the bag because I felt guilty. I took the blame and said I’m really sorry. You can’t blame someone else for what I have done.' After giving evidence she whispered to Robertson: 'I love you.'
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Silvia Federicei-Palmieri, 81, believed to be on a long holiday from Brazil .
She was praying at Our Lady Immaculate RC Church in Surbiton, Surrey .
Churchgoers chased Adrian Robertson, 40, who was jailed for five months .
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A challenging and varied route for the 98th Giro d'Italia was unveiled in Milan on Monday. The 3,481.8-kilometre event, scheduled to take place from May 9 to May 31 2015, features one individual time-trial, one team time-trial, seven uphill finishes and seven sprint stages. The race will start in Riviera dei Fiori in the Liguria region and finish in Milan. The Giro d'Italia 2015 route was unveiled with uphill finishes in Madonna di Campiglio, Cervinia and Sestriere . Highlights include the uphill finishes in Madonna di Campiglio, Cervinia and Sestriere, while decisive time gaps could be claimed on the 59.2km time-trial from Treviso to Valdobbiadene. The challenge for the race won by Colombian Nairo Quintana in 2014 is who will contest for the pink jersey, with home favourite Vincenzo Nibali likely to line up in defence of his Tour de France title against Vuelta a Espana champion Alberto Contador and 2013 Tour winner Chris Froome. Colombian Rigoberto Uran was in Milan on Monday and could target the maglia rosa after finishing second to Quintana in May. Colombian Nairo Quintana won the 2014 race while his compatriot Rigoberto Uran finished second .
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Giro d'Italia route unveiled for 2015 .
Colombian Nairo Quintana won the race in 2014 .
Quintana's compatriot Rigoberto Uran finished second .
There'll be uphill finishes in Madonna di Campiglio, Cervinia and Sestriere .
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By . Stuart Woledge . PUBLISHED: . 13:31 EST, 3 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:28 EST, 4 October 2013 . Southern Britain was bracing itself for floods and chaos today as a band of torrential rain and thundery storms swept in from the Atlantic. The . Met Office put out a yellow weather warning, saying the West . Country is first in the firing line and could be swamped by the equivalent of early two . inches of rain in just three hours. A spokesman said: 'Areas of heavy, thundery rain will spread . into southern and south-western parts of England and Wales today, with . 20-25mm of rain possible within an hour and 40mm within three hours. Drenched: A dog walker and her labrador suffer the lashing wind and rain after going out for a stroll . Swell: A surfer braves the waves in Cornwall, which is due to be hit first as the South prepares for storms . 'This . warning will be kept under close review and updated as necessary, with . the possibility that it may need to be extended into Friday.' Claire Endean's furniture showroom in St Austell, Cornwall, has been hit by floods three times in the last couple of years. 'You just want to go home and cry,' she said. 'It isn't your home, but because . this is where you technically live eight hours a day, it is just . heart-breaking when you see all your nice clean, lovely shop getting . covered in water and mud.' Firefighters have already been called to pump out flood water from two hotels in the exclusive coastal town of St Mawes in Cornwall, an area where many celebrities and . politicians have holiday homes. Traffic ground to a halt on the A39 . in Truro earlier today tue to heaving flooding, with the road described . as 'just passable' in places. Huge . queues built up as motorists attempted to get through. More flooding . was reported on the B3277 between St Agnes and Chiverton Cross. Torrential: The Met Office has issued a yellow warning ahead of expected storms sweeping in from the Atlantic . Cornwall Council has put staff on standby and advised residents to stock up on sandbags, which can be obtained from builders merchants and hardware stores, to protect their homes from flooding. It has also advised people to check with the Environment Agency, either on their website or by calling the floodline on 0845 9881188, to find out if their property is at risk from flooding. A spokesman said: 'During the . floods, which took place last year, a number of householders reported . difficulties in obtaining sandbags when the heavy rain affected their . local area. 'As neither . the Council nor the Environment Agency has a statutory duty to provide . sandbags, anyone whose property is prone to flooding should ensure they . have a supply of sandbags ready to protect their home or business should . they need to. 'Officers . from Cornwall Council's Highways, Environment, Fire and Rescue and . Emergency Management services will be monitoring the situation closely . and are on standby to deal with any problems. 'Local . communities are also encouraged to check with vulnerable neighbours in . case they need help with obtaining flood protection materials. 'Agencies . are asking people to follow the advice on dealing with the potential . heavy rainfall, and warn people not to drive through any flood water.' In Scotland, traffic ground to a halt when 100 tonnes of debris poured onto the A83 following a landslide. Serious: Traffic was halted in Argyll when a landslide dumped 100 tonnes of debris on the A83 . It followed more than 26mm of rainfall overnight in Argyll, with much of it coming between 6am and 9am. First Minister Alex Salmond described it as a 'serious and developing situation'. The road has now been closed six times since December 2011, and roads management firm BEAR Scotland called in specialists to clear the area after heavy rain brought rocks and mud from a nearby hill on to the road surface. Two parts of the road were affected and engineers are to remain at the site near the Rest and Be Thankful, in Argyll, overnight with more rain expected. Concrete retaining blocks are to be fitted and BEAR will patrol the road to check for any danger. Developing: First Minister Alex Salmond described the landslide as 'serious' Brian Gordon, BEAR Scotland's managing . director, said: 'Our team has worked flat out in difficult conditions . to re-open the road. We are doing so with traffic controls and a number . of other safety measures in place given the on-going poor weather . forecast. 'As always the . safety of motorists is our utmost priority and we will ask anyone . experiencing delays to be patient while we continue to monitor the . situation throughout the night.' Argyll . and Bute Council leader Dick Walsh said there are concerns about the . route with businesses relying on it for deliveries and trade. He . said: 'Following today's closure of the A83 trunk road, we have written . to Transport Scotland seeking confirmation of the suitability of the . risk assessment and contingency planning for the A82 works at Pulpit . Rock. 'The people who visit, . live and work in Argyll and Bute depend on these lifeline routes and we . need to ensure that they are able to continue to go about their . business. 'We will, of . course, offer any assistance that we can to Transport Scotland and work . closely with them and the police to find the best possible solution for . everyone.' Transport Minister Keith Brown said: 'We know that the A83 is a vital route for people living and working in Argyll and Bute and our operating company, BEAR Scotland, has deployed all of its resources to clear the hundred tonnes of rock and mud from the road at Glen Kinglas as quickly as possible. 'Landslides are naturally occurring events, we can't stop them happening but we can lessen the impact and we have been making improvements, not only to our processes but also through engineering. There are no overnight solutions to the issue but we are committed to a programme of on-going works to remedy the situation. 'We have invested £3.7m in mitigation measures on the A83 including protective netting, a new culvert and drainage system at the site of a previous landslide and geotechnical monitoring equipment. 'This area at Glen Kinglas is part of the further studies we are undertaking on the A83 to find solutions to the unique challenges that the route poses.'
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People warned to stock up on sandbags in Cornwall to prevent flooding .
Up to two inches of rain is expected to fall in less than three hours .
Atlantic storms are due to lash the South of England in the coming hours .
In Scotland more than 100 tonnes of debris covered a road after a landslide .
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By . Dan Miller . Fewer than half the people in the UK realise that the First World War extended beyond Europe, a new report has shown. Research by the British Council found most people's knowledge of the Great War - which began 100 years ago - is limited to the trench warfare and fighting on the Western Front. The document - Remember The World As Well As The War - reveals a lack of understanding of the global scale and impact of the war, and calls on the UK and the rest of the world to use the centenary commemorations to better understand of the global nature of the conflict. American troops advance wearing gas masks in France in 1918. Fewer than half the Britons questioned knew that North America played a role in WWI . The report was produced from research carried out for the British Council by YouGov, which surveyed between 1,000 and 1,200 people online in the UK, as well as in Egypt, France, Germany, India, Russia, and Turkey. It found that in the UK, fewer than half of the 1,081 people questioned were aware that North America and the Middle East played a part in the First World War (38per cent and 34per cent respectively), while less than a quarter realised that Africa and Asia were involved (21per cent and 22per cent). The research also found a widespread lack of understanding about the impact of the war - while 62per cent of people in the UK were aware of its connection to the rise of the Nazis in Germany, far fewer (37per cent) were aware of the link with the rise of Communism in Russia. Global war: British troops return from the trenches during the Dardanelles campaign. A survey by the British Council revealed most people do not realise WWI was fought beyond the Western Front . Battle lines: The Australian forward position at Gallipoli. The British Council is calling on people to use the centenary commemorations to better understand of the global nature of the conflict . Landing: Troops coming ashore at the Dardanelles in 1915. The research found a widespread lack of understanding about the impact of the war . Lord Kitchener inspects trenches during Gallipoli campaign . Less than a third of UK respondents associated the war with the fall of the Ottoman Empire (32per cent) or the creation of the United Nations (27per cent), and just 11per cent were aware of its connection with the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Across the seven countries, almost three-quarters of people surveyed (72 per cent) believed that their country was still affected by the consequences of the war, the research found. And the conflict still influences overseas views of the UK, with 45 per cent of people questioned in India and 28per cent in France and Russia saying the UK's role in the war had a positive effect on how they view it today. But in contrast, 34 per cent in Turkey and 22 per cent in Egypt said it had a negative effect.The report, published today, calls on the UK and the rest of the world to use centenary commemorations to help people recognise the ongoing impact of the war on relationships between countries around the world. British infantrymen wait in a shallow trench before an advance during the Battle of the Somme. Most Britons think the Great War was limited to the fighting on the Western Front . Desolate: A Royal Welch Fusilier stands on Pilken Ridge, Belgium, in 1917 . An East Yorskhire regiment of British troops in silhouette negoitiate their way round a rainwater-filled shell crater near the Western Front, during World War One . John Worne, director of strategy at the British Council, said: 'Our research shows that the things we in the UK know and remember the most from the First World War are the harrowing images and iconic stories from the Western Front - and rightly so. 'But we shouldn't forget that the war touched many other parts of the world. Far more countries fought and were affected than we generally think. 'Even a hundred years later a person from the UK travelling for business or pleasure will find the war still influences the way people overseas view the UK. Sacrifice: The report calls on the UK and the rest of the world to use centenary commemorations to help people recognise the ongoing impact of the war on relationships between countries around the world . 'So knowing a little about the global reach of the conflict and its lasting effects will help anyone better understand and navigate the many different reasons people from other countries see us as they do.' The research for the report was carried out for the British Council, which is working on a programme of activities throughout 2014 to increase awareness of the global scale and lasting legacy of the war. There were a total of 7,488 responses - 1,052 in Egypt; 1,029 in France; 1,070 in Germany; 1,215 in India; 1,019 in Russia; 1,022 in Turkey and 1,081 in the UK.
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Research by British Council reveals ignorance of the WWI's global scale .
Less than half of people questioned were aware that America played a part .
Less than a third associated the war with the fall of the Ottoman Empire .
Only 11% were aware of its connection with the conflict in the Palestine .
Calls for the centenary to be used to better understand the conflict .
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(CNN) -- The woman who scrambled to safety after a small plane crashed into her Florida home gave thanks to God on Saturday for allowing her to escape without a scratch and for keeping her family safe. Susan Crockett stood in front of her one-story Palm Coast home, which now has a huge black hole where the four-seater plane went down Friday afternoon, killing all three people aboard. "God is good. He really is," Crockett told reporters. "I got out without a scratch on me. A little bruise from taking a tumble through the window, but other than that, I'm fine. I'm blessed. Truly, God was with me." The 1957 Bonanza H35 took off from Fort Pierce, Florida, and was on its way to Knoxville when the pilot reported engine trouble, officials said. "From what we've been told, the pilot was having some malfunctions in flight," said Chief Investigator Terry Duprie of the National Transportation Safety Board. The plane was diverting to Flagler County Airport, near the coast about 30 miles north of Daytona Beach, when it crashed a mile east of the airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. Killed in the crash were Michael R. Anders, 57, and Duane L. Shaw, 59, both of Albany, Kentucky, and Charissee M. Peoples, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. A preliminary NTSB report on the crash is expected in about 10 days, Duprie said, but the full investigation is expected to take many months. Investigators will try to figure out why the plane made such a steep descent into the home and whether the weather conditions -- light rain and low clouds -- played any role, he said. Tall pine trees surround the home, which is in a rural residential area home to many retirees. The crash caused an intense fire that incinerated much of the plane, something that will make the investigation difficult, Duprie said. But the pilot was talking to air traffic controllers in Daytona Beach, "and I think that will help us out quite a bit down the road." Crockett said she was getting ready to leave her house when something told her to stop. A few more feet, she said, and she would have been hit. Her college-age daughter, Jessica, who was home for the holidays, would have been lounging on a bed that's now "charred and mangled" if she hadn't decided to head back to school a few days early, Crockett said. Crockett's grandson often comes over to her house, where "he stands in front of the television that's now a big glob of metal," but his dad decided to take him to day care Friday, she said. Members of Crockett's church bought her clothes and shoes to wear, since she escaped the house with next to nothing. She did manage to rescue the folded flag she received after her sister, who was in the Army, died about three years ago. It's blackened, but intact, she said. "I'm just praising God that I'm alive," Crockett said Saturday.
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A small plane crashed into Susan Crockett's home on Friday .
The three people aboard the plane were killed .
Crockett crawled out of a window to safety .
The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash .
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The Doctor has landed outside Earl's Court London Underground station. His TARDIS has been spotted by hundreds of fans, thanks to Google's Street View. And now anyone can take a peek inside by clicking the double arrow pointing at the old-fashioned police box located outside the Earl's Court Underground station on Google Maps. For those not familiar with the Time Lord transportation, a TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) can take passengers to any point in time and space and to anywhere in the universe . You can peak inside the TARDIS by clicking the double arrow pointing at the old-fashioned police box located outside the Earl's Court Underground station on Google's Street View . For those not familiar with Time Lord transportation, a TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) can take passengers to any point in time and space. Amazingly, the interior is much larger than its exterior, which looks like an old London police box. The TARDIS is in some respects alive. It has a 'soul', which was once trapped inside the body of a woman, and will often redirect itself to where it thinks it needs to be. It can blend in with its surroundings using a ‘chameleon circuit’. The Doctor's TARDIS outside Earl's court station is broken and stuck in its current form. It can, however, turn invisible. It also comes with handy tools. For instance, it can translate speech and writing for people travelling inside it, enabling them to understand any alien language even once they step outside. The TARDIS can translate speech and writing for people travelling inside it, enabling them to understand any alien language even once they step outside . Most TARDIS can use their chameleon circuit to change appearance. But, the Doctor- who was recently played by Matt Smith (pictured)- has a broken TARDIS which is stuck in the form of an old London police box . Unfortunately, Google only gives you a sneak peek of the inside the interior. You can see a maze of endless corridors, but the map doesn’t allow you to go down into the libraries, art galleries and swimming pools. A Google spokesperson said: 'Inspired by the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, our engineers thought it would be a cool idea for users to find and tour the TARDIS from Street View level.' So far fans have left 375 reviews of the venue. ‘Really neat place. Stayed here ages ago - always had a handy supply of jelly babies on the pillow,’ said one review. ‘They must have had a pest problem, though - I kept hearing someone shouting "Exterminate! Exterminate!”’ You can see a maze of endless corridors, but the map doesn't allow you to go down into the libraries, art galleries and swimming pools . Another commented: ‘A lovely and spacious residence. The excursion trips are out of this world, literally.’ Google is known for adding semi-secret bonus features known as ‘Easter Eggs’. For instance, typing ‘do a barrel roll’ into its search engine will see results spin around the screen. Others features in the past have included putting ninjas in its Reader and spam recipes in its Gmail spam folders. Last year, Greg Kumparak in California created his own DIY Tardis which was larger on the inside, thanks to the nifty use of augmented reality (AR). He created it over a few hours using wood, two bottles and some dark blue paint, before fixing a working red light on the top. 'Then my stupid brain went and thought 'Hey wouldn't it be cool if it had an interior,' Mr Kumparak wrote on his blog. But how to defy the laws of physics and make it bigger on the inside? First he created a 3D computer model of the interior using a free-to-use open source computer software programme called Blender. The former Techcrunch mobile editor then used the Unity graphics rendering engine. Rendering is the process of generating a 2D image from a 3D model stored in a scene file by using a computer program. This information describes the geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting and shading of the virtual scene. Finally he used an AR app platform by chip-maker Qualcomm called Vuforia, to allow a smartphone to interact with the mini Tardis.
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Google is allowing anyone to take a look inside using its Street View map .
It added the feature to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who .
Hundreds of fans have already reviewed the site, with one commenting: ‘They must have had a pest problem - I kept hearing someone shouting "Exterminate! Exterminate!"'
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Vladimir Putin dropped in on one of Russia's old Cold War allies on Friday, as he began a six-day tour of Latin American with a state visit to Cuba. The tour included a rare public appearance with the country's revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, who has been seen in public since the start of the year. Putin and the 87-year-old leader met to discuss international relations and the economy, as Moscow sought to strengthen ties with its old friend. Scroll down for video . Cold War friends: Putin holds on to Fidel Castro's arm during a meeting with the revolutionary leader on Friday . Talks: Fidel Castro and Putin spent about an hour together discussing the economy and international politics . The Russian president was also pictured embracing Fidel Castro's younger brother Raul, who took over leadership in 2008. The meetings have been seen by analysts as further . attempts to snub the West over its Ukraine sanctions. Cuba . and the other countries Putin is due to visit on the trip have been . sympathetic or not overly critical of Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. In Cuba, the state-run papers have tended to portray it as a struggle against right-wing extremism that has been threatening ethnic Russians living in Ukraine. Earlier . this year, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez criticized U.S. and . European Union sanctions imposed on Russians and pro-Russian . Ukrainians. 'In . the international arena, we agree with the current policy of strength . and political intelligence that the Soviet Union - I mean Russia - is . carrying out,' Castro said. Old friends: Russia's president Vladimir Putin embraces Cuba's leader Raul Castro in Havana . Backing: Putin and Castro at a ceremony in Havana on Friday. Moscow is strengthening economic ties with Cuba . Before . leaving for his Latin America tour, Putin also made remarks on . cyber-espionage, saying: 'This is not just blatant hypocrisy in . relations between allies and partners. According to the Business Recorder Putin, . whose country provided asylum to Ed Snowden, said: 'It is also direct . infringement of a country's sovereignty and a breach of human rights, an . invasion of privacy.' His . comments came as the CIA chief based in Berlin was asked to leave over . allegations that the U.S. spied on Germany's Angela Merkel. In Cuba, . Castro and Putin strengthened their ties, using the official . tour to sign about a dozen accords in energy, industry, health and . disaster prevention. Shortly . before the visit, Moscow wrote off more than $35 billion of Cuba's . Soviet-era debt. Speaking about the debt agreement, which clears 90 percent of what Cuba owes, Raul Castro said it was 'another great, tangible generosity of the Russian people toward Cuba.' In a . further sign of Putin turning his back on the West, the Cuban government . website announced that Russian companies are to take part in petroleum . projects around Boca de Jaruco on Cuba's north coast, and that . cooperation will extend to offshore oil deposits. Show: The visit to Latin America is seen by analysts as sign of Putin snubbing the West over sanctions imposed over the Ukrainian crisis . Another . agreement covered infrastructure at a new port project that Cuba hopes . will become a regional shipping center and attract much-needed foreign . investment. 'We . are talking about the possibility of creating in Cuba a grand . transportation hub with a possible modernization of the maritime port of . Mariel and the construction of a modern airport with its respective . cargo terminal,' Putin said, according to an official Spanish . translation of his remarks in Russian. According to the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, Putin spent about an hour with retired revolutionary leader Fidel Castro. The men are said to have discussed a range of topics including international affairs, the economy and Russian-Cuban relations. The . Cuba visit included official duties, in which Putin and Raul Casto took . part in a ceremony at Havana's Memorial to the Soviet Internationalist . Soldier. Allies: Putin and Castro on Friday. The visit came as Moscow announced plans to write off 90 percent of Cuba's Soviet-era debt . Havana . and Moscow have a shared history dating to the Cold War, when they were . united by ideology and opposition to U.S. influence. They . drifted apart in the 1990s, however, as the collapse of the Soviet . Union ended billions of dollars in trade and subsidies for Cuba. After . leaving Havana, Putin is due to travel to Argentina, whose President . has accused the U.S. and Britain of having double standards. In . March, Cristina Fernandez rebuked the countries for criticizing a . pro-Russian secession vote in Crimea while backing a status referendum in . the Falkland Islands. From Argentina, Putin will travel to . Brazil, which was among several countries that opposed Russia being . excluded from the G20 summit in Australia. 'We . are grateful to South Americans for the support of our international . initiatives, including outer space demilitarization, strengthening . international information security and combating the glorification of . Nazism,' Putin said in an interview before the trip. Power talk: The Russian leader's tour takes in many countries that have been sympathetic to Moscow over the Ukraine crisis . Support: Putin used the visit to criticize the U.S. embargo on Cuba that has been in place for 52 years . Russia said in February that it was looking to expand its worldwide military presence, including asking permission for its navy ships to use ports in Cuba and elsewhere in Latin America. A Russian intelligence-gathering vessel has docked in Havana on multiple occasions in recent months. Putin plans to attend a presidential summit of the BRICS group of nations in Fortaleza, Brazil, in the coming days. He is to be in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday for the World Cup final and ceremonial handover of host duties for soccer's marquee tournament, which next takes place in Russia in 2018.
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Russian President makes official visit to Havana at start of Latin America tour .
Analysts claim visit is Moscow reacting against sanctions over Crimea .
Putin and Raul Castro announce trade deals as Russia writes off $35bn debt Cuba owed from Soviet-era days .
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In 1985, Meng Weina set up China's first private special needs school in the southern city of Guangzhou. As a single mother she was motivated to help those who are often overlooked by the country's health care system and stigmatized by society. From her first center in Guangzhou, Weina now has Hui Ling operations in a dozen cities across China providing a range of services, from kindergartens and primary schools to youth workshops and adult residential homes. The expansion of the donation-funded NGO shows not just the success of the Weina's vision but the desperate need for mental health care provision in China. "We estimate that only 10% of people with intellectual disabilities in China are receiving some kind of care or help," said Weina. According to a 2009 study published in British medical journal The Lancet, around 173 million Chinese suffer from a mental disorder. However there are only 20,000 psychiatrists, equaling 1.5 for each 100,000 people, or a tenth of the ratio in the United States. Mental health legislation . Last year saw the introduction of China's first mental health legislation, which took a reported 27 years to pass. Among the changes from the law are new financing initiatives for mental health services and training for primary care-givers. Perhaps the most significant was a new set of rights for patients, including not being hospitalized against their will. Negative perceptions of those with metal health problems are often portrayed in the media in China; they are either victims or perpetrators of violence. Weina knows that each individual that comes to a Hui Ling center has their own set of needs and unique personality, and helping bring out their best encourages her to keep working. "I wanted to do something to make my life worth while," said Weina. "When I see the smiles on their faces, when I see that these adults are truly happy to be at Hui Ling, that for me is the happiest moment."
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Meng Weina set up first private special needs school in China .
From the first center in Guangzhou there are now Hui Ling operations in a dozen Chinese cities .
Only one in ten people with mental health issues receives care, suggests Weina .
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Caught: John Donald Cody, aka Bobby Thompson, at a court hearing in May, after his arrest . The trial of a one-time fugitive starts today where he is being tried on charges of masterminding a $100 million multi-state fraud scam under the guise of helping Navy veterans. The defendant referred to as himself as Bobby Thompson throughout his years on the lam, but authorities later identified him as Harvard-trained lawyer and former military intelligence officer John Donald Cody, 67. He was arrested last year in Portland, Oregon, after two years on the run. It was later discovered he had been evading the FBI since 1987. He's charged with defrauding people who donated to a reputed charity for Navy veterans, the United States Navy Veterans Association based in Tampa, Florida. The alleged fraud spanned 41 states, including up to $2million in Ohio. Authorities said little, if any, of the money collected by the charity was used to benefit veterans. The defendant showered politicians, many of them Republicans, with political donations. His defense team had sought to force testimony by recipients to show his actions were legal, but a judge rejected the move last week. His attorney said any fraud involved solicitors, not his client. Authorities said the defendant used his VIP political connections to encourage donors to give to his charity. While on the run, investigators tracked him through Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Washington and West Virginia. Fraud: Police believe 'Bobby Thompson' (left) swindled more than $100 million of donations from a fake veterans' charity. He is pictured with former U.S. President George W. Bush in an undated photo . Cody had a prestigious educational background, with a . degree from the University of Virginia (UVA) and a law degree from . Harvard. He . had been a U.S. Army Captain in Military Intelligence and previously . practiced law in Sierra Vista, Arizona from 1980 to 1984. During his law career in Arizona, he became the subject of an investigation over claims he was stealing money from his clients but Cody skipped town before he could be apprehended and since 1987 has been a fugitive from the FBI. According to a federal warrant, dated May 4, 1987, out of the Eastern . District of Virginia, Cody is charged with interstate transportation of . fraudulent traveler’s checks from probate estates’ bank accounts, false . statements to an investment brokerage firm, and false statements on loan . applications. A . former colleague, Dennis Lusk, now chief judge of the Arizona Motor . Vehicle Division, had worked with Cody in Arizona and remembered him as . bizarre. D.C. elite: The suspect formerly known as Bobby Thompson poses with House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) He described the attorney as 'intelligent enough to get through Harvard Law School and was a great talker and BS-er,' in an interview with the Arizona Republic in 2002. Photos . show Cody posing with the likes of former U.S President George W. Bush and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), among other powerful D.C. players . The non-profit group boasted a membership of more than . 66,000 members in 40 states but little of the money raised ever made its . way to assist military service members. Law enforcement officials began investigating Cody and he was charged with multiple counts of fraud in 2010. Once again, he abandoned his identity and set off on a cross-country . journey using numerous aliases to evade police. From June 2010 to May 2012, investigators believe he hid out in Massachusetts, Arizona, New . Mexico Rhode Island, West Virginia, Indiana, Florida, Washington and ultimately Portland, Oregon - where he was finally caught. He . was arrested at a boarding house where he had rented a room, and . investigators say one of the few belongings they found was a DVD of . Catch Me If You Can, the Leonardo DiCaprio drama chronicling the wild . history of convicted conman Frank Abagnale. Wanted: The FBI has been searching for John Donald Cody since 1987 . Investigators . also discovered his storage unit, where he had suitcases full of cash, . totaling $981,000 - a far cry from the $100 million that is unaccounted . for. 'This was one of our most challenging fugitive . investigations to date,' U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott stated at the time of Thompson's arrest, according to a statement. 'Our investigators followed up leads all over the nation. Their diligence and dedication directly led to the arrest in Portland. I am . proud of everyone that worked on this investigation and their efforts have . brought this scam artist to justice,' he added. But the elusive suspect remained shrouded in mystery even after his arrest. He wanted only to be referred to as Mr X, leaving investigators baffled as to his true identity. He also showed off his legal prowess in the courtroom, daring officials to try and discover who he truly was. Elliott, the agent who was key in apprehending Cody, began to research the man - conducting simple Google searches of cold case fraud fugitives and looking for any connections to the man that had been arrested. He spotted the FBI photos of Cody, from the 1987 charges, and noticed a physical resemblance to Thompson, in addition to striking similarities in their MOs. A positive fingerprint match confirmed that Thompson was in fact Cody. The 65-year-old faces the 1987 charges, combined with the 2010 charges from the charity scam and is also wanted for questioning in connection with a FBI espionage investigation. The FBI has not yet provided more . details into the espionage case but it's believed Cody's former career as an intelligence officer could be involved. Additionally, he had lived in Sierra Vista, Arizona - which is located next to Fort Huachuca, a major intelligence hub for the military.
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Trial of accused conman and fugitive John Donald Cody, who has been wanted by the FBI since 1987, starts today .
Cody practiced law in Sierra Vista, Arizona in the 1980s, when he was accused of stealing money from his clients but he fell off the grid .
Under the alias of Bobby Thompson, he operated a fraudulent charity, raising over $100 million and rubbing shoulders with D.C. power players .
His charity scam was discovered in 2010, though his true identity remained a mystery .
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By . William Turvill . PUBLISHED: . 08:19 EST, 5 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 08:19 EST, 5 January 2014 . UK fighter jets have flown for the first time with parts made using 3D printing technology. BAE Systems said the metal components were successfully used on board Tornado aircraft which flew from the defence firm's airfield at Warton, Lancashire, late last month. The company said its engineers are using 3D technology to design and produce parts which could cut the Royal Air Force's maintenance and service bill by over £1.2 million over the next four years. UK fighter jets have flown for the first time with parts made using 3D printing technology . BAE Systems is working at RAF Marham, Norfolk, to engineer ready-made parts for four squadrons of Tornado GR4 aircraft, including protective covers for cockpit radios and guards for power take-off shafts. Some of the parts cost less than £100. Mike Murray, head of airframe integration at BAE Systems, said: 'You are suddenly not fixed in terms of where you have to manufacture these things. 'You can manufacture the products at whatever base you want, providing you can get a machine there, which means you can also start to support other platforms such as ships and aircraft carriers. 'And if it's feasible to get machines out on the front line, it also gives improved capability where we wouldn't traditionally have any manufacturing support.' BAE Systems said the metal components were successfully used on board Tornado aircraft . While 3D printing is seen as a positive technology by many – it is thought it can revolutionise engineering and the medical industries – it is also a controversial innovation. In the United States, several guns have been produced using the technology, with varying degrees of success. One of the latest models, which includes a rifled barrel to ensure deadly accuracy, is said to have been made with just £15 of materials. The latest generation of 3D printers work by building up layer upon layer of material - typically plastic - to build complex solid objects. The guns are assembled from separate printed components made from plastic, with only the firing pin and a few bolts made from metal. The Home Office in the UK said it will not be possible to ban 3D printers, so officials are working on alternative strategies. These could include stiff jail sentences for possession of the weapons and making it illegal to download the plans. In the US, more than 100,000 plans for a plastic gun known as 'The Liberator' were downloaded within hours. The explosion of interest provoked the government into ordering the Texas-based company, Defense Distributed, who produced them to take them down. It used a 3D printer that cost £5,140 from the online auction site eBay to make the parts which, when assembled, create a working handgun. Defense Distributed’s leader Cody Wilson was voted the 14th most dangerous person in the world in November. Dangerous: Cody Wilson, of Defense Distributed, with the first completely 3D-printed handgun, The Liberator . But it is also hoped 3D printing will be used for the right reasons as well. For instance, the technology is already proven to be capable of making food. In November, Rolls-Royce said it could use 3D printing on its models in the future. And last week, the world’s first chocolate 3D printer was unveiled. A company called Choc Edge has designed the machine that allows users to build any 3D shape out of chocolate - including their own face. Customers can send an image of themselves through the company's website and the machine creates a thick layered chocolate portrait for between £50 and £80. The machine, called Choc Creator, works by squirting out chocolate according to computer instructions and allows a user to build any shape they like out of the sweet liquid. This photograph shows the world's first chocolate 3D printer, unveiled last week . The technology of 3D printing has been hailed as the future of manufacturing. It works by building up layer upon layer of material - typically plastic - to build complex solid objects . The process, also called additive manufacturing, creates a three-dimensional solid object from a digital model. The feat is achieved by laying down layer upon layer of plastic. The layers are then joined together to create the final shape. The machine takes blueprints from computer aided designs and 'slices' them into digital cross-sections that the machine uses as a guideline for printing. The process of addictive manufacturing has been in use on a large industrial scale since the early 1980s. However, since 2010, an entire industry has sprung up around personal 3D printers, which are increasingly small, increasingly powerful and increasingly affordable. Engineers hope 3D printing will begin an era of 'instant prototyping' that will allow product developers to forge and tinker with prototypes quickly and inexpensively.
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BAE Systems said metal components were successfully used on the company's flight from airfield in Warton, Lancashire, late last month .
Engineers are using 3D technology to design and produce parts which could cut RAF's maintenance and service bill by £1.2m over four years .
3D printing has been hailed as the future of manufacturing, but is also controversial owing to the production of guns in the United States .
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The prospect of an epic train journey from New York to London might seem like a distant dream for those seeking the ultimate railway holiday. But booking a ticket from Grand Central to St Pancras Station could be a step closer after Russia gave the green light for plans for a 65-mile tunnel under the Bering Strait. The Kremlin this week gave its support for a $99billion scheme that would link Asia and North America and allow for a potential once-in-a-lifetime train journey. Trip of a lifetime: The Kremlin has given the green light for a £60billion tunnel linking Siberia to Alaska through the Bering Strait . The views would be breathtaking: A snowmobile makes its away across the frozen tundra in Alaska . Better wrap up warm: If the tunnel was ever built, the train journey would probably take the best part of three weeks in sub zero temperatures . The proposed tunnel would pass underneath the Big Diomede and Little Diomede islands and straddle the international dateline to link East and West. Engineers have said there is no technical reason the tunnel could not be completed and it could provide a cheaper way of shipping freight around the world, The Times reported. The idea was first raised by Tsar Nicholas II in 1905, but was this week endorsed by Aleksandr Levinthal - deputy federal representative for the Russian Far East - at a conference on developing infrastructure in the country's remote north-east. A dream too far? The plans would see a 65-mile tunnel, twice that of the Channel Tunnel, bored through the international date line in the Bering Strait (pictured) Rejuvenation: Russia will open a £900million extension to the Trans-Siberian railway to Yakutsk and could link to the north-eastern tip of Siberia by 2030 . An East to West train route would require both Russia and the U.S. to construct railway lines in Siberia and Alaska. Currently, . train services extend as far east as Chita or Vladivostock in Russia, . while you would need to take a ferry between Bellingham and Anchorage to . get anywhere near the Bering Strait on the U.S. side. At present it would take just over two weeks to get as far along the route as physically possible. Here's how: . London - Brussels - Cologne - Moscow: 18hrs 30mins . Moscow - Chita: 106 hours . Train route from Chita to Anchorage . Bellingham - Anchorage: 7 days - by ferry . Seattle - Bellingham: 2 hours . New York - Philadelphia - Pittsburgh - Chicago - Seattle: 64hrs 30mins . Total journey time: 14 days 23 hours . The three-day conference, held in the eastern city of Yakutsk, brought delegates from the U.S., China and Britain and was aimed at capturing the economic potential of the resource-rich region. Mr Levinthal told The Times: 'We should see advanced development of road and rail infrastructure here [in the Russian Far East] and improvement in the investment climate in Russia as a key aim.' A 500-mile railway line stemming from the existing Trans-Siberian line to Yakutsk - costing £900million and due for completion in 2013 - is part of Kremlin plans to extend rail lines 2,360 miles to the north-eastern tip of Siberia by 2030. That could open up the way for the construction of a tunnel - which could take up to another 15 years to complete. The route would be twice the length of the Channel Tunnel, in a sparsely populated area miles from large population centres. It would also require U.S. engineers to create through train lines in Alaska, linking it with cities in Canada and onwards. Currently, travellers would have to get a ferry to Anchorage, Alaska, from the U.S. west coast and train services in Russia would only take you as far as Chita or Vladivostock, before they move down into China and Mongolia. It remains to be seen whether Russia could finance such an ambitious project, but it opens up the possibility of a breathtaking train journey through picturesque Siberia and Alaska.
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Trip of a lifetime would take the best part of three weeks through picturesque Alaska and Siberia .
Russia set to complete extension of rail network to tip of Siberia by 2030 .
$99 billion plan would see 65-mile tunnel bored under Bering Strait and linking East and West .
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Wayne Rooney admits that he knew his ‘ghost’ goal was going to be ruled out before the match officials spotted their error in Miami. The England striker had already pulled United level against Liverpool when he tucked home a loose ball after Ashley Young’s speculative effort had bounced off the frame of the goal and back into play. Referee Mark Geigher awarded the goal and Rooney gave team-mates an embarrassed smile as he walked back towards the centre circle before it became clear that the ball had gone out. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Rooney celebrate after scoring goal ghost goal . Up for the cup: Rooney and Darren Fletcher celebrate after United's win over Liverpool on Monday night . MVP: Rooney was named as the Most Valuable Player at the Guinness International Champions Cup . ‘I don’t think the other goal was going to be given so I was pleased with one, and with the result,’ said Rooney. ‘We wanted to win games and play well, and obviously we’ve done that. We’ve won a trophy as well. It’s always nice to beat Liverpool. We’re happy with the work we’ve done out here, now we go on to (the friendly against) Valencia and then the season starts.’ Rooney started the game as captain for the first time under Louis van Gaal and finished it by being named as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Sharpshooter: Rooney nips in to score as Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel can only watch . Afterwards, Van Gaal hinted that Rooney could keep the armband on a permanent basis, and the player paid tribute to the impact the Dutchman has had since taking over last month. Having implemented a new 3-4-1-2 system to suit his squad, Van Gaal has won all five games on tour. ‘It’s been a good few weeks,’ added Rooney. ‘We’ve got a new manager who wants us to play a different style of football. We’ve had to adapt. We’ve had some good results against top opposition so we can be pleased. Ideal preparation: United begin their season in less than two weeks when they take on Swansea . ‘I think the system suits the team, not only myself. The manager came in and had a look at the players we’ve got. He’s done what he thinks is best suited for our team. ‘He’s a tough manager but he’s been great since he came in. He’s given us all a different way of looking at football, which we haven’t had before. It’s been great for us and hopefully that will continue.’
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Manchester United win the Guinness International Champions Cup .
Wayne Rooney put the ball in the net after it had crossed the touchline .
Goal was eventually ruled out after referee initially gave it .
Rooney named the Most Valuable Player at the tournament .
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By . Emily Allen . Last updated at 5:01 PM on 11th October 2011 . A father claims he was quizzed by police under anti-terror legislation after he was spotted taking a photo of his daughter in a shopping centre. Chris White took a picture of his four-year-old daughter, Hazel, while she was eating an ice cream at Braehead shopping centre near Glasgow last Friday. However, Mr White said a security guard ordered him to stop, claiming it was 'illegal' to use a camera in the centre, and asked him to delete any images he had taken on his mobile phone. Snapped: Chris White took this picture of his four-year-old daughter, Hazel, while she was eating an ice cream at Braehead shopping centre near Glasgow . Police told Mr White, pictured, there were 'clear signs' in the centre ordering shoppers not to take pictures inside the mall . Mr White had paused to take a snap of his daughter posing on the back of a scooter seat at an ice cream bar on their way around the shops. A Facebook campaign was launched over the weekend calling on the public to boycott the mall. It has attracted more than 19,000 'likes' on the social networking site and hundreds of comments. Mr White said he was approached by the security guard who asked him to delete the pictures at about 4pm. Explaining the incident on his Boycott Braehead Facebook page, Mr White said: 'I explained I had taken 2 photos of my daughter eating ice cream and that she was the only person in the photo so didn't see any problem. 'i also said that I wasn't that willing to delete the photo's and there seemed little point as I had actually uploaded them to facebook. 'He then said i would have to stay right where I was while he called the police, which seemed a little extreme.' When police arrived he told Mr White there were 'clear signs' in the centre ordering shoppers not to take pictures inside the mall. Glasgow's Braehead shopping centre. The mall's management has apologised to Mr White and said it was changing its policy 'with immediate effect' so families and friends can use their cameras in the centre . Mr White said: 'The police officer than started to say that there were privacy issues . around photographs, to which I said yes and in a busy shopping centre I . waited until only my daughter was in the shot. 'I explained that I was . happy to show him the photos although not sure under what authority he . could ask me to delete the photos.' Mr White said police told him they 'were within their rights under the Prevention of Terrorism Act' to confiscate his mobile phone without any explanation. However officers let Mr White keep his photos but took all his details and he was then allowed to leave. The shopping centre yesterday apologised to Mr White and said it was changing its policy 'with immediate effect' so families and friends can use their cameras in the centre. A Braehead spokesman said in a statement: 'We have listened to the very public debate surrounding our photography policy and as a result, with immediate effect, are changing the policy to allow family and friends to take photos in the mall. 'We will publicise this more clearly in the mall and on our website. We will reserve the right to challenge suspicious behaviour for the safety and enjoyment of our shoppers. 'We wish to apologise to Mr White for the distress we may have caused to him and his family and we will be in direct contact with him to apologise properly.' Mr White said he had been overwhelmed by the public response on the issue and thanked people for their support. He added: 'Hopefully we can now move forward with a common sense approach into a situation that allows families to enjoy precious moments with their children, but at the same time ensure that such public places are areas where we can feel safe and protected.' Supt George Nedley, of Renfrewshire and . Inverclyde division, told BBC Scotland: 'As a result, a full review of . the circumstances surrounding the incident and the allegations made is . under way.'
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Incident sparks Facebook campaign calling for boycott .
Mall apologises and declares change of policy 'with immediate effect' so families can use their cameras .
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By . Neil Michael . At the British parliament yesterday, President Michael D. Higgins hailed the transformation of relations between Britain and Ireland, from a period of doubt to trust and mutual respect. In his address to the Houses of Parliament – the first time Ireland's head of state has been given the honour of speaking there – Mr Higgins said the two countries now had a closeness that once seemed unachievable. While he praised the parliamentarians gathered, he himself was hailed a 'renaissance man for a renaissance era in UK-Irish politics' by Lord Speaker Baroness D'Souza. The President said Britain and Ireland must take pride in the peace that had been built in the North. 'I am conscious that I am in the company here of many distinguished parliamentarians who have made their own individual contributions to the journey we have travelled together,' he said. Oration: Irish President Michael D. Higgins stands at the lectern to deliver his speech as a guest at the Houses of Parliament in London . In a wide-ranging speech, which concluded with a 51-second standing ovation, President Higgins touched on many of the themes which his four-day official state visit to Britain will explore . 'I acknowledge them and I salute them, as I acknowledge and salute all those who have selflessly worked to build concord between our peoples. I celebrate our warm friendship and I look forward with confidence to a future in which that friendship can grow even more resolute and more productive.' In a wide-ranging speech, which concluded with a 51-second standing ovation, President Higgins touched on many of the themes which his four-day official state visit to Britain will explore, including emigration and shared history. The President addressed peers and MPs in the parliament's royal gallery, flanked by floral displays in green, white and orange. British Prime Minister David Cameron, his deputy Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband were in the audience. Also among the MPs watching the address were Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty, Michelle Gildernew and Paul Maskey, who do not take their seats in the Commons. Mutual respect: President Higgins, left, shakes hands with John Bercow, right, the Speaker of the House of Commons . President Higgins paid tribute to the UK parliament for being synonymous with the principle of democracy and used his address to urge politicians to look at the foundation of parliamentary democracy in Britain for inspiration, referencing the Magna Carta and its significance for modern nations. He said politics, society and the economy cause division between the citizen and the state when they are treated as separate entities and he urged politicians to remember that citizenship should be rooted in the principles of active participation, justice and freedom. 'Such a vision of citizenship is shared by our two peoples,' Mr Higgins said. 'It is here, in this historic building, that, over the centuries, the will of the British people gradually found its full democratic voice. 'It is inspiring to stand in a place where, for more than a century, many hundreds of dedicated parliamentarians, in their different ways, represented the interests and aspirations of the Irish people.' Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron, right, accompanied by Labour party leader Ed Miliband, left, and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, centre, laugh as they wait for the arrival of the Irish President . The President – a Labour politician for several decades before he was elected head of state in 2011 – acknowledged that the fight for Irish independence, which his father took part in, cast a long shadow over Anglo-Irish relations but also noted how ties across the Irish Sea are now stronger than ever. 'We acknowledge that past but, even more, we wholeheartedly welcome the considerable achievement of today's reality - the mutual respect, friendship and co-operation which exists between our two countries,' he said. 'That benign reality was brought into sharp relief by the historic visit of Queen Elizabeth to Ireland three years ago. 'Her Majesty's visit eloquently expressed how far we have come in understanding and respecting our differences, and it demonstrated that we could now look at each other through trusting eyes of mutual respect and shared commitments. 'The ties between us are now strong and resolute. Formidable flows of trade and investment across the Irish Sea confer mutual benefit on our two countries. Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Michael D Higgins look at a fan as they view Irish-related items from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing Room in Windsor Castle . 'In tourism, sport and culture, our people-to-people connections have never been as close or abundant.' Mr Higgins also recalled the hallowed figures of Irish nationalism, from the 18th-century emancipator Daniel O'Connell MP, to Irish freedom fighter and abstentionist Constance Markiewicz – the first woman elected to Westminster in 1918. He said O'Connell's ideals helped to guide and influence the achievement of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. 'That achievement was founded on the cornerstones of equality, justice and democratic partnership, and was a key milestone on the road to today's warm, deep and enduring Irish-British friendship,' he said. Mr Higgins delivers his speech under a portrait of King George VI . 'Our two countries can take immense pride in the progress of the cause of peace in Northern Ireland. There is, of course, still a road to be travelled – the road of a lasting and creative reconciliation, and our two governments have a shared responsibility to encourage and support those who need to complete the journey of making peace permanent and constructive.' With Britain and Ireland celebrating a series of centenaries over the next few years, the countries' shared history is a key part of the themes around the state visit. Mr Higgins recalled the words of Irish nationalist MP Tom Kettle, who fought along with 200,000 Irishmen in the First World War, 50,000 of whom died, and who wrote that 'this tragedy of Europe may be and must be the prologue to the two reconciliations of which all statesmen have dreamed, the reconciliation of Protestant Ulster with Ireland, and the reconciliation of Ireland with Great Britain . Kettle later wrote of his hope for relations between Britain and Ireland, declaring: 'Free, we are free to be your friend.' Mr Higgins said: 'The journey of our shared British- Irish relationship towards that freedom has progressed from the doubting eyes of estrangement to the trusting eyes of partnership and, in recent years, to the welcoming eyes of friendship.' He also paid tribute to the Irish emigrant community in Britain. 'That community is the living heart in the evolving British-Irish relationship. 'I greatly cherish how the Irish in Britain have preserved and nurtured their culture and heritage while at the same time making a distinctive and valued contribution to the development of modern Britain,' he said. Commons Speaker John Bercow said the President's address at Westminster was historic. Commenting on the celebrations, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: 'When I saw the queen of England outside Áras an Uachtaráin, with an Irish Army captain escorting her to do the honour, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand. 'On the corner here this evening of Windsor village, to see the Tricolour on every pole, alongside the Union Jack, it does demonstrate the symbolism of just how far we have come.'
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President Michael D. Higgins praised relationship between UK and Ireland .
He spoke with pride about the two nations' shared history .
He was given 51-second standing ovation at Houses of Parliament .
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It is said to be one of the world’s most revered paintings. Unfortunately, visitors hoping to see Hans von Marees’ Die Labung masterpiece in Germany’s Wiesbaden Museum will be a little disappointed. The picture, once among thousands of artworks looted and acquired illegitimately by the Nazis, is currently hanging back-to-front, with art-lovers only able to see the back of the picture’s antique frame. Germany's Wiesbaden Museum are currently trying to raise part of the £230,000 fee to buy Hans von Marees Die Labung painting. They will only exhibit the work once the paintings rightful owners have been paid for the artwork, which was acquired by the Nazis just before World War II . It is part of a bizarre campaign by the museum to try and raise the £230,000 needed to buy the picture from the heir of its last legal owner. The painting, which was created by German artist von Marees between 1879 and 1880, had initially belonged to the Jewish industrialist Max Silberberg. Von Marees was known for his portraits, but Die Labung - translated as 'The Refreshment' - is one of his later mythological paintings. It measures just 64 x 85cm. Mr Silberberg was forced to sell the artwork, along with the rest of his valuable collection, at auction in Berlin in 1934, under pressure from the Nazis. Both Mr Silberberg and his wife were later both murdered at Auschwitz. Hans von Marees’ Die Labung masterpiece is currently hanging back-to-front in Germany’s Wiesbaden Museum . The painting once belonged to the Jewish industrialist Max Silberberg, who was forced to sell it by the Nazis. Mr Silberberg and his wife were later both murdered at Auschwitz . The painting is believed to have spent decades in the possession of the Wiesbaden family, who bequeathed it to the museum in 1980. However, the rightful owners have now been traced to a foundation in Israel, the Gerta Silberberg Discretionary Trust. Alexander Klar, director of the Wiesbaden Museum, now hopes that the museum can collect €93,000 (£73,000) in donations to contribute one third of the cost towards the purchase of the artwork. The cultural foundation of the state Hessen and the Association of Benefactors of Wiesbaden Museum have agreed to contribute the remaining funds. They are trying to raise the money before a November 5 deadline. A self-portrait of German painter Hans von Marees, who lived between 1837 and 1887. Initially specialising in portraiture he later turned to mythological subjects, painting Die Labung between 1879 and 1880 . Alexander Klar, director of the Wiesbaden Museum, now hopes that the museum can collect €93,000 (£73,000) in donations to contribute one third of the cost towards the purchase of the artwork . A spokesperson from the Wiesbaden Museum said: ‘The painting has been in storage and has not been seen since the 1980s. ‘We agreed on a price, but it doesn't yet belong to us, and so we won’t show it until it legally does.’ Creative agency Q came up with the idea for the campaign, which it has called ‘Wiesbaden creates the Turn!’ Q spokesman Thilo von Debschnitz explained that the campaign is seeking to not only acquire the painting, but to also raise awareness about the restitution work that art institutions in Germany are doing and are seeking to draw attention to how many ill-gotten artworks are still stored in German museums. It was during the reign of the Third Reich in Germany that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ordered the theft of art in Germany and across Europe for a proposed Führermuseum in Linz, Austria. Towards the end of the WWII, soldiers began stumbling upon treasure troves of stolen art, including this one in a salt mine at Merkers, Germany, which is being inspected by American General Dwight D Eisenhower . Many of the works, hidden across Europe, are still missing. Last year £1bn worth of art was found in the apartment of German Cornelius Gurlitt . Monuments Men, written and directed by Hollywood star George Clooney and starring Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett, tells the story of the recovery of stolen paintings which had been plundered by the Nazis during WWII . Attempts to prevent the destruction of the stolen artefacts and plundered paintings following the end of World War II was undertaken by a group of around 300 officers from the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program. The MFAA involved around men and women from 17 nations. It was led by the Americans, but Britain provided the second-largest group of volunteers. The story was turned into a film called Monuments Men, written and directed by Hollywood star George Clooney and starring Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Hugh Bonneville and Cate Blanchett. The Wiesbaden Museum has already twice images returned or bought images from their rightful heirs. Thilo von Debschnitz said: ‘We want to right not only the image, but also a wrong.’
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Hans von Marees’ Die Labung painting is in Germany’s Wiesbaden Museum .
The artwork was among thousands looted or illegitimately acquired by Nazis .
Museum need £230,000 to pay heirs of Jewish businessman Max Silberberg .
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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Los Angeles is known as the nation's capital of many things. Entertainment. Gangs. Even the creative capital of the world. Add this: The City of Angels is now the nation's "epicenter" for money laundering by international drug cartels. Federal officials made such an announcement this week after they raided downtown businesses and seized an estimated $100 million in cash and from bank accounts around the world that were part of forfeiture actions in the ongoing probe. Some of the laundered money included ransom payments to the Sinaloa drug cartel that allegedly kidnapped and tortured a U.S. citizen at a ranch in Mexico. "Los Angeles has become the epicenter of narco-dollar money laundering with couriers regularly bringing duffel bags and suitcases full of cash to many businesses," Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Dugdale said. California Attorney General Kamala Harris also was blunt. "California is the gateway to the rest of the United States," Harris said. "California is and always will be an attractive target for these kinds of activities because we have the largest population of any state in the United States. The seventh-largest economy in the world." Use of peso brokers . The cartels used a scheme known as "trade-based money laundering" or "black market peso exchange," federal officials said. On Wednesday, 1,000 law officers swept through a section of downtown Los Angeles known as the "fashion district," which is known more for its dense bazaar-like maze of shops than for any catwalks or haute couture. Authorities initially seized $65 million, but the figure grew Thursday to more than $100 million, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for federal prosecutors. In the "Operation Fashion Police" raids, nine people were arrested in the investigation into laundering drug proceeds for cartels, authorities said. Three of the arrests were among seven individuals facing federal indictments for alleged conspiracy to launder money and other charges; the other three defendants are from a business in the Mexican state of Sinaloa and are being sought, authorities said. The defendants' attorneys couldn't be reached for comment. "We have targeted money-laundering activities in the fashion district based on a wealth of information that numerous businesses there are engaged in black market peso exchange schemes," Dugdale said. Kent Smith, executive director of the LA Fashion District, told the Los Angeles Times that 4,000 businesses generate billions in economic activity each year. "It's unfair to paint the rest of the legitimate businesses ... with what a small number of businesses may be doing in terms of illegal activity," Smith told the Times. An $18 billion sector of downtown . Authorities also say the "vast majority" of L.A.'s $18 billion garment district is legitimate and operates lawfully. But the federal crackdown clearly "portend(s) a profoundly troubling trend," said Claude Arnold, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations unit in Los Angeles. "The scope of this current case and its potential long-term impact are truly unprecedented," Arnold said. A major tipoff to the illegal activity came when the Sinaloa drug cartel used a fashion district firm as a conduit to launder and accept ransom for the release of a U.S. drug dealer who was kidnapped and tortured by narco thugs. "The victim was held captive at a ranch in Sinaloa, where he was beaten, shot, electrocuted and water-boarded. The hostage was released after relatives paid $140,000 in ransom" through the fashion district business, authorities said in a statement. The raids capped a two-year investigation, and Attorney General Harris called "transnational gangs" like those behind money laundering "the number one threat to California's public safety." How it worked . Under the scheme, a peso broker would work with a U.S.-based drug dealer or another conspirator who needs to send dollars to Mexico or another country, authorities said. To do so, the broker would find businesses in Mexico that buy goods from U.S.-based firms such as those in the Los Angeles' fashion district. The Mexican merchants would send dollars to the Los Angeles fashion district stores, authorities said. In return, the fashion shops sent goods to the Mexico businesses, which then sold the products and gave the proceeds in pesos to the broker and eventually the cartels, authorities said. Cartels allegedly use the scheme to avoid "the risk of smuggling bulk amounts of U.S. currency across the Mexican border and without having to convert and wire the U.S. currency through established financial institutions, which not only carries transaction fees, but also a threat their illegal activity will be detected," prosecutors said in a statement. "It also gives them a presence in the United States they otherwise wouldn't have, indeed a presence in our business industry," Dugdale said. Also, in June 2010, Mexico announced anti-money laundering regulations "that restrict the amount of physical cash denominated in U.S. dollars that Mexican banks may receive," a grand jury indictment said. U.S. declares victory over Cali cartel . Notorious Mexican cartel leader Nazario Moreno dead -- again .
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Authorities seize more than $100 million in raids of downtown Los Angeles shops .
The business are located in the city's bazaar-like fashion district .
International drug cartels allegedly use a "trade-based money laundering" scheme .
Couriers brought "duffel bags and suitcases full of cash to many businesses," feds say .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 19:35 EST, 10 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:14 EST, 11 December 2012 . A popular and 'edgy' high-street retailer is facing a backlash as parents discovered a Christmas brochure full of f-bombs and other unseasonal greetings. Urban Outfitters, which targets teenagers with lifestyle products, has been accused of seeking attention through the use of profanity in the past. And this year's catalog features books, mugs and other gifts emblazoned with swearwords. 'Offensive': Parents are upset that products such as this one are being targeted at their teenage children . The 2012 Christmas range includes a $24 candle proclaiming F**k, a parody of the classic Love sculpture by American artist Robert Indiana. There is a book entitled 'Let’s f***ing reminisce' and a 'It was all f***ing awesome' photo album. The festive catalog contains a mug and wrapping paper stating Merry Christmas b*****s. Also available are several gifts and clothing items with the F-word. Unseasonal greetings: The message on this mug is not very festive . This wrapping paper has the same attitude . Urban Outfitters are hoping that their target audience of teenagers and 20-somethings find the sweary items 'cool' - it certainly isn't the first time the retailer has featured obscene products. The store stocked T-shirts featuring Mitt Romney and the phrase 'Mitt is the s**t' earlier in the year. Monica Cole, director of the American Family Association’s One Million Moms division told Fox News: 'This really isn’t anything new for . them.' 'Their catalog has offensive profanities on products . and little knickknacks, T-shirts -- you name it. And so many teenagers . shop there.' Parody: This candle is inspired by the classic Love sculpture . F-bombing: A T-shirt available at Urban Outfitters . Cole said the . company 'consistently' uses profane language and that the AFA have . complained to the 'offensive' retailer on previous occasions. The AFA have once again requested that Urban Outfitters 'clean up' their website and catalog. No one at Urban Outfitters was available for comment. The advantages of a rude and controversial range are obvious. As Loyola University business professor Joan Phillips, Ph.D. told CBS2: 'It’s a classic segmentation approach.' 'Urban outfitters has had one controversial issue a year for about 10 years,' Phillips said. 'It gets people talking and we’re talking.' Barrage of F-bombs: Many products in the Urban Outfitters product range contain bad language .
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Urban Outfitters mail-out full of foul language .
Parents' groups react with anger .
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A tattooed man allegedly sought refuge in a sports club and sexually assaulted a woman in the bathroom while on the run from police after he fled from a roadside breath test. A manhunt is now underway for the offender, who police have described as extremely dangerous, and they're urging the public not to approach him. A 39-year-old woman was at the Wentworthville Leagues Club in western Sydney on Friday night when a man allegedly sexually assaulted her as she walked into a toilet cubicle. A manhunt is now underway for the offender, who police have described as extremely dangerous, and they're urging the public not to approach him . Investigators believe the attacker had gone to the leagues club while trying to evade police after a car chase earlier in the night. Merrylands Police Inspector Adam Phillips said police tried to pull over a gold Mazda 4WD at Wentworthville for a roadside breath test when it sped off just before 10pm. The chase went on for two minutes until the 4WD crashed into a tree. However the it was able to keep driving. Not long after officers found it at nearby Pendle Hill. Witnesses told police a man and woman ran away and went into a nearby restaurant. Insp Phillips said the male driver was the same person who sexually assaulted the woman at the leagues club. CCTV show the man entering the club at 10.23pm. Investigators believe the attacker had gone to the leagues club while trying to evade police after a car chase earlier in the night . Merrylands Police Inspector Adam Phillips said police tried to pull over a gold Mazda 4WD at Wentworthville for a roadside breath test when it sped off just before 10pm . 'Then from there he sexually assaulted the woman in the toilets,' Insp Phillips said. The man did not sign in at the leagues club front desk and police believe he slipped past security when there was a large group at the front counter. Insp Phillips says if a member of the public sees the man they shouldn't approach him but call 000. 'We believe this man is an extreme danger to the community because of his actions even prior to the sex assault,' he said. 'We have tried to pull him over for a RBT, he has initiated a pursuit and then committed a horrific act on a lady going about a normal night.' The man is described as being of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, aged in his late 20s, approximately 170cm tall with a solid build and tanned complexion. He has tattoos next to his eye. He was wearing a black 'Nike' T-shirt with the words 'just do it' printed on it. A 39-year-old woman was at the Wentworthville Leagues Club on Friday night when a man sexually assaulted her as she walked into a toilet cubicle .
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CCTV footage shows man on the run from police enter a sports club in western Sydney .
The man allegedly sexually assaulted a 39-year-old woman in the bathroom .
The offender was involved in a car chase with police after speeding from a roadside breath test .
Police are now searching for the suspect .
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Atlanta (CNN) -- Who is Justin Ross Harris, the Georgia man whose toddler son died after being left in a hot car? Depends on whom you ask. Prosecutors portray him as an unfaithful husband who wanted a childless life, while the defense describes him as a doting dad who kissed his son every time he put him in the car. And friends say he loved to show off the blond, bright-eyed boy and talked about him incessantly. At a probable cause hearing Thursday, authorities provided more insight about Harris, who is charged with felony murder and second-degree child cruelty in last month's death of 22-month-old Cooper Harris. He has pleaded not guilty. A judge denied bond for Harris on Thursday, ruling that prosecutors have enough evidence to move forward in their case. Here's some details about Harris that emerged at this week's hearing and in court documents: . Harris allegedly sexted the day his son died . While at work June 18, Harris messaged six women, according to Cobb County police Detective Phillip Stoddard, the prosecution's lead investigator. He allegedly exchanged explicit photos, including one of an erect penis that he sent to an underage woman. Defense: He's deaf in his right ear . The defense brought up this point several times, perhaps to justify why Harris did not hear his son's movement in the car. "I always have to go to the other side of his head to talk to him," his friend, Winston Milling, testified. Friends speak highly of him . Penny Harrison, a pastor at Harris' church, said she has known him and his wife, Leanna, for two years. "I knew him to be at typical, loving father of a toddler," Harrison said when the defense called her to the witness stand. Milling, who had lunch with Harris on the day his son died, said everything appeared normal. "He loved showing Cooper off to everybody. He liked picking him up, bringing him around. He was always happy. Cooper was always smiling," Milling said. James Alex Hall went to college with Harris and also had lunch with him on the day his son died. When asked how Harris was acting, he said nothing seemed out of place. "I'd say normal as you can be," he said. "Nothing stuck out, nothing was weird." He had movie plans that day . The day his son died, Harris was planning to see "22 Jump Street" with friends after work, according to Stoddard. Detective: He swore at police officers at the scene . Harris never called 911 and said "f*** you" to a police officer on the scene who asked him to get off his phone, the detective said. Stoddard said that Harris told police he couldn't reach anyone on his telephone, but phone records show he made three calls after he discovered his son's body, and one between him and his employer lasted six minutes. Defense believes he was forgetful . Defense attorney Maddox Kilgore said it's not unusual for people to forget children in cars. "It's easy to get distracted when you get behind the wheel. Everyone's done it. His mind is already skipping ahead to the rest of the day," Kilgore said. "The results of that forgetting ... were absolutely catastrophic," he said. "But an accident doesn't become a crime because the results were catastrophic." Investigator: Couple had financial, intimacy issues . Harris and his wife had $2,000 and $25,000 life insurance policies on their son, according to the investigator. He also said Harris' wife "was complaining about (her husband's) sporadic purchasing or overcharging credit cards." Harris' wife told police the pair were having intimacy issues, according to Stoddard. Texts indicate that she knew he was cheating on her, he said. In warrants obtained by CNN on Friday, police said Harris discussed with family members the procedure for cashing a life insurance policy, but there is no other information or time element. "Through the investigation Harris has made comments to family members regarding a life insurance policy that he has on Cooper and what they need to do in order to file for it," the warrants say. His Internet searches are a focus of case . Harris accessed sites about "people who die," which showed videos of suicides, executions, war, etc., police said. He also visited a site on life without a child and did searches on surviving prison and on "age of consent for Georgia," they said. "We've only scratched the surface," Stoddard said of the searches. His activities on day of son's death questioned . The day Cooper died, the father and son stopped at Chick-fil-A for breakfast before he drove the 0.6 miles to work. The breakfast was not out of the ordinary for them. "Justin stated that this happens two or three times a month. It's daddy-son time, a special occasion to them," Stoddard said. When he arrived at work, surveillance footage shows Harris backed up his car, according to Stoddard. He said Harris didn't have a backup camera and would have had to turn around or use his rearview and side mirrors. Investigators used a mannequin in the car seat and found the boy's head would have been visible over the top of the car seat. Harris told police he was supposed to drive his son to day care June 18 but went to work without realizing Cooper was in a car seat in the back. When Stoddard told him they were charging him, Harris allegedly responded by saying, "But there's no malicious intent." Detective: His statements were 'all about him' Harris became emotional when his wife arrived at the police station, according to the prosecution. "It was all about him: 'I can't believe this is happening to me. Why am I being punished for this?' It was all very one-sided," Stoddard said. "He talked about losing his job. ... 'What are we going to do? I'll be charged with a felony.' " Leanna Harris later asked her husband, "Did you say too much?" he said. He has worked for Home Depot for two years . Harris, 33, a Web developer, has worked at Home Depot for two years, according to the Atlanta-based home improvement company. Home Depot placed him on unpaid leave after the charges were filed. Stoddard said Harris would take Cooper to day care in the mornings. The couple would split picking the boy up in the afternoons. When Leanna Harris went to pick up Cooper from day care that day, the center told her he was never dropped off. On her way out, she told witnesses: "Ross must have left him in the car. ... There's no other explanation. Ross must have left him in the car," Stoddard said. He once lived in Alabama . Harris worked at the University of Alabama as a parking monitor and later as a mail delivery clerk between 2001 and 2006, the university said. Afterward, he was a police dispatcher in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, until 2009, according to Tuscaloosa police spokesman Sgt. Brent Blankley. The department only confirmed his tenure, not details on his work history. Three years later, Harris graduated from the University of Alabama with a bachelor's degree in commerce and business administration. From there, he went to Home Depot. HLN contributed to this report.
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Justin Ross Harris says he forgot his son was in the car on June 18 .
Harris is charged with felony murder in the death of his son, Cooper .
He's also charged with second-degree child cruelty .
He has pleaded not guilty .
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f8965a103cb7b0570ae50584a59110304625b576
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(CNN) -- New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno is expected to "categorically deny" allegations Monday that she gave Hoboken's Mayor an ultimatum regarding Superstorm Sandy recovery aid. Guadagno's denial flies in the face of claims made by Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, who said Sunday that Guadagno told her to support a redevelopment project backed by Christie or lose Sandy recovery funds. Zimmer also connected Christie to the threat, saying that Guadagno told her the message was coming directly from Christie. Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," Zimmer said, "She said that to me -- is that this is a direct message from the Governor," Zimmer said, referring to Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who Zimmer said approached her in a parking lot in May to deliver the message. Hoboken mayor: 'It's true' Christie administration withheld Sandy funds . The alleged incident happened last May after Guadagno toured a grocery store that had reopened after suffering $10 million in flooding damage from Sandy. The lieutenant governor recalls having a conversation with Zimmer that day, but says she remembers Zimmer arguing that Sandy recovery aid and redevelopment were the same issue, according to the source close to Guadagno, who was not authorized to speak publicly. "Kim remembers in their conversation that she was talking about redevelopment and making investments in Hoboken. She remembers Zimmer pressing Kim for money for Sandy. Kim remembers saying you can't tie the two together," the source said. "And she remembers Zimmer continuing to press and showing her a map of the city and pressing for aid for Sandy." Catching up with the Christie scandal . Guadagno remembers it as a "friendly conversation," the source said. "Zimmer was laser-focused on getting Hoboken money for Sandy recovery and that is not the role Kim Guadagno plays in the administration," the source said. She remembers telling Zimmer that the administration would like to do more to redevelop Hoboken, but she doesn't recall talking to her specifically about The Rockefeller Group project. But the source said Guadagno, a veteran prosecutor and former county sheriff, is still going through her records, preparing for a possible subpoena. In remarks Monday morning -- at a volunteer event in Union Beach, New Jersey honoring the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service -- Guadagno is expected to make the point that, "My job in the governor's office is to oversee redevelopment and reinvestment in New Jersey," the source said. In fact, a governor's directive prevents Guadagno from working on the Sandy recovery efforts because she was personally affected by the superstorm -- her home in Monmouth Beach was damaged by the storm, the source said. She was at the Hoboken grocery store in her role as an advocate for the state's business community. "Kim can't talk about Sandy," the source said. "She can't do it." And Guadagno twice returned to Hoboken after that May visit -- once spending more than two hours touring farmers' markets with Zimmer -- and the Hoboken mayor never brought up the May conversation or indicated that it had upset her, the source said. Zimmer's comments Saturday and Sunday are a change from what she told CNN on January 11. She said then that while she wondered whether Sandy aid funds were being withheld because she didn't endorse the governor's re-election, she concluded that "I don't think that's the case." "I don't think it was retaliation and I don't have any reason to think it's retaliation, but I'm not satisfied with the amount of money I've gotten so far," Zimmer told CNN then. She did not mention her concerns about the redevelopment project. CNN"s Leigh Ann Caldwell contributed to this report .
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New: New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno says accusations by Hoboken Mayor are "false"
Guadagno says she did not deliver an ultimatum on behalf of Gov. Chris Christie .
Her remarks will be the first time a senior Christie official has addressed the charges .
Hoboken's Mayor says Guadagno told her that Sandy relief funds hinged on her backing real estate venture .
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(CNN) -- Carrie Johnson is representing the United States at the 2012 Olympics in pursuit of the gold medal in women's kayaking. But while she battles for the gold, Johnson is fighting another battle: with Crohn's disease, one of the two most common inflammatory bowel diseases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a recent SI.com interview, Johnson talked openly about her illness. One of the first things she did after being diagnosed in 2003, she said, was "take to the Internet and library to read about the disease." She had to -- like many people, she had heard of Crohn's disease but had little understanding of it. More than 1 million people currently suffer from Crohn's disease, and thousands more are diagnosed each year. However, many suffer in silence, as the effects of Crohn's are often not openly discussed. About seven of every 100,000 people in the United States are diagnosed, most of them between the ages of 15 and 30, according to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. There is no cure for the chronic condition. Crohn's disease is named after Dr. Burrill Crohn who, along with two colleagues, recognized and documented the symptoms in 1932. Those diagnosed with it include some well-known personalities such as former President Dwight D. Eisenhower; Mike McCready, guitarist for Pearl Jam; former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley; and actress Shannen Doherty. Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease of the digestive tract that most often affects the small or large intestines, and sometimes both. According to the CDC, Crohn's is "a condition of chronic inflammation potentially involving any location of the gastrointestinal tract, but it frequently affects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the large bowel. In Crohn's disease, all layers of the intestine may be involved and there can be normal healthy bowel between patches of diseased bowel." In a healthy body, the immune system creates an infection-fighting protein called tumor necrosis factor. When Crohn's disease is present, TNF is produced in excess as the immune system mistakenly identifies healthy bacteria as a foreign presence. This causes the body to launch an attack and begin fighting the excess TNF, which leads to more inflammation, which results in more TNF. As this internal battle takes place, it causes severe pain, abdominal swelling, cramping, bleeding, diarrhea and deterioration of the affected portion of the intestinal tract. Dr. Dennis Choat, a board-certified colon and rectal surgeon with the Georgia Colon and Rectal Surgical Associates, is all too familiar with the effects of Crohn's on patients. "Crohn's is a chronic, lifelong disease for which there is no cure," he said. "Because its cause is unknown, and because flare-ups happen without warning, those diagnosed with Crohn's face a life of challenges and uncertainties. "For some, treatment will bring about favorable results. For others, treatment will have little or no effect. Each patient is different, and treatment is a trial-and-error process. The only certainty is that it is a lifelong battle." The cause of Crohn's is not known, but the National Institutes of Health notes that it can run in families and have a genetic component. Unknown triggers can also be caused by the environment. Early treatments for Crohn's disease primarily centered on steroid drugs such as prednisone, which relieved the inflammation but did little more. In recent years, there has been significant success in treating symptoms, and in some cases bringing about remission, with the use of newer anti-TNF drugs such as Remicade, Humira and Cimzia. However, they too have their own set of complications and side effects. The man who couldn't eat . A diagnosis of Crohn's disease often brings more questions than answers, and patients can face a long list of ever-changing complications. In addition to pain, bleeding and bowel changes, they have difficulty absorbing nutrition and often deal with malnourishment, anemia and crippling fatigue. Left untreated, Crohn's spreads throughout the intestinal tract, causing more severe symptoms and a bleaker prognosis. The disease itself is not classified as a terminal illness, but the complications that arise from it can sometimes be life-threatening. Crohn's patients face another stark reality: In spite of their and their doctor's best efforts, the disease can stop responding to medication. When that happens, surgery becomes a last resort. According to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, about 70% of Crohn's sufferers eventually require surgery. About 30% of patients who have surgery for Crohn's disease experience a recurrence of their symptoms within three years, and up to 60% will have a recurrence within 10 years. The two most common surgeries for Crohn's disease are bowel resection surgery, which involves removal of the deteriorated portion of intestine, and fistula repair surgery. Fistulas can result from Crohn's disease permeating the intestinal wall, leaving an opening or "hole" in the intestinal tract. This is one of the most serious complications of Crohn's. Developing infection during the healing process is not uncommon, and often leads to temporary ostomies and lengthy periods of intravenous feeding. Could I have inflammatory bowel disease? Crohn's will always bring about a change in the quality of life, but recent studies are painting a picture for a more hopeful future. Medical research funding is critical, and raising funds presents a challenge in the current economic environment. "It's not a matter of if we find cures; it's a matter of when, and that's determined by available funding," said Richard Geswell, president of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. The foundation is the largest voluntary nonprofit health organization dedicated to finding cures for inflammatory bowel diseases, a classification that includes Crohn's and colitis. It is one source of funding for studies across the country and has chapters nationwide. The foundation's website allows patients to become part of online study groups by sharing their symptoms, progress and complications. This allows the patient to develop an understanding of his or her individual case, and allows the foundation to have access to more patient histories for use in its research. Living with Crohn's disease: 'Today I will fight again'
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More than 1 million people in the United States have Crohn's .
Patients face ever-changing complications .
Those with Crohn's include Olympian Carrie Johnson .
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Baghdad (CNN) -- A camp housing Iranian dissidents in Iraq was attacked Saturday morning, leaving at least five dead and 40 wounded, Iraqi police said. The rocket and mortar attack occurred at Camp Hurriya, a onetime U.S. base formerly known as Camp Liberty, which is now the home of the Iranian exile group Mujahedin-e-Khalq. Accounts of the number of people killed and wounded in the attack vary. Shahriar Kia, an MEK spokesman, said the incident left six dead and more than 100 injured, some of them critically. He blamed one of the deaths on delays in getting the injured to the hospital. The U.S. State Department also listed six fatalities. It urged the Iraqi government to investigate the attack promptly and take all appropriate measures to enhance camp security. "The terrorists responsible for this attack must be brought to justice," said department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. Residents at the camp were vulnerable both because the attack happened when most were asleep and because many lack adequate shelter, said Kia. The residents are "squeezed into a small area, without shelter," said Kia. Protective concrete walls have also been removed from the site, he said. It's not yet known who is responsible for the attack. MEK last year moved from Camp Ashraf in Diyala province to Camp Hurriya in Baghdad. Leaders of the dissident group had been reluctant to move to the new camp because of the conditions there, calling it more of a prison than a home when they first arrived. The group's move to the base is intended as a temporary measure before members are resettled in third countries. Residents and their representatives and lawyers have appealed to the U.N. Secretary-General and U.S. officials to let them return to Ashraf, which they say has concrete buildings and shelters that offer more protection. The United States has been working with the U.N. High Commissioner of Refugees on the resettlement project. Martin Kobler, special representative for Iraq of the U.N. secretary-general, strongly condemned the attack on the camp, which "led to the killing and injury of several residents." Several Iraqi police officers were also wounded, he said in a statement. Kobler urged the Iraqi authorities to ensure that those who were injured get the medical care they need. He also called for the government to ensure the safety and security of the camp residents, as stipulated by the 2011 resettlement agreement, and promptly to investigate the attack and bring those behind it to justice. MEK was removed from a U.S. State Department terror list in September, following a decision by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The group was put on the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, which includes more than 50 groups like al Qaeda and Hezbollah, in 1997 because of the killing of six Americans in Iran in the 1970s and an attempted attack against the Iranian mission to the United Nations in 1992. However, since 2004 the United States has considered the group, which spent more than 25 years at the Ashraf camp, "noncombatants" and "protected persons" under the Geneva Conventions. Iran still considers the group to be a terrorist organization. CNN's Arwa Damon, Jen Deaton and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
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NEW: U.S. calls for "appropriate" measure to enhance camp security .
Iraqi police say at least five people are dead and 40 injured .
U.N special representative condemns attack on the camp, home to an exiled Iranian group .
Mujahedin-e-Khalq was removed from a State Department terror list last year .
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(CNN) -- Ugandan officials have recovered what they've described as an explosives-laden belt or vest in a trash can at a nightclub in a suburb of Kampala, the chief of police said Tuesday. Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, the chief of police, said the device -- found Monday -- was impregnated with ball bearings and was similar to those found at two sites where blasts killed at least 76 people Sunday. The device was found along with a detonator and what looked like a laptop bag, Kayihura said. When a journalist asked him whether this meant there was a third attack planned, he said, "It's possible there was." The police chief said that his office was working with international agencies -- but would not specify which ones. He also would not say how many people have been arrested in connection with the attacks and what their nationalities were. Earlier, Fred Opolot, executive director of the Uganda Media Center, said authorities had arrested several people but they have not yet been charged in connection with the attacks. "We are trying to find the culprits of this atrocity," he said. "I can't say I'm not worried, but it's not a question of worry," Kayihura said Tuesday. He said Uganda is no stranger to bombings -- "for decades, we have been fighting." The blasts went off Sunday at two venues -- a restaurant and a rugby field -- where crowds had gathered to watch the World Cup soccer finals. The fatalities included 28 Ugandans, one Irish citizen, one Indian, one American and 11 people who are either Ethiopian or Eritrean, according to the Ugandan government. In Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Tuesday the latest information indicates that 76 people were killed in the blasts. He added that five Americans who were injured in the attacks were evacuated from Uganda over the past 24 hours -- two to South Africa and three to Kenya. He also said that the United States has diplomatic security agents on the ground in Uganda, along with a small number of FBI agents. "I think the FBI is going to send a significant team... that will depart the United States this afternoon for Uganda at the request of Uganda authorities to assist in the investigation," Crowley said. A Somali Islamist militant movement on Monday claimed responsibility for the trio of bombings. "And the best of men have promised and they have delivered," said an Arabic statement issued by Al-Shabaab's press office and obtained by CNN. "Blessed and exalted among men -- (taking) full responsibility. ...We wage war against the 6,000 collaborators; they have received their response." The 6,000 figure is an apparent reference to African Union peacekeepers in Somalia. Uganda contributes troops to the peacekeeping effort. "We are behind the attack because we are at war with them," Al-Shabaab spokesman Ali Mohamoud Rage told reporters at a news conference in Mogadishu, Somalia. "We had given warning to the Ugandans to refrain from their involvement in our country. We spoke to the leaders and we spoke to the people and they never listened to us," Rage said. Kayihura said he could not say whether Al-Shabaab's claim of responsibility is legitimate. That will be determined by the ongoing investigation, he said. Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali-Sharmarke called on the "civilized world to unite in stopping the mindless terror enterprise of Al-Shabaab." "We will work with our partners in Uganda and the international community in bringing the cowards responsible for this heinous act," the prime minister said in a statement released Monday. Meanwhile, al Qaeda congratulated Al-Shabaab in a message posted on pro-jihad web forums. "Be pleased because all the sincere Muslims are with you joining you in your moments of pleasure and difficulty," read part of the message. The blasts hit within 50 minutes of each other. The first one struck an Ethiopian restaurant in a neighborhood dotted with bars and popular among expatriates. Two others exploded at the rugby center. Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni declared a week of national mourning for victims of the bombings, beginning Tuesday, according to a government statement. All flags on public buildings will be lowered to half-staff during the mourning period, the statement said.
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NEW: 5 Americans injured in Sunday's attacks have been evacuated from Uganda .
Police: The device is found in a trash can .
The device is similar to those found at the sites of the latest blasts, police say .
Al Qaeda congratulates Al-Shabaab on the other two attacks .
Somali PM: The "civilized world" should unite to combat Al-Shabaab .
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It once seemed as though the stories at Rangers and Hearts were twinned. Under the respective regimes of Craig Whyte and Vladimir Romanov, both clubs endured high-profile turmoil. Both amassed substantial debts and both plunged into administration. It was then, however, that the tales diverged. Regardless of the on-field outcome on Saturday, you have to think Rangers fans are looking eastwards with a sense of envy. Rangers remain in turmoil, despite Charles Green's consortium's asset purchase at Ibrox . Two years and five months after Charles Green’s consortium completed an asset purchase at Ibrox, this institution of Scottish sport remains mired in discord. Trust between the fanbase and those in charge is somewhere between scant and non-existent. League attendances have dipped below 30,000. Redundancies have taken place within administrative staff. The financial situation is perilous. Mike Ashley has provided a loan to assume effective control, but Rangers have admitted more money will be needed before the end of the year. No one has yet spelled out a longer-term vision for the future. Added to that, the team is currently six points adrift of a Hearts side assembled on a significantly smaller budget. That view from the summit of the Championship is not the only thing for Tynecastle season-ticket holders to enjoy right now. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has provided a loan to Rangers . Thanks to the financial backing of businesswoman Ann Budge, the club emerged from administration with a credible strategy for fan ownership. Budge’s intentions are clear. To fund a CVA for the Foundation of Hearts, she stumped up £2.5million which will be paid back through the on-going contributions of rank-and-file supporters. Budge intends to fill the role of chairperson for between three and five years, by which point it is hoped £6m will have been raised and the club will be in full fan ownership. That precious commodity of trust seems in fulsome supply around Gorgie. Supporters have reacted positively to further moves from the new regime, such as introducing a living wage for all staff. A museum within Tynecastle has also been mooted. There has been a re-connection between those in the stands, those in the boardroom and those in the changing room. The contrast with Rangers is profound. Clearly, the very different ways in which the clubs handled administration set their future patterns. Paul Goodwin, formerly of Supporters Direct Scotland, was a community ownership middle man between the previous Lithuanian owners at Tynecastle and Foundation of Hearts. Like many, he sees a great opportunity lost where Rangers are concerned. The financial situation at Ibrox is perilous and the team are six points adrift of Championship leaders Hearts . ‘From the start of the process at Rangers and the start of the process at Hearts, the similarities were there,’ he said. ‘The biggest difference was the appointment of the administrators. ‘Hearts brought in Bryan Jackson, who knows and understands community ownership and was involved with Dunfermline, Hearts and Portsmouth. He believes it is more than the numbers that matter at a club. ‘It’s also about the heart and soul of the club, which rests in the community. ‘The sad thing for Rangers was that they had a far bigger community than Hearts and didn’t tap into it. That came down to the administrator. ‘Part of the administrator’s duty is to make sure that when he leaves that business it has a long-term strategy to survive. Robbie Neilson has got off to a storming start after taking over at Tynecastle . ‘Did that happen at Rangers after Duff & Phelps left? The answer is no. There was not a succinct, rock-solid business plan that would make the future secure. ‘Had the Rangers fans galvanised and got together at that time then, with an administrator like Bryan Jackson, that could have happened. ‘Bryan took a more holistic approach to the welfare of Hearts. He had other bids that were higher, but didn’t want to take the risk. The Foundation of Hearts demonstrated, via their 8,500 supporters, that there was an ongoing willingness to work with business people hand in hand. That is the perfect marrying of models.’ The clear-eyed planning has extended beyond finance. On her first day of control, Budge authorised a ruthless series of cuts to the playing and coaching staff. It was brutal and unquestionably painful for some of those involved. But it made for a clean break. Appointing Craig Levein as director of football and Robbie Neilson as head coach has delivered swift dividends. The partnership between director of football Craig Levein and head coach Neilson has worked well . It’s still too early in the season for definite predictions of success, but the signings made have improved and galvanised an existing core of talented youngsters. Neilson has taken a first senior coaching role in his stride, often delivering vibrant football. Levein is on hand to provide shrewd counsel. ‘Your driving model has to be the sustainability of the club,’ added Goodwin. ‘What Rangers has never had since 2012 is a sustainable business model. ‘They were signing players on £7,000 a week and it was insanity. There was no need to spend what they did coming up through the leagues. They have frittered away vast sums of fans’ money. ‘Then there is the money used by the various owners for their own ends to the detriment of the club. ‘This is where Hearts have got it absolutely spot-on. They will not be spending more money than they bring in. ‘It’s basic, but the added investment in the club is coming purely from contributions from the 8,500 fans who see where their money goes. ‘They know what it is providing when their direct debit goes in on the 20th of the month.’
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Rangers are in turmoil, despite takeover by Charles Green's consortium .
Ally McCoist's men also trail Championship leaders Hearts by six points .
The Jambos can increase lead with win at Tynecastle on Saturday .
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BBC Radio 4 and Newsnight host Eddie Mair reveals he's been sober since last summer, deciding to give up booze after 'convivial Saturday lunches' turned into hangovers that could last for days . The morning after the night before is often harder to bear the older you get – as the BBC’s Eddie Mair will agree. The Radio 4 and Newsnight host says he has given up alcohol after too many ‘convivial lunches’ which left him suffering for two days afterwards. The 49-year-old also admitted that the ‘indignity of stumbling on to trains and slurring at taxi drivers’ at his age prompted him to quit alcohol. Writing in this week’s Radio Times, he revealed he had been sober since last summer and had managed to stay off drink throughout Christmas. He said: ‘I’d been thinking about stopping for some time. Boozing on a school night had long been abandoned. When I was in my twenties I could knock it back, get a good night’s sleep and be bright as a daisy in the morning. ‘Painful experience in my 40s told me that was no longer best practice. I generally confined alcohol to weekends. Convivial Saturday lunches with like-minded friends (for that read drinking sessions with nibbles) had been a long-established tradition. 'Even those, however, began to lose their lustre thanks to hangovers lasting through Sunday and sometimes Monday.’ Mr Mair said he had ‘learnt a lot’ by going sober and joked that he had even received a ‘surprise thank you card from my liver’. ‘Here I am many months later and to my surprise I don’t really miss it much,’ he added. He admitted he had had a mixed reaction from friends, many of whom doubted he could ‘be having any fun’ without a drink, while others became his ‘best friends for life’ when they realised he could be the designated driver. In his column, the PM presenter also bemoaned the fact that it was difficult to find non-alcoholic beer and wine in British pubs, in contrast to many bars in Europe. Mair has previously revealed that he was once so hungover while working on a Sunday morning radio programme that he had to go outside during a pre-recorded section to vomit. Writing about working in the broadcasting industry in The Guardian in 2002, he said he was always sober and in bed by 10pm before early morning shows except when he was on location when ‘all common sense goes out the window’. The 49-year-old said many friends doubted he could 'be having any fun' without a drink, while others became his 'best friend for life' when they realised he could be designated driver . He added: ‘When I was at Five Live, preparing for an early Sunday live transmission from Birmingham, the producers and I went out for a “quick bite to eat” the night before. 'I vaguely remember being asked to leave the restaurant in the early hours. During a taped segment the next morning I had to go outside to throw up. ‘More recently, BH (Broadcasting House, the Radio 4 Sunday morning programme) from Cardiff was looking good on the Saturday night so we had “some wine” at dinner. 'I recall sincerely discussing, at 2 o’clock on Sunday morning, whether we shouldn’t all just stay up rather than go to bed. 'Wisely we did go to bed but had to ask our cabbie at 6am to find us a place that would serve bacon butties and Mars bars.’ Mair joined the BBC in 1987, working for Radio Scotland, and started co-hosting PM in 1998. He has also presented Newsnight on BBC2.
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Mr Mair, 49, said drinking began to lose lustre as hangovers lasted days .
Indignity of 'slurring at taxi drivers' also prompted him to quit .
Some friends doubted Mr Mair could have any fun without a drink .
But others wanted to be 'best friends for life' with newly designated driver .
Bemoaned difficulty of finding non-alcoholic wine and beer in British pubs .
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f897da9bd9659d3bd96364e0f9aa8a585d0ea280
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Paul Scholes believes Wayne Rooney could retire from . football by the time he's 32 due to the amount of football's he's played in his . career. Rooney made his professional debut in 2002 as a 16-year-old . for boyhood club Everton and Scholes thinks his former Manchester United . team-mate may hang up his boots in his early thirties due to the physical . demand of the game. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Wayne Rooney in England training . Reached his peak? Paul Scholes (left) fears former United team-mate Wayne Rooney may be past his best . In his first column for Paddy Power, Scholes said: 'Wayne . might be a player who’d retire come 31 or 32, given the amount of football he’s . played. 'Wayne’s peak may have been a lot younger than what we’d . expect of footballers traditionally. Age 28 or 29 has been the normal . "peak". With Wayne, it could have been when he scored 27 league goals . in 2011-12 when he 26. 'He might be a player who’d retire come 31 or 32, given the . amount of football he’s played. 'Ryan Giggs has been on the go for ages, but he adjusted his . position. Can Wayne do the same? I don’t think Wayne will be able to play . centre forward until he’s 34 or 35.' United have been craving a creative midfielder since . Scholes' retirement at the end of the 2012-13 season as the deposed Premier . League champions finished seventh at the end of this campaign. Remember the name: Rooney (left) made his debut for boyhood club Everton at the age of 16 in 2002 . The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a bid for . Bayern Munich midfielder Toni Kroos but, under former Old Trafford boss David . Moyes, Rooney dropped back into this role on frequent occasions. Scholes believes the England star could play in the middle of the park, saying: 'He could play centre midfield, possibly, into his . mid-thirties. He’s got all the ability to take over my old position at . Manchester United. 'He has played some games there, but has never gone on an . uninterrupted run. Whether he has the discipline to do it, right now I’m not . sure.' Should Rooney retire by the age of 32, his last games could potentially be for England at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Tucked away: Rooney (left) scored 17 league goals this season for United as the club finished seventh .
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Scholes thinks Rooney could quit the game by 2018 .
Scholes believes Rooney cannot play as a striker in his mid-thirties .
But Rooney could play as central midfielder in the future .
Rooney made his debut as a 16-year-old at Everton in 2002 .
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Well, that was quick. Just hours after going on sale in the U.S., Canada and the UK, the OUYA gaming console was already sold out Tuesday morning on Amazon, though other retailers still had it in stock. Amazon, which was selling the device for $99, told customers that the item was temporarily out of stock. However, as of Tuesday morning, Target and Best Buy were still carrying OUYA. GameStop noted that the item was "currently unavailable." SEE ALSO: 7 Gadgets for the Ultimate Connected Living Room . OUYA launched on Kickstarter as an open gaming console that anyone could develop for or hack as they see fit, all for a $99 price tag. The Kickstarter hit its $900,000 funding goal in eight hours, and broke Kickstarter records after raising $8.6 million total. Earlier this year, OUYA's creators announced that the console would be widely available at retail stores in June. READ: OUYA's profile on CNN 10: Startups to watch . Kickstarter backers, meanwhile, began receiving their OUYA consoles in April. This article originally appeared on Mashable.
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OUYA gaming console sells out in hours on Amazon .
Android-based console sells for $99 .
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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Los Angeles police believe they've caught the person who made a fake emergency call claiming that several people had been shot at Ashton Kutcher's Hollywood home. A Southern California juvenile, who was not identified, is suspected of being behind the October 3 "swatting" incident at Kutcher's home and targeting Justin Bieber's Calabasas, Caifornia, home a week later, according to a police statement. "The comments of the call advised that there were individuals inside the location with guns and explosives, and that several people had been shot," the police said. Dozens of emergency personnel rushed to Kutcher's residence only to find workers inside and no emergency, police said. Kutcher, who was on the set of his TV sitcom "Two and a Half Men," also rushed to his home. "Swatting" is when "computer hackers utilize their skills to place false emergency calls of serious crimes in progress to law enforcement and fire dispatch centers, thus causing a large number of first responders" to arrive, police said. "The swatting practice is extremely dangerous and places first responders and citizens in harm's way." Hollywood division detectives worked with the FBI and police in Long Beach, California, to find the suspect, who was arrested on December 10, police said. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case to decide how to prosecute the youth, police said. Other incidents that may be linked to the suspect have also been identified, police said.
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The suspect is a Southern California juvenile who was not identified .
The hoax call said people with guns and explosives had invaded Kutcher's home .
Kutcher's home was "swatted" October 3, Bieber's a week later .
"Swatting" is when hackers place fake emergency calls, police said .
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By . Katy Winter . It is the news that could finally stop culinary Insta-spammers in their tracks. A team of scientists has discovered that sharing and consuming an excess of food pictures may actually decrease pleasure in the real thing. It is an unwelcome truth that many of us now celebrate a culinary triumph or top notch restaurant meal not by instantly diving in - but with a photo session. The phrase ‘Tweet before you eat’ has entered common parlance and we no longer flinch when the party at the table next to us begins snapping away at their plate (though we draw the line when they come over to snap ours - true story). However, new research from Brigham Young . University suggests that oversharing and consuming ‘food porn’ on social . media sites such as Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram can make it less . enjoyable to eat. Many people simply can not start eating a meal without ensuring they have shared the experience with friends and followers . Sharing 'food porn' on social media sites such as Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram can make it less enjoyable to eat . Looking at those pictures of perfect eggs Benedict or your friend’s incredible Sunday roast efforts can ruin rather the whet the appetite by making you feel like you have already eaten the food. The study found that overexposure to images of foods increases our sense of satiation (a drop in enjoyment associated with repeated consumption) when we actually eat those same foods. One of the study’s coauthors and BYU professor Ryan Elder explains: ‘In a way, you’re becoming tired of that taste without even eating the food. 'It’s sensory boredom – you’ve kind of moved on. You don’t want that taste experience anymore.’ Published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, the study recruited 232 people to look at and rate pictures of food. Posting and viewing excessive photos of food on social media sites such as Instagram can decrease our enjoyment of food when we eat it . Looking at those pictures of your friend's incredible Sunday roast efforts can ruin, rather the whet your appetite, by making you feel like you have already eaten the food . In devastating news to poser foodies everywhere, sharing pictures of your food may actually decrease your pleasure in it . In one of their studies, half of the participants viewed 60 pictures of sweet foods like cake, truffles and chocolates, while the other half looked at 60 pictures of salt foods such as chips, pretzels and French fries. After rating each picture based on how appetising that food appeared, each participant finished the experiment by eating peanuts, a salty food. Participants then rated how much they enjoyed eating the peanuts. In the end, the people who had looked at the salty foods ended up enjoying the peanuts less, even though they never looked at peanuts, just at other salty foods. The researchers say the subjects were satiated on the specific sensory experience of saltiness. If we avoid looking at pictures of salads, we might enjoy them more . Supposedly, looking extensively at pictures of delicious sweet treats can help curb your cravings.... 'No it's OK, I looked at loads of cake pictures earlier!' This food-photo phenomenon could be used to help those trying to reduce cravings . While this could be bad news for those of us who regularly post or look at foodie images online, the findings could actually be of some use to dieters . Those with a serious penchant for a certain naughty food, say ice-cream, may be able to reduce their enjoyment in a Ben & Jerry’s binge by viewing numerous pictures of their weakness food.
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Trend for posting 'food porn' photos on social media sites still on rise .
Scientists at Brigham Young University found it makes food less enjoyable .
Found over exposure to images of foods increases our sense of satiation .
As a positive side effect this reduction in pleasure could help dieters .
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By . Vanessa Allen and Emine Sinmaz . PUBLISHED: . 19:05 EST, 26 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:09 EST, 26 April 2013 . Thomas Farage, the son of UKIP leader Nigel Farage (pictured) is facing court over a drunk and disorderly charge . The son of UKIP leader Nigel Farage is facing court over a drunk and disorderly charge, it was revealed yesterday. City trader Thomas Farage, 21, was arrested at 3am in a London street earlier this month. He did not appear for his first hearing at City of London Magistrates’ Court yesterday and his lawyers have asked prosecutors to deal with the case away from court. The allegations are embarrassing for UK Independence Party leader Mr Farage ahead of the May 2 county council elections, in which UKIP hopes to make record gains. But the hearing was yesterday adjourned until May 10. There is no suggestion the case was deliberately delayed until after the elections. Farage was arrested at 3am in St Martin’s Le Grand, a street in the Square Mile near St Paul’s Cathedral. His lawyers asked the Crown Prosecution Service to consider medical evidence in the case, although no further details were given. Prosecutor Catherine Baccas told magistrates: ‘There are discussions between the parties as to a more appropriate outcome.’ CPS guidelines state that low-level crimes by first-time offenders can be dealt with out of court using cautions, fines or community service if it is deemed appropriate. A spokesman said: ‘In this particular case, the defence has asked that we take into consideration medical evidence concerning the defendant before proceeding with this prosecution. ‘It is only sensible that potentially relevant evidence should be taken into account, so we have asked the court to adjourn this case until we have received and reviewed the evidence.’ Thomas Farage did not appear for his first hearing at City of London Magistrates' Court yesterday and his lawyers have asked prosecutors to deal with the case away from court . UKIP leader Mr Farage refused to comment, saying: ‘I have nothing to say, I have nothing to say, you’re ****ing in the wind with me.’ He has two adult sons from his first marriage and two young daughters with second wife Kirsten Mehr, a German broker. His first wife, Grainne Hayes, would only say: ‘I believe it’s all being dealt with by my ex-husband.’ Thomas Farage, who lives with his mother in Rochester, Kent, was unavailable for comment. He was granted unconditional bail. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Thomas Farage arrested at 3am in a London street earlier this month .
His lawyers have asked prosecutors to deal with case away from court .
UKIP leader Nigel Farage hopes to make gains in May 2 elections .
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(CNN) -- The sobbing woman pleads for help in a 911 call. "There's a guy breaking in my front door," she says. The dispatcher repeats: "There's a guy breaking in your front door?" The caller comes back quickly: "He's trying to kick it down." She cries as she tells the dispatcher that the man is yelling. She describes what he's wearing -- a green shirt and khakis or jeans. As she anxiously awaits police, she repeatedly asks, "Oh my God, are they almost here?" The frantic 911 call, released by authorities Tuesday, brought officers to the North Carolina home on Saturday. Minutes later, 12 bullets from one officer's gun flew toward the 24-year-old unarmed man outside, who authorities now believe had been looking for help after a car accident. Police say the officer hit him 10 times. Now Jonathon Ferrell is dead. And Randall Kerrick, the police officer who shot him, faces a felony charge of voluntary manslaughter. The release of the 911 tape Tuesday is the latest twist in a case that has drawn national attention and calls from some activists to charge the police officer with murder. Police have said Kerrick and two other officers responded to what they believed was a "breaking and entering" call. When they got to the scene, police say, a man matching the 911 caller's description ran toward them. Attorney for man's family: Killing was cold-blooded . Attorney Chris Chestnut says that's when something went terribly wrong. And he says Ferrell's family members watched a police video on Monday that shows it. Chestnut says the video, filmed from the dashboard of one of the police cruisers on scene, shows a clearly unarmed Ferrell moving forward toward police with his hands out, then panicking as two laser beams hit the center of his chest. "Then he gets excited, and he's like -- 'wait, wait, wait' -- and he's coming forward saying, 'stop,' and he goes off camera, and you just hear shots. One, two, three, four...pause...one, two, three, four, five, six...pause. One, two." Police declined CNN's request to review the dash-cam video, saying it was sealed as part of the ongoing investigation into the shooting. They have said one of the officers fired his stun gun as Ferrell came toward them. When that was "unsuccessful," police said, another officer opened fire. Now police say Kerrick used excessive force and had no cause to shoot Ferrell. "Our investigation has shown that Officer Kerrick did not have a lawful right to discharge his weapon during this encounter," police said in a statement Monday. They've charged Kerrick with voluntary manslaughter, a felony. He was released Sunday on $50,000 bond. But Chestnut, who watched the video with Ferrell's family in a meeting with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief on Monday, said there's only one way to interpret it. "Cold blooded," he said. "Badge or no badge, that's murder." Attorney for officer: His actions were justified . Michael Green, a defense attorney representing Kerrick, declined to comment on evidence in the case. "We're not going to make any general statements about the evidence at this time, as the case is still pending. We're going to allow this case to be tried in a court of law," he said. "However, we're confident that the resolution of this case will be found that Officer Kerrick's actions were justified on the night in question." In a statement to investigators regarding the shooting, Kerrick said he suffered injuries and was assaulted. A probable cause hearing has been set for October 7. At a news conference Monday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Rodney Monroe said the department's hearts go out to Ferrell's family and to members of the police force. "This is never something easy," he said. The police department said in a written statement Monday that the shooting "has devastated a family as well as caused a great deal of sadness and anxiety in our organization. "However we must always strive to bring forth all facts and evidence in every case to determine when it is appropriate to place criminal charges against a member of the department," the news released added. Charlotte police kill ex-FAMU football player . CNN's Josh Levs, Ed Payne and Rich Phillips contributed to this report.
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"There's a guy breaking in my front door," a woman tells a 911 dispatcher .
The call brought police to her North Carolina home, where an officer shot the man .
Now police say the man was unarmed and looking for help after a car crash .
The officer who shot him is charged with voluntary manslaughter .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . A mother is fighting for her autistic son's right to an education after public school officials tried to palm her off with a settlement check to keep him away from classes, it has been revealed today. Heather Houston wants her son David, 21, who is mute and has diabetes, to attend school in California until he is 22 which is his legal right. Ms Houston said that authorities have failed to follow her son's individual education plan and taken extreme measures to keep him out of school, even offering her $86,000 last week. The right to learn: David Swanson, 21, who has autism and diabetes, has been discriminated against by his Californian school, his mother has claimed . She received the . large check after her son was turned away from the first day of the . school year on August 15. David is currently being home-schooled. This followed an offer of $50,000 in June to keep David out of school, which the mother rejected. Ms Houston has been negotiating with Yuba City Unified School District and Sutter County Superintendent of Schools since last year after lodging civil rights complaints that her son was force-fed and left out of school activities. Ms Houston told ABC: 'The law says he's allowed access to . education. I don't want their money. I never . wanted their money.' The family received an unsigned letter . on August 27 which offered $86,000 for David to be kept away from . public school. He is currently entitled to go to school until his 22nd . birthday next spring. Eager to learn: David, 21, is mute but able to communicate with others using his iPad . If Ms Houston accepts the money, she must drop any legal complaints against the school, the letter states. Ms Houston told WUSA 9: 'You could offer me a million. I'm not going to take any money to sign away my son's rights to an education.' The autistic student's education plan includes learning how to write down his name and phone number incase he gets lost, communicating with words on his iPad and about hygiene. Annette Armstrong is the private nurse who goes to school with David to monitor his diabetes. She also understands when he is upset as he hums or puts his fingers in his ears. She has cared for the autistic man for the past five years but claims that she was fired because she complained about a teacher force-feeding David. Battle: Heather Houston says that she does not care about the money but wants her son David to be able to go to school (right) Ms Armstrong said that one lunchtime, a teacher tried to feed David with a metal fork which he cannot use because his autism leaves him with extreme sensitivity to metal. The nurse said that when David spit out the food, the teacher mixed it back into his bowl and made him eat it again. The incident left the student vomiting. Nurse Armstrong added: 'I always have tried to … advocate for . David and just try to get through the day. Why do we have to make the . kid so upset that he pukes on his shoes?' Ms Houston claims that David was later barred from campus with his private nurse after she refused to sign a waiver to allow another nurse to become involved in his care. The Department . of Education states that public schools are required to provide free . and appropriate education for children with disabilities. Both school districts deny any wrongdoing. Ms Houston is now taking her son's battle for an education to court.
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Heather Houston wants her son David, 21, who is mute and has diabetes, to attend school in Yuba City, California .
The student's private nurse claims one teacher tried to force-feed David and caused him to vomit .
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By . Paul Newman . Follow @@Paul_NewmanDM . Alastair Cook was left clinging to the England captaincy by his fingertips on Friday as a leading member of the emerging group beginning to blossom under him dragged his team back into a second Test they are doing their best to throw away. It is not without irony that the latest failure of a captain who is now close to his tipping point should come on a second day at Lord’s when Gary Ballance demonstrated again there is considerable potential in England’s ‘new era’. The big question is whether Cook will decide that promise would be better fulfilled without him at the helm - there is no chance of him being sacked - if India turn their position of superiority here into their first win in 16 overseas Tests. VIDEO Scroll down to watch century-scoring Gary Ballance discuss drunken night out . The nightmare continues: Alastair Cook was dismissed for just 10 . Head down: Cook walks back into the pavilion after being dismissed for 10 . Cook is running out of chances to show . that his attempt to prove he is the best man to move England forward is . not undermining the batting that made him his country’s leading . century-maker. Cook’s swish . of his bat, after he was trapped on his crease and offered MS Dhoni a . catch with just 10 to his name, betrayed the feelings of a man who has . now gone 26 innings without adding the 26th hundred of his Test career. Lord’s, . with a green pitch made to order by England, should have been the . perfect stage for the captain to get back on course by attacking India . with the ball and then cashing in with the bat when conditions eased . under the baking sun. Yet the fact Cook managed neither leaves him with . much to ponder even if a superb century from Ballance, who has not . enjoyed the best of weeks himself, at least delayed England being hoist . by their own very green petard for a while yet. That . England are still waiting for their first Test win since the halcyon . days of last summer has little to do with the introduction of the . cluster of newcomers who have largely taken to Test cricket like ducks . to water. Getting forward: England's Gary Ballance plays a shot off the bowling of India's Ravindra Jadeja . Watching the ball: Moeen Ali bats during day two of the second Test . Keeping the scoreboard ticking over: Ali looked in control during day two . There it is: Ballance brings up his century with a four at Lord's on Friday during the second day of second Test . On the board: Ballance celebrates getting his place on the Lord's honour's board . Instead it is the . ‘spine’ of senior players, charged by England with providing the . backbone and right example to the inexperienced group, who are mainly . responsible for the failures that have left the captain on the brink. Cook . is the man under extreme pressure for his job but his life could have . been made so much easier had Matt Prior, Ian Bell and, in this game at . least, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson made more of an impression for . England. Anderson at least . ended up with four wickets in India’s 295, even though he bowled poorly . for much of Thursday, while Broad seems to be feeling the effects of . his knee injury that will surely require surgery sooner or later. Prior . appears to be on his last legs as a keeper, while another soft . dismissal for Bell in England’s miserable 219 for six on day two, still . 74 behind, showed he is struggling to accept responsibility as . England’s senior middle-order man. It . will take a huge effort from Prior and the tail now to earn a lead . after India, with four wickets for Bhuvneshwar Kumar (right), outbowled . England, just as Sri Lanka did earlier this summer. Only India have now . done it, embarrassingly for England’s attack, on an archetypal English . pitch. Landmark: Ballance celebrates scoring his 50 at Lord's . Well batted: Ali congratulates Ballance on reaching his half century . Big shout: Sharma appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of Ian Bell . At least England . could be thankful for Ballance’s third century in three first-class . appearances at Lord’s and to a lesser extent for Moeen Ali, his partner . in a stand of 98 that, for a while at least, promised a significant . first-innings lead. It was a . display of character from Ballance, who was embarrassed on Wednesday by . the emergence of pictures showing him topless and the worse for wear . in a Nottingham nightclub at the end of the first Test. He . could have sunk into his shell but snaffled two good catches on the . first morning and then batted in a mature manner that provided further . evidence of his suitability to step into the big shoes left by Jonathan . Trott. It was a contentious . call by Peter Moores to ask Ballance rather than Bell or Joe Root to bat . at three this season, but with centuries here at Lord’s against both . Sri Lanka and now India he seems assured of a long top-level career. If . only Ballance, missed by Dhoni on 32, could have survived to the close . England would have been on top — but, frustratingly, he lost Moeen Ali . to the part-time off-spin of Murali Vijay and then fell to the new ball . himself, strangled down the leg side off the outstanding Kumar. Poor shot: India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar celebrates as Ravindra Jadeja (not pictured) takes the catch of Ian Bell . Back you go: Bell walks back to the pavilion after getting out . That . leaves England, who have had much the better of the conditions, in . another pickle that will seriously test the resolve of Cook. There . is no way Paul Downton, England’s managing director, and national . selector James Whitaker will even consider replacing Cook until this . series is lost, but their captain could fall on his own sword if things . do not improve rapidly. England . do not have a history of sacking captains, with only Kevin Pietersen . being pushed rather than jumping himself since Alec Stewart was harshly . dismissed after the 1999 World Cup debacle. Not least among the problems is a lack of viable alternatives to Cook. There . is no way Bell, the unofficial deputy, is an England captain while . Prior will do well to hold on to his place beyond this series. Broad has . injury concerns and far too much on his plate to be considered. That . just leaves Root. He is the long-term replacement for Cook but they did . not expect to have to consider him when he is just 23 with only 18 . Tests under his belt. Such is the mess England find themselves in, but without Ballance it would already be so much worse.
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England is 219 for 6 at stumps after day two of the second Test at Lord's .
The hosts trail India by 76 after bowled out for 295 earlier in the day .
England's Gary Ballance scored 110 before falling late in the day .
Moeen Ali was England's only other significant contributor with 32 .
Alastair Cook's poor run of form continued as he fell cheaply again for 10 .
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The trial of a Saudi businessman accused in the 1998 Al-Qaeda bombings of US embassies in East Africa got underway in New York on Tuesday with jury selection. Khalid al-Fawwaz, who was allegedly head of al-Qaeda's London office until his arrest in 1999, is accused on four counts of conspiracy to kill Americans and conspiracy to destroy US property. The attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which were claimed by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, killed 224 people and wounded around 5,000. Khalid al-Fawwaz was, among other things, head of al-Qaeda's London office until he was arrested in Britain in 1999. He has already spent 16 years in custody . The 52-year-old appeared in a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday to face terrorism charges . Arrested in Britain in 1999, Fawwaz has already spent 16 years in custody and pleads not guilty. On Tuesday, he took a seat in the Manhattan court room, just a short walk from the site of the former Twin Towers destroyed by Al-Qaeda in the 9/11 attacks. He wore a crisp white tunic, neatly pressed and of the type traditionally favored by men in Saudi Arabia, with a crocheted white prayer cap on his head. He had dark shadows under his eyes, his face was pale and partially obscured by a long, pointy grey beard. He folded his stocky frame into a court chair, put black-rimmed spectacles on his nose to consult documents and exchanged pleasantries with his lawyers. US prosecutors claim that Fawwaz was head of al-Qaeda's London office - put in charge personally by bin Laden, who was killed by US Navy SEALs in Pakistan in May 2011. Fawwaz is accused of setting up the London office to publicize bin Laden's statements and serve as a conduit for messages between different al-Qaeda cells . This August 1998 photo shows Kenyan residents looking at the US embassy (left) days after the bomb blast . From around 1993 - five years before the attacks - he was named as an al-Qaeda associate who allegedly began to establish businesses and residence in Kenya. From 1995 to 1998, he allegedly provided bin Laden and other al-Qaeda members with communications, including a satellite phone, and disseminated bin Laden's declaration of jihad in England. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who has overseen a string of terror trials ending in guilty convictions, opened the first stage of jury selection on Tuesday. A pool of around 200 prospective jurors, who have already completed questionnaires, will be whittled down to 12, with six alternates, who will hear the case. The process is expected to continue until at least Thursday before opening arguments can begin. The Fawwaz trial is estimated to last five weeks, considerably shorter than previously expected. One of his co-defendants, Libya's Abu Anas al-Libi, died in a New York hospital earlier this month after suffering from advanced hepatitis C and cancer. A second Egyptian, Adel Abdel Bary, pleaded guilty last year and is set to be sentenced by Kaplan on February 6. Fawwaz was arrested in Britain in 1999 and fought a nearly 12-year battle against extradition before being sent to the United States to stand trial.
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Khalid al-Fawwaz worked as Osama bin Laden's spokesman and helped coordinate and carry out the attacks in Kenya and Tanzania .
The attacked killed 224 people, wounded 5,000 and put bin Laden on the map as a dangerous terrorist leader .
The trial takes place in US federal court in Manhattan .
200 potential jurors have already been summoned .
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By . Leon Watson . Paedophile Michael McAuliffe who was spotted by an off-duty police officer while on the run in London. He has had his sentencing adjourned . A convicted paedophile had his sentencing adjourned today after he claimed to have information on the child abuse allegedly being covered up in Westminster in the 1970s. A court heard Michael McAuliffe is also able to provide information about further child abuse and paedophile rings. James Bourne-Arton QC, defending McAuliffe, asked the court whether his client's case could be adjourned for police investigations into his claims to be made. Mr Bourne-Arton told Bradford Crown Court, West Yorkshire, his client 'has information to the abuse covered up in the 1970s in Westminster'. 'He also said there was other evidence of child abuse and paedophile rings he was able to give information of,' he added. McAuliffe was in court to be sentenced for a string of child porn image charges after an off-duty copper spotted him in London - where he had tried to escape justice by changing his name. The 50-year-old, who changed his name to Ashley Peters, was registered with West Yorkshire Police and legally bound to notify the force of any change in address following child porn convictions. Detective Sergeant Linda Christie spotted McAuliffe handing out leaflets in the West End during an evening stroll. It led to his home being searched and the discovery of thousands of pornographic images and videos of children, some at the highest level of seriousness. Last month McAuliffe, of Haworth, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty by video link to 23 offences, including failing to comply with the sex offenders' register by changing his name and address last November. Also included were 17 further charges of making thousands of indecent photos and movies of children, and four of distributing indecent photos of children. Michael Smith, prosecuting, told the court their position 'is one of deep scepticism' regarding McAuliffe's recent claims. He said McAuliffe had earlier given evidence that he was looking at the indecent images to detect crime. McAuliffe's barrister said his client 'has information about the abuse covered up in the 1970s in Westminster' and called for the sentencing to be adjourned while he speaks to the police . Mr Smith added that the paedophile has always been 'deeply hostile towards the police' and has said 'the only good copper is a dead copper'. Mr Smith added that the police say it is highly unlikely they would make a deal with the defendant, but they would be willing to speak with him, either before or after his sentencing. Judge Peter Benson spoke briefly to the defendant to inform him of the new date for his sentencing and told him he would remain in custody. McAuliffe then said, 'Can I just say the names I've got...' before Judge Benson cut him off and sent him down to the cells. He will be sentenced in six weeks' time at Bradford Crown Court.
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Michael McAuliffe claims he can provide information on child abuse .
But the prosecution say their position 'is one of deep scepticism'
McAuliffe, of Haworth, West Yorkshire, admitted 23 child porn offences .
He will now be sentenced in six weeks' time at Bradford Crown Court .
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By . Peter Simpson . PUBLISHED: . 20:37 EST, 4 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:16 EST, 5 November 2013 . We may be living in dumbed-down Britain, but it would appear that, on the whole, we’re rather more cultured than some of our neighbours in Europe. We attend more operas than the Italians and visit more art galleries than the French, according to a study. The report says Britons are ahead of our neighbours on nine key cultural measures – debunking Europe’s view of us as a race addicted to reality TV and celebrity gossip. The report found Britons were more likely to visit art galleries than the French who claim to have the world's best collections . According to the Brussels-based Eurobarometer survey of 27,000 people from across the EU, we are far more likely to read a book, far more aware of history and far more keen to enjoy cultural events such as the ballet and the theatre than the average EU citizen. The land that gave the world Shakespeare has one of the largest theatre-going publics in Europe, with 39 per cent of Britons saying they had attended a play in the last 12 months – well above the EU average of 28 per cent. Almost two thirds – 65 per cent – of us have visited a historical monument or site over the last year. That compares with 54 per cent of French and 41 per cent of Italians. France has long prided itself as nation with the best art galleries. But only 37 per cent of French said they had visited a museum or gallery in the past year, compared to 52 per cent of Britons. You are more likely to find more empty auditorium seats in the home of opera, Italy, where only 17 per cent of natives said they had seen been to one in the last year compared to 22 per cent of Britons. We are also more likely to visit our opera houses such as the Royal Opera House in London (pictured) than Italians, while 80 per cent of us read a book last year . In austerity blighted Greece, visits to . historical monuments have collapsed to under half the EU average, with . domestic visitor numbers at such iconic sites as the Parthenon and . Acropolis in free-fall. The survey found 80 per cent of Britons had their noses in a book last year. That compares with the EU average of 68 per cent – but only just beats the Germans on 79 per cent. With both countries on the verge of political and economic collapse, only half the populations in Greece and Portugal have picked up a book over the last year. Overall, the survey shows that Britain bucks the European-wide decline in arts and literature ‘involvement’, which is down 24 per cent across the EU over the last five years due to the Eurozone crisis. But the UK has witnessed only a two per cent drop in the number attending or participating in cultural activities, the survey shows.
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Britons visit more art galleries than the French, and attend more operas than Italians .
Almost 40 per cent of Brits have been to the theatre in the last 12 months .
Eighty per cent had their noses in a book last year .
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A seven-year-old boy has died in hospital the day after being hit by a stray bullet as he walked to a July 4 fireworks display with his father. Brendon Mackey was only a few steps behind his father when he collapsed in the car park of a Virginia restaurant at about 9pm. It wasn't until he was being treated in hospital that doctors discovered the gunshot wound in the top of Brendon's head. Shooting victim: Brendon Mackey was killed by a stray bullet as he went to a fireworks display with his father . Investigation: Police cordon off the restaurant car park where Brendon was hit by a stray bullet . Police believe the shooting was an accident, and said it was possible someone near the Boathouse Restaurant in Midlothian had fired a gun in the air to celebrate Independence Day, according to CBS 6 . 'We don’t think this was an intentional . shooting. We think that somebody in or around the Brandermill area was . celebrating the Fourth of July,' Chesterfield Police Captain Brad Badgerow said. 'Unfortunately we think they were . shooting a gun in a reckless manner and this young boy is a victim.' Brendon, who was due to join the 3rd grade at C. E. Curtis Elementary in Chester, had been walking to the crowded fireworks display at Swift Creek Reservoir in Brandermill when he suddenly collapsed to the ground, bleeding. At first his father, Ryan Mackey, thought he had passed out and knocked his head. Tribute: The parents of Brendon Mackey remember their son, who loved golf and SpongeBob Squarepants . Emergency teams who were working at the display rushed to his aid. When he was taken to hospital, doctors discovered he had been shot in the head. Celebratory gunfire is responsible for a number of deaths in the U.S. every year. Because most victims are hit in the head by falling bullets, the chance of being killed is 32 per cent compared with 2 per cent to 6 per cent for most gun shot wounds. A study of celebratory gunfire victims treated at a Los Angeles hospital found that between 1985 and 1992, 118 people were hit and 32 were killed. A US Davis Medical Center study found across the U.S. 317 people were injured by stray bullets between March 2008 and February 2009. Of those 20 per cent died. Most victims are nowhere near where the gun was fired, such as Amish teenager Rachel Yoder who was killed in 2011 by a bullet fired into the air 1.5 miles away. Many cities and built up areas have banned firing a gun unless in self-defense. Celebratory gunfire has been banned in several states including California, Texas, Arizona and Ohio. Mr Mackey has paid tribute to his young son, who loved golf and SpongeBob SquarePants, according to NBC12. Michelle Ryan, who lives near the reservoir, said: 'I haven't known this area to be violent or for people shoot guns.' 'It's really devastating,' she told WTVR. As news of the shooting spread . residents and staff at the Boathouse Restaurant called on anyone who saw . someone firing a gun to contact police. 'Put yourself in the family’s shoes and . think about how terrible it is that they are going through this tragedy . and reach out to us so we can help them,' Captain Badgerow said, as he called for witnesses to come forward. Lieutenant Randy Horowitz said police . believe the fatal shooting 'was a result of someone shooting randomly . into the air, likely from a distance, and not an intentional act', . according to the Times-Dispatch. Young Brendon was not the only victim of celebratory gunfire during the July 4 festivities. A 26-year-old woman who was watching a fireworks display with her brother in Florida, was shot in the leg. April Johnson was sitting by the edge of a street in Fort Lauderdale when she felt a pain in her thigh and saw blood coming from her leg. Family outing: Brendon and his father Ryan were on their way to see fireworks near the Boathouse Restaurant . 'This is exactly what we always warn against - people celebrating by firing their guns into the air,' sheriff's spokesman Veda Coleman-Wright told the Sun Sentinel. 'Those bullets come down just as fast as they go up and the last thing you want is for someone to be injured or killed by a stray bullet.'
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Gun fired in the air as revelers celebrated Independence Day, police say .
26-year-old woman also injured by stray bullet in separate incident .
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While architect Philip Freelon imagined designs for Atlanta's new National Center for Civil and Human Rights, he did the usual research into the past, scanning images of the civil rights marches and protests it would surely address. Around the same time, he couldn't help but notice the front pages of modern newspapers that showed protesters around the world resolutely fighting their own battles. They were in different times, different worlds, but always, he saw the same image: People united, their arms interlocked or fingers woven together. The gestures became the foundation for the design his team created, one that's visible today as the new museum opens in downtown Atlanta. Even after the recession and planning decisions edited the grand space to less than half the size originally proposed, the symbol endured. The building evokes two linked hands; its exterior walls feature a mix of earthy shades that suggest different races coming together. Inside, exhibits in the nearly 43,000-square-foot museum link the historic stories of the American civil rights movement and modern human rights struggles around the world. The Atlanta center is one of several museums tied to civil rights recently opened or in the works. Around the country, they serve as memorials, meeting spaces, tourist attractions and time capsules, all trying to reveal their stake in history while drawing a young, tech-savvy audience. "The vision and mission of the institutions are different. What's similar are those words, civil rights -- segregation, violence, reconciliation, resilience, jubilation," said Freelon, who created designs for civil rights-related museums in Washington, Mississippi, North Carolina and elsewhere. They aren't just places to preserve history or tell the story of a single race, said Ford Bell, president of the American Alliance of Museums. Museums and libraries have long been places where communities explore curiosities and conversations of the moment, he said; it's why the United States saw a wave of natural history museums in the early 20th century, then science and technology centers and more recently, children's museums. The rise of high-profile civil rights museums comes as communities recognize old wounds that need to heal and fresh cuts that require care, he said. Why I'm tired of hearing about 'that' civil rights movement . "Museums are the way that we often address important issues in our society, where we talk about them together," Bell said. "We as a society are still wrestling with issues related to human rights and civil rights, and a painful history." 'Stories are the most powerful tools' Work on a civil rights museum in Atlanta began more than 10 years ago, when former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young and civil rights activist Evelyn Lowery approached then-Mayor Shirley Franklin with the idea. The city was already home to memorials and historic sites honoring Atlanta native Martin Luther King, Jr., but they intended this space to go beyond the King legacy, or even civil rights history. "It became really clear that they believed ... it was important to connect it to the current issues of the world and the United States," said Franklin, the board chairwoman of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. "Atlanta has claimed a position for itself, historically, as a place where people grapple with human issues, fairness issues, justice issues. Atlanta has claimed its history for itself." The links weren't so clear to everyone. It took time to convince people -- including other civil rights activists and potential donors -- that the voting rights marches and church bombings of the 1960s were tied to modern, global issues like slavery and immigrant rights. The $103 million museum contains large galleries devoted to both, and space to grow as the stories evolve, center CEO Doug Shipman said. Through original artworks and interactive displays laden with video and audio, museum leaders hope visitors will consider where they fit into civil rights history and how they can impact human rights issues today. This could be a first taste of civil and human rights understanding for many visitors to the tourist-heavy area where the museum stands, Shipman said. It's located beside the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola, in eyeshot of a large Ferris wheel and fountains often packed with gleeful children. Turner and CNN are among the museum's corporate sponsors. Shipman said they wanted the center to appeal not just to those who remembered the history it captures, but also to the 22-year-olds who can't imagine it. He wants to hear grandparents sharing their protest memories and teens explaining their school campaigns against bullying. Visitors can tour museum exhibitions designed by Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe and human rights activist Jill Savitt in as little as 75 minutes. Another gallery displays a rotating collection of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s personal papers, which are housed at nearby Morehouse College. The exhibits could be the gateway that leads visitors a few miles away to the historic Sweet Auburn district, King's birth home or the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Shipman said. "This was trying to bring the stories to people who might not find them otherwise. Stories are the most powerful tools," Shipman said. "If someone goes to one (attraction) and they're inspired, it makes them more likely to go to another. "Civil rights and human rights should be Atlanta's signature, destination topic, like New Orleans and jazz." 'It's not over' Around the country, other cities are sharing their stake in the same story. Many realized they were losing the opportunity to capture the memories of those who witnessed the civil rights movement and were coming up on milestone anniversaries that would spur conversations around "freedom summer," school desegregation, civil rights policy and touchstone events of the civil rights movement. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture is scheduled to open in 2016 on a five-acre tract on the National Mall in Washington. In Memphis, the National Civil Rights Museum -- the former Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed -- reopened in April after a $28 million renovation, including new, interactive exhibitions. The International Civil Rights Center and Museum opened in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 2010 to showcase the site where four black students sat-in at a whites-only Woolworth's counter in 1960. Jackson, Mississippi, broke ground last year on a civil rights museum to sit beside a forthcoming state history museum. Charleston, South Carolina, is planning an International African American Museum. These join myriad other museums and historic sites that consider the legacies of women, Native Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, or subjects like the African diaspora and the Holocaust. "If you name a societal problem, I will find you a museum that's working on it," said Bell, the American Alliance of Museums leader. "The challenge will be to engage people, to help them learn important history ... and how do they keep them looking forward?" Explorations of civil and human rights can be good business for museums, industry leaders said, presenting history in new ways to young, diverse audiences while building lifelong educations for baby boomers who now make up the core of museum members. By being "neutral, optimistic" spaces to consider civil and human rights, they're also expecting to draw in corporations and community groups that need to talk through the issues. They're reminders, too, that the work of the U.S. civil rights movement isn't done, said Ellen Zisholtz, director of the I.B. Stanback Museum and Planetarium at historically black South Carolina State University. Museums can continue to tell stories of persecution and protest due to religion, gender, education, citizenship and class, as well as race. "It's important because it's stuff that gets lost," said Zisholtz, a member of the board of directors of the Association of African American Museums. "It's not over. We're going backward, not forward, at a time when we're 50 or 60 years later (than the civil rights movement). "The whole future of this country is for different communities who care about social justice to get together, and work together. If enough people committed themselves to it, what a difference it could make."
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The National Center for Civil and Human Rights opens in Atlanta on Monday .
It's one of several civil rights-related museums recently opened or in the works .
Museum director: Civil and human rights "should be Atlanta's signature"
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f89d2409b475e62cac191c453d97cad1a025ca14
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By . Sam Webb . Support: Royal Marine Sergeant Alexander Blackman's wife and mother have defended their son and argued he should be released . The wife of a Royal Marine jailed for life for murdering a wounded Taliban insurgent in Afghanistan says he 'bitterly regrets' the killing and should be released because 'he poses no threat to society'. Sergeant Alexander Blackman, 39, is serving at least ten years after being found guilty of killing the severely wounded captive in Afghanistan. Last year a court martial board found Blackman - known as 'Marine A' during the trial - guilty of murdering the insurgent who had been seriously injured in an attack by an Apache helicopter in Helmand more than two years ago. The killing was captured on a camera on his helmet and afterwards he told two men with him: 'Obviously this doesn’t go anywhere fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention.' His family has told a documentary to be broadcast tonight that he was doing 'what he was sent out to do'. His wife Claire Blackman, 42, from Taunton, Somerset, told the BBC: 'He does bitterly regret it but hindsight is a wonderful thing. 'There were so many other factors embroiled in that decision. He was in charge of all of those other lads who were in a really, really dangerous situation. 'They didn't know who else was around on the ground. They had an insurgent who had clearly had explosives on him in their midst. 'The trouble is we are trying very hard . to rationalise something that happened in a warzone, in a different . country, on the other side of the world, in circumstances that none of . us will ever begin to understand. 'Bottom line, Al is no risk to society.' Shooting: Footage captured by a camera mounted on the helmet of a Royal Marine showing Sgt Blackman during a patrol in Afghanistan in which an insurgent was killed . Blackman's mother Frances has also told a BBC One documentary to be broadcast on tonight that her son was doing his job. She said: 'In my letters I write to him, I always put "I am very proud of you son, you haven’t disgraced yourself, you haven’t disgraced us".' She added: 'He was doing his duty to the country, and everybody in this country and the Queen and that’s what he was sent out to do, to get rid of the insurgents.' His sister, Melody, said: 'I’ll love him no matter what and I know he’s had to make different choices that I wouldn’t want to have to make personally, but it’s war'. After his sentencing on December 6, Blackman said he was 'devastated' at being handed a life sentence. Footage: Before a video of the murder came to light, Blackman was being considered for promotion to Colour Sergeant . He has said he feels ashamed at his actions, describing them as 'a stupid lack of self-control and lapse in judgment' Two other Marines were acquitted. Charges against a further two were previously discontinued. Blackman, who denied murder, had 15 years’ experience in the Royal Marines, having joined in 1998, and was in charge of Command Post Omar in Helmand during Operation Herrick 14 in 2011. He has said he feels ashamed at his actions, describing them as 'a stupid lack of self-control and lapse in judgment'. ‘Marine A: Criminal or Casualty of War?’ is on BBC One at 10.35pm today. The footage was captured by a camera mounted on the helmet of a Royal Marine in the aftermath of a helicopter attack in Helmand. He shot the unknown insurgent in the . chest but said he believed the man was already dead and he was taking . out his anger on a corpse. As the fighter lies on the floor convulsing and struggling for breath, Sgt Blackman tells him: 'There you are. Shuffle off this mortal coil you c***. It’s nothing you wouldn’t do to us.' He then turned to his comrades and said: 'Obviously this doesn’t go anywhere fellas. I just broke the Geneva Convention.' Blackman is the first British serviceman to be found guilty of murder during combat since the Second World War. Blackman completed tours of Iraq, . Afghanistan and Northern Ireland during his military career, and before a . video of the murder came to light, he was being considered for . promotion to Colour Sergeant.
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Sergeant Alexander Blackman fired on the injured fighter as he lay dying .
He is serving at least 10 years after being found guilty of murder .
His wife Claire says 'Al is no risk to society' and should be released .
Mother Frances says he was only doing 'what he was sent out to do'
She tells him: 'You haven't disgraced yourself, you haven't disgraced us'
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By . Liz Hull . PUBLISHED: . 06:55 EST, 8 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 19:04 EST, 8 January 2014 . As a soldier, he survived the snipers and roadside bombs that claimed the lives of comrades in Afghanistan and Iraq. Tragically, in the apparent refuge of his home country, Fusilier Tony Emery’s life was cut short. He was on leave following a family Christmas and days away from resuming military duties abroad when he was involved in a horrific road crash. Injured: Miss Palmer, 20, suffered a broken neck, hip and pelvis in the crash and was rushed to hospital . Soldier: Fusilier Tony Emery, 24, was with aspiring model Paige Palmer when his red VW Golf overturned . He died in a poignant embrace with his . girlfriend, who herself narrowly escaped death in the crash at an . accident black spot nicknamed Devil’s Road. Paige Palmer, 20, suffered a . broken neck, hip and pelvis when their VW Golf overturned after it was . apparently undertaken on a dual carriageway and sent careering into a . ditch. A 22-year-old man, . believed to have been test-driving a BMW, was arrested on suspicion of . causing death by dangerous driving. He has been bailed until March. Miss Palmer, an aspiring model and beautician, yesterday paid tribute to Fusilier Emery, 24, from her hospital bed. Miss Palmer posted: 'RIP my soldier, we should have died together at least I got my last cuddle with you' Description: Miss Palmer told relatives a BMW undertook the couple, forcing Fusilier Emery to lose control . She . posted on her Facebook page: ‘RIP my soldier, we should have died . together at least I got my last cuddle with you, seems not real all this . I will miss you forever Tony rip.’ In . another post, she said: ‘I should have died with him. The police said I . was in his arms. It is not fair, I miss him.’ She also posted pictures . of herself in a neck brace. Fusilier . Emery served with B Company of the Second Fusiliers and was based in . Cyprus. He had been on three tours, including to Afghanistan and Iraq. He returned to his home town of Westhoughton, near Bolton, before . Christmas and was due to resume duties on January 14. Miss Palmer’s . mother Karla, 44, said her daughter was lucky to be alive, adding: ‘Tony . loved the Army and fought for our country everywhere. It’s terrible to . think he lost his life back in the UK. Recovery: Miss Palmer posted photos of her in hospital surrounded by relatives including her father (right) ‘You . have to prepare yourself when they go to war and you know that’s what . they have to do, but not on the streets when they are home.’ The . accident happened on the northbound A666 at Kearsley, near Bolton, . shortly after 11am on Monday. It is nicknamed Devil’s Road by locals . because of its 666 number. Miss . Palmer told relatives a BMW undertook the couple, forcing Fusilier . Emery, who had bought his car days earlier, to brake and lose control. His . VW overturned and hit a lamp post, trapping Fusilier Emery, who died at . the scene, and Miss Palmer inside. She is now recovering, but will need . surgery for her injuries. Fusilier . Emery’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Taylor, from the . Second Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, said the young soldier . ‘was universally popular and much liked by his peers and his chain of . command’. 'He will forever be remembered': Tony Emery's commanding officer, Lt Col Jim Taylor, paid tribute to the 'popular' soldier. He said his life was 'tragically cut short' and he will be remembered by his regimental family . ‘He will forever be remembered by his regimental family,’ Lt Col Taylor added. ‘He will be painfully missed by everyone in the Second Fusiliers. He was a committed son, brother, uncle and soldier.’ Mrs . Palmer said her daughter and Fusilier Emery were not officially a . couple, but had become close in recent months. They met through Miss . Palmer’s older brother, Craig, 25, and the young soldier had spent . Christmas Day with her and her family. ‘They . were very good friends,’ she said. ‘I loved Tony to bits. If you ever . needed anything he would be there to help. He was always very happy. ‘Paige keeps saying “why aren’t I dead, why have I survived?” Everybody has been at her bedside. ‘Hopefully . she will get up and be walking after the operation but it’s going to . take a long time. She is very lucky to be alive.’ Fusilier Emery’s family were too upset to comment. Relationship: Fusilier Emery had spent Christmas Day with Miss Palmer and her family .
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Fusilier Tony Emery, 24, was killed in Bolton, Greater Manchester .
Girlfriend Paige Palmer suffered a broken neck, hip and pelvis in the crash .
BMW driver arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving .
Paige posted pictures from her bed at Salford Royal Hospital .
The aspiring model paid tribute to 'my soldier' and said she will miss him .
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f89e15bf720e864b751ee05ad15d7aad261ec7da
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By . Mia De Graaf . This is the shocking moment three masked men forced their way into a supermarket and threatened staff with knives and swords. The trio burst into the Co-op store in Wollaton, Nottingham, as staff cashed up for the day shortly before midnight. Grabbing one woman by the hair, they held a sword inches from her face and emptied her bag. Scroll down for video . Attack: Footage shows three masked men armed with swords threatening Co-op staff in Wollaton, Nottingham, as they cashed up at the end of the day . Chilling: The images of the sinister attack shows the employees pleading with the thugs as they are attacked . They then bundled them into a store room, repeatedly assaulting them, before making off with their phones. Nottinghamshire Police have now released CCTV footage which shows the three men - who are all wearing black - during their sinister attack. The 2.21-minute clip shows the thugs rushing in armed with the enormous blades at 11.30pm on June 16. It culminates in them fleeing the main room to find the store's safe. Appeal: Police have launched an appeal to find the men, describing the incident as an 'ill-planned robbery' Terrified: Staff were left traumatised but escaped without severe injuries from the sinister attack . Aggressive: Nottinghamshire Police urged people to contact them if they recognise the thugs' mannerisms . Detective Constable Jim Bravant, from . Nottinghamshire Police, said: 'This was an ill-planned robbery where . staff were subjected to a very aggressive assault. 'The . last thing these workers should expect in their jobs, serving members . of the public, is the fear of violence or to be involved in a . frightening robbery.' 'If . you know anything about this robbery, recognise the offenders, or even . their mannerisms, please get in touch with us or Crimestoppers in . confidence. Don’t let them do it again.' The staff members were left extremely distressed by the ordeal but not seriously injured. Threatened: Here, two are seen threatening another employee before bungling them into a store room . Searching: The 2.21-minute clip then shows the gang parading around searching the store . Crime scene: The robbery happened at the Co-op in Wollaton, Nottingham after the raiders gained access via the rear garden of a nearby pub . All three men were dressed head to toe in black clothing with their hoods pulled up. Police described one of the gang as mixed race with brown eyes and said he was of medium build and stood at about 5ft 10ins tall. Another man was chubbier than the third and the first chubbier still. The thief was carrying a distinctive Nike rucksack on his back and his black jacket also had white patches above the pockets. Officers believe the offenders gained access to the shop via the rear garden of a nearby pub.
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Three thugs burst into Co-op in Nottingham, at 11.30pm with weapons .
Grabbed staff who were cashing up and held swords to one girl's face .
Bungled employees into store room, assaulted them, stole their phones .
Eventually fled to find the safe, police released CCTV and launched appeal .
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By . Lee Moran . PUBLISHED: . 06:30 EST, 21 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:23 EST, 21 March 2012 . Barcelona's footballing superstars sent secret signals to Syria's gun-smuggling rebels during a match, the beleaguered nation's state TV has astonishingly claimed. Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro were said to reveal the best way to bring arms into Syria during an El Clásico encounter against Real Madrid. In the outrageous Addounia channel footage World Cup winning midfielder Iniesta is said to portray the first part of the route, when arms are loaded from Lebanon. He passes to Messi who dribbles around several of the European Champions arch-rival's stars before setting up a goal for Pedro. Scroll down to see video... Outrageous: Ridiculous claims have said Barcelona star Lionel Messi (left) is helping Syrian rebels trying to oust President Bashar Assad (right) from power . Secret code: The way Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates play gave tips to Syrian rebels, it was claimed . His run, it is claimed, can be deciphered as a secret code used by rebels who can then draw a route into Syria by tracking the direction of the dribbles, passes and shot. The running commentary says: 'Here we see the first stage where arms are loaded from Lebanon. 'Then they pass through Homs and are delivered to another terrorist. We also see how they warn that they will face some obstacles until they reach Dayr Al Zawr. 'Then they are transported by bus to the final destination, located in Al Magadin.' Start of the move: Andres Iniesta starting of the move is said to signify the arms being unloaded out of Lebanon . Dribble sign: Messi's run, through his Real Madrid opponents, signifies how the rebels will face 'some obstacles' until they reach Dayr Al Zawr . End move: The goal, by Pedro, is decoded as the arms being transported by bus to the final destination, in Al Magadin . The staggering allegation is believed by some to be an elaborate hoax, while others see it as government propaganda. The ridiculous claims of Lionel Messi's co-operation with Syrian rebeal came as he became Barcelona's all-time record scorer. The 24-year-old Argentine ace (right) set the record last night in the 5-3 La Liga match against Granada at the Nou Camp. He equalled the mark of 232 official goals set by Cesar Rodriguez during the 1940s and 50s when he slotted home Isaac Cuenca's cross in the 17th minute. The then secured the record outright in the 68th minute when he lobbed the ball over goalkeeper Julio Cesar. The 24-year-old completed his hat-trick - his eighth of the season for Barcelona - in the 86th minute after rounding the keeper and slamming the ball into the roof of the net. The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year has scored an incredible 48 goals in 40 games for the Catalan giants this season. In his Barcelona career, he has netted an incredible 234 goals in 314 games. in just over seven years. Rodriguez took 13 years to rack up his impressive tally. Still more think the crazy claims about . the European Champions, sponsored by Qatar Foundation, were produced by . the rebels in a bid to make dictator Bashar Assad look foolish.Professor Mark Almond, of Oxford University, told the Sun: 'If I were a Syrian rebel, or someone sympathetic to them, I might make such a video to show the world how silly the Assad regime is.' The astonishing claims came as fresh violence erupted outside the capital Damascus, and in two of its suburbs, Hasrata and Irbin, and in the south, and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon said the 'extremely dangerous' conflict could have global repercussions. The uprising that began a year ago has transformed into an armed insurgency that is pushing the country closer to a civil war. Because of Syria's close alliances with Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, there are deep concerns that the violence could spread beyond its borders, especially if other nations arm the rebels or send in their own troops. Ban said: 'We do not know how events will unfold. But we do know that we all have a responsibility to work for a resolution of this profound and extremely dangerous crisis. 'A crisis that has potentially massive repercussions for the region and the world.' The rebel Free Syrian Army, which includes thousands of army defectors, is the most potent armed group challenging the regime. But the group is outgunned and disorganised. Still, few countries are even considering arming the opposition, out of fear that it would make the conflict worse. Record breaker: The staggering claims came as Lionel Messi (centre) became Barcelona's highest scorer with a hat-trick against Granada . Searching: Syrian army soldiers pictured looking for rebels in Damascus yesterday . Falling down: Black smoke rising from buildings in Homs yesterday . The UN estimates that more than 8,000 people have been killed since the uprising began. Yesterday, Syrian soldiers backed by tanks seized the eastern city of Deir el-Zour from rebels, the latest opposition stronghold to fall to an offensive by the better equipped Syrian military. Activist Osama Mansour said government troops and armoured cars entered the city about 60miles from the Iraqi border from four sides, sparking short gunbattles with fighters from the Free Syrian Army. Mansour, reached by telephone in Deir el-Zour, said the rebels quit fighting and took shelter in homes and apartments, fearing that protracted clashes would destroy the city. Taking back rebel-held cities in the past weeks, government troops have often heavily shelled neighbourhoods before sending in troops, killing civilians and damaging buildings. 'They knew they could not hold control of the neighbourhoods, so they decided to stop fighting, knowing that the regime would bring in heavy weapons and kill many civilians,' Mansour said. He added that the rebels also lacked guns and ammunition.
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World's best footballer, Andres Iniesta and Pedro said to reveal best route for arms into country by their dribbling .
Ridiculous theory comes as anti-regime crackdown continues across Syria .
Conflict could have 'global repercussions', says UN .
Syrian government now shelling its own capital of Damascus .
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f89e4a0eb44e07a8cd03b24eb8df33a6d1bb7e86
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By . Simon Jones . Inter Milan want to take Cardiff midfielder Gary Medel on . loan with view to a permanent deal. Inter are willing to offer £8million at the . end of next season for the 26-year-old who cost Cardiff £11m from Sevilla. Medel signed for the Welsh club last summer, and made 34 appearances in the Premier League last season. Wanted: Inter are after Cardiff and Chile midfielder Gary Medel . Enforcer: The midfielder made 34 appearances for Cardiff in the Premier League last season . But his performances could not help the club avoid relegation. He has most recently turned out for Chile at the World Cup, where his heroic displays helped his side progress from Group B - including a 2-0 victory over Spain. But they eventually fell to Brazil in the second round, losing on penalties after the game finished 1-1.
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Inter Milan targeting Medel on loan with view to a permanent deal .
They are willing to offer £8million for the Cardiff midfielder .
Medel made 34 appearances in the Premier League last season .
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f89e785571441433177c4fa0c2a28e3afa975dce
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 7:55 PM on 30th October 2011 . After being call all kinds of names and had their industry demonized, it doesn't come as an exact shock to hear that the country's wealthy are donating the least to the Occupy Wall Street protests. Online fundraising site WePay said that people earning over $250,000 have only donated 1.39 per cent of the cause's cash, falling very closely in line with their representation as the country's wealthiest one per cent. This news comes as protesters face increased police opposition across the country. Getting handouts: Donations of cash and various food have helped sustain protesters who are staying in New York's Zuccotti Park . The site has accumulated a total of $325,000 to the protesters, with the majority coming from the self-proclaimed middle class. People that decided to make donations online were asked by the site to give their annual income to allow for demographic analysis. Of those donations, 60 per cent were given by people who claim that they make between $35,000 and $100,000. 'The middle class is really giving the bulk of the money,' said Bill Clerico, the CEO of WePay. 'In the last 30 days, donations have really snowballed as more movements have joined Occupy Wall Street,' he continued. Manhandled: A protester is grabbed by police officers during the unrest in Denver on Saturday . The donations are spread across the . country and the world, as sympathizers in 36 different countries, . including Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates. All 50 states are financially . represented, and the geographic break down helps to paint a clearer . picture of where the country stands on the movement. Connecticut residents have given the . most, with the average donation coming in at $65.15, with Hawaii and New . Jersey following suit staying within a dollar above and below the $60 . mark respectively. North Dakota had the lowest average donation with only $16.25, and Arkansas came in second to last with $20.50. Interestingly, those figures fall . along party lines: the three highest paying states voted for the . Democratic Barack Obama in the 2008 while Nebraska and Arkansas voted . for John McCain, the Republican nominee. Staying power: Though many protests have come since the original, New York seems to have the most momentum as they hit the one month mark on October 17 . Anniversary dates- like New York's one . month mark on October 17- and big media spectacles- often caused by . police violence- prompt more people to open the purse strings, serving . as big money days for the site. Given the weekend's incidents at some protests, it seems like there will be many more of those days to come. A tense standoff between Occupy Denver . protesters and authorities near the Colorado Capitol erupted Saturday . with a surge of demonstrators being met with police force that included . pepper spray and rubber bullets. Grounded: A man is arrested after clashing with police during the Occupy Denver protest after a march through the downtown district . The clash came as Occupy Wall Street . protesters and state officials in Tennessee squared off for a third . consecutive night Saturday, even though a local judge has refused to . jail demonstrators who have been arrested and said the state lacks the . authority to set a curfew on the property. These violent blow ups come at the . same time as groups of over 30 people were arrested in both Portland, . Oregon and Austin, Texas in the late hours of Saturday night and early . morning of Sunday. Arrested: Denver police handcuff a man after a tense standoff on the steps of the state Capitol and Civic Center . In New York City, where the Occupy . Wall Street movement began last month, a mix of snow, rain and slush . made for sheer misery at the encampment in Zuccotti Park in lower . Manhattan. Drenched protesters hunkered down in tents and under tarps as the plaza filled with rainwater and melted snow. Technically, tents are banned in the . park, but protesters say authorities have been looking the other way, . even despite a crackdown on generators that were keeping them warm. 'I want to thank the New York Police . Department,' said 32-year-old protester Sam McBee, decked out in a . yellow slicker and rain pants. 'We're not supposed to have tents. We're not supposed to have sleeping bags. You go to Atlanta, they don't . have it. You go to Oakland, you don't have it. And we got it.' Weapons raised: Mayhem as the protesters face the wrath of heavily equipped police officers .
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Donations tend to rise and fall depending on the state's politics .
Comes as protests grow violent and police use rubber bullets in Denver .
Over 30 arrested in Portland and 38 in Austin as police crackdown .
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f89ea4163d02085f4fbc202571bfc11802234c84
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The Mayans built astonishing temples in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras - but now some believe the ancient peoples fled their dissolving civilization and ended up in Georgia. Historian and architect Richard Thornton believes a 1,100-year-old archaeological site shows that Mayan refugees fled Central America and ended up in the North Georgian mountains near Blairsville. His astonishing theory is based on the discovery of 300 to 500 rock terraces and mounds on the side of Brasstown Bald mountain that date to 900AD - around the time the Mayans began to die out. City Spotting: This 3D virtual reality image was made from the ruins found in the Brasstown Bald mountain . Ruins: Carey Waldrip shows the many mysterious rock pile terraces near the Arkaquah Trail in Brasstown Bald, Georgia. The mounds are possibly tied to a Mayan civilization . Georgia Mountain: The theory revolves around an area near Brasstown Bald mountain, pictured, potentially being the 'fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540' Mr Thornton’s blockbuster theory . revolves around the area near Brasstown Bald potentially being the . ‘fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto failed . to find in 1540’. He described it as ‘certainly one of . the most important archaeological discoveries in recent times’. The Mayans died out around 900AD for . reasons still debated by scholars - although drought, overpopulation and . war are the most popular theories, reported the Atlanta Journal . Constitution. The remains were first found by retired engineer Carey Waldrip when he went walking in the area in the 1990s. Archaeologist Johannes Loubser excavated part of the site and wrote a . report about it in 2010, but does not believe the rock terraces are Mayan. ‘I . think that (Mr Thornton) selectively presents the evidence,’ Mr Loubser . told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. ‘But he’s a better marketer than . I and other archaeologists are.’ Look at this: The remains were first found by retired engineer Carey Waldrip, pictured, when he went walking in the area in the 1990s . Row: Not everyone was impressed by historian and . author Richard Thornton's, right, theory. University of Georgia . archaeology professor Mark Williams, left, who was cited in his article, . labelled it as 'complete bunk' Mr . Loubser, who excavated a rock wall and small mound, added that claims . like this must be backed up with ‘hard evidence’ because of the various . conflicting opinions in the archaeological world.' Mr Loubser believes the structures could . have been built by the Cherokee Indians or an earlier tribe between . 800AD and 1100AD. 'It . is possibly the site of the fabled city of Yupaha, which Spanish . explorer Hernando de Soto failed to find in 1540, and certainly one of . the most important archaeological discoveries in recent times' He stopped digging because he realized the site could . be a grave. Still, Mr Thornton claims early maps of the location named two villages . ‘Itsate’, which was how Itza Mayans described themselves. The terrace . structures and date helped him reach his conclusion. 'It was commonplace for the Itza Maya to sculpt a hill into a pentagonal mound,' he argues. 'There are dozens of such structures in Central America.' But not everyone is impressed by Mr . Thornton’s theory. He cited University of Georgia archaeology professor . Mark Williams in an article on Examiner.com. ‘I am the archaeologist Mark Williams mentioned in this article,’ Professor Williams said on Facebook. ‘This is total and complete bunk. There is no evidence of Maya in Georgia. Move along now.’ Theory: The Mayans could have left Central America and ended up in the North Georgian mountains . Fascinating: The Mayans died out around 900AD for reasons still debated by scholars - although drought, overpopulation and war are the most popular theories (file picture) ‘The sites are certainly those of Native Americans of prehistoric Georgia,’ Professor Williams told ABC News. ‘Wild theories are not new, but the web simply spreads them faster than ever.’ Mr Thornton wasn't bothered by the ensuing debate, in fact, that's exactly what he wanted. 'I’m not an archaeologist. I’m a big picture man,' said Mr Thorton to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. 'We’re hoping this article stirs up some interest. I was just trying to get the archaeologists to work some more on the site and they come back snapping like mad dogs.' 'This is total and complete bunk. There is no evidence of Maya in Georgia. Move along now.' Archaeologist, Mark Williams . He works with a company called History Revealed Media that helps create three-dimensional maps of excavated sites and said that when he compared his map of the Georgia site, it reminded him of other Mayan works. 'It’s identical to sites in Belize,' he argued. The . Mayans have been under intense scrutiny over the past few years as . rumors abound about their mysterious 5,125-year calendar allegedly . predicting the apocalypse on December 21 2012. But . various experts have spoken out against Doomsday, including Mexico's . 'Grand Warlock' Antonio Vazquez, to say that the Mayan calendar instead . will just reset and a new time-span will begin. Found: Another 3D virtual reality image of the lost Mayan city of Yupaha, according to Richard Thornton, left, and a relief sculpture of a warrior at the Mayan ruins in Uxmal, right .
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Rock terraces and mounds by North Georgia mountain date to 900AD .
Early maps labelled area as 'Itsate' - what Itza Mayans called themselves .
Historian and architect Richard Thornton evidence suggests ruins are Mayan, while other experts call his claim 'bunk'
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Secluded: Odzhan Naumkin, 20, has spent his entire life living in a hut in a forest with his parents . A Siberian 'Mowgli' turned down a chance to eat at McDonald's during his first visit to the city and instead opted to visit an art gallery. Odzhan Naumkin, 20, has spent his entire life living in a hut in a forest with his parents. But a few weeks ago he emerged from the Altai wilderness and announced that he plans to try for a place at university even though he has only been schooled by his parents. A Russian newspaper decided to show Mr Naumkin the life that his parents had decided against many years before and took him to Moscow. When he was asked if he wanted to eat at McDonald's he declined the offer and instead asked to visit Tretyakov Gallery as his dream is to become an artist, reported the Siberian Times. Despite . almost no contact with other humans expect the occasional passing . hunter, Mr Naumkin did not appear too phased by his visit to the . bustling city. 'It is Odzhan's first time in the . city, but he holds himself up very well and speaks confidently, . demonstrating a wide scope of knowledge in art and history,' reported . newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. City life: A Russian newspaper decided to show Mr Naumkin the life that his parents had decided against many years before and took him to Moscow . 'Anyone would find it hard to believe that he was never taught by a formal school.' After . years of living alone with his parents Alexander and Elena, Mr Naumkin . now wants to study at university, although he has never attended school . during his time living alone in the Altai region, 250km south of the . city of Barnaul. His . father an artist sold mushrooms they gathered, as well as his paintings. But Mr Naumkin and his mother had extremely limited contact with the . outside world. Secluded: Odzhan Naumkin, 20, has spent his entire life living in a hut in a forest with his parents . New life: A few weeks ago he emerged from the Altai wilderness and announced that he planned to get a place at university, even though he has only been schooled by his parents Alexander and Elena . His father said: 'I don't think that . the fact that he skipped the school was a disadvantage for him. Our . school programmes were far better than modern ones. They were broader, . deeper, better. He even studied English all by himself. 'We don't want to get back to the city - and smell petrol or at best various cleaning and washing powders'. Elena . said of her humble home: 'It's more comfortable here and . happier than in civilisation. I am a musician by education, and I get . upset and insulted by the quality of what's going on in the music . industry these days. This is what stops me from coming back to society.' Way of life: His father an artist sold mushrooms they gathered, as well as his paintings. But Mr Naumkin and his mother had extremely limited contact with the outside world . Eye-opener: A Russian newspaper decided to show Mr Naumkin the life that his parents had decided against many years before and took him to Moscow .
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Odzhan Naumkin, 20, has spent his entire life living in a hut with his parents .
Emerged from the Altai wilderness, announcing he plans to go to university .
Russian newspaper took him to Moscow to experience a new side of life .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Army will report Thursday the highest level of suicides among its soldiers since it began tracking the rate 28 years ago, CNN has learned. The Army is expected to announce a new effort to study soldier suicides and links to post-combat stress. Statistics obtained by CNN show that the Army will report 128 confirmed suicides last year and an additional 15 suspected suicides in cases under investigation among active-duty soldiers and activated National Guard and reserves. The confirmed rate of suicides was 20.2 per 100,000. Army officials were reviewing the suspected suicides Wednesday. If any of them are confirmed, the rate will rise. In 2007, the Army reported 115 confirmed suicides, the highest level since 1980, when it began tracking suicides. The Army is expected to announce a new effort to study the problem and determine why its suicide-prevention programs appear not to be working, and the extent to which post-combat stress may be a contributing factor. Many of the suicides occur after troops return home. The Army has long cited personal stress -- including financial, relationship and substance-abuse problems -- as the major reason for suicides, but it is also studying the extent to which deployments to a war zone may play a role. Last month, Army officials said the nation's suicide rate was 19.5 people per 100,000, a 2005 figure considered the most recent. Military officials have long said it is difficult to compare the military suicide rate with that of the private sector because of demographic differences and overall human stress factors. Another factor is that military suicides tend to be young men with access to weapons. Suicides for Marines were also up in 2008. Marines had 41 suicides in 2008, up from 33 in 2007 and 25 in 2006, according to a Marines report . The numbers did not surprise Kevin Lucey, whose 23-year-old son, Jeffrey M. Lucey -- a former Marine -- hanged himself on June 22, 2004 -- 11 months after returning from Iraq. The night before, "Jeffrey asked if he could sit in my lap and if we could rock," Lucey said. "It was about 11:30 at night. And I rocked him for about 45 minutes. Now here you have a 23-year-old, 150-pound Marine that I'm just rocking and his therapist said it was his last gasp. It was his last place for refuge, and then the next time I held him in my lap was when I was taking him down from the rafters. He had put the hose around his neck double-looped and he was dead." He said his son had not been able to get the treatment he needed from the Veterans Administration. "What is disappointing is that the intervention doesn't appear to be there at the present time," he told CNN in a telephone interview from his home in western Massachusetts. The government settled with the family for $350,000. "The foolish part of all this is we just wanted someone to say they did wrong," he said. "But no one would until recently." Lucey said the U.S. attorney, acting on behalf of the Veterans Administration, told him his son's case had led the VA mental system to be changed. Fear of stigma also may have played a role in making his son reluctant to seek professional help. His son, Lucey said, was afraid that getting mental help would affect his chances of getting a job as a state trooper. Apparently it did not. "A year after he died, they accepted him," the father said. CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr contributed to this story.
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Army to report 128 confirmed suicides, 15 suspected suicides in 2008 .
Number is Army's highest for one year since tracking began in 1980 .
Army in 2007 had 115 confirmed suicides -- previously the highest number .
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(CNN) -- Starting February 25, more than 65,000 people are expected to descend on Barcelona, Spain for Mobile World Congress (MWC): a trade show for the mobile industry to show off its latest phones, tablets, apps and services. It's the biggest show for mobile technology, and as mobile is so hot right now, it's arguably the most important show in tech overall. Most companies use it as the platform to set out their agenda for the year and give us a taste of the innovations we can expect to see, but there's a more practical reason why this show matters so much to the companies exhibiting there. There is a brutal war going on right now for new smartphone and tablet customers, with Samsung and Apple winning. According to research firm IDC, Apple and Samsung now have more than half the worldwide smartphone market between them. That makes it vital for all the other major hardware players to have a good MWC, or risk irrelevance. Here's what I'm expecting to see: . Better camera phones . Photography will be a big theme of Nokia and HTC's launches. Nokia generated the biggest buzz at last year's MWC with its PureView camera phone, a model with an unbelievably high 42-megapixel camera sensor. CNET reviewed it after the show was finished, and we loved the camera, but found the Symbian operating system it ran lacking. This year, Nokia watchers are hoping it will put the same camera technology on a Windows phone, which should make it a much more compelling product. The Windows phone platform could certainly do with that sort of boost -- so far, sales haven't exactly set the world alight. HTC also really needs a hit right now, and it's taking no chances by holding its MWC press conference a week before the show actually starts to make sure someone else's shiny gadget doesn't blast it off the news agenda. To tease its announcement on Tuesday 19, the company has released an infographic called "a brief history of photography". It doesn't give much away, but the inference is that phone manufacturers have been focusing on increasing the number of megapixels in camera phones, rather than picture quality. We'll know more very shortly. Bigger screens . Large screens are set to dominate: if leaked pictures of various handsets are to be believed, many vendors will be showing off phones with 5-inch screens with a 1080p resolution -- the same number of pixels you get on a high-definition TV. Even a 5-inch screen isn't enough for some people. Samsung single-handedly created a new product category, the "phablet," in 2011 with its Galaxy Note. This phone/tablet hybrid combines a near 6-inch screen with a pen and has sold in the millions. Everyone is going to want a piece of this action at MWC. A game-changing tablet? One product area I'm hoping will see some development at MWC is tablets. No one has made the perfect tablet yet: the iPad is a great product, but it's limited and I find myself having to use a computer to perform certain tasks. Windows 8 tablets are interesting and experimental, but no one has nailed it. The field is still wide open for a company to create a single product that can replace a traditional laptop and an iPad-style tablet. Nokia is working on one, although I doubt it will reveal it at MWC. Samsung used last year's show to show off tablets operated with a pen, so we'll probably see some more of those. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a smaller player, perhaps a company like Asus, to show the rest of the world how it should be done. Mozilla's mobile OS . Speaking of smaller players, Mozilla, makers of the Firefox web browser, is creating a mobile phone operating system and is expected to show off the hardware it will run on at its press conference. I'm not sure the world needs another mobile operating system: if Microsoft is struggling to get traction with Windows Phone against the might of Apple's iOS and Google's Android, what chance does Mozilla have? But for gadget fans like me, it's always good to have something new to talk about. On the services side, I'm going to be looking for anything that takes advantage of the 4G internet connections that are slowly being rolled out across Europe. The promise of the speed 4G offers is that our phones will be able to do many more things. But so far, companies have had difficulty saying what they actually will be, beyond faster web browsing and downloading video. A couple of things we won't see: Samsung won't unveil a successor to its wildly popular Galaxy S3 at MWC. That will come at its own dedicated event later in the year so it can maximize the chatter around it. And although we will hear a lot about apps for Apple's iPhone, Apple itself won't exhibit. Here comes Huawei . My final tip is to watch out for Huawei. You might not see them much in phone shops, but the Chinese mega-corp wants to dominate the Western market. IDC put Huawei as the number three in the world in terms of smartphone shipments. At CNET, we've seen interest in the brand increase by over 800% in a year, based on our internal data, as it released a series of cheap Android phones that were actually rather good. MWC will see it try and build on that success and expand into the high end. It might just work. The opinions in this commentary are solely those of Jason Jenkins.
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Mobile World Congress (MWC) is the year's biggest trade show for the mobile industry .
Most companies use it as the platform to set out their agenda for the year .
There is a brutal war going on for new smartphone and tablet customers .
Jenkins: Major hardware players must have a good MWC or risk irrelevance .
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New York (CNN) -- The suspect wanted in connection with the hit-and-run crash that killed a Brooklyn couple and their unborn child this week turned himself in to authorities in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, New York police said. Julio Acevedo, 44, was arrested after a friend helped facilitate his surrender in the crowded parking lot of a mini mart in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, said Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne of the New York Police Department. The friend, Derrick Hamilton, traveled with detectives and a deputy U.S. marshal to the site. Acevedo was given a description of unmarked police cars to look for when surrendering, Browne said. Police said Acevedo was cooperative and was taken to a Pennsylvania State Police barracks to await extradition proceedings. He was arrested at 5:10 p.m. Video of the surrender, shot by CNN affiliates WFMZ and WABC and posted on their websites, showed Acevedo in a light blue hooded sweatshirt, his hands uncuffed, being helped out of a gray sedan and put into a silver SUV. Hamilton helped arrange for Acevedo to speak to reporters by phone Tuesday. During that call, Acevedo said he was trying to get away from someone shooting at him when he crashed, according to WABC. Police say Acevedo was going about 60 miles per hour early Sunday when the BMW he was driving crashed into the side of a livery cab carrying Nathan and Raizy Glauber, both 21. Raizy Glauber was pregnant; she and her husband were going to the hospital because she wasn't feeling well, said her cousin, Sarah Gluck. The couple's baby boy was delivered by cesarean section from his dead mother's womb but died the next day, police said. The driver of the cab survived. The front of the BMW was smashed but the black Toyota Camry cab was left a mangled wreck. The driver's side was crushed, the front wheel was hanging off, and pieces of metal were bent in every direction. Police say Acevedo fled the scene on foot. It wasn't immediately clear how police identified him as the suspect. Authorities arrested the BMW's registered owner Monday on insurance fraud charges, Browne said. "He was a coward," Isaac Abraham, a community leader and neighbor of the couple, told WABC after Acevedo's arrest. "He left the scene." The deaths brought heartache to the Glaubers' Hasidic community in Brooklyn, many of whom mourned the couple's deaths at a funeral service on Sunday. "A loss like that cannot be replaced by having him arrested or by surrendering or no matter what charges will be brought against him once he finally faces up to the justice system," Abraham said. Cab driver Pedro Nuñez Delacruz told WABC he didn't find out what happened to the Glaubers until he got into the ambulance. "I feel very sorry for that beautiful family," he said.
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Julio Acevedo surrendered in Pennsylvania at a mini mart .
Police say a friend helped negotiate his surrender .
The Sunday crash killed a young Brooklyn couple and their unborn child .
Police say Acevedo fled the scene after the crash .
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By . Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline . Smartphone users are increasingly aware of the need to take precautions to protect their personal data. But now a team of researchers have identified a new weakness in Android, Windows and iOS mobile operating systems that could be used to steal personal information from unsuspecting users. Experts found the method was successful 92 per cent of the time when they tried to hack Gmail accounts and said that other apps were also easily accessible using the new technique. Scroll down for video . A team of researchers have identified a new weakness in Android, Windows and iOS mobile operating systems. They found that their method was successful 92 per cent of the time when they tried to hack Gmail accounts (stock image) and said that other apps were also easily accessible . Scientists at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering and the University of Michigan demonstrated the hack in an Android phone. They found it was successful between 82 per cent and 92 per cent of the time on six of the seven popular apps they tested, including Gmail, Chase Bank and H&R Block - a tax filing app. Amazon was the only app they tested that was difficult to penetrate, with just a 48 per cent success rate. The experts predicted there was a security risk with so many apps running on the same shared operating system, which gave them the idea of pinpointing the vulnerability. ‘The assumption has always been that these apps can't interfere with each other easily,’ said Zhiyun Qian, of the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UC Riverside. ‘We show that assumption is not correct and one app can in fact significantly impact another and result in harmful consequences for the user.’ The hack works by accidentally downloading a malicious app, which gives a hacker access to a newly-discovered public side channel - numbers describing the shared memory of a process, which can accessed without asking a smartphone user’s permission. This shared memory is a common operating system feature in Windows, Android (pictured left) and iOS (right) operating systems . The computer scientists found their hacking technique was successful between 82 per cent and 92 per cent of the time on six of the seven popular apps they tested. These included: . Gmail - 92 per cent . H&R Block - 92 per cent . Newegg - 86 per cent . WebMD - 85 per cent . Chase Bank - 83 per cent . Hotels.com - 83 per cent . Amazon - 48 per cent . Researchers hacked into apps by getting a mobile user to download a seemingly benign - but in fact malicious - app such as one for background wallpaper on a phone. Once it was installed, the experts could exploit a newly discovered 'public side channel' containing a shared memory of processes, which can be accessed without asking a smartphone user’s permission. They said that shared memory is a common operating system feature, which efficiently allows processes to share data. While they only used it to exploit the Android system, the experts believe the method would work on Apple and Windows operating systems too. The experts monitored changes in the shared memory and linked them to users’ actions such as logging into Gmail or taking a picture of a cheque they wanted to deposit via the Chase Bank app. They showed that it is possible to track which apps people are using in real time. To keep smartphones as secure as possible, Dr Qian advises users not to install untrusted apps, which could give hackers (illustrated with a stock image) access. He said that in the future, side channels should be eliminated or more carefully regulated within operating systems . In order to launch an attack, they started the hack at the precise moment the user logged into an app or took a photo and they did this inconspicuously by calculating the timing. ‘By design, Android allows apps to be pre-empted or hijacked,’ Dr Qian said. ‘But the thing is, you have to do it at the right time so the user doesn't notice. We do that and that's what makes our attack unique.’ He explained that Amazon’s app was more difficult to attack because it allows one activity to lead to almost any other activity, which increases the difficulty of guessing which activity someone will conduct next. To keep smartphones as secure as possible, Dr Qian advised users not to install untrusted apps. He said that side channels should be eliminated or more carefully regulated and operating systems more carefully designed to enable them to be easy to use, but also secure. MailOnline has contacted Google for comment.
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Researchers at the University of California, Riverside Bourns College of Engineering and the University of Michigan identified a new weakness .
Vulnerability affects Windows, iOS and Android operating systems .
Method was 92% successful in hacking Gmail accounts, in the scenario .
They exploited a newly discovered public side channel – which details shared memory used to make apps work efficiently - and is easily accessible .
The attack relied on 'users' downloading a malicious app and the hackers timing their attacks precisely to correspond to useful actions .
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f8a103be3f21ac525fdb32a190d3f6ca063ed442
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When former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano takes over as president of the University of California later this month, she will live in leased accommodations that the college system is renting for nearly $10,000 a month. While the price tag is several thousand dollars less than what the university spent leasing her predecessor's home, some university officials say it might be more cost-effective in the long run to fix up a vacant mansion that housed previous university presidents. A committee of the University of California's governing board agreed Tuesday to spend $620,000 toward the multi-million cost of renovating the historic Blake House, which is located not far from UC Berkeley and has been unoccupied since 2008. The full Board of Regents must review the request, which it is scheduled to do on Wednesday. University of California prepares to repair and renovate this 13,269-square-foot mansion, the Blake House, that for decades housed past University presidents. Located in East Bay hills not far from the Berkeley campus, house has been vacant since 2008 and declared uninhabitable following years of neglect . The money will be used to repair the roof and to study if the three-bedroom, seven-bath house and its 10 acres of gardens should again be used as the president's official residence, reconfigured for some other purpose or sold off. Napolitano succeeds outgoing president Mark Yudof, who saw the system through one of the most difficult financial periods in its 145-year history, which led to sharp cutbacks in state support for public higher education. In the last five years nearly $1 billion was cut from the university's state funding. 'We should focus on what is the best use of this piece of property, is it sale, renovations, divisions, or rezoning it,' Regent Hadi Makarechian said. 'We shouldn't just spend money to fix the roof and then do nothing about it for another three or four years.' An aerial shot of the University of California at Berkeley. Decaying Blake House in Kensington, a 1924 mansion, is located nearly the Berkeley campus . The house has been unoccupied for the last five years, a period in which the university spent more than $100,000 a year renting houses for the president Napolitano is replacing. It will cost an estimated $3.5 million to $6 million to completely renovate the stately, but run-down abode, where the university's president is expected to entertain and hold meetings, as well as live. Money for both the repairs and the rent for an alternative presidential residence come from a private endowment. The house, built in 1924 and located in the hills not far from UC Berkeley, was bequeathed to the university by wealthy alumni and became home to President Charles Hitch in 1968. According to the San Francisco Gate, $97,636 in private funds has been spent to maintain the home. Foundation problems and roof problems are among the many repairs the . home is in need of. Due to the recession, plans were put on hold. Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano is the first female UC president in its 145-year history. She will live in leased house that UC system is renting for nearly $10,000 a month while mansion is repaired for her possible use . The university has leased Napolitano a 3,500-square-foot residence in Oakland as she begins her new job on September 30, Montiel said. At $9,950 a month, the rent is $2,250 less than the home where Yudof and his wife have spent the past three years and $3,400 less than the house they rented for two years before that. Yudof is now among the officials arguing that it would be more cost-effective to fix up Blake House and have future presidents live and host university-related functions there. A report prepared for the Regents' Committee on Grounds and Buildings states the officials considered buying another house for that purpose this year, but were unable to locate one under $5 million. What's more, selling Blake House is . complicated because its gardens were donated to the Berkeley campus to . train future landscape architects. To get the house into shape, . officials are thinking about strengthening its ability to withstand . earthquakes, repairing the plumbing and electrical systems, enlarging . one of the first-floor kitchens to better accommodate large functions, . and improving overall security by adding gates, barriers and . surveillance cameras connected to the UC Berkeley police. Blake House in Kensington, Calif. will be renovated as new university president, Janet Napolitano prepares to take over for Mark Yudof. The mansion has been vacant since 1968 whenPresident Charles Hitch lived there . Plans also call for adding a laundry, kitchen and upgraded bathrooms to the 4,300-square-foot private living quarters. Although money for the project would come . from the private endowment, which as of July was valued at $188 million . with annual earnings estimated at $6.5 million, UC officials . historically have been reluctant to spend money on routine maintenance . at Blake House, much less a complete renovation. A view of the Blake House around the time it was built in 1924. The mansion is 13,329 square feet and currently uninhabitable .
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Despite recent cutbacks University of California has asked for millions from private endowment board to renovate historic Blake House .
It will cost $3.5- $6m to completely renovate the run-down abode, that for decades housed university presidents .
Napolitano, former Homeland Security Secretary and the first female UC president will live in rented house costing $10,000 a month while mansion repaired .
Napolitano's base salary will be $570,000, and she'll receive $142,500 in moving expenses .
Plans also call for adding a laundry, kitchen and upgraded bathrooms to the 4,300-square-foot private living quarters .
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f8a11cc73c80261be9736e50e480559381561403
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UEFA have had to reshuffle their refereeing pack for Chelsea’s opening Champions League game because of visa issues. Serbian official Milorad Mazic was set to take charge of the clash against Schalke at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, but an administration error means he and his team can’t fulfil the fixture. They have been swiftly replaced by a Croatian outfit led by Ivan Bebek, whose most high profile game in the competition to date was Barcelona’s win at Spartak Moscow two years ago. Milorad Mazic and his team will not be in charge of Chelsea's game on Wednesday due to visa problems . Croatian referee Ivan Bebek will now take charge of Chelsea's game with Schalke on Wednesday . UEFA confirmed the switch was down to visa problems to Sportsmail on Tuesday afternoon. Bebek was the referee for Celtic’s 2-1 win against Ajax in the group stages last season as well as Bayer Leverkusen’s defeat at Paris St Germain. He will be aided by Tomislav Petrovic, Miro Grgic, Anto Vucemilovic and Goran Gabril. Jose Mourinho's side will be looking to continue their good start to the season at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday when they face a Schalke side that are out of sorts. The Germans lost 4-1 to Borussia Monchengladbach on the weekend and arrive in England with two teenagers - Kaan Ayhan (19) and Marvin Friedrich (18) - in defence after an injury crisis. Even at near full strength Schalke struggled against Chelsea last season, losing 3-0 home and away. They have never scored against Chelsea in four previous matches and have conceded eight goals.
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Jose Mourinho's face Schalke in Champions League on Wednesday .
Milorad Mazic and his team had been due to take charge of the game .
But visa problems mean Ivan Bebek and his team now in charge .
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f8a1491940786e198b61a5de375d3f9e046c4494
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A Malaysian man has been left in critical condition after he was attacked by a machete-wielding gang at a local cinema for 'looking at them funny'. Slightly cross-eyed Osman bin Musa, 20, was leaving a cinema in George Town, the capital of the state of Penang, when a group of young men accused him of wanting trouble . CCTV footage shows the gang attacking Mr bin Musa using a machete following a late-night screening of sci-fi thriller Jupiter Ascending. Attack: Slightly cross-eyed Osman bin Musa, 20, was leaving a cinema in Malaysia when a group of young men accused him of 'looking at them funny' 'Osama is slightly cross eyed and it does occasionally get people making comments, and usually wears sunglasses,' a friend told local media. 'But we had just come out of the cinema and he did not have them on, and as he walked into the foyer, a man asked him: "what are you looking at?"' According to witnesses, Mr bin Musa's reluctance to respond as not to antagonise the man, only angered the thug. After first throwing an object at Mr bin Musa, the entire gang attacked him in the foyer. Seconds later, Mr bin Musa can be seen on CCTV being pursued by a man wielding a machete, chopping at him as he runs through the cinema. Frenzy: Mr bin Musa can be seen on CCTV being pursued by a man wielding a machete, chopping at him as he runs through the cinema . Caught: CCTV footage proves that the attack on the 20-year-old was unprovoked, and police are looking for witnesses to help catch the culprits . Injuries: Mr bin Musa suffered severe injuries in the attack and is currently in hospital where his condition is described as critical . The footage from the cinema confirms that the incident had been unprovoked and police say they are now looking for the culprits, and appealing for witnesses to come forward. Acting George Town police spokesman Abdul Rahman Ahmad said: 'The case is currently being investigated under Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting and two suspects have since been arrested. 'We have identified the other suspects as well and will be rounding them up soon.' Mr bin Musa is currently in hospital where his condition is described as critical.
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Osman bin Musa was attacked with a machete at cinema in Malaysia .
Gang thought cross-eyed Mr bin Musa was 'looking at them funny'
Mr bin Musa suffered severe injuries and is now in critical condition .
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f8a18a1b37d240f55054c7ae42736f60979643d3
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By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 06:56 EST, 8 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:29 EST, 8 August 2013 . Controversy: Stephanie Banister appeared to think that Islam was a country when she was interviewed on Australian TV . An Australian election candidate has drawn comparisons to Sarah Palin after an embarrassing interview in which she displayed ignorance of basic facts about Islam. Stephanie Banister referred to Islam as a country, and confused the word 'halal' with 'haram' - which has the opposite meaning. She also claimed that Jews follow the teachings of Jesus, and was unable to name her two opponents for a parliamentary seat in Brisbane. Ms Banister, 27, is a trained welder who is contesting the House of Representatives seat of Rankin for the anti-immigrant One Nation party in next month's federal election. The mother of two rose to prominence when she was arrested for going into a supermarket and putting stickers saying 'halal food funds terrorism' on Nestlé products. However, in an interview with Channel Seven yesterday she made multiple errors about the most rudiment tenets of the religion. She said: 'I don't oppose Islam as a country, but I do feel that their laws should not be welcome here in Australia.' Ms Banister then repeatedly referred to 'haram', which means 'sinful', when she apparently meant to say 'halal', which means the opposite and is commonly used to refer to the faith's laws about preparing food. 'Less than two per cent of Australians follow haram,' she told the interviewer. When asked if she opposed the Jewish laws of kosher, Ms Banister incorrectly replied: 'Jews aren't under haram. They have their own religion which follows Jesus Christ.' She added: 'They don't have a tax on it, they just have a certain way of making it, where haram has a tax on the food.' In fact, bodies which certify either kosher or halal food charge a fee for their services. Ms Banister was asked to name her opponents in the seat from the two mainstream parties, but admitted: 'I'm still learning all of the names of people in politics.' She continued: 'Everyone in the world has a lot to learn about day-to-day stuff and everything in life is just about learning.' Comparison: Some have compared Ms Banister to former U.S. vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin . The candidate later told Fairfax Media that she had meant to say 'Islamic countries', adding: 'Unfortunately, they've completely twisted all my words and made me out to be a stand-up criminal and a stupid moron.' Ms Banister is an extreme long-shot for the Rankin seat, which is a toss-up between Labor's Jim Chalmers and David Lin of the Liberals. She is currently facing a charge of 'contaminating or interfering with goods' over the supermarket incident, and will be disqualified from the September 7 election if she is convicted before then.
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Stephanie Banister, 27, is running in Brisbane as anti-immigrant candidate .
In an interview she said, 'I don't oppose Islam as a country'
Repeatedly said 'haram' when she meant 'halal' and claimed that Jews follow the teachings of Jesus .
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f8a2043ba1933779b4667392c3ad2962b2519bbb
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By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 11:47 EST, 10 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:18 EST, 10 July 2013 . A teenager who murdered a 'promising' A-level student as he tried to recover a stolen smartphone has been jailed for a minimum of 13 years. Dogan Ismail, 17, suffered a single stab wound to the heart as he tried to get back a BlackBerry robbed from another 15-year-old during an altercation two days earlier. Today his killer, Dawda Jallow, 15, from Peckham, London, was ordered to serve at least 13 years of a life sentence after he was found guilty of murder by a jury. Dawda Jallow, 15, (left) was ordered to serve at least 13 years of a life sentence after he was found guilty of murdering Dogan Ismail (right) Before passing sentence at the Old Bailey, Judge Christopher Moss took the unusual step of lifting an order granting him anonymity as a minor. The judge told Jallow that the attack was carried out with 'force and ferocity' but added that he could not be sure whether he intended to kill his victim. Wearing a blue polo shirt and jeans, Jallow stared at the ground as his sentence was read out with members of his and his victim’s families looking on. Jallow had been caught carrying a knife twice before the attack took place on December 30 last year, the court heard. His mother had sent him back to the Gambia, where they are originally from, in a bid to keep him out of trouble but when he returned he was 'disruptive' at school. On camera: CCTV image of Dawda Jallow standing on a bus. He has been jailed today for murdering a 17-year-old boy . Judge Moss described him as a 'troubled boy who appeared to have a difficult background' due to the lack of a relationship with his father. 'You have said you recognise the effect that your actions have had on those who loved him (Dogan) and I can only hope that is the case,' he said. In a victim impact statement read out in court on her behalf, Dogan’s mother, Ozel Ismail, said the killing had plunged her and her family into a 'living nightmare'. Speaking of the love she felt for her first-born child, she said he had been 'worth every sleepless night'. She described him as a 'highly ambitious' boy with dreams of setting up a business of his own, adding: 'He was responsible, caring and a young man with integrity.' 'I had dreams with Dogan - his first job, his first car, his first serious girlfriend,' she said. 'Those dreams have been stolen from me and have died with Dogan.' The crime happened after another 15-year-old had his BlackBerry stolen on the Aylesbury Estate in Walworth, south London, on December 28 last year. Devastated: Ozel Ismail, mother of victim Dogan Ismail, said the killing plunged her into a 'living nightmare' On December 30, Dogan and the smartphone’s owner went back to the estate in an attempt to reclaim it. They confronted Dogan’s killer, who went into a flat and returned with what police described as a 'large' knife. The Walworth Academy sixth-form student was found outside Latimer House in Beaconsfield Road by paramedics, but despite their efforts he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police decided to name Jallow as a suspect on New Year’s Eve and pictures were later released of him travelling on the number 35 bus from Camberwell Green to Newington Causeway eight hours after the killing. After two weeks on the run, he handed himself in to police and later admitted manslaughter and theft before being found guilty of murder by a jury. The murder was the second fatal knife attack on the Aylesbury Estate in just four months - Shaun Chambers, 21, was stabbed to death in the same spot last September. Detective Chief Inspector Matt Bonner welcomed the sentence for what he described as an 'appalling and violent attack'. 'Jallow did all he could to evade capture in the weeks following the attack, until he realised there was nowhere left to run,' he said. 'He will now spend a significant amount of time behind bars for the callous crime that he has committed.'
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Dogan Ismail was stabbed in the heart trying to reclaim a stolen phone .
The murder took place in south London on December 28 last year .
His killer Dawda Jallow was ordered to serve at least 13 years in jail .
Judge Christopher Moss lifted an order granting him anonymity as a child .
Jallow stared at the ground as his sentence was read out at the Old Bailey .
Dogan’s mother, Ozel Ismail, said the killing plunged her and her family into a 'living nightmare'
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f8a24f3d07d99fa67887a581a56cd7627b89df25
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Police divers have been called in to scour dams near a home on Sydney's mid-north coast, as the search for missing three-year-old William Tyrell became increasingly urgent on its third day. The tight-knit community at Kendall is refusing to give up hope for the toddler - last seen on Friday morning playing in his front yard in his beloved Spiderman costume - would be found safe and well. But police Inspector Kim Fehon warned that time was running out. 'We're now in the third full day of the search for a three-year-old boy who has had no food and, unless he's found water, no water, so it is likely that he has a poor state of health and we need to find him today,' Inspector Fehon told the ABC. Scroll down for video . William Tyrell was last seen playing in the front yard of his home in Sydney's mid-north coast, wearing his Spiderman suit . Searchers - including more than 100 volunteers from the local community - have been scouring bushland at Kendall since William went missing at about 10.30am on Friday, September 12, from the front yard of a home on Benaroon Drive. Police have been coordinating the search involving New South Wales State Emergency Services and Rural Fire Service volunteers, local surf lifesaving club members, the police dog squad, mounted police, and officers using trail bikes and a police helicopter. Police divers were called in late on Saturday to scour a number of dams near the area the boy was last seen, as the search area expanded to cover a 10 kilometre area, the NSW Police Force said in a statement. Searchers are being coordinated and briefed at a designated meeting point at Kendall Showground. William is described as being of Caucasian appearance with dark hair and hazel eyes. Searchers spent the night combing through bushland at Kendall but failed to find any trace of William. He disappeared from his house on Benaroon Drive in Kendall, about 35 kilometers south of Port Macquarie and close to Kendall State Forest. Police say they have received a flood of calls with support from people hoping to help in the cause. Anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Alternatively Crime Stoppers can be contacted via their online reporting page. The three-year-old boy went missing from his Kendall home at 10.30am Friday morning . Police have launched a frantic search for William Tyrell, missing from Kendall on Sydney's mid-north coast .
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The toddler is missing in Kendall on Sydney's mid-north coast .
He was last seen playing in the front yard of his home wearing a Spiderman suit .
The three-year-old has been missing since 10.30am on Friday .
Police called in expert divers to search nearby dams as the search becomes more urgent .
The boy has had no food or water for nearly three days, police say .
More than 100 volunteers from the community are involved in the search .
William is of 'Caucasian appearance, with dark hair and hazel eyes'
Police are urging anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers .
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f8a25d4112681a2c5166a3451a12f55dc6f64ff3
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For the fourth time since he began his month-long, New York City street-art project, enigmatic graffiti artist Banksy's work has been struck by vandals. The latest pieces hit are a stencil on the side of a building in Woodside, Queens, and a car that was part of an installation on Ludlow Street on the Lower East Side. The Ludlow Street piece includes an actual car parked in front of a wall covered in horses wearing what appear to be night-vision goggles. Scroll down for video . Vandalizing vandalism: This installation in Manhattan is the fourth Banksy piece to be hit by vandals . Turf: A graffiti artist called 'Problem Child' says this Banksy piece was done on 'his territory' The installation first appeared five days ago, with the vehicle completely in-tact. As of Monday afternoon, the doors and gas cap had been removed from the car. The piece in Queens was damaged about 9 p.m. Monday, just 13 hours after it had gone up. A fellow tagger who calls himself 'Problem Child' is reportedly responsible for defacing Banksy's piece. 'He kept saying about how this was his area. And the guy was pissed,' Kevin Mazeski, who witnessed 'Problem Child' defacing the piece told Gothamist. Omar NYC: Omar NYC is another graffiti artist who isn't thrilled Banksy is in New York this month . Rat: The vandal who tagged this Banksy piece left the message, 'We don't need no more rats!' On Friday, a beaver stenciled on a wall in Brooklyn by the elusive artist also was damaged. The piece, which depicted a beaver leaning up against a railing, was covered with spray paint that read 'we don't need no more rats!' in red capital letters. The beaver's face also had been chipped off. The vandalism was signed 'Math,' likely the name of another graffiti artist. Earlier this month, rival graffiti artist 'Omar NYC' spray-painted over a Banksy piece in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Banksy's work getting vandalized is no surprise; other graffiti artists - often jealous of his notoriety - will deface his work, many in misguided attempt to make a name for themselves. Original: This was Banksy's Ludlow Street installation before it was damaged by vandals . Better Out Than In: Banksy's New York City artists 'residency' is scheduled to last until the end of October . Additionally, his work is very valuable, with some of his pieces fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even small bits of larger projects - like a car door, for example - could be worth thousands of dollars on the Internet. On Sunday, the artist sold original works - many worth thousands of dollars - at a tent next to Central Park. He sold the pieces for $60, as most passersby didn't recognize the art as valuable, or believe they were authentic Banksy pieces. In total, Banksy sold eight paintings on Sunday, for a total of $420. Banksy's month-long, New York City 'residency' - entitled 'Better Out Than In' - is expected to continue until the end of October.
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Banksy is in the midst of his New York City graffiti-art project called 'Better Out Than In'
In all, four of Banksy's pieces have been damaged since he began his project in early October .
In several instances where Banksy's work has been damaged, it's been by other graffiti artists, including Banksy rival 'Omar NYC'
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f8a31f6c738629d643b8ab7dc6f298a25032c8bd
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Harriet Green . By . Sophie Jane Evans . Businesswoman: New mothers should limit the amount of maternity leave they take, claims Harriet Green, the chief executive of Thomas Cook . New mothers should limit the amount of maternity leave they take - or face losing confidence in the workplace, a top UK businesswoman has claimed. Harriet Green OBE, the chief executive of Thomas Cook, spoke out against a year's maternity leave, which all working mothers are entitled to under government regulations. The 52-year-old claimed mothers who are out of the workplace lose confidence 'very fast' - and also urged women to 'make choices' instead of trying to achieve perfection in all areas of their life. Speaking to The Times, Ms Green said: 'You need to get the balance right, you can take it too far. It may have gone a little too far in terms of some of the pressures. 'For me, a year [of maternity leave] feels a little long. Women out of the workplace lose confidence very fast. 'What I would do if I were prime minister is give a set number of weeks and allow the family to decide, male and female, how they divvy it up.' Ms Green, who is married with stepchildren, but none of her own, was appointed to the travel firm in 2012 and is one of the few women in Britain to lead a FTSE 250 company. She was awarded the job after cold-calling chairman Frank Meysman to tell him she was the right person to lead the recovery of the world’s oldest travel business. Since then, she has taken Thomas Cook from the brink of collapse to a thriving company which is worth £2.5billion - a staggering 1,250 per cent rise in less than two years. Last year, Ms Green, who sits on the prime minister's business advisory group, was paid £2.4million, including a £1.7million bonus. During the interview, the businesswoman . said she believed that women should be more pushy in applying for jobs because 'What's the worst that can . happen?' Criticism: The 52-year-old spoke out against a year's maternity leave, which all working mothers are entitled to under government regulations. She said: 'Women out of the workplace lose confidence very fast' (file photo) But she added that they should not strive to be perfect at work, home and in their social life - and should, instead, try to 'make choices' based on their strengths and desires. She also said that school term dates need to be changed so parents can afford to take . their children on holiday, sexism in the boardroom is yet to be conquered and companies should be as diverse in age, background and education as their customers. Last night, Sharon Hodgson, the shadow . minister for women and equalities, condemned Ms Green's claims . that mothers should restrict their maternity leave. Award-winning: Ms Green, who was awarded the Veuve Clicquot businesswoman of the year award (left) on Monday, also urged women to 'make choices' instead of trying to achieve perfection in all areas of their life . She deemed the remarks 'unfortunate', particularly considering the businesswoman's success in increasing equality at the top of a big UK firm. It comes just days after Ms Green was awarded the Veuve Clicquot businesswoman of the year award for her role in Thomas Cook's transformation. The businesswoman, who was presented with her award in a ceremony at London’s Claridge’s hotel, said: ‘It’s a great honour to receive this award, which has been won by so many outstanding women in the past.’ Leading travel firm: Ms Green, who is married with stepchildren, but none of her own, was appointed as chief executive of Thomas Cook in 2012 and is one of the few women in the UK to lead a FTSE 250 company .
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Harriet Green said mothers on maternity leave 'lose confidence very fast'
Claimed women who take 12 months off work will see their careers suffer .
'For me, a year feels a little long,' said the chief executive of Thomas Cook .
Also urged women to stop trying to achieve perfection in all areas of life .
On Monday, she won Veuve Clicquot businesswoman of the year award .
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f8a43866620f02972ae7bebb5cd4aea6a4f6888b
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By . Tom Goodenough . PUBLISHED: . 11:13 EST, 9 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:36 EST, 9 May 2012 . A conman wore a stethoscope and white coat to pose as a doctor and sexually abuse six women patients, a court heard today. Antonio Gobbato, who said he was a doctor working for the NHS, claimed he was diagnosing the women by fondling their breasts, a court was told. He also posed as a gynaecologist, paediatrician and a psychiatrist and had fake certificates and microscopes to fool the women at various premises across London, it is alleged. Antonio Gobbato, 51, pictured outside Inner London Crown Court . From August 2009 he ran surgeries from his home in Pinner, north-west London, then at a beautician’s in Whitechapel, east London before borrowing a doctor’s surgery in Kilburn and finally setting up in south London. Gobbato, 51, also allegedly tricked parents into paying for expensive treatments abroad for their children so he could enjoy all-inclusive holidays. In reality, the fake GP had little or no qualifications, the jury heard. Prosecutor Linda Strudwick told Inner London Crown Court: 'Antonio Gobbato is a charlatan and a make believe doctor.' During the ten month con he he convinced six women to strip off and fondled their private parts 'under the guise of medical examinations', the court heard. He lied to three separate parents that their children were suffering with serious illnesses - including potential leukaemia - in an attempt to trick them into taking him to Italy, it is said. Ms Strudwick said: 'Whatever qualifications he did have, and even these are questioned, they were not as a medical doctor, whether in traditional western medicine or complementary medicine. 'However, he called himself Doctor Gobbato. 'Furthermore, he gave every impression to his patients that he was a qualified medical doctor. The new-build block of flats in Pinner, north-west London where Antonio Gobbato lives and is alleged to have run a fake doctors' surgery . 'He wore a typical doctor’s coat with Dr Gobbato embroidered on the pocket and a stethoscope was worn around his neck in the consulting rooms along with medical paraphernalia and framed certificates. 'He referred to himself as a GP and he acted at all times as though he were qualified and able to make diagnoses of serious illnesses when he had no such training or ability.' The Brazilian-born fraudster registered using fake documents with the Complementary Medical Association claiming he was a doctor and had qualified in Portugal in massage, homeopathy and herbal medicines, it is alleged. He then 'very cleverly' used his £150 membership, which was granted because the CMA trusted him and no-one could speak Portuguese, to get further certification, Ms Strudwick said. She said: 'Gobbato portrayed himself as a qualified doctor, with the skill and expertise to diagnose, that tricked the women who came to him into their removing their clothes and allowing him to examine them and parents into believing him when he told them that their children were seriously ill.' He targeted women from his homeland who were 'ripe for exploitation', trusted him as he spoke their language, and were sometimes illegally in the UK unable to get NHS registration. He used tricks including claiming to work for the NHS and used a microscope to look at blood and make 'nonsense' diagnoses. It was also said that he surrounded himself with paraphernalia such as business cards calling himself Dr Gobbato and a CV listing fake jobs in an attempt to back up his lies. One woman who complained of liver problems had her breast fondled on the pretence he was looking for 'nodules and hormones' and she even paid a consultation fee in the belief the treatment was genuine. In others cases he made 'terrifying statements' to persuade parents to let him accompany their children to Italy for treatment, it is claimed. Gobbato denies seven counts of sexual assault, two attempted frauds and one fraud. The case continues.
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Antonio Gobbato, 51, called himself Dr Gobbato and wore a stethoscope, a court heard .
Claims he fondled women's breasts as he pretended to diagnose them .
Also 'tricked parents into paying for treatments abroad for their children so he could enjoy holiday with them'
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f8a4410f70e6a3422aa2735fe053ad07600fc40c
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By . John Drayton . Rio Ferdinand has only just joined QPR but he is already at the centre of a lively dressing room. Harry Redknapp's side are out in Germany for their pre-season tour, and Ferdinand revealed on Twitter that he was rooming with former Old Trafford team-mate Danny Simpson. The former Manchester United star posted on Twitter: 'Double training today for moi....rooming with @dannysimpson ! does a nice tea does our Danny! #RsInGermany'. Never one to stay quiet, charismatic midfielder Joey Barton floated the idea that Simpson had been following his new team-mate around the camp in awe on Twitter. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Rio Ferdinand train with his new team-mates for the first time . Best pals: Rio Ferdinand and Danny Simpson together on QPR's pre-season tour of Germany . Banter: Barton continues to give Simpson plenty of stick on Twitter for following Ferdinand around . This culminated in him posting a picture of the two together with the message: 'Getting ridiculous @dannysimpson let him have his dinner. Yes, he can remember you from United... @rioferdy5.' The banter between the trio continued to flow with Simpson striking back responding to Barton: 'Someone's got their Alice band on. Only reason you can see your phone lad lol. This kind of banter within the R's squad will please the fans especially, after a troublesome couple of years before promotion last term. Ruthless: Barton continues to tear into his former Newcastle team-mate . Fresh: Ferdinand gets in on the act as he gives out his cleaning specifications to Simpson . Fight back: The QPR defender gave as good as he got during the banter on Twitter . Team spirit was a huge problem within the squad when they were relegated from the Premier League two years ago, but thankfully those days look a far cry away now. QPR kick off their tour schedule with a friendly against third-tier side Rot Weiss Erfut on Tuesday night. One player not on the tour is Adel Taarabt, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan. Despite impressing in Italy it looks increasingly likely Taarabt will have to either look for a move elsewhere or be forced to stay put, with Milan choosing not to make a bid for him this summer. Loic Remy was also not been named in Redknapp's squad for the pre-season tour as he edges ever closer to a move to Liverpool. Former West Ham midfielder Jack Collison did make the cut though after impressing the former Tottenham manager in training.
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Joey Barton has given his team-mate Danny Simpson plenty of stick for hanging around with QPR's new signing Rio Ferdinand .
The west London side are on tour in Germany ahead of the new season .
They play Rot Weiss Erfut in the first of two friendly games tonight .
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f8a4c43f19c168d83b0a7c0b9199f0614ddd6e88
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By . Paul Thompson . Last updated at 9:35 AM on 30th January 2012 . An American 'billionaire' who claims he wants to buy HMS Ark Royal for £375million is an alleged conman facing up to 20 years in jail. Mark D. Jones had set up a deal to buy the 600ft aircraft carrier and turn it into a floating hospital to be used on rescue missions at natural disasters. His scheme would have created hundreds of jobs and won the backing of officials in Belfast where the decommissioned carrier would have undergone a multi million pound re-fit. Uncertain future: First launched in 1981, HMS Ark Royal may be transformed into an international floating hospital . But far from being a billionaire Jones, 44, is currently in jail in upstate New York awaiting extradition to Las Vegas where he is wanted on fraud charges. He is wanted for swindling a woman out of more than £100,000 with an investment scheme to aid Native Americans. British-born Jones, who run as construction company called Stratezyme in Tennessee, has been on the run for over a year after failing to turn up for a court hearing in Las Vegas. Prosecutors in Las Vegas said Mark D Jones is conman who 'doesn't have a pot to pee in.' John Kelleher, chief deputy attorney for the fraud division of the Nevada state attorney's office, described him as a 'Walter Mitty' character. He said Jones had spent the money he allegedly stole on 'strippers and luxury hotels'. Jones is due in court in the town of Lockport, near Niagara Falls, for a hearing on his extradition to Las Vegas. The 22,000-ton Invincible Class carrier, launched in 1981, was controversially put up for sale online after it was axed by the Government in 2010’s defence review. Plans for it had included selling it for scrap, turning it into a nightclub or sinking it for use as a diving wreck. Jones's idea would have involved sailing the ship from its mooring in Portsmouth to Belfast where it would undergo a massive overhaul for use as a hospital. It would also be fitted with a desalination plant so it could be deployed in areas struck by water-borne diseases and transform seawater into safe drinking water. The vessel would also carry building machinery to assist reconstruction in disaster zones.
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British-born Mark D. Jones wanted on fraud charges .
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f8a513cb659bad3c4abb7de8f5489ee9bd9ccdd0
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(CNN) -- A Connecticut teenager's unique prom proposal at his school's entrance, which resulted in him being banned from the event, is garnering legislative attention, according to one state representative. State Rep. Jason Perillo said he and fellow Republican state Rep. Sean Williams are drafting legislation that would allow school administrations, along with the parents and the student, to create a community-service option to determine the best course of discipline. This legislation comes after Shelton, Connecticut, high school senior James Tate, along with two friends, received an "in-house" suspension on Tuesday for pasting in large letters a prom invitation on his high school's entrance. The message read, "Sonali Rodrigues, Will you go to prom with me? HMU (Hit me Up) -Tate." Rodrigues accepted Tate's invitation. However, according to Shelton High School officials, any student who receives an in-school or out-of-school suspension for any reason will not be allowed to attend the prom, thereby banning Tate and his two friends. "This regulation is reinforced over the course of the spring by daily ... announcements, posted signage in common areas of the building, and in classrooms, as well as information letters and automated phone messages to parents," Beth Smith, the school's headmaster, said in a statement Thursday. "These communications are intended to remind our students and parents of the high school expectations and consequences. This unfortunate situation is a result of one of those consequences." Tate told CNN that the invitation "was a harmless, fun, thoughtful and creative way to ask a girl to prom." "She's my best friend," he said of Rodrigues, "and I wanted to give her something special." Shelton Mayor Mark Lauretti admited he was surprised about the amount of attention the story has received, but he said he thinks that the prom ban deserves a second look. "We put regulations in place that are inflexible and that do not allow for us to apply some common sense or have flexibility," said Lauretti. "Their regulation says if a kid gets suspended after April 1st, they cannot go to the prom." Tate's prom ban is causing an outpouring of support for Tate and Rodrigues on Facebook; over 110,000 people have "liked" the page "Let James Tate Go To the Prom." One message reads, "this punishment DOES NOT fit this crime at all !!!," while another says, "LET THE KID GO TO PROM!" T-shirts with the slogan "Team Tate" are also on sale. A website called "James Tate Senior Prom 2011" is asking supporters to make donations to help him get the "prom he deserves." Meanwhile, state legislator Perillo told CNN, "I do think punishment is necessary but I don't think the punishment fits the crime." "It perhaps wasn't smart, but creative," Tate's mother Tracey said. "I think they could have handled it differently, something more appropriate," she added. Calls to Shelton High School, the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Shelton school superintendent's office were not returned. CNN's Jesse Solomon contributed to this report.
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James Tate wanted to make a special invitation for his prom date .
He posted the invitation over the school's entrance .
The school imposed an in-house suspension and that banned Tate from the prom .
The situation has caught the attention of social media and even state legislators .
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f8a5155cde600e8b8e90e294b0fb1ea0e826e1bd
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By . Tara Brady . PUBLISHED: . 05:51 EST, 21 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:05 EST, 21 April 2013 . Pledge: Lord Ashcroft plans to leave at least half of his £1.2billion fortune to charity . Billionaire businessman and Tory peer Lord Ashcroft is set to give at least half of his £1.2billion fortune to charity. Next month it is believed the former Tory treasurer will sign up to the Giving Pledge - a commitment by the world's wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. The movement is led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates - two of America's richest men. Other Briton's who have already made the pledge include Sir Richard Branson and his wife Joan, John Caudwell, Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman who have pledged a combined £3.7billion in total, according to The Sunday Times. Ashcroft, 67, founded Crimestoppers and over the years has donated £20million to the cause. In the past year he has given £5m to Anglia Ruskin University; £1m to complete the Bomber Command war memorial in London and a further £1m to help refurbish the First World War galleries at the Imperial War Museum in London. Back in 2008, Ashcroft, who is president of the West India Committee, wrote in his book Dirty Politics, Dirty Times: 'I have prepared my will. I have never been a great believer in inherited wealth. More than 80 per cent of my assets — and I never discuss how much I am worth — will be left to a charitable foundation in my name.' The Giving Pledge was set up in 2010 and has quickly become popular among the world's richest families. There are now a total of 105 donors. Today a billionaire oligarch was named Britain's richest man in The Sunday Times Rich List. Billionaire John Caudwell (left) and Sir Richard Branson (right) who have also made their pledge . Wealth: Warren Buffett (left) and Bill Gates (right) who are America's two richest men . Alisher Usmanov, who was born in Uzbekistan, owns almost one-third of Arsenal Football Club and is said to be worth £13.3billion. Usmanov, 59, owns Sutton Place, the former Surrey home of the oil baron J. Paul Getty, as well as a £48million mansion in London. He is married to Irina Viner, 64, the head coach of Russia’s rhythmic gymnastics team. Alisher Usmanov who has been named Britain's richest man and Michael Moritz who is supporting the Giving Pledge . He replaces steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, who now drops to fourth place after eight years in the top spot. The steel magnate, now worth £10billion, is the biggest faller in wealth terms.
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The former Tory treasurer will sign up to the Giving Pledge .
The pledge is a commitment by the world's wealthiest individuals to donate to philanthropy .
It is led by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates - America's two richest men .
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