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Shamari Jenkins was a few months pregnant on April 29 when she was shot and killed while driving in Hartford, Connecticut. Her unborn son was also killed. The man who allegedly shot her was Matthew Hall-Davis, a friend of her boyfriend - 21-year-old Carlton 'CJ' Bryan, who was in the car with his girlfriend when the shooting happened. But in a surprising turn in the case, Bryan may have actually been behind the shooting, according to court documents released Friday. Arraigned: Carlton Bryan, right, in court on Friday after he was charged in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend . Apparently Bryan had asked Jenkins to get an abortion, and she refused. He told a friend that she was 'trying to ruin his life and he wanted her killed.' Bryan 'begged' Hall-Davis to shoot his 20-year-old girlfriend, according to his arrest warrant. Apparently he 'wanted to stay with...his other girlfriend,' Hall-Davis told the police. The warrant goes on the explain the plan Bryan and Hall-Davis had for carrying out the murder. Murder for two: Two men are being tried in the murder of Shamari Jenkins, her boyfriend Carlton Bryan, left, and his friend Matthew Hall-Davis, right. Jenkins was shot on April 29. She and her unborn son were later pronounced dead at St. Francis hospital . Hall-Davis would take Bryan's car and drive it to Enfield Street, park the vehicle and walk to Magnolia Street via a short cut where he would wait in the dark for the right time to shoot Jenkins. Jenkins and Bryan would be waiting at Magnolia Street, while another friend would observe from a house and call police, saying the shooter ran away. But Hall-Davis couldn't muster it. He talked to Bryan who was smoking outside of the car where Jenkins was sitting. He told Hall-Davis to 'go back to Enfield Street and carry out the plan they had to kill Jenkins.' Motive: Bryan had apparently told a friend that Jenkins was ruining his life by keeping their baby, and that's why he wanted her killed . Hall-Davis agreed but planned to shoot Bryan instead of the girlfriend. He missed, however, and shot the original target. Jenkins was taken to St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center where she and her unborn baby boy were later pronounced dead. She had already picked out a name for the child: Ja'seon Carlton. In the aftermath of the shooting, Bryan apparently lied twice to police about his girlfriend's death. Explanation number one was that he and Jenkins were waiting for a cousin to bring them $50 dollars and that he didn't know who the shooter was. On second questioning, he changed his tune saying that they were waiting to buy marijuana, and that their dealers never showed up. He blamed someone called 'Low' who he met in jail for shooting Jenkins, but the man had an alibi. The case changed course May 20 when the lookout for the shooting told police it was Bryan who orchestrated the event. Another confidante, Kingsley Minto, was arrested with Hall-Davis for a few jewelry store robbings and told police about helping to hide the gun used to shoot Jenkins. Bryan was arraigned Friday. He was charged Thursday night with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, carrying a pistol without a permit and second-degree making a false statement. Family members of Jenkins were quite surprised by the turn of events. Jenkins' cousin Shakaria Matthews told Fox Connecticut that Byran attended Jenkins' funeral and vigil and said he didn't do it. At the vigil he was was even caught on camera acting distraught. 'It was hard - real hard - to see him knowing he used to come to my house and stay the night and talk with me, and then for him to turn around and do something like this,' Todd Jenkins, the victim's father, told Fox Connecticut. Bryan is currently being held on $2.5 million bail. Putting on a show: Bryan was caught on camera acting torn-up at a vigil for Jenkins .
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20-year-old Shamari Jenkins was a few months pregnant when shot and killed April 29 .
Her boyfriend may have organized her killing after she refused to get an abortion, according to court documents .
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- McDonald's new ad campaign is taking a non-too-subtle jab at Starbucks. McDonald's placed this billboard near Starbucks' corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington. Residents in Seattle, Washington, the birthplace of Starbucks, can now see approximately 140 McDonald's billboards emblazoned with "large is the new grande" or "four bucks is dumb." In a statement released Thursday, McDonald's called it "a light-hearted, fun approach to our brand," aimed at promoting the company's McCafe coffee products. However, Starbucks is not finding the ad campaign funny. "Comparative campaigns are all well and good but only when they're credible and authentic. If the claim is not supportable or the tone is off, you risk losing credibility," Deb Trevino, director of global communications for Starbucks, told CNN. A 12-ounce cup of coffee at Starbucks in Seattle costs just $1.40, only a penny more than the average price for a same size cup at McDonald's. Credibility is something that Starbucks claims it is not short on. A portion of coffee sales currently goes towards health care for Starbucks' baristas, while another goes towards helping AIDS victims in Africa, according to the company. "We will not enter into a tit-for-tat," Trevino said. "Our customers are interested in more than just the coffee, they come for the experience." For now, McDonald's said it does not plan to take its "four bucks is dumb" campaign nationwide.
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McDonald's new ad campaign pokes fun at Starbucks .
McDonald's billboards in Seattle, Washington, read "four bucks is dumb"
"We will not enter into a tit-for-tat," Starbucks official says .
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(CNN) -- For a world-class shopping experience you should head to glitzy Ginza. As well as flagship fashion outlets, the area boasts one of the city's best department stores, Mitsukoshi (4-6-16 Chuo Dori). The real treat here, as at many Tokyo department stores, is the fantastic basement-level food hall ("depachika"). For the complete Mitsukoshi experience, there's an ever bigger store in Nihombashi. The "Electric Town" of Akihabara is tech-head's heaven. Next door is Matsuya, another big department store, and while you're in the area don't miss the Sony Building (5-3-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku). Your inner games geek won't be able to resist the entire floor devoted to the PlayStation. If you've ever wondered where Tokyo teenagers buy their wacky cyber-goth manga-inspired attire, the answer is Takeshita-Dori, a narrow street in Harajuku. On Sundays the street fills with fashion-conscious teens, dressed to impress. For the less adventurous, but more discerning shopper, Harajuku's main thoroughfare, Omotesando is lined with elegant boutiques, including Louis Vuitton, Prada and Loveless (3-17-11 Minami-Aoyama). Looking unlike any shop you've seen before, Loveless has three floors of hip Japanese clothing and a basement decked out like the dungeon of some deranged medieval aristocrat. Harajuku is also home to six-floor Kiddy Land (6-1-9 Jingu-mae), one of the city's best toy stores, with a huge selection of Hello Kitty products. The area around Shibuya Station is a buzzing epicenter of shopping activity. Among its highlights are Tokyu Hands (Takashimaya Times Square, 5-24-2 Sendagaya), a department store that sells everything you could ever need, and plenty of stuff you had no idea even existed (electrically heated pilllows anyone?). A Bathing Ape (1 - Rise Bld. 13-17 Udagawa-Cho) offers funky T-shirts and trainers in an art gallery-style space, and Mandarake (Shibuya Beam B2 31-2 Udagawacho) is the place to satisfy your manga cravings, should you have any. For more manga, and a glimpse into the future, you'll want to go to Akihabara. Also known as Electric Town, Akihabara is a district of electronics stores clad in illuminated signs. Visit after dark for the full "Blade Runner" experience. Yodobashi Camera sells everything from next generation cell phones to cameras that aren't yet available outside Japan. For something more sedate, Daikanyama is a refined area popular with in-the-know fashionistas, while Jimbocho is the city's used-book quarter. Marunouchi was once a drab business district but is fast becoming the city's hottest shopping area. Shin-Marunouchi (just opposite the Marunouchi exit of Tokyo Stations) is a huge building, with the lowest seven floors devoted to chic shopping. The basement "depachika" is a feast for foodies. Tokyo International Forum (5-1 Marunouchi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku) is a vast space used for art exhibitions and as a concert hall. It also boasts excellent shopping and hosts a flea market every other Sunday. Where to stay | What to see | Where to be seen | Where to eat | Where to shop . ...................... Do you agree with our Tokyo picks? Send us your comments and suggestions in the "Sound Off" box below and we'll print the best.
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Ginza offers world-class shopping - check out the food hall in Mitsukoshi .
Takeshita-Dori is where teenagers pick up their "cosplay" costumes .
Omotesando is lined with boutiques, including Louis Vuitton and Prada .
Akihabara, or "Electric Town," is the place to buy electronics and manga .
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(CNN) -- The pings detected by the crew aboard an Australian navy ship in the southern Indian Ocean have given those searching for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 renewed hopes of finding the missing plane. Australian officials leading the search said the signals picked up Sunday were consistent with those transmitted by an aircraft's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder. But the officials warned that they still need further evidence, such as a visual sighting of wreckage on the seafloor. "There are many steps yet before these detections can be positively verified as being from missing Flight MH370," Angus Houston, the head of the Australian agency coordinating search operations, said Monday. Here's an explanation of what the next phases are in the underwater hunt for traces of the passenger jet. Do searchers have enough pings to figure out where they're coming from? No, not yet. The Ocean Shield, an Australian navy ship that's slowly towing a pinger locator through the water, is going back and forth over the area where it twice picked up a signal Sunday. "The focus is on trying to reacquire the acoustic signal they had 24 hours ago," said Commodore Peter Leavy, who is coordinating military contributions to the search. As of Monday morning, the high-tech pinger locator, supplied by the U.S. Navy, hadn't redetected the pings, officials said. "Probably for the next 24 hours, Ocean Shield will continue its runs back and forth over the area," Houston said. Why is it crisscrossing the same area? The aim is to use triangulation to pinpoint the location of whatever is transmitting the pings, according to Cmdr. William Marks of the U.S. 7th Fleet. "For us in the Navy, this is kind of our bread and butter," he told CNN. The crew of the ship does this by towing the pinger locator along a series of intersecting lines across a relatively small area of ocean. If the sound is picked up along three different lines that cross at the same point, "that's a pretty positive indication of where the signal's coming from," Marks said. But it's a slow and painstaking business. By the end of its runs Tuesday, Ocean Shield expects to have thoroughly covered only a 3-mile-by-3-mile box, according to Leavy. Each run across the area takes the ship seven to eight hours. That's because it's moving slowly -- at about 3 knots (3.5 mph) -- and because turning around with the huge length of cable that's dragging the pinger locator through the ocean depths is a delicate, drawn-out process. What happens if they pick up another signal in that area? At that point, they will deploy an unmanned underwater vehicle that's on board the Ocean Shield, the Bluefin-21. The vehicle, also from the United States, is able to generate maps of the bottom of the ocean and "determine if there's something unusual on the seafloor, like aircraft wreckage," said Houston. "In the event of finding something unusual, the autonomous vehicle will come back to the surface and will then be fitted with a camera," he said. "And hopefully, we would then be able to pick up imagery." But one potential problem is that the water in the area the Ocean Shield is searching is about 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) deep, the limit of the Bluefin's range. "We're right on the edge of capability," Houston said. If the area of the seabed where the pings are coming from is any deeper, then the search crews would need remotely operated vehicles that can go even farther down. Houston said officials are looking into what other vehicles could be deployed, if needed. What if they don't pick up another signal? If the pings the Ocean Shield's crew have detected are from Flight 370, they could cease at any moment. The batteries powering the locator beacons on the missing plane's flight recorders could already have expired. At the very most, they could last another week or so. Without another signal, the members of the search team will have to take a look at what information they have been able to gather. "If we're unable to fix the location, the people who are out there have to do an analysis of everything they've got and make an assessment of whether they would deploy the underwater vehicle in the most likely area," Houston said. "I would anticipate that's what will happen: The underwater vehicle will be deployed and continue the work," he said. But that would mean searchers have far less precision than they would hope to have when searching waters so deep. "If we have a large area of uncertainty, it will take several days to actually cover what would appear to be a fairly small area," Houston said. "Things happen very slowly at the depths we're dealing with."
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An Australian navy ship is expected to keep searching a small area into Tuesday .
It is trying to regain a signal that it picked up Sunday that could be from Flight 370 .
If it detects the pings again, it will deploy an underwater vehicle that can look for wreckage .
Without a new signal, the possible area will be larger and take longer to search .
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If you leave your phone lying around when you leave the room, chances are your partner will take the opportunity to snoop through your texts, emails and internet searches. According to a new survey, four in ten adults regularly check their partner's device behind their back to keep an eye on them - with women most likely to snoop. The fairer sex is also the most suspicious with 44 per cent of women admitting to checking their other halves' phones compared to 36 per cent of men. Six in 10 snoops have caught their partner cheating on them or talking to someone they shouldn't be . Researchers also found 34 per cent know their partner's mobile PIN, 39 per cent know their email account password and 26 per cent know their Facebook password. Some 31 per cent don't know their significant other's PINS or passwords and are happy with that but more than half (54 per cent) would be suspicious if this wasn't the case for them. In fact, just over half believe sharing your mobile PIN or social media passwords is a modern sign of true love and commitment. While six in 10 snoops have caught their partner cheating on them or talking to someone they shouldn't be, more than a third have scuppered a romantic surprise their loved one was planning. The study of 2,000 Britons, commissioned by Samsung, found almost half have gone through a partner's phone in at least one relationship they've been in, with 16 per cent admitting they have done this with pretty much everyone they have been with. Furthermore, 40 per cent regularly snoop through their current partner's mobile to keep an eye on what they are doing or who they are talking to. Women are the most likely to check a partner's phone compared to men, with 44 per cent admitting to it . It doesn't always go to plan though as 34 per cent have ended up ruining a surprise their partner is planning for them, stumbling across their plans for a holiday, weekend away, gift or even a proposal, plus 44 per cent of said snoops have been caught in the act when going through their partner's phone. Text messages are most likely to be checked, followed by their call history, Facebook private messages, emails and even their photo gallery. Internet history and Twitter conversations are also among the things looked at by suspicious people. 1. Text messages . 2. Call history . 3. Facebook private messages . 4. Emails . 5. Photo gallery . 6. Internet history . 7. WhatsApp history . 8. Twitter private messages . 9. Viber history . 10. Skype history . But six in 10 of those who snoop have found inappropriate text messages, Facebook messages, phone calls or internet searches on at least one of their partner's mobiles. When it comes to confessing about their find, 32 per cent would confront their other half even if it meant owning up to their snooping, while a clever 18 per cent would find a way to bring it up without having to admit how they found out. Whilst 23 per cent would keep it to themselves, but keep a closer eye on their partner, 17 per cent would try and forget about it as they shouldn't have been snooping in the first place. Almost one in 20 would break up with their partner immediately. While 27 per cent said their other half wasn't bothered, as they had nothing to hide, 40 per cent said they were angry and 24 per cent said they broke up with them there and then. The phone company commissioned the research for the new Samsung Galaxy A-Series smartphone range. A spokesperson for Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland said: . 'Rather amusingly this research shows that suspicious partners seem to be using them quite regularly to check up on their other half on a regular basis. 'As we head towards the Valentine's season however, it's worth bearing in mind that you might discover something your partner is trying to keep hidden for all the right reasons, such as a secret weekend away they are planning, a special gift or perhaps even a marriage proposal!'
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Sharing mobile or online passwords is a modern sign of true love, say 56% .
Four in ten Britons in a couple often secretly check their partner's phone .
Women (44%) are more likely to snoop on partner's phone than men (36%)
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With Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel preparing to say their 'I dos' this weekend, the pair are undoubtedly busy with last-minute preparations. The couple kept a low profile on Friday, as they prepare to exchanges vows against a rustic Italian backdrop, believed to be taking place in a sunset ceremony on Saturday evening. On the eve of the wedding, some of their guests were spotted relaxing at the local beach in Southern Italy and taking in the sights on a bicycle ride. It comes after a sighting of Timberlake on Wednsday, enjoying pre-wedding drinks with guests including Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg. Preparations: Justin Timberlake enjoyed pre-wedding drinks with a group of guests on Wednesday night in Brindisi, Italy . Rumours have been circulating for days about the Hollywood duo's nuptials - but things now look more certain than ever. In fact Timberlake's aunty Jane Harless appeared to confirm things, by gushing about Biel as a fantastic 'daughter-in-law'. 'We couldn’t ask for a better daughter-in-law, she told Celebuzz. 'We just love her.' Making a splash: Guests were spotted frolicking in the seas at the local beach on Friday . Magical setting: The attendees relaxed at the beach, but Timberlake and Biel were nowhere to be seen . Harless was invited to the Italian . wedding - but says she has skipped the 6,000-mile trip to care for . Timberlake's disabled grandparents William and Sadie Bomar, in . Tennessee. Meanwhile, Timberlake apparently has a . surprise up his sleeve - and is set to perform a comedy dance routine . to It's Gonna Be Me. Justin will hark back to his 'N Sync days - but with a twist - with exaggerated boy band moves and poses, according to The Sun. Timberlake's guests were seen relaxing at the local beach on Friday. Taking in the sights: Another group of guest spotted taking a bicycle ride . Rather than enjoy a modern wedding . full of luxurious trappings, the multi-millionaire couple seem to have . opted for a very rustic-style occasion. Interior shots of the Italian castle known as a 'castello' in Brindisi, show overgrown grass and ye olde stone monuments dotted around the grounds. Horses graze next to a ramshackle stable, along with hay bales and a rickety teepee style structure with fire underneath. There are several loungers and beds laid out among the grounds, with a basket of apples dangling over one double bed. There . has even been a sighting of a group of Italian entertainers dressed in . traditional costume while guests enjoyed a country-style picnic of . tomatoes and potatoes, along with obligatory peasant clay pots on . Thursday. Eat, drink, and be merry! The lucky guests indulged in wine, cheese, canapes, and olives at the picnic on Thursday . Celebration: Justin Timberlake's Saturday Night Live friend Andy Samberg was one of the famous faces enjoying a welcome drink on Wednesday before the firework display . Jetted over: Samberg is one of several friends and family said to be flown to Italy by private jet from New York City . Justin was pictured sporting a grey and black hat, as he mingled with the 'few hundred' guests who sipped champagne in the grounds of the castle in southern Italy. The guests later enjoyed a lavish firework display in a nearby seaside town. Fiery blasts of red, green and white . lit up the sky, while a large van and several . spotlights were seen in the area. Location location location: Interior photographs of the château which is said to be where the nuptials are taking place . Picturesque: Justin and Jessica are said to have chosen the southern Italy location as it 'means a lot to both of them' In the country: The grounds of the venue featured beds and cushions dotted around . The happy couple: Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake were all smiles at the Costume Institute Gala in New York City on May 7 . An insider told the New York Post that Justin, 31, and Jessica, 30, chose the Italian location, near Naples, because it 'means a lot to both of them.' According to the newspaper, Jessica's maid of honour will be her best friend Lindsay Ratowsky, while the A-Team star's stylist Estee Stanley, who is also a partner in his home décor business HomeMint has been helping to plan the wedding. 'A private plane was flown out of New York to take guests to Italy, including both their publicists,' a source told the newspaper. 'But the event has been shrouded in a lot of secrecy, and not even the guests were told the exact location or day of the wedding before they left.' Samberg and music producer Timbaland are both said to have been flown out to Italy by private jet. The . couple are reported to have sent 'vague save the date notifications' back in the spring, and guests are reported by the newspaper as being . 'prohibited from bringing cameras or phones.' Into the wild: The extensive grounds appear to feature donkeys, a ramshackle stable and log fences . Traditional country mood: The wedding venue seemed a far cry from the more salubrious venues the couple are used to . Picnic . in the park: A little boy appears to be dressed in traditional costume . holding a goat, while the guests relax in the sunshine . Chilling out: The guests made the most of the sun loungers available at the party . Italian feast: Guests are reported to have enjoyed a picnic consisting of traditional cuisine . All dressed up and somewhere to go? Several people in the grounds were spotted dressed up in traditional Italian costume . The pop star-turned actor - who sold . more than 50 million albums with 'N Sync - got engaged to Jessica last . December and the pair are widely reported to be tying the knot in at . some point this weekend. An insider told Us Weekly the couple is taking 'extra precautions' to keep details of their nuptials secret. Spokespersons for Biel and Timberlake have not responded to MailOnline's request for comment. Fruitful occasion: A basket of apples hangs down over a bed in the grounds of the Italian castillo . Old fashioned fun: Men dressed in country costume carry baskets of must through the rustic grounds . Authentically olde: Hay lies around the ground, while a ladder is held against a tree . The couple became engaged in December 2011, after he proposed in the mountains of Jackson, Wyoming. The singer-turned-actor is said to have celebrated his bachelor party in September. Photos . of the star surfaced with a group of . male friends - first in Las Vegas, and later in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - . amid reports the days to Timberlake's wedding date were . winding down. Although they have been tight-lipped . about their plans, the Alpha Dog star recently reminisced . about when he asked his fiancée on their first date. That was back in 2007 - after Timberlake got her details from a friend. Glass of bubbly: Samberg dressed in casual clothes as he drank from a champagne flute . Picturesque setting: The guests appeared to be socialising in front of some giant white lanterns and next to a white outhouse . The night of a thousand stars: The guests drunk and chatted as the night went on, standing next to giant lanterns . Picturesque: Guests enjoyed a dramatic setting next to lit up lanterns outside the chateau . He told UK's Hello! magazine: 'I did . it the old fashion way - by telephone. That’s something I learned from . both my stepdad and my grandfather - that there is a thing called . chivalry and it doesn’t have to die with the birth of the internet. 'The way I see it, if you’re asking a girl out on a date, it’s only right to do it in a way that she can hear your voice.' But because he was a big name popstar at the time, not to mention a former Mouseketeer, it was not an easy sell. Getting ready: Some guests stroll through the grounds of the château where the nuptials are said to be taking place . Pre-party: The wedding guests dressed casually for the drinks, as they mingled in the rustic surroundings . The SexyBack singer admitted: 'I had to be pretty persistent in order to get her to say yes. 'But I have a fair amount of tenacity and if I want something I stick to it. And in the end she agreed.' He also said that their most important quality as a couple is their willingness to work hard on their relationship. He said: 'Some days are better than . other days for all of us - and if we have our good days and bad days . individually, and then we’re dealing with someone else’s good and bad . days on top of that, it’s going to add up. 'But what I have learned from my stepdad is something as important, which is patience and compassion. 'Because when you are living with someone else, those two qualities go a long way.' Jessica has meanwhile insisted she has not turned into a fearsome 'bridezilla' in the run-up to the big day. She told E! News earlier this month: 'I'm just pretty much cool as a cucumber in general in my life. So no, I'm cool.' The new issue of Life & Style Weekly is on newsstands now. Wedding celebration? A firework display went off in southern Italy on Wednesday night . Patriotic: Red, white and green - the colours of the Italian flag - were a prominent part of the display .
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Nuptials reported to be taking place this weekend in Brindisi, southern Italy .
Guests relax on eve of Italian nuptials as Hollywood couple prepare to wed .
Famous couple have been flying in guests by private jet from New York .
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(CNN) -- Fancy stripping off before a flight and getting sweaty with fellow passengers? Finnair think you might like to and has backed the idea by adding a sauna to its new premium lounge in Helsinki Airport. Airline lounges are prime ways for airlines to promote their brand and showcase all the luxury and service frills they can muster, but with a traditional unisex sauna, Finnair has upped the ante. The airline has gone big on the Nordic theme throughout the new lounge that opens later this year. Open to passengers holding Finnair's platinum and gold cards, the 407-square meter space is decorated with a variety of Finnish designed homeware from the likes of Marimekko, Iittala Ultima Thule and Eero Saarinen, while video projections reflect the time of day and season. In a country where there's around one sauna for every three people, incorporating one into the new lounge seemed a natural thing to do . "Our aim was to create a high-quality, even emotional experience for Finnair's demanding clients," says designer Vertti Kivi. "Different zones for work, refreshment, silence or bathing are unified with a light Scandinavian design touch, creating a space that clients won't forget." The sight of fellow passengers in the nude in a tiny room heated to nearly 100 degrees Celsius could be part of that unforgettable experience, but perhaps not the kind of memory some would want to retain from a business trip. Traditionally saunas in Finland are taken naked, but guests are "recommended" to use towels, states the airline. Finnair did have an airport sauna before, but according to the airline, it closed over two years ago because it wasn't financially viable. With an expansion to Helsinki Airport, the airline believe it will be a greater success this time.
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Finnair adds a sauna to its new airport lounge in Helsinki .
In Finland, there is one sauna for every three people .
Towels are recommended, although tradition in Finland is to be naked .
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David Cameron has laid down a challenge to European leaders to demand they stump up 1billion euros to help tackle Ebola. The Prime Minister said the spread of the deadly virus was the ‘biggest health problem for a generation’ - but that some leaders were not doing their bit. He has written to Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, to say Ebola should be placed on the agenda of next week’s Brussels summit. Mr Cameron said the 1billion euros would pay for 2,000 health workers to fly out to the affected West African countries, to help stem the spread of the disease. Scroll down for video . Prime Minister David Cameron is calling for more funding to help tackle Ebola . So far, the EU has raised less than half of that sum. Britain, however, has already earmarked £125million to tackle Ebola - the largest sum in Europe and second in the world only to the US. The Prime Minister brought up the need for a more concerted international response to the Ebola crisis at Asia-Europe Meeting, a summit of world leaders from the two continents, in Milan yesterday. In the letter to Mr Van Rompuy and fellow leaders, the Prime Minister warned that ‘we need to act fast to contain and defeat this deadly virus’. He wrote: ‘If we do not significantly step up our collective response now, the loss of life and damage to the political, economic and social fabric of the region will be substantial and the threat posed to our citizens will also grow.’ He set out an ambitious package of measures to be agreed at next week’s EU summit. Top of the list is raising contributions from the EU and its member states up to 1billion euros in total. This would help pay for 2,000 workers to go the region to tackle the disease, including 1,000 clinical staff, by the middle of November. The PM meets Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting on Ukraine's crisis yesterday . Mr Cameron said he also wanted to see increased co-ordination on screening at ports of entry to Europe, and better sharing of best practice on handling cases to help to reduce the risk of further transmission within the EU. Britain is also proposing that the EU could help further reduce the transmission rate in West Africa by better co-ordination amongst member states to ensure weekly flights from Europe to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia for frontline health staff. We want to see a duty of care package for health workers at European run or funded facilities that would, in the case they become infected, guarantee treatment based on clinical advice to a European standard in country or medical evacuation. Britain is also calling for better testing for ebola and further staffed labs. Calling on European leaders to agree this package, the Prime Minister wrote: ‘The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is an issue that requires a substantial global response. The RFA Argus left Falmouth for Sierra Leone today with her crew of RFA, Royal Navy and Royal Marine Commandos . ‘The rapid spread of the disease and recent cases outside the West African region demonstrate the magnitude of the task at hand. ‘I believe that much more must be done. The European Council next week provides us with the opportunity to commit to an ambitious package of support to help reduce the rate of transmission in West Africa, to reduce the risk of transmission within Europe, and to pledge long-term support to assist with recovery, resilience and stability in the region. ‘By co-ordinating our approach, I believe the EU and its member states can maximise the effectiveness of our response.’ Britain has set aside £125million to tackle Ebola - second highest after United States of America. The UK is also working with the World Health Organisation to train more than 120 health workers a week, and to develop an Ebola training facility to train over 800 health workers a week. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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PM says money will pay for 2,000 health workers to fly to affected countries .
Britain has already earmarked £125million to tackle the deadly disease .
This is the largest sum in Europe and second in the world only to the US .
Urging European cooperation, he said 'I believe much more must be done'
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(EW.com) -- After 10 years, Discovery Channel is ending "American Chopper." The Teutuls are going to build their final bikes on the network next month. One of Discovery's most popular programs, "American Chopper" helped pioneer the "docusoap" reality genre and inspired a surge of gear-head shows. "Chopper's" run will conclude with the previously announced four-way bike build-off special, titled "The Revenge," airing live from Las Vegas on December 11. 'American Chopper' plans live four-way bike building competition . "After 10 years and 233 episodes of incredible, riveting reality television, 'American Chopper' will be ending its run," says Eileen O'Neill, group president, Discovery and TLC Networks. "This series was one of the very first family-based reality programs on television. Special thanks to Pilgrim Studios for over a decade of great producing. The Teutuls have given us really innovative bike builds and real drama since 2002. We wish both Orange County Choppers and Paul Junior Designs the best." The series had a simple format — a father and son building custom motorcycles amid frequent infighting. Yet nothing about the show's colorful history has been straightforward. "American Chopper" has changed networks, switched names and was previously canceled, only to rise again. "I have mixed emotions," executive producer Craig Piligian tells EW.com. "It's had a great run. We had a lot of ups and downs. There's been so much that's happened to this family over the last 10 years. We've seen them grow to a huge motorcycle shop. We've seen them fight bitterly. We've seen them sue each other. And recently we've seen them come together to open up a new business. I think the show has come full circle." "American Chopper" premiered as a Discovery Channel special in 2002, then launched as a regular series a few months later. In 2008, Discovery moved the show to its sister channel TLC. A couple years passed, then behind-the-scenes warring between Senior and Junior prompted TLC to outright cancel the show. Donald Trump gives 'American Chopper' duo advice . Parties soon made up, and in 2010 the company re-ordered the program as "American Chopper: Junior vs. Senior." The series later reverted to its original title and switched back to Discovery. "This was the first family docusoap," Piligian says. "They put on display, for all to see, what really happens in a tight family business, warts and all. I'm really proud they were so open and honest." Paul Senior and Junior's spirited attitudes helped make the show engaging for fans, but could also make things difficult behind the scenes. At one point when shooting the current final season, Piligian fired Junior and kicked him off the set. "It's a very tumultuous relationship, not only between the father and son, but between us as well," Piligian says. "Junior and I would have it out, and at one point awhile back, I said, 'We're done with you.'" The two reconciled and Junior returned to work shortly thereafter. Given the show's on-again, off-again history, one has to wonder: Is this really the end? Could "American Chopper" rise again in a year or two? "American Chopper was canceled before and we came back even stronger," Piligian says. "It's been a resilient, powerful show. Right now they're telling me it's canceled. I can only comment: 'Who knows what the future holds.'" See the full story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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Discovery Channel is ending "American Chopper"
The Teutuls will build their final bikes on the network next month .
It's had a tumultuous 10 years on the air .
Given its history, there's speculation it might not be canceled for good .
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By . Sophie Jane Evans for MailOnline . and Emma Glanfield for MailOnline . An investigation has been launched amid fears nearly 160 cases of Salmonella poisoning across the UK could be linked. Public Health England (PHE) said it was looking into a national outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis after cases were reported in Hampshire, London, the West Midlands, Cheshire and Merseyside. The cases occurred in 'isolated clusters' over several months but officials now say they could be potentially linked. Public Health England has launched an investigation into a national salmonella outbreak after 156 cases were reported across Hampshire, the West Midlands, London, Merseyside and Cheshire (file picture) Genetic tests suggest that the cause of illness in the 156 people could have come from a single source, PHE said. Investigators are working alongside the Food Standards Agency to look into the cause of the outbreak - which may have also affected people in France and Austria. Dr Paul Cleary, a consultant epidemiologist leading the PHE investigation, said: 'We are working with our colleagues across PHE, at the Food Standards Agency, in local authorities and with other public health organisations in Europe to investigate the cause of this outbreak. 'We are making good progress and hope to have more conclusive evidence shortly. 'We will continue to monitor the situation and if there is any further public health action necessary then we will ensure that this takes place.' Across England experts are examining 55 cases in Hampshire, 32 of which have been connected with an oriental restaurant, and 33 cases in Cheshire and Merseyside, 31 of which have been linked to one oriental takeaway. Symptoms of Salmonella (above) include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, headaches, nausea and stomach cramps . PHE are also looking at 43 cases in the West Midlands, 34 of which were connected with the Birmingham Heartlands Hospital outbreak. Anyone can get salmonella, but young children, the elderly and people whose immune systems are not working properly have a greater risk of becoming severely ill. Symptoms include watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps and sometimes vomiting and fever. These symptoms usually last for four to seven days and clear up without treatment, but if you become seriously ill you may need to be treated for dehydration (fluid loss) caused by the illness. Transmission occurs by eating contaminated food, mainly of animal origin, or by faecal contamination from an infected person or animal. The Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Birmingham hospital, confirmed the outbreak in June and said four members of staff and 19 patients had tested positive for the common strain of salmonella. All were suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting – which are typical symptoms of the bug. PHE also said officials were looking at 25 cases of reported salmonella poisoning in London. Salmonella Enteritidis is a strain of bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness and is often linked to poultry or eggs. Professor Anthony Hilton, head of biological and biomedical science at Aston University, said: 'If the cases are related, the next important stage will be identifying common risk factors which are associated with the infected individuals. 'This might be consumption of a contaminated food or ingredient or even a common exposure at an event or activity. 'Compiling food and exposure histories of cases occurring over several months can be complex and time-consuming, depending on the quality of the information available, and it may be some time before we know the true extent of the outbreak and the causative link, if any.'
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Public Health England said reported 156 reported cases in UK may be linked .
Cases confirmed in Hampshire, London, Midlands, Cheshire and Merseyside .
Salmonella symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps .
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A huge blast has ripped through an Iranian explosives factory linked to to the country's controversial nuclear programme - killing two workers and shattering windows nine miles away. The incident took place at Iran's Parchin military site, which is located around 19 miles southeast of the capital Tehran, the official IRNA news agency reported today. The pro-reform website, Sahamnews, said the explosion yesterday evening was so intense that the glare from the blast could be seen from miles away. Scroll down for video . The site of the explosion, Parchin military base, is situated 19 miles southeast of Tehran. The UN's nuclear watchdog has long suspected that the complex was used in the development of a nuclear weapons capability . The semi-official Iranian Students News Agency (Isna) said the fire was in an 'explosive materials production unit'. They quoted Iran's defence industries organisation, saying: 'Unfortunately, due to the incident, two workers of this production unit lost their lives.' The U.N. nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, believe Iran carried out explosives tests at Parchin around a decade ago that could be related to an attempt to develop a nuclear weapons capability. Iran has been refusing the agency access to the complex since 2005. Officials now fear that the Iranian government is seeking to cleanse the compound of evidence. But Tehran says Parchin is a conventional military facility and . that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful. It has often . accused its enemies of seeking to sabotage its atomic . activities. Prime Minister David Cameron meets with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani at the UN General Assembly in New York in September . Israel and the US have not ruled out military . action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve a decade-old . dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme. But Iran is currently in negotiations with six world powers on a permanent agreement over its nuclear industry. Talks are focused on lifting Western sanctions in exchange for a scaling-back of Iran's uranium enrichment programme, and a deadline for the agreement has been set for November 24. Three years ago, Iran announced that a massive explosion at a military . base 28 miles west of Tehran had killed 17 Revolutionary . Guards, including the head of the elite force's missile . programme. It said the blast was caused by an accident while . weapons were being moved.
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Incident took place at Parchin military base, 19 miles southeast of Tehran .
Explosion produced an intense glare that could be seen from miles away .
UN suspect base has been used in development of nuclear weapons in past .
And Iran has so far refused to grant international watchdogs access to area .
Tehran claims Parchin is a conventional military facility .
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This incredible map shows how Americans have quit smoking over the past 40 years because of higher taxes on tobacco and an increased awareness about the dangers of lighting up. The map, created by Metric Maps used data from an annual report on the tax burden of tobacco prepared by the Federation of Tax Administrators, to show the decline on a state-by-state basis. It shows how Americans consumed an average of 125 packs of cigarettes a year between the late 1950s and the late 1980s. But today that figure has fallen to just 46 packs of cigarettes per capita every year. The sharp decline in the numbers of smokers appears to reflect a change in our attitudes to the habit, according to a researcher. 'It's a shift in social norms,' Brian King, report author for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention said. 'People no longer see smoking around non-smokers as socially acceptable behaviour.' In 1970, residents in all but two states smoked more than 90 packs of cigarettes a year, according to The Washington Post. By 2012, residents of just three states — Kentucky, West Virginia and New Hampshire — smoked that much. Out of fashion: A researcher suggested that there has been a shift in 'social norms' over smoking . The decline in smoking is, in part, due to the taxes that all 50 states and the District of Columbia levy on packs of cigarettes and other tobacco products. But this wasn't always the case. In 1921, Iowa instituted the first tobacco tax. That year, the state collected $324,000 in taxes. North Carolina was the last state to hold off from implementing a tax and levied its first tax on cigarettes of just 2 cents a pack, in 1969. Today, taxes continue to rise steadily. Revenue: The revenue generated from cigarette sales was $126 million for New York City alone, more than a quarter of the total city and county tax generated across the country . In the Big Apple the levies are $4.35 tax on cigarettes. In four other states — Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Washington —it is $3 extra per pack. North Carolina has bolstered its taxes, to 45 cents a pack – despite being a tobacco producing state. And whilst cigarette smoking has declined, taxes have increased at such a dramatic rate that tax income continues to rise. The revenue generated from cigarette sales was $126 million for New York City alone, more than a quarter of the total city and county tax generated across the country. Taxes make up more than half the price of an average pack of cigarettes in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington and the District, according to the Federation of Tax Administrators' report. On average, taxes make up just over 44 percent of the price of a pack nationwide. In 2012, states collected more than $18.2 billion in tobacco tax revenue. Utah has always been one of the cleaner-living states where residents strayed away from smoking. Even near peak cigarette use in the 1970s, Utah residents were smoking 66 packs per capita, the lowest rate in the country. Today they consume just 23 packs per capita, lower than any state other than Washington and New York. However, health experts still want more to be done to prevent deaths from second hand smoke which kills an estimated 41,000 non-smokers annually in homes where smokers live. Find out more about Metric Maps here: https://twitter.com/MetricMaps/media .
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Smokers consumed an average of 125 packs of cigarettes a year in the U.S. between the 1950s and 1980s .
Today that figure has fallen to just 46 packs of cigarettes per capita every year .
However second hand smoke still kills an estimated 41,000 non-smokers annually .
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(CNN) -- Nearly nine months after it returned to the sky and its battery system was declared safe, new reports surfaced Tuesday of smoke aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Tokyo's Narita International Airport. The incident "appears to have involved the venting of a single battery cell," aboard a Japan Airlines 787, Boeing told CNN in a statement. A year ago, overheated batteries aboard two Dreamliners prompted aviation officials to ground all 50 of the planes worldwide. Tuesday's incident "occurred during scheduled maintenance activities with no passengers on board," the Boeing statement said. "The improvements made to the 787 battery system last year appear to have worked as designed." Boeing said it was working with Japan Airlines to return the plane to service. Japan Airlines and the government's Japanese Aviation Bureau told CNN Tuesday night that the battery unit was removed from the aircraft to be handed over to manufacturers Boeing/Yuasa for further investigation. The airline told Flightglobal that the plane sustained no damage. JAL is monitoring their other 787s as a precautionary measure, Flightglobal reported. Boeing's stake in the Dreamliner is huge. Hundreds of millions of dollars are riding on the success of the 787, which represents a new generation of lighter, more efficient money making planes. When it began service in 2011, the Dreamliner boasted a new battery system that used new, lighter lithium-ion batteries. After the planes were grounded, Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration collaborated on a new battery compartment. The compartment was designed to insulate the batteries in a ventilated armor-plated box to protect the rest of the plane in case of a fire caused by overheating batteries. The NTSB announced this month it plans to issue a final investigation report later this fall. Interactive diagram of the 787 . The National Transportation Safety Board said it was aware of Tuesday's battery incident in Japan. "By international treaty, aviation accidents and incidents are investigated by the investigative authority in the country in which the accident or incident occurred. "If the Japan Transport Safety Board opens an investigation into the battery smoke event, the NTSB stands ready to assist," the U.S. agency said in a statement. In July 2013, investigators blamed a fire aboard an empty Ethiopian Airlines 787 parked at London's Heathrow airport on a malfunctioning emergency beacon. Tuesday's incident comes nearly two months after Boeing warned airlines about another 787 concern: possible icing problems in its GE engines. The aircraft manufacturer alerted 787 operators after instances of "ice crystal icing that resulted in temporary diminished engine performance," Boeing said in a statement. Although it said only a small number of the engines have experienced the ice problems, Boeing advised pilots to keep planes at least 50 nautical miles from storms that may contain ice crystals until General Electric can make improvements to the "GEnx" engines. The Dreamliner's development was marked by production delays and other problems. Then, a year ago this month, batteries were blamed for two overheating instances on a Japan Airlines 787 in Boston and on an All Nippon Airways 787 in Japan. No one was hurt in either case, but concerns about the incidents spurred the FAA to ground all U.S. Dreamliners. Officials around the world followed suit. Experts say every airliner experiences "teething pains" during its first few years of service, as minor problems are shaken out. But the FAA's decision to ground the Dreamliner put it under intense scrutiny. United Airlines is the lone U.S. operator of Boeing 787s. In an apparent show of confidence in July, United announced it was ordering 20 new 787-10 models, which are a longer version of the plane.
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NEW: Japan Airlines hands over 787 battery unit to Boeing for investigation .
The NTSB says it's ready to assist Japanese officials in the probe .
A smoking battery was reported aboard a Japan Airlines 787 Dreamliner Tuesday .
Fears of overheating batteries prompted 787s to be grounded worldwide a year ago .
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An effigy of President Barack Obama was burnt today by Filipino activists during a rally in protest at a a 10-year agreement which will beef up U.S. military forces there. The military will get greater access to bases across the region as an effort by Washington to counter Chinese aggression. The presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former American colony. Scroll down for video . An effigy of U.S. President Barack Obama is burned by Filipino activists during a rally . Angry Filipino protesters burn effigy of Barack Obama in protest against military pact . An effigy of President Barack Obama is burnt by Filipino activists during a rally as a 10-year pact was signed . The presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former American colony . The Philippine Senate voted in 1991 to close down U.S. bases at Subic and Clark, northwest of Manila. However, it ratified a pact with the United States allowing temporary visits by American forces in 1999, four years after China seized a reef the Philippines contests. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, hundreds of U.S. forces descended in the southern Philippines under that accord to hold counter terrorism exercises with Filipino troops fighting Muslim militants. However this time, the focus of the Philippines and its underfunded military has increasingly turned to external threats as territorial spats with China in the potentially oil and gas-rich South China Sea heated up in recent years. Filipino protesters clench their fists during a protest rally against U.S. President Barack Obama visit in Manila, in the Philippines . A Filipino protester shouts slogans during a protest rally against President Barack Obama's visit in Manila . Protesters run around a burning effigy of President Barack Obama during an anti-U.S. protest . Anger: People take part in a protest against U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Philippines today . U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin signed the agreement at the main military camp in the capital, Manila, ahead of Obama's stop and portrayed it is as a central part of his weeklong Asia trip. The Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement will give American forces temporary access to selected military camps and allow them to preposition fighter jets and ships. The deal was signed hours before Obama arrived in Manila on the last leg of a four-country Asian tour, following stops in Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Goldberg said the agreement will 'promote peace and security in the region,' and allow U.S. and Philippine forces to respond faster to disasters and other contingencies. It is not known how many additional U.S. troops would be deployed 'on temporary and rotational basis.' Filipino protesters circle around burning effigies of President Barack Obama and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III during a rally against President Obama's visit to the Philippines . Effigies of President Barack Obama and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, bottom, are burned by protesters during a rally to oppose the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the countries . Protestors shouting slogans against President Barack Obama's visit to Philippines during the protest today . Filipino protesters shout anti-U.S. slogans during a protest rally against President Barack Obama's visit . It said the number would depend on the scale of joint military activities to be held in the camps. The . size and duration of that presence has to be worked out with the . Philippine government, said Evan Medeiros, senior director for Asian . affairs at the White House's National Security Council. Medeiros . declined to say which places are being considered under the agreement, . but said the long-shuttered U.S. facility at Subic Bay could be one of . the locations. Filipino activists hold a mock U.S. flag bearing the name of President Barack Obama during a rally outside the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila . Filipino protesters carry a mock U.S. flag and shout anti-American slogans during a protest rally against President Barack Obama's visit . The presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines, a former American colony . The defence accord will help the allies achieve different goals. With . its small military, the Philippines has struggled to bolster its . territorial defense amid China's increasingly assertive behavior in the . disputed South China Sea. Manila's . efforts have dovetailed with Washington's intention to pivot away from . years of heavy military engagement in the Middle East to Asia, partly as . a counterweight to China's rising clout. U.S. President Barack Obama (left) meets Philippine President Benigno Aquino III (right) inside Malacanang presidential palace in Manila . President Obama, centre left, smiles as he walks through the line of a troop during his arrival in Manila . U.S. President Barack Obama waves to the media after arriving at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines, this morning . Philippine Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, left, shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg after signing the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement . President Obama, left, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, right, toast as they attend a state dinner . U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, right, at a state dinner . 'The Philippines' immediate and urgent motivation is to strengthen itself and look for a security shield with its pitiful military,' Manila-based political analyst Ramon Casiple said. 'The U.S. is looking for a re-entry to Asia, where its superpower status has been put in doubt.' The convergence could work to deter China's increasingly assertive stance in disputed territories, Casiple said. However, it could further antagonise Beijing, which sees such tactical alliance as a U.S. strategy to contain its rise, and encourage China to intensify its massive military buildup, he said. Hundreds of American military personnel have been deployed in the southern Philippines since 2002 to provide counterterrorism training and serve as advisers to Filipino soldiers, who have battled Muslim militants for decades. U.S. President Barack Obama, left, walks with Philippines President Benigno Aquino III at Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines . U.S. President Barack Obama arrives at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines . The agreement says the U.S. will 'not establish a permanent military presence or base in the Philippines' in compliance with Manila's constitution. A Filipino base commander will have access to areas to be shared with American forces, according to the primer. Disagreements over Philippine access to designated U.S. areas within local camps hampered negotiations for the agreement last year. The agreement will increase coordination between U.S. and Filipino forces, boost the 120,000-strong Philippine military's capability to monitor and secure the country's territory and respond more rapidly to natural disasters and other emergencies. U.S. President Barack Obama reviews the honor guard with Philippines President Benigno Aquino III, left, at Malacanang Palace in Manila . While the U.S. military will not pay rent for local camp areas, the Philippines will own buildings and infrastructure to be built or improved by the Americans and reap economic gains from the U.S. presence, it has been said. Chinese paramilitary ships took effective control of the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a rich fishing ground off the northwestern Philippines, in 2012. Last year, Chinese coast guard ships surrounded another contested offshore South China Sea territory, the Second Thomas Shoal, where they have been trying to block food supplies and rotation of Filipino marines aboard a grounded Philippine navy ship in the remote coral outcrops. China has ignored Philippine diplomatic protests and Manila's move last year to challenge Beijing's expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea before an international arbitration tribunal. It has warned the U.S. to stay out of the Asian dispute.
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Military will get greater access to bases across the region .
Presence of foreign troops is a sensitive issue in the Philippines .
Philippine Senate voted in 1991 to close down U.S. bases .
The deal was signed hours before Obama arrived in Manila .
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A former NHS doctor has been accused of carrying out bungled and unhygienic circumcisions on children at their homes - leaving one baby boy screaming in agony after the anaesthetic wore off half way through the surgery. Dr Mohammed Siddiqui, 49, of Southampton, faces misconduct charges over 47 allegations in relation to four boys that he carried out unhygienic procedures at the homes of four different youngsters as part of a 'private mobile circumcision service'. The GMC investigation was launched after a complaint by Kelly Braiha and her husband Ghali, from West Sussex, claiming their 23-month-old son Najem was left 'traumatised' and suffering an infection because Siddiqui did not take hygienic precautions. Dr Mohammed Siddiqui is accused of carrying out bungled circumcisions at the homes of four baby boys while employed as paediatrician at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (pictured) The allegations span a period from June 2012 until November 2013, during which time Dr Siddiqui was employed as a Clinical Fellow in paediatric surgery at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust. A tribunal heard today that the doctor operated a private mobile children's circumcision service away from his job at the hospital - but was accused by parents of not washing his hands prior to treatment and at times of not wearing surgical gloves, failing to carry out proper examinations and not having proper resuscitation equipment including oxygen and airway equipment. It is claimed that when one little boy suffered an adverse reaction to local anaesthetic Siddiqui did not realise he was having a seizure and failed to act immediately to ensure an ambulance was called. The tribunal heard during another procedure, a mother became concerned about her baby screaming and asked Dr Siddiqui questions - but it is alleged he pushed her hand away and said: 'leave him he's fine.' It is alleged he then pretended to take a telephone call to avoid answering further questions. After the parent of a third circumcised boy rang Siddiqui to say his son was still in pain, it was claimed Siddiqui failed to respond and accused him of 'telling lies' The parents of a fourth boy claim Siddiqui carried surgical materials in plastic carrier bags and used baby wipes and paper towels during the procedure, which was of such a poor standard he had to carry out another circumcision on the same child the following day. Despite the boy suffering injuries from the operation as too much skin was removed, Dr Siddiqui failed to refer him to a hospital and then ignored his parents when they expressed concerns over his condition, it was claimed. Doctor Siddiqui admits carrying out the procedures but denies that his practices were unhygienic or inadequate in any way (file image) Following complaints it emerged Siddiqui had failing to secure valid insurance for each procedure and failed to register his circumcision service with the Care Quality Commission. He was initially suspended from his post and stopped carrying out the procedures and has since resigned from the NHS and surrendered his GMC registration. But at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service Siddiqui said he was contemplating starting up his circumcision business again and he even asked the panel to adjourn the case so he could earn money from the enterprise to fund his legal fees. The request was refused. Male circumcision is widely practiced in Muslim communities and is not illegal in Britain. As it is classed as 'consensual assault', similar to tattooing, anyone can legally carry it out. Circumcision is only available through the NHS if there are compelling medical reasons, though local GP's may carry out the operation themselves. Healthcare workers usually have to be registered with the CQC if they want to perform home circumcisions but there is no legal requirement. The hearing was previously told the families of the boys from Southampton, Bath, Birmingham and Reading had wanted their children circumcised for religious or cultural reasons. Ben Fitzgerald, counsel for the GMC, said: 'He performed or attempted to perform circumcisions on four infant boys at their homes between June 2012 and November 2013. 'At the time he was a paediatric surgeon but also in a private capacity operated a mobile children's circumcision service carrying out circumcisions in the community for parents who wished their sons to undergo them for religious or cultural reasons. 'Having been engaged he would attend their home addresses on the day bringing with him the equipment he needed to carry it out. 'He would obtain consent on the day and would leave behind information providing advice on aftercare. Ideally it would be quick and simple - meeting once and moving on. 'The GMC's case is that Mr Siddiqui's conduct in relation to the four patients fell below the standard required of a doctor carrying out procedures. 'There was a lack of care when carrying out procedures, a rush to get them done and a lack of appropriate regard and respect for the parents who engaged his services. 'In relation to patients A, B and C, he failed to obtain properly informed consent. While he obtained a signature on a consent form and provided some information, his rush to perform the procedures and impatience in answering questions meant he did not engage properly with them. 'In October 2012, he treated Patient B's mother with a lack of respect, by pushing her hand away when she reacted to Patient B's scream at having his foreskin pulled back. In response to her alarm at his treatment of Patient B he said to her 'leave him, he's fine', or words to that effect. 'When questioned by Patient B's mother about the circumcision, he pretended that he had to take a telephone call to avoid answering her and when questioned further, Mr Siddiqui said "I'm not getting into this" and walked out of the house.' Dr Siddiqui also failed to obtain adequate histories of each boy he was performed the procedure, it was said, as well as failing to make sure his equipment was aseptic. Mr Fitzgerald added: 'Patient A appears to have suffered an adverse reaction to anaesthetisation and required an ambulance and emergency medical intervention. 'Mr Siddiqui should not have administered a local anaesthetic without access to the minimum resuscitation facilities. 'He treated parents with a lack of respect - from failing to attend to their concerns to threatening and dishonest behaviour Patient C was screaming during a procedure, providing an indication that the anaesthetic was not working properly. 'He should have stopped but he simply carried on. 'You may hear evidence in the course of the hearing about the benefits of a surgeon providing the circumcision service to those who want it for religious reasons and conducting them at home. 'It is important to make clear it is not the GMC's case that he should not have been carrying out procedures in the home at all, rather that he failed in numerous respects to meet the basic standards that should be expected of any doctor operating in this environment.' Siddiqui admits carrying out the procedures but denies that his practices were unhygienic or inadequate in any way. He said: 'I've stopped doing circumcisions since I stopped getting correspondence from the CQC but I could. 'I do not need to register with the CQC when I'm suspended but I stopped it for numerous reasons. 'I still am not doing it but I know i can. I can restart doing circumcisions and can finance legal representation. I may start and finance the legal side of it.' The hearing, expected to last up to four weeks, continues.
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Dr Mohammed Siddiqui, 49, faces 47 allegations in relation to four boys .
Operated a mobile children's circumcision service outside hospital hours .
Accused by parents of not washing his hands prior to the operations .
They say he didn't wear gloves and failed to carry out proper examinations .
One couple claim their son was left 'traumatised' and suffering infection .
Parents also say Siddiqui did not have proper resuscitation equipment .
One boy suffered a seizure but Siddiqui did not realise and failed to act .
Tribunal heard Siddiqui admits carrying out the procedures but denies that his practices were unhygienic or inadequate in any way .
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(CNN) -- A fast-moving wildfire in eastern Arizona forced the evacuation Tuesday of up to 3,000 additional people, a Red Cross official said, as crews continued to battle the blaze. Residents living in areas south of State Highway 260 and east of Greer, including South Fork and parts of Eagar, have been told to leave their homes, fire officials said. The evacuees will join the estimated 2,700 people already on the road in eastern Arizona. "We're probably in the range of between 5,500 and 5,700 people," said Mark Weldon, spokesman for the Arizona Red Cross. Fire fighters struggled Tuesday to gain the slimmest of advantages over the Wallow Fire that has already burned more than 300,000 acres. Just 10 structures have been lost. The fire produced dense plumes of smoke that were visible from space and thick enough to reduce visibility to less than a mile in some places, the National Weather Service said in an air-quality alert Tuesday. Authorities ordered the evacuations of the Arizona cities Greer and Sunrise on Monday. Meanwhile, New Mexico officials told residents in the town of Luna to be prepared to leave, according Terri Wildermuth, a spokeswoman for the Incident Management Team that is overseeing firefighting efforts. The Arizona blaze is beginning to threaten neighboring New Mexico, and spillover smoke pushed by high winds disrupted flights and prompted an air quality alert on the other side of the border, authorities said Tuesday. "I'm starting to feel like I've been chain-smoking and all my cloths smell like I've been camping," said CNN iReporter Eric Place, who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. "Sometimes, not like huge flakes, but little ash particles, are visible." In Arizona, the Red Cross has set up an evacuation center at Blue Ridge High School in Lakeside. So far, around 75 evacuees have checked into the shelter, said Weldon, though not everyone was expected to stay overnight. More than 2,000 firefighters are engaged in the fight against the fire, along with 20 helicopters, 141 fire engines, 46 water tenders and eight bulldozers, according to officials. The blaze remained at 0% containment Tuesday night. The National Weather Service warned critical fire weather, with low humidity and high winds, would continue at least through Wednesday in Arizona. The National Interagency Fire Center said similar conditions would heighten the risk of fires across the southwest, including Arizona, New Mexico, southeastern Colorado and west Texas. Some Arizonans displaced by the fire have second-guessed their decisions to leave their homes. Displaced resident Patrick Tureson told Phoenix-based CNN affiliate KNXV that life as evacuee is "horrible." "I don't have a lot of hope right now," he said. Tureson said he and his wife, Randa, received a call from fire officials Sunday night recommending they abandon their Coyote Canyon home. "We wanted to stay but ended up leaving because it was getting worse and worse," Tureson told KNXV. "That fire was headed right towards me. It's just a bad situation." The Wallow fire, which began May 29, has scorched 311,481 acres so far along the state's eastern border. Additionally, low humidity and high winds are fueling fires elsewhere in the state. That includes three separate blazes that have consumed 165,017 acres in the Coronado National Forest, one of which has been burning since May 8, according to InciWeb, an Internet state-by-state database of active wildfires and other disasters. Winds have also hampered the efforts of firefighters who've come to Arizona from across the United States to help battle the Wallow fire. That includes grounding planes that otherwise could be used to douse the flames from the air, Wildermuth said. On Monday, the size of the fire jumped 21% as it spread to more than 40,000 acres. "We had a hard day today," Joe Reinarz, an incident commander, told those attending a town hall meeting in Greer on Monday. "I don't know exactly where that fire is at this moment, because it is moving so fast." "Tomorrow, (the wind) is supposed to pick back up all through Thursday," he said. "We've got two or three days ahead ... that will try all of us." While there have been no significant injuries so far, officials and area residents complained of heavy smoke that has blanketed the area like fog. The fire has bedeviled fire crews with its unpredictable path, thanks to wind gusts that have carried burning embers up to three miles. Apache County Deputy Chief Sheriff Brannon Eagar on Monday evening urged people in the area, even if they haven't been ordered to evacuate yet, to get ready to leave. "They can't predict how fast it's going to go," Eagar said at the town hall event in Greer. "So make sure, please, you get ready. "If I can convince anybody, please go. It'll make your life so much easier," he added. "This thing is huge." CNN's Phil Gast, Dana Ford and Ben Smith contributed to this report.
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NEW: Officials order a partial evacuation of the Arizona town of Eagar .
NEW: The latest orders raise the number of fire evacuees to more than 5,000 .
The fire has scorched 311,481 acres in eastern Arizona so far .
Forecasters warn of an elevated fire risk Tuesday and Wednesday .
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Michaels Stores Inc, the biggest U.S. arts and crafts retailer, on Thursday confirmed that there was a security breach at certain systems that process payment cards at its U.S. stores and that of its unit, Aaron Brothers. The company said in January that it was working with federal law enforcement officials to investigate a possible data breach. Michaels Stores said the breach, which took place between May 8, 2013 and January 27, 2014, may have affected about 2.6 million cards, or about seven per cent of payment cards used at its stores during the period. Security breach: A statement from Michaels management indicates up to three million credit cards may have been compromised . The company said about 400,000 cards were potentially impacted at its Aaron Brothers unit by the breach, which occurred between June 26, 2013 and February 27, 2014. There was no evidence that data such as customers' name or personal identification number were at risk, Michaels Stores said in a statement. This is the second known data breach since 2011 at Michaels Stores. Michaels Stores, whose major investors are Blackstone Group LP and Bain Capital LP, said cyber security firms it hired found that malware not encountered previously had been used in the latest attack. The company said it was working with law enforcement authorities, banks and payment processors, and that the malware no longer presents a threat. Michaels Stores, which resubmitted its IPO documents late last month following a restructuring, is the latest U.S. retailer whose systems have been breached. Arts and crafts giant: Michaels has almost 900 stores around the country and in Canada . Last year, the number three U.S. retailer Target Corp suffered a massive security breach that resulted in the theft of some 70 million customer records. Reuters reported in January that smaller breaches on at least three other well-known U.S. retailers took place and were conducted using similar techniques as the one on Target. U.S. retailers are planning to form an industry group for collecting and sharing intelligence in a bid to prevent future attacks. Michaels Stores, which owns several private brands such as Recollections, Artist's Loft and Loops & Threads, competes with Hooby Lobby Stores Inc, Jo-Ann Stores Inc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
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Michaels Stores confirmed a security breach in their system .
The breach could have affected up to 2.6 million credit cards .
About 400,000 cards were also potentially impacted at its Aaron Brothers stores .
There was no evidence that data such as customers' name or personal identification number were at risk .
Last year, the number three U.S.
retailer Target Corp suffered a massive security breach that resulted in .
the theft of some 70 million customer records .
Michaels Stores is working with law enforcement authorities and banks in the aftermath of the breach .
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(CNN) -- Investec Loyal took line honors in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Ocean classic Wednesday but faces an anxious wait to have the victory confirmed after an official protest by the race committee. Anthony Bell's super maxi crossed the finish line in the Tasmanian capital with a three minutes seven second advantage over five-time winner Wild Oats XI, one of the closest finishes in the race's history. But the moment of glory at Constitution Dock was short-lived as a representative of the committee immediately notified him of the protest. A crew member on Investec Loyal is alleged to have asked an Australian Broadcasting Corporation helicopter, who were covering the race for television, for information about the sails being deployed by Wild Oats XI. The incident occurred early on Tuesday morning local time as both the super maxis battled for the lead in testing conditions. "This is assessed to breach (rule) 41 by soliciting help from an outside source," read a statement on the official race website. The protest hearing will be held by the International Jury at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania at 10.00 local time Thursday. Official Rolex Sydney Hobart race website . Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) commodore Garry Linacre told the crowd what had happened. "Some minutes ago I received this copy of a protest form. It is a protest form for the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2011, the organizing authority of the CYCA. "The Race Committee, which is chaired by Tim Cox, has protested that rules may have been infringed on the 27th December at 06:30 hours, 30 nautical miles south of Merimbula. There is an ABC chopper pilot that is a nominated witness. "I am very sorry about this event, I can assure you. Unfortunately, that has stopped our celebration here, as the result comes provisional until the protest is heard tomorrow," he said. Linacre went on to pay tribute to Investec Loyal for their "magnificent sailing" in this race and also Wild Oats XI. Skipper Bell claimed the conversation with the TV crew had just been "a question of are they alright and have they lost any mainsails" following rough conditions on the first night which saw a number of boats retire. "We respect the fact that there's laws in racing... and we will of course go in and oblige that, and we're confident that the outcome will confirm our (win)," Bell told gathered reporters. "One thing that can't be taken away from us is that we raced one hell of a race out there, and we did everything by the book." Wild Oats' skipper Mark Richards told the official website that Investec Loyal was a deserved winner. "Those guys won on the water, we came second. That's how we think about it. They deserve to win," he said. "Last night was a tough night. We had a fantastic lead and we ran into the new weather system and there was just no air. The other guys saw what was going on and just sailed around us. The two super maxis had fought a thrilling tactical duel along Australia's east coast with the lead changing hand several times throughout the 628 nautical miles. Investec Loyal took the lead for the first time on Tuesday night after the pair had broken away from the rest of the 88-strong fleet from the start in Sydney Harbor on Boxing Day. Light winds and the traditional difficult run to the finish on the Derwent River left the outcome in doubt to the very end, even before the protest. 2010 runner-up Investec Loyal crossed the line in two days, six hours, 14 minutes and 18 seconds, way outside the 2005 race record set by Wild Oats XI. The smallest margin of victory was back in 1982 when Condor of Bermuda pipped Apollo by just seven seconds. A separate prize for victory on handicap is also awarded as the entrants in various categories battle it out to the finish in Hobart.
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Investec Loyal takes line honors in Rolex Sydney-Hobart yacht race .
Five-time winner Wild Oats XI finishes second in Tasmanian capital .
Three minutes eight seconds separated the first two .
Line honors victory under protest over incident involving TV helicopter .
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One in ten GPs earns more than the Prime Minister, official figures show. Despite efforts to rein in the pay of family doctors, many still receive vastly more than David Cameron’s annual salary of £142,500. A total of 3,430 general practitioners earned more than £150,000 in 2012/13 – 10.5 per cent of self-employed GPs – according to the figures, published yesterday by the Government’s Health and Social Care Information Centre. A total of 3,430 general practitioners earned more than £150,000 in 2012/13 (picture posed by model) Some 630 were paid more than £200,000 and 160 received in excess of £250,000. Last night campaigners criticised the ‘telephone-number salaries’, saying they would anger patients who have difficulty getting an appointment with their GP. The official figures also reveal a huge disparity in pay levels between male and female GPs. Men on average were paid £109,400 – spending another £169,000 on office expenses and staff salaries. Women doctors, in contrast, received £73,800 and spent another £101,100 on expenses and salaries. The figures actually reveal a slight decline in pay since 2011/12. Contractor GPs – those 80 per cent of family doctors who are partners in their surgery – received an average £102,000 last year, a £1,000, or 0.9 per cent, decrease on the year before. But their pay is still vastly higher than a decade ago thanks to a controversial contract that also allowed them to stop working out of hours. Before the contract – brought in by Labour in 2004 – GPs earned an average of £77,000 a year. That leaped to £110,000 after the contract was introduced, but has been gradually falling ever since as ministers try to get a grip on their pay. The other 20 per cent of GPs are salaried. They are paid by their practices and earn much less. The Treasury has imposed a freeze on public sector pay, but it cannot make contractor GPs – who are self-employed – pay themselves any less. Gender pay gap: Male doctors were paid an average of £109,000, but women were received £73,800 (file pic) Instead the Government has put strict limits on the increase in the overall contract sum payable to surgeries – the money out of which GPs have to take their salaries. The official pay report, which is based on HM Revenue and Customs data, shows that the average gross figure available to GPs for running their practices rose by 1.4 per cent in 2012/2013. But because the cost of rent, practice staff salaries and office expenses rose, doctors had slightly less left to pay themselves. Doctors have complained bitterly about being forced to pay themselves less – and even suggested that the GP surgery is facing ‘threat of extinction’. The Royal College of General Practitioners said earlier this year that some surgeries could be forced to close because of smaller budgets. And the British Medical Association has complained that below-inflation pay rises had left doctors with a ‘deep sense of outrage’. More than half of GPs think that their pay is so bad that they are considering early retirement, according to a poll of doctors published in March. Yet when their pay was boosted by 30 per cent a decade ago even some doctors admitted they were surprised by what they had managed to negotiate. In 2007, Dr Simon Fradd, the BMA negotiator who won the deal, said: ‘It was just stunning really. Stunning in that no one in my position had ever believed we could pull it off.’ He had at first thought GPs’ pay would be docked by up to £50,000 if they wanted to opt out of working out of hours. But the Labour government let them reduce their pay by only £6,000 each if they opted not to work the anti-social shifts – and gave them a huge pay increase for their other work. Alex Wild, policy analyst at the TaxPayers’ Alliance campaign group, said: ‘Patients waiting weeks for appointments because their GP doesn’t open at weekends or out of hours will find these telephone-number salaries particularly galling. ‘GPs are highly qualified professionals and should be compensated as such, but their pay packages have exploded since the disastrous 2004 GP contract, which sees them get paid more to work less. ‘If British GPs’ pay fell in line with that of their counterparts in the likes of France and Australia, we could afford more of them and slash the time it takes to get an appointment.’ A Department of Health spokesman said: ‘General practice is the bedrock of the NHS which is why we’ve increased funding, strengthened proper family doctoring and provided millions more patients with evening and weekend appointments.’
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Official figures show thousands of GPs earn more than David Cameron .
Some 630 family doctors were paid more than £200,000 in 2012/13 .
Meanwhile 160 took home more than a quarter of a million pounds .
Campaigners said the large pay packets would anger patients .
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The last meal of a new species of marine reptile that lived in the seas during the time of the dinosaurs has been found preserved in a forgotten fossil stored at a museum. A palaeontologist discovered the 189-million-year-old ichthyosaur while looking through the collections at Doncaster Museum and Art Gallery. The five foot (1.5 metres) long fossil, which was thought to be a plaster copy, had been kept in storage for nearly 30 years and had been largely overlooked. The fossilised, which has been named Ichthyosaurus anningae, had lain forgotten about in Doncaster Museum for nearly 30 years. The dark mass between the ribs are the remains of the animals last meal . However, Dean Lomax, a visting scientist at the University of Manchester, noticed some unusual structures in the bone structure while browsing the museum's collection. Skin pigments preserved in fossils - including an extinct creature that swam the oceans almost 200 million years ago - have been revealed using X-rays. Scans of the beautifully-preserved marine organisms help paint a picture of the appearance of animals that died out millions of years ago. Dark traces on fossilised skin from three reptiles - a 55 million-year-old leatherback turtle, an 86-million-year-old mosasaur and a 190 to 196-million-year-old ichthyosaur dating back up to 196 million years - were found to contain melanin. This pigment is found in many animals and serves various roles, from camouflage to regulation of body temperature. It suggests the ichthyosaurs had dark skins much like some species of modern dolphin. Dr Johan Lindgren and colleagues at Lund University, in Sweden, who conducted the study said evidence of it in these creatures reflects the important evolutionary role melanin played. They said the pigment was crucial in determining whether such animals were able to live in the colder parts of the world. Trapped within the fossilised bones of the ancient reptile, which had a similar shape to modern day dolphins, were also the remains of its last meal - squid. The finding has shed new light on the diets that these ocean dwelling reptiles lived on and gives new insight into their behaviour. Squid spend most of their time in the cold, dark depths of the ocean and most modern species that feed on them tend to dive down hundreds of metres to reach them. According to scientists this suggests that ichthyosaurs may have also been capable of withstanding high pressure and cold temperatures to reach their food. Working with palaeontologists at the State University of New York, Mr Lomax has now identified the fossil as a new species that was previously unknown to science. It has been named Ichthyosaurus anningae in honor of the British fossil collector Mary Anning, who first collected ichtyosaurs in the early 1800s. Mr Lomax said: 'It has taken us seven years of comparing this fossil with other ichthyosaur specimens from around the world to establish that it is a new species. 'Finding the contents of the stomach inside were an added bonus. Most fossils of ichthyosaurs have had their gut contents removed, if there were there, when they were excavated in the early 1800s to make them more aesthetically pleasing. 'In this fossil, however, there is a mass of thousands of tiny hooks - the ends of squid tentacles. We also found a fish scale close to the gut mass too, which could also have been the remains of a meal, although it may have just ended up inside the fossil by accident.' The artists impression above shows how Ichtyosaurus anningae may have looked 189 million years ago . The fossil was found between Black Ven, near Lyme Regis, and Sea Town on the Dorset Coast in the 1980s . The sharp teeth of Ichthyosaurus anningae shown above would have allowed it to snatch squid as it swam . The fossil is the first new species of ichthyosaur to be discovered in around 130 years and is one of the most complete specimens of its age. It was originally found among the rocks somewhere between Black Ven, near Lyme Regis, and Seatown on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset during the 1980s and bought by Doncaster Museum in 1983. However, after some staff changes at the museum it was later mistakenly labelled as a plaster cast copy and left to languish in the museums collections. However, in 2008 Mr Lomax noticed that some of the fin bones appeared to be different from other species of ichthyosaurs he had seen. Working with Professor Judy Massare from the State University of New York, they compared the fossilised bones with around 1,000 other ichthyosaur remains. Their findings are published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. In their paper they describe the fossil as a new species and say it lived in the oceans between 189 and 182 million years ago during the early Jurassic period. Dean Lomax, pictured above, discovered the new species while browsing the collection at Doncaster Museum . The scientists discovered tiny hooks from the end of squid tenticles fossilised in the remains of the reptile . During their search they discovered three other specimens in museums elsewhere in the world that they believe are also of the same species as the fossil in Doncaster. They were also able to determine that the fossil in Doncaster, which is almost complete apart from the end of its tail, belonged to an adult male. The other specimens are thought to be a subadult and two juveniles. Mr Lomax said he thought it was the first time it had been possible to determine the sex of fossilised ichthyosaurs. Dean Lomax and fellow palaeontologist Nigel Larkin examine the new species of ichthyosaur above . Ichthyosaurs are an ancient species of marine reptile that are distantly related to turtles as shown above . He said: 'There appears to have been some sexual dimorphism as the humerus bones appear to be different. We examined dimorphism in other reptiles and found this often differs significantly. 'We were able to say the fossil in Doncaster is probably a male adult.' Ichthyosaurs were once common in the world's oceans and had sharped teeth with which they are thought to have used to snatch fish as they hunted. Some fossils have been found with the remains of fish preserved inside them. It is hoped the discovery will encourage other museums to look back through their collections as there could be other new species hidden there. Dr Silvia Danise from Plymouth University told the BBC: 'Collections are treasures that show their value each time we're able to look at them with a different perspective, and by asking new scientific questions.' Palaeontologist Nigel Larkin (above) helped prepare the fossil so its features could be examined more clearly .
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Palaeontologist Dean Lomax found fossil in storage at Doncaster Museum .
It was thought to be a plaster cast of ichthyosaur found on Jurassic Coast .
He found it was a real fossil and a species previously unknown to science .
The 189 million-year-old reptile has been named Ichthyosaurus anningae- .
It is was about 5 feet long and is thought to have looked similar to dolphins .
Preserved in the fossil's gut were undigested remains of squid tentacles .
The findings has provided insight into how these reptiles ate and lived .
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0e4975cbfdb5875f2543a9c55a3315e23b1b6210
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London (CNN) -- After a fourth consecutive night of violence that convulsed much of London and spread elsewhere in Britain, the scene before dawn Wednesday was largely calm, a tentative calm enforced by thousands of police. Hours before, police reported outbreaks of violence in Wolverhampton and West Bromwich, about 100 miles north of London, and in the northwestern city of Manchester. There, a library and supermarket were ablaze, said Jeff Gill from the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue. In West Midlands, 80 people were arrested and 19 of them were charged, said Sara Astbury, a spokeswoman for the West Midlands Police Department. In Nottinghamshire, 30 arrests were made as hundreds of police sought to handle more than 1,000 reports of incidents -- most of them related to rowdy behavior by roaming bands of youths -- throughout the city and in Canning, Clifton, Basford and Radford, police said Tuesday in a statement. Eight people were arrested in connection with the firebombing of Canning Circus police station, it added. Nottinghamshire Assistant Chief Constable Paul Scarrott, who led the police operation, described the events in the town more than 100 miles north of London as "gratuitous, senseless and wholly unjustified acts of wanton criminality." Cameron, who cut short his vacation in Italy to hold an emergency meeting Tuesday, recalled lawmakers from their summer break. He is to hold a meeting of his crisis-response committee at 9 a.m. (4 a.m. ET) Wednesday. Parliament is to meet Thursday. London Mayor Boris Johnson, who cut short his holiday in North America, called the violence "utterly appalling." The riots were sparked by the shooting death on Thursday of 29-year-old Mark Duggan, a black man. Officers from Operation Trident -- the Metropolitan Police unit that deals with gun crime in London's black communities -- stopped the cab in the working-class, predominantly Afro-Caribbean district of Tottenham during an attempted arrest, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said. Soon after, shots were fired and Duggan, a father of four, was killed. Shooting deaths are rare in England. The IPCC said Tuesday an illegal firearm had been found at the scene, with a "bulleted cartridge" in the magazine, but there was "no evidence" it was fired during the incident. A bullet that lodged in a radio carried by an officer was police issue, the IPCC said. "A post-mortem examination concluded that Mr. Duggan was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest. He also received a second gunshot wound to his right bicep," the IPCC said, without saying who fired the bullets nor why police had stopped the cab. The man's family and friends, who blamed police for the death, had gathered peacefully Saturday outside the Tottenham police station to protest. The protest soon devolved into violence as demonstrators -- whose numbers included whites and blacks -- tossed petrol bombs, looted stores and burned police cars. Violence continued in isolated pockets on Sunday, spread Monday to other parts of the nation and continued Tuesday. Metropolitan Police and Duggan's family have appealed for calm. Police said they were stretched thin as they tried to respond to emergency calls -- which were up nearly 400% Tuesday. British Prime Minister David Cameron's vow of action to quell rioting in Britain's cities was backed up by an increased police presence -- about 16,000 officers were set to be on London's streets Tuesday night -- twice the number on Monday night. "People should be in no doubt that we will do everything necessary to restore order to Britain's streets and make them safe for the law-abiding," said Cameron, who called the events "criminality, pure and simple." The trouble -- described by police as "'copycat criminal activity" -- takes place against a backdrop of austerity measures and budget cuts that have led to high rates of unemployment, particularly among the nation's youth. Some 685 people have been arrested in London since the violence began, police said late Tuesday. With Metropolitan Police detention cells full, authorities were taking those they arrested to facilities belonging to surrounding police forces. Of those arrested, 111 have been charged. Most of the charges relate to burglary, with other offenses ranging from assault on a police officer to possession of an offensive weapon and handling stolen goods. In all, 111 police officers and five police dogs have been reported injured, according to a police statement Tuesday afternoon. "Many officers are still undergoing hospital treatment, some requiring surgery," it said. "Injuries range from fractured bones, serious head injuries, concussion, cuts and sprains, even injured eyes from smashed and thrown glass." Apparently, some people are not depending on police for their security. Amazon UK reported that sales of aluminum baseball bats had skyrocketed since the violence broke out. In Hackney, where Monday's disturbances first broke out, Graciela Watson, a mother of two, watched aghast from her home as hooligans, known as "yobs" in Britain, barricaded a normally quiet residential street with burning trash cans and clashed repeatedly with police for more than an hour. "It seemed like a war zone," she said. "There were youths grabbing bricks from our front wall and hurling them at police." A resident of Clapham Junction in southwest London, who did not wish to be identified for fear of reprisals, told CNN he had seen groups make repeated trips overnight to his street to fill their cars with looted goods, including televisions and clothes. The resident said this went on for several hours until police used armored vehicles to disperse them. "At first I was just, 'OK, it's a bunch of kids letting off steam.' But once they started heavy, heavy looting, and it started getting out of hand, I started getting a bit concerned," he said. "This is not something that's typical of our neighborhood by any stretch of the imagination." Sociology professor Paul Bagguley told CNN that a disproportionate number of young people appeared to be involved in the unrest and that the looters appeared to be motivated by greed. But people who have spoken to local ethnic minorities also talked of a sense that tension had been building over months, he said, with some upset by police "stop-and-search" tactics. A community cleanup effort began Tuesday morning in London, with organizers using Twitter to get volunteers together in their local areas, using the hashtag #riotcleanup. Organizer Dan Thompson, who runs a network aiding small businesses on the south coast, said many thousands of people were supporting efforts to help shopkeepers. "I thought the quickest, best thing was just to help them get cleaned up this morning, get trading again," he said. "It's a city people love, and to see it destroyed in the way it has been is shocking stuff." Questions have been raised about what the disturbances may mean for security during next year's Olympic Games, which London is preparing to host. A spokeswoman for the London 2012 organizing committee told CNN: "A lot of detailed work has taken place regarding security plans for the Games, and we will continue to review them together with the Met Police and the Home Office over the coming year." Tottenham has been the site of riots before. In 1985, Floyd Jarrett, who was of Afro-Caribbean origin, was stopped by police near the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham on suspicion of driving with a forged tax disc, a document all British vehicles must carry. A few hours later, officers raided the nearby home of his mother, who collapsed and died during the raid. Rioting erupted shortly afterward, and a police officer, Constable Keith Blakelock, was killed. Like the current violence, a protest outside Tottenham Police Station sparked the 1985 conflict. CNN's Laura Smith-Spark, Carol Jordan, Barry Neild, Dan Rivers, Yoko Wakatsuki, Annabel Archer, Phil Black, David Wilkinson, Atika Shubert, Bryony Jones, Erin McLaughlin, Bharati Naik, Aliza Kassim and David Wilkinson contributed to this report.
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"Tens of millions of pounds" of property damage is estimated .
8 are arrested in connection with firebombing of a police station .
111 officers have suffered injuries in three days of unrest, police say .
Pockets of disorder break out in West Bromwich, Wolverhampton and Manchester .
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0e49e7c456f2e1895c34d0bbfe3402349dcb1b1e
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By . John Hall . People from the north of England consider London to be chaotic, crowded and bad for Britain, according to a study released today. Only 24 per cent of those living outside the capital think London has a positive impact on their local economy, with that figure even lower in northern cities such as Liverpool and Sheffield, where the number drops to just nine per cent and eight per cent respectively. While two thirds of the population agree London has a positive impact on the national economy, the same number argue that the capital unfairly benefits from central government being based there. Divide: While two thirds of the population agree London benefits the national economy (green figures), only 24 per cent of those living outside the capital think it has a positive impact at a local level (red figures) The figures come from a report for Centre for Cities and the Centre for London, with YouGov questioning residents in 16 towns and cities across the UK. The study confirms the suspicion of a growing divide between London and the rest of the country - something that has long been suggested by the capital's property bubble. The results point to something a ripple effect in opinion, with the towns and cities closest to London feeling most positive about the capital's impact, and those further away feeling the least positive. This is magnified in parts of Yorkshire, with just eight per cent of those living in Hull and Sheffield thinking London has a positive impact on their city. The results are not must better in Leeds where the number is 13 per cent. Unfair: Only 24 per cent of non-Londoners think the capital (pictured) has a positive impact on their local economy. Meanwhile two thirds argue London unfairly benefits from central government being based there . Ignored: Only 17 per cent of non-Londoners think Westminster politicians such as Chancellor George Osborne (left) and Prime Minister David Cameron (right) are responsive to local issues . It's not just the capital's economic impact that has been called into question. Three quarters of those asked also felt the media focuses too much on London at the expense of other British cities. Meanwhile 64 per cent of non-Londoners claimed the government paid too much attention to issues in the capital, with only 17 per cent thinking Westminster politicians were responsive to local issues. The only city to buck this trend was Manchester, where a slightly more positive 21 per cent either strongly agreed to tended to agree with the claim that Whitehall was in touch with local issues. But despite feeling unhappy Londoners get a much better deal than those living in other parts of the country, only one in five said they would consider moving to the capital to improve their opportunities. This, it was suggested, is down to a widespread belief that London is not a happy or comfortable place to live. Responding to questions on their opinions of quality of life in the capital, 62 per cent on non-Londoners described it as 'expensive', 59 per cent as 'crowded' and 30 per cent as 'chaotic'. Only 32 per cent thought London was a good place to raise a family.
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Only a quarter outside London agree capital is good for their local economy .
Trend magnified in cities such as Liverpool, where only nine per cent agree .
Majority of non-Londoners think those living in the capital get a better deal .
They argue the government and media pay too much attention to London .
But despite the benefits, only one in five would consider moving to capital .
Most think the quality of life is poor and it is an expensive place for families .
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By . Mia De Graaf . Found dead: Dawn Wigglesworth's body was found hanging above her cousin after an alleged sex game gone wrong. Mark Pickford was today cleared of her killing . A man who was accused of killing his cousin in a sex game after he was found curled up under her hanging dead body has been cleared. Police found Mark Pickford asleep in Dawn Warburton's blood-stained bed. The mother-of-two, who lived in Hull, Yorkshire, was hanging by neck above him, naked, with a number of injuries to her face and arms. A jury heard Mr Pickford, from Longsight in Manchester, had exchanged a string of violent and sexual texts with his 40-year-old cousin in the weeks before her death - one of which read: 'You're getting tied up, I will treat you like a random victim, gonna do you Manchester style.' Prosecutors at his trial accused Mr Pickford of assault and manslaughter because he breached his 'duty of care' towards Miss Warburton during a sex game. The 41-year-old denied the charges, saying he had blacked out after drinking and taking drugs, and could not remember anything for five hours before police woke him up in bed. He said he had only ever had 'ordinary sex' with his cousin and that he had sent the violent texts while drunk to 'be a lad'. After almost eight hours of deliberation, the jury at Hull Crown Court found him not guilty. Judge Jeremy Richardson QC said the case had been 'unpleasant and disagreeable' for all involved while thanking the jurors for the verdict. The court was told how Miss Warburton . and Mr Pickford had been out of touch for around a year before she sent . him a text in March last year to say: 'How's tricks cuz?' After exchanging a few more messages, talk turned to sex. Mr Pickford was found at his cousin's house in Hull, Yorkshire, curled asleep under her body by police . One exchange saw Miss Warburton write: 'I scare myself the sort of dirty sex I'm into. It would warp your mind.' Mr Pickford then began to travel 100 miles from Longsight to her home in the Avenues area of Hull every week for sex. He told the court that, during the final time in April, he believes Miss Warburton may have drugged him with diazepam which 'knocked him out' until police arrived. He added he had not engaged in sexual games with her before she died. Her body was found on April 13 by a neighbour, from below, who went to investigate water dripping through her ceiling.
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Mark Pickford, 41, was lying under Dawn Warburton's dead body .
He had sent her a string of violent and sexual texts, the court heard .
Denied manslaughter, said he only ever had 'normal sex' with cousin .
Jury in Hull found him not guilty after eight hours of deliberation .
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The winner of Australia's Ugliest Living Room has been crowned, but luckily for the owners their prize came in the form of a complete makeover for the unattractive space. What used to be a crowded, outdated and completely mismatched room in the house has been transformed into a bright and modern area perfect for entertaining or relaxing. Nabila Jouni’s living space in their Guilford, NSW, home is completely unrecognisable thanks to a $10,000 overhaul by online homewares retailer TheHome.com.au. Before: Nabila Jouni's living room was cluttered, outdated and in desperate need of a makeover . After: The space is brighter, more modern and appears much more spacious . Originally it was her son Sam who entered Nabila's house in the running, revealing his mother was too embarrassed to entertain even her own family in the living room. 'My parents have struggled to pay off their mortgage for the past 16 years, leaving no money to fix up our home. 'All my mother wants is to have an entertaining area to cater to her children and grandchildren without being embarrassed. She deserves this,' Sam wrote in his touching entry. Before the makeover Nabila's living room featured bold green checkered couches, outdated wallpaper, cluttered corners and knick-knacks piled into every corner. Before the makeover the room was crowded and full of green checkered couches . Now the space looks larger, and is filled with simpler furniture in an updated colour scheme . Nabila, pictured here with husband Elias, said she loves her new lounge room too much to pick just one piece that is her favourite . There was a faded rug, ancient blinds on the windows, and pictures covering all the walls. Now the room is full of vibrant colours, much more modern furniture and looks much more spacious than it previously did. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Nabila described the makeover as 'beautiful' and expressed her gratitude for the helping hand renovating her home. 'I just want to say thank you to everyone and I'm really glad that my son entered us in the competition,' she said. The winner also revealed how happy the new space makes her feel and the new living room provides a great starting point for renovating the rest of her home. The living space used to feature faded floral wallpaper over a pale pink paint job . Now the whole theme of the room is based around the powder blue colour on the walls . Stylist Emma Bloomfield said she designed the room to have a Scandinavian feel about it . When asked whether she had a favourite piece in the newly transformed space, Nabila said it was too difficult to choose just one. 'To tell you the truth I love it all together.' 'It makes me feel good, and thankful for him (her son Sam)', she revealed. Nabila also revealed she looks forward to entertaining her family in the living room, but added there was a lot of them so it still might be a bit of a squeeze. Emma Bloomfield, stylist from TheHome.com.au helped create the transformation, said the concept for the whole room began with the colour of the walls. 'I made up a mood board and the first thing we decided was a paint colour and it all stemmed from there,' Ms Bloomfield told Daily Mail Australia. The Jounis, pictured before the makeover, will now renovate the rest of their house around the new room . Next on their list to tackle is the kitchen, but Nabila said the new living room gave them a great head start . 'We wanted the wall to be not the average beige colour that people tend to go,' she added, before saying she wanted to room to have a Scandinavian feel to it. The owners moved all of the old furniture out and packed up their own possessions so nothing was lost, and in order to make room for the painters from Haymes Paint. Once that was completed it was simply 'a matter of assembling the furniture'. 'The rug is one of my favourite pieces as well as the artwork above the smaller grey couch,' Ms Bloomfield revealed. 'And the floating shelf, the main idea behind doing that was so that we could display the family photos Nabila had. 'She had photos everywhere and we knew it was important to her to incorporate that into the room.'
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The title of Australia's Ugliest Living Room was awarded to Nabila Jouni .
She lives in Guilford, NSW, was awarded a $10,000 makeover from homewares website TheHome.com.au .
Before the room was a cluttered, outdated, mismatched mess .
Now it's a bright and vibrant Scandinavian-inspired space .
Nabila said she was grateful for her son Sam, who entered her in the competition .
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By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 11:38 EST, 20 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:41 EST, 20 December 2013 . Death: Daniel Jones, who ingested a small but lethal amount of heroin at his home in Wolverhampton . A toddler killed when he took a fatal heroin overdose in . the house where he lived with his drug-addicted parents was failed by social services, according to a report. In May last year, 23-month-old Daniel Jones ingested a tiny but . lethal amount of heroin at the family’s home in Wolverhampton. A serious case review published today concluded those . tasked with looking out for the toddler failed to properly assess the risk . of harm presented to him by his parent’s habitual drug use. If care workers, doctors and health professionals had been . more ‘professionally curious’, had more ‘respectful uncertainty’ and been ‘more . assertive’ in their approach to the family, Daniel’s death may have been . avoidable, it concluded. The report stated there had been ‘a number of missed . opportunities’ to intervene in the boy’s care by the different agencies . involved. However, it also acknowledged there had been ‘examples of good inter-agency . working’. The report’s authors also said despite the . parents’ long-standing drug addiction, none of the care workers involved in the . case foresaw the risk that Daniel might be exposed to heroin, or other . substances. Earlier this year, Daniel’s father Simon Jones, 30, was . jailed for six years after admitting the boy’s manslaughter. His mother . Emma Bradburn, 34, received four years after pleading guilty to allowing the . toddler’s death. Jones fully accepted culpability for his son’s death, admitting he had been taking heroin when his son fell ill. Bradburn was drug-tested following her arrest and found to be clear of the . drug. At their sentencing hearing in July this year, judge Mrs . Justice Thirlwall told the couple it was beyond doubt they had loved their . little boy but, she added: ‘You failed woefully to protect him from the very . obvious dangers you exposed him to. ‘The danger was mortal danger, as you should have realised,’ she said. Following the death, Wolverhampton Safeguarding Children . Board immediately launched a serious case review - carried out whenever a child . has died and abuse or neglect is suspected to have been a factor. The board’s chairman Alan Coe said: ‘What comes across very . strongly from this serious case review is that practitioners who worked with . Daniel and his family should have looked beyond his apparent well-being and . understood what life was like from his perspective. ‘That they failed to do this is clearly unacceptable, and we . have a duty to Daniel to ensure that, as far as is possible, the same thing . doesn’t happen again.’ He added many parents, who had drug addictions, coped with . being parents. The report has put forward 44 recommendations, which have . now either been acted upon or are being implemented, relating to better support . for frontline staff, improvement to working practices and particularly . assessments of the risk harm to a child, and also better inter-agency . communication. Addiction: Daniel's father Simon Jones, 30 and Emma Bradburn, 34, pictured with their son at their Wolverhampton home. They both used drugs in the house . Both Jones - who had served time in jail for . robbery and Bradburn, 34, were known to . the addiction services team which at the time was run by the Black Country . Partnership NHS Foundation Trust prior to Daniel’s birth. There was a history of domestic trouble between the couple, . with Bradburn, a heavy drinker, on a prescription for methadone, having been a . heroin addict for 12 years. When she became pregnant with Daniel, they were referred to . Wolverhampton City Council’s children’s services, and following his birth his . development was monitored by health visitors from The Royal Wolverhampton NHS . Trust. The report found that 'Daniel died as a result of an event . that had not been foreseen by any of the professionals involved with the . family' but concluded a more assertive approach by care workers might have made . all the difference. Findings: Had social services been more 'professionally curious' and . been 'more assertive' in their approach to the family, Daniel's death . may have been avoidable, a report today concluded . It acknowledged the parents had not always been . co-operative, but concluded this had made follow-up work all the more . important. However, the report set out the frequent examples where it . found those checks were simply not carried out, or followed through on. There were 11 multi-agency Child in Need meetings between . the parents and care and health workers. But the report’s authors said the . action plans developing out of these meetings were 'not robust and did not . sufficiently address the risks to Daniel of his parents’ substance use.' ‘There do not appear to have been any significant changes . effected by the Child in Need plan over the almost two years that it had been . in place.’ Bradburn, suffering constant pain and disability from a . severe accident prior to the birth of her son, was getting medication from her . GP but also topped up the methadone she was prescribed by taking heroin, she . said, to cope with her on-going discomfort. The report said: ‘Unfortunately there was no collaborative . working between the GP practice and the addiction service, which may have . better addressed her pain and reduced her need for illicit drugs.’ Board chairman Mr Coe said the parents’ drug-use meant their ‘capacity to . meet his needs was compromised’, adding different care and health workers had ‘failed . to fully understand the potential impact of their drug use on Daniel’. ‘Their focus was too much on the parents, and not enough on . their son and the family unit as a whole. ‘Their assessments depended on the parents’ co-operation and . candour, and this was not always forthcoming. ‘Had the practitioners challenged them properly, they may . have appreciated the full extent of the potential risks that Daniel faced.’ Mr Coe added: ‘It is important to stress that things do . change as a result of tragedies like this. Already, we’ve seen a number of . improvements.’ He said the board would be monitoring the implementation of . its recommendations. Aware: Both Jones, who had served time in jail for robbery and Bradburn, . both pictured, were known to the local addiction services team prior to . Daniel's birth . A spokesman for the Black Country NHS trust said: ‘Although . the trust does not provide these addiction services any more, during the 10 . months following Daniel’s death, we took action to improve the way the service . supported the whole family and took into account the impact that substance . misuse has upon a child. ‘These improvements were transferred over to the new . provider when the service was decommissioned in April 2013.’ The Royal Wolverhampton Trust, in a statement, said: ‘Patient . safety is of paramount importance to us so we will take the review’s findings . on board and learn any lessons we can in terms of safeguarding children.’ John Welsby, Wolverhampton council assistant children’s services . director, said it was ‘very clear that more could and should have been done by . the agencies who worked with Daniel and his family, including the council’. He added: ‘If the parents are deemed capable of looking . after their child, they must be given, and be seen to act upon, clear advice . about ensuring their children remain safe.This didn’t happen in this instance.’ He added the council had fully accepted all the . recommendations, had implemented changes, and was ‘determined to do all we can . to help prevent a similar tragedy from happening again’. ‘Once again, I’d like to offer our sympathies to Daniel’s . family and reassure them that, through the changes we and our partner agencies . are making, we will be doing all we can to keep our children and young people . safer in the future.’
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23-month-old Daniel Jones ingested drug at family home in Wolverhampton .
Daniel’s father Simon Jones, 30, was .
jailed for six years last year .
Mother .
Emma Bradburn, 34, received four years for allowing son's death .
Investigation into death today concluded people tasked with looking out for the toddler's well-being had 'failed' him .
Number of 'missed opportunities' to intervene with boy's care, it found .
Social services were aware boy's parents were drug users, it added .
Care workers did not see the risk Daniel may be exposed to drugs, it said .
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Saeed Ajmal has been suspended from bowling for Pakistan after the International Cricket Council ruled his action is illegal. It has been deemed by the ICC that the 36-year-old spinner straightened his arm by more than 15 degrees in all of his deliveries while he was being tested in Brisbane. A statement from the ICC said: 'The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent analysis has found the bowling action of Pakistan's off-spinner Saeed Ajmal to be illegal and, as such, the player has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal banned by the ICC . Ban: Saaed Ajmal has been banned indefinitely by the ICC for an illegal bowling action done in Brisbane . 'The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.' Ajmal was reported for his action in 2009 while bowling the doosra during the one-day international series against Australia but was cleared by the ICC after tests. However, there was to be no reprieve this time around for the world's number one ranked bowler in one-day internationals. He was also reported by the match officials during Pakistan's seven-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle last month. Ajmal, Worcestershire's overseas player earlier this season, underwent testing Down Under on August 25 by the ICC's accredited team of Human Movement Specialists using the National Cricket Centre, who ruled his action was illegal. The ICC's decision means Ajmal is immediately unavailable to bowl in international cricket and the ban will remain until he modifies his action before he can apply for a re-assessment. Highly regarded: Ajmal is the world's top-ranked one-day international bowler . He is the third cricketer to receive an international bowling ban for an illegal action in recent months, with New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake suspended in July. The news will come as a huge blow to Pakistan as Ajmal has been a star performer for them in all three formats. Ajmal, who took five for 166 in the first innings against Sri Lanka in Galle, has played 35 Tests, 111 ODIs and 63 T20 internationals for Pakistan, taking 446 wickets in all three formats. He finished his spell with Worcestershire with 63 wickets in nine LV= County Championship Division Two matches. That is still the leading mark in either division this season, while England all-rounder Moeen Ali has spoken in glowing terms of how Ajmal helped his bowling while they were at New Road together. Ajmal also played for the county in 2011. Ajmal is currently the world's top-ranked one-day international bowler.
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Saeed Ajmal has been banned by the ICC for an indefinite period .
The Pakistan spinner was penalised after straightening his arm by more than 15 degrees in all of his deliveries while being tested in Brisbane .
He was also reported by the match officials during Pakistan's seven-wicket loss to Sri Lanka last month .
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Doctors at one English hospital have dealt with 1,500 cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in just five years, it emerged today. Figures from Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital reveal that staff see six patients who have been subjected to the barbaric procedure every week. Nationwide, 15 new cases of FGM are reported to hospital around the country every day. But the victims of the shocking practice are clustered in certain areas, which explains the high rate in Birmingham. Scroll down for video . Birmingham's Heartlands hospital says it is dealing with six cases of Female Genital Mutilation every week . Heartlands saw 349 cases in 2013, following 288 cases in 2012, 316 in 2011 and 317 in 2010. It is thought to be one of the centres which has seen a large number of the 463 cases now being identified in England every month. NSPCC Head of Child Protection Operations John Cameron said: 'These figures show the NHS is consistently seeing a high number of FGM cases every month. 'FGM is a live public health issue and it is vital all health professionals are trained to spot the signs of FGM and that girls who are subjected to this brutal practice get the post-traumatic support they deserve. 'We need to ensure doctors, midwives and other healthcare professionals are working effectively together with children's services to support and protect FGM victims and their family members.' The records show the number of women recorded as having been subjected to the practice, even if they were in hospital for another reason. The vast majority of the cases are of women who underwent the procedure in Africa, the Middle East or parts of Asia before moving to Britain. File photo of UK Border . Campaigners have pointed out that the numbers may be just the tip of the iceberg, as only those women who have sought specific medical treatment are included in the data. It is believed the vast majority of cases are women who were born abroad and then moved to the UK in childhood or later life. Victims are often identified when they come in to have infections and other conditions linked to the procedure treated, while others are noted when they attend for pre-natal checks. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the deliberate removal of all or part of the external female genitalia. The World Health Organisation describes FGM as any procedure that injures the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is also referred to as female circumcision or female cutting. FGM is mostly carried out on young girls in adolescence but is also carried out during childhood and sometimes on babies. In some cultures, it is seen as a right of passage into womanhood and a condition of marriage. Some believe the genitals will be 'unclean' if the female does not have FGM. There is also a common belief that women need to have FGM to have babies. But, infact, FGM can cause infertility and an increased risk of childbirth complications. The procedure is often carried out by a woman with no medical training. Anaesthetics and antiseptic treatments are not generally used and the practice is usually carried out using knives, scissors, scalpels, pieces of glass or razor blades. The procedure can cause severe bleeding and infections, which can last the woman's entire lifetime. It is estimated that 3 million girls are cut every year across the world. Around 23,000 of these are carried out in the UK. The practice is particularly rife in some African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries. FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1984 and since 2003 anyone taking a child out of the UK for the practice faces 14 years in prison. Despite the rise in hospital cases and an increase in reports to police in 2014 there has not been a single conviction in the UK. Research by the charity Equality Now and City University last year estimated more than 100,000 women have migrated to England and Wales after suffering FGM - up more than 50% since 2001. The Birmingham hospital's figures were released after the Muslim Women's Network told the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel that the levels current support and counselling for victims - many of whom suffer flashbacks - are not good enough. The charity said the latest case it uncovered was just last week and involved a young Yemeni girl from an unnamed Birmingham school. Shaita Gohir MBE, who is chair of the charity, told the panel: 'We need to get funding for specific counselling in this area.' Birmingham is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Britain. In the 2011 census, more than 280,000 residents - 26% of the city's population - gave their ethnicity as Asian or Asian-British, 93,000 said they consider themselves Black or Black-British and 10,900 listed themselves as Arab. Earlier this month, Britain's top family judge, Sir James Munby called on local councils to do more to battle what he called 'the great evil' of FGM. He said: 'Plainly, given the nature of the evil, prevention is infinitely better than cure. 'Local authorities need to be pro-active and vigilant in taking appropriate protective measures to prevent girls being subjected to FGM. 'The court must not hesitate to use every weapon in its protective arsenal if faced with a case of actual or anticipated FGM.' *The NSPCC operates an FGM helpline. Anyone in need of advice should phone 0800 028 3550.
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Scale of the issue in the UK revealed by data showing cases in hospitals .
Heartlands Hospital Birmingham says it deals with six cases a week .
Most cases are believed to be women born in Africa and Middle East .
Charity says the figures show 'brutal practice' is a 'live issue' in Britain .
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By . Emma Innes . After months of tireless fundraising a five-year-old has undergone surgery that will change her life. Lily Ketteringham has cerebral palsy which meant she was unable to walk without a frame. However, she has now had pioneering surgery to enable her to walk normally at St Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri, U.S. Lily Ketteringham, five, was born 10 weeks early and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was nine months old. As a result, she was unable to walk without a frame . The surgery, called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, was only available in the U.S. until recently. It is now being performed at a few hospitals in the UK but according to NICE guidelines Lily's hips are too far out of position for surgeons to operate in this country. Speaking from America, Lily’s father, Steve, said the surgery had gone ‘well’. Lily and her family left the UK on Friday and she underwent the surgery on Tuesday. Mr Ketteringham, 41, of Newcastle, said: ‘The operation went well and there were no problems. Lily had some back spasms last night which was difficult to see. ‘The next few days will be hard for her as it is bed rest.’ Lily's family raised £42,000 for her to fly to the U.S. for pioneering surgery to allow her to walk normally. She is pictured in hospital before the operation which took place on Tuesday . It is hoped that the Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery will allow Lily to walk independently after physiotherapy . Lily, who was born 10 weeks early, hasn't been able to walk or stand unaided since being diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy at nine months old. However, her friends and family helped raise £42,000 to allow her to have the SDR surgery. The operation is a neurosurgical technique used to treat spasticity (increased muscle tone) in the lower limbs. It involves opening the lower vertebrae to reveal the spinal cord which contains the neurones of the central nervous system. These neurones (bundles of nerve fibres) channel messages between the brain and different areas of the body. Lily (pictured with her father, Steve) is said to be doing well after the operation . The surgery is available in the UK but Lily's hips were considered to be too far out of position to make the operation possible in this country . During the procedure, electrical stimulation is used to identify and sub-divide sensory and motor nerves. This process continues until the specific nerves and nerve roots affecting the spastic muscles are identified and cut. Mr Ketteringham said: ‘When we met the doctor he assessed Lily and told us she would be an independent walker and will probably take her first steps within a year. ‘Fingers crossed that with hard work it will become the greatest day of our lives.’ Mr Ketteringham and Lily expected to return to the UK on February 23 and Lily will start work with her physiotherapist at the Heel and Toe Charity in County Durham. She will require months, if not years, of physiotherapy to allow her to get the most out of the surgery. Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy is a neurosurgical technique used to treat spasticity (increased muscle tone) in the lower limbs. The lower vertebrae are opened to reveal the spinal cord which contains the neurones of the central nervous system. These neurones (bundles of nerve fibres) channel messages between the brain and different areas of the body. Electrical stimulation is used to identify and sub-divide sensory and motor nerves. This process continues until the specific nerves and nerve roots affecting the spastic muscles are identified and cut. Due to the size of the nerves and rootlets, this is a very precise procedure and therefore the surgery can last several hours and requires a general anaesthetic. Many months of physiotherapy are needed after the surgery to retrain the legs.
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Lily Ketteringham was born 10 weeks prematurely and was diagnosed with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy at the age of nine months .
She was unable to walk without the aid of a walking frame .
To enable her to walk without the frame she needed surgery, called Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery, which required her to go to the U.S.
She had the operation on Tuesday and her parents are now hoping she will be able to walk unaided after physiotherapy .
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0e4f146ea790563e2ee9771b9f64a744a17321d7
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By . Robin Wylie, Ucl . The canyon-like scars which line Mars' crust are seen by many as evidence for liquid water. But a study now suggests that a different kind of fluid – one much less hospitable to life – may actually have carved these features. On Mars, the most striking topography occurs around the equator. The planet’s low latitudes are dominated by the Tharsis plateau, which hosts several towering volcanoes. The canyon-like scars which line Mars' crust are seen by many as evidence for liquid water.But a study now suggests that a different kind of fluid – one much less hospitable to life – may actually have carved these features. In this image, a geothermal picture of the Martian surface shows the massive gorge system . Not far off sits the solar system’s largest – Olympus Mons. Near the Eastern fringe, however, things start to get deep. There the land dives into a winding maze of valleys and river-like 'outflow channels', the former including the 2,485 miles (4000km)-long Valles Marineris – the 'Grand Canyon' of Mars – which exceeds its terrestrial namesake in every dimension. These great gouges are widely thought to have been formed, at least in part, by flowing water. But according to recently published research, they could have had a very different genesis, linked to the volcanoes to the west. A paper by Giovanni Leone of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, published in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, suggests that the Martian valleys and outflow channels were in fact formed mostly by lava flows, which erupted from the Tharsis plateau in the planet’s distant past. The 2,485 mile (4000km)-long Valles Marineris (pictured) – the 'Grand Canyon' of Mars – exceeds its namesake in every dimension. These gouges are widely thought to have been formed by flowing water. But according to recently published research, they could have had a very different genesis, linked to the volcanoes to the west . The slopes of a huge Martian volcano, once covered in ice, may have been home to one of the most recent habitable environments to be found on the red planet. Geological landforms discovered on Arsia Mons, the Mars’ third tallest volcano, suggest that lakes could have existed on the planet 210 million years ago. Researchers believe the lakes may have been home to bacteria and other single-celled organisms which evolved at the same time as dinosaurs began appearing on Earth. Nearly twice as tall as Mount Everest, Arsia Mons would have produced intense heat from eruptions that melted massive amounts of ice to form englacial lakes. These are bodies of water that form within glaciers like bubbles in a half-frozen ice cube. The ice-covered lakes of Arsia Mons would have held hundreds of cubic miles of meltwater, according to calculations by Kat Scanlon, a graduate student at Brown University in New York. And where there’s water, there’s the possibility of a habitable environment. ‘This is interesting because it’s a way to get a lot of liquid water very recently on Mars,’ Ms Scanlon said. To draw this conclusion, Professor Leone scrutinised thousands of images from Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) spacecraft, which has been orbiting the planet since 2006. This allowed him to map the floors of the equatorial valleys and outflow channels at an extremely high resolution of up to 25cm per pixel. These images appear to show extensive lava flows draping the floors of many of the valleys and channels. Around 90 per cent of the floors look to be covered either by lava or by lava-related landslides. The morphology of the lava flows Professor Leone encountered suggest that the lava actually incised the valleys and channels in the first place. The MRO images seem to show that channels formed by the freshly erupted lava were later deepened and widened by the passage of liquid rock. This type of erosion, Professor Leone argues, can explain the existence of the valleys and outflow channels without the need to invoke significant amounts of liquid water. The valleys and outflow channels are believed to be many billion years old. Professor Leone believes the lava would have been emitted by now-vanished volcanoes somewhere on the Tharsis plateau, forerunners of the region’s (relatively juvenile) modern volcanoes. The Grand Canyon of Mars – Valles Marineris is pictured here. Here lava tunnels seem to have collapsed, forming 'pit chains' – long curvilinear depressions in the crust . Professor Leone believes that every stage of this volcanic erosion process is visible in the MRO images. The first stage, he concludes, can be seen in the locations closest to today’s Tharsis volcanoes, at the western end of Valles Marineris. Here lava tunnels seem to have collapsed, forming 'pit chains' – long curvilinear depressions in the crust. Further east, where the terrain deepens, the pit chains seem to have been further eroded, by the injection of yet more lava, into more extensive channels – first into 'fossae' and later into larger 'chasmata'. The MRO images showed relatively little evidence for the past presence of liquid water in the valleys and outflow channels, which can be inferred by the presence of 'light toned deposits' in the images. This, Professor Leone believes, adds further weight to the theory that these features are igneous in origin. These are radical conclusions. While a volcanic origin for Mars' valleys and outflow channels had been proposed before (in the wake of Nasa's Viking mission in the 1970s, this was actually the prevailing theory), for the past 25 years, scientific opinion has drifted towards an explanation involving a mixture of tectonic uplift and sedimentary erosion caused by water. The study is unlikely to change the Esa's travel plans. Professor Leone’s research, while intriguing, is far from conclusive, according to UCL researcher Robin Wylie . The distinction between sedimentary and igneous rocks reaches far beyond geology. If, as the majority of scientists still believe, the valleys and outflow channels once contained significant volumes of water, then they are naturally prime candidates for future missions on the hunt for life. For instance, the European Space Agency’s ExoMars rover, due to touch down in 2019, is considering landing sites around Valles Marineris. If Professor Leone’s conclusion is accurate, however, and these features are instead mostly volcanogenic, this implies that much less water was present during their formation. If this turns out to be true, their suitability as landing sites could be called into question. This would not spell doom for the chances of finding life on Mars. If Professor Leone is right, it simply means that less liquid water existed in this particular corner of the planet. It would say little about Mars' total water inventory. In any case, this study is unlikely to change the Esa's travel plans. Professor Leone’s research, while intriguing, is far from conclusive. It is notoriously tough to tell between igneous and sedimentary rocks using orbital images, even at the resolution offered by the MRO. A definitive answer, then, will have to wait. But let’s hope not at the cost of another expensive mission which comes up dry. Robin Wylie is a researcher in Volcanology at University College London, This article was originally published in The Conversation.
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Study look at gorges in Mars' Noctis Labyrinthus and Valles Marineris .
It found water on Mars would not have been enough to carve canyons .
Instead, study claims canyons were formed by passage of volcanic rock .
This implies that much less water was present during their formation .
If this turns out to be true, UCL researcher Robin Wylie claims the suitability of these areas to search for life could be called into question .
This article was originally published in The Conversation .
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By . Joshua Gardner . Detroit’s newly-appointed emergency financial manager won’t rule out bankruptcy for the city and says the step might be one he’ll be forced to take. Kevyn Orr assumes the newly created job post March 25, but he told the Detroit Free Press Friday that he’s comfortable orchestrating what would be the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in U.S. history. The ailing Midwestern city holds around $14 billion in debts and Orr was chosen for the job by Michigan's Governor Rick Snyder. Big problems: Lawyer Kevyn Orr was chosen by Mich. Governor Rick Snyder to be Detroit's first Emergency Financial Manager and tackle the ailing city's massive debt problems . Ahead of his first day, Orr—a veteran in corporate bankruptcy—dropped hints that it might be in the interest of the strapped city’s creditors to help cut a deal. ‘The one thing everyone needs to know: If you go into bankruptcy,’ said the hard-hitting Washington, DC attorney, ‘Chapter 9 of the bankruptcy code is weighted toward the municipality.’ Orr was careful to stress his desire to find other solutions to the city’s extreme money woes. ‘I prefer to pursue a consensual resolution,’ Orr said. Regardless of Orr’s preference, however, he acknowledges the threat of bankruptcy court is powerful leverage in his negotiations with creditors. Dire straights: Detroit's decline has been fast and steep and the city now owes its creditors around $14 billion after years of over-borrowing . ‘I think it can be done because the issue of the crisis is...so significant,’ he said. ‘I would think it would be reasonable within their authority to make a negotiated solution.’ If the city and Orr do proceed with the bankruptcy, reports the Free Press, it would likely take the form of a prepackaged bankruptcy. In such a deal, Orr would work out the terms of the deal with all Detroit’s creditors and present them alongside his bankruptcy petition. Those parties include vendors of goods and services, municipal bondholders, unions, pensioners, and others. Members of such groups, many of whom are left to assume that benefits like union-level wages are on the chopping block by Orr, are now protesting the emergency financial manager's appointment. High hopes: Orr, on right with Detroit Mayor David Bing at left and Mich. Governor Rick Snyder in center, says 'everything's on the table' to save the city, including Chapter 9 bankruptcy . Not all good: Though Orr might help the city as a whole, groups like city workers fear cuts he'll make will take away benefits they now enjoy . Orr will be doing a great deal of negotiating whether or not bankruptcy enters the picture, it seems. Though he might be Detroit’s best hope out of a tough situation, he doesn’t see himself as a savior for the city, but rather as a man working to show Detroit how to save itself. ‘I view my role as providing some architecture for a sustainable model for the city going forward.’ How he’ll build such an architecture, in a city that struggles to provide its residents with basic municipal services, remains to be seen. But, Orr says 'everything's on the table.'
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Kevyn Orr, a corporate bankruptcy specialist based in Washington, DC, says 'everything's on the table' in his quest to save the strapped city .
Orr was tapped by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder last week and though he doesn't officially start until March 25, he's already facing huge obstacles and opposition .
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A thousand people braved freezing snow and ice in Estonia to take part in a bizarre competition to visit the most saunas in one day. Participants stripped down to swimsuits and underwear for the Otepaa Sauna Marathon, running around the city to enjoy as many saunas as possible in just six hours for a prize. After plunging in ice pools for extra points, they were rewarded with an open air bath in beer. Women enjoy one of the hot tubs on the list of saunas and spas participants in the Otepaa Sauna Marathon visited today as part of the competition . Many teams donned costumes for the occasion, with one group dressing up as angels and devils (above) The competition sees teams race around the ski resort to visit all the town's saunas in the fastest time . One team sported dressing gowns, swimming caps and Santa costumes as they took part this afternoon . The competition attracted 1,000 people this year, with many dressing in costume for the occasion. It was the sixth time the festival was held, with entry to the competition free of charge. Participants are given a map to find their way to all of the listed saunas across the city and are required to stay in each place for at least three minutes. Last year's winners managed to cram in all of the stops in just over two hours, taking home a hot tub of their own as a prize. A select number of saunas take part, with owners required to mark off each team's charts when they arrive and leave. Thirty minutes is added to a team's finishing time for each of the stops they failed to make, with organisers shaving off ten minutes to hot tub visits if every member of the team takes a dip. Prizes for second and third place included spa stays and hotel accommodation. Otepaa is a popular skiing resort with a population of around 2,000. Every year it attracts thousands of snow sport enthusiasts. Its wooden saunas are among the towns most popular attractions. A team emerge from one of the hot tubs on the competition's route. Groups were awarded extra points if all members took a dip at each spot . At the end of the competition, winning teams were rewarded with a hot beer bath in the Estonian town . A team wearing furry hats holds up a bouquet of leaves as they enjoy a beer bath at the end of the competition . Teams must visit all the saunas on the list and are penalised by having 30 minutes added to their finish time for every stop they miss out . A group of female competitors brave the snow and ice to make their way into yet another sauna . Organisers welcome teams wearing swimming costumes and devil horns at the beginning of the competition . A woman in angel fancy dress stands in the centre of a crowded sauna as teams compete this afteroon . The competition takes place in Otepaa every year, drawing in 1,000 people this year in its sixth event . Women sporting wigs and bikinis settle into one of the saunas on the list of stops. Teams had to spend at least three minutes in each of the locations . One competitor wore a poncho, jumper and hat while others went bare chested and wore helmets .
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The Otepaa Sauna Marathon takes place every year drawing in hundreds .
Teams compete to visit the most wooden saunas in ski resort in six hours .
Participants are awarded extra points for plunges in ice pools across town .
Winning team took home a five person hot tub of their own this year .
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(CNN) -- A British woman has been found dead in a hotel room, days after being confronted by a television reporter who accused her of online attacks on the family of missing girl Madeleine McCann. Madeleine was a few weeks shy of her fourth birthday when she disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, on Portugal's Algarve coast, in 2007. Her parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, launched a massive publicity campaign to find their daughter and say they continue to believe she is still alive. On Thursday, Britain's Sky News reported that London's Metropolitan Police Service -- also known as Scotland Yard -- had launched an investigation into alleged online abuse of the McCanns. It showed video of Sky reporter Martin Brunt approaching Brenda Leyland, who it said went by the Twitter handle of "Sweepyface." The footage shows Brunt asking Leyland why she "was attacking (the McCanns) so regularly." Leyland excuses herself and walks away before turning and saying "I'm entitled to do that." When Brunt asks if Leyland is concerned that Britain's Crown Prosecution Service is considering investigating the alleged "campaign of abuse," she replies, "No." Leicestershire Police said in a statement on Monday that police had been called on Saturday after Leyland's body was found in a hotel room in Grove Park, on the southwestern edges of the English city of Leicester. "Ms Leyland's death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the Coroner. Officers acting on behalf of the Coroner will look into the circumstances surrounding and prior to her unexpected death," it said. A spokeswoman for Sky News said Monday: "We were saddened to hear of the death of Brenda Leyland. It would be inappropriate to speculate or comment further at this time." Scotland Yard confirmed that its officers were looking into allegations of malicious communications with the McCann family, having received a letter and other documentation on September 9. "They are assessing its contents and consulting with the CPS and the McCann family," it said. "Nobody has been interviewed by MPS officers in relation to this matter." Kate and Gerry McCann left Madeleine and her younger twin siblings asleep in the apartment on May 3, 2007, while they went for dinner with friends at a tapas restaurant nearby. Her mother checked on the children about 10 p.m. and discovered her daughter missing. Scotland Yard reopened its investigation into Madeleine's disappearance in July 2013 after a two-year review of the original probe. Portuguese police reopened their investigation last October. An eight-day search of the resort town in June this year uncovered no new evidence, Scotland Yard said.
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A UK woman is found dead days after being accused of being a "troll" by Sky News .
Sky confronted her over claims of online attacks against the family of Madeleine McCann .
Madeleine disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Portugal in 2007, aged 3 .
British police reopened their investigation into her disappearance in July 2013 .
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(CNN) -- The Doors' founding keyboardist, Ray Manzarek, died in Germany Monday after a long fight with cancer, his publicist said in a statement. He was 74. The artist had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer. The Doors formed in 1965 after Manzarek happened to meet Jim Morrison on California's Venice Beach. The legendary rock group went on to sell 100 million albums worldwide, establishing five multiplatinum discs in the U.S. Morrison died in 1971, but Manzarek carried on The Doors' legacy, continuing to work as a musician and an author. "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today," said Doors guitarist Robby Krieger. "I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him." The band famously defied Ed Sullivan's request that they not sing the lyric "higher" when they performed "Light My Fire" on his show in 1969. A show producer approached them in the dressing room shortly before they were to perform, Manzarek recalled in an interview with CNN in 2002. Manzarek remembers the band publicly agreeing like choirboys. " 'Yes, sir,' we told him," he recalls. "'Whatever you say, sir. We'll change.' (The producer) looked at Jim and said, 'You're the poet. Think of something else -- 'wire,' 'flyer.' " Then the Doors went out and did the song exactly as they always did. Sullivan was so furious he didn't even shake their hands. Manzarek went on to produce the Los Angeles punk band X. Bassist John Doe said the band learned a lot from him. "To have someone like Ray -- like rock 'n' roll royalty -- embrace what we do, it was great for our confidence," Doe told CNN in a 2004 interview. "In the studio, he knew what to try to do. He went for performance. He was smart enough to realize that the band had the arrangements all worked out." Manzarek is survived by his brothers Rick and James, his wife Dorothy, his son Pablo, and three grandchildren. Instead of flowers, the family's asked that a donation be made in Manzarek's name at www.standup2cancer.org. People we lost in 2013: The lives they lived . CNN's Denise Quan and Todd Leopold contributed to this report.
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The Doors' founding keyboardist Ray Manzarek has died .
Manzarek, 74, was suffering from bile duct cancer .
The musician "went for performance" as a producer, bassist of punk band X said in 2004 .
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(CNN) -- As the blondest brat in the Harry Potter universe, actor Tom Felton has no qualms about portraying the theoretically unlikable Draco Malfoy. So why do so many fans devote themselves to "Team Slytherin?" Felton muses on the possibilities with CNN. CNN: You have a fairly active dialogue with your fans. Can you explain to the muggles why fans are so into "Team Slytherin?" Felton: I definitely can't answer; I have no idea. I'm always curious when 7-year-olds and 8-year-olds come up to me and say, "Yeah, Draco's my favorite character." I always think, "Hmmm, I'm not sure if he should be." I'm not sure. I've been told that people like a bad guy, or I guess people love to hate someone. I guess Draco has filled that role for quite a few years. But yeah, I'm "Team Slytherin" all the way. CNN: Was it ever difficult to play such a mean-spirited and dirisive character as Draco Malfoy? Felton: Nothing but joy. I took great joy in every minute of it. It was like playing the polar opposite of me, really. It was kind of easy to step into his shoes and be delightfully horrible to everyone around me. I really enjoyed it and it never struck me as being difficult. Which is a little strange, in itself. I guess there's an evil kid inside me waiting to get out. CNN: Is it ever possible for you to have a good hair day after a decade of bleaching your locks for the role? Felton: Not really. I'm just grateful that I still have hair on my head after that many years of dying it. So yeah, it's actually turned back to its normal condition and is in not bad shape. Thanks for asking. CNN: What kinds of perks do you get for being a part of the Harry Potter franchise? Do you get a lifetime supply of butter beer? Felton: I've yet to cash in that coupon. What perks? We get the DVD a week before it comes out. We've been a couple of times to the Orlando theme park, the Wizarding World, and when we're there we're usually told to drink as much butter beer as we like. So yeah, you could call that a lifetime supply, I guess. CNN: Harry Potter has established itself as a consequential fantasy franchise. Has it influenced your tastes or is there a different genre that inspires you? Felton: I'm sure Harry will go down as this kind of fantasy thriller, but I see it as everything. It's a romantic comedy, it's dark humor, it's kind of everything in every one of the films. It encompasses a lot. I'm not really a genre kind of guy. I don't like to label films with a genre. I like all films whether it's dark or light, love, hate, whatever it is, I enjoy it. CNN: Was it ever heroes vs. villains on the set? Did you have a "Team Baddies?" Felton: You mean as the actors? No, not really. Bear in mind, we usually spend about 2% of the day in character, the rest of it is just us. So most of it is just normal chat. I hate to sound boring! CNN: Do you have a favorite memory of your time spent on the Harry Potter films? Felton: I don't really have one, that's sort of like saying pick your favorite memory of the last 15 years. Everyone asks that. It's the whole experience. The people that we work with, the relationships that we've made, the costumes we got to wear and all the stupid stuff we got to do. It's just the whole experience really. it's very hard for me to pick one memory. CNN: What's the most unexpected thing about being a part of Harry Potter? Felton: I guess that we're still here. Every year we kind of said, "When are the fans gonna get bored of these and move on?" But they never did. Every year the fans got more and more excited by everything. And it's kind of crazy that we're still here today talking about it. That's definitely one of the things that surprised me the most about the whole thing. CNN: What is J.K. Rowling like? Felton: She's exceptionally down to earth. She's one of the most down to earth people I've met. She's very, very sweet -- I'm always blown away by how down to earth she is. She's a really, really nice person and it's always a pleasure getting a chance to hang out with her. CNN: So many people around the world are fans of Draco. What is Draco a fan of? Felton: Other than villainous ways? He's a fan of snakes. Slitherin. Evil deeds. You know what, it's weird because that's kind of a changing question. Because in the recent films I think it's slightly different. Probably freedom and, you know, not his parents. It's a tough one. He's a character with two sides.
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Tom Felton can't explain why so many Harry Potter fans are on "Team Slitherin"
J.K. Rowling impressed Felton as incredibly down to earth .
As cast of the Harry Potter films, Felton lists few perks, but they do include butter beer .
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By . David Williams . As snowboarder Jenny Jones rode to Winter Olympic glory yesterday, she knew she was being watched by millions. What she did not realise was that the crowd included two very important spectators – her parents. The 33-year-old, who won bronze in the slopestyle with spectacular jumps, leaps and grinds, had always banned her mother and father from coming to her competitions because it made her too nervous. But Peter and Helen Jones were not going to miss the chance to see their daughter win an Olympic medal – Britain’s first ever on snow – so they flew to Russia to surprise her. 'Hyperactive': The BBC has apologised after hundreds of viewers complained the broadcaster had spoiled Jenny Jones's Olympic bronze medal success and branded the commentators 'puerile and hyperactive' Shock: Jenny Jones realises her parents, who she believed were at home, were in the crowd as she competed, pictured left. She immediately rushed over to give them a hug, pictured right . Rad: Jones performs a stylish jump during her successful run. However, many viewers were less impressed with the BBC commentary . Error: During the commentary, the presenters incorrectly told the nation Jenny had won gold and un-sportingly whooped with delight when a competitor fell over . The Bronze medalist celebrates during the flower ceremony for the Women's Snowboard Slopestyle Finals . (Left to right) Silver medalist Enni Rukajarvi of Finland, gold medalist Jamie Anderson of the United States and bronze medalist Jenny Jones pose on the podium . Miss Jones burst into tears when she saw them at the finish point moments after realising she had taken bronze. After . their emotional embrace Mrs Jones, from Bristol, said: ‘It’s . absolutely unbelievable, she has never disappointed us. We have always . been proud of her but, blimey, this is the icing on the cake.’ Mr Jones added: ‘I need a whisky – I think we both need a drink and a long sleep. It’s been great coming out here.’ As well as her parents’ support, Miss Jones had the help of an unusual lucky charm – a tea bag tucked into her bra. The snowboarder, who was the oldest competitor by more than six years, said she felt ‘absolutely ecstatic’. ‘A . few said, “Is she past it?” but … I did the best run I could have . done … you sense the world is watching and you had to control that part . of things and not let it get to you too much. Apres-ski? British snowboarder Jenny Jones tweeted this, suggesting she might have gone out celebrating after her win. Viewers were repeatedly told viewers how sporting snowboarding rivals were . That's the one: Jenny Jones celebrates after her second run in the women's slopestyle in Sochi . Just beginning: Jenny Jones pictured aged 18 when the sportswoman had just started her first full season . The sportswoman pictured with a black eye (left) and cuts to her face (right) sustained through her sport . Star in the making: Jones in 2002, a few years after winning her first of five British Snowboard Championships . ‘I . feel very proud to have won a bronze medal for my country. I can’t . believe it’s our first on snow.’ She added: ‘It is still sinking in, the . history part … I absolutely had no idea of this when I was a chalet . maid cooking breakfast and cleaning toilets … it was just about . snowboarding.’ It was while . working on the ski slopes that Miss Jones developed her superstition. Missing British home comforts, she noticing some tea bags as she was . cleaning a room. ‘I put one . inside my bra so I could have a drink later,’ she revealed in an . interview in 2012. ‘I forgot all about it and went out snowboarding and . completed my first ever backflip. ‘It . was amazing. It was only later that I remembered the tea bag but it had . crumbled into a load of loose leaves. I couldn’t use them to make a . cuppa so I gathered them up and kept them for a couple of years until . they crumbled into nothing but they brought me more good luck.’ She has continued the ritual for competitions ever since. At . one stage yesterday the snowboarder held the lead after scoring 87.25 . points in her second run and had an agonising wait while ten athletes . tried to better her mark. Delight: Jones (right) celebrates with fellow medalists Enni Rukajarvi (left) and Jamie Anderson (centre) High-flying: Miss Jones's bronze win was Britain's first ever medal on snow . Crude: Mr Leigh also referred to Olympic hero Jenny's reaction to winning the bronze - telling viewers she 'had a face that can help bread rise' Jenny Jones reacts after getting the scores for her second run . Pumped: Jones poses with her parents who surprised her at the ceremony . American . Jamie Anderson eventually took gold with 95.25, ahead of Finland’s Enni . Rukajarvi on 92.50. The three women shouted their delight and hugged as . the final competitor failed to match their scores. Miss . Jones said: ‘It was so difficult waiting. I thought I did my best run . and landed it as best as I could, thankfully it was enough. That was a . long waiting game.’ Her triumph comes after a life of hard work and . dedication to snowboarding. Before working as a chalet girl, she paid . her way with jobs in a cardboard factory and a doughnut shop. The . fearless sports star has also overcome horrendous injuries. Her most . recent accident was in December when she suffered bad concussion after . missing a jump and landing on her head, but she has also broken her . tailbone, two bones in her left arm and her foot. Pictures . she posted online show her facial scars from training and she had to . take nine months off after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament. The . injury was four years after she began snowboarding with a 30-minute . lesson on a dry slope with her brothers. 1980: Born July 3 in Bristol . 1999: Explodes onto the scene by winning the first of five British Snowboard Championships. 2006: Finishes the year second in the World Snowboard Tour Rankings. 2009: January - Cements her position as one of the world's leading snowboarders by winning a slopestyle gold medal at the prestigious Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.February - Earns silver in the slopestyle at the inaugural Winter Dew Tour after second-place finishes in the meetings at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado and Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont. 2010: January - Wins her second slopestyle gold medal in a row at the Winter X Games 14 in Aspen. February - Runner-up once again in the Winter Dew Tour standings after a third-place finish at Breckenridge was followed up by coming second at Snowbasin Resort in Huntsville, Utah and Mount Snow Resort. March - Follows up her success in the X Games with yet another gold medal at the Winter X Games Europe in Tignes, France. 2011: Fails to claim a hat-trick of Winter X Games gold medals, settling for silver after being pipped by Finland's Enni Rukajarvi. 2013: August - Secures her first World Cup podium with a silver medal in a meeting in New Zealand.December - Suffers a concussion in a training crash in Austria. 2014: January - Named in Team GB's squad for the Winter Olympics in Sochi to compete in the Games' first ever slopestyle event. Sunday, February 9 - marks her Olympic debut at the age of 33 by winning bronze medal for Great Britain in snowboard slopestyle at Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Becomes Britain's first medal winner on snow.
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Jenny Jones, 33, managed what no Britain had achieved in 90 years .
She had to endure an agonising 20-minute wait after finishing her run .
For .
Bristol-born Jones, victory finally arrived after decade in this .
sport .
She only started snowboarding when dry slope offered free lessons .
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0e505ab7cb0842049962a8b85cbfa4a0360a63a7
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By . Jennifer Smith for MailOnline . First year students arriving at Oxford and Cambridge for undergraduate degrees have been told to attend a lecture on sexual consent before beginning classes, it has emerged. A series of 30 minute workshops at Cambridge will be included in Freshers' Week itinerary in a bid to get newcomers talking about the difference between consensual and non-consensual sex, while Oxford is holding classes in 20 of its colleges. At the end of the sessions, an official will read out a statement which describes consent as 'active and willing'. Scroll down for video . Sexual consent lectures have been included in the Fresher's Week itinerary at Oxford and Cambridge university (file image) It comes after police dropped an investigation into a former Oxford Union president who was accused of rape. Ben Sullivan was arrested last year after being accused of sexually assaulting a student. The 21-year-old was released after being held in a police cell for 12 hours without charge, then six weeks later told no further action was going to be taken. Amelia Horgan, one of those organising the workshops at Cambridge, told the Guardian: 'We are sending out a very clear message with these workshops that sexual violence is not welcome within the university community.' No students will be forced to attend, though organisers say the sessions will be useful as there is a lack of sex education in schools. Oxford University (pictured) is hosting sessions in 20 of its colleges for first-time students to learn about sexual consent . Classes at Cambridge University (Trinity College is pictured) will also be included in the Fresher's Week itinerary . 'A lot of people come to university with a very, very basic sex education which stems from sheer biology,' said Caitlin Tickell from Oxford University's women's campaign. Staff at Oxford are also drawing up a campus-wide anti-harassment policy after reviewing the existing rules. It comes after an apparent spread in lad culture which has increased poor treatment of female students by men in sports teams and societies.
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World renowned universities to hold compulsory classes on sexual consent .
Thirty minute sessions at Cambridge teach 'consent is active and willing'
Organisers say many students come to university with 'basic' sex education .
Comes after Oxford University Union president was accused of rape .
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0e50a9935a1a218411eb5cb714c71c8f27bcf6a4
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(CNN) -- Former U.S. Sen. Charles Percy, a prominent Illinois Republican who served in the Senate for nearly 20 years and became chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, died Saturday, said a spokesman for Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a relative. He was 91. Percy, a one-time rising star in the Republican Party who was once considered a potential presidential candidate, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1966 and served until 1985. His daughter, Sharon, the wife of Rockefeller (D-West Virginia), spoke publicly in 2009 of her father experiencing Alzheimer's disease. She made those remarks before the National Alzheimer's Association. Born in Florida and raised in Chicago's far north neighborhood of Rogers Park and the well-to-do suburb of Winnetka, Percy was regarded a business wunderkind who rose to become the president, CEO and board chairman of Bell & Howell, a manufacturer of made home-movie cameras and electronic consumer products. He became president at age 29. He was appointed as President Dwight Eisenhower's personal representative to presidential inaugurations in Peru and Bolivia with the rank of special ambassador in 1956. After an unsuccessful run for governor of Illinois in 1964, he successfully ran for the U.S. Senate two years later. While campaigning in 1966, Percy's other daughter, Valerie, Sharon's twin, was murdered at age 21 in the family's Kenilworth, Illinois, home, a crime that shocked Illinois and the nation. The murder is unsolved, but remains a vivid memory for many residents of Chicago and Illinois who knew Percy. While in the Senate, Percy emerged as an antagonist to President Richard Nixon, also a Republican, when Percy called for a special prosecutor to investigate Watergate, the political scandal that eventually culminated in Nixon's resignation. Percy considered running for the 1976 presidential nomination, but he backed off after Nixon resigned in 1974 and after Vice President Gerald Ford became the new president and decided to seek the 1976 nomination himself.
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NEW: Percy once considered running for president in 1976 .
Percy was suffering Alzheimer's in recent years .
He was a one-time rising star in the Republican Party .
He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1966 and served until 1985 .
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0e51a011f44d51e8bccd75086b86d612349ef0dc
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By . Joel Christie . PUBLISHED: . 22:29 EST, 27 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:03 EST, 28 November 2013 . The FBI are hunting the killer responsible for the murder of 21-year-old Lindsay Louise Ellixson, whose badly beaten body was pulled from a bayou in Louisiana following a 'brutal and violent' death. Originally from Orlando, the girl known for her 'big blue eyes' was traveling the country after high school trying to 'figure things out', according to family, when she was found by fishermen about 3pm Saturday in East Baton Rouge. Investigators say she had been in the water for two to five days, with an autopsy revealing she was killed by blunt force trauma to the head, neck and chest. The case has been classed as a homicide. 'She was beaten to death and left there,' Chief of Investigations Shane Evans told WFTV. Victim: Lindsay Louise Ellixson was a long way from home when she was found murdered in east Baton Rouge, La., at the weekend. The 21-year-old from Florida was out 'exploring the world'. Friends say she eschewed alcohol and tobacco due to open heart surgery she had as a child . Scene: The badly-beaten body of Lindsay Louise Ellixson was found in a canal here, at at 8500 South Tiger Bend in East Baton Rouge, La. 'She was a free spirit who loved writing poety': Lindsay's mother Catherine Ellixson, who adopted her daughter aged six, said that even though Lindsay had been traveling alone they kept in regular contact . 'Someone did this to her and put her there.' 'It was unusually brutal and violent.' The victim's adoptive mother, Catherine Ellixson, said that she kept in regular contact with her daughter as she traveled, and that she had been home 'intermittently' over the years, however they had not spoken for at least 10 days before her body was found. 'I knew something wasn't quite right and we were praying for her every day,' Mrs Ellixson said. In what has emerged as possibly the best clues to Linday's murder, the Boone High School graduate posted numerous messages on a social networking site called MeetMe in the two months prior to her death, listing herself as unemployed and homeless. Her name on the site was 'Lindsay Head' and said she was engaged. Strangely she also requested 'ladies only' because she was 'looking for fun for my man'. Clinton Allen Head, 31, of Denham Springs, has given an interview saying he dated Lindsay Ellixson for almost two years. He has been interviewed by detectives investigating the case . That man is believed to be Clinton Allen Head, 31, of Denham Springs, who told The Advocate he dated Ellixson for nearly two years. Head, who can be seen in some of Ellixson's Facebook photos, said he first met her when she moved to Louisianna with a boyfriend. He denied the pair were engaged. 'We loved each other but never technically got engaged,' he said. Head said he was interviewed by detectives and said he was confident they would crack the case. He described Ellixson as 'awesome' and having 'the best personality'. 'I just can't imagine anything she could have possibly done or said (to provoke an attack)' he said. Ladies only: On Lindsay Ellixson's dating profile on website MeetMe.com she had listed herself as gay but said she was engaged and 'looking for fun for my man' In the months before her death Ellixson wrote on MeetMe: 'Anyone in Denham willing to help me with a place to stay. I NEED A PLACE TO STAY BY SUNDAY NIGHT!!! Anywhere would be nice. 'Everyone tells me it’s gonna get better but no one actually wants to help,' she wrote on MeetMe. Revealingly, Ellixson also appealed for a ride from Plaquemine to Denham Springs. Her body was found in Baton Rouge, which is between the two destinations. 'I can’t find a good guy to spoil me and love me for me…why does it always have to end up about sex!' she wrote. 'I’m making it known that I’m in need of someone sexy to take care of me and make my life less boring…I need more excitement!!!” Clue: According to social media posts put online before her death, Lindsay Ellixson was asking for a ride from Plaquemine to Denham Springs, which is a journey of about an hour. However her body would be found in a bayou just off the road in Baton Rouge, about halfway between the two points . 'HATE MY LIFE,' Ellixson posted. Her last MeetMe entry read: 'GIVING UP FOR NOW.' According to her mother Catherine, Lindsay wasn't sure what to do after finishing high school in 2011, where she was part of the swim team and loved to write poetry. Lindsay decided to venture out on her own to explore the world. 'She had beautiful blue eyes and a free spirit,' Mrs Ellixson told The Advocate. 'She just had a lot of struggles that she needed to overcome.' Lindsay was one of three kids who are all adopted. Her father, Chris Ellixson, said the family are coming to terms with her death. 'She's looking down on us, smiling, wishing us a happy Thanksgiving,' he told WAFB. 'We know where she is.' Family photo: Lindsay Ellixson is pictured here with her two brothers, Sean and Brendan Ellixson. All three children were adopted . Homicide detectives discovered Lindsay Ellixson's body in a canalwith blunt force trauma to her head, neck and chest. A search for her killer is underway . '(She was) just trying to figure things out.' Mrs Ellixson said that after their last conversation on November 3 she started making arrangements for Lindsay's return. 'It seemed as if she was ready to come home,' Mrs Ellixson said. Ellixson's funeral will be held this week, according to her obituary. Anyone with information about Ellixson is asked to contact the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office at 225-389-5000, or CrimeStoppers anonymously at 344-STOP.
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The body of Lindsay Louise Ellixson, 21, was found in a canal in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Saturday by fishermen .
She had been killed by blunt trauma to the head, neck and chest and had been in the water between two and five days .
Ellixson had been on an extended trip 'exploring the world', with her adoptive mother, Catherine Ellixson, saying she 'had a lot of struggles she needed to overcome'
Social media posts show Ellixson pleading for 'a ride and somewhere to stay' in the months before her death, also listing herself as 'engaged'
Her boyfriend, Clinton Allen Head, 31, said they were never 'officially' engaged but were 'in love'
Her heartbroken father, Chris Ellixson, said: 'She's looking down on us, smiling, wishing us a happy Thanksgiving.'
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0e51a6dc81ae4d7c9a64f92640cad40bfa682492
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By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 22:48 EST, 22 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:40 EST, 23 August 2013 . Wind farms have slashed 'billions' from the value of rural homes, a secret Government report is expected to disclose. The Coalition is in conflict over the critical document on renewable energy because it could prove they damage countryside communities. Liberal Democrat ministers have been accused of trying to suppress the report, commissioned by Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, because it concentrates on 'ideology' not science, sources have said. Today more details of the document have emerged, and it is believed to reveal the impact wind farms have on rural house prices. Mr Paterson described wind farms as a ‘complete scam’ in June and is said to be furious at attempts to hold back his report. Row: Environment Secretary Owen Paterson (left) brought in consultants to establish the loss to house prices caused by onshore wind, but Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey (right) is accused of suppressing it . Consultants Frontier Economics were brought in to establish the loss to house prices caused by onshore wind. The work is part of a wider study into how renewables impact on the countryside and the rural economy. Glyn Davies, the Conservative MP for . Montgomeryshire, told the Daily Telegraph: 'I’m expecting this report to . find that house prices will be reduced over the country by a measure of . billions. It is my view that any unbiased study will show that. What is . absolutely crucial is that this report is allowed to come out.' Liberal Democrat Energy Secretary Ed Davey has played down reports of a row with his Conservative Cabinet colleague in a letter to the Daily Telegraph. He said: 'My department is not blocking a DEFRA report on the impact of wind farms. 'The Government is committed to moving to a secure, affordable, low carbon energy system, without excessively relying on any single technology. 'So, this cross-government study will look at maximising the benefits and minimising the negative impacts of all technologies, including shale gas and nuclear.' The work is part of a wider study into how renewables impact on the countryside and the rural economy . The report is a joint project between . Mr Paterson's Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs . (DEFRA) and the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). A . DEFRA spokesman said: 'It is our role to rural-proof policy. We need to . ensure that energy is generated in a way that is sustainable. Sustainability includes the economic as well as social and environmental . impacts.' A Government spokeswoman said: 'We need to ensure that energy is generated in a way that is sustainable and understand the effects that different technologies have on the environment and on communities across the country. 'DECC and DEFRA are working together on this report, which is not yet complete, to ensure that it meets the usual standards and quality assurances that you would expect from any Government publication. 'A diverse energy mix is the best way to meet our energy security requirements, our climate change commitments and keep energy bills affordable.'
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Environment Secretary Owen Paterson seeking to establish house price loss .
Tories say wind farms have slashed 'billions' from the value of rural homes .
Work is part of wider study into how renewables impact countryside .
Energy Secretary Ed Davey played down reports of row with Tory colleague .
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Seoul, South Korea (CNN)The captain of the first South Korean coast guard ship sent to rescue passengers from the doomed Sewol ferry has been sentenced to four years in prison for negligence. Kim Kyung-il was sentenced in the Gwangju District Court for professional negligence and making false reports, court officials said. More than 300 people died after the ferry capsized off the southwestern coast of South Korea in April, the majority of them high school students on a field trip. On arriving at the scene, Kim failed to broadcast an evacuation order through his ship's loudspeakers and made no effort to induce passengers to abandon ship, which constituted professional negligence, a court spokesman said. He was also found guilty of making a false report by saying that he had broadcast an evacuation order when he had not. The Sewol disaster caused widespread outrage in the country over lax safety standards and the botched rescue attempt, prompting President Park Geun-Hye to promise an overhaul of national safety standards. The ferry's captain, Lee Joon-seok, was slammed by victims' families for leaping to safety while hundreds remained inside the sinking ferry. He was acquitted of murder in November, but found guilty of violating "seamen's law" and abandonment causing death and injury. He was sentenced to 36 years in jail. READ MORE: Sewol captain sentenced to 36 years . READ MORE: Body of fugitive billionaire in Sewol case found .
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The captain of a coastguard ship sent to rescue passengers from the Sewol ferry is sentenced .
Kim Kyung-il is given four years for professional negligence and making false reports .
More than 300 people, most of them high school students, perished in the disaster .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 2:11 AM on 3rd March 2012 . Former NFL player Perrish Cox today walked free after being acquitted of sexual assault charges, a verdict that was met with disbelief by the alleged victim. A jury found ex-Denver Broncos cornerback Cox not guilty of sexually assaulting a woman at his apartment in September 2010 despite DNA evidence and eyewitness testimony. The woman fell pregnant after the alleged attack following a night out at a Denver nightclub, and DNA tests showed that Cox was the father of the baby. Scroll down for video . Not guilty: Former Denver Broncos cornerback Perrish Cox rests his head before he is acquitted in sexual assault trial . When the verdict was read out Cox hugged . his attorney, while the alleged victim cried out in disbelief. As she was leaving the courtroom, she said, 'Oh my God, what's . happening?' Cox expressed appreciation for his attorney, Harvey Steinberg, and others who supported him during the trial. 'I love my lawyer and everybody else who's been,' with me, he said. Steinberg had disputed the DNA test results and suggested they may have been contaminated. During the cross-examination of witnesses, he tried to paint a picture of drunkenness and of the alleged victim being able to interact with people without remembering. 'We always felt there were substantial holes in the case,' he said after the verdict. 'We had hoped they (the jury) would see those same holes.' Jurors left the courthouse without commenting. Cox denied having sex with the woman, who testified that she believed she was drugged because she remembers little about what happened. Cox was charged with one count of sexual assault while the victim was physically helpless and one count of sexual assault while the victim was incapable of determining the nature of the conduct. He faced two years to life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors had laid out what they believed was a straightforward case. They cited the DNA evidence, as well as testimony from Cox's teammate, Demaryius Thomas, who said he saw Cox carry her onto his bed and say, 'she's ready.' Prosecutor Chris Gallo said Cox's statement showed what state of mind he was in. Gallo told jurors that Cox expected to have sex with another woman at the apartment, Carthy Che, who testified she was sick. And there was the alleged victim, lying on his bed and 'ready.' Shock verdict: Cox's acquittal was met with disbelief by the alleged victim . Relief: Cox, right, with his attorney Harvey Steinberg, who he embraced after the verdict was read out . Jurors heard from the alleged victim . on Wednesday. Cox did not testify, but jurors on Friday saw a portion of . an interview with detectives conducted the night he was arrested. In . the video, Lone Tree Police Department Detective Steve Hipp informs Cox . that his DNA indicates he impregnated the woman. Cox then sits back and . says, 'Are you serious?' 'I . never raped nobody,' Cox told the detective as both spoke in loud . voices. 'I'm losing it because, seriously, I never touched this girl.' The interview ends with Cox asking: 'I'm going to jail? You're kidding me. What am I supposed to do? I didn't.' Cox . also told the detectives that Che, who he was dating at the time, was . also at the apartment. He said he could have had sex with her if he . wanted sex. Young player: Cox, 25, was a rookie out of Oklahoma State who had played eight games for the Broncos when he was arrested . Cox, 25, was a rookie out of Oklahoma State who had played eight games for the Broncos when he was arrested. His legal troubles capped a tumultuous time for the Broncos, who had dealt with the drive-by slaying of cornerback Darrent Williams on New Year's Day 2007, running back Damien Nash's fatal heart attack in March 2007 and receiver Kenny McKinley's suicide in September 2010. The Broncos said they had no comment on the verdict since Cox no longer is with the organization. Prosecutors said they wouldn't immediately comment on the verdict. The accuser's attorney, Craig Silverman, didn't respond to a request for comment. Steinberg said he realised the trial was a terrible ordeal for the woman. 'We know this has been a very difficult situation for her,' he said. 'It's been a very difficult situation for Mr. Cox. We're thankful that it's over.' Watch the video .
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Cox acquitted after four hours jury deliberation .
NFL player had been accused of sexually assaulting the victim at his apartment .
DNA tests showed she became pregnant with his child .
Former teammate testified he saw Cox carrying the girl to bed .
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0e53da778986ecaac65fb2c98401a0ea01e9b874
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 07:50 EST, 10 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:48 EST, 10 September 2013 . Ed Miliband was met with stony silence by union leaders yesterday, even after dropping plans to dilute their infamous block vote within the Labour Party. Most of his attempt to repair his battered relationship with union barons was met with silence or unenthusiastic applause. And the biggest cheer of the day came from the head of the Public and Commercial Services union, who demanded to know whether he backed the coalition's austerity programme. Scroll down to watch... Pressure: Labour leader Ed Miliband told the Trades Union Congress in Bournemouth that unions had an important part to play in his party . Grilling: Mr Miliband took questions, with TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady looking on . The Labour leader, who owes his job to union voting power, used his speech to argue they are not ‘the enemy within’ and lauded their 6.5million members as ‘the people who make Britain what it is’. But he acknowledged that his party reforms could mean as few as one in ten union members who currently contribute to Labour coffers will do so in future. The changes will ensure members have to specifically opt in for their fees to go to the party. Union leaders lambasted the plans at the weekend, saying Mr Miliband was a ‘schoolboy’ who lives in ‘cloud cuckoo land’. Addressing . the TUC conference in Bournemouth today, Mr Miliband launched a . trenchant defence of trade unionism, rejecting Margaret Thatcher’s . famous description of parts of the movement as enemies. Silence: Large parts of Mr Miliband;s speech were greeted with silence or unenthusiastic applause . But taking questions he faced hostility from public sector workers unhappy at spending cuts designed to cut the nation's debts. Janice Godrich, president of the Public and Commercial Services union which has staged several strikes opposing austerity, used a question and answer session to tackle the Labour leader. She told Mr Miliband: 'Ed Balls says this is the wrong sort of recovery, yet you're committed to the Tories' spending plans. You say the next election will be about living standards; but you're committed to the public sector pay cap. 'Your policies seem contradictory and they're confusing people. Can we get a clear answer: are you for or against austerity?' After appearing taken aback, the Labour leader said: 'We are not in favour of austerity.' But he then risked angering the unions by admitting that Labour would stick to Tory spending limits in order to appear 'credible'. Speaking afterwards Ms Godrich said: 'Austerity isn't working, our members know that and people up and down the country know it. 'It is incredibly disappointing that, in front of an audience of delegates representing more than six million workers, Ed Miliband failed to offer the alternative people so desperately want and need.' In his speech Mr Miliband accused David Cameron of devaluing millions of ordinary workers through his attacks on the unions. ‘We . have a Prime Minister who writes you and your members off,’ he said. ‘Who doesn’t just write you off, but oozes contempt for you from every . pore. What does he say about you? He says your members are a threat to . our economy. Back to the enemy within. ‘Six and a half million people in . Britain. Who teach our children, who look after the sick, who care for . the elderly, who build our homes, who keep our shops open morning, noon . and night. They’re not the enemy within. They’re the people who make . Britain what it is. Finishing touches: Mr Miliband drafted his speech on the train to Bournemouth . ‘How dare he? How dare he insult people, members of trade unions, as he does? How dare he write off whole sections of our society? ‘One Nation Conservatives, would be . turning in their graves if they could hear the nasty, divisive, . small-minded rhetoric of the leader of their once great party. 'We know from recent experience what happens to political leaders who write off whole sections of a country. ‘That’s . what Mitt Romney did when he talked about the 47 per cent of people who . would never vote for him. And look what happened to him.’ Under . the current system, union members automatically pay an annual fee of £3 . to the Labour party unless they specifically opt out – swelling party . funds by millions of pounds a year. Mr Miliband has unveiled plans to force trade unionists to actively opt in to the funding of Labour, with the reward that they will become full party members. He told delegates he believes his changes could see his party’s membership increase by 300,000 – a figure critics say will make him a hostage to fortune if it does not come about. But the target number is far fewer than the three million union members who currently contribute to Labour coffers because they have not opted out. Labour is likely to head off the threat of a huge loss of funds by charging those who opt in more than the current £3 a year. Critics say the reforms could actually strengthen the unions, because it could see them hanging on to more money designed for political campaigning. Mr Miliband said: ‘It will be a . massive challenge for the Labour Party to reach out to your members in a . way that we have not done for many years and persuade them to be part . of what we do. ‘And, like anything that is hard, it is a risk. But the bigger risk is just saying let’s do it as we have always done it.’ Chuka . Umunna, who is Labour’s business spokesman, said it was important to . ‘take the big money out of politics’ even if it hit the party’s . finances. But backbencher Ian Lavery said Labour faced ruin and meltdown as a result of the ‘ill thought through’ reforms. Yesterday . Len McCluskey, general secretary of the powerful Unite union, called on . Mr Miliband to be even stronger in his defence of union links. ‘Trade unions . have always been a force for good in our society,’ he told a fringe . event at the conference. Instead of attacking, people should look to try . and unite the nation.’ n Mugs celebrating the death in April of Lady Thatcher are on sale at the TUC conference. Bearing . the legend ‘I Still Hate Thatcher’, they are available alongside . T-shirts and mugs with the slogan ‘Tories are Lower than Vermin’. Conservative politicians said the merchandise highlighted the nasty side of the Left. Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, said: ‘She said they couldn’t forgive her because she won and they lost. She was right.’ Unions and Left-wing campaign groups are planning a national day of strikes and civil disobedience on Bonfire Night as part of their campaign against the Government’s austerity programme. Yesterday TUC delegates approved the call for unions to co-ordinate a programme of strikes. The union-backed People’s Assembly had already organised a protest, which was planned to take place on November 5. However this is now set to be directly supported by the unions themselves. Key workers – from nurses to firemen, teachers to postmen – could cause chaos if they decide to join the walkout. The plan raises the possibility of firemen and nurses striking on Guy Fawkes night, a move which could force people to cancel parties due to health and safety fears. Unions are legally allowed to ‘co-ordinate’ their strike action, or organise walkouts on the same day, as long as they have each successfully balloted their workforce on separate trade disputes. This is not the same as organising ‘sympathy strikes’ where workers walk out in support of other striking workers without having held a legal ballot. These were outlawed during the 1980s. Yesterday Unite’s executive director of policy Steve Turner said he believes the ‘yes’ vote has committed the union to a policy of ‘fighting back, industrially where possible’. He added: ‘But more than that, it commits us to organise a mass mobilisation.’
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Ed Miliband delivers speech praising unions at TUC conference .
Labour leader accused David Cameron of devaluing workers .
Miliband's union reforms will see members 'opt-in' for party support .
But he is challenged by PCS union President for backing austerity .
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0e541afd37aa1c16b88a37e0267c249900fdb575
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By . Jack Doyle . A major overhaul is needed to curb migrants’ access to British benefits, a Government review has concluded. The report finds growing concern among Britons about access to the welfare state by the hundreds of thousands of arrivals from Europe taking advantage of EU free movement rules. If the system is not urgently reformed it could ‘significantly undermine’ public support for freedom of movement, it concludes. Unemployed people at a Jobcentre Plus: A report says the public wants curbs on migrants' access to benefits . The report, published today, cites clear evidence that EU migration has put pressure on public services such as the NHS and schools. And it concludes that EU court rulings have allowed an explosion in illegal activity such as fake passports and sham marriages by non-EU migrants trying to live and work in Britain. The report, which is based on submissions from businesses, interest groups and members of the public, was due to be published earlier this year. But a Whitehall source said senior Lib Dems blocked its release because they feared it was too critical of the EU. Pro-immigration Business Secretary Vince Cable has claimed that increases in migration are a ‘good thing’. He told the BBC he had ordered the report to be rewritten because it was ‘propagandist’. But its final conclusions are far from comfortable for the Lib Dems as it highlights a great many problems which have resulted from mass EU migration and calls for urgent action to combat them. It is one of a number of reports into the EU’s influence on British government and society and how it should be curtailed as part of the renegotiation of membership proposed by David Cameron ahead of a referendum in 2017. Pro-immigration Business Secretary Vince Cable who ordered the report to be rewritten, has claimed that increases in migration are a 'good thing' The review found evidence of growing public opposition to mass EU migration as numbers entering the country have ballooned over the last decade. Shifts in attitudes show the British public have gone from being two-to-one in favour of free movement in 2005 to, last year, nearly half being opposed. It found that free movement rights have been gradually extended – in part by EU judges - far beyond the original intention of member states, and cites concerns around whether existing welfare restrictions are ‘fit for purpose’. It points to abuse and fraud of free movement rules by non EU migrants using fake passports, and growing evidence of sham marriages being used to get EU citizenship. EU rules make it harder to send home even convicted criminals, and ministers must ‘respond effectively’ to concerns about criminals abusing free movement, it says. At the same time, Britons struggle to find work overseas because other countries fail to implement EU rules on fair working properly. The review also cites evidence that workers in low paid jobs can lose out from mass migration when the economy is weak because of competition for jobs and lower wages. Slough Council, which has seen high levels of immigration, cited the phenomenon of the ‘Slough Shed’ where landlords put immigrant workers in sheds, garages and outhouses of the homes they own. And the report found evidence of mass EU migration having contributed to more people living on the streets in some areas. Number of EU migrants living in Britain from eight Eastern European states, including Poland, who joined the EU in 2004, have increased from 125,000 a year to more than 1 million in 2012. Romanian and Bulgarian nationals have increased from 20,000 to 155,000. And more recently there has been a sharp increase in migrants from southern European countries such as Spain hit by economic difficulties – leading to a 50 per cent rise in EU migrants. Theresa May by the UK border at Heathrow: The number of EU migrants in Britain from eight Eastern European states who joined the EU in 2004, has increased from 125,000 a year to more than 1 million in 2012 . The report said: ‘The Government considers that now is an appropriate time to review the EU level rules with a view to modernisation and ensuring they are fit for purpose in the EU of today. ‘The rules have evolved beyond the original scope as the EU has evolved…weakening the ability of Member states to determine how their systems operate.’ ‘These problems are magnified by the fact that the EU of today is very different to when the rules were created. It says that ‘without reform’ around welfare rules, ‘legitimate public concern about how EU migrants access social security…is likely to significantly undermine support for the principle of free movement.’ The report contains calls from academics and think tanks for a cap of 75,000 in the number of EU migrants allowed in every year. Other campaign groups call for migrant workers to have to wait five years before they get full access to Britain’s benefit systems. Another suggestion is that home countries should pay unemployment benefit for their own nationals for the first six months they live in another state. Backbench Tory MP Chris Heaton-Harris said there was not enough understanding of how mass migration had impacted on Britain. He is co-chairman of the Fresh Start group of Tory MPs, which has drawn up a list of powers to be repatriated from Brussels. He said: ‘With free movement comes pressure on housing, education and the NHS. ‘The government should have done this long ago, to see where these pressures can fall, and how we can better manage them.’
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Report, due for release earlier this year, was delayed by Liberal Democrats .
It found evidence of growing public opposition to mass EU migration .
Academics cited call for cap on numbers allowed in each year .
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0e54ce8feddec88a2802dfb4931a3b928f531fe6
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Mizoram, India (CNN) -- The world's population hits 7 billion this week, but Ziona, the patriarch of what may be the biggest family in the world, is not bothered. "I don't care about overpopulation in India ... I believe God has chosen us to be like this (have big families). Those who are born into this family don't want to leave this tradition so we just keep growing and growing," he says with a smile. Ziona, who only goes by his first name, has 39 wives, 86 children and 35 grandchildren. Ziona's father, Chana, founded the Christian sect in Baktwang village that promotes polygamy as God's will. "I never wanted to get married but that's the path God has chosen for me," he says. "It's not my wish to keep marrying again and again." All 160 family members live in a four-storey mansion perched on top of a remote village in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram. The state, neighboring Myanmar and Bangladesh, has one million residents, one of the lowest population densities in this country of 1.2 billion. Despite its natural beauty, special permits are required to enter the state, making tourism virtually non-existent. Four hours away from Mizoram's only airport, in the isolated village of Baktwang, Ziona's bright purple house with 22 bedrooms stands out. The main room is a giant hall where the family cooks, eats and prays. The bedrooms are dormitory-style with an average of 20 beds, each double bed about a foot apart from the next. The children sleep with their mothers who take turns visiting the 69 year-old's master bedroom. "There is no discrimination amongst us, he treats us all equally," fifth wife Twangi says. Ziona first got married when he was 17 to Zathiangi, who is now 70. His youngest wife is 31. As the eldest wife, Zathiangi calls all the shots in the kitchen so meal times are an efficient exercise. Without much fuss, while some women of the house cook, others set the table, still others serve and clean. "We cook 25 kilograms of rice, 40 kilograms of potatoes and 5 kilograms of lentils everyday," Twangi says. The family indulges in meat three times a week and for every non-vegetarian meal, 30 chickens are plucked and a giant pig is roasted. But the sheer volume of food that needs to be cooked or plates that need to be washed doesn't overwhelm the women of the house. Like a well-oiled machine, everyone carries out their individual chore, so dinner for 160 is ready within an hour and utensils are washed and put away within minutes. Even the children help out. Tiny 6-year-olds have become experts at plucking chickens, and everyone seems to get along. "No fighting, never, we are all one family, there's no other people here so we don't fight," says sixth grandson Hmingthamzauva, one of the few in the household who speaks English. "Since we are used to living in a very big family when we go outside to study we actually feel very lonely," he says laughing. But while he likes living in a big family, he himself doesn't want more than one wife. "My grandfather is specially appointed by God to have as many wives as possible and to look after them. But for me, having one wife and one son is quite enough. There is no rule or tradition as such that we have to follow polygamy, for me it's actually unbearable," Hmingtahmzauva says. Hmingtahmzauva says his great grandfather Chana, who also had multiple wives, had a spiritual revelation after he was expelled from the Catholic Church for his unusual lifestyle. So Chana created his own polygamist sect, which now has a following of 400 families. Ziona is the caretaker of the self-reliant sect. They grow their own crops and raise their own livestock. "Everyone has a designated job. Some are doing carpentry work, some take care of the piggery and poultry farm and others cultivate crops," Ziona says. He has set up a school nearby for children of the community, the curriculum comes from the government but Ziona has added some sect-specific teachings. "My father is the greatest god that we can have in this world, he has done so much for us," says his eldest son Nunparliana, who has two wives and 14 children. India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2030. But crowding and crumbling infrastructure in India's booming cities don't faze Ziona. "I'm not troubled by the noise or the overcrowding. My mind remains at peace," he says. The family is not listed in the Guinness Book of World Records because Ziona says he doesn't want the publicity. But as word gets out, Baktwang village and Ziona's family may not remain so isolated.
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One man in India is the patriarch of a family of 160 in rural India .
Ziona, who only goes by his first name, has 39 wives, 86 children and 35 grandchildren.
Ziona's father, Chana, founded the Christian sect in Baktwang that promotes polygamy .
"I never wanted to get married but that's the path God has chosen for me"
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0e5706764afefc3e2729669aa990a27c00a57e2e
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Malaysian officials have confirmed they received 'some radar data' from other countries about the missing Flight MH370 today - but claimed they were 'not at liberty' to release the information. Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia was continuing to co-ordinate the search for the missing Boeing 777-200ER. He added: 'I can . confirm that we have received some radar data, but we are not at liberty . to release information from other countries. 'I . appeal to all our partners to continue volunteering any and all . information that could help with the investigation and the search for . MH370.' Scroll down for videos . Hishammuddin Hussein (centre) told a news conference Malaysia had received 'some radar data' but were 'not at liberty' to release information from other countries . The acting transport minister said: 'I appeal to all our partners to continue volunteering any and all information' The official also confirmed Malaysia continued to lead the investigation to find the missing plane - but added other countries were leading different searches in other areas . Distraught family members of the missing passengers were removed from the press conference earlier today. Moments before officials spoke to the media, half a dozen furious relatives stormed the conference - blaming the Malaysian . government of failing to work hard enough to find the plane. The group had banners - most which which blamed the government of inaction - . as airline officials desperately tried to resume order. In dramatic scenes, one woman shouted: 'You are traitors to us... you have let us down. Tell us the truth! We want the truth!' Hishammuddin Hussein said he 'fully understands' the frustration of the . relatives of the missing passengers and said a high-level delegation was . being sent to Beijing to speak to the families. He later ordered an inquiry into the incident where security guards carried out the distraught mother of one of the passengers. It comes as reports suggest the families of the two pilots are struggling to cope. The Washington Post reported: 'It is very agonizing for the family, and the media is not helping at all,' said Mohammed Ghouse, a longtime friend of [pilot] Zaharie [Ahmad Shah]’s brother-in-law. 'The daughter especially is very upset. She was very close to her father.' Thai military yesterday said they picked up an unidentified aircraft on radar bearing off the flight path, heading left over Malaysia and towards the Strait of Malacca . A family member of a passenger aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 breaks down as she is removed from a press conference today . The Chinese relative of a passenger is carried away by security after storming the conference this afternoon . A woman is carried out by security officials after she tried to protest before a press conference at a hotel in Sepang, Malaysia. Some of the group held banners blaming the government of letting them down . Sky News presenter Kay Burley was caught on camera tripping up an escalator during a media scrum to speak to the women. It was reported today pilot . Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah had programmed a remote island in the middle of the . Indian Ocean with a runway long enough to land a Boeing 777 into his home flight simulator. A . U.S. official said the Malaysian government is seeking the FBI's . help in analyzing any electronic files deleted last month from the pilot's simulator. The official, speaking anonymously, said the FBI has been provided electronic data to analyze. CNN also reported investigators at Quantico, a Marine Corps base and home to FBI labs, were examining 'hard drives belonging to two pilots': . Malaysia's . defense minister said iinvestigators were trying to restore . files deleted from the simulator last month to see if they shed any light on the . disappearance. Files containing records of simulations carried out on the program were deleted February 3. A U.S. official said the Malaysian government is seeking the FBI's help in analyzing any electronic files deleted last month from the home flight simulator of the pilot of the missing Malaysian plane. Malaysia's defense minister said earlier Wednesday that investigators were trying to restore files deleted last month from the home simulator used by the pilot, Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah, to see if they shed any light on the disappearance. Files containing records of simulations carried out on the program were deleted Feb. 3. At the news conference today, Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters that 'I don't think we have any theories" about what happened to the plane but said the FBI has been in touch with Malaysian investigators about providing any help that it can. 'We are in ongoing conversations about how we can help and we will make available whatever resources that we have, whatever expertise we have, that might be able to be used,' Holder said. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people aboard disappeared March 8 on a night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. At . a news conference Wednesday, US Attorney General Eric Holder told . reporters: 'I don't think we have any theories' about what happened to . the plane' However, he said the FBI has been in touch with Malaysian investigators about providing any help that it can. 'We are in ongoing conversations about how we can help and we will make available whatever resources that we have, whatever expertise we have, that might be able to be used,' Holder said. Suggestions the flight may have deliberately been changed were challenged by the acting transport minister today. In words that appeared to rubbish a Reuters report suggesting MH370 used waypoints, or navigational points, after losing contact with ground control, he said: 'I am aware of speculation that additional waypoints were added to the aircraft’s flight routing. I can confirm that the aircraft flew on normal routing up until the waypoint IGARI. There is no additional waypoint on MH370’s documented flight plan, which depicts normal routing all the way to Beijing.' Investigators at the conference also rubbished reports the . plane may have been sighted over the Maldives. Some residents of Kudahuvadhoo, one . of the most remote parts of the area, said they saw a low-flying aircraft on the morning the flight's disappearance. Hishammuddin Hussein said these were false. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people aboard disappeared March 8 on a night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It is now 12 days after it vanished from air traffic control screens off . Malaysia's east coast at 1:21am local time. No wreckage has been found. Thousands of well-wishers have written on a prayer wall at Kuala Lumpur Airport, begging MH370 and its . passengers to come home. An unprecedented search for the plane is under way involving 26 nations in two vast search 'corridors'. One . of the corridors arches north overland from Laos towards the Caspian . Sea, while the other curves south across the Indian Ocean from west of . Indonesia's Sumatra island to west of Australia. Reports today suggest investigators believe the plane . most likely flew into the southern Indian Ocean. Another theory, predicted by a veteran pilot, suggests the flight . was in trouble and simply heading for the nearest safe airport when it . turned off-course. Sky News' Kay Burley was one of many journalists at the conference today . In an attempt to speak with one of the women who stormed the conference, Burley appeared to fall up and escalator, pictured . Also reported today was the fact the U-turn made by the missing . jet is believed to have been programmed into the on board computer . before the last radio contact was made with the co-pilot. A leading aviation expert yesterday suggested Asian military officials may be staging a mass cover-up because they do not want to expose gaping holes within their countries' air defences. The jet went missing shortly after 1am - but it wasn't until the following Tuesday that the Malaysian Air Force reported they had spotted the aircraft on radar over the Strait of Malacca at 2.15am. A woman look at the thousands of messages left for those missing aboard the flight at Kuala Lumpur Airport . The 'prayer wall' was started soon after the craft disappeared on March 8. No sign of the plane has been found . Thailand's military yesterday said they detected a plane at 1.28am, eight minutes after MH370's communications went down, heading towards the Strait but did not share the information because they were not asked for it. Writing on his blog, aviation expert David Learmount said: 'Maybe these states’ air defences, like Malaysia’s, are not what they are cracked up to be. 'And maybe they wouldn’t want the rest of the world to know that.' Mr Learmount, a former pilot and now operations and safety editor at the respected Flight Global publication, points out that MH370 might have flown over several Asian countries including Thailand, Burma, China, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Holding back: Aviation expert David Learmount suggested some countries may be withholding radar information . If it emerges that an unidentified aircraft had been able to fly over a territory undetected and unchallenged it would amount to an embarrassing security failure. Regarding the Malaysian sighting Mr Learmount wrote: 'Clearly they had let an unidentified aircraft pass through Malaysian sovereign territory without bothering to identify it; not something they were happy to admit. 'The Malaysian government has called upon all the countries to the north-west as far as Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea to check their primary radar records for unidentified contacts in their airspace in the seven hours after the 777 went missing. 'Depending on the actual track the aircraft followed, if it had headed approximately north-west this could include some–if not all–of the following countries: Thailand, Myanmar/Burma, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. 'If the aircraft had gone that way, surely military primary radar in one of those countries–or several–would have picked up the signal from this unidentified aircraft, and the vigilant radar operator would have scrambled a fighter to intercept the intruder? 'Wouldn’t s/he? Or maybe not. Maybe these states’ air defences, like Malaysia’s, are not what they are cracked up to be. And maybe they wouldn’t want the rest of the world to know that.'
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Malaysia says it has 'some radar data' on missing flight MH370 .
Officials say they are 'not at liberty' to release data from other countries .
Relatives of missing stormed press conference where news was revealed .
Distressed family held up banners saying officials were 'traitors'
Pilot had programmed a remote island into his home flight simulator .
FBI will help analyse any electronic files deleted from the simulator .
Search deemed an 'international effort' as 26 countries look for plane .
Officials are focusing search on area in southern Indian Ocean .
They dismissed previous claims plane was spotted over the Maldives .
Rubbished claims flight was using waypoints when last seen on radar .
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Police have revealed they still have no suspects or leads in the case of a missing pregnant woman who mysteriously disappeared without trace more than a week ago. Hawaiian woman Carly Scott was reported missing on February 10 by her mother and was last seen at her sister's home in Haiku on the island of Maui at 8pm the night before. Family members said Scott, who is five months pregnant, left her sister's house to help her ex-boyfriend Steve Capobianco whose car had broken down on Hana Highway, near the eastern shore of the island. Her abandoned and torched truck was found in a dirt track a few days later, along with some of her belongings, but there's still no trace of her. Scroll down for video . No trace: Charli Scott, who is pregnant, was last seen on Sunday night . Officers have so far interviewed people who last had contact with the 27-year-old including her ex-boyfriend who apparently failed a lie detector test - but so far they have no suspects. Speaking at a press conference, Capt. Jakubczak said the investigation continues to be classified as a missing person's case. He said: 'We . encourage the community, the public, to call with any information they . have no matter how minute or how small they believe it is because we'll . follow up on every lead or tip.' Last . Wednesday, Scott's SUV was found torched and was found abandoned on a dirt track. Jakubczak said a private . search party found clothing and other items the following day that . Scott's family identified as belonging to her. Police have the items and . were processing them, he said. Maui . police were also looking for another missing woman, Moreira Monsalve, . who was last seen in January. Jakubczak said there's no evidence the . cases are connected, though they are similar. Monsalve, 46, was also . last seen by her ex-boyfriend. Abandoned: Miss Scott's car was found burnt out and on its side several days after her disappearance . Mystery: Miss Scott's burned out car was found in a remote area near the home of her ex-boyfriend . A team of 50 to 70 volunteers and family members have been searching for Scott since her mother reported her missing. In an exclusive interview with Hawaii News Now last week Capobianco said: 'She picked me up from my house at 8:30pm, drove out to my truck that I got stuck in Keanae and she dropped me off at my truck -- it took me about 10 minutes to fix my truck, 'cause I had extra light tools with me at that time,' 'And then we came back to Haiku. And I'm pretty sure I saw her lights in my rear-view the entire time.' Capobianco says he went home and went to bed and didn't check to see whether Scott until the following morning. The following day Capobianco says he was awoken about 5:30am. by police knocking on his door. They told him Scott's family had reported her missing and had given them his name. Capobianco admits he didn't have the greatest relationship with the family of his unborn baby's mother. Capobianco says he went to the police station and was interrogated by detectives investigating Scott's disappearance. He also says he was given a lie detector test. 'The police told me I failed,' Capobianco said. 'They didn't make me take it again. I'm honestly not convinced I failed, I think they might have just said that as a tactic, but I really don't know - I'm walking around right now without handcuffs on.' But Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa urged the public to allow investigators to do their job. 'Even . though there's an urgency to try and solve these cases, one has to be . very, very patient, those in our community have to be patient, to allow . that process to evolve,' he said. 'Otherwise, we'll jeopardize the . potential of being able to use whatever evidence is being found.' Scott's . mother, Kimberlyn Scott, told the Maui News that . the family would be 'taking a breather' and wouldn't be actively . searching Tuesday. The team . has been conducting daily searches from Haiku to Hana, by foot, on . motorcycles and on all-terrain vehicles. They are armed with maps of the . island and donated support including search dogs and a drone that took . pictures and video of unreachable cliffs and ravines. Red-head Scott, who goes by the nickname Charli, was born in Woodland, California, . grew up in Sacramento and moved to Maui about 10 years ago. Her father, Robert Scott, flew in from Seattle last week. More than a dozen relatives have flown in from the mainland. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Hawaiian woman Carly Scott, 27, was last seen by her ex-boyfriend .
Police found her abandoned and torched car on a dirt track last week .
Team of 70 volunteers and family members have been searching for her .
Her ex-boyfriend was questioned by police and failed a lie detector test .
Police are still claiming the investigation is a missing person's case .
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Tony Abbott's wife Margie has revealed the unexpected chivalrous side of the Australian Prime Minister, speaking candidly about her husband's small acts of love- which include taking his shoes off. Mrs Abbott said that when she complained to her husband that her heels were hurting her feet at the end of the couple's annual Christmas party, he suggested that she take her shoes off. 'If it makes you feel any better I’ll take mine off,' he said. Tony Abbott's wife Margie said that the Prime Minister has a secret chivalrous side . Despite chastising him for slipping off his RM Williams because it wasn't dignified, Mrs Abbott maintains that the gesture reflected the Prime Minister hidden gentlemanly nature. 'Absolutely. It was like trailing your coat over a puddle,' she told The Daily Telegraph. She also added that her husband had 'a lot of grace', a quality which she said he needed during last Monday’s leadership spill vote. The couple's daughter Frances reflected on the backlash Mr Abbott had faced from the media and rebel backbenchers, defending him as 'still doing a great job, which is that of our father.' Speaking at the Myer Autumn/Winter show in Melbourne on Thursday, the fashion graduate said it was hard to see his name pulled through the mud on a regular basis. 'It always effects you when people you love are slammed in the media, it's not fun, but it's the nature of the beast... It's happened before and will happen again,' she told Daily Mail Australia. Mrs Abbott said that when she complained to her husband that her heels were hurting her feet at the end of the couple's annual Christmas party, he suggested that she take her shoes off . Margie Abbott said that that her husband had 'a lot of grace' Mr Abbott's daughter defended him as 'still doing a great job, which is that of our father.' 'For him, it's how he gets back up from that that will be a measure of his character. We will always support him.' Earlier this month the garrulous brunette spoke candidly about her relationship with her father, admitting that just like any daughter she constantly worries about him, despite living in another city they are always in touch. She moved from Sydney to Melbourne to focus on her career and, of course, her father is based in Canberra. ‘My standard text message is: “You’re doing an amazing job.”’ And he’ll reply: “Thanks angel,”’ she explained to Daily Mail Australia. She also added: ‘I’m always thinking about him, especially with everything that’s happened recently with terrorism.' ‘My standard text message is: “You’re doing an amazing job.”’ And he’ll reply: “Thanks angel,”’ she explained to Daily Mail Australia. She also added: ‘I’m always thinking about him, especially with everything that’s happened recently with terrorism.’ Prime Minister Tony Abbott with his wife Margie Abbott (second left), and daughters Frances (left), Louise (second right) and Bridget (right) Frances said that just like any daughter she constantly worries about him, despite living in another city they are always in touch . The middle of Mr Abbott's three daughters, Frances, who works as an assistant buyer for the children's department in Myer, wen on to reveal the moment she got her 'A' tattoo, which she said he father wasn't originally supportive of. In 2013 she spoke to Who Magazine about the tattoo, explaining her father wasn't too happy about it at first. 'I gave [mum and dad] a warning. I said, "I am getting one," and Dad said, "You are mutilating your body." Then I went and got it done and they thought it was pretty.' 'I know my family name won't be carried on as my father didn't have any sons, so I thought I'm going to get it permanent on my back.' The brunette was not accompanied by her boyfriend Lindsay Smith, who also works for Myer, revealing he was having supper with his family. It seems there are more hidden adornments on the Prime Minister's daughter's body. She has also cheekily admitted to having more than just one inking on her body telling Daily Mail Australia: 'I might [have more tattoos] but you won't be seeing them.' Daring: Frances Abbott, pictured at the Myer Autumn/Winter show, says she has more than the A tattoo on her back as she praises Australian Prime Minister Tony for 'doing the best job... as our father' Showing off her back art: Frances flashes a glimpse of the tattooed A on her upper back at the Australian Open . Tattoo alert: She was nineteen when she got the inking, on a night out with girls . Pretty in pink: The middle of Mr Abbott's three daughters, wore an Asos top for the annual fashion parade when she gushed about her father . Flashing the ink: The bronzed Myer worker showed another glimpse of her tattoo as she snapped male models on the catwalk . Fashionista: Frances, sitting in the front row of the Autumn/winter show in a pink crop top, spoke candidly about her father at the annual parade . Last year Frances was embroiled in scandal when it was revealed that she received a scholarship for a university degree costing more than $60,000 from a long-time friend of the Prime Minister. She accepted a 'chairman's scholarship' for her Bachelor of Design course from the Whitehouse Institute of Design, where Liberal supporter Les Taylor sits as chairman on the board of governors. The fashion student studied at the Sydney institute from 2011 to December 2013 and received the award as a result of her 'application and art portfolio', a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said. Mr Abbott had not declared the scholarship on his pecuniary interest register, despite previously declaring other matters relating to his children such as trips, accommodation and tickets to sporting events. Family support: Federal opposition leader Tony Abbott is pictured with his daughters Bridget (left) and Frances in the Birdcage on Victoria Derby Day at Flemington racecourse in 2012 .
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Margie Abbott said that her husband had a secret chivalrous side .
The couple were hosting their annual Christmas Dinner .
She told him that her feet hurt and he said she should take off her shoes .
In a gentlemanly gesture he also took his off and stood barefoot with her .
Mrs Abbott said that while it wasn't very dignified, it was chivalrous .
Frances Abbott said that the PM was doing a great job of being her father .
She said it 'wasn't fun' to see him slammed in the media .
Frances said she thought about him a lot following the terrorism scares .
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(CNN) -- An American soldier went on a house-to-house shooting spree in two villages in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan early Sunday, Afghan officials said, killing 16 people. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said the soldier acted alone and turned himself in after opening fire on civilians. U.S. President Barack Obama called the killings "tragic and shocking." What are people feeling in Afghanistan, and how will this affect the U.S. strategy moving forward? CNN correspondent Sara Sidner in Kabul, Afghanistan, takes a look in this edited transcript. Q: There were some reports suggesting that perhaps it was several soldiers. What can you tell us about that? SIDNER: The U.S. and International Security Assistance Force officials are sticking with the one-soldier story: that just one Army staff sergeant left the base, went on a shooting rampage and then returned and turn himself in. They are still saying that on Monday, that this was the work of one person, that there was no mission going on at the time in the area, that that person obviously has been detained, and a full investigation is under way. But I want to tell you a little bit about some really gruesome images that I've just looked at, coming from one of the locals in the area who took a lot of photos and video of the villagers. The scene is gruesome. Perhaps the worst pictures are burned bodies, including a toddler who has what appears to be a bullet hole in the toddler's head. There are images inside of one of these small homes of blood-covered floors and blood splattered on the walls. And we're also talking about shell casings that are on the ground that are being picked up, obviously from investigators who have come in the next day. This apparently happened somewhere between 2 and 3 in the morning on Sunday. Since then, the villagers have been accusing the U.S. government of not telling the truth, saying there were more U.S. soldiers on the ground when this happened. But we did hear from a couple of people saying that all they know is that at least one of them did open fire. That person, as I said, has been detained. But gruesome images coming out of Panjwai district. This is an area known to have a strong Taliban presence, an area, though, where villagers say, "look, we were told by the U.S. to come back to this area, and look what has happened to us" -- a lot of sorrow, a lost people crying and trying to explain what happened through tears there in Panjwai, which is in the western part of Kandahar. Q: And are there worries now about reprisals? SIDNER: Yes, the Taliban has already said Monday that there will be reprisals, perhaps violent ones. We also know that members of parliament here in Kabul have decided to close down the parliament here in protest of the killings. There is a lot of anger brewing. We know that there have been the villagers that have gathered outside of the base. Of course, the funerals will happen on Monday as well. So we'll be getting more and more information from that area. But the anger is growing, and there's a lot of speculation that this really plays right into the hands of the Taliban, who is trying to sort of divide people and trying to say, "look, you can't really trust these coalition forces who claim to be here to help you." The U.S. government, NATO and Afghan officials are looking into this, but there are a lot of people asking for swift justice and wanting the person who perpetrated this crime to be tried right here in Afghanistan. We don't know if that's likely to happen or not. Q: And have you heard anything about how this affects the strategy moving forward in Afghanistan? SIDNER: Yes, right now, everyone is just expressing their anger or sorrow or both over what happened. This is certainly going to strain ties again between the Afghan government and the U.S. President Obama has said he is deeply saddened by what happened and this is a deplorable and regrettable incident. But Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said this is unforgivable and an act of terror, in his words. And he, in a statement Sunday, made it seem like he believed that there was actually some sort of a mission that went wrong. We're still trying to clarify exactly what he meant by his words. But certainly, there is anger now, and there's going to be a lot to get worked through because of this incident.
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American solider accused in shooting spree in Afghanistan on Sunday .
CNN correspondent in Afghanistan weighs in on what she's hearing on the ground .
Photos and videos purport to show some scenes of the attack .
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0e5aebaf3732e1e22a92b133bd0d64559771bcd2
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Tensions between Israel and Hamas ratcheted up Monday after the bodies of three Israeli teenagers, kidnapped this month, were found in the West Bank. Israel, in no uncertain terms, blames the disappearances and deaths on Hamas. "Hamas will pay," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri warned against escalation, saying that if Netanyahu "brings a war on Gaza, the gates of hell will open to him." The three bodies were found northwest of Hebron, according to the Israeli military, which said they were still in the process of being identified. The teens -- Eyal Yifrach, 19; Gilad Shaar, 16; and Naftali Frankel, a 16-year-old dual U.S.-Israeli citizen -- disappeared late June 12 or early June 13 from the Jewish settlement of Gush Etzion in the West Bank, the military said. "Although the identification has not been officially confirmed, I would like to send my support and condolences to the Shaar, Frankel and Yifrach families," Maj. Gen. Nitzan Alon, with the Israel Defense Forces, told reporters. He vowed to pursue those responsible. "The war on terror continues. It didn't begin now and it will not be over soon," Alon told reporters. "We will do whatever it takes to deter Hamas and other terrorists and we'll continue to fight terror using every legal means at our disposal." An aunt of one of the victims told CNN she was still in shock. "I'm holding his picture and I see his smile," said Leehy Shaar, Gilad Shaar's aunt. "He's so young and innocent ... It's just too sad to even imagine." 'United in mourning' Netanyahu called an emergency security Cabinet meeting about the issue Monday. "All Israel tonight is united in mourning the three teens who were brutally murdered by the Hamas terrorists," said Mark Regev, a spokesman for the Prime Minister, stressing that Israel will "continue to act against Hamas in order to protect our people." "Hamas says every Israeli man, woman and child, every civilian, is a legitimate target for these sort of terrorist attacks, so we're totally within our rights to protect ourselves against those Hamas terrorists who want to kill our people," Regev said. When asked whether he holds the Palestinian Authority responsible in any way for the teens' deaths, he responded: "It's clear that the terrorists came from areas under Palestinian Authority control and returned to territories under Palestinian Authority control." The spokesman urged Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to annul his pact with Hamas. His comments were echoed by U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Florida, chairman of the House Middle East and North Africa subcommittee; and Ted Deutch, D-Florida, ranking member of that subcommittee. "We will continue to support the government of Israel in its efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, and we offer the people of Israel our deepest and most heartfelt condolences as we grieve with them. If it is determined that Hamas is behind this horrific tragedy, Abu Mazen must immediately break up the unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization," they said in a statetment. Abu Mazen is another name for Abbas, whose government now includes Hamas, which controls Gaza. Global outcry . Abbas called an emergency meeting of his own. The Palestinian leadership is expected to meet Tuesday to discuss the developments. U.S. President Barack Obama, Pope Francis and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon were among world leaders condemning the killings Monday. "As a father, I cannot imagine the indescribable pain that the parents of these teenage boys are experiencing. The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms this senseless act of terror against innocent youth," Obama said in a statement. He continued: "From the outset, I have offered our full support to Israel and the Palestinian Authority to find the perpetrators of this crime and bring them to justice, and I encourage Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue working together in that effort. I also urge all parties to refrain from steps that could further destabilize the situation." Last week, the Israel Security Agency said it believed that two "Hamas activists from Hebron" were behind the teens' disappearances. It identified them as Marwan Qawasmeh, 29, and Amar Abu-Isa, 32. As Israeli media were reporting on the bodies' discovery Monday night, Israeli forces were blocking roads into Hebron, a city in the southern West Bank. Fighter jets could be heard flying low over Gaza. Overnight into Tuesday, more than 40 Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza, according to Palestinian security and medical sources. The strikes targeted Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other militant groups, the sources said. The Israeli military later said that forces had carried out strikes against 34 targets in Gaza, targeting terror infrastructure, after the firing of 18 rockets at Israel since Sunday evening. Within days after the teens disappeared, Israeli security forces conducted an extensive search for them and detained more than 150 Palestinian suspects. Netanyahu blamed Hamas for the kidnappings almost immediately. A Hamas spokesman said in the days after the abductions that the Prime Minister's comments attributing blame were "stupid and baseless." Also in the days after the abductions, the mother of one of the teenagers spoke to reporters. The three "were just on their way home," said Naftali's mother, Racheli Frankel. "We trust" that they "will be with us here, and we'll hug them soon."
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Israel carries out airstrikes against nearly three dozen targets in Gaza .
"It's just too sad to even imagine," victim's aunt tells CNN .
"Hamas will pay" for the deaths, says the Israeli Prime Minister .
Hamas spokesman warns against escalation .
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0e5b33b1b1c785437b431393ccfbc1bf0bf769e8
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(CNN) -- England's Courtney Lawes was handed a two-match ban on Tuesday after he was found guilty of recklessly striking his opponent with a knee during his country's opening match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Lawes, 22, made the tackle on Argentina's Mario Ledesma during England's 13-9 victory in Pool B on Saturday. The Northampton Saints lock will now miss England's next two fixtures at the New Zealand tournament against Georgia on Sunday and Romania on September 24. A plea of "not guilty" was entered by Lawes and he now has 48 hours in which he can launch an appeal. "Following a review of broadcast footage, Lawes was cited by Independent Citing Commissioner Murray Whyte (Ireland) under Law 10.4(a) for striking Mario Ledesma with the knee," read a statement on the official Rugby World Cup web site. "Taking into account mitigating factors being his excellent disciplinary record and remorse and the absence of aggravating factors, the Player was suspended for two weeks. "In the context of the Rugby World Cup Tournament a week equates to one match. Therefore Lawes is suspended for two Rugby World Cup matches." Lawes made his England debut in November 2009, in an 18-9 defeat to Australia at Twickenham, and now has nine caps. The London-born player will be hoping he can still play a significant part in England's bid to reach a third successive World Cup final.
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Courtney Lawes has been handed a two-match World Cup ban .
The England lock was found guilty of a dangerous tackle against Argentina .
Lawes will now miss England's matches with Georgia and Romania .
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(CNN) -- Actress Eva Mendes volunteers regularly with The Art of Elysium, an organization that enables actors, artists and musicians to share their talents with children who are battling serious medical conditions. She was also a presenter at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" in 2009. Mendes recently sat down to talk to CNN producer Quinn Brown about CNN Heroes and her philanthropy. Below are excerpts from that interview. Quinn Brown: What inspired you to get involved with The Art of Elysium? Eva Mendes: I'm a sucker for kids, and I also know the importance of art and what it can do to someone's life. Coming from a low-income family, I didn't know that art was this release ... so it's really important for me to make sure that kids know: "You have a voice. You can put this to paper. ... You can put this to canvas." What we do is we bring the arts, in any way we can, into hospitals. Some of these children have been bedridden for years, so they obviously can't go out and play. So we sing. We read to the children. We finger-paint -- that's a really fun one -- and it's amazing what you see. You get a real direct, immediate result. These children, they're just these beautiful little souls. Some of these kids can't speak, so they really just have their eyes and their souls to communicate. And when you finger-paint with a kid or you dance and you see their little eyes light up, it's pretty incredible. And when you start visiting them on a regular basis, you see their growth. It's really quite special. Brown: Has there been a particular child who inspired you? Mendes: David is one of the most creative souls I've ever met. He ends up writing a play every year for Christmas, and we end up all acting in it. David has now written three plays for me. He's a demanding director. David's face is completely deformed, and he has a lot of internal problems and health issues due to his deformities. He's this awesome kid who's found a purpose and who's found a voice through The Art of Elysium. Brown: It sounds like you're pretty involved. Mendes: I would love to say that I give selflessly, but that's not true; what I get back is tenfold. My vocabulary doesn't even contain the words I feel once I leave the hospital. There is total sense of purpose and fulfillment that I feel that I don't get from any other area of my life. It's a two-way deal. It's just so gratifying. Brown: Do you have any heroes? What is a hero to you? Mendes: Charity and giving back begins at home, and that is really important to remember. You can be out there saving the world, but if you're not trying to save your own family and doing the work at home, it doesn't really make any sense. You asked me who my hero is -- my mom. She is a survivor in every sense of the word, and it began at home with her. She is a very compassionate woman, and she always taught me to think about other people. As bad as things were for us, there was always someone who was worse off. That always put me in a state of gratitude, and I thank her for that. But that, to me, is a hero. A woman who is a survivor and doesn't let life beat them down. Brown: Moving onto CNN Heroes, you were a presenter at "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" last year. How did that compare to other awards shows you've been to? Mendes: Can I say a bad word? It wasn't full of s---. It was real. It was inspiring. I left that night feeling like I wanted to change the world right then and there. It was beautiful because you have all of these people coming together, swapping stories and ideas. It was just amazing to have all of these "good-doers" in one room together. It's a lot of power. It's a lot of energy, and that's inspiring. Brown: What was it like to see all of those heroes? How did it affect you personally? Mendes: It makes me realize that, due to this celebrity thing, I do have a light that follows me around. So what I choose to do with that light is shine it on other things that are important, not just what I'm wearing. ... So it just keeps everything in perspective and makes me realize my purpose as well and the purpose of this crazy thing called celebrity.
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Actress Eva Mendes is among those helping to bring the arts to seriously ill children .
Mendes wants the children to know that they might be bedridden, but they have a voice .
Mendes felt inspired by "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute": "It wasn't full of s---"
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 23:45 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:01 EST, 6 December 2012 . Not happy: Brandi Glanville has hit out at her love rival LeAnn Rimes . The war of words between Brandi . Glanville and her ex-husband Eddie Cibrian's new wife LeAnn Rimes has . taken a further extraordinary twist. The . Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star took Cibrian and LeAnn to task on . Wednesday night, responding to an open email from her ex with her own . abusive and hate-filled rant. In . it Brandi accused LeAnn of being a heavy drinker, addicted to . prescription drugs, having 'severe mental issues' and putting her . children in danger. She labelled the singer angelfish . 'because she sings like an angel and drinks like a fish' and told her . ex to 'man the f*** up, put the tequila down and be a proper parent.' Brandi's claims were strongly denied by a representative for the singer, who told MailOnline the reality star was' 'spewing forth inaccuracies, rants and . half-truths,' and added: 'None of Brandi’s allegations are true. People . need to see it for what it is – publicity'. Brandi later removed the tweeted . message and admitted it had been a mistake, saying: 'I'm taking email . down I was in defense mode after seeing [Cibrian] put his online. 'Let's not talk of them anymore I was wrong 2 put it up.' Brandi's rant was just the latest in a series of exchanges between the two families. It began when an interview was published on Us Weekly on Wednesday morning in which Brandi accused LeAnn of having a . 'severe eating disorder' and claimed her son fell ill after swallowing . one of the country star's laxatives. The 40-year-old branded LeAnn 'unstable', adding that she didn't want Mason, nine and Jake, five, to be around her alone. In the interview Brandi said: 'LeAnn has a severe eating disorder. She has [a laxative] in every purse. 'Mason, . my eldest, ate some of Le's candies and got extremely ill. And Le's . candies are laxatives,' 'It was a big f***ing deal for me, and I lost my . mind.' 'Mason found on on . the floor and thought it was a Skittle! They don't keep sugar in the . house,' Glanville explains. 'He thought he finally found candy.' She . added: 'I, unfortunately, don't find her to be stable and I don't want . her around my kids when Eddie's not there - or at least the nanny, his . parents, someone.' Defensive: LeAnn Rimes with Eddie Cibrian before the online clash with Brandi Glanville . Cibrian then responded to Brandi's interview with a public email of his own which was published on Radaronline. The 39-year-old weighed in saying: 'It is absolutely . ridiculous that my ex-wife continues to put the personal lives of . myself, LeAnn, our sons and my family on public display for the sake of . her notoriety. 'She is fully capable and has the . means of contacting myself and LeAnn privately to discuss any matter . concerning the children. 'The fact she chooses not to, should be pretty . transparent. And while I do not wish to fuel her ever-igniting fire, . there is a breaking point where enough is enough.' And he added: 'One day when wine and . narcissism are not consuming you, you will realize how fortunate the . kids are to have LeAnn in their life. She is amazing with them, as the . kids will 100 percent attest to.' He continued: 'The love they have for . their "bonus mom" continues to grow each day as we navigate the changes . to our family; a fact that Brandi cannot argue as she herself has stated . as much. 'If my ex-wife truly cared about the . welfare of our sons, she would stop the constant bashing on an important . person in their lives and focus on productive co-parenting to make our . blended family the strongest it can be. And she would do so privately. Let's see...' In response Brandi published her email on Twitter. LeAnn, who underwent a 30-day . treatment program for stress and anxiety in August, has previously . denied suffering from an eating disorder. The confrontation comes . less than a week after Brandi hit out at the country singer, 30, for . referring to her stepsons as 'my boys' in a Twitter post. 'They are my boys, Eddie's boys and your stepsons... for now,' a furious Brandi tweeted on November 30. She has also recently criticised LeAnn after she posted a video of one of her stepsons riding a bicycle without a helmet. Eddie dumped Brandi, his wife of nine . years, in 2009 after beginning an affair with married LeAnn on the set . of their film Northern Lights. He married the Blue singer in 2011.
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Brandi started confrontation when she claimed her son got 'extremely ill from swallowing one of LeAnn's laxatives'
Singer's spokesperson strongly denied the allegations .
Cibrian then published email online in which he accused Brandi of making the accusations in a bid for publicity .
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The NHS has spent more than . £30million on taxis for patients in the past three years because of a . shortage of specially equipped transport, it has been revealed. Patient transport services - provided . free to those who are too ill or unable to travel to and from hospitals . such as those with broken limbs - are mainly run by ambulance trusts. They are normally equipped with medical supplies such as oxygen and driven by trained crews. But a Freedom of Information request . has revealed the extent of taxi use - at great cost to the taxpayer and . potential risk to the patient. Private hire: Ambulance trusts are regularly paying to transport ill patients by taxi . The figures from ambulance trusts in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were revealed by the BBC. Health chiefs insisted the practice was not putting patients at risk, but admitted they were trying to cut the use of taxis amid worries they were not providing value for money. The North West Ambulance Service spent the most on taxis - £9.9million since April 2008, on more than 500,000 journeys. Some trusts also provided information on the most costly taxi journeys they had paid for. These included two fares in excess of £700, one for a 184-mile journey from Cambridgeshire to Bristol when a patient was discharged from Papworth Hospital, while the second was for a 151-mile trip from Chase Farm Hospital in north London to Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Patient transport services - provided . free to those who are too ill or unable to travel to and from hospitals - . are mainly run by ambulance trusts, although private firms are used in . some places. The findings revealed a number of very expensive taxi journeys: . £700+ for a 184-mile journey from Cambridgeshire to Bristol . £700+ for a 151-mile trip from Chase Farm Hospital, in north London, to Shrewsbury, Shropshire . £670.86 for a 290-mile journey from St Cross General Hospital in Rugby to a nursing home in Falmouth, Cornwall, . £600 for a 262-mile journey from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich, London, to Hartlepool . Other costly taxi journeys included a £670.86 fare for a 290-mile journey from St Cross General Hospital in Rugby to a nursing home in Falmouth, Cornwall, by West Midlands ambulance bosses. Another £600 was paid for a 262-mile journey from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Greenwich to Hartlepool by London's ambulance service. The services rely on specially adapted vehicles - normally minibuses equipped with basic medical supplies such as oxygen - staffed by trained crews to ferry patients around. For those who do not need any medical assistance, official ambulance trust cars can be used to drive them. However, if neither of these options are available patients have to be ferried in private taxis. Only the South East Coast Ambulance Trust has avoided paying anything out to taxis in the past three years, while London has reduced its reliance on them to fewer than 100 journeys a year. The figures show that all other ambulance trusts use taxis on a regular basis. Sara Gorton, from Unison, said: 'There may be occasions where it is unavoidable, but while these are not patients who have dialled 999, there will be times when they will need someone with more skills and training than just how to drive. 'But our concerns about patient transport services go wider than use of taxis. There are big differences in the way that patient transport is provided and what standards are kept to in different areas.' Increasingly, services are being outsourced to private firms which means that competition is based on costs, and standards are being driven down. This also means it's harder to find out what is happening. But Delwyn Wray, the director of patient transport services at North West Ambulance Trust and vice-chairman of the National Patient Transport Service Group, said while there was concern about taxi use, it was on value-for-money grounds rather than safety. He said: 'Anyone needing medical help in any way would not go by taxis. 'I think there will always be a need for them at times, but each service needs to look at how they are using them and whether there is a more efficient and better way of transporting patients. 'That is what we are gearing up to in the North West.' The Department of Health said decisions about how to transport patients were the responsibility of local NHS chiefs. Data for Scotland was not available.
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One 184-mile journey from Cambridgeshire to Bristol cost £777.45 .
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London (CNN) -- When considering risks to their business, employers tend to worry about hackers or burglars, but the biggest threat to security might come from within. According to a study conducted by information management company Iron Mountain, a third of 2,031 European office workers surveyed admitted that they had taken or forwarded confidential information out of the office, and one in seven had taken confidential information with them to a new job. Another 31% said they would deliberately remove and share confidential information if they were fired. Data breach is a common concern for businesses, but Peter Eglinton, Iron Mountain's Senior Vice President for UK, Ireland & Norway, says they tend to focus too much on monitoring for attacks from outside, while "the people side of the organization and the hard copy are forgotten about." "You can see who's hacking in and taking information, but people don't leave a trail," he says. "Therefore, if you don't have good policies in place, it's very difficult to work out what has happened with information." Although we may not always consider the data we work with day in and day out to be particularly exciting, Eglinton says that in any given business there are several functions that might use or create information that's commercially valuable or subject to privacy laws. "HR or finance will have an awful lot of access to very sensitive information," Eglinton says. "Sales and marketing will have access to customer data, and some of the service organizations will have a lot of information about their patients or their customers." See also: Work skills you'll need to survive the 'conceptual age' Of the workers who admitted to taking confidential information to a new job, half said they believed they had a right to take information, and most said they took information because they had been involved in its creation. Although pervasive, this sense of ownership is misguided, says Eglinton. "The information you create in your daily work doesn't belong to you because you created it," he says, "it belongs to the organization that's paying you to do that job." The study also revealed that most of those who had taken information when they left a job had relieved their employers of customer databases. See also: Have you got the career X-factor? This, according to Chris Pounder of UK data protection training organization Amberhawk, is "a dangerous thing to do." Privacy laws vary from country to country, but in the EU, for example, any processing of information that relates to a living person is a breach of the Data Protection Directive. Although some consultants and lawyers might be able to negotiate permission to transfer clients with them when they leave a company, Pounder says: "If an employee took a database of customers without the consent of their employer, they are risking a criminal offense. "And if they did it to set up their own business, they're also vulnerable for someone taking a civil case for damages." Besides, making a gift of illegally obtained information is unlikely to ingratiate you to a new boss. Pounder points out that a new employer who knowingly receives personal data obtained in breach of data protection laws could also be liable for damages caused. So, what can businesses do to protect their data? Information management companies offer solutions ranging from encryption software to systems that allow organizations to track the whereabouts of files across multiple sites. But Eglinton thinks simply communicating policies regarding information ownership is a good first step towards alleviating the problem. "I don't think you need to have security guards on the door every day, but reminding people of the policy, and auditing those processes, would go a long way towards managing information more securely," he says. Regardless of how information leaves a company -- whether due to malice, professional pride or as more businesses allow telecommuting -- Eglinton believes there is always cause for concern. Even those who take documents home for entirely legitimate reasons and with their employer's consent might be endangering security. "How do you manage information created on the train on the way into work?" he asks. "And how do you manage that information thereafter? If people are taking information out of the office, how do you know that information comes back or is securely destroyed?" Eglinton predicts that, as the volume of information created grows, executives need to consider "not just the value you get from information, but how you protect it, because it's a hugely valuable asset, but often nobody has responsibility for it."
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Study: One in seven European workers have taken confidential information to new job .
Employees are most inclined to take documents they've worked on .
Almost a third confessed they would deliberately take files if they were sacked .
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0e5d6354b8a629671d8de5b5dee36442d8161bcc
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By . Becky Barrow . PUBLISHED: . 19:01 EST, 12 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:26 EST, 12 March 2013 . Town and country: Sir Simon Jenkins, chairman of the National Trust, says the children of families in rural areas don't have a God-given right to live near their parents . Children raised in the countryside have no automatic right to live near their parents’ homes when they grow up, the chairman of the National Trust declared yesterday. Sir Simon Jenkins said the majority of new homes should be built in towns and cities, rather than in unspoilt rural areas. His comments are at odds with existing policies that encourage affordable housing to be built in villages for local families. Sir Simon said: ‘Somehow it is considered the right of people in the country to have their children living next door at public expense. I don’t understand it. ‘Are you going to say that people who have lived in the Windrush Valley [in the Cotswolds] for 100 years have a right to go on living there? No, I’m afraid they don’t. Sorry.’ Last night, some countryside groups attacked his comments, warning that villages without young families risked being turned into ‘little more than retirement ghettoes’. But Sir Simon, who owns homes in west London and rural Wales, even called for areas of the countryside to be listed to protect the most beautiful parts. He suggested introducing four different listed ‘grades’ of countryside – one of which could include a ‘presumption against development’. He said: ‘We should list the countryside as we list the town by virtue of its beauty.What it is that people want to retain. ‘We don’t want to pull down Belgravia. We don’t want to build housing estates in Hyde Park. We should adopt the same approach to the countryside.’ Picturesque: Sheepscome in the Cotswolds. Families who have lived in villages like this do not have a right to go on living there, says Sir Simon. He says the majority of new homes should be built in towns and cities . Idyll: The village of Snowshill in the Cotswolds. Many countryside groups say there is an urgent need for affordable homes in rural areas . But opponents warned that house prices will rise even higher in rural areas if new homes are not built there. The row comes at a time when the average home in the countryside costs around £200,000 – around £30,000 more than a town house. Under threat? Castle Combe in Wiltshire. A minister said Britain faces a situation where home ownership is the right of a privileged few unless more homes are built . The . Windrush is a river in the Cotswolds, which flows through the famously . picturesque village of Bourton-on-the-Water as well as the Prime . Minister’s constituency town of Witney. Prices of homes near the Windrush can be eye-watering, with bungalows in Bourton-on-the-Water selling for up to £645,000 in recent months. But Sir Simon, who was speaking in a . personal capacity, told the Home Builders’ Federation conference in . central London: ‘I want building to take place in towns on the whole. I . want there to be massive incentives to build in towns because it makes . more sense.’ He said there . will be many parts of the countryside – ‘on the whole, rather lovely . parts of the countryside’ – that ‘just don’t want to take large numbers . of more people.’ He singled . out the Cotswolds village of Stow-on-the-Wold, where he said many . residents are ‘seriously angry’ at proposals to build a large number of . new homes. Last night his comments were attacked by those who said more affordable rural homes were needed. Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the Home Builders’ Federation, said: ‘We need to be providing homes across the country in places where people want to live. We should not be trying to just pigeon-hole people into living in towns where they might not want to live.’ Kate Houghton, from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: ‘We do agree that the bulk of new housing should be built in or near to urban areas, so people have more easy access to public transport, community facilities and essential services. Sir Simon said protecting villages like Bisley from major housing developments and concentrating new homes in towns and cities 'makes sense' ‘However, if we don’t make provision . for at least some affordable houses in rural areas, where it is clear . that there is need and people do want to stay, then our villages could . become little more than retirement ghettoes or commuter dormitories.’ At the conference, Malcolm Harris, chairman of house builders Bovis, accused Sir Simon of being ‘quite naïve’. He . said: ‘These are your children. These are people who already live in . the community. We have failed for year after year after year to provide . the housing. That is a real issue in Great Britain.’ In England, around 110,000 new homes are . built ever year, but this is way behind the rate at which new . households are being formed, estimated to be around 230,000 a year. A spokesman for Priced Out, the first-time buyers’ campaign group, accused Sir Simon of being ‘out of touch with the aspirations of hard-working young adults who have been priced out of a home in their local area.’ Housing Minister Mark Prisk, who spoke at the same conference, said home ownership remains the dream of the vast majority of Britons. He told builders that the quality of the homes they build is just as important as the quantity, calling on them to reject the stereotype of the ‘rabbit hutch’. Sir Simon’s intervention comes weeks after Planning Minister Nick Boles warned Britain will be dragged back to the 19th century when home-ownership was the preserve of the wealthiest unless more homes are built. He said: ‘We can pass by on the other side while working men and women in their twenties and thirties have to live with their parents or share bedrooms with friends. We can shrug our shoulders as home ownership reverts to what it was in the 19th century: a privilege, the exclusive preserve of people with large incomes or wealthy parents. ‘Or we can accept that we are going to have to build on previously undeveloped land and resolve that we will make these decisions locally.’
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Sir Simon Jenkins rails against more homes being built in the countryside .
He says families have no automatic right to live in rural areas .
But campaigners say villages without young will be 'retirement ghettoes'
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0e5e23529ed8a0ef57095c13f9f51d1bce14ef01
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By . James Nye, Leslie Larson and Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 19:43 EST, 25 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:10 EST, 26 November 2012 . Controversy: Outcry after Dylan Mayer's catch of an octopus, seen proudly displayed in his arms, has launched a potential ban on their hunt statewide . National outcry over a 19-year-old Seattle diver who caught and killed an octopus while publically boasting of his kill has pressed lawmakers one step closer to banning their hunt potentially statewide. 'The harvesting of this animal has resulted in a strong, negative reaction from the public and the dive community,' Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Phil Anderson said in a release. 'We believe this area may merit additional restrictions to enhance the traditional uses of this popular beach.' Hunting octopus is legal in Central Puget Sound, with a maximum catch of one per day. But on October 31st, the sight of Dylan Mayer punching and beating the 30-pound female on shore before throwing it in his truck bed and driving off easily unnerved many residents. 'As they were coming in you could tell the octopus was alive. It was writhing around and they were wrestling with it,' said Bob Bailey, a dive instructor who witnessed Mayer bring the octopus on shore with one of his students. 'It's just not done. It's bad form. Even if you can do it, you shouldn't do it,’ he said. Local activists photographed Mayer's catch and posted the photos on their website, urging outraged residents to sign a petition banning the harvesting of giant Pacific octopuses. Scroll down for video . Fresh catch: Mr Mayer is photographed after loading the live cephalopod into the back of his pickup truck on October 31st . The animals are not protected and their population is said to be healthy. Seattle Times also reports Myers having had a permit to catch shellfish in the area. ‘I don't have an issue with hunting,’ Mr Bailey told the Seattle Times. ‘People dive for all sorts of reasons. I don't have a problem with it. It is not whether you hunt, it is where you hunt, and there are appropriate and inappropriate places to do that.’ But he added: ‘People come from all over the world to dive here and see the octopus that live here.’ Earlier this month Scott Lundy, a member of the Washington Scuba Alliance, presented the WDFW a petition signed by 5,000 divers supporting a ban on killing octopuses at Seacrest Park. It's a ban Mr Mayer has since latched onto himself. 'I didn’t know they were so beloved, or I wouldn’t have done it,' he said according to a WDFW release that reported him signing the petition as well. The new Marine Protected Area in Central Puget Sound will require the commission's vote for the new protected area and could take months. Food? Mr Mayer said he planned to eat to octopus and that catching it was no different than catching an eating a fish . Legal: Game wardens said the catch was completely legal and that the diver was within his rights to harvest the animal . Among their considerations are designating Seacrest Park as a marine protected area or prohibiting hunting the animals anywhere in the state. Angry fellow divers from the shore took . photographs of Mayer proudly standing with the large octopus and then . watched in disbelief as he and his friend tossed the still live 30 pound . female onto the bed of his truck before driving off. Their shock turned to horror as a . grinning Mayer posted images of himself measuring the now dead octopus . onto his Facebook account and now is in the position of having to . justify to the diving community why he hunted the gentle and intelligent . animal. 'I eat it for meat. It's no different than fishing. It's just a different animal,' said Mayer at the time to Komo News. Catching the octopus for a friend' s class assignment, requiring him to draw something from nature, he said: . 'He wanted me to get something from nature, so I got an octopus. I caught it, and then these divers came up and started yelling at me. I ignored them and ended up driving away.' 'They’re incredibly intelligent, curious, very playful,' said avid diver Drew Collins. The uproar caused by Mayer has led to the 19-year-old receiving dozens of threatening phone calls and abusive emails. The wannabe rescue diver has said that he has been demonized by the local scuba community and has had to deny claims that the octopus was sitting on eggs when he captured her. 'That's not true. There were no eggs under it, and we checked,' said Mayer. 'I even had a game warden come over and look at it, and even they said there was no problem with it.' Today, however, he says if he could go back to that day he would have done things differently. 'I probably would have gone at a different time. I probably would have gone to another area of Cove Two,' he said. Dylan Mayer measures out the dead octopus on the floor of his garage in Seattle . 'The bottom line is another octopus will move up into that area and take its place.' The . game warden who inspected the catch also said that despite doing . nothing wrong, Mayer could have acted with more sensitivity. 'I think the timing, manner and place where the harvest occurred may be the issue. It could have been done at a better time,' said Wendy Willette. 'It's like deer hunting. You don't kill a deer while kids are viewing it, and I think it's a similar problem here. You need to be sensitive to other drivers and people if you're going to be a sportsman.' Indeed, Mayer told Komo News that he has now been banned from several diver shops in the Seattle area because of the octopus hunt. He said that his dream of becoming a rescue-diver is in jeopardy because he has been banned from several diving schools because of his actions. Watch the video here: .
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Once octopus-hunter Dylan Mayer has now also signed a petition of 5,000 divers banning their hunt at Seacrest Park .
Decision by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife could take months .
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0e5f0aee64f74c0c7953914fbe445e45f048541c
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By . Sally Lee for Daily Mail Australia . Parents who immunise their children may be cleared from the planned $7 GP co-payment as a compromise for the widely unpopular Budget. The proposed option will mean children can still be vaccinated free of charge when seeing a bulk-billing doctor. The decision was put forward after the Abbott government struggled to win the necessary support since the much maligned Budget was delivered by Treasurer Joe Hockey back in May. Scroll down for video . The Abbott government is considering a compromise deal for its much maligned Budget which may allow children to be vaccinated free of charge when seeing a bulk-billing doctor . Prime Minister Tony Abbott (left) and Treasurer Joe Hockey (right) gained wide criticism when the Federal Budget was delivered in May . The compromise deal is a bid to gain support from crossbenchers who said they would not back the measure. It's was revealed by the Labor party that the government's planned $7 GP co-payment and a $5 increase to every PBS script for workers will cost each Australian $300 over the next four years, reported the Daily Telegraph. Other options reportedly being examined include exemptions for the elderly and a fee reduction for pensioners. No final decision has been made as debate on the co-payment announced in the federal budget will continue on Monday when Parliament resumes.
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The Australian government's compromise deal aims to secure crossbench support .
The option will allow children to be vaccinated without charge when seeing a bulk-billing doctor .
The proposed $7 GP co-payment will set back each Australian $300 over the next four years .
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0e5ffdef4e4306a52b72cefc5affd602bfc67f9c
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Atlanta, Georgia (CNN) -- In the late 1980s through the end of the 1990s, an unusual show on Comedy Central (once called the Comedy Channel) cultivated a devoted audience that loved bad B-grade movies and inspired heckling. "Mystery Science Theater 3000" showed series creator Joel Hodgson as a man stranded in space with some wisecracking robots. As original cast members left the show and new comedians were introduced, the show continued to deliver a unique brand of humor. Years later, "MST3K" has given rise to Cinematic Titanic, comprised of Hodgson, J. Elvis Weinstein, Trace Beaulieu, Mary Jo Pehl and Frank Conniff. Cinematic Titanic met with CNN to discuss their process and something called "Weisenheimer's." CNN: What's it like being back with some of the old "MST3K" gang? Hodgson: It's been great. We're kind of like different gangs all intersected because our times at "Mystery Science Theater" didn't all overlap. But we all knew each other before "Mystery Science Theater" even started, because we were all comics. So it's been great. It's been fun to hang out with these guys after so many years. We hang out a lot now because we're on the road together quite a bit. Conniff: It feels safe. [Everyone giggles.] . Weinstein: This is like our third year doing this, so we've had a lot of experience. We've done 60 shows on the road these last three years, and each time we go to a new location, so we're spending a lot of time with each other now. Or, just enough time. Pehl: And we all share one room, so that's ... [Mary Jo rolls her eyes.] . CNN: Can you explain the process of finding the movies that you're going to give the Cinematic Titanic treatment to? Hodgson: I do it now. Frank did it for "Mystery Science Theater," so he can give you his take on it for that. For Cinematic Titanic we use certain vendors who search for movies, so occasionally they'll bring stuff to me. Or I'll just look for stuff. Half of our stuff is licensed, so they're representing different producers, and half of it is public domain, so that's a whole different process. You find a movie, and you have to find the right print and you have to do a copyright search, talk to the lawyer, make sure it's OK to use. Then, once we have those that fit that profile, then I show it to everybody and we go through the process of everyone signing off on it, saying if this will work. We just did that with a new movie we're working on right now. It's called "Watch Out for Snakes." [Cinematic Titanic grins and snickers.] . Pehl: People get ravaged. Is that a bad way to use that word? Beaulieu: They don't get ravaged in a good way, they get ravaged in a bad way. By snakes. Conniff: For "Mystery Science Theater" it was a little different, in that we would be sent a bunch of screeners. When we were working with Comedy Central they would find screeners and send them to us, and I would just do the initial process of going through the boxes and watching them, find the ones I thought could work as a show, and then show them to everybody else. But back then we had the machinery of a cable network to help us with that kind of stuff, but now we're on our own. CNN: How is Cinematic Titanic distributed? What's working, what's not and what are your future plans? Weinstein: We're self-financed and self-distributing. Trace and his wife do fulfillment stuff. We also offer the show through download at a site called easytakes.com. And it seems like it's about half and half. Beaulieu: Yeah, it runs, hard disks maybe twice as much as downloads. Hodgson: Plus easytakes is packaging our movies as apps for the Droid so you can buy the app and it will just play the movie. Weinstein: The Droid thing has yet to launch. Beaulieu: We sell a good number of DVDs here [at Dragon*Con] and at our live shows, too. It's a real manufacturing to customer direct line. Conniff: We leave out the middle man and pass the savings on to you! Hodgson: He's waited his whole life to say that. CNN: Do you find that audiences at Dragon*Con are especially tuned in to your brand of humor? What is the con circuit like for you? Hodgson: Well we don't really do the circuit, we sort of just go to the occasional con. Beaulieu: This is the one we've been to the most. This is our third year. This one fits our sensibility more because our MO has always been do-it-yourself, and this one is all that. It's really people-powered. Comic-Con is really just Hollywood blowing you away with how much money it has and awing you with its giant displays and you really are, as a fan or an observer, you're really put in this category. Here it really just, like, flows everywhere. You just can see people being creative and kind of doing their own thing. I think this one fits much better, I prefer this con way more than Comic-Con. Weinstein: We did the Cinematic Titanic panel last night to a packed ballroom and then we showed our episode and then came back afterwards and did some signing afterwards. But 90 percent of that audience stayed to watch the episode. Beaulieu: Yeah and they were a great audience for that episode. Weinstein: Yes, they were totally tuned in and it was exciting to see. CNN: Josh, how did you decide on the moniker J. Elvis? Weinstein: I decided on it because when I joined the writer's guild there already was a Josh Weinstein, and I gave myself the Elvis because I loved that it gave me the initials J. E. W. and also somewhat inspired by being a fan of Elvis Costello, but mostly it's about J. E. W. Hodgson: In LA there are very few people not named Josh Weinstein. CNN: Can you describe the transition from "Mystery Science Theater" to what you're doing with Cinematic Titanic and what your old coworkers are doing with RiffTrax? Hodgson: Well, when we started we were really interested in doing very quirky movies, and [RiffTrax] were doing big movies. They did "Lord of the Rings," and any big blockbuster that came out. It seemed really clear that we're working this side of the street with old movies and they're working new movies. But that's getting kind of muddled now because they're coming back and doing old movies. Like we did in "Mystery Science Theater." CNN: What's the secret to making wisecracks for a living? Conniff: That's a long process. We all started out as stand-up comics, so we all set out for careers being weisenheimers, making wisecracks. Beaulieu: You have Weisenheimers, don't you? [Everyone laughs.] . Conniff: I do, actually, it's painful. Hodgson: I'm grappling with Weisenheimer's disease. Pehl: We're having a walk for you. Weinstein: But we were lucky enough, when we started "Mystery Science Theater" to have a UHF station that sort of gave us free reign. So we had a little laboratory to create this art form, if you will. Hodgson: Back then we did 20 shows, and we just improvised. It was unheard of back then to make a show where you just kind of talk over a movie. Prior to that there had been people who re-synched, added sound, redone the dialogue on movies, but this was really different so it grew very organically. By the end of it we kind of had it figured out. If we didn't have that, I can't imagine just walking in and trying to pitch this idea to anybody. Conniff: And we had 20 shows that we could edit down to a four-minute sizzle reel that we could show them. Hodgson: We had a thousand people in a fan club, so we had this kind of packet that we could lay down when we went to the Comedy Channel. And we said, "Hey, this is happening," and they just happened to need content. So it was just 'cause it was the beginning of basic cable and they needed to fill time more than anything. Conniff: Sad but true. Hodgson: It worked for us. CNN: What's the difference between a geek and a nerd? Weinstein: Geeks will talk to us, nerds find us too weird. Hodgson: To me, for geeks there's an extra level of involvement for whatever it is they're focused on. A geek kind of implies a specificity of interest for whatever it is they're geeking out about. Beaulieu: Geek is more intense than nerd . Conniff: I think a nerd gets beat up, and a geek gets beat up and then goes and watches an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Weinstein: Yeah, and starts a software company.
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Cinematic Titanic take their wisecracking brand of movie-heckling humor on the road .
Dragon*Con is a good fit, because of the individuality fostered at the convention .
Coming up next: "Watch Out for Snakes" in which people are ravaged .
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Newly-crowned Man of Steel Daryl Clark wants to join the exodus to the NRL but Warrington fans can breathe easy. The 21-year-old Castleford hooker, who on Wednesday night completed the rare double by being named Super League young player of the year as well as Man of Steel for 2014, has signed a four-year contract with the Wolves but revealed he has ambitions to test himself in Australia. Six members of the 24-strong England squad - in which Clark was named last Sunday - currently ply their trade in the NRL and fellow hooker Josh Hodgson will stay on after the Four Nations Series to take up a two-year contract with Canberra Raiders. Daryl Clark and girlfriend Leigh at the gala dinner at Old Trafford cricket ground on Wednesday night . 'I’m a massive fan of the NRL,' Clark said. 'I watch pretty much every game. 'I’ve got them on series link and I watch them on my days off through the week. 'One day I would like to go there and test myself but I want to establish myself in Super League first. Maybe in a few years’ time.' Clark capped a memorable season for his club by scooping the major honours at the Man of Steel awards dinner at Old Trafford cricket club, where his boss Daryl Powell was named coach of the year. It was a fitting way for him to bow out of his home-town club but, before he can link up with Warrington as the replacement for Michael Monaghan, Clark will face a new challenge on the international stage. He was always likely to go on tour after his stellar domestic season but is set to be England’s first-choice hooker following the withdrawal of James Roby. Daryl Powell (left) was named Coach of the Year and Clark was Young Player of the Year and Man of Steel . The St Helens hooker, who wants to give his injured ankles time to fully recover in the off season, was on the Man of Steel short-list, along with prop forwards Jamie Peacock (Leeds) and Chris Hill (Warrington), but took time out at the awards night to wish his successor well. 'He wished me luck and said he hopes we go over there and play well,' Clark said. 'They are big shoes to fill. He’s been outstanding for a few years. 'I’m just looking to go there and enjoy it. It’s something new for me, I’ve never been involved with the England set-up. 'It’s going to be tough but that’s what you want to do, test yourself against the best players in your position to see where you stand.' Clark has been training two days a week with the fall-out squad since Castleford bowed out of the play-offs and they will be joined by the seven-strong Wigan contingent involved in Saturday’s Grand Final on the plane to Australia next Tuesday. Castleford swept the board at Wednesday evening's Rugby League awards at Old Trafford Cricket Ground .
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Daryl Clark took the plaudits as Castleford Tigers claimed several awards .
Clark named Steve Prescott Man of Steel and Young Player of the Years .
Tigers lost in the Challenge Cup final against Leeds at Wembley .
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By . James Black . PUBLISHED: . 19:49 EST, 26 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:45 EST, 27 November 2012 . This is the hilarious moment an angry lioness launched herself at a huge lion - but ended up sitting on his head. This grumpy mum wasn't best pleased when the lion tried to try to tame her cubs - and pounced straight at the enormous beast. But she obviously misjudged her distance - as she ended up sitting on top of the lion's mane like a hat - before falling to the ground below. Hell hath no fury: The moment the lion luanched herself at the male to protect her cubs . The lioness sprang from nowhere the minute she felt her cubs were under threat . The outraged mother comically misjudged her distance and ended up on the lions head . Wildlife park ranger Jacques Matthysen captured the comic moment on camera, as he patrolled the South African plains. Jacques said: 'We had gone out to try and photograph some lions, and were met by a very playful pride of seven Lions. 'The four year old male Lion was playing with three young cubs - or rather, they were tormenting him, since all he wanted to do was have a rest. 'The older male and a female were walking 20 metres from us, rubbing their heads every couple of seconds showing affection. 'While watching them the other female appeared from the thicket. As soon as the 4 year old male saw the female, which is the mother of the cubs he was knocking over every now and again, he jumped up and jogged towards her. 'It looked like she was just waiting for the right moment. She stood still until the last second. The lioness lost her grip eventually slipping from the head of the male . The male lion paid little attention to the incident and strolled on after the mother fell to the ground . 'As he was half a meter away, she pounced on him. She did loose her grip though and quickly fell to the other side of him. 'With the female at his paws on the ground he just glanced down, as though to say: 'Was that it?'. 'He just kept on walking past her and us sitting in the Cruiser, and lay down to rest close to a thicket behind us. 'The cubs quickly saw the opportunity of mum laying on her side, ran towards her and started suckling.'
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Grumpy mum wasn't best pleased when the lion tried to try to tame her cubs - and pounced straight at the enormous beast .
Ranger Jacques Matthysen captured the comic moment on camera, as he patrolled the South African plains .
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By . Graham Smith . UPDATED: . 08:09 EST, 17 February 2012 . A friendly rivalry has long existed between the U.S. and Canada and many Americans enjoy nothing more than poking fun at their neighboring nation. But, with the exception of the War of 1812 two centuries ago, the two countries have stood side-by-side and are today the world's largest trading partners. In a further boost to this mutual love-in, a poll has - rather surprisingly - revealed that Americans rate Canada as their favourite country. A landslide 96 per cent of U.S. citizens surveyed rate Canada favourably, a four per cent rise on this time last year. Border crossing: Americans rate Canada as their favourite country, with 96 per cent signalling their approval for their next-door neighbour, according to a poll . More surprisingly, Australia came second in the Gallup poll with a 93 per cent approval rating. Britain rounded out the top three, proving that the enduring . 'special relationship' between the U.S. and UK is supported by the . American public too. Germany and Japan came fourth and . fifth respectively, followed by another unexpected choice in sixth place . with 75 per cent approval - France. It has been less than ten years since relations between the U.S. and France were at a low. In the second Gulf war against Iraq, . the U.S. dubbed the French ‘cheese-eating surrender monkeys’ and . re-branded French Fries as ‘Freedom Fries’ when the nation failed to . support the 2003 invasion. Popularity contest: Iran came bottom in the Gallup poll, hardly surprising considering the escalating showdown between the Islamic Republic and the West over its nuclear program . Equally surprising is the growth in favourability towards Mexico. Ravaged by an ongoing war on drug . gangs that has seen more than 40,000 people killed, six per cent more . Americans than a year ago approve of the country. This comes just days after the U.S. State Department this week recommended Americans avoid travel to all or parts of 14 of 31 Mexican . states in the widest travel advisory since the country stepped up its drug . war in 2006. The advisory said U.S. citizens have been victims of drug violence, including killings, kidnappings and car-jackings. Sydney Harbour: Australia came a surprising second in the survey of American opinions of other nations . Great Britain was named third most popular proving that the enduring 'special relationship' between the U.S. and UK is supported by the American public too . Less surprising are the countries that Americans most dislike. The escalating showdown between Iran . and the West over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program has led just 10 . per cent of U.S. citizens to view the country favourably. Second least popular is North Korea, with a 13 per cent approval rating. A U.S. liaison will hold talks with . North Korea on its nuclear program in Beijing next week, the first such . negotiations since the death of the nation's long-time dictator Kim Jong . Il. North Korea is followed by Afghanistan with 14 per cent approval. How the American public's opinion of Pakistan, Afghanistan and North Korea has changed over the last decade. Pakistan has fallen three points to 15 per cent in the last year . Pakistan fell three points to 15 per . cent, a predictable fall in popularity among the American public given . the circumstances surrounding the killing of Osama Bin Laden in May last . year. The unilateral American raid which . killed the world's most wanted man in an army town led to a fresh wave . of suspicion against Western diplomats by the Pakistani security . establishment, which was apparently stung by the realisation that the . CIA agents were operating in the country without its knowledge. Tension remains after U.S. Defence . Secretary Leon Panetta last month said Pakistan officials must have . known that Bin Laden was holed up in a remote compound in Abbottabad.
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English-language nations popular with Americans as Australia and Britain are second and third respectively .
Gallup poll finds most disliked countries to be Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria .
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(CNN) -- The 19-year-old woman whose hospitalization exposed a shocking Austrian incest case is recovering well and wants to see the ocean and a pop concert, her doctors and a family lawyer said Wednesday. Dr. Albert Reiter, who treated Kerstin, is confident Kerstin will make a full recovery in time. She and other children who were held captive for years are slowly adapting to modern life, they said. Kerstin Fritzl, whom doctors placed in an artificial coma after she was admitted to a hospital in April for multiple organ failure, is now well enough to speak, stand and walk with assistance, her doctors said. Doctors said that "little novelties" such as seeing a cloud go by are now big events for the former captives. Kerstin has said she wants to see the ocean and go to a concert by British singer Robbie Williams, said Dr. Berhold Kepplinger, director of the clinic where the family is living. He described how excited Kerstin was to hear Robbie Williams songs in her hospital room and said she was moving around to the music so much that doctors had to quiet her down. It was then, Kepplinger said, that doctors became confident Kerstin can become fully healthy and develop normally. Her immune system has improved, and she is continuing to have physiotherapy, including strengthening exercises, he said. Watch doctors describe what happened when the teen opened her eyes » . The two parts of her family -- those who were locked in a basement, like Kerstin, and those who lived above ground, apparently unaware of the abuse of their mother and siblings -- are getting to know each other again, the doctors and the family's lawyer said. "We are so glad that things have turned out so positively so far," said lawyer Christoph Herbst, who appeared at a news conference at a hotel near Amstetten, west of Vienna, where Kerstin and her family are recovering. Kerstin is the oldest daughter of an incestuous relationship between Elisabeth, 43, and Elisabeth's father, Josef Fritzl, 73, according to police. He is awaiting trial. Police say he confessed to holding Elisabeth captive since 1984 and raping her repeatedly, fathering seven children with her. Six of the children survived. Kerstin fell unconscious in April, and Elisabeth convinced her father that she needed urgent medical attention. Kerstin was admitted to a hospital in Amstetten, where staff grew suspicious and called police, who opened an investigation and uncovered the abuse. Kerstin was suffering from kidney, lung, and liver failure when she arrived at the hospital, said Dr. Albert Reiter, director of the hospital. Doctors were able to turn her health around, but they kept her in a coma with artificial respiration for weeks, he said. Doctors started reducing Kerstin's medication May 12, allowing her to emerge from the coma, he said. Three days later, she opened her eyes and smiled at her carers, he said, and doctors were soon able to take the breathing tube from her throat. Her mother was at Kerstin's bedside regularly, and doctors credited that with helping Kerstin's health improve. On Sunday, Kerstin finally met with other family members and was able to say hello to them, he said. Kerstin and the rest of the family were also able to move into an apartment at a regional clinic nearby. "It was a special moment where, walking, we were able to support her and cross the threshold into a new house and into a new life," Reiter said. Kerstin and two of her brothers, ages 18 and 5, had spent their entire lives trapped in the cellar with their mother, never seeing daylight. A television was their only contact with the outside world. The other three children Josef Fritzl fathered with Elisabeth were taken as infants to live above ground with Fritzl and his wife, who says she had no idea her daughter was being held captive. In recent weeks, the wife and the three children have had several meetings with Kerstin and the others formerly held in the basement. The doctors said that all are receiving therapy and are getting to know each other. "It is clear that [the two sides] have a different temper of life," Kepplinger said. "These different ways of living, the two parts of the family, still have to come to some agreement." Still, the entire family is "very happy" to be reunited, Herbst said. "This is an incredible drawing-near to each other. There is incredible joy among them," he said. "It is wonderful to see the way they are living together." He appealed to the public and the media to give the family privacy. There continues to be "big ambivalence" about the "grandfather issue," as Kepplinger called it, and therapists are helping the family members cope with the complicated relationship they have with each other and with Fritzl, who is now behind bars.
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Daughter of Austrian incest victim reunited with family, expected to make full recovery .
Kerstin Fritzl, 19, has spent her entire life in cellar .
The dungeon was uncovered after she was taken to hospital with illness .
Josef Fritzl, 73, has allegedly confessed to incestuous relationship with teen's mom .
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0e64a2dd9d9f91853967faef2363f1b2f60ee3cd
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By . Alex Greig . A 17-year-old girl is lucky to be alive after falling out of a moving party bus that was making its way to her high school prom onto a California highway. The unusual sight of young people in formal wear running across the southbound lanes of the 73 Freeway greeted alarmed Orange County drivers on Saturday at around 7:30pm as friends of Charlotte Boyse rushed to her aid. The Corona Del Mar High School student was on her way to Mission Viejo with 55 other teens to their prom when a window on the bus suddenly opened and she fell out onto the road. Prom night in hospital: Charlotte Boyse was lucky to survive a fall from a bus taking her to her high school prom Saturday . The Orange County Register reports that Boyse leaned back against a window for someone to squeeze past her when it popped open. Two of her friends tried to grab onto Boyse when they realized what was happening, and managed to pull her upright so that she didn't fall on her head, possibly saving her life. The two girls grabbed Charlotte and 'prevented her from landing on the back of her head, and instead righted her so she landed on her backside,' Conrad Boyse told the Register. Shockingly, the driver of the bus was oblivious to Boyse's accident and despite pleas from students to stop, continued driving for about a quarter mile. Quick-thinking: Two friends grabbed Boyse (circled in this pre-accident prom photo) as she fell from a bus window, managing to pull her upright so that she fell on her backside rather than her head, possibly saving her life . Freeway fall: Boyse, seen in her hospital bed with friend Payton Gronnerud, crawled to the median and managed to avoid being hit by a car, suffering only cuts and grazes . Multi-lane freeway: Witnesses say Boyse crawling across this stretch of road to the median, and police say it was fortunate she fell early on Saturday night when traffic was light . When he did stop, he wouldn't let students off the bus on the freeway, so several students jumped out of the open window Charlotte Boyse had fallen from and ran to help her. The students didn't know if Boyse was dead or alive. The girl had . managed to get herself to the median where she had waited for about 10 . minutes before being able to flag down a couple who called 911. A driver who was about 20 seconds behind the bus saw a girl crawling across the road toward the center divider and other students running towards her. 'I noticed a girl kind of crawling off the freeway, into the center-divider area, and there were, I think, two boys, at that point, who were just getting to her,' witness Colleen Kreuger told KTLA. 'I was running toward where the girl was, and one of the boys started heading toward me. I asked him what had happened. He said, "My friend fell out of the window of the bus."' A prom to remember: Boyse was released from hospital Sunday after spending prom night in hospital with some friends who elected to stay with her . Boyse suffered serious cuts and abrasions but initially felt no pain. 'I was in complete shock,' she said. 'My shoe broke off, my phone flew from me.' She was taken by ambulance to the Children's Hospital of Orange County and released late Sunday. Several of Boyse's friends skipped prom to spend the night in hospital with her, and Conrad Boyse is eternally grateful to the girls who helped his daughter. 'She would unquestionably be dead without them,' he told the OC Register. 'We are so grateful for the quick thinking and heroic actions of these kids, and for the outpouring of love and support for Charlotte.' Boyse's parents said the teens were not drinking, and no alcohol was found on the bus. The bus was rented by about 30 couples attending the prom from a company in Anaheim called Party Bus Limo Rentals. KCal9 News reports that a spokesperson for the company said the bus had gone through safety checks before picking the teens up for prom.
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Charlotte Boyse, 17, was on her way to prom in a party bus with 55 other students .
She leaned back against a window to let someone pass her and it popped open .
Boyse fell backwards and was grabbed by friends who managed to right her, preventing her falling on her head .
She fell onto the freeway and miraculously avoided being hit by a car as she made her way to the median .
The driver of the bus didn't believe other students that she'd fallen, only stopping after another quarter-mile .
Boyse flagged down a car and the driver called 911 .
She suffered only minor cuts and abrasions and spent prom night in hospital .
Boyse's parents said the teens were not drinking, and no alcohol was found on the bus .
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0e64c1c38c4cbfe9c928b1abb851cbadc1b4df41
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Abattoirs providing the majority of British supermarkets with fresh pork use a stunning method that campaigners claim causes the animals 'severe distress' before they are slaughtered. MailOnline has learned LIDL, the Co-operative and Waitrose source all of their pig meat from plants using carbon dioxide to knock out the animals. Sainsbury's said the 'majority' of their pork is sourced from CO2 plants and ASDA's suppliers use the gas too. Tesco now wants every one of its plants to adopt the same method by 2018. It did not disclose the proportion which already do. Researchers and welfare groups say it is 'aversive' to the animals who can suffer for 'up to 30 seconds' before losing consciousness. Morrisons slaughters '100 per cent' of its fresh pork in its own abattoirs and uses electric stunning, which has drawn its own condemnation. During the CO2 stunning process Tesco wants implemented, groups of pigs are mechanically herded into cages which are then lowered into pits with high carbon dioxide concentration. Scroll down for video . Panic: CO2 stunning has been deemed humane because the pigs are moved in groups before they are stunned, but they can suffer for 'up to 30 seconds' when they are in the high concentration pits . Stunned: Tesco has called on every one of its fresh pork suppliers to stun their pigs (pictured in a CO2 stunning plant in North-west Europe) with carbon dioxide by December 31, 2017 . Suffocating: CO2 is aversive to the pigs' breathing and can cause them 'severe distress', campaigners say . The procedure before stunning is considered humane because pigs naturally move around in groups without human interaction. But they can get stuck the wrong way in the machinery that shepherds them - and become frightened. When they are lowered into high concentrations of carbon dioxide, which is aversive to their breathing, they panic and kick out for 'a period of up to 30 seconds' before losing consciousness. In emails revealed to MailOnline, Tesco says it wants the plants to use a machine called the Butina backloader or an equivalent stunning system by December 31, 2017. Footage obtained from a plant in North-west Europe - using that very machine - shows the animals climbing over each other and gasping for breath as they enter the CO2 pits. The gas 'induces respiratory distress, causing hyperventilation and a sense of breathlessness,' researchers say. As one cage is brought to the surface, another is lowered into the pit and the cycle continues. Animal welfare group Eyes on Animals, who filmed inside the plant, says the pigs are 'out of sight out of mind until they come back up and their bodies are no longer reacting'. Robert Hubrecht, Chief Executive of the Humane Slaughter Association told MailOnline: 'As with many gas killing systems, carbon dioxide partly acts by displacing oxygen so the brain cannot function and brain death ensues. 'Carbon dioxide forms carbonic acid with a low pH when it meets moisture and probably because of this, inhalation of carbon dioxide at high concentrations causes irritation of the nasal mucosal membranes and lungs.' He added that all available commercial methods for the stunning and slaughter of pigs have their disadvantages, and the use of CO2 is 'often the most reliable' for large operations. 'Looking to the future, further research into inert gas mixtures and other controlled atmosphere systems might well lead to welfare benefits,' he said. Their director Lesley Moffat told MailOnline: 'I think Tesco rushed into making a really, really big decision that has an impact on animal welfare for years to come and on slaughterhouses. 'They made the wrong decision because they're expecting slaughterhouses that don't yet have the CO2 system to install it when maybe five to ten years down the road, it could be banned. 'It means a lot of animals will be slaughtered in a way that isn't ideal.' A survey carried out by the Food Standard Agency in 2013 found that a similar number of pigs were stunned using electricity and carbon dioxide - but the gas method was far more efficient. Of the 167,325 pigs it recorded slaughtered one week, 80,768 were stunned electrically at 116 plants. Whereas 86,456 were stunned using 'high concentration' CO2 at just seven abattoirs. Electric stunning knocks the pigs out instantly, but the herding leading up to it causes them more stress than during gas stunning because they move in single file and they can see the animal in front being stunned. Donald Broom, Professor of Animal Welfare at Cambridge University, said: 'The handling systems associated with gas stunning are generally better for pig welfare than those when electrical stunning is used.' But he added: 'When carbon dioxide stunning is used, the welfare of the pigs is poor until they lose consciousness, usually about 30 seconds. They gasp, throw their heads around and squeal.' Herded: Tesco wants its pig meat suppliers to adopt the Butina back loader (pictured) or equivalent, which mechanically herds the pigs into cages - which are then lowered into CO2 pits . Carousel: One group of pigs is lowered into an area of high-concentration CO2 as another is brought back up . The slaughter method has been previously criticised by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC), which advises the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). One of their previous reports called for the practice to be 'phased out' out by 2008 after concluding: 'the use of high concentrations of carbon dioxide to stun and kill pigs is not acceptable.' It added: 'FAWC supports further research into and development of alternatives to CO2, such as mixtures including argon or nitrogen, which are less aversive.' Experiments using gases like as argon mixed with lower concentrations of carbondixodie have shown it is non-aversive to pigs, who lose consciousness without showing signs of stress. According to Butina, the CO2 back loader system is for slaughterhouses who want to implement the latest technology and focus on animal welfare and meat quality. Its components are thouroughly tested to prevent the pigs from becoming stressed. The concept for the product is based on the pigs being driven forward to the stunning system in groups in groups using a 'mechanical driveway'. The pigs are divided into smaller groups and driven into the stunning boxes which are lowered into a CO2 atmosphere using a 'paternoster' or continuous lift system. After stunning, the pigs are tipped out of the boxes for shackling and 'sitcking'. The back loader can manage four to eight pigs per stunning box and between 125 and 900 pigs every hour. But using argon is less profitable because the gas is more expensive, it can lower the quality of meat and it takes longer for the pigs to lose consciousness - so fewer pigs can be stunned every hour. According to Professor Broom: 'The small extra cost and the extra minute during the process are easily outweighed by the better image of both the pig industry and Tesco if the best method is used.' That message was echoed by Compassion in World Farming who is 'utterly opposed to the use of high levels of carbon dioxide stunning or killing pigs'. It was one of seven welfare groups who wrote to the European Commission in January urging them to phase out CO2 and discuss alternative methods that will not cause the animals pain and distress. A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We are committed to high animal welfare standards. All of our pork suppliers must be fully compliant with nationally recognised welfare assurance schemes as well as meeting additional Tesco requirements. 'We are guided by the advice of independent bodies such as the Farm Animal Welfare Council and available scientific evidence demonstrates that CO2 stunning, combined with moving pigs in groups together, reduces stress and injury. 'We will continue to work with our pork suppliers and acknowledged veterinary experts, to explore and invest in methods that can further improve animal welfare.' A Co-operative Food spokesperson said: 'Animal welfare is a priority for us and we only source fresh meat and meat product from UK abattoirs which adhere to our strict sourcing requirements and high standards.' Welfare concern: Donald Broom, Professor of Animal Welfare at Cambridge University, said: 'When carbon dioxide stunning is used, the welfare of the pigs is poor until they lose consciousness' 'Gondola system': Pigs are only slaughtered once they are completely unconscious and their pain reflexes have been tested . Waitrose stated: 'Animal welfare is a top priority for us. Our process has been described by Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) as ensuring stress is minimised. We are confident our welfare standards are among the highest in the UK.' ASDA said: 'Our suppliers do use carbon dioxide stunning in common with many others around the world.' And Lidl confirmed their fresh pork suppliers 'use abattoirs that adhere to the CO2 gassing method to stun their pigs prior to slaughter'. 'This method, which is approved according to both Freedom Food and Red Tractor animal welfare standards, is widely used in the UK and rest of Europe and commonly considered to be a more humane form of stunning than others,' its spokesperson said. Morrisons, who use electric stunning only, said it is 'the quickest and most effective way to minimise suffering and uphold the high level of animal welfare we operate in our abattoirs'.
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Most British supermarkets are buying in pigs stunned with carbon dioxide .
It is aversive to the pigs who take 'up to 30 seconds' to lose consciousness .
Tesco wants all of its pork suppliers to use CO2 stunning method by 2018 .
Campaigners say it should invest in alternatives that do not cause distress .
Some consider it more humane because pigs move in groups pre-slaughter .
Footage revealed from the type of abattoir Tesco wants plants to introduce .
Shows pigs kicking out and panicking when they are lowered into CO2 pits .
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT .
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0e65dd576824ccd13b2f84a8fd4a9391f440721c
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Last week scientists at Birmingham University claimed to have come up with the perfect formula for stacking a dishwasher. But rather than causing cheers all round, it has intensified the bitter arguments that rage every day among the millions of dishwasher-owning households nationwide. So who are the best dishwasher stackers? Husbands — or wives? Alice and Justin Smellie (pictured) like many couples, have long battled over the best way to stack a dishwasher . Alice and Justin Smellie, who have been locked in a dishwasher war for most of their 12-year marriage, invited Emily Wimborne, dishwasher expert at retailer John Lewis, into their home to settle the argument once and for all. Alice says: . Early evening, and peace has descended. The children have been fed and watered and the house is (reasonably) clean. I’m about to settle into the sofa with a well-deserved glass of wine when I hear bad-tempered clattering in the kitchen. I peer around the door and see Justin, crouching in a cloud of steam, hastily rearranging the contents of the dishwasher mid-cycle. He just cannot help himself. Convinced of his dishwasher-stacking superiority, he cannot bear to leave this most vital domestic task in my — in his opinion — incapable hands. Alice and Justin put their differing techniques to the test under the watchful eye of Emily Wimborne a dishwasher expert at John Lewis . Justin clearly is not alone. Those Birmingham University scientists actually published a research paper on dishwasher stacking. They solemnly tracked water movement inside the machine, deciding what should be put where — in relation to the position of water jets and dirtiness of the crockery — to come up with the perfect formula. I’m afraid I read this report and snorted; just as I do when Justin nitpicks over the placing of plates and bowls when he could be enjoying a glass of wine on the sofa with me. It’s a machine for washing up. Just chuck your dishes in, I say. Every day after breakfast I throw cereal bowls, spoons, milk pan and toast plates willy-nilly into our ten-year-old Bosch and leave it to do its stuff. Alice takes the view that it's a machine for washing up and therefore everything that goes in will somehow end up getting clean . In my opinion, all the dishes will get clean somehow. The worst case scenario is that I end up hand-washing a few less-than-perfect items afterwards. Really, what’s the problem? But when I return from the school run, invariably I find that a scientifically-minded pixie has popped in for a visit. That’s a male pixie in his mid-40s, wearing a cardigan and harrumphing as he rearranges the dishwasher to his own satisfaction. Crockery is rinsed, glasses arranged in height size and all the cutlery is facing upwards. This same pixie has also taken out anything heavily soiled ‘to hand wash’. I’m afraid Justin thinks I am a slattern and I think he is an insane perfectionist. Some of the bitterest words of our marriage have been spoken over a box of Finish dishwasher tablets. Emily Wimborne (left) was visibly horrified by the way Alice (right) was stacking the dishwasher . But now scientists are on the case, I realise there may be more to dishwasher stacking than I thought. Although they vary widely in price and size, dishwashers all work on the same principle: water in the bottom of the appliance heats up, then two rotating spray arms — one under the lower rack and one under the upper one — spray the water at the dishes. Currently, around 30 per cent of us own a dishwasher — which horrifies me. How do the rest cope? I always thought it was as vital to a kitchen as pots and pans. Alice values speed over efficiency when dealing with the dishes, whereas Justin takes a more methodical approach . And dishwasher wars are rife: 42 per cent of people surveyed last September admitted they had reloaded the dishwasher after their family had gone to bed because they thought it was done incorrectly. And there is the entirely reasonable sounding statistic that 79 per cent had put a load through again just to save the bother of unloading the dishwasher. Guilty as charged, M’Lud. Justin, in a tragic attempt to impose order on a chaotic world (or rather, his chaotic wife) once talked me through his method. It did not end well. I still could not see why his method was better than any other. For our test together, I coated a number of plates with egg, lasagne, Weetabix and baked beans, swilled milk and red wine around glasses, and filled cups with coffee then tipped it away. I gave Justin and myself an identical number of dishes to stack, then we put them through the same 45-minute cycle. Emily actually looks sad as she watches me throwing everything in. As far as I’m concerned it’s all about speed — and nothing else. I stuff the cutlery into the basket, not caring whether it’s handle-end or blade-end facing down. Plates are put in any spare slot, and I don’t care whether serving dishes go on the bottom rack or the top. Glasses and mugs are also placed wherever I can see a space. Poor thing. Emily has devoted her life to appliances and here I am, abusing one. I actually see her wince at one point of the process and begin to wonder if I should be giving the whole thing more thought. Yet the job is done in minutes. The door is slammed shut and the reassuring sound of churning water fills the kitchen. I still cannot imagine how the end result would differ from anyone else’s. Emily's verdict: The only good thing I can say about Alice’s stacking is that it’s fast. Otherwise, it’s a disaster. She has put the lasagne pan on top, taking up masses of space. It’s further from the powerful jets of water at the bottom and so is unlikely to get clean. Emily (pictured) said: 'the only good thing I can say about Alice’s stacking is that it’s fast. Otherwise, it’s a disaster' All the cutlery is facing downwards, where the water can’t get to the business end as easily and she’s barely scraped the dishes. The glasses at the bottom are more likely to get damaged because they’re more likely to get knocked over by the powerful bottom jets. Most of it is filthy when the wash is finished and I am particularly disgusted by the glass of water which she shoved in upside down and which ended up full of cloudy water and old baked beans. A total dishwashing fail. Time taken: Two minutes . Stacking: 4/10 . Cleanliness: 3/10 . Justin says: . When I read the University of Birmingham paper, it resonated with good sense. Lead researcher Dr Raul Perez-Mohedano, suggested packing the dishes according to the type of stain they demonstrate. So potato and tomato need as much force as possible from the water jets. Proteins such as egg yolk need more chemical detergent. In our household, where I am the only person with the ability to stack a dishwasher, this, sadly, will never happen. Justin (pictured) has taken note of the work done by researcher Dr Raul Perez-Mohedano, who suggests stacking disghes according to the stains they demonstrate . One of my daily chores, as necessary as the dog walking and school run, is re-stacking the dishwasher. At least twice. If Alice turns it on before I catch her, I often have to pull it open at the end of a cycle, look despairingly inside and put it on again because not one of the plates or cups is clean. My approach is — I believe — obvious, straightforward and logical. I rinse dirty food from plates before putting them in. Cutlery faces upwards and the more tidily it is lined up, why, the more likely it is to get clean. Anything which is too dirty is washed by hand. Justin, pictured with Emily, has a logical approach which involves rinsing the worst affected dishes and stacking cutlery upright . I wonder whether the oft-quoted idea that men have superior spatial awareness skills, and a natural leaning towards creating ‘systems’, such as filing and rotas, may be why I am so much better than this than Alice. There’s also an argument that testosterone helps us achieve dominance in whatever goal we set ourselves. Perhaps my determination to stack the dishwasher correctly makes it a success. (Though I can’t help thinking it’s a bit of a waste of my testosterone). There is clearly never going to be any resolution of the argument in our house, as each of us is convinced they are right. Realistically, neither of us is prepared to concede any ground. So, I was happy to hand the argument over to an expert, in a bid to prove that my way is right. Emily’s verdict: Every single item emerged sparkling and clean. Justin’s method is beautifully orderly. All the mug handles are pointing in the same direction, so you can just pull them out together and put them away quickly. Justin (pictured) scored a massive 9.5/10 for his stacking abilities and 9/10 for cleanliness, losing marks only for putting the detergent in the cutlery basket . The same size plates are carefully stacked together and pans and heavy objects are on the bottom — nearer to both the detergent and the jets of water. Everything is placed at a careful angle so all the water runs off. I removed half a point from Justin’s score, but only because he put the detergent in the cutlery basket. For optimal cleaning the detergent should only be released when the water is at the right temperature. But otherwise this is brilliant. Almost professional. Time taken: Six minutes . Marks for stacking: 9.5/10 . Marks for cleanliness: 9/10 . Justin’s reaction: I suspect that the smug look on my face is unbearable. I am grinning and holding up two shiny clean plates I’ve pulled from our dishwasher. I am clearly the overall winner of the decade long Dishwasher Wars in the Smellie household. Alice’s reaction: OK, so some of the plates came out a little grubby. So what? Now Justin’s superiority has been confirmed, I am happy to hand over the task in its entirety to him. I hope he and the dishwasher are very happy together.
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Alice and Justin Smellie wage war daily over the best way to stack a dishwasher .
Recently scientists at Birmingham University came up with a formula for stacking a dishwasher .
But has this made household arguments even worse?
Alice and Justin put their own techniques to the test in a competition overseen by Emily Wimborne, a dishwasher expert at John Lewis .
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By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 08:38 EST, 14 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:32 EST, 14 November 2013 . Do you love watching The Only Way is Essex, Jeremy Kyle and The Great British Bake Off but hate admitting it? Don't worry, you're not alone. A new study has found many of us have programmes which we regularly sit down to enjoy - but prefer to keep our guilty pleasure to ourselves. The latest adventures of Joey Essex, Sam Faiers and Lucy Mecklenburgh on TOWIE came top of the pile, while Jeremy Kyle’s show and The Great British Bake Off came second and third respectively in the poll. The Only Way really IS Essex! A new study has revealed that Brits love watching TOWIE but hate to admit it . The study revealed that while many may be quick to insist they are avid viewers of high-brow programmes like Newsnight, it's actually the antics of the TOWIE cast and lure of conflict and emotional drama of Jeremy Kyle that have viewers hooked. Other guilty pleasures include tea-time drama Hollyoaks and Strictly Come Dancing. Brits are also keeping their love of Storage Hunters secured tightly as the show where treasure seekers bid on garages full of junk made the top ten. The report found that the average TV viewer clocks up over 25 hours of television in an average week - more than 1,266 hours a year - which may explain why over a third said they love nothing more than a night in front of the box. Guilty pleasures: Jeremy Kyle's show and The Great British Bake Off came second and third respectively in the poll of our favourite TV shows that we hate admitting to watching . The study also saw Downton Abbey voted the most popular programme in recent times by the average British viewer. Dr Helen Wheatley of the University of Warwick said: 'This report shows the versatility of TV as a medium. 'The research shows that people continue to turn to television for entertainment, to learn new things, to become absorbed in the twisting plot lines of a television drama, but also to indulge in "guilty pleasures". 'It is clear that whilst viewers simultaneously find a wide range of programmes fascinating and compelling, they also worry about what their viewing habits say about them.' Past times: The study also saw Downton Abbey voted the most popular programme in recent times by the average British viewer . According to the report, white van men harbour the biggest flame for baking goddess Mary Berry but keep tight lipped about it in front of their friends. Glee is the unexpected favourite of bankers, insurers and accountants with 19 per cent of them admitting to tuning in regularly in search of light relief from the stresses of the city, while hairdressers love Strictly Come Dancing. Tristia Harrison of TalkTalk, who . carried out the survey, said: 'Whether it’s gathering the family . together to watch your favourite . programme, or tuning into your guilty pleasure to escape from the . outside world, it’s clear to see that TV is at the heart of British . homes. 'It’d be boring if we . all like the same shows; the key is finding TV that complements your . viewing style and watching it your way.' Hairdresser? You love a but of Abbey Clancy on Strictly Come Dancing, says the new study . The Only Way is EssexJeremy KyleThe Great British Bake OffGleeBritain and Ireland’s next top modelBig BrotherKeeping up with Kardashians HollyoaksStrictly Come DancingStorage Hunters .
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We pretend to love Newsnight, but secretly prefer TOWIE .
Average viewer clocks up over 25 hours of television in average week .
Downton Abbey voted most popular programme in recent times .
White van men harbour biggest flame for baking goddess Mary Berry .
Glee is unexpected favourite of bankers, insurers and accountants .
Hairdressers love Strictly Come Dancing .
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By . James Tozer . UPDATED: . 20:04 EST, 13 February 2012 . It is a touching memento of her down-to-earth manner. Addressed simply ‘To George’, this hand-written Valentine’s Day card from Princess Diana is not quite the romantic mystery it might at first appear, however. The Daily Mail can reveal that the recipient was none other than George Smith, the royal valet who caused a scandal when he claimed to have been raped by a member of Prince Charles’s household. Bit of fun: The cute card was specially printed and then signed by Diana, pictured together with its recipient, valet George Smith . In fact, the ex-soldier would have received the cute pink card the same year in which he would later claim the attack took place. Up for sale for £8,000, it is part of a package of memorabilia sold by Mr Smith’s family after he died penniless. Diana is believed to have sent similar messages to several favoured servants on cards specially printed in 1989, when she was still married to Charles. Mr Smith’s card – at least the third to be sold – is advertised as addressed to a servant ‘very closely associated and personally employed for many years as a personal valet to the Princess’. It is in reality from the collection of a man who also told the Mail on Sunday in 2003 that he witnessed Prince Charles in a compromising position with a servant. Nice gesture: The front of the card, left, and inside, right, which is personally signed from Princess Diana. It is expected to fetch nearly £8,000 at auction . The former corporal in the Welsh . Guards was Charles’s valet for nine years until being dismissed in 1997, . but was regarded by Diana as an ally during their break-up. The . Falklands veteran suffered from mental health problems and his . scandalous allegations have always been strenuously denied. During . the 2002 trial of former butler Paul Burrell for stealing from Diana’s . estate, it emerged she had kept a recording of his claims. But the tape . vanished. After years of . alcoholism, Mr Smith died in 2004 aged 45, with his collection of cards . and notes from Diana passed to his widow, Yvonne, and their two . children. They are understood to have sold them to dealer Mark Riddle to fund ‘a new life abroad’. Mr . Riddle said the card is ‘part of a few sent by Diana to cheer up . loveless employees’. He added: ‘Not many people can ever have been . handed a Valentine’s card by a princess, let alone one of the most . iconic. It shows her sense of fun and girlishness.’ Riddle, who owns Memorabilia UK, . tasked with selling the extremely rare card, added: 'The family of . George contacted me after his death saying they wanted to sell his . collection of Diana artefacts. 'I . was amazed when I saw it, not many people can ever have been handed a . Valentine’s card by a Princess, let alone one of the most iconic. 'George had a whole host of Diana memorabilia, often signed by her. 'It . is believed to have been part of a few sent by Diana to cheer up . loveless employees, but one, however, cannot imagine she gave out too . many of these.' The pink card - which measures 18x13cm - comes from the 1989 Andrew Brownsword collection and is called 'Lady Di by Dino...' Funny: The Valentine's Day card was anonymously sent by Diana in 1989 when she was still married to Prince Charles. However, it was intended as a practical joke and not a romantic gesture . It shows a teddy bear jumping among . pink hearts and the printed message, 'Hey Valentine! Not Many Men . Receive a Valentine’s Card From Princess Diana.' Inside the message concludes, 'And You’re One of Them', and the Princess has written 'to George, from Diana!' Memorabilia dealer Mr Riddle added: 'You can only imagine the potential worth of this Diana Valentine card in say 100 years time. 'It really shows the Princess’s sense of fun and girlishness. 'Like many rare collectables it is a hard thing to accurately value, but we have currently pricing it at £7,995. 'Hopefully this treasure can be safe-guarded for the next generation to enjoy.' Only one other similar card has ever been discovered, which was addressed to Sgt Lewis, a former soldier who worked for the Royal family. At least two similar cards have . previously been auctioned. One was sold by former royal servant Sergeant . Ronald Lewis for £2,000 while another written to ex-royal chef Mervyn . Wycherley fetched £1,200.
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Pink personalised card was sent to a former valet and footman George Smith .
Card is up for sale as part of a collection .
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Couple: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich married his third wife Dasha Zhukova up to seven years ago . Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich secretly married his third wife up to seven years ago, it has been revealed. The Russian billionaire, 48, who is estimated to be worth £6.3billion, met 33-year-old art collector Dasha Zhukova in 2005 - and she has always been referred to as his girlfriend. But now, the Moscow-born editor-in-chief of art and fashion magazine Garage has confirmed in a magazine interview that they married 'a few years' after meeting, in a secret ceremony. The Wall Street Journal Magazine article by journalist Tony Perrottet made a reference to the couple who ‘met in 2005 and were married a few years later; they have two children’. The simple mention in the middle of the article is understood to have been approved by Miss Zhukova, but she was unwilling to say anything about their marriage, reported the Daily Mirror. Miss Zhukova - who met Mr Abramovich at a New Year's Eve party hosted by her father - grew up in California. Her father is a prominent businessman and oil magnate and her mother was a scientist. Her parents split when she was three and she and her mother moved to the US when she was ten. She went to a privileged Jewish day school in California and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara before returning to Moscow and later moving to London. She and Mr Abramovich have two children - Aaron Alexander, born in December 2009 and Leah Lou, born in April 2013. Mr Abramovich has five other children from a previous relationship. Together: Mr Abramovich and Miss Zhukova are pictured in Venice in 2009 (left) and at Chelsea in 2013 (right) Miss Zhukova was previously with Marat Safin, the retired former Tennis World Champion Number 1, but the couple split in 2005. Mr Abramovich meanwhile has been married twice previously. His first wife was Olga Yurevna Lysova, whom he divorced three years after marrying in 1988. His second wife was air stewardess Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina - with whom he had five children. She married Mr Abramovich in 1991 but they divorced 16 years later in 2007 - in a settlement said to be in the region of £150million. It is thought Irina was left with a lump sum as well as four homes. London-based Mr Abramovich is now said to own dozens of properties including nine flats in Kensington, which he plans to turn into a 30,000 sq ft house, as well as a mansion in Kensington Palace Gardens - which he reportedly bought for £90million - and a home in Chelsea. Previous spouse: Russian billionaire Mr Abramovich's second wife was air stewardess Irina Vyacheslavovna Malandina (left) - with whom the Chelsea FC owner had five children . He also owns two houses in the Caribbean, a ranch in Colorado, a house just outside Moscow, and the £250million New Holland island off St Petersburg. He also owns two planes – a Boeing 767 and 737 – three helicopters, a customised Ferrari, two Maybach limousines, a Porsche Carrera, a Rolls-Royce Corniche and a VW Golf, as well as at least three supersize yachts. Miss Zhukova hit the headlines in January 2014 when she apologised after being accused of racism by posing in a chair that resembled a bound and semi-naked black woman. The photograph that showed her sitting in the chair designed by Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard was published 'completely out of context', she said at the time, adding: 'I utterly abhor racism.’
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Russian billionaire, 48, met art collector Dasha Zhukova, 33, in 2005 .
Miss Zhukova has always been referred to as Chelsea owner's girlfriend .
But she has confirmed they married a 'few years' after meeting at party .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter and Reuters Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 00:04 EST, 25 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 04:41 EST, 25 April 2012 . A top member of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was killed in an air strike over the weekend, the Yemeni Embassy confirmed Tuesday. U.S. officials say the strike was conducted by the CIA and killed Mohammed Al-Umda on Sunday. The drone targeted the prominent Al-Qaeda leader while he was riding in his SUV. Killed: Wanted Al-Qaeda leader Mohammed Saeed al-Umda was killed by a CIA-operated Predator drone like this one (file photo) Meeting: Yemeni President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi, right, talked with the director of the FBI, Robert Mueller, left, during a meeting in Yemen Tuesday in which Mr Mueller pledged support against Islamist insurgency . According to ABC News, the CIA and the . US military’s Joint Special Operations Command fly drones over that area . of the Middle East to target possible insurgents. FBI director Robert Mueller visited Yemen on Tuesday, pledging to help quell an Islamist insurgency, as security and government sources said a drone had killed a prominent al Qaeda leader linked to an attack on a French oil tanker. In a meeting with President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who took office earlier this year, Mueller promised the United States would support Yemen 'with full force' in all respects. 'Mueller visits Yemen on an annual basis so this is not a special or secret occasion,' said Mohammed Al-Basha, Yemen's embassy spokesman in Washington. 'President Hadi emphasised that he is strongly committed to combating extremism and working with the U.S. to counter the mutual threat of terrorism.' Yemen's embassy in Washington said on Tuesday that Mohammed Saeed al-Umda, convicted in 2005 of involvement in the 2002 attack on the Limburg oil tanker, had been killed in an air strike on his convoy in the oil-producing province of Maarib on Sunday. Umda, described by the embassy as Yemen's fourth most-wanted man, had received military training under Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and was in charge of the group's finances, a security source said. Embattled: A female supporter of Yemen's former President Ali Abdullah Saleh wears pins with his pictures as she demonstrates outside the Cabinet building to demand an investigation into the assassination attempt on Saleh last year . In Washington, U.S. officials indicated that there had been other similar air attacks recently against militant targets in Yemen. U.S. cooperation with Yemeni authorities on counter-terrorism issues appears to have improved somewhat since Hadi took over from long-time president Ali Abdullah Saleh earlier this year. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were aware of reports of al-Umda's death in such an attack but did not have final confirmation. U.S. sources indicated that the airstrike in which the Yemenis say he was killed was carried out by a missile fired from a CIA-operated drone aircraft.The U.S. has repeatedly used drones to target suspected Al-Qaeda militants, who have been emboldened by a year of political upheaval in the impoverished state. Exploiting mass protests against former president Saleh's 33 years in office, militants linked to al Qaeda last year seized large swathes of territory in southern Yemen, including at least two towns. Yemen's army, which split into two factions during the uprising that eventually unseated Saleh, has been battling to get the upper hand against the militants. Escalating violence: According to media reports, a car bomb attack targeted a Yemeni security commander in Lahj province Tuesday, causing the injuries to the commander and other two people . On Tuesday, the Defence Ministry put the number of militants killed in the southern Abyan province in the past two days at 52. It said the army had seized some government offices from militants as they pushed deep inside the provincial capital of Zinjibar. In a statement, Ansar al-Sharia, an al Qaeda-affiliated group, said its fighters had blocked the army's advance and challenged the authorities to issue 'just one recent photograph showing troops inside the city (Zinjibar)'. The statement did not refer to the drone attack. Tribal sources in Abyan said up to 21 militants were killed in three separate clashes with pro-government tribesmen on Tuesday. Two tribal fighters died in the fighting, they said. President Hadi is trying to reform the army but has run up against the vested interests of Saleh's relatives and allies still in charge of the military and security establishment. In a modest victory for Hadi, Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar, a half-brother of Saleh, left his post as air force commander on Tuesday. Earlier this month, he shut down the capital's airport and grounded all flights to protest against his removal in a direct challenge to Hadi's authority. 'The handover has taken place as stated in the decree issued by the president,' U.N. envoy Jamal Benomar told reporters in Sanaa. 'It was a smooth handover with no conditions whatsoever.' It was the first time Hadi had succeeded in removing one of Saleh's relatives from power. Saleh's son, nephew and other allies remain in place as heads of military units. Benomar, who helped push through the plan under which Saleh left office after more than a year of popular unrest, persuaded the former president to lean on his half-brother to step aside, a government official said on condition of anonymity. General Rashed Ali Nasser al-Jund becomes head of the air force. Ahmar was appointed an assistant to the defence minister.
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Mohammed Al-Umda, trained by Bin Laden, was killed in weekend strike .
FBI chief vows to help crush insurgency and spoke with Yemen's president .
Yemen President Hadi says he's committed to working with U.S.
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0e66d4ce67ed09df72795404181b2316086e930e
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(CNN) -- Novak Djokovic will head to London to defend his ATP World Tour Finals crown on a high after winning back the Paris Masters title Sunday. The Serbian ended David Ferrer's reign in Bercy, winning the final 7-5 7-5 in just under two hours to become only the 15th tennis player to hold 40 ATP Tour titles. He kept alive his hopes of ending the year as world No. 1 for the third consecutive time by defeating the man who made it possible -- Ferrer eliminated top-ranked Rafael Nadal in Saturday's semis. The Australian Open champion has now won six titles this year, having also reached the finals of the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. "I am definitely playing the best tennis this year now," said Djokovic, who also won the 2009 Paris title. "I'm playing on a very high level and have lots of confidence in myself, in my game." Djokovic has won 17 matches in a row since losing to Nadal in New York, and has a 66-9 record this year. On Tuesday he will start his London campaign against Roger Federer, who he beat on Saturday, while Ferrer faces a rematch with Nadal in the other four-man group. "I played maybe better than yesterday, and I lost," said world No. 3 Ferrer. "I am happy with my game, because the last few tournaments I played well and I am happy with myself." The Bryan brothers will go to London as clear favorites in the doubles after thrashing their closest rivals Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares 6-3 6-3 in Sunday's Paris final. Mike and Bob have almost double the ranking points of the Austrian/Brazilian duo, who will make their debut in the season-ending event. "We're very happy with our performance against a team that has had a fantastic year and who is playing with a lot of confidence at the moment," Bob Bryan said ahead of his 11th appearance. Meanwhile, Italy clinched a fourth Fed Cup title Sunday, beating a weakened Russia team 4-0 in Sardinia. World No. 7 Sara Errani clinched her country's first women's crown since 2010 by beating 183rd-ranked Alisa Kleybanova 6-1 6-1. The second reverse singles was not played, but Karin Knapp and Flavia Pennetta beat Margarita Gasparyan and Irina Khromacheva in the dead doubles rubber. Russia's top 11 players were unavailable for the final, which clashed with the WTA Tour's Tournament of Champions in Bulgaria. Simona Halep capped her breakthrough season by claiming her sixth title and passing $1 million in prize money this year as she came from behind to beat former U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur 2-6 6-2 6-2 on Sunday. It will move the 22-year-old up to 11th in the rankings, putting her within touching distance of becoming just the third Romanian player to crack the WTA's top 10. She is managed by one of the other two, Virginia Ruzici -- the only Romanian woman to win a grand slam title. "Hopefully I can play next year like I played this year and do well in Australia," Halep said. Former world No. 4 Stosur also lost to Halep in last month's Kremlin Cup final, having won the Osaka title before that.
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World No. 2 Novak Djokovic wins the Paris Masters title for the second time .
Djokovic beats defending champion David Ferrer in Sunday's final .
Both will now head to London for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals .
Italy clinches fourth title in women's Fed Cup, beating Russia 4-0 in final .
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0e691d2ef83e1c6d0e768a8f427ddd221555dcdb
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Leeds president Massimo Cellino arrived back in the United Kingdom in defiant mood on Tuesday and told the Football League it had 'made a big mistake' in disqualifying him from owning the club. Cellino was holding talks in Bahrain with the club's former owner Gulf Finance House - the investment bank still control 25 per cent of the club's shares - when the Football League announced on Monday the Italian had failed its 'owners and directors' test'. The league told Cellino he must stand down after finally receiving further evidence of dishonesty from the Italian judge who convicted him for tax evasion in March. Massimo Cellino (centre) watches Leeds play Brentford at Griffin Park back in September . It was all quiet outside Elland Road on Monday as the statements were released . Hollywood actor Verne Troyer (centre) poses with Cellino's daughter Eleonora at Elland Road on Saturday . The 58-year-old will be entitled to return to his position at the club on March 18 next year when the conviction is spent under UK law. The league has said Cellino had 14 days to lodge an appeal. 'I don't want to spend a lot of money on lawyers,' Cellino told ITV. 'This club in the last five years has spent more money on lawyers than players.' When asked to confirm he will appeal, Cellino said: 'Sure. I'm going to meet my lawyers. They (Football League) have made a big mistake. 'They're just throwing money from the window.' Cellino took control of Leeds in April when his family company, Eleanora Sport Limited, bought 75 per cent of the club's shares from GFH. The former Cagliari owner announced a new £20million investment in Leeds on Saturday and said he had successfully negotiated a £5million contribution from GFH after meeting with the investment bank's officials in Bahrain. The statue of former Leeds captain Billy Bremner stands proud outside the famous old ground . Leeds' players celebrate Mirco Antenucci's strike in the 2-1 win over league leaders Derby on Saturday . We have today received a notice from the Football League disqualifying Mr Cellino from being a director of Leeds United Football Club until March 18 2015. The club is in the process of taking legal advice on the reasoning of the decision. In the interim, the club notes that nothing has changed since the decision of the Football League’s Professional Conduct Committee in April 2014. The steps that the League wishes the club to take – to remove Mr Cellino only to re-appoint him in three months’ time - will be destabilising for the club, its supporters and sponsors and cannot be in the best interests of any party. Cellino added: 'I solved a big problem (on Monday) in Bahrain. It was important for the survival of this club. This club now is financially strong, it looks to the future and we're going to present the facts. 'We're going to fix the club and the league is going to realise it's doing a big mistake.' The league initially attempted to block Cellino's takeover of Leeds after his tax conviction in April, but the Italian successfully appealed. But the judge who over-ruled the league's decision, Tim Kerr QC, said if it was later concluded that Cellino had acted dishonestly when failing to pay import duty on his yacht, he would fail the 'owners' and directors' test'. Cellino faces a second similar charge of tax evasion on another yacht. The latest court case in Sardinia was adjourned in late October and it is understood a new date has yet to be confirmed. The league has also asked an independent disciplinary commission to consider whether Cellino breached league regulations by not disclosing information it had obtained from the Sardinian court which convicted him in March. Press Association Sport understands there is no time limit on the commission's findings as this further breach of its rules is an entirely separate process. It is also understood that Eleanora Sport could install a new management structure at Elland Road to satisfy the league that Cellino has no financial or executive influence on the club during his disqualification period. The Board of Directors of The Football League has, once again, considered the position of Leeds United President, Massimo Cellino, under its Owners' and Directors' Test. Previously (March 2014), the Board had ruled that Mr Cellino was subject to a disqualifying condition after he was found guilty of an offence under Italian tax legislation relating to the non-payment of import duties on a boat (which resulted in him being fined €600,000). In April 2014, this decision was successfully appealed by Mr Cellino at a hearing of the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) chaired by an independent QC (sitting alone). In reaching his verdict, Tim Kerr QC concluded that: “Mr Cellino has satisfied me that on the facts before me, what he was convicted of was not conduct which would reasonably be considered to be dishonest.” Before going on to state that: “if the reasoned ruling of the court in Cagliari discloses that the conduct of Mr Cellino was such that it would reasonably be considered to be dishonest, he would become subject to a Disqualifying Condition.” Cellino watches Leeds take on QPR back in March before his takeover had been completed . At its meeting last week, the Board considered the reasoned Judgment of the Italian Court against Mr Cellino, having successfully applied to the Italian Courts for its full disclosure. The Board considered detailed legal advice and agreed unanimously (with the exception of its Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey, who did not take part in the debate or vote having declared an interest*) that Mr Cellino is subject to a disqualifying condition under the terms of the Test. Mr Cellino is entitled to appeal the Board's decision to the PCC within 14 days. As the Judgment of the Italian Court has not been published in Italy, The Football League will not make any of its contents public. Additionally, the Board concluded that it was appropriate to ask an independent Football Disciplinary Commission (FDC) to consider whether Mr Cellino and/or Leeds United breached League regulations relating to the timely disclosure of relevant information. The matter will be heard by an FDC in due course. Editors notes: . * Shaun Harvey was Chief Executive and a Director of Leeds United between 2004 and 2013. Cellino is pictured at Millwall back in August. He has sacked two managers since then .
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Massimo Cellino was disqualified from owning Championship side Leeds .
The Football League announced on Monday the Italian has failed its 'owners and directors' test'
Cellino can return to his role on March 18 in 2015 .
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Harry Potter villain has Jungle Book songs on his iPod . Mel C 'bit chunks out of' Mickey Mouse toy . Ashley Jensen thought there were elves under her bed . Joanna Page was scared she was part of Snow White story . By . Alanah Eriksen . Last updated at 12:16 PM on 27th July 2011 . A host of celebrities have revealed their most intimate childhood memories of Disney as part of a campaign to raise £1million for charity. The Great Ormond Street Hospital's Million Disney Memories drive, launched today, is encouraging people to 'donate' their earliest recollections on the kids' movie franchise. When they reach one million memories, Disney will donate £1million for the charity. Scroll down for videos . Looking back: Sir Michael Caine talks about his early memories of Bambi as part of the Million Disney Memories campaign . Several stars say Bambi left them in floods of tears when they were children. Sir Michael Caine said: 'My memories were Snow White and Bambi in those days, I remember crying my eyes out when Bambi’s mother died in the forest and laughing my head off at the Seven Dwarfs. 'I grew up with cartoons. My favourite Disney villain would have to be the wicked witch from Snow White, I think she is great and my favourite Disney hero is Mickey Mouse, he was my first hero and my favourite.' Cold Feet star Fay Ripley also said one of her first Disney memories was of Bambi. Sharing is caring: Edith Bowman has shared her first Disney memory which will help to raise money for Great Ormond Street . 'I went to see Bambi and I ran into that cinema full of the joys of life and I ran out of it sobbing.' Will Mellor remembers 'crying my eyes out as a kid' during the movie. 'It was a really sad film. My kids haven’t watched it yet, but I’m going to introduce them to it, to share my tears.' Alesha Dixon was more optimistic. 'It was the most beautiful experience and highly emotional,' she said. 'Disney literally transported me to another world that I didn't want to end.' Gavin and Stacey actress Joanna Page was more scared while watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. 'I was quite traumatised and I cried a lot,' she said. 'I . remember thinking it was so awful for poor Snow White and I felt so . terrible about all the dwarfs and it really, really upset me. 'Then . my parents got me a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs book and put my . name in it as if I was their friend and I remember being very frightened . by that, thinking that I was involved in the story – although I think . I’d quite like that now.' Dear deer: Cold Feet star Fay Ripley said her first Disney memory was of Bambi . Harry Potter villain Jason Isaacs revealed he has music from The Jungle Book on his iPod that he still sings along to with his children. Mel C said she had a foam Mickey Mouse toy that she used to bite chunks out of. Lewis Hamilton said his mum has a photo of him in infant school in which he is wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt which had buttons on it you could press which made the ears squeak. He added that he met the character during a trip to Disneyland in Los Angeles. Extras' Ashley Jensen said her first Disney memory was of Bedknobs and Broomsticks 'because there was a flying bed and then I used to get a little bit scared that there were elves under my bed'. And I'd Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger said she would always remember the first time she 'met' Snow White. 'I Can still remember what I wore to this day and I kind of hugged her so much that I didn’t want to let go.' Jungle fever: Angela Griffin remembers The Jungle book for the campaign . Other celebrities involved in the . campaign include Thandie Newton, Patsy Kensit, Julie Walters, Sophie Ellis Bexter, Emma Bunton, Billy . Connolly, Edith Bowman, Angela Griffin and Dermot O'Leary. The campaign was created following research which found that 92 per cent of UK parents and grandparents believe memories of Disney characters stay with you for life. More than half of the British public have shared their own Disney memories with their family. The campaign builds on Disney's longstanding partnership with the charity, raising money for the hospital redevelopment and new clinical building, aiming to raise £10million in total. People can donate their memories by logging into their Facebook account and visiting www.facebook.com/disneyjunioruk or searching for Disney Junior (UK). If they don't have a Facebook account, they can ask a friend to post their memory.
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Harry Potter villain has Jungle Book songs on his iPod .
Mel C 'bit chunks out of' Mickey Mouse toy .
Ashley Jensen thought there were elves under her bed .
Joanna Page was scared she was part of Snow White story .
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0e6a1a1ef0646fde4a6b2955ff9eee845bf5f779
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A grand jury has decided not to charge anyone in an alleged sexual assault near Ohio University that was photographed and filmed by witnesses, a prosecutor said Monday. Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said the grand jury determined there wasn't probable cause to file charges after a man and woman were photographed in a sex act against the front window of a bank near the southern Ohio campus in the early hours of October 12. Explicit photos of the two were circulated via social media, and the woman later told police she was a victim of a sexual assault. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT . Tweeted: The photo Blanc posted, which MailOnline has cropped, shows the man kneeling down and performing a sex act on the woman against a wall . Investigators determined the couple, . both 20-year-old students, had alcohol from a bar before the sex act, . Blackburn said in a statement Monday. Blackburn said the man asked the woman whether to stop the act when a crowd formed, and she said no. The . man has cooperated with police. The woman didn't remember what . happened, and testing showed no sign of any 'date rape drug,' Blackburn . said. He said the couple wasn't aware at the time that their act was being filmed. 'Every . decision we make now has the potential to be placed on Twitter, . Facebook, commented on, shared and embellished, making life today more . public than ever before,' Blackburn said in the statement. 'If a lesson exists from this case, let it be that we should behave as if our family is always watching.' Spreading the word: Twitter and Instagram users posted about the alleged incident not knowing that the woman has since reported it to police as a sexual assault . University . President Roderick McDavis had said the school would conduct its own . investigation and, if appropriate, would take action to hold people . accountable. He said . that some of the response within the university community had been . divisive and that he hoped instead it would inspire greater caring at . the campus about 70 miles southeast of Columbus. The . video and picture quickly became a national news story, provoking . outrage at those who did not intervene and some bloggers it seems . started hunting for the woman - claiming that she had only filed a . sexual assault suit because she was embarrassed at the footage. However, . not only did the shameful web users go after the potential victim of a . sexual assault - they also identified the wrong girl. Journalism . student, Rachel Cassidy, was wrongly named on Twitter as the woman in . the now notorious images and video of a girl being pinned against a wall . while a man performed oral sex as passers-by only stopped to film it. Incorrectly identified: Rachel Cassidy was . falsely named as the alleged victim of a sexual assault on October 12th . at Ohio University Homecoming that was filmed and uploaded to the . Internet . Vile: This is the Tweet that named Rachel Cassidy as the girl involved in the rape claim after she was filmed on the street at the Ohio University Homecoming . Rachel . was named by @Anon_Central — a popular Twitter account with over . 170,000 followers as the alleged victim days after the incident and was . accused of being a 'liar' only interested in saving her own 'ass'. However, . Rachel has come forward to explain that she is '100 percent' not the . woman involved and that she was nowhere near the incident at Chase Bank, . 2 S. Court St., on Saturday, October 12th. Police officers have also confirmed that she was not involved. One of the individuals who stood and videoed the incident was named and shamed by the MailOnline earlier this month. Vance Blanc, 19, tweeted the image the morning after with the caption: 'So I witnessed this the other night. This is the photo.' Blanc sent it to @Huntermoore, who is the man behind the notorious now shuttered 'Revenge Porn' website Anyone Up? Shame: Vance Blanc, a 19-year-old college . student, is one of those being criticized for failing to step in and act . while the alleged sexual assault was occuring. Instead he's among a . handful of people who posted pictures online . He . also tweeted it at @68StewartSt, a user who goes by the name of The . Animal House who seems to be an OU student who puts on parties. When the story went viral Blanc was initially belligerent and tweeted: 'You don't wanna get embarrassed? don't do stupid shit.' He later took down the image and apologized, claiming to be 'ashamed.' The explicit photos of the alleged assault were taken and shared on social media after the college homecoming celebration. The . woman seen receiving oral sex in the photos and videos reportedly had . no idea what happened to her until the next morning when she saw the . photos online. Many of the photos of incident have been taken down by the Instagram users who originally posted them, but news sites like Buzzfeed republished them. The . woman in the photos contacted the police the day after the incident and . reported that she had been a victim of sexual assault to the Athens . police department. Close for comfort: The photos suggest the alleged sexual assault took place against the Chase bank on Court Street which is about a block away from the police department . In one . of the most graphic photos- which shows the man kneeling in front of the . woman as she leans against a Chase bank- makes it clear that there were . onlookers just feet away from the incident as it was in progress. Blanc wasn't the only one to witness the incident. 'Still . can believe a dude was ****** *** on court street Saturday night in . front of like 10 people,' a different Twitter user wrote. Not only was the scene of the alleged crime a busy street but it was also one block away from the police station. While police were still investigating the case, the community was already going on the attack. 'Some . of us are really angered and disappointed that no one intervened and . they just filmed it,' Allie Erwin, a student at Ohio University who . leads an anti-rape group on campus, said at the time. 'Their . first impulse was to share it on social media and make a mockery of . something that was probably the worst thing that’s ever happened to her. There are other people who saw it as her asking for it and think it’s a . joke. Basically they're slut-shaming her for what happened,' she said . according to Metro. 'The response on social media is kind of heartbreaking, how harsh and cruel people are being.'
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A grand jury determined there wasn't probable cause to file charges after a man and woman were photographed in a sex act near Ohio University .
Explicit photos of the two were .
circulated via social media after the October 12 incident .
The woman later told police she was a .
victim of a sexual assault .
Investigators determined the couple, .
both 20-year-old students, had alcohol from a bar before the sex act .
A prosecutor said the man asked the woman whether to stop the act when a crowd formed, and she said no .
The woman didn't remember what .
happened, and testing showed no sign of any 'date rape drug'
The couple said they didn't know they were being filmed .
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0e6b0a92ef13525471f70bd7be6abfb1ceff7c19
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By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 19:54 EST, 21 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 01:57 EST, 22 August 2012 . A stomach-filling ‘anti-hunger’ additive is being used to make yoghurts and smoothies that help dieters lose weight by making them feel full after eating small amounts. Scientists are developing the ingredient, SATISFIT-LTG, as a slimming aid. Dr Carsten Huettermann, from German firm Dow Wolff, told the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia that tests found volunteers felt full after eating smaller amounts of food containing the substance. Diet of the future: A stomach-filling 'anti-hunger' additive is being used to help dieters lose weight by making them feel full after eating small amounts . Volunteers who ate food containing the additive consumed 13 per cent fewer calories when given a second meal two hours later. The additive is a new version of a substance called methyl cellulose, which is used as a binding agent in snacks such as ready meals and baked goods. A white power, which dissolves in hot water it turns into a gel when it is heated and has been in use for 50 years, almost gluing ingredients together in food. It could be used in a variety of cold foods including yogurts . Conventional versions of methyl . cellulose pass through the stomach too rapidly to have an impact on . satiety, said Dr Huettermann. But the new additive forms a gel at body . temperature which lingers in the stomach before passing into the small . intestine. Dr Carsten Huettermann, from Dow Wollf Cellulosics in Bomlitz, Germany, told the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Philadelphia: 'This ingredient would make people feel full after eating smaller amounts of food. 'With that sense of fullness and hunger-satisfaction, they would not crave more food. 'In our first study, we saw that fewer calories were consumed at the following meal after eating our new product. Our next step now is to investigate in further studies the mechanism of action and whether this may have an impact on weight management. SATISFIT-LTG is being developed as a potential ingredient in chilled products such as smoothies and yoghurts, Dr Huettermann added. Emma Williams, a member of the Nutrition Society, told The Daily Telegraph: 'Although these findings are interesting because this is a proof-of-concept study much more research is needed to understand the processes as well as the implications for long-term weight reduction. Dr Huettermann said further research was being done after the promising clinical trials.
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Scientists are developing the ingredient, SATISFIT-LTG, as a slimming aid .
Thirteen per cent fewer calories were consumed at the following meal after eating the new product .
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PUBLISHED: . 16:02 EST, 19 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 16:04 EST, 19 September 2012 . A high-end steakhouse in the Meatpacking . District is offering New York restaurant goers their first real taste . of a Kobe steak, for a whopping $350. While restaurants across America have claimed to sell . Kobe beef on their upscale menus for years, charging customers hundreds of . dollars for the delicacy, these steaks have previously been fakes. Until August 17, 2012, it has been illegal to buy, sell, and import any Japanese beef in the U.S, including the rare Kobe; and while some ranchers in the Midwest have claimed to recreate it, they only produce what Forbes Magazine has called 'Faux-be' beef - a cut of meat that is all beef, but no Kobe. The real deal: The Old Homestead Steakhouse in the Meatpacking District is offering New York restaurant goers their first real taste of a Kobe steak, for a whopping $350 . Last month the USDA lifted the ban on the import, which was originally set in place because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Japan, and now the brand new steak dish at Old Homestead Steakhouse is so popular that the restaurant doesn't even have it on the menu. Owner Greg Sherry told MailOnline: 'We got our first shipment on Friday, and already it has sold out. 'The availability is so limited, so we're keeping it to a first come, first serve basis of reservations only,' he said. During the import ban, restaurants have been charging approximately $40 for a . 'Kobe' burger or $100 for a 'Kobe' steak, conning customers into paying top dollar by using a word synonymous with . excellence and good quality meat. 'We got our first shipment on Friday, and already it has sold out' However The Old Homestead Steakhouse's Kobe steak is the real deal. 'We had two people fly in from Japan's National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations to see the meat, to ensure it have arrived properly, and was being served correctly,' Mr Sherry explained. Kobe beef in Japan is a . registered trademark of the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution . Promotion Association, and must fulfill seven strict conditions in order . for a restaurant or supplier to label it as such. Patented and pricey: Real Kobe beef on sale at a . price of $180 per kilo in Japan, it is known for its renowned flavour, . tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture . The virtues of Kobe, which refers to . cuts of beef from the Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle, considered a . delicacy and renowned for its flavour and tenderness, has been regularly . touted by famous chefs and on menus all over the country. While Wagyu is a broad term which literally means Japanese cattle, Kobe is the term which is used for beef actually raised in the province of Kobe. Under . Japanese law, for a beef to be labelled Kobe, it can only came from the Hyogo prefecture, where . no slaughterhouses were approved for export from 2010 until August 2012 by the United States . Department of Agriculture. And despite the fact that Kobe Beef, . Meat, and Cattle are patented trademarks in Japan, these Japanese trademarks are . neither recognised nor protected by U.S. law. Similar to the label 'natural' on many U.S. products, a term also unregulated in America, Kobe is an adjective which has been used by restaurants mainly to confuse consumers and profit from their confusion. However real Kobe beef is produced under . some of the world’s strictest legal food standards, contributing to the . $350 cost of the The Old Homestead Steakhouse's authentic Kobe steak. Copyright guidelines: These authentic Kobe cows . were born in the Hyogo prefecture, raised on local grasses since its . birth, and have a 10 digit ID . 'I can only equate it with having a great bottle of wine. You would pay $300 to taste the best possible red, much like you would for the best steak in the world,' said Mr Sherry. He added: 'Buying Japanese beef is about ten to 15 times the cost of buying American beef, and that's where most of our overheads come in. But it's not about the money, it's just about enabling the public to try this exquisite piece for meat.' According to the Kobe patent, in order . to label a cut of meat Kobe, it must have come from a pure lineage of . Tajima-gyu breed cattle. However in the U.S., Japanese cattle which were . imported before the 2010 ban are crossbred with American cattle, which . has translated into a Kobe-style product. Must be pure-bred Tajima calf born in Hyōgo Prefecture . Farm fed only from grains and water from Hyōgo Prefecture . Castrated bull or virgin cow, to purify the beef . Processed at slaughterhouses in Kobe, Nishinomiya, Sanda, Kakogawa and Himeji in Hyōgo Prefecture only . Marbling ratio, called BMS, of level 6 and above . Meat Quality Score of 4 or 5 . Gross weight of beef from one animal is 470kg or less . The cow must also have been born in the Hyogo prefecture, raised on local grasses, water and soil since its birth. It must be a bull or virgin cow, and it must be processed in a Hyogo slaughterhouse, which for two years have not been able to be exported to the U.S., until now. There are only 3000 head of certified Kobe Beef cattle in the world, and each of them live in Japan. The process is so strict that when the beef is sold, either in stores or restaurants, it must carry the 10-digit identification number so customers know what particular Tajima-gyu cow it came from. But as an unregulated term, the American government has enabled vendors to misuse the Kobe name, charging customers high prices under false pretenses. However with the ban now lifted, hopefully this will change. And while the American Kobe-style beef is usually raised all-natural, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and fed a vegetarian diet, it has nothing in common with actual Kobe beef except that it comes from cows. Restaurants currently have no legal obligation to label it as such, easily justifying a price tag to match the wool pulled over consumers eyes. Mr Sherry, who is excited about being one of the first American restaurants to serve the real deal, said: 'We'll continue to serve it as long as the demand is there. 'It’s a food experience of orgasmic proportions – really,' he added. Diners who order the pricey dish will also be able to take home an inscribed plate as a token of their experience.
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Old Homestead Steakhouse is one of the first restaurants in America to sell real Kobe beef .
The USDA lifted a longstanding Japanese meat import ban on August 17, 2012 .
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0e6c86291cfe98a04cfbcc9bab353d8c07756b07
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By . Press Association Reporter . Robert Lewandowski's first Bundesliga goal for Bayern Munich was not enough to earn the champions victory as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Schalke. The Polish striker, who moved to the Allianz Arena from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, opened his account after only 10 minutes with a close-range finish. But Bayern, for whom new signing Xabi Alonso made his debut in midfield, could not add to their tally and were pegged back by Benedikt Howedes 62nd-minute leveller. Disappointing: Bayern Munich were held 1-1 away at Schalke despite taking the lead . It left Bayer Leverkusen as the only team with two wins from two after they scored four second-half goals to win 4-2 at home to Hertha Berlin. They had to come from behind twice, Tin Jedvaj's own goal putting Hertha ahead 24 minutes before he equalised five minutes after the break. Julian Schieber's third goal of the season restored the visitors' advantage, but goals from Emir Spahic, Julian Brandt and Karim Bellarabi turned the match on its head. Opener: Summer signing Robert Lewandowski scored his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern Munich . Debut: Former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso made his debut for Bayern Munich in the draw . Paderborn picked up their first ever Bundesliga win by embarrassing Hamburg 3-0 at the HSV-Arena. Elias Kachunga, Mario Vrancic and Moritz Stoppelkamp were on target for the Bundesliga newcomers, who turned up the heat on home coach Mirko Slomka. Cologne won 2-0 at Stuttgart thanks to first-half goals from Yuya Osako and Anthony Ujah to leave the home fans making their discontent known to coach Armin Veh. Equaliser: Benedikt Howedes celebrates scoring Schalke's equaliser to deny Bayern another victory . Despair: Bayern Munich aren't used to dropping points and manager Pep Guardiola couldn't hide his frustration . Hoffenheim joined Cologne on four points after a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen. Roberto Firmino put the visitors in front after 19 minutes, but Alejandro Galvez equalised on the hour mark. Eintracht Frankfurt also made it a win and a draw from their opening two games by clinching a 2-2 result at Wolfsburg. Naldo gave the hosts the lead early on, but an own goal from Sebastian Jung saw the visitors level within 10 minutes. Maximilian Arnold thought he had earned the Wolves their first win of the season with just over 10 minutes to go, but Vaclav Kadlec headed an equaliser five minutes from time.
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Pep Guardiola's reigning champions held away at Schalke .
Summer signing Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with his first Bundesliga goal for Bayern Munich .
Schalke equalised early in the second half through Benedikt Howedes .
Xabi Alonso made his debut for Bayern having signed from Real Madrid .
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0e6c992c9cd429212d27bafe72462c14e59fbcf6
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New Delhi (CNN) -- An unspecified number of Indian sailors have died after an explosion and fire on a navy submarine at a dockyard in Mumbai, authorities said Wednesday. Rescue efforts are under way at the scene following the blast and "major fire" early Wednesday on the INS Sindhurakshak, the defense ministry said in a statement. Defense Minister A.K. Antony later said that some officers had lost their lives, but he didn't give any details on how many had died. The Russian-built submarine has mostly sunk from the damage, the defense ministry said, and only a part of it is visible. About 18 people were on board the vessel at the time of the blast, it said. Images carried by CNN sister network IBN showed the night sky over the port area lighted up by the explosion and blaze, which began shortly after midnight. Navy and civilian firefighters were called into action at Mumbai's naval dockyard to tackle the flames and rescue survivors. By Wednesday afternoon, the navy had taken sole responsibility for the rescue effort, Mumbai fire chief Suhas Joshi said. An inquiry has been ordered to determine the cause of the explosion, the defense ministry said. In 2011: Probe, repairs ordered after Russian nuclear submarine fire . Refitted in Russia . The Sindhurakshak was commissioned in 1997, according to the Indian Navy. It was refitted in a Russian shipyard between August 2010 and January of this year, Russian state new agency Itar Tass reported. The redesign included the installation of new missile, communication and cooling systems, as well as a new radar, the agency said. It reported that the upgrade also included other measures to improve the submarine's combat quality and operational safety. The crisis at the Mumbai dockyard Wednesday comes after India launched a home-built aircraft carrier Monday in a bid to join a select group of nations capable of building such warships. In 2012: Vacuum cleaner blamed for fire on nuclear submarine . CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New Delhi, and Jethro Mullen wrote from Hong Kong. Joseph Netto in Atlanta contributed to this report.
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NEW: The defense minister confirms some deaths but doesn't say how many .
About 18 people were reportedly on board when the blast happened .
Rescue efforts are still under way .
The Russian-built submarine has mostly sunk following the explosion and blaze .
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Denver, Colorado (CNN) -- When Shay Kelley lost her marketing job she got worried. When she lost her home and her car she got mad. "I went off into the woods and I started yelling at God," she says. "I didn't know why God would lead me up to this point in my life just to have me left with nothing." "I was like, 'Just tell me what my purpose is, tell me why I'm here and if you'll just tell me I'll work harder than for anything I have ever worked for anything else in my entire life.' " Within weeks she had her answer: Travel to all 50 states in 50 weeks. Collect canned goods for charities along the way and take a ton of pictures. She has dubbed it Project 50/50. She stayed with friends while she waited tables and got together enough money to buy "Bubba," her 1984 Ford pickup truck. She packed her camera, which she calls "Roxy," and her dog, Zu Zu, and hit the road. She began on New Year's Day in South Carolina, randomly going door to door to collect canned goods. "I set a goal of 200 cans a week, which doesn't sound like a lot, but the premise is [that] doing a little bit adds up to a lot," Kelley says. "After a year, [that's] 10,000 canned food items." She began to meet homeless people as she dropped off the canned goods, and she says they have surprised her with their generosity. She met Donald, a retired Navy sailor, at a library in South Carolina. "He invited me to go to lunch to buy me a hot meal because I had been eating PowerBars for three days," Kelley says. "I found out after he left -- after he paid the tab and paid my meter -- that Donald was homeless, that he was actually living in the shelter." "That was the first week when I learned the people with the least tend to give the most." Donald was one of the first people she photographed. She posts her pictures on her website and Facebook page as she goes. She has more than 1,000 Facebook fans following her travels. See more of Kelley's photos . One of those Facebook followers is Laurie Holleman Sherrod, who contacted Kelley with an unusual request: . She asked Kelley if she could find her son, Trey. The last time she heard, he was living on the streets in Santa Cruz, California. "I thought that's crazy, how do you find one homeless person in an entire city?" Kelley recalled. But she agreed to try and sure enough a few weeks later she happened upon a nice young man on the streets of Santa Cruz. "And then here I am sitting around the table with Trey shooting a video for his mother who lives in South Carolina." As with everything that has happened to her so far, she credits her faith with guiding her. "It is so important to me that God remains in the forefront of my life," she says. "He leads me. He tells me to go right or go left. I can't really explain that to people, but I don't do anything, God does it all. I'm just standing here." iReporter tells the story of one homeless man . Through her photos she captures people down on their luck, but not ready to give up. She says it has made her own uncertain future easier to deal with. "I just hope that people who are in really rough situations will realize that God didn't forget about them. God is just trying to prepare them for something even bigger, even greater and even more blessed than they can even imagine."
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Jobless and unemployed, Shay Kelley decides to embark on a new mission .
Starting on New Year's Day, she began helping the homeless .
She collected canned goods, then decided she wanted to do more .
Kelley is traveling to all 50 states with her camera, photographing America's homeless people .
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San Francisco (CNN) -- Barry Bonds' personal trainer refused to testify against the baseball home run king in his perjury trial Tuesday, prompting the judge to order the trainer held in custody until he changes his mind. Federal prosecutors called Gary Anderson as the first witness as they began laying out their case against Bonds in a San Francisco courtroom Tuesday morning. Anderson, flanked by lawyer Mark Geragos, told the judge he would not testify, . "It's very important that you testify so that the whole truth can some out in this trial," U.S. District Judge Susan Illston told Anderson, as she found him in civil contempt. Geragos said he would immediately appeal the judge's decision to send Anderson to jail on the grounds that he was not given a fair hearing. Anderson has already served several months in prison for previously refusing to testify against Bonds before grand juries in 2006. He also was sentenced to three months in prison after pleading guilty in 2005 to illegally possessing anabolic steroids with the intent to distribute. "He doesn't trust the prosecution," Geragos said of Anderson. "He will never cooperate with these guys." The trial, which is expected to last three or four weeks, is taking place less than two miles from the ballpark where Bonds, 46, broke Henry Aaron's major league home run record in August 2007. Bonds, then a star on the San Francisco Giants, was indicted three months later on four counts of lying to a grand jury about his use of performance-enhancing drugs during the federal investigation of steroids use by athletes. He also faces one count of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors will try to convince a jury of eight women and four men that Bonds knew his trainer was giving him illegal steroids and that he lied about it to a grand jury in December 2003. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Parrella told jurors that a urine sample given by Bonds in the summer of 2003, just months before his grand jury testimony, tested positive for anabolic steroids. Defense lawyer Allen Ruby, in his opening statement told jurors that Bonds acknowledged to the grand jury that he used the substances known as "the clear and the cream," but at the time of his testimony even investigators didn't know what was in it. Bonds told the grand jury he thought Anderson was giving flax seed oil, Ruby said. "Barry answered every question, he told the truth, he did his best and, most significantly, he provided the grand jury with useful information which supported the indictment that they later returned against the BALCO defendants," Ruby said, referring the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative by its acronym name, BALCO. The witness list includes Bonds' ex-girlfriend Kimberly Bell, who will testify that Bonds told her he was taking steroids prior to the 2000 Major League Baseball season, according to the prosecution. "Ms. Bell will further testify to personal observations regarding changes in the defendant's body during the period of time beginning in the year 1999, including bloating, acne on the shoulders and back, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, and testicular shrinkage," the prosecution's description of its witnesses said. "She will also testify about changes in the defendant's temperament, including an increase in angry, threatening, controlling, and violent behavior." Several former teammates and friends are also on the witness list to testify for the prosecution. Ruby, in his opening statement, attacked the former friends who are expected to be called as key prosecution witnesses. "The bitterness of these people toward Barry that surfaced around the time of the breakup, was very pervasive, very strong," Ruby said. These witnesses "cooperated with the media as anonymous sources on many of the poisonous things about Barry," he said. "They have tried to create a caricature of Barry Bonds, a terrible guy, always bad, mean and so on." A former IRS agent who fished through the trash at BALCO every week for a year testified Tuesday afternoon that a magazine clipping he found in the garbage bin led him to Barry Bonds as a witness in his investigation. The article, which included a photo of Bonds with BALCO chief Victor Conte and Anderson, indicated that Bonds "was using their services," investigator Jeff Novitzky testified. Bonds holds the major league record for home runs with 762 in his 21-year career. He also set the record for most home runs in a single season in 2001 when he hit 73 balls out of the park. Bonds did not officially retire after he was indicted, but he never played another game.
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NEW: Bonds' trainer is sent to jail for refusing to testify .
"Barry told the truth," Bonds' attorney says .
Bonds faces four counts of lying to a grand jury and an obstruction of justice charge .
He allegedly lied when he said he did not know his trainer was giving him steroids .
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New Delhi (CNN) -- Narendra Modi, the leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, claimed victory as India's next Prime Minister on Friday, bringing to power a man whose controversial past at one point led the United States to deny him a visa. Official results show his party winning at least 275 of 543 parliamentary seats, bringing a clear majority, according to the India Election Commission. It's the first time in three decades that India's 540 million voters delivered a resounding mandate to a single party to rule the world's second-most populous nation. Fractured electoral verdicts leading to coalition governments had been common in India since 1989. Manmohan Singh, India's outgoing Prime Minister, called Modi to congratulate him on his "party's victory," said Singh's Twitter page. Viewed as pro-business, Modi, 63, has pledged reforms to revive the nation's flagging economy. But his past is not without controversy. Throughout his campaign, his relationship with the country's huge Muslim minority came under scrutiny. In 2002, Gujarat state was wracked with anti-Muslim violence, in which more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed. Modi, the state's chief minister, was criticized for not doing enough to halt the violence, but a Supreme Court-ordered investigation absolved him of blame last year. Analysts predict his arrival in India's top office will bring a marked change in direction for the world's most populous democracy, a nation whose modern character has been defined by the defeated Indian National Congress Party, which has been dominant since the country's independence in 1947. Modi's victory had long been anticipated, as polls indicated a slump in support for the ruling Congress Party, which has been dogged by high-profile corruption scandals amid stubborn inflation and a slowed economy. Congress Party spokesman Randeep Surjewala told CNN, "We bow before the wishes of the people of India with all humility. We will continue to play the role assigned to us. We will try with greater vigor and determination to work with the large populace of this country." Modi's relationship with the rest of the world . The United States denied Modi a visa over the anti-Muslim violence in 2005, suggesting a strained relationship between the United States and India's next Prime Minister. But President Barack Obama called Modi to congratulate him on winning the election and to invite him to Washington, according to the White House. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also congratulated Modi, saying in a tweet that he looks forward to "growing shared prosperity." State Department officials told CNN that Modi will be given a visa to the United States once he takes office and forms a government. The tensions between Modi and the United States in the past could have an impact on relations during his term, said Arati Jerath, an analyst and journalist in India. "There is a feeling that Narendra Modi will be much more pro-China than pro-U.S., and that could be rooted to the fact that he's had this tension with the United States over his visa, whereas the Chinese laid out the red carpet for him," Jerath said. Modi's ascent to the national stage . Celebrations broke out as updates from the five-week-long election were released throughout the day. Modi's supporters sang, danced, played music, threw flowers and even brought elephants into the mix as initial results indicated a huge lead for the BJP. Supporters celebrated outside the party's office and in the streets in Gujarat, where Modi has served as chief minister since 2001. He tweeted: "Good days are here to come." At a news conference, BJP chief Rajnath Singh declared, "Till some time ago, it was said India's success story is over. Now, the time has come to rewrite India's success story." India's potential for growth was once mentioned in the same breath as that of China. But the world's second-most populous nation has not delivered. Modi, a former tea seller, sprang into the national spotlight for his work in Gujarat, where he cultivated an image of a man who gets things done. Gujarat, a state of some 60 million people, has seen China-like rates of growth in recent years, which have been eyed enviously by the rest of the country. The "Gujarat model" of development means a focus on infrastructure, urbanization and eradicating red tape. India's stock market surged Friday as initial results suggested a huge lead for Modi and his party. UK Foreign Minister William Hague congratulated Modi and his party, saying Britain looked "forward to forging an even closer partnership with India." CNN's Mallika Kapur, Sumnima Udas and Tim Hume contributed to this report.
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NEW: President Obama congratulates Narendra Modi and invites him to Washington.
Official results show a clear majority for one party, a first in three decades for India .
Narendra Modi is a Hindu nationalist who was viewed as a pro-business candidate .
But controversies in his past have led to strained relations with the United States .
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By . Pete Jenson . Follow @@petejenson . Keylor Navas says fearless Costa Rica can go on being World Cup world-beaters after victory against Greece put them in the last eight. The hero of the penalty shoot-out said: 'We left our fear at home - that is why we came through a group that had three former World Cup winners in it. We are not afraid of anyone.' Navas is now the World Cup’s most wanted keeper with tiny Spanish club Levante unable to keep hold of their star stopper whose contract runs out in one year and buy-out clause stands at just £6.5million. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Can Costa Rica's keeper save tennis balls served at 100mph? Wanted man: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Arsenal are all interested in Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas . What a save! The 'keeper made a stunning stop to thwart Theofanis Gekas's penalty against Greece . In the entire World Cup qualifying campaign he conceded just seven goals – only the United States let in fewer than Costa Rica. And having conceded just once in the group matches, against Uruguay, he made the save of the tournament against Greece in Recife to keep out Theofanis Gekas's penalty. Atletico Madrid are interested in Navas replacing Thibaut Courtois, who has gone back to Chelsea after three seasons on loan. But Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton are all monitoring the 27-year-old's situation. He finished last season as La Liga’s second-best goalkeeper based on goals conceded, and the best based on the number of saves made. It was Courtois who conceded fewest goals, but he had the best defence in Spain in front of him. At Levante, Navas had no such protection as was clear on the opening day of the season when he let in seven at the Nou Camp. 'I have had a tough journey to get where I am but I’ve fought hard and now I’m reaping the rewards,' Navas said, recalling how Spanish club Albacete plucked him from Costa Rica’s biggest side Saprissa in 2010. Hero: Navas celebrates with Costa Rican supporters after their side reached the World Cup quarter-finals . VIDEO Costa Rica fans celebrate penalty win . He moved to first division Levante a year later and in the first two seasons he was understudy to Uruguayan Gustavo Gustavo Munua but last season became No 1 and the hard work put in under the tutelage of one of Spain’s most respected goalkeeping coaches, Luis Llopis, has reaped dividends. He arrived with the reputation for being a spectacular shot-stopper but Llopis believed he could become even quicker in his area. He is now four or five kilos lighter than when he arrived and Llopis says: 'Hours of training drills based on speeding-up his ability to accelerate, brake and change direction quickly in his area have paid off.' Asked by Marca if Costa Rica have agreed a bonus for actually winning the World Cup Navas said: 'Of course we have. We are just like any other team in the competition. We maybe have fewer options but we have a set of targets with economic rewards.'
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Levante stopper was La Liga's best last season .
Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rodgers are both monitoring his situation .
Navas rivalled Thibaut Courtois as the best goalkeeper in Spain .
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Around 90 new pieces of gold and silver have been unearthed in the field where the Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure was found three years ago. The fresh discoveries, made in recent weeks at Hammerwich, near Lichfield, include what is thought to be a part of a helmet and an eagle-shaped object, Staffordshire County Council said. Speaking at a press conference in Stoke-on-Trent, council leader Philip Atkins confirmed that many of pieces weighed less than a gram. Newly discovered Anglo Saxon treasure is unveiled at a press conference at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire today . Eighty-one of the items were declared treasure trove. They include part of a helmet, an eagle and a cross. The new items were found in the same . field where over 3,900 pieces of gold, silver and some copper alloy . objects were found in 2009. The first discovery was made by a metal detectorist, who had permission to scan the land. Archaeologists discovered the largest ever find of Anglo Saxon gold and . silver metal work from this country. In total the hoard included over 5kg of gold, 1.5kg of silver and thousands of small garnets. Mr Atkins said: 'The ploughing of the same field has unearthed a small number of other gold and silver finds. 'While it is far too early to say exactly what they are, or how old they are, they are certainly interesting finds.' South Staffordshire Coroner Andrew Haigh is expected to rule whether the haul of 90 items should be declared treasure at an inquest on January 4. The five hectare field was examined by a team of archaeologists - who have previously worked on battlesites at Bosworth and Hastings - once it had been ploughed at the end of November. South Staffordshire Coroner Andrew Haigh will rule at an inquest planned for January 4 if the metalwork pieces are part of the Anglo Saxon collection and should be declared treasure. Staffordshire County Council Leader Philip Atkins, said: 'The Staffordshire Hoard was an amazing discovery, and we have been immensely proud to play our part in helping to discover and tell the story of a collection of such international importance. 'We will now have to wait for the inquest, to discover if the objects are a significant part of our national history.' The new items were found in the same field where over 3,900 pieces of gold, silver and some copper alloy objects were found in 2009. The new artefacts have tentatively been dated to the 7th or 8th centuries, placing the origin of the items in the time of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia . The latest find includes parts of a helmet. The team has been using x-ray images to piece together objects they find. The first discovery was made by a metal detectorist, who had permission to scan the land. Following the discovery three years ago, English Heritage immediately recognised the exceptional significance of the finds and provided emergency funding at the start of the dig together with continued expert advice, support and funding for the research and preservation of the Staffordshire Hoard. Archaeologists working with Staffordshire County Council later carried out the excavation of the field and discovered the largest ever find of Anglo Saxon gold and silver metal work from this country. In total the hoard included over 5kg of gold, 1.5kg of silver and thousands of small garnets. Treasure is defined by the law as any gold or silver objects, or coins, more than 300 years old which were deliberately hidden. Under the 1996 Treasure Act, any treasure found in England and Wales belongs to the Crown. Anyone who finds what they suspect may be treasure must report it to the local coroner within 14 days of discovery. If they don't, they risk a three-month jail sentence or a £5,000 fine. If an inquest declares that a find is treasure, it is offered to the British Museum or a local museum who has it officially valued by an independent board of antiquities experts. If they want the find, they must pay the market value of the treasure to the finder and/or landowner. If they don't, the finder can keep it. Normally, any treasure belongs to the landowner. However, a landowner can agree to split the reward with a metal detector enthusiast. They include a bishop’s pectoral cross, a large folded cross, a helmet cheek piece, a filigree seahorse and numerous sword fittings including hilt plates and pommel caps. The pieces appear to date from the seventh century, although there is some debate among experts as to when the hoard first entered the ground. The dig was closed when archaeologists were confident they had retrieved everything that was recoverable at the time. Last month, a team of archaeologists and experienced metal detectorists from Archaeology Warwickshire returned to the field when it was ploughed and recovered further material. These are currently being examined and x-rayed at a specialist archives laboratory. After the Staffordshire Hoard was declared treasure a huge fundraising campaign was launched to bring the treasure back to the West Midlands. The discovery, circled in red, was made in the same field where the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest collection of Anglo Saxon treasure was recovered in 2009 . Staffordshire County Archaeologist Stephen Dean addresses a press conference about newly discovered Anglo Saxon treasure at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire . The Hoard was valued at £3.3m by independent experts at the British Museum - the most valuable treasure discovery ever made. The fundraising campaign was led by The Art Fund, and featured a major donation from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork ever found, anywhere in the world. The two men who fell out over £3.3million after finding Saxon treasure . could scoop another fortune - after more artefacts were found in the . same field. Terry Herbert, 57, discovered the ancient gold and silver haul on 68-year-old farmer Fred Johnson's land three years ago. Their find, dubbed the Staffordshire Hoard, was sold to museums after . becoming an international sensation after the discovery on July 5, 2009 . - leaving the men rich. But the duo fell out over the cash, with Terry claiming Fred wanted it all for himself. He even said his find of 3,900 artefacts - Britain's largest ever . haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure - was a curse and blamed it on ruining his . friendship with Fred. But yesterday it emerged the pair, who have not spoken since their . rift, are set to earn hundreds of thousands of pounds more after 90 . gold and silver items were unearthed close to the original find. Experts are currently examining the finds and South Staffordshire . Coroner Andrew Haigh will rule at an inquest on January 4 if the pieces . are part of the Anglo-Saxon collection. If they are ruled to be from the same collection they will be officially declared treasure before being valued. The proceeds from the sale of the treasure will then be split between Terry and Fred. Discovered in a field near the village of Hammerwich, on 5 July 2009, it consists of more than 3,900 items. The artefacts have tentatively been dated to the 7th or 8th centuries, placing the origin of the items in the time of the Kingdom of Mercia. One of the new items of Anglo Saxon treasure being examined by archaeologists. Over 90 small items were discovered. The artefacts have tentatively been dated to the 7th or 8th centuries, placing the origin of the items in the time of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, and include part of a helmet (shown here) and an object resembling an eagle. The find includes what is believed to be part of a cheekguard from a golden helmet . The Staffordshire haul consisted of over 3,500 items that are nearly all martial in character and contains no objects specific to female uses.
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Find of around 90 items is second made at the Lichfield site where the biggest ever find of Anglo-Saxon object was found in 2009 .
Could mean another payday for pair who fell out over £3.3million find in 2009 .
Items include parts of a helmet and an eagle shaped object .
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ABC’s political debate show Q&A has come under fire for cutting to a close-up shot of a ginger audience member during a debate on terrorism. The popular show features a range of panel contributors, who discuss all the hot issues of the week. During a heated conversation on the topic of terrorism and particularly on Australian-born ginger jihadist Abdullah Elmir, the camera shifts suddenly from the panel and focuses in on a man in the audience. While the panel were busy discussing the serious subject on how to prevent Australians from joining the Islamic State, the program cut to the auburn-haired man, who vaguely resembled the ginger jihadist. Scroll down for video . During a heated conversation on the topic of terrorism and particularly on Australian-born ginger jihadist Abdullah Elmir, the camera shifts suddenly from the panel and focuses in on a man in the audience. The man appeared to be unaware that the camera has focused on him and continued to listen intently to the discussion. The panel also continued on with their ramblings, blissfully unaware of the hiccup, as they debated whether the Afghanistan experience has taught us anything. However, Twitter users were quick to point out the programs fault, taking to their accounts to vent their anger. While the panel were busy discussing the serious subject on how to prevent Australians from joining the Islamic State, the program cut to the auburn-haired man, who vaguely resembled the ginger jihadist . 'They always cut to inappropriate on this show' wrote Mark Sanderson. 'Not sure if 'ginger jihadi' or Newtown hipster. #qanda' said ASIO . The major fail came just a week after a propaganda video released by Islamic State appeared online,featuring Australian Abdullah Elmir. The man appeared to be unaware that the camera has focused on him and continued to listen intently to the discussion . The 17-year-old, who grew up in Bankstown in Sydney's west, also appeared in another video today. The teen is seen in the latest video on the banks of the river Tigris, surrounded by dozens of men dressed in black wielding weapons. The video is titled An Evening On The Banks Of The Tigris River In The Province Of Nineveh In The Islamic State, and shows groups of militants chanting and praying. Just last week Elmir appeared in a chilling video where he condemned Barack Obama and Tony Abbott . At some points the teenager, who grew up in Bankstown in Sydney's west, appears to stifle a smile or laughter . Elmir is wearing the same black and white keffiyeh he was seen in the previous video, and is flanking a man speaking to the group. Earlier this week reports Elmir could face 25 years behind bars should he ever return to Australian soil emerged. AFP counterterrorism head Neil Gaughan told the Herald Sun that Elmir, who now goes by the moniker Abu Khaled, has 'basically admitted he is a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation'. 'The fact that he is admitting that he is a member of ISIS, which he does in the video, straight away says that he has committed an offence under the criminal code. That’s up to 25 years imprisonment,' he said. Australian-born Abdullah Elmir (left) has appeared in a second ISIS propoganda video .
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Popular ABC political program Q&A has come under fire for shifting their camera to a ginger audience member while debating terrorism .
The auburn-haired man is seemingly unaware of the embarrassing gaffe .
Panel members discussed the ginger jihadist as the ginger man appeared on-screen .
The fail comes just a week after ginger jihadist Abdullah Elmir appeared in an Islamic State propaganda video posted online .
The Australian-born teenager also appeared in another video today, where he is surrounded by chanting militants .
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0e72df8df6e2433b7ae83343c041953cc3d7311b
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Cambridge University students are forced to dig trenches and clean toilets as punishment, it has been revealed. One student at St John's College, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was forced to help groundsmen dig and fill in a trench while another claimed they had been made to clean toilets at 8am for an hour every day - for six days after breaking rules. The Draconian measures were revealed as . part of an investigation into the punitive system employed by each . college at the university. Fooled: The homeless man is believed to have slept at a St John's College library for six weeks before being kicked out . Most colleges impose fines for misbehaviour, ranging from loud parties and parking bikes in the wrong place, to skipping supervisions. But St John’s college employs a 'community service' scheme instead of fines; the Office of the Dean can hand out any disciplinary measure it sees fit. A spokesman for St John's college . said: 'The range of disciplinary measures that can be imposed by the . Dean of St John’s is defined in the College's Standing Orders. 'These include making a community service order up to a permitted maximum of hours per term. Punishment: One student at St John's College claimed he was forced to dig a trench while another said they had been made to clean the toilets for an hour at 8am for six days (file pictures) 'The Dean's policy is to make such an . order in preference to imposing a fine. The College recognises that the . effect of a fine varies according to students' ability to pay it.' The claims of trench digging and toilet cleaning were made in the student newspaper The Cambridge Student. It also revealed student have paid out a total of £38,209 in fines for bad behaviour since October 2011 - an average of £1,232.54 per college. A Freedom of Information request found Newnham college had levied the most - more than a quarter of the total fines at £12,872 - all of which supplemented college income. Meanwhile student fines at Downing College were used to fund a staff coach trip, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed. Newnham College (pictured) levied the most fines upon students. It collected £12,872 . The College said the annual trip for ‘bedders,’ porters and administrative staff is justifiable because it rewards the staff inconvenienced by student misbehaviour. A spokesman for Downing college added: . 'Most fines are suspended, as a means . of encouraging better behaviour in the future and only in the worst . cases are they imposed immediately. 'Any fines which are actually . collected - and this may vary from nothing to a few hundred pounds in . any year - are fed back into the staff social fund. 'In many cases the staff have been . those who have had to deal with the often unpleasant outcome; the fine . is hardly a 'reward' more a small compensation. 'The staff fund is used to support an . annual outing, designed to improve inter-staff bonding; however, the . far greater part of this cost is covered by their own fundraising events . - raffles, cake sales, coffee mornings etc. The College agrees a day's . absence from work to support this aim.' One student from the college was fined £200 for stealing a candlestick and another student at Magdalene college was made to pay £600 for smoking cannabis in their room. The spokesman added: 'The theft of a silver . candlestick from another College was intended to send a very stern . message that theft is never condoned, and potentially avoided the . individual concerned being reported to the Police and ending up with a . criminal record which could affect his future job prospects.' Harsh: One student at Downing College (pictured) was fined £200 for a stolen candlestick . Students at Girton college are charged up to £15 for each supervision session they miss. But the figures showed the actual amount varies with £43.43 being charged for missing two supervisions and £50.32 for missing three. Students are also fined £50 for leaving their bikes unattended in prohibited areas. And if there is an act of vandalism on college grounds the entire student body is fined. King’s college charges students £25 per head for every person involved in 'noise disturbance' while a 'noise violation' in Pembroke college merits a fine of £180. Pembroke also fines £70 for setting off the fire alarm. But a Pembroke student, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'One of my friends was fined £80 for setting off the fire alarm by boiling a kettle. Pembroke said they’d lower the fine if he didn’t contest them.' Newnham £12,872 Gonville & Caius £9,930 Fitzwilliam £6,245 Clare £1,764 Girton £1,275.25 . All fines revealed in the figures at Lucy Cavendish arise from leaving rooms in what were perceived to be unacceptable states. A spokesman for Lucy Cavendish college said: 'Students are asked to clean their rooms on departure. 'If this is not the case, fines (as set out in College handbook) will be imposed.' Newnham College charged £6,719 for 'housekeeping', but it did not state specific charges. Queen’s college revealed it does not levy fines, but has other means of maintaining discipline. A student from the college said: 'I think fining is terrible, as how severely people are affected by the fines will be largely dependent on the economic situation of the student and his/her family, which makes the system of punishment highly unfair.' The University has no overarching policy with regard to fining students as it is at the discretion of individual colleges to enforce behavioural discipline. Girton College (pictured) fined students £1,275.25 since October 2011. In total, Cambridge University students have paid out £38,209 . Clare £1,205 - split between 5 students for a party . Magdalene £600 - smoking cannabis in room . Fitzwilliam £240 - bringing college into disrepute . Downing £200 - stolen candlestick . The University’s Statutes and Ordinances states that the University 'shall have all the powers of a natural . person to acquire, manage, charge, deal with, and dispose of property, . both real and personal [...] so that it may exercise any power and may . enter into and carry out any kind of transaction without limitation.' Colleges fine students for missing supervision, leaving their bikes unattended or for having disruptive parties. The majority of colleges charge for any damage done to rooms, but as this is a remunerative sum it is therefore classed as a charge rather than a fine. At matriculation, a student effectively acknowledges the University’s authority to deal with damage to property in any way the University sees fit.
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One student claimed he had to clean toilets for an hour each day for six days .
Students are also fined for loud parties and parking bikes in the wrong place .
Cambridge University has received £38,209 in fines since October 2011 .
One student was fined £600 for smoking cannabis in their room .
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0e7307c4ca46d637d474cbf126b03c39e590ae4e
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(CNN) -- A couple of weeks ago, Micha Rahder got a disturbing letter. It said that she no longer had health insurance -- and was required to as a graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The problem was -- it was her own school's insurance policy that was dropping her. Rahder, 30, was losing insurance because she had reached the lifetime limit of coverage under the University of California's student health insurance plan. She suffers from a rare disorder that requires her to get regular and expensive IV treatments every four weeks. Without treatment for her chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy -- a disease that attacks her nervous system -- she has lost the ability to walk and has had to have a guest lecturer come in to teach her class. She said she can't understand why she's in this predicament. "I initially thought Obamacare would take care of this, but somehow these schools have slipped out of it. I'm extremely frustrated," Rahder said. "Most people didn't know I was sick until this happened, and when I tell them why I'm sick, they can't believe it." Had she been insured elsewhere, she might have been protected from losing her health care coverage. Under the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act, or ACA, lifetime limits are supposed to be a thing of the past. But there are about 30 schools in the country, mostly in California and the Ivy League system, that offer students what is called self-funded student health insurance. Instead of using an insurance company, a university runs the program, and student premiums directly pay for it. Experts say it's a complicated system to run, but it's ultimately a lot cheaper for a school, because it eliminates the middleman of an insurance company. Obamacare: A few changes coming in 2013 . About 300,000 students are covered by these plans. A proposed ruling issued by the Obama administration Wednesday determined these plans do count as "minimum essential coverage" but exempts them from having to meet the same standards of other health coverage. (The Department of Health and Human Services offers a 60-day period for public comments after publication in the Federal Register before issuing a final ruling.) The proposed rule means self-funded student health care plans can continue to cap benefits like they did in Rahder's case. Those self-funded student plans are the only insurance-type programs in the country that don't have to provide the consumer protections guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act. "That's because they aren't really insurance plans," said Steven M. Bloom, director of federal relations, government and public affairs at the American Council on Education, a group that represents the presidents of the nation's higher education institutions. "They are not sold by an insurer. Only students can buy the plans, and the schools pay for them. I know it acts like insurance, but under the law it is not technically insurance. "That's a very lawyer-like explanation, isn't it? But that's what the law says," Bloom said. Early in the discussion about these particular plans, HHS didn't think it had the power to regulate them, Bloom said. "In order for these plans to have to follow the ACA, the regulations would probably have to change." Jen Mishory, a lawyer and deputy director of the Young Invincibles, an advocacy group for young people, said, "They are certainly advertised to students as health insurance plans, and they are called insurance plans when you sign up for them. Yes, there is a legal distinction here, but a legal technicality shouldn't shortchange students like this." Mishory added, "Students do tend to be healthier than the general population, but there are occasions when a student gets sick. We want all students to have the same coverage everyone else has." About 50 University of California, Berkeley students organized a rally in October to call for elimination of the lifetime caps on their student health insurance plans, and they're circulating a petition. Other schools in California are planning similar protests, Rahder said. Eliminating the caps could add expense to the programs though. And universities, in tight budgetary times, may not want to increase the cost. "Universities are big businesses. People sometimes forget that when they see the tweed and the elbow patches," said Dr. Bryan Liang, a lawyer and physician who specializes in health care law and teaches at California Western School of Law in San Diego. "But this is about profit, and these schools aren't insulated from the economic realities. If there is a way to lower costs, they will do what they can." Opinion: 'Obamacare' should be a GOP rallying cry . In reading the Obama administration's proposed rule from Wednesday, Liang said he does believe HHS will continue to watch the situation carefully. "They don't want anyone to have to go back to the old system," he said. Bloom added that these self-funded plans do generally offer good health coverage. "I don't think you are seeing some kind of conspiracy in the way that the statutes are written. These plans are very comprehensive," Bloom said. "It doesn't mean it's not a tragedy if a student is in that situation where they come up against the caps, but in the grand scheme of things, this is a very small percentage of students that this impacts. You are talking about a fly on an elephant here." But it's big issue to Rahder, who cannot walk at the moment because she can't afford the treatment she needs without insurance. For now, she said she may have found an alternative insurance. It's more expensive, but her mom will help with the bills. Once she gets the treatment and can walk again, she said she will be out there protesting so other students won't experience what she did. "I mean, what is health insurance for if not to catch you in those rare cases when you do get sick?" she asked. "This seems outrageous and is really truly mind-boggling."
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A proposal says self-funded college health plans count as "minimum essential coverage"
Obama administration: Plans don't have to meet same rules as other types of insurance .
Some California students are protesting lifetime caps on some of these plans .
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A prisoner who has escaped a psychiatric facility in the central west of New South Wales is believed to be armed and dangerous. Robert Cooper left the Bloomfield Psychiatric Facility at Orange on Friday morning for day release. Police now believe the 42-year-old is armed, dangerous and on the run. Armed and dangerous: Robert Cooper has been on the run since Friday when he left prison on day release . Prisoner Robert Cooper has escaped a psychiatric facility in the central west of New South Wales is believed to be armed and dangerous . He left the Bloomfield Psychiatric Facility at Orange on Friday morning . He is known to have links in Redfern, Narromine, Gilgandra and Dubbo. Mr Cooper is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, 178cm tall with a medium build, black hair with a shaved head, brown eyes and a trimmed beard. He was last seen wearing a khaki hooded jumper, black jeans and joggers. He was committed to the facility under the Mental Health Act when he was assessed after being charged. Anyone who sees Mr Cooper or knows of his current whereabouts is urged to contact Triple Zero immediately and not approach him. Mr Cooper was committed to the facility under the Mental Health Act when he was assessed after being charged .
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Robert Cooper has escaped from Bloomfield Psychiatric Facility in central west NSW .
The 42-year-old is armed and dangerous .
He was last seen wearing a khaki hooded jumper, black jeans and joggers .
Mr Cooper is of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance .
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A 'road rage' murder suspect has claimed that he was acting in self-defense when he shot dead a 44-year-old mother last month. Erich Nowsch, 19, was arrested last Friday, a little more than a week after Tammy Meyers was fatally wounded by gunfire that police say came from a silver car that pursued the nurse and her 22-year-old son, Brandon Meyers, to the cul-de-sac outside their Las Vegas home. However Nowsch's lawyers, brothers Conrad Claus and Augustus Claus, said after their client's first court appearance on Monday that they don't believe the case involved road rage. The lawyers plan to review police reports and video evidence before talking more about Nowsch's defense. Scroll down for video . Erich Nowsch Jr. appears in a Las Vegas courtroom for his initial court appearance on Monday in Las Vegas. Nowsch remains jailed following his arrest on Friday on murder, attempted murder and other charges in the February 12 shooting that fatally wounded 44-year-old Tammy Meyers outside her home . Robert Meyers, left, the widower of Tammy Meyers, attends a hearing for his wife's accused killer, Erich Nowsch Jr. in court on Monday . Nowsch's lawyers told ABC that they believe he was acting in self-defense. They later told CNN that Tammy Meyer's son, Brandon, pointed a gun at Nowsch before the shooting began and said that his client had received death threats. However the victim's husband, Robert Meyers, said he thinks his wife realized she was in danger, and was fatally wounded after trying to lure a vehicle and motorist who threatened her away from her home. That's not road rage, that's intentional, Meyers said in an interview after a court appearance by the suspect, his 19-year-old neighbor, Erich Milton Nowsch Jr. 'My wife was followed home and murdered,' Meyers said. Meyers' theory adds yet another dimension to a case already marked by stunning revelations and conflicting accounts from police and the Meyers family. Initially, the family said Tammy Meyers was shot in the head after a confrontation with another motorist while she drove her teenage daughter home from a late-night driving lesson at a neighborhood school. The public was told that Brandon Meyers grabbed his gun and came out of the house, firing back at the fleeing silver car. Last week, family members and police revealed that Tammy Meyers dropped her daughter at home and went back out with her son and the family's green Buick Park Avenue sedan to find the motorist who frightened her earlier. Erich Nowsch Jr appears in a Las Vegas court on Monday. A March 10 preliminary hearing will determine if he should stand trial . What followed was a tire-squealing confrontation with a silver car and gunfire several blocks from the Meyers home. No one was injured. Then, the fatal shooting on the cul-de-sac several houses from the Meyers home. 'I don't know what she saw,' Robert Meyers said on Monday. 'She's dead. I can't ask her. But this was intentional - to kill the person in the green car.' Mr Meyers said that the story of what happened that night has been so confused as all the facts didn't come out immediately . He told ABC: 'My son was very hurt, thinking I was going to blame him for his mom going down, and he didn’t come forward with all the things.' Mr Meyers said his daughter has helped him get a clearer picture of what went on. According to the widower, a suspect, who is still at large, stood in front of the hood of his wife's car and threatened to kill her and his daughter. Mr Meyers added: 'And after that, my daughter said my wife spun out to get away from this guy right on this street. 'My daughter said my wife was going as fast as she could. ... My wife was as great driver. She came from a good stock of drivers.' Las Vegas police aren't commenting about the changing accounts, and aren't addressing whether Tammy Meyers' death resulted from a random road-rage shooting as it first appeared. Captain Christopher Tomaino told the media Friday that police were still looking for an accomplice who was with Nowsch, and questions about the case will eventually be answered. Robert Meyers, 49, was out of state when the shooting happened. He said on Monday his wife and Nowsch knew each other — well enough for the teen to hitch up his saggy shorts when Tammy Meyers approached him in the neighborhood park, so she wouldn't have to tell him to do so. It's not clear if they recognized each other during the shootings. Robert Meyers said Nowsch was probably familiar with the family's Buick, but might not have seen it since the windows were tinted dark last summer. Nowsch is charged with murder, attempted murder and firing a weapon from a vehicle. He did not speak and did not enter a plea when he appeared in a Las Vegas court on Monday. A March 10 preliminary hearing will determine if he should stand trial. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson would then decide whether to seek the death penalty. 'Nothing is off the table,' he told KTNV. Police said Nowsch told friends he was at the park and became alarmed by a vehicle he thought was following him, so he called a friend to pick him up. Las Vegas police say Nowsch bragged to his friends several hours after the shooting that he 'got those kids, they were after me, and I got them'. Nowsch showed his friends a .45-caliber handgun and told them he fired several shots in the first encounter and 22 shots in the cul-de-sac, according to the police report. Robert Meyers and police said Brandon Meyers fired three shots during the second shooting. It wasn't clear if he hit a silver Audi with Nowsch and at least one other person inside, police said. Nowsch (left) is charged with the murder of Tammy Meyers (left and right), attempted murder and firing a weapon from a vehicle last month . Nowsch lived with his single mother and her one-month-old daughter about a block from the Meyers family home. Tammy Meyers served as a mother figure to youngsters about the same age as her children, now 15 to 22 years old, Meyers said, and two Meyers sons attended high school with Nowsch. Meyers said that at least once, Tammy Meyers gave the teen $20 when he said he was hungry. Meyers also recalled Nowsch earning pocket money washing cars outside the Meyers family home. The teen and the neighborhood mom may have seen each other in passing the weekend of February 7-8, when Tammy Meyers walked the family dogs in the park where Nowsch often sat at a picnic bench with other teens, Robert Meyers said. 'Bunch of troublemakers,' Robert Meyers said. 'I wouldn't allow my kids to hang out with them.' But he denied there was any bad blood. Las Vegas police spokesman Larry Hadfield said investigators are still trying to locate the silver vehicle's driver, who has not been identified.
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Erich Nowsch, 19, was arrested last Friday, a week after Tammy Meyers, 44, was fatally wounded by gunfire outside her Las Vegas home .
Nowsch's lawyers said the case was not road rage and they believe their teenage client was acting in self-defense .
The victim's husband said 'she was followed home and murdered'
Nowsch has been charged with murder, attempted murder and firing a weapon from a vehicle .
The district attorney is considering seeking the death penalty if the case goes to trial .
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0e73dfe44c865a52b2cd22f91d8321b926e134c7
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Boston (CNN) -- The closed shops and empty streets that once gave Boston the feel of a ghost town teemed with life again Saturday as a cold morning rain stirred residents to grumble about a more familiar New England grievance: The weather. Yet for many across the region, Monday's marathon attacks and a terrorist manhunt spurred changes more subtle and difficult to quantify than those wrought by the deadly force of two bombs that detonated near the finish line. The manhunt spanned Boston and its surrounding suburbs, riveting the nation and deepening concerns about the origins of the attack and the likelihood of another. "I think I understand a little better how people feel in other countries that go through this," said Debby Singh, 39, who had huddled in her Watertown apartment as authorities combed the area in search of the suspected bomber. "We were just so paranoid." 'A million questions' for bombing suspect . Others said the experience offered a rare front-row seat to a phenomenon unfamiliar to most American cities, tested their faith or simply reminded them of life's fragility. "Never have I seen anything like this," said Watertown resident Tony Paulino, as businesses shuttered and streets closed, leaving many to wonder how long the manhunt would drag on. "It makes you wonder how safe we all are." Sara Pradziak also seemed cautious, even after police made an arrest, despite hundreds of college-aged revelers who poured out of their homes Friday evening when the lockdown expired. "There's always this thing in the back of my head that wonders if all of this is a little premature," she said. For Stephen McAlpin, the experience of crouching in his bathtub with his wife, Emily, as bullets whizzed through his Watertown home left him tired and still shaken a day later. "There's no real going back to normal after something like this," he said. "It feels today like we're waking up from a nightmare." As Boston reeled, younger suspect partied . As the overnight shoot-out unfolded between police and suspected terrorists, the couple had been directly in the line of fire. "I knew that I couldn't protect her," he said. "There was nothing I could do." When it was all over, shell casings littered his front yard and seven bullet holes were scattered across his home, including one in his living room that left his television shattered. At least one other round pierced the walls of his neighbor's home and blasted harmlessly into their children's bedroom. "It's terrifying to hear about something like that," McAlpin added, saying the shootings had forced things into perspective. "In the midst of feeling really safe, there was this reality yesterday that we could die from bullets and explosions in our American home," he said. "That's not something you'd expect." On Saturday, as life returned to normal, local bars and coffee shops in Boston were abuzz with talk more reflective of the nature of the attacks than the specific ways in which the teenager had initially evaded authorities. Manhunt began with intense firefight in dark street . "We're all still in shock," said Ester Maxman, a local resident who had watched Friday as traffic trickled through Boston's normally bustling downtown streets. "This type of thing just doesn't happen here." The violence has left many grappling without answers, which President Barack Obama echoed in a hastily arranged address to the nation on Friday night. "Why did these young men who grew up and studied here as part of our communities and our country resort to such violence?" the president said. "How did they plan and carry out these attacks? And did they receive any help? The families of those killed so senselessly deserve answers." By Saturday afternoon, security across Boston remained tight. Checkpoints were still visible in parts of the city, as were flower memorials set up near the marathon finish line, where three people suffered fatal wounds and more than 170 were injured. But at Fenway Park, in an attempt to regain a sense of normalcy, more than 35,000 Red Sox fans bellowed out the lyrics to their eighth-inning signature tune, "Sweet Caroline," led personally in a surprise appearance by Neil Diamond. "I bring love from the whole country," the 72-year-old singer told the crowd, drawing raucous cheers. The Sox then rallied to beat the Kansas City Royals after trailing 2-1 in the top of the eighth. Suspects: Immigrant dream to American nightmare .
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Watertown residents say after dodging bullets, life won't be the same .
"It makes you wonder how safe we all are," Watertown resident says .
Says another: "We're all still in shock"
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By . Sunni Upal . Follow @@RSUpal . Andy Murray is determined to bounce back from his Wimbledon disappointment as he works out in Florida. Following a short break after losing in straight sets to Grigor Dimitrov in the Wimbledon quarter-final, the British No 1 was back to work in the Miami heat. Murray is preparing for the US Open, which begins on Monday, August 25 in New York, by training in Miami. Scroll down for video . Push: Andy Murray works out in Miami as he looks to bounce back from his disappointing Wimbledon defence . Heat: Murray trains on court without his shirt on in the warm temperatures in Miami . Conditioning: The British No 1 receives some treatment from his physio Mark Bender . The world No 10 will compete in the Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati in August before heading to Flushing Meadows for the final grand slam of the year. Amelie Mauresmo, who is set to be confirmed as his coach, was on court in Miami as Murray practised with his shirt off. Murray's physical conditioner Jez Green watched on as he carried out some repititions on the leg press. Loss: Murray suffered a disappointing quarter-final defeat at the hands of Grigor Dimitrov . Victor: Dimitrov beat Murray in straight sets on Centre Court to end the Brit's Wimbledon defence . The 27-year-old shared some images on Facebook of his workout, and added: 'Out in Miami at the moment, working hard before the US swing. Will try and give you all a bit of taste of what goes into my training blocks over the next few days, so keep an eye out.' VIDEO Fognini vs his racket hilarious compilation .
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British No 1 Andy Murray training in Miami following short break .
World No 10 was beaten by Grigor Dimitrov in Wimbledon quarter-final .
Murray looking to bounce back heading into American hard court season .
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0e74f708b22df2c7cb2003072bdd8711e5cc6928
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Stunning footage of a BBC presenter being attacked by a polar bear while in a cage enthralled Britain when it was aired in January. But the Norwegian authorities were less pleased with the stunt - the programme's producer has been fined nearly £6,000 for 'disturbing' the bear. Gordon Buchanan, host of Springwatch, climbed into a clear perspex box known as the 'ice cube' while filming a documentary in Svalbard, a group of Norwegian islands in the Arctic Circle. He then proceeded to film as a 7ft polar bear tried to pry the box open and attack him, throwing its huge bulk at the structure and fearsomely growling. Thrilling footage: But Gordon Buchanan's documentary has led to a fine for its producer . Attack: The filmmakers were accused of 'disturbing' the polar bears' natural environment in Svalbard . The footage was broadcast in a BBC Two programme entitled The Polar Bear Family and Me in January. But now the vice-governor of Svalbard has written to Jason Roberts, a producer of the documentary, criticising him for breaking local environmental laws. Lars Erik Alfheim warned the filmmaker he faced a fine of 50,000 kroner (£5,800) for intentionally approaching the polar bear and disturbing it in its natural habitat. 'By luring the polar bear to the cage it is disturbing it,' he wrote, according to the Sun. 'If the polar bear had managed to get into the cage it would have been in immediate danger of being shot by the surrounding production team before it managed to injure the TV host.' Danger: But a local politician says it was the animal which was put at risk by the filming . Denial: The producer and presenter insist they obeyed all the relevant laws during filming . Polar bears are the main tourist attraction in the remote region, but strict rules are intended to protect both the animals and the humans who go seeking them. In 2011, Eton schoolboy Horatio Chapple was killed by a bear on Svalbard after camping out in the wilderness with other British tourists. Mr Roberts, an Australian who has been filming polar bears for more than two decades, denies any wrongdoing. 'In 22 years of filming bears I've never had any need to shoot a bear or use equipment to frighten one away,' he said. 'The vice-governor is making an example of me.' Tenacious: The 7ft bear repeatedly tried to break in to the perspex box known as the 'ice cube' He added that polar bears are naturally 'curious' and there was therefore nothing unusual about the animal approaching the cage. Mr Buchanan also ridiculed Mr Alfheim's claims, telling the Sun: 'There are no grounds for any kind of prosecution. It is local politics.' A spokesman for the BBC said the Corporation was aware of the politican's allegations but declined to comment.
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Gordon Buchanan filmed in perspex box as 7ft bear tries to break in .
Producer Jason Roberts warned by Norwegian authorities over filming .
Local politician says he faces £5,800 fine for interfering with habitat .
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A US professional mountaineer killed by an avalanche while snowboarding described weather and snow conditions as 'absolutely unbelievable' hours before she died. Liz Daley, 29, from Tacoma, Washington took a photograph of the 7,000-foot Cerro Vaspignani peak in Patagonia, Argentina on Monday before posting it to her Instagram account. Around 2pm local time Daley was snowboarding on the steep mountain when thousands of tonnes of ice and snow slid away, carrying the professional extreme sports star to her death. Extreme sports professional Liz Daley, pictured died following the avalanche in southern Argentina . On the morning of her death, Daley took this photograph of the mountain that would eventually kill her . Daley, 29, recently joined the Eddie Bauer sports team to promote the company's clothing and equipment . The avalanche carried Daley over the edge of a large cliff and she was killed by the trauma. Help arrived at her within minutes, but her injuries were too severe to save her. In her last ever Instagram post Daley was pleased with the conditions: 'Whelp! That was sick. The weather and snow conditions are absolutely unbelievable here in Patagonia. AH! Somebody pinch me! S***, might need a roundhouse kick. #Alaskagonia #powdergonia.' According to one of her sponsors Eddie Bauer: 'Liz was an accomplished splitboarder, alpine climber and mountain guide who was born and raised in Washington. She was a beloved member of our snow sports team and will be sorely missed by all those who knew her.' It is understood the accident happened in Southern Argentinian Patagonia near the border with Chile. Her two-member film crew and three of her sports team escaped injury during Monday's accident. Daley's death is the third to have hit the extreme sports community in South America over the past week. Daley was killed on Monday in Patagonia near the Argentinian / Chilean border in the Monte Fitz Roy area . Daley, pictured, was the third professional winter sports professional killed in South America last month . The avalanche carried Daley over the side of a large cliff and she died as a result of the trauma . Chilean searchers on Tuesday found the bodies of professional skiers Carl Andreas Fransson of Sweden and Jean Phillipe Auclair of Canada. They had been missing since an avalanche swept them away while they were hiking in Chile's south. Daley worked as a professional mountaineer, guide and participated in a range of extreme sports. According to Snowbrains.com Daley was on the Cerro Vaspignani peak along with pro snowboarder Chris Coulter, pro skier Drew Tabke, guide Kent McBride, photographer Chris Figenshau and film maker Nick Kalisz. It is understood that the avalanche happened at 2pm local time on September 29. Her body was later recovered by the Argentine military. The American Alpine Institute paid tribute to Daley on its blog: 'Liz guided mountaineering, ice climbing, and backcountry splitboarding in the North Cascades of Washington; rock climbing in Red Rock, Nevada; and expeditions on Mt. McKinley, Alaska. She was a sponsored athlete for Patagonia, Jones Snowboards, and most recently for Eddie Bauer for whom she was on assignment in Patagonia. She pursued extreme splitboarding in the North Cascades, in Alaska, and in Chamonix, France, where she spend part of every winter. 'Liz was regarded as America’s top extreme splitboarder for her spectacular descents in the Cascades, Alaska, and the European Alps. She was highly skilled as a guide, and her background included Avalanche Training AIARE Level 1 & 2 and certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. 'Her death in an avalanche is felt as especially tragic because she was so willing to give up a potential “killer descent” when there were indicators of instability in the snowpack. She sought extreme challenges but she never sought risk.'
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Liz Daley was exploring with colleagues in Patagonia when she died .
Daley, 29, claimed conditions were 'absolutely unbelievable' hours earlier .
She was travelling on the 7,000-foot Carro Vaspignani peak in Patagonia .
The remaining members of her team escaped without injury .
It is feared her snowboard may have triggered the avalanche .
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0e77b549bb50cdbfb44a9920d5408814e445ba1a
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(CNN) -- A week, as they say, is a long time in football. By that reckoning, six weeks is almost an eternity. For fans of one of English football's oldest clubs, it certainly feels that way. On Boxing Day 2012, former European champions Nottingham Forest lined up to play Leeds United in a second flight match in the English Championship. After going a goal behind, Forest roared back to an emphatic 4-2 victory that had a certain swagger about it. Watching at the time, it was hard to escape the feeling that things were finally coming together for a side that has come to embody the term 'sleeping giant'. One point and one place outside the playoffs, that afternoon Forest fans would have tucked into their turkey sandwiches with a sense of satisfaction and thoughts of good things to come. But just hours after the final whistle the club's Kuwaiti owners, the Al Hasawi family, fired the club's quietly progressive manager, Sean O'Driscoll. Baffling decision . For fans and observers alike it was a baffling decision. "We cannot speak highly enough of Sean as a man," said Chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi. "He was appointed at an extremely difficult time for the club and can count himself unlucky to have lost his job with the team just one point away from the top six. But we have a responsibility to look to the future for this great Club because we have huge ambitions for it." Fast forward just a few weeks, and O'Driscoll's replacement, Alex McLeish, has followed his predecessor to the exit. January had also seen the sudden and unceremonious exits of Forest's CEO, its head of recruitment, and the popular club ambassador (and former player and manager) Frank Clark. McLeish departed 'by mutual consent' after just one win in seven games and a transfer window that bordered on farcical, as key target George Boyd's switch to the club foundered after the player apparently failed an eye test. Forest fans took to social media once more in a bewildered daze as headlines painted a picture of a shambolic club in disarray. Days later another former Forest manager, the combative Billy Davies, was reinstalled in this hottest of managerial hot seats. But before he could properly take charge his team duly lost 2-0 to a Bristol City side now, somewhat poetically, managed by none other than Sean O'Driscoll. Blackburn woes . This odd story will have particular resonance in England's north west, where another of English football's most venerable institutions, Blackburn Rovers, has collapsed from mid table comfort in the English Premier League (EPL) to relegation and ignominy. The club's owners, India's Venky's Group, began their tenure by sacking the widely respected Sam Allardyce in December 2010. Since then they appear to have embarked on a kamikaze PR strategy, which has led to ridicule off the pitch and confusion on it. In the latest chapter, Shebby Singh, the former TV pundit brought in by Venky's as the club's 'global advisor', is reportedly at loggerheads with managing director Derek Shaw, amid allegations of interference with football matters and disputes over players' contractual deals. The culture clash between the old and the new sides of the club looks wider than ever. Rovers are now onto their third manager of the season and a swift return to the EPL looks wildly improbable. Venky's and the Al-Hasawi family are the latest in a wave of foreign owners taking control of clubs in the English leagues. Few on the growing list are strangers to controversy. Mixed feelings . Cardiff City's new Malaysian owners changed the club's colors from blue to red, causing outrage -- but perhaps they will be forgiven as they are currently well set for promotion to the EPL. The Glazer family's takeover of Manchester United sparked a supporter's revolt that saw the formation of a completely new team -- FC United of Manchester -- by fans alarmed at the level of debt (currently around £360million - $550m) foisted upon the club. Then there's Roman Abramovich's Chelsea, whose phenomenal success has been tempered by the owner's propensity to fire managers; and Sheikh Mansour of Manchester City, whose investments in the club stretch UEFA's concept of Financial Fair Play to the limit, and very probably beyond. The attitude of football fans to these types of investor is pretty schizophrenic. On the one hand the very prospect of a new owner, awash with cash, coming in and transforming a club's fortunes would get many salivating, regardless of where the money is from and who is taking the reins. English football, or at least the Premier League, is an enormously attractive stage and clubs make for interesting playthings for the super-rich. Meanwhile, fans are attracted to the idea of quick-fix success. Community connection . On the other hand, with spiraling ticket prices driven largely by players' wages and the increasingly erratic pictures being painted by some of these new owners, there is a sense that clubs' connections with the communities in which many have existed for over a century are being undermined. Then of course there's the idea of what constitutes super rich in the context of football. Away from the financial machinations of the Glazers, Randy Lerner's more straightforward commitment to Aston Villa appears to have run dry, with the team staring at a relegation battle and the purse strings tied tightly shut. In the Championship, Watford's owners have enjoyed remarkable success by filling their side with loan signings from another club, Italy's Udinese, which they also own. And then, in England's League One, there's Portsmouth. If the Glazer's ownership of Manchester United appears complex, the background to Portsmouth's stewardship is positively arcane. An excellent blog by Portsmouth fan SJ Maskell recently dissected the baffling raft of creditors currently being pored over in the English courts. The club, which enjoyed a Premier League berth and an FA Cup win just five years ago, is facing relegation to England's fourth tier and possible ruin. It has seen a succession of owners, offshore companies, and paper trails leading all over the world drive it into successive demotions and financial collapse. Wayward club . A group of fans has formed the Portsmouth Supporters' Trust, which is looking to gain control of this wayward club and finally wrestle it back from a course to apparent doom. All logic points to their being given the chance to do so, but this is a club that has defied logic for years and a decision in their favor is by no means certain. The Portsmouth Supporters Trust faces a battle, but it is perhaps this kind of institution that points to a more stable future for clubs and the sport of football in England. The problem with many of the new wave of owners in English football is not that they are foreign. Football is a global game, and the EPL is filled with players from all over the world, so it would be illogical to deny owners from overseas the chance to take part too. But the disconnect between the fans that pay to watch these clubs, the communities in which they operate, and even the armchair fans that follow them from afar, is an issue. A report launched this week by the football community trust Supporters Direct outlines a range of measures primarily focused on the physical manifestations of clubs -- the stadia in which they play, and the various off-shoots of these buildings. At the report's core are recommendations designed to protect the relationship between clubs and their communities, including joint ownership of stadia, 'golden shares' to be held by supporters collectively, and clubs that are owned by or formed as so-called Community Benefit Societies. In essence, it is about taking a degree of control into the hands of supporters. The sentiment behind this applies not just to the bricks and mortar of a football stadium. Clubs like Barcelona in Spain and throughout Germany's Bundesliga are protected from extreme and erratic behavior by the fact that fans are directly involved in a democratic ownership arrangement. The worst excesses of owners, who can act on a whim to often disrupt and damage the course of some of the long established institutions at the heart of communities, can be curbed by what is basically a democratic, rather than autocratic structure. Allied to initiatives such as UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules, perhaps this will see a game in England that is balanced less precariously, and fit for a long term and sustainable future. For now, however, English football fans should perhaps be careful what they wish for.
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Foreign ownership of UK football clubs a mixed picture .
Fans relish the extra investment that is often promised .
Chelsea and Manchester City have won EPL titles with increased funding .
Community connections of the clubs can be sidelined .
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Jackson Hole, China (CNN) -- Looking for a weekend escape from the city, Annie Liu and her husband fell in love at first sight with a log home in Jackson Hole and bought it for less than $300,000. Five years on, a weekly 90-minute drive from their downtown apartment to the house has long been the norm. They enjoy gardening, barbecuing or simply relaxing in their getaway surrounded by mountains -- but often shrouded in Beijing's infamous smog. Yes, the couple's three-bedroom weekend home lies on the outskirts of the Chinese capital -- thousands of miles away from the original Jackson Hole valley in the U.S. state of Wyoming, which is known for its breathtaking natural beauty. The Chinese Jackson Hole is more crowded, containing some 1,000 single-family houses inspired by rustic lodges in the American frontier. Still, wealthy locals are lured to this sprawling development by the promise of living in the "Wild West." After driving past security guards in cowboy outfits patrolling "Route 66" on golf carts, Liu's husband Lu Jun pulled over their SUV at the end of a cul-de-sac one recent Sunday. Opening the door to a world of Americana, Liu and Lu -- both lawyers in Beijing -- proudly displayed their fondness for the United States by adding personal touches to the built-in furniture and decoration that evoke the Old West. She studied and worked in Indianapolis for two years from 2003 to 2005, during which time he visited. Adorning the earthy-toned walls are colorful license plates from the U.S. states -- including Wyoming -- they have traveled to and a large framed copy of the American Declaration of Independence. "We want more freedom," said Liu, 40, pointing to the framed copy she bought in Florida. "This is a milestone -- (we hang it here) partially for the history, partially for our profession." "Many people have been to the United States and enjoy the environment there," Lu, 55, added. "Those who haven't think this place is authentic America and they like it." That's proven to be a great selling point for developer Liu Xiangyang since he -- with the help of an American designer -- launched the Jackson Hole project a decade ago. He has sold almost all the houses, and seen the property value double over the years with the bigger homes now fetching $1 million each. Official data shows that a typical urban resident in China earned less than $4,000 in 2012. Annie Liu -- who is not related to the developer -- and her husband feel pleased about their purchase as early believers, and bought a second, bigger house here last year. They say other homeowners share their appreciation for the American culture and values that are reflected in the architecture and setting, despite frequent news reports on rising tensions between the two nations. "We like the States and we like the lifestyle," Liu said. "Let the governments worry about the things that should be worried about by them." Her sentiment echoes the most recent results of an annual survey on Chinese people's attitude towards the United States by the Pew Research Center, a Washington-based think tank. Although the Pew study finds Chinese public perceptions of the United States becoming less favorable in 2012, it notes: "There is one constant: richer, younger, more educated, and urban Chinese all express a more positive view of (the soft power) aspects of America's image. And this also holds true for overall ratings of the U.S." Developer Liu is a fan of the United States as well, overseeing construction for the next phase on his 70-square-kilometer lot -- the size of 13,000 American football fields. His plans include 2,000 townhouses mimicking the feel of Mendocino, a scenic coastal town in northern California, and a winery that he says will rival Napa Valley in ten years. In between sipping wine and chatting with residents at a lunch gathering on site, the 51-year-old businessman from the central Henan province reflects on his corporate mission. "For those who can afford to buy houses here, they have enough money," he explained. "They want spiritual fulfillment." For that, the developer has built a brand new church in the center of his town -- next to a row of small shops, bars and cafes -- serving residents like Annie Liu, who embraced Christianity as a graduate student in the United States. "This is an 'American' community so it's a necessary element here," said Liu as she walked out of the soon-to-open Jackson Hole church. Although she misses the natural beauty and cultural diversity of the United States, Liu says she never hesitated about returning to the motherland because of her and her husband's career aspirations and their roots. Now comfortably settled at work and home back in China, where the Communist leadership is proclaiming national revival as the ultimate Chinese Dream, Liu feels she hasn't completely abandoned the American Dream -- as she and her fellow residents in this fictional U.S. town pursue their freedom and happiness every weekend.
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A Chinese developer has built an American-themed town 90 minutes from Beijing .
The settlement is named after Jackson Hole, a scenic valley in Wyoming .
He has sold almost all the houses, with the bigger homes now fetching $1M each .
Richer, educated, urban Chinese express more positive view of aspects of America's image .
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Wielding her signature pink AK-47 and posing like her idol Kim Kardashian, this is the alleged new leader of an elite kill squad used by one of Mexico's deadliest drug cartels. Claudia Ochoa Felix, nicknamed The Empress of Antrax, is thought to be the new leader of the 'Los Antrax' hit squad, used by the Sinaloa cartel to carry out executions and revenge attacks. The 27-year-old uses social media to brag about her lifestyle, posting pictures of herself holding guns, posing with a leopard, and strutting around in tight outfits and swimsuits. Claudia is the lover of former Los Antrax leader Jose Rodrigo Arechiga Gamboa, 33, but is thought to have taken over from him after he was arrested in January . Killer Kardashian: Claudia Ochoa Felix, 27, may look every bit like her idol Kim Kardashian (right), but she is in fact the new leader of an elite kill squad used by Mexico's most powerful drug cartel . With her signature pink AK-47, Claudia is reported to be in charge of Los Antrax, a hit squad who carry out executions on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel . The shots even include images of her . children lying with hundreds of banknotes surrounding them in . the bath or on the bed. U.S. intelligence sources have named the Sinaloa cartel as 'the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world', and they are thought to be responsible for much of the heroin smuggled into America. Los . Antrax is the drug cartel's elite . contract killer squad, and was previously led by Claudia's lover Jose Rodrigo . Arechiga Gamboa, 33, who was arrested in January. Her favourite weapon is a custom pink AK-47 coated with a camouflage pattern featuring skull and crossbones . U.S. intelligence sources named the Sinaloa cartel, which Claudia (left) reportedly works for, as 'the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world'. Kim (right) poses in a leopard outfit for Halloween 2012 . Claudia also posts pictures of her children, including this snap of her son covered in stacks of bank notes . If there is a dirty . job that needs to be sorted out, Los Antrax get the assignment. They are also in charge of security for the cartel boss . Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, 66. Claudia married a Sinaloa drug . trafficker known as 'El Chavo' Felix with whom she had three children - . however they later separated. Despite her ostentatious lifestyle, Claudia managed to avoid public attention until Yurina Castillo Torres, 23, was shot dead on May 7 in an apparent botched assassination after being mistaken for Claudia. According to local media report the two looked similar and were from the same area. Claudia shot into the spotlight in May after Yurina Castillo Torres, 23, was shot in a botched assassination attempt after she was mistaken for Claudia . Los Antrax also provide security for the cartel's feared and respected boss, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, 66 . Despite the threat to her life, Claudia regularly goes out clubbing around Mazatlan, Culiacan and Guadalajara, but always takes armed bodyguards with her . Despite the attack, Claudia has refused to go underground and can still be seen clubbing in the main discos and nightclubs of Mazatlan, Culiacan and Guadalajara. The only difference is that this time she is always surrounded by heavily armed men who protect her. Despite the attempt on her life, Claudia denies any connection to any criminal organisation, saying claims about her are 'cowardly lies and slander'. A deadly drugs war has raged in Mexico since 2006 and has claimed an estimated 100,000 lives as gangs fight over territory and carry out revenge killings. Claudia married a Sinaloa drug trafficker known as 'El Chavo' Felix with whom she had three children .
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Claudia Ochoa Felix, 27, thought to be new leader of Mexican hit squad .
Often pictured posing with signature pink AK-47 in various tight outfits .
Also posts images of her three children surrounded by piles of cash .
Hit squad Los Antrax carry out assassinations for feared Sinaloa cartel .
Claudia dated former leader Jose Gamboa until he was arrested in January .
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(CNN) -- If we learned that the government was planning to limit our First Amendment rights, we'd be outraged. After all, our right to be heard is fundamental to our democracy. Well, our free speech rights are under assault -- not from the government but from corporations seeking to control the flow of information in America. If that scares you as much as it scares me, then you need to care about net neutrality. "Net neutrality" sounds arcane, but it's fundamental to free speech. The internet today is an open marketplace. If you have a product, you can sell it. If you have an opinion, you can blog about it. If you have an idea, you can share it with the world. And no matter who you are -- a corporation selling a new widget, a senator making a political argument or just a Minnesotan sharing a funny cat video -- you have equal access to that marketplace. An e-mail from your mom comes in just as fast as a bill notification from your bank. You're reading this op-ed online; it'll load just as fast as a blog post criticizing it. That's what we mean by net neutrality. But telecommunications companies want to be able to set up a special high-speed lane just for the corporations that can pay for it. You won't know why the internet retail behemoth loads faster than the mom-and-pop shop, but after a while you may get frustrated and do all of your shopping at the faster site. Maybe the gatekeepers will discriminate based on who pays them more. Maybe they will discriminate based on whose political point of view conforms to their bottom line. We don't have to speculate. We can look to the history of the media gatekeepers for examples. Back in the 1990s, Congress rescinded rules that prevented television networks from owning their own programming. Network executives swore in congressional hearings that they wouldn't give their own programming preferred access to the airwaves. They vowed access to the airwaves would be determined only by the quality of the shows. I was working at NBC back then, and I didn't buy that line one bit. Sure enough, within a couple of years, NBC was the largest supplier of its own prime-time programming. To take advantage of this new paradigm, Disney bought ABC, Viacom (the parent company of Paramount) bought CBS and NBC merged with Universal. And since these conglomerates owned both the pipes through which Americans received information (in this case, TV networks) and the information itself (in this case, TV shows), they developed a monopoly over what you could watch. Today, if you're an independent producer, it's nearly impossible to get a show on the air unless the network owns at least a piece of it. Now Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider, and NBC/Universal want to merge. This new behemoth would be able to charge other cable carriers more for NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Bravo and the 35 other cable networks it will own in whole or in part. This means that other carriers won't be able to afford as many choices -- and it means that your cable bill will go up. Comcast is also the nation's largest home internet service provider. And as more and more of our television is provided through the internet, other internet giants such as Verizon and AT&T will have to look toward merging with CBS/Viacom or ABC/Disney. We'll end up with a few megacorporations in control of the flow of information -- not just on TV, but now online as well. From my seat on the Judiciary Committee, I plan to do everything I can to stop these mergers or at least put rigorous restrictions on them. But if this trend toward media consolidation continues, the free and open internet will be a thing of the past unless we write the principle of net neutrality into law right now. This isn't a liberal or conservative issue. Everyone has a stake in protecting the First Amendment. And it isn't even strictly a political issue. The internet's freedom and openness has made it a hotbed for innovations that change our lives. It's been an incredible engine of job creation. The internet was developed at taxpayer expense to benefit the public interest. If we let corporations prioritize some content over others, we'll lose what makes it so valuable to our economy, our democracy and our daily lives. Net neutrality may sound like a technical issue, but it's the key to preserving the internet as we know it -- and it's the most important First Amendment issue of our time. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Sen. Al Franken.
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Al Franken: Trend of media consolidation will mean end of free and open internet .
Mergers such as Comcast-NBC/Universal would control information flow, senator warns .
Far from "neutral," gatekeepers could discriminate on political views, who pays more, he says .
Franken: This is a bipartisan issue; all have a stake in preserving First Amendment .
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CAIRO, Egypt (CNN) -- Egypt is suspending ties with France's famous Louvre museum until the latter returns artifacts that it knew were stolen when it purchased them, the head of the country's antiquities council said Wednesday. Egypt accuses the Louvre museum of failing to make good on promises to return antiquities. Zahi Hawass, director of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said he wrote a letter seven years ago to major museums around the world asking them to consult with Egyptian authorities before buying any ancient Egyptian artifacts from outside sellers. Hawass said the Louvre had bought five murals chipped off the walls from a tomb in Thebes and been stolen by antiquities robbers in the 1980s. He sent a letter to the Louvre a year ago asking that the stolen paintings be returned, he said. The museum promised to return the items but has not followed through, he said. Until it does so, Egypt will suspend its cooperation with the Louvre, Hawass said. A Louvre spokesman declined to comment on Egypt's claims. Egypt maintains antiquities exchange programs with museums around the world. The Louvre is one of the biggest repositories of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world, much of it treasure taken during the time of the French and British occupation of the country. Egypt's position is that artifacts taken by European powers during that period are a fait accompli, but anything taken illegally since Egypt's independence must be returned. This has been one of the major emphases of Hawass since he became head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in 2002. Egypt took similar steps against museums in England and Belgium in the past. Those ties were restored after the artifacts in question were returned, Hawass said.
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Egypt suspends ties with France's famous Louvre museum .
Country accuses museum of failing to return stolen antiquities .
Louvre is one of world's biggest repositories of ancient Egyptian antiquities .
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By . Jonathan O'Callaghan . The scientific consensus on climate change, to the tune of 97 per cent of experts, is that humans are changing Earth’s climate for the worse. But some people continue to insist that some of these scientists are wrong, incurring anger among those trying to teach people about the dangers of climate change. And one professor from Texas has had enough - he’s decided to offer £17,500 ($30,000) to anyone that can prove to him that climate change is not man-made. Dr Christopher Keating is offering £17,500 ($30,000) to anyone that can prove to him that man-made activities (stock image shown) are causing Earth's climate to drastically alter. He is not expecting to have to stump up any cash, though, as he is certain that the theory on which their is an overwhelming consensus is correct . Dr Christopher Keating, who previously taught at the University of South Dakota, says the climate change deniers of today are engaged in a campaign that is similar to the one waged by tobacco advocates to deny a link between smoking and lung cancer. 1. Dr Keating will award £17,500 ($30,000) of his own money to anyone that can prove, via the scientific method, that man-made global climate change is not occurring. 2. There is no entry fee. 3. You must be 18 years old or older to enter. 4. Entries do not have to be original, they only need to be first. 5. Dr Keating is the final judge of all entries but will provide his comments on why any entry fails to prove the point. Previously he had been offering £5,850 ($10,000) to the first person to prove climate changing wasn’t man-made but he has since upped the reward to £17,500 ($30,000). All someone needs to do is show him evidence that unequivocally proves he is wrong on his blog. The challenge is open to anyone over 18 and there is no entry fee. 'I will . judge all entries and show why they fail or succeed in the challenge,' Dr Keating, also the author of Undeniable: Dialogues on Global Warming, said. 'Entries don’t even have to be original. They just have to be first.' He has . been involved, at some level, with climate change for 30 years, having . been a professor of physics for over 20 years and teaching at the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Dr Keating (left) has been involved with climate change for 30 years and previously was a professor of physics. 'Greenhouse gases are on the rise and the effects are evident: the earth is getting warmer, weather everywhere is changing, the oceans are warming at an alarming rate and ice caps are melting,' he says (right) Dr Keating . says he is more than willing to pay the money but doesn’t believe it . will happen. 'I’m a scientist and I have to go where the science leads . me. 'I . have been studying climate change for a long time and I am certain my . money is safe. They are in the business of denial and deception, not . science. 'But, if someone could give me a scientific proof global warming isn’t real, it would be worth the money.' And he says there are ulterior motives to the climate deniers, mainly that they are funded by organisations with a vested interest in fossil fuels. ‘A recent study done at Drexel University showed that denier organisations have received nearly $560 million [£330 million] over an eight-year period,’ he says. ‘They traced this money to about 140 different organisations, including many with ties to the fossil fuel industry. ‘These are the people that stand to lose money if we do something about climate change. ‘It simply shatters any credibility the deniers might have ever had.’ An analysis of global temperatures by Nasa scientists showed that 2013 was the seventh warmest year since 1880 (tied with 2006 and 2009). Nine of the 10 warmest years on record all have occurred since 2000, with 2010 and 2005 ranking as the warmest . Keating says the results of climate change science are so overwhelming that the only way to deny global warming is to deny science itself. ‘Greenhouse gases are on the rise and the effects are evident: the earth is getting warmer, weather everywhere is changing, the oceans are warming at an alarming rate and ice caps are melting. ‘Every where you look you see evidence of global warming. This isn’t something that is only going to occur in the future, it is happening right now.' If someone can prove him otherwise, though, he is willing to change his tune - but at the moment he doesn't see that as being very likely.
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Texas-based professor has issued a challenge to climate change deniers .
Dr Keating is offering £17,500 ($30,000) to anyone that can disprove the theory that human activity is warming the planet .
He is so sure of his claim that he is not expecting to pay out any time soon .
Anyone can enter the competition and the work doesn't need to be original .
But Dr Keating says he will be the final judge on winning or losing entries .
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0e7c559450cd7ba451f6aa31a855c24d6a958538
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By . Reuters Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:02 EST, 4 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 16:19 EST, 4 October 2013 . A rare fierce October snow storm rolled out over the central Rocky Mountains on Friday, downing trees and forcing closures of state offices and more than 200 miles of Interstate 90 across parts of Wyoming and South Dakota, state highway officials said. Up to 30 inches of snow was forecast to drop in parts of the Black Hills region of western South Dakota from the storm, the National Weather Service said. 'It's not normal this time of year, but it is not unheard of," said Cory Martin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in North Platte, Nebraska. "But this amount of snow for an October storm is on the higher end.' Autumn snow: Powerful storms moved into the Midwest on Friday due to a cold weather system gaining strength as it traveled east from Colorado and Wyoming . Stormy season: A huge storm system over the central U.S. is producing heavy snow and high winds in the Rockies and western Plains, a unusual wintry blast for early autumn . South Dakota Snow: Blizzards rolled into parts of Wyoming and South Dakota on Friday, bringing the states to an unseasonably early wintery standstill by closing highways and schools . Heavy rain, golf-ball sized hail and winds of 60 to 70 miles per hour were forecast later Friday in Oklahoma along with severe storms in Kansas, the National Weather Service said. The National Weather Service, which is running on a reduced staff because of the federal government shutdown, issued blizzard and severe winter storm warnings across the Upper Plains through Saturday morning. The Black Hills of South Dakota had seen up to 19.5 inches of snow on Friday morning and up to 10 inches had fallen in Wyoming, the National Weather Service said. The heavy snow had caused some power outages in the Casper, Wyoming area. South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard ordered state offices closed in the Black Hills and six counties in the southwestern part of the state and said further closures are possible. A dusting of color: Fresh snow dusts a mountainside where Aspen trees turn yellow each Autumn, near Copper Mountain, Colorado . Snow joke: Fresh snow lines a creek and roadside near Copper Mountain, Colorado. Some 12 to 24 inches of snow has fallen across Wyoming . First snow of the season: A truck plows an elevated section of I-70 after overnight snow fell near Copper Mountain, Colorado . Interstate 90 was closed for about a 220 mile stretch from Sturgis, South Dakota, to Sheridan in northeastern Wyoming, according to transportation departments in both states. The National Weather Service was forecasting from 8 to 18 inches of snow in northeast Wyoming and the western South Dakota plains, and 18-30 inches in the highest regions of the Black Hills and up to a foot of snow in Nebraska.
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An early winter as blizzards roll into parts of Wyoming and South Dakota .
Tropical storm Karen: tropical weather system will make landfall on the U.S. Southern coast .
Summer temperatures still reign along the East Coast .
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A teenager fighting for Islamic State in Syria bragged about passing through Belgian airport security 'like a knife through butter' a week before last night's terror raids which killed two. A fighter by the name of Abu Mariya Belgiki branded the Belgian security service 'probably the dumbest in the world' last Friday, in the midst of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, after he was waved through security at Brussels airport. Later the same day he posted again, praising the Paris attackers, before asking: 'What are the brothers in Belgium waiting for?' Last night armed Belgian police killed two suspected jihadis and arrested a third after a shoot-out in the eastern city of Verviers, with offices saying they had prevented 'a second Paris'. Scroll down for video . A Belgian teen calling himself Abu Mariya Belgiki (pictured), who has been fighting for Islamic State, mocked the Belgian security services a week before yesterday's shoot-out between jihadis and police . Six days before Belgian security forces killed two jihadis and arrested a third, and in the midst of the Paris terror attacks, Abu Mariya posted this taunting message about passing through Brussels airport security . Investigators believe the men, who were armed with machine guns and pistols, were part of a cell planning to attack police 'on a grand scale'. But just six days previously, while the Kouachi brothers were still on the run in France having shot 12 people dead, Abu Mariya made his chilling boast. In tweets supplied to Mail Online by research group MEMRI, he said: 'Don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but Belgian intelligence agency is the laziest and the dumbest in the world probably… . 'They kept me under surveillance since I was 14. And I passed through Brussels airport like a knife cutting through soft butter…' Later the same day he took to Twitter once more, this time writing about the moment his ISIS superior told him about the Paris terror attacks. He wrote: 'Was going to bed yesterday, my ameer [leader] yells and says, "France, France, you know France?" I said yes its south of Belgium. He said "Yes I know." 'He said 'Ikhwa [brothers] did operation there and killed 12'. I was like whooaaaaa what are the ikhwa in Belgium waiting for…: )' Armed police carrying out a terror raid in a flat above a bakery in Verviers got into a shoot-out with suspected jihadi fighters yesterday, saying they were armed with military weapons and handguns . The Belgian state prosecutor said the men were thought to be part of a cell preparing to carry out 'large scale attacks' against police and security forces . It is not known whether Abu Mariya was one of those who engaged police in a bloody firefight late yesterday evening. Abu Mariya Belgiki is not believed to be his real name, but rather an Arabic nom de guerre he took on after going to fight. Belgiki means Belgium in Arabic. In one post from Syria, he included an image of himself wearing a scruffy leather jacket and jeans, while sitting cross-legged on the ground with a short-stock AK 47 rifle resting in his lap. A message under the image read: 'From a life under oppression to hayat [life] under the raya [flag] of tawheed [oneness, referring to the black and white ISIS flag]' On the same day Abu Mariya tweeted about Brussels airport, he also posted this chilling message praising the Paris attackers, and asking: 'What are the ikhwa [brothers] in Belgium waiting for?' He also speaks about his life fighting for ISIS, complaining about coalition airstrikes and bragging about getting hold of American automatic rifles. In one post on January 5, just days before his apparent return to Belgium, he wrote: 'Making Wudu [prayer], jets …hanging clothes in the sun, jets… playing with cats in the garden, jets... urghhh.' In another tweet on the same day he added: 'So funny reading US PROPERTY on our m16's.' He also spoke about life in Islamic State's so-called Caliphate, discussing a hierarchy among fighters, with those from the Arabian Peninsula and Jordan being given the most rights. Posting in Flemish he also recounted meeting a 16-year-old Dutch boy in the street, and said English is a commonly used language among the jihadis. In a final note on January 9, shortly before his account was taken offline, he seems to suggest that ISIS are planning an attack in Egypt. The badly-spelled message said: 'Soon u will here wonderful news from the land of Egypt... we are coming to shake the throne of Sisi.' The throne of Sisi is though to refer to the current Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Forensic officers inspect the doorway to an apartment in Verviers where it is thought police were attacked by jihadis during raids last night. In total twelve people were arrested . Last night's shootings in Belgium occurred as the country's military carried out raids on a dozen homes across the country, including one above a bakery, which may have triggered the gun battle. Two suspected jihadis were killed in the firefight. A third man, said to be seriously wounded, was last night in police custody, along with six other suspects. Officials last night said Belgium had raised the threat of terror attacks to its highest level. Federal prosecutor Eric Van Der Sypt confirmed that an active terror cell had been about to launch ‘attacks on a grand scale’. He added: ‘The suspects immediately and for several minutes opened fire with military weaponry and handguns on the special units of the federal police before they were neutralised.’ The shooting took place near a railway station in the town of Verviers, near Belgium’s eastern border with Germany. A resident told Belgian TV: ‘I heard two explosions and saw two young men run away. They were between 25 and 30 years, [and] of Arab origin.’ Around 300 jihadi fighters have left Belgium, which has a large Muslim population, to fight for ISIS in Iraq and Syria. This is the largest proportion of any country in the EU, with the exception of the UK, according to news service Radio Free Liberty Radio Europe.
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Fighter calling himself Abu Mariya Belgiki posted in midst of Paris attack .
Mocked security after apparently arriving back in Belgium from Syria .
Praised Paris attackers, asking: 'What are brothers in Belgium waiting for?'
It is not known if he was involved in yesterday's shoot-out with police .
Officers killed two suspected jihadis in Verviers terror raid last night .
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0e7eca3907262d761bfbc71060a421cabd95ccd1
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Washington (CNN) -- Will an anti-incumbent wave return Republicans to power in the House and Senate, or can Democrats engineer a late rush to hold on to their congressional majorities? The 2010 mid-term elections comes down to campaign basics in the final nine days until vote-counting begins. For now, the two parties agree that Republicans will win more seats than they currently hold, but they differ sharply on how many and whether a major power shift will occur. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele told NBC's "Meet the Press" program that an unprecedented GOP wave would win control of both chambers as well as state legislatures in a broad condemnation of President Barack Obama and Democratic policies. "The voters are tired of the fact that the federal government has not listened to them over the past two years, has moved in its own direction, at its own rhythm and they want to pull back on that," Steele said. "And I think you're going to see a wave, an unprecedented wave on election day that's going to surprise a lot of people." His Democratic counterpart, former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, pointed to strengthening poll numbers for his party's candidates as a sign that the Democratic base was getting energized. "From this point forward, it's all about turnout and ground game, and we're seeing good early voting trends," said Kaine, the Democratic National Committee chairman, when asked on the ABC program "This Week" if Democrats can hold their majorities. "We've got work to do, but we think we can do it." While Kaine said the House remains uncertain, he sounded much more confident about the Senate. "Four or five months ago, the Republicans thought they had a great chance at taking both houses," Kaine said. "For a variety of reasons, the Senate has gotten much more difficult for them. And again, we're seeing this week strong moves in polling for our Senate candidates" in several states. One of those reasons is inexperienced, conservative ideologues backed by the Tea Party movement who defeated mainstream Republicans in primary elections and now trail Democratic foes as the November 2 vote approaches. The Delaware race is a prime example. Christine O'Donnell's primary win over nine-term Republican Rep. Mike Castle made a Senate seat once considered likely Republican now an apparent Democratic victory for previously little-known Chris Coons. O'Donnell's campaign became a national joke over a long-ago comment that she once "dabbled in witchcraft" and other missteps. It also exposed a rift within the political right between the mainstream Republican establishment, which criticized O'Donnell and other Tea Party backed candidates, and the more conservative Tea Party movement. With the election approaching, Republicans put on a united front Sunday, with GOP strategist Karl Rove -- one of O'Donnell's harshest critics -- calling the Tea Party movement "patriotic" and "incredibly positive." While noting that Tea Party backers "are not people who are skilled in the ways of Washington," Rove told the CBS program "Face the Nation" he welcomed the movement as a "wholesome development" that would greatly increase Republican turnout in a mid-term election. Rove predicted Republicans will win well over 50 House seats to easily grab majority control of the chamber, and that a GOP Senate majority also was possible. On the same program, Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland predicted a different outcome, due to voter distrust of what he called special interest money going for anonymous donations to groups running attack ads against Democratic candidates. The issue hammered by Democrats including Obama in recent weeks was proving resonant, Van Hollen said. "I'm confident the Democrats are going to retain their majority because the American people are connecting the dots between these tens of millions of dollars of secret special interest money," he said, later adding: "The early voting states are showing good news for the Democrats." Both Rove and Steele said election disclosure laws should be changed, but added that the anonymous donations to groups running political ads complied with current law. Rove added that Democrats including Obama benefited from similar anonymous campaign funding in the past.
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Nine days before the vote, both sides predict success .
Rove calls Tea Party movement "wholesome" and "positive"
Kaine says Democratic poll numbers are trending up .
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