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Elizabeth Murdoch spotted jogging without her wedding ring . Rupert Murdoch’s daughter Elisabeth was seen without her wedding ring yesterday as it emerged she is to divorce PR guru Matthew Freud after 13 years. The TV boss showed a brave face as she stepped out to go jogging with her dog. The couple – worth £260million between them – are divorcing amid rumours of a long-standing conflict between Mr Freud and his father-in-law, worsened by a row over Tony Blair’s friendship with the media tycoon’s ex-wife. Mr Freud, 50, and Miss Murdoch, 46, who have two children aged 13 and seven, are expected to be granted a decree nisi this week. Sources said one factor in the breakdown of their marriage was the antagonism between the PR chief and Mr Murdoch. Mr Freud took the side of his old friend Mr Blair when his 83-year-old father-in-law filed for divorce from Wendi Deng, 45, last year after becoming angered by claims the former prime minister met his wife several times without his knowledge. Friends of Mr Blair have always insisted his relationship with Miss Deng is entirely platonic. Relations between Mr Freud and Mr Murdoch then soured further, culminating in him banning his father-in-law from attending his 50th birthday party at his £8million Oxfordshire mansion, Burford Priory, last November. Mr Freud said last December: ‘I will be eternally grateful to Rupert Murdoch for producing Elisabeth, who is practically perfect in every way. ‘Our views differ quite dramatically on a number of subjects professionally and I regret that this has caused my relationship with him to be sometimes conflicted. Scroll down for video . Rift (left to right): Rupert Murdoch and his daughter Elisabeth, Wendi Deng and Matthew Freud . ‘But we have had good times as well as bad times, we both love his daughter and his grandchildren, if not always each other. I do not believe anything else is terribly important.’ A family friend told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Matthew and Elisabeth were deeply in love but no couple could survive the emotional pressures they have been under in recent years.’ The couple are expected to split their £260million fortune equally. Miss Murdoch personally made £130million in 2011 when she sold her TV production company Shine, whose hit programmes include MasterChef, to her father’s company News Corporation. Freud and Murdoch were married 13 years . Her husband, who is the great-grandson of psychoanalysis pioneer Sigmund Freud, founded PR company Freud Communications and is worth an estimated £100million. They met in 1997, when they were both married to other people, and were immediately attracted to each other. Having left their spouses, Miss Murdoch and Mr Freud had their first child, Charlotte, in November 2000. They briefly separated before marrying at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in 2001. Their second child, Samson, was born in January 2007. The couple’s parties were legendary for their heady mix of celebrities, senior politicians, media stars and colourful entrepreneurs. Their combined wealth was estimated at £260million in the latest Sunday Times Rich List, which ranked them as one of the top 25 wealthiest couples in the UK. The couple have made no public comment about their separation. But Mr Freud’s sister, radio presenter Emma Freud, retweeted a message from former Sun editor David Yelland: ‘Very sorry to read about the Matthew Freud-Elisabeth Murdoch split, but what I do know is they’re both great parents.’ A source close to Rupert Murdoch said yesterday that his daughter had her father’s full love and support but did not comment further.
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Elisabeth Murdoch seen out jogging with her dog without her ring .
She and PR guru Matthew Freud are to divorce after 13 years .
Comes amid long-standing rift between Freud and Rupert Murdoch .
Was worsened by Freud's friend Tony Blair's friendship with Wendi Deng .
Murdoch and Freud have two children, aged seven and 13 .
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10bb11ed6c59cd73039eb88df9a01616ad151364
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Washington (CNN) -- For years, Denise Scott and her three daughters thought they had certainty about their loved one's death on September 11, 2001. They believed Randy Scott -- Denise's husband and father to Jessica, Rebecca and Alexandra -- died instantly when the second hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 175, hit the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Randy Scott worked for Euro Brokers Inc. on the 84th floor, very close to the plane's point of impact. The family took some comfort believing that he might not have suffered. But a handwritten note with just five words and two numbers on it has changed everything for the Scott family. The note reads, "84th floor west office 12 people trapped." The note was written by Randy Scott. "We all just wrote the same ending," Denise Scott told CNN Connecticut affiliate WTIC-TV, "and it wasn't correct." Remembering 9/11 . The note reveals that Randy Scott was not only alive after impact but actively trying to get help. He somehow sent the note out an opening in the South Tower and down to the street below. Randy Scott's best friend, Steve Ernst, believes he knows what happened. "He actually literally broke a window, probably with a desk," Ernst said. "That's how they found that it was his note; his bloody thumbprint was on the corner of the letter." According to Ernst and accounts the family gave to WTIC and the Stamford, Connecticut, Advocate newspaper, the note was recovered on the street almost immediately. Then, according to those accounts, it was handed to a guard at the nearby Federal Reserve Bank. The South Tower collapsed shortly after that. The Federal Reserve kept the note stored for years and then turned it over to the National September 11th Memorial & Museum, according to those accounts. The museum worked with the New York Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to process the note. It was that smudge of blood on the note -- Randy Scott's blood -- that enabled the medical examiner to use DNA technology to trace the note. By the time the note had gone through all those processes, a decade had passed. In August 2011, the medical examiner's office called Denise Scott, said it had something written and asked her to identify it. She brought Ernst with her. "When we saw the letter, you can't mistake his handwriting," Ernst said. "So we knew right away that ... he went down fighting as hard as he could." "It was hard to hold back your tears," said Ernst, who like the Scott family lives in Stamford. "It's another part of him that just comes back." After 9/11, how we honored our son's memory . Ernst and Denise Scott decided it was best not to tell Denise's daughters right away. "I think we both realized that it's a really tough awakening, to realize that your father didn't die instantly, and might have really suffered or might have had a harder time than we thought," Ernst said. Only "fragments" of Randy Scott's body were recovered, according to Ernst. Denise Scott waited until this year, when the youngest daughter, Alexandra, was out of college, to talk about the note. "My youngest, when I told them about the note, said, 'Oh, Daddy must have been so scared," Denise Scott said. "And I said 'No, your father was hopeful.' " Ernst said he believes the physical characteristics of the writing tell Randy Scott's story in those final moments. "He wasn't trembling. He wasn't nervous. It just looked like, 'This is what I gotta do. I gotta get some help to these 12 people.' " Teaching my child about the 9/11 attacks .
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Randy Scott worked at the World Trade Center .
Family thought he was killed instantly September 11 .
DNA testing links him to a note written after impact .
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10bb1638a643f242a6dc5356e80e49cfd67cc175
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(CNN) -- Brazil legend Pele has been threatened with court action unless he retracts a reported allegation that compatriot Robinho, the Manchester City striker, has taken drugs. Robinho is "upset and disappointed" at comments attributed to Pele regarding the use of drugs. Pele had claimed Robinho and Brazil's former world footballer of the year Ronaldo used recreational drugs at a private party in Sao Paolo. Robinho's official Web site says the player is "upset and disappointed" at Pele whose alleged comments came during a court case involving his son, Edinho, was has admitted cocaine addiction. The story hit the headlines in Brazil and Robinho´s Web site says "that a formal retraction from Pele will be requested, if what he said was not misinterpreted by the media that published it. And if Pele does not come forward, he will have to deal with his very unfortunate comment in court. The statement by the player's representatives, added: "Robinho is upset and disappointed at Pele, who seems to have forgotten the great idol he was and that it appears Pele must be reading sensationlist medias, to come up with such wrongful statement." Brazilian radio station, Jovem Pan, had quoted Pele as saying that: "It is unfair to talk about drugs in football just because of one or two cases, like Robinho and (former Brazil striker) Ronaldo, who had that problem."
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Pele threatened with court action unless he retracts reported drug accusations .
He reportedly alleged fellow Brazilians Robinho and Ronaldo had taken drugs .
Robinho's representatives say a formal retraction will be requested from Pele .
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10bcb0b275a4584da5d06829b6b50f0ff6489b4f
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By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 10:15 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:54 EST, 5 September 2013 . Thrill-seeking campers with a head for heights can now pitch their tents at the world's most extreme 'campsite' - 500ft up a sheer mountain face. Daredevils pay an eye-watering £750 - the same price as a suite at The Ritz - to spend the night suspended in the air on a small platform halfway up a mountain. The accommodation comes in the form of a 'portaledge' - an incredibly strong yet lightweight reinforced aluminum frame covered in canvas. Ultimate thrill-seekers' camping: Suspended 500ft above the ground on a canvass and aluminium ledge, thsi new experience in Germany is only for the fearless . The two-man platforms are hauled up the cliff face in the German Alps and secured to the rock using high strength climbing ropes and shackles. Campers have to scale the mountain to get to their bed for the night - and can only bring with them the bare essentials of a sleeping bag, a rope and a basic dinner. Fearless adventurers sleep alongside an instructor, who takes up the outside position just inches from the 500ft sheer drop. The two campers wear a safety harness to stop them falling should they roll off the portaledge in their sleep. Guests pay premium prices to get the opportunity to watch the sun set and rise from such a perilous position . Effort: Campers have to scale the mountain to get to their bed for the night - and can only bring with them the bare essentials of a sleeping bag, a rope and a basic dinner . The extreme camping experience is the brainchild of staff at Waldseilgarten-Hollschlucht, an outdoor activity centre in Pfronten, Bavaria. Included in the price is a day's climbing tuition by the centre's expert staff. The Waldseilgarten also offers a tree-top package where campers can sleep on portaledges dangling from the branches of giant beech trees or wooden platforms suspended above the ground. Robin Currie, a climbing expert and guide at Waldseilgarten, said there are three types of camping experiences on offer at the Waldseilgarten. 'With all of our camping you sleep in your harness for safety,' he said. 't would be pretty hard to roll off the edge of the platforms but if you did, you wouldn't fall far.' The first experience is on wooden platforms that are suspended above the ground, and is for beginners. There is also the chance to opt for a less scary, tree hanging ledge . When the weather is clear, the views are spectacular, although the ledges can swing rather a lot in the wind . Then there's the 'exposed' tree-top . camping, he said, where guests can sleep on a portaledge dangling 20ft . above the ground from the branch of a big beech tree in a forest . overlooking mountains. 'You can only get to the portaledge by climbing up a rope that hangs down from underneath it - so getting into bed is part of the challenge. 'The sleeping platform is pretty exposed - if it's windy, it will sway in the breeze,' warned Mr Currie. But he said the final option, known as the Big Wall, is the 'most extreme, and only for the most hardcore thrill-seekers'. 'As part of the ultimate experience you climb halfway up a mountain then pitch a portaledge right there on the face. Don't look down: These bizarre lodgings are not suitable for those with vertigo . But with those with a head for heights, they get to see the beautiful German Alps from a unique perspective . 'You're as high as 500ft and you're completely exposed to all the elements - we call it "camping in the air". 'The beauty is you don't have to be an experienced climber to take part, but you really do need a head for heights. 'It is without a doubt the most extreme form of camping you could possibly do. 'There's no-one else in the world offering this kind of camping experience - we are unique. 'It's certainly not cheap but it is an once-in-a-lifetime experience you will never forget.'
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Thrill-seekers can spend a night on two-man platforms suspended on stilts, hanging from trees, or the ultimate accommodation - 500ft up a cliff face .
On each 'portaledge' in the German Alps, guests are attached with a harness .
They can only bring bare essentials - sleeping bag, rope and a basic dinner .
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By . Julian Robinson . Cowboy builder Danny Shea, pictured, conned home-owners out of more than £2million by failing to complete work on their properties, including leaving one a roofless shell . A cowboy builder conned home-owners out of more than £2million by failing to complete work on their properties, including leaving one a roofless shell. Danny Shea removed the roof of one bungalow and left it an uninhabitable shell, but never completed the work, leaving the couple living in a caravan in the garden. Now the 48-year-old is behind bars after he was handed a five and a half year jail term for his crimes. Shea, of Bordon, Hampshire, was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to nine fraud charges and one of fraudulent trading. The offences involved homes in the Thursley, Chiddingfold, Tadworth and Chertsey areas of Surrey and Farnborough, Bordon and Grayshott in Hampshire, between 2007 and 2010. The South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (Serocu), which investigated Shea, found that the 48-year-old had carried out renovations and rebuilding worth £2.1 million which was not completed. Victims Martin Wells and his wife lost about £150,000 in payments to Shea, whom they employed to renovate their bungalow in Grayshott. Mr Wells said Shea ripped off the roof of his property but never returned to finish the job leaving him and his wife to live in a caravan through two winters,' Mr Wells told the BBC. 'As the weeks went by, there was not much work being done, no materials were arriving on site. 'I would be on the phone to Shea every day, sometimes several times a day. "When is the timber arriving? When are the bricks arriving?" He would always have a very plausible excuse . 'We were stuck in the caravan with a house with no roof on it. 'We were stupid to the extent that we gave him money. We probably lost £150,000 but we got to a stage where we had to believe this was going to happen.' Detective Sergeant Ian Ball said: 'For three years Shea systematically defrauded customers who engaged him to carry out building work. 'He claimed to be going to carry out work to a proper standard and finish the respective jobs. ' 'In fact he had no intention of doing either. After an original down-payment, he would obtain further money, again with no intention of doing the work properly or sometimes at all. The bungalow owned by Martin Wells in Grayshott, Hampshire, before work was started on the roof by cowboy builder Danny Shea. And this was the state of the Wells' bungalow after Danny Shea had failed to finish the job having removed the roof. The couple were forced to live in a caravan in the garden through two winters and lost tens of thousands of pounds . 'He would provide an initial quote, followed by a request for money upfront for labour and materials. 'He would provide references from customers satisfied with early work on their projects and suggested extra work which could be carried out. 'Further requests for payment would be made but work would slow and stop. There would be re-negotiation but by then the victims were sucked in and just wanted to have the work finished so would agree to the new demands and even pay suppliers direct for materials. 'Shea would meanwhile make token efforts at work just to keep them on the hook. Then he would disappear, leaving unfinished and sub-standard work. 'The cost of remedial work sometimes ran into hundreds of thousands of pounds. 'However, working with partners in many agencies and with the CPS, we were able to support the victims and get the evidence that finally enabled us to bring Shea to justice after an investigation that has now spanned three years.' The fraudulent trading related to theft of plant and construction machinery and motor vehicles, which had been unlawfully sold. Equipment worth more than £121,000 is still unaccounted for.
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Danny Shea left homeowners tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket .
Ripped the roof off one property and did not finish job leaving couple homeless .
Targeted residents in Hampshire and Surrey with frauds totalling £2.1million .
Arrested and charged after major three-year investigation into his crimes .
Now beginning a five and a half year sentence after admitting fraud .
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10be1f4a3aeaf15a8eecc9be04f24babb9753ae6
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(CNN) -- A high school dropout who stole the identity of a missing South Carolina woman and used it to gain admission to two Ivy League colleges has been arrested, police said Sunday. Esther Reed, who allegedly used a missing woman's ID to get into colleges, was arrested by U.S. Marshals. A fugitive for more than a year, Esther Reed was arrested Saturday by U.S. Marshals in suburban Chicago, said Clark Brazier, a spokesman for the police department in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina. Reed is scheduled to have a bond hearing this week in Illinois. South Carolina authorities are seeking to extradite her on charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. Reed assumed the identity of Brooke Henson, who was 20 years old when she disappeared more than eight years ago from Travelers Rest, investigators say. It's unclear how Reed obtained Henson's personal information, but Reed used Henson's identity to take the SAT and GED, and then applied to the schools, said Jon Campbell, a Travelers Rest Police Department investigator who spoke to CNN last year. Officials at Harvard University and Columbia University have acknowledged that a Brooke Henson was enrolled at their schools, but said privacy laws prevent them from discussing details. "There's a little relief that goes with [the news of Reed's arrest]," Brooke's aunt Lisa Henson told CNN Sunday. "But [Brooke] is still missing. I'd like to have some answers. I would love to see [Reed] and look her in the eye and say, 'You're a horrible person.' " Police say they're confident Reed was not involved in Henson's disappearance. Authorities believe Henson was killed by someone who knew her. However, no body has been found and no arrests have been made. Henson's family had heard nothing about their missing relative for years until the summer of 2006, when New York City authorities told police in Travelers Rest that they had found her, alive and well, in Manhattan. The police relayed that message to Henson's family. "I was jumping for joy," said Lisa Henson. "It was incredible." But the family's joy was short-lived when it was revealed that the woman found was actually Reed. An ex-boyfriend told CNN that Reed -- posing as Henson -- often bragged about being a world-class chess player who earned a living playing the game competitively. The man told CNN that he believed her until he challenged her to a game and beat her. Originally from the tiny town of Townsend, Montana, Reed had been reported missing by her family in 1999, around the same time that Henson disappeared. In high school in Montana, Reed earned poor grades. "Esther was the kind of kid who would have been invisible," her English teacher James Therriault said. "If you didn't take pains to notice her presence." E-mail to a friend . CNN's Gary Tuchman and Ashley Fantz contributed to this report.
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Police: Esther Reed went missing the same time that Brooke Henson did .
Reed assumed Henson's identity, took SAT and GED in her name, police say .
Police believe Henson was killed but say Reed was not involved .
Columbia University and Harvard confirmed that a Brooke Hanson was enrolled .
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10bee8ccced934cb122caae37f1064f9dff676d7
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(CNN) -- With its purchase of Nokia's mobile phone business, Microsoft has brought a longtime partner into the fold to help fight a battle that has been tough for both companies. Microsoft, which was late to the smartphone game with its Windows mobile operating system, badly trails Android and Apple's iOS. And while Nokia is still a force selling feature phones worldwide, it's barely made a dent in the smartphone market. But if the Finnish company is struggling today, it can still take pride in its history at the forefront of the mobile movement. Here are five ways the once-dominant phonemaker has helped shape the world of mobile electronics as we know it today: . First to move . It's not the sort of thing that smartphone owners today probably remember -- if they're even old enough. But the Nokia 1011, released in 1992, was the first commercially available mobile phone that operated on what's called the GSM network. The letters stand for Global System for Mobile. And what that meant was that unlike earlier phones, the Nokia could be used to make a phone call from almost anywhere in the world. GSM is still the world's most widely used mobile system, although 4G is expected eventually to replace it. Phone as fashion statement . A phone is just a phone, right? Of course not. Today, there are plenty of folks who, admit it or not, wrap at least a small part of their identity up in what kind of phone is in their pocket. That was a pretty alien concept up until the early 2000s when, if you owned a cell phone, there was a pretty good chance it was a Nokia. Remember those chunky, rounded models with the tiny gray screens and the nubby antennas? The Nokia 5110 was one of the most popular. And it also was one of the market's first phones that had a replaceable face plate. The plates came in a wide variety of colors, offering one of the first chances to personalize your phone's look. The 'slider' The popularity of early Nokia phones meant the company's designs often became the standard for cell phones. It didn't create the first flip phone (that honor belongs to Motorola), but the "slider" was all Nokia. The first was the company's 8110 model, which debuted in 1998. How cutting edge was the design at the time? It was the phone of choice in the futuristic 1999 sci-fi film "The Matrix." Mobile gaming . Remember "Snake"? It seems laughably simple compared with the range of gaming possible on today's smartphones. But plenty got addicted to this game. Even though it had already been in arcades, Nokia began preloading "Snake" on its phones in 1998. Don't hit your own tail. Don't hit the walls. And what the heck were those things you were eating, anyway? Who knows -- but "Angry Birds," "Candy Crush" and their app-store brethren owe a tip of the digital cap to Nokia's vision of telephone-as-gaming-device. Windows warrior . Phones running the Windows operating system haven't exactly set the marketplace on fire. In the second quarter of this year, 7.4 million phones running Windows were sold, according to Gartner Research. That's a long way behind the No. 2 system, Apple's iOS, with 31.9 million phones sold in that time. But Nokia has squarely positioned itself as the leading vendor of those Windows phones, making 82% of the devices sold last year. In 2011, Windows and Nokia announced a partnership in which Nokia switched to the Windows OS as the default system running all of its handsets. That hasn't been enough to put Nokia on super-solid ground, at least not yet. But the longstanding partnership is what led to Monday's purchase, and if having in-house hardware gives Windows Phone a boost, Microsoft and Nokia will reap the rewards.
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Microsoft announced it is buying Nokia's mobile phone division .
Despite smartphone struggles, Nokia has been a mobile leader .
It was the first to switch to an international mobile-networking system .
Nokia introduced phone gaming and the "slider" style of handset .
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10bfb2820bcce37488947a654acbd0cf6f86b910
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Read our brilliant preview to the new NBA season... so, who will come out on top? Tony Parker scored 23 points, including a big three-pointer late in the game as the San Antonio Spurs opened their title defence with a thrilling 101-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. Manu Ginobili added 20 points for San Antonio, which shot 53 percent from the field. Tim Duncan scored 14 points and 13 rebounds for his 14th double-double in a season opener, the most by any player in NBA history, according to Elias Sports. Tony Parker dives for the hoop as Dallas' Chandler Parsons tries to block his spectacular effort . Tim Duncan (right) hit 14 points as the San Antonio Spurs opened the new season with a win . Monta Ellis (centre) top scored for the Dallas Mavericks with 26 points as his team lost . Manu Ginobili (right) hit 20 points and showed his experience and class for the Spurs on Tuesday night . Monta Ellis scored 26 points for Dallas and Dirk Nowitzki had 18. Devin Harris finished with 17 points. Following a video recap of the 2014 season narrated by actor and Spurs fan Samuel L. Jackson, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver presented San Antonio's staff and players with their championship rings. The inscription inside the ring was 'Good to Great' - which was coach Gregg Popovich's mantra last season. After Nowitzki gave Dallas a 100-98 lead with a fadeaway jumper over Boris Diaw with 1:37 remaining, Parker drained a three in front of the Mavericks' bench off a feed from Diaw. Parker was four from four from long range, matching a career high for threes in a game. Dirk Nowitzki (right) defends the ball under pressure from San Antonio's Boris Diaw . Parker (centre) shots over Nowitzki (left) and Ellis (right) during the first half . Coach Gregg Popovich receives his NBA championship ring ahead of the game with the Dallas Maveriks . San Antonio players (from left) Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Parker poses with their championship rings . Before tip-off the San Antonio Spurs unveiled their latest championship banner . Meanwhile, Houston's James Harden scored 32 points and Dwight Howard added 13 points and 11 rebounds before getting into a shouting match with Kobe Bryant as the Rockets spoiled Bryant's return to the Lakers with a 108-90 victory. Bryant's comeback game got even worse when Lakers rookie forward Julius Randle seriously injured his right leg in the fourth quarter, leaving his NBA debut on a wheeled stretcher. The seventh overall pick out of Kentucky collided with two Rockets under the basket and landed awkwardly. Kobe Bryant (left) returned to action for the LA Lakers after missing much of last season with injury . Bryant's return to action for the Lakers did not go as expected as they lost to the Houston Rockets . Julius Randle's NBA debut came to an end in the fourth quarter after he injured his leg . Bryant scored 19 points in his first game back at Staples Center after missing most of the Lakers' worst season in a half-century with two major injuries. Trevor Ariza and Terrence Jones scored 16 points each for Houston. At New Orleans, Anthony Davis had 26 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocks to lead the New Orleans Saints to a 101-84 season-opening win over the Orlando Magic. Anthony Davis slam dunks the ball as New Orleans beat Orlando Magic 101-84 on Tuesday night . Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton goes to the basket as the Pelicans' players watch on . Ryan Anderson, coming back from surgery on a herniated disk that cost him more than half of last season, scored 22 points. The Pelicans' new seven-foot centre, Omer Asik, had a double-double with 14 points and 17 rebounds. Tobias Harris scored 25 points for Orlando, while Nikola Vucevic added 15 points and 23 rebounds.
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Defending champions open new campaign with 101-100 win on Tuesday .
Duncan hits 14th double-double in NBA season opener .
Kobe Bryant's LA Lakers lose 108-90 to Houston Rockets .
New Orleans Saints start season with 101-84 win over Orlando Magic .
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10c0dc899d97f9813b7ec9e4f446aeffa60da0f7
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By . Rik Sharma . PUBLISHED: . 09:21 EST, 3 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:18 EST, 3 November 2012 . A teen mum is on the run with her one-month-old daughter and a boyfriend who is wanted in relation to a homicide, according to police. Californian Diana Zamora Cardenas, 16, and her baby Davina are believed to be with the father, Nicolas Alcala, 19. Alcala allegedly killed Pedro Aispuro, 34, on June 4, by shooting him while he stood outside a taco truck in Huron. Missing: Diana Zamora Cardenas and her baby Davina Alcala are believed to be on the run with Nico Alcala . Police say he is armed and dangerous but that she left with him voluntarily. The Hanford Police department is searching for the trio and Lieutenant Pat Crowe said they were likely together. 'The baby daddy is the one we believe she left with or is going to meet up with,' he told The Huffington Post. Wanted: Alcala is the suspect in a murder investigation . Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims spoke to KFSN-TV on the day of the shooting. She said: 'He is currently wanted for a homicide that occurred in Fresno County.' 'There was a large gathering on the main street of that city. There was a fight and shots were fired. As a result one person is dead having been shot numerous times.' Aispuro's relatives told KFSN-TV that he had survied being shot four times during a separate shooting in January. Cardenas was last seen on Sunday with her daughter at home in Hanford before being reported missing by her mother later that day. Now they suspect the trio could be hiding in Avenal or Kettleman City and could even head to Mexico. Cardenas' friends have not been helpful with the search, according to inspectors. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children describes both Cardenas and Davina as Hispanic. She is about 5 feet 1 inch tall and has a birthmark on the inside of her left arm. Missing person profiles .
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Nicolas Alcala is alleged to have shot and killed a man in June .
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10c142f1b41aba877ec81328e8a6245e4fc7fc73
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(CNN) -- Authorities are offering rewards totaling up to $125,000 for information about a fatal weekend shooting of a postal worker in Maryland. Tyson Jerome Barnette, 26, was on duty when he was killed, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. Shortly before 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, officers were called the scene, where Barnette was pronounced dead from apparent gunshot wounds. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the letter carrier and his family during this very difficult time. We are all deeply saddened," said Fredric Rolando, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers. "The nation's letter carriers deliver the mail in every community throughout the country. This tragic incident highlights the need in all operational decisions about how and when mail is delivered to give priority consideration to the safety of these dedicated public servants," he added. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $100,000, while police are offering one of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest and indictment in the case. Both agencies are investigating the shooting. It was not immediately clear what motivated the killing, which happened while Barnette was driving someone else's mail route, said Postal Inspector Frank Schissler. He said there were no witnesses.
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Tyson Jerome Barnette, 26, was on duty when he was killed .
He was pronounced dead at the scene .
Authorities are offering rewards of up to $125,000 .
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10c26e48ae27076f93fbb83b7afb12fa39b8f148
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For a truly breathtaking sight, just look to the skies above Utrecht in the Netherlands. In a video recorded this month, Roald Van Stijn captured thousands of flocking starlings flying in stunning formation. Although the 36-year-old had been visiting different sites known for starling spotting for three years, every other time he'd attempted to record the beautiful sight, something had got in the way. In a video recorded this month, Roald Van Stijn captured thousands of starlings flying above Utrecht . The flocks of birds created stunning formations as they 'danced' high above the city skyline . '[Before] it was too dark already or there were too many buildings or trees in the frame,' Van Stijn told MailOnline. 'Many times the starlings just flew as a flock and didn't show the dancing. 'This time I finally got everything right - and even better, it was just five minutes from my home.' The nature-lover had been visiting the site for three years in hopes of recording a good video of the birds . 'This time, I got everything right,' he says. 'And even better, it was just five minutes from my home.' 'Every year the birds flock somewhere else,' he explains. 'This suburb has a flock every year, but normally smaller flocks. 'This flock is really amazing: huge and not that common.' While it is common to see starlings in the Netherlands, it's rare to see this many all in one place . Roald Van Stijn says that filming starlings in these optimal conditions was high on his bucket list . 'I love the wonders of nature,' Van Stijn says of his passion for amateur outdoor film making. 'Last summer, I finally filmed a lightning strike in super slow motion and last month, I made a timelapse of the Northern Lights. 'Filming starlings in these conditions was high on my bucket list.'
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Above Utrecht, Roald Van Stijn captured thousands of flocking starlings .
Flying in formation, they look as though they are dancing above the city .
The 36-year-old had been trying to film in such clear conditions for 3 years .
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By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 08:44 EST, 2 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:21 EST, 2 April 2013 . The first details of Facebook's mobile phone have revealed a new 'home' app - and it could turn any Android handset into a 'Facebook Phone'. According to website Android Police, the software will be unveiled alongside a handset developed by the social networking giant and phone maker HTC at a special event on Thursday. Codenamed Myst, the handset is expected to feature dedicated Facebook menus and screens. The first screenshots of the app reveal it looks remarkably similar to the existing app - but is expected to be integrated into the phone's menus and home screen as well. The new app is expected to be called Facebook home, according to one site . Android Police said it had been unable to sign in to the new app as only Facebook employees had access to it. however, they managed to find the rough specs of the HTC phone, and also believe the software will be made available from Google for other Android handsets - although these versions may only have limited features. 'According to this rom, the Facebook Phone looks to be a mostly stock, mid-range Sense 4.5 phone that was attacked by a mutant Facebook app,' the site said. 'Everything seems to be focused on the Facebook app - they haven't made their own Android Skin, or anything like that. Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook headquarters, where he is expected to unveil a phone and app on Thursday . 'Sadly, we can't get too many more details, because just about everything requires that you have special access to Facebook.' The software is believed to also act as a 'launcher', so can take over the user's home screen to show their Facebook friends and updates. The leaked information also reveals a chat app that can place windows on any other app. HTC One, the firm's latest Android handset. It is expected to launch a handset with Facebook on Thursday .
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Handset believed to have been developed with HTC and codenamed Myst .
Set to be announced on Thursday afternoon at Facebook's Silicon Valley HQ .
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West Ham United striker Mauro Zarate is in talks over a loan move to Queens Park Rangers. The 27-year-old, who also has an offer from Deportivo La Coruna, only joined West Ham in the summer from Argentine club Velez Sarsfield. He has, however, struggled to hold down a first-team place due to the form of Diafra Sakho, Andy Carroll and Enner Valencia and will undergo a medical with QPR on Tuesday. West Ham United forward Mauro Zarate is in talks with Queens Park Rangers over a potential loan move . Zarate (left) only signed for West Ham in the summer but has failed to nail down a first-team place . Zarate, who has scored two goals for West Ham, could complete the move before QPR’s FA Cup game against Sheffield United this weekend. QPR have also enquired about Atletico Madrid winger Cristian Rodriguez. Harry Redknapp is also hoping he can finalise a move for midfielder Ryan Manning from Irish side Galway. Atletico Madrid winger Cristian Rodriguez (right) is interesting QPR manager Harry Redknapp .
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Mauro Zarate is in talks over a loan switch to Queens Park Rangers .
He will have a medical at the Loftus Road club on Tuesday .
Striker has failed to nail down first-team place at West Ham United .
QPR have also enquired about Atletico Madrid winger Cristian Rodriguez .
Harry Redknapp also hoping to finalise move for Galway's Ryan Manning .
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Benefits cheat: Vincent Siracusa pocketed thousands of pounds in hand-outs while working as a DJ in venues across the north west . A benefits cheat who swindled the taxpayer out of almost £30,000 by pretending to be unemployed while actually working as a nightclub DJ has been spared jail. Vincent Siracusa pocketed thousands of pounds in hand-outs while working the bar and club scene as a popular DJ in the north west of England. A court heard the 58-year-old had legitimately started claiming income support and council tax benefit from 2002. But he failed to inform the authorities when he begun working as a DJ from August 2004 and went on to earn £80,000 by the end of 2009. Siracusa was overpaid £25,000 in income support as well as £4,800 in council tax benefit while entertaining at trendy Northern Soul nights as well as pubs in bars. Yesterday Siracusa avoided jail after pleading guilty to two counts of benefit fraud at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. He was sentenced to 36 weeks in prison, suspended for two years and handed a 12- month supervision order and a four-month curfew. Sentencing, Recorder Nigel Daly told him: 'You are a person who has done charity work, donating almost £2,000 to Help For Heroes. 'You have been involved in other charity events, one raising £1,000 for the Donna Louise Trust. 'But at the same time you have been effectively stealing from the public, receiving £30,000 over about five years. 'At the same time you were working on a regular basis and receiving money, which would have put you as having income in the region of £16,000, none of which was declared to the authorities.' The court heard Siracusa, of Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs., worked at bars and clubs and even performed at functions at Port Vale Football Club. But he was rumbled by the Department of Work and Pensions after they received an anonymous tip-off from a member of the public. Escaped jail: Siracusa avoided prison after pleading guilty to two counts of benefit fraud at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court, above . Prosecutor Fraser Livesey told the court: 'The defendant claimed benefits from 2002. 'They were not dishonest from the outset. He began working from August 2004. 'He would not have been entitled to benefits if he declared his work. 'He was working as a disc jockey at pubs and clubs. He had two bank accounts, one which he used as a cash account, the other appeared to be an account for regular gigs. 'He appears to have worked at Port Vale Football Club in terms of their social functions and he worked at Northern Soul nights.' Stuart Muldoon, defending, said Siracusa - who has no previous convictions - didn't use all the cash himself and paid others who helped him at events. He added that the DJ carries out a lot of charitable work which has raised 'not insubstantial' amounts for worthy causes.
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Vincent Siracusa, of Stoke-on-Trent, given thousands in income support .
At the same the 58-year-old was earning significant amount as popular DJ .
Failed to inform the authorities of change in circumstances for five years .
Siracusa spared jail by judge who recognised his previous charity work .
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By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 06:23 EST, 24 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:25 EST, 24 May 2013 . The sister of the terror suspect accused of hacking a soldier to death smiled yesterday as she was escorted from her home and got into a police car. Blessing Adebolajo, 32, was led from her property yesterday morning just hours after her brother Michael, 28, was filmed ranting with blood on his hands yards from the body of the murdered soldier in Woolwich. Blessing was carrying a bag full of clothes as she got into an unmarked police vehicle outside her flat in Romford, Essex, at 8.10am. Suspect's sister: Blessing Adebolajo, 32, smiles as she gets into an unmarked police car outside her home in Romford, Essex, yesterday morning . It is understood she was not arrested, but police will undoubtedly want to question her about her brother who neighbours said was seen regularly at the house. A woman purporting to be Adebolajo's sister told the Romford Recorder newspaper yesterday: 'We didn't know he was going to do this.' Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, 22, have been identified as the men suspected of murdering Drummer Lee Rigby. Blessing - who has also gone by the surname Daniels - lives on the top floor of the property and used to share the home with her terror suspect brother, neighbours told The Times. Graham Wells, 30, claimed that Adebolajo smoked drugs when he was staying there. Led away: Blessing Adebolajo gets into the vehicle yesterday and was taken away. She has not been arrested . 'He liked to smoke a bit of green (marijuana). We played football, a kick-about on the courts. He was a big lad, not the sort of guy you'd want to cross,' he told the newspaper. 'He used to be a normal bloke. he always had a big smile on his face. he'd say "All right Wellsy, all right boy, what's happening?".' Police also raided a home in Saxilby, Lincolnshire, yesterday which is believed to belong to the terror suspect's father Anthony, 56. In a chilling rant captured on camera the other side of the road from where drummer Lee Rigby, 25, lay dead, the suspect named as Adebolajo declared: 'The only reason we have killed this man today is because Muslims are dying daily by British soldiers.' Search: Police and forensic officers enter the top floor flat in Romford, Essex, where Adebolajo's sister Blessing lives. Neighbours said he used to live at the property . Former schoolfriends of Adebolajo . said yesterday he was a 'bright and witty' boy who came from a devoutly . Christian family. However, he is understood to have converted to Islam . in around 2003. His mother . and father are hard-working Nigerian immigrants from an academic family . in West Africa who settled in London in the early 1980s. Virtually . all the friends on his Facebook page have traditional British names . such as Louise, Kelly, Robert, Craig, Gemma, Lauren and Paul, to name a . few. Among them is Matthew Selt, now a professional snooker player. After the killing: Michael Adebolajo, 28, pictured on Wednesday, once served a jail sentence for violence . Angels of Woolwich: Gemini Donnelly-Martin, 20, and her mother Amanda (right) talk to one of the alleged attackers with blood on his hands. Meanwhile, Ingrid Loyau-Kennett (left) talks to the other suspect, identified as Michael Adebowale. Lee Rigby lies dead in the road . He . was 'just a lovely, lovely guy', in the words of former classmate . Stephen Cavalier – who, as a serving PC in the Metropolitan Police – . could scarcely have followed a different path. Speaking . at his home in Essex yesterday, Mr Cavalier said: 'It seems odd to say . it now, after the events of yesterday, but I remember him as just a . lovely, lovely guy. Search: Police forensic teams check the gutters of the home where Blessing Daniels lives in Romford yesterday . Search: Forensic officers were seen going in and out of the top floor flat in Romford, Essex, throughout the day yesterday . 'I knew Michael at Marshalls Park School in Romford when we were teenagers. He was a good sportsman and just an all-round nice guy.' He said he was no longer close to Adebolajo, who had requested they become 'Facebook friends' a few years ago. 'As soon as I saw the news last night I immediately recognised it was Michael. I was in shock really when I saw him.' Previously: Michael Adebolajo was in a group of Muslim extremists who fought with police outside the Old Bailey in 2006. He had been arguing that he had the right to 'behead those who insult Islam' Terror suspect: Anjem Choudary (right) claimed that this is him pictured with Michael Adebolajo, 28, (circled) at an Islamist demonstration in London in 2007 . Throughout the frenzied attack the two killers . shouted ‘Allah Akbar’ – Arabic for ‘God is great’ – then demanded . horrified witnesses film them as they ranted over the crumpled body. The two black men in their 20s, waited . calmly for armed police to arrive before charging at officers . brandishing a rusty revolver, knives and meat cleavers. When the old pistol was shot towards police it backfired and blew the thumb off one of the men. Moments later they were cut down in a . hail of bullets believed to be fired by a woman marksman. Last night . both men were being treated in hospital for their wounds and will face questioning.
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Blessing Adebolajo, 32, escorted from her property in Romford yesterday .
She smiled as she got into an unmarked police car and was driven away .
Her brother Michael, 28, is suspected of killing soldier Lee Rigby, 25 .
Neighbours claim the suspect was regularly seen at his sister's house .
She has not been arrested by police .
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By . Paul Collins . Spain goalkeeper David de Gea has a leg injury and could be out for the rest of the World Cup group stage. The Manchester United goalie underwent medical scans on Sunday that revealed a leg muscle strain, with the defending champions listing him as day-to-day. Spanish media reports suggest De Gea will be sidelined for up to 10 days, ruling him out of the final two Group B matches against Chile and Australia. De Gea recently made his debut for Spain. VIDEO Scroll down for Casillas pushed hard in training with Reina and De Gea available . Out of the tournament? David de Gea is a doubt for the rest of the World Cup after picking up a hip injury . Distraught: Iker Casillas had a poor game against Holland leaving his place seemingly up for grabs . Captain and regular goalkeeper Iker Casillas' poor play in Friday's 5-1 loss to the Netherlands had given De Gea a possible chance to take over the starting role. Pepe Reina is the only other goalie available to the world and European champions going into Wednesday's must-win game against Chile at the Maracana. Shot stopper: De Gea pulls off a fine save in training last week .
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De Gea will be out for 10 days with leg injury .
Manchester United goalkeeper would miss games with Chile and Australia .
Iker Casillas criticised after performance in first match against Holland .
Pepe Reina other goalkeeper in Del Bosque's squad .
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The world's most popular Pinterest users are earning up to $250,000 a year, thanks to an increasing number of lucrative endorsements and brand collaborations arranged via a select group of Pinterest-focused talent agencies. According to Kyla Brennan, founder of HelloSociety, one of the top Pinterest agencies in the country, big name brands, including Kmart, Sephora and Kate Spade, are lining up to work with her clients - many of whom boast upwards of 1.8 million followers on the site. 'Pinterest is built for commerce,' the 29-year-old, whose Los Angeles-based agency pulled 12.5 million in revenue last year, told Re/Code. Under the Pinfluence: Pinterest's most popular users can make as much as $250,00 a year, according to Kyla Brennan, whose talent agency HelloSociety launched this board for Sephora's Formula X nail polishes . Indeed, some of the projects her clients have worked on have proved so successful for brands that they have diverted funds away from advertising on other social media platforms in order to invest more money in Pinterest which, as she points out, is ripe for retail partnerships given its catalogue-like setup. According to HelloSociety's website, previous projects completed by its pinners include creating recipes to promote major motion pictures, shooting editorial-style outfit inspiration for clothing lines, and coming up with crafts inspired by the spokeswoman for an auto insurance company. Fashion and beauty brands such as Kate Spade, Gap and Sephora have commissioned boards from HelloSociety's 350-plus pinners. Intelligent design: 'Pinterest is built for commerce,' said 29-year-old entrepreneur Ms Brennan (pictured) As opposed to sites like YouTube, where overnight celebrities are made through viral success, many of Pinterest's most followed users are simply those who were early adopters of the platform, and thus were recommended to new users. One would be hard-pressed to name a famous 'Pinfluencer', and Ms Brennan understands why the idea of one making a six-figure sum could raise skepticism. 'People hear Pinterest star and they’re like, "what?!",' she said. 'But after three years of doing this, seeing clients making hundreds of thousands of dollars and quit their jobs and pin full time, it’s real.' Pinterest star: Lauren Zwanziger, of Nashville, Tennessee, has close to five million followers, and is represented by HelloSociety . She adds that it’s much harder to get a huge audience in Pinterest than on other social networks, making Pinfluencers particularly valuable. 'It’s just much rarer than something like YouTube, where you make one viral video and there you are,' she said.
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Kyla Brennan, who runs Pinterest talent agency HelloSociety, helps top pinners land endorsement deals with brands such as Sephora and Kate Spade .
The 29-year-old currently manages 350 of the world’s most sought-after Pinterest users .
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10c62ae6c9769de470a37b30bcdbe002c281eb58
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(CNN)A federal investigation has not found enough evidence to charge Darren Wilson for depriving Michael Brown of his civil rights, according to multiple sources familiar with the probe. This would be the second time the former police officer has avoided standing trial in the black teen's fatal shooting last summer in Ferguson, Missouri. The FBI joined local officials in interviewing more than 200 people -- and looked at much the same evidence -- as a St. Louis County grand jury that decided in November not to indict Wilson, who is white, on any charges in Brown's death. That federal law enforcement agency has now completed its investigation into the August shooting and sent its findings to the Justice Department, a law enforcement official and a separate U.S. official said Wednesday. Based on that probe, Justice Department prosecutors won't recommend civil rights charges against Wilson because there is not sufficient evidence to support them, a U.S. official told CNN. The New York Times first reported the development Wednesday. The Justice Department report has not been completed, and Attorney General Eric Holder ultimately will make the final decision whether to press federal civil rights charges against Wilson. Still, it wouldn't be a surprise if Holder doesn't call for charges. While he's been outspoken on Ferguson, met with Brown's family and said he understood African-Americans' mistrust for police after the incident, the attorney general acknowledged in November that "federal civil rights law imposes a high legal bar in these types of cases." The shooting of the 18-year-old Brown stirred months of emotionally charged, widespread and at times violent demonstrations in Ferguson, a few miles northwest of St. Louis. "Hands up, don't shoot" became a mantra for protesters nationwide decrying what they called undue, unfair police violence against African-Americans, resonating even after grand jury testimony disputed whether Brown ever actually raised his arms in surrender. Those protests bubbled up in the days immediately after the shooting, with anger growing due to what some saw as law enforcement's heavy-handed response. And they swelled again after the grand jury's decision this fall not to indict Wilson on state charges. If Holder decides, based on prosecutors' recommendation, not to press federal civil rights charges against Wilson, that could rile things up yet again. Antonio French, a St. Louis city alderman who has been involved in the Ferguson protests, thinks some people will be disappointed, at the least. "The community and the family wanted a day in court, an opportunity to see all the evidence laid out, cross-examined," French said. "And it looks like that's not going to happen. I hope we don't have any violence as a result of this." For now, though, Brown's family is laying low. What are the Brown family's options? Benjamin Crump, a lawyer for the family, has said he felt federal civil rights charges against Wilson were "not very likely" given the "very high standard" that has to be met. CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin has noted that authorities would need proof that Wilson exhibited "racial hostility," presumably by what he said before, during or after the shooting. The Brown camp deferred comment on Wednesday's news reports suggesting there would be no charges. "The family of Michael Brown Jr. will wait for official word from the Justice Department regarding whether or not any charges will be filed against the police officer who shot and killed him," Crump said in a written statement. "The family won't address speculation from anonymous sources." Even without charges, this story isn't over. It's possible that Brown's family will file a civil lawsuit against Wilson, who resigned in late November citing security concerns. And the U.S. Justice Department still has another open investigation -- this one looking at the Ferguson Police Department as a whole. "Anecdotal accounts underscore the history of mistrust of law enforcement in Ferguson that has received a good deal of attention," Holder said in September. "Our investigation will assess the police department's use of force, including deadly force. It will analyze stops, searches and arrests. And it will examine the treatment of individuals detained at Ferguson's city jail." That investigation could lead to significant changes in Ferguson, much as similar federal probes have produced in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and elsewhere. But it wouldn't mean charges for Wilson, personally, or that anyone would go on trial. It's also possible there could be legislation, policy changes or personnel turnovers not forced by the federal government. In his State of the State speech on Wednesday, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said addressing "the broader, systemic issues" raised by the unrest that followed the killing of Brown would demand "sustained effort." "The legacy of Ferguson will be determined by what we do next ... to foster healing and hope ... and the changes we make to strengthen all of our communities," he said. At the least, French said, he expects more protests to keep up pressure on authorities. "That's a good thing," he said. "But we want to keep them peaceful, nonviolent because violence makes the situation worse. It divides the community in a time we need to come together and make everyone feel like they can get equal protection." Ultimately, he said, some of the protesters' goals can be achieved outside the courts. "The next steps I think are legislative change," French said, "trying to make sure that in cases like this we get a special prosecutor by law, and to create a new level of civilian oversight over police departments." CNN's Shimon Prokupecz, Catherine E. Shoichet, Dave Alsup, Jethro Mullen and Wolf Blitzer contributed to this report.
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Sources: Federal prosecutors don't think there's enough proof for civil rights charges .
A grand jury decided against state charges for ex-Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson .
It all stems from Michael Brown's fatal shooting, which stirred up large, emotional protests .
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By . Lizzie Edmonds . PUBLISHED: . 13:39 EST, 26 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:45 EST, 26 September 2013 . Over a hundred police officers were called to help move drills from a potential fracking site this afternoon - but only a few activists showed up to protest. Officers have been drafted in to assist energy company Cuadrilla remove their exploratory drilling equipment from the site in Balcombe, West Sussex. The operation is expected to cost the taxpayer around £3million. Protest: Only a few activists, pictured, arrived to protest at the removal of the equipment today . Action: Three activists speak with police officers who have been drafted in to assist the removal of the drills . Removed: A protestor is arrested by police, pictured, bringing the total number of arrests up to 124 . But rather than a sea of activists - officers today were faced with less than 20 protestors. Just two of those were arrested. Rows of officers from four local forces were stationed outside the entrance to the site - which still has around 50 activists camping outside it - this morning. They then stood guard as the equipment was moved away on the back of HGV lorries. As the drills were driven from from the now infamous site on the outskirts of the village, officers walked beside the lorries while they travelled down the small country lanes. Arrest: Another protestor is removed by police from the site in West Sussex . Guard: Police protect the Cuadrilla fracking equipment as it leaves the site . Protection: Officers then move to surround the equipment as it is taken away on a lorry . At one point, police from Surrey, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Metropolitan Police, escorted some activists away from the lorries. Some protestors have said they feel they are outnumbered by the large police presence - especially as Cuadrilla have hired security guards with dogs from G4S. The operation is expected to last until Saturday. However it could continue next year as Cuadrilla are applying for planning permission to further assess the levels of underground oil. The site has been in the news since July when Cuadrilla were hired to carry out a period of exploratory drilling. Campaigners flocked to the Balcombe site and camped outside for several weeks to highlight their objection to the controversial method - which involves using high-pressure liquid pumped deep underground to split shale rock and release gas. Presence: Around 100 officers from four forces attended the site . Outnumbered: The massive police presence dwarfed the number of activists . At one point around a hundred police – including trained riot officers – were brought in to break up one blockade. A total of 124 people have been arrested at the site since the protests began, including Green MP Caroline Lucas. She was charged with public disorder offences after she took part in a sit-in at the site's entrance last month. However, earlier this month Cuadrilla admitted Balcombe was unlikely to become a fracking site. The company said there are likely to be other more suitable sites instead. It said: The site is unlikely to go into full production. We are not ruling it out completely. The fact is that we have a large licence area and there are likely to be more suitable sites elsewhere.’ At the time Prime Minister David Cameron insisted that every part of the country must be prepared to accept fracking sites to extract shale gas from deep underground. Equipment is being removed from the site as initial exploratory drilling has now come to a finish . Cuadrilla have said the Balcombe site is unlikely to be used as the drilling was less fruitful than expected .
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Officers are assisting .
energy company Cuadrilla remove exploratory drilling equipment .
from site in Balcombe, West Sussex .
Police from four forces marshalled equipment as it was driven from site .
Only a few activists attended, with two arrested .
Site has homed protestors since energy firm began drilling in July .
124 arrested so far at site, including Green Mp Caroline Lucas .
Cuadrilla say they are unlikely to use the site for fracking after initial drills were less fruitful than expected .
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Shocked classmates of the alleged Charlie Hebdo getaway driver have leapt to his defence - claiming he was in school with them at the time of the deadly attack. Mourad Hamyd was arrested on Wednesday night after handing himself in at a local police station, after rumours he was involved in the Charlie Hebdo massacre began to circulate on social media. But friends of the 18-year-old suspected terrorist say there is no way he could have been involved, as he was sitting in class at the Lycee Monge when the attack took place. The school is in Charleville-Mezières, around 130 miles from the scene of the murders in Paris. Twitter user Vicomte Crew (@babydroma) claims her classmate was in school on Wednesday, using the hashtag #MouradHamydInnocent . Classmates immediately took to Twitter saying a terrible mistake had been made, using the hashtag #MouradHamydInnocent. A user under the hand @babydroma insisted that Mourad was in her philosophy class, and added: ‘Please, he was in [school] all morning, he’s in my class.’ Another Twitter user - @AnyceDz, who is thought to have launched the hashtag - appeared on television to defend his classmate. He is reported to have said he got the bus in with Hamyd at 8am, and spent the 10am break with him, then took the bus with him just before midday. A Facebook group has also been set up in support of Hamyd – called ‘Hamyd Mourad est innocent’ – has more than 500 members who believe the teen is in no way connected to the massacre. But the school has not confirmed whether or not Hamyd was in class that day. Headteacher Miguel Rubio declined to comment and told MailOnline: ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you any more because there is an inquiry and so we must wait until the inquiry is closed to speak.’ A map showing the location of the Charlie Hebdo offices - and the town of Charleville-Mazires, on the border of Belgium, 144 miles away . Hamyd, who is still in custody, is believed to be the brother-in-law of one of the suspected terrorists currently on the run from police. According to public records, Hamyd’s sister Izzana - understood to be a nursery school teacher - is married to suspect Cherif Kouachi. Cherif, 32, and his brother Said, 34, are both the subject of a massive manhunt, after allegedly storming the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and killing 12 people. He and his family live on the 13th floor of an apartment block on the outskirts of Charleville-Mezieres, in a neighbourhood known for drug trafficking and vandalism. When MailOnline contacted the family to ask for comment on Hamyd, an angry woman shouted in response: ‘No, no we are not doing interviews.’ @AnyceDz tweeted Hamyd was 'the last person on earth who would support terrorism' However, neighbours in the Ronde Couture estate insisted they were a quiet family who were always friendly. One said: ‘They are a nice family, never a problem. Mourad is a nice boy, he was always polite and very friendly.’ Neighbours who spoke to local newspaper L'Ardennais, described Mourad as a young man 'without history'. They added he was a quiet teenager who was a 'moderate, who had never been about extremists'. Other pupils at the Lycée Monge said he 'would not hurt a fly' and added that the allegations he was involved in the massacre had ruined his name forever. This Twitter user says he is 'a good guy' whose name is being smeared for no reason . And Hamyd's friends say he was ‘a good guy’ and that there was ‘no way’ he was a radicalised Islamist. He is said to have been a popular and well-liked pupil at the school. A male teenager told MailOnline: ‘Mourad was a good guy, a nice kid. ‘We can’t believe what has happened. I think it is crazy to say he was involved with this horrible incident. There is no way he was part of this.’ Another friend, who only gave his name as Edea, added: 'Mourad is innocent, definitely. He is a good guy, a nice guy. We all like him.' Sabine, a teenager who knew Hamyd, openly laughed at the suggestion he was in any way involved with the horrific incident. She said: 'This is stupid. Anyone who knows Mourad knows that he has nothing to do with this. No way, no way. 'He is just a normal boy who likes normal stuff, he is not a terrorist.' People at the local mosque are also not convinced he could be a terrorist. At the Amcca mosque in Charleville-Mezieres, an elderly man who knows the Hamyd family also insisted Mourad was innocent. The man - who refused to give his name - said: 'They are a good family and Mourad is a good boy. Very tranquil and no problem. 'He prayed here before but not recently. I have not seen him recently. He has good character. 'There is no trouble with him at all, he has never had trouble with the police. 'I believe that he is innocent of these claims. This is not something that he is involved with.'
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Hamyd handed himself into police after his name was circulated on Twitter .
Suspected of being the getaway driver in the Charlie Hebdo massacre .
Sister believed to be married to suspect Cherif Kouachi, who is on the run .
But classmates claim suspected terrorist was in class at time of the killings .
Friends say 18-year-old is 'a good guy' who is not a radicalised Islamist .
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The 14-year-old boy who gunned down an innocent man on his way to see his children in between his two jobs has been identified as Kahton Anderson, a known member of Brooklyn's 'Stack Money Goons' gang whose intended target was a member of a rival gang that happened to be on the same bus as the victim, who sadly was killed in the crossfire. Anderson allegedly shot 39-year-old Angel Rojas, a father of two who supported his wife and kids by working two jobs, one at a bodega and another at a fruit stand. Rojas was on the B15 bus in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, where Anderson and two girls were sitting in the back row. Married father-of-two Angel Rojas, 39, was declared dead at a Brooklyn hospital after he was shot by a 14-year-old boy following a disagreement on a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus on Thursday evening . When the bus picked people up at . Lafayette Avenue and Marcus Garvey Boulevard, the two girls yelled 'he's . on the bus' as Anderson's intended target, a rival gangster from the . Twan Family gang, boarded the bus. Anderson . then emerged from the back of the bus with a 'weapon he could barely . control' and started shooting, according to the New York Daily News. Anderson . missed his target, but hit Rojas in the back of the head as he stood in . the front of the bus talking on his cell phone. After . missing his target - but fatally wounding Rojas - Anderson chased his . rival gangsters off the bus, firing four more shots from his massive . .357 Magnum pistol before running off and briefly hiding out in a . laundromat. 'Pretty big gun for a pretty small man,' a disgusted New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton told the News. 'The . stupidity of those gangs that . basically, over nothing, are trying to kill each other,' Bratton . continued to fume. 'Unfortunately, in the process, kill innocents as . they did with this . hardworking young man trying to raise his family.' The victim was shot in the head following a dispute involving several teenagers on a B15 bus in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood on Thursday evening . Rojas, of East Flatbush, was rushed . to Woodhull Medical Center, where he died a short time later, the police . and emergency workers said. Originally from the Dominican . Republic, Rojas had moved to the U.S. about four years ago with his wife, . Maria Lopez, 41, their son, Saury, 12, and daughter, April, 8. In between his two jobs, Rojas would take the bus home in between . shifts to hug his children and get something to eat, according to his . family. 'That was very bad . of him,' son Saury said of his father's killer. 'He’s too small to be . with a gun. If he didn’t have that gun, my dad would be alive now.' The . family that once relied on Rojas' hard work is now left without a . provider, which has caused worry on top of the heartache for his . grieving wife. '[He was] the best man in the world . because his family always came first,' his wife, Maria Lopez, told DNAInfo. 'I . want [Anderson] to be punished even though he's not an adult, so he can . reflect and stop killing innocent people,' she continued. Rojas' children will remember him as a loving father who worked hard to make sure their needs were met. 'He took us to Coney Island,' his . son, Saury, told the website. 'We would go on rides every summer.' This . isn't the Anderson's first scrape with the law - he was arrested in . 2011 for assault, a police spokesman said. He was just 11 at the time of . that crime. Anderson will be charged with murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal use of a firearm, the NYPD said. He likely will be charged as an adult.
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Angel Rojas, 39, was shot in the back of the head on a bus in Brooklyn on Thursday evening .
The 14-year-old accused of shooting him as been identified as Kahton Anderson, a member of the 'Stack Money Goons' gang .
Anderson's intended target was a member of the 'Twan Family' gang, who got on the same bus as Anderson and Rojas .
Rojas was caught in the crossfire as Anderson fired a .357 Magnum on the crowded bus .
Originally from the Dominican Republic, Rojas worked two jobs to support his family .
He was going home in between jobs to see his children when he was shot .
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Those of us who always read newspapers from the back, often skipping the finance section, reserve the right to remain baffled by the mathematics, economics and high-stakes gambling involved. A £33million takeover bid for Rangers dismissed as not nearly enough? Sorry, but we must be missing something awfully clever in the small print of Tuesday’s announcement to the Stock Exchange. Assuming we’re not getting the Ibrox club confused with some *other* Rangers, perhaps the famous New York ice hockey franchise worth somewhere north of a billion US Dollars, the logic employed by the board – not for the first time – seems grounded in truly Orwellian doublethink. Rangers are facing financial ruin... but the board rejected Sarver's £18million bid to takeover club . This is a club never more than one final reminder away from complete and utter financial meltdown. A company reliant on emergency loans that grant certain lenders rights beyond those of mere shareholders. A corporate basket case held together by hope, bits of string and bad contracts – some of which remain to be settled. And all of this is worth *more* than the £33m Robert Sarver was willing to spend? Even if it could be argued that they’ve only officially rejected his £18m bid for a controlling stake, the £15m that would follow in pursuit of the rest of the shares surely represents a fair deal. According to the calculations of the London Stock Exchange, Rangers have a market capitalisation – shorthand for the overall value of all the shares available – of £21.18m. With another £8m required just to stay afloat and promotion to the top flight far from guaranteed, they can hardly be described as a blue-chip investment opportunity. Yet it seems that the promise of glories to come, not the bleakness of the current situation, is what counts in matters like this. Football is a game of dreams – and that applies equally to potential club owners as to the kid who pesters his parents to be taken to the game. Robert Sarver failed in his bid to buy a controlling stake of the Ibrox club . According to football insolvency expert — and former Leeds United chairman — Gerald Krasner, there is an obvious return to be had for whoever puts Rangers back on a firm footing. Krasner fears, though, that a power struggle and the absolute reluctance of those in charge – including Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, whatever the size of his actual stake – may prevent the club from fulfilling its ambitions. And he warns that, should the worst happen and Rangers slide into insolvency, the men who have so casually rejected Sarver’s offer will have some very difficult questions to answer. Krasner, whose time at Elland Road saw him temporarily stave off administration and cut debts of over £100m before Ken Bates bought his consortium out, is an insolvency expert and partner in Begbies Traynor. He told Sportsmail that the current Rangers board must be very confident of finding a serious alternative to the Sarver pitch, which may yet be revived as part of a broader takeover bid in tandem with the so-called ‘Three Bears’ and Dave King. Dave King bought a 14.5 per cent share in the club earlier this month . ‘The story of Rangers is something I’ve followed going back to when they first got into trouble, so I’m quite au fait with it,’ said Krasner. ‘The problem at Rangers, it seems to me, is that we’re not sure who is pulling all the strings. Is it Mike Ashley, is it the local directors? Unless you’ve been sitting in on the meetings, you’ll never know what goes on there. ‘As for how they can turn down an offer that is 50 per cent more than their current valuation, well it could be a negotiating tactic with an eye on this and other offers. ‘Or it could be that the powers-that-be, whoever that may be, are prepared to put more money in rather than lose control of the club. Sarver also owns NBA outfit Phoenix Suns . ‘If you get Rangers right, they will definitely be worth more than £21m. I don’t think £50m or even £100m would be an unreasonable valuation for a Rangers on a firm financial footing and doing well – even in Scotland. ‘If the current owners aren’t going to let Rangers go for £33m, that suggests they have done a sounding among shareholders – and that they’ve got an alternative plan. The board must be confident if they can turn something like that down, given the current financial troubles. ‘Looking at the Mike Ashley situation, if you’re asking me if I’d rather have Rangers than Newcastle? Well, Rangers have more potential. ‘And Mike Ashley is a shrewd nut. You may not like him but he’s a clever guy. He’s put £130m into Newcastle. Imagine if he’d put that into Rangers – he’d have a lot more in return.’ Krasner’s description of Newcastle owner Ashley as a ‘shrewd nut’ is borne out by events since he first began to take an interest in events at Ibrox. For about £2m worth of shares plus loans - not gifts but loans - totalling £3m, he has been granted a remarkable degree of influence. Even if we accept the official explanation behind the appointment of Derek Llambias as chief executive, the long-time Ashley associate apparently rising above a pack of candidates on merit alone, the fact remains that the Sports Direct tycoon’s temporary bail-out bought him the right to appoint two directors. Having already put Barry Leach on board, he still has another ace in the hole. Another close associate who can go in there and wield influence, even if he remains barred from increasing his overall stake in the club by SFA rules. As for how Ashley and the directors beholden to his largesse use their influence, well, there are some pretty extensive guidelines available to anyone interested in corporate law. Reducing the concept of fiduciary duty to something we can all understand, it boils down to this: ‘Directors must use their powers for the good of the company.’ Conflicts of interest are a definite no-no, while mention is also made of acting ‘in good faith’. In short, don’t make decisions based on what you *want* to happen, rather than what *needs* to be done. Mike Ashley appeared to increase his control as Sports Direct's Barry Leach was appointed finance director . No one is suggesting that the Rangers board have come close to breaching any rules. All Krasner points out is the need to be very certain that rejecting the Sarver bid was in the best interests of everyone. ‘There is a risk for the Rangers directors because, if they fail and go back into administration, then there is a potential for them to be accused of having caused it,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘They’ve had an offer that would have paid everybody off and put money into the club. If the company goes bust now, and I’m not saying it would, you would be saying to the directors that they had a duty to shareholders to at least put the offer to them. So it’s a bit of a gamble. ‘Directors can be liable personally if they’ve been found to have misled shareholders or if they’ve taken decisions against common sense. They must have something else in place. ‘The best result is for everyone to work together, obviously. The trouble is, when you have different blocks working against each other, football takes second place to the power struggle.’ Said struggle appears destined to continue for some time at Ibrox, as Sarver, the Three Bears, King, the Easdale brothers and Ashley are joined by a cast of smaller players now prompted to declare an interest under takeover rules. Watch this space. Do try to keep up with the, ahem, logic behind every major decision. And don’t worry if, on occasion, the sums appear to make no sense at all.
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Rangers board reject Sarver's attempt to takeover at Ibrox .
Club running risk of financial ruin if no suitable solution is found .
Dave King bought 14.5 per cent share in club earlier this month .
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I got married to my beautiful girlfriend Vivian in Monaco last week and it was a wonderful experience. I wasn't sure if I would feel anxious about the occasion, but it was such a pleasure. There was only a small group of friends and family, it was quite intimate – and we all went to a beach restaurant after the ceremony and we continued the celebrations there. It was an awesome day, very emotional and it just felt right. Only 48 hours later, Germany then faced Argentina in the World Cup final. I watched the game with my family at my parents' house in Monaco. VIDEO Scroll down to see Rosberg signs Mercedes extension . Sealed with a kiss: Nico Rosberg married his partner Vivian Sibold at a ceremony in Monaco last week . It was such an intense match, and it . really could have gone either way. In the end, the Germans did it when . Mario Gotze scored with just seven minutes of extra-time remaining. It . was so, so awesome. I went crazy in the apartment when we scored and it . was a great experience, one that I will always remember. It was well deserved because Germany were the best team at the . tournament. I came home to Germany on Tuesday so I followed their . celebrations with the bus going through Berlin; there were some great . pictures and great energy. The whole team were fantastic throughout the tournament. Some players . were better in some matches and some in other games, so everyone . contributed. We've done it: Nico celebrates Germany's World Cup triumph over Argentina. Germany won 1-0 in extra-time . On Wednesday, it was announced that I've agreed a new contract with Mercedes, and I am very proud to have . signed a new deal with, for me, the most special team in Formula One. I . am a German driver at a German team, and I am so proud to continue the . history of the Silver Arrows. It is great that we are dominating the . sport, we are the best team, and I am grateful for the trust that Toto . Wolff, Paddy Lowe and everyone else have shown in me. The discussions . about my new deal started a long time ago because most of us had great . interest in continuing what has been a successful relationship. The . process was an on-going one, but it was always relaxed and the time had . come to solidify and announce the deal. This is the place where I want . to be. I feel very much at home here, and they have shown a lot of faith . and respect in me and it is a great collaboration, so I am looking . forward to many more successful years with the team. I am also enjoying . the moment, because is special knowing that if I do a good job at each . race I can be on pole and if I do a good job on Sunday I will win the . grand prix. It doesn't get better than that. On track: It was announced on Wednesday that he 29-year-old had agreed a 'multi-year' deal with Mercedes . VIDEO Rosberg signs Mercedes extension . This week is my second . home race – the German Grand Prix – and it would round off an incredible . week if I could win on Sunday. So, that is the mission and I am looking . forward to completing it. I am also looking forward to receiving the . support from the home fans which will be great. This race is special . because I know so many people are supporting us, and I am in the . fortunate position where I have two home races – in Monaco and . Hockenheim. In response to Lewis' comments about my nationality, I . don't really read the press, but I got a jist of what he said. I am very . much laid back about it, and I understand it was a joke from Lewis . rather than something serious. I am easy going and I don't have any . problems with such opinions and that is all I really have to say on the . matter. The atmosphere last time out at the British Grand Prix was . amazing. The fans were obviously there to support Lewis, but everybody . gave me the respect as well and even I could enjoy what was a brilliant . occasion, despite my own personal result. Unfortunately my gearbox . broke during the race and Lewis went on to win. Naturally, there was . then a lot of interest in whether I would have won the race had I not . suffered my first DNF of the season. It is impossible to say but let us . give the benefit to the guy who was leading. I was doing well at the . time, so I was pretty confident I could have made it happen and stayed . out in front. The early part of the race was red flagged for one hour . following Kimi Raikkonen's huge shunt. I just tried to chill out; I also . went to see Vivian and my friends and discuss the re-start with my . team. On Kimi's crash, it was certainly a big one, but it is difficult . to comment on it. There was a bump off the track which he hit and it is . difficult to foresee those sort of things so I can't really judge . whether he could have avoided it or not. I saw that his wheel narrowly . missed Max Chilton's helmet and I am sure we will have to discuss the . idea of closed-cockpit racing with the GPDA at some point in the near future. Wreck: Kimi Raikkonen was fortunate to avoid any major injury following his first-lap crash at the British GP . Retirement: Rosberg suffered his first DNF of the year at Silverstone. He leads the championship by four points . Nico Rosberg's fee for his column will . be donated to the Grand Prix Mechanics' Charitable Trust, which is . dedicated to providing help to former and current Formula One mechanics . and their families, putting F1 mechanics throughout the world in touch . with each other and raising funds to help in times of need. You can . follow Rosberg on Twitter @nico_rosberg and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS @MercedesAMGF1.
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I married my partner Vivian at an intimate ceremony in Monaco last week .
Watching Germany beat Argentina in the final was incredible... I went crazy .
I am proud to have signed a new deal with Mercedes - F1's best team .
Winning the German Grand Prix would round off an incredible week for me .
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(CNN) -- Hannah Brencher never planned on starting a worldwide movement. Her life wasn't going as planned so she looked for a way to cope. That's when she started writing. "I began leaving love letters all over New York City back in October 2010," Brencher writes on her personal website, "as a way to try to fight off my own loneliness and depression." She took it even further and went on to write over 400 letters to strangers around the world. Her kind words turned into More Love Letters, an international organization that has sent notes of positivity and encouragement to people in all 50 states and 50 countries. Those deserving of letters are nominated, with friends or family explaining why they're deserving of an outpouring of support. Writing volunteers read the nominations and respond to those that move them. Brencher described the organization as the "best accident" that ever happened to her. The letters are as unique as the individuals who write them. A quick glance at the More Love Letters website shows some written on embellished stationary while others are written on plain index cards. The messages written in the letters are meant to touch the heart of the reader. "Dear Friend, Embrace today. You are amazing, beautiful, loved. Brighten a room with your smile," states one letter. Another one is more lighthearted. "I hope today is/was a good hair day and that you felt confident in what you chose to wear." Whatever the message, these letters make an impact. "(The More Love Letters team) received an e-mail from a girl who had been riding on the subway and she had just found out that her mother had cancer," Brencher said. "She actually looked down to the side of her and she noticed that there was a love letter sitting there with all the words of encouragement that she could possibly need." In fact, in addition to sending letters directly to those who are nominated, More Love Letters encourages recipients to pass their messages on, or leave them for others to find. People find the letters in the strangest places. "I have heard of everything from in the grocery store to in coffee shops," Brencher said. "We've seen a lot of people start to leave love letters in their favorite books." Brencher said one book in particular seems to be a popular location to leave love letters: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." After receiving a letter, Betina Foreman said she sees the value in paying it forward. "People always want to complain," she said, "but when somebody does something right, how often does somebody say something?" As the organization has grown, it has expanded into other ways of sending love. Through its Campus Cursive program, More Love Letters has sent letters to more than 100 college campuses. More Love Letters has also partnered with Cards for Hospitalized Kids. "We realized that there were a lot of children out there that wanted to write letters and a lot of teachers that wanted to get children involved with the letter-writing process," Brencher said. "So we worked with this organization to partner up, to mail love letters to the Miami Children's Hospital." Even though it can be tough running an organization, Brencher said she continues to find motivation. "I've seen through this organization just how good people are and how wonderful people are and how genuinely people want to serve one another." To find out how you can start writing letters, visit MoreLoveLetters.com.
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Hannah Brencher spent a year writing love letters to strangers .
Her kind words turned into More Love Letters, which has sent notes to 50 countries .
Write a letter and share the love at MoreLoveLetters.com .
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10ca05c202bb324c14c8419da1cf5466c88700b9
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Frostie, the two-month-old snow goat whose battle for survival won him millions of fans around the world, died on Monday, only about a week after he was able to walk for the first time. Edgar's Mission, a not-for-profit sanctuary for rescued farm animals outside of Melbourne, announced the news on its Facebook page today. An autopsy revealed that Frostie's spinal column was riddled with abscesses, with one so large that it was pressing on his small rumen, preventing the stomach from functioning properly and leading to bloat. Scroll down for video . Frostie the snow goat licks the nose of one of his handlers at Edgar's Mission, the animal sanctuary that took him under its wing in May. Frostie died on Monday after battling a hind leg infection since birth . 'In the early hours of Monday morning, the little champ told me he was not well, as his rapidly expanding stomach screamed bloat,' according to a post on the group's website. 'As the little guy took his last gasps of breath, he looked into my tear filled eyes as I begged him to stay. I told him I loved him and would do so forever more. It was not until I knew his spirit had passed that I would scream, “Why?” at the top of my lungs and sob inconsolably into his warm, sweet smelling white fur.' Frostie snuggles up in his bed in a picture likely taken not long before he died. His autopsy revealed that his spinal column was covered with abscesses . Edgar's Mission, a sanctuary for rescued farm animals, nursed the near-disabled baby goat back to health until he took a turn for the worst in recent days . Frostie's many admirers quickly began expressing their dismay at his passing on the website. 'No...not Frostie!! Im a bit shocked..Frostie was doing so well.' wrote Bronwyn Russell. Fostie was covered in lice, severely dehydrated and was unable to use his back legs when he was first brought to Edgar's Mission in May. At birth, he contracted a hind leg infection through his umbilical cord. An Edgar's Mission employee holds Frostie the Snow Goat in her arms an undated photo . Frostie is shown here about a week ago without the wheelchair he has used since May . The sanctuary fitted Frostie with a custom wheelchair so he could run around and play with the other animals. Pictures of the goat with his rear wheels rapidly went viral around the internet. Before being inherited by Frostie, the wheelchair belonged to Leon Trotsky - a baby pig who was injured when his mother sat on him, crushing his hind legs. Just last week it seemed all the antibiotics, painkillers and tender love and care Frostie was receiving were doing the trick. For the first time, he was let out of his wheelchair and began running freely around the farm. 'That Frostie was a sickly little kid goat was something that we knew from the very day he came into our world,' Edgar's Mission said in the Facebook post. 'Frostie’s lot was not good, but no one told him that. He wanted to live, and that was just what we promised him we would help him do.' Despite being just one of 350 animals cared for, Frostie got all the attention he appeared to have needed at the sanctuary - which also houses cows, alpacas, deer, sheep, chicken, geese, ducks, rabbits, guinea pigs, peacocks and horses, in addition to goats and pigs. 'The fact that Frostie looked a little different was no justification to me for denying him the chance at life he so richly deserved - we would do no less if he were a puppy or kitten,' Edgar's Mission said. A staff member at Edgar's Mission holds Frostie, the snow goat that won the hearts of millions around the world as he struggled to walk and live .
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Frostie has struggled to survive since being born with a hind leg infection he got from his umbilical cord .
His autopsy showed his spinal column was riddled with abscesses that were preventing his stomach from functioning normally, causing severe bloat .
Frostie had just turned two months old .
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10cabe727e54f852db744024fd625b42f7f123f8
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To date, the overwhelming majority of astronauts have been men, with Russia as an example only recently sending a woman to space after an absence of female cosmonauts for several decades. But the first manned mission to Mars should be all women, a science writer who took part in a simulated mission to the red planet has claimed. She says that females require a lower calorific intake than men and thus need fewer resources, making an all-women mission to Mars cheaper and more feasible. Scroll down for video . A San Francisco writer says the first mission to Mars should be only women. Kate Greene for Slate took part in a simulated mission to the red planet called Hi-Seas (shown). She found that women needed much less resources than men. Most women burned less than 2,000 calories per day, but men regularly exceeded 3,000 . The argument was made by San Francisco-based writer Kate Greene for Slate. Last year she took part in a Nasa project called Hi-Seas (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation), which simulated a long-duration mission to Mars on Earth. Ms Greene and five other crewmembers - three men and three women in total - spent four months in a dome on Hawaii, only leaving the habitat in mock spacesuits. This was intended to simulate what an actual mission to Mars might be like, with the crew spending most of their time in a structure. On Mars any future mission will be subject to limited resources, meaning any attempt at such a mission will need to find ways to improve sustainability. And Ms Greene says sending only women to Mars could be the answer, based on her studies throughout the simulated mission. The £620,000 ($1 million) Hi-Seas (Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation) mission's crew spent four months 8,000 feet (2,440 metres) above sea level in a geodesic-dome habitat on the northern slope of the Mauna Loa volcano. The volcano is a barren landscape, an abandoned quarry with little vegetation that's as similar to Mars' landscape as planet Earth can get. The crew members live under Mars-like conditions. According to Hi-Seas 'communication latencies and blackouts, in close quarters, under strict water-use rules, etc' are part of the deal. The food study was designed to test food preparation strategies for long-term space exploration. Hi-Seas aims to address problems that may be encountered in future space missions by simulating exploration in areas of the world similar to space environments. The aim of the first mission in which Ms Greene took part, funded by Nasa's Human Research Program, the University of Hawaii and Cornell University, was to learn about living and cooking in Mars. The third and latest mission started on 17 October 2014, and will conclude on 15 July 2015. In December Nasa will fly the Orion spacecraft on an unmanned test for the first time. Orion will ultimately be used to take astronauts to and from Mars in the future, but Ms Greene argues that the first mission to the red planet should be composed of only women . 'Week in and week out, the three female crew members expended less than half the calories of the three male crew members. Less than half!' she says. 'We were all exercising roughly the same amount - at least 45 minutes a day for five consecutive days a week - but our metabolic furnaces were calibrated in radically different ways.' She says it was rare for a woman to burn more than 2,000 calories a day, whereas men regularly exceeded 3,000. Her conclusion is that sending women to Mars would be cheaper and more feasible than one with men. Most estimates for a mission to Mars tend to be around £60 billion ($100 billion), but she quotes former Nasa contractor Alan Drysdale as saying that smaller astronauts are a more attractive option than large men. 'Small women haven't been demonstrated to be appreciably dumber than big women or big men, so there's no reason to choose larger people for a flight crew when it's brain power you want,' said Drysdale. 'The logical thing to do is to fly small women.' Ms Greene adds that most astronauts prefer to work in diverse groups of men and women. 'Still, if the bottom line is what matters in getting to Mars, the more women the better,' she concludes. On Mars any future mission will be subject to limited resources, meaning any attempt at such a mission will need to find ways to improve sustainability. And Ms Greene says sending only women to Mars could be the answer, based on her studies throughout the simulated mission .
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San Francisco writer says the first mission to Mars should be only women .
Kate Greene for Slate took part in a simulated mission to the red planet .
She found that women needed much less resources than men .
Most women burned less than 2,000 calories per day, but men regularly exceeded 3,000 calories .
Ms Greene says female astronauts, with typically smaller bodies than men, would thus be better suited for an expensive mission to Mars .
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10cbacf768337f1038b265ff36e6d7a64911f4cd
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From Apple’s forthcoming smartwatch to the Fitbit, there is fierce competition to get consumers hooked on wearable devices. And soon there will be a bracelet that turns your skin into a touchscreen using a tiny built-in projector. Wearers of the of the Cicret bracelet will be able to check an email or watch a film that’s projected onto their forearm, and control the picture by using their skin like a touchscreen. A rival for the Apple Watch? Wearers of the of the Cicret bracelet will be able to check an email or watch a film that’s projected into their forearm, and control the picture by using their skin like a touchscreen (pictured) The makers of the device, who are currently raising money to put it into production on their website, say it can do anything a phone or tablet can, allowing wearers to read emails, surf the web, watch videos, play games and even make phone calls without relying on a conventional screen. A tiny projector in the bracelet will cast an image onto the skin then eight long-range proximity sensors will detect every swipe, tap and pinch. The bracelet will also contain a USB port and accelerometer as well as supporting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. While it will be made so it can sync with an iPhone, it's designed to be a stand-alone device. The device (pictured) looks a tiny bit like the Jawbone Up but is not focused on fitness, instead aiming to be a replacement for a smartphone - even allowing people to make and receive calls . The makers of the device, who are currently raising money to put it into production on their website , say it can so anything a phone or tablet can, allowing wearers to read emails, surf the web, watch videos, play games and even make phone calls without relying on a conventional screen . Aim: To replace a smartphone. Key feature: A built in projector and eight sensors that will allow a wearer to manipulate an image that's projected on their arm. Uses: 'Screen' will let users read emails, surf the web, watch videos, play games and even make phone calls. Tech inside: An accelerometer, memory card, processor, vibrator, micro USB port, battery, long range sensors, pico projector, Bluetooth unit, Wi-Fi component, LED, Snap Button and technology to store SIM details. Cost: Likely to be around £300 (€379 or $471). Choice: Two models - 16GB and 32GB and 10 colours. A promotional video suggests that the bracelet will spring to life with the flick of a wrist and could be used to answer a phone call. Guillaume Pommier, who founded technology company Cicret with Pascal, his software developer father, told MailOnline: 'We plan to put a 3G card [in the bracelet] to allow calls.' He explained that the device may use a new technology that allows SIM details to be put into the hardware, instead of requiring its own SIM card. It’s still in development, but a working prototype is due to be unveiled in a few weeks' time and Mr Pommier hopes that the bracelet could be on the shelves by June next year. It is likely to cost around £300 on its launch and will come in 16GB and 32GB models as well as a choice of 10 colours. Mr Pommier, who is from Paris but lives in Leeds, said: ‘The Cicret bracelet is a revolutionary device which could completely change how we access information. The bracelet will also contain a USB port and accelerometer as well as supporting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It will not contain its own SIM card, suggesting the gadget has to be used alongside a smartphone . A tiny projector in the bracelet (pictured) will cast an image onto the skin then eight long-range proximity sensors (also shown as the smaller 'dots') will detect every swipe, tap and pinch . ‘The applications for the bracelet are vast - it will be able to do anything a phone or tablet can do but without the need for a hard screen. ‘Not only is it more portable but it's also more ecological too because it is the screen part of tablets and phones that is hard to dispose of. ‘The amazing thing is that we haven't invented anything new - we just combined two existing technologies to create something really special. ‘We think the bracelet will revolutionise the technology world.' It’s still in development, but a working prototype is due to be unveiled in a few weeks' time and Mr Pommier hopes that the bracelet could be on the shelves by June next year. This image shows how a user could manipulate a map on their arm, using the bracelet .
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Concept Cicret bracelet is designed to replace a smartphone or tablet .
Using a projector, it could project a screen onto the forearm .
An array of eight sensors will allow a wearer to manipulate the 'screen'
Bracelet could be used to watch films, write emails and make phone calls .
Prototype's due to be unveiled and bracelet could hit shop shelves in June .
It's likely to cost £300, come in two sizes and a choice of 10 colours .
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By . John Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 06:57 EST, 2 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:01 EST, 2 May 2013 . A baby died after an ambulance driver on her first shift struggled to find the child’s home – and then took a wrong turning on the way back to hospital. Amy Carter called 999 after her three-month-old daughter Bella suffered a fit and stopped breathing. But the ambulance took nearly half an hour to reach them because the driver – who was relying on a satnav – got lost. Fearing the same thing could happen on the way to hospital, the frantic mother yelled directions from the back of the ambulance, but the driver went round a roundabout twice before taking a wrong turn. When three-month-old Bella Carter suffered a fit and stopped breathing, her mother Amy frantically dialled 999. But the ambulance crew failed to arrive for 26 minutes and she was dead upon arriving at hospital . By the time they arrived at hospital, Bella had not been breathing for nearly an hour and was pronounced dead. Last night, Miss Carter, 24, of Thetford, Norfolk, said: ‘If they had got to her in time she would be alive today.’ She said that when she called the . ambulance, she gave clear instructions that they lived in a new house, . in case that led to problems finding it. The ambulance took 26 minutes to arrive – more than three times the target response time. On their way to the West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, Miss Carter gave directions from the back of the ambulance. The ambulance driver attending to Bella - on her first-ever shift as a paramedic - then took a wrong turning on the way to West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds . She said: ‘They had a satnav, but it . was taking them the long way round. Anyone who knows the area would know . to go on the bypass. ‘I was shouting directions, but it was . like I wasn’t even there.’ The grieving mother said when she had called . the ambulance on two previous occasions, unrelated to Bella’s fit, . paramedics arrived in minutes. Miss Carter, who lives with her lorry . driver partner Scott Hellings, 24, said: ‘The people who were meant to . help failed Bella. I live on a new development, but I gave the operator . clear instructions. By the time the ambulance arrived at West Suffolk Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, Bella had stopped breathing for nearly an hour and there was nothing doctors could do to save her . ‘It is not hard to find and they had . managed it twice before.’ She said she had told them all the doors to . the house were open so she could remain upstairs with her sick child . when they arrived. Bella's mother Amy Carter is devastated by the loss of her daughter . ‘But the paramedics just kept ringing and ringing on . the bell,’ she said. ‘I didn’t want to leave Bella, but I had to abandon her and run down and back up two flights of stairs to let them in.’ Miss Carter claims the crew then made . jokes instead of devoting all their attention to her daughter. She said: . ‘They just talked about what they did at the weekend and complained . about their knees and being old when they knelt down on the floor. I . don’t think they knew how to deal with me.’ Miss Carter, who has a son aged four, . said her daughter’s death has left her so distressed that she is unable . to see other babies. ‘I would not wish this pain on my . worst enemy,’ she said. ‘Two of my family members have just had babies . and I have not been able to go and see them.’ Ambulance bosses have met the family . and admitted failings in the tragedy, which happened on March 11. Local . Tory MP Elizabeth Truss said: ‘For the ambulance to take so long to . arrive is of serious concern.’ The East of England Ambulance Service Trust last night declined to comment. An inquest has been opened and adjourned.
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Amy Carter, 24, called 999 when her three month-old Bella suffered a fit .
Baby had stopped breathing and she frantically tried to revive her .
Ambulance staff got lost and took 26 minutes to arrive, rather than eight .
Then took a wrong turning on the way back to West Suffolk Hospital .
By the time they arrived, Bella had stopped breathing for nearly an hour .
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The woman at the centre of the Prince Andrew 'sex slave' scandal has told a US court that she believes the FBI has videos of her having sex with Jeffrey Epstein and his 'powerful friends' while she was underage. Virginia Roberts, who alleges that she was loaned out to the Duke of York and other high-profile Epstein associates, also stated that she feared for her life while working as Epstein's 'sex slave'. It comes a week after Epstein, an American billionaire who has been convicted of soliciting underage prostitution, hit out at 'outlandish attacks' by the 'gossip media' over the case. Scroll down for video . Accusations: Virginia Roberts (right) has claimed that she was forced by financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17, pictured together in early 2001 . Miss Roberts, 31, accuses Epstein, the Prince, and – among others – the leading American defence lawyer Alan Dershowitz of abusing her while she was underage. Prince Andrew, Ghislaine Maxwell - also named in court documents - Mr Dershowitz and Jeffrey Epstein have vigorously denied the accusations. A Buckingham Palace statement said: 'It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship [with the woman]. 'The allegations made are false and without any foundation.' In court papers, Miss Roberts claims she was forced to have sex with the royal on three separate occasions - including an orgy - at three locations; London, New York and the US Virgin Islands. She is said to have been 17 at the time of the alleged meetings, meaning she was underage according to the law in Florida. Scandal: Prince Andrew, left, has been dragged into the controversy surrounding convicted paedophile, and former friend, Jeffrey Epstein (right). The two are pictured together in Central Park, in New York . Miss Roberts, now 31, claims that she was groomed on behalf of Epstein by Maxwell – daughter of disgraced newspaper owner Robert - when she was 15 and forced into a world of sexual abuse. In her latest court filing, submitted to a Florida court on Friday, Miss Roberts stated US authorities were holding back damning evidence of activities that she was made to engage in while working as Epstein's 'sex slave'. Swearing under oath, Miss Roberts said she knew that 'Epstein maintained videos in some rooms' where she had 'sex with other powerful people'. Evidence: In the latest filing, Miss Roberts, pictured in 2011, stated US authorities were holding back damning evidence of activities that she was made to engage in while working as Epstein's 'sex slave' She added that she believed that those videos could be used as blackmail. She said: 'Based on my knowledge of Epstein and his organization, as well as discussions with the FBI, it is my belief that federal prosecutors likely possess videotapes and photographic images of me as an underage girl having sex with Epstein and some of his powerful friends.' Miss Roberts also detailed interactions she had with investigators from the FBI that led her to believe she was the victim of a 'major cover up' - proof of Epstein's power and influence. She also claimed she was physically abused by Epstein's friends to such an extent that she feared for her life. She said: 'Without going into the details of the sexual activities I was forced to endure, there were times when I was physically abused to the point that I remember fearfully thinking that I didn’t know whether I was going to survive.' When she told Epstein about this abuse, the billionaire responded 'you get that sometimes', she stated. Roberts is seeking to join a long-running lawsuit against the US government filed by other alleged victims of Epstein to a federal court in Florida. The women claim that Epstein’s plea deal violated their constitutional rights, and that his powerful allies – including presidents and other high-profile personalities – may have helped win him special treatment. As well as the affidavit, Roberts filed previously undisclosed receipts for a flight from New York to Thailand in September 2002. There is also a receipt of a stay costing several thousand dollars at the Royal Princess hotel in Chiang Mai. All the bills appeared to have been paid for by 'J Epstein'. Roberts has previously alleged that she was sent on the Thailand trip by Epstein to learn Thai massage and interview a Thai girl 'to bring back to the United States' for him. Instead, she stated in the most recent affidavit, she saw it as a 'chance to escape' after meeting a man - now her husband - and confiding in him about her situation. Last week, Prince Andrew was pictured as he returned to his royal duties after a second attempt to have him testify about underage 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts failed. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Virginia Roberts alleges she was 'loaned out' to friends of Jeffrey Epstein .
Named Prince Andrew and lawyer Alan Dershowitz among those involved .
Claimed she was forced to have sex with prince on three occasions .
In sworn statement filed yesterday, she claimed FBI possess key evidence .
Said Epstein had cameras in rooms where she had sex while underage .
Believes that FBI now has the videos which would support her claims .
Prince Andrew, Alan Dershowitz, Jeffrey Epstein strongly deny allegations .
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Washington (CNN) -- Like a partisan version of the proverbial blind men touching the elephant, members of Congress have starkly differing views of the scope and magnitude of the Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status that dominates headlines and committee hearings. Depending on their party, legislators offer particular takes on the controversy based on which part of the IRS elephant they are describing. Republicans portray the controversy uncovered by an inspector general's report last month as another example of big government gone wild under President Barack Obama. "It is his administration, it is the Obama IRS, and we intend to try and get to truth here as to what exactly happened and get to the facts," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Virginia Republican, told reporters on Tuesday. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp said after a hearing on Tuesday with victims of the targeting that the scope of the problem was larger than first thought. "This is a nationwide, systematic approach targeting people and groups of conservative beliefs," Camp declared. As part of their messaging for next year's congressional elections and the 2016 presidential vote, some Republicans try to draw parallels to the Watergate scandal of the 1970s that led to GOP President Richard Nixon's resignation. "We will not tolerate another political enemies list," House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, a Kentucky Republican, said Monday in a clear reference to the Nixon administration. "We've been there before. Having an enemies list harkens back to a dark page in our past, and the arrogance of power that we've seen from those involved in this instance is deeply, deeply disconcerting," Rogers said. Democrats say they are equally outraged that the IRS unit based in Cincinnati that handles requests for 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status used a list of criteria including group names that included "tea party" and other conservative labels to assess the level of scrutiny applied. However, they argue, no evidence of an administration-wide conspiracy has emerged so far, with the inspector general's report that revealed the problem blaming poor management and stating there was no known political motivation. "There is no smoking gun," said Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley of New York at Tuesday's hearing, while his party colleague Rep. John Lewis of Georgia added that similar targeting of liberal groups occurred under GOP President George W. Bush. "Where was the outrage then?" Lewis asked. Some Democrats said tougher scrutiny of groups seeking tax-exempt status was warranted after the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United case that removed limits on some campaign spending by corporations and unions. Rep. Jim McDermott, a Washington Democrat, told the panel of witnesses representing conservative groups who underwent greater IRS scrutiny that the issue involved a gray area of potentially political organizations seeking tax-exempt status. "Each of your groups is highly political," McDermott told the panel that included organizations opposed to gay marriage and abortion. "You all are entrenched in some of the most controversial political issues in the country." By applying for tax-exempt status, "you're asking the government to help fund that," he added. Republican Rep. Paul Ryan took exception to McDermott's point, telling the panelists "welcome to Washington" after his Democratic colleague completed his comments. "You're to blame, I guess is the message here," Ryan said, noting that there was no evidence presented to the committee that liberal groups received the same extra scrutiny and delayed responses as the conservative organizations. On Monday, the new head of the embattled IRS was asked how he would restore public trust in the agency after the targeting scandal and a new report on Tuesday that described wasteful spending. "It is going to be a difficult process," acknowledged Daniel Werfel, a career public servant appointed by Obama last month to clean up the mess dominating the early months of his second term. Werfel described a process of identifying what happened, who was responsible and steps to ensure it can never happen again to address what Republicans depict as politically motivated harassment that abused the constitutional rights of conservative groups. 'Liar' charge a step too far for some Republicans . At Tuesday's hearing, the fifth so far on the controversy with another scheduled for later this week, witnesses from conservative groups targeted by the IRS described themselves as shocked by what happened and fearful over what it meant. Becky Gerritson of the Wetumpka Tea Party in Alabama declared that additional questioning and other IRS delays over her organization's application "was a willful act of intimidation to discourage our little group." "They think they are our master, and they are mistaken," she said, her voice quavering with emotion. "I want to protect and preserve the America that I grew up in. I am terrified it is slipping away." John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage, accused the IRS of leaking this organization's confidential donor list in violation of felony law. He took issue with a statement by a Democratic panel member that the IRS targeting was inadvertent, saying the agency "deliberately provided our donor list to a political adversary who had been seeking it for a long time." Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon argued that Eastman's description of the Human Rights Campaign as a political foe raised questions about whether his group was devoted to social welfare, as required for tax-exempt status. That prompted another witness, Kevin Kookogey of Linchpins of Liberty, which describes itself as a conservative education group for young people, to criticize Blumenauer for political bias. "Some of the Democrats on the committee implied that what's social welfare to them is social welfare, but what's social welfare to us is negotiable," he said to applause from the public gallery in the hearing room. On Thursday, the House Oversight Committee will examine the wasteful IRS spending reported by a separate inspector general's report made public on Tuesday. It showed that the IRS spent about $50 million on 225 conferences between 2010 and 2012. One of those, an August 2010 meeting for 2,600 employees in Anaheim, California, cost more than $4 million for everything from event planners' commissions to speakers' fees to guest prizes to parody videos. The audit notes that a large chunk of that money - about $3.2 million - came from unused funds allocated for hiring. This was in the same year that the IRS began to single out conservative and tea party groups that sought tax-exempt status, in part because the agency said it did not have the personnel to handle increased applications that year. In response, the IRS said it has cut training costs and reduced spending on meetings by 87% since 2010. "The expenditures related to this 2010 meeting are not reflective of the current spending environment at the IRS or the spending that has occurred over the past several years," wrote Pamela LaRue, the agency's chief financial officer. At the same time, LaRue defended the need for large-scale conferences at the time, noting that nearly a third of managers in the division under scrutiny were inexperienced, and the agency faced added concerns about security after a Texas man crashed his plane into the IRS office in Austin, killing himself and two other people. "Although the average cost per employee was reasonable, the IRS recognizes that a number of less significant costs warranted additional scrutiny and were not the best use of government resources," LaRue wrote. IRS faces new battle on overspending . Meanwhile, the IRS targeting also is under investigation by the Justice Department, the Treasury inspector general's office and Werfel in his new capacity. A former Office of Management and Budget official, Werfel took over from former IRS Commissioner Steve Miller, who resigned under pressure after news of the targeting emerged. Issa: Cincinnati IRS employees say direction came from Washington . Republicans at Tuesday's hearing expressed frustration with what they called a lack of government accountability so far, as well as the need for more information on who was responsible for the targeting. "For anyone to suggest that these individuals' rights should be limited because of political differences is discrimination," said GOP Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois, adding that there would be no question of wrongdoing if the bias involved "white versus black" or "Jews versus Christians." Democrats sought a legislative solution, saying the lack of clarity over what constitutes political activity left IRS bureaucrats in the position of having to make that assessment. Read IRS watchdog's report . By the Numbers: Internal Revenue Service . The IRS controversy has provoked an increasingly bitter dispute between the White House and congressional Republicans that included harsh accusations by both sides last weekend. White House spokesman Jay Carney declined to comment directly Monday on the accusation by House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa that he was a "paid liar." On Tuesday, Cantor dodged questions about whether he agreed with Issa's insult. IRS investigation takes nasty turn . When asked by reporters about Issa's comments, Cantor instead deflected the issue back to the White House, saying "there's been an abuse of trust on the part of this administration towards the American people. We're going to remain committed to getting to the bottom of this and let the truth come out." Meanwhile, Cantor's Democratic counterpart blasted Issa, calling the comment about Carney "outrageous" and saying an apology was in order. "He ought to retract that statement unless he has specific evidence which I don't believe he does," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "I think it was a reckless statement and undermines his presentation as someone as a judicious leader of oversight." Hoyer added that such "wild accusations" indicated "real political bias" on the part of Issa, making it difficult to trust him to conduct an investigation of the IRS targeting and other issues. Other Democrats have accused Issa of dirty tactics in previous investigations, including one into the botched "Fast and Furious" gun-walking operation that led to House Republicans citing Democratic Attorney General Eric Holder for contempt of Congress in a dispute over access to documents. CNN's Dana Bash, Deirde Walsh, Ashley Killough and Jake Tapper contributed to this report.
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NEW: Legislators clash at a House hearing where victims of targeting appeared .
As Congress probes IRS targeting, the two parties offer varying takes on what happened .
Congress, the IRS, the inspector general and the Justice Department are investigating .
The GOP House Appropriations chairman evokes Nixon in warning of an enemies list .
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A set of pictures taken by a cunning photographer and his brother have captured the younger sibling in action as he 'flies' over a picturesque Scottish Loch. Alan Stewart, nicknamed 'Superboy', came up with the clever stunt while playing on his trampoline at home. The 11-year-old was bouncing on the trampoline when his brother happened to be experimenting with the camera on his new iPhone. When a perfectly timed photo - taken as Alan was in mid air - gave off the impression he was flying, the two set to work to create a whole set of trick photographs. Alan Stewart, pictured in his superman pose with Loch Striven pictured in the background . After the success of the first photo, the 11-year-old went on to appear in a number of different poses . Superboy: Alan's flying pose is all the more effective because of the landscape captured behind him . Alan pretending to read a book in mid air. The picture makes it appear as though he is hovering . The photographs were taken by his older brother David, who was playing around with his camera phone . His father, also called Alan, from Loch Striven, Argyll and Bute, said: 'I'm stunned. He caught that just right. I'm actually really jealous.' The 58-year-old added: 'I like to take a lot of photos but unfortunately, I just can't take credit for this one.' Alan's older brother David, 32, said: 'I was playing around with the camera on my new phone and taking pictures of Alan on the trampoline. 'He was just messing around but the shots came out really well. He's really chuffed with them.' Alan Stewart pictured on his trampoline which he uses to stage the trick photographs . Alan's father, also called Alan (pictured), said he was 'really jealous' of the clever photographs .
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David Stewart's perfect photography captures his brother in superman pose .
Alan, 11, was pictured in mid air while bouncing high on his trampoline .
He appears to be flying perfectly horizontal across a distant landscape .
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By . Oliver Todd . Follow @@oliver_todd . At times last season Manchester United's players might have felt an added weight when the ball came to them at Old Trafford - such was the pressure of being in a poorly performing side used to success. And new boss Louis van Gaal has continued that trend, but this time by handing his new charges medicine balls during a training session on their US tour. New signings Luke Shaw and Ander Herrer were part of a big group being put through their paces as David Moyes' successor took a look at the talent he has to play with. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Van Gaal and United squad touch down in the US . Pre-season: Wayne Rooney looked in a relaxed mood as he boards the Manchester United team coach . Wrong ball: Antonio Valencia and Juan Mata looked to enjoy the session as United begin their US tour . Money well spent: Louis van Gaal watches his new signing Ander Herrera in action at the session . Unfamiliar territory: Shinji Kagawa looked a little confused by Van Gaal's methods but Mata enjoyed himself . Lookalike contest: United's player of the year David de Gea and new signing Luke Shaw were in action in LA . Round of applause: Van Gaal appeared to be impressed by the work of his new charges during training . Boys are back in town: Wayne Rooney was doing his best to set a good impression for his new boss . Charges: Van Gaal is expected to name a strong side for United's pre season opener against LA Galaxy . Tourists: Rooney and Mata pose in front of the Beverly Hills sign as part of their pre-season tour . Van Gaal is known to be a harsh taskmaster when it comes to training - but he also showed his soft side during the World Cup, gifting his Holland players generous days off to recharge throughout the tournament. And his stewardship appears to be being enjoyed by the United players too, with Juan Mata pictured laughing and joking in scenes rarely seen during a drab season at Old Trafford last time round. The new boss is expected to name a strong side for United's pre season opener against LA Galaxy on Thursday, while giving chances for players from throughout the squad to work towards match fitness. And if there's anyone that doesn't take his fancy, he need not worry, with United's huge commerical deals constantly coming in vice-chairman Ed Woodward has effectively handed the Dutchman a blank cheque to play with in order to get his squad up to scratch for a title charge. So it's up to every member of the playing staff to impress, whether that be with a football at their feet or with a medicine ball in their hands. Together: The United players leave the Beverly Wilshere hotel ahead of training . Good laugh: Shaw and Wilfried Zaha head down to the training field ahead of the session with Van Gaal . Learning the ropes: Ryan Giggs, now assistant with the Reds, was also there to watch on . Room to improve: Ashley Young and Valencia had mixed seasons last time round and need to impress the boss . Plans in place: Van Gaal and fitness coach Tony Strudwick head down to the session with Mata and co . Eyes elsewhere: Darren Fletcher and Tom Cleverley watch on with Van Gaal as they grab a breather . VIDEO United will continue to spend - Woodward . Serious business: Rafael and Valencia lead the way as the players turn up for training . This bloke knows his stuff: Herrera takes full attention of Van Gaal while Ashley Young concentrates elsewhere . The young ones:: Van Gaal cut some kids from his tour squad but Michael Keane and Tyler Blackett are in . Back in action: Darren Fletcher has been in and out of United's side but is training with Van Gaal now . Experience: Giggs has seen his fair share of pre season tours, but now he is at one as a coach .
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New boys Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw trained with the squad .
Van Gaal led his new charges through work with heavy medicine balls .
They were later playing with real footballs at their feet .
Juan Mata looks to be enjoying life under his new boss .
Reds open their pre season fixtures against LA Galaxy on Thursday .
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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 23:06 EST, 15 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:58 EST, 16 September 2013 . Tropical Storm Manuel has swept onto Mexico's Pacific coast while Hurricane Ingrid swirls offshore on the other side of the country, and heavy rains and landslides caused at least 24 deaths and led authorities to evacuate thousands. Stormy conditions led some communities in affected states to cancel Independence Day celebrations planned for Sunday and Monday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Manuel began to weaken as soon as it made landfall near the port of Manzanillo on Sunday afternoon, but remains a threat to produce flash floods and mudslides. It is predicted to dissipate by Monday. Scroll down for video . Torrential: A couple wades in a flooded street in Acapulco following tropical storm Manuel which landed on the Pacific coast of Mexico on September 15 . Destruction: Residents try to repair a broken bridge in Chilpancingo, Guerrero state, Mexico following the passage of Tropical Storm Manuel on September 15 . Evacuated: Inhabitants leave an area affected by floodings of Guamol river at Itsmo de Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico . In the southern coastal state of Guerrero, authorities said a landslide on the outskirts of Acapulco buried a house and killed six family members. Three people were swept to their deaths by a river, also on the edge of the resort city. A collapsing wall killed one person in the city. Elsewhere in Guerrero, six people died when their pickup truck skidded on a rain-swept highway in the mountains, and landslides killed two more people. The rains caused some rivers to overflow, damaging hundreds of homes and disrupting communications for several hours. Manuel had maximum sustained winds of about 40mph (65kph) and was moving to the northwest at 9mph (15kph) late Sunday afternoon. Its center was about 35 miles (60 kilometers) northwest of Manzanillo. Man power: Army soldiers work to pull their vehicle out of a flooded portion of road caused by Tropical Storm Manuel in the city of Chilpancingo, Mexico on Sunday . Rains from Ingrid caused landslides that killed three people in the central state of Puebla, and a woman died when a landslide buried her house in Hidalgo state. In the southern state of Oaxaca, which was affected by both storms, authorities said a child died after being swept away by a swollen river and a teenager was killed by a landslide. The hurricane center said Ingrid, the second hurricane of the Atlantic storm season, could reach the Mexican mainland by Monday morning. Manuel was expected to dump 10 to 15 inches of rain over parts of Guerrero and Michoacan state, with maximums of 25 inches possible in some isolated areas. Authorities said those rains would present an especially dangerous threat in mountains, where flash floods and mudslides were possible. Extreme weather: Rain water pours into the beach due to heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Manuel . Mayhem: A car lies on its side after a portion of a hill collapsed due to heavy rains in the Pacific resort city of Acapulco . Helpless: Mexican marines carry an elderly woman to a shelter after her home was flooded by rains caused by tropical storm Manuel . Ingrid also was expected to dump very heavy rains. It had maximum sustained winds of 75mph (120 kph) and was centered about 125 miles (200 kilometers) east-northeast of the port city of Tampico as it moved northwest at 3mph (6kph). A hurricane warning was in effect from Cabo Rojo to La Pesca. From all angles: This image taken Sunday at 2:45am EDT shows Hurricane Ingrid in the Gulf of Mexico approaching the coast and Tropical Storm Manuel just off the western coast of Mexico . In Tamaulipas state to the north, where Ingrid was expected to come ashore, the government said in a statement that Independence Day festivities were cancelled in the cities of Tampico, Madero and Altamira. The September 15 and 16 celebrations commemorate Mexico's battle of independence from Spain. Officials in the Gulf state of Veracruz began evacuating coastal residents Friday night, and civil protection authorities said more than 6,600 people have been moved to shelters or the homes of family and friends. More than 1,000 homes in Veracruz state had been affected by the storm to varying degrees, and 20 highways and 12 bridges had damage, the state's civil protection authority said. A bridge collapsed near the northern Veracruz city of Misantla on Friday, cutting off the area from the state capital, Xalapa. A week ago, 13 people died in the state when a landslide buried their homes in heavy rains spawned by Tropical Depression Fernand. Officials in Tamaulipas state said 700 people have been evacuated from coastal communities.
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Two storm systems are closing in on Mexico, causing mass destruction and claiming 24 lives so far .
Tropical Storm Manuel is closing in on the south-west coast .
Hurricane Ingrid is moving towards the country's east coast .
People are evacuating coastal areas fearing landslides and flash-flooding .
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Luis Suarez could not help his Uruguay teammates avoid defeat to Colombia on the pitch but the striker's presence was still felt in the changing room and the stands. Uruguay hung Suarez's kit and gave him his regular spot, before taking to Twitter to proudly announce his place 'intact' ahead of the 2-0 loss. And during the game that saw Colombia reach the World Cup quarter-finals, fans donned masks of the Liverpool striker's face, while others wore t-shirts with the words: 'We are all Luis Suarez'. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Kaka discuss Luis Suarez's absence in the World Cup . Scary: Uruguay fans held up masks of Luis Suarez's face ahead of their match against Colombia in Rio . Disturbing: Uruguay fans re-enact Suarez's bite before taking on Colombia on Saturday night . Behind you: Fans made T-shirt with the slogan 'We are all Luis Suarez' as Uruguay played without him . Remember this? Liverpool players wore Suarez t-shirts after he was banned for racially abusing Patrice Evra . Mocking: Colombian fans responded as they looked forward to facing Uruguay without their star striker . Backing: A Uruguay fan shows his support for Suarez who was banned for four months for biting . Rubbing it in: Colombia fans enjoy mocking their South American counterparts . Uruguay made their bid for the quarter-finals without their talisman forward . after Suarez was banned for nine international games and four months for . biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder. In his explanation to FIFA, Suarez claimed he tried to defend himself, saying he did not deliberately bite Chiellini. 'In no way it happened how you have described, as a bite or intent to bite,' he wrote in a letter to the panel. 'After the impact ... I lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent. 'At that moment I hit my face against the player leaving a small bruise on my cheek and a strong pain in my teeth.' Still there: Uruguay announce 'the place of Luis Suarez intact' in their World Cup changing room . Toothache: Suarez holds his teeth after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder in Brazil . Evidence: Chiellini shows off his bite marks after Suarez's already infamous nibble at the World Cup . FIFA have been formally informed of an appeal as a result, and the Uruguay football federation have seven days to prepare the paperwork. FIFA's head of media Delia Fischer, speaking in Rio de Janeiro, said: 'We have received a declaration that they are planning to appeal. 'They informed us of their intention to appeal (on Friday) evening. 'The reasons for the appeal must now be given in writing within a deadline of seven days after the three days have expired.' Banned: Suarez claims he 'lost my balance, making my body unstable and falling on top of my opponent'
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Uruguay hang Luis Suarez's kit in changing room ahead of Colombia loss .
Fans wore masks of the striker inside the Maracana in Rio .
Supporters also had t-shirts saying 'We are all Luis Suarez'
Colombia fans mocked the player with a sign asking: 'Where's Luis?'
Colombia reach World Cup quarter-finals after 2-0 win, thanks to James Rodriguez double .
Suarez banned for nine international games and four months for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder .
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As the start of a much-anticipated English season edges ever closer, the Premier League have launched a promotional video advertising the 2014/15 season. The clip, titled 'The Ultimate Stage' is fronted by Homeland actor David Harewood, and features several of the league's best players. Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Juan Mata (Manchester United), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) and Tim Howard (Everton) all star, while Jose Mourinho rounds the video off. Premier League beginning: Juan Mata features in a promotional advert for the new season entitled: The Ultimate Stage . Dreaming of glory: Manchester City full-back Pablo Zabaleta, fresh from a World Cup final, will be looking for another strong season . Time to shine: Eden Hazard impressed for Chelsea last season, scooping the PFA Young Player of the Year prize . The season starts on Saturday, with Manchester United kicking off proceedings with an early game against Swansea City. And if the last campaign was anything to go by - as well as the transfer dealings so far this summer - it promises to another cracker. The title race is poised to be tight with five (or more) potential contenders, and 12 teams are being tipped by bookmakers to be in a relegation battle. And the latest promotion is sure to get fans excited all around the world. Daryl Goodrich, the man behind the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid campaign films, directed the film, while Premier League Director of Sales and Marketing, Richard Masters says he can't wait to get started. 'We hope that The Ultimate Stage video will whet the appetite of Barclays Premier League fans all over the world on the eve of the new season. 'The competitive and compelling football the clubs and players provide is really captured in this film. The drama begins tomorrow and, like the fans, we can't wait.' The opening weekend is almost upon us. So as the video says, let the drama begin. Front act: Homeland actor David Harewood narrates the film... he's ready for the drama to begin . Tough challenge: The pressure is on Manuel Pellegrini (left) and Vincent Kompany (right) to retain the Premier League title . VIDEO Kompany commits, as City let Garcia go .
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Video is entitled 'The Ultimate Stage' and features several Premier League stars .
Zabaleta, Mata, Hazard as well as Theo Walcott, Jordan Henderson, Tim Howard and Jose Mourinho involved .
Season starts on Saturday as Manchester United host Swansea .
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10d535b8553296d740d6978bc05c9f4b559cac1d
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Baghdad (CNN) -- The longstanding bad blood between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq boiled Monday amid another round of attacks: the killing of 25 people and wounding of dozens more in five car bombings. Four of the blasts occurred in the Shiite heartland in the southern region of Iraq. Two car bombs exploded near a busy outdoor market in Amara, killing 13 people and wounding 24 others. A bomb went off near an outdoor market in Diwaniya, killing six people and wounding 20 others. And two people died and 11 others were wounded in a bombing at a commercial area in Karbala. Another blast occurred in Mahmoudiya, a predominantly Sunni area just south of Baghdad. Four people were killed and 14 others were wounded in that attack. Iraq pulls plug on 'misleading' TV networks . No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, nor was it clear whether they were related. But the fighting has prompted fears among Iraqi leaders and international powers that the tensions between Sunnis and Shiites could escalate and bring a return of the full-blown sectarian war that raged last decade. Since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's government last decade, Sunni Arabs have been politically marginalized and Shiites, who represent a majority of Iraqis, have emerged with more power. There have been protests for months by Sunni Arabs against the Shiite-led government and its prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki. The anger has escalated since a confrontation last week between police and protesters in Hawija. The International Crisis Group last week said that the "failure to integrate Sunni Arabs into a genuinely representative political system in Baghdad risks turning Iraq's domestic crisis into a broader regional struggle." "The most urgent task today is to tamp down the flames, and the burden for this lies above all with the government," the Belgium-based think tank said in a report. "The country is at a crossroads," said Martin Kobler, U.N. special representative in Iraq.
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Four of the five blasts occurred in the Shiite heartland in the southern region of Iraq .
Another was in Mahmoudiya, a predominantly Sunni area just south of Baghdad .
No one immediately claims responsibility .
Iraq has seen an uptick in violence in recent months .
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Editor's note: Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board and a nationally syndicated columnist. Read his column here. Ruben Navarrette says hate crimes should be punished severely because they're aimed at society as a whole. SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- To think there are some people who still argue that the law shouldn't categorize some offenses as hate crimes and allow for enhanced criminal penalties. They claim that all sorts of crimes are motivated by hate, and to separate some from others elevates some victims over others and amounts to the state policing thoughts and feelings. They also fear that politicians and institutions are simply yielding to political correctness, liberal pressure groups and identity politics. My view is that hate crimes deserve special punishment because they don't just victimize whoever they're aimed at; they're intended to send a message, and they terrorize the whole society. That debate might have been settled Wednesday at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, where hate was on display. A shooting left one man dead: Stephen Tyrone Johns, a six-year veteran of the museum's security staff who, according to museum director Sara Bloomfield, "died heroically in the line of duty." The alleged assailant is James von Brunn, a Holocaust denier who created an anti-Semitic Web site. The 88-year-old often challenged the authenticity of "The Diary of Anne Frank," the book about a teenage girl living in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. So it was probably no coincidence that the shooting occurred on the same day the museum had scheduled a play based on a fictional meeting between Anne Frank and Emmett Till, a martyr of the civil rights movement. Von Brunn also had longstanding ties to white supremacist groups, according to authorities. These outfits flourish in bad times because they give underperformers something really valuable: convenient scapegoats for their troubles, failures and shortcomings. Without that, these misfits might actually have to look in the mirror and take responsibility for their own lives. Although these groups are properly categorized as "hate groups" by organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, what also fuels them are things like fear and insecurity. Nowadays, their targets are often Latinos, especially immigrants. But, before that and for much of the history of this country, the targets have been African-Americans. And, for much of the history of the world, they have been Jews. And that prejudice hasn't gone away. Consider what the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the former Chicago, Illinois, pastor whose relationship with Barack Obama became an issue in the presidential election, recently told the Virginia newspaper, the Daily Press, when asked if he speaks to Obama. "Them Jews aren't going to let him talk to me," Wright said in an apparent reference to some of Obama's aides. Wright later said he misspoke and meant to refer to "Zionists." A researcher for the Southern Poverty Law Center has said her group had a thick file on von Brunn going back 20 years and that he had become a "hardcore neo-Nazi." Von Brunn blamed a six-year prison term he once served -- for the attempted kidnapping of Federal Reserve board members in 1981 -- on "a Negro jury," "Jew/Negro attorneys" and "a Jew judge," according to his Web site. In documents read at trial, von Brunn wrote that his goal was to "deport all Jews and blacks from the white nations." Also, on his Web site, there's a message lamenting how "bit by bit government institutions and Congressmen fell into JEW hands -- then U.S. diplomacy, businesses, resources and manpower came under Jew control." You get the picture. It's no mystery what this guy is, to anyone but himself. His court-appointed lawyer from the Federal Reserve case said von Brunn, a veteran, considers himself a patriot. He's no such thing. That concept is best defined as love for one's country, not hatred for everyone else. It's also obvious that, while Americans are always in a hurry to close our most unpleasant chapters, anti-Semitism is alive and well in parts of our society. Like its equally vile cousins -- racism and nativism -- it thrives because many people are threatened by change and eager to cast others as villains. Meanwhile, President Obama said the museum shooting "reminds us that we must remain vigilant against anti-Semitism and prejudice in all its forms." So true, Mr. President. Here's to vigilance. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Ruben Navarrette Jr.
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Ruben Navarrette: Hate crimes should be punished more severely .
He says hate crimes terrorize society as a whole .
Navarrette: Latinos, blacks and Jews have all been targets of haters .
He says Obama is right to urge constant vigilance against hate .
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A ball of flames that could be seen from miles around was sent spiralling into the air on Saturday when two road trains crashed on Berrimah Road at East Arm, near Darwin. One driver was in a serious condition after the crash when at least one road train was left engulfed in flames. A road train carrying gravel hit the other one before bursting into an inferno. The driver of the road train that caught fire was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital with serious burns to large parts of his body, while the driver of the other vehicle escaped without any major injuries. Scroll down for video . Flames engulf a road train in Darwin after it ploughed into another train . The crash took place at about 11am only a little more than a kilometre from Darwin's main fire station. This ensured emergency crews arrived swiftly at the scene and put out the fire. The ABC reported that the fire was intense. One man, Denis, said he had driven past the site just minutes before the accident. One train driver was in a serious condition after the crash and was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital . 'It must have happened within minutes really,' he said. "The one who's in the burnt truck is in a very bad way, he's got some pretty bad burns. 'It was pretty full on.' One lane of Berrimah Road is closed, causing significant delays for motorists. Northern Territory Police asked people to avoid the area. Police have established a crime scene to investigate the accident and established traffic control to let traffic in and out of East Arm Port.
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Two road trains crash on Berrimah Road at East Arm, near Darwin .
One driver is in a serious condition after the collision .
Emergency crews arrived swiftly at the scene to put out the fire .
Police have established a crime scene to investigate the accident .
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Hong Kong (CNN) -- After wreaking damage on the Philippines and claiming at least 64 lives over Tuesday and Wednesday, a newly intensified Typhoon Rammasun is bearing down on Hainan and Guangdong provinces in southern China. The storm, which was downgraded as it passed over the Philippines, gained strength again over the South China Sea and is now battering Hainan, with its inner eye wall hugging the island's coast. Now categorized by the China Meteorological Administration as a super typhoon, Rammasun made landfall on the island province of Hainan at around 1:30 p.m. (1:30 a.m ET) Friday after veering westwards. The weather agency issued a 'red' typhoon warning, the highest of four color-coded warning levels. It is the first time this year the signal has been raised. Authorities in the region are on high alert. Prior to the storm's reaching Hainan, a bulletin stated its intensity will be 50-55 meters per second (180-200 km/h or 112-123 mph). Super typhoons are categorized as having sustained winds of 150 mph (241 km/h) or higher. Should Rammasun hit the mainland as expected, the storm is expected to produce strong gales that may top 93 mph (150 km/h), heavy rain and tidal surges. Given the rapid escalation in the storm's strength, it is unclear how comprehensive preparations for this storm have been in the areas likely to be affected the most. Shipping in the region has been suspended, as have some flights, including in Hainan, which is a popular holiday destination. Trains in Guangdong bound for Hainan have been halted in the provincial capital Guangzhou, and Hainan's high-speed railway has also had operations suspended, according to China's state-run news agency. China's National Meteorological Center also said inland areas of some provinces, including Yunnan, Hubei and Henan would experience rainstorms. The NMC warned of flooding in cities and landslides in mountain areas. The typhoon caused at least 64 deaths in the Philippines, as well as damage to property and infrastructure across Luzon, the largest island in the archipelago, according to the Philippines News Agency, citing of Office of Civil Defense. The agency said most victims were struck by falling trees or other debris. At least 103 injuries were reported and five people reported missing. The typhoon damaged more than 26,000 houses -- about 7,000 of those destroyed, the agency said. James Reynolds, a freelance journalist and videographer who was in Legazpi when the typhoon made landfall in the Philippines, said in a twitter post that Rammasun looked "immensely powerful -- one of the strongest I've seen in the (South) China Sea for a long time." Only two other super typhoons have ever hit China, Saomai in 2006 and Marge in 1973. Saomai, registered as a once-a-century typhoon, was the most powerful typhoon ever to have made landfall over mainland China. This storm, says CNN's Ivan Cabrera, could top both of these. The existing typhoon record of 78.9 m/s was observed at Dalaoshan, Hong Kong, on 1 September 1962 .
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First red-level warning typhoon of the year bears down on southern China .
Typhoon Rammasun regained intensity after passing the Philippines .
Shipping, some flights canceled in anticipation of typhoon's approach .
Then-category 4 typhoon caused 64 deaths in the Philippines .
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More than a quarter of British Muslims have sympathy for the motives behind the attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, which left 12 people dead, a survey shows. The new poll also revealed that 32 per cent of respondents were 'not surprised' that the massacre took place after the publication printed a number of images of the Prophet Mohammed. And more than 10 per cent of the 1,000 British Muslims interviewed agreed that the magazine 'deserved' to be attacked. Scroll down for video . More than a quarter of British Muslims have sympathy for the motives behind the attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, a new survey reveals. Above, British Muslims at prayer . Killers: Brothers Cherif (left) and Said Kouachi (right) who killed 12 people during the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris. It was the first in a spree of killings across the French capital last month . The survey also found that almost one in 10 knew other Muslims who had strong sympathies with those fighting for Al-Qaeda or Islamic State. The figures were branded as 'worrying' by Former faith and communities minister Baroness Warsi, who said they needed to be 'unpicked further'. Twelve people, including eight journalists, were murdered when masked gunmen stormed the Charlie Hebdo offices, in the first of a spree of killings across the French capital last month. The satirical newspaper made a name for itself as an irreverent and often provocative newspaper after taking a number of controversial swipes at Islam and other religions. When polled, 27 per cent said they agreed with the statement 'I have some sympathy for the motives behind the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in Paris'. 'Worrying': Lady Warsi, the first female Muslim in the Cabinet, said the figures had to be 'unpicked' The new survey, conducted by ComRes for BBC Radio 4, revealed that almost 80 per cent of British Muslims found it deeply offensive when images depicting the Prophet were published. While more than one in three said that they understood the motives of those who launched attacks in the name of Islam because the religion had been insulted. Speaking to the Today programme on Radio 4, Lady Warsi, the first female Muslim in the Cabinet, said: ‘These are as far as I’m concerned worrying statistics. 'I’d have like to unpick that further and the reasoning’s why they came to that decision.' She added that a citizenship survey should be reintroduced to provide the Government with a 'solid evidence base' and to help them try and understand the 'changing picture' of Britain. The poll also found that a majority of Muslims - 85 per cent - said they felt no sympathy for those who want to fight against Western interests. The same proportion of respondents said they oppose violence against people who publish images depicting the Prophet Mohammed. Nearly three million Muslims live in Britain, but instances of extremist ideology have led to growing unease among many and fears of rising prejudice. The poll also suggests that almost half of British Muslims believe they face discrimination because of their faith and that Britain is becoming less tolerant, while the same percentage feel prejudice against Islam makes it difficult being a Muslim in the UK. More than a third of those interviewed felt that most Britons do not trust Muslims and a fifth said they thought Western liberal society could never be compatible with Islam. Of those polled, 95 per cent felt a loyalty to Britain, while 93 per cent believed that Muslims in Britain should always obey British laws. And Muslim women were more likely than men to feel unsafe in Britain, the survey revealed. When asked about the place of faith schools in Britain, more than a third said they would want their children to go to a Muslim state school if they had the choice. And only 55 per cent of those polled felt the Muslim Council of Britain adequately represented the views of Muslims in the country. A poll conducted by ComRes for BBC Radio 4 questioned 1,000 Muslims living in Britain on a range of issues affecting their daily lives. Key findings revealed their attitudes towards extremism, prejudice and terrorist attacks. 8 per cent of respondents said they know Muslims who feel strongly sympathetic towards people fighting for IS and al-Qaeda . One in three said they would like their children to go a Muslim state school if they had the choice . 13 per cent agreed with the statement, 'I would rather socialise with Muslims than non-Muslims' More than a third of those interviewed felt that most Britons do not trust Muslims . 46 per cent believe the nation is becoming less tolerant of Muslims. The same percentage thinks prejudice against Islam makes it difficult to be a Muslim in Britain. More than a quarter of British Muslims have sympathy for the motives behind the attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris . Almost 80 per cent found it deeply offensive when images depicting the Prophet were published . More than 10 per cent of the 1,000 people polled agreed Charlie Hebdo 'deserved' to be attacked . Only 55 per cent of those polled felt the Muslim Council of Britain adequately represented the views of Muslims in the country .
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When polled, 27% said they agreed with the statement 'I have some sympathy for the motives behind the attacks on Charlie Hebdo in Paris'
More than 1 in 10 agreed that satirical magazine 'deserved' to be targeted .
And 10% knew Muslims who had Al-Qaeda and Islamic State sympathies .
Tory peer Baroness Warsi said the figures released today were 'worrying'
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10d8f1eb8c5de0449f10efff3af9ac75614dab68
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(CNN) -- It's a time-honored adage about the laws of probability: Give 1 million monkeys 1 million typewriters and they'll eventually type the entire works of William Shakespeare. Now, a software developer in Nevada is putting that saying to the test. And his digital monkeys are off to a good start. This weekend, Jesse Anderson wrote on his blog that a computerized simulation of the theoretical simian typing pool has completed "A Lover's Complaint," a narrative poem that appeared in a book of The Bard's sonnets. "This is the first time a work of Shakespeare has actually been randomly reproduced," Anderson wrote. "Furthermore, this is the largest work ever randomly reproduced. It is one small step for a monkey, one giant leap for virtual primates everywhere." Anderson's virtual monkeys began typing on August 21. Using open-source software called Hadoop, he created a huge group of "monkeys" that input random strings of gibberish. When a chunk of text matches a word used in Shakespeare's catalogue, it gets crossed off of a database of the plays and poems. His database comes from Project Gutenberg. So far, he said, over 5 trillion character groups have been churned out. Based on a page updating the project's progress, several more works might be checked off the list soon. The monkeys appear to need only two more words to complete the comedy "The Tempest" and seven more to bang out "As You Like It." (There's been no explanation for why the computer monkeys seem to be lagging behind on Shakespeare's tragedies.) "The monkeys will continue typing away until every work of Shakespeare is randomly created," Anderson wrote. Permutations of the Infinite Monkey Theorem dates back as far as Aristotle (although he obviously didn't have a typewriter). Anderson's inspiration came from a perhaps less likely source: "The Simpsons." He says it harks back to a "Simpsons" scene in which Mr. Burns chains up 1,000 monkeys, giving them the task of writing a great novel and berating one of them for typing, "It was the best of times. It was the blurst of times." Anderson's approach is, if nothing else, gentler. "No monkeys were harmed during the making of this code," he wrote.
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Digital 'monkeys' with typewriters complete Shakespeare's "A Lover's Complaint"
Project is the brainchild of a Nevada developer and aims to test the classic "Infinite Monkey Theorem"
It began last month and will continue until The Bard's entire catalogue is reproduced .
The program types random bursts of code, crossing words off when they match Shakespeare's .
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10da0c3a628d86f7799a2c8278ec6b0a2d1235e6
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By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 06:11 EST, 10 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:30 EST, 10 October 2012 . One member of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot has had her conviction overturned in an appeal court in Moscow today. Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, will be released immediately whilst Nadezdha Tolonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, remain in custody. Judges at Moscow City Court ruled that as Ms Samutsevich had been thrown out of the cathedral before she was able to get her guitar out of its case, she was innocent. Scroll down for video . One free: Pussy Rioter Yekaterina Samutsevich is pictured leaving Moscow City Court after her sentence was suspended earlier today . The . three women were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred . in August this year after they performed a ‘punk prayer’ in the Russian . capital’s main Orthodox cathedral imploring the Virgin Mary to rid . Russia of Putin. Earlier Ms Tolonnikova had pleaded with the judges to have all their two-year sentences overturned. Speaking from inside their glass . cage the mother-of-one said: ‘We cannot admit to charges of religious hatred. Please . overturn the conviction.’ Pussy . Riot supporters said earlier that the women were . unlikely to win their appeal against their jail terms Vladimir Putin spoke out against them, saying they got what they deserved. Smiling again: The judges ruled that as Ms Samutsevich did not get a chance to get her guitar out of its case, she was not guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred . Released: As Samutsevich get in a car with her relatives, she can look forward to freedom whilst the other two members will serve their sentence at a penal colony . Relatives and lawyers for the trio . complained of political interference, saying that . Putin's comments on the case in an interview marking his 60th . birthday this weekend, had compromised the appeal. In the interview, which aired on Sunday, . President Putin defended the sentence. He said: ‘It is right that they were arrested . and it was right that the court took this decision because you cannot . undermine the fundamental morals and values to destroy the country’. Despite . support from Western governments including the U.S. president Barack . Obama, and superstars like Madonna and Sting condemning the sentences, a poll showed that a majority of Russians agree with President Putin. Two left: Whilst Yekaterina Samutsevich's prison sentence was suspended, Maria Alyokhina, centre, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, right, are to remain in prison and serve their two-year sentences . An . opinion poll conducted by the independent Levada . centre found 35 per cent of Russians believe the two-year sentences were . appropriate, while 34 per cent said they were too lenient and only 14 . per cent said they were excessive. The . three women were brought to Moscow City Court and led into a metal and . plexiglass cage where they sat facing a three-judge panel and stood to . answer introductory questions from the senior judge. The other two members cheered and . hugged their band-mate as the three-judge panel announced that Ms . Samutsevich's sentence was suspended. Kremlin opponents have said the jail terms . were part of a clampdown on dissent that has produced restrictive laws . and criminal cases against critics of Putin since he began his six-year . term in May. Appeal: The three members of punk-rock band Pussy Riot sit in a glass-walled cage in the court room before the beginning of the hearing at the Moscow City Court this morning . But sympathy . for Pussy Riot is limited in Russia, where Patriarch Kirill has cast the . protest as part of an attack meant to curb the church's post-Soviet . revival in a nation where most people are Russian Orthodox. Parliament . is considering legislation stiffening punishment for offending . religious feelings and Putin has warned that such offences - against . Christians, Muslims or other believers in diverse Russia - could incite . violence. Prime Minister . Dmitry Medvedev said last month that they have already served enough . time, while the Russian Orthodox Church has said they should repent if . they want forgiveness. The . appeal hearing in the Moscow City Court began on October 1 but was . quickly adjourned after Samutsevich dismissed her lawyers, citing . unspecified differences of opinion on the case. Crime: The trio were convicted in August for of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility after singing an anti-Putin song in the Christ the Savior cathedral in Moscow .
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Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, has had her prison sentence suspended .
Judges agreed that as she was removed from the cathedral before she had a chance to begin strumming her guitar, she was innocent .
Nadezdha Tolonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, remain in custody .
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10dafcc21761c60f8fc5bd832daf8f21cf0fc66d
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By . Nina Golgowski . PUBLISHED: . 18:05 EST, 16 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 00:28 EST, 17 August 2012 . Clean up after yourselves, stay out of the road and stop talking about annoying 'hipster topics'; the neighbours can hear you. A San Francisco coffee shop has laid out a set of rules for its diners that includes a ban on talking about ‘hipster’ things and who they had sex with last night, according to a local blogger's photo that captured it outside. Ironically Four Barrel Coffee, which shows overturned buckets and crates for seating on weekends along its alleged problematic alleyway, is a hipster venue itself. House rules: A posting of rules by a San Francisco coffee shop has asked their outside diners to clean up after themselves, lower their voices and not talk about annoying hipster topics . In contrast to their newly posted rules, their website sells their artisan atmosphere - featuring an assortment of coffees from Africa, Latin America and Indonesia among others - as a place you will likely hear 'a dramatic recounting of last night's scandalous activities.’ But they appear to have turned their ways, at least with the Caledonia alleyway’s neighbours in mind. As the rules go: Keep the alley clear of trash, bring dishes back inside, watch out for traffic in the alley, monitor your voice levels and lastly: . '[Don't talk] about annoying hipster topics, or who you f***** last night. You shouldn't do that anyhow, but our neighbors actually can hear you.' The alley: The rules were posted for diners along this alleyway whose chit-chat is said to be heard by the area's neighbours . The scene: The front of Four Barrel Coffee is seen with road bikes leaning out front and barristers inside offering an assortment of coffees from Africa, Latin America and Indonesia . Fancy that: Ironically Four Barrel Coffee describes itself as a place for people to go to hear conversations on what 'scandalous activities' one another got up to the night before . The post signs off: 'mucho smoocho.' What could classify as 'hipster topics' by Four Barrel Coffee’s standards is not clear from the posting. UpTownAlmanac suggests one topic being the customer having to tell the barista what kind of coffee they'd like. MrEricSir, who posted the photo to his blog this week notes that while the last rule 'may sound somewhat sarcastic ... most people do not . live vicariously through overheard stories of love conquests occurring . at Crystal Castles concerts. So perhaps there is a shred of truth to . this.'
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San Francisco coffee shop posted outside rules as courtesy to 'neighbours'
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10db0632f25bf0e08ea6174665d6ba1bb1000540
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A cop who was injured following a shootout in the Bronx seems to still resent New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's recent support for the city's protesters. NYPD officer Andrew Dossi was visited by Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Bill Bratton at St. Barnabas Hospital Monday night after he and his partner were shot by robbers shortly at a grocery store after their shift ended Monday, and according to his father, the Mayor was not a welcome site. 'He wasn’t too happy about the Mayor’s visit,' said Joe Dossi. This as the alleged gunman responsible for the attack has been taken into custody. Scroll down for video . Injured: NYPD officer Andrew Dossi (above) was visited by Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Bill Bratton at St. Barnabas Hospital Monday night after he and his partner were shot by robbers . Not welcome: 'He wasn’t too happy about the Mayor’s visit,' said Joe Dossi, the officer's father, about Mayor Bill de Blasio (above) coming by the hospital . 'He deals with some crappy people every day and getting no support (from Mayor de Blasio), come on,' added the elder Dossi while speaking with the New York Post. 'These are the guys in the trenches dealing with anything and everything.' This is reference to Mayor de Blasio's comments in the wake of a grand jury's decision not to indict the cop that killed Staten Island resident Eric Garner after placing the man in a chokehold for selling loose cigarettes that he worries for his son Dante, who is half-black, and how his interactions with the police will go as the young man grows up. The elder Dossi also said he told Mayor de Blasio that men like his son were 'laying theit lives on the line' when he came into the hospital room Monday night. The man also said he liked Commissioner Bratton, who he saw as 'a real legitimate guy.' Officer Dorsi, an Iraq veteran, was shot in the back and the arm. The shot to his back barely missed his spine, though doctors believe he will make a full recovery. 'I just hope that doesn’t affect his career,' said his father. 'He’s Army Airborne. He can’t jump out of airplanes with a messed-up arm.' Proudly serving: Dossi (left), an Iraq vet, was shot in the arm and back but is expected to make a full recovery . Putting it together: Three men have been taken into custody for questioning following the shooting (above), and one is believed to be the alleged gunman . The NYPD currently has three men in custody who they are questioning over the shooting. Two of the men were picked up in the Bronx of Tuesday and the other was released to the police after being treated for a bullet wound following Monday's incident. One of the men, Jason Polanco, is believed to have been the shooter, and was apprehended while trying to flee the city.
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NYPD officer Andrew Dossi was visited by Mayor Bill de Blasio in the hospital Monday evening after he was injured in a shootout .
Joe Dossi, the man's father, said that his son 'wasn't too happy about the Mayor's visit'
This as three men, including the alleged gunman, have been taken in for questioning over the incident, which happened in the Bronx .
The men were robbing a grocery story when Dossi and his partner, who were off duty, took the call .
One of the men, Jason Polanco, is believed to have been the shooter .
Dossi was shot in the back and arm, but is expected to make a full recovery .
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10dc14699e6ba6761821ee9a43ace10f2a70cddc
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By . Tom Kelly . PUBLISHED: . 08:55 EST, 11 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:21 EST, 11 June 2013 . Amateur singer: Rumours flew around the school that Jeremy Forrest had written a song for the girl . A married teacher absconded to France with an ‘infatuated’ schoolgirl half his age as their four-month relationship was about to be exposed, a court heard yesterday. Jeremy Forrest, 30, pursued his ‘vulnerable’ pupil with ‘flirtatious texts’ in a ‘gross and long-term breach of trust’, a jury was told. He seduced her for sex at secret meetings at his house while his wife was out, in his Ford Fiesta and in budget hotels where they stayed as Mr and Mrs Forrest, it was alleged. Forrest also reportedly met the girl in a local crematorium. But this was no ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story, the court was told. When colleagues repeatedly warned Forrest against encouraging the girl’s ‘obvious infatuation’, he told ‘bare-faced lies’ and denied that anything was going on, Lewes Crown Court heard. He even telephoned the teenager’s mother to complain about the effect the ‘falsehoods’ could have on his career, the jury heard. But after police were tipped off, the couple fled to France in what was described as ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’. The court heard how the runaways spent a week in Bordeaux under false names and dyed their hair to avoid being detected. They were eventually found after eight days. The fact that the schoolgirl was ‘undoubtedly a willing participant’ in the alleged abduction was no defence, prosecutor Richard Barton said. He said: ‘This is not Romeo and Juliet. This is a 15-year-old with her own vulnerabilities and a 30-year-old teacher. ‘When parents send their children to school they quite properly expect those who teach their children to care for them properly. This is a case of gross and long-term breach of trust.’ Forrest began to pursue the relationship when his pupil was just 14, and while he was teaching at Bishop Bell Church of England school in Eastbourne, the court heard. Allegations: Forrest (pictured in Lewes Crown Court yesterday) began to pursue the relationship when his pupil was just 14 years old while teaching at Bishop Bell Church of England School in Eastbourne, the court heard . The teenager had confided to friends at the start of 2012 that she had a crush on Forrest and during a school trip to Los Angeles in February she had said she enjoyed seeing him in his swimming trunks. On the flight home, Forrest sat next to her and held her hand, apparently to help calm her during turbulence. The incident sparked gossip among other pupils, and two teachers spoke to Forrest to warn him to ‘keep his distance’. But he started exchanging messages with the girl on Twitter and later gave her his private mobile phone number so that they could text each other more ‘flirtatious, intimate and inappropriate’ messages in secret, the court heard. Pictures found on the schoolgirl’s phone included one of Forrest, apparently taken by himself, in his underwear, the court heard. It was also rumoured that Forrest, a keen amateur musician, had written a song about the schoolgirl, the court heard. The schoolgirl also began to turn up early to school to visit the teacher in his room, often with other friends to ‘provide cover’. Forrest started having sex with girl around the time of her 15th birthday, the court was told. She used to slip away from her home, telling her mother she was spending the night with friends, it was claimed. Going inside: On the flight home Forrest (pictured arriving at Lewes Crown Court yesterday) sat next to the schoolgirl and held her hand, apparently to help calm her during turbulence . But when confronted again by teachers . about their concerns, Forrest became upset, and cried ‘crocodile . tears’, asking why these ‘falsehoods’ were being spoken about him, the . court heard. He even . telephoned the schoolgirl’s mother, and in an ‘utter lie’ denied the . allegations, despite the fact he was having ‘clandestine meetings’ with . his pupil, the prosecutor said. After . police were tipped off about the relationship in September, an officer . and social workers went to the schoolgirl’s home and spoke to her . mother, who agreed to hand over her phone for analysis. When the schoolgirl heard what had happened, she immediately went to see Forrest and the pair made plans to run away. Mr . Barton said: ‘Earlier in the year, when they were in the beginnings of . their relationship, they had discussed running away together but only in . general and rather fanciful terms, in a sort of forbidden love. ‘Now it seemed a more realistic and tangible possibility.’ Trial: Jeremy Forrest (pictured yesterday upon his arrival at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex), 30, pursued the 'vulnerable' pupil for months, a jury was told . That . night the schoolgirl secretly packed a bag of belongings and took it to . school the following day. Forrest booked ferry tickets in his . name and the name of his wife. The . schoolgirl arranged to spend the night with a friend and Forrest later . turned up to pick her up looking ‘ashamed’, the court was told. He told . the girl’s friends that he was ‘very sorry that he had to take her . away’. On the way to Dover she phoned a friend and said ‘Me and Jezz are going north’ in an attempt to put anyone off their trail. Hearing: The fact that the schoolgirl was 'undoubtedly a willing participant' in the alleged abduction was no defence, prosecutor Richard Barton QC told Lewes Crown Court (file picture) in East Sussex . Minutes . after boarding the ferry, Forrest sent a final text to his wife saying: . ‘Don’t worry I’ll call you tomorrow’, before getting rid of his phone. He was later pictured on the ferry’s CCTV hand-in-hand with the . schoolgirl. After dumping . the car in Paris, they travelled by train to Bordeaux, south-west . France. When Forrest submitted a false CV to an English bar in the city, . the owner recognised him from online news reports and contacted Sussex . police, the jury was told. After . liaising with French officers, police set up a sting operation which . allowed police to arrest him as he arrived for a trial shift. The schoolgirl returned to Britain soon afterwards and he was later extradited home to stand trial. Forrest denies child abduction. The case continues. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Jeremy Forrest, 30, pursued 'vulnerable' pupil for months, court hears .
They allegedly had secret meetings at his house while his wife was out .
Also 'exchanged flirtatious, intimate and inappropriate text messages'
Couple fled to France on a ferry where they spent a week in Bordeaux .
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Berlin (CNN) -- Europe's top human rights watchdog has urged Germany to stop offering sexual offenders the option of surgical castration. The Council of Europe's anti-torture committee said in a report issued Wednesday that the practice, which aims to help convicted sex criminals rein in their sex drives and lower their risk of reoffending, could easily be regarded as "degrading treatment." According to Germany's 1969 Law on Voluntary Castration, a person over the age of 25 may be subjected to surgical castration if he "displays an abnormal sex drive, which ... gives reason to suspect that he will commit one or more criminal offenses." The controversial procedure is not mandatory and a consensual offender can only have the operation after being informed of all the implications of the decision and after medical approval has been obtained, Germany said in its response, adding that it would consider reviewing the issue. But Berlin also cited the treatment's effectiveness, saying that of the 104 people who underwent the procedure in the 1970s, only three people committed sexual crimes again. Nearly half of the 53 others who refused or were denied treatment eventually reoffended. Voluntary castration is still very rare in Germany, with fewer than five cases per year in the last decade. The only other country in the 47-nation bloc of the Council of Europe that offers the process is the Czech Republic, which has also been the subject of criticism in recent years for allowing sex offenders to opt for castration, a procedure it uses far more frequently than Germany.
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The Council of Europe says surgical castration may qualify as "degrading treatment"
The procedure is voluntary for sex offenders in Germany .
The Czech Republic is the only other member of the Council of Europe to perform the procedure .
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By . Anna Hodgekiss . A toddler battling leukaemia who nearly died after his lungs collapsed during life-saving treatment has defied the odds to survive. J’ssiah Brown's mother claims doctors told her the chances of him surviving were a million to one. Jeanene Walters had been told to prepare for the worst after the two-year-old had to be put into an induced coma following a bone marrow transplant when his lungs collapsed and his liver failed. J'ssiah Brown with his brother Kyerell, 6, who donated bone marrow to his younger sibling. J'ssiah has defied the odds to survive, despite his lungs collapsing and developing liver failure . But after three weeks on life support, J’ssiah stunned everyone by pulling through. He is now recovering from the life-saving surgery with his mother and six-year-old brother Kyerell - who donated the bone marrow that saved his life. Ms Walters said: 'We were so happy when we found out Kyerell was a match and wanted to help his brother. 'But shortly after the surgery, J’ssiah started struggling to breathe, and everyone was rushing round him. 'I was told they would have to put him in an induced coma to give him any chance of survival. He would have taken his last breath otherwise. 'But even though everybody thought he wouldn’t get out of it, I knew he would. 'I asked him if he was tired and he told me he was. He nodded and said "yes’". 'I said to him: "The doctors are going to put you to sleep but you have to keep fighting - you have to remember to wake up, OK?" 'He nodded yes as if he knew. 'He was fighting so much when they tried to put him to sleep. The doctors were happy about that and I was ecstatic. 'He was fighting and fighting. The nurses said they’ve never seen someone have this transplant and come off the machine. J'ssiah and Kyerell with their mother Jeanene Walters. She said: 'We were so happy when we found out Kyerell was a match and wanted to help his brother' 'At first, they told me that things . looked bad, but he was on life support and just kept going. They told me . the chance of him coming out of the coma was one in a million. 'But after a while, they said to me "I don’t know what it is, mum, if it’s you being here 24/7 or this book" - because I had the Bible with me. They said it’s actually a miracle. 'The journey that he has been through and seeing it firsthand, I just put my hands up to him. He has made me such a proud mum.' J’ssiah was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer - acute myeloid leukaemia - in June 2013, when he was just one. The toddler underwent several rounds of gruelling chemotherapy but the cancer remained. When six-year-old Kyerell proved to a transplant match for J’ssiah, he immediately offered to undergo surgery to save his baby brother’s life. J’ssiah’s mixed heritage - a combination of Indian, Chinese and Caribbean - meant he had very little chance of securing a transplant from anywhere else. Staff at the Royal Marsden Hospital have praised J'ssiah's cheerful nature . His mother said: 'It was such a relief when Kye was a match. Without that, we would have been looking forever. 'He was so brave - he just wants his brother home.' A spokesman for The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust’s Bone Marrow Transplant team said: 'J’ssiah is a delightful two-year-old boy who has a particularly aggressive form of acute myeloid leukaemia. 'He was first diagnosed with AML in July last year, but sadly his leukaemia came back two months after finishing standard chemotherapy treatment. 'His only good chance for cure was to have a bone marrow transplant and fortunately for him, his older brother was a perfect match.' He added that J’ssiah’s bone marrow transplant is working but there have been some complications. 'Unfortunately due to a number of complications, he has needed to make several visits to various hospitals for specialist care. 'But, despite all this, J’ssiah has remained his usual cheerful self, who brings a smile to everyone he meets.' Cancer charity African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) has set up a JustGiving page to raise money and send J’ssiah and his family on a special trip. The charity’s co-founder Beverley De-Gale said: 'To be able to arrange an all-expenses paid trip for two-year-old J’ssiah, in order to give him a break from his world of treatment and therapy, would be wonderful treat for J’ssiah and his sibling. 'The bravery of J’ssiah and his brother should be celebrated.'
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Two-year-old J'ssiah Brown was diagnosed with leukaemia last year .
Despite several rounds of chemotherapy, the cancer remained .
Only hope was bone marrow transplant - brother Kyerell, 6, was a match .
But J'ssiah had to be put into induced coma after lungs collapsed .
Mother claims doctors told her his chances of survival were million to one .
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10dde26482fa47f3a1014ee43efa807f89bf48f4
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Most brides hope for sunshine on their wedding day, but if you're wearing one of these dresses, you are banking on it! Asya Kozina from St Petersburg has created a range of intricate and extremely delicate wedding gowns out of plain sheets of white paper. The Russian-born artist studied old drawings and sepia photographs of traditional Mongolian wedding dresses and based her extravagant line on outfits worn hundreds of years ago. Asya Kozina from St Petersburg creates intricate wedding gowns inspired by Mongolian traditional dress. The Russian artist uses paper as her material because it is more versatile . Asya then used life-sized models in order to craft her stunning, exaggerated forms from plain sheets of white paper. Today, Mongolian wedding clothes have bright, bold colours and patterns, but Asya believes that colour only distracts from the detailing of the gowns. For Asya it was extremely important to capture the elements of the wedding dresses of the past as she believes that they are one of the most accurate representations of a nation. Asya is fascinated with Mongolian culture and bases all of her designs around their traditional wedding dresses . Asya chose to use paper as a material as she believed it was a metaphor for 'life and art' In order to make her designs as authentic as possible Asya studied illustrations and sepia photographs of Mongolian costumes . She said: 'It's wedding clothing that embodies the most specific characteristics of each national costume….They are symbolic of the cultures they come from.' Speaking to Pixable, Asya revealed that she chose to use paper as her medium as she believes as a material it is extremely versatile. She said: 'I see great potential in paper. It is a way to translate ideas and largely... for me, it is also a metaphor of life and art.' The Russian-born artist chose not to use colour in her work as she believed it would be too much of a distraction . Asya continued to say that although paper has huge potential it does cause certain problems when it comes to photographing the models. 'There were technical difficulties in the process of shooting models because they were not able to sit down. 'Crumpled paper cannot be restored and the shoot took about five hours.' The artist added that she also had concerns about misrepresenting a country that she shared such a passion for. She said: 'Another difficulty was that I did not know how to react to Mongolians if they were to see my own rendition of their cultural costumes. What if I hurt somebody? 'I immensely respect and love the culture of this country.' The inspiration behind Asya's outlandish creations .
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Asya Kozina creates wedding gowns inspired by classic Mongolian dress .
She studied historical illustrations and sepia photos when designing .
Chooses to use paper as a metaphor for 'life and art'
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Bob Sinclair has spent the past six years building a house to live in with his wife Sheryl but his local council says he has less than a week left to knock it down. Mr Sinclair, 66, built part of the two-storey home in Elizabeth Park, north of Adelaide, with wood instead of the steel that the council had originally approved. He tried and failed to get his changes approved and as a result the Environment, Resources and Development Court found in favour of Playford Council during a June hearing and ordered that the entire structure be demolished before next Tuesday. Bob Sinclair has less than a week to knock down his house in Elizabeth Park, north of Adelaide . Mr Sinclair, 66, has spent the past six years building it to live in with his wife Sheryl . 'We're looking into whether or not we can appeal but it appears the cost of the appeal would be prohibitive,' Mr Sinclair told Daily Mail Australia. 'The best we can get is an extension on the demolition order.' The block of land was originally purchased in 2006 by Mr Sinclair's daughter Vanessa Sinclair-Benke, but Mr Sinclair started building the house for him and his wife to live in. 'My daughter was looking for an investment property,' he said. 'We would have been paying the mortgage as the rent on the house.' Mr Sinclair first lodged a development application in June 2006, and council approved a two-storey steel framed dwelling and garage in January 2007. Work commenced in January 2008, and under the development approval work was required to be substantially completed by 11 January 2010, or else the approval would lapse. Mr Sinclair built part of the two-storey home with wood instead of steel and the council is forcing him to knock it down because he didn't get approval . Mr Sinclair said the price of steel went 'through the roof' after his first application and would have cost an extra $40,000 so he used timber instead, the Northern Messenger reported. In July 2011 a neighbour complained to council about inadequately secured roof sheeting on the partially built house which was flapping in the wind and making noise. The council's building surveyor investigated the complaint and found a number of defects in relation to the timber framing, gang nails leaving rafters and weather damage to the timber framing and flooring. It was then that he also discovered the framing had been built with timber not steel. Mr Sinclair was told in a letter he must lodge another development application seeking approval in relation to the timber framing in order to continue construction. On 26 April 2012, Mr Sinclair submitted a further development application and 'development plan consent' was granted on 5 November 2012. The block of land was originally purchased in 2006 by Mr Sinclair's daughter Vanessa Sinclair-Benke, but Mr Sinclair started building the house for him and his wife to live in . Before he could recommence construction, Mr Sinclair also required 'building rules consent' for the same development. No building rules consent had been obtained by November 2013, so an extension of time was granted. Mr Sinclair submitted building rule consent from private building certifiers Katnich Dodd in April 2014, but the council did not issue approval, saying his submission did not match the previous development application. On June 5 the council filed an application with the court for a demolition order, which was granted on June 27. Mr Sinclair told Daily Mail Australia his view was that the council had approved his development then 'changed its mind'. 'Eventually I got my building consent approval and the council withheld it and put on a demolition order,' he said. Playford Council has been contacted for comment.
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Bob Sinclair has less than a week to knock down his Elizabeth Park house .
He has spent the past six years building it to live in with his wife Sheryl .
Mr Sinclair, 66, built part of the two-storey home with wood instead of steel .
Council is forcing him to knock it down because he didn't get approval .
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10e0d7e66781f62426d04498e2556d787a17c65b
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More than 500 of the world’s most prominent writers and authors, including five Nobel literature laureates, have added their signatures to an open appeal calling for an end to the NSA spying program. The appeal - A Stand For Democracy In The Digital Age - is against all widespread ‘mass surveillance’ by governments and corporations and comes hot on the heels of eight of the world’s largest technology companies, including Facebook and Google, urging Barack Obama and other leaders to rein in internet surveillance. The NSA surveillance is a systematic abuse of power, claim the writers, and an attack on ‘a basic pillar of democracy... the inviolable integrity of the individual’. New York-based Danish writer Janne Teller helped organize the petition, while American writer and performance poet Sapphire is amongst the 560 signatures . ‘In their thoughts and in their personal environments and communications all humans have the right to remain unobserved and unmolested,’ the appeal argues. ‘This fundamental human right has been rendered null and void through abuse of technological developments by states and corporations for mass surveillance purposes. 'Surveillance violates the private sphere and compromises freedom of thought and opinion. Mass surveillance treats every citizen as a potential suspect. It overturns one of our historical triumphs: the presumption of innocence.’ Among the ‘writers against mass surveillance’ from some 80 countries are the Nobel laureates Orhan Pamuk, JM Coetzee, Elfriede Jelinek, Günter Grass and Tomas Tranströmer. Other notable signers include Richard Ford, Margaret Atwood, Umberto Eco, Yann Martel, Dave Eggers, Colum McCann, Sapphire, Ian McEwan, and Don DeLillo. The appeal comes in the wake of recent revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden exposing extensive and intrusive telephone and internet surveillance by the U.S. and its western allies. The 'writers against mass surveillance' group consists of 560 writers, including five Nobel literature laureates, from 80 countries . Other notable signers of the petition include Canadian authors Yann Martel, left, and Margaret Atwood . It was organized by an independent international group of authors Juli Zeh, Ilija Trojanow, Eva Menasse, Janne Teller, Priya Basil, Isabel Cole, Josef Haslinger – though personal contacts and private networks. The appeal calls for the drafting by the U.N. of an International Bill of Digital Rights and on governments to sign and adhere to such a convention. ‘We are really very worried about mass surveillance. We think it's undermining democracy totally, and we are shocked that more people aren't up in arms about it,’ said Danish writer Janne Teller. Teller said she doesn't believe writers are threatened more than ordinary citizens by mass surveillance, but their work makes them particularly attuned to its dangers. ‘I think it's quite significant when you have 560 or so of the greatest contemporary writers, from all across the world, expressing a very serious concern, because these are people who always work on the big philosophical questions of life,’ Teller said. ‘Hopefully their concern matters to politicians.’ A recent survey by PEN found American writers are increasingly fearful of government surveillance in the wake of Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA and have even started to self-censor . A recent survey by the writers' rights group PEN found American writers are increasingly fearful of government surveillance in the wake of Snowden's revelations about the NSA and have even started to self-censor their work. Eighty-five percent of PEN's American members are worried about government surveillance, the group's report found. Twenty-eight percent of PEN's members have curbed their social media use, 24 percent are avoiding certain topics in phone and email conversations, and 16 percent have avoided writing or speaking about issues, the survey found. Writers reported being fearful about discussing military affairs, the Middle East North Africa region, mass incarceration, drug policies, pornography, the Occupy movement, the study of certain languages, and criticism of the U.S. government. Teller, who lives in New York, said she hopes Americans will join the writers' outrage over mass surveillance by adding their names to a public version of the appeal. 'This undermines all the freedoms and values that I otherwise love about America,' Teller said. 'So I can't understand why Americans can accept mass surveillance in this way, it's totally against the freedom ideals.' The organizers are inviting others to sign the petition at www.change.org/surveillance. In recent months, the extent of mass surveillance has become common knowledge. With a few clicks of the mouse the state can access your mobile device, your e-mail, your social networking and internet searches. It can follow your political leanings and activities and, in partnership with internet corporations, it collects and stores your data, and thus can predict your consumption and behavior. The basic pillar of democracy is the inviolable integrity of the individual. Human integrity extends beyond the physical body. In their thoughts and in their personal environments and communications, all humans have the right to remain unobserved and unmolested. This fundamental human right has been rendered null and void through abuse of technological developments by states and corporations for mass surveillance purposes. A person under surveillance is no longer free; a society under surveillance is no longer a democracy. To maintain any validity, our democratic rights must apply in virtual as in real space. WE DEMAND THE RIGHT for all people, as democratic citizens, to determine to what extent their personal data may be collected, stored and processed, and by whom; to obtain information on where their data is stored and how it is being used; to obtain the deletion of their data if it has been illegally collected and stored. WE CALL ON ALL STATES AND CORPORATIONS to respect these rights. WE CALL ON ALL CITIZENS to stand up and defend these rights. WE CALL ON THE UNITED NATIONS to acknowledge the central importance of protecting civil rights in the digital age, and to create an International Bill of Digital Rights. WE CALL ON GOVERNMENTS to sign and adhere to such a convention.
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Global group of prominent writers have joined forces to speak out about widespread surveillance including NSA scandal .
NSA surveillance described as attack on 'basic pillar of democracy... the inviolable integrity of the individual .
Recent survey by the writers' rights group PEN found 85percent of American writers are increasingly fearful of government surveillance .
Comes hot on heels of eight of the world's largest tech giants urging President Obama to rein in internet surveillance .
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10e22f6a598ce0caa955fd7cec142ba19365081e
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By . Australian Associated Press . and Ryan Lipman . Global management company IMG reportedly dumped Bernard Tomic on Tuesday . Embattled Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic has reportedly been dumped by global management company IMG. News emerged on Tuesday that the agency had terminated its lucrative contract with the 21-year-old before it was due to expire. Tomic first signed with IMG as a 12-year-old, spawning marketing deals potentially worth millions of dollars with the likes of Nike, Yonex, Optus and Qantas. While the one-time Wimbledon quarter-finalist has fallen outside the top 100, it's understood Tomic's off-court behaviour was behind the split, according to the US-based Sports Business Journal and tennisworldusa.org. IMG's Australian-based director of tennis, Brian Cooney, has not responded to AAP's calls for comment. Tomic has been involved in a series of off court dramas, including clocking up a string of driving offences in his yellow Ferrari F430 Spider, worth more than $400,000, and losing his license in January 2013 for speeding. He was doing 78kmph in a 60 kilometre zone and received a standard $220 fine and three demerit points, but due to his poor driving record had his license suspended, reported Fox Sports. On Australia Day in 2012, he was pulled over three times while driving a high powered bright orange BMW worth $150,000, and received two $300 fines for the same offence, reported The Daily Telegraph. The embattled tennis star lost his license last year after a string of high-profile driving offences . It was reported he was first pulled over after allegedly revving at pedestrians and he was then pulled over a second time in the afternoon. The third time police tried to pull him over that day, Tomic had refused to stop but was followed home, resulting in a standoff when the tennis player refusing to speak to police until his lawyer arrived. The tennis player had an exemption to drive the sports car on the condition it was for activities related to tennis, including going to and from training. In December 2012, he was given a 12-month one-point good-behaviour licence due to a series of hooning and driving offences across the Gold Coast. Tomic's Ferrarri Spider is worth more than half a million dollars and bears the number plate 'SinCity', the name of a Gold Coast nightclub run by a friend of Tomic's family . The controversial player was photographed receiving a lap dance from young female dancers at the Sin City nightclub on the Gold Coast in November last year. The nightclub is owned by Jamie Pickering, a family friend of the tennis player and is a favourite hang-out for Tomic, who held his 21st birthday party there last year. Tomic has copped criticism for partying instead of training, as his antics have coincided with a drop in form for the player. Among his critics are former tennis great Pat Rafter and Tomic's former coach Neil Guiney. Rafter banned Tomic from a Davis Cup tie in Taiwan last year because of attitude problems, reported The Daily Telegraph. During a press conference following his first-round French Open defeat in May, Tomic lashed out at a reporter who questioned whether his father was suitable to return as his coach after a 12 month suspension for assaulting Tomic's practice partner, Thomas Drouet. The tennis player received a lap dance from two female fans last year at Sin City, a nightclub on the Gold Coast in November last year . Tomic has been criticised for partying instead of practicing as his antics have coincided with a drop in form for the player . The revelation follows Tomic's round-one victory at the Claro Open Colombia in Bogota on Tuesday (AEST). The Australian wildcard beat Uzbekistsan's Farrukh Dustov 6-3 6-3 for his first win on hard courts since January, when he reached the final of the Sydney International. Tomic, who was sidelined for two months after the Australian Open to have double hip surgery, fired 10 aces against the 140th-ranked Dustov and converted three of his four break-point chances. He next faces either 2013 finalist Alejandro Falla or Japan's Tatsuma Ito. Former tennis great Pat Rafter banned Tomic from a Davis Cup tie in Taiwan last year because of attitude problems .
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Management company IMG reportedly dumped Tomic on Tuesday .
The move comes before the tennis player's contract was due to expire .
It is said to be as a result of Tomic's off court dramas .
He was first singed with IMG at 12 years old .
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10e29023184194302da73f44908b1f7fdb286983
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(CNN)MERS-CoV, short for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, first surfaced in Saudi Arabia in spring 2012. As of June 8, more than 1,000 cases of MERS have been confirmed in 25 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Two of those cases were in the United States. There have been over 400 deaths worldwide. Here are five things you should know about MERS: . It's a coronavirus . MERS is in the same family of viruses as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome -- coronavirus) as well as the common cold. However, unlike SARS, which sickened more than 8,000 people in 2003 and killed 773 worldwide, MERS does not spread easily between humans -- at least not yet. The virus acts like a cold and attacks the respiratory system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said. But symptoms, which include fever and a cough, are severe and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea have also been seen, according to the WHO. The average age of MERS victims is 51, officials say, although the ages range from 2 to 94. Researchers don't know how MERS spreads . Although all MERS cases have been linked to six countries on the Arabian Peninsula, limited human-to-human transmission has been seen among people in close contact with patients, including health care workers. Although such transmission appears to be limited, health officials are concerned about MERS because of its virulence -- it can be fatal in up to one-third of cases, Dr. Anne Schuchat, assistant surgeon general for the U.S. Public Health Service and director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Friday. "The virus has not shown to spread in a sustained way in communities," the CDC says on its website. The WHO and CDC have not issued any travel warnings related to MERS, although the CDC suggests travelers to the Arabian Peninsula practice "enhanced precautions." And "you are not considered to be at risk for MERS-CoV infection if you have not had close contact, such as caring for or living with someone who is being evaluated for MERS-CoV infection," according to the CDC website. Camels appear to be a link in the MERS chain . Camels may be one clue. In a paper published earlier this week, researchers said they had isolated the live MERS virus from two single-humped camels, known as dromedaries. And in February, scientists published a finding that nearly three-quarters of camels in Saudi Arabia tested positive for past MERS exposure. MERS was also found in a bat in Saudi Arabia, the CDC says. "The way humans become infected from an animal and/or environmental source is still under investigation," the WHO said last month. It may have a seasonal pattern . Officials have noted a surge in MERS cases this spring, and a similar increase was also seen last spring, Schuchat said on Friday. But they don't know whether the factors that lead to MERS may have a seasonal pattern, or whether the virus changes to become more easily transmissible. There are no treatments and no vaccine . As of now, doctors can treat symptoms of MERS, such as fever or breathing difficulties, Schuchat said. However, there is no vaccine and no specific medicine, such as an antiviral drug, that targets MERS.
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MERS has shown limited human-to-human transmission .
It's in the same family as SARS and the common cold .
There is no treatment and no vaccine .
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James Whittaker was left wedged within the twisted remains of his van after it left the road and ploughed into two trees . The roof was sheared off the van during the high-impact crash . Driver credits wearing a seatbelt for saving his life . By . Shari Miller . PUBLISHED: . 11:55 EST, 13 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:57 EST, 13 June 2012 . A driver escaped virtually unharmed after his van hurtled into a pair of trees and he found himself trapped within the mangled remains. Delivery driver James Whittaker, 22, was on the A64 near York in the early hours of Saturday morning, when his van left the road and ploughed into a tree on his passenger side, before veering to the right and crashing into another tree. The second tree stopped the vehicle rolling further down an embankment, but the double impact sliced the roof off Mr Whittaker's Vauxhall Vivaro and reduced the van into a twisted heap of metal. The twisted remains of James Whittaker's van after it left the A64 near York and crashed twice into trees . Mr Whittaker, who lives in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, said he did not remember what caused the crash, but recalled finding himself wedged within the battered van. Miraculously, he did not break a single bone in the impact and came away with superficial wounds. He said: 'Apparently, the police, ambulance and firefighters didn’t expect to find me alive. I’m so lucky. I’ve seen pictures of other crashes and the cars don’t look half as bad as mine. 'I can’t believe I made it out without major injuries. 'All I suffered was a cut to my forehead, a few grazes on my legs and a bruised foot, nothing really. 'The worst injury I had was a cut on my hand from windscreen glass, but even that happened after the crash when I was trying to get out of the van.' Mr Whittaker, who started working for his father's Sheffield-based delivery service, Dedicated Couriers Ltd, had begun his shift at midnight. He said: 'The last thing I remember is making a delivery in Beverley earlier in the night. At the time of the crash I was on the A64, apparently driving from Scarborough to York, but I don’t remember being there.' Mr Whittaker came round after the impact to find a Polish truck driver, who had passed by the accident, calling 999. When ambulance and fire services arrived on the scene they removed him from the wrecked vehicle. The roof of the Vauxhall Vivaro was sliced off in the impact, but miraculously driver James Whittaker escaped relatively unharmed . He explained: 'They didn’t even have to cut the roof off as it was already gone. They just cut some of the steering wheel so I could be pulled out.' The lucky driver was taken off to York Hospital with a neck brace, as a precaution, but a CT scan and x-rays revealed that incredibly, James had not suffered any fractures. He has suffered some memory loss, but doctors have told him he may get his full memory back at some point. Police believe the accident happened around 4am, the same time his Tom Tom navigation system stopped working, but it is still unknown what caused it. Lucky: James Whittaker escaped from the crash with a few superficial cuts and bruises . Mr Whittaker added: 'The Tom Tom system records speed and I wasn’t driving over the speed limit. It was very wet and windy so it could have been that I skidded, and the police say I could have fallen asleep. “But I was talking to my friend on my hands free kit at 3.50am, so I would have been quite alert and the doctor thought it was unlikely that I would have dropped off so quickly.' Looking at pictures of the written-off van, which is undergoing tests to determine if there was a fault with it, Mr Whittaker credited wearing his seat belt for his miraculous escape. He said: “I can’t believe how lucky I was. I just keep thinking, if there had been anyone in the passenger seat, they wouldn’t have stood a chance. “My girlfriend Brodie usually comes with me on my Friday night and Saturday morning shift, but luckily this week she came on Wednesday instead. It’s just so lucky she wasn’t with me.” Mr Whittaker added: "When I look at pictures of the wreckage, I can't believe I wasn't more badly injured or killed. If there had been anyone in the passenger seat, they wouldn't have stood a chance."
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James Whittaker was left wedged within the twisted remains of his van after it left the road and ploughed into two trees .
The roof was sheared off the van during the high-impact crash .
Driver credits wearing a seatbelt for saving his life .
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By . Rachel Quigley . PUBLISHED: . 11:40 EST, 20 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:56 EST, 21 December 2012 . The incredible X-ray of conjoined twin girls Allison June and Amelia Lee Tucker shows how complicated a surgery the team of doctors had in front of them when they went into the seven-hour surgery. The girls were nine-months-old and joined at the chest when they went in, today they made their public debut, showing how the operation went flawlessly. New York natives Allison June, Amelia Lee, and their parents were introduced at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Scroll down for video . Bond: An x-ray shows the conjoined twins Allison June and Amelia Lee Tucker before surgeons at CHOP separated the Tucker girls during a seven-hour operation in November of 2012 . Separated: The twins shared a chest wall, diaphragm, pericardium and liver but are now expected to live 'full, healthy and independent lives' Ho ho ho: The twins celebrate their first Christmas by getting their picture taken with Santa after their successful surgery . Pediatric surgeon Dr Holly Hedrick . says Allison is the smaller but tougher twin. Amelia is the larger twin . but she's still in intensive care for now. Surgeons separated the Tucker girls during a seven-hour operation in November. The infants had been joined at the . lower chest and abdomen. They shared a chest wall, diaphragm, . pericardium and liver but are expected to live 'full, healthy and independent lives'. Bundles of joy: Because the twins didn¿t share many internal organs, their prognosis is good that they will live normal lives . Thriving: The Hospital held a press conference this morning to highlight this new phase in the lives of both infants . Before and after: The surgery was the 21st separation of . conjoined twins performed at the hospital. The procedure involved about . 40 medical staff members . Because they didn't share a lot of internal organs, the prognosis for the twins is very positive. The surgery was the 21st separation of conjoined twins performed at the hospital. The procedure involved about 40 medical staff members. The twins’ mother, Shellie Tucker, . has kept a blog documenting her daughters’ progress, and just hours . after the surgery was completed, she revealed her joy at the successful . operation. 'Today it is a . time to celebrate, to be thankful, to appreciate, to praise, and to . enjoy this weight lifted off our shoulders,' she wrote. Getting ready! Allison and Amelia Tucker, who were joined at the chest and abdomen, were successfully separated in a seven-hour operation at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia last month . Success! A photograph from the operating room shows two teams after the girls were separated . Happy family: Pediatric surgeon Dr Holly Hedrick says Allison is the smaller but tougher twin. Amelia is the larger twin but she's still in intensive care for now . Success: The Hospital held a press conference this morning to highlight this new phase in the lives of both infants . 'The . surgery went better than expected. The girls did amazing. The surgeons . were able to separate the girls and close them with the skin they grew . over the last five months.' She added: 'After the girls left us yesterday I had a . sense of calm and strength come over me. These girls are going to do big things in life!' Today she said: 'Greg and I are thrilled that our daughters have been given this remarkable gift by the amazing team from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 'We are so grateful for the support and encouragement that the medical team, our families and our friends have given us during this long journey.' Relief: Shellie Tucker, pictured with Allison and Amelia, expressed her joy on her blog after the operation . Together: The Tucker family only learned something was wrong at the 20-week ultrasound, left . Shellie had previously written of . the family's struggles on the blog. She wrote how she married her husband, Greg Tucker, in 2009, and had issues getting pregnant. After . having their first son, Owen, she wrote: 'Our chances of having a . second baby was very slim. We tried month after month with no success.' She . wrote that after fertility treatment, she and her husband were overjoyed to find out . they were pregnant again. Yet, showing two heads, their 20-week ultrasound have the first sign there was something wrong. 'My husband and I were in complete shock (we still are),' Shellie wrote. 'We couldn’t believe it.' In March, she underwent an emergency C-section and gave birth to her daughters. At work: Surgeons separate the twin girls, who shared a chest wall, diaphragm, and liver, on November 8 . Team work: As many as 20 staff worked on the operation, the 21st of its kind at the hospital . In her last post before the surgery, she asked for prayers, and spoke of her exhaustion. 'We . have done all a parent can do,' she wrote. 'At this point, it's in the . surgeons’ hands.We just have to hold our breath and hope and pray God . listens to our thousands of supporters. We will be okay. We will be . strong.' But the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia said the girls were 'excellent candidates for separation'. Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births, and most are stillborn. About three-quarters of such twins are female and are joined at least partially in the chest, sharing organs. Family: Shellie married Greg Tucker, who works in the Army, in 2009 . Sibling rivalry: The girls have an older brother, Owen . Chances of successful surgery and survival are greater if the twins have separate sets of organs, the hospital said. A year ago, conjoined 20-month-old twins from the Dominican Republic were separated at a Virginia hospital. Maria and Teresa Tapia were attached at the lower chest, and surgical teams successfully divided their liver, pancreas and other shared organ systems and reconstructed their abdominal walls. A few days before that, 2-year-old twin sisters Angelica and Angelina Sabuco from San Jose, California, who were joined at the chest and abdomen, were separated in procedures performed at a California hospital.
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Allison and Amelia Tucker born joined at the lower chest and abdomen .
Girls are expected to live 'full, healthy and independent lives'
Mother Shellie: 'These girls are going to do big things in life!'
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By . Carl Markham . Former champion David Duval does not feel disrespected being sent out in the first group for the start of the 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and insists he is just grateful to have a tee time at all. The American, who won the Claret Jug in 2001 on another north-west course at Lytham St Annes, goes out with David Howell and Robert Karlsson at 6.25am on Thursday. Some may have perceived that as not treating a former winner with the respect he deserves, but the 42-year-old does not see it that way. No problem: David Duval (right) isn't feel disrespected by being sent off in the first group at the Open . Having seen his career go into a downward spiral after his Open win, with injuries, illness and personal issues all contributing to a spectacular loss of form, Duval is keen to make the most of every opportunity. 'I don't take it as being disrespectful at all,' he said. 'I have always said I don't care when I tee off, just give me a tee time. 'I am fortunate to have been a past champion and as long as I'm playing golf I'll be coming. Rough time: Duval's form since his 2001 Open win has dropped due to injuries, illness and personal issues . 'Everyone has their opinions and favourites but I think this is the most cherished event in golf. 'I take it as Peter Dawson (R&A chief executive) sending me out to make sure the pace gets set properly. 'He is asking me to do him a favour so we're not backing up the course. 'I hope we're done by 10.25 - if it is up to me we will be.' Such an early start creates its own logistical challenges for any professional golfer, but for a player with Duval's long list of back, neck and wrist injuries there are additional difficulties. At least he has had some preparation for what lies ahead, as he practised with Tiger Woods in his customary early morning start on Tuesday. 'It is a little harder, I'm getting a little older and stiffer to get up at 4am and it takes a while to get loose and warm," added the former world number one, currently ranked 940th having been as low as 1,508 at the end of last year. 'I hit 5.30am balls on Tuesday morning and I still wasn't ready to tee off at 7am. 'I am contemplating whether to go to bed or not. Maybe I should go to the pub till 4am and then come over here? 'I struggle to go to bed real early but I'm going to have to figure a way to get to sleep at nine o'clock tonight - maybe watching British television will help.' Good times: Duval won the Claret Jug back in 2001 at the Lytham St Annes golf course .
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David Duval says he doesn't feel disrespected by being sent out in the first group of the Open .
Duval will tee-off at 6.25am on Thursday with David Howell and Robert Karlsson .
42-year-old American won the Claret Jug in 2001 .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:11 EST, 17 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:45 EST, 17 February 2014 . Tommy Roye the husband of a BBC executive Victoria has been jailed for masterminding a plot to extort money from the chief executive of a media firm . The husband of a BBC executive has been jailed after he masterminded a blackmail plot against the head of a media firm. Tommy Roye, 39, demanded cash over a two month period, from innocent businessman Craig Farley-Jones, 37. Manchester Crown Court heard that Roye recruited two enforcers to have his victim’s car torched on his driveway because his business partner owed £30,000 to him and his associates. During a confrontation Roye told father of one Mr Farley-Jones: 'I will f**k you up now, you don’t know who you are messing with. I’ll f**k you up and put you in that skip over there'. In the run up to arson attack, the victims received menacing text messages reading: 'If you don’t reply within an hour we will send someone' Police called in by Mr Farley-Jones arrested Roye a day after the arson attack on his people carrier vehicle and found two ornamental Samurai swords and a machete at his home in Urmston, Greater Manchester. Father of one Roye has now been jailed for six years after being convicted of blackmail, conspiracy to commit arson and threatening to destroy property. Three accomplices were also jailed for their part in the plot. Roye’s wife Victoria, 41, a BBC Talent Executive for Entertainment North was not in court for the hearing. Father of one Roye has now been jailed for six years after being convicted of blackmail, conspiracy to commit arson and threatening to destroy property. Roye's wife Victoria, 41, a BBC Talent Executive for Entertainment North was not in court for the hearing . Roye, 39, demanded cash over a two month period during which he recruited two enforcers to have his victim's car torched on his driveway. Innocent businessman Craig Farley-Jones, 37, had been hounded because his business partner owed £30,000 to Roye and his associates . During her career she helped the staffing of TV productions like Junior Doctors, Dragons' Den and A Question of Sport . During her career she helped the staffing of TV productions like Junior Doctors, Dragons’ Den and A Question of Sport. An out-of-office email to her BBC account said she was on leave. After the case Det Sgt Patrick Goodrich branded Roye and his three accomplices as an 'organised crime group' and said: 'This case involved a totally innocent and legitimate businessman who unwittingly became embroiled in a blackmail plot driven by a gang of violent criminals. Pose: Mrs Roye in her days as a model . 'All he wanted to do was help out a colleague who had got himself into debt, and for his troubles endured two months of hell at the hands of an extremely intimidating and aggressive band of criminals. 'That they went so far as to torch this man’s car as it was parked on his driveway, bearing in mind this man has a wife and daughter, shows how dangerous these men were. 'You can only imagine the anguish this man suffered for those two months, being bombarded with violent threats simply for trying to help a colleague. 'I have no doubt whatsoever that the streets are a lot safer now that these four men are behind bars. I would also like to praise the tenacity of the victim himself who hung in there despite the hell he was subjected to and helped us to convict these men. 'Organised crime groups like these cause real misery and hardship for law-abiding and innocent members of our communities. However, we have been targeting organised crime groups at all levels for the last two years and have achieved some fantastic results. 'We are tackling these groups with every tactic open to us, taking away their liberty, their homes, their cars and their cash.' Earlier the Manchester court heard Mr Farley-Jones - chief executive of Jungle Media and who works with former Celebrity Big Brother winner Mark Bez Berry - ran a Cheshire nightclub with a childhood friend known as Marvin. It was said that trouble began in August 2012 after he fell into debt and called Mr Farley-Jones for help. Gary Woodhall prosecuting said Mr Farley Jones arrived at the pub to find Roye holding what appeared to be a gun and telling: 'You are a piece of sh*t, you are a liar. Not even your business partner will help you out’. Mr Farley-Jones offered to pay £5,000 himself to buy time for his friend but was assured by Marvin he would not have to pay a penny. The court was told that he later received a text from Roye saying: 'Why would you get out of bed in the middle of the night and agree to pay and then not pay’. The following October Mr Farley-Jones was in another pub when Roye and one of his enforcers who had been hiding in a garden, converged on the victim 'like hyenas'. Marcel Lauder, 44, (left) of Derby and Jamie Keegan, 31, of Sale, (right) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and blackmail at an earlier hearing. Lauder got 28 months and Keegan 24 months . Mr Woodall said: 'They surrounded Craig Farley-Jones. Tommy Roye was forceful and aggressive and demanded to know where the money was. Tommy Roye said he could deal with the problems there and then. 'Roye demanded the key to Craig Farley-Jones’ car and fearing he would be attacked, he handed over the key to his Audi car. Roye told him not to ring the police or "the car would be burned out - or the car driven through the house". Mr Farley-Jones again agreed to pay the money and the car was returned. But Roye then repeatedly contacted Mr Farley-Jones sending text messages referring to the victim’s house. When the victim replied saying that he would go to police, Roye’s menacing response was: 'Police? Call the fire service as well’. While Mr Farley-Jones was in a police station giving a statement. his Rodge Ram people carrier car was set on fire on his driveway. He later said the blackmail plot was 'soul destroying' and had a 'massive effect' on his life and he was forced to move out of the area as a result. His wife’s mental health deteriorated and he now felt isolated from family and friends. Fear had taken over his life, he said, and he now always looks over his shoulder when out and is afraid of answering the front door. Ashley Gusihard was jailed for seven years after being convicted of blackmail and unrelated charges of possessing drugs with intent to supply . Roye had 25 previous convictions including a wounding offence in 1992 when he slashed a man on the chin leaving a three inch wound. He also has convictions for drug possession and in 1995 was jailed for ten years for armed robbery. In mitigation his defence counsel Miss Bernadette Baxter said: 'He understands the impact it is going to have on his family and has ensured his wife and children underwent counselling for his inevitable prison sentence. 'He runs a successful business with his partner who is leading that whilst he is in custody. It was a short lived period of events - there was no direct violence.' Passing sentence Judge Adrian Smith told Roye: 'You were the instigator and organiser in the campaign of threats. 'Blackmail is designed to instil fear into the life of another human being. It’s a cruel offence and can seriously affect a life and those around him. 'You made chilling threats to burn his house down. This offence has impacted upon his life and family’s life in a serious way and is still ongoing.' Former European kick boxing champion Ashley Guishard, 39, of Ashton-on-Mersey, was jailed for seven years after being convicted of blackmail and unrelated charges of possessing drugs with intent to supply. Marcel Lauder, 44, of Derby and Jamie Keegan, 31, of Sale, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson and blackmail at an earlier hearing. Lauder got 28 months and Keegan 24 months.
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Tommy Roye, 39, demanded cash off businessman Craig Farley-Jones, 37 .
Recruited two enforcers to have his victim’s car torched on his driveway .
Roye’s wife Victoria, 41, is BBC Talent Executive for Entertainment North .
She was not in court for the hearing and is said to be 'on leave'
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(CNN) -- Theodore Wafer said he was sorry from the bottom of his heart Wednesday for gunning down an unarmed young woman on the front porch of his Michigan home, but a judge said "mistake" was the wrong word to describe a murder and sentenced him to 15 to 30 years in prison. Wafer, 55, looked down, his lawyer patting him on the back, as Wayne County Circuit Judge Dana Hathaway sentenced him for second-degree murder in the November shooting death of Renisha McBride, 19 -- a racially charged case because the victim was black and Wafer is white. Wafer had testified that he feared for his life when loud banging startled him awake in the early morning hours of November 2, 2013. He opened his front door and fired a fatal shotgun blast into the face of McBride, who prosecutors say was seeking help after a car accident. "To the parents family and friends of Renisha McBride, I apologize from the bottom of my heart and I am truly sorry for your loss," Wafer said. "I can only hope and pray that some how you can forgive me. ... From my fear, I caused the lost of a life that was too young to leave this world and for that I carry that guilt and sorrow forever." Hathaway said it was one of the "saddest cases" she had ever presided over. "I do not believe that you are a cold-blood murderer or that this case had anything to do with race or that you are some sort of monster," the judge said. "I do believe you acted out of some fear but mainly anger and panic and unjustified fear is never an excuse to take someone's life." Hathaway said she was confident Wafer was remorseful and would likely never commit another crime in his life, but that McBride came to his doorstep seeking help and lost her life. "You made the choices that brought us here," the judge said. "I don't know that you could ever use the word 'mistake' to describe a murder, and a person was murdered." The defense had argued for a sentence of four to seven years, saying a longer sentence guaranteed that he would never get out of prison alive. But Hathaway said the sentencing guidelines were reasonable for the crime, giving him 15 to 30 years for second-degree murder and two additional years for possessing a firearm while committing the felony. Before sentencing, Walter Simmons, McBride's father, addressed the court. "This man has ruined our family's life," he said "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about my daughter." McBride's sister, Jasmine, said: "Losing my sister was one of the most devastating times of my life. Mr. Wafer, your actions impact a lot of other people other than just yourself." After Wafer was convicted in August, McBride's mother, Monica, described her daughter as a "regular teenager" who was "well-raised and brought up with a loving family." During his trial, Wafer testified feeling the floor vibrate under his feet from the violent pounding on his front and kitchen doors. He said he couldn't find his cell phone to call 911, but retrieved his Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun from a closet and opened the front door at a quiet moment. "I was not going to cower. I didn't want to be a victim in my own house," he said. "I drew first, that's how I see it." McBride had a blood-alcohol level more than two times the legal limit at the time of her death and had smoked marijuana earlier in the evening, according to testimony. Witnesses said she crashed her vehicle into a parked car in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, just before 1 a.m. and wandered off disoriented and bloodied. Some three hours later, she lay dead on Wafer's porch. The incident sparked protest and was likened by some to the shooting of unarmed Florida teen Trayvon Martin in 2012. After the incident, Wafer told police he was angry and "full of piss and vinegar" when he opened the door that night, according to prosecutors. CNN's Lena Jakobsson contributed to this report.
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Theodore Wafer sentenced to 15-30 years in prison for shooting teen on front porch .
Wafer said: "I apologize from the bottom of my heart"
Judge: "I don't know that you could ever use the word 'mistake' to describe a murder"
Prosecutors said McBride was seeking help after a car accident .
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(CNN) -- Record floodwaters inundated parts of southern Louisiana early Tuesday after intense rains caused flash flooding and prompted hundreds of rescues. Estimates by the National Weather Service put total rainfall at 12 to 18 inches across the region, with possible amounts of 20 or more inches in some areas. A flood warning has been issued until late Tuesday. Are you there? Share your story with iReport . Floodwaters were cresting overnight for Bayou Vermilion at Carencro at 5.5 feet over flood stage and 12 inches above the record set in May 2004. "We're still conducting rescues," Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Kip Judice said Monday evening. "We've done over 150 rescues throughout the day today." One of those involved 16 middle school students whose bus became stuck after more than 4 feet of water covered the road. "It was really scary because we couldn't get out of the bus ... the water was closing it in," said student Cory McCall. "It was thundering and lightning." Boats and dump trucks were used to reach the children and bring them to safety, Judice said. The town of Carencro was among the hardest hit communities in Lafayette Parish, according to Capt. Craig Stansbury, who is also from the Parish Sheriff's Office. He noted there were reports of water as high as 8 feet on some roadways. Stansbury said fire department vehicles, tractors and conventional boats and airboats were being used to reach those stranded in homes and cars. "A lot of things that we have at our disposal, we're just going to go ahead and utilize," he said. "Whatever it takes to get to the people." The parish declared a state of emergency in the midst of the high water. "We are working with local officials to ensure they get the resources and support they need to respond to the flooding," said Kevin Davis, director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. "We urge residents to be mindful ... and to take precautionary measures." A state of emergency was also declared in St. Landry Parish, where Government Administrative Director Jessie Bellard estimated that some 2,000 people had been affected. People were driving dump trucks to rescue residents who have flooding in their homes and can't get out. Bellard said several minor and major roads, including part of U.S. Highway 190, have experienced significant flooding. "It's just a terrible situation," Bellard said. Maj. Ginny Higgins of the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office said flooding affected at least 15 to 20 roads Monday in that parish. Several people were safely rescued after being trapped in their vehicles, she said. A state of emergency has been declared for that parish, Higgins said. Stansbury, from Lafayette Parish, said residents knew Monday would be wet but didn't foresee the volume or intensity. "There was a forecast of some heavy rains, but I don't think anybody could have predicted that amount of rain," he said. And while the worst precipitation is over, the headaches are not. Intermittent rain continued to fall. Judice, from Lafayette Parish, said water levels were continuing to rise in his area. "It's still a very crazy situation," he said. CNN's Joe Sutton and Barbara Hall contributed to this report.
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More than 20 inches of rain possibly fall in some areas, the weather service says .
A St. Landry Parish official estimates 2,000 people affected by the floods .
A flood warning is in effect until late Tuesday .
Floodwaters surround a bus filled with middle school students .
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By . Gemma Mullin for MailOnline . Andrew Clarke, 42, was jailed for stealing £100,000 from his employer to pay for daughters' education at the Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey . A father has been jailed for stealing £100,000 from his employer to pay for his daughters’ £21,000-a-year private education because he felt ‘pressure’ from their mother. Andrew Clarke, 42, a financial controller, submitted a series of false invoices at F. E. Robinson Ltd in Hooton, Merseyside – almost costing the company and its 30 staff its business. He had been using the money to send his two daughters to the Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey, which was founded in 1840 with Queen Victoria as a founder donor and its president is Princess Anne – a regular visitor to the school. A court heard that he was only found out after his bosses became suspicious when he began taking holiday whenever external accountants came to check the figures. Clarke, who has previously been jailed for fraud, pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court yesterday to one count of fraud between May 2012 and August 2013. Meirion Lewis-Jones, prosecuting, told the court Clarke had been hired by the managing director, Guy Williams, as a financial controller of the company. He said the family-run company makes ‘tooling materials’ which are used by Airbus in Broughton as well as consumer products such as wood-burning stoves. Mr Lewis-Jones said had a member of the Williams family not put in £150,000 to keep the company going, it would have gone out of business due to the fraud. The managing director became suspicious of Clarke, who is from Merseyside, after working with him for about seven months when the accounts he produced seemed ‘too optimistic’. An external accountancy firm was called in to look into the books and initially found nothing. Mr Lewis-Jones said Clarke began acting suspiciously by taking holidays whenever the external accountancy firm was checking the figures and the managing director became convinced the firm was missing money. It found Clarke had been giving in false invoices using legitimate suppliers names to the company with his bank details on, amounting to a total of £102,063.42. Clarke had been using the money to send his daughters to the Royal School in Haslemere, Surrey (pictured). Clarke pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to one count of . fraud between May 2012 and August 2013 . The school was founded in 1840 with Queen Victoria and its president Princess Anne is a regular visitor . Clarke admitted his guilt when arrested by police and also confessed to what he was doing when confronted by Mr Williams and paid back £8,000. Mr Lewis-Jones told the court Clarke had previous convictions for fraud and in 2008, at Guildford Crown Court, he was given a community order for 18 offences of obtaining services by deception. In 2009 he was jailed for 15 months for 31 offences of making false representations to make a gain and he had asked for a further 94 offences to be taken into consideration by the court for a total fraud worth £54,803.35 from a southern based accountancy firm. Peter Barnett, defending, said the offences happened as Clarke felt ‘under pressure’ to continue paying his two daughters’ £7,000 per term school fees from his former partner. He also spent £1,000 on his second wedding to a new partner. Mr Barnett said Clarke had recently been diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum which meant, in his case, he was unable to tell the difference between problems - such as not being able to pay school fees - from a catastrophe which led him to criminality. Judge Raj Shetty, said while Clarke may have felt ‘pressure’, the main motivation was ‘straightforward greed’. Aerial view of the school: Clarke had previous convictions for fraud and was sentenced to two years in prison for the false invoices. He said he felt 'under pressure' to pay the fees from his former partner . His employers, F. E. Robinson Ltd in Hooton, Merseyside (pictured), and 30 staff almost went out of business because of the fraud, which amounted to over £100,000, and was only saved after a family member stepped in . He said: ‘Your job was to protect and advance the financial interests of the company but instead you stole its money. ‘This put the company in real jeopardy until the benevolence of a family member saved it. ‘I accept you co-operated with the police and your former employers and I accept that due to your autism you may feel pressure and stress easily. ‘But that is no different from what a lot of other people feel and you still know right from wrong. ‘The bank statements show you spent most of the money on entertainment and eating out. The main motivation in this case was straight forward greed. ‘You wanted to have an excessive and extravagant lifestyle and put at risk decent, working people’s jobs.’ Clarke was sentenced to two years in prison. Following the sentence, Guy Williams, managing director of F E Robinson Ltd said: ‘It is hoped the sentence passed reflects the gravity of the situation and the fact that as a result of such actions, 30, skilled full time jobs from this company were put in serious jeopardy.’
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Andrew Clarke, a finance controller, had submitted a series of false invoices .
42-year-old almost cost the family-run company and its 30 staff its business .
He had been using the money to pay for two daughters' private education .
They attend the Royal School in Surrey - its president is HRH Princess Anne .
Court heard he had been previously jailed for fraud and was jailed yesterday .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- A warning of more attacks on UK bankers was made on Wednesday after the home of former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Fred Goodwin was vandalized. A recovery vehicle removes a Mercedes from the Edinburgh home of Fred Goodwin. Windows were smashed in Goodwin's house in the Scottish capital Edinburgh and those of a Mercedes-Benz limousine parked outside. It is not known if anyone was at home at the time. Goodwin -- dubbed "Fred the Shred" by the media for his ruthless cost-cutting -- and his family have not been living in the house since it was revealed that the 50-year-old Goodwin was receiving an annual pension of $1 million (£700,000) for life. A statement issued to media organizations including the Press Association after the attack said: "We are angry that rich people, like him, are paying themselves a huge amount of money and living in luxury, while ordinary people are made unemployed, destitute and homeless. "Bank bosses should be jailed. This is just the beginning." No group was named in the message and it did not explicitly claim responsibility for the attack. Goodwin took early retirement after RBS nearly collapsed amid the economic crisis and was later part-nationalized. Watch more on the attack » . On the same day as the size of his pension was revealed RBS announced a UK record loss of $34.6 billion (£24.1 billion) for 2008. Politicians and commentators have expressed fury about the deal and excessive bonuses being given by bailed-out banks. Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling, head of the Treasury, urged Goodwin to give up his pension. He refused, saying he had already given up a number of contractual rights which had cost him a lot of money. Watch consternation at Goodwin's £16 million pension fund » . The statement warning of more attacks on bankers came days after AIG sent a memo to employees giving them security advice as fury grows in the U.S. over millions paid out in bonuses by the bailed-out U.S. insurance giant. Employees were warned not to wear the company logo, to travel in pairs and park in well-lit places, and to phone security if they notice anyone "spending an inordinate amount of time near an AIG facility." AIG employees have received death threats since the company handed out $165 million (£115 million) in bonuses and security at AIG offices has been increased. And last month British police warned that officers were preparing for a "summer of rage" as protests mount across Europe against the economic crisis. David Hartshorn, who heads the Metropolitan Police's public order branch, said growing unemployment, failing companies and the recession could spark a "mass protest." Hartshorn said the G-20 economic summit starting next week could lead to unrest as leaders of the world's richest nations head to London.
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Scottish home of former Royal Bank of Scotland boss Fred Goodwin vandalized .
Statement issued to media oorganizations warns of more attacks on bankers .
Embattled U.S. insurance giant AIG last week gave employees security advice .
Last month British police said officers were preparing for "summer of rage"
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A breakthrough in the design of batteries could mean the days when your mobile phone spends half the time plugged into the wall are numbered. A remarkable new prototype battery needs just 12 minutes to fully recharge, rather than the hours conventional cells need to replenish. What's more, researchers at the University of Maryland say their new invention could bring about the long sought-for miniaturisation of energy storage components. Cross section: A new kind of battery made from millions of tiny nano-sized cells could revolutionise electrical energy storage and slash the time it takes to charge our electronic devices . That's the breakthrough that might finally allow electric cars to give petrol-powered vehicles a run for their money. The battery uses structures called nanopores to hold electrolyte to carry electrical charge between nanotube electrodes at either end. Many millions of these nanopore cells can be crammed into one larger battery the size of a postage stamp. Co-author Eleanor Gillette said: 'A nanopore is a tiny hole, 80,000 times smaller than a human hair, that's made in a sheet of ceramic material.' Chanyuan Liu, lead author, added: 'We coat energy storage material at two ends of this nanopore, then after fuelling the electrolyte each single nanopore will become a battery and all of them are connected in parallel.' Miss Liu, a Ph.D. student in materials science and engineering, says the battery, described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, can be fully charged in 12 minutes and it can be recharged thousands of times. 'Fast charging is a very appealing quality,' she told The Times. At the moment, she said, her batteries have the potential to equal the capacity of mainstream batteries, but researchers are working on increasing their energy. 'But the best bit is how fast it can be,' she said. An electron microscope view of the battery: Each end of the tiny pore is treated to add nanotubes that collect the electrical charge conducted by the liquid electrolyte filling the pore . In a statement announcing the nano battery, researchers say they have identified improvements to the design that could make their next batch of batteries ten times more powerful. Such an advance could revolutionise electronics and electric-powered devices, finally making devices like electric cars a viable product. While a kilo of petrol stores about 13,000 watt hours of energy, a kilo of battery can only hold 500, making e-cars difficult to use over long distances. Miss Liu's battery is at the moment just a small, very thin slice of ceramic sheet. But the Maryland team say the device should be scalable. In a single postage stamp-sized area more than a billion nano-sized cells could be wired in parallel, they say. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
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Researchers say their battery could be a breakthrough in energy storage .
It uses structures called nanopores to hold electrolyte to carry charge .
University of Maryland team say next batch will be ten times more powerful .
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Turkish football club Fenerbahce have been excluded from European competitions for two years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld a ban issued by UEFA. Fenerbahce were handed the sanction by European football's governing body for fixing matches to help the team win the 2011 Turkish Super Lig title. The Istanbul team had been due to enter the second-tier Europa League after losing to English team Arsenal in a two-legged Champions League playoff. Fenerbahce were not immediately available for comment. The CAS also upheld a one-year ban meted out to Ukrainian team Metalist Kharkiv, also for match-fixing. Metalist were replaced by PAOK Thessaloniki in the Champions League qualification competition following the original verdict earlier this month. PAOK were subsequently eliminated by German club Schalke. UEFA will meet on Thursday to discuss who will take Fenerbahce's place in the Europa League. "UEFA welcomes today's decisions of the CAS rejecting the appeals made by Fenerbahce SK and FC Metalist Kharkiv against the UEFA Appeals Body decisions of 15 July 2013 and 14 August 2013 respectively," read a UEFA statement. "The UEFA Emergency Panel will meet on Thursday afternoon to decide on the consequences the confirmed exclusion of Fenerbahce SK from the 2013/14 UEFA club competitions will have on the Europa League."
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A two-year European ban given to Fenerbahce upheld by CAS .
Turkish club banned for fixing matches during title-winning 2010-11 season .
Ukrainian team Metalist Kharkiv also given a one-year European ban .
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By . Martin Robinson . British children as young as seven are taking ecstasy and cannabis, it was revealed today. Nine-year-olds are also trying cocaine and often it is because their parents are failing to control them, experts say. The Government's annual crime survey has shown for the first time the youngest users of the most popular drugs in Britain - cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine. Fears: Children as young as seven are trying cannabis (posed by models) and other drugs like ecstasy . They found almost one in three who have ever smoked cannabis first tried it when they were under 16. Around six per cent of those who had ever taken Class A cocaine took it first at school and 8.2 per cent had taken ecstasy before they turned 16. Jeremy Todd, chief executive of the charity Family Lives, said: 'We speak to thousands of families every year and evidence shows that parents are the main influence on how children approach drugs and alcohol. 'Equipping parents with the tools to ensure they can talk effectively with their children is the best way of preventing children experimenting at an early age and can prevent later problems in teenage and adult life.' Common: Children across the UK are taking ecstasy, pictured, a Home Office survey has shown . The results give a shocking picture of drug use by children in Britain. 'The most commonly reported age for first taking cannabis was 16 years. But, as expected, there was a lot of variation among adults in the age cannabis was reported to be first taken, ranging from eight to 56 years old,' the report says. 'Age of onset was most commonly 18 for cocaine powder, but again this was within a wide range of reported ages, from nine to 57 years old. 'The most commonly reported age of onset for ecstasy was 18 years. Again, the first age of use reported by adults varied considerably, between seven and 51 years old.' But it appears that drugs are getting less attractive to young people, because abuse is 'around the lowest level since measurement began in 1996. The report says adults between 16 and 59, 8.9 per cent had taken drugs in the last 12 months, which is a drop. Cannabis use has dropped the most, while there have been reductions in ecstasy and cocaine compared with the 1990s. High school children taking drugs is down 12 per cent and the number of under-16s trying cigarettes is at its lowest for 30 years.
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Home office survey also reveals nine-year-olds are taking cocaine .
One in three who have ever smoked cannabis first tried it when they were under 16, Home Office reveals .
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A Florida man found the limits of one wild Key West nightspot when he was found urinating onto a waitress from a bar balcony. Orion Jones, 20, was arrested after a worker at Rick's, which calls itself the largest bar complex on the island, hailed a police officer to report a man 'who was urinating on a female staff member from the balcony above.' Police confronted Jones in person at about 2:20 a.m., by which time he was fighting club security in the street. Orion Jones, 20, was arrested after a worker at Rick's club hailed a police officer to report a man 'who was urinating on a female staff member' Tia Cruz (left) from a balcony . The Smoking Gun reports that Jones tried to run, but officers finally tased him twice before handcuffing him. According to police, waitress Tia Cruz said she had been talking with a customer when she felt 'something wet on her body.' At first she believed it to be rain until another employee 'pointed out Jones and said he is peeing on you.' According to police, waitress Tia Cruz said she had been talking with a customer when she felt 'something wet on her body' Jones was charged with disorderly intoxication and resisting arrest. His criminal record already includes two marijuana possession convictions and arrests for burglary and trespassing. He is set for a Feb. 2 arraignment. 'In speaking with Jones, Jones expressed his desire to seek help for his alcohol problem,' wrote officer Curtis Richardson in his report.
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Orion Jones, 20, was arrested after a worker at Rick's hailed a police officer to report a man 'who was urinating on a female staff member from the balcony above'
According to police, waitress Tia Cruz said she had been talking with a customer when she felt 'something wet on her body'
His criminal record already includes two marijuana possession convictions and arrests for burglary and trespassing .
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A family of four in suburban Spring, Texas was arrested last Friday after neighbors used a free police app to report suspicious activity at the home. Raymond (57) and Stephanie Wood (47) and their son Jess (18) and daughter Madison (22) were all charged with drug possession. Jess's girlfriend Nicole Rips (19) was also arrested. The parents are also facing charges for possessing an illegal weapon. Neighbor Carlie Padgett told KHOU that she witnessed a strange flow of traffic outside the Wood family's home on Candlepine Drive. All in the family: The Wood family of Spring, Texas was arrested last Friday after neighbors reported suspicious behavior at their house using a free police app. Above, mother and father Stephanie (47, left) and Raymond (57, right) Wood . Charges: The family of four was charged with drug possession. Above, daughter Madison (22, left) and son Jess (18, right). Their parents were also charged with possessing an illegal weapon . Search: After receiving two tips on the Wood family from the iWatch app, police searched the home Friday and found illegal drugs and guns on the premises . Wrong place, wrong time? Jess's girlfriend Nicole Rips (19, left) was also arrested, but says she was guilty by association. The couple pictured together on the right . 'There would be a skateboarder that would come down our street,' Ms Padgett said. 'He had a bag in his hand and he would throw it in their yard and pick up a bag and skateboard back out.' She was there on Friday as police searched the home and says she was 'loving it'. Harris County police received at least two tips on the family from their iWatchHarrisCounty app which allows residents to report possible crimes. Sergeant Larry Franks said the narcotics unit then developed probably cause to get a search warrant to enter the house where they found 'a quantity of marijuana, cocaine, morphine and Xanax along with several firearms' including a sawed off shotgun and a SKS-762. Vacation: Madison, Stephanie, Raymond and Jess Wood are pictured together at a theme park in this picture posted on Facebook in November 2010 . But the Wood family denies they did anything wrong, and their lawyer says the search was illegal. Attorney Sam Adamo said the police didn't have a warrant when they initially searched the house. The family also has an explanation for the activity at the house and the weapons. Mr Adamo says Stephanie Wood has leukemia and is forced to work at home where she runs her own e-cigarette business. Both Stephanie and daughter Madison claim to own a company called 'Bayou A Vape' on Facebook, which sell e-cigarettes in addition to vaporizers which can be used for marijuana consumption. Family business: Mother and daughter both claim to own a business called 'Bayou A Vape' on Facebook which sells e-cigarettes as well as vaporizers which can be used for marijuana consumption. Stephanie runs the business from home because she is home-bound due to leukemia, according to her attorney . Soldier son: The family says one of the illegal weapons found at the house belonged to a Marine son who had since died. Above, mother and daughter pose at son Chandler's grave . The illegal gun belonged to a Marine son who had died, the family says. According to information found on their individual Facebook accounts, Stephanie and Raymond have two other sons, Chandler and Chase. They have pictures of Chandler in his Marine dress uniform as well as pictures taken at his grave site. Publicity: Father Raymond has several pictures of him and his wife on the cover of magazines. According to his Facebook profile, he runs a flooring store . The family has since posted bail. Since it was launched in September 2011, the free Harris County iWatch app has received about 1,500 tips a year, leading to the arrest of more than 60 suspects. Twenty-three per cent of the tips are drug related while the rest are about suspicious persons or activity and quality of life complaints like loud music.
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Raymond, Stephanie, Jess and Madison Wood were arrested Friday for illegal drug and weapons possession .
Son Jess's girlfriend Nicole Rips was also arrested .
At least two neighbors had reported suspicious behavior at the Wood home using a free police app .
Police found marijuana, cocaine, morphine, and Xanax as well as several firearms at the home including a sawed-off shotgun .
The family says the search was an illegal home invasion and that one of the confiscated weapons belonged to a Marine son who had died .
They say the activity outside their home was due to mother Stephanie's e-cigarette business which she runs from home since she has leukemia .
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A bout between Amir Khan and Floyd Mayweather would be one of the most hotly anticipated events in the sporting calendar. But when it comes to which of the flashy boxers has the most valuable collection of watches, there is no contest. Khan posted a picture to his Instagram on Thursday of six expensive-looking watches that he would be receiving from jewellers Frost of London after his next fight in December. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Amir Khan: I can beat the ageing and worried Mayweather . Amir Khan's collection of six watches from Jewellers Frost of London would set you back more than £250,000 . 1. Audermars Royal Oak Chronograph Tourbillion - £117K . 2. Audermars Royal Oak Offshore - £24K . 3. Audermars Royal Oak Offshore - £24K . 4. Rolex Sky Dweller - £30K . 5. Rolex Sky dweller - £30K . 6. Rolex Yachtmaster 2 - £29k . 'My new jewelry pieces that are waiting for me for after the fight in December. Thanks to @josephfrostoflondon,' he wrote on Instagram. The six watches in the picture have a combined total cost of more than £250K, including an Audermars watch that is worth £117K on its own. Not to be outdone, Mayweather previously shared a snap of his collection of 24 watches that includes eight of the Audermars brand and eight Rolexes. Floyd Mayweather shared a picture of his watch collection that is worth more than £5m . And Sportsmail can reveal the total cost of these watches is more than £5million with a Jacob & Co Rainbow Tourbullion watch that would set you back an eyewatering £2.1m. And these prices do not take into account the personal customisation of added diamonds that 'Moneyman' Mayweather insists upon. So, while many people in the world of boxing would predict a close fight in the ring, when it comes to watches Mayweather blows Khan out of the water. 1. Audermars Royal oak - £38k . 2. Audermars Royal oak Offshore - £30k . 3. Audermars Royal oak - £1.1mill . 4. Audermars Royal oak Offshore - £40k . 5. Audermars Royal oak - £60k . 6. Audermars Royal oak Offshore - £38k . 7. Audermars Royal oak Offshore - £22k . 8. Audermars Royal oak Offshore - £22k . 9. Rolex Oyster DayDate 2 - £30k . 10. Rolex Oyster DayDate 2 - £25k . 11. Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust - £25k . 12. Rolex Yachtmaster 2 - £35k . 13. Rolex GMT Master 2 - £70k . 14. Rolex GMT Master 2 - £100k . 15. Rolex Oyster Datejust - £60k . 16. Rolex Oyster Datejust - £68k . 17. Aximum king Pro - £40k . 18. Aximum King pro - £40k . 19. Franck Mueller Conquistador - £17k . 20. Franck Mueller Conquistador - £15k . 21. Franck Mueller Conquistador Cortez - £35k . 22. Hublot Big Bang King - £88k . 23. Jacob & Co Rainbow Tourbullion - £2.1m . 24. Piaget Galaxy - £1m .
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Amir Khan showed off his new collection of watches on Instagram .
The six watches cost a combined total of more than £250,000 .
Floyd Mayweather has previously flaunted his collection of 24 watches .
That have a combined cost of more than £5million .
'Moneyman' Mayweather owns a Jacob & Co watch worth more than £2m .
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10ea0194aedab043884d88b90281bdfd79400504
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Mohammad Amir, the convicted spot-fixer, has been cleared for an early return to domestic cricket in Pakistan by the International Cricket Council. Amir, 22, was jailed and banned from the sport for five years for his part in a spot-fixing scandal during his country's 2010 tour of England. The prodigiously talented seam bowler, who delivered pre-arranged no-balls at Lord's as part of a plot involving Mohammad Asif and Pakistan captain Salman Butt, was not due to play again until September 2. Mohammad Amir has been cleared by the ICC to make an early return to Pakistan domestic cricket . Amir was involved in the spot-fixing scandal during Pakistan's tour of England in 2010 . But after a meeting of the ICC Board in Dubai, it has been announced that the governing body, the PCB, and anti-corruption chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan had approved his domestic availability with immediate effect. An ICC statement read: 'The ACSU chairman, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, with the prior approval of the ICC Board and the Pakistan Cricket Board, has exercised his discretion to allow Mohammad Amir to return to domestic cricket played under the auspices of the Pakistan Cricket Board with immediate effect. 'Amir's five-year ban is scheduled to expire on 2 September 2015. The ACSU chairman had exercised the powers vested in him under Article 6.8 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code after he was satisfied that Amir had cooperated with the ACSU by fully disclosing his part in the matters that led to his disqualification, admitting his guilt, showing remorse and cooperating with the unit's ongoing investigations and by recording messages for the ACSU education sessions.' In the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal, Amir distinguished himself from his co-conspirators by admitting his guilt and showing remorse. Asif and Butt repeatedly fought charges before being found guilty at Southwark Crown Court. The latter pair were also jailed, with Asif banned from cricket for seven years (two suspended) and Butt 10 years (five suspended). TV footage showing Amir bowling a no-ball during a Test match at Lord's in 2010 . With Pakistan's first-class season already at an end and the limited-overs President's Cup finishing early next month, Amir may have to wait some time for his first competitive cricket. But the end of his ban allows him to make a full return to training and net practice, possibly overseen by the PCB, and even club cricket should the opportunity arise. It also increases his prospects of an international recall against England, of all teams. They take on Pakistan in a three-format tour of the United Arab Emirates in October, leaving Amir plenty of time to prove himself ready for selection. Quite how that would go down with the likes of Alastair Cook, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Eoin Morgan and Steven Finn - current England players who were on duty in that fateful Lord's Test - remains to be seen. There is also a question mark over Amir's status within the Pakistan dressing room. While the PCB have lobbied hard for his early return and clearly expect him to make a full comeback at the highest level, players who have performed cleanly in the shadow of his indiscretions and those of others, may be less inclined to share the field with Amir. The issue is unlikely to disappear quietly. Should Amir locate anything close to the form that made him the youngest bowler to take 50 Test wickets, he will be back centre stage soon enough and with the possibility of at least a decade of international cricket in front of him.
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Mohammad Amir can make an early return to Pakistan domestic cricket .
The 22-year-old was given a five-year ban in 2010 for his part in spot fixing .
ICC board meet in Dubai and clear Amir to return to domestic game .
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10ea532cbccc0f7216f6fc315220eaf2d3387d34
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(CNN) -- From the scorched corn fields of Kansas, to the storm-lashed hills of Nicaragua, an increasingly volatile climate is posing ever greater challenges for farmers around the world. But opportunity is arising from crisis, through next-generation climate analysis tools that could make agriculture - the world's largest industry - vastly more efficient and profitable. The Climate Corporation, founded by two ex-Google engineers, is dragging a famously technophobic industry into the digital era. Through exhaustive data modeling and an elite pool of climate and agriculture analysts, the Corporation is seeking to take guesswork out of the field. "The increasing uncertainty in agriculture, with the changing patterns of weather we are seeing, is making it difficult for farmers to grow successful crops consistently," says CEO David Friedberg. "The tools we provide help farmers make smarter decisions based on analytical techniques, rather than intuition." Data revolution . Friedberg sees "huge opportunities" to revolutionize a vast industry that employs over one billion people and occupies almost half the planet's total land, but has not adapted to the possibilities of data, despite its vulnerability to climate change. The Climate Corporation's model produces hyper-local climate forecasts for individual farms, using satellite imaging, growth modeling and simulations. This is supported by decades of data, much of it from government sources, covering crop performance, soil properties, moisture levels and weather. The free "Basic" platform allows farmers to monitor their land and crops, while the "Climate Pro" platform includes a suite of features such as to optimize use of nitrogen fertilizer, control pests, and plan perfect harvests. "Fertilizer is the number one expense for farmers and they are basically throwing away money," says Friedberg. "We can help farmers decide how much fertilizer to put in the field at what point in the season, reducing what goes into the atmosphere and waterways, so that 100% goes to plants to deliver food." While Friedberg is a strict vegetarian and keen to support environmental protection, his priority is to convince farmers with an economic argument. "I don't see collective action on climate change in agriculture. We need to create commercial incentives to change behavior, that's where we can be successful." The company estimate they can make $20 billion in efficiency savings in the U.S. by applying their data models, and increase corn field yields by 30% an acre. "Our initial results show a 10-20% increase in yield," said Tim Malterer, a Minnesota farmer that uses the software. More with less . With the UN's agriculture body claiming that the food supply needs to increase 70% by 2050 to meet the needs of a growing population, without cultivating new farmland, there is an imperative for the industry to do more with less. The challenge is daunting but the Corporation's ambitions are on a global scale. Having been recently acquired by Monsanto in a $1 billion deal -- which Friedberg claims has not altered its work -- the group has vast resources. Its technology covers 50 million acres in the U.S., including a third of total land for corn and soybean, serving thousands of farmers. This figure is growing rapidly, and its platforms will be rolled out internationally from 2015. That level of adoption would enable dramatic changes in the industry. Friedberg would like to see farmers choosing different crops to suit the climate data -- such as switching from wheat to corn in Canada as the weather warms -- and planning five-season cycles that use a better understanding of the changing properties of soil. Optimal performance . The opportunities for data in agriculture are also shown by Edyn, a Californian startup that emerged from one of the state's worst ever droughts. "Around the world, water stress has been one of first impacts of climate change on agriculture," says founder Jason Aramburu. "But most farmers still haven't adopted water saving techniques." With award-winning designer Yves Behar, Edyn produced a multi-faceted sensor that allows growers to micro-manage their plots, providing constant readings on moisture level, with a connected water valve that keeps the level optimal. It also gives readings of light, temperature, humidity and fertility so that even inexperienced users can sustain high performance yields. The device, which more than trebled its crowdfunding goal, is initially targeted at smaller growers. But Aramburu wants to build immense data sets from environmental input, which would scale to the needs of high volume food production. The sensor is undergoing trials with major farm operators. Aramburu is confident about the integration of data, but believes the industry must change now to protect livelihoods and the environment. "It's a question of when, not if," he says. "This is as big an opportunity as the Internet was, in one of the last big industries that has not adopted big data. "If we do nothing, more farmers will have to leave their land over the next decades...which means creating new farmland, which would have a dramatic environmental impact." Data modeling in agriculture has great potential, believes Mckenzie Funk, author of "Windfall," an investigation of how businesses are adapting to climate change and in some cases seeking to exacerbate it. "Hyper local data can't hurt macro farming, although it's still early for the science and we may not see the full effects for five or 10 years," says Funk. "If efficiencies deliver profits that will be a major incentive for change." Funk adds that improving efficiency of existing farmland would have less negative effects than cultivating new land, and hopes the concept is expanded. "I don't think there's a problem with people making money from climate change. My only concern is whether the technology would be expanded to farmers everywhere, whether they can afford it in places like the Sahara, otherwise the effects (of climate change) will continue to get worse." With the right information, even the most extreme conditions can be profitable. Read this: Tinder for business: Big data matchmaking transforms recruitment . Watch this: Perfect bra decodes what women want . Read this: Groceries sent right to the trunk of your car .
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Hyper local climate analysis enables profit from weather .
Agriculture has "huge opportunity" after neglecting big data until now .
Farmers must change where, what and how they grow .
Livelihoods and environment under threat without urgent action .
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10eb16b5f53366595e01cafb344f31f0d90cbf59
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By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 10:37 EST, 4 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:52 EST, 5 June 2013 . A Chinese man who went to the doctors with a swollen stomach was told that he is actually a woman. The 66-year-old, who even has a beard, had lived his entire life as a man but was told by doctors in Hong Kong that his enlarged abdomen was caused by an ovarian cyst. Tests revealed the patient suffered two rare genetic disorders that had gone undiagnosed. The man discovered he was a woman after going to see doctors in Hong Kong suffering a swollen stomach . They showed the patient had Turner Syndrome, a genetic condition that affects about one in 2,000 baby girls, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, which increases male hormones. The Hong Kong Medical Journal, which published the information yesterday, said only six cases of people with both disorders had ever been reported in medical literature. Turner Syndrome usually results from a problem with the chromosomes and can leave women infertile and shorter than normal. Women with the syndrome are missing one or part of their second X chromosome. Hong Kong doctors found the patient was suffering from two rare genetic conditions. Pictured: Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong . Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a group of inherited disorders of the adrenal gland that causes more male sex hormone to be produced. The condition affects one in around 15,000 births and there is no cure. Girls with CAH tend to have normal female reproductive organs but genitals that look male. They may also have deeper voices, facial hair and may fail to menstruate. All patients with the condition are tall as children but short as adults. Girls with male-looking genitals will usually have surgery between ages 1 month and 3 months to correct the abnormal appearance. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia affects one in around 15,000 births and causes male characteristics to appear early or inappropriately. The patient had grown up an orphan and stopped growing after puberty at the age of 10 and was just 4.5ft tall. The patient also had no testes and a 'micro-penis', according to the report. Girls with the disorder have normal female reproductive organs but can suffer with fertility problems. Seven doctors, writing in the medical journal, said the Vietnam-born patient would continue to live as a man and may be treated with testosterone replacement. They said: 'Were it not due to the huge ovarian . cyst, his intriguing medical condition might never have been exposed', according to AFP.
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Doctors told him he suffered from two rare genetic conditions .
Went to doctors with swollen stomach that turned out to be ovarian cyst .
Hong Kong Medical Journal said patient will continue to live life as a man .
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10ec24a8cf7a769a8fb6a9414aa68e6b763d1f5f
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(CNN) -- News International, publisher of the now-defunct News of the World newspaper in Great Britain, has agreed to pay 2 million British pounds -- the equivalent of $3.2 million -- to the family of British teen Milly Dowler, who disappeared in 2002 and was later found dead. Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of chief executive of News Corporation, the parent company of News International, personally apologized to Dowler's family in July amid allegations that News of the World journalists listened to voice-mail messages on the girl's phone while she was missing. "As the founder of the company, I was appalled to find out what happened," Murdoch said after speaking with the family in July. Allegations that journalists hacked into the girl's voice-mail were part of a larger phone-hacking scandal that rocked Britain this year, prompting several arrests, resignations and hearings in Parliament. As part of the settlement, announced Friday by News International and the Dowler family, Murdoch will pay 1 million British pounds -- about $1.6 million -- to charities chosen by the Dowler family. Those charities "represent causes close to Milly and those that provide support to other victims of crime," in a statement that News International and the Dowler family issued Friday. Milly Dowler was 13 when she disappeared. "Nothing that has been agreed will ever bring back Milly or undo the traumas of her disappearance and the horrendous murder trial earlier this year," the Dowler family said in a statement. "The only way that a fitting tribute could be agreed was to ensure that a very substantial donation to charity was made in Milly's memory. We hope that projects will be undertaken so that some good can come from this." Murdoch apologized again Friday for News of the World's actions. "The behaviour that the News of the World exhibited towards the Dowlers was abhorrent and I hope this donation underscores my regret for the company's role in this awful event," he said in the statement. "I also hope that through the personal donation something positive can be done in memory of their daughter."
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NEW: Milly Dowler's family hopes "some good" comes out of settlement .
NEW: Rupert Murdoch says News of the World's behavior was "abhorrent"
Rupert Murdoch agrees to donate to charities chosen by girl's family .
A phone-hacking scandal rocked Britain .
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Fresh off a legal setback that again finds her responsible for the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher, Amanda Knox has been offered a new job - as a porn actress. An adult entertainment company - with a knack for gimmicky publicity stunts - has offered 'Foxy Knoxy' $20,000 to star in a porn film. Adult film distributor Monarchy Distribution says it's offering Knox the 'unique opportunity' to pay her mounting legal bills and fund her education by getting naked on film. 'Smokin' hot': Amanda Knox has been offered $20,000 to appear in a porn film . Foxy Knoxy: Knox's good looks has been a constant theme as her case worked its way through the Italian legal system . Guilty: Knox was again found guilty of murder in the case of Meredith Kercher - after an appeals court ruled that she was innocent . 'As you may have read, and were most likely well aware of, the general consensus is you are absolutely smoking hot,' company founder Michael Kulich writes in an e-mail to Knox forwarded to the Daily Dot. 'Since you came back into the headlines, our loyal fan base has been e-mailing us non-stop asking about you.' Kulich's email gives Knox the assurance that she would have final say 'over all terms of production' - Kulich says Knox will get to choose which sex acts she performs on film, and which 'talent' she wants to work with. 'This is a great opportunity for you to make some money to put towards . finishing your education and also future legal costs to help with this . unfortunate retrial,' Kulich continues. This is far from the first time Kulich's company has tried to cash in on attractive women who make headlines. In December of 2013, Kulich made a similar offer to shamed former PR executive Justine Sacco. PR Stunt: Monarchy Distribution offered shamed former PR executive Justine Sacco $10,000 to appear in a porn film . Sacco - a former public relations executive with IAC, an Internet company with brands like Ask.com and The Daily Beast - made headlines last year when she posted derogatory, racial remarks on Twitter before boarding a flight to Africa. 'Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!' Sacco tweeted on December 22. Before Sacco's flight touched down in South Africa, news of her offensive tweet had already made headlines across the globe - there were journalists and photographers waiting at the airport for her flight to land. She was promptly fired by IAC CEO Barry Diller. After the incident, Kulich offered Sacco $10,000 to appear in an adult film with the title 'Justine's African Vacation.' For another PR stunt, Kulich used political laughing stock Anthony Weiner's notoriety to push his brand. Weiner: Monarchy Distribution also used the further shaming of former Congressman Anthony Weiner to push his brand . Porn star: Anthony Weiner gal Sydney Leathers appeared in a porn film spoofing her relationship with Weiner . In July of 2013, after it was revealed that Weiner's X-rated social media habits continued well after he was forced to resign from Congress for a series of sexually charged conversations he had with women over social networking sites, Weiner was pressured by many to end his bid to become the Democratic nominee for New York City's mayor. After the scandal broke, Kulich announced that he was producing a movie titled 'Don't Pull Out,' and donating 15 percent of the profits to Weiner's failed mayoral campaign. After news of Weiner's texting made headlines, the woman at the center of the scandal - Sydney Leathers - appeared in a porn film spoofing the Weiner scandal. Leathers' film is titled 'Weiner and Me.' This isn't the first time Knox has been offered a job in the porn industry; in 2011, after winning the appeal of her initial guilty verdict in the Kercher murder case, Vivid Entertainment - which, like Monarch Distribution - has a long history of headline-inspired publicity stunts - offered Knox a job. 'We would like to offer her the opportunity to be our vivid.com spokesperson and represent the studio at trade and retail events.This would involve no nudity or sex. Of course we would welcome talking to her if she wants to pursue this direction, but the decision is totally hers to express," the company said in its publicized offer to Knox. Knox, however, did not respond to the gimmick.
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Monarchy Distribution has a history of publicity stunts .
Last year the company offered shamed former PR executive Justine Sacco $10,00 to appear in a porn film .
The company claimed it was donating part of the proceeds from an adult film spoofing the Anthony Weiner downfall to the former candidate's campaign for mayor .
Knox was again found guilty of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher .
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By . Marie-louise Olson . PUBLISHED: . 20:17 EST, 1 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:12 EST, 1 December 2013 . In an observatory deep in an inhospitable area of the South Pole, a group of American scientists have been holed up for the last two years, waiting with baited breath for a little sign - something to show that they were not going loopy looking for a tiny little particle that no one has ever seen. That day has finally come and the researchers have announced they have reached a new frontier in studies of the universe - a discovery they are calling a ‘new age of astronomy’. The US-led $270m IceCube facility based on a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice has detected very high-energy cosmic neutrinos - subatomic particles that reach Earth from deep space, possibly the remnants from exploding stars, called supernovae. Ordinary telescopes cannot see the elusive neutrinos, but IceCube's can. It is the largest neutrino telescope in the world. A new frontier: The IceCube detector, the world's largest neutrino observatory, has observed the first solid evidence for high-energy neutrinos that originate outside of our own solar system . Elusive: View of the subatomic neutrino tracks showing electrons and muons caught in a nano second. Ordinary telescopes cannot see the neutrinos . Unlike photons, aka light particles, they hardly ever interact with ordinary matter, because they carry no electric charge and very little mass. This makes them extremely hard to detect. The IceCube facility, however, can see neutrinos, which stream across the universe in unimaginable quantities, according to FT. What makes neutrinos so important to astronomers’ probes is that they travel in absolutely straight lines from their source without being deflected by magnetic fields or absorbed by matter. They escape more readily than photons from the core of a supernova, for example, or other such phenomena in the universe. Supernova: Neutrinos escape more readily than photons from the core of a supernova, such as the Tycho supernova, which exploded 400 years ago . Spectacular: A star in the constellation Taurus a thousand years ago is spewing out a blizzard of extremely high-energy particles, some of which could be the neutrinos that were discovered at the IceCube observatory . Neutrinos have already been detected in various forms. The first was 'seen' in 1956. However, scientists had not yet detected the pure form of neutrinos that are at least one million times more energetic than those already detected. These are the ones produced from turbulent gaseous environments left over by supernova explosions, also known as the supernova remnants. The IceCube was built in the South Pole to maximise the chance of observing these elusive cosmic neutrinos. Remnants: The neutrinos that were found are the ones produced from turbulent gaseous environments left over by supernova explosions, also known as the supernova remnants . The IceCube was built in the South Pole to maximise the chance of observing these elusive cosmic neutrinos . Rearchers melted holes in the ice cap and lowered 5,160 light detectors to depths of between 1,500m and 2,000m beneath the surface. Neutrino detectors are often built underground in order to isolate the detector from cosmic rays and other background radiation. Although trillions of neutrinos travel unscathed through the observatory every second, a precious few arrive at exactly the right angle to hit an atom in the ice. This collision generates electrically charged particles which radiate light that is picked up by the detectors. Underground: The IceCube crew melted holes in the ice cap and lowered 5,160 light detectors to depths of between 1,500m and 2,000m beneath the surface . Isolate: Neutrino detectors are often built underground in order to isolate the detector from cosmic rays and other background radiation . Computers then calculate the energy and incoming direction of the neutrino from the pattern and intensity of the light emitted. The IceCube team last week said in the journal Science they had detected 28 high-energy neutrinos coming from beyond the solar system over two years. Lower-energy neutrinos reach us in vast numbers from the sun and also from the interaction between cosmic rays and Earth’s upper atmosphere. These 28 neutrinos are too small a sample to derive any conclusions about what produced them, but whatever it is must generate staggeringly high energies. Reaction: Just a handful of the trillions of neutrinos that travel through the observatory every second arrive at exactly the right angle to hit an atom in the ice . Lower-energy neutrinos reach the Earth in vast numbers from the sun and also from the interaction between cosmic rays and the upper atmosphere, but high-energy particles are from further away . 'Gratifying': Prof. Francis Halzen, principal investigator of IceCube says the discovery is what they have been looking for. 'This is the dawn of a new age of astronomy,' he said . Two of the detected neutrinos had more energy than a fly in flight, packed into a single subatomic particle. Likely sources include supernovae and material being sucked into huge black holes. ‘It is gratifying to finally see what we have been looking for,’ says Francis Halzen of the University of Wisconsin and IceCube principal investigator. ‘This is the dawn of a new age of astronomy.’ The IceCube project is part of the University of Wisconsin–Madison projects developed and supervised by the same institution, while collaboration and funding is provided by numerous other universities and research institutions worldwide. Neutrinos were first detected in 1956 by Clyde Cowan, Frederick Reines, F. B. Harrison, H. W. Kruse, and A. D. McGuire, who published confirmation that they had detected the neutrino in Science, a . result that was rewarded almost forty years later with the 1995 Nobel . Prize. The detection of solar neutrinos, and of neutrinos of the SN 1987A supernova in 1987 marked the beginning of neutrino astronomy. The normal energy of supernova neutrinos ranges from a few to several tens of MeV. However, the sites where cosmic rays are accelerated are expected to produce neutrinos that are at least one million times more energetic, produced from turbulent gaseous environments left over by supernova explosions: the supernova remnants. This is the type of neutrino that scientists believe has been detected now for the first time. Neutrinos travel in absolutely straight lines from their source without being deflected by magnetic fields or absorbed by matter. This means they show exactly what is out there in its purest form.
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US-led $270m astronomical facility, IceCube, has detected neutrinos, subatomic particles from deep space .
They possibly came directly from supernovae or black holes .
It is the first time these very high-energy particles have been 'seen'
Unlike light particles, neutrinos hardly ever interact with ordinary matter because they carry no electric charge and very little mass .
Neutrinos in their trillions travel in absolutely straight lines from their source without being deflected by magnetic fields or absorbed by matter .
This means scientists might be able to see what is out there in its purest form, opening up new possibilities of seeing how the universe was created .
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Washington (CNN) -- Twelve new stars have been recently added to the CIA's Memorial Wall, which pays tribute to the 102 men and woman who lost their lives in the line of duty for the spy agency. At a ceremony Monday before the wall in the atrium of CIA headquarters, Director Leon Panetta paid tribute to the fallen officers. "No matter when or where they served, or whether their names are known to the world or only to us, each cherished colleague remains a constant source of inspiration and courage," Panetta said. Seven of the new stars represent the men and women who were killed last December at a CIA post in Khost, Afghanistan, when a believed-to-be informant they were scheduled to meet detonated a suicide vest. None of the clandestine officers are identified by name. The other five stars honor officers who died in recent years while on secret missions. Their names and the details of their work remain classified. "They are our heroes," said Panetta. "They are America's heroes and that's how we will remember them." Hundreds of current and former employees, family members and friends attended the memorial service.
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Stars honor men and women of CIA killed in line of duty .
Seven of 12 new stars are for those killed in December in Afghanistan .
Five others are for ones who died on secret missions .
"They are our heroes," says CIA Director Leon Panetta .
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They came in their droves and queued outside Apple stores all over the world. From Tokyo to Sydney, London to New York, thousands waited for hours – sometimes days – to get their hands on the third incarnation of the iPad. Some who didn’t like the idea of sleeping on a cold pavement paid as much as £300 to jump the queue. Scroll down to see video of Apple fans . Among the ordinary shoppers wanting to get their hands on the latest must-have product were profiteering gangs. They infiltrated queues to buy iPads and re-sell them at inflated prices abroad . Customers in Apple's Regent Street store, all bagged up with their purchases. Dozens of people were paid by 'agents' to join queues around London and grab iPads to sell on. However, there is no suggestion that those pictured had any part in this . Black market gangs in London paid people to join the queue and buy the new tablets so they could then be sold on at a profit. The frenzy – reminiscent of the scenes which greeted the launch of its predecessor this time last year – is all the more surprising given that the latest iPad represents only an evolution of previous designs rather than a revolution. Its key selling point is a so-called ‘retina display’, with a high-definition touchscreen boasting 3.1million pixels – more than an HD television. The new model, which costs from £399 to £659 in the UK, also comes with an improved camera and a faster processor, making it attractive to those who use it to play games. The wait for the pay-day paid off: 16-year-old Noah Green was fourth in the queue - but sold his spot for £300 . Eager for a bite of the Apple: People sit in the queue for the new iPad 3 outside the company's flagship store on Regent Street in London . Noah Green, a 16-year-old student from Stanmore, North-West London, had been fourth in the queue at Apple’s flagship store in Regent Street, London, but said someone had paid him £300 to move back. Before going through the door, he said: ‘It is worth it. I am still 18th in the queue so I will be one of the first to buy an iPad. I am going to sell it though and earn some money.’ Many appeared to have been paid £10 or £20 to wait in line for hours on behalf of a third party. Some buyers had their hands full of shopping bags filled with products. One was even pictured wheeling items out on a trolley. First! 21-year-old Zohaib Ali from London celebrates getting his hands on the first iPad 3 . Ali's 141-hour wait: The 21-year-old ate, drank and slept at the front of the queue . At Westfield shopping centre, in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, a number of buyers were seen handing purchases – still in their shrink-wrapped boxes – to a waiting group of Eastern European men. Every reviewer has raved about the iPad's screen, packing a huge 3.1 million pixels. Tech site The Verge said: . 'Yes, this display is outrageous. It's stunning. It's incredible. I'm . not being hyperbolic or exaggerative when I say it is easily the most . beautiful computer display I have ever looked at. Walt Mossberg, of AllThingsDigital, said: 'It has the most spectacular display I have ever seen in a mobile device.' Macworld said: 'You’re left with the same sort of typographic excellence you’d expect in a printed book. 'It has the most spectacular display I have ever seen in a mobile device.' Slashgear said: 'Steve Jobs would have approved of the new iPad. 'With . its focus on the holistic experience rather than individual boasts . around its constituent parts, it’s the epitome of the Post-PC world the . Apple founder envisaged.' Tech Crunch said: 'Once you see and use the new iPad, there will be no going back.' One said: ‘We’re just buying and selling, we’re not doing anything illegal. We bought them and we sold them.’ At Covent Garden, men were seen handing over money, collecting receipts and organising scores of people queuing. One agent, who gave his name as Martin, said: ‘I hope to get around 70 iPads today. I will be sending them on to India.’ The new iPad will not be on sale officially in India for at least another week. Stores were given only a limited supply of the new device and many had sold out by mid-afternoon. This allowed buyers who did manage to get one the opportunity to make a quick profit by selling them via eBay. Sellers on the auction website were offering the 16GB version, which connects to the web via wifi, for as much as £562.79 – a mark-up of £163.79, or 41 per cent, on the official price of £399. The scenes were repeated around the world. In Paris, one customer, Athena May, said: ‘I don’t think it’s worth the price but I guess I’m a victim of society.’ Shares in Apple punched through the $600 barrier – a new record – briefly on Thursday pushing the value of the technology giant to $560billion (£354billion) and confirming it as the world’s most valuable company. Blanket coverage of the iPad launch: Fenella Barnes and Harry Barrington-Mountford, from Upminster, sit in the queue . Apple employees welcome customers to the company's Covent Garden store in London . He'll remember this: Staff clap for the first customer at an Apple store in Hong Kong this morning . Joy: Zhuo Hanling with his wife Seah Swee Kheng and their daughter look at one of their third generation iPads after being first in line to purchase the tablet computer in Singapore . Queues in Europe: Christof Wallner, 23, from Austria, was the first new iPad buyer in Germany . Waiting: Avid Apple fans were lined up around the block eight hours ahead of the iPad's 8am launch . Cashing in: Amanda Foote, left, waited with her friend in the line outside New York's main Apple store . Eager: People line up to enter a branch of M1 Limited in Singapore . I can see clearly now: A close-up of the display, courtesy of The Verge, shows what a difference the pixels make to the iPad 2's already sharp screen . First! Construction manager David Tarasenko gets the first-ever retail iPad in Sydney - but admits it was the hype that made him open his wallet . VIDEO: Apple fans waited for hours outside the London Covent Garden store .
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'Agents' earned £20 a day to join the queues at Apple stores .
iPads exchange hands at inflated prices just outside Regent Street store .
One agent aims to pick up 70 iPads today and ship them to India .
Noah Green, 16, sells his spot in the queue for £300 .
Woman in New York offers her place in queue for $1000 .
Tech reviewers are unanimous: The screen is a revolution .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . UPDATED: . 04:51 EST, 18 November 2011 . Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband are expecting a baby by a surrogate mother, her spokesman said. The couple are understood to be the biological parents of a baby girl due in February. Mrs Brooks married former racehorse trainer Charlie Brooks in 2009 and the couple spent years trying to conceive naturally before deciding to use a surrogate. Parents to be: Rebekah Wade and her husband Charlie Brooks are expecting a baby girl in February . It is understood that the baby girl had a twin who died at an early stage of the pregnancy. Mrs Brooks's spokesman David Wilson said: 'Charlie and Rebekah are overjoyed. 'While the pregnancy has not been without its difficulties and sadness, Charlie and Rebekah are obviously hoping for a very happy ending to almost five years of trying to conceive themselves. Happy: A spokesman for Mrs Brooks said the couple are 'overjoyed' but that the pregnancy had 'not been without its difficulties' 'Both parents are acutely aware of the infertility problems encountered by many other couples, and in the longer term hope to recognise their own good fortune by working in some way to help others facing similar challenges.' Probe: In July Brooks gave evidence to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on the News of the World phone-hacking scandal . The surrogate mother has not been named and wishes to remain anonymous. Mrs Brooks, 43, who grew up in Warrington, Cheshire, edited the News of the World and the Sun before becoming chief executive of parent company News International in 2009. Public furore erupted in July after it emerged that a private detective working for the News of the World hacked the mobile phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. Mrs Brooks resigned as News International chief executive on July 15. Two days later Scotland Yard detectives arrested her on suspicion of phone hacking and corruption. She is currently on police bail. Her lawyer has said she denies committing any criminal offence.
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Former News International chief and racehorse trainer husband Charlie to become parents in February .
Baby girl had twin who died at an early stage of the pregnancy .
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10f2c28bde8770e8db43aa7675290120e33c1e73
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The body of a man swept away while swimming in a rain-swollen creek in western North Carolina was found Sunday, authorities said. The body of a child who was dragged away by the swift currents was recovered Saturday evening. The drownings happened after 4 inches of rain fell over five hours in North Carolina's Piedmont region, prompting officials to declare a state of emergency in Catawba County. First responders stayed busy racing to save people stuck in fast-moving waters and closed dozens of roads Saturday because of major flooding. Delilah Lovett, 10, of Charlotte and Juan Alberdi, 48, of Huntersville -- members of different families who were visiting the area together -- were both swimming in what is known as the "bathtub" on Wilson's Creek in Caldwell County around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said. Rain, which had already stopped, raised Wilson Creek 2 feet above normal levels and created "very swift currents," according to a statement from the sheriff's department. Kayakers found Delilah's body nearly an hour after she disappeared, it said. Search and rescue crews found Alberdi on Sunday, about a quarter mile north of where they were first told he went into the water, according to LouAnne Kincaid, a spokeswoman for Caldwell County. Catawba County officials reported 10 swiftwater rescues for residents needing help getting out of their homes and vehicles Saturday afternoon, said Mark Pettit, an emergency official in the county. Some 52 roads in the inland county had been closed at that point, six of which might not see any traffic for as long as three months, according to Pettit. Lincoln County -- which is just south of Catawba County and about 35 miles northwest of Charlotte -- saw 8 to 10 inches of rain in 12 hours, county emergency management spokesman Dion Burleson said. First responders had done as many as five rescues by late Saturday afternoon, Burleson said, though things appeared to be on the upswing. The spokesman said the water rescue operation had been demobilized because waters were receding.
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Search crews find body of a 48-year-old swimmer from Huntersville .
Kayakers find girl who drowned in a swollen Catawba County creek .
First responders conduct swiftwater rescues to help people out of homes, cars .
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10f2c5446a6600d1f7b6f051da1450c8e4a8026e
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Ryanair has been told it must look after passengers when flights are grounded by natural catastrophes, strikes and technical faults. The European Court of Justice ruling yesterday means the airline must cover the cost of meals, hotels and transport. The case dates back to the disruption caused by the eruption of a volcano in Iceland in 2010. Angry: Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said that the European Court of Justice's ruling may cause some airlines to go bust . Passengers were stranded across Europe. Ryanair alone cancelled 9,400 flights due to the ash cloud. The ruling is a blow to Ryanair boss . Michael O’Leary, who at first refused to abide by EU laws which state . airlines should support stranded passengers until they fly them home. After pressure from ministers, he was . forced into a U-turn, but Ryanair then became embroiled in a legal . battle to limit future refunds. The ECJ ruling follows on from a . British court’s decision earlier this week to allow passengers to claim . damages after long delays, as reported in the Daily Mail yesterday. The ruling was made after passenger Denise McDonagh was stranded in Faro, Portugal after volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted. She claimed 1,130 Euros, or £970, to cover costs incurred while she was stuck. The volcanic eruption left millions of passengers unable to return home because it was deemed too dangerous to fly through the ash clouds. Today's ruling could leave airlines open to a raft of future claims. The court recognised compensation claims could have 'substantial negative economic consequences' for airlines, but said a high level of protection must be afforded to passengers. The court also said airlines should foresee any costs but pointed out that ticket prices could be hiked as a result. Mr O'Leary said the court's decision made the airlines 'insurers of last resort' and said whoever was responsible for cancellations should pay compensation. Price hike? Budget airline Ryanair said that it may have to put its prices up due to a ruling that airlines must cover the cost of stranded passengers expenses . He blamed the Government for closing British airspace in 2010, even though 'there was clearly no ash cloud over the UK.' He said: 'We now have a position that when the next time there's an ash cloud or the skies are closed by Europe's governments, the travel insurance companies will walk away and wash their hands and say it was an act of God and the airlines will become the insurers of last resort.' 'Somebody who has paid us fifty quid to travel to the Canaries, who may be stuck there for two weeks, two months, six months, will now sue the airlines and you will have airlines going out of business, and the ones who stay in business will be putting up the air fares to recover these crazy claims.' Mr O'Leary said Ryanair had paid out to everyone affected by the volcano eruption in 2010, including Ms McDonagh, but had still not covered costs despite introducing a compensation surcharge. Stranded: Hundreds of flights were cancelled in 2010 when a volcano erupted in Iceland . He added: 'It's a crazy decision, it's another crazy decision coming from the European court. 'You can't expect us to be providing compensation for the world and his mother when we are prevented from flying. 'Why does somebody have to pay? Why do we take responsibility for something that has been caused by others? 'This compensation culture is running riot in this country.' The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) today reiterated its advice to passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations and advised passengers who were not being treated properly to contact them. Passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled are entitled to assistance from the airline such as food, drinks and accommodation where necessary, the CAA said. In addition, passengers whose flights have been cancelled at short notice or arrive three hours or more later than scheduled are also entitled to claim for compensation - unless the delay or cancellation was out of the airline's control. A CAA spokesman said: 'These regulations are in place to protect people when things go wrong with their flights. 'Anyone with concerns that they are not being treated correctly by their airline can contact the CAA for advice or to make a complaint.' Ryanair also issued an official statement this afternoon warning of hikes in fares after the ruling. It read: 'Ryanair regrets the decision of the European Court which now allows passengers to claim for flight delays which are clearly and unambiguously outside of an airline's control. Stuck: Passengers pictured stranded at Heathrow airport during the ash cloud crisis . 'Today's decision will materially increase the cost of flying across Europe and consumer airfares will increase as airlines will be obliged to recover the cost of these claims from their customers, because the defective European regulation does not allow us to recover such costs from the governments or unions who are responsible for over 95 per cent of flight delays in Europe.' Like other carriers, the airline said it had already paid out millions of pounds in compensation to passengers affected by the ash cloud. But it contested Ms McDonagh's case because it deemed the amount to be 'excessive'. The case centred around the EU 261 regulations, a European law which means carriers were obliged to refund the bills of thousands of passengers caught up in the crisis which put a ban on great swathes of airspace. It was seen as a test case as Ryanair was the only airline to take a challenge to the European courts. Last October the European Court decided that delays of more than three hours, where the airline was at fault - because of technical faults or lack of flight crew, for example - warranted compensation. With 200million passengers using UK airports annually, and around 2million of those delayed by more than three hours, that may result in 400,000 fliers eligible for refunds every year. British Airways, easyJet, Tui Travel and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) had all opposed that ruling. Compensation to British customers was put on hold until the final ruling in October.
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The European Court of Justice ruled that airlines must cover stranded customers' costs .
The ruling was made after passenger Denise McDonagh claimed 1,130 Euros after getting stranded in the 2010 ash cloud crisis .
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary said the ruling could see some airlines go bust .
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10f5717340f67db4f28cad3698b73746a1bb6c19
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By . Jill Reilly . PUBLISHED: . 06:05 EST, 1 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:07 EST, 1 May 2012 . A tearful uncle has spoken about the moment he discovered the bodies of his two young nephews who had been stabbed to death by their mother. Leighton Dennis walked in on the grisly scene at the Manchester home of Romario Mullings-Sewell, two, and three-month-old Delayno Mullings-Sewell. Mr Dennis said he ‘knew something had happened’ as soon as he stepped into the house belonging to his sister Jael Mullings. Tragic: Leighton Dennis walked in on the grisly scene at the Manchester home of Romario Mullings-Sewell, left, two, and his brother three-month-old Delayno . Mullings was sectioned indefinitely after killing Romario and Delayno on November 12, 2008. She denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Mr Dennis and his mother Andrea found the youngsters’ bodies at their home in Kilmington Drive, Cheetham Hill. They had became increasingly worried after Mullings, then 21, arrived at her auntie’s house without her two sons. She said that she was 'the devil’ and her sons were ‘at peace’, the inquest at Manchester Crown Court heard. Grim task: A forensic team enter the house in Kilmington Drive, Cheetham Hill, where the brothers were found dead . Horrifying: Mr Dennis and his mother took a taxi to Kilmington Drive and found the door unlocked - they shouted out Romario’s name but they did not get an answer, so made their way upstairs and made found the two bodies . Mr Dennis and his mother took a taxi to Kilmington Drive and found the door unlocked. Mr Dennis said the house was ‘a bit messy’ and added: 'It didn’t seem normal at all. There’s a sort of organised chaos with kids around and it’s never completely tidy. But it seemed as if something had happened.” Mr Dennis and his mum shouted out Romario’s name but they did not get an answer, so made their way upstairs. Leading Mr Dennis through his evidence, Manchester coroner Nigel Meadows said: 'Very sadly when you came into Jael’s room you saw the two children.' Troubled: Jael Mullings said that she was 'the devil' and her sons were 'at peace', the inquest at Manchester Crown Court heard . 'Yes,' replied Mr Dennis. Mr Meadows said: 'Essentially it was obvious to you that they had been injured and in simple terms there was understandable panic and there was a need to phone an ambulance. I think the children were lying on the bed?' 'Yes they were,' said Mr Dennis, who was then overcome with grief and bent over in tears. The inquest earlier heard how Mr Dennis was close to his sister and visited her once or twice a week. He told how Mullings developed an interest in religion and the search for truth. Mr Dennis said: 'As she was growing up she expressed strong spiritual beliefs. 'She wasn’t an avid churchgoer. She wanted to seek the truth. That was the sort of mission her and my mum were on at that time. (Jael) would read the bible and scriptures.' Mullings, who is now in a secure hospital unit, told her family after killing the boys that she was ‘a child of Israel’ and ‘the devil’ and had the power to give life and take it away. The inquest continues.
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Mr Dennis said he ‘knew something had happened’ as soon as he stepped into the house .
Jael Mullings, told her family after killing the boys that she was ‘a child of Israel’ and ‘the devil’
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By . Chris Brooke . PUBLISHED: . 19:50 EST, 15 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:39 EST, 16 September 2013 . Dr Sarah Wollaston holds the seat for Totnes, in Devon. The Tory MP has said niqabs are 'offensive' and 'make women invisible' A Tory MP yesterday urged the Government to ban full facial veils in all schools and colleges because they were ‘making women invisible’. Dr Sarah Wollaston said some women found the niqab ‘deeply offensive’ and should not be accused of being bigoted for criticising them. She made the comments on Twitter following a college’s U-turn last week on banning students wearing veils and before a judge is due to decide today on whether a Muslim woman can stand trial while wearing one. Dr Wollaston, the MP for Totnes in Devon, said: ‘The niqab should be banned within schools and colleges; how on earth do they promote equality when they collude with making women invisible?’ She also wrote: ‘A general ban on the niqab simply won’t happen in the UK but that doesn’t mean that it should be endorsed by schools or courts.’ Her comments were met by a backlash from supporters of the veil, but she stood her ground against the angry criticism. The MP said her view was ‘not bigotry’ and that this accusation was ‘the cudgel used to repress debate’. She added: ‘Feminists should be allowed to say that they find the niqab deeply offensive without being accused of being bigoted or Islamaphobic.’ Prime Minister David Cameron has indicated his support for the college, but Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has admitted he is ‘uneasy’ about banning full-face veils. Last week, Birmingham Metropolitan College was forced to drop its ban on students wearing full facial veils on its campus after a protest. A 9,000-name petition saw its principal back down on its policy after it was accused of ‘Islamophobia’. The ban stopped Muslim pupils wearing the niqab, the full facial veil in which only the eyes are visible, or the burqa where the eyes are covered with mesh. But the college was attacked for its stance by local councillors, MPs and the National Union of Students. The Tory MP posted a string of controversial tweets in light of recent events concerning full-face veils . Among the tweets hitting back at the MP’s comments were from Muslim commentator Mohammed Ansar. He said: ‘Poor Sarah Wollaston’s twitter feed has become a total car crash of bigotry, Islamophobia, historical ignorance and exceptionalism.’ He added: ‘Do you accept and support the right of a woman to dress as she wishes?’ One woman asked the MP on Twitter: ‘How about asking a woman who wears niqab what she thinks about her freedom? Or does her opinion not matter?’ A student at Birmingham Metropolitan College wears a full veil after the college reversed its position which previously banned students from wearing niqabs so they could be 'easily identifiable at all times' The wearing of veils in public faces another test in court today. A judge at Blackfriars Crown Court in London allowed a woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to plead not guilty while wearing her veil last month. She argued she was unable to remove the face covering in the presence of men for religious reasons, but as a compromise she allowed a female police officer in a room next to the courtroom to lift it to check her identity. The judge will now decide on whether she will be able to wear her veil during her trial for intimidating a witness, as he feared jurors would not be able to see her facial expressions during questioning. A veil ban at the Birmingham college had been in place for eight years without protest. But an anonymous prospective student complained to her local paper, saying that she was being discriminated against, and the publicity sparked an online campaign. Birmingham Metropolitan College is believed to be the only college in the UK to have banned the niqab. Some 43 per cent of its 44,000 students come from ethnic groups that are non white. An online petition was signed by 9,000 people, amid rumours that the college was also planning to ban prayers on its premises. The college was forced to amend its policy, which also covered hoodies and hats, which had been brought in to make sure students were always ‘easily identifiable’.
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Dr Sarah Wollaston for Totnes, Devon, say schools 'collude with making women invisible' if they allow niqab .
Comments come after Birmingham Metropolitan College reverses ban on full-face veils after students protest .
Earlier this week a judge allowed a woman to give evidence in court wearing a burqa for the first time .
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(CNN) -- The Spanish town of Pioz boasts views of snow-capped mountains, a 15th-century castle, and a swimming pool for locals to bathe in -- but residents are in short supply. Pioz has become a ghost town, a haunting reminder of the country's continuing property crisis. Pioz is saddled with €16 million of debt, making it Spain's most indebted town. Thousands of newly-built homes remain empty and vandalized years after they were built, other projects are simply unfinished and unpaid for. The town is in the municipality of Guadalajara, just an hour's drive from Madrid, but commuters weren't lured in by the new-build homes. Today, only 3,500 people live in these housing estates designed for 25,000. The Spanish property boom went bust in 2007, and now 20% of Spanish homes lie empty. The banking sector has €186 billion-worth of troubled real estate assets on its books. It is easier to grasp the impact of these statistics when standing on a street in Pioz. Row upon row of identical homes stand empty, complete with boarded-up windows, peeling plaster, hanging electrical cables and falling down "For Sale" signs. At the heart of the town stands an iconic 15th-century castle; despite the ravages of time it appears to be in better shape than many of the newer crumbling homes that surround it. However, looks can be deceiving. "It's falling down," said ex-Mayor Amelia Rodriguez, "we were thinking of doing some restoration work on it, but owing to the crisis it is not possible. We will leave it until one day when we can." Elsewhere in the town lie newer constructions: A €1 million community swimming pool that had just one bather on CNN's visit, a €500,000 medical center and a €12 million sewage and water treatment plant, neither of which can be used due to lack of funds for running costs. According to Juan Yunta, the Director of Public Works in Pioz, the €400,000 toxic waste plant, subsidized by the European Union and Department of Industry, has problems that don't stop at the running costs -- there is a dispute over who actually owns the land. "Everything has been built on land which doesn't even belong to the town hall," he said. "Fiasco? As far as I know fiasco is when something breaks, like a natural disaster, this is something far greater -- this is utter madness." Amelia Rodriguez has been the mayor of Pioz for just over a year, but since CNN visited has been ousted from office by the previous mayor Emilio Rincon and six councilors. She hopes that future town planners and property developers will learn from their mistakes. "As the money came into the town hall, they didn't realize it would ever stop," she said. "The good times do come to an end. We'll go back to the good times, but for now we must wait. I hope this is a lesson for everyone." CNN's Anna Stewart contributed to this article .
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Pioz is saddled with €16 million of debt, making it Spain's most indebted town .
Today, only 3,500 people live in housing estates designed for 25,000 .
The country's property boom went bust in 2007, and now 20% of Spanish homes lie empty .
The banking sector has €186 billion-worth of troubled real estate assets on its books .
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Most three year olds can't wait for summer so they can play outdoors for hours on end. But for one little boy, being out in the sun causes his skin to blister and burn uncontrollably. Eddison Miller has become one of the youngest people to be diagnosed with a rare and incurable genetic condition which makes him completely intolerant to all UV rays. Eddison's parents Nicola and Andrew Miller try to keep his life as normal as possible, but every part of their son must be covered by UV-protective clothing when he ventures outside. He must wear gloves and a hat with attached visor made of specialist film that covers his face, neck and shoulders and clothes specially selected to block UV rays. Scroll down for video . Three-year-old Eddison Miller must wear a UV-protective suit and visor (pictured left and right) to play outdoors, as he suffers from a rare condition that causes his skin to severely burn in UV light . Eddison was diagnosed with incurable genetic condition xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) at three months old. The condition affects fewer than 1,000 around the world and means he is at an increased risk of getting cancer from sunlight . Eddison must be covered by factor 50+ sun block every three hours (he is pictured left and right playing in his protective suit). He also plays in his own specially-designed indoor garden when it's too bright outside . Eddison's body must also be covered by factor 50+ sun block every three hours and he plays in his own, specially-designed, indoor garden when it is too bright outside. He suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), a condition which means he could get cancer from sunlight. His condition affects fewer than 100 people in Britain and about 2,000 around the world, but he is one of the youngest to be told he has the disorder. Mrs Miller, from Kingsnorth, Kent, said their lives 'completely changed' after Eddison's diagnosis at just three months. The 36-year-old, said: 'The condition affects every aspect of his life and we have to think of things that others would take for granted. 'People don't understand the everyday issues we have to consider. 'We have to make sure Eddison isn't near to the door when the postman opens the letterbox and we have had to have an AC system installed because we can't open any windows in our house. 'But he is just a normal little boy. He loves getting messy in his sandpit, playing on his bike or with his little brother Raife. 'Our goal is just to help him live his life like a normal child.' Eddison started displaying symptoms of being extremely sensitive to both natural and artificial light at just three months old. Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP) is a life-altering genetic condition characterised by an extreme sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV is in sunlight, most artificial lighting and even lightning. Unless patients with XP are protected from UV, their skin and eyes may be severely damaged and this can lead to cancer. XP is an extremely rare hereditary condition with less than 100 cases in the UK. About 30 per cent of people with XP also develop neurological abnormalities which can include hearing loss and loss of mobility. There is no cure for XP, but much can be done to prevent and treat some of the problems it causes. These include protection from UV, including total daylight avoidance, specialised clothing and sunscreens. People with XP must also undergo frequent skin, eye and neurological examinations and have prompt removal of cancerous tissue. Source: Teddington Trust . His eyes and skin were worst affected and he developed severe abnormal burns. After initially assuming he was suffering from allergies a number of hospital visits and tests at St Thomas' hospital in London later revealed he had XP. Eddison's family said that it was a common misconception that having XP simply meant keeping out of direct sunlight. Mrs Miller, said: 'UV is present during all daylight hours and danger is still present indoors, with UV rays emitted by many sources of artificial lighting.' She added that the family looks forward to the clocks going back. 'During the summer I calculated that Eddison and I spent less than 24 hours outside in six weeks so obviously that's an extremely challenging time of year,' she said. 'But the minute the clocks go back we get so much more time outside - it's wonderful. 'I know Eddison is going to face many challenges in his life but it is our job as parents to make sure he gets as much out of life as possible.' Following the diagnosis Eddison's aunt Rebecca Stewart from Cushnie, Aberdeenshire set up a fundraising group called the Teddington Trust. Overwhelmed by the support received by the Trust, Eddison's family decided they would build on its success and try and help others with the rare disorder. Now they have launched their own set of teddy bears and books and hope their 'Little Ted' products can be sent to all the estimated affected 300 children in the world. Mrs Miller, said: 'We looked for ways to help educate Eddison in understanding his condition, and we immediately looked for appropriate reading that might help us find the words to explain this. 'Eddison loved the initial story I wrote, and really engaged with it so before long I started thinking of further additions to this and a small series of 'Little Ted' stories emerged. Eddison's parents say their goal is to help him live his life like a normal child. Here he is pictured with parents Nicola and Andrew and brother Raife . Eddison is pictured being slathered with factor 50 sunblock by mother Nicola. Mrs Miller said: 'He is just a normal little boy. He loves getting messy in his sandpit, playing on his bike or with his little brother Raife' 'We have set ourselves a goal to provide a copy free of charge to all children within our reach around the world affected by XP.' The illustrator of the book, Michael Howdon, said: 'I feel very privileged to be a part of the Teddington project; it's fantastic to work on a book that will help children across the world, it has been a very rewarding experience.' A spokesman for Parkers Design & Print, who are printing the book, added: 'Receiving the book and teddy that the Teddington Trust have so lovingly and expertly created from scratch, could make a massive impact on the children who suffer from XP and their supportive families. 'We feel very privileged to been a small cog in that wonderfully energetic process.' To donate, visit: http://www.teddingtontrust.com/ . Eddison's mother says she calculated they spent only 24 hours in six weeks outdoors last summer. Pictured left and right, Eddison is seen playing at night time, when he can go outside .
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Eddison Miller, three, is completely intolerant to all UV rays .
Any contact with sunlight or UV rays in artificial light burns his skin .
Has been diagnosed with rare condition xeroderma pigmentosum (XP)
It means he is at an increased risk of developing cancer from sunlight .
Last summer, he spent just 24 hours outdoors in six weeks .
He must be covered in UV-protective clothing and a visor to go outdoors .
Also has to be covered in factor 50+ sun block every three hours .
Plays in his own specially-designed indoor garden when it's bright outside .
His aunt has set up a fundraising group called the Teddington Trust .
Trust has written a book it hopes to give to every XP sufferer free-of-charge .
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(EW.com) -- How did the makers of "I Don't Know How She Does It" not know that there are two insurmountable problems with their bogus chick flick about the amusing travails of a working mother? The first is that the movie is based on a 2002 novel by British journalist Allison Pearson, and we live in 2011. True, Kate Reddy (Sarah Jessica Parker) is now an "investment manager" in Boston rather than a British hedge-fund shark. Otherwise, Kate.2011 has the same accessories as Kate.2002, including a cute architect husband (Greg Kinnear), two kids who push Mommy's guilt buttons, and various male associates oblivious to commonplace 2011 workforce realities. Into this time warp screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna ("Morning Glory," "27 Dresses") adds gratuitously bitchy stay-at-home gym-rat mothers and a boss (Kelsey Grammer) who blanches at the word mammogram. Pierce Brosnan plays a fairy-tale New York businessman as princely as he is single. The second insurmountable problem is the difference between Parker's performance as a fortysomething banker, wife, and mother musing (in voice-over) at her computer and her previous performance as a single, thirtysomething girl-about-town in "Sex and the City": There is none. I don't know why she does it. EW.com rating: D+ . 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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The movie is based on a 2002 novel by British journalist Allison Pearson .
Kate.2011 has the same accessories as Kate.2002, including a cute husband .
Pierce Brosnan plays a fairy-tale New York businessman as princely as he is single .
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Manchester United may miss out on Daley Blind after their Dutch target was spotted in Barcelona. Louis van Gaal and Luis Enrique, the two new managers of United and Barca respectively, are battling for the 24-year-old's signature. But the La Liga giants may have made the first move, after Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo revealed Daley was in Barcelona. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Daley Blind score a 30-yard beauty against Utrecht . Blow: Mundo Deportivo revealed that Daley Blind was in Barcelona amid his transfer speculation . Wanted man: Blind (left) is a summer target for both Manchester United and Barcelona . BORN: Amsterdam, March 9 1990 (age 24) 2008-NOW: Ajax (99 apps, 3 gls) 2010-2010: Groningen (loan) (17, 0) 2013-NOW: Holland (19, 1) Statistics based on league appearances . HONOURS . Ajax: Eredivisie (2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14), Johan Cruyff Shield (2013) Holland: World Cup third place (2014) Individual: Ajax Player of the Year (2012/13), Dutch Footballer of the Year (2014) Blind, valued at £17.4million, has been identified as a player that Van Gaal wants at Old Trafford ahead of his debut Premier League season. His ability to play at left back or as a defensive midfielder makes him good cover for summer signing Luke Shaw as Patrice Evra prepares to join Juventus. Michael Carrick's injury may have added incentive, too. The 32-year-old midfielder, who was high on Van Gaal's shortlist to be the next United captain, was ruled out for 12 weeks with an ankle injury. Ajax manager Frank de Boar, though, hopes to keep Blind, but admits every player has his price. 'Personally, I don't think so,' when asked by AT5 if Blind would be sold. 'Everyone is obviously for sale, but we feel that those three players, the World Cup players (Blind, Jasper Cillessen and Joel Veltman), with a few guys in the current squad, should be the water carriers of this squad.' Transfer business: Van Gaal will asses Manchester United's squad before making additions .
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Ajax's Daley Blind wanted by Manchester United and Barcelona .
Blind valued at £17.4million and was spotted in Barcelona .
Blind can offer cover for Luke Shaw and departing Patrice Evra .
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By . Lucy Thackray for Daily Mail Australia . The stepfather of the three-year-old boy who died in rural NSW last month has been arrested, the day after the toddler's mother was charged with the child's murder. NSW Police confirm the 45-year-old man was arrested at a Bathurst address and taken to Bathurst Local Police Station for questioning, to assist strike force detectives with their inquiries. The mother of a three-year-old boy who died in the NSW town of Oberon last month was arrested and charged with the murder yesterday. The 40-year-old attended Blayney Local Court on Tuesday and did not apply for bail. The case has been adjourned until November 10 at Bathurst Local Court, when the accused will reply to a brief of evidence in relation to the murder charge. Detectives from Chifley Local Area Command have been conducting investigations to establish how the boy sustained his injuries and urge anyone with information to contact police. Strike Force Aldyth has been established to investigate the child’s death, and comprises detectives from Chifley Local Area Command and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad. Scroll down for videos . Police were told that the toddler was knocked over by the family dogs and became tangled in his family dogs' leads. Pictured are stock images of the two dogs' breeds, an Alsatian, pictured left, and a husky, pictured right . The parents of the young boy originally told police that he had become entangled in the family dogs' leads, while they were walking in a park near their home in Oberon, 170 kilometres west of Sydney in the Greater Blue Mountains region. Police and NSW Ambulance paramedics were called to a house at about 1pm on Sunday 3 August 2014, where they found a three-year-old boy unconscious and not breathing. Officers performed CPR on the boy before he was airlifted to The Children’s Hospital, Westmead, in a critical condition. The child died on Wednesday 6 August 2014. The boy's mother and stepfather showed police their version of events via a reenactment, and maintained the accident happened when they were playing in the park. 'They were just playing in the park. The dogs were on the rope. They pulled it out of my hand. It got him by the legs and flipped him backwards', the stepfather said. A crime scene was set up at the home where forensic police officers examined the inside and outside of the premises as well as an area of the park. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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The stepfather of a 3-year-old boy has been arrested after his death .
45-year-old man was taken to Bathurst police station to assist detectives with their inquiries.
Yesterday, the boy's mother was arrested and charged with his murder .
Woman attended Blayney Local Court on Monday, did not apply for bail .
The 40-year-old will appear at Bathurst Local court on November 10 for reply to a brief of evidence .
The mother told police the toddler tripped over the family dogs' leads .
The boy was found by police & paramedics unconscious and not breathing .
NSW homicide squad and a strike force have been established to investigate the child's death at their home in Oberon, west of Sydney .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 17:46 EST, 24 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:33 EST, 25 July 2012 . The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine has published a cover headline that appears to make reference to the Colorado massacre on Friday. The shooting, during a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in a cinema in Aurora, Colorado, left 12 people dead and 58 injured. The latest front cover of Entertainment Weekly publicises the new Batman film, with the headline 'Batman's killer finale'. The cover photo is of the superhero and his nemesis Bane in gas mask and black, military-style clothing. Violent: The Entertainment Weekly cover publicizes the Dark Knight Rises and features Batman and his nemesis Bane wearing a gas mask and military style clothing . A gunman dressed in similar combat . gear and gas mask burst into the Colorado cinema and randomly sprayed . bullets into the audience. The EW edition is dated July 20 but came out a week earlier. It features . interviews with director Christopher Nolan and . actor Christian Bale. The cover headline meant to use the word 'killer' in a wordplay for 'excellent', but has . nevertheless been branded a 'gaffe' by bloggers, and may be insensitive to families of the victims. The edition is still available on newsstands. Entertainment Weekly was yet to respond to MailOnline's request for comment. Shooter James Holmes was accused of using the emergency exit to access the screening of the Hollywood blockbuster in Aurora last Friday. A witness, who has not been named, told local TV station KCNC: 'As soon as the movie started, somebody came in, all black, gas mask, armour, and threw a gas can into the audience, and it went off, and then there were gunshots that took place.' Warner Bros., the studio behind The Dark Knight Rises, is to make a 'substantial' donation to charities supporting the survivors and families affected by the Colorado shooting. The studio will contribute to a fund through givingfirst.org, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Massacre: James Holmes is accused of shooting dead 12 people and wounding 58 others at a cinema Friday in Aurora, Colorado . The studio has also cancelled the movie's premiere in Paris and other press events out of respect. Despite the tragedy, The Dark Knight Rises has broken box-officerecords. The film was on track to earn more than $160million in the U.S. and Canada in its opening weekend, which would be a record for a non-3D movie. ‘This tragedy did not seem to impact the box office in a major way,’ said Paul Dergarabedian, an analyst for Hollywood.com. He added: ‘For this film to still be in the rarified air of the op-three openings of all time is phenomenal, given the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the release of this film.’
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Warner Bros to make 'substantial' donation to victims of movie theater massacre in Colorado .
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10fc2d822f9622cc15e827756d3e3e35fc0f34a6
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(CNN) -- A hunter mauled by a bear in Alaska survived 36 hours in the remote wilderness before rescuers using night-vision goggles found him, the Alaska National Guard said. The man, who was part of a guided hunting party, was attacked about 35 miles north of Anaktuvuk Pass. Helicopter rescue teams tried to reach the man several times, but had to turn back due to dense fog and weather, the Guard said. The hunter suffered significant blood loss but was stabilized by a medical professional who happened to be in another hunting group, the Guard said. "The pararescuemen credit him for saving the man's life. He provided expert care with limited resource for several hours, ultimately stabilizing, warming and rehydrating the victim," Air Force Master Sgt. Armando Soria said. Around 3 a.m. Saturday, a helicopter managed to land at the scene. Crews had to use night-vision goggles because they were operating during the darkest time of night, the Alaska National guard said. Rescuers flew the man to Eielson Air Force Base because the fog was too dense to land at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The man was later taken to Fairbanks by ambulance. The man was in stable condition Saturday night, hospital nursing supervisor Marlene Merdes said. Hiker photographs bear just before fatal grizzly attack . Bear naps on family's patio in Florida .
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A nearby hunter happened to be a medical professional and helped save the man .
The attack took place in northern Alaska, about 35, miles north of Anaktuvuk Pass .
Helicopter teams had to turn back several times due to dense fog and weather .
The man was in stable condition at a Fairbanks hospital .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 13:32 EST, 8 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:41 EST, 8 November 2013 . Brooke Mueller's brother Scott has been awarded temporary guardianship of Charlie Sheen's twin sons Bob and Max. The news came after Denise Richards felt compelled to give up her guardianship of the four-year-old boys due to their 'violent behaviour' towards her daughters and pet dogs. According to TMZ, the Department of Children And Family Services signed off in court on Scott becoming a guardian and he will take charge of the children on Friday night. They are also now investigating allegations that someone hurt Bob in regards to a deep cut on his back. Keeping it in the family: Brooke Mueller's brother Scott has been awarded temporary guardianship of Charlie Sheen's twins . But in another twist to the increasingly complex family saga, Scott and the children will reportedly be 'moving in' with Brooke. Sources connected with the case told TMZ that the judge who granted the guardianship felt it was important for Bob and Max to stay in the same school. And with Scott residing in a 'far away' beachside community, 'the judge ruled he could move in with Brooke,' which would effectively give her custody. However, as the website reports, the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services has not yet given Brooke full custody rights, feeling the children should be 'reintroduced gradually,' following her drug problems. Blame game: Brooke is allegedly pointing the finger at Denise Richards for a cut on Bob's back . Brooke had apparently been set to regain full custody of the boys by Christmas. But now, Scott is allegedly set to be moving in to the house once purchased for Brooke by Sheen in his own gated community. TMZ is also reporting that DCFS have opened an investigation into allegations over Bob's injury, which allegedly happened on Denise Richards' watch and Brooke is blaming the Drop Dead Gorgeous star for the cut, that was deep enough to scab over. Social workers went to Bob's school and determined it had been there for more than a week, which means it could have happened while Bob was under Brooke's care, reported TMZ. DCFS then interviewed Denise, who said the cut had been there for more than a week. Taking charge: Brooke's brother Scott Mueller has been awarded temporary guardianship of twins Bob and Max . Scott has also requested '$55,000 in child support' from Sheen claim Radar. 'Scott . has formally notified Charlie Sheen’s lawyer he wants $55,000 in child . support because he has been appointed Bob and Max‘s temporary guardian,' a source close to the situation told the website. 'He . expects to be paid, immediately, even though Charlie already pays for . all of the boys expenses including their pre-school, doctors visits, . etc. During the time that Denise Richards was their guardian, she didn’t . ask Charlie for one dime in child support, she actually turned it . down.' The website reports that Brooke's . child support payments were recently cut in half due to her not being . 'their primary caregiver.' However, she will again be awarded the full $55,000 when she takes on full custody. Still angry: Charlie Sheen leaving court on Wednesday after he was ordered to stay 200 yards away from Brooke . According to TMZ, this is what Charlie has been telling friends about his troubled ex and her family: . 'This pig circus overflowing with buffoons, sycophants and heretics cannot be trusted to safely raise a colony of ferrets.' 'Brooke will fail and her brother [who lives by the beach] will be selling his ass under a pier and the evil nanny will die from ugly.' 'When, not if, this psychotic and desperately irresponsible sham goes sideways, DCFS will burn to the ground, topped off with the smoldering robe of the judge.' Denise, . 42, has been watching the boys as a favour to her ex-husband Charlie, 48 . - who she divorced in 2006 - after Brooke, 36, went into rehab for the . 21st time earlier this year. But this week the former Bond girl wrote to the Los Angeles County . Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to inform them that . she can no longer look after the boys because of their violent . outbursts, according to TMZ. In a letter, the actress detailed how the twins . tried to strangle her own daughters Sam, nine; Lola, eight; and Eloise, two. She also . complained the twins relieved themselves in their maid's bathtub and . also tortured her dogs. On Wednesday, a judge put a restraining order on Charlie, asking him to not . go within 200 yards of his ex-wife Brooke, from whom he split in 2011. He . replied with a 'thank you'. Getaway: Denise Richards was seen arriving and leaving Charlie's home in her Mercedes on Thursday . Heading home: Denise was on her own as she left her ex-husband's Beverly Hills home . What's going on here?: This image is said to show Brooke Mueller arriving at Charlie's home after the meeting . According to RadarOnline, . Brooke would regain full custody of the boys by Christmas, after . impressing the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family . Services with her commitment to getting sober and turning her life . around. A source told the . website: 'Brooke will be awarded custody of the boys by Christmas, as . long as she doesn’t relapse. She has been sober for several months. She . hasn’t had one dirty test. Harmony: Brooke and Charlie in 2009 on the red carpet at the Emmys . 'She . has done everything that has been asked of her by DCFS, so at this . point, there is absolutely no reason for Brooke not to get her boys . back.' On Monday, Brooke attempted to have . her lawyers remove Denise as guardian of the boys but that wasn't accepted. There have been conflicting reports . regarding the state of relations between the two women, with Brooke . accused of 'lashing out' at Richards during an emergency meeting over . the . custody of her twins on Thursday, it was claimed. Concerned . about Max and Bob, the . Los Angeles Department of Children & Family Services were reported to have brought her and the actor's second wife together to discuss the twins' future. But . Brooke is said to have . found the pressure of the meeting too much, becoming 'extremely . combative' and having a 'temper tantrum' directed at Richards during the . meeting, according to RadarOnline. A . source revealed to the site: 'Brooke was extremely combative and lashed . out at Denise. It came out of nowhere and was extremely inappropriate. It was probably the first time DCFS saw cracks in Brooke’s previously . cool demeanour. 'Brooke was having a temper tantrum because she felt Denise was making her look like a bad mother.' Another source had told Radar: 'The . meeting has been called in hopes of convincing Denise to keep the boys . for at least another three weeks until Brooke is scheduled to get them . back.' However, TMZ reported a different version of events - claiming that Brooke and Denise were 'cordial' with each other and are close to calling a truce. Whatever . happened inside the meeting, Brooke looked in good spirits and was seen . smiling as she left the face-to-face in a chauffeured . black Cadillac Escalade on Thursday. Keeping a schedule: Denise taking her daughters Sam, aged nine, and Lola, aged eight, to school on Wednesday . Denise . was apparently seen arriving and leaving Sheen's home in a car on . Thursday while Brooke was also spotted driving up to the house, it has . been claimed. This comes after Charlie posted a photo of a cake decorated with a grenade, which he said was made for the troubled socialite. The news of Scott Mueller being awarded custody comes just days after photographs emerged of Bob with severe bruising to his head. The shocking images show injuries on Bob's face, which it has been alleged in a document submitted to an LA court were sustained while the boy was in the care of his mother Brooke or his grandmother Moira Fiore. In one zoomed-in image, . reportedly taken by Denise, Bob returned from a weekend with Mueller and . Fiore on July 26, with a noticeable raw skin sore near the red . mark. When things were calmer: Charlie's ex wives in Malibu in 2012 with their children . The images have now been presented to the LA Department of Children and Family Services by Sheen's legal team. Sore: Bob's pictures, have allegedly been presented to LA Department of Children and Family Services by Sheen's legal team . Sources told . TMZ Charlie believed it was a burn, although Brooke insisted he had it . before he arrived at her home. An enraged Charlie said: 'These crimes against my children will be exposed. These . war criminals will be hanged at dusk to a cheering and jeering crowd, . gathered together in love in support of all children who are mercilessly . discarded like garbage by CPS. Which by the way stands for 'CAN'T . PROTECT S****.' He even quoted . his actor father Martin Sheen's famous film Apocalypse Now to describe the current . situation, whilst violating his gag order. Charlie allegedly told TMZ: 'I am beyond their timid lying morality, therefore I am beyond caring. 'What . my family and I are forced to deal with in the last four years, lives . outside the pale of any acceptable conduct or decency. 'I am battling an . amorphous enemy that needs to be swiftly disempowered.' Charlie also branded Brooke a ‘chubby weirdo’ following her failed . attempt to secure a restraining order against him in court on Monday. He . wrote on Twitter: ‘Oh, by the way, nice try this morning Brooke. You . are a chubby weirdo who will lose at every turn trying to get between me . and my boys (sic).’ According to TMZ, the petition claims Charlie said: ‘There will be a reckoning. There will be a whirlwind. That they will all reap while desperate begging for my forgiveness. You've all been warned. ‘I will exercise every resource at my . disposal. I will, I will, I will, I will empty my entire war chest and . if I can't get it done, I know a guy who can.’ She's changed: Brooke in February before her 21st visit to rehab (left) and sober in September (right)
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Brooke could 'regain full custody of the boys by Christmas if she doesn't relapse', according to reports .
Denise gave up custody following Bob and Max's 'violent outbursts'
L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services open a fresh investigation into allegations that someone hurt Bob .
Brooke is reportedly pointing the finger at Denise Richards because it happened on her watch .
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10fc985b20a93be22e95be41c16540609112d17f
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(CNN) -- To contemplate Michael Jordan turning 50 on Sunday is to witness one's youth floating out with the tide, the water as merciless in its mission as Jordan was in his prime. He is in the sweet spot of the old "Saturday Night Live" sketch featuring Mike Myers, "Middle Aged Man," about a guy who was older and wiser, and who obsessed about people looking at his gut. Jordan has been laid low these days because the team he owns, the Charlotte Bobcats, are one of the NBA's worst, and because he has been terrible at building a franchise. There is no doubt some schadenfreude at work here, with those who couldn't defeat Jordan as rival players or executives, or those who covered the league and watched the deferential treatment Jordan and the Bulls received. They now delight in burying him. What a bunch of morons. The end game: How sports stars battle through retirement . We all led comfortable lives because of Jordan: Me, all the sycophantic TV guys and writers in Chicago, everyone who worked at NBC in the '90s, everyone who played against him and who wrote about him. That doesn't mean you canonize the guy; it means you acknowledge that his excellence contributed directly to your well being, like the NASCAR driver who thanks the guys who designed the car. The NBA in the time of Jordan was at its zenith as a cultural force and a ratings behemoth, capable of drawing in what television people call "casual viewers," who didn't know a pick and roll from a pimento roll, but who nonetheless turned on Jordan and the Chicago Bulls when they were winning championships. Athletes tend to get watered down with time, their rough edges rubbed out by biographers and historians who often fail to apply the rigorous discipline of their craft to sports, so much do they want to remain fans. Mickey Mantle's alcoholism was never front and center until it had almost killed him. God, I hope that never happens with Jordan. There are those who were appalled by his Hall of Fame speech, in which he sneered at those who had ever doubted him. I thought it was great. He finally showed everyone who he really was. There has been far too much hagiography written about Jordan, both in the past and now, far too much hero worship for a man who was, at his core, not an especially empathic person. That is not written pejoratively, for almost all the great athletes in any sport were singularly driven individuals who didn't play well with others. Do you hear stories of Tiger Woods yukking it up in clubhouses with his opponents? Bleacher Report: Jordan's unofficial guide to NBA success . Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas were each reviled by at least a few teammates for their brutal verbal takedowns of lesser players --and almost everyone in their respective locker rooms were lesser players. Jordan was merely the ultimate example of that ruthlessness, that desire to win that mutated into obsession. He finally won a title when he was surrounded by teammates who endured as much as they enjoyed, who could take his relentless prodding and testing and fight back, either verbally or on the court. Make no mistake -- many of them made millions of dollars and became Hall of Fame credible playing next to him. Jordan's Bulls came to town, won the game, took over the fans, took your pride, took your girl, took everything that wasn't nailed down. But it came with a price. But I liked that about Jordan. He was the best player I ever saw, the most determined, the toughest mentally, the most confident, the least insecure. His will was second to none. He took everyone on, and ultimately beat them. That is the Jordan that is worth remembering, no matter what he winds up doing in Charlotte: Young and handsome and dynamic and so willing to cut out your heart and show it to you. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Aldridge.
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Basketball great Michael Jordan turns 50 on Sunday .
David Aldridge: Jordan was epitome of "that desire to win that mutated into obsession"
Jordan was the best player, most determined and toughest mentally, Aldridge says .
Aldridge: "His will was second to none. He took everyone on, and ultimately beat them"
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(CNN) -- The situation along the U.S. southern border is complicated. There are no easy answers to the problem of thousands of desperate children, many unaccompanied minors, fleeing chaos, violence and governmental collapse in Central America. Yet seeing some of my fellow Americans jeering busloads of frightened children and hearing commentators dismiss these children as someone else's problem has left me wondering exactly what kind of country we have turned into, and how quickly we forget our own history. My grandfather arrived on Ellis Island in 1907 as an unaccompanied 9-year-old from an impoverished small town in what is now Belarus. The situation he fled was probably less dire than that of many of the Central Americans arriving today. But it was bad enough. His father had died. His widowed mother's only alternative to destitution was a quick remarriage, but the presence of the strong-willed boy was a serious impediment to her prospects. So little Chaim was farmed out to his elderly grandmother, for whom he was clearly too much to handle. He continually ran away from home and school, sometimes for days at time. Chaim became a kind of unlikely Jewish mascot of a local gang of non-Jewish teens. With a child's unerring instinct of how to get under the skin of his new, strictly observant stepfather, he began to eat pork with his rough companions. Decades later he would recall his days as a freedom-loving village hooligan with a mischievous grin, but it does not take much historical imagination to understand why the adults around him were terrified. Political violence, anti-Semitic pogroms, criminal gangs and violent state repression were all on the rise in the waning days of the Russian empire. In this dangerous, chaotic time, Chaim must have seemed headed for certain disaster. The local rabbi was consulted and a course of action was recommended: Send the incorrigible little delinquent off to live with his late father's cousins in America — a land so full of incorrigible delinquents that one more would scarcely be noticed. Chaim arrived at Ellis Island penniless and alone. Social workers kept him there until they found a cousin willing to claim him. It didn't take, however. Sixty years later he told me this cousin had a big beard and reminded him of the teachers and rabbis back in the shtetl that he had run away from in the first place. Whatever the real reason, by age 11 he had run away from the cousin, too, and was more or less on his own for good. Early days in America were not auspicious. He wandered the streets of New York's Lower East Side and Brownsville, sleeping in a stable and working for pennies by helping out teamsters on their wagons. In his late teens he became a boxer — never very good — and a bouncer at a saloon. Only 5-foot-2, he acquired the nickname of "Little Frenchy" a tribute to a street brawler named Frenchy whose fighting style he emulated. The name stuck for the rest of his life. He did stints in orphanages and reformatories and a short one in adult jail, when he lied about his age to avoid the juvenile authorities. And yet, from this unpromising beginning, an American family sprang. After this rocky start -- Frenchy, like many thousands of other one time "unaccompanied minors" — eventually became a very solid American. He volunteered for the U.S. Army during World War I and became an American citizen. After the war he started a small moving business that grew to be modestly successful, employing about a dozen men. He married a U.S.-born girl whose family came from his hometown. Together they ran the business, raised two sons who later served in the U.S. military and went on to successful careers. Frenchy and his wife lived to see their grandchildren, who eventually became reasonably decent and productive Americans. And, much to the annoyance of those grandchildren, my grandparents also became knee-jerk patriots, loudly supporting all things American even at the height of the Vietnam War. Not knowing his real birthday, Frenchy always listed July 4 as his date of birth. He voted, joined civic groups and paid taxes. Indeed, one of my father's favorite stories about my grandfather concerned a year in the late 1940s when his accountant told him that after depreciation on his trucks and various other deductions, he owed no federal tax. Frenchy would have none of it. To the accountant's horror, he insisted on writing a check for the same amount he had paid the previous year. America had taken him in when he was a hungry, frightened child. Whatever his shortcomings, America had allowed him to prosper by the sweat of his brow. Now a successful man, he was not going to hide behind some accountant's tricks and shirk his duty to pay his fair share. Paying his share was what a man did. It was what an American did. While he never lost his youthful distaste for organized religion, he had an almost religious belief in the essential goodness of his adopted homeland. And yes, Frenchy broke the rules and occasionally some laws to get here and survive here. If that is a contradiction, it is the kind of contradiction that animates many American lives. That is the kind of country we are, and for the most part, it's worked out pretty well. I wonder how many people screaming at frightened children in Murrieta, California, have an ancestor with a similar story. I wonder why so many Americans have forgotten their history. And I wonder, if they are allowed to stay, what sort of Americans will the brave, resilient children on those buses someday become?
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Philip Kasinitz: Children at border a complicated problem; some fellow Americans uncharitable .
He says grandfather sent to NY from Belarus in 1907 at 9. His parents feared growing violence .
Chaim was penniless, scrappy, made his way on his own; married, had kids, was patriotic .
Kasinitz: Chaim was a loyal, industrious citizen. Have border protesters forgotten their roots?
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Mose Masoe says Samoa are out to 'shock the world' when they make their Four Nations debut against England in Brisbane. The St Helens prop forward missed the Samoans' Pacific Cup win over Fiji in May as he concentrated on his first season in Super League but he has been recalled, along with Wakefield half-back or hooker Pita Godinet, for their heavyweight clashes down under. 'I was quite surprised to get in,' said Masoe, fresh from his club's Grand Final triumph. 'They had a good performance against Fiji but the coach kept faith in some of the players who came over here. St Helens prop forward Mose Masoe will be hoping to shock England with Samoa in the Four Nations . 'I'm really stoked to be selected again. It's going to be a great tournament. We've got quite a strong squad too so we can shock the world I guess. 'Our outside backs are handy - a couple played in the Grand Final for the Bulldogs, and we have a forward pack that can match it with the best. 'In the World Cup we showed we can do something and this is another step for us.' Masoe, of course, will be familiar with the opposition while head coach Matt Parish has also been able to call on former St Helens and Great Britain scrum-half Sean Long, the Salford assistant who was his right-hand man during the World Cup and has flown out to Brisbane for the start of the Four Nations Series. Samoa are without former St Helens forward Sia Soliola, who captained them in the World Cup, and their preparations have been overshadowed by the suspension of three of their players amid allegations that they were involved in a nightclub brawl. Parish was forced to leave out Canterbury Bulldogs forward Reni Maitua - a team-mate of England's acting captain James Graham - North Queensland Cowboys centre Tautau Moga and Wests Tigers back-rower Sauaso Sue while Canterbury centre Tim Lafai is unavailable due to his wedding.
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Samoa set for Four Nations debut against England in Brisbane .
St Helens prop Masoe has been called up to the Samoa squad alongside Wakefield hooker Pita Godinet .
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Los Angeles (CNN) -- Tony Scott's fatal plunge from a California bridge Sunday remained a public mystery Tuesday as medical investigators and his family disputed a report that the British director suffered from inoperable brain cancer. Scott, best known for the films "Top Gun" and "Beverly Hills Cop II," apparently committed suicide by jumping from the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro, California, about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, said Lt. Joe Bale of the coroner's office. Scott, 68, wrote two notes before his death, including a message left in his Los Angeles office that was apparently for family members, a coroner official said. The second note, detailing contact information for authorities investigating his death, was found in his Toyota Prius parked nearby, the official said. Investigators would not say what clues those notes may have given them concerning Scott's motivation for suicide, which Bale said was the apparent cause of death. "There's nothing to indicate it is anything else at this time," he said Monday. Director Tony Scott: An appreciation . It will be weeks before the findings of Monday's autopsy are made public, the coroner's office said Tuesday. "Our examination is complete and we will be working towards a comprehensive document once we close the case," Deputy Chief Coroner Ed Winter said. An ABC report Monday suggested the director was scripting his own death after being told by a doctor that he was dying of inoperable brain cancer. The network did not name the source of its information. "I did talk to the family yesterday late afternoon, and according to his wife, he did not have brain cancer as reported, and (she) does not know who told ABC that information, which is absolutely false," Winter said. Scott's unexplained death shocked the Hollywood stars who worked with him on a long list of successful movies over the past three decades. Denzel Washington, who starred in several Scott-directed thrillers -- including 2010's "Unstoppable" -- said it was "unfathomable to think that he is now gone." Tony Scott: Unstoppable Hollywood force . "He had a tremendous passion for life and for the art of filmmaking and was able to share this passion with all of us through his cinematic brilliance," he said. Born Anthony D.L. Scott in North Shields, England, in 1944, the director got his start as a teenager in front of the camera, starring in his older brother Ridley Scott's film "Boy and Bicycle." In 1995, the two joined forces to create the production company Scott Free Productions. Tony Scott became a household name in 1986 as director of the mega-hit "Top Gun," starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. He followed that up with the Eddie Murphy action movie "Beverly Hills Cop II" in 1987. Both Cruise and Murphy released statements mourning the loss of their director. "Tony was my dear friend and I will really miss him. He was a creative visionary whose mark on film is immeasurable. My deepest sorrow and thoughts are with his family at this time," Cruise said. Scott made tense films for jittery times . Murphy described Scott as a "wonderful collaborator" and said he will be missed. Pepperdine University film professor Craig Detweiler called Scott "the supreme stylist" who "operated at the top of his game throughout each decade of his career." "He was able to make the thinnest of premises into something pulse-pounding and exciting, and he's almost a filmmaker as a magician who found drama amidst almost contrived situations," he said. Taking his own life by jumping from a bridge is "a high-adrenaline ending, which matches his dramatic style," Detweiler said. "He put Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Tom Cruise in movies where one man overcomes all struggles, triumphs over struggles, and yet it appears he was not able to write that story for himself," he said. Actor Michael Rapaport, who was directed by Scott in "True Romance," took to Twitter to praise the director. In one post, he said there hasn't been a day since the movie was released in 1993 that someone doesn't tell him how much they loved the film. "Tony Scott was a sweet enthusiastic & lovin man," Rapaport wrote. Scott cemented his reputation for big-budget action films with 1990's "Revenge" starring Kevin Costner and "Days of Thunder" with Cruise. In 1998, he directed "Enemy of the State" with actors Smith and Gene Hackman. It was on the set of "Days of Thunder" where Scott met actress Donna Wilson, whom he married in 1994. They had twin sons. Reaction to Scott's death poured out Monday, with directors, actors and fans mourning the news. 11 Scott films we'll remember . "Being around you was always the ultimate experience -- intensity, vitality and celebration. Pure rock and roll and great cigars. Your warmth and generosity was palpable to all us. You treated everyone with care and respect," said actor Edgar Ramirez, who starred in Scott's 2005 film, "Domino." "You always focused on the subtleties, taking the best out of us. I am proud to be your friend, and although I won't be seeing you for a while, you will live on in the laughter of our memories of you." "Tony Scott as a friend and a mentor was irreplaceable. Tone, wherever you are, I love you man. RIP," director and producer Joe Carnahan said on Twitter. Carnahan recounted how when his movie "The Grey" was finished, Scott called to tell him he had seen it. He told Carnahan it was great and not to allow anybody to change anything in it. "Tony always sent personal, handwritten notes & always drew a cartoon caricature of himself, smoking a cigar, with his hat colored in red," Carnahan said in a post. Psychiatrist: I hate suicide but also understand it . Scott directed his last film, the train thriller "Unstoppable" starring Washington, in 2010. "For me, it was the most challenging movie of my life, and the most dangerous because I'm shooting 90 percent of the movie on a train that is running between 50 and 70 mph," Scott told CNN at the time. Scott's reputation in Hollywood was low-key. "He wasn't a showy kind of guy," longtime entertainment reporter Jeanne Wolf told CNN. Scott was often seen sporting a frayed, faded red ball cap on movie sets and at red carpet premieres. The ball cap, Wolf said, was his trademark. While Scott's movies garnered box office success, they never received the acclaim that generated Academy Award nominations. In 2002, the Scott brothers won an Emmy for the television movie "The Gathering Storm." Scott also was nominated for the Emmy as a producer for the CBS drama "The Good Wife." "So very, very sorry to hear of the death of Tony Scott," actress Martha Plimpton, who appeared in "The Good Wife," said via Twitter. Among his last projects was serving as an executive producer on the TV miniseries "Coma," which is due to air this year. People we've lost in 2012: The lives they lived . CNN's Kareen Wynter contributed to this report.
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Film director Tony Scott left two notes before his apparent suicide, a coroner official says .
It will be weeks before autopsy results are made public, an official says .
"Unfathomable to think that he is now gone," Denzel Washington says .
Scott is best known for the films "Top Gun" and "Beverly Hills Cop II"
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11003d29d8614fbde5232b1f34e8fbdbe919344b
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 02:56 EST, 6 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:39 EST, 6 April 2013 . A teacher has had to undergo an emergency operation to save his testicle after he was savaged by an out-of-control dog. Joel Goodman, 28, was left bleeding in agony on the ground as the dog's owner callously walked away saying: 'I'm not from around here.' The dog - thought to be an English Bull Terrier - sank it's teeth into Joel's groin during a morning run near his home in Epping, Essex. Recovering: Joel Goodman after the emergency operation to save his testicle . Blood-soaked, Joel staggered to a friend's house and was driven to Harlow's Princess Alexandra Hospital where he underwent surgery. English Bull Terrier: Victim Joel was believed to have been attacked by one of the breed . Their journey was slowed by rush-hour traffic but they flagged down a passing police car which then sped them to the hospital. The operation was a success but Joel has been left with psychological scars from the attack. He said: 'The dog came out of an alleyway and went straight for me and I did not even have chance to react. 'I did not even see it and it just took a bite. 'The incident was over so quickly but the consequences are going to last for a lot longer. 'Thankfully the doctors were able to save my testicle but I keep re-living the attack and am suffering from anxiety as a result of it.' Mr Goodman, who teaches singing, is now calling for the dog to be caught and put down before it has a chance to attack another innocent person. He added: 'It is really hard to talk about this but something has to be done. 'I want the dog put down and the owner prosecuted before it happens to somebody else.' Police issued a description of the dog's owner following the 9am attack on March 26th. He was of Eastern European appearance and aged between 35 and 40. Anyone with information about the incident has been asked to contact Essex Police on 101. Care: Harlow's Princess Alexandra Hospital where Joel was taken after the dog attack .
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Dog - thought to be an English Bull Terrier - came out of alleyway .
'I did not even see it and it just took a bite,' says victim Joel, 28 .
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11012c89ae6add4d46dad8064b7609cf8e9a50a3
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Senate was called to order for 11 seconds on Wednesday as the last political scuffle of the year between the White House and the Democratic-led Congress played out. Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break to prevent recess appointments. Nearly all the senators left the Capitol for the Christmas holiday last week, but Democrats are keeping the Senate in session to block President Bush from making any recess appointments -- a constitutional mechanism that allows the president, during congressional recesses, to fill top government posts for up to one year without Senate confirmation. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Virginia, opened and then immediately gaveled the Senate session to a close. He spent 57 seconds in the chamber. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, announced December 19 that he would keep the Senate open with a series of "pro forma" sessions through mid-January. Talks had just broken down with the White House on a deal that would have allowed the president to make dozens of those appointments if he agreed not to appoint one controversial official, Steven Bradbury, as the permanent head of the influential Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. Bush declined to accept the Democrats' offer, and Reid refused to approve Bradbury because of concerns about his involvement in crafting legal opinions for the administration on interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects. Similar sessions were conducted over the Thanksgiving recess. Webb also did the duty Friday, but he won't be the only senator tasked with presiding over the shortened sessions. Other Democrats -- including Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Cardin of Maryland and Chuck Schumer of New York -- will share the duty. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Ted Barrett and Vandana Kilaru contributed to this report .
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Democratic senators will hold short "pro forma" sessions over the holiday break .
Sessions usually under one minute long .
Move prevents President Bush from making recess appointments .
Bush refused to withdraw one controversial nominee after Democratic offer .
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The former Oregon State University who filmed a porn video in the school's library has launched a sugar daddy dating site for broke college girls. Kendra Sunderland, 19, of Corvallis, Oregon, writes on the site, called Date Broke College Girls, 'I created this site to match college girls like me who are struggling to pay for school and looking for a rich older boyfriend. Hopefully this will keep them from getting naked in the library and help them use it to study!' She also said she created the site to help women feel 'empowered' Scroll down for video . Kendra Sunderland (above) has launched a sugar daddy dating site . The site is called Date Broke College Girls (above) and she is hoping it will 'empower' women . Sunderland claims she is the first ;sugar baby' to manage a site . 'I wanted to create a place online where young women can feel empowered, and meet successful individuals that can help them during a very stressful and challenging time,' she said in an interview with Coed. 'I’m personally a member of the sugar dating community, and have seen the benefits these relationships provide a young woman firsthand. Everyone benefits from having a mentor that can help you navigate challenges, especially ones they’ve overcome themselves – like managing student debts and starting a career.' It is the also the first site of its kind to be run by a 'sugar baby.' This after Sunderland made a video last October for the site MyFreeCams, and in it was seen topless at times and also touching herself, all while students walked around her in the school library, completely unaware of the young woman's video. Then, in January, someone uploaded the video to the popular site PornHub, making Sunderland an instant celebrity in the adult film world as the video received close to 300,000 views in just a few days before being taken down. And while her parents may be upset and the young woman was cited with public indecency, Kendra is hoping the hype around her library escapades is just what she needs to launch a modelling career. Sunderland became well known for the porn video she shot at the Oregon State libray (above) in October . Sunderland (above) hopes that the hype around the video will help her to launch a modelling career . The idea to start doing videos on MyFreeCams, which features women doing live webcam shows in which they can make money as viewers tip them with virtual tokens they buy from the site, came after Sundelrand could not find a waitressing job near campus. She did her first webcam video in October, and in an hour had made $150 - and earned plenty of compliments. 'Working a minimum wage job, there’s people that are just mean to you when they’re having a crappy day,' she told the Daily News. 'On MyFreeCams, [users] had nothing but nice things to say. And I made way more than I would working any other job.' She started making videos regularly at her home while her roommates were out, including one in which she had sex with a former boyfriend, and then, at the suggestion of one of the site's users, decided to take her show to a public place. That is when she made the library video, which earned her $700 for about an hour, and within a few weeks she had made the decision to drop out of college and focus on making videos for the site. Then, in January, she was sitting in her room when she began getting a barrage of friend requests from 'frat boys,' and then, after checking the gossip app YikYak, learned that everyone was talking about the 'library girl.' Her mother also began receiving messages around that time as well, as concerned friends started asking about her daughter, and while there was some relief Sunderland explains when her mother learned she had just filmed a video and had not been hurt, the mother still told her daughter; 'This is just something you can learn a lesson from and move on.' That is not what Sunderland intends to do however, a decision that has now made her parents 'upset' she reveals, as the offers are not pouring in for the young woman, and she just completed her first professional photo shoot. One thing people will not be seeing Sunderland do anymore however is webcam shows on MyFreeCams - the site has now banned her for violating their guidelines with her library clip. She is also banned from the Oregon State campus and last week was arrested and cited with public indecency before being released. As for how the video made its way to PornHub, Sunderland says she has 'no clue.'
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Kendra Sunderland, 19, of Corvallis, Oregon, filmed a webcam video in the Oregon State library in which she was topless and touching herself .
Now she is launching a sugar daddy dating site for broke college girls called Date Broke College Girls .
Sunderland's video was made in October and then uploaded to the popular site PornHub in January, receiving almost 300,000 views in just days .
Sunderland reveals that while her parents are 'upset' that their daughter is now known as 'library girl,' she thinks this could be her big break .
She has already done a professional photo shoot and says that she has also received numerous other offers in the past week .
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110282b64ecc70fae0789a95256116618805239f
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By . Richard Sears . An 85-year-old Japanese man has earned the reputation of being perhaps the world's oldest stalker after making unwanted amorous advances to an 80-year-old great grandmother. The granddad fell for the octogenarian apple of his eye when they shared a hospital room with his wife, who has since died. On his release from hospital and later entering the lonely life of an aged widower, Takeo Nitta, from Hashimoto - 250 miles from Tokyo - remembered the granny from the adjoining bed. Takeo Nitta, 85, was arrested for breaking into a 80-year-old woman's home after he left numerous messages on her answering machine wanting to 'go out' He started leaving telephone messages on her phone's answering machine to the effect of 'I'm waiting outside your house. Let's go out.' The unnamed great granny was having nothing of it and complained to the police. Nitta was warned to stay away from the woman but when he continued with the messages he was given a second warning. But, the Japan Today website reported, his behaviour escalated to the point that on May 2 he broke into the woman's house. He has now been arrested and faces charges under Japan's anti-stalking laws. It has not been revealed if he has been detained behind bars. A police spokesman said the grandfather had largely admitted that he had been making advances to the woman, who has not been named. The elderly man, from Hashimoto (pictured) in Japan, met the great grandmother in a hospital room she shared with his now deceased wife . The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported last week that the couple had met when Nitta and his now-dead wife shared a hospital room with her. The website said the number of crimes committed by the elderly in Japan is rocketing because so many people are living longer. Government figures show the number of criminals aged 65 or older in 2011 had risen six-fold in two decades. Statistics show that while most crimes by the elderly amount to shoplifting or theft, violent incidents are on the increase. Now, if the charges against Takeo Nitta are proved, police can open a new file under the heading Octogenarian Stalking.
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Takeo Nitta from Japan, was arrested after breaking into the woman's home .
He met her in a hospital room she shared with his now-deceased wife .
The number of elderly criminals in Japan has risen six-fold in two decades .
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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 13:13 EST, 24 February 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 17:14 EST, 24 February 2014 . The roof of the historic Metrodome stadium, once home to the Minnesota Vikings, has been demolished using controlled explosives. A series of dynamite charges were set off on Sunday about 7.30am. Within seconds, the roof ring fell and several walls collapsed in a cloud of dust at the stadium, long considered one of the worst in sports' venues. The 32-year-old facility in downtown Minneapolis was being demolished last week but officials halted work after one part of the ring beam fell out of sequence. Scroll down for demolition video . Parts of the Metrodome stadium fall on Sunday in Minneapolis. Crews are planning to use controlled explosive charges as they continue to demolish the roof structure . The 32-year-old facility was being demolished last week but a ring beam fell out of sequence - forcing the use of explosives . After consulting with structural and demolition experts, the Minnesota Sports Facility Authority recommended bringing down the remaining portion of the ring beam with controlled explosives. Contractors did so using 84 charges of dynamite in 24 columns of the upper concourse. The public were kept 250 feet from the site, and the nearby light-rail station was closed during the demolition. The explosion went off without a hitch and no one was injured during the controlled event. Mortenson Construction said that the demolition of the Metrodome is still on schedule. It is expected to be completely torn down by the end of April 2014. The stadium opened in 1982 and was home to the NFL team Minnesota Vikings until the end of the last season. The top tier of the southeast side of the Metrodome collapsed unexpectedly earlier this month . The decades-old Metrodome stadium was home to the Minnesota Vikings football team . Teams moved in to demolish the Metrodome the day after the Vikings last game on December 29, 2013. The . Vikings new stadium, which is being built nearby, will be ready by the . 2016 season. They are temporarily being housed at TCF Bank Stadium - . home to the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Metrodome was the ninth-oldest stadium in the NFL and known locally as 'The Dome' and 'The Thunderdome'. The Metrodome cost $55 million to build - coming in under budget. It is the only venue in the world which has hosted a MLB All-Star Game (1985), a Super Bowl (1992), an NCAA Final Four (1992 & 2001) and a World Series (1987 & 1991). One major criticism of the stadium was that it was incredibly loud to watch a game due to the fabric-domed roof which amplified the sound. A torn section of the roof sags inside the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on December 13, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Metrodome's roof collapsed under the weight of snow after a powerful blizzard hit the area . The . Metrodome's air-supported roof collapsed under the weight of snow from a . severe winter storm in early December 2010 when more than 17 inches . fell. Many games in the . sports calendar were forced to be canceled until the roof was finally . replaced in August 2011 at a cost of $18million. The MLB's Minnesota Twins played at the Metrodome between 1982 - 2009 before moving to Target Field. It was considered one of the worst venues for baseball in an ESPN survey of fans in 2001 because the shape of the stadium made it near impossible to see the pitcher's mound and home plate from some seats. The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome on the last game played by the Minnesota Vikings before demolition of the stadium against the Detroit Lions on December 29, 2013 . The Metrodome roof collapsed in 2010 due to heavy snow across Minnesota . The Minnesota Twins take on the Baltimore Orioles at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2001. The MLB team moved out of the stadium in 2009 .
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The 32-year-old facility in Minneapolis was being demolished last week but officials halted work after one part of the .
ring beam fell out of sequence .
Contractors did so using 84 charges of dynamite in 24 columns of the upper concourse .
Stadium expected to be completely torn down by the end of April this year .
Baseball fans voted it one of the worst to watch the game because the home plate could not be seen from all seats .
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1103fda804ec7bdd25ee40889175ad2233487878
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By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 15:29 EST, 5 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:30 EST, 5 May 2013 . Arrested: Stevie McMullen, 31, was caught this afternoon, having been on the run since Tuesday . A man who went on the run after he was freed from a prison van on his way to trial has been arrested, police confirmed tonight. Stevie McMullen, 31, was being taken to court alongside Ryan MacDonald, 20, when three masked men armed with guns attacked the GEOAmey prison transport vehicle in Salford on Tuesday. Police caught McMullen this afternoon, travelling in a car with two other men on the A6, near Lancaster University, Greater Manchester Police said. ‘Dangerous’ MacDonald is still at large and there is a £10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. At the time of the escape, McMullen . was due to appear on trial for conspiracies to kidnap, rob, commit arson . and possess a firearm. He has now been arrested on suspicion of escaping from lawful custody. The other two men, aged 27 and 25, . were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. They have been . taken into police custody for questioning. Assistant Chief Constable Steve . Heywood said: ‘Since two prisoners were sprung from a GEOAmey prison van . on Tuesday, our officers have been working round-the-clock to trace . these fugitives and bring them back into custody. ‘This afternoon, we have arrested a . 31-year-old man in the Lancashire area as part of this operation, but . our efforts will continue to trace 20-year-old Ryan MacDonald, who is . still wanted by police.' ‘On Friday, a £10,000 reward was put . forward for information leading to the capture of these two men. This . full £10,000 reward still stands for anyone who gives us information . that leads to MacDonald's arrest and will be paid when he is back behind . bars. Investigation: The GEOAmey prison van was on Regent Road with its side door open and glass all over the road . Looking: A police officer stands guard at the crime scene where two men escaped from a prison van in Salford . Probe: A forensic officer retrieves evidence at the crime scene where two men escaped from a prison van . ‘I would ask members of the public not . to approach this man due to the potential danger he poses, but if you . see him then please call the police immediately. ‘We continue to follow up on a number . of leads but I would also like to offer MacDonald the opportunity to . hand himself in, which he can do either by calling police himself, or by . contacting a trusted family member, friend or his solicitor.’ Still at large: Ryan MacDonald, 20, who has now been sentenced in his absence, is still on the run . Shortly after 9am on Tuesday, a prison . van carrying prisoners from HMP Altcourse to Manchester Crown Square . was attacked on Regent Road, Salford, by at least three men wearing dark . clothing and balaclavas. The men had arrived at the location in a dark coloured Saab and threatened staff transporting the prisoners with a shotgun. Five men - believed to be three . offenders and the two escaped prisoners - then got back into the Saab, . which was driven a short distance and abandoned. It is believed three ran towards a nearby estate and two may have further escaped on a motorbike that was later found abandoned. On Tuesday, April 30 a 28-year-old . woman and 24-year-old man were detained at a house on the Ordsall . estate, Salford on suspicion of being involved in assisting an offender. They have been released on bail pending further inquiries until June . 26. MacDonald was due to be sentenced for conspiracy to commit robbery and aggravated vehicle taking when he escaped. His delayed hearing was held on Friday at Manchester Crown Court as he was jailed for seven years and 10 months. The 20-year-old defendant had pleaded guilty to the offences at an earlier hearing. MacDonald was part of a gang who . targeted pawnbrokers in Manchester and Salford where jewellery was . stolen in daylight smash-and-grab raids. Dangerous: Police warn that 20-year-old Ryan McDonald, of Salford, is still at large and should not be approached . Response: Two inmates escaped after a prison van was attacked on a road in Salford, Greater Manchester . Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan . said on Friday: ‘It is unfortunate that MacDonald wasn't present today . to see this sentence being passed down but we will track him down and . find him to ensure that he does get his day in the dock. ‘The offences for which he has been . sentenced today only underline just how dangerous he is. So I would like . to continue my plea to anyone who has information on his whereabouts to . call us. ‘This man has no place on our streets . and will not be allowed to undermine the work we have done in Salford to . help make people feel safe. ‘Anyone who sees MacDonald is not to approach him but call the police.’ Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 5237, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or, in an emergency, call 999. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Stevie McMullen, 31, and Ryan McDonald, 20, escaped on Tuesday .
Three armed men attacked prison van taking them to Manchester court .
McMullen was arrested today, 'dangerous' MacDonald is still at large .
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1104abc723efbefbc82d07f7ddb648d28b5be016
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By . Rebecca English . PUBLISHED: . 13:23 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 21:04 EST, 3 December 2013 . It was, she joked, rather like the blind leading the blind. Still, with a little help from actress Barbara Windsor the Duchess of Cornwall managed to pull off a billion euro charity deal today. The actress giggled her way through the event with the Duchess as the pair worked the phones. Shrugging her shoulders in bewilderment as she juggled phones on the trading floor, Camilla admitted she was utterly flummoxed as fancy dress-clad brokers frantically traded around her. Deal: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and British actress Barbara Windsor took part in the ICAP Charity Day . Got the giggles: Camilla and Barbara Windsor seemed to enjoy themselves, as did TV presenter Gaby Roslin . Fair trade: Actress Barbara Windsor appeared to be getting into the spirit of things as she worked the phones . Strictly Come Dancing judge, Craig Revel Horwood, also helped with the day and the Duchess joked with him as they tried to work out what to do. Turning to Mr Revel Horwood, whom she . has known for many years through their shared charity work, she said: 'I . have no idea whatsoever what I am meant to be doing!' The Australian-born choreographer just laughed and said: 'Darling, it’s all gorgeous, let’s just do this!' In the end they did – doing a deal for a 'yard' of euros, trading slang for one billion - which netted £23,000 for charities the Duchess supports. Broker Jonathan Gravestock said afterwards: 'It was huge deal, five times the size of our usual deal, and normally takes days to set up. She was a good sport.' Camilla was on the trading floor of City firm ICAP, a leading markets operator. Each year it gives away all its revenue and commissions on a chosen day to charity and since 1993 has raised £100 million worldwide. Camilla agreed to take part this year as donations will this year be made to two organisations of which she is patron. London calling: The Duchess of Cornwall and Craig Revel-Horwood man the phones during the deal . Definitely 10 points! Craig Revel-Horwood looks thrilled as he realises that he's made £23,000 for charity . Shelterbox, which provides emergency shelter and supplies to families made homeless by disaster or conflict, including current victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the National Osteoporosis Society, the only UK-wife charity dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the fragile bone disease. The royal’s mother and grandmother both died from the debilitating condition. Dressed in a smart blue tweed suit and pearls, the Duchess took the hustle and bustle of the floor in her stride and didn’t bat an eyelid at the often outlandish fancy dress outfits that the brokers wore for the day. She happily posed for photographs with gladiators, killer clowns, basketball players and even a team of Moldovian Eurovision Song Contest entrants – whatever that may be. Down at the i-swap Beach Party, she roared as she was greeted by two female financiers wearing inflatable Sumo outfits and bikinis and even tried her hand at their interactive surfing game (although she declined the proffered glass of Malibu and pineapple). Surprise! The Danish dealer at the other end of the phone was surprised to find himself talking to Camilla . Unusual: Some of the brokers had arrived in fancy dress, including this pair of female sumo wrestlers . After conducting a dollar swap with the Duchess, broker Richard Mason said: 'She did well. She seemed a little nervous but probably not as nervous as I am. I was shaking.' Emerging markets broker Duncan Fotheringham also helped Camilla with another deal and added: 'She’s just dealt with Copenhagen and closed a trade, superbly, I might add, with a lot of style and panache.' Other celebrities on the floor included Homeland actor Damian Lewis and Barbara Windsor, who also campaigns for the National Osteoporosis Society. Camilla told the actress: 'I’ve not idea what we are doing but will try to do my best.' Barbara replied: 'Nor have I, we could get into trouble you know.' Speaking afterwards Mr Revel Horwood, who is a patron of the National Osteoporosis Society, said the Duchess had been 'huge fun'. Spooky: A surprisingly cheerful skeleton watched as Camilla took on a Danish broker in Copenhagen . Colourful: Other workers, dressed as hippies, waited by the ICAP front entrance to greet Camilla . 'I couldn’t quite believe what we were doing or the figure we were talking about. I had to borrow a red studded glove from one of the brokers as my hand was shaking and sweating so much that I couldn’t hold the phone,' he said. The Strictly judge, who has just undergone hip replacement surgery at the age of just 48, added of his condition: 'Thankfully I appear to be recovering well. 'It seems as if I have a touch of osteoarthritis, which is interesting giving the work the Duchess and I do, but I did a few spins last week and although I was a bit worried about it, thankfully my hip didn’t pop out. 'I’m now in rehearsals for panto. Things seem to be going well.'
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The Duchess joined the Strictly judge for a charity event in London .
The pair were at City trading firm ICAP to raise funds for good causes .
Duchess' billion-euro deal raised £23,000 for favourite charities .
Were joined by actress Barbara Windsor and Homeland's Damien Lewis .
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1104d8c069df1a4aaf2f776459fb519c70a9dc8e
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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Hours after declaring a state of emergency Saturday, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf ordered troops to take a television station's equipment and put a popular opposition leader under house arrest. President Pervez Musharraf explains his actions in a televised address Saturday. Musharraf also suspended the constitution and dismissed the Pakistan Supreme Court's chief justice for the second time. On Sunday, police arrested the Javed Hashmi, the acting president of ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's opposition party was arrested, along with 10 aides, The Associated Press reported. Hashimi was arrested when he stepped outside his house in the central city of Multan, AP reported. The country is at a critical and dangerous juncture -- threatened by rising tensions and spreading terrorism, Musharraf said in a televised address to the nation after declaring martial law. As Pakistani police patrolled the streets of the capital, Islamabad, Musharraf said his actions were "for the good of Pakistan." Watch Musharraf's speech » . There was quick condemnation from within and outside his country. The Supreme Court declared the state of emergency illegal, claiming Musharraf -- who also is Pakistan's military chief -- had no power to suspend the constitution, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry said. Shortly afterward, government troops came to Chaudhry's office and told him the president had dismissed him from his job. Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar was quickly appointed to replace him, according to state television. It was the second time Chaudhry was removed from his post. His ousting by Musharraf in March prompted massive protests, and he was later reinstated. See a timeline of upheaval in Pakistan » . Musharraf complained in his speech that the media -- which he made independent -- have not been supportive, but have reported "negative" news. Early Sunday, two dozen policemen raided the offices of AAJ-TV in Islamabad, saying they had orders to take the station's equipment. The government also issued a directive warning the media that any criticism of the president or prime minister would be punishable by three years in jail and a fine of up to $70,000, said Talat Hussain, director of news and current affairs for AAJ. Watch a former Pakistani P.M. call the developments in his country 'disturbing' » . U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice -- who is in Turkey for a conference with Iraq and neighboring nations -- said The United States doesn't support any extra-constitutional measures taken by Musharraf. "The situation is just unfolding," Rice said. "But anything that takes Pakistan off the democratic path, off the path of civilian rule is a step backward, and it's highly regrettable." A senior Pakistani official said the emergency declaration will be "short-lived," and will be followed by an interim government. Martial law is only a way to restore law and order, he said. Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, agreed. "I can assure you, he will move on the part of democracy that is promised ... and you will see that happen shortly." Musharraf was re-elected president in October, but the election is not yet legally official, because the Supreme Court is hearing constitutional challenges to Musharraf's eligibility filed by the opposition. Under the constitution, Musharraf couldn't run for another term while serving both as president and military leader. The court allowed the election to go ahead, however, saying it would decide the issue later. Some speculated that the declaration of emergency is tied to rumors the court was planning to rule against Musharraf. Musharraf has said repeatedly he will step down as military leader before the next term begins on November 15 and has promised to hold parliamentary elections by January 15. Meanwhile, popular opposition leader Imran Khan said early Sunday that police surrounded his house in Lahore, barged in and told him he was under house arrest. Musharraf also had Khan placed under house arrest during a government crackdown in March 2006. Asked about Musharraf's actions Saturday, Khan said, "We are going to oppose this in every way." "None of us accept ... this whole drama about emergency." Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto -- who arrived in Karachi Saturday from Dubai, where she had gone to visit her family -- described a "wave of disappointment" at Musharraf's actions. Watch crowds surround Bhutto upon her arrival » . Bhutto -- who returned to Pakistan last month after several years in exile -- wants to lift her Pakistan People's Party to victory in January's parliamentary election in the hope she can have a third term as prime minister. The nation's political atmosphere has been tense for months, with Pakistani leaders in August considering a state of emergency because of the growing security threats in the country's lawless tribal regions. But Musharraf, influenced in part by Rice, held off on the move. Watch a report on the volatile situation in Pakistan » . Musharraf, who led the 1999 coup as Pakistan's army chief, has seen his power erode since the failed effort to oust Chaudhry. His administration is also struggling to contain a surge in Islamic militancy. E-mail to a friend . Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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NEW: President Musharraf orders troops to take a television station's equipment .
Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan says he's under house arrest .
President Musharraf says his actions are for the good of the country .
White House calls Musharraf's emergency declaration "disappointing"
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11053aa108fe62ab73fa4354d490dd87fe826bd2
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(CNN) -- A team of medical examiners has ruled that Oklahoma death row prisoner Clayton Lockett died from the state's lethal injection and not by heart attack. The report, which was released Thursday by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, called the manner of death a "judicially ordered execution." The controversial April 29 execution of Lockett, who was convicted in 1999 of murder and rape, took 43 minutes from the time he was first injected. Witnesses described the man convulsing and writhing on the gurney, as well as struggling to speak, before officials blocked the witnesses' view. The execution was halted, but Lockett eventually died. The botched lethal injection catapulted the issue of U.S. capital punishment back into the international spotlight, raising new questions about the drugs being used and the constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment. Death penalty Fast Facts . Many needle marks . The report said there were numerous attempts to start an IV because it was difficult to find "intravenous access sites." There were at least 15 needle marks on Lockett's body, according to the autopsy, which was conducted by the Dallas-based Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences. An attorney who represents a group of Oklahoma death row prisoners who have commissioned an independent autopsy said the state-sponsored exam failed to answer one vital question. "What this initial autopsy report does not appear to answer is what went wrong during Mr. Lockett's execution," Dale Baich said, adding that more information is needed. He thinks that will be discovered in an independent autopsy. Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Robert Patton said in April that Lockett had died of a heart attack, but there was no support for that statement in the autopsy. The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety said Thursday it is wrapping up an investigation that was ordered by Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin. The findings will be revealed next week. Time: Every execution in U.S. history . New drug cocktails . Thirty-two U.S. states have the death penalty, as does the U.S. government and the U.S. military. Since 2009, three states -- New Mexico, Connecticut, and Maryland -- have voted to abolish it. States that have capital punishment have been forced to find new drugs to use since European-based manufacturers banned U.S. prisons from using theirs for executions. One of those manufacturers is the Danish company Lundbeck, maker of pentobarbital. Earlier this year, a convicted murderer and rapist in Ohio, Dennis McGuire, appeared to gasp and convulse for at least 10 minutes before dying from the drug cocktail used in his execution. Lockett's execution was the first time Oklahoma had used midazolam as the first element in its three-drug cocktail. The drug is generally used for children "before medical procedures or before anesthesia for surgery to cause drowsiness, relieve anxiety and prevent any memory of the event," the U.S. National Library of Medicine said. "It works by slowing activity in the brain to allow relaxation and sleep." Lockett was convicted in 2000 of a bevy of crimes that left Stephanie Nieman dead and two people injured. The trouble with Lockett's execution prompted the state to delay the planned execution of Charles Warner from May to November. In a CNN/ORC poll earlier this year, 50% of Americans said the penalty for murder in general should be death, while 45% said it should be a life sentence. The survey's sampling error made that a statistical tie. Fifty-six percent of men supported the death penalty for murder in general, while 45% of women did. A Gallup poll last year found 62% of Americans believe the death penalty is morally acceptable, while half as many, 31%, consider it morally wrong. Death penalty in the United States gradually declining .
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Clayton Lockett died 43 minutes after first attempt at sticking needles in his veins .
Botched execution reignited debate over appropriateness of lethal injection as capital punishment .
Lawyer for death row inmates says autopsy didn't get answer for what went wrong .
Oklahoma will release full findings of investigation into execution next week .
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