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By . Graham Smith . PUBLISHED: . 07:27 EST, 26 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 20:09 EST, 26 April 2012 . An Australian backpacker has been hired as a nanny by David and Samantha Cameron after a series of long distance interviews over the internet. Sammi Strange, 24, has limited professional experience of looking after children having previously worked as an advertising sales assistant for a Melbourne television channel. But she charmed the Prime Minister and his wife during chats on Skype and has now been trusted with their three children Nancy, eight, Arthur, six, and Florence, 20 months. The Camerons enjoy a day out at the Harvest food and music festival in Oxfordshire last September with their children Nancy (left), baby Florence and Arthur . Miss Strange, the daughter of a pub owner, was first identified in the Australian press earlier this week. She is believed to have already started the role and will be in Downing . Street for six weeks while the Camerons' permanent nanny, Nepalese Gita . Lama, is on leave. Mr and Mrs Cameron were so impressed by Miss Strange . they were able to laugh off an internet survey she had completed as a . teenager where she admitted shoplifting, smoking and drinking. In the survey on a social networking website the former Melbourne . Grammar School pupil denied taking drugs ‘in the last month’ and when . asked if she swears she replied: 'F*** yeah'. Asked to declare the number of drugs she had taken, she replied: 'No comment'. Miss Sammy said her first thought in the morning was that she did not . want to get up and her top achievement would be to finish university . that year without dropping out. The survey also revealed she loves . eating sushi, longs to visit Europe, that her dream job was to be an . events manager, her weakness is maths and her biggest fear is sharks. Miss Strange decided to leave her former job to go travelling last . month. Before setting off she registered for a nanny agency, where Mr . and Mrs Cameron found her CV. Eligible batchelor: Miss Strange's father hopes his daughter gets to meet Prince Harry, pictured with Lady Louise Windsor at his brother's wedding last year . Before being interviewed she was told her CV was being considered by a . 'high profile' family and was left 'shaking' when she learned it was the . Camerons. Her father David Strange, a former vice-president of an Australian Rules . football club, said his daughter was enjoying her new job but was . concerned about the publicity it attracts. He said: 'It’s all blown up a . bit. She is very worried about it.' Mr Strange said he had given her an Australian Rules football to give . as a gift to the Camerons' children to help induct them into his . nation’s culture. The former vice-president of St Kilda Football Club . said: 'She was shaking when she found out who it was. She was very . excited and nervous. 'I hope she might marry Prince Harry but I couldn’t afford the wedding.' When the socially-conscious Camerons recruited Nepalese Mrs Lama they . plucked her from the 'virtual slavery' of working for a family that . refused to pay her. The Prime Minister and his wife found Mrs Lama more than eight years ago . through a charity that helps abused domestic workers wanting to flee . their bosses. Miss Strange has been recruited on a temporary contract to cover for Mrs Lama. A Downing Street spokesman dismissed the online survey, saying it had . been filled in 'as a joke’ when Miss Strange was a teenager.
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Sammi Strange, 24, won over the PM and his wife after a series of long-distance Skype interviews .
The Camerons picked out her CV from a nanny agency .
Her father is hoping she meets eligible Prince Harry .
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f8a5e1320bf4cec111e5c880ad67db8eae1b5cd4
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(CNN) -- Northern Ireland's incredible golfing year continued on Saturday as Michael Hoey remained ahead of his more heralded compatriots at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. The 32-year-old will take a three-shot lead from 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell as he seeks the biggest win of his career, and third European Tour title overall in the pro-am event played over three seaside courses. Ranked 271st in the world, he completed his third successive round of 66, this time at the tough Carnoustie course, to be on 18-under-par 198 and in pole position for the $785,000 first prize. The joint halfway leader fired five birdies and an eagle, while compatriot McDowell carded 67 at St. Andrews to be one shot clear of 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen. Hollywood A-listers hit the greens . "Michael has always been a very talented player," McDowell said. "He's a great ball-striker, has a great swing. He has always had the talent and won the British Amateur in 2001 before playing on a winning Walker Cup side. "It's a fine line between guys who go on to become the best in the world and guys who become journeymen pros. And you wouldn't say Michael is a journeyman, he's popped up twice and won on tour, and won well each time." South Africa's Oosthuizen shot 69 at St. Andrews to be one ahead of Northern Ireland's reigning U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy. World No. 3 McIlroy carded 66, also at the home of golf, to be tied for fourth with a group of seven players including world No. 1 Luke Donald and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland. Donald fired a flawless nine-birdie round of 63 to tie McIlroy's 2010 course record at St. Andrews, as did Simon Dyson, with both Englishmen in final-day contention five shots behind Hoey. Masters champion Charl Schwartzel was tied for 11th after a 66 at St. Andrews, while world No. 2 Lee Westwood was another shot back on 205 after a 68 at the same course. Northern Ireland's current British Open champion Darren Clarke this week admitted he is struggling for motivation following his breakthrough major triumph in July, and that languor continued as he carded 70 at St. Andrews to be 19 shots off Hoey's pace. Hoey was also in the running in the pro-am section, as he and U.S. businessman William Farish Jr. were a shot behind England's Nick Dougherty and UK broadcaster Chris Evans. Dyson, paired with former chart-topping pop star Huey Lewis, was third. Actor Hugh Grant was tied for 56th, while Hollywood heavyweight Michael Douglas was joint 100th as he played with veteran eight-time European No. 1 Colin Montgomerie. The 2010 Ryder Cup-winning captain was 18th in the main event after a 66.
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Northerhn Irish golfer Michael Hoey moves three shots clear at Alfred Dunhill Links .
World No. 271 cards his third successive 66 in European Tour event in Scotland .
Compatriot Graeme McDowell is second going into Sunday's final round .
Fellow countryman Rory McIlroy is also in contention tied for fourth .
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By . Ray Massey . PUBLISHED: . 13:22 EST, 20 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:35 EST, 21 March 2012 . It was the Japanese car-maker whose generously equipped, modestly priced and most reliable vehicles began the assault on slapdash British cars in the Seventies and sounded the death-knell for the UK-owned motor industry. But just as it made its mark in revolutionising the UK car market, the name of Datsun then drifted from view as the firm from the land of the Rising Sun transformed itself into Nissan - and built a state of the art car factory in Sunderland. But now after a gap of more than a quarter of a century the Datsun name is bouncing back as a ‘budget’ brand for parent company Nissan which set out plans for a new small, reliable, affordable and ‘green’ car bearing the Datsun badge. Roll out: Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn made the announcement today while in Indonesia - one of three markets alongside India and Russia, where the Datsun will go on sale from 2014 . Nissan Motor Co. Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn made the announcement yesterday while in Indonesia -one of three markets alongside India and Russia, where the Datsun will go on sale from 2014. But if the idea catches on there is the possibility that budget-priced Datsuns could again be running on UK and other European roads. Mr Ghosn said the first of the new generation Datsuns – initially built in Indonesia - would go back to the firm’s origins: ‘It’s a green car, affordable car, small displacement, high local content. It’s going to be a generous car.’ Popular choice: At their peak in the 1970s Datsun cars sold in Britain came keenly priced, packed with up-to-the-minute technology that would be a costly extra on British and European built cars. A Cherry 100A model, pictured, cost £765 . Sport Datsun: A rakish 240Z sport coupe. pictured, cost £2,389, but after a wind-down period when cars were badged 'Datsun by Nissan', the last cars to bear the Datsun name were the Stanza and Bluebird in 1985 . At their peak in the 1970s Datsun cars sold in Britain came keenly priced, packed with up-to-the-minute technology that would be a costly extra on British and European built cars. Standard features included a heated rear screen, two-speed wipers, a dual band radio and reclining seats which were initially vinyl before being replaced in late 1976-77 by half vinyl-half cloth. Adverts from 1976, when Datsun had an incredible 6per cent share of the UK car market, show a Cherry 100A model costing £765 and a rakish 240Z sport coupe at £2,389. After a wind-down period when cars were badged ‘Datsun by Nissan’, the last cars to bear the Datsun name were the Stanza and Bluebird in 1985. Update: The company introduced the Nissan Z Concept at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The goal of the design, was 'to take some of the elements of the original car and incorporate them into a totally new design' Most importantly, as the UK car . industry reeled under the onslaught of British Leyland’s militant car . workers, walk outs and strikes instigated by the likes of Derek ‘Red . Robbo’ Robinson, and declining levels of quality and workmanship, . Frustrated . British buyers were ripe for the hassle free Japanese cars. The Datsun . Cherry was the car used by many driving schools and launched many . L-plated earner drivers. The . sporty 240Z coupe gained a reputation as ‘the poor man’s E-Type’ and . sold phenomenally well. For the family there was the sedate Datsun . Laurel. Datsun made its . debut in Japan in 1931 when it was created by the DAT Motorcar Company. Two years later it was taken over by Nissan. But the Datsun title . survived and was the name by which Nissan initially sold its cars in the . UK. New and old: A new Nissan Juke car model leaves the showroom building in Jakarta today after Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn announced the Japanese automaker company Nissan will revive its old and affordable brand Datsun . The Datsun name died completely in 1986 coinciding with the opening of the new UK factory in Sunderland building the Nissan Bluebird. Jay Nagley, managing director at the consultancy Redspy Automotive said:’It is ironic, as Nissan spent 10 years in the 1980s trying to get rid of Datsun. ‘Nissan wants to create a low cost brand without giving Nissan cars a low cost image.’ ‘It’s becoming quite common for car makers to develop low cost brands. Renault has been successful with Dacia, Volkswagen with Skoda. Earlier this month Nissan announced at the Geneva Motor Show that it is to create more than 2,000 new British jobs to build a brand new family car at its UK car factory in Sunderland. The Japanese car giant is to invest £125million with the taxpayer pumping in nearly £10million more in regional support to manufacture a new car called ‘Invitation’ which was unveiled at the Show by Business Secretary Vince Cable.
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At their 1970s peak the Datsun cars came keenly priced, packed with .
technology that would be a costly extra on British and European built .
cars .
The Datsun will go on sale from 2014 in Indonesia India and Russia, and could be in UK and other European roads if sales go well .
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Rick Santorum's decision to drop out of the Republican presidential race came after he spent the holiday weekend evaluating the race with his family, who were grappling with the latest hospitalization of his 3-year-old daughter Bella. Santorum's path to the nomination hinged on three puzzle pieces falling neatly in place, multiple sources close to the campaign told CNN, a prospect that grew dimmer with each passing day. The campaign, eagerly looking ahead to a slew of conservative leaning states that vote in May, had hoped that Texas would adjust its proportional primary rules and award its treasure trove of 155 delegates on a winner-take-all basis -- but Texas Republicans dismissed the idea. Santorum was also hoping that Gingrich, who has also been competing for the same conservative anti-Romney voters, would drop out of the race, something the former House Speaker shows no signs of doing. Finally, the campaign understood that a victory in Santorum's home state of Pennsylvania on April 24 was crucial. Romney's poll numbers have lately creeped up in Pennsylvania and his campaign was in the process of unleashing a more than $2 million negative ad blitz against Santorum across the state, but Santorum aides said they remained confident that they would pull out a win on their home turf. His campaign reported it was nearly $1 million in debt last month and would have been forced to drain its campaign account to compete with Romney and his allies on the costly Pennsylvania airwaves, another factor in Santorum's decision. Where do religious conservatives go? "The Romney team was putting a lot of money out there," said one Santorum adviser who did not want to be named discussing internal decision-making. "The budget was a factor." Despite trailing in the delegate count, Santorum vowed as recently as last week to remain in the race until one candidate reached the 1,144 delegates needed to capture the nomination. However, during a conference call with his wife, Karen, campaign manager and staff before his announcement on Tuesday, Santorum said the decision was based on personal and political factors, according to a Santorum source. A campaign adviser also said the financial state of the campaign probably played a role in the conclusion. "We made a decision over the weekend that while this presidential race for us is over for me and we will suspend our campaign effective today, we are not done fighting," Santorum said during his speech in Gettysburg on Tuesday. "We will continue to fight for those voices for those Americans who stood up and gave us that air under our wings." He also acknowledged the decision was not entirely political, saying the past weekend was a "time of prayer and thought" as he and his family cared for his daughter Isabella, the youngest of Santorum's seven children, who suffers from Trisomy 18, a chromosomal condition. Santorum's organization announced they were halting campaign events on Friday because the candidate's three-year-old daughter Bella was admitted to the hospital. Bella, the youngest of Santorum's seven children, suffers from a rare chromosomal disorder called Trisomy 18, which causes severe medical and developmental problems. Santorum's departure leaves rival Mitt Romney with a firm grasp on the nomination but also deep wounds left to heal within the GOP. Priebus: "Time heals some wounds" Santorum spoke to Romney before Tuesday's speech, according to a Republican source. But Santorum aide Hogan Gidley told CNN an endorsement of the former Massachusetts governor "is not a inevitability." Gidley said Santorum and Romney are attempting to schedule a meeting to discuss an endorsement and that the latter would like it to occur "sooner rather than later." Santorum entered the race with a voting record in the House and Senate of a staunch social conservative and presented himself on the campaign trail as the alternative to more moderate candidates, who he said had compromised their ideals for political expediency. More recently, he elevated his fire directly at Romney, labeling him a flip-flopper on conservative issues including abortion rights, cap and trade and government mandated health care. He also repeatedly accused the former executive of failing to tell the truth. "For somebody who is maybe the weakest candidate we've every had on the pro-life issue to attack the leader of the pro-life cause is absurd," Santorum said at a forum in Troy, Michigan on February 25. "He glosses over and doesn't even tell the truth....Here is a guy who is the ultimate flip-flopper running for president, and he's attacking me for not being principled? That doesn't wash." Santorum officially announced his candidacy on June 6, 2011, and quickly began airing radio ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the first three states to vote. Soon after his official announcement, he told CNN that his bid would be based on a consistent conservative record. "I think I stand out because I have been a consistent conservative, someone who has been a leader, someone who's had the courage to lead on a variety of hot-button topics before they were popular, like entitlement reform. I've been a leader on that," he said. In August, when his candidacy was barely making waves in key early voting states, Santorum maintained his effort would take a long view of the race, saying at a rally, "This is the little-engine-that-could campaign." He was eclipsed first by Michele Bachmann's entry in the race, then Rick Perry's. When those two faltered, Herman Cain became the conservative favorite. As Cain was faltering amid accusations of sexual harrassment, Newt Gingrich was the last conservative to slingshot past Santorum, taking a lead over Romney in polls in November and December. At GOP presidential debates throughout the fall, Santorum was mostly marginalized as the most questions went to the top-tier candidates. In the months leading up to Iowa's caucuses, Santorum became the first GOP presidential candidate to visit all of Iowa's 99 counties, often sporting what became his signature look (and the butt of jokes): a sweater vest bearing his campaign's logo. Despite all that time in Iowa, Santorum didn't see substantial traction in polls until January as Gingrich withered in the heat of negative ads from Romney's campaign and a super PAC that supports him. And on election night in Iowa, it looked like Santorum had narrowly missed his first surprise victory in the race when initial counts showed he had come eight votes short of beating Romney. The narrow miss was enough to energize conservatives to contribute to the cause and give Santorum a spike in fundraising. And his conservative rivals began to fall. Bachmann dropped out of the race the day after Iowa. Two weeks later, the certified vote in Iowa showed that Santorum had actually won there and Perry dropped out of the race later that same day. Gingrich then won in South Carolina and Romney won in Florida and Nevada, states that Santorum largely ignored to concentrate on more conservative voters down the road. That strategy paid off when he stunned Romney by sweeping Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri all on the same day and changed the trajectory of the race. Romney, who had begun to take on the air of the Republican nominee by focusing on President Barack Obama rather than Republican rivals, had to turn his focus back toward his challenger and built up a nearly 400-delegate lead in the race to the 1,144 needed to clinch the nomination. Zelizer: The real race is now on . Despite increasingly long odds, Santorum maintained throughout the last weeks of March that he would stay in the race, citing flawed delegate math and upcoming contests that looked to be in his favor. "Our delegate calculation has Gov. Romney far below 50%," Santorum said on March 19 on CBS. "We think there's a lot of primaries coming up, including Pennsylvania my home state, where we can make some big delegates. Texas will be another great state for us. We feel very good that we're going to continue to win and do well." A senior Santorum source said that Bella's hospitalization was a major factor in the decision to bow out. "When you have enough time with your adrenaline down, you start to think about what's really important," the source told CNN. Sitting in the hospital with his daughter for the second time during this campaign put that in perspective for Santorum, the source said.
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Santorum made his decision after evaluating the race with his family .
Campaign hoped that Texas would become a winner-take-all state .
Santorum also wanted Gingrich out of race, but he shows no sign of quitting .
Financial issues also played a role in Santorum's decision .
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New York (CNN) -- An airport security supervisor accused of stealing from passengers and accepting stolen money was granted $100,000 bail Wednesday by a U.S. magistrate judge in federal court in Newark, New Jersey. Michael Arato, 41, is seen on surveillance video at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to a federal criminal complaint. The video has not been released. Arato, of Ewing, New Jersey, is charged with one count of accepting bribes, one count of conspiring to commit theft and three counts of theft by a government employee. He was brought into court handcuffed and with shackles on his feet. Arato was the supervisory transportation security officer for the Transportation Security Administration at Terminal B of the airport, and worked with a colleague to steal from passengers, according to the complaint. He and the colleague -- who has been cooperating with authorities -- frequently worked together at "the B-3 checkpoint." The checkpoint is typically the security checkpoint for international airlines including AirIndia, the complaint said. Beginning in August 2009, TSA and the Port Authority Police Department of New York and New Jersey "received numerous complaints from passengers scheduled to depart the airport on the 6:20 p.m. AirIndia flight that money and other valuables in passengers' carry-on baggage were missing after their baggage was hand searched by TSA employees at the B-3 checkpoint," the complaint said. The complaining passengers were predominantly non-English-speaking women of Indian descent and nationality who were returning to India after visiting the United States, according to the complaint. Authorities launched an investigation, including video surveillance of the checkpoint. Arato told authorities Tuesday that "he had considered harming himself," assistant U.S. attorney Eric Kanefsy told Magistrate Judge Michael A. Shipp. Arato's public defender, John Yauch, said his client would not harm himself and was not a flight risk. "He has too much to live for." Arato's colleague, identified in the complaint as the "co-schemer," began cooperating with authorities in September 2010 and told police he has been stealing from passengers at the checkpoint since about October 2009. The colleague said that he and Arato had agreed that when he stole from passengers, he would "kick up" half the money to Arato. Arato also regularly stole from passengers himself, sometimes giving his colleague some of that money, according to the complaint. Between September 13 and October 5, Arato accepted a total of $3,100 from the colleague, the complaint said. In an audiotaped conversation, Arato told the colleague he did not feel bad stealing from foreigners, as they were "leaving this country with our money," according to the complaint. The colleague told police he would steal, on average, $400 to $700 a day from passengers and gave Arato $200 to $400, the complaint said. Meanwhile, he said Arato usually stole $400 to $700 a day, sharing some of it at times. On August 31, Arato stole $400 from a female passenger of Indian descent by conducting a search of her bag, according to the complaint. The woman noticed the money missing after passing through the checkpoint, and approached a senior special agent with the Office of the Inspector General to report it, the documents said. The agent left the woman to investigate, but saw Arato approach the woman, along with a police officer. Arato told the woman someone else had found the money on the floor and gave it to him, and returned it. However, the complaint said, an AirIndia representative had told Arato's colleague that the woman had reported the theft and that a police officer was taking a report from her. "The co-schemer knew that he had not committed that particular theft and therefore believed Arato must have done it, so the co-schemer immediately called Arato on his cell phone to alert him," the complaint said. Both Arato and the colleague are shown stealing money from passengers on video surveillance, according to the complaint, and video surveillance showed Arato accepting $100 bills on numerous occasions from the colleague. Surveillance from September 29 shows the colleague pulling about $1,000 from an envelope and giving Arato $500, "which Arato accepted while laughing and then put into his front shirt pocket," the complaint said. "Arato then gave the middle finger to a visible security camera in the [transportation security officers'] office." In audio recordings made October 5, the colleague told Arato that he took a "full envelope" from a passenger and put it in the security office next to the checkpoint, according to the complaint. "Arato instructed the co-schemer to go to the airport gate where the passenger was scheduled to depart to make sure that the passenger departed the airport without noticing that their money was missing," the complaint said. "After the co-schemer told Arato that the passenger had departed, Arato accepted $900 from the co-schemer." Authorities executed a search warrant to search Arato that same day, and found $1,300 in his pants pocket. "The serial numbers on $1,100 of the money recovered from Arato matched the serial numbers on the money that was provided to the co-schemer by law enforcement to give to Arato earlier that day," the complaint said. An additional $100 matched the serial number of a bill police gave the colleague the day earlier, and Arato told authorities he had used another $100 to buy groceries, according to the documents. Between 2003, and Wednesday, 162 TSA employees were terminated or removed from duty for theft from passengers or luggage at checkpoints, according to the agency. The TSA said that number is a small fraction of those who were employed during that time. "TSA holds its security officers to the highest professional and ethical standards and has a zero-tolerance policy for theft in the workplace," said TSA spokesman Nicholas Kimball. "We investigate any allegation of misconduct. When infractions are discovered, we move quickly to terminate the employment of offenders. It's sad that the reprehensible conduct of a few individuals threatens to tarnish the 50,000 honest, hard-working folks from all walks of life whose patriotism ensures the security of millions of people every single day." CNN's Jeanne Meserve and Raelyn Johnson contributed to this report.
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TSA official granted bail during court hearing .
Complaint: Michael Arato is seen stealing from passengers on surveillance video .
He allegedly targeted non-English-speaking women .
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f8a7c0ee6fc40ef9fb14db660b5c13ee0a3dd675
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For a decade Vancouver reigned unchallenged as the best place to live in the world. But the Canadian city has finally been toppled by Melbourne, Australia, in the twice-annual list produced by the Economist's Intelligence Unit. In fact, Vancouver, known for its spectacular natural beauty and relaxed West Coast way of life, has been relegated to third place, with Vienna, Austria, taking the second spot. Top spot: Melbourne narrowly edged out Vienna and Vancouver as the best city in the world to live in, according to The Economist . Melbourne, the second most populous city in Australia, was ranked highly for factors such as transport and education . The list ranks 140 cities on factors based on stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. But following almost a decade at the top, increased congestion may have led to Vancouver losing its crown. And the Canadian city could be in for more bad news, as the list was compiled before widespread rioting in the city in June, meaning its stock could fall further in future rankings. Runner-up: The State Opera House in Vienna, which took second place in The Economist's list of best cities . Canada and Australia featured prominently in the top 10 best cities, with Toronto and Calgary fourth and fifth respectively, while Sydney was ranked sixth alongside Perth and Adelaide in eighth and ninth. 1. Melbourne, Australia 97.52. Vienna, Austria 97.43. Vancouver, Canada 97.34. Toronto, Canada 97.25. Calgary, Canada 96.66. Sydney, Australia 96.17. Helsinki, Finland 968. Perth, Australia 95.99. Adelaide, Australia 95.910. Auckland, New Zealand 95.7 . The only European cities to make the top 10 were Vienna, in second spot, and Helsinki, Finland, which was ranked seventh. The Economist's system scores cities from 0-100 on 30 factors spread across the five areas. The cities at the top of the list are typically ranked very close together as figures for the five areas are usually very high. The first 63 cities in the table (down as far as Santiago in Chile) are all considered to occupy the top tier of liveability. It is thought that cities which do well in the list often share common factors, and are usually mid-sized cities in wealthier countries with a lower population density. London and New York were ranked at 53rd and 56th respectively in the list, the same positions as six months ago. The two cities were let down by their perceived threat of terrorism and the rates of violent and petty crime. London's ranking could also be set to drop following the recent riots across the city. National Opal Collection: The award-winning collection of gems takes visitors from the prehistoric to the modern day . Royal Botanical Gardens: Internationally-renowned gardens set over 38 acres of spectacular landscape . Melbourne Cricket Ground: The vast 100,000 capacity MCG (above) is the world's tenth largest stadium . National Gallery of Victoria: Opened in 1861, it is Australia's oldest and largest public gallery . Werribee Open Range Zoo: African-themed zoo set on 560 acres south-west of Melbourne . Jon Copestake, editor of the report, said despite London's lower ranking, it is unlikely to fall below the 80 per cent score below which cities are classed as 'poor' to live. Mr Copestake told MailOnline: 'Places like London, Paris and New York are almost victims of their own success because they are so popular and so many people go there. 'The amount of people which go to these places means they burden the infrastructure of those cities. 'To say people in Vancouver are disappointed to be ranked third is a massive understatement, judging by some of the emails I've received from Canadians today. 'It was only 0.2 per cent from the top though and is still a city with no major problems at all.' The lower population in cities can lead to a greater variety of recreation activities, as well as lower petty and violent crime rates or overburdened infrastructure. Increased congestion in Vancouver may have led to it being toppled from the top of the list, although authors of the report state the recent closure of the Malahat Highway on Vancouver Island was not the sole reason for the city's fall from grace. Civil unrest in Arab states saw several countries slide in the rankings. The most pronounced dip was Libya, . which slipped 28 places from 107 to 135 out of 140, just above Lagos in . Nigeria and Algiers, Algeria. The lowest ranking cities on the list were Dhaka, Bangladesh at 139, and Harare, Zimbabwe in 140th place. Vancouver, which has topped the list for nearly a decade, was said to have been let down by increased congestion . Falling: The Canadian city is expected to tumble further in future lists following the riots in June .
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Canadian city consigned to third place with Vienna taking second spot .
London and New York ranked 53rd and 56th .
War in Libya sees Tripoli slip into bottom ten .
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By . James Chapman and Steve Doughty . PUBLISHED: . 18:55 EST, 17 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:26 EST, 17 March 2013 . Culture Secretary Maria Miller claimed a 'climbdown' by Mr Miliband had brought the parties closer to launching a powerful newspaper watchdog which would implement fines of up to £1million . Talks on a new Press regulation system were on a knife-edge last night as David Cameron tried to head off a damaging Commons defeat. The three party leaders were inching towards a deal on a Royal Charter to enshrine a powerful newspaper watchdog which would implement fines of up to £1million. Tory sources claimed that Labour and the Liberal Democrats – who joined forces to try to force through laws shackling the 300-year-old free Press – had offered key concessions. Culture Secretary Maria Miller claimed a ‘climbdown’ by Mr Miliband had brought the Opposition ‘much closer to our position’. But Downing Street also appeared ready to give ground in an attempt to head off what looked like inevitable defeat in Parliament tonight. Cross-party talks on how to take forward the recommendations of Lord Justice Leveson’s report on media standards collapsed last week when the Prime Minister lost patience with fresh Labour demands. Yesterday, however, it emerged that Mr Cameron and his Lib Dem deputy Nick Clegg had met face to face and reopened negotiations ahead of a crunch Commons vote due tonight. Tory whips have warned the Prime Minister he is likely to face defeat thanks to combined Labour and Lib Dem votes if he presses ahead with his version of a Royal Charter. Around 20 Tories are thought to be ready to back the Lib/Lab pact. Mr Cameron last night appeared ready to contemplate a single clause in legislation to ensure that the Royal Charter could not be amended in the future without two-thirds majorities in both Houses of Parliament and the agreement of all three party leaders. Differences between the parties remained over key details of the new rules governing the Press, including the prominence of apologies required by a new regulator and the right of the industry to object to who sits on it. Chancellor George Osborne said he hoped a last-minute deal could be found, warning that a regulatory system without cross-party support was unlikely to last. ‘There is still an opportunity for us to get together and get a Press law that works,’ he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. ‘Ultimately we are not about grandstanding on this; we are about getting a law that works.’ Mrs Miller added: ‘Labour has been trying to push through a tough form of statutory regulation for the Press with really unacceptable consequences for freedom of speech in this country. ‘I think their climbdown from that position has put them much closer to our position, and that is to be welcomed.’ Labour said it had not been approached over any new cross-party talks. A senior source said: ‘We are in lock-step with the Lib Dems on this. Any agreement must be on the basis of our Royal Charter. We are planning to go ahead with the votes in the Commons.’ Mr Miliband urged MPs to ‘stand up for the victims’ of Press intrusion by enshrining a new regulator in law. His deputy Harriet Harman, the party’s media spokesman, suggested it wanted the Press to be prevented from writing about private lives. ‘There are a lot of things that can turn people’s lives upside down that are not criminal offences and that’s what we need to ensure that we protect people from,’ she told the BBC’s Sunday Politics. Press Complaints Commission chairman Lord Hunt said publishers were ready to sign up to a tough new ‘Leveson-compliant’ watchdog but believed statutory underpinning would send a dangerous signal to the world about Press freedom. He said publishers ‘have all agreed to have a new body and a fresh start – with teeth’. What was proposed was ‘probably the strongest regulatory body in Europe: ability to fine; ability to carry out investigations’. ‘They have all signed up to that and they just say “we don’t need statute; the last thing we should do is send a message across the world that the UK now has a Press law.’ The pressure group pushing for statutory Press regulation plotted to exploit the parents of murdered Milly Dowler to achieve its political aims, a leaked briefing note revealed yesterday. A ‘strategy document’ drawn up by Hacked Off set out plans to draw up a ‘Dowler test’ that it could use to force David Cameron into shackling newspapers. It said that Hacked Off itself would make up the Dowler test, and ‘the Dowler family must support that definition’. Both Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg have repeatedly referred to the Dowlers in their recent public statements on Press regulation. The exploitation of Bob and Sally Dowler – described as ‘hypocrisy and cynicism’ by senior Tory MP David Davis – is outlined in the leaked memo produced for leaders of Hacked Off in September. A family torn apart: Murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, 13, with her mother Sally . The document said that Hacked Off has just one aim, to establish ‘an independent statutory regulator with punitive powers’. To achieve this, the organisation intended to invent a ‘Dowler test’. The memo said: ‘The expression the Dowler test has pushed its way into the popular political lexicon, when in fact it doesn’t exist. Not yet that is. We need to define what the Dowler test actually is.’ It referred to the Prime Minister’s evidence to Lord Justice Leveson last June in which Mr Cameron said that the present Press self-regulation system had failed families such as the Dowlers and the parents of missing Madeleine McCann and that was ‘the test’. The PM also said the present Press self-regulation system had failed families such as the Dowlers and the parents of missing Madeleine McCann . The Hacked Off document said: ‘He (Cameron) would favour a robust form of self-regulation as long as it passed the Dowler test. We can use these words against him. Defining the Dowler test is key. The Prime Minister cannot go back on it. The opposition must not be allowed to define it, we must.’ The memo then says that Milly Dowler’s parents must be seen to back the Hacked Off test. ‘The Dowler family must support that definition; it is in their name that we act.’ The document, drawn up by Hacked Off head of campaigns Ella Mason, was presented to a meeting at the London headquarters of law firm Mishcon de Reya on 19 September last year. The meeting was held in the office of Charlotte Harris, a lawyer representing a number of phone hacking victims, and was attended by the group’s founder Brian Cathcart and Hugh Grant, one of its directors. It also advocated approaching disillusioned Right-wing Tory MPs to undermine Mr Cameron on his own back benches. The memo indicates that Hacked Off and its leaders regard such MPs with distaste. It added that Hacked Off would say different things to different people depending on what it thought they were most likely to want to hear. ‘Our messages will differ depending on whether these groups are left or right-leaning.’ Hacked Off confirmed yesterday that the document, leaked to the Mail on Sunday by a whistleblower said to be disenchanted with the group’s message, was genuine.
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Tory sources claim Labour and Lib Dems had offered 'key concessions'
‘Climbdown’ by Miliband brought Opposition ‘much closer to Tory position’
Parties disagree over key details of the new rules governing the Press .
Cross-party talks on Leveson report on media .
standards collapsed last week .
Prime Minister lost patience with .
fresh Labour demands .
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Could Saturday Night Live be coming to an end? The popular sketch comedy program is in its 40th season this year, and ahead of the show's highly anticipated special on February 15 to mark the occasion, creator Lorne Michaels is sharing who his favorite cast members have been, the A-list actors who auditioned for roles and he turned down and what the future holds for his show. This as he suggests that when he steps down from his post, it may be the end for the show. Scroll down for videos . Lorne Michaels (above with Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon) has revealed that Saturday Night Live may end when he decides to step down . In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Michaels, who started the show when he was just 30-years-old, was asked what would happen when he left, and said; 'I don't know. I'm going to keep doing it as long as I possibly can because I love it and because it's what I do.' He then added; 'But there is more niche stuff [now]. Us doing Update and giving it 10 minutes in a 90-minute show was a big deal, but Comedy Central and Jon Stewart, none of that existed then. So things have fragmented.' Then he did something he seldom does in interviews, and revealed some of the young talent he passed on who would go on to become huge stars. 'Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell There were lots of people who you'd see how brilliant they were, but you knew on some level that it wasn't going to work.' The same goes for Lisa Kudrow, who he said came at a time where there were already two similar women on the program, Nora Dunn and Jan Hooks. There is one star whoever who seems so perfect for the show, it is almost unfathomable that they passed. 'I wasn't at the Jim Carey audition, but somebody who was there said, 'I don't think Lorne would like it,' and they were probably wrong, but it doesn't matter.,' explained Michaels. 'Or maybe they were right — who knows? No one gets it all right.' Among the A-list stars who auditioned and were not cast on the show are Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell (above) Lisa Kudrow (left) was turned down because there were already two similar women on the show, will it was felt by one of the casting directors that Michaels would not like Jim Carey (right) after his audition . As for his favorite cast members, it seems that Michaels has a big soft spot for Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell, especially after the two returned to the show even after finding success in movies. This only helps the show he explained, but also endears them to their fans. 'They also have a pact with the people who watch the show: They were there, they loved you at the beginning, they told everyone else about you and they showed up for everything you did,' he explained. 'So you have to make sure that you honor that.' And if Michaels does step down soon, there is one name almost everyone has talked about running the show - Tina Fey. The former head writer for the show, who still turns up at least once a season, has been asked about this in the past, and said; 'I feel like Saturday Night Live is so defined by Lorne's taste and his sensibility. He is the center of that show, and I think it should just — when he wants to stop, it should just stop.' Michaels has won Emmys and Peabodys for his shows, and created Saturday Night Live when he was just 30 . As for the anniversary special, the lineup of past talent that will perform is remarkable, and includes, in addition to Fey, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chevy Chase, Jimmy Fallon, Will Ferrell, Martin Short, Tina Fey, Molly Shannon, Mike Myers, Andy Samberg, Bill Murray, Amy Poehler, Dana Carvey, Kristen Wiig, Dan Aykroyd, Chris Rock, Garrett Morris, and Maya Rudolph. And those are just the former cast members. Among the former hosts stopping by are; Emma Stone, Derek Jeter, Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Melissa McCarthy, Jerry Seinfeld, Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Jim Carrey, Peyton Manning, Taylor Swift, Betty White, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin, Paul Simon, Justin Timberlake, Christopher Walken, and Steve Martin. And last, but certainly not least, even Sarah Palin herself will be there.
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Lorne Michaels has suggested in a new interview that Saturday Night Live may end when he steps down .
This as the show is set to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a live special on February 15 featuring past cast members and hosts .
Tina Fey, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Chevy Chase, Jimmy Fallon, Kristen Wiig and Amy Poehler are among the past cast attending .
Past hosts Emma Stone, Derek Jeter, Kanye West, Paul McCartney, Melissa McCarthy, Jerry Seinfeld, Robert De Niro, and Jack Nicholson will be there .
Michaels also revealed he has a few big names he regrets not casting, including Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Lisa Kudrow and Jim Carey .
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By . Nik Simon . Follow @@Nik_Simon88 . Andre Schurrle is hoping to add to his World Cup medal with more silverware at Chelsea this season. The 23-year-old German international scored three goals in Brazil and also set up Mario Gotze's extra-time winner in the 1-0 final victory over Argentina. But the winger's attention has now returned to club duty with Chelsea and, after a well-deserved break, he is hoping to carry his form over from Rio de Janeiro to the Premier League. VIDEO Scroll down for Fabregas, Luis and Costa singing in Chelsea initiations . Wold Cup: Andre Schurlle celebrates Germany's sixth goal in the 7-1 semi-final win against Brazil . Return: Schurrle makes his comeback in a full Chelsea team training session after the World Cup . Skills: Schurrle controls the ball during his first full training session of the summer . ‘It’s an amazing feeling, I feel very good,’ Schurlle told www.chelseafc.com. ‘I’ve had a nice holiday after some big celebrations but it’s nice to be back and now I’m highly motivated to do big things with Chelsea this season.' Along with the other World Cup late-comers, Schurrle returned to Chelsea training at Cobham on Monday. He was joined by Jose Mourinho's summer signings, which include Didier Drogba and Cesc Fabregas, who he believes will all provide the club with a major boost. Battle: Chelsea new boy Cesc Fabregas (right) look to take the ball away from Brazilian midfielder Ramires . Safe: Kurt Zouma (centre) looks set to stay with the Chelsea first team after an impressive pre-season . Man in charge: Jose Mourinho looks on as his Chelsea players go through their paces . ‘It will take a bit of time to get going but we have great staff here, a great team and hopefully I’ll be fit by the time the season starts,' said Schurrle. ‘They’re all world-class players, Drogba’s back with his club and Fabregas is one of the best players in the world. 'We played against Filipe Luis last season when he was with Atletico and he did very well. 'I saw Diego Costa’s goal against Olimpija Lubjlana and it was a great finish, so I’m looking forward to playing with all of them, they all have great quality.’ He's back: Didier Drogba (centre) was back at Cobham upon his return to Chelsea . Competitive: Fernando Torres (right) slides on on Blues winger Eden Hazard during the session . Preparation: Oscar look on as Hazard skips past Brazilian midfielder Willian (right)
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German international says he is 'highly motivated' after World Cup success .
The 23-year-old scored three goals during the campaign in Brazil .
Schurrle returned to Chelsea training on Monday along with summer recruits .
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TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Dancing in public is not allowed in Iran, but thousands could hardly contain themselves at a recent presidential campaign rally in the capital city, Tehran. Supporters hope Zahra Rahnavard will become Iran's future first lady. On this day, the deafening cheers were not for presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi, but rather for his wife -- a woman some are calling Iran's Michelle Obama. The comparisons to the first lady of the United States stem from the role Zahra Rahnavard is playing in her husband's quest for the presidency. Never in the history of Iranian presidential elections has a candidate put his wife in the forefront of his campaign. Wherever Mousavi -- a centrist candidate -- goes, Rahnavard is usually nearby. Watch more about Zahra Rahnavard » . "We look at her and we say, 'we want to be like her in the future, ' " said Shakiba Shakerhosseie, one of 12,000 people who packed into Tehran's indoor Azadi (Freedom) sports stadium to hear Rahnavard speak. Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was forced into exile. The revolution also ended the ceremonial role of first lady that the last queen, Farah, enjoyed. At this rally, Rahnavard -- a writer and art professor -- spoke for her husband, who was campaigning elsewhere. Wearing a floral headscarf and a traditional black chador -- a full-length loose robe that women in Iran wear like a cloak -- Rahnavard called for freedoms she says were lost during President Mahmoud Ahmadijenad's term. "I hope freedom of speech, freedom of the pen and freedom of thought will not be forgotten," she said. The crowd, which was clad in Mousavi's trademark color green, cheered wildly. It waved placards with his picture and swayed from side to side, chanting and beating drums. The women sat on one side; the men on the other. The overwhelming majority were young voters, many of whom said they attended because of Mousavi's wife, a mother of three. Iran's population -- estimated at more than 66 million -- has a median age of 27. "I am really angry here in Iran with the position of women," said Saghar Kouhestani, adding that she supports Mousavi because of his wife. Mousavi, a former prime minister, is considered a threat to Ahmadinejad, a hard-liner, in the June 12 elections. He is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy during a bloody eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s. Over the weekend, the Iranian government blocked access to the social networking site Facebook, where Mousavi has a page with more than 5,000 supporters, the semi-official Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) said. Those attempting to visit Facebook received a message in Farsi saying, "Access to this site is not possible." Political science professor Mohammad Marandi downplays Rahnavard's impact. She may win over reformists and women, he says, but what will win the election is a solution to the floundering economy and a strong performance in the debates. "If Ahmadinejad does well in the debates, I don't think anyone will be able to defeat him," Marandi said. But try selling that to Rahnavard's enthusiastic supporters. "This is the first time after the Revolution we see a lady behind the president," said Farhad Mahmoudi. "And this is why we're so happy because we can have a first lady."
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Wife of presidential hopeful Mir Hossein Mousavi generates huge crowds .
Never in the history of Iranian presidential elections has a wife been in the forefront .
"This is the first time after the Revolution we see a lady behind the president"
Could draw young voters in Iran, where median age is 27 .
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School children as young as four have been moved after it was feared rats had invaded classrooms. Forty reception pupils, aged four and five, had to be moved from St Joseph's Catholic Primary, in Wallasey, Merseyside, after reports of rodents. Three classrooms had to be closed after staff at the school suspected the pest problem on Tuesday, and informed Wirral Council. Kelly Cotton, (centre), was forced to keep her daughter Lexie, four, (right) home from St Joseph's Catholic School in Wallasey, Merseyside when she heard about the rat scare, pictured with her youngest daughter Isla, 18 months . Mother-of-two Kelly Cotton, 23, kept her five-year-old daughter Lexie off school because of the alleged rat problem. Ms Cotton, from Wallasey, said: 'The whole school needs cleaning inch by inch, not just the ones in question. 'Who’s to say they havnt spread across the whole site?' Forty children have had to be temporarily relocated from their classroom at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Wallasey, Merseyside after the rat scare . 'I’m not taking any chances they should be closing the school and having every single room treated. 'Me and plenty of other mums aren't sending our kids back until we’re satisfied it’s clean enough. 'Apparently they knew about the rats before Easter but they’re only doing something about it now. 'They had a terrible OFSTED report last term so this rat scandal will make them look even worse.' Ms Cotton said that her and 'plenty of other mothers' were keeping their children away from school until they were sure it had been properly cleaned . The 40 pupils have been relocated to a local nursery - while another 20 children affected will be moved to other classrooms in the school. Wirral Council said the headteacher and staff were making 'every effort to reduce disruption for the children'. Pest controllers deep cleaned the affected rooms and 'pest-proofing' measures had been put in place, it said. One parent said: 'My fear is that they could get bitten or catch something. 'I haven't had anything from the school, it's all just playground rumours. 'Some people are saying it's just droppings, others are saying they've seen rats.' Another parent said: 'The health and safety professionals have been in and cleaned up the whole area. 'They only found three juvenile rats, which I think have come in from a piece of grassland by the school.'It is expected youngsters relocated will not be able to return to their school until early next week. A Wirral council spokesman said: 'The . school is being supported by the council's pest control services and the . health, safety and resilience team to help them to manage the . situation.' Headteacher Kathryn Vernon said: 'We are working closely with Wirral Council after evidence of rodents was seen on school premises. 'We are unsure whether there is still a problem as no vermin have been seen since we reported the issue. 'Wirral Council Pest Control have up to this moment found no evidence of rats. However mouse droppings have been identified, so it is important that we investigate properly and act on any advice given. The situation is being kept under review. 'Our key priority is the well-being and education of our children so we have temporarily relocated some classes to make sure they can continue their lessons, accompanied by their usual teachers.' Wirral Council Pest Control have said they have found no evidence of rats although 'mouse droppings' have been identified .
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Parents at Merseyside primary school fear the building has a rat problem .
Kelly Cotton, 23, has decided to keep her daughter Lexie, 4, at home until the problem is fixed .
Council officials admit there is evidence of mouse droppings but no sign of any rats .
Three classrooms closed while pest control officers clean the problem area .
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(CNN)As the huge plume of black smoke fills the sky, people react with shock and confusion. Some run to try to tackle small blazes, others stand and stare. Captured on what appears to be a cellphone video, the scene is believed to be the immediate aftermath of the crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in eastern Ukraine four months ago. The footage emerged online over the weekend, just as the removal of wreckage from the crash site for an international investigation finally began. The video was posted on YouTube by the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, which said it depicts the moments after the passenger jet came down. It shows fire raging in field with bits of wreckage strewn nearby. Tongue-lashing for Putin at G20 . Flight 17 was shot down on July 17 with 298 people on board over territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The dispute over who is responsible for the disaster continues to taint relations between Moscow and the West. The United States and other Western nations have accused the pro-Russian separatists of shooting down the plane with a Russian surface-to-air missile. But Moscow and the rebels have claimed Ukrainian forces were responsible. The continuing disagreement, as well as Russia's broader interference in Ukraine, prompted bouts of strong criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin by Western leaders at the G20 summit in Australia over the weekend. Putin left the event earlier than his fellow world leaders Sunday, saying he had to rest before a busy Monday. But he described the discussions at the summit as "constructive." He also expressed the view that the Ukraine crisis "has good chances for resolution." Ukraine prepared for 'total war' His comments contrast with the words coming from the Ukrainian government in Kiev, amid reports that Russian troops and weapons are moving into eastern Ukraine. "We are prepared for a scenario of total war," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko reportedly told the German newspaper Bild. "We don't want war, we want peace and we are fighting for European values. But Russia does not respect any agreement." Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations from Kiev and Western governments that it has sent forces into eastern Ukraine to bolster the rebels. A ceasefire agreement reached in September between the Ukrainian government and the separatists no longer appears to have any connection with the reality on the ground. Exchanges of mortar fire are common in eastern Ukraine. Residents in the shattered town of Debaltseve told CNN's Phil Black that artillery fired by both sides falls there almost every day, often destroying homes. Removal of MH17 wreckage . Amid the chaotic conflict, Dutch investigators have been trying to recover the wreckage from MH17. Everyone aboard the flight was killed. Around two-thirds of the victims were from the Netherlands. The vast crash site was left unsecured, and international investigators struggled to reach the area as fighting raged. The removal of the wreckage began Sunday and continued Monday, the Dutch Safety Board said. It is expected to take several days. The wreckage will be transported by train to the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv before being flown to the Netherlands. The investigators say they intend to reconstruct a section of the aircraft to help determine what happened. Further investigation needed . In its preliminary report in September on the disaster, the Dutch agency said Flight 17 broke apart in the air after it was hit by a burst of "high-energy objects" from outside. That report set out a list of areas that still need further investigation, including forensic examination of wreckage and any foreign objects found. It noted at the time that Dutch investigators still hadn't been able to visit the site amid the unstable situation in eastern Ukraine. In the aftermath of the crash, the rebels were widely accused of looting the site, tampering with the evidence and stopping investigators from combing through the wreckage. After an initial delay, most of the bodies of the victims have been removed from the area and transported out of Ukraine. But as recently as September, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said it was likely that there were still remains strewn across the fields. Australia had 38 of its citizens and residents on the plane. Passenger found wearing oxygen mask .
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A video that emerged over the weekend purportedly shows the crash's aftermath .
Dutch investigators have begun the removal of wreckage from the site .
Ukraine's President tells German newspaper country is ready for 'scenario of total war'
The passenger jet carrying 298 people was shot down in July over eastern Ukraine .
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is ‘adamant’ that Raheem Sterling will stay at the club despite reported interest from Europe’s finest, but on current form it will be equally important for him to tie down Jordan Henderson for the long-term at Anfield. Sterling’s future has been the subject of interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. The 19-year-old set up the decisive goal for Henderson as Liverpool returned to winning ways. Liverpool know the £30,000-a-week deal they agreed with Sterling 18 months ago is low for an international regular and, while Rodgers revealed discussions have started about a new contract, no agreement appears imminent. Liverpool starlet Raheem Sterling shows his speed against West Brom's Stephane Sessegnon on Saturday . Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers (left) is 'absoultely adamant' Sterling will stay at Anfield . ‘It’s not a big issue for us. Ian Ayre (Liverpool’s chief executive) has spoken with his representatives and he is quite relaxed,’ said Rodgers. ‘The club is dealing with the agent so everything is calm and the boy is remarkably happy here and there are no secondary thoughts about anything else other than continuing to play for Liverpool.’ Asked directly if he thought Sterling wanted to stay, Rodgers replied: ‘Yes. Absolutely adamant. His agent is a good agent and he understands this is the perfect place for him.’ So far, the contract situation surrounding Henderson has gone under the radar. But that won’t last for long when he produces man-of-the-match performances like he did at the weekend, setting up Liverpool’s opener for Adam Lallana with a delightful flick and then scoring the 61st-minute winner with a low drive to earn his club their first league win since August. Henderson, 24, is inside the final two years of a £40,000-a-week deal he signed when he joined from Sunderland in 2011. Jordan Henderson's electric form for the Reds makes his contract renegotiation a priority for the club . Henderson (right) celebrates scoring Liverpool's second goal against West Brom, set up by Sterling . No concrete offer has yet been made, but he will hope that changes after Daniel Sturridge signed a new five-year contract last week. Rodgers will be glad to have Sturridge back from a thigh injury for their next fixture against QPR on October 19. In the striker’s absence, he started Rickie Lambert on Saturday and sent on Mario Balotelli in the second half — but neither could beat Albion keeper Ben Foster despite a number of attempts. Albion have their own sharp-shooter, England Under 21 forward Saido Berahino who scored his sixth goal of the season when his penalty briefly got his side back to 1-1. Berahino had his problems last season, but manager Alan Irvine insisted: ‘His approach to his job is fantastic.’ A 44,000 crowd at Anfield included the agent of ex-Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who has been linked with a January move to Liverpool. Rodgers will have striker Sturridge back from a thigh injury when Liverpool face QPR on October 19 .
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Raheem Sterling has been a target for some of Europe's biggest clubs .
Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in the 19-year-old .
Rodgers said he was 'Absolutely adamant' that Sterling wanted to stay .
Jordan Henderson's top form make him equally important at Anfield .
Sterling set up Henderson's goal as they beat West Brom on Saturday .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:48 EST, 30 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 11:56 EST, 30 January 2014 . A hotel in Belgium is offering tourists the chance to stay in a accomodation designed to look like a colon. The CasAnus Hotel offers couples an overnight stay for 120 Euros - around £100 - complete with a double bed, shower and central heating. Couples are flocking to the one-room hotel on an island near Antwerp to enjoy a night inside the colon, saying it's 'amazing.' Scroll Down for Video . A hotel in Belgium is offering tourists the chance to stay in a accommodation designed to look like a colon . The hotel is run by owners Geert and Carla Verbeke-Lens, who say the hotel is 'extremely popular' with couples . It was originally created by Dutch . artist Joep Van Lieshout, but the structure was renovated into living . quarters and now sits on the grounds of the Verbeke Foundation Art Park. The hotel is run by owners Geert and Carla Verbeke-Lens, who say the hotel is 'extremely popular' with couples. 'It is utterly silent and pitch black at night, so bring a torch if you want to creep around at night. It is as normal as sleeping in a slug-like space can be,' travel blogger Tom Hall wrote on Lonely Planet. Couples are flocking to the one-room hotel on an island near Antwerp to enjoy a night inside the colon, saying it's 'amazing' It was originally created by Dutch artist Joep Van Lieshout, but the structure was renovated into living quarters and now sits on the grounds of the Verbeke Foundation Art Park . The CasAnus Hotel offers couples an overnight stay for 120 Euros - around £100 - complete with a double bed, shower and central heating .
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The CasAnus Hotel rooms have a double bed, shower and central heating .
The one-room hotel is on an island near Antwerp .
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A holidaymaker used his camera to record the frightening moment a mother elephant and her calf angrily chased a Jeep full of safari tourists in Africa. The nature lovers were traveling through Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park when the heart-stopping encounter occurred. Anthon van Dijk, from the Netherlands, pulled out his camera as the tourists' vehicle narrowly escaped being rammed and flipped by the protective mum. An angry mother elephant and her calf chase a carload of safari tourists in this startling footage . According to Anthon, the mother made several mock charges before finally giving chase - with her calf in tow. His footage shows the safari driver speeding away it in a bid to outrun the elephant. The terrified passengers can be heard yelling 'Please, please, please' as the elephant refuses to give up the chase. Dutch tourists were visiting Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park when the encounter happened . Anthon, who was on a safari with his son Levi, said: 'In these national parks, what is seen quite often is that the Jeeps for these trips drive with high speed towards a predator sighting. 'This makes the elephants who are passed close by with high speed not so happy. 'We noticed this Jeep-phobia with a lot of elephants in the park.' A tourist said the calf outran its mother at one point before the holidaymakers managed to escape . He added: 'In the video you see a female with her young. We'd seen several mock charges, but this was a full charge by mother and child. 'The little one was trumpeting as well and even outrunning the mother in the chase, as you can hear in the video. It was an exciting experience, to say the least. 'Luckily we got away.'
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Anthon van Dijk, from the Netherlands, captured the incident on camera .
Occurred while touring through Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park .
Elephants shocked tourists when they unexpectedly charged the vehicle .
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Leinster made it four straight wins in all competitions with a bonus point success against injury-hit Edinburgh at the RDS. Two tries from back rowers Dominic Ryan and Jack Conan had Leinster 12-0 up in as many minutes, with Tom Heathcote replying with a lone penalty before half-time. Heathcote had a disappointing night with the boot, though, and man-of-the-match Ryan's 52nd-minute try coupled with a Ben Marshall score put Leinster clear before Tomas Leonardi and Mick McGrath swapped late tries. Mick McGrath (centre) is congratulated by his Leinster team-mates for his try in the 33-8 win over Edinburgh . The only sour point for the hosts was that centre Ben Te'o's debut only lasted 19 minutes as he picked up a hand injury, while Wallaby lock Kane Douglas was also forced off in the first half. Edinburgh made the trip without 20 players, 18 of whom are out injured at present, and were given little hope of claiming their first victory in Dublin in nine years. Flanker Ryan sneaked over for the opening try from close range, catching the Edinburgh defence off guard after they had initially done well to halt a third-minute maul. Jimmy Gopperth missed the conversion but was heavily involved, running hard and kicking intelligently to create early attacking opportunities for Luke Fitzgerald and Zane Kirchner. The Leinster out-half opened his account with a much better conversion of Conan's effort on the right, as the young number eight shrugged off Leonardi's tackle to coast over. Heathcote pulled his first shot at the posts - a 16th minute penalty attempt - wide, and three minutes later rugby league convert Te'o had to make way. The injuries kept coming for Edinburgh with prop Allan Dell limping off, but they deservedly got off the mark thanks to Heathcote's 23rd-minute penalty. Ben Toolis of Edinburgh (left) and Kevin McLaughlin of Leinster compete for the ball during the game at RDS . The Scots began to get Tim Visser involved as they built through the phases, a snappy break from Sam Hidalgo-Clyne giving them further momentum before Heathcote blundered with a second poor penalty miss. Leinster pressed for a try just before the interval but prop Tadhg Furlong was stopped short from Luke McGrath's brilliant blind pass. Fitzgerald ignited the Leinster attack on the resumption by jinking past three Edinburgh players, however both sides were guilty of some aimless play during a turgid third quarter. Leinster lifted the intensity to create a second try for Ryan, a close-in penalty and line-out resulting in the Ireland hopeful crossing for a seven-pointer from a well-executed drive. The visitors hammered away during a prolonged spell near the Leinster line, but Ryan came up with the turnover after Darragh Fanning had thwarted Edinburgh captain Andries Strauss. The bonus point arrived for Leinster in the 63rd minute when a quickly-taken line-out saw replacements Isaac Boss and Peter Dooley pile through, and Tom Denton's pass off the deck put his second row partner Marshall over for a converted try. Edinburgh deserved their 75th minute try as replacements Greig Tonks and George Turner made headway up the right touchline before the latter's pass out of a tackle sent Leonardi clear for the corner. Leinster made sure they had the final say though, Gopperth and Fitzgerald combining to good effect as they sent replacement McGrath over for his second PRO12 try of the season.
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Leinster secured their fourth win a row in all competitions at RDS on Friday .
Dominic Ryan scored two tries in Leinster's 33-8 victory over Edinburgh .
Bonus-point win was comfortable for Leinster against injury-hit visitors .
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(Parenting.com) -- One Mother's Day, I bought my wife what she had wanted for years -- a weeping cherry tree -- and I threw in a bird bath, so that when the tree matures, our feathered friends can happily splash and drink under its loving protection. Oh boy! Another tie or pair of funny boxer shorts for Dad! For Father's Day, my wife gave me some boxer shorts and a tiny reading light, so I can flip through a book in bed without disturbing her. My wife is the first to admit it: For her, and for many people, Father's Day is an afterthought, a holiday just a few steps above the one that celebrates the groundhog and that other one that promotes trees. If Mom's Day and Dad's Day were in a prize fight, we all know which holiday would wind up lying in the corner of the ring, knocked-out teeth on the mat, dazed head stuck in a bucket. I've been thinking about how our society recognizes parents because Father's Day is upon us again, but also because, a while ago, my worst nightmare happened: My wife had to have surgery. I was an emotional wreck. For a while, it was truly touch and go. Life hung in the balance, and everything near and dear to me seemed in doubt. Why? Because while Susan recovered from her toe surgery, I had to take care of the kids. Parenting.com: Work/family balance harder for men? Sure, for a couple workdays I was able to call in reinforcements (my mom and mother-in-law), but an entire weekend lay ahead in which I was to be the prime caregiver to Lorelei, who was just hitting 6 months, and Isabelle, our 3-year-old. Meanwhile, my wife was upstairs in our bed, on painkillers and armed with her cell phone so that I was always just a speed dial away from doing her bidding. This would be a weekend in which I couldn't do only the fun stuff -- like playing blocks and watching cartoons -- with the girls. I was obviously going to have to feed both of them (three times a day!), and I would have to tackle Herculean tasks like giving baths, changing all of the diapers, putting them both to bed, and even giving medicine to Lorelei, who had an ear infection. Over the decades, standards for fathers have risen. If this were 1897 or even 1974, I could have coasted through the weekend, serving potato chips and cold cereal to Isabelle, and I would have brought the girls to my wife's bed for her to do the changing of the diapers. I could have skipped the baths. I could have ignored the dishes in the sink and the cat litter without a barrage of criticism. As long as I managed to avoid the house catching on fire, and the girls didn't come down with malaria, at the end of the weekend, my family and friends would have laughed heartily at my mishaps, like they used to do in the last couple seconds of those 1970s and 1980s one-hour dramas (you know, after somebody made a joke and the shot went into freeze frame). Then my family and friends would have declared that I had done my best, and nobody would have cared that the bar had been set so low that a chipmunk could have done as well. Parenting.com: His way can be better than yours . But today's dads are different. We not only love our children, we're acutely aware that we have a responsibility to be the best parents we can be. When it counts, I think most fathers really give it their all -- which explains why the Saturday night of my Mr. Mom weekend, instead of ordering pizza, I served Isabelle a chicken casserole with pineapple as a side dish. Don't applaud -- the fruit came from a can, and the rest from a box with four steps. iReport.com: Share your best bonding moment with Dad . Still, I have to admit, I felt proud as the weekend wore on. I grew more confident in my parenting skills and even gave both girls a bath -- at the same time -- not once, but two nights in a row! Just as I was ready to nominate myself for a Nobel Peace Prize, an Oscar, a Grammy -- surely I deserved some award -- I had an epiphany that brought me back down a few pegs. Parenting.com: Mommy skills that'll work on husbands . I was fixing a French dish I like to call poisson et pommes frites (um, fish sticks and fries), when I caught Anderson Cooper on CNN. He was in Baghdad, surrounded by American soldiers, saying he was exhausted and scared. Yet he warned the audience not to be too impressed with him. In a few days, he would fly home. The soldiers would remain at their posts. Now, I'm not comparing our girls to Iraqi insurgents, but I do appreciate more than ever that mothers are usually the soldiers in the parenting battlefield. Even full-time working moms do more child-rearing than us dads, studies have repeatedly found. Fathers tend to play the part of the dashing news reporter, swooping into parenting duties just long enough to get our hands dirty. My wife deserves her weeping cherry tree. And like most moms, she is worthy of much more. Yet I think we dads merit at least a little more than boxer shorts, soap-on-a-rope, and neckties. We don't get the good stuff because we're paying for the sins of our fathers, and our fathers' fathers. But these days, dads are changing diapers, warming bottles, and taking our kids to the park. We may not be where you want us yet, but we've evolved, and we're involved. Just as much as the moms, we appreciate the cards, the praise, and being treated special on our day. So if any of you mothers now feel guilty enough to spring for a slightly nicer Father's Day gift -- say, a plasma TV with a 50-inch screen -- make sure it also has built-in speakers with surround-sound. Try a FREE TRIAL issue of Parenting Magazine - CLICK HERE! Copyright 2009 The Parenting Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
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Writer believes Father's Day is not as respected as Mother's Day .
Says: We're paying for the sins of our fathers, and our fathers' fathers .
We deserve more than boxer shorts, soap-on-a-rope, and neckties .
Plasma TV with 50-inch screen, built-in surround-sound speakers would be nice .
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By . Chris Murphy . PUBLISHED: . 08:07 EST, 2 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:07 EST, 2 June 2012 . A bear ate the corpse of a convicted murderer in a wooded area of Canada, according to authorities. The mauled body of Rory Wagner, 53, was found in a rural area in southern British Columbia, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. Police believe Wagner was already dead in a 1986 Volkswagen Jetta when the black bear broke into the vehicle, ate some parts of him and dragged the rest of the body away, reported CNN. 'The driver’s window of the vehicle was down and investigators noted numerous muddy animal prints and scratches on the car,' police said. Responsible: Police in Canada say a black bear ate parts of the body of murderer Rory Wagner . They added that officials 'discovered the body in the surrounding bush, about 120 meters from the vehicle'. Drug paraphernalia and a bottle of alcohol was found in the car. A coroner is conducting an autopsy and toxicology tests. Wagner and two other people were charged with the 1993 killing of a man they thought had sexually assaulted a relative. The man they killed was found not guilty of sexual assault charges, according to the affiliate. Wagner was convicted for the murder, but he had been out on parole. Conservation officials say the bear was caught, but may be killed to ensure public safety.
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Remains of Rory Wagner, 53, found in bushes near his abandoned car .
Animal prints and scratch marks discovered on vehicle, police say .
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(CNN) -- Democrats, as President Obama said Wednesday, took a shellacking in Tuesday's contentious midterm elections. They lost control of the House to Republicans but managed to cling onto a reduced majority in the Senate. The election will reverberate throughout American politics, with the newcomers vowing to lower government spending, cut taxes and torpedo the president's health-care legislation. The Republican victory generated an outpouring of commentary. Here are some thoughts from CNN.com's opinion section. Message to Obama: Americans want jobs . The midterm election was clearly a repudiation. The question is, a repudiation of what? Fifty years of data from one election after another has shown that people vote with their gut, and this year the gut of the American voter -- left, right and center -- was angry and anxious. It's not hard to understand why: One in 10 Americans of working age is out of a job and six in 10 are living from paycheck to paycheck. In times like these, most people can tell you what they are feeling, but when asked what would make them feel better, they can only guess. So in exit polls, some said we need to cut deficits and that would make them feel better. Others said they'd like to see the government do something, anything, to create jobs, something an anemic private sector has proved unable to do -- and has not done since the passage nearly a decade ago of the Bush tax cuts, which stimulated nothing but inequality. Read full post by Drew Westen, author and a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University and founder of Westen Strategies, a strategic messaging firm. Why did California vote down legal pot? California voters have just rejected Proposition 19, the ballot initiative that would have legalized marijuana under state law. Where did Prop 19 go wrong? Prop 19 failed in part because many proponents emphasized the wrong arguments for legalization. Many advocates promised major benefits to California's budget because of reduced expenditure on marijuana prohibition and increased revenue from marijuana taxation. Other supporters claimed Mexican drug violence would fall substantially. Both claims were overblown. The budgetary benefits, while not insignificant, would have been small compared with California's fiscal mess. Mexican drug violence is mainly associated with the cocaine and methamphetamine trades, as well as from marijuana traffic to other states. Many voters sensed that Prop 19 supporters were overreaching, and this made them suspicious of all the arguments in its favor. Common sense should have recognized that since marijuana was close to legal already, Prop 19 would not have had dramatic effects. Read full post by Jeffrey Miron, a senior lecturer and director of undergraduate studies at Harvard University and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute. Ten most memorable political ads . Billions of dollars poured into political ads this election cycle. They weren't just negative commercials or attack ads, but messages of searing personal indictment. The question is: Did they work? There's no easy answer, but there's a nuanced one. Under the right circumstances -- where these attack missiles connect with a pre-existing (even a latent) negative perception -- they can be devastatingly effective. Repetition makes them work even better. This is a phenomenon called the "illusory truth effect" and holds that hearing something multiple times increases its perception of accuracy. Read full post by Adam Hanft, who writes about American culture, politics and branding strategies for The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Slate and others. Shades of 1994 and Clinton-GOP gridlock . Republicans effectively gained control over Congress on Tuesday. The GOP won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, thus overturning the gains Democrats made in 2006 and 2008. In the Senate, where the procedural power of the minority has already given Republicans the power to shape deliberations, the narrowed Democratic ranks will further weaken the majority. In the weeks running up to the election, there were some commentators who concluded that the current situation would be the best outcome for President Obama. ... Yet this analogy rests on a selective memory of what happened after 1994, which is particularly surprising from someone who worked in the administration. The period that followed those midterms was among the most contentious in recent American politics. Read full post by Julian Zelizer, author and professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. Next time, Democrats should try wooing the loyal youth vote . Many will call the 2010 election the rejection of the Obama agenda heard round the world. But young voter turnout tells a very different story. CNN's exit polls show 55 percent of voters 25 to 29 voted for Democrats, compared with 42 percent for Republicans. Even more striking, 58 percent of voters age 18 to 24 voted for Democrats compared to 39 percent for Republicans. Ironically, the group often labeled fickle and impatient have remained solidly committed to the agenda of change they overwhelmingly voted for in 2008. In the face of record unemployment and the very circumstances that pundits speculate make the country more resistant to change, young voters sent a very clear message of support for Obama's agenda. Read full post by Erica Williams, deputy director of Progress 2050 and a senior adviser to Campus Progress, both projects of the Center for American Progress. Tea Party activist: Republicans beware! Tuesday's elections show America is indeed a center-right country. Americans widely rejected the Democrats' big-spending policies and sent the Democratic majority in the House packing. And rightly so. For nearly two years, Americans told the Democrats they did not approve of expanded government programs with large price tags such as bailouts, the stimulus bill, Cash for Clunkers, cap and trade and "Obama care." Time and time again, the Democrats, misreading their election win as a mandate to increase the size and scope of the federal government dramatically, rammed through unpopular legislation against the will of the majority of the American people. Tuesday, they paid the price for their arrogance and miscalculations. The Republicans won by virtue of not being Democrats. They did little to earn their victory. To many, their Pledge to America is weak tea and doesn't go far enough in reducing spending and the size of the federal government. Read full post by Phillip Dennis, founder of the Dallas Tea Party and Texas state coordinator of Tea Party Patriots. How Meg Whitman spent a fortune -- and lost . On a day that millions of Americans in other parts of the country turned the electoral map red by electing a sea of Republicans, California voters stayed true blue and kept doing what they usually do on Election Day -- elect Democrats. And, in a year where a lot of voters wanted to throw the bums out and get rid of career politicians, Californians -- in the headliner contests -- rejected a pair of wealthy and former Silicon Valley CEOs in favor of a couple of longtime politicians and party insiders who, between them, have spent more than a half century (58 years) in political office. The rest of the country was experiencing a revolution. In California, it was more like a "retro-lution." Familiarity did not necessarily breed contempt. In fact, it helped put a couple of high-profile victories in the Democratic column. Read full post by Ruben Navarrette Jr., a nationally syndicated columnist, NPR commentator and a regular contributor to CNN.com. Quick shots . John Avlon: A victory for checks and balances . So far, the election isn't quite the far-right stampede it was supposed to be. Sen. Michael Bennet in Colorado and Rep. Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania were putting on strong showings in their Senate races; independent gubernatorial candidates Lincoln Chafee in Rhode Island and Eliot Cutler in Maine were also hanging tough. William Bennett: Vice President Rubio in 2013 . Tuesday was a great night for Republicans because as Marco Rubio said, we now have a second chance. It's still important to remember this country is not quite yet a Republican country, but as of Tuesday night, it is saying it is most definitely not a Democratic Party country either. Let us celebrate, but then let us get to work, the serious work we promised. Erick Erickson: GOP gains not sky-high . The expectations game was one the Republicans built up for themselves, with, in closing days, a number of Republicans really buying the hype that they could get to a gain of 80 or 90 seats in the House. Paul Begala: Congratulations to Republicans -- and to Nancy Pelosi . Good manners compels me to congratulate the GOP on what looks to be a historic victory. And I would be remiss if I did not recognize the historic speakership of Nancy Pelosi. Ruben Navarrette: Having it both ways . Here's an election story that won't go away. Last week, President Obama caused a dustup when he went on a Spanish-language radio show hosted by Eddie "El Piolin" Sotelo and advised Latino voters to reward their friends and punish their enemies. James Carville: Big congressional shift is near . Leon Spinks once said of Mike Tyson that "he hits you so hard it changes the way you taste." Anyone politically astute enough to know that Tuesday night will not be particularly favorable for the Democrats will be expecting the coming blows. And if pollsters, pundits and prognosticators are right (and I think they are), everything is going to taste different at the White House on Wednesday. Read more of the above full posts . The opinions in these commentaries are solely those of the writers.
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Drew Westen says the election was a repudiation -- of what? Americans just want jobs .
Jeffrey Miron explains why California rejected Prop 19, to make pot legal .
Ten of the craziest, most effective or most damaging attack ads, from Adam Hanft .
Remember 1994; the youth vote; Tea Party's message to Republicans and more .
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By . Shari Miller . PUBLISHED: . 04:09 EST, 14 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:26 EST, 15 August 2012 . Convicted: Jerry Sandusky, the former assistant football coach for Penn State, faces 442 years in jail for child sex abuse . Penn State University has been told its status is 'in jeopardy' as the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal continues to rock the east coast campus. This latest blow comes just a day after fresh allegations were made of a pedophile sex ring involving the once-prestigious college athletics program. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education has warned the university that it could lose its accreditation because of details uncovered by an internal investigation on Sandusky, which was led by former FBI director Louis Freeh. The commission also considered the severe penalties imposed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, because of the way the school reacted to allegations against Sandusky. The former assistant football coach for Penn State was convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse in June. In a statement released on August 8, the commission said Penn State remains accredited while 'on warning', but it wants a monitoring report submitted by the end of next month. At that time, the university must show the steps it has taken to fully comply with governmental requirements and that it's mission is being carried out. Penn State must keep the commission fully informed and comply with standards on leadership and governance, as well as integrity. The commission also wants the report to show how the university will cope financially following the investigation and 'related settlements'. A team from the commission will visit Penn State to 'verify institutional status and progress.' Yesterday, officials said they were confident the university could address all the issues raised by the commission. 'This action has nothing to do with the quality of education our students receive,' said Blannie Bowen, vice provost for academic affairs in a statement posted on the university's website. 'Middle States is focusing on governance, integrity, and financial issues related to information in the Freeh report and other items related to our current situation.' Warning: Penn State University may lose its accreditation over the child sex abuse scandal which has rocked the campus . Bowen added that the body does not issue a warning unless it believes an institution can make improvements. 'This is certainly true for Penn State. 'We're confident that our monitoring report and the site visit will confirm this to the commission,' Bowen added. University president Rodney Erickson said he was also confident officials would be able to 'fully demonstrate our financial stability.' In the meantime, the FBI has opened a new investigation following allegations made yesterday that Sandusky and a prominent Penn State University donor sexually abused two boys together aboard a private plane. Under investigation: The FBI is now looking into fresh allegations that Sandusky was part of a pedophile ring . High hopes: Sandusky was expected to become Penn State's head coach after Joe Paterno, who died in January . Until now, authorities believed Sandusky was a lone abuser. The newest allegations threaten to bring out more horrifying revelations about sexual abuse surrounding the once-prestigious college athletics program. According to Radar Online, federal authorities are looking into the possibility that Sandusky shared his young victims with other pedophiles including a 'very rich, very powerful man connected with the university.' The latest allegations come just over a month . after Sandusky, 68, was convicted on 45 counts of child sexual abuse for . molesting ten boys over the course of 15 years. He now faces 442 years in prison.
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Status 'in jeopardy' following internal investigation into sex abuse scandal .
University remains 'on warning' and must make several improvements .
Penn State argues action has 'nothing to do with quality of education'
Warning comes just a day after fresh allegations were made of a pedophile sex ring at the east coast campus .
Jerry Sandusky already faces 442 years in jail after he was convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse .
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By . Kieran Gill for MailOnline . Follow @@kie1410 . Jose Mourinho, somewhat resolutely, tells those looking his way in the press room that he cannot let his emotions rule what's best for Chelsea when it comes to Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech. And that cold approach seems the way to go with the Chelsea manager looking more and more prepared to opt for Courtois in the starting XI against Burnley over the man 10 years his senior. 'The best way for me to work is to think pragmatically,' says Mourinho. That will be the case should Cech, Chelsea's undisputed No 1 for the past decade, be consigned to watch their Premier League season start from the substitutes bench at Turf Moor. WATCH Scroll down to watch a young Thibaut Courtois in action for former club Genk . Winner? Thibaut Courtois is set to start for Chelsea against Burnley on Monday night in the Premier League . Training: 22-year-old Courtois is 10 years younger than his Chelsea goalkeeper team-mate Petr Cech . Out? Cech looks set to be put on the substitutes bench against Burnley as Mourinho opts for Courtois . PETR CECH, 6ft 5in . Born: Czechoslovakia, May 20 1982 (32) 1999-2001: Chmel Blsany (27 league apps) 2001-2002: Sparta Prague (27) 2002-2004: Rennes (70) 2004-NOW: Chelsea (326) 2002-NOW: Czech Republic (107) HONOURS: . Chelsea: Premier League (3), FA Cup (4), League Cup (2), Community Shield (2), Champions League, Europa League . THIBAUT COURTOIS, 6ft 6in . Born: Belgium, May 11 1992 (22) 2009-2011: Genk (41) 2011-NOW: Chelsea (1) 2011-2014: Atletico Madrid (loan) (111) 2011-NOW: Belgium (22) HONOURS: . Genk: Belgian Pro League, Belgian Cup . Atletico Madrid: La Liga, Copa del Rey, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup . Cech, winner of three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and a Champions League with Chelsea, has not faced such a threat in his 10 years at the club. Courtois, though, is not considered your ordinary goalkeeper. The 6ft 6 Belgian - an inch taller than Cech for what it's worth - is regarded as one of the best in the world after helping Atletico Madrid win their first La Liga title for 18 years and, at 22, has plenty left to give. Being stuck between a rock and a hard place has never felt so good for Mourinho who, as blunt as ever, insists he can keep hold of his apparent second-choice goalkeeper. ‘We are Chelsea. We can have two of three best goalkeepers in the world at the club,' he said. 'We can. We are economically stable. We can have Diego Costa, Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres, so we can have Courtois and Cech. 'I can have Ramires, Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic and Oscar, yet I cannot have two top goalkeepers? I can. Chelsea can as a club, and I can as a manager.' The trouble is Cech may feel waiting to be brought back into the loop at the age of 32 is a battle not worth waging. As a result, Paris Saint-Germain have been circling Cech and Chelsea goalkeeeping coach Christophe Lollichon in anticipation of him being dropped. The Ligue 1 club remain open to a loan as it would see them meet UEFA's strict Financial Fair Play restrictions, although Monaco and Real Madrid are there to create competition. Mourinho, who ended Courtois's three-year loan spell in La Liga, told his squad the starting XI during training on Sunday and has certainly taken this - a 'problem every manager in every club would like to have' - in his stride. Insistent: Jose Mourinho believes he can keep both goalkeepers well satisfied at Stamford Bridge . Back: Mourinho was keen to end Courtois's three-year loan spell in La Liga to bring him home to England .
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Jose Mourinho set to pick Thibaut Courtois over Petr Cech in Chelsea's Premier League opener against Burnley at Turf Moor on Monday night .
6ft 6in Courtois and 6ft 5in Cech are competing for a regular starting place .
Mourinho insists he can juggle and keep both happy at Stamford Bridge .
Chelsea manager says competing for a place between the sticks is the same as other players fighting to start in defence, midfield and up front .
Courtois is not guaranteed place in starting XI at Burnley but is likely pick .
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Dallas (CNN) -- The far-reaching investigation into a "bounty" scandal is reverberating across the National Football League and threatens to tarnish the loveable image of the New Orleans Saints franchise. "It's going to be a huge scandal," senior Sports Illustrated writer Peter King told CNN. "This will give the NFL a chance to come down on something that's sort of been a whisper campaign and a shadow story for a long time." The NFL said as many as 27 players were paid up to $1,500 for vicious hits that would knock opposing players out of the game or force them to be carried off the football field. According to the NFL, players paid into a "bounty" fund, that reached as high as $50,000 and Saints' defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would dole out the payments based on game performance. On Monday, NFL security officials continued interviewing coaches and players across the league. According to NFL.com, league security officials met with Williams, who now works as the defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. Williams admits carrying out the cash-for-performance scheme. "It was a terrible mistake," Williams said in a statement to the Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans. "And we knew it was wrong while we were doing it. Instead of getting caught up in it, I should have stopped it." Many former players say "bounty" incentive programs have existed in professional football for a long time. Players, who question why this scandal is shocking so many fans, say football is a violent sport built around punishing your opponent. LaVar Arrington, a former Washington Redskins linebacker, now writes the "Hard Hits" blog for the Washington Post. Arrington said the best players in the history of football have always brought a "seek and destroy mentality" to the game. "So in a culture where it's an unwritten part of the game to get the best opposing player out of it, that's what players have done and still do to this day. The fact that there's such outrage appears to be a bit strange to me," Arrington wrote on his blog Monday. The NFL said the "bounty" program is a clear violation of rules intended to protect "player safety and competitive integrity." NFL commissioner Roger Goodell hasn't announced what kind of disciplinary action the league will take, but it's clear the punishment could include "fines and suspensions." The NFL said that in addition to Williams, sanctions could be brought against New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. Peter King: Goodell to make an example of Saints . The NFL statement said Payton was not a direct participant but "failed to stop the bounty program" after he was made aware of the allegations. Saints' general manager Micky Loomis could face harsh punishment as well. The league statement said Loomis was told by Saints owner Tom Benson to end the program and never followed through. Loomis also "denied any knowledge of a bounty program" according to the league statement. The "bounty" program investigation is also growing beyond the Saints' organization. The Washington Post reported the NFL is also investigating the Washington Redskins. Williams coached with the Redskins during 2004-2007 seasons. And Coy Wire, who played for Williams during his stint with the Buffalo Bills, told CNN he was interviewed by NFL security officials on Monday and questioned about "performance incentive" programs. Wire said Williams was one of the best coaches he's ever played for but got carried away and let the Saints' "bounty" program go too far. Wire is now a motivational speaker and worries about how this scandal will influence young kids learning to play football. "You want an edge mentally. You want to break your opponent's will to win. In football the best way to break their will is to break their body," Wire said. "We really have to figure out where to draw the line and what kind of rules and regulations need to be drawn up to make sure that nothing goes too far anymore so that we can make a safer game for future players."
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NFL: As many as 27 players took part in the "bounty" program .
Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams admits to paying for hits .
Williams: "We knew it was wrong while we were doing it."
Investigation grows to include Washington Redskins .
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By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 03:27 EST, 21 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 03:28 EST, 21 June 2012 . More than £5billion of revenue is 'at risk' because wealthy investors are ploughing money into film finance schemes to avoid tax, it emerged today. The partnerships can act as a big incentive for investors to support film projects, but also allow them to use any losses to offset taxes on other income. HM Revenue & Customs yesterday confirmed it was investigating 600 such schemes over concerns billions was being lost in tax revenue. Dodging tax: One investment scheme, which bought the rights to films including 1408 starring Samuel L Jackson, is helping 75 members avoid £18million in tax by switching their liabilities to Luxembourg, it has been claimed . The revelations came as David Cameron branded comedian Jimmy Carr 'morally wrong' for using a 'very dodgy' off-shore scheme to pay as little as one per cent income tax. After paying into a partnership tax-free, investors can take out a loan from the scheme – also tax-free. In theory the tax break is deferred until the partnership makes money, but some schemes offer the chance to avoid this. One film investment scheme called Terra Nova is helping 75 members avoid £18million in tax by switching their liabilities to Luxembourg, it has been claimed. One senior HMRC offical told The Times: 'Film schemes are a £5billion risk for us at least. 'Someone puts in money and then the film scheme promoter says "We're going to lend you ten times that"... so all you do is generate tax relief and make a shedload of money for nothing.' 'Very dodgy': David Cameron has branded comedian Jimmy Carr (right) 'morally wrong' for using an off-shore scheme to pay tiny amounts of income tax . However, the tax relief is only deferred as any tax saved in the first year is expected to be returned as the film partnership starts to make money in the following years. Terra Nova investors claimed about £22million in tax relief in 2006 after buying the rights to films including 1408 starring Samuel L Jackson for arund £48million. They were due to pay back £18million in the next tax year, but were offered the chance to 'retire' from the partnership and move all liabilities to a Luxembourg-based company. According to Alastair McEwan, of Rebus Solutions, which represents people who believe they were missold investment schemes, says, although legal, such exit schemes are systemic and could cost the Exchequer millions. Senior HMRC official . Terra Nova was set up by Tim Levy, the founder of Future Capital Partners (FCP). Lawyers for FCP said restructuring in partnerships could happen for various reasons and that it did not make decisions on behalf of its partners. Yesterday, Mr Cameron said revelations about the multi-millionaire comedian's tax arrangements suggested Mr Carr is undertaking 'straightforward tax avoidance'. The PM's extraordinary broadside came as it emerged Carr paid cash for an £8.5million house in one of London’s most fashionable areas. Speaking to ITV News during his trip to Mexico, the Prime Minister attacked wealthy people who use off-shore schemes to dodge big tax bills. He said: 'I think some of these schemes - and I think particularly of the Jimmy Carr scheme - I have had time to read about and I just think this is completely wrong. 'There is nothing wrong with people planning their tax affairs to invest in their pension and plan for their retirement - that sort of tax management is fine. 'But some of these schemes we have seen are quite frankly morally wrong.'
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HMRC investigating 600 partnerships which are placing £5bn of revenue 'at risk'
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(CNN) -- "The Borgias" are back for a second season and according to star Jeremy Irons we can expect even more nefarious plotting and lustful encounters. The 63-year-old actor has had a long career including an Academy Award for "Reversal of Fortune" and voicing the malevolent Scar in "The Lion King." He recently spoke to CNN about playing a pope and his not-so-secret vice. CNN: What can we expect this season? Jeremy Irons: You can expect a good ride, a naughty ride, a good ride. I think you can expect an even more exciting ride than last season. It's perkier; it's faster with a lot of surprises. CNN: When you first signed up, were you worried that it would be historical soft porn? Irons: No, because I know Showtime, I know Neil Jordan. I thought that we'd avoid that and I think we have. CNN: The show is like "The Sopranos" in the Vatican. Irons: I would say that's right. CNN: The characters are pretty venal. Irons: Yes life was more on the edge. Life was not valued quite as highly as it is today. People were used to fighting, people were used to dying. Death was much more a part of life than it is today. Children and women would die in childbirth. Men would die. The whole perception was different. CNN: You play a pope who has children. Would you be surprised if it was discovered that Pope Benedict has kids? Irons: Um, not particularly (laughs). CNN: Your voice is like catnip to the ladies. Irons: I don't think about it. You use what you've got! Before I was married I didn't sound like this because I didn't smoke so much. CNN: So smoking is good for actors? Irons: Well in truth, to be serious, I suppose it's not particularly good, but it does give me huge pleasure and allows me time for reflection. If I did yoga perhaps I wouldn't have to, but I don't. I go outside and have a smoke and I find those gaps in the hurly burly of the film world very useful. CNN: Is the cigarette accompanied by a cup of tea and a chocolate biscuit? Irons: Often (speaking with a full mouth). There's a chocolate biscuit in my mouth at the moment and a cup of tea but no cigarette. But there will be one in a minute. CNN: Your son Max ("Red Riding Hood") is gorgeous! Irons: That's very nice. He takes after his mother. CNN: I have little kids. I think I've seen "The Lion King" 30 times. Irons: There's something wrong with you. CNN: Do you get people coming up to you with your kids? Irons: I do and the kids sort of look at me so embarrassed. Scar is a lion on the screen for them. They stand there looking long suffering while their parents make me write them an autograph. CNN: What's your favorite movie? Irons: It's strange because it's always the experience of making it that's the great thing. Making "The Mission" was fantastic, making "Dead Ringers" was a great experience, making "Lolita" was a great experience. Making "The Borgias" is a great experience. We have a lot of fun, great crew, great cast, shooting in a fantastic city, Budapest. I get up and I'm really pleased to work and that's what I'll remember. In a way, it never has much actually to do with what the movie's like. CNN: Budapest is a beautiful city. Irons: I like the youth of the city and it has a slightly crumbly nature about it because they haven't quite got the money to finish everything off.
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Jeremy Irons plays Rodrigo Borgia, a Pope, in "The Borgias"
The actor voiced the malevolent Scar in "The Lion King"
"Making 'The Borgias' is a great experience, we have a lot of fun," Irons said .
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By . Sally Lee . The super-cuteness of Nemo, the beloved clownfish made famous in Pixar's delightful film Finding Nemo, is being used to highlight what Greenpeace says is a potential environmental disaster on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Greenpeace Australia Pacific has released a controversial advertisement which features a clownfish stuck swimming in a blender as part of its campaign to stop what it claims is a 'monstrous new mine' in Queensland, which will require a shipping terminal in the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. The 30 second video, which was uploaded on YouTube on Tuesday, has since gained more than 29,000 likes. Scroll down for video . Greenpeace Australia Pacific released their latest campaign to put a stop to port expansion near the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage by featuring beloved children's film character Nemo, from the Pixar film Finding Nemo . The 30 second ad protests against the pending approval of the Carmichael mine in Galilee Basin, western Queensland . The 30 second video, which was uploaded on YouTube on Tuesday, has since gained more than 29,000 likes . Finding Nemo opened to universal acclaim in 2003, earning US$936 million. The animation is based in Australian waters and begins with Nemo jumping from a fish bowl in a dentist's surgery and into Sydney Harbour. The Greenpeace clip begins with a close up on the little clown fish swimming around in what initially seems to be the ocean. 'Life for this fish was, quite literally, going swimmingly,' the video description reads. However as the camera pans out, it becomes evident that the clownfish is trapped inside a blender. The campaign is a protest against the approval of the Carmichael mine in the Galilee Basin, west of Rockhampton, in far North Queensland. The narrator of the footage explains that the new mine, owned by coal giant Adani, will require a shipping terminal in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area and threaten the lives of sea creatures like this clownfish. 'Right now a proposal to build the largest ever coal mine in Queensland threatens our Great Barrier Reef,' he said. 'How much will we destroy in pursuit of profit and power?' Ben Pearson, program director of Greenpeace Australia Pacific, says this was a fresh and confronting way of reminding people that threats to the Great Barrier Reef 'remain and are still very real'. 'It the biggest mine in Australia is approval by the Environmental Minister, about three million tonnes of sea-floor will be dredged and dumped into our Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area to make way for the new coal terminal,' he said. 'The clownfish has become iconic in our reef campaign.' The final scene ends with the sound of the blender being turned on, implying that Nemo has finally faced his fateful tragedy. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef . Greenpeace Australia Pacific says sea creatures of the Great Barrier Reef are under threat .
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Greenpeace have uploaded controversial activist video to YouTube .
The 30 second ad protests against the building of the Carmichael coal mine in Galilee Basin, in northwest Queensland .
The new mine will require a shipping terminal in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area .
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(CNN) -- Hillary Clinton got herself into a frenzy of controversy as a result of an interview with The Atlantic in which she took some shots at President Obama's foreign policy. Clinton said that "Don't do stupid stuff," an infamous off-the-record quote from the President, didn't cut it as an "organizing" principle in foreign policy. Although she had been relatively silent about her differences with the Commander in Chief, her comments triggered a firestorm from liberal Democrats who felt that this sounded like the same old Clinton, the politician who they had so disliked in 2008. President Obama's supporters fired back. David Axelrod rebuked Hillary through a tweet: "Just to clarify," he wrote, reminding people of her infamous vote authorizing the use of force in Iraq, "Don't do stupid stuff' means stuff like occupying Iraq in the first place, which was a tragically bad decision." Hillary called Obama to apologize for any harm her interview might have done the President and both attended a party in Martha's Vineyard, where Obama was having what CNN commentator Jeffrey Toobin called his "vacation from hell." It's not known if they did indeed "hug it out," as predicted. All of this comes at a moment that Clinton is trying to regain her footing following the difficult roll-out of her book, "Hard Choices," during which she made a number of comments, such as saying that she and her husband were "dead broke" upon leaving the White House, that offered fodder for her critics. Also, her lead in the polls over GOP rivals has narrowed. Opinion: Clinton, Obama both wrong . The most recent controversy over her differences with President Obama immediately sparked familiar concerns -- can Hillary Clinton win over the liberals in her party so that "the base" comes out in November 2016, should she decide to run? Can she prevent a primary challenge from a candidate like Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren who stands closer to the left's position on many issues? The tension between Hillary Clinton and the Democratic base is nothing new. Indeed, both Hillary and Bill Clinton have always been at odds with the more liberal members of their party as they have been insistent on crafting a more coalitional approach to winning elections. Back when he ran for president in 1992, Bill Clinton infuriated liberals with his "Sister Souljah moment" when he made disparaging remarks about the activist at a conference of Jesse Jackson's Rainbow coalition. During his presidency, his support for certain kinds of deregulation and market-based approaches to public policy, as well as decision to end the federal welfare program, generated considerable heat from stalwarts in the party. Hillary Clinton has made similar moves, particularly when she served as senator from New York and worked hard to build bipartisan coalitions. Most famously, her vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq in 2002 became a symbol of her alliance with the centrist wing of the party. Hillary Clinton won't be able to remake herself into something that she is not. Trying to reinvent herself as part of a presidential run just won't work. When Vice President Al Gore sought to do this in 2000, his speeches fell flat. And Hillary Clinton's extensive record in public office leaves too much of a paper trail for her to pretend to be someone else. Instead, Clinton needs to make a compelling argument to the Democratic base about why she, as opposed to any other member of her party, is the best choice to run for president. The most important argument that she will bring to the table is that she can be a fierce and aggressive partisan fighter. Following eight years when many Democrats feel that they have watched President Obama get beat up by Republicans on Capitol Hill, Democrats are going to want someone who can fight and fight hard. Ever since her famous statements about the "right-wing conspiracy" that aimed to bring down her husband, Clinton has demonstrated repeatedly that she has the stomach for the kind of brutal partisan warfare that defines Washington. While Democrats in 2008 were still looking for someone who could break through the bipartisan noise, now they are searching for a politician who can accept the reality of Washington and take on their opponents by flexing their partisan muscle rather than avoiding it. Clinton's emerging platform about economic inequality is also one that all Democrats should be able to embrace. In recent months, Hillary Clinton has been telling audiences and reporters that if she ran, fighting inequality would be the major theme of her campaign. The inability and unwillingness of the nation's leaders to address this issue has been one of the greatest sources of frustration for liberals. Both on ethical grounds -- meaning that the current economic situation is not something Americans should tolerate -- as well as for partisan considerations -- meaning Democrats have traditionally been the party that has been associated with taking on this problem -- the time is ripe for an agenda centered on this theme. If Clinton is as serious about the issue of inequality as she sounds in recent speeches -- such as the one she made to the New America Foundation where she promised that this would be her main focus in the coming years -- her embrace of the issue could blur divisions between her and some of her critics. She can continue to use this theme to highlight to the left and center that they have much more in common than their bickering suggests, especially in contrast to the Republican agenda. Gender inequality has also been an issue that keeps getting pushed to the sidelines. Although the government has made some progress on issues like gender discrimination in employment and pay equity, Hillary Clinton is a candidate who has been deeply committed to these issues throughout her career and who could promise to go much further than any president has before her. The rights of women and girls around the world is "the great unfinished business of the 21st century," she said at the Women in the World summit in 2013. Her victory in itself would be inspirational to the cause of gender equality, a watershed moment just like the election of the first African-American as president. While much of the left-center debate has revolved around how to deal with the power of Wall Street or how to use military power, gender equality can also serve as an issue to bridge the left and center. Opinion: Clinton dances between loyalty and self-interest . Finally, Hillary Clinton will need to talk more about the importance of internationalism to her foreign policy agenda as a way to highlight to the base that she is more than simply a "hawk." One of the great questions that came out of the Bush years was how much the United States should work in international alliances to pursue its goals. For the Bush administration, unilateralism was legitimate. Obama inspired many followers by insisting on a different way. As New York Times columnist Ross Douthat said about his policies in Libya in 2011, when Clinton was secretary of state, "the Obama White House has shown exquisite deference to the very international institutions and foreign governments that the Bush administration either steamrolled or ignored." He has not always lived up to those goals, as has been evident with the use of drone airstrikes. Regardless, overall the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton did stick to an internationalist strategy and she can make a commitment to this approach as a defining aspect of her vision. In the Washington Post, Aaron David Miller explained why foreign policy would not have been that different had Clinton won the presidency in 2008. Surveying all the hot button issues, such as Israel and Syria, he finds that the differences between them are exaggerated: "They both are transactors, not ideological transformers — smart, pragmatic centrists largely coloring inside the lines in a world of long shots and bad options. In other words, there's no need for them to 'hug it out' on foreign policy. Both parties have often succeeded when politicians find issues that can unite the different wings of their party. Historian Meg Jacobs (full disclosure: my wife) has shown that Franklin Roosevelt -- without remaking himself into a far-left Democrat -- championed policies to boost the purchasing power of industrial workers as an issue that could bring together the party. During the 1960s, LBJ did the same with health care for the elderly, while Ronald Reagan used tax cuts and anti-communism to achieve these goals in the 1980s. George W. Bush achieved a similar effect with the fight against terrorism following 9/11. Making peace with the Democratic base will be one of Hillary Clinton's greatest challenges if she is going to run for the presidency. Without trying to be someone she is not, Clinton must figure out how to make the case that the Democratic Party can stand united behind her. Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion.
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Hillary Clinton had to backtrack a bit on comments critical of Obama foreign policy .
Julian Zelizer: Hillary has had difficulty with the left, but can make strong arguments for 2016 .
Democrats will want someone, like Hillary, who can be a strong force vs. Republicans, he says .
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By . Hugo Gye . PUBLISHED: . 09:14 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:44 EST, 14 December 2012 . Two pagans were sentenced to more than a decade in prison today after being found guilty of abusing children in bizarre sex rituals as part of a witches' coven. Peter Petrauske and Jack Kemp were said to have worn ceremonial robes and pagan paraphernalia while they abused young girls in Cornwall during the 1970s. Police believe one of their victims may have been as young as three when the abuse started. The judge described the victims' experiences as 'nothing less than harrowing' as he condemned their 'utterly horrifying' crimes, sentencing Petrauske to 18 years in prison and Kemp to 14. Convicted: Peter Petrauske, left, and Jack Kemp, right, have been found guilty of sexually abusing young girls . The pair, aged 72 and 69, showed little emotion as they were led from the dock at Truro Crown Court and into custody. Petrauske, who described himself as the high priest of a white witches’ coven in St Ives, was convicted of one count of rape, one count of aiding and abetting an attempt to rape, and one count of indecent assault. Kemp was found guilty of indecent assault and indecency with a child. He was found not guilty of four other sexual offences, following more than 11 hours' deliberation. 'I am satisfied that you have both had a lifelong sexual interest in young female children,' judge Graham Cottle told the defendants during sentencing. 'You were two of the surviving members of a paedophile ring. Together with others whose names have been repeatedly featured in this trial, you were members of a ring that operated in the Falmouth area in the 70s and 80s. 'During the course of this trial some of the evidence in this case in relation to the offences committed against young children has been nothing less than harrowing - it has featured ritualistic sexual abuse of young children.' Guilty: Kemp, right, had denied the abuse claims and said he was not involved in pagan rituals at all . Witch: Petrauske has described himself as the high priest of a white witches' coven . He added that many of the pair's . victims had little prospect of recovering from their experiences and had . suffered years of emotional problems including flashbacks. The judge described their offences as 'utterly horrifying', say they were 'terrifying events' involving 'defenceless children'. 'Finally the truth about your lies and your undoubted propensities has caught up with you,' he concluded. The jury of nine men and three women are still considering their verdicts on several other sexual offences. Mr Cottle said he would accept a majority verdict on the remaining charges. Peter Solheim, with a large sword, performing a druid ritual at ST Merryn Stone Circle in North Cornwall, with Rose Parish, left, and an unamed woman, right . Deadly relationship: Peter Solheim, left, who was killed by his girlfriend Margaret James, right, was also believed to have been involved in the pagan sex crimes . Ritual: Solheim, centre, and James, right, performing a pagan ceremony at Merryn stone circle in Cornwall . The pair’s victims gave harrowing . evidence from behind a screen during the three-week trial. They said . they were abused by their tormentors, then given money and sweets to buy . their silence. In a dramatic twist, witnesses also . named murdered pagan Peter Solheim and notorious Cornish paedophile Stan . Pirie as among their abusers. Solheim . was a 56-year-old parish councillor whose body was found five miles off . the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall by fishermen on June 18 2004. He . had been drugged and mutilated by a machete or an axe, and his . girlfriend Margaret James was later convicted of conspiring to murder . him, though her accomplice was never discovered. Pagans: The jury at Truro Crown Court, pictured, heard from victims about the ritualistic sex abuse . The child abuse was only investigated . further by police last year when Kemp was arrested in connection with . another incident, causing rumours to spread around his home town of . Falmouth and prompting the alleged victims of the historic offences to . contact detectives. The other charges include indecent . assault and other sexual offences, and were believed to have been . committed much more recently. Petrauske was backed up by female . members of the coven who said that while children were occasionally . present, nudity never played a part in the ceremonies. One female friend . also described him as 'a gentleman'. Kemp denied any involvement in . paganism, saying it 'wasn't his cup of tea', and claimed he was the . victim of a bizarre conspiracy. He said the girls were wrong to name him . in the case. The jury have retired to consider verdicts on the remaining counts. The two men are set to be sentenced this afternoon. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Peter Petrauske and Jack Kemp were involved in pagan sex ring in 1970s .
Pair abused girls as young as three in bizarre rituals, according to police .
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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 05:51 EST, 14 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:09 EST, 14 December 2012 . Tragic: Bethany Adcock, 14, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was one of six girls at Meadowhead School experimenting with the sniffing craze . A 14-year-old schoolgirl died after inhaling fumes from a deodorant can in front of a friend in her room as she tried to get high, an inquest heard. Bethany Adcock, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire - one of six girls at Meadowhead School who were experimenting with the craze - inhaled for about 25 minutes before collapsing on her bed and rolling onto the floor, Sheffield Coroner’s Court was told on Wednesday. Her friend warned her that it could be deadly, but Bethany - who played football for the Sheffield United Community Ladies FC under-14s side - claimed she knew other girls who did it regularly and had done it at least twice before. She had been shown by another girl how to inhale to get high one month before she died in November 2011, with sniffing aerosol gas becoming a craze among pupils at her school. PC Mark Wilcock, who investigated Bethany’s death, said: ‘The common denominator is it had spread around a group at school. It is apparent this was not the first time Bethany had done it. ‘It seems to have been something done in the fairly recent past, but it was not her first time. She had done it at least twice before. She told her friend another girl had shown her how to do it roughly a month before the night in question.’ The girl who introduced Bethany to solvent abuse had herself been ‘caught red-handed’ by her own mother and had stopped, the inquest was told. The mother told the parents of another girl, who was also inhaling fumes, and she stopped too. But Bethany’s family was not aware she was involved. PC Wilcock said on the night she died, Bethany began rolling to the floor. Her horrified friend screamed for help, and Bethany’s distraught father Craig gave emergency first aid. Education: Meadowhead School is a 'satisfactory' specialist language college in Sheffield with 1,670 pupils . She was taken by ambulance to Sheffield Children’s Hospital, but was pronounced dead just over an hour after the alarm was raised. In the wake of the tragedy, the names of all children involved had been passed to their headteacher and social services. 'Her friend said: "Come upstairs quick, something really bad has happened to Beth". In pure fear I mounted the stairs three at a time and I found Bethany’s face ashen. Her eyes were as far as they could go in the back of her head. I knew we were in trouble, she was so limp' Craig Adcock . ‘We put measures in place to ensure appropriate education was provided,’ PC Wilcock said. ’We spoke to the headteacher and to a lady from social services and all the names we were aware of were provided to them. I know the school sent out a letter in the immediate aftermath.’ A post-mortem examination failed to find any reason for Bethany’s death other than traces in her blood of a chemical used in aerosol sprays. Pathologist Mudher Al-Adnani said solvent abuse can affect heart rhythms. He said the effect was ‘completely unpredictable’ - the same person could inhale one day without any effect, but do the same thing the next day and die. Craig Adcock, breaking down in tears at his daughter’s inquest, said: ‘It has destroyed me. No parent should have to go through this.’ Inquest: Sheffield Coroner's Court (pictured) was told that her friend warned her that it could be deadly, but Bethany claimed she knew other girls who did it regularly and had done it at least twice before . Reliving his battle to revive his daughter as she lay slumped on her bedroom floor, he said: ‘Bethany’s friend called down to us, a harrowing call , and her words still haunt me to this day. ’She said: “Come upstairs quick, something really bad has happened to Beth”. Meadowhead School is a mixed specialist language . college in Sheffield with 1,670 pupils. It was labelled 'satisfactory' in its last . Ofsted report earlier this year in March, which took place after Bethany's death in November 2011. The report also said it had ‘good systems in place to ensure . the safety of students’. The headteacher is Catherine James, who writes on the school's website: 'The school building opened in January 2007 and offers modern facilities with impressive technology.' ‘In pure fear I mounted the stairs three . at a time and I found Bethany’s face ashen. Her eyes were as far as . they could go in the back of her head. I knew we were in trouble, she . was so limp.’ Mr Adcock gave his daughter the kiss-of-life and did chest compressions while he and wife Michelle waited desperately for paramedics to arrive at their home and rush her to hospital by ambulance. ’I did everything possible to get some breath into her and to get a heartbeat,’ he said. Mr Adcock urged parents to lock up everyday household aerosol sprays away from their children. ‘Since that fatal day I have been disappointed with society in its perception of solvent abuse - most people my age believe solvents are glues and things like that,’ he said. 'This is a very tragic case indeed. Bethany had a great life ahead of her' Julian Fox, assistant deputy coroner . ‘I have spoken to dozens of parents and . kids, and some of Bethany’s friends, and they did not have a clue a . household spray can kill you like that. You should keep them under lock . and key with your bleach.’ Assistant deputy coroner Julian Fox recorded a verdict of death by misadventure. He said: ‘Bethany had acquired a practice of sniffing aerosols. She had acquired that practice from friends. She did it deliberately that night, she sniffed to inhale. 'But she certainly did not intend the sadly fatal consequences. This is a very tragic case indeed. Bethany had a great life ahead of her. I stress the unpredictability of this practice.’
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Bethany Adcock, 14, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, died in her bedroom .
Sheffield United FC player had been taught how to sniff aerosols by friend .
Father recalls 'harrowing call' from Bethany's friend when she collapsed .
Six girls were trying craze at Meadowhead School when death happened .
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Criticism: Education Secretary Michael Gove said some families make the wrong decisions and get into financial trouble . Families become so poor they are forced to turn to food banks because of their own ‘decisions’, Michael Gove has claimed. The Education Secretary argued that people who find themselves unable to buy essentials, including food and school uniforms have themselves to blame for being unable ‘to manage their finances’. The remarks were condemned by Labour and ‘insulting and out of touch’. More than half a million people across Britain have turned to food banks to stave off hunger, according to charities. Ministers have previously argued that a surge in demand has in part been fuelled by jobcentre staff being allowed to refer the unemployed to food banks for help. Cuts to benefits, frozen or falling wages and rising living costs have been blamed in part for some people struggling to make ends meet. Mr Gove was challenged over reports that one in four parents are having to borrow to pay for school uniforms and some food banks were distributing uniforms to struggling parents. He said he had recently visited a food bank in his Surrey Health constituency. But he suggested that many cash-strapped families have brought their problems on themselves. He added: ‘I appreciate that there are families who face considerable pressures. ‘Those pressures are often the result of decisions that they have taken which mean they are not best able to manage their finances. ‘We need to ensure that support is not just financial, and that the right decisions are made.’ Mr Gove was responding to a question from Labour frontbencher Luciana Berger who demanded to know ‘what more can he and his Government do to ensure that no students turn up to school embarrassed because they do not have the right clothes’. Demand: Charities say there has been a sharp increase in people turning to food banks, including this one in Southwark run by Felicia Boshorin . Labour seized on the response with Miss Berger saying she was ’appalled’ by Mr Gove’s comments. The Labour Liverpool MP said: ’People I have met are ashamed to have to turn to food banks. ’I vehemently disagree it is because they have mismanaged their finances. ’This Government has got no answer to the millions of parents that are really struggling to get by.’ Citizens Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy said: ’It is appalling to suggest the rise of food banks is due to poor financial management. Labour frontbencher Luciana Berger . ’It’s a smack in the face to families who are working hard but can’t make ends meet, leaving them with no other option but to turn to food banks to feed their families. ’These comments are completely misjudged.’ Chris Johnes, director of Oxfam's UK Poverty Programme, said: 'Thousands are now turning to food banks, but they do not so out of choice, they do so when they have nowhere else to turn. 'The staggering rise in the numbers of people using food banks is down to failings in the benefit system, too many low paid jobs and rising prices that are dragging huge numbers into poverty.' In May a report by Church Action On Poverty and Oxfam suggested up to half of those seeking help were doing so as a direct result of having benefit payments delayed, reduced or withdrawn. Other factors behind the increase on those using emergency help - the 'hidden hungry' - include rising food prices, unemployment and energy costs. But Energy Secretary Ed Davey told MPs that it was 'completely wrong to suggest that there is some sort of statistical link between the benefit reforms we're making and the provision of food banks'.
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Education Secretary says families are 'unable to manage their finances'
More than half a million people have turned to food banks, charities say .
Labour condemn minister's remarks as 'insulting and out of touch'
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Troubled country singer Mindy McCready is allegedly under investigation for any possible role she played in her live-in boyfriend’s shooting death, as new claims emerge that he was cheating on her and possibly threatened to leave her on the day that he died. The latest folds in the saga surrounding the death of McCready’s boyfriend David Wilson come as the National Enquirer alleges that he had been cheating on the singer and that brought out her jealous side. ‘David had been carrying on an affair . for many weeks before the shooting. When Mindy found out, it fuelled a . lot of very heated fights,’ an unidentified source reportedly told the magazine. Mourning: David Wilson, seen here with his country singer girlfriend Mindy McCready, was found with a gunshot wound on Sunday night and pronounced dead hours later . ‘The tension in their household became so unbearable that David packed up and left. He returned several days later to tell Mindy that he was going to leave her for good.’ Police in Heber Springs, Arkansas, have not said that there are any suspects in the case and their initial report on the shooting said that he died of wounds sustained by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In all previous reports, it was never clear if Mindy was in the house at the time that her beau shot himself on Sunday January 13, but in the Enquirer article, they allege that she was actually the one who made the 911 call. According to the magazine, she told investigators that she did not hear the gunshot because the volume on the television set was too loud and that the emergency operator even heard a man moaning in the background when she was making the call. In the business: Wilson ran Dave Wilson Productions and was also a songwriter . Picturesque: Wilson was found shot in the home he and Mindy shared on Fox Chase Road in Eden Isle neighborhood just off Greers Ferry Lake in Arkansas . Scene of the sorrow: David Wilson died at his Heber Springs home in an idyllic part of Arkansas . ‘There [seem to be] a lot of elements to the case that police feel simply don’t seem to add up,’ a source told The National Enquirer. He shot himself to death at the idyllic $180,000 home in Heber Springs, Arkansas, that they shared together. The revelations raise further questions as to why Wilson - with whom McCready had a son, Zayne, nine months - took such drastic action at a time when he appeared on the surface to be so happy. Close friends told MailOnline that they were clueless as to what could have gone wrong with a man they knew as ‘always in good spirits’. Troubled: Mindy McCready, 37, has waged a public battle with drug addiction since her career peaked in 1996 . Custody: Mindy had been fighting for custody rights over her elder son Zander (pictured) for years and allegedly was just awarded the landmark decision . The couple were reportedly in a good mood dating back to December because the troubled singer had finally been awarded custody of her elder son, Zander. McCready had taken her case to the Supreme Court which ruled in mid-December that she would be the sole guardian of five-year-old Zander, whom she had with her ex-husband. ‘Zander had come out of care and they were together. He was reunited with his mother. She was enjoying being a family,’ McCready’s spokesman Kat Atwood said. ‘Under the circumstances she is doing the best that she can. Her family are coming to her in Arkansas to make the final arrangements’.
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David Wilson, 34, was McCready's live in boyfriend and her 'soul mate'
Police told MailOnline that they were called to the scene and found the music producer had 'self-inflicted gunshot wound'
Wilson 'may have been having affair that caused McCready to be jealous'
National Enquirer says she was the one to call 911 .
Country singer said 'she couldn't hear the gunshot because of the TV'
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(CNN) -- A 35-year-old cold case in Texas came to an end this week when the skeletal remains of a body found in a drought-affected lake were determined to be that of a woman who went missing in 1979. A forensic anthropologist used dental records to determine the remains found last week in a pickup in Lake Granbury were those of Helen Holladay, the Hood County Sheriff's Office said in a news release. The vehicle identification number on the truck matched that of Holladay's vehicle. CNN affiliate WFAA reported the truck was just feet from the shoreline. Holladay was 45 when she went missing. WFAA said she disappeared after a fight with her husband, who is now dead. No one was charged in the case. Lt. Johnny Rose of the Sheriff's Office told CNN on Monday that authorities searched the lake for about one month in 1996. On Thursday, a Granbury city employee saw part of the truck sticking out of the water and called authorities. Hood County is just southwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Taken: The coldest case ever solved . Four decades later, mystery of two South Dakota girls is solved .
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For 35 years, what happened to Helen Holladay had been a mystery .
Last week, a truck containing skeletal remains was found in a drought-affected lake .
A forensic anthropologist used dental records to determine it was Holladay .
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f8af768c490ba4e0568785fa18cb31351e885244
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 21:55 EST, 13 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:11 EST, 14 May 2013 . A woman shot her friend in the leg accidentally while they waited for coffee at Starbucks. When Pamela Beck, from Pinellas Park, put her bags down to pay for her coffee on Saturday afternoon, a loaded gun she had forgotten about fired from her handbag. The bullet from the .25 caliber semi-automatic Titan handgun hit Amie Peterson, 38, above the knee as the friends waited in line at the Tyrone Square Mall Starbucks in St Petersburg, Florida. Friendly fire: Pamela Beck was at this Starbucks in Tyrone Square Mall, Florida, when she accidentally shot her friend Amie Peterson . Mike Puetz, a St Petersburg police spokesman, told The Huffington Post that when Ms Beck, 51, put her bag down it 'hit the ground hard', causing the gun to fire. The Florida woman, who police say does not have a concealed carry weapons permit, had been given the gun by her father about a year ago and did not mean to bring it out with her, Bay News 9 said. 'She had forgotten about it,' Mr Puetz said. Ms Peterson was taken to a nearby medical centre for treatment. The case has been referred to prosecutors. A spokesman for Starbucks told 10News: . 'The safety and security of our partners who are our employees and . customers is our top priority. We are aware of the accident that took . place and are thankful that nobody was seriously injured.' Concealed: Ms Beck had forgotten that the Titan .25 caliber handgun was in her handbag . She added: 'We wish those involved a speedy recovery and at this time we are working with local authorities and defer any specific questions on the investigation to them.' It is the latest in a series of accidental shootings this month. A three-year-old boy shot himself and died after finding his uncle's gun in a bedroom; a two-year-old girl in Kentucky was shot dead by her brother; and a six-year-old girl from Fort Lauderdale was seriously injured when her brother found a handgun.It is not the first time that a gun has fired accidentally from a woman's handbag in Starbucks. In 2011, the Associated Press reported on a girl whose gun went off in her bag, nearly hitting customers. The coffee chain has been criticised in the past by the anti-gun lobby for refusing to ban armed customers. American businesses are allowed to ban customers who are carrying guns, but Starbucks says that it respects local and state laws. In a statement on gun laws, released on its website in 2010, Starbucks said: 'The political, policy and legal debates around these issues belong in the legislatures and courts, not in our stores.' In 2010, 73,505 Americans had to seek emergency hospital treatment for gunshot wounds in 2010, according to figures by the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, a national group promoting smart gun laws. Recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show almost seven people are wounded by gunfire every 60 minutes in the U.S.
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Florida woman forgot loaded gun was in her bag .
Gun went off in Tyrone Square Mall, St Petersburg, at weekend .
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Creepy clown hoaxes have landed YouTube sensations DM Pranks a Hollywood feature deal, but that can wait - first the Italian reality horror outfit wants to terrify fans for Halloween. A new film by the team from Magione, Perugia, led by Matteo, replaces their brutal Bozo character, who duped passers-by into believing he was committing gory murders, with a spooky flesh-craving mutant character. With the star's costume made by Matteo’s grandmother and three of their six-man crew for the latest film his cousins, it’s a genuine family affair and can be watched here first on MailOnline. In one prank, the mutant slices through a model with an axe like a hot knife through butter . DM Pranks is coming up on 2.5 million followers on YouTube after they begun to upload the videos they’ve been making since college last July, and have amassed 380,000 Facebook fans. Hollywood came knocking and after a host of meetings with interested producers a deal was struck with Dallas Sonnier, of independent filmmakers Caliber Media, to make their first feature. ‘Over the past few months, I have been getting tonnes of emails and calls from production companies in Hollywood wanting to make a movie with me,’ Matteo says. '[We] developed a brilliant idea for a movie that I¹m going to do with his company.' Matteo aims to have a script ready to roll by next year which ‘will be scary, but in a fun way’. The new work shows the power of their pranks with the star of the show coming straight from the horror genre copybook. The costume that scares the pants off the general public was made by one of the filmmaker's grandmothers . A disfigured head, gnarly yellow teeth and dark cape ensure that when he emerges from the darkness armed with a range of weapons - including a pitch fork, scythe and a bow and arrow - the passing members of the public are duly scared out of their wits. In the most gory moment of the film, the mutant slices through a dummy with an axe to reveal fleshy insides as a couple walks by. ‘I will always work with my team to keep producing top-notch pranks,’ he says. 'People always like to see other people run for their lives. As a member of the public walks along a path, the mutant on the grassy knoll (right out of shot) fires an arrow . The big finale when the mutant appears to be feasting on a collection of corpses before a man arrives . Naturally, the man (to the right) screams help and makes a hasty escape from the cape creature . Their latest effort was 10-day filming project followed by 30 hours of editing. The tight team of six people along with Matteo. Executing a perfect prank is just part of the challenge for the DM crew, with police and the stars of their videos – the unassuming public – often standing in the way. ‘Many people won’t let us use them in the video and have called the police to make us erase the scene on the camera,’ says Matteo. In their new video Matteo said they were descended upon by six police cars and 15 officers after we filmed with the fake gun. The clown character features in a previous hit video, faking to smash a man's head in a car park with a mallet . The element of surprise is key, as two unknowing men walk around the corner and see the clown in action . The clown spooks a man at a petrol station pouring a mystery clear liquid on the ground around his car . ‘Sometimes we get scared, we had few violent reactions which for obvious reasons are not in any video,’ Matteo says. The mutant film stands among DM’s proudest products to date, says Matteo, as their increasing success means they can offer a higher quality of production. ‘This is one of my favourites,’ says Matteo. ‘I’m trying to move in another directions making the video look more cinematic and better quality.’
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DM Pranks landed a Hollywood deal after their clown horrors went viral .
Their new work features a mutant character spooking the general public .
The flesh-hungry mutant chases people with an axe and shoots an arrow .
During filming the crew were stopped by 15 police officers while using a fake gun in a scene which didn't make the final cut .
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(CNN) -- One of NASCAR's top drivers, Kurt Busch, is being investigated for domestic assault, Delaware police said Friday. The Dover, Delaware, police department issued a statement indicating its investigators first heard of the allegation at 2 p.m. Wednesday. "The department is still investigating the victim's claims and will not have any further comment on this matter in order to preserve the integrity of the case," police in the Delaware capital said. Busch's attorney, Rusty Hardin, said his client expects to be vindicated. "This allegation is a complete fabrication by a woman who has refused to accept the end of a relationship, and Mr. Busch vehemently denies her allegations in every respect," he said in a written statement. Details of the claim haven't been released. NASCAR races were held in Dover on September 27 and 28. Mike Arning, a spokesman for Busch's Stewart-Haas Racing team, said, "This is an allegation Stewart-Haas Racing takes very seriously, but we're still gathering all of the facts and are not in a position to comment in greater detail." NASCAR released a statement of its own, saying its officials are "aware of the investigation." "We recognize the seriousness of this matter and are actively gathering information from all parties, including law enforcement authorities and Stewart-Haas Racing," NASCAR said. Busch is ranked 14th in the NASCAR's Sprint Cup standing, though he is no longer in contention for this year's championship. He won the driving circuit's top prize in 2004. He is scheduled to race next in Sunday's Quickens Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Arizona's Phoenix International Raceway.
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NEW: Busch attorney says the allegation is a lie made up by a woman after a relationship ended .
Police in Dover, Delaware, say they learned of the allegation against Busch on Wednesday .
Police are now investigating this allegation, but haven't released any details .
Busch's team, Stewart-Haas Racing, takes the claim "very seriously," says spokesman .
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By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 05:03 EST, 1 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:42 EST, 1 August 2013 . A woman has been found dead in a lake at the University of East Anglia, police have confirmed. The body was found in the lake known as the UEA Broad shortly before 9am today at the university's Norwich campus. Police say that an angler, who is said to have been fishing for carp in the lake overnight, spotted the the body floating face down in the water. Cordoned off: Police found a body in a lake close to student residences at the University of East Anglia in Norwich this morning . Detectives say that initial inquiries carried out by the university have accounted for all students. A Norfolk Police spokesman said: 'Officers were called to the University of East Anglia shortly after 8.40am following reports a body had been found in a lake on the site. 'Emergency services are on scene and the area has been sealed off.' A tweet posted by the university a short time after the body was discovered read: 'UEA will be fully supporting the police with their inquiries.' A spokesman for the university added that there are no further details available at the moment. Emergency services are said to have taken the body from the site, which is popular with dog walkers and joggers, at around 11am. Scene: The lake is pictured at the top of an aerial shot of the UEA campus which is situated to the west of Norwich . Police would not comment on whether the incident was linked to swimming but a cordon was put in place around a small beach area. There are several no swimming signs at various points around the beauty spot. The lake area was quiet today but several people could be seen swimming and paddling in a nearby river. An angling competition was due to take place at the lake yesterday evening. The University of East Anglia has around 15,000 students enrolled on courses during term time. It is marking its 50th year as a university this year. The majority of students have left the campus for the summer holidays, but the university hosts a series of summer schools for students preparing to apply for university and an International Summer School for foreign students between terms. Graduation ceremonies and leaving balls were held at the university last month. The lake is normally open to members of the public.
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Police were called to the Norwich campus shortly before 9am today .
The age of the person involved has not been confirmed .
A tweet from the UEA said it is 'supporting police with their inquiries'
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f8b0e2b066174b42992b0c4dc96d3feefc19ffaf
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Samsonite is recalling 250,000 suitcases, including some sold through UK online stores, amid concerns about toxic chemicals. The move follows tests by a consumer group which found traces of a cancer-risk chemical in handles on the luxury bags. The recall relates to the Tokyo Chic brand, which is part of the American Tourister range. Recall: Samsonite products are displayed at a store in Hong Kong where the testing on the Tokyo Chic suitcases that has led to the recall was carried out . In Britain these cases are advertised . by specialist online firms such as bagsdirect.com and luggagehut.co.uk, . rather than high street outlets. Bagsdirect.com was selling a Tokyo . Chic expandable upright trolley case in black pearl print at £64.99 on . its website yesterday. A spokesman for the firm said Samsonite generally dispatches these and other designs from a large warehouse in Belgium. Samsonite, a US company, pulled the line from Hong Kong stores earlier this week to replace the side handles. Concern: Testing in Hong Kong, a popular shopping destination, detected the high level of cancer linked compounds . The move came after Hong Kong’s . Consumer Council reported that a sample it tested had levels of poly- . cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that were higher than recommended in . voluntary guidelines. The compounds are commonly found in . plastics, rubber and lubricating oil and it is possible that traces were . left during manufacturing, the council said. They have been known to cause cancer . and birth defects in animals. The council’s tests gave readings for the . compounds that were off the charts at 17,960 milligrams per kilo. Samsonite commissioned independent . tests from German and Hong Kong laboratories that showed levels were . ‘significantly lower’ than the council’s findings. Those tests found 17 . milligrams per kilo of the compound, said Ramesh Tainwala, Samsonite’s . Asia-Pacific and Middle East president. He said: ‘A human being has to eat 100 handles and then you have the probability of one in a billion chance of getting cancer.’ The Tokyo Chic suitcases are sold . mainly in Asia. Samsonite expects to spend £320,000 on the recall, which . involves 250,000 suitcases sold over the past three years. The company said it will take about a week to replace the handles on 30,000 cases still in stock. In Hong Kong, about 800 people have . contacted the company about the suitcases and about 240 have asked for . the handles on their bags to be replaced, Mr Tainwala said. Samsonite said there are no legal . guidelines for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The council used . guidelines set under a voluntary German scheme for its tests. British consumers who own a Tokyo Chic suitcase are being told that they should contact the retailer it came from for advice.
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Hong Kong consumer group found higher than recommended hydrocarbon levels .
Luggage maker moves to reassure customers about its Tokyo Chic case .
Samsonite expects the recall will end up costing $500,000 .
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f8b13bf1b641d391fa329f1e7e143501974aaaec
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(CNN) -- Jose Mourinho will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season, the nine-time European champion's president Florentino Perez announced at a news conference on Monday. By his own admission Mourinho, who won one La Liga crown and a Copa del Rey with Real after taking charge in 2010, has endured what he has called his "worst season" in management. "The club and manager agree that the timing is right to bring the relationship to an end," said Perez. "On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Jose Mourinho for all his hard work over the last three years." Mourinho will stay on for Real's remaining league fixtures, with an away trip to Real Sociedad on May 26 and a final home game at the Bernabeu on June 1 against Osasuna. Real will finish second in La Liga this year, trailing champions Barcelona by 12 points after 36 rounds. The parting of ways comes three days after Mourinho was sent off as Real lost the Copa del Rey final 2-1 to Atletico Madrid, a first defeat by their neighbors in 14 years. Real president Perez explained that the decision was a "mutual agreement", so paving the way for Mourinho to make a return to England's Premier League. "I know in England I am loved," said the Portuguese last month. "I know I am loved by some clubs, especially one." The 50-year-old has been heavily linked with a return to former club Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles and one FA Cup between 2004 and 2007. This year's Europa League champions will be without a coach on June 1, with the contract for interim manager Rafa Benitez expiring at the end of May. The decision to part ways via "mutual agreement" means neither Real nor Mourinho will have to pay one another millions of dollars in compensation had either of them broken the terms of their contract. After winning La Liga last year, Mourinho had signed a new four-year deal with the Merengues. The compensation package was believed to be a potential obstacle to his return to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich paid Mourinho and his coaching staff some $27 million after his contract ended early in 2007. Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti, who formerly led Chelsea himself, is rumored to be Mourinho's replacement. On Monday, Perez denied that any deal has been agreed to replace the former Inter Milan and Porto manager. "We have no pre-contract signed with any managerial candidate," he said. "It's something we'll have to look at in the coming days." Ancelotti confirmed on Sunday that he had asked to leave the French champions, while the club's Qatari owners suggested he already had an agreement in place with Real. Desperate to be crowned champions of Europe for a record tenth time, with their last success dating back to 2002, Real Madrid turned to Mourinho just days after he lifted the Champions League with Inter Milan, ending a barren 35-year run for the Italians. Yet the Portuguese was beaten in the semifinals of the competition each year with Real, who were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund last month. Without a trophy in the two years prior to his arrival, Mourinho did at least return silverware to the club - winning the Copa del Rey in his first season in charge. In 2012, he guided Real Madrid to their first league crown in four years and amassed a record tally of 100 points along the way, so eclipsing the previous best held by great rivals Barcelona. A new deal soon followed but matters soured this season as Mourinho clashed with several star players, notably goalkeeper Iker Casillas -- who was demoted from the first team in recent months -- Sergio Ramos and Pepe. During his 176 games in charge, Mourinho has led Madrid to 127 victories - losing just 22 games along the way.
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Jose Mourinho to leave Real Madrid at end of season .
Madrid president Florentino Perez says 'timing is right' to end relationship .
Real linked with Carlo Ancelotti while Mourinho is expected to take charge at Chelsea .
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f8b1408d212061503c04d30f02b43e6134302a76
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U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is worried about wholes that are greater than the sum of their parts. Take, for instance, the current mix of bomb-makers from Yemen with foreign fighters in Syria. "That's a deadly combination, where you have people who have the technical know-how along with the people who have this kind of fervor to give their lives in support of a cause that is directed at the United States and directed at its allies. And it's something that gives us really extreme, extreme concern," he told ABC's "This Week." He estimated there are about 7,000 foreign fighters in Syria, coming from places like Europe and the United States. "In some ways, it's more frightening than anything I think I've seen as attorney general," he said. "This is a situation that we can see developing and the potential that I see coming up, the negative potential I see coming out of the facts in Syria and Iraq now, are quite concerning," he said. Since it started in 2011, the conflict in Syria has left more than 150,00 dead and some 680,000 injured. Then there's the humanitarian crisis for the survivors, with the United Nations estimating that more than 9.3 million need help and that at least 6.5 million have been forced from their homes into other parts of Syria. Another 2.5 million are now refugees in neighboring countries. And threats from that part of the world aren't the only ones Holder has to worry about. He also fears potential attacks on planes. This month, the Transportation Security Administration said that security screeners at overseas airports may ask U.S.-bound passengers to turn on their electronic devices to prove they work and aren't explosive devices. They won't allow devices without power on board planes. The traveler may then undergo additional screening. It's part of an update to security measures aimed at combating potential new threats from terrorists in the Middle East and Europe. "This is not a test ... We're doing something in reaction to things that we have detected," Holder told ABC about the upgrades. "We are at a dangerous time," he said. U.S. attorney general urges new laws to prevent terror from returning fighters .
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Holder is concerned about a mix of bomb-makers and foreign fighters .
The U.S. attorney general talks to ABC's "This Week"
Recent security upgrades are "not a test," he says .
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f8b16788375d410ec5e2ade44b1a2bd167b9b288
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North Korea has no athletes at the Sochi Olympic Games, and skiing is not the first thing that springs to mind when thinking about the isolated nation. That's why tour operators are billing North Korea's luxury new Masik Pass as "the most exotic ski resort on Earth." Located in Kangwon province, the hotel and resort -- the only one of its kind in the country -- opened January 1 after a series of reported setbacks. Earlier this year, CNN Travel reported on the experience of one of the first visitors to the resort, Simon Cockerell, from Beijing-based Koryo Tours. More recently we spoke to another visitor, snowboarding journalist Jean Lee, whose video of her Masik trip is shown above. Surprised by the caliber of the equipment at the resort, Lee also notes that she got to chat to ordinary North Koreans -- because her government minders couldn't ski. Pyongyang made a failed bid to co-host the Summer Olympics when Seoul held the games in 1988. Who knows? Maybe Masik signals North Korea's intent to try again when its southern neighbor hosts the winter games in 2018. What follows is an edited version of our story on Simon Cockerell's visit to Masik earlier this year. Koryo Tours is one of the few foreign tour companies operating in North Korea. 'Fancy and comfortable' Cockerell found Masik Pass to be "fancy and comfortable." Along with 11 ski runs, there are 120 hotel rooms housed in two buildings, a swimming pool, bars, cafés, billiard tables, a karaoke room, a steam room and a dry sauna. Local tour guides speak English but don't tend to ski; for the large number of ski instructors, you'd need a translator. The resort is "clearly built for locals," Cockerell said, although it was expected to draw some foreigners coming with tour operators such as his own. "The number of local Korean skiers was a surprise, considering that [before Masik opened] there was just one ski slope in the country -- and in a very remote and hard to reach area," Cockerell said. At the time of writing, foreigners couldn't book at Masik Pass directly but would have to come with a group tour. Controversial construction . "We're aware of the controversies surrounding [Masik]," wrote Cockerell on the Koryo Tours blog. "It's a highly expensive construction project that many see as economically doubtful." The resort has been scrutinized abroad from conception to construction. Austrian and French companies declined to sell ski lifts to North Korea. Even the neutral Swiss refused, calling Masik a "propaganda project," according to the Washington Post. Masik's ski lifts were made in China.
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Snowboarder and journalist Jean Lee checks in at N. Korea's new luxury ski resort .
Masik, which opened on January 1, has 11 ski runs and a 120-room hotel .
Resort "built for locals" -- foreigners may come with tour groups .
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f8b18c8592030844ecfb10515562f3b787e556db
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Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev always acted like a 'bully' and a 'tough guy' at high school but appeared harmless, according to an ex-girlfriend he once allegedly slapped. Nadine Ascencao, 25, has spoken out about her relationship with the man who allegedly planted two bombs at the Boston Marathon last week, killing three people and injuring more than 180. Despite this heinous crime and a disturbing pattern of verbal and physical abuse towards women, Ascencao has claimed the man she once lived with did not appear to be capable of 'anything major'. 'He was a little tough guy, but I thought that was it,' she told the Wall Street Journal. 'In high school, everybody acts like that. Like a bully guy, you know?' 'Bully': Suspected Boston bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, pictured at boxing matches, was a 'bully' and a 'little tough guy' when he was at high school according to his former girlfriend . 'He was just like a normal person that sometimes like wanted to scare kids in high school but that was it.... He was a little tough guy, but I thought that was it.' Despite her claims, Ascencao was once allegedly the victim of Tsarnaev's temper; police records show she was the woman who accused him of slapping her on July 28, 2009, The Journal reported. She refused to speak to The Journal about the incident, but records show she told police he had slapped her in the face during an argument over another woman - presumably Katherine Russell, whom he met at a club that year and went on to marry in 2010 - at his home in Cambridge. She was 'crying hysterically' and called . 911 to report that she was 'beat up by her boyfriend', Cambridge Police . Officer Angela Pereira wrote in the arrest report. 'Abuse': Tsarnaev allegedly once slapped the woman around the face during an argument in 2009 . He admitted to slapping her and was . arrested on charges of assault and battery, the complaint said. The . charges were dismissed before trial. While Ascencao would not say when she dated Tsarnaev or for how long, records also show they lived together for a short time at an apartment on Norfolk Street. Ascencao added to The Journal that she was 'disgusted' by his alleged part in the deadly bombings. When she learned he had died, 'I didn't even cry or anything', she said. Ascencao's neighbors said FBI agents visited her home early on Friday morning to clarify the relationship she had with him. The agents left three hours later and briefly returned in the afternoon. Wife: He was married to Katherine Russell, pictured at school, 11 months after the complaint . Wife: The suspected bomber went on to marry Katherine Russell, who became a Muslim at his urging . Summer 2006 Tamerlan Tsarnaev graduates Cambridge Rindge & Latin School, where he met Nadine Ascencao . 2009 While a student at Boston's Suffolk University, Katherine Russell meets Tsarnaev at a nightclub after they are introduced by a girl friend. Russell's lawyer, Amato DeLuca, said Tsarnaev was seeing another woman at the time. 'They went out for a while, and then they stopped and then they went out again,' she told Newsday. July 2009 Nadine Ascencao calls police to claim she was 'beat up by her boyfriend' after he allegedly slapped her across the face during an argument about another woman . Spring 2010 Russell, who has fallen pregnant with Tsarnaev's child, drops out of college in her senior year. She gives birth to their daughter Zahara, who is now three, and converts to Islam . June 2010 Russell and Tsarnaev marry in a ceremony in Dorchester . Around 11 months after the alleged slapping incident, Tsarnaev, 26, married his wife, Katherine Russell. She has not spoken publicly since Tsarnaev's death early Friday in a shootout with police. But three of Russell's friends told National Public Radio's Laura Sullivan that Tsarnaev would often insult Russell and call her names, such as 'slut' and 'prostitute.' He was known to fly into into fits of rage where he would throw objects at Russell, including furniture, friends said. Sometime around 2008, his erratic and violent behavior escalated as he stopped smoking and drinking and suddenly became heavily involved in Islam. He met Russell in 2009 while at a nightclub and her lawyer, Amato DeLuca, said he was dating another woman at the time - presumably Ascencao. However, 'they went out for a while, and then they stopped and then they went out again', DeLuca said. In Spring 2010, Russell dropped out of college after falling pregnant with his child. They now have a three-year-old daughter Zahara, indicating the little girl was born before their June 2010 wedding. Around that time, he demanded that Russell, born a Christian, convert to Islam - and she complied. Getaway: She is leaves a law office in . Rhode Island on Tuesday after releasing a statement expressing her deep . mourning for the victims and her shock when she heard of the . allegations against her husband . Support: Russell, who married Tsarnaev in 2010, is seen walking to a car with her lawyer on Tuesday . Killed: Tamerlan, right, with his brother Dzhokhar, died after a stand-off with police in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing . Despite their tumultuous, on-again, off-again relationship, the couple married on June 21, 2010. Judith Russell, her mother, read an emotional statement to the media outside the timber-framed detached family home. ‘Our daughter has lost her husband today, the father of her child,' she said. 'We cannot begin to comprehend how this horrible tragedy occurred. Our hearts are sickened by the knowledge of the horror he has inflicted.’ She added: ‘In the aftermath of the Patriots’ Day horror, we now know that we never really knew Tamerlan Tsarnaev.’
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Nadine Ascencao, 25, said Tsarnaev 'was a little tough guy' in high school .
In 2009, he 'admitted slapping her during an argument about another woman', police records show - but the charges were dropped .
Ascencao said she never believed he was capable of anything 'major'
Friends say he had a pattern of verbal abuse and violence towards women .
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Barefoot and sitting cross-legged on the floor, Samantha Cameron is listening to mothers telling stories about their children. But in this mothers’ group, the tales are of grief, fear and terrible loss. They are some of the most shocking stories she has ever heard. On her first solo foreign trip, the Prime Minister’s wife and mother of three travelled to Lebanon to meet families torn apart by the crisis in Syria. Scroll down for video . Tragic stories: Samantha Cameron talks to a girl who saw her uncle being killed in the street in Syria and helped to bring his body indoors, and her aunt, who was travelling in a car out of Syria when a sniper shot at her car and killed her baby son . Tour: Samantha Cameron walks with Justin Forsth, CEO of Save the Children, through a refugee settlement in Lebanon, close to the Syria border . After visiting refugees, the woman who . rarely makes public pronouncements warned that innocent childhoods were . ‘being smashed to pieces’ in the conflict. Mrs Cameron said: ‘As a mother, it is . horrifying to hear the harrowing stories from the children I met today. No child should ever experience what they have. ‘With every day that passes, more children and parents are being killed, more innocent childhoods are being smashed to pieces.’ Mrs Cameron, who has been an . ambassador for Save the Children since 2011, visited a camp in the Bekaa . Valley on Tuesday and spoke to women and children caught up in the . violence. Traumatic: The mother of three meets a Syrian mother whose baby is suffering from a broken leg in a refugee settlement in Lebanon . Shocking: The Prime Minister's wife said she was horrified by stories she heard from those caught up in the violence during her visit to Lebanon . Visibly emotional after speaking to a . mother whose young son was killed by a sniper in front of her other six . children, she said: ‘It’s so shocking. It’s difficult to take in. ‘Her three-year-old son was shot by a . sniper at a checkpoint – a sniper aiming at a car full of seven . children. I mean, it’s just … you just can’t imagine why that could . happen.’ The grieving mother had told Mrs . Cameron: ‘I was driving with my children, trying to escape Syria, when . the shooting started. How can anyone shoot at a car with seven children . in it? 'They shot my baby and he died. His . brothers and sisters saw this happen.’ At a health clinic at the camp, . Mrs Cameron held the hand of a little disabled boy. Because of constant . shelling and sniper fire, his mother struggles to find healthcare for . him.' An estimated three million people have . fled their homes in Syria. One million have made it to neighbouring . countries but two million are trapped in the warzone. Save The Children chief executive . Justin Forsyth, who accompanied Mrs Cameron, said: ‘Samantha Cameron’s . support helps draw attention to the plight of children caught up in this . terrifying conflict. Without more help , and quickly, we risk losing a . generation of Syria’s children.’ Scared: Samantha Cameron meets a mother and her disabled son in a Save the Children supported health clinic in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, close to the Syria border. The mother struggled to care for her son inside Syria after the shelling destroyed local hospitals, and shooting made it too dangerous to venture outside . Rehabilitation: The PM's wife meets Syrian refugee children at one of Save the Children's specialist centres in Lebanon, close to the Syria border. The centre helps children to overcome trauma, and supports children to cope with the distressing scenes they have witnessed inside Syria . The Prince of Wales has made a significant donation to the British Red Cross Syria Crisis appeal, the organisation said today. Charles has recently returned from a trip to the Middle East where he visited a refugee camp in Jordan which was home to hundreds of Syrians who have fled the fighting in their homeland. The donation from the prince, who is president of the British Red Cross, will be split between the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the Jordanian Red Crescent. Charles has also made a donation to the DEC Syria appeal to boost aid for the refugees. A Clarence House spokeswoman said: 'Earlier this month, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall learned first-hand about the plight of Syrian refugees when they visited the King Abdullah Park refugee camp in Jordan. 'During their visit they heard directly from some of the refugees about the terrible situation in their country, and they were especially moved when told of the traumatic experiences so many children had been through before and during their flight from the conflict in Syria.'
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Samantha Cameron was on a visit to Lebanon as an ambassador for Save the Children .
Prime Minister's wife said she was .
horrified by stories she heard from those caught up in the violence .
The number of refugees has increased from 1,000 a day at the beginning of the year to over 8,000 a day .
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(CNN) -- The number of people who have fled Syria and registered as refugees amid the country's civil war was to surpass 3 million Friday, and a further 6.5 million are believed to be displaced within the war-torn nation, the U.N. refugee agency said. That means almost half of all Syrians have been forced to leave their homes amid the roughly three-year conflict, and one in eight has fled across the border, the agency said. In terms of scope and budget, the U.N.'s effort to help the Syrian refugees is the largest in the agency's 64-year history, spokesman Adrian Edwards said. "The Syrian crisis has become the biggest humanitarian emergency of our era, yet the world is failing to meet the needs of refugees and the countries hosting them," Antonio Guterres, the U.N. high commissioner for refugees, said in a news release Friday. The data come a week after the U.N. said it had documented the killings of 191,369 men, women and children in Syria from March 2011, when an uprising began, to the end of April this year. The uprising began with mostly peaceful protests against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Daraa province. Syria responded with a ferocious crackdown against demonstrators and has consistently said it is battling armed terrorist groups as it targeted anti-government protesters. The war, pitting an Alawite Muslim-dominated regime against a largely Sunni Muslim insurgency, has torn the country apart. Numerous factions, some of them Islamist, oppose the government, and one of them -- ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria -- has captured large swaths of northern and eastern Syria for what it says is its new Islamic caliphate. Refugees "are arriving in a shocking state, exhausted, scared and with their savings depleted," the U.N.'s refugee agency said. "Most have been on the run for a year or more, fleeing from village to village before taking the final decision to leave." Most of the refugees are in countries neighboring Syria, including Lebanon (1.14 million), Jordan (608,000) and Turkey (815,000). Governments estimate that hundreds of thousands more are in their countries but unregistered, putting a strain on their economies, the U.N. said. Donors have given more than $4.1 billion to help, but more than $2 billion more is needed by the end of 2014, including to help more than 2.4 million people prepare for the winter, the U.N. said. More than 80% of the refugees are struggling to make a living in communities outside of camps, and more than a third are living in substandard shelters, the U.N. said. "The response to the Syrian crisis has been generous, but the bitter truth is that it falls far short of what's needed," Guterres said. In far southwestern Syria, near the border crossing with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, militants detained 44 U.N. peacekeepers from Fiji for a second straight day on Friday, the United Nations said. These peacekeepers "are safe and in good health," the United Nations said Friday, citing "credible sources" since its officials had not yet talked directly with those being held. The United Nations said militants detained the peacekeepers on Thursday, a day after taking the crossing from the Syrian regime. Those holding the peacekeepers are members of the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, one of the groups fighting the al-Assad government, an Israeli military official told CNN on condition of anonymity. In addition, 72 U.N. peacekeepers from the Philippines were "restricted to their positions" Thursday and Friday near Syrian villages in the area, the organization said without elaborating. The United Nations has said it is talking with a variety of groups to try to secure the detained peacekeepers' release. The world body revised the number of detained and restricted peacekeepers Friday from its earlier count of 43 and 81, respectively. The new count, it said, came after a check of the peacekeepers' leave records. The Fijian peacekeepers were detained Thursday morning near the Syrian town of Quneitra, the location of the border crossing that rebels had captured, according to the United Nations. Al-Nusra Front fighters and other Syrian rebels seized control of the Syrian side of the Quneitra crossing Wednesday, a capture that represents a new dynamic in a war long feared not only for its deadly effects inside Syria but for threatening to widen into a destabilizing regional conflict. During the fighting Wednesday between Syrian forces and rebels, three errant mortar rounds and some small-arms fire crossed into Israeli-controlled territory, Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said. An Israeli military officer was moderately injured, the military said on Twitter, and Israeli forces responded by striking two Syrian military positions. U.N. peacekeepers have been in the Golan Heights area since 1974, charged with maintaining a ceasefire between Syrian and Israeli forces since a 1973 war. Israel seized control of the Golan Heights during the 1967 Six-Day War and fought off an attempt by Syria in 1973 to retake the rocky plateau. In 1981, Israel annexed the Golan Heights. It is considered to be occupied territory by the international community. CNN Exclusive: A 13-year-old witness to ISIS's beheadings . What can U.S. do against ISIS in Syria? CNN's Richard Roth contributed to this report.
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NEW: U.N.: 44 peacekeepers seized near Golan Heights "are safe and in good health"
U.N.: 3 million have left Syria during civil war; 6.5 million others are internally displaced .
Almost half of all Syrians forced to leave their homes, agency says .
More than 80% of refugees are struggling to make a living, U.N. says .
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Washington (CNN) -- A federal judge from Montana and the dean of Harvard's law school are among several names being added to the short list of potential nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, a government source said. Sidney Thomas, a 14-year veteran on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, is being vetted by the White House, said the source, who has been regularly consulted in the selection process. Two women who were not on other published lists of potential candidates are now being seriously considered. Harvard Law school dean Martha Minow has been on the school's faculty since 1981. And Elizabeth Warren heads the Congressional Oversight Panel, which reviews government efforts to boost the shaky financial and private investment sector. Neither woman has judicial experience. Sources close to the selection process said the new names represent an effort to expand what had been a short list of candidates, many of them left over after last year's court vacancy was filled by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Some White House officials have been urging the president to expand the list of possibles to include more non-judges and people with different backgrounds and from other regions of the country. All the current justices except the retiring John Paul Stevens are Ivy League law school graduates. Thomas, who is white, was born in Bozeman, Montana, in 1953. He is little-known and has attracted little fanfare beyond the San Francisco, California-based court, which is considered the most liberal among the nation's 13 appeals courts. Among rulings he authored was a 2006 decision in Nadarajah v. Gonzalez, in which Thomas concluded that the government illegally detained Ahilan Nadarajah for four years while the Justice Department appealed a grant of asylum. The man is a member of the Tamil ethnic minority and asserted that he was tortured and persecuted by members of the Sinhalese majority. Minow is the daughter of former Federal Communications Commission head Newt Minow. She clerked for former Justice Thurgood Marshall. In her mid-50s, Minow replaced as dean the woman considered near the top of potential high court nominees, Elena Kagan, now solicitor general. Warren is also a Harvard law professor. She has been a regular on the talk-show circuit, including CNN, to discuss the economy's effect on families. The Oklahoma native has also co-authored two books with her daughter. One name mentioned by some analysts for years as a potential blockbuster choice has been all but ruled out for consideration. Supporters of Hillary Clinton have long touted her credentials, but White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Monday that the president "thinks Secretary Clinton is doing an excellent job as secretary of state and wants her to remain in that position." The White House has given no indication when Obama will name a successor to Stevens, who announced Friday that he will retire this year. Stevens has been on the high court nearly 35 years and leads the four-justice liberal bloc.
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Appellate judge, Harvard law dean, Harvard professor among possibles .
Sources say White House attempting to look beyond last year's candidates .
Justice John Paul Stevens announced his retirement last week .
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EXCLUSIVE By . Ted Thornhill . and Mark Duell . Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment a £300,000 Lamborghini crashed in London - with the supercar taking off on impact as it clips a car that pulled out in front of it. The deafening sound of the Lamborghini Aventador's V12 engine is heard as a Mazda 2 pulls out onto the road. At this point, the 217mph supercar comes into frame and hits the Mazda, the force lifting off the ground. Scroll down for video . Lift off: Dramatic footage has emerged of the moment a £300,000 Lamborghini crashed in London and it shows the supercar leaving the ground as it scraps between two cars . Scraping by: The Lamborghini clipped the Mazda (on the far right) and narrowly missed a Nissan parked on the left . Road to nowhere: The incident began when the Mazda pulled out in front of the supercar . Second impact: The Aventador swerved into a parked BMW before coming to a rest . Damage: The Mazda was lift with a buckled front left wheel and a broken wing . Instagram/tombadier . In a split second the young driver loses control of his exotic motor and hits a stationary BMW 3 Series before coming to a halt. A passerby then rushes over to the passenger's side (right-hand side) and opens the door to help a young lady out of the car. The driver then gets out to see parts of his 700bhp Lamborghini strewn over Sloane Street in Chelsea. The . accident, which happened on Sunday afternoon, was filmed by stunned . onlooker Thomas Melsens and obtained by the supercar website Shmee150. Thomas . said: ‘I heard the Lamborghini coming so I started recording but this . was the absolute last thing I ever imagined I would end up witnessing.’ Concern: A passerby checks to see if the occupants are okay after the car came to a rest in the middle of the road . Intrigue: A passing taxi driver peers at the car as it sits in the road with its wing doors open . Crashed: The owner of this £300,000 Lamborghini Aventador was left with a badly damaged supercar after he was involved in a three-car smash . Damaged: The crash also involved a BMW and a Mazda but it was the matte black motor which attracted the attention of onlookers in Knightsbridge . Sad sight: The car was turned into a depressing wreck yesterday afternoon after suffering serious frontal damage with bits of its bodywork strewn all over the road . Response: Police were called to the scene at 4.20pm on Sloane Street in Central London. No arrests were made and nobody was injured . No one was injured in the accident, which left one the road in one of London's poshest areas shut for up to one hour. The BMW involved is owned by art consultant Lila Afshar, who returned from a Mother’s Day lunch with her two daughters to see the crash wreckage. She told the London Evening Standard: ‘We showed up about three hours after the incident and there was a letter on the windshield. ‘The Lamborghini was being towed away and the owner came up and explained what had happened. He was really apologetic about it.’ Recovery effort: The Metropolitan Police closed the road in Central London in both directions for almost an hour following the crash . Impressive model: The Lamborghini Aventador is powered by a 6.5-litre V12 engine which develops a staggering 700bhp . Crushed: It will normally accelerate from 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds and go all the way to 217mph - more than three times the speed limit on motorways . Location: The crash happened outside the home of Lalit Kumar Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League, who tweeted about the accident . Paul Wallace, from motoring enthusiasts’ website the Supercar Scene, said he saw the smashed-up car shortly after the accident. ‘I got a call to say someone had reported the Lamborghini crash on Sloane Street. This car is known in London but I had never seen it before. 'From YouTube videos he enjoys to drive it fast and rev the engine to create exhaust flames. ‘It's a very nice example of the Aventador so I wonder whether we'll see it on the road again. ‘The owner seemed young and was with a group of friends after the crash who all seemed relaxed bearing in mind the wreckage on the road. ‘I have never seen a Lamborghini in such a bad way, and couldn't really believe my eyes or ears when I heard about this crash.’ Upmarket area: Dozens of people stopped to take photographs of the wreckage, outside high-end shops on Sloane Street in Central London . Potentially hefty repair bill: The driver was breathalysed and his car was loaded onto the back of a lorry to be driven away . Obersvations: The owner was young and 'with a group of friends after the crash who all seemed relaxed bearing in mind the wreckage on the road', a witness said . Taken away: Paul Wallace, from motoring enthusiasts' website the Supercar Scene, saw the smashed-up car shortly after the accident . At night: The £300,000 top-end vehicle has been filmed being driven aggressively in the past with flames firing out of its uprated exhaust (pictured) The crash happened outside the home of Lalit Kumar Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League, who tweeted about the accident. The Metropolitan Police closed the road in both directions for almost an hour. No arrests have been made following the crash. Minutes before the smash, the car was filmed being driven aggressively by its owner. The driver was breathalysed and his car was loaded onto the back of a lorry to be driven away. The Lamborghini Aventador is powered by a 6.5-litre V12 engine which develops a staggering 700bhp. It will accelerate from 0-62mph in just 2.9 seconds and go all the way to 217mph – more than three times the speed limit on motorways.
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Video shows the exotic car clipping a Mazda that pulled out in front of it and momentarily leaving the ground .
Vehicle has been filmed being driven aggressively in the past with flames firing out of its uprated exhaust .
Parked BMW and Mazda 5 worth a fraction of the price also involved in the accident on Sloane Street .
Lamborghini apparently involved in collision with Mazda, with the supercar then hitting stationary BMW .
Dozens of curious bystanders surrounded Lamborghini to take pictures and film badly-damaged matte black car .
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f8b492e2862c230d4133dba5192f593a53a1fda1
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There is possibly one rugby ball in the entire building, but Brian O’Driscoll manages to find it and cradle it in his arms for the whole interview. Here is a man who has spent most of his life with a ball in his hands — developing such a natural connection that it has almost become a fifth limb. As a player, he relied on guile and sleight of hand. These are traits that, he believes, are becoming devalued in a changing arena where junior players spend more time lifting weights than honing their skills. There is a diminishing marketplace for ‘spindly little kids’ — the words used to describe O’Driscoll when he arrived at his first Ireland training session in 1999 — but the Irishman believes it is time to restore some old-fashioned values. ‘I was exposed to the gym at about 28,’ joked O’Driscoll. ‘I never had a huge love or appetite for it — it was just a means to an end. I get burnt in the sun, so there’s no point me getting pecs for when I take my shirt off in the summer. Brian O'Driscoll thinks there is too much emphasis for younger players on to do well in the gym . The Irish rugby legend fears that learning the finer arts of the game is second behind performing in the gym . ‘In more recent years I got into it because it was a necessary evil. You have to adapt. You have to get a passion for it, but I don’t just know if that balance is there at the moment. ‘I never loved doing weights the way these young guys do. Their technique is phenomenal but it’s as if they’re winning if they have great scores in the gym. They’re not . . . they’re rugby players. ‘I’m not privy to the English set-up but at the academies in Ireland there is a huge focus on the weights room, as opposed to whether they can throw a 10-metre pass on the run. They should be rugby players becoming athletes, not athletes becoming rugby players.’ The team culture in English rugby encourages players to strive to be top of the charts in the players’ room. It becomes a machismo contest to see who has the highest one-rep maximum on the bench-press or the Olympic squat. O'Driscoll retired from international rugby earlier in 2014 after helping Ireland win the Six Nations . The 35-year-old has been working as a pundit for BT and will do so for the upcoming Six Nations . Size matters, but amid a growing chorus of concern, O’Driscoll believes the obsession is only serving to widen the gulf in class between northern and southern hemisphere teams — with the All Blacks setting the standard. ‘I don’t think the gym monkey thing applies to them as much as it does over here,’ said O’Driscoll. ‘They have farmer strength. The Polynesian guys are pretty strong without going to the gym. ‘In New Zealand, they focus way more from an early age on skills. They do everything with a ball. They do all their fitness work with a ball and that’s why they have better skill levels. They have the balance; they have that physicality but they are able to mix their game up.’ With a strong Pacific Island core, many of the All Blacks are blessed with natural strength — Julian Savea and Sonny Bill Williams are both of Samoan descent. O'Driscoll backs New Zealand to retain their crown and win the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England . England suffered defeats by both South Africa and New Zealand at Twickenham in the autumn internationals . O'Driscoll at a rugby event in east London . A clean sweep of victories on their European tour was rewarded with a new deal for coach Steve Hansen and the Kiwis reinforced their position as favourites to win next year’s World Cup. England and Wales both failed to shoot down the world champions, but focus now turns towards the Six Nations, which kicks off on February 6. O’Driscoll’s involvement will be as a pundit. He missed just one Six Nations campaign between 1999 and 2014, so it is natural that he still has the occasional pang to be involved. Ireland were expected to struggle after their talisman’s retirement but fared best out of the home nations during the autumn internationals. O’Driscoll says that New Zealand will win the World Cup, but he is not so decisive when asked about his country’s credentials to win the Grand Slam. ‘Ireland are the form team and England look as though they took a step back in November,’ he said. ‘I think it will be the most open Six Nations for years — but I can’t see anyone winning the Slam. I don’t think Stuart Lancaster has been able to pair up people he would have liked to, particularly with Manu Tuilagi being injured. You would imagine that he’ll now back George Ford at fly-half going into the Six Nations. ‘I think a really good foil for Ford would be Kyle Eastmond and Manu. I think they could complement each other really well. I also really like Jonathan Joseph and Luther Burrell — who can play plenty for a big man — but I’d probably go with Eastmond.’ The former centre thinks Ireland are the form team heading into the Six Nations in February . England’s midfield puzzle remains unsolved. The November Tests provided more questions than answers and Tuilagi is being heralded as the solution to Lancaster’s soft centre. Like the Polynesian All Blacks, the Leicester man also has roots in the Pacific Islands. He is England’s most naturally powerful player and has the potential to spark huge collisions in the contact area. O’Driscoll, a healthy-lifestyle ambassador for Coca-Cola, would never shirk a tackle on a player such as Tuilagi, but admits he is concerned about the long-term impact of the ever-increasing physicality. Last season’s England Under 18 side were, man for man, heavier than the senior England side who reached the 1991 World Cup final. This has a direct impact on the risks of concussion and O’Driscoll’s family have been at the forefront in raising awareness of head injuries. O'Driscoll took part in a surprise rugby session with teens in east London ahead of the Rugby World Cup . ‘It was not something we sat and talked about over Sunday dinner,’ said O’Driscoll, who suffered a series of concussions as a player. ‘There have always been head injuries in the game. The impacts are getting bigger, but we are more aware of concussion these days. ‘It’s not a cool thing to play on with a head knock any more. It is not manly, it is not heroic; it is just stupid. ‘We’re guinea pigs from the physicality in the game, not from a concussion point of view but how our joints are going to be when we are in our 40s and 50s after the impacts we are taking. You see guys from the amateur era having knee and hip replacements at 45 and 50. ‘Having said that, I think we are physically considerably fitter than they were in the amateur era so our bodies are more toned to take that level of impact, at least I would be hopeful that that’s the case.’ Brian O’Driscoll was taking part in a surprise rugby session with teens in east London to launch the official partnership between Coca-Cola and Rugby World Cup 2015. Coca-Cola looks forward to celebrating the passion and excitement of the tournament to bring fans together and inspire people to move more. Go to coca-cola.co.uk to find out more.
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Brian O'Driscoll thinks English rugby is obsessed with gym work .
Former Ireland centre wants more players to work on rugby skills first .
O'Driscoll says that New Zealand will win the World Cup .
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A judge is expected to settle the bitter dispute between Dr Martin Luther King Jr's children over who is entitled to his Bible and his Nobel Peace Prize. The last time the reverend's Holy Book was seen in public was to swear in President Barack Obama in 2013. Since, it has remained in a safe with the slain civil rights icon's 1964 award, as his sister fights to stop her brothers from selling them. Decision: A judge will decide whether Martin Luther King Jr's sons can sell his Bible and Nobel Peace Prize . Last used: President Obama was the last person to touch the Bible during his second inauguration in 2013 . Civil rights hero: The sale has sparked controversy within the family and the slain hero's friends . On Tuesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney will either pass a deciding verdict, or let it go to trial. Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King, who control The Estate Of Martin Luther King Jr Inc, have agreed to sell the lucrative heirlooms to a private buyer. But their sister Bernice refused to hand over the items. Since she finally agreed to give the prize and Bible to a court in March 2014, it is believed the estate will likely win the case. This is at least the fifth lawsuit between the siblings in the past decade. But according to Bernice, but this one crosses the line. Speaking in February last year from the pulpit of historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, where her father and grandfather preached, she said her father cherished these two items, which speak to the very core of who he was. Dispute: Martin Luther King III (left) and Dexter Scott King (right) say the estate needs desperate funding . Opposed: Dr Bernice King, who followed her father into preaching, said you cannot sell his Bible . The Rev. Timothy McDonald, who served as assistant pastor at Ebenezer from 1978 to 1984 and sides with Bernice but describes himself as a friend of the whole family, told The Associated Press: 'You don't sell Bibles and you don't get but one Nobel Peace Prize. There are some items that you just don't put a price on.' The estate's lawyers have not responded to requests for comment from the King brothers. At a hearing last year, a lawyer who represented the estate at the time said they want to sell the two items because the estate needs the money. Paying lawyers to enforce the rights to King's words and image is expensive, attorney William Hill reminded the judge, drawing chuckles. The estate is a private entity, so its finances aren't public, and court records don't elaborate on the estate's need for cash. Whether to sell the Bible and the medal is not up to the judge, or even part of the lawsuit, which is purely an ownership dispute. Lawyers for Bernice have argued, among other things, that King gave the Nobel medal to his wife as a gift, meaning that it is part of Coretta Scott King's estate. Bernice is the administrator of her mother's estate. Family dispute: The battle is the fifth to rip between the King family since Dr Martin Luther King Jr died . King's heirs have previously parted with parts of his legacy. They sold a collection of more than 10,000 of his personal papers and books in 2006 for $32 million, a collection now housed at Morehouse College, King's alma mater. Two separate appraisers, Leila Dunbar and Clive Howe, told the AP they would expect the medal to sell for about $5 million to $10 million, and possibly more, based on what other Nobel medals have gone for and King's place in history. Dunbar said she would expect the Bible to sell for at least $200,000 and possibly more than $400,000. Howe said it would probably go for about $1 million. If they are sold through a private sale, which can bring substantially higher sums from buyers who want to secure items before they get to auction, the medal alone could fetch $15 million to $20 million, Howe said. Both items have enormous societal value and should be on public display, said Barbara Andrews, director of education and interpretation at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The Bible is important because of who King was, and the Nobel Peace Prize because of what it signified — that the fight for civil rights was being recognized on a world stage, she said. While museums and books can talk about the medal, being able to see it renders it tangible, 'more than a photograph, more than us just talking or writing about it,' Andrews said. 'We like to own things. We like to touch things. We like to see them with our eyes. It satisfies that need in us to see the physical manifestation of the award.' Even in the hands of Bernice, though, neither item has regularly been available to the public. Both 'are in the same places they have been for years. The Peace Prize medal is located in a safe deposit box in possession of the King family, and the King Bible is in a safe and secure location' known to Bernice and her brothers, her lawyers wrote in response to the lawsuit. A replica of the medal has been on display at the King Center for about 17 years, but it's unclear when the medal itself was last shown, King Center spokesman Steve Klein said. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. Among his children, Martin III got his father's name, while Dexter got his looks. Other battles: The brothers have also tried to stop their sister using Dr King's image and memorabilia . Bernice followed her father into the ministry and shares his gift for public speaking. And the firstborn, Yolanda, was known as a peacekeeper. Even before she died in 2007, though, the siblings had taken their quarrels public and gone through periods where they didn't speak to each other. In December 2005, Bernice and Martin successfully fought a push by Yolanda and Dexter, who along with other trustees of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change wanted to sell it to the National Park Service. In 2008, two years after the death of their mother and a year after Yolanda died, a long-simmering dispute between the surviving siblings boiled over, with three lawsuits filed between them in as many months. In August 2013 — on the 50th anniversary of King's 'I Have a Dream' speech — the estate asked a judge to stop the King Center, where Bernice is the CEO, from using his image, likeness and memorabilia, arguing that the center wasn't caring for King artifacts properly. That case is pending.
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Martin Luther King III and Dexter Scott King plan to sell their father's Bible and 1964 Nobel Peace Prize to a private buyer .
Their sister Bernice refused to hand over the items and opposes the sale .
Last March, she handed them to a court and they remained in a safe .
A judge will pass verdict or send the case to trial on Tuesday .
The Bible was last seen at Obama's inauguration on January 20, 2013 .
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Tallahassee, Florida (CNN) -- How did two convicted murderers allegedly get their hands on forged documents that granted them early release from a Florida prison? Authorities believe it all started with one inmate teaching another how to fabricate the legal paperwork. From inside the Franklin Correctional Institution in North Carrabelle, south of Tallahassee in Florida's Panhandle, Nydeed Nashaddai apparently trained inmates how to create the legal-looking documents with bogus signatures of prosecutors and judges, Gretl Plessinger, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Law Enforcement, told CNN on Wednesday. One of 2 Florida escapees ordered sent back to Franklin Correctional Institution . Nashaddai used a similar technique in 2009 to walk away from the Pinellas County Jail before authorities figured out the scheme and recaptured him a day later, according to prison records. The revelation came the same day that the head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement told state lawmakers that Charles Walker and Joseph Jenkins had help inside and outside the prison to pull off their elaborate escape. "There is a group, a gang, inside. They worked with people outside," Commissioner Gerald Bailey, head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, told the Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice. Fake papers for Florida cons called 'cottage industry' Neither Plessinger nor Bailey said whether investigators believe Nashaddai taught the two men directly. He is no longer housed at Franklin Correctional, Plessinger said. She did not say when he was transferred or why. Citing confidential inmate sources, Bailey told the panel that the documents were sent out by the prisoners to people on the outside, who in turn filed the bogus documents. Walker and Jenkins, both 34, had been serving life terms without parole for unrelated killings at Franklin Correctional Institution when they allegedly escaped. Jenkins walked out September 27, while Walker left October 8. Both used legal-looking documents with bogus reproductions of several key players' signatures, including those of the Orlando-area state attorney and Judge Belvin Perry, plus the seal of the Orange County clerk of court's office. Both men were recaptured in late October and now face escape charges. Bailey did not identify those who allegedly helped the men, telling lawmakers only that there is a list of suspects. There also is no evidence of employee involvement, he said. State officials have been investigating the scam for about a year and had warned state prosecutors about the schemes over the summer, authorities have said. Authorities have not detailed how the inmates allegedly pulled off the scheme. But the escape has prompted a review of law libraries in state prisons as well as inmate use of computers and processing equipment "to make sure we are not giving them too much," Michael Crews, head of the Florida Department of Corrections, told the committee. State prisons are also strengthening their review of prisoner releases, he said. Any future judicial order that changes the release date of an inmate will be verified with the judge who signed it, Crews said. To date, the state Department of Corrections has reviewed 7,800 of more than 9,300 prison release documents for possible fraud, Crews said. So far, no fraud has been detected, he said. Perry, the judge whose signature was forged, recommended to the legislature that penalties for doctoring and forging documents be increased. Among the evidence authorities have collected in connection with the escape arrests is a cell phone that was seized in the prison, Plessinger said. She did not identify whom the phone belonged to, only that it was "one of the inmates connected to this gang or group of people." Plessinger did not detail the evidence collected on the phone, saying only "it's been a vital source of information." While Bailey did not specifically address the cell phone during his testimony before lawmakers, he did say investigators were analyzing documents, electronic devices and a "history of calls and text messages to and from Walker and Jenkins." Last 2 Oklahoma jail shower escapees captured . CNN's John Murgatroyd contributed to this report .
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Investigators are looking at texts between Charles Walker and Joseph Jenkins .
Nydeed Nashaddai used a similar scheme to escape jail, prison records show .
The prisoners sent the documents to someone on the outside, an official says .
Walker and Jenkins, both 34, have been recaptured .
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LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. Joan Shim is a freelance writer and former editor at Pet Product News. (LifeWire) -- If you take a multivitamin every morning and perhaps a supplement or two because you care about your health, does it make sense to do the same with your dog or cat? Stephanie Pendleton of Emerald Isle, North Carolina, would say yes. The pet supplement market has grown into a $1.3 billion business. Pendleton caught on to pet supplements a few years ago when she noticed that her 13-year-old cat, Sierra, wasn't up to her usual antics. "She was having a hard time jumping up on the counter, and she wasn't playing as much as she used to," Pendleton says. "Finally, she just spent less time up there, I think, because it was painful for her." Pendleton researched Sierra's problem online, and learned about the joint supplements glucosamine and chondroitin. She asked her veterinarian, and they agreed to give the cat a product that combines both joint supplements. "Sierra is jumping all over the place again," Pendleton says. Now, Pendleton is a believer in pet supplements. She gives Sierra and her other cat, 2-year-old Serenity, a multivitamin, probiotics to help their immune systems and essential fatty acids for skin and coat health. Sierra gets seven pills, Serenity four. Demand for supplements is on the rise. The pet supplement market has grown about 15 percent annually since 2000 and is now a $1.3 billion business, according to the National Animal Supplement Council. Simmons Market Research Bureau says approximately 17 percent of pet owners give their cats and dogs some type of supplement. A pet supplement is a product that is intended to complement the diet and help support and maintain a normal biological function. Products range from multivitamins for overall health to targeted formulas that claim to alleviate joint problems or canine cognitive dysfunction. Dr. Tim Montague, a veterinarian at Eads Animal Hospital in Eads, Tennessee, started using supplements in 1992. He was wary at first because he didn't learn about them in veterinary school, and there weren't many on the market. But when an old professor of his recommended a joint supplement for one of Montague's patients, he took notice. Montague's golden retriever Ayla had an arthritic shoulder, so he also tried a joint supplement on her. "She could barely make it up and down the stairs, but within a week after the supplement she was running and catching Frisbees in the yard," Montague says. "That sold me on that product." He said his patients have had good success with joint supplements and he prescribes them all the time. But some substances, such as St. John's wort, may not be suitable for pets, according to the Food and Drug Administration, and their safety and effectiveness is untested in animals. What's more, some supplements have been found to contain lesser amounts of an active ingredient than the manufacturer claims, or substances like lead have been detected. Dr. Tod Cooperman is president of ConsumerLab.com, which independently tests supplements for humans and animals. In the past few years, his company has reviewed roughly a dozen multivitamins, joint supplements and fish oils for pets and found that about half of the products tested don't pass. "We have repeatedly found the quality of supplements for pets to be worse overall than for supplements for people," Cooperman says. With the pet supplement market burgeoning, especially online, the FDA urges pet owners to talk to their veterinarians before giving supplements to their animals, something Montague agrees with. "People need to be careful about self-medicating," he says. "I've seen many animals harmed by people getting the wrong information over the Internet." Dr. John Bauer, professor of clinical nutrition at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine, offers four factors to consider when evaluating supplements: . 1. Product quality How much of the functional, active ingredient is in the product? Responsible manufacturers will have 800 numbers on the package to call with technical questions about the ingredients, and your veterinarian should know what specific questions to ask. 2. Efficacy Is there any scientific basis to support the use of this supplement? If information about product testing isn't available on the company's Web site or elsewhere, call the company for details about the studies that have been performed. 3. Tolerance. Check the list of ingredients carefully before giving a supplement to your pet. For example, a supplement might include lactose, which some cats and dogs can't tolerate. It's a good idea to consult your veterinarian first to discuss how the supplements may react with any medications the pet is taking. 4. Safety. A product's safety should be proven. For example, the company might state in its literature that it was tested in high doses on mice and found to be safe, or the number of adverse events reported might be few to none. E-mail to a friend .
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Pet supplement market has grown 15 percent per year since 2000 .
FDA does not test supplements on animals .
Some products don't contain advertised amount of supplement .
FDA urges owners to check with vet before giving pets supplements .
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(CNN) -- Federal prosecutors revealed a photograph Thursday that they say show an Amish man attacking another Amish man by attempting to forcibly cut his beard. The photo was submitted as evidence in the trial of 16 Amish men and women charged with federal hate crimes in connection with last year's beard-cutting attacks in rural eastern Ohio. The trial started Monday at federal court in Cleveland with jury selection. To the Amish, a beard is a significant symbol of faith and manhood. The photo was recovered from a disposable camera that was used to document the attacks, which prosecutors say were ordered by Samuel Mullet Sr., the Amish leader of a breakaway sect and one of the 16 defendants. Prosecutors did not identify the attacker or the victim in the photo in their court filings. If convicted, Mullet faces 20 years in prison, according to CNN affiliate WOIO in Cleveland. According to witnesses cited in a federal affidavit, Mullet "forced extreme punishments" on anyone in his community who defied him, "including forcing members to sleep for days at a time in a chicken coop on his property." In addition, the affidavit alleges that, as the bishop of his Amish clan in Bergholz, Ohio, Mullet had "acts of sexual intimacy" with married women as part of "counseling" to "cleanse them of the devil." CNN has sought a response from Mullet's attorney, Edward Bryan. Bryan has disputed the prosecution's characterization of his client, according to The Cleveland Plain Dealer. "They're trying to create this perception he's something he's not," Bryan told the newspaper. "He's not a wacky cult leader. He's a decent, hardworking, caring man." Usually, the Amish resolve disputes without involving law enforcement, but concerns that Mullet is operating a cult on his compound prompted some to report the beard-cutting incidents to police last fall. Myron Miller was held down by men armed with scissors and battery-powered clippers who cut off a chunk of his beard, according to a police report. Arlene Miller said she and her husband decided to report the cutting to police in hopes of preventing other people from being hurt, including Mullet's followers, who "need help," she said. "There's a lot of lives being messed up down there. There's a lot of people being abused and brainwashed," Arlene Miller said. The Millers said that a fear of reprisal attacks prompted them and other Amish residents in rural eastern Ohio to lock their doors at night -- something unheard-of in Amish communities. Mullet's sect is made up primarily of his relatives living on and around an 800-acre compound in a remote valley outside Bergholz, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla. Prosecutors have said Mullet "exerted control over the Bergholz community by taking the wives of other men into his home and by overseeing various means of disciplining community members, including corporal punishment." Those accusations could play a key part in the trial against Mullet and his co-defendants. Last week, a federal judge ruled that witnesses can testify about Mullet's alleged sexual activities at his compound in Bergholz, according to The Plain Dealer. When reports of the beard-cutting attacks surfaced last fall, they uncovered an ongoing split between Mullet's sect and the larger Amish community in and around Bergholz, many of whom believe that Mullet is creating rules and punishments that do not fit with the broader Amish belief system. Aden Troyer said he was once part of the Mullet family compound. He married Mullet's daughter, Wilma, and the couple had two daughters. Concerned about the way Mullet was "ruling" his followers, Troyer said, he started making arrangements to move his wife and children out of the group. Not long after, Troyer said, Mullet began interfering with their marriage. Troyer said Mullet would ask women, including his wife, "about their sexual relationships with their husbands." "That's very atypical behavior for Amish to do that," Troyer said. "It's unheard-of. "In the Amish community, no one has jurisdiction over what goes on between a husband and wife," he said. "He's the only guy and only leader that I know of that ever has gotten into an Amish couple's married life." Troyer divorced and left the sect in 2007 with full custody of his two daughters. CNN traveled to Mullet's compound last fall before his arrest, and Mullet denied that he was running a cult. When asked about allegations that he orchestrated the beard-cutting attacks, he responded, "Beard-cutting is a crime, is it?" Asked about the accusation that he split up his daughter's marriage to Troyer, Mullet responded, "Maybe you should ask the people whose beards were cut about the marriages they've split up." He refused to elaborate. Abdalla, the sheriff, said last fall that he fears the situation could come to a dramatic conclusion. "If I were to get a call right now telling me, 'Sheriff, they're all dead in the community out there,' it wouldn't surprise me,' " he said. CNN goes inside the Mullet compound . Amish leader a millionaire, can pay for attorney . Hate crime charges filed in Amish beard cutting . CNN's Chris Welch contributed to this report.
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Federal prosecutors submitted a photo they say shows Amish attack .
In it, one Amish man is attempting to forcibly remove another's beard .
It was one of several attacks that exposed a rift in Ohio's Amish community .
16 Amish men and women face federal hate crimes charges for the attacks .
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By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . Attempts to reintroduce dormice where they had become extinct have failed – because the creatures are too dozy. The species, once widespread in Britain, declined in the 1950s due to loss of hedgerows and by the 1990s had become extinct in seven counties. In an attempt to restore numbers, more than 700 dormice were released at 19 woodland sites from North Yorkshire to Suffolk by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). Doormice began to become extinct in the 1950s because of a loss in hedgerows . But a review of the 21-year-old, £13,000-a-year project for government wildlife advisers Natural England found it was ‘not an unqualified success’. Ian White, an ecologist for the PTES, said that at five of the sites dormice are probably extinct, at four the species may be extinct and at ten it is too soon to say. There were only two sites where the dormice had moved out of the woodland and nested in the neighbouring countryside – a key sign of success. One problem is the common or hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) likes to snooze. Even when they become active at night they do not venture too far from home. Mr White said: ‘I wouldn’t call them lazy exactly, it’s their lifestyle. They don’t go in for too much activity.’ Other factors blamed were mild winters and predators. Mr White said: ‘Between 50 to 70 per cent of dormice die in hibernation. They are happy in snow but in mild weather they wake up and use up energy from their stores of fat. Dormice are also eaten by squirrels and will be taken by cats and owls.’ The species was once widespread in the UK. Now, an attempt to re-introduce the animals has been introduced in 19 counties .
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Attempt to reintroduce creatures in 19 sites from Yorkshire to Suffolk .
Declined in 50s due to loss of hedgerows - now extinct in several counties .
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(CNN) -- Ralph Verdi has been working for nearly 30 hours. You won't hear him complain. He says yes and no ma'am when a reporter stops him to ask him a question, even though he's helping lead the rescue effort of three New Jersey towns that are drowning. Verdi works for the police in Little Ferry, a town of about 10,000 people that was flooded Tuesday as water kicked up by Sandy barreled over a natural berm. It took only about 30 minutes for Moonachie, a town of about 2,700 residents in Bergen County along the Hackensack River, to be nearly 6 feet under water. It's also bad in another town, Carlstadt. Superstorm Sandy's toll: Mounting deaths, historic destruction, stranded residents . The surge floated rail cars onto the New Jersey Turnpike as railways were littered with trees and power lines. There are houses in the middle of Route 35, and much of FunTown Amusement Pier in Seaside Park is washed out. A woman waved and shouted for help from her front porch as rescuers scrambled to save people in Bergen County. Hundreds of people have been whisked from rising water in their homes, many who climbed into boats that have navigated the murky water. Some wore pajamas and were barefoot. Mothers carried diaper bags and crying kids. Thousands more remain stranded, local officials said, in as much as 6 feet of water. "We're in search-and-rescue mode," said Jeanne Baratta, chief of staff to the Bergen County executive. There are some reported injuries, but no one has learned of any deaths, Baratta said. Gov. Chris Christie was as blunt as he's ever been. Christie told reporters that he didn't "give a damn" about the presidential election, which will happen in a week. He said his only concern was making sure New Jersey residents were safe. Sandy's devastation is "beyond anything I thought I'd ever see," he said. "The level of devastation at the Jersey Shore is unthinkable." New Jersey officials are "nowhere near" allowing many residents to return to their homes in flooded areas, Christie said. Chris Christie: Jersey Shore devastation 'unthinkable' He plans to fly Tuesday to visit one of the most ravaged towns, but it's unclear if there will be a place for the plane to land due to all the damage. Christie also said that every rail line in the state has been severely damaged. The governor added he's confident that President Barack Obama and the federal government will work with New Jersey and that the state will rebuild. Obama will tour damaged areas of the state Wednesday, the White House said. While Christie spoke, rescuers in Moonachie charged up to second floors of homes, with helicopters hovering overhead. State police and the National Guard are helping. Rescue workers from Virginia are expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon, said Baratta, the Bergen County official. "The rescue workers -- they're phenomenal," she said. "They're pulling together." A mother in Bergen told CNN that she and her two children were about to go to sleep when they heard a loud noise, looked outside and saw people running in the street. Google maps Sandy flooding, power outages . In an instant, water started rushing into their home. They didn't bother to pack anything up but yelled for each other and struggled out the door. The superstorm knocked out power along the Jersey City waterfront. CNN iReporter Marc Anderson, a photographer, said the power in his apartment building went out at 9 p.m. Monday and the basement filled up with about 8 inches of water. The sewers backed up, he said, and the smell was terrible. The neighborhood grocery store was a madhouse, he said, but everyone was just glad to be safe. Back in Moonachie, The Bergen Record spoke with Jan Gulino, who lives in a trailer park. She was among about 100 people at the Bergen County Technical High School shelter. She said she was watching TV at 1 a.m. when neighbors knocked on her door to tell her that her car was in deep water. Together, they managed to push the car to higher ground. A rescue crew arrived and ordered her out of her house because there was kerosene in the water. So Gulino grabbed her boxer, Max, and got on a boat, along with six neighbors. She was taken by truck, then bus, to the high school. She's just happy to be with Max. "I wasn't going to go anywhere," she told the paper, "without him." How you can help . CNN's Tom Cohen and Brian Todd contributed to this report.
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NEW: President Obama is set to tour damaged areas of New Jersey on Wednesday .
NEW: Houses end up in the middle of highway; rail cars float on turnpike .
NEW: Some flood victims were barefoot; mothers carried diaper bags and babies as they fled .
The affected area is in Bergen County near New York City .
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By . Emily Allen . Last updated at 11:38 AM on 15th December 2011 . An elderly woman has been left a prisoner in her own home for three months after the building's owners refused to mend a broken lift. Widow Florence Bailey suffers from heart problems and is too ill to get down the stairs of her flat in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The 84-year-old, who has lived in the property for 14 years, last left her home in Rena Court in Sparth Lane, Heaton Norris, on September 21. Trapped: Widow Florence Bailey has been stuck in her flat in Stockport since September 21 and cannot get down the stairs . She fears she will now be stuck in the top floor flat for Christmas and New Year. The owners of the building, Northern Estates, refused to mend it claiming it will cost too much to fix. In addition, they are not legally obliged to provide lift access for people living there. Mrs Bailey said: 'I am really missing going out, I don't like losing my independence. I feel like a prisoner in my own home.' The firm, which is based in Manchester, wrote to all the residents at Rena Court on September 22 saying repairs would cost £15,000 and it had been decided that it was not 'economically viable to continue to maintain the lift in operational condition'. Mrs Bailey, who used to run a sweet shop in Heaton Chapel with her late husband, has been relying on neighbours to get her shopping. The owners of Rena Court, Northern Estates, refused to mend the lift claiming it will cost £15,000 which it says is too much to fix . She said: 'I would normally get a bus to Stockport two or three times a week. I don't know when I will get out again.' 'It is very frustrating, I feel guilty having to rely on the kindness of others. But they shouldn't have to do it - there should be a lift that works.' Sarah Woods, residential properties manager for Northern Estates, said: 'We have been working hard to identify the problems with the lift at Rena Court, but it has been deemed unsafe and beyond economic repair by our lift engineers. 'Under the circumstances, and because we cannot procure appropriate insurance cover, we have no alternative other than to de-commission the lift at this time for the safety of tenants. 'We sincerely regret any inconvenience or difficulties that this may have caused.' The company submitted plans to the council to renovate the flats in September 2010, including proposals for a new lift. But the plans are yet to be approved. Mrs Bailey added: 'These plans could take years to go through, if at all. So then we would never get a lift. I just don't know what I would do then.'
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Florence Bailey fears she will be stuck inside over Christmas and New Year .
She has been forced to rely on friends to get her shopping since September .
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By . Alexandra Klausner . PUBLISHED: . 21:40 EST, 28 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 21:47 EST, 28 January 2014 . It may be war-torn but it's still hot on the housing market. Now you can own the backdrop from the film Zero Dark Thirty for $7.5 million. The Blue Cloud Movie Ranch in California's Santa Clarita Valley specializes in sets that look like Afghanistan during time of war and are almost entirely accurate. The ranch has also been used as a backdrop in Iron Man and some episodes of True Blood in addition to the film Zero Dark Thirty, reports curbed.com. According to the LA Times, the set is so realistic that, 'the U.S. military uses it for training purposes.' The man who currently owns the property is a former stuntman named Rene Veluzat and he gets lots of requests to purchase the property so it will probably sell. 'I get 50 phone calls a day,' he told the L.A. Times last year. The land has multiple movie backdrops called the 'Foreign Courtyard,' 'The Cave,' 'Army Camp,' 'Helicopter Crash,' '50s Town,' and 'Third World Country.' Now these dilapidated sets can belong to you. It may look broken but it's rather expensive to purchase the Afghanistan inspired set . It's only $7.5 million to reserve a permanent space in this broken down home . The property is equipped with totaled vehicles and plenty of sharp rocks . The land stretches 100 acres and has numerous sets also used in True Blood and Iron Man . The sets are almost entirely accurate and are used as training grounds for the U.S. Army . This photo from Zero Dark Thirty shows Navy SEALs seen through the greenish glow of night vision goggles, as they prepare to breach a locked door in Osama Bin Laden's compound . Some of the sets are dilapidated and some are more reminiscent of per-war times . The sets are extremely detailed and visitors may actually believe they are in Afghanistan . Each corner of this $7.5 million piece of history is crumbling more than the last . This cave is man made and was the backdrop of a major motion picture . The middle east is known for having oil and this gas station is an almost exact replica of one in Afghanistan . Sets with props like a soccer ball and wooden chairs show just how no detail was spared in the creation of the elaborate backdrops . Buyers may have to battle over the property for which the owner receives '50 calls per day'
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The set has been used for Zero Dark Thirty, True Blood, and Iron Man .
The Afghanistan backdrop is so realistic that the U.S. Military uses it for training purposes .
The set is at the Blue Cloud Movie Ranch is California's Santa Clarita Valley .
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Germany is poised for its first deployment of troops in Ukraine since the Nazi invasion of then Soviet territory in 1941 which led to millions of deaths. An historic move to send 200 peacekeepers – including 50 paratroopers – was under active consideration last night. It comes as the crumbling ceasefire between pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian government was under its strongest pressure since coming into effect a month ago. Scroll down for video . Germany is poised for its first deployment of troops in Ukraine amid the crumbling ceasefire between pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian government. Pictured: Donetsk International Airport damaged during fighting . A pro-Russian rebel tank rolls to take position near to the airport in the town of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine . Chancellor Angela Merkel has led European moves to secure peace in Ukraine, but until now Berlin has been reluctant to deploy even peacekeeping troops because of the country’s role in the Second World War. Almost seven million Soviet Ukrainian civilians and military personnel died during the war, it is estimated. Sources in Germany said it was in ‘exploratory discussions’ about taking part in an international force to protect monitors for the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the ground in Ukraine amid deep concern of a return to full-scale violence in the east of the country. The West fears Vladimir Putin is determined to build an unofficial buffer state called Novorossiya – or New Russia – in eastern Ukraine. Chancellor Angela Merkel (pictured) has led European moves to secure peace in Ukraine, but until now Berlin has been reluctant to deploy even peacekeeping troops because of the country’s role in the Second World War . A dozen pro-Putin separatists were killed yesterday in intense fighting for control of strategic Donetsk airport. Two Ukrainian soldiers also died. Ukraine claims Russia is swelling troop numbers on its borders in a bid to destabilise the fragile ceasefire. More than 3,600 people have died in the conflict this year, according to the UN.
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Move to send 200 peacekeepers including paratroopers under consideration .
Chancellor Angela Merkel has led European plans to secure peace in Ukraine .
More than 3,600 people have died in the conflict in 2014, according to the UN .
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By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 08:37 EST, 13 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:52 EST, 13 October 2012 . Two law school students have been arrested after witnesses say the men decapitated an exotic bird at a Las Vegas resort and then laughed about it while tossing around its severed body. Eric Cuellar and Justin Teixeira, both aged 24 and claimed students at the University of California, Berkley were jailed on Friday for felony charges of conspiracy and the willful, malicious torture or killing of wildlife. 'According to the security people, the men were laughing and joking about the fact of what they had done,' Sgt. John Sheahan of Metro Police told KLAS. Scroll down for video . Attackers: Alleged California law students Eric Cuellar and Justin Teixeira, left to right, were jailed on felony charges of conspiracy and the willful, malicious torture or killing of wildlife . Police say they don't believe drugs were involved. Neither of the men are said to be immediately speaking to police. Police were called to the Flamingo resort-casino just after 9.30am when the 14-year-old helmeted guineafowl was witnessed being killed. 'Security had allegedly seen these men chasing the bird into a brushy treed area of that habitat and then coming out of that area with the bird in two pieces,' said Sgt Sheahan. Witnesses also supported security's claim. Decapitated: The large African bird was a 14-year-old helmeted guinea fowl seen on video surveillance being chased by the men into trees before emerging severed (file photo) Police scene: Police were called to the Flamingo Hotel around 9.30am on Friday arresting the two men who aren't speaking but police said didn't appear to be on any drugs . The large African bird was part of the . Flamingo's Wildlife Habitat, a garden area with ponds and streams that . houses many types of birds. Police say the men claimed to study at the University and had student identification cards. Under a new state law that went into effect in 2011 animal abuse is now treated as a felony whereas the men previously would have faced misdemeanour charges. It's not clear if they have attorneys. Watch the video here: . 8 News NOW .
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Eric Cuellar and Justin Teixeira are jailed on felony charges after witnesses said the men chased the bird into trees before returning with its severed body and laughing .
Alleged attack happened at the Flamingo resort-casino .
Police don't believe drugs were involved .
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By . Luke Salkeld . At first glance, they look like good Samaritans helping a person in a wheelchair across a busy road. In fact, heroin addicts Adam Webster and Sarah Harcourt are kidnapping a quadriplegic man and wheeling him into a park to mug him for just £6. The couple were arrested within 40 minutes of robbing Stephen Dooley, 38, after being caught on CCTV. Caught on camera: Adam Webster, 38, and Sarah Harcourt, 35, abducted Stephen Dooley, 38, from a council activity centre in Norwich and pushed him to a nearby park to steal his money . Prolific offenders: Heroin addicts Adam Webster and Sarah Harcourt stole £6 and dumped their victim . Innocent: Stephen Dooley is now terrified to go out and the robbery left his confidence in tatters, the court heard . Webster was jailed for six years . yesterday and Harcourt was imprisoned for four years and 12 weeks for . the crime, which has left Mr Dooley too scared to go out. Both . terms exceed the four years given on February 22 to Lewis Gill, who . killed Asperger’s sufferer Andrew Young, 40, in Bournemouth last year . with a single punch, which was also caught on CCTV. Sentencing . Webster, 38, and Harcourt, 35, at Norwich Crown Court, Judge Anthony . Bate said: ‘This was a despicable crime driven by self-centred greed and . an utter disregard for your victim’s feelings.’ The . pair abducted Mr Dooley last August from the Vauxhall Resource Centre, a . community centre in Norwich where he ran a book stall, and wheeled him . out of sight before demanding his cash. After . they left, he managed to make his way back to the centre where staff . called police, who tracked the pair down using security footage. Harcourt admitted robbery and kidnap, while Webster was found guilty in . court. Mr Dooley – whose . disability makes it hard for him to communicate – used an interpreter to . tell the court from behind a screen about his fear during the ordeal. Chain of events: The thies are seen forcing their disabled victim across a main road and into a park on a summer's day last August . Mr . Dooley’s father, the Reverend Gerald Dooley, described in an impact . statement read out in court how the community centre was ‘a really big . part of Stephen’s life’ but he ‘does not want to leave the house’ now . and ‘is afraid and has become introverted’. He . had attended the centre for more than ten years and saw it as a home . from home. In his own victim statement, Mr Dooley said: ‘Working on the . book stall was the one thing I did by myself. I miss it lots …but now I . am too scared to go.’ Devious: Webster and Harcourt had targeted Stephen Dooley as he attended a centre holding activities for disabled people for callously robbing him . Cast aside: After the cash was taken from Mr Dooley, who became disabled as a baby, he was just left to fend for himself. Thankfully the thieves were arrested within 40 minutes after being caught on CCTV . Detective . Constable Jim Starling said yesterday: ‘Harcourt and Webster are the . lowest of the low. To target a man who clearly has no means of defending . himself or calling for help is beyond belief.’ Detective . Sergeant Richard Dickinson praised Mr Dooley for his bravery in being a . witness, adding: ‘Giving evidence is a traumatic experience for any . victim of crime, but it’s particularly poignant in Steve’s case as he . has limited means of communicating. ‘I believe his evidence was crucial in securing a guilty verdict.’
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Adam Webster and Sarah Harcourt took Stephen Dooley from a book stall .
The drug addicts forced him to a nearby park, took his cash and left him .
Trial heard that Stephen had lost all confidence and was 'scared to go out'
Couple have nearly 100 convictions and robbed the victim to pay for heroin .
Webster was jailed for six years and Harcourt for four years and 12 weeks .
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By . Beth Stebner . PUBLISHED: . 10:34 EST, 12 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:46 EST, 12 March 2012 . A teenager on probation told police he struck his girlfriend’s young son Friday night after the boy wouldn’t stop crying, resulting in the toddler's death. Tyree Wright, 19, who was arrested five times before for assault and robbery charges, reportedly told police that while babysitting 23-month-old Jacquil Degraffenreid for his girlfriend, he struck the boy twice. The boy’s mother, 21-year-old Natalie Garner received a call from Wright around 9pm Friday night to say that her son was sick. Scene: Tyree Wright, 19 reportedly told police that while babysitting 23-month-old Jacquil Degraffenreid for his girlfriend, he struck the boy twice at his Brooklyn home . Ms Garner had apparently left her son in Wright’s care while she went to work at her catering job. By the time she returned to Wright’s home on Shepard Avenue in Cypress Hills around 2am, she told police that Jaquil was acting sluggishly and lost consciousness, the New York Post reported. That’s when Ms Garner called 911, sources told the paper. Jaquil was taken to Kings County Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. The autopsy report says his cause of death was caused by ‘lacerations of the liver and pancreas with internal hemorrhage due to blunt-impact injuries.’ Authorities are still investigating what caused the toddler’s injuries. Tragic: The boy was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead; an autopsy report said he died from internal bleeding and cuts to his liver and pancreas . Doctors told police they also found bruising on the boy’s forehead and torso. Wright was charged with felony assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child, though it is likely that the charges will be upped to murder, a spokesman for the Kings County district attorney’s office told the New York Times. Records show he was jailed in both 2009 and 2011. He was on probation until 2014 for robbery, CBS New York said. Neighbours were devastated when they heard the news. ‘It broke my heart in pieces, a little boy suffering like that,’ neighbour Ivan Sanchez told the Post. ‘He’s evil,’ Mr Sanchez added. ‘I hope he gets what he deserves.’
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Tyree Wright, 19, on probation for robbery charge .
He reportedly told police that he struck Jacquil Degraffenreid, two, twice after he wouldn't stop crying .
Was watching Jacquil while girlfriend was at work .
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By . Daniel Miller . PUBLISHED: . 22:45 EST, 14 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:55 EST, 15 June 2012 . A birdwatcher feared he was going to be beheaded by a scythe-wielding 'lunatic' after being mistaken for a prowler. Scott Cullen, 22, had set up his camera to photograph woodpeckers in the Welsh countryside when he was confronted by angry local Leslie Bickley. Bickley, 63, accused him of being a prowler and pulled out the garden scythe from under his coat. A jury heard Bickley then made Mr Cullen kneel like in a 'terrorist execution'. Weapon: Bickley accused the photographer of being a prowler and pulled a garden scythe from his coat . Birdwatcher: Scott Cullen had set up his camera to photograph woodpeckers . Mr Cullen told the court: 'He said he’d sharpened the blade and told me to feel how sharp it was. 'He said he was going to cut off my limbs one by one. 'I just curled up into a ball on the floor - he was holding the blade to me as if he was going to go for me. 'He swung it past my ears. I could feel the wind, that’s how I know it was close.' Postman Mr Cullen was headbutted by Bickley but he managed to run into a nearby river to escape. Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard Mr Cullen was an 'innocent and well-mannered young man' who enjoyed birdwatching and wildlife photography. He was sitting on his rucksack, dressed in camouflage trousers and jacket when Bickley attacked him. Prosecutor Ieuan Morris said: 'Bickley . frightened the life out of a young man who was doing nothing more than . taking photographs. 'He produced a hand scythe, commanding Mr Cullen to get on his knees and threatening to chop off his limbs. 'He obeyed his command and went down on his knees as if facing execution. He was behaving like a lunatic.' The court heard retired builder Bickley, who has previous convictions for violence, lived close to the woods where Mr Cullen was birdwatching. 'He said he'd sharpened the blade and told me to feel how sharp it was.' Eugene Egan, defending, said: 'He had been beset by a problems from unknown people and thought Mr Cullen was a prowler. 'He was a man who had reached the end of his tether, snapped and lost the self control he should have exercised. 'His patience had simply run out. He overstepped the mark.' Bickley, of Merthyr Tydfil, was jailed for 12 months after being found guilty of causing actual bodily harm and having an offensive weapon in a public place. Judge Richard Twomlow told him: 'This was an extremely unpleasant incident. You make Mr Cullen kneel down in a terrorist execution style.' Bickley was found guilty at Merthyr Tydfil Law Courts and sentenced to 12 months in prison .
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Victim, 22, was photographing woodpeckers when he was attacked by angry local resident Leslie Bickley, 63 .
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By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 06:49 EST, 30 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:52 EST, 30 April 2013 . A woman whose face was battered by her boyfriend has been refused NHS funding for an operation to repair the damage. Rebecca Beattie, 25, says she is struggling to breathe through her nose because of her injuries and has been told she needs corrective and cosmetic surgery. But she has been denied treatment by the Health Service and is now trying to raise £5,500 for a private operation. Rebecca Beattie, who was left barely able to breathe after being viciously beaten by her ex-boyfriend, has been refused NHS funding for surgery to repair her battered nose . Ms Beattie's ex-boyfriend, Bradley Scot Want (pictured), was jailed for 16 months following the attack. She now needs corrective surgery but has been turned down for funding by the NHS . Miss Beattie, who has a son of four, . suffered horrific injuries when Bradley Want attacked her at their home . last April. She was left with splayed nasal bones, fractures and a . grossly deviated septum. Want, 24, was jailed for 16 months last September after admitting charges of assault and actual bodily harm. After the case at York Crown Court, . Miss Beattie said: ‘I will never forget what went through my mind that . night, it was one of the worst feelings I’ve had, and ever will have. ‘I thought “He’s going to kill me, I’m never going to see my son again” – a feeling no parent should have to experience.’ Pictured before the attack: Rebecca Beattie . Miss Beattie, who does voluntary work . for a domestic abuse charity, is furious the local NHS trust panel . turned her down and her Labour MP Hugh Bayley has taken up the case. She said she cannot breathe through her right nostril and can barely breathe through the left, making sleep difficult. ‘It’s really difficult for me to . breathe out of my nose. It’s a nightmare if I get a cold because I . struggle to blow my nose,’ she said. ‘The surgery I need is corrective and . cosmetic to try to fix it both inside and outside. I feel the NHS’s . decision is shocking – it wasn’t my fault I received these injuries. ‘It’s not just the physical damage. Every time I look in the mirror, I have a constant reminder of what I . had to endure. 'I want to move on and this is the last thing holding me . back.’ She cited the case of glamour model Josie Cunningham, 22, who had . her breasts enlarged on the NHS at a cost of £4,800 after persuading . doctors her flat chest was ruining her life and causing her emotional . distress. Last month it emerged that an aspiring glamour model had her breasts enlarged to size 36DD on the NHS. The surgery to 22-year-old Josie Cunningham, to take her from an A cup (right) cost taxpayers £4,800 . Hugh Bayley MP has been helping Ms Beattie with her battle for NHS funding . The operation on the unmarried . mother-of-two was approved by a primary care trust in Leeds – 20 miles . from Miss Beattie’s home in York. Under NHS guidelines, cosmetic surgery should be funded only in rare circumstances ‘to protect a person’s health’. Miss Beattie said: ‘They say I’m not . an exception. I don’t meet the criteria, but apparently breasts do if . you want to make money from glamour modelling. The surgeon couldn’t . believe I have not got it.’ Miss Beattie applied for funding a few months ago and has had four rejection letters. She is taking legal advice and has gone public to highlight the postcode lottery over NHS operations. A GP-led Vale of York clinical . commissioning group replaced the NHS North Yorkshire and York Primary . Care Trust this month – and inherited its £19million financial deficit. The trust was criticised by doctors last year for spending £3.2million . on home medical monitors that were barely used. A spokesman for Vale of York CCG said . it was working to understand the details of Miss Beattie’s case. The . rejection letters said her condition was a low priority operation that . was not ‘routinely commissioned unless exceptional clinical needs can be . demonstrated’. Mr Bayley said he had lobbied for extra funding from the Health Secretary and had raised the case personally with the trust.
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Rebecca Beattie, 25, was viciously beaten by Bradley Scot Want in April 2012 .
Suffered severely deviated septum, splayed nasal bones and fractures .
Told she 'doesn't meet criteria' for £5,500 repair work .
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Baltimore (CNN) -- Onlookers laughed and did nothing to help as a man was beaten, stripped and robbed on the street in Baltimore. The attack, which police say happened on March 18 after St. Patrick's Day celebrations, was captured by at least two cameras. Video of it went viral. "Not only did they rob him, but they attempted to strip him of his dignity. They tore his clothes off; they mocked him. That behavior just will not be tolerated," said Detective Nicole Monroe with the Baltimore police. Police say they have identified one suspect, but have made no arrests. They are not releasing the victim's identity except to say he was a 31-year-old man from Arlington, Virginia. The victim was on the way to his hotel from a downtown Baltimore club when he was attacked, according to a police report. The man had been drinking. He told police he couldn't recall exactly what happened, but the videos fill in the blanks. In them, a man is seen standing, unsteadily, against a row of mailboxes. A crowd starts to gather and women dance suggestively against him. Someone notices his watch and a hand seems to grab something from one of the man's front pockets. He pursues the supposed thief and is punched in the face. The man falls over backward and his head hits the sidewalk so hard it can be heard on the video. "Smackdown!" someone yells. His pockets are rifled and his clothes pulled off. Some people can be heard laughing. No one comes to his aid. According to the police report, the man lost his Tag Heuer watch, which he valued at $1,300, his iPhone and car key. CNN showed video of the attack to a number of people in Baltimore to gauge their response. "That's pretty sad," said Finley George of Virginia, who was visiting the city with family. "I mean he obviously didn't do anything to anybody. They just got up on him and started beating him." CNN's Dugald McConnell contributed to this report.
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The victim reports his watch, iPhone and car key are stolen .
Police have not identified the 31-year-old man from Arlington, Virginia .
Video of the March 18 attack went viral .
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A quiet seaside town was besieged by thousands of Goths at the weekend during a unique festival that celebrates the art of darkness. Goths, romantics and macabre fans travelled over the moors to Whitby, which has become their spiritual home. The town in North Yorkshire was chosen because it was where Bram Stoker wrote the gothic classic Dracula. Scroll down for video . Spooky: Goths Heath Waller and his daughter Meagan, 10, pose during the Goth festival in Whitby . Armour: Liam Murray was dressed in an elaborate costume when he visited the festival . Zombie walk: The festival in Whitby is now in its 19th year and attracts around ten thousand people . Glamorous Goths: Artist Anne Sudworth, left, and festival goer Tara Price, right, strike a pose . It is filled with Goth landmarks including Whitby Abbey, which is said to be the inspiration behind Dracula's castle. The Whitby Goth Weekend is currently in its 19th year and is one of the biggest festivals of its kind in the world. Since being launched in 1994, the event has become so popular it is held twice a year. Festival founder Jo Hampshire said the town is 'the heart' of the event. Piercing: Tara Price shows off her nose, lip, cheek and eyebrow studs . Eye-catching: The festival celebrates Goth culture including the music and fashion styles that grew from Punk . Bleak scenery: Rex Beck, left, and Scarlet Readman-Riley, right, dress up in full Goth costume . Colourful: Festival goers show there is more to Goth fashion than just wearing black . The undead: A woman leans on a gravestone in Whitby in her costume complete with fangs . She told Whitby Gazette: 'I don’t think it will ever move from Whitby. 'Whitby is its home. Goths come to Whitby all year round, whether it’s goth weekend, they come because of its connections to Bram Stoker’s Dracula or for Whitby Gothic Weekend, it would not be the same to run it in another town, Whitby is at its heart.' Thousands of extravagantly dressed people wandered the streets at the weekend and took in festival highlights at club nights, live music and markets. The festival celebrates Goth culture, which emerged from the punk scene in the 1980s and developed its own music and fashion styles. Goths about town: A couple dressed in Victoriana walk their dogs through the streets of Whitby . Behind bars: Thousands of Goths flock to Whitby, where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula . Scantily clad: Janice Unthank braves the cold in her skimpy costume as she walks with husband David . Macabre: Debra Scourfield poses in an intricate face mask during the festival . Dark: Goths pose on the steps of the picturesque town dressed in the traditional black . Hellraising: Such is the popularity of the festival that it is now held twice a year .
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The biannual Whitby Goth Weekend attracts people from all over UK .
Event held in Whitby as town was where Bram Stoker wrote Dracula .
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Two boys who became trapped after a plow operator pushed snow over them survived for four hours thanks to a pocket of air, police said. Cousins Jason ‘J.J.’ Rivera, 9, and Elijah ‘Papito’ Martinez, 11, were recovering in the hospital after being dug out of a snowbank in Newburgh, New York, early Thursday morning. Authorities said the boys' parents became alarmed when they didn't come home from playing around 10 p.m., and after a fruitless search called police around 11:50 p.m. on Wednesday. Cousins: Elijah ‘Papito’ Martinez (left) and Jason ‘J.J.’ Rivera (right) from Newburgh, New York, spent Thanksgiving in the hospital after the accident, which police said could have killed them . During their search, officers learned that the boys had been building a snow fort in the area of the nearby Family Health Center. They boys had been digging the fort out of the snow bank, when the plow truck came through and trapped them, police said. Officials finally found the boys around 2 a.m. on Thursday, after an officer saw a shovel half buried in the snow bank. 'After I saw the shovel, I just felt compelled to dig,' said 28-year-old Brandon Rola, a member of the Newburgh police force for 7 years, to FOX News. 'I really didn't put it together, but I just started digging.' The officer took the shovel and started to dig, and saw a small boot. Others joined in, some digging with bare hands, and the boys were found. Accident: Authorities said a snow plow operator had been clearing a parking lot by pushing snow over, and didn't see the boys on the other side of the pile . Rescue: A neighbor captured cell phone footage of the police and others frantically digging the boys out of the snow at 2 a.m. on Thursday morning . Snowdrift: The boys had been building a snow fort in an area of the nearby Family Health Center in Newburgh, New York . When police found a small boot, they called for paramedics, fearing they may have arrived too late. That is, until another officer, John Maguire, saw the boot start to twitch. 'When John saw that, we just started digging like crazy,' Rola said. 'But we only had the one shovel, and you're talking about a 7 or 8-foot snowpile.' 'We knocked on doors, got shovels, and pretty soon, we had maybe 10 people working on that pile.' The rescuers finally reached the two boys, who were suffering from exposure but still conscious after being trapped for around four hours unable to move their arms or legs. 'Thank goodness, they were bundled up in layers, so they were warm enough,' said Rola. 'They were probably in about five feet of snow,' Newburgh police Sgt Aaron Weaver told CBS New York. 'But however it fell, there was, like, a dome around their heads, so there was air in there, like space for them.' Weaver, who was among the rescuers, said the dome of air was the only thing that saved them. Both the victims were recovering on Thursday night at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. Family members said they are in a good condition. After getting some much-needed rest, Rola woke up to a Thanksgiving with his own family, conscious of the dramatic rescue hours before. 'It was a good day,' he said.
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Jason 'J.J.' Rivera, 9, and Elijah 'Papito' Martinez, 11, from Newburgh, New York, had gone out to build a snow fort on Wednesday night .
When they didn't come home at 10 a.m. their parents started to search for them - they were finally discovered at 2 a.m. trapped in the snow .
Authorities said a snow plow operator had been clearing a parking lot and didn't see the boys on the other side of the large pile of snow .
The boys spent Thanksgiving in the hospital and family members say they are in a good condition .
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(CNN) -- Rescuers pulled 130 people from the waters between Australia and Indonesia on Wednesday after a ship capsized, the Australian authorities said. Merchant and naval vessels, as well as a patrol aircraft, carried out the rescue effort about 107 nautical miles north of Australia's Christmas Island, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. By Wednesday night, 130 people had been rescued from about 134 believed to have been on board the ship when it turned over, the authority said in a statement. One body has been recovered, and three people are thought to have gone down with the ship, the statement said. The rescue effort has now been called off as no more survivors or deceased people have been spotted, the maritime authority said. The Australian authorities had initially estimated that about 150 people were on board the vessel. Ship capsizes off Australia . Jo Meehan, a spokeswoman for the maritime authority, declined to comment on the nationality of the people on board the ship and the purpose of their voyage. "We don't have details on origin or intended destination of the vessel," she said. The ship is the second to capsize in the area in the past week. A vessel carrying an estimated 200 people seeking asylum in Australia turned over last week 110 nautical miles northwest of Christmas Island. Rescuers recovered 110 survivors and six dead bodies from that accident, according to the Australian authority. An accurate number of exactly how many people died "may never be known," it said. "We never know the exact number of people on board as they get on board illegally," Gagah Prakoso, a spokesman for Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency, said last week. Christmas Island is a remote territory northwest of the Australian mainland and close to Indonesia. Several ships carrying people seeking asylum in Australia have run into trouble near Christmas Island in the past two years. 110 people rescued from capsized boat .
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NEW: Rescuers have saved 130 people from the water .
NEW: One body has been recovered, and three people are missing .
The vessel turned over north of Australia's Christmas Island .
It is the second vessel to capsize in the area in the past week .
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It might not have the power to deliver your shopping, but this photo-taking 'Rolling Spider' could soon bring drone technology to the masses. A Paris-based electronics firm has just released a miniature spying robot that it claims is more affordable and easier to control that existing drones. The smartphone-controlled toy, dubbed 'Rolling Spider', has four rotors and can also be adapted to move on two wheels to roll on the ground or on a wall. Scroll down for video . It might not have the power to deliver your shopping, but this photo-taking 'Rolling Spider' could soon bring drone technology to the masses. The smartphone-controlled toy, dubbed 'Rolling Spider', has four rotors and can also be adapted to move on two wheels to roll on the ground or on a wall . The £90 ($150) drone's flight is controlled through an app while a smartphone's built-in accelerometer changes the drone's direction up to a range of 160ft (49 metres). The company claims the 65g drone is sturdy enough to bounce of walls and an ultrasonic sensor, gyroscope and downwards-facing camera keep it in the air. But despite its impressive maneuverability, the Rolling Spider has just six minutes of battery life. The £90 ($150) drone is sturdy enough to bounce of walls and an ultrasonic sensor, gyroscope and a camera. The Rolling Spider weighs 65g and has just six minutes of battery life . The drone, which will be available later this month, comes with a free app running on iOS, Android, and from October under Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1. 'We wanted to create connected robots for the generations of smartphones and tablets,' Parrot spokeswoman Vanessa Loury said a demonstration in New York. Parrot is also known for its civilian and professional drones, including one that can be used for mapping and for agricultural crop monitoring. 'We wanted to create connected robots for the generations of smartphones and tablets,' the company said . The device comes with a free app running on iOS, Android, and from October under Windows 8.1 . In the US, the question of drones is still being studied by aviation officials, although these types of toys may be flown at low altitudes. As for the question of drones for package delivery - as envisioned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos - Parrot said the time has not yet arrived. 'Delivering packages is a long way off,' said Parrot executive Peter George. 'I can't see that happening for 20 years.' But Mr George added that with the devices, 'it's really been about having fun with toys.' A New York partygoer has spoken of his shock after being hit by a drone at a hi-tech 'home of the future' party. Publisher Stephen Kosloff tweeted shocking images from the party, organised by gadget website Gizmodo, of his blood-stained t- shirt after an out of control drone hit him in the head. The drone, which is believed to have had technical problems, hit Kosloff in the ear and forehead. 'I am now the only person I know who was wounded by a #drone at a @Gizmodo party. #tech' he tweeted. 'A few folks had the drone on a table, and they fired it up again,' Kosloff told The Awl . 'Next thing I know, WHAM!!!!!!! Right in my f**king head. The drone.'
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Rolling Spider uses rotors to fly and can be adapted to roll on ground .
Its flight is controlled through an app compatible with Android and iOS .
A smartphone's accelerometer changes the Rolling Spider's direction .
The drone weighs 65g but has just six minutes of battery life .
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(CNN) -- Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych would sign a law that would allow imprisoned opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko to leave the country for medical treatment if Parliament passes such a measure, he said Thursday. The comment on the president's official website confirmed a second-hand account of his position given earlier by Tymoshenko's spokeswoman, Natalia Lysova,who said the president is ready to let the jailed former prime minister to go abroad for medical treatment. In separate remarks to reporters in the eastern city of Svetlodarsk in the Donetsk region, Yanukovych added that Parliament is preparing a law to help Tymoshenko's medical situation. Once there is legislation, "most likely, it will be a court that will take a decision about an exit procedure, about maintaining some guarantees," Yanukovich said. Media reports have said Tymoshenko has suffered serious back pain while in prison. Her daughter, Yevgenia, said that her mother would like "to travel to Germany or to a place outside of Ukraine where she can be medically treated." Yevgenia Tymoshenko said that she expects her mother's release to take place before November 20. "It was very hard for her to make this decision (to leave). So she made this decision, and now of course we are waiting, and our European friends are waiting for the decision from the president," the daughter said. "To make this decision for him is also very easy and it would have been very fast if he used his right for a pardoning decree." Ukraine: Caught between East and West . Two years ago, Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of abuse of authority over a natural gas deal negotiated with Russia in 2009. The United States and Europe see the punishment as politically motivated. In 2012, after Tymoshenko was allegedly beaten unconscious by guards, she went on a hunger strike to draw attention to "violence and lack of rights" in her country. Opinion: Tymoshenko could become Europe's Suu Kyi . Back in April, the European Court of Human Rights found that Tymoshenko suffered arbitrary detention in 2011, violating multiple articles of the European Convention on Human Rights. The outspoken Tymoshenko, famous for her blond braid, was a heroine of Ukraine's 2004 Orange Revolution. That wave of peaceful protest swept her and Viktor Yushchenko, Yanukovych's chief rival, into power, but the promise of the revolution is seen as having soon turned sour. Yanukovych beat Tymoshenko in the country's 2010 presidential contest. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark and Michael Martinez contributed to this report.
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NEW: President says he would sign a law allowing Tymoshenko to leave for care .
NEW: Ukraine's Parliament is now preparing such a law, president says .
NEW: Courts would need to set up an exit procedure .
NEW: Tymoshenko would like to go to Germany before November 20, daughter says .
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Thomas Vermaelen has had his fair share of injury problems recently - and he endured another frustrating afternoon attempting to pull his car into the Barcelona training ground. The Belgian defender arrived in his Audi Q5 and struggled to steer the large vehicle around the tight corner between the railings on either side of the entrance to the car park. A crowd of Barca fans watched, laughed and attempted to aid the former Arsenal captain as he endeavoured to manoeuvre the SUV around the railings. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Thomas Vermaelen struggling to park his car in Barcelona . Thomas Vermaelen (right) struggles to pull into the Barcelona car park before training and asks for help . Vermaelen attempts to drive around the narrow driveway into the car park at Barcelona's base . The Belgium defender is aided by Barcelona fans who try to direct him backwards and through the small gap . He winds down his window and asks a steward for help when trying to park at Barcelona . The new Barca star is directed by stewards to reverse and then try to get back into training ground car park . The 28-year-old became increasingly exasperated as he struggled to direct the car into the small gap and eventually wound down his window to ask for advice from a steward. Onlookers looked on and laughed as Vermaelen's ordeal lasted more than two minutes. Vermaelen is yet to make his Barcelona debut but the Catalans are sitting pretty at the top of the table after collecting maximum points from their first three fixtures. Neymar netted twice as Barca saw off Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at the Nou Camp on Saturday. The 28-year-old Belgium defender signed for Barcelona this summer from Arsenal . Vermaelen struggled with injuries during his time at Arsenal and was sold to Barcelona this summer .
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Thomas Vermaelen struggled to drive Audi into Barcelona training car park .
Belgian defender could not manoeuvre vehicle into tight car park entrance .
A crowd of Barca fans watched, laughed and attempted to help him .
Ex-Arsenal captain yet to make his Barcelona debut after summer move .
Barcelona sit top of La Liga with nine points from first three games .
Neymar scored twice in Barca's 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at Nou Camp .
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Sharks and crocodiles are predators in their own right, but who would win a fight if the two creatures came up against each other? The answer is a crocodile - at least if this photo is anything to go by. Andrew Paice, 43, managed to capture the moment this 5.5 metre crocodile named Brutus latched onto a bull shark in the Northern Territory before it swam off into the mangroves to devour its prey. Scroll down for video . This is the moment a 5.5 metre crocodile named Brutus latched onto a bull shark in the Northern Territory on Tuesday . The tour guide backed the boat back just as Brutus the crocodile was on the river bank with the shark in its mouth . Andrew Paice, who lives in Sydney, is four months into a year long trip around Australia with his partner and daughter . The ordeal took place in Kakadu's Adelaide River on Tuesday when Mr Paice was on a river cruise with his partner Nikki and seven-year-old daughter Madison. 'The tour guide had Brutus jumping at some meat the first time we went past him. Brutus is quite well known up here… he jumps really high for an old crocodile,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'We were near the end of the tour and we'd fed all of the crocodiles along the river. We were on our way back to the jetty when we saw (the crocodile) had something in his mouth.' The tour guide, Morgan from Adelaide River Cruises, backed the boat back just as Brutus the crocodile was on the river bank with the shark in its mouth. 'The shark was definitely alive... it was still wriggling. The crocodile slid back into the water and the shark started to flip around a bit. The the crocodile swam into the mangroves, I guess to protect his catch,' Mr Paice said. 'I never even thought about a crocodile catching a shark before. It was absolutely amazing to see. Everyone was astonished. I was amazed I even caught it on camera.' Mr Paice, who lives in Sydney, is four months into a year long trip around Australia with his partner and daughter. 'There's some amazing sites to see up here. To see the jumping crocodiles was pretty amazing but then to see this... I think it will be pretty hard to top,' he said. They have already travelled through Queensland and are now part way through the Northern Territory, before they head down into Western Australia. Brutus the killer crocodile is believed to be around 80 years old - and has a front leg missing which he is believed to have lost during a fight with a shark. He said despite the great sites left to see, it would be difficult to top the crocodile-shark-eating ordeal .
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A 5.5m crocodile grabbed hold of a bull shark on Kakadu's Adelaide River .
Andrew Paice captured the moment on Tuesday during a river cruise .
The 43-year-old is on a 12 month trip around Australia with his family .
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Liverpool host Chelsea in a the first leg of their enthralling Capital One Cup semi-final clash on Tuesday night. The match at Anfield will pip Brendan Rodgers against Jose Mourinho and follows a history of classic cup ties between the two sides. Here, Sportsmail's Martin Keown previews the huge clash... Brendan Rodgers' (left) Liverpool will host Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in Tuesday's Capital One Cup semi-final . JOSE MOURINHO VS LIVERPOOL . Played 19, Won 10, Drawn 4, Loss 5 . Win percentage: 52.6% . Jose Mourinho's record against Liverpool as Chelsea boss is good, losing just five of 19 games. He has only faced Liverpool once before in the League Cup, but it was a key game - the 2005 final that gave Jose his first trophy in England. Jose Mourinho has a good record against Liverpool, losing just five of his 19 matches against the Reds . CLASSIC CUP CLASHES . Liverpool 2-3 Chelsea (League Cup final, February 2005) John Arne Riise’s goal after 45 seconds was the quickest in a League Cup final but Steven Gerrard’s own goal sent the game to extra-time. Mourinho was sent to the stands for shushing the Liverpool fans and extra-time goals from Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman sealed a Chelsea win. Mourinho holds aloft the League Cup following Chelsea's 3-2 victory against Liverpool after extra-time in 2005 . Mateja Mezman (left) celebrates scoring Chelsea's winning goal at the Millennium Stadium in 2005 . John Arne Riise (centre) celebrates after putting Liverpool ahead in 2005's League Cup final . Steven Gerrard's own goal allowed Chelsea back into the game and they eventually went on to lose the game . Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea (Champions League semi-final 2nd leg, May 2005) Five months on from defeat in Cardiff, Liverpool had their revenge. After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, Luis Garcia’s ‘ghost goal’ - which Mourinho insisted never crossed the line - saw Liverpool through to that famous final in Istanbul. Luis Garcia celebrates after scoring a 'ghost goal' for Liverpool against Chelsea in the Champions League . Garcia (centre) strikes to give Liverpool a 1-0 aggregate victory over Chelsea in the 2005 Champions League . Reds fans celebrate at Anfields after Garcia's striker sent them through to the 2005 Champions League final . Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool (FA Cup semi-final, April 2006) Liverpool ended Chelsea’s hopes of a domestic double at Old Trafford. Riise and Garcia put Liverpool two ahead. Drogba got one back but Liverpool hung on. Gerrard (left) celebrates as Chelsea captain John terry looks distraught in the 2006 FA Cup semi-final . Riise scores a free-kick against Chelsea as Liverpool triumph at Old Trafford in April 2006 . Mourinho looks on from the touchline as his Chelsea side suffer defeat in the FA Cup semi-final . Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea (Champions League semi-final 2nd leg, May 2007) After a 1-0 home win, Chelsea were pegged back by Daniel Agger’s goal and Liverpool won a dramatic penalty shootout 4-1 to go through. Dirk Kuyt runs off in celebration after netting the winning penalty in the 2007 Champions League semi-final . Geremi of Chelsea sees his penalty saved by Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal at Anfield . Mourinho (right) sticks his arm out in anger as Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez shouts instructions . CESC'S CHALLENGE . When Cesc Fabregas left Barcelona in the summer, the club explained one of the reasons for selling him was a ‘downward trend in his stats every season’. They claimed Cesc was rarely as good in the second half of the season as he was in the first. Well, the way he has been playing in the first half of this campaign is better than most players manage over the course of four or five seasons! The Barcelona statement stuck in my mind and it certainly will have stayed with Cesc. The challenge for him now is to continue his sensational run of performances. Cesc Fabregas runs off with his arms wide in celebration after scoring against Schalke in September . The Spanish midfielder's passing and assists have been crucial to Chelsea so far this season . The stats show Barcelona might have had a point, as his performances do tend to tail off in the second half of the season. But now he has a manager who will be all over him if he doesn’t perform. The way Chelsea are going, though, it’s hard to see him doing anything other than play well. Expect him to be pulling the strings tonight. Fabregas celebrates after scoring for Chelsea against Stoke City against Stoke City in December . The Chelsea midfielder (left) is held back by Swansea City's Nelson Oliveira on Saturday . GERRARD'S FAREWELL TOUR . The next few months will feel a bit like an open-top bus parade for Steven Gerrard as he gets ready to bid farewell to Anfield, but I’m sure he will want to make a quick detour to Wembley. This is a fantastic opportunity for Liverpool to win a trophy and it’s poignant that tonight’s game is against Chelsea, a team that so nearly plucked Gerrard from Anfield. He could have left and won many more trophies, but he stayed true to his boyhood club and they will be desperate for him to win one more before he leaves. Steven Gerrard is starting a farewell tour from Anfield after announcing he will leave in the summer . Gerrard plays a pass during Liverpool's match against West Bromwich Albion in October . The Liverpool captain slides in celebration after scoring in September's Merseyside derby against Everton . BACK TO BASICS . Brendan Rodgers is a coach who believes strongly in his own attacking philosophy. He sticks to his principles, sometimes to the detriment of the team. If Rodgers persists with his preferred back three, Chelsea’s wide men will tear them apart . A conventional back four would increase their solidity, so it will be interesting to see how Brendan goes. Rodgers has a strong attacking philosophy but he must sacrifice some of his principles against Chelsea . Martin Skrtel has been asked to operate in a back three recently but Rodgers should move to a back four . NOW WE'LL SEE WHAT MOURINHO HAS LEARNED . After losing 5-3 to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, I felt we would only see what Jose made of that defeat the next time he faced a big team on the road. That’s no disrespect to Swansea City, but Jose played his best team on Saturday. He has a tendency to be more cautious against the top sides away from home. The Spurs defeat will have created doubt in his mind and it might be that he puts another holding midfielder alongside Nemanja Matic on Tuesday night. Chelsea's players look distraught during the 5-3 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Day . Harry Kane runs off in celebration after netting Spurs' fifth goal against Chelsea at White Hart Lane . Mourinho gestures in frustration during the difficult defeat and he may revert to two defensive midfielders .
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Liverpool host Chelsea in Capital One Cup semi-final on Tuesday night .
Jose Mourinho has a good record against Liverpool historically .
There've been some classic cup ties between sides and this could be too .
Cesc Fabregas must ensure he impacts on the game for the Blues .
Brendan Rodgers should revert to four at the back against Chelsea .
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Zoe Sugg, known under her vlogger name Zoella, sold a record number of copies of her debut book last week, but rumours are flying that she did not write the book herself. The 24-year-old YouTube sensation's book Girl Online broke the all-time record for highest first-week sales for a debut author, selling 78,109 copies in its first seven days. Rumours soon spread that Zoella's book had been ghostwritten, and now publishers have admitted that the tween-idol 'did not write the book on her own.' Publishers Penguin has said Zoe 'Zoella' Sugg, 24, 'did not write the book Girl Online on her own,' but did not confirm that the sales success was ghostwritten . Girl Online, the first in a two-book deal Miss Sugg has signed with Penguin, is a novel about a teenage blogger, which thanks to Zoella's ginormous fanbase,is set to become the best-selling book this Christmas. The record number sales is higher than the first books of veteran authors included JK Rowling and Dan Brown, author of the Da Vinci Code. The figure is also more than five times higher than the number of copies which were sold of EL James’ Fifty Shades of Grey in its first week. 'To be factually accurate, you would need to say Zoe Sugg did not write the book Girl Online on her own,' a penguin spokesperson told the Sunday Times, adding that despite this, the story is very much Miss Sugg's work. Girl Online's acknowledgements thanks 'everyone at Penguin for helping me put together my first novel, especially Amy Alward and Siobhan Curham, who were with me every step of the way.' Zoe Sugg, pictured, who is a video blogger sold almost 80,000 copies of her book during its first week . Ms Sugg's 'vlog' has 12 million viewers a month while an estimated two million people follower her on Twitter . The former, Ms Alward, is Zoella's editor, the latter, Siobham Curham, is a freelance writer and the author of several young adult novels. A since deleted post on Ms Curham's blog allegedly read that she had been approached with writing a novel in six weeks, and finished the task, 80,000 words, in August. MailOnline has reached out to Ms Curham for comment. Zoella’s ‘vlogs’, short for video blogs, attract 12 million hits each month. She began posting the videos in 2009 as a ‘creative outlet’. She now has six million followers on YouTube and is read by more than 2.5 million on Twitter. Penguin Random House, the publisher behind Girl Online, agreed to sign Zoella after its CEO Tom Weldon was told by his 13-year-old goddaughter that the book would be ‘a huge best-seller’. Miss Sugg was also an unlikely addition to Band Aid 30 where she joined Bob Geldof and One Direction for the charity single. She also featured in the November issue of Vogue. Of the record-breaking achievement, Miss Sugg said: ‘It’s such an amazing feeling. I’m so grateful to everyone who has bought a copy of Girl Online. I love that so many of my viewers are enjoying the book! This year has been so exciting and this for sure is the icing on the cake.'
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Zoe 'Zoella' Sugg, 24, sold almost 80,000 copies of debut book in a week .
Girl Online outsold both JK Rowling's and Dan Brown's debut offerings .
Penguin admits Zoella 'did not write the book on her own'
The vlogger regularly has 12 million viewers on her YouTube channel .
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By . John Stevens . Huge legal bill: Dr Kathleen Baker, 72, who has spent 50 years fighting with another pensioner over the ownership of a £2million property in Cornwall . She has spent 50 years locked in a battle over her late father’s estate after it was left to his alleged mistress. Now, Kathleen Baker has argued that the woman could not have been his lover as he was impotent. The retired academic, 72, has gone to the High Court to try to force Audrey Line, the owner of Harrogate House in Falmouth, to hand over a share of the spectacular beachfront property. It is the latest twist in the battle over the £2million home on the Cornish Riviera that has cost Dr Baker hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees. Her father Albert ran and owned a hotel in the town with Miss Line’s mother Norah Duff, with whom he was said to be having an affair in the 1950s. Since his death in 1961, the pair’s respective daughters have been at loggerheads over who was due what share of the property. The court heard the row has led to a series of alleged incidents including Miss Line being arrested for unfounded fraud allegations, and Dr Baker ‘rampaging’ through the hotel. Dr Baker’s father and Norah had set up a company together to run the Palm Beach Hotel in Falmouth. But a year after his death, his share of the hotel was transferred to her, making her the owner. She later transferred the ownership to her daughter Audrey, who sold the Palm Beach and bought Harrogate House, a 1920s property that was designed by renowned Cornish architect Alfred Cornelius and overlooks Gyllyngvase Beach. Dr Baker denies that her father was having an affair and has said that the transfer of his share of the hotel was invalid. Her barrister, Graham Sinclair, told the High Court in London she was entitled to ‘trace and follow the value of such shares into the hands of Miss Line’, ultimately, to Harrogate House. Miss Line, 71, said Dr Baker was ‘in denial’ and was trying to make her homeless. Her lawyer, Guy Adams, told the court the battle stemmed from Dr Baker’s ‘unsubstantiated suspicions’ about the administration of her father’s estate in the early 1960s. Speaking after the hearing, Dr Baker, who lives in a £350,000 house in Colchester, Essex, said: ‘My father did not have an affair with that woman. He was actually impotent as he had been struck down with tuberculosis. ‘I will not have his reputation sullied.’ Beach view: Harrogate House, home of Audrey Line in Falmouth, Cornwall, which is worth £2million . Dr Baker said her father, who amassed his wealth through timber and construction firms, remained faithful to her mother, Phyllis. She claimed he regarded Norah as an employee and was planning on ‘asking her to go’. Dr Baker, who is married, said he once poured slops into a shoe belonging to Norah, and asked: ‘Do you think I’d want to sleep with a woman like that?’ She claims that a second will that left her a quarter of his estate went missing. 'I will not have his reputation sullied': Dr Baker's father with her mother in the 1950s. Dr Baker believes her father was left impotent by tuberculosis and was thus incapable of having a mistress . Dr Baker denies claims in court that she had to be forcibly removed from the Palm Beach in 1997 after she and her sister ‘rampaged around the hotel, pointing out things they said belonged to them’. Miss Line said last night: ‘She’s in denial that my mother and her father lived together. She is trying to take my house from me.’ Judge Kevin Prosser QC has reserved judgment and will give his ruling at a later date.
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Retired academic Kathleen Baker is fighting for share of beachfront home .
It was bought with money from hotel her father gave to business partner .
Dr Baker is challenging the validity of the will that transferred the hotel .
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By . David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 09:42 EST, 4 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:25 EST, 4 November 2013 . President Obama has largely dismissed the disastrous launch of healthcare.gov by insisting that consumers can also apply for health insurance on the telephone or via paper applications, but internal notes revealed today show the Dept. of Health and Human Services knew paper applications would be 'stuck in the same queue.' According to notes from inside an HHS 'war room' set up to troubleshoot the website in its calamitous first days, stakeholders were told on October 11 that '[t]he paper applications allow people to feel like they are moving forward in the process and provides another option; at the end of the day, we are all stuck in the same queue.' The notes were released Monday by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which obtained them from the Logistics Management Institute, a website contractor, not from the Obama administration. The HHS war room' learned two weeks ago that paper Obamacare applications were 'stuck in the same queue' with attempts to visit healthcare.gov . The main Obamacare website highlights four methods for applying for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, but they all rely on the dysfunctional website to determine who's eligible for government subsidies . The committee has subpoenaed HHS for documents like these, since it has so far ignored more polite requests. Contractors for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have to manually enter data from paper applications into the same website that consumers use – the hapless and error-prone site that has been down nearly as much as it's been up since its October 1 launch. Americans signing up for Obamacare coverage on the telephone, or with the help of 'navigators' tasked with providing community-level assistance, face the same problem: Both methods rely on healthcare.gov. And when the site is offline, no one's application gets through. 'The same portal is used to determine eligibility [for government subsidies] no matter how the application is submitted (paper, online),' reads another section of the war room notes. On the same day the HHS war room was advised to tell navigator groups to stop using the Obamacare website and use paper applications, the president emphasized the hand-written approach in a White House Rose Garden speech . On Oct.15 the war room heard that '[n]avigators are seeing people very frustrated and walking away, so they are turning to paper applications to protect their reputations as people in the communities who can help, even though paper applications will not have a quicker result necessarily.' By October 21, the navigators were reporting enough problems accessing the website that healthcare.gov team leaders were given marching orders to tell them to stop using it. '[W]e are to instruct Navigators to use paper applications rather than go through the call center,' that day's notes read. On that shat same day, President Obama said during a Rose Garden speech about the problems with healthcare.gov told Americans they could use paper applications. U.S. Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican, chairs the House Oversight Committee, and has been the most active investigator digging into Obamacare's failures . 'We updated the website's home page to offer more information about the other avenues to enroll in affordable health care until the online option works for everybody,' the president said. 'So you'll find information about how to talk to a specialist who can help you apply over the phone or to receive a downloadable application you can fill out yourself and mail in.' Excerpts from the same war room meetings held earlier in October showed that HHS only enrolled six people in new Obamacare insurance plans on the first day healthcare.gov was open, and fewer than 250 on the second day. But by October 21, one of the contractors tasked with hand-entering information from paper applications reported that it had received 3,000 such requests for health insurance coverage. The Obama administration needs to recruit 7 million new applicants by the end of March, or about 38,500 per day.
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At a 'war room' meeting on Oct. 21, website contractors learned that paper applications would be entered into the problematic website .
There are four ways to apply for Obamacare insurance, but they all rely on the disastrous website .
Using healthcare.gov is the only means to find out if an applicant is eligible for government subsidies for their medical insurance .
The documents were released by the House Oversight Committee, which had to go to a contractor to obtain the documents since HHS isn't talking .
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A father was horrified after his daughters opened a Frozen karaoke machine and discovered a pill inside it. Samuel Wilkes Read gave the toy to daughters Isabella, six, and Lola, four, after his sister-in-law bought it for them in America. The 33-year-old from Cambridge was shocked when they opened the gift to find the small green and purple tablet inside. Lola and Isabella thought the tablet (left) was 'a magic pill' when they found it in their Frozen karaoke machine . Mr Wilkes Read, an airline pilot, said if he hadn't been there to see them open the gift one of the girls would have swallowed the pill and become ill. 'The girls were so excited to open the gift. 'They quickly said there was a magical pill at the bottom stuck in the sellotape and the plastic, it was a green and grey capsule and stood out quite a bit. 'I Googled what it was and it seems to be a diarrhoea tablet, probably the equivalent of Imodium or something similar. 'I assumed it has fallen in as they packed the toy away, no one has spotted it, there is no quality control. 'Because it was a Disney toy they assumed it was part of it and were asking if they could eat it. 'If they could have got at it they would have done but I took it away fairly quickly. It could have made our girls very ill.' The singalong toy was bought by Mr Wilkes Read's sister-in-law. He believes the pill must have fallen in while it was being packaged . Mr Wilkes Read said he was glad he was there when the girls opened the gift as one of them may have swallowed the pill . The Singalong Karaoke was bought by Mr Wilkes Read's sister-in-law Leanne in Target in New York. She quickly snapped it up to bring home for the girls, unaware of what lay inside. As Isabella and Lola quickly ripped into the present morning, desperate to sing along to their favourite Disney movie songs, they found the slightly bashed pill. Using the colouring and markings the girls' father discovered it was a prescription diarrhoea pill, which could seriously harm their daughters . 'I jumped on it pretty quickly and removed it before they could do anything with it," the pilot added. 'I can't believe it was in there, it is appalling really. They should really check these things, it could have made my girls really ill if we hadn't have spotted it.'
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Samuel Wilkes Read gave the toy to daughters Isabella, six, and Lola, four .
The sisters from Cambridge excitedly opened the gift yesterday .
Mr Wilkes Read was horrified when they discovered a green and purple pill .
The machine was bought by his sister-in-law in a Target store in New York .
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(CNN) -- The worst weather disaster in American history took place in Galveston, Texas, in 1900 when a hurricane estimated as a Category 4 intensity blew ashore, killing thousands of residents and obliterating the town. The unnamed storm was first detected in the Atlantic on August 27, reaching Cuba as a tropical storm on September 3. Like Ike, the hurricane crossed Cuba and entered the Gulf of Mexico, crashing ashore just south of Galveston on September 8. Galveston Island was completely covered by 8- to 16-foot storm tides. Estimates of the death toll range from 6,000 to 12,000, and property damage was estimated at $30 million. Galveston in 1900 was a rich shipping city, home to nearly 40,000 people, many of them made wealthy by Galveston's position as Texas' chief port. But they weren't prepared for September 8. Watch how Ike and the 1900 hurricane are similar » . The flood waters began rising before dawn that morning, and initially the people of Galveston thought nothing of it. For the most part, they even ignored the warnings of U.S. Weather Service meteorologist Isaac Cline, who took to his horse and rode up and down the beach warning people to seek higher ground, an urging that ultimately meant little to a city 8 to 9 feet above sea level at its highest point. "In reality, there was no island, just the ocean with houses standing out of the waves which rolled between them," Cline wrote in his 1945 memoirs. Ironically, Cline had argued against building a sea wall in Galveston, saying it was unnecessary and that a storm of any significant strength, in any event, would never strike the island. The gargantuan storm tides collapsed houses along the beach front and turned them into a wall of debris that pushed further inland on the island. At its final stopping point, the debris kept buildings beyond it from collapse, but not from damage. In the aftermath, everything was bulldozed for 15 blocks from the beach. Photographs could only begin to tell the story of the destruction. Haunting black-and-white images show residents searching through ruins with only a peaked gable to indicate that it was once a home, a house picked up from its foundations and shoved 30 yards away, a body half buried in the debris. Several clips of film exist of the devastation, as well. Black and white and silent, they record the search for bodies and the complete devastation wrought by the hurricane. Many of the storm's victims were washed out to sea, and many more were taken out to sea and dumped. But those bodies came back to shore with the tides. The city set about burning the bodies on funeral pyres that blazed for weeks. News accounts at the time record the stench of death that hovered over the remains of the city. The destruction was so complete that word of the aftermath could not reach the outside world. Telegraph lines and bridges to the mainland were all down. Messengers aboard one of the few ships to survive the storm reached Houston on September 10, sending a short message to the Texas governor and U.S. President William McKinley. "The city of Galveston is in ruins," the message said, estimating 500 dead. But Galveston was revitalized in the aftermath of the storm, as well. A sea wall was built. The city was elevated 16 feet at the seawall, sloping downward across the 32-mile-long, 2 1/2-mile-wide island to the bay on the other side. Today, Galveston is a vibrant city and a popular tourist destination with a population approaching 60,000. Although it never regained its high status as a shipping port, Galveston is still a port of call for cargo ships and now for cruise ships, as well.
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Category 4 storm destroyed Galveston in 1900 .
Estimates of the death toll range from 6,000 to 12,000 .
Residents ignored early storm warnings .
Complete destruction kept word from the outside world .
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Gaza City (CNN) -- After weeks of fighting and hundreds of deaths, some semblance of peace may be coming to the Middle East -- at least temporarily. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announced Thursday that an unconditional humanitarian cease-fire will begin at 8 a.m. Friday in Gaza (1 a.m. ET). It will last 72 hours -- or three days -- "unless extended," the United Nations and United States said in a joint statement. "During this time, the forces on the ground will remain in place," the statement said. Israel has accepted the cease-fire, officials in its prime minister's office texted CNN. So, too, has Hamas, a spokesman for the militant fundamentalist Islamic organization texted. The cease-fire is meant to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza caught up in the violence, some of whom have seen their neighborhoods hit hard and loved ones killed, hurt or displaced. The aid will include food, care for the injured and burial of the dead. As all this is going on, Israeli and Palestinian officials should be meeting in Cairo to try to reach "a durable cease-fire," the U.N. and U.S. statement said. "The parties will be able to raise issues of concern in these negotiations." Will they be able to reach a breakthrough? The past doesn't suggest that is likely, at least anything that will lead to a solution to issues that Israelis and Palestinians have been grappling with for decades. And the animosity between Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza, runs especially deep, with both sides accusing each other of putting each others civilians at risk. Kerry called the talks -- to be mediated by Egypt and to include a small American delegation -- "a lull of opportunity ... to try to find a way to ... obtain a sustainable cease-fire," while admitting there are "no guarantees." As Kerry noted, "Everyone knows it has not been easy to get to this point, and everyone knows it will not be easy to get beyond this point." Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat offered similar sentiments on the new talks, which he said will include "all Palestinian factions" -- not just Hamas. "It's a difficult road," said the longtime Palestinian official. "I am hoping against hope that we can (make) every possible effort, with the help of everyone out there, (to) reach a permanent cease-fire." U.N. official alludes to potential war crimes . The latest round of violence, which started earlier this summer, has been particularly bad. At least 1,452 people have been killed in Gaza, and 8,360 wounded, during the current conflict, Gaza Ministry of Health spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said. That's more than the 1,417 Palestinians that the Palestinian Center for Human Rights said died in the 22 days of Israel's Operation Cast Lead, which spanned 2008 and 2009. Those killed in the ongoing hostilities -- which are tied to the Israeli military's Operation Protective Edge -- include 327 children and 166 women, the Gaza health ministry reports. The bloodshed prompted the United Nations' top human rights official to warn that war crimes may have been committed, accusing Israel of "deliberate defiance of obligations (to) international law." U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay referred to the shelling of homes, schools, hospitals and U.N. "premises," while insisting, "We cannot allow this impunity, we cannot allow this lack of accountability to go on." "None of this appears, to me, to be accidental," Pillay said. The scale of the violence, as well as the international condemnation of it, could drive both sides to peace. But even if it does, some Palestinians -- like Samy Bahraqe, who is in a U.N. camp after her home was destroyed -- aren't looking forward to the future. "Life is meaningless," Bahraqe said. "... What dreams in life can we have now that everything is ruined?" More Israeli reservists called up . News of the cease-fire didn't stop the violence. Almost immediately afterward, warning sirens went off around Israel -- with its military announcing later it had intercepted one rocket from Gaza, while two others landed in the Mediterranean Sea. Israel has been protected very effectively from Hamas rockets by its Iron Dome defense system, though a few have hit land. That includes a rocket that struck a neighborhood Thursday in Qiryat Gat, about 20 miles from Gaza, seriously injuring a man and setting a car afire, Israeli spokesman Mikey Rosenfeld said. Three civilians have been killed in Israel since the conflict began, while many more have been forced to take shelter as rockets rained overhead. But the brunt of the conflict has been born by Israel's military, with 61 of its soldiers dying in recent weeks, with five of those deaths occurring Thursday evening. They will get help soon, with Israel Defense Forces announcing the call-up of 16,000 reservists. That will bring the total number of reservists activated since the start of the operation to 86,000, a military spokeswoman said. Israel has accused Hamas of hiding weapons, including rockets, in schools and launching attacks from near shelters -- a fact that, it says, has contributed to civilian deaths. Many outside Israel aren't convinced. Chile, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador have pulled their ambassadors out of Tel Aviv to protest the Israeli offensive. Even the United States -- an ally of Israel -- believes "the Israelis need to do more" to prevent civilian deaths, Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren told reporters. Still, such calls haven't stopped the United States from agreeing to Israel's request to resupply it with several types of ammunition, a U.S. defense official told CNN on condition of anonymity. It's not an emergency sale, the official said. The items being bought include tank rounds and illumination rounds, the Pentagon said. Nor will a cease-fire stop Israel's attempts to destroy Hamas' network of tunnels that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says is the first phase of the demilitarization of Gaza. While "neither side will advance ... Israel will be able to continue its defensive operations for those tunnels that are behind its lines," Kerry explained. 'We are tired, and we have had so much loss of life' Meanwhile, Gaza is reeling. More than 219,000 Palestinians are packed into 86 shelters across Gaza, the U.N. said. That works out to about 12% of all of Gaza's population. Clean water is inaccessible for most. And some 3,600 people have lost their homes. "We cannot supply electricity" for hospitals, sewage treatment or domestic use, said Fathi al-Sheikh Khalil, deputy chairman of the Palestinian Energy Natural Resources Authority in Gaza. "This is a disaster." Al-Qidra, the Gaza health spokesman, said health care workers are struggling to deal with the relentless stream of dead and wounded. "The hospitals in Gaza yesterday had a very difficult time. All the hospital morgues were flooding with dead bodies, and the injured were laying on hospital floors because of the lack of hospital beds," said al-Qidra. Count Sakher Joham among those Palestinians hoping, praying that the misery ends. The violence forced him to flee his home, with his five children and "just the clothes on my back." "We are tired, and we have had so much loss of life," Joham, 32, said of himself and fellow Palestinians. "We want to live with our children a life of dignity, like the rest of the world." Inside a Hamas tunnel . What is Hamas' endgame in Gaza? What is Israel's endgame in Gaza? Opinion: Gaza peace struggle drains me of hope . What You Need to Know About the Israel-Hamas Blame Game . CNN's Karl Penhaul reported from Gaza City; and Greg Botelho reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's Mariano Castillo, John Vause, Jethro Mullen, Steve Almasy, Tim Lister, Kareem Khadder, Samira Said, Tal Heinrich and Larry Register contributed to this report.
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NEW: Official: 1,452 killed in Gaza, which is more than a group says died in 2008, 2009 .
Israel and Hamas accept the 72-hour cease-fire, officials tell CNN .
Palestinian official "hoping against hope" it will lead to a "permanent cease-fire"
U.N. rights chief says Israeli shellings that killed civilians don't appear "to be accidental"
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A man has lost an incredible 11st and transformed his life after his wife casually signed them up to Weight Watchers after a night out. Chris Eichfeld's, 39, from Washington DC, story is made all the more remarkable by the fact he achieved his weight loss while in his job at a fast food company. Rather than a eureka moment or dramatic event, Chris's weight loss began in an almost accidental way. Chris has managed to drop from 23st (left) to a trim 10st 7lbs (right, with his wife Diane, who also lost weight alongside Chris ) through a calorie controlled diet . Chris was out for dinner with his wife Diana, 39, to celebrate her birthday when she casually mentioned that a voucher they had received for Weight Watchers membership was about to expire, and that she planned to sign them both up. That spur of the moment decision began a year long journey which saw both Diana and Chris totally transform their diets and lives, with the result that Chris dropped over 11st (154lb) in weight. Chris struggled with his weight throughout his childhood, often suffering from lung infections meaning sports were difficult for him. ‘I had asthma and my father smoked and I always had bronchitis. Consequently, running wasn’t easy and I was never overly good at sports. So there was just food. The way we ate as a family was always a meat, a potato and then a starchy vegetable covered in butter and massive portions. ‘My father, my mother and my sister were all overweight. We were just a fat family. We were your typical American fat family and I was just terrified of it.’ Chris and Diane, with their son, before they both embarked on their weight loss journey . Chris and Diana, pictured here with their son Aidan, were previously eating a high fat diet, which included a lot of red meat, dairy products, bread and chips . Although Chris grew up and found love with Diana, welcoming a son, Aidan, now 9, and finding a fulfilling job working in the catering industry, his weight continued to be an issue for him. ‘I worked in hotels, restaurants and I was constantly around food. I never put myself in a position to be successful with weight loss. Part of my issue was not just what I ate, but how much of it I ate. I had no self-control, I wouldn’t have one sandwich, I’d have two. There was no sense of portioning or restraint. ‘My wife and I always wanted to lose weight but we just never had the self-motivation. We always said it would be great and then never did anything about it.’ At 6ft Chris, who works at Five Guys Burgers and Fries, had reached 23st (322lb) when his wife signed him up to Weight Watchers. When Diane signed them both up to the slimming group after her birthday meal, Chris did not hold much hope for success, but found the gradual reduction of calories and online services offered meant the process was not as daunting as he had expected. Despite his colossal weight loss, Chris says the main effect has been the way those around him have reacted to his drastically changed appearance (Chris before his weight loss, left, and now, right) ‘When the . weight started coming off, I thought, I can do this. What helped for me . was that fruits and unprocessed vegetables are zero points so you can . snack on those all the time. I can eat those all day. 'I started out and I said ok – let me get below 300lbs. That was 20lb. Then I said - let me hit 270. 'Then I thought, I can lose 100lb.’ The . family swapped their high fat diet, which included a lot of red meat, . dairy products, bread and chips, for a largely home-made, unprocessed . food with lots of fruit and vegetables. As the weight began to fall off, Chris was able to become more active and began running . Despite . not finding the diet too much of a struggle, Chris says having the . support of his wife, who was following the plan alongside him, was a . huge help. I . didn’t do the meetings but I had my wife. We had the same foods. We . could talk to each other and share ideas. There wasn’t bad foods in the . pantry. ‘Finally, when we got it, the weight loss came easily and it wasn’t as much of a challenge as I thought it would be. It also helped us get athletic. Being lighter enabled us to run, to get out and be more active.’ Chris, pictured with his son Aidan after completing the the Run or Dye race, says he now realises that he was not happy when he was overweight . But despite losing 11st (154lb) - half his body weight,- Chris says much of the change has been a shift in the perception others had of him. ‘I’ve learned is that you never really see yourself as heavy as you are and you never really see yourself as thin as you are. You need someone outside to give you that perspective. 'People I worked with after I lost the weight said to me, “Man, I was worried about you, you would be out of breath walking down the corridor.” And I just had no idea. I chose not to see that about myself.’ Now maintaining his new low weight and enjoying a new active and healthy lifestyle, Chris says that, despite slightly falling into his diet by accident, he realises he wasn’t happy at his former size. 'I look back and see I was angry. I didn’t realise it, but I was angry. I wasn’t comfortable in my own skin and if you’re not OK with yourself then you’ll make everyone else around you miserable.' You can read more about Chris and other amazing male success stories from Man V Fat .
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Chris had always struggled with his weight and reached 23st or 322lb at his heaviest .
Working for a fast food company and a love of bad food meant he struggled to control his rising weight .
Only began diet when his wife casually signed him up to Weight Watchers .
Family overhauled their diet and began exercising .
Chris has now lost over 11st or 154lb, reaching a slim 12st or 168lb .
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By . Sam Creighton . A cocaine shipment bound for the Vatican has been seized by German law enforcement. Customs officers at Leipzig Airport found 340 grams of the Class A drug, valued at €40,000 (£33,470), stuffed into 14 condoms and hidden in a shipment of cushions coming from an unnamed South American country. The package was addressed simply to . the Vatican's postal office, meaning any of the Catholic mini-state's 800 . residents could have picked it up. The package was addressed to the Vatican's post office, so could have been for any of its 800 residents . A sting operation arranged with Vatican Police did not manage to lure in a possible recipient for the drugs. The bust was made in January but has just been revealed today by German newspaper, Bild am Sonntag. The investigation has been taken over by Interpol's Vatican office. The Vatican declined to comment on the incident and Interpol could not be reached. Interpol has five officers based in the world's smallest independent state and they are considered part of the Vatican City State Gendarmerie, the official police force, which has 130 staff in total. The specific roles of the Interpol officers are to target organised crime and any incidents which could impact international security. The Vatican's legal system is largely based on Italy's and, given that the city state has only one judge and no prisons, it often lets Italian courts administer justice when it is required. However, in 2007, the Vatican handed down its first ever drugs conviction when an employee of the Holy See was found in possession of a small amount of cocaine and was given a four month suspended sentence. The seized drugs, not pictured, have been valued at 40,000 Euros (£33,470), the investigation is ongoing .
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The drugs were intercepted at Leipzig Airport and are valued at €40,000 .
It was hidden in a shipment of cushions from South America .
It is unknown who the package was intended for and a sting operation to catch the person was unsuccessful .
The investigation is being taken forward by Interpol's Vatican office .
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By . Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 15:37 EST, 16 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:42 EST, 16 May 2013 . The parents of two young children who were allegedly stabbed to death by their nanny in their Upper West Side apartment last year have revealed they are expecting a baby boy. Marina and Kevin Krim shared the happy news on a Facebook page set up in the memory of their two slain children, two-year-old Leo and six-year-old Lulu. The baby boy will join the Krims' surviving daughter, four-year-old Nessie, and will be born almost a year after the horrific murders last October. Happy news: Marina and Kevin Krim, whose son and daughter were allegedly stabbed to death by their nanny last year, have revealed that they are expecting a baby boy this fall . 'Hello everyone, We are very happy to let you know that Marina is expecting a baby in the fall,' read the message on the Lulu & Leo Fund. 'Nessie can’t wait to welcome her new baby brother. We are filled with many emotions as we look to the future, but the most important one is hope. We are very grateful to you all for your amazing support.' The message has already received more than 2,000 'likes'. Leo and Lulu, whose full name was Lucia, were murdered at the family's Upper West Side home on October 26 in an horrific crime that shocked the country. Mrs Krim arrived home at the family apartment to find two of her two children dead in the bath-tub next to nanny Yoselyn Ortega who had slit her own throat in an alleged suicide attempt. Loss: Two-year-old Leo and his big sister Lulu, six, were found in a pool of blood in the family's home . Victims: Only Nessie, whose picture has been pixelated, escaped harm as she was with her mother . Nessie escaped injury as she was with her mother at the time. In January, Mr Krim, an executive at America's CNBC television station, said that they are drawing strength from their remaining child. He said: 'Marina and I couldn't be more proud of her - she is very smart, beautiful and tough. And she's grown so much over the past two months. She saves us every day.' In April, the Krim's nanny Yoseyln Ortega, 50, was . ruled fit to stand trial and will now face a jury for two counts of . first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder. Cause for celebration: The Krims shared the happy news on a Facebook page set up for the children . She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. When questioned by police after awaking from the coma, the nanny attempted to paint Mrs Krim in a bad light, shifting part of the blame for the tragedy on her. Ortega, who had told neighbors and family that she was short of money, revealed she resented her employers because they kept telling her what to do and asked her to do the housework, it was reported after the murders. Fit for trial: Yoselyn Ortega, 50, pictured in court in March, was deemed mentally fit to stand trial over the murders of the two Krim children .
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Marina Krim, 36, found her daughter Lulu, 6,and son Leo, 2, stabbed to death at family's Manhattan apartment last October .
Family's nanny Yoseyln Ortega has been charged with their murders .
The Krims have said their surviving daughter Nessie 'saves us every day'
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By . Reuters Reporter and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:04 EST, 25 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:26 EST, 25 September 2013 . At least 350 federal background checks for security clearances have been faked by corrupt employees in the last eight years, a shocking new report reveals. Authorities have arrested 21 contractors and special agents working for the Office of Personnel Management from 2004 to 2012 for lying about thoroughly researching candidates for 'secret' and 'top secret' government security clearances. Seven of those employees worked for USIS, a Virginia-based company that has come under scrutiny for its role in . vetting former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and . more recently, Washington Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis. Questions: Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis, left, and to NSA leaker Edward Snowden, right, were both granted government security clearances - leading to questions about whether background checking is too lax . Last week, Alexis - who had 'secret' security clearance despite a history of run-ins with the police and reports of mental instability - killed 13 people and wounded three others in a rampage at the Navy Yard. In one case corruption case, a private contractor investigator, who pleaded guilty to . making a false statement, reported interviewing a person who had died . more than a decade earlier. Another investigator was found guilty . of making false statements in checks for applicants seeking 'top . secret' clearances for jobs in the Air Force, Army, Navy and U.S. Treasury. Reuters discovered the 350 known cases of background check fraud by reviewing court documents and press releases from prosecutors for 21 cases resulting in convictions that involved the making of false statements from December 2004 to March 2012. These are the cases government officials have cited to assert that action is taken against investigators who falsely claim to have reviewed records or done interviews for background checks submitted to OPM. Not all the cases identified a specific number of fabrications. Investigated: USIS, a government contractor who does the bulk of the government background screening for security clearances, is under investigation for its ties to both Snowden and Alexis . The 350 falsified reports represent only a small percentage of the number of background investigations conducted each year, either by OPM's own investigators or a handful of private contractors it uses for most of the work. The Government Accountability Office testified to a congressional committee in June that OPM received over $1 billion to conduct more than 2 million background investigations for government employees in fiscal 2011. But the details of the cases show how cracks in the system may allow employees to obtain clearances without proper vetting. The highest number of convictions, 11, involved special agents for OPM. Another seven convictions were of employees of USIS, . Two of those USIS investigators had the highest number - more than four dozen each - of flawed background check reports sent to OPM, court documents showed. USIS faces an ongoing investigation by OPM's inspector general. The company declined to comment for this story and OPM's inspector general's office would not comment on its probe. Tragic: Alexis killed 13 people after waltzing past security at the Washington Navy Yard because he had been granted 'secret' clearance . The most severe punishment was given to an investigator who did not take a plea agreement and instead went to trial. This investigator was found guilty of six counts of making false statements and sentenced to 27 months in prison. Those who entered plea agreements generally received sentences of probation and community service, courts records show. ALEXIS, SNOWDEN CLEARANCES . In a statement last week after 13 people died in shootings at the Navy Yard, including shooter Alexis, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia said, 'In light of recent events, we plan to step up our efforts to investigate and prosecute the individuals and companies who risk our security by cutting corners and falsifying information in background checks.' In pressing the cases, prosecutors have required defendants to pay more than $1.5 million in restitution to the U.S. government to recover the costs of redoing improper background investigations. The screening process for security clearances has came under heightened scrutiny this year since Snowden, working as a contract employee assigned to the National Security Agency, used his 'top-secret' clearance to access documents on the agency's electronic eavesdropping that he later gave to the news media. The issue resurfaced last week with reports that Alexis held a 'secret' security clearance despite violent episodes before and after he received it. A secret clearance generally lasts 10 years. Ongoing checks are needed because 'in five to 10 years stuff happens and people change,' a Senate aide said on condition of anonymity. The Navy Yard shooting has led lawmakers to call for a review of the background check process and a re-examination of the way employees are granted clearance . OPM contracts out for most of the background check work. But the decision to grant security clearances rests with the government agency that intends to employ the individual. USIS conducts about 65 percent of the background checks done by private contractors, and more than half of all the investigations conducted by the OPM, according to a statement issued last week by the office of Senator Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat who is a co-sponsor of legislation aimed at boosting oversight of the security clearance process. Investigators for other government contractors, including CACI International Inc, were also convicted of making false statements in reports for security clearance background checks. CACI did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A Senate aide said the USIS investigation by OPM's inspector general revolves around systemic problems in the company's procedures and does not focus on individual investigators. The inspector general also is investigating the background check done for Alexis before he received clearance to work for the Navy. In 2012, there were 3.5 million federal employees and 1.1 million contractors who held a 'secret' or 'top secret' clearance and OPM's security clearance and background investigations cost about $1 billion, McCaskill's office said. The OPM inspector general's office told Reuters it has 68 open cases related to OPM's background investigations program. It did not say how many of those involve report falsifications. The inspector general's office said it has referred 22 former background investigators for debarment, but no decisions have been reached by OPM. A debarment is usually for a specific time period and means the person cannot contract with another federal agency. The Senate Homeland Security Committee has scheduled an October 1 hearing on government clearances and background checks.
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Federal prosecutors have charged 21 federal employees and contractors with lying about vetting candidates for 'secret' or 'top secret' clearance .
Seven arrests for employees for USIS, the company that checked out Snowden and Alexis .
Two USIS employees admitted to falsifying background checks for four dozen government employees and contractors apiece .
Federal investigation of USIS and background check process after Alexis killed 13 at Navy Yard last week .
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A New Hampshire man faces more than 200 counts charging him with snatching a 14-year-old girl as she walked home from high school last year, imprisoning her and sexually assaulting her over nine months, according to indictments released on Wednesday. Nathaniel Kibby was arrested in July and initially charged with kidnapping the girl on October 9, 2013, in the White Mountains town of Conway. Despite a massive search and widespread public outreach, there was no trace of her except for a letter she wrote to her mother in November of that year. Nathaniel Kibby (pictured in July) was indicted on charges including kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, criminal threatening, illegal use of a gun and illegal use of an electronic restraint device, according to document released on Wednesday . Kibby has been indicted on charges he kidnapped a 14-year-old girl, imprisoned her, and sexually assaulted her over nine months at his New Hampshire home . The girl, who turned 15 a week after she disappeared, returned just as mysteriously in July, a week before Kibby was arrested. Media outlets repeatedly published the girl's name and picture after she disappeared and when she returned home. The girl's family and prosecutors have asked that her name and image no longer be published because they fear the publicity and association with sexual abuse will slow her recovery from what they call a horrific trauma. Kibby, 34, was indicted in Carroll and Coos counties on charges including kidnapping, sexual assault, robbery, criminal threatening, illegal use of a gun and illegal use of an electronic restraint device. In the records released Wednesday, more than 150 of the indictments were heavily blacked-out. Kibby has been held on $1 million bail since his arrest at his home in Gorham, about 30 miles from the girl's home. He has a criminal history dating to 1998, including convictions on simple assault, criminal trespass and breach of bail conditions, according to court records. Police said the girl, now 16, was last seen after leaving Kennett High School in Conway. She walked her normal route down a busy road toward home and sent several texts to a friend between 2.30pm and 3pm. But when her mother returned from work, the girl was not home. Prosecutors said she had no way to travel or get food, shelter or other necessities on her own. They said she 'went dark' and could not be traced through social media for the duration of her absence. Kibby has been held on $1 million bail since his arrest at his home in Gorham, about 30 miles from the girl's home . Police did reveal in December 2013 that she had written home to her mother. When the letter surfaced, FBI Special Agent In Charge Kieran Ramsey said there was the possibility the girl had run away, but someone could still be coercing her into staying away from home. The contents of the letter have never been released. A police officer who has known Kibby for two decades said he's very bright, opinionated and thrives on conflict. In an interview in July, former Conway Lt. Chris Perley said Kibby, 'was smart, but he was also brutally myopic in whatever view he had. You could not shake him or redirect him in the way he saw the world.' Kibby grew up and attended school in Conway, a tourist-dependent town of about 1,800 people in the southeast corner of the White Mountain National Forest. He worked as a machinist at two gun makers — Green Mountain Rifle Barrel Co. and E.M.M. Precision.
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Nathaniel Kibby was arrested in July and initially charged with kidnapping the girl on October 9, 2013, in Conway, New Hampshire .
Despite a massive search, there was no trace of her except for a letter she wrote to her mother in November of that year .
The girl, who turned 15 a week after she disappeared, returned just as mysteriously in July .
Charges against Kibby include sexual assault and illegal use of an electronic restraint device .
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f8c398ec61cbd531c79fe9e2bf4cf0f00626b5f3
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By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 13:49 EST, 25 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:49 EST, 25 April 2012 . Fall: George Townley, 72, who died after plunging 15ft off a bridge at Warwick Castle as he left after a day out . One of Britain's most famous castles has been fined £350,000 after a grandfather fell 15ft to his death from a bridge into a dry moat. George Townley, 72, was leaving Warwick Castle when he stumbled over a low parapet wall as he was leaving after a day out with his partner and her family. The pensioner died from his injuries he sustained in the fall the following day, Warwick Crown Court heard. The castle, built by William the Conqueror in 1068, did not take 'sufficient measures' to protect visitors crossing the bridge and failed to carry out an appropriate risk assessment, the judge was told. Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, who run the castle, was found guilty of two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act in relation to the retired mechanic's death in December 2007. Judge Nigel Godsmark QC ordered the company to pay £350,000 in fines. He said: 'This matter arose from the tragic death of George Townley. 'The death was tragic and unfortunate and he seems to have tripped unluckily. On my part I believe the risk of the bridge was not mainly to adult pedestrians but to children. 'Many people have crossed the bridge over the years and some were of the ilk of the health and safety experts from whom most of their evidence has been given in hindsight but Merlin had failed in its duty.' Barry Berlin, prosecuting, said: 'It is crystal clear that there was a material risk here and at a result of that people were put at risk. 'On anyone's account the bridge should have been risk assessed because it was a major artery to the castle. 'Warning signs could have been put up and a barrier could have been put up. 'That's not just what we suggest, that is clear from the December 10 risk assessment that was carried out the day after the accident. Sadly this was too late.' Plunge: There was a 'one in 80 million chance' of someone falling off the bridge and suffering a serious injury at Warwick Castle, the court was told . Keith Morton QC, defending, said Merlin, who took charge of Warwick Castle in 1978, accepted the parapet wall was low but pointed out there had been about 20million visitors who had crossed the bridge since the company had been involved with the castle. He said: 'There was an insignificant risk of one in four million of any type of accident happening on the bridge and a one in 40million risk of serious injury or death, you can't get much more insignificant than that other than, I suppose, one in 80million. 'It's hard to see how there was a significant risk.' Merlin . was found guilty of failing to take suitable and sufficient measures to . prevent or protect visitors when entering or leaving the castle via the . bridge from falling from a considerable height. It was also found guilty of failing in its duty to provide preventative and protective measures. Tragedy: The owners of Warwick Castle have been fined £350,000 after Mr Townley plunged off the bridge at the front of the castle (pictured) As well as a £350,000 fine, the company was also ordered to pay costs of £145,000 to Warwick District Council. Castle staff put temporary barriers on both sides of the bridge on the day after the accident, which are still in place. The company say they intend to put up permanent barriers. As well as Warwick Castle, Merlin also run famous British tourist attractions like Alton Towers, the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Thorpe Park.
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George Townley, 72, stumbled over the edge as he left after a day out .
Defence barrister says there was a 'one in 40million' chance of serious injury or death .
Bosses now intend to put up a permanent wall to prevent another accident .
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It seems you are never too young to enjoy a spa day. At least, that's what the Baby Spa in Kensington, London, believes. The unusual venue offers pampering for newborns, including luxury massages and even hydrotherapy treatments tailored just for them. Scroll down for video . Smile! Adorable tot is all grins during his hydrotherapy session at the Baby Spa in Kensington, London . Neonatal and paediatric nurses oversee the treatments, which include water immersion and massages . Laura Sevenus owns and operates the Baby Spa, where tots from as young as two days old have enjoyed her sessions, which include using floating rings to allow them to cool off in a swimming pool. 'Baby Spa creates a calm, soothing and fun experience for both the parent and baby,' Laura, a former South African competitive swimmer, explained. 'It's amazing to watch the intense pleasure, contentment and curiosity the babies of just a few days or weeks old show as soon as they float in the warm water.' According to Laura, the most popular treatment is the use of Bubby floats that allow the tots to rest comfortably on the water's surface. 'The Bubby is a patented flotation device that fits loosely around a baby's neck, supporting an infant of any weight safely and comfortably in the water,' she said. Babies as young as two days benefit from the hydrotherapy and its emphasis on developing range of motion . The flotation ring - called a Bubby - is fitted specifically to each baby to support their weight in the water . 'Once the Bubby is fitted at the beginning of Baby Spa visits, the baby is placed in an individual neonatal pod or larger spa pool for up to 30 minutes of therapeutic immersion.' The babies can then move around freely and have fun in the water, while also developing a larger range of movements. She added: 'The comforting experience strengthens muscles and bone structure, whilst providing an environment where they can build confidence in the water.' Not only is it fun, but hydrotherapy also helps to strengthen muscle and bone structure . The infants are absolutely enthralled by their water therapy, which can improve sleep quality and reduce colic . This hydrotherapy improves the infant's sleep quality and reduces discomfort from colic, wind, and constipation. With regular visits, cardiovascular and respiratory systems also benefit. Massages, where neonatal and paediatric nurses give comforting body rubs to the sound of soothing music, are also available. An avid swimmer, Laura also launched the Sevenus Swimming School in 2000 and hopes that early exposure to hydrotherapy will encourage an all-new generation of water lovers. Spa treatments start at £60 for one hour. Massages are also available, where nurses give body rubs to the sound of soothing background music .
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The Baby Spa in London offers hydrotherapy and massages for infants .
Nurses oversee the massages and water immersion therapy treatments .
All babies fitted with a 'Bubby' to allow for safe flotation on water surface .
With regular visits, newborns develop a larger range of movements .
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(CNN) -- Football's world governing body FIFA has called for greater security to be provided after three players from Algeria's national football team were injured when Egyptian fans threw stones at the team bus as it arrived in Cairo on Thursday. The north African arch-rivals meet on Saturday in a crucial World Cup qualifying game in the Egyptian capital, as the group-leading Desert Foxes aim to qualify for the tournament for the first time since since 1986 at the expense of the reigning African champions. FIFA delegate, Walter Gagg, witnessed the incident and told reporters: "We saw that three players had been injured -- Khaled Lemmouchia on the head, Rafik Halliche above the eye and Rafik Saifi on the arm. "These weren't superficial injuries. With the stitches needed, we will have to see if these players can play. The team doctor has still to make a decision on that." Gagg confirmed Algeria's goalkeeping coach had been concussed after the windows of the coach were smashed by stones thrown by fans. FIFA announced their concerns following the incident in a statement on their official Web site which read: "FIFA's Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup have asked the Egyptian Football Association and the highest national authorities ... to confirm the implementation of the necessary additional safety and security measures at any time for the Algerian delegation. "Last week, FIFA had officially written to the Football Associations of Algeria and Egypt to express its firm wish that the preliminary competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa ends as it began, in the spirit of fair play with the necessary cooperation of all the parties." The two north African neighbors have a history of intense competition -- the two sides locked horns in 1989 in a final qualifier for the World Cup hosted by Italy, a match that was followed by riots. Egypt, despite winning the last two Africa Cup of Nations, are on the brink of failing to qualify for the World Cup that will be held on African soil for the first time in 2010. The Pharaohs need to win by three-goals to book their place in South Africa, a two-nil win will leave the teams equal on goal difference forcing another play-off to take place on neutral ground.
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Three of Algeria's players are injured as Egyptian fans throw stones at the team bus in Cairo .
FIFA call for strengthened security to be provided for the ccrunchWorld Cup qualifier between the two north African rivals .
The last time the two sides met in a qualifier riots followed the game .
Algeria lead African qualifying Group C which leaves Egypt need to win by three goals to progress .
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Environment Agency chiefs spent £700,000 more on public relations than it would have cost to carry out dredging work that may have prevented flooding on the Somerset Levels, it has been revealed. The Government agency chose not to spend £1.7million on dredging stretches of the River Tone and the River Parrett before the recent flooding left much of the crisis-hit Somerset Levels underwater. However, bosses at the Environment Agency did spend at least £2.4million on PR activities. Costly: The Environment Agency spent £2.4million on PR activities, but chose not to spend £1.7million on dredging stretches of the River Tone and the River Parrett before the recent flooding left much of the crisis-hit Somerset Levels, including a number of villages, underwater . Surrounded: Many areas have been completely cut off by flood water, including the small community at Burrowbridge on the banks of the River Parrett . Underwater: Mark Kirby and his wife, Kate with their children, Dom, 16, Georgine, 14 and Theo, 10, inside their flooded home in Moorland . The figure, revealed in request under the Freedom of Information Act by The Sun, does not include the salaries of the agency's PR staff. 'It's disgraceful. They don't want to do the work until they absolutely have to,' Bryony Sadler from campaigners Flooding on the Levels Action Group told The Sun. There were repeated calls for dredging on the Somerset Levels made to government departments by farmers and others in the region at least six months ago. However, funding was declined. Many families have been forced to leave their homes with villages including Moorland, Currymore, Muchelney, Thorney, Burrowbridge and Westonzoyland all flooded or cut off and surrounded by water. According to Prime Minister David Cameron, who visited the region last week, the area has not been dredged since the late 1990s, and this had made it more prone to flooding. Waist deep: Kate Kirby outside her home in Moorland, Somerset, as she saves a few possessions from the rising water . Desperate: Dave and Sue Donaldson with daughter Heather at their flooded home in Burrowbridge . He blamed the last Labour government for the pause in dredging, a process which removes silt from river channels, and said that as soon as the flood waters subsided the area should be dredged. Last week Environment Agency chairman Chris Smith said that just £400,000 had been set aside for dredging, and that this had not been enough. The quango was instead waiting for other agencies to put forward money to enable dredging to begin. Fourteen Environment Agency executives take home salaries of more than £100,000 a year. The Environment Agency . has said that an increased amount of dredging would not have stopped the current flooding in Somerset, due to the unprecedented amount of water. Crisis: Many people living in Burrowbridge have been evacuated from their homes as water levels have risen . It said that it had spent £45m in the last financial year on improving river flow . across England, including clearing weeds and dredging. The Environment Agency has defended the money spent on PR and said: 'Money sepnt on communications is within strict government guidelines.' Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, who has now been put in charge of handling the flooding crisis by David Cameron, said Lord Smith should make a public apology for the Environment Agency's mistakes. And asked whether the former Cabinet Minister, should resign, Mr Pickles said bluntly: ‘He has to make his own decision.’ ‘We made a mistake, there's no doubt about that and we perhaps relied too much on the Environment Agency's advice,’ Mr Pickles told BBC1's Andrew Marr Show. Visit: According to Prime Minister David Cameron, who visited the region last week, the area has not been dredged since the late 1990s, and this had made it more prone to flooding . ‘We recognise that we should have dredged and I think it is important now that we get on the process of getting those people back into their houses once we are able to really do some serious pumping.’ Mr Pickles has criticised under-fire Agency chairman Lord Smith for refusing to say sorry for the failures when he was besieged by angry locals on visit to the area. Asked if Prime Minister David Cameron should also apologise, Mr Pickles said: ‘I'll apologise. I'll apologise unreservedly. ‘I am really sorry that we took the advice ... we thought we were dealing with experts.’ The Agency was ‘fit for purpose’ and its staff were doing a fantastic job on the ground dealing with the floods but there were serious questions about parts of its leadership, he said. Abandoned: The flood-hit village of Moorland . Hitting back at ministers in the growing row over the handling of devastating winter storms Lord Smith insisted his staff knew 'a hundred times' more than any politician. He also squarely blamed Treasury funding rules for failure to dredge rivers, and again insisted he had no intention of resigning. Lord Smith said he had 'kept his counsel' up until now over Government funding and rules. 'When I hear someone criticising the expertise and professionalism of my staff in the Environment Agency who know more about flood risk management - 100 times more about flood risk management - than any politician ever does, I am not, I'm afraid, going to sit idly by,' he said. 'The EA is bound by the rules that are laid down by the Government. So when someone says that we followed the advice of the EA, what they were actually doing is following the Treasury rules that say how much we can spend and how much we cannot spend on any individual flood defence scheme.' The former Labour Cabinet minister said the Environment Agency was previously permitted to allocate only £400,000 to Somerset, and no other funding came forward. Damning: Asked whether Environment Agency chairman Chris Smith (right), should resign, Eric Pickles (left) said bluntly: ‘He has to make his own decision' Funds: Lord Smith said the Environment Agency was previously permitted to allocate only £400,000 to Somerset, and no other funding came forward . 'The situation now has completely changed because not only has the Government come up with some extra money for Somerset, but they have said the Treasury rules won't apply to Somerset.' He added that 'money absolutely is a big part of the issue'. Lord Smith was asked about reports that Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, who was leading the Government flooding response before being forced to undergo an eye operation, complained to Downing Street about Mr Pickles' criticism of the EA. 'I have indeed spoken with Owen Paterson by text... he has been hugely supportive throughout of the Environment Agency, its staff and its work and I very much appreciate that.'
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Government agency chose not to spend £1.7m on dredging stretches of the River Tone and the River Parrett before recent floods .
£2.4million was spent on public relations activities, excluding salaries .
Repeated calls for dredging were made at least six months ago .
Families have been forced to leave their homes as water levels rise .
Lord Smith reveals that only £400,000 was put aside for dredging .
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Three men have died as police warn of a batch of ecstasy described as red, triangular pills with a Superman logo printed on them (pictured) Three men have died and another was fighting for his life last night after taking drugs from a suspected rogue batch of ecstasy embossed with the Superman logo. Two New Year revellers lost their lives within hours of each other yesterday after swallowing the angular red pills stamped with the superhero’s ‘S’ symbol. Another man who is believed to have taken the same type of pill collapsed and died on Christmas Eve. A fourth man was last night in hospital in a critical condition. After the incidents – which all occurred in or near Ipswich – detectives appealed for clubbers who still had any of the tablets to hand them in. Police also asked for help to identify the dealer selling the drug.Chief Inspector Steve Denham said: ‘Taking drugs is linked to a great deal of harm and risk and it is not uncommon for people to suffer injury and even death from taking them. ‘But it’s pretty unusual to have so many tragic incidents in such a short space of time.’ Emergency services were called to a semi-detached house in Rendlesham, Suffolk, at 7.10am yesterday. Paramedics treated a seriously ill man but he died at the two-bedroom property on a new-build estate. Neighbours said a young couple in their 20s moved into the rented house around three months ago. A man was pronounced dead at a home in Chestnut Close in Rendlesham. The home involved was on the left hand side of the semi-detached property . Police believe the men, who were all in their twenties, may have been involved with the drug after emergency services were called to three addresses across Ipswich in the space of one week . A man was pronounced dead at Provan Court, Ipswich (pictured) shortly after 7am yesterday morning . A resident, who asked not to be named, described seeing an ambulance and a police car outside the property. ‘They were coming and going in and out of the house,’ he said. ‘It is all very sad. Normally this close is very quiet. There are a lot of semi-retired people here.’ In a second 999 call yesterday at 9.40am, emergency staff were told that a man was ill in a ground-floor flat in Ipswich on another new-build estate. He died at the two-bedroom property despite the efforts of paramedics. An air ambulance flew to the scene and a second man was taken to hospital, where he remained last night. Neighbours said an Eastern European man believed to be the boyfriend of the woman living there had moved in about six months ago. Ecstasy is considered pure when made with a strong concentration of the chemical MDMA. PMA, or PMMA, has a similar effect, but is much more poisonous. The effects of PMA, which include heightened intensity of emotions and alertness, take longer to set in than those of MDMA. As such drug-takers are more likely to double their dosage under the mistaken impression the substance is having no effect on them. According to Frank, a drug counselling organisation, a quarter of a tablet containing PMA is enough to kill. It can cause body temperatures to soar to fatal levels, bring on muscle spasms and sees blood pressure increase. No one was at the flat last night. A neighbour said: ‘I looked out of my window at about 10am and saw two ambulances and a paramedic car along with a police car. ‘The air ambulance landed behind the flats. The young lady who lives in the flat came out in a distraught state. ‘She sat in a police car with an officer and then some friends came to pick her up. It is just such an awful tragedy.’ The man who died on Christmas Eve was also from Ipswich. Emergency services were called to his address at around 5.30pm. A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said the two men who died yesterday both suffered cardiac arrests. Similar shaped pills have been sold in the Netherlands where the authorities said they had a ‘very high dose of the dangerous substance PMA’. The effects are delayed, leading many users to assume the pills are weak and take more. Life-threatening symptoms can occur hours later, including increased heart rate and very high body temperature. The charity DrugScope warned there had been an increase in ecstasy-related deaths in the past five years. A spokesman said: ‘You can’t tell the dosage or content of a pill just by looking at it.’ In 2013 a batch of ecstasy pills with a Rolex symbol emblazoned on them circulated around Scotland. They were found to contain a lethal dosage of PMA, with several club-goers dying after taking the drug .
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Two men died at separate addresses in Ipswich yesterday morning .
Another in his twenties remains in hospital in a critical condition .
Deaths may be linked to another on Christmas Eve, Suffolk Police said .
Red, triangular pills with Superman 'S' logo have been circulating .
Officers appealing for information as to who may be supplying substance .
Police are urging anyone with information to contact them on 101, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 .
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(CNN) -- Three years ago, a federal court found the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers responsible for the catastrophic flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. On Monday, an appeals court threw that decision out. The new court decision, which potentially gets the government off the hook for tens of millions of dollars in damages, is based on a legal provision specifically designed to keep courts from second-guessing government decisions when the government is sued for its actions or inaction. Residents of New Orleans, where more than 1,000 people were killed and many thousands made homeless in one of the worst disasters in American history, have been suing the corps, arguing that it failed to maintain a Mississippi river canal and didn't protect the city properly from the storm. A federal judge issued a blistering decision against the corps in 2009, accusing it of negligence over a period of 40 years because of "insouciance, myopia and short-sightedness." The real trouble begins after the storm . U.S. District Court Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages to each of five families that lived in the worst-hit sections of the city: the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish. The ruling opened the way for about 100,000 other homes and businesses in the affected area to claim compensation, theoretically making the government liable for tens of millions of dollars. But a higher court reversed the decision Monday. The appeals court found that the government could not be held responsible because of a provision known as the discretionary function exception, or DFE, which says the government can't be sued for actions that an agency or government employee makes, or fails to make, if the function is discretionary. The DFE is intended to prevent courts from second-guessing government decisions "grounded in social, economic, and political policy" during the course of lawsuits, the appeals court said. "Our application of the DFE ... completely insulates the government from liability," the three judges hearing the case wrote. Monday's ruling is not final. Plaintiffs can ask the full 5th Circuit Court to rehear the case, or they can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Katrina made landfall on the morning of August 29, 2005, between Grand Isle, Louisiana, and the mouth of the Mississippi River. A few hours later, the storm again crossed over land on the other side of the river, its winds only slightly diminished. Once a Category 5 storm, it had weakened to a Category 3 storm with 127 mph winds when it hit. Katrina devastated New Orleans when the city's levee system failed and widespread flooding occurred. More than 1,800 people died in the storm, nearly 1,600 in Louisiana. Overall, the storm damage covered more than 90,000 square miles and displaced nearly 300,000 people, causing more than $81 billion in damage. The Federal Emergency Management Agency called Katrina "the single most catastrophic natural disaster in U.S. history." The plaintiffs who sued the government said the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet canal made the flooding significantly worse than it would otherwise have been. In the 2009 district court ruling, Duval wrote that because the corps failed to maintain the shipping channel, erosion widened it, and its banks -- which helped protect the levees -- deteriorated, leaving the levees unprotected, undermined and more vulnerable to waves coming off Lake Borgne. The corps also failed to take other actions, such as armoring the banks with rocks, attorneys for the plaintiffs said. CNN's Ashley Hayes and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.
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An appeals court says the government is immune from the lawsuit .
Residents of New Orleans sued the corps, saying its failures made flooding worse .
An earlier ruling blasted the engineers for "myopia and short-sightedness"
The new ruling could get the government off the hook for potentially huge bills .
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By . Aislin Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 17:23 EST, 4 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:09 EST, 5 April 2012 . She's had a rough few years, and though things appeared to be looking up for Camille Grammer, she's found herself in the middle of more drama. Though she has moved on from her broken marriage to Frasier star Kelsey Grammer, her new boyfriend's ex is creating problems. According to RadarOnline.com, the mother of Dimitri Charalambopoulos' child, ex-girlfriend Lisa Chynoweth, threatened Camille during a crucial time during her own divorce proceedings. More drama: Camille Grammer was reportedly 'threatened' by the ex-girlfriend of new love Dimitri Charalambopoulos . Coming out fighting: The 43-year-old reportedly counter-attacked when threatened by Dimitri's ex . This caused the 43-year-old to counter-attack: she threatened Lisa with lawyers and public embarrassment as she tried to protect her privacy. The site reports that Lisa called Camille and sneakily recorded a four hour chat between Dimiti's ex and current girlfriends. During the taped recording, the former Playboy model tells Lisa: 'If you go to the press, I have lawyers that are beyond what you can imagine and they will pull stuff on you and you will be so mortified about your life and your family and what you have done. You don't want to do that to Marcus [her son].' Never been happier: The former Housewife claims she's given up her reality show in order to regain her privacy . Camille, naturally, had no knowledge that she was being recorded or that her words could be used against her boyfriend, as Dimitri is currently embroiled in a nasty custody battle with his ex for care of their five-year-old son. He even has a temporary restraining order against his ex because of the situation after she leaked the video deposition tape. A source tells Radar: 'Lisa is the one that called Camille about a month and a half ago and she had a laundry list of issues she needed to address. 'Camille was very gracious in the beginning of the conversation and just let Lisa talk. Camille had a lot going on in her life because she was still in a custody dispute with Kelsey. 'Towards the end of the conversation, Lisa told Camille that the press had been calling her and brought up Camille's children. Lisa knew about the custody battle and threatened to insert herself into that situation. Camille was provoked and reacted as any mother that loves her children would, period. The big reveal: Camille sat down with guest host Katie Couric yesterday on Good Morning America . 'Camille didn't threaten Dimitri's son, Marcus, she was simply saying that no child should have to deal with the fallout of their parents feuding. The tape was aired as evidence in a video deposition between Dimitri, a bankruptcy attorney, and his ex. When Lisa's attorney asks Dimitri if he thinks it's ok that Camille threatens his ex and his son, he replies, 'I'm not going to answer that because I didn't hear the rest of the conversation and I don't want to hear the whole conversation...I didn't hear a threat and I don't know what that conversation was about and it was a little snippet and that has absolutely nothing to do with this...I didn't hear a threat, it sounded more like a rebuttal.' According to the insider, Lisa edited the tape for her own gain. A rough few years: Camille has had a hard time while going through her divorce from husband of 14 years Kelsey Grammer . Moving on: The Frasier star has since remarried flight attendant Kayte Walsh . No longer a housewife: The former Playboy model revealed she cut her ties with her Bravo show after just two seasons . The source reports: 'Dimitri wasn't with Camille when the phone call was made and they both find it extremely interesting that only a snippet of the conversation was recorded. 'Lisa didn't record the portions of the phone call when Camille praised what a great dad Dmitri was and what an amazing little boy they were raising. 'Lisa purposefully recorded when she had provoked Camille and attempted to use it against her. How did the deposition end up on YouTube? The lawyers involved are the only ones that have access to that information.' The drama has not affected Dimitri and Camille's relationship, however. In fact, she is reportedly happier than ever since filing for divorce from Grammer, her husband of 14 years, in 2010. Says the site: 'Dimitri and Camille have never been closer and more in love. Camille has handled herself with true class and Dimitri is so grateful to have her in his life. 'Neither one of them thought they were ever going to find true love again and be able to trust someone with their heart. They are a fantastic couple and are rock solid.' She told Good Morning America's guest correspondent Katie Couric yesterday that she left her Bravo reality show after just two seasons in order to regain her privacy in relation to her boyfriend and children.
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Dimitri has a restraining order against his ex .
His ex recorded a four-hour conversation between herself and Camille .
Camille reportedly threatened Lisa with lawyers in a counter-attack .
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By . Leon Watson . UPDATED: . 11:36 EST, 9 December 2011 . Croatia today signed an accession treaty that will bring it into the EU in 2013 after the bloc's 27 member nations agreed. EU president Herman Van Rompuy welcomed the signing of the accession document, saying Croatia will be an 'active observer' in all EU forums until it becomes a full member 18 months from now. 'Today is a historic day for Croatia and the EU. Croatia is set to become the 28th state of the union,' he told EU leaders at the signing ceremony. European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek speaks during the ceremony to sign Croatia's EU accession treaty . Ever closer union: Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borissov (left) embraces his Croatian counterpart Jadranka Kosor after the agreement today . Croatia's entry talks lasted seven years and were held up repeatedly due to territorial disputes with neighboring Slovenia and demands that it arrest remaining war crimes suspects. 'Today Croatia is entering Europe, but more importantly Europe is entering Croatia,' Croatian President Ivo Josipovic told the heads of government of all 27 current members, who were attending a summit focused on saving their common currency. British Prime Minister David Cameron also announcemed after an all night sitting that he had 'effectively wielded the veto' to prevent Brussels being handed more powers. Croatia will become the second nation from the former Yugoslavia to join the EU after Slovenia in 2004. Meanwhile, officials said EU leaders may postpone making Serbia a candidate for the bloc until their next summit in March. In union: EU leaders pose for a family photo after Croatia joined up at a summit in Brussels . Croatia's President Ivo Josipovic (left) and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor sign the European Union accession treaty . Prime Minister David Cameron (right) speaks with French minister for European Affairs Jean Leonetti after signing the treaty . According to a draft resolution, Serbia would have to normalise by then relations with its former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, said the officials who spoke on usual condition of anonymity. Serbia had been widely expected to gain candidate status after extraditing the last of 46 war crimes suspects earlier this year. The club: The EU leaders get together after agreeing Croatia is set to become the bloc's 28th member on July 1 . Getting tough: Prime Minister David Cameron today said he is wielding the veto at the EU summit . Nationalist supporters hold a banner that reads 'We don't want into EU' during a protest in front of Serbian Presidency building in Belgrade today . But a recent outbreak of violence in northern Kosovo, where hard-liners among the Serb minority have blocked roads and clashed with NATO peacekeepers, appears to have put that on hold. 'EU leaders are just too busy with the euro crisis to waste too much time discussing Serbia's status,' one of the officials said. Another former Yugoslav country, tiny Montenegro was likely to receive the green light to open accession negotiations next June on condition that it continues a crackdown on organized crime and corruption. The nation of 620,000 people received candidate status a year ago.
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It comes after seven years of talks .
Serbia bid may be postponed until March .
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(CNN) -- For Joey Kemmerling, it was his decision to reveal his sexual orientation that triggered relentless bullying at school. "I came out of the closet as gay in eighth grade and ever since I've been bullied. I was, for lack of a better word, and still am, the school faggot," the 16-year-old Joey recently told CNN's Anderson Cooper. The Pennsylvania native said his decision to come out to classmates not only evoked a firestorm of vicious taunts but also led to a threat on his life. "There was a point where a kid had a knife on school premises and said, 'I'm going to kill him. I want that faggot dead.' And I had to transfer schools," Joey said. The bullying persisted outside of school, both online and on the street. His mother, Joyce Mundy, said beyond her son being bullied online, she had to file a police report after two boys followed Joey on his walk home, making threatening comments the entire way. Read about CNN's weeklong coverage on bullying . Joey and seven other teens recently spoke to Cooper about the harsh realities of bullying. All eight youngsters said they were not surprised by the recent rash of headlines about suicides of apparent bullying victims. Joey said he believes that most kids who are bullied at some point have contemplated taking their own life. "If you're bullied for long enough, that's going to go through your mind," he said. He added, "You wake up in the morning and you just think, 'I have to go face them again. I have to spend another eight hours in that prison.' And you just don't want to be there and no matter what you do, you can't escape." Last week, authorities recovered the body of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide after his roommate and another college classmate allegedly placed a camera in his dorm room and streamed his sexual encounter with another male online. Read about Rutgers vigil for Clementi . The statistics on gay youth suicides are unclear since many youths do not admit to others that they are gay or bisexual. But gay and bisexual young adults, who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence, were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, according to an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2008. Bullying became so pervasive in Joey's life that he admits, in his darkest hours, he too had thoughts of suicide. "You feel so helpless, and day in and day out you're being called something, and they're telling you the same message: 'Your life is worthless.' And you start to believe it." "I believed that I did not deserve to live," the gay teen added. Have you ever been bullied? Share your story . Unlike some parents of bullying victims, Joey's mother was fully aware of both the treatment her son was getting and his emotional state. "He went through a really severe depression," Mundy said in a separate interview. "He talked to me about having suicidal thoughts and was very vocal all the way through. If you really become invested in dealing with your child being bullied, you sort of become peer, friend, counselor. ... Although I was aware how bad things were for him, it's still very scary. ... You never not want to take it seriously and make that mistake." Mundy got her son into counseling, which helped, but she said it was his decision to fight back against bullying online that really started to turn the tide. He began a Facebook page for bullying victims to share their stories, which has since grown into a nonprofit called the Equality Project with close to 6,000 members. Read about cyberbullying in a digitally connected world . "It's empowered him a bit to understand he's not alone. ... It's helpful for him to understand through discussions online that things get better. ... He's gotten much stronger through educating himself on the issue," his mother said. This year, Joey is in a new school and, armed with the support of his online community, has become an advocate for bullying victims everywhere. "People say 'Bullying can't be changed, it's been around forever.' But it really can," the teen said. "And how many people, deep down inside, have empathy, have that consideration that if you can really get down into their soul, and make them understand the way that the words affect people, then they can change." As both he and his mother read story after story of apparent bullying victims committing suicide, they said they see his mission as critical. "He knows he can't change every individual school, but he does want to change the system broadly," Joey's mother says, adding, "This really does have to be treated as an epidemic." Watch Anderson Cooper . 360° weeknights 8pm ET. For the latest from AC360° click here.
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Joey Kemmerling says decision to reveal his sexual orientation triggered bullying at school .
Coming out evoked a firestorm of vicious taunts and life threats, Joey says .
Teen began a Facebook page for bullying victims to share their stories .
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Kampala, Uganda (CNN) -- Ugandan police announced Thursday the arrest of a 22-year-old man who they say confessed to killing gay rights activist David Kato. In a news conference at which suspect Enock Nsubuga was presented to the media, authorities said he admitted using a hammer to bludgeon Kato to death. Nsubuga was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon, though police said they'd been tracking him for several days. The head of Uganda's national police, Kale Kayihura, said Thursday in the capital, Kampala, that Nsubuga was an ex-convict who had been working in Kato's garden at the time of the activist's death. After being detained, Nsubuga admitted to killing Kato and explained why he did so, according to Kayihura. According to the suspect, Kato, 46, promised to pay Nsubuga money for having sex with him. But Kato never followed through. An angered Nsubuga told police that he then took a hammer from the bathroom and fatally beat Kato. Kayihura said he believes the attack was not a hate crime, as has been widely reported, but rather stemmed primarily from Nsubuga's desire to get money from Kato. The police chief denounced elements within the public, as well as the media, for reports that he claimed had fueled aggression against Uganda's homosexual community. He specifically mentioned a report from Rolling Stone -- a Ugandan tabloid that is not affiliated with the iconic U.S. music magazine by the same name -- that published a list late last year of the African nation's "top 100 homosexuals" with their photos, addresses and a banner with the words "Hang Them." Kato's name and picture were on the list. According to Kato's lawyer, the activist had feared for his safety prior to his death, even alerting police about his concerns. Late last week, human rights activist Naomi Ruzindana said she did not believe the killing was a robbery gone wrong. "I don't think it's a coincidence that it happened ... he had got threats over and again," she said. Nsubuga had a long criminal history, including being jailed recently for stealing a cell phone, police said. According to neighbors, Nsubuga was last seen leaving the activist's house on Tuesday of last week. Kato was found dead the following day. Chaos ensued at his funeral last Friday, after a pastor rebuked homosexuals at the service in Mukono, a small hillside village outside the capital. Mourners took away the man's microphone and police whisked him away from the angry crowds. A sympathetic Anglican bishop stepped in to finish the ceremony. Homosexuality is illegal in most countries in Africa, where sodomy laws were introduced during colonialism. In Uganda, homosexual acts are punishable by 14 years to life in prison, according to rights activists. Ugandan lawmakers shelved a controversial "anti-gay" proposal introduced in 2009 that would impose tough penalties against homosexuality, including life imprisonment and the death penalty. Even with Nsubuga's arrest and alleged confession, as well as the earlier detainment of Kato's driver, the police chief said Thursday that the murder investigation is continuing.
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Murder suspect Enock Nsubuga was arrested Wednesday .
Ugandan police say he confessed to killing activist David Kato in a botched robbery .
Police chief claims killing isn't hate crime, blasts reports for fueling aggression against gays .
Kato said he felt threatened, especially after a 2010 article with the banner "Hang Them"
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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- An Atlanta, Georgia, lawyer, whose well-publicized bout with tuberculosis caused an international health scare, is suing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for invasion of privacy. Congress held hearings in June 2007 to discuss Andrew Speaker's TB case and the ensuing health scare. In the suit filed this week, Andrew Speaker alleges that the CDC released his name and sensitive medical information to the media in 2007, an act that harmed his reputation, his occupation and led to the ruin of his marriage. Speaker did not specify a dollar amount he was seeking in damages in the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, Georgia. On May 29, 2007, the CDC held a press conference stating a patient with a rare form of tuberculosis, extensively drug-resistant TB which often proves fatal, had taken an international flight. The CDC, the suit alleges, did not in that press conference or other press conferences, tell the public that the organization told Speaker that he was not contagious and that the CDC knew Speaker had planned to take the trip to Greece for his wedding. Instead, the CDC unlawfully released extensive information about Speaker such as "the fact that he had flown to Greece to get married, the fact that he was a lawyer in Atlanta, and most importantly, his identity -- none of which needed to be released to the general public in order to accomplish any legitimate public health purpose," the suit said. On July 3, 2007, Speaker's doctors changed his diagnosis to multi-drug resistant TB, a less dangerous but still potentially fatal form of the illness. The suit alleges that the CDC's inaccurate release of information about him caused major harm. "Speaker became the object of unwanted public attention, including expressions of public scorn and contempt (including death threats) due to the inaccurate light in the information presented, resulting in so much strain on his marital relationship that he and his new bride parted ways after the wedding but before filing the marriage license," the suit alleges.
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Andrew Speaker, who was diagnosed with TB, files lawsuit against CDC .
Speaker says CDC unlawfully released personal information about him .
Speaker flew to Greece for wedding, triggering international health scare .
Speaker claims misinformation harmed reputation, led to end of his marriage .
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The Ebola crisis has provided the latest opportunity for Democratic hopefuls in tough races to set themselves apart from their beleaguered party head. Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Kay Hagan of North Carolina have both offered differing policies from President Barack Obama when it comes to handling the deadly disease, as has Georgia senate candidate Michelle Nunn. In the House at least nine Democrats, including Nick Rahall of West Virginia and Krysten Sinema of Arizona, have asked the president to revisit his decision not to block individuals flying out of West Africa from entering the U.S. Scroll down for video . Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor is one of a dozen Democrats who says he would take a different approach to fending off an Ebola epidemic than president Barack Obama. Unlike Obama, Pryor says he supports a temporary ban on travel to the U.S. from West Africa . President Barack Obama, right, is pictured here meeting with Ron Klain, then chief of staff to the Vice President, and Cynthia Hogan, counsel to the vice-president, in the Oval Office, in this May 21, 2009 photograph. Obama named Klain as his administration's Ebola response coordinator on Friday to Republicans' annoyance . Their efforts to show a clear distinction between the way they would respond to the Ebola outbreak and the president's actions comes as anger over Obama's response to the Ebola epidemic has escalated among Republicans, who are are now up in arms over his choice for Ebola czar. Lawmakers' divergence from the president's approach to managing the health scare mirrors a poll newly released by Politico that shows that just 22 percent of likely voters in battleground states have 'a lot of confidence' that the government 'is doing everything possible to contain the spread of Ebola.' Another 33 percent said they have no or little confidence in the government's handling of the situation so far. And that survey was conducted before a third Ebola patient was diagnosed in the U.S. The poll did not ask what respondents would like to see the government do differently, but a survey conducted by ABC News and the Washington Post at roughly the same time found that two-thirds of Americans support a temporary moratorium on travel to the U.S. from the three West African countries being savaged by Ebola. Members of Congress have responded in kind, and more than a dozen Democrats now say they are in favor of travel restrictions. They join nearly a hundred of their Republican colleagues in demanding that the president do more to stop possible Ebola carriers from coming to the country. 'It is clear that the piece-meal approach to contain this outbreak is not enough. We need a comprehensive strategy,' Arkansas' Pryor said in a statement on Friday. 'It starts with a travel ban for non-citizens coming to the U.S. from affected areas and a stepped-up screening process conducted by health professionals for Americans returning from West Africa,' the incumbent senator, who is locked in a tight race for his seat with Arkansas GOP Rep. Tom Cotton, added. North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan speaks at a press conference on Wednesday, Oct. 15 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hagan said then that a travel ban wouldn't 'help solve this problem.' On Friday she said she supports travel restrictions . Pryor's concise support for a travel ban follows an interview he did with MSNBC earlier this month in which he struggled to say whether the Obama administration had responded to Ebola appropriately and aggressively enough. 'Uhhhhmmm...' he told network correspondent Kasie Hunt. 'I would say that it's hard to know because I haven't heard the latest briefing on that.' North Carolina's Hagan also said that unlike the president, she supports a travel ban on Friday - just two days after saying at a news conference that it 'wouldn't help solve this problem' or 'contain the epidemic that we see happening in Africa.' Hagan said in a statement on Friday, 'I have said for weeks that travel restrictions should be one part of a broad strategy to prevent Ebola from spreading in the U.S. and fighting it in Africa. 'Although stopping the spread of this virus overseas will require a large, coordinated effort with the international community, a temporary travel ban is a prudent step the President can take to protect the American people, and I believe he should do so immediately.' Hagan's GOP opponent in the race, Thom Tillis, has said he's in favor of travel restrictions for several weeks. The Republican National Committee jumped on Hagan's change of heart on Friday and told the Daily Mail in an email on Monday that 'Senator Hagan did a full flip-flop.' 'She went from calling the proposed ban a "scare tactic" to essentially endorsing the proposed ban that Tillis put forward weeks ago,' RNC spokesman Rob Lockwood said. 'Senator Hagan should quit the games, acknowledge her 180 degree turn, and admit that Thom Tillis was right all along on this issue.' Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Michelle Nunn, right, hugs a supporter at a rally last Wednesday before casting her own ballot in early voting at the Adamsville Recreation Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Nunn also came out in favor of a travel ban on Friday . In Georgia, Democratic senate candidate and non-profit head Nunn sided with her potential colleagues and voiced her support for a travel ban on Friday, too. 'I support a temporary travel ban with the exceptions of our medical and military personnel in those affected areas in West Africa and I believe that we need to look to our medical practitioners, leaders and scientists and make sure we’re giving them the resources,' Nunn told the Washington Post. In a similar statement released the same day Nunn also contended that 'our leaders in Washington must provide clear, bipartisan and strong leadership as well as the resources we need to stop the spread of Ebola.' The Georgia Democrat was involved in a short-lived controversy last week when she refused to tell a tracker for a Republican organization whether she voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012. She confirmed to the Post on Friday that she did vote for Obama while touting her bipartisan credentials. Nunn's Republican opponent in the race, businessman David Perdue, has attacked her as a rubber stamp for Obama's policies and released an ad featuring a photo of her and Obama. Today she released an ad explaining why she was pictured with the president and that the photo was taken at an event for her non-profit that held in honor of former President George HW Bush. Democrats in the House have also been quick to separate themselves from the ostracized president, whose approval rating has consistently been underwater throughout the election cycle. In addition to West Virginia's Rahall and Arizona's Sinema, John Barrow of Georgia, Alan Grayson of Florida, Dave Loebsack of Iowa, Scott Peters of California, David Scott of Georgia, Collin Peterson, Minnesota and Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii have joined the procession of Democratic lawmakers lobbying the president to institute a travel ban. President Barack Obama, center, stands with Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, left, and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, during an early voting and campaign rally for Illinois Quinn at Chicago State University on Sunday. Quinn is one of the few Democrats up for reelection this year who is willing to tie himself to Obama . Even vulnerable Democrats have not been nearly as vocal as Republicans in critiquing the president over Ebola, however. Republicans went from upset to outraged with the president on Friday after he announced his pick for Ebola czar. After arguing that the White House needed to designate one administration official to direct its response to the heath scare, Republicans got their wish on Friday when Obama brought on Ron Klain, a former chief of staff to two vice presidents, to act as its Ebola response coordinator. They immediately began disparaging Klain's credentials, though, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz led the charge, arguing on Friday and again on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday that Klain has no business managing a health crisis. 'Mr. Klain is not a doctor. He's not a health care professional. He doesn't have background in these issues,' Cruz said. 'We don't need a White House political operative, which is what Mr. Klain has been. 'What we need is presidential leadership. The person who needs to be on top of this is the president of the United States,' Cruz stated. Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions also came out swinging against Klain on Friday, saying in a statement that the 'American people can have zero confidence in Ron Klain’s competence to carry out this critical role.' 'Ebola is a health crisis. Yet the President has appointed as his new Ebola ‘czar’ a partisan loyalist whose expertise is politics—not health,' Sessions argued. 'One would think, faced with the prospect of an epidemic, the President would task an expert in epidemiology not an expert in political spin. Noting that he supports both a travel ban and barring of visas for anyone from countries plagued with Ebola, Sessions said, 'The Administration continues to refuse to implement even the most commonsense immigration controls to protect public health and public tax dollars. 'Mr. Klain’s appointment, unfortunately, suggests things will get worse—not better.'
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At least a dozen Democrats in close races this fall have set themselves apart from Obama by calling for travel restriction for West Africa .
Anger over Obama's handling of the Ebola epidemic has escalated among Republicans as well - they're up in arms over his choice for Ebola czar .
A new poll shows that just 22 percent of likely voters have 'a lot of confidence' that the government 'is doing everything possible to contain the spread of Ebola'
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Arrested: Nicole Edna Holton, 36, from Upper Darby, was arrested for letting her daughter fight a schoolmate over a dispute about boys . A mother who let her daughter fight with a schoolmate to settle a dispute about boys has been arrested, though she was unrepentant about the alleged crime. Nicole Edna Holton, 36, from Upper Darby, West Philadelphia, had allegedly arranged the brawl because her daughter’s school wasn’t dealing with the issues she was having, police said. Superintendent Michael Chitwood said that Holton took her daughter to a parking lot on Friday and watched her fight with another girl. He told the delcotimes.com: ‘This is apparently an ongoing battle between the two girls about boys. This mom sends a really great message [said sarcastically]. ‘She knew they were squabbling and said she was going to take care of it. The woman brought her daughter to the parking lot to commit a crime. One of them could have been seriously injured. This is stupid parenting.’ The fight was broken up by passing officers. Holton was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, endangering the welfare of children and two counts of corruption of minors, but argued that she was doing the right thing, according to the affidavit. She told the police: ‘These girls have been having issues at the school with each other, so I let them handle it. Me and my daughter met her here and I let them handle their problem because the school did not do (expletive).’ Superintendent Michael Chitwood said that Holton took her daughter to a parking lot on Friday and watched her fight with another girl, which he described as 'stupid parenting'
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Nicole Edna Holton allegedly arranged a brawl between her daughter and a schoolmate in a dispute over boys .
The 36-year-old mom, from Upper Darby, West Philadelphia, has been arrested for endangering the welfare of children .
A police spokesman described the fight as 'stupid parenting', saying that one of the girls could have been seriously hurt .
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(CNN) -- The phone call was short, and not at all sweet. "Do you weigh more than 160 pounds?" the voice on the other end asked Karyna Douglass. "Yeah, I know I do," she replied. And that was it. Douglass' call to the local Navy recruiting center lasted less than five minutes. "I felt horrible," she remembers. "I thought maybe I could change that. I didn't realize how big I actually was." It was on a whale-watching trip to celebrate her 22nd birthday that Douglass first toyed with the idea of joining the military. She noticed her fellow passengers on the boat were really enamored with the Coast Guardsmen patrolling nearby. At the time, Douglass was working a part-time job in Portland, Oregon. She wasn't having any luck getting student loans to go back to school and was having serious issues with her family. To deal with it, she turned to food, eating fast food during the day and binging on candy when she got home at night. Chocolate was her drug of choice. Sometimes with a side of ice cream. "I was realizing that the people who you thought were going to be there for you weren't at all," she says. "I felt trapped." The 5-foot-7 22-year-old weighed 300 pounds. After the painful phone call, Douglass started running every night around her neighborhood. A few months later she went to the Navy recruiting center in person. As she was about to enter, an Army recruiter from the next office over called out to her. It was the first time Douglass had ever seen a soldier up close. "I just sort of stared," she says with a laugh, as the recruiter told her about their morning workout program for potential enlistees. She dragged a friend to the first training session. They started by running laps, then moved on to push-ups. Douglass left shortly after the warm-up. "It doesn't sound like much now, but at that point, oh my God, it made me throw up," she says. The friends went to get milkshakes to make themselves feel better. It was two weeks before Douglass gathered the courage to go back. No one from the Army called her. Her friend didn't push. "I just thought, if I'm really serious I have to give it a shot." She worked out with the group every day that week, Monday through Thursday. It was hard, but she realized she could do it. Douglass started waking up at 4 a.m. every day to take a bus to the group's morning workout. They run 2.5 to 4 miles, and then she heads to the gym before going to work. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she takes the bus back for an afternoon workout of jumping jacks, mountain climbers and push-ups. She also overhauled her diet, cutting out fast food, fried food and soda, and limiting her candy intake. Every week she tries a new diet to keep it interesting -- one week she avoids carbohydrates; another week she skips meat. A year and three months later, Douglass has lost 110 pounds. She was sworn into the Army on December 12. "I fell in love with their world," she told CNN affiliate KPTV. "I fell in love with the bonds that I created with these people. I fell in love for what they stand for." It wasn't always easy. There were days when she would call Sgt. Cody Baker, the Future Soldier Leader, and quit. "I would go months without losing weight. It was so frustrating," she says. "I remember ... just saying, 'I can't do this. I'm never going to be small enough.'" But Baker never gave up on her. Neither did Douglass' friends and roommates, who encouraged her to stay on track. Today, Douglass is "literally a walking Army billboard." Her clothes, her room and her accessories are all advertisements for her new family. She's looking forward to basic training, and plans to drop another 20 pounds. Her advice to others who want to lose weight? Lie to yourself. "You love this feeling. You love being tired. You love being sore. Because in the end, you will." Mission complete: 100 pounds gone .
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Karyna Douglass wanted to join the military but did not meet the weight requirements .
In a little over a year, she has lost 110 pounds, and hopes to drop 20 more .
Douglass was sworn into the Army on December 12 .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:22 EST, 11 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:23 EST, 11 December 2012 . Nearly three in five New York City grocery stores and restaurants . that sell seafood have mislabeled it, substituting varieties that could cause . health problems, according to a new study. Some 39 percent of the fish obtained for . the study by the ocean conservation group Oceana was inaccurately identified, the group . said. Sometimes cheap fish is substituted for more expensive varieties or . plentiful species for scarce ones. Forensic DNA analysis revealed 58 . percent of 81 New York . retailers and eateries sampled incorrectly labeled the seafood they sold, . according to the study released Tuesday. A new study has found that a large number of stores and restaurants - especially in New York - mislabel fish and substitute cheaper fish for more expensive types . All but one of 17 white tuna samples obtained from sushi restaurants turned out to be escolar, the 'ex-lax fish' ‘It's unacceptable that New York seafood . lovers are being duped more than one-third of the time when purchasing certain . types of fish,’ said Kimberly . Warner, a senior scientist at Oceana and an author of the study. In some instances, consumers unknowingly . purchased fish that could pose health risks. Blueline tilefish masqueraded as halibut . and red snapper. The Food and Drug Administration urges pregnant women, nursing . mothers and small children to avoid tilefish given its high mercury content. All but one of the 17 white tuna samples . obtained from sushi restaurants turned out to be escolar, a fish whose . diarrhea-inducing properties earned it the nickname the ‘ex-lax fish.’ Mislabeled seafood can present a public . health concern because many hazards are species specific, said a FDA . spokeswoman. Allergic reactions and food-borne illnesses are some of the possible health . hazards, the spokeswoman said. The research by Oceana found tuna and snapper to be the most commonly mislabeled fish . Avoid tilefish: Certain groups including pregnant women, nursing mothers and small children should avoid it given its high mercury content . New York's rate of seafood mislabeling . was higher than Miami's (31 percent) but lower than that of Boston (48 percent) and Los Angeles (55 percent), according to recent Oceana investigations. What distinguishes New York's seafood marketplace . from those of the other American cities Oceana tested is the presence of . smaller, independent food stores, 40 percent of which sold mislabeled fish, . Warner said. In contrast, only 12 percent of seafood bought at national chain grocery stores in New York were labeled . incorrectly. The problem is not new. A study . appearing in a 1992 issue of Consumer Reports found about a third of the . seafood sampled in New York, Chicago, and San Jose was incorrectly labeled. Nor is seafood mislabeling an issue that . has gone unreported. The discovery in August 2011 that Zabar's, a gourmet food . store on Manhattan, had been passing off crawfish as lobster in its lobster . salad for at least 15 years was the subject of multiple, high-profile media . stories. The research from Oceana included this table showing the types of fish that were most commonly swapped for another, more expensive type of fish . Zabar's deli in New York was forced to change the name of the 'Lobster Salad' after it was revealed to not include any lobster .
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A survey found 60 percent of retailers and eateries in New York incorrectly labeled seafood .
Certain fish pose serious health risks for groups including pregnant women, nursing .
mothers and small children .
All but one of 17 white tuna samples from sushi restaurants were escolar - a fish with .
diarrhea-inducing properties .
Boston and Los Angeles also suffered high levels of seafood mislabeling .
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Mark Laverick, 41 (pictured), of Stanley, County Durham, was jailed at Newcastle Crown Court for 10 years for trying to set his wife Beverley on fire . A jealous husband who doused his wife of 22 years in petrol before trying to set her alight has been jailed for a minimum of 10 years. Mark Laverick, of Stanley, County Durham, showered his wife Beverley in petrol before trying to set her on fire with matches and a lighter. The 41-year-old targeted his wife of more than two decades as she walked home from dropping their six-year-old daughter at school in June. His attempts to set his partner on fire were only thwarted when the wind prevented his matches from lighting, and a passer-by confronted him after hearing his victim's terrified screams. Laverick was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison, with an extended five-year licence period, after pleading guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent at Newcastle Crown Court on Friday. A charge of attempted murder was dropped. Judge John Milford QC branded Laverick 'dangerous' and also imposed a restraining order to keep him away from his estranged wife and their children. The judge said it was miraculous that the mother of three was not turned into a 'human torch' in the attack. He said: 'Miraculously the petrol did not ignite. 'Had it ignited she would have become a human fireball and suffered injuries which would have been painful in the extreme and disfiguring, almost certainly, for the rest of her life. 'One can think of few crueller crimes, short of murder, than setting someone alight. 'This is an extreme case.' The court heard that Laverick had been assessed as posing a high risk of causing harm to his wife and any future partner. Prosecutor Katherine Dunn told the court the couple, who had been together for 22 years and have three children together, had split prior to the incident on June 30. Their relationship had broken down in February and she had left him to go and live with her mother. In the weeks before the attack, Laverick made a series of threats towards his estranged wife and two days before the attack posted online: 'It's going to be hell or a cell for me like. I really don't care anymore.' He targeted his wife as she returned from dropping her daughter at school. He approached her and accused of her of being with someone else, before telling her: 'It ends today.' Ms Dunn told the court: 'He was carrying a bottle and he unscrewed the lid and threw the liquid into her face. 'It immediately began to burn her eyes and smelled like turps. She tried to run away from him but couldn't see where she was going and he chased her and continued to throw the liquid over her.' Laverick was sentenced to a minimum of 10 years in prison, with an extended five-year licence period, after pleading guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent at Newcastle Crown Court (pictured) Ms Dunn told the court he then began striking matches and throwing them, but they could not light because of the wind. 'As he was throwing matches she was begging him to stop,' she said. 'She ran terrified into a nearby garden and tried to get help but the property was locked. She was screaming "please help me". 'He pushed her up against the fence and then used his lighter to try to set her on fire. He was flicking his lighter against her clothes, he tried to do this four or five times.' The court heard Laverick ran off when a neighbour came out of her house after hearing his victim's terrified screams. Mrs Laverick was taken to hospital where she was treated for eye irritation. She escaped serious injury. In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said she had 'never been so scared'. Pat Bott, 64, (pictured with her grandaughter Sam, 18), confronted Laverick before calling police after hearing the victim's desperate screams for help . 'He had such blankness in his eyes as he threw the matches towards me,' she said. 'All I could think of was my children.' Grandmother Pat Bott, 64, told the court how she managed to distract Laverick after hearing his wife's desperate pleas. She was passing, with her 18-year-old grandaughter Sam, when she heard Mrs Laverick screaming: 'Help, help he's going to burn me.' She said: 'He had poured petrol all over her and when we went out he was trying to light his lighter. 'I shouted "What you doing, leave her alone" and she managed to get free from him. 'It was scary but I think us going out brought an end to it. 'She was very upset and in tears. With me shouting, she said it gave her the strength to run.' Mrs Bott, who was nominated for a bravery award by police for her actions, said Laverick was still lurking outside when she looked out after dialling 999. She said: 'He stopped at the gate and I was thinking "you dare come in my garden". 'I can remember calling him a blooming idiot and then he went away.' When Laverick was arrested, he told police he had only set out to scare his wife. Christopher Knox, mitigating, said Laverick was depressed at the time, but had now found happiness with a new partner despite being behind bars. He said: 'He has, in the time he has been in custody, realised what he has done. 'He is regretful and apologetic. 'He regarded the marriage breakdown as terminal to his life. 'Fortunately, he no longer regards that as the case and accepts there is life after this marriage.' The judge said Laverick would spend until at least 2029 behind bars due to his 10-year prison sentence and the extended licence period.
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Mark Laverick doused wife Beverley in petrol before trying to set her on fire .
41-year-old's attempts failed after wind prevented matches from lighting .
The mother of three managed to escape the attack without serious injuries .
Laverick jailed for 10 years minimum after pleading guilty to GBH charge .
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By . Victoria Woollaston . There may be times when you really want to tell your colleagues what you think of them, but are left biting your tongue. Knozen offers a solution. The free app lets you anonymously pit co-workers against each other based on how good they are at their job, and their personality traits - and will rate them on each quality. The Knozen app pits two people against each other using a range of questions. Some are work related, while others assess personality traits, such as 'Who would leave work early for a date?' (pictured left) and 'Who would pack for a trip way in advance?' Each time a user is rated (pictured right), they are sent a notification . Examples include ‘Who would leave work early for a date?’, ‘Who is more assertive?’ and ‘Who would pack for a trip way in advance?’ Researchers at the University of Illinois and University of Pennsylvania recently discovered that people who moan a lot may be better at their jobs. This is because the so-called 'haters' may be more skilled because they spend time on fewer activities. In contrast, people with a sunny disposition tend to spread their time over lots of activities. This, the researchers claim, makes them a 'Jack-of-all-trades' and a master of none. The user then selects the best match, before being given another question and two possible colleagues. Colleagues are selected at random. Each of the questions are designed to be ‘positive and upbeat’ – meaning users can't be brutally honest with people they don’t like. However, they could rate other colleagues higher at the detriment of those they don’t get on with. Each time a user is rated, they get a notification saying what they were rated for. These ratings are saved and shown on their profile, which reveals their strongest traits, based on the answers. At least seven people from a firm need to . sign up to the app before they can begin rating each other. This is . done to protect each user’s identity. All ratings are anonymous, and at least seven people from a firm need to sign up to the app before they can begin rating each other. This is done to protect each user's identity. Profiles (pictured left) shows the user's strongest traits, based on the answers their co-workers have given (pictured right) Knozen was developed by New York-based Marc Cenedella. The app has already received $2.25 million in funding and launched on the app store last week - although it is rolling out gradually to different regions so may not be available in some locations yet. A recent survey found that having the . right skills is an important part of being considered for a job, but . possessing the right personality traits is apparently even more . essential. In . digital education company Hyper Island's study of 500 business . leaders, 78 per cent cited . 'personality' as the most desirable quality in an employee. And the top traits in this category were found to be 'driven', 'creative' and 'open-minded'. The . most important quality after personality, according to the survey, is . 'cultural alignment'. A person's skill-set was rated the third most important quality, . with just 39 per cent of the vote.
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Knozen is a free app developed by New York-based Marc Cenedella .
It anonymously pits people against each other using a range of questions .
Some are work related, while others assess personality traits .
Examples include ‘Who would leave work early for a date?’ and ‘Who would pack for a trip way in advance?’
The questions are designed to be ‘positive and upbeat’
Each time a user is rated, a notification is sent showing their rating .
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Army and Marine Corps are allowing convicted felons to serve in increasing numbers, newly released Department of Defense statistics show. A U.S Marine keeps a watchful eye in downtown Baghdad. Recruits were allowed to enlist after having been convicted of crimes including assault, burglary, drug possession and making terrorist threats. The statistics were released by Rep. Henry Waxman, a California Democrat who chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. He has given the Pentagon a month to hand over up-to-date details on the number of waivers granted, reports on how the recruits have performed and information about how the waivers are related to meeting recruitment goals. Pentagon statistics show the Army granted 511 felony waivers in 2007, just over twice the 249 it granted the year before. The Army aims to recruit more than 80,000 new soldiers a year. The Marines -- which recruits fewer new service members each year than the Army -- also reported a rise in waivers for felonies, with 350 granted in 2007, compared with 208 in 2006. "There was a rapid rise in 2007 in the number of waivers the Army and Marine Corps granted to recruits convicted of serious felonies," Waxman said in a letter Monday to David Chu, the under-secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "I understand that there can be valid reasons for personnel waivers and recognize the importance of providing opportunities to individuals who have served their sentences and rehabilitated themselves. "At the same time, concerns have been raised that the significant increase in the recruitment of persons with criminal records is a result of the strain put on the military by the Iraq war and may be undermining military readiness," he charged. The Army defended its use of waivers as a response to a changing American society, arguing that only three in 10 Americans of military age "meet all our stringent medical, moral, aptitude or administrative requirements." "Today's young men and women are more overweight, have a greater incidence of asthma, and are being charged for offenses that in earlier years wouldn't have been considered a serious offense, and might not have resulted in charges in the first place," John P. Boyce Jr. of Army Public Affairs said in a statement to CNN. He said the Army never issues waivers for some types of offenses, including sexual violence, alcoholism and drug trafficking. But the Pentagon statistics showed the Army allowed 106 convicted burglars to enlist in 2007, up from 36 the year before. It also granted waivers to 43 recruits convicted of aggravated assault that year, up from 33 a year before; and to 130 people convicted of possession of drugs other than marijuana, a rise from 71 in 2006. It also allowed two people convicted of making terrorist or bomb threats to enlist in 2007, up from one the year before. The Marines did not immediately respond to request for comment. The Navy reported a slight decline in felony waivers, from 48 in 2006 to 42 in 2007. The Air Force said it granted no felony waivers in either year. E-mail to a friend .
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Recruits convicted of assault, drug possession, making terrorist threats allowed in .
Rep. Henry Waxman: Defense Department has month to explain waivers .
Army granted 511 felony waivers in 2007; Marines granted 350 in 2007 .
Army defended waivers, saying fewer recruits today meet their standards .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:11 EST, 20 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:56 EST, 20 December 2012 . A woman died in the first major snowstorm of the season when she left her car to walk for help. Authorities revealed a man and woman were driving in southwestern Utah when their vehicle got stranded in the heavy snowfall on Tuesday night. Both the man and woman left the car and began to walk. Some distance later the woman couldn't go any farther and sought immediate shelter, while the man continued on. He survived the night but her dead body was found the next morning. Survivor: The man who managed to find shelter for the night (right) talks to police. The woman he was with on Tuesday night died in the snow storm after they tried to seek help . Ty March, fire chief for the town of Enterprise, told Kutv that he believed the couple were 'just driving through to go fishing and not familiar with the area and then the snow came in last night.' 'The roads are not very good up there. We had to get up there on snow mobiles.' Chief March said. The man involved in the incident (pictured above) told authorities that after he left the woman he found an abandoned shelter near Enterprise Reservoir and he took refuge overnight. He then hiked out again on Wednesday morning. After several miles he eventually met some snowmobilers who alerted police. Grim discovery: Search and rescue teams found the woman's body several miles from the car . Search and rescue crews also used snowmobiles to look for the woman. They found her dead in the snow, a few miles from the car. March told Kutv that conditions in the area were extremely difficult. 'We received heavy snow until 4 o’clock in the morning,' confirmed March. 'It was probably below zero.' The first big snowstorm of the winter has dumped more than a foot of snow on the Rocky Mountain region this week and it continues to move across the Midwest. It is creating treacherous, sometimes deadly, driving conditions and threatening to disrupt some of the nation's busiest airports ahead of the holiday weekend. White-out: Office worker clean their cars of snow in Nebraska after the first big storm of the season .
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Unnamed pair, who were stranded in their car during a blizzard in rural Utah, walked away from vehicle in an attempt to find help .
After the woman had to stop, he kept going to shelter .
He survived and her body was found the next day .
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f8c970efd7e7ef79a4c4000c847e96ab97cf9846
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It's a dog's life that's actually closer to a human's life. Forget doggy shoes and 'hair' salons, the latest must-have for dog owners is a subscription to a special canine TV channel. Filmmakers are calling DogTV a new breed of television - an eight-hour block of on-demand cable TV programming designed to keep your dog relaxed, stimulated and entertained while you are at work. To get the right footage, cameramen got on their knees and shot low and long. 'I shot from the point of view of the dog,' said Gilad Neumann, chief executive officer of DogTV. Unique: Filmmakers are calling DogTV a new breed of television - an eight-hour block of on-demand cable TV programming designed to keep your dog relaxed, stimulated and entertained while you are at work . In production, they had to mute colors, alter sound and add music specially written for dogs. There will be no commercials, no ratings and no reruns, although some might argue that watching a slug crawl is hardly exciting new programming. One million subscribers with two cable companies have access to DogTV in San Diego. It is doing so well that parent company PTV Media plans to offer it nationally in the next several months, Neumann said. It will cost about $4.99 a month, Neumann said. If you figure more than 46 million U.S. households have dogs (according to the American Pet Products Association) and 97 percent of U.S. homes have televisions, the future looks promising. Bleu, a year-old French bulldog, has been watching for a month and snorts and grunts his approval, owner Mary Catania of San Diego said. He used to perk up when Family Guy came on, Catania said, but he seems more intrigued by DogTV. Curious: The dogs will watch footage of things the experience on a day to day basis, such as traffic or other dogs . Stimulating: New technologies like digital TV, high-definition cameras, and enhanced production have changed the way dogs perceive the images, while big screens allow them to see from anywhere in a room . 'I always feel guilty leaving him alone all day when I'm at work,' Catania said. 'He's like my kid. I don't have any children so I really treat him like my child. Anything that makes him happy makes me happy.' For years, pet owners have been leaving a television or radio on when they go out so their pets have company, said Dr. Nick Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic in Department of Clinical Sciences at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in Massachusetts. But Dodman said that according to research on the canine brain, with analog television, dogs could only see a flickering screen. New technologies like digital TV, high-definition cameras, and enhanced production have changed the way dogs perceive the images, while big screens allow them to see from anywhere in a room, Neumann said. Do dogs really understand what they're watching? Dodman said research is ongoing, but it appears that dogs not only recognize other dogs on TV, they may even respond differently to their own breed. They definitely recognize sounds, though, whether it's barking or sirens, and audio on DogTV has been tailored accordingly. A dog's best friend: To get the right footage, cameramen got on their knees and shot low and long so that the angles were from a dog's point of view . Technical: Based on dog sleeping pattern studies, programmers alternate footage and soundtracks designed for stimulation, relaxation and exposure throughout the eight hours . Because high frequency sounds can be very irritating to dogs, they've been removed. And music is written and tailored for their hearing, though it sounds like elevator music to humans. What you won't find on DogTV are the sounds that blare on regular TV: no gunshots, no explosions, no heavy metal music, Neumann said. Dogs can see blue and yellow, but not red or green, Neumann said, so colors are altered for DogTV too. Based on dog sleeping pattern studies, programmers alternate footage and soundtracks designed for stimulation, relaxation and exposure throughout the eight hours. Exposure is designed to acquaint dogs with things they will see each day. 'There are studies that show when young puppies are exposed to video images of other dogs, it acts as a form of socialization,' Dodman said. Sights and sounds during this part of the programming expose the animals to things like traffic, babies, other pets and doorbells. Relaxation segments feature sleeping dogs and nature scenes - like the slugs - accompanied by dog lullabies. Stimulation includes dogs running, playing and surfing, animation and a lot of panting. The idea behind this part of DogTV is to get a dog moving, even if it is home alone. Shows are 'refreshed' daily for variety. Fancy that: Dogs can see blue and yellow, but not red or green, so colors are altered for DogTV too . There has been a lot of feedback from viewers saying their cats like the show as well as their dogs, Neumann said. CatTV may be added later, but DogTV is strictly for the dogs, he said. The Escondido Humane Society, on the outskirts of San Diego County, isn't wired for cable yet, but DogTV offered to give them relaxation-only test videos. 'We handle 5,000 animals a year. We get high-energy, big dogs that need to calm down. When we plugged it in, we saw almost immediate results,' said development director Jean Loo-Russo. If an extremely active dog is confined for long periods of time, a chemical imbalance can occur and it can go kennel crazy, Loo-Russo said. You can prevent that with DogTV and 20-minute walks twice a day, she said. Every dog at the shelter can't see a TV, but they are all within hearing distance and that's helping too, Loo-Russo said. Pets may one day be able to sniff DogTV, Dodman said. 'The technology is here to add smell. There are boxes you can buy that have 60 different wells that you can fill with scents. Like fireworks, you can cue them with what's on television.' Too bad they can't control the remote.
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'Relaxation' shows include footage of a snail crawling along the ground while the stimulating programmes show dogs cavorting around .
Pooches won't have to put up with repeats or commercial breaks - there aren't any!
Creators hope that one day dogs will be able to sniff DogTV .
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f8ca0a63a76b46e27c3d319ca24acf1b1ca5d405
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A baby boy born with four arms and four legs is causing panic in the streets of Baruipur, east India, as locals believe he is the reincarnation of a god. The child has been named God Boy, as multiple limbs are common among Hindu deities, and people are travelling from across the region to the city in West Bengal State to get a glimpse of the child. Local police complain they are struggling to control the crowds, as hundreds cry in the streets and clamor to get access to the hospital. God Baby: A baby boy born with four arms and four legs is causing panic in the streets of Baruipur, east India, as locals believe he is the reincarnation of a Hindu god . The boy's birth defect, two extra arms and two extra legs, are the remains of an underdeveloped co-joined twin. The family are overjoyed at their new addition and see him as the son Hindu God Brahma, who is depicted with eight limbs. 'When he first came out we couldn't believe it,' , an unnamed relative not named told local TV: . 'The nurses said he was badly deformed but I could see that this was a sign from God. 'In fact, this is a miracle, its God's baby. Indian God's have extra limbs just like this.' Chukka Rao, 67, from a neighbouring village, said: 'When we first heard about God Boy we were slightly skeptical. 'But we came to see because we were intrigued by all the news we were hearing from friends and others. 'When we eventually saw a pic of the child it was a wonder. But with the village being overrun by curious believers from across the region, local police say they are having trouble controlling them. A police spokesman said: 'This is a freak baby and it is tragic, there is nothing godly about him at all. 'But the crowds are going berserk and clamouring to see the child. 'Hundreds are crying in the streets, hundreds of others are praying and setting up camp here. 'Some are even panicking and believe this is a sign of the end of the world. I have never seen anything like this in my whole career.' The child's family member added: 'It is understandable that there is a lot of excitement about this. 'It is only natural that people want to see the God Baby.'
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Baby boy born with eight limbs cause panic in the streets of India .
Locals believe the deformed boy is a reincarnation of a Hindu god .
The deformity on the child, named God Boy, is an underdeveloped twin .
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