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By . Graham Smith . Last updated at 3:00 PM on 4th October 2011 . Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann's White House bid has been thrown into doubt after a staff exodus, including her pollster and senior adviser, has led to questions about her campaign finances. Pollster Ed Goeas plans to leave the campaign after upcoming debates in New Hampshire and Nevada, and senior adviser Andy Parrish is returning to the Minnesota congresswoman's office where he served as chief of staff. The latest staff changes follow four previous resignations from Mrs Bachmann's campaign team. She is now trailing in seventh place in a new opinion poll of public support for Republican presidential candidates. Fall in support: Minnesota congresswoman Michelle Bachman, pictured campaigning in Virginia last week, has dropped to seventh place in a new poll of Republican presidential candidates . Maybe even more than the Republicans, President Barack Obama is looking forward to the GOP picking a candidate to challenge him. For now and months to come, Mr Obama is an incumbent with no specific rival, a campaigner against various forces but not one in particular. He is running against a staggering economy. And Congress. And himself - that history-making version of Mr Obama that many voters remember from 2008. The longer it takes for Republicans to rally around a nominee, the more the election remains a referendum on Mr Obama and jobs. That's not what the White House and his campaign eagerly want - a clear choice between the president and another candidate who holds starkly different views about how to improve the economy. With polls showing his approval rating in the low 40s, Mr Obama even contended yesterday that he's the underdog. 'I don't mind - I'm used to being an underdog,' the president said in an interview with ABC News. With no control over when he gets an opponent, Mr Obama is now waging what amounts to a proxy campaign against the eventual Republican nominee. Every time he presents his jobs bill as a choice between helping the middle-class or protecting the ultra-rich, every time he tells Democratic donors that his opponents' approach to governing 'will fundamentally cripple America', he is previewing a campaign argument that he will apply against whoever his opponent is. Republican insiders say their party's battle could extend into May - meaning Mr Obama would not have a specific challenger for more than seven months. Alice Stewart, a Bachmann spokeswoman, . said: 'Given the changing caucus and primary schedule, we will not be . utilising full-time polling consultants and will concentrate heavily on . retail politics in Iowa. 'Ed will work on several projects with us this month, then we shift focus to Iowa and he will shift to other projects not associated with the campaign.' Mr Parrish's return to Minnesota follows a move to Iowa last summer to build support before the state's lead-off 2012 caucuses. The moves signal an effort to preserve money three months ahead of the first Republican nominating contests. Mrs Bachmann began July with about $3.6million (£2.3million), most of which had been transferred from her congressional campaign account. She has struggled to match her vast reach among small-dollar givers with cheques near the $2,500 maximum donation. An update on her campaign's financial health is due by October 15. In other staff changes, deputy press . secretary Doug Sachtleben transferred back to the congressional office . after only a couple months with the campaign. So has Mrs Bachmann's . scheduler, Kimberley Rubin. In . a statement released last night, Ms Stewart said the moves were part of . a long-standing strategy to 'shift people and resources as needed'. She . said: 'We are adding staff in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina to . meet the demands of the changing caucus and primary schedule. 'With Congress back in session, we have shifted some employees back to the congressional office to meet the demands there.' Only last month, Mrs Bachmann's campaign manager Ed Rollins and his deputy stepped down. Mr . Rollins cited health reasons and deputy David Polyansky attributed his . departure to differences over the campaign's direction. Their exit came . within weeks of the candidate's Iowa GOP straw poll victory. After a strong start, numerous gaffes that earned her comparisons with that other hard-right conservative, Sarah Palin, Mrs Bachmann's standing in the race is starting to suffer. She now stands as the seventh most popular Republican candidate. A fall in support was first noticeable when Texas Governor Rick Perry announced his candidacy. She . fell further in opinion polls after suggesting an unproven link between . vaccines and mental retardation while trying to criticise Governor . Perry's executive order requiring young girls to get immunised for the . human papillomavirus, a sexually spread virus that can cause cervical . cancer. Former Massachusetts governor . Mitt Romney now leads the Republican race for the White House with 25 . per cent support for a consecutive month, according to a Washington . Post/ABC News poll of the 2012 GOP presidential candidates. Frontrunner: Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign stop at the Derry-Salem Elks Lodge in Salem, New Hampshire, last night . Republican presidential candidates (from left to right): Mr Romney, Mrs Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain and former U.S. ambassador to China Jon Huntsman line-up in Florida last month . A favourite among Tea Party supporters and evangelical voters, Mrs Bachmann is now betting her campaign on Iowa. She . hopes a win there would propel her back into contention with national . poll leaders Perry and Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. She spent parts of yesterday in Iowa and will remain in the state today. Mrs . Bachmann is midway through her third term in the House. She suspended . her congressional campaign efforts when she announced for president but . hasn't explicitly ruled out a re-election bid. Mrs Bachmann's propensity for gaffes has earned her comparisons with fellow conservative Republican Sarah Palin (pictured), who has yet to enter the presidential race . She . would have until next June to decide, although many party insiders are . doubtful that Mrs Bachmann will try to reclaim her seat. Texas Governor Perry's popularity has fallen - he is now joint second . alongside businessman Herman Cain now ties with 16 per cent. Congressman Ron Paul is fourth with 11 per cent, while Mrs Bachmann . trails at seventh where she ties with former House Speaker Newt . Gingrich.
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Gaffe-prone congresswoman falls to seventh in poll of GOP candidates .
Pollster and senior adviser are the latest campaign figures to quit .
Mitt Romney now leads the Republican race for the White House .
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(CNN) -- The Humane Society of the United States said Wednesday it does not fault authorities in Ohio for using lethal force against exotic animals running loose. Police believe the animals' owner, Terry Thompson, 62, freed the animals -- lions, tigers, leopards and grizzly bears -- at his preserve near Zanesville, Ohio, before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said. Ohio authorities were called to the scene Tuesday night. As of Wednesday, 49 animals had been killed and the rest were accounted for except for one monkey, according to authorities. But Lutz and conservationist Jack Hanna, who assisted in the effort, said the animal may have been eaten by one of the big cats. A preliminary investigation showed Thompson had pried open cages and left fences open, Lutz said. Autopsy results on Thompson were pending. Authorities were trying to use tranquilizers whenever possible in capturing the animals, said Zanesville Mayor Howard Zwelling. But Lutz said some animals were shot at close range by deputies who found themselves in a dangerous situation. A Bengal tiger was put down after it became agitated following a tranquilizer shot. 49 animals killed, authorities say . While the killing of animals might prompt initial concern, "we do not fault them for using lethal force," said Debbie Leahy, captive wildlife regulatory specialist for the Humane Society of the United States. "What we're finding, in places where they have lax regulations ... rural sheriffs and local animal control officers are being forced to deal with issues ranging from rampaging chimpanzees to tigers running amok," Leahy said. Such officers are not trained to deal with such situations and may lack the proper equipment, she said. Zwelling said he had received calls from people concerned the animals were killed. But, Lutz said, "we are not talking about your normal everyday house cat or dog. These are 300-pound Bengal tigers that we have had to put down. When we got here, obviously, public safety was my number-one concern. We could not have animals running loose in this county." While tranquilizers are an option, there are issues involved in their use, Leahy said. For one thing, they take time to work on an animal, potentially giving it time to harm someone or to get away. In addition, if an animal has a high level of adrenaline, tranquilizers can make them more agitated, she said. "People shouldn't be blaming (authorities)," she said. "They should be blaming the Ohio government for not taking action to prevent this incident." CNN.com readers disgusted . The Humane Society urged Ohio officials Wednesday to issue an emergency rule to crack down on exotic animal ownership. A previous emergency order issued by then-Gov. Ted Strickland that prohibited people convicted of animal cruelty from owning exotic animals expired in April. The organization said Thompson "would almost certainly have had his animals removed by May 1, 2011, if the emergency order had not expired." "Every month brings a new, bizarre, almost surreal incident involving privately held dangerous wild animals," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society, in a prepared statement. "In recent years, Ohioans have died and suffered injuries because the state hasn't stopped private citizens from keeping dangerous wild animals as pets or as roadside attractions. Owners of large, exotic animals are a menace to society, and it's time for the delaying on the rulemaking to end." Opinion: Wild animals belong in the wild . People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals also said the lack of an exotic animal ban is to blame. "The shooting of dozens of exotic animals in Zanesville is a tragic example of just how wrong things can go when people are allowed to keep wild animals," PETA said in a written statement. The organization said it hoped the incident will be a "wake-up" call to current Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who, according to PETA, refused to extend the emergency ban on exotic animals. "Keeping exotic animals is inhumane and unsafe for both animals and people, and it's time that Ohio did something about it," PETA said. "People have to understand something ... human life comes first," Jack Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo, told CNN. He said some had asked why the animals weren't tranquilized by authorities searching for them Tuesday night, but "you can't tranquilize an animal in the dark. It upsets them ... they settle in, they hunker down, they go to sleep. Obviously, we can't find them in the dark. So what had to be done had to be done. Even a bear came after one of the officers last night, and she was just trying to get out of a car. ... No one loves animals more than me, but human life has to come first." When first responders do have to shoot an animal, "we have found, in some cases, they're just as traumatized as the rest of us," Leahy said, and sometime require counseling. "They don't want to have to shoot these animals." She recalled a case a few years ago involving a Florida police officer who shot an elephant running wild with children on its back. "He was so totally upset by that incident that he became a huge elephant advocate," speaking out for stronger laws on their behalf, Leahy said.
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Ohio authorities have shot some loose exotic animals .
Humane Society: Ohio's government should have prevented this .
There are issues with tranquilizer use, the organization says .
PETA says the incident should be a "wake-up call"
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By . Snejana Farberov and Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 00:28 EST, 29 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:32 EST, 30 August 2013 . Google Inc co-founder Sergey Brin has separated from his wife of six years, and now the 40-year-old Silicon Valley mogul is reportedly dating a younger employee. Brin and Anne Wojcicki, who married in 2007, have been living apart for several months, the couple's spokesperson said last night. 'They remain good friends and partners,' the spokesperson added. The woman said to be seeing Brin has been named in reports as Amanda Rosenberg, a 26-year-old Google Glass marketing manager. There is no suggestion that the couple were dating before Brin separated from his wife. Split: Mr Brin, who is worth a staggering $23 billion, has separated from his wife of six years, Anne Wojcicki, left . Romance: Amanda Rosenberg, pictured in Google Glass (left), is reportedly dating Sergey Brin . The 26-year-old, who describes herself . as Asian but moved to the UK, has played a key role in the development . of Google Glass and came up with the product's buzz phrase 'OK glass'. She joined Google as an account manager in June 2008 before becoming mobile business development manager EMEA two years later. Wojcicki, 40, is the chief executive of a biotech firm that Google has invested millions of dollars in and whose sister is one of the Internet search company's top executives. The technology blog AllThingsD on Wednesday was the first to report of the couple's split and Valleywag named Rosenberg. Brin and Wojcicki, who have two children and who have a prenuptial agreement, are not yet legally separated, the report said. Susan Wojcicki, Anne's sister, is senior vice president of Ads and Commerce for Google and is considered one of the Internet company's top executives. Power couple: If Brin and Wojcicki, his wife of six years, divorce, Californian law suggests their massive fortune would have to be halved - although they reportedly signed a strict pre-nuptial agreement . The relationship between Google and . the Wojcickis dates back to the company's earliest days: in 1998, the . nascent search company set up shop in Susan Wojcicki's garage shortly . after raising its first funding. Google . has invested roughly $10million in 23andMe, the company that Miss . Wojcicki co-founded in 2006 and which sells DNA testing kits and . provides clients with information about their ancestry and medical . conditions. Forbes said that Mr Brin is currently worth $22.8billion and holds more than $20billion worth of Google shares. Since Larry Page took over as CEO of Google, Brin has been spending most of his time at Google’s research lab, Google X, which has been developing ambitious ‘moon shot’ projects like the Glass and a self-driving car. Interconnected: Google has invested $10million in 23andMe, the company that Miss Wojcicki (right) co-founded in 2006 and which sells DNA testing kits . New technology: Brin pictured wearing Google Glass at a conference earlier this year . Brin and Wojcicki have gained a . reputation as a philanthropic power couple, donating tens of millions of . dollars to a variety of charitable organizations. In 2012 alone, the couple gave away $223million, Los Angeles Times . reported, earning them the distinction of being the fifth biggest . donors to U.S. charities, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Much of the funds went to their own charity, The Brin Wojcicki Foundation, which promotes human rights and anti-poverty programs. San Jose Mercury reported that they have also given tens of millions of dollars to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and the couple co-founded a new organization along with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, which awards $15million prizes to life scientists. According to reports, Brin has been linked to Google Glass Marketing Manager Ms Rosenberg. Romantic link: Hugo Barra, Google's product management drector for Android, introduces the Nexus 7 last year . Ms Rosenberg was appointed marketing manager in January 2012 moving from London to work at the company's Silicon Valley headquarters and within seven months was assigned to heading up marketing for the Google Glass. In her blog, she charts her first thoughts at starting work in the U.S. She said: 'Hello new boss, hello new team... LIKE ME IMMEDIATELY.' She explained the origins of the product's key phrase 'OK glass' on her Google Plus account earlier this year. The idea came about while she dined with Glass project manager Mat Balez. When he told her that a phrase that transcended different cultures was needed to activate the Glass menu and let the device know that the wearer wants to use it, she came up with the phrase. Employee: Miss Rosenberg pictured in a YouTube marketing video for Google Glass. She won her role promoting the controversial spectacles after coming up with the voice command ¿Ok, Glass¿ to activate them . Not only did she consider it to be suitable for a global product, it was also decided that it was subtle enough not to embarrass the user in public. According to her post, the phrases 'go go Glass' and 'Glass alive' and even 'pew pew pew' were said to have been considered before her idea. Reports of the romance come as another Google high-flyer, with whom she has been romantically linked, Hugo Barra, quit the company to work for a Chinese smart phone firm. Mr Barra, vice president of Android product management, presided over the much-trumpeted launch of Google's Nexus tablet. He announced his departure for Chinese company Xioami on his Google Plus account after five years at the firm. He said he had 'decided to start a new career chapter'. In the post, Mr Barra also said that his colleagues at Google are 'the most amazing group of people I've ever worked with in my life.'
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Brin and his wife, Anne Wojcicki, both 40, married in 2007 and have two children .
Employee named in reports as 26-year-old Google Glass marketing manager Amanda Rosenberg .
Wojcicki is CEO of biotech company 23andMe, and her sister Susan is senior VP at Google .
Google co-founder, who is worth $22.8billion, and his wife reportedly have a prenuptial agreement in case of a divorce .
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Roy Hodgson has hit back at Brendan Rodgers' claims that he ignored advice from Liverpool over Daniel Sturridge's recovery time. Rodgers was furious when Sturridge injured his thigh during the last England get together and he hasn't played since the 1-0 victory over Norway early last month. The Liverpool manager insisted that Sturridge needs 48 hours to recover after a match, but Hodgson ignored the advice and forced the striker to train. Daniel Sturridge was injured in training for England in September resulting in him missing the opening European Championship qualifier against Switzerland and a number of Liverpool matches . Hodgson said: 'We have only a shortage of time. We have two games and two training sessions, we wanted to play him and Rooney together against Switzerland. 'The injury was unfortunate but if I am going to be under pressure to give players two days off every time they play then we won't train. They can't have two days off. 'He has not played for Liverpool since picking up the injury. If he was to get fitter during the international week then he will still have a lot of work to do to bring him up to speed for Liverpool anyway. There was no question of him being selected. Hodgson denied that there is any problem between him and Brendan Rodgers after the Liverpool manager warned him not to play Daniel Sturridge. The England boss has not selected the striker for his squad to face San Marino and Estonia in their Euro 2016 qualifiers. Rodgers said that he had told Hodgson that Sturridge was not available for the national team, even though he could play some part of Liverpool's match against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday before the England squad meet up. Talking at Melwood, the Liverpool boss said: 'I've not spoken to Daniel (about the situation). My focus is on Liverpool, it is not on England. 'I spoke to him about being available for Liverpool but I can't think about England when he is not ready to play for Liverpool. England boss Roy Hodgson has insisted players can not have two days off due to the proximity of matches . 'He's had a grade one injury for four weeks, which is a long time, and my focus is now getting him to play for Liverpool. 'I've had good communication with Roy. It was amicable. There is no issue. 'We spoke at length yesterday on the situation and I said to him 'Every individual player is different'. 'I respect he had work to do internationally but my thoughts are with Liverpool players and what their needs are. 'We agreed it was probably too soon for Daniel to meet up with England, irrespective of whether he was involved this weekend or not. He hasn't trained with the team at all since the injury with them and it was probably not the right time to go with them.' While there is no issue between himself and Hodgson, Rodgers wouldn't dismiss questions surrounding the two pairs of medical staff being at loggerheads. 'It is not something to be discussed now,' he said. 'I don't think the same thing will happen again. From the conversations with Roy they will obviously look at that. 'I understand his position where he has only a few days to work with the players and he will probably take away that intensity on that second day but you can still work players, we work players here on the second day, but it needs to be tapered to the individual player.' Liverpool striker Sturridge has only managed to appear in half of his side's Premier League matches . Brendan Rodgers told Hodgson that Sturridge would not be available for England but could play some part in Liverpool's match against West Brom before the national team meet up . Hodgson added: 'The last thing you want is injuries in training. You feel a responsibility to the clubs when you have their players and I can only think of three injuries with the national team in two and a half years I have been in charge. 'I haven't been told he can't play for us. We have a right to pick players and we have a right to check on their fitness and assess them ourselves. It's never happened in my two-and-a-half years and hope it never will. The way forward is to have dialogue with managers and players. 'If he took some part at the weekend it'll be very much at the beginning of his recovery. Us going forward in December and March, a fully fit Sturridge is what I need. 'I don't seek ways in which I can assert my authority. I'm happy with the way I use my authority.'
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Roy Hodgson has hit back at Brendan Rodgers' claims over Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge .
Liverpool boss was furious when Sturridge picked up an injury during England duty .
Rodgers insisted Sturridge needed 48 hours to recover from a match .
However, Hodgson has hit back and said England players can not have two days off .
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Now the strains and stresses of his failed bid for the White House are over, Mitt Romney has no doubt enjoyed time unwinding with his family. And that's exactly what he did on Saturday, as he was spotted enjoying date night with his wife Ann in California. Grainy photographs show the pair heading to the Cinepolis movie theatre in the coastal town of Del Mar to watch the new Twilight film, after Romney previously admitted he was a fan of the franchise. They then headed for dinner at Sammy's, a pizza restaurant across the street. Date night: Mitt Romney and his wife Ann were pictured heading to the movies on Saturday night in Del Mar, California, where they caught up on the latest installment of the Twilight saga . Fans: They then headed across the street for pizza, where they dutifully posed with other diners for pictures . According to TMZ, the couple was joined by two unidentified young men and did not have a security detail in sight. Romney was reportedly extremely friendly with fellow diners and even posed for pictures. The couple were presumably visiting the movie theatre from their house, valued at $8.75 million, in San Diego's nearby upmarket La Jolla neighborhood. Romney's . choice of movie does not come as a surprise, after he . previously admitted in a bizarre interview with NBC that he reads the . books by Stephenie Meyer. Romney sightings: Mitt has been spotted in both Del Mar and La Jolle, California . Fans' favourite: The Romneys picked the teen vampire movie, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2, which stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, pictured . 'I like silly stuff too,' Romney told NBC during the presidential campaign. 'I mean, I like the Twilight series. I thought it was fun.' 'You like vampires?' the interviewer quizzed. 'I don't like vampires personally,' he replied awkwardly. 'I don't know any, but you know my granddaughter was reading it and I thought, "Well this looks like fun," so I read that.' And, as TMZ pointed out, the author of the Twilight series is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - which is no doubt a hit with the Romney clan. Normal People: Mr and Mrs Romney caught a movie a Cinepolis (pictured) in Del Mar, California . Pizza Joint: After the movie, the Romneys visited Sammy's, a pizza place across the street, where they mingled with diners and posed for photos .
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Former Republican presidential candidate seen in Del Mar, California .
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'We were sending out search parties for people': . Former Labour Cabinet Minister Peter Mandelson has . admitted that his party actively encouraged immigration to the UK while . in government . Labour sent out ‘search parties’ for immigrants to get them to come to the UK, Lord Mandelson has admitted. In a stunning confirmation that the Blair and Brown governments deliberately engineered mass immigration, the former Cabinet Minister and spin doctor said New Labour sought out foreign workers. He also conceded that the influx of arrivals meant the party’s traditional supporters are now unable to find work. By contrast, Labour leader Ed Miliband . has said his party got it wrong on immigration but has refused to admit . it was too high under Labour. Between 1997 and 2010, net migration to Britain totalled more than 2.2million, more than twice the population of Birmingham. The annual net figure quadrupled under Labour from 48,000 people in 1997 to 198,000 by 2009. Lord . Mandelson’s remarks come three years after Labour officials denied . claims by former adviser Andrew Neather that they deliberately . encouraged immigration in order to change the make-up of Britain. Mr . Neather said the policy was designed to ‘rub the Right’s nose in . diversity’. He said there was ‘a driving political purpose: that mass . immigration was the way that the Government was going to make the UK . truly multicultural’. Senior Labour figures have been . reluctant to concede they deliberately engineered the influx of migrants . who have transformed communities over the past decade. But, . at a rally for the Blairite think-tank Progress, Lord Mandelson said: . ‘In 2004 when as a Labour government, we were not only welcoming people . to come into this country to work, we were sending out search parties . for people and encouraging them, in some cases, to take up work in this . country.’ He said: ‘The problem has grown during the period of economic stagnation over the last five, six years.’ When Labour encouraged new arrivals ‘we were almost ... a full employment economy’ but, he admitted: ‘The situation is different obviously now. ‘We have to just realise... entry to . the labour market of many people of non-British origin is hard for . people who are finding it very difficult to find jobs, who find it hard . to keep jobs. ‘For these . people immigration tends to loom large in their lives and in their . worlds, now that is an inescapable fact, and we have to understand it, . address it, engage with people in discussion about it.’ Mr Mandelson's admission that New Labour sought out foreign workers is a stunning confirmation that governments led by Tony Blair, left, and Gordon Brown, right, deliberately engineered mass immigration . His words are far franker than Mr . Miliband’s. Asked earlier this month whether ‘too many people were . allowed to come’, he replied: ‘I wouldn’t put it that way, no.’ Tory chairman Grant Shapps said: ‘Peter Mandelson’s candid admission that Labour were purposefully letting immigration spiral out of control when in government is yet another damning indictment on their record on immigration.’ Sir Andrew Green of Migration Watch said: ‘This is an astonishing admission from the highest level that Labour’s mass immigration policy was entirely deliberate. ‘It will be a very long time before their own working class supporters forgive them for the enormous changes that have been imposed on their communities.’ Gordon Brown yesterday accused the Tories of emulating Enoch Powell by using immigration to head off the growing electoral threat from UKIP. Mr Powell’s 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speech ignited huge controversy in the debate on immigration. Former prime minister Mr Brown – who once called for ‘British jobs for British workers’ – told a pro-union rally in Glasgow: ‘A party that was anti-Powellite on immigration is now becoming very close to being Powellite on that issue.’
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Former minister admits Labour deliberately engineered mass immigration .
Between 1997 and 2010 net migration to Britain totalled 2.2million .
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12287ce6680a8c3312e9cf606ece6e51faa93385
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(CNN) -- First-term Illinois Republican Sen. Mark Kirk said "no frickin' way am I retiring" in an interview with Roll Call published Friday morning, instead clearly signaling his intentions to run for reelection in 2016. His statement comes amid speculation that his health and staff turnover might cause him to step down after his first term. His chief of staff Erik Elk has said he will join the private sector, while other top staffers have joined newly elected GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner's team. And a debilitating stroke in 2012 has caused the senator to occasionally rely on a wheelchair. "With all this rehab, for me just to walk was a huge effort," Kirk told Roll Call. "I had to re-learn how to walk again after the stroke. And all the rehab and all the effort shows the mental determination times 10 to keep serving." But Kirk also said that attacks from the left highlighting his previous health problems might actually help his campaign efforts. "That would not be taken well by the people of Illinois who would not like that kind of attack," he said. "It's the only way that Democrats can win in Illinois, is to say, 'Oh, Kirk has health problems, he's going to retire.'" Illinois, typically a deep blue state, will likely be a top target for Democrats in 2016 looking to regain Senate seats after suffering big losses across the country earlier this month. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that his campaign fund raised more than $2 million since 2013.
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Illinois GOP Sen. Kirk says he'll run for reelection in 2016, despite previous health problems .
His seat will likely be a target for Democrats looking to take back a seat in the blue state .
Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth is rumored to be considering a challenge .
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Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- The body of a missing sailor was recovered in the wreckage of a South Korean ship that went down in the Yellow Sea in March, Yonhap news agency reported Saturday. The ship sank mysteriously in an incident that heightened tensions between North and South Korea. South Korea is investigating what caused the ship to sink and has not ruled out a theory that North Korea was involved, but Seoul has avoided directly blaming North Korea, which denied allegations it was responsible. South Korea's Yonhap reported Saturday that authorities have lifted the remaining half of the vessel, which could help aid the investigation. The 1,200-ton patrol ship Cheonan sank near the western sea border with North Korea on March 26. Forty of Cheonan's 104 crewmembers have now been confirmed dead, and six more are also believed dead, though they are still listed as missing. Fifty-eight crewmembers were rescued before the vessel sank.
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Crews recover body of missing sailor from sunken South Korea ship .
Ship went down in Yellow Sea; cause not yet known .
Death toll now stands at 40; six sailors listed as missing .
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1229fbfdae27d7208aaa492f2089d45acbe12e5b
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Police had to sedate a 27-year-old man after he went on a nude rampage through an Oregon hemp-themed music festival. According to KPTV, witnesses on scene said Seaux had heavily damaged at one vehicle in his ragehemp festival. Police say Timothy Seaux, of Grants Pass, was nude and so combative four men had to restrain him on the ground when officers arrived on the scene. He was so out of control he even kneed and kicked at a trooper as they attempted to take him into custody. He continued struggling and violently kicking even as officers put him in the back of a squad car. KPTV reports that medical crews arrived on scene and determined that he would need to be sedated. Seaux was then taken to Three Rivers Medical Center where he was examined. Upon his release the next day, he was booked into Josephine County Jail and charged with menacing, criminal mischief, assaulting a public safety officer, and resisting arrest. According to KPTV, witnesses on scene said Seaux had heavily damaged at one vehicle in his rage. The Jefferson County Hemp Expo is a three-day music festival that features educational activities around hemp including artists and guest speakers . He allegedly battered the vehicle while two woman were locked inside terrified. The Associated Press reports other witnesses said he was starting fights. Far from an aggressive environment, the Jefferson County Hemp Expo bills itself as a three-day music festival that features educational activities around hemp including artists and guest speakers.
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Timothy Seaux, 27, was charged with menacing, criminal mischief, assaulting a public safety officer, and resisting arrest .
Officers said he refused to stop kicking when they arrived at the scene and had to be sedated after kneeing one trooper .
Seaux was out-of-control at Oregon's Jefferson County Hemp Expo, a three-day music festival and hemp education event .
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 08:55 EST, 6 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:26 EST, 6 August 2013 . Betting shops would be banned from opening in a town centres under Lib Dem plans to curb gambling. Communities minister Don Foster wants to change the law so that every new bookmakers requires planning permission to set up business. But he faces opposition from Tory colleagues in the coalition, who have moved to make it easier for betting shops to open. Blight: High-stakes casino-style gambling machines been blamed for the spread of betting shops in deprived areas . Mr Foster will use next month’s Lib Dem conference in Glasgow to set out plans for new laws to halt the spread of betting shops, which have taken over in many deprived areas. He will call for betting shops to be put in a new separate planning use class, allowing local councils to reject applications. Labour’s controversial Gambling Act would also be amended to allow councils to take into account the ‘cumulative impact of a proliferation of gambling activities’ when considering applications. Warning: Local government minister Don Foster wants to change the law to curb betting shops . In May new laws came into force allowing betting shops to open up in pubs without planning permission in what was dubbed a ‘free for all’ on Britain’s high streets. The rules have been introduced for a two-year period to try to make it easier for people to fill empty shops or start new businesses without having to seek permission to change property from one use to another. The Local Government Association has repeatedly called for more powers to curb the problem. Bookmakers have swamped the UK's shopping parades – with numbers up 25 per cent since 2008 - and in one London borough, Newham, there are currently 82 - six per square mile. Around almost every corner in this generally deprived part of East London are shops where people can stake £100 a spin on casino-style gambling machines, which are as addictive as crack cocaine . The liberalisation of gambling laws by the Labour government in 2005 is blamed for a surge in the number of betting shops. At present betting shops are in the same planning use class as banks and building societies. It means they can open without planning permission in many cases where banks have moved out. There are also growing concerns about big money gambling machines found in many betting shops, where users can stake £100 a spin on a casino-style jackpot payout. They account for more revenue than the traditional bets placed on sporting events. Concentrated: This graphic shows the main areas which have been saturated by betting shops in Newham, East London, which has 82 bookmakers . A government review by TV retail guru Mary Portas describes gaming outlets as a ‘blight on the high . Street’, and warned their proliferation is creating unsightly gambling ‘clusters’ on struggling shopping streets. Earlier this year Newham Council refused to allow a further betting shop in an already over-crowded street, but it was overturned on appeal. Mr Foster will argue that local councillors ‘should be empowered to decide whether or not to give approval to additional gambling venues in their community’.
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Don Foster wants to stop betting shops opening without permission .
Number of bookmakers has soared by 25% in just five years .
Customers drawn to high stake casino-style gambling machines .
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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 12:07 EST, 2 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:11 EST, 3 October 2013 . Guilty: Aqab Hussain (pictured today) went straight into the victims, who were hurled through the air, before the vehicle sped off and left them for dead . Three pedestrians were struck by a car in a deliberate Grand Theft Auto-style revenge attack, a shocking video revealed today. The friends - one of them partially blind - were crossing the road after a night out in Manchester city centre when the Vauxhall Corsa was used as a lethal weapon to knock them over ‘like skittles’. Aqab Hussain, 21 - who was today convicted of four counts of attempted murder - drove straight into the victims, who were hurled through the air, before he sped off and left them for dead. Eyewitness Corey Gordon, 26, who watched the attack from inside his car, later compared it to a sequence from the violent computer game series in which users play the role of car thieves. He said: ‘It was like ten pin bowling where you hit the skittles and they go up in the air. I can only describe it as unreal - a computer game like Grand Theft Auto - as he swerved off line to hit the men. It knocked one of the men at least 7ft into the air.’ Hussain even wobbled his vehicle so he could shake off one of the men who was still on the bonnet, Manchester Crown Court was told. It left Michael Ward, 28, - who was already partially sighted - with skull fractures. He spent 20 days in intensive care after emergency brain surgery and is now paralysed on his right side. The incident occurred after father-of-three Mr Ward, of Bolton, and his friends had gone to the Silks lap dancing club in Manchester city centre, just after midnight on August 21 last year. Five minutes after the party arrived at the club, a group of five men, including Hussain, also entered and bought a Grey Goose vodka bottle from the club for £100 to celebrate the Eid festival. Scroll down for video . Approach: The friends - one of them partially blind - were crossing the road after a night out in Manchester . Deliberate attack: The Vauxhall Corsa was used as a lethal weapon to knock over the three men 'like skittles' When the club closed at 2.15am there was a fight in which a cap was taken from one of Hussain’s friends during horseplay but was handed back. A further row erupted outside during which one of the Hussain’s group was heard saying ‘watch, you just watch yourself’. Minutes later Hussain’s silver Corsa emerged from a side road, turning the wrong way then sped up to 40mph as it mowed down Mr Ward and his three friends as they crossed the road. One stepped back on to the pavement in time and was uninjured, but the other three men were hit by the car. Martin Harris suffered minor injuries and Paul Hulme had a broken leg which needed surgery to insert a metal rod. Mr Ward was carried on the bonnet of the Corsa for several feet as the driver swerved to throw him into the road. He is now unable to use his right hand and she said his cognitive functions including speech had been seriously affected and would leave him dependant on others. Mowed down: Hussain's silver Corsa emerged from a side road, turning the wrong way then sped up to 40mph . Awful: Mr Ward was carried on the bonnet for several feet as the driver swerved to throw him into the road . Ian Metcalfe, prosecuting, said: ‘What other intention could the defendant he have had in driving the way he did other than attempting to murder those who he drove into. 'It was like ten pin bowling where you hit the skittles and they go up in the air. It knocked one of the men at least 7ft into the air' Corey Gordon, witness . ‘The Corsa didn’t stop and the occupants made no attempt to stop or assist. Even at the point of impact with the young men, the driver did nothing to apply his brakes to swerve to avoid the collision - nothing at all to avoid the pedestrians crossing. ‘That vehicle only starts to veer from side to side when it has one of the victims is on the bonnet and veers in an attempt to throw him off the bonnet.’ ‘The only sensible interpretation of the manner the Corsa was driven is the driver, no doubt inflamed by whatever had gone on a couple of minutes before intended to kill. He was deliberately using that vehicle as a lethal weapon.’ Hussain, of Rusholme, Greater Manchester, was arrested on October 11 as he arrived back in Manchester on a flight from Pakistan. Leaving: Hussain had previous convictions for dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident . Likeness: An eyewitness compared the attack to a sequence from the violent computer game series Grand Theft Auto, in which users play the role of car thieves (file picture) He denied driving the car and denied all charges. It emerged he had previous convictions for dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident. He was remanded in custody to face sentence later. Judge Robert Atherton told him: ‘There will be a substantial prison sentence.’ 'I go and see Michael every day at the hospital and it is deeply upsetting to remember him how he was before the incident and to see how he is now' Mayrose Ward, wife of victim Michael Ward . In a statement issued by police six months after the attack, Mr Ward’s wife Mayrose said: ‘The impact this has had on our lives has been truly devastating and our three children have been left with broken hearts. ‘I go and see Michael every day at the hospital and it is deeply upsetting to remember him how he was before the incident and to see how he is now. Today Rachael Pavion, District Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West said: ‘Aqab Hussain used his car as a weapon, he sought revenge by driving at speed deliberately at the four men with a clear intention to kill. ‘After he struck his victims, he drove from the scene and showed complete disregard for the harm he had caused.’
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Three men were crossing road after night out in Manchester city centre .
Vauxhall Corsa used as a lethal weapon to knock them over 'like skittles'
Aqab Hussain, 21, today convicted of four counts of attempted murder .
Eyewitness Corey Gordon compared it to a scene from computer game .
Revenge attack followed fight between groups outside lap dancing club .
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By . Wills Robinson . Governors in charge of the secondary school at the centre of the Trojan Horse scandal have been told they are not doing enough to combat extremism. The damning indictment of Park View Academy in Birmingham follows allegations that children are being taught lessons in holy war. A report set to be published by Ofsed next week has also accused the school of failing to warn its pupils about conservative ideals. Damning: Park View School in Birmingham has been condemned for not doing enough to combat extremism and will be condemned for not doing enough to protect pupils in a report set to be published next week . The school was previously rated as outstanding by the education watchdog, but will be downgraded to inadequate next week after a string of allegations condemning the way it is run. The publication, leaked to The Guardian, is set to be released on Monday and criticses the school of failing to train staff in anti-extremism. It is among six institutions in the area expected to be given the lowest possible rating next week when the findings of investigations into 21 Birmingham schools are published. One of the allegations is that external speakers, who are invited to run Islamic-themed assemblies, are not vetted properly. Another is that sex education classes are ineffective and do not do enough to tackle bullying. The report will recommend that the school's management must 'urgently improve systems for safeguarding students' through the use of the Home Office's anti-extremism policy, Prevent. Last night, it was revealed the school’s website describes how a . lesson is devoted to jihad under a section on ‘Living The Muslim Life’. Pupils study topics such as ‘what is a just war?’, ‘when can Muslims . take up arms?’ and ‘conditions of jihad’. Rules: Staff at the school have been accused of imposing strict policies on pupils such as segregated classrooms and strict dress codes . The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, will address the Commons on Monday – after Ofsted has released the results of its three-month probe. It follows an alleged row between Mr Gove and Theresa May following accusations the Home Office was not doing enough to combat extremism in schools. Last night, Governors at Saltley . School, another school embroiled in the plot, were accused of spending ‘substantial amounts . of money with no obvious benefit’ including on consultants and lawyers. In the report, they were also accused of paying private detectives to snoop on staff's private emails while other faculty members complained to inspectors they were ‘treated unequally because of their beliefs, religion or background.' Sir Michael Wilshaw, the head of Ofsted, . will highlight a series of concerns about practices in some of the . schools, including unequal treatment of boys and girls, a narrow . curriculum that denies pupils a rounded education and governors intent . on changing the character of schools. Park View has rejected the findings, . along with negative coverage in the media, which came as a result of the . Trojan horse letter. It . said the school had been subject of an attempted takeover by Muslim . conservatives, who were accused of imposing policies such as segregation . in classrooms and strict dress codes.
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Report says teachers at Park View school were intimidated by leadership .
Criticses staff of not vetting external speakers who run themed assemblies .
Birmingham school is expected to be given an 'inadequate' rating next week .
Follows three-month probe into links to Muslim hardliners at 21 schools .
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Another strong earthquake rocked Indonesia early Thursday as the Southeast Asian nation was reeling from an earlier jolt that killed more than 200 people. A resident stands next to building that collapsed onto a car in Padang, Indonesia, on Wednesday. The 6.8 magnitude quake Thursday hit southern Sumatra at 8:52 a.m. local time (0152 GMT), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Wednesday's earlier quake was 7.6 magnitude. At least 236 people are dead and more than 500 injured, the Indonesian Social Ministry's Crisis Center said Thursday. It said it had little information on the missing and feared the death toll would climb into the thousands. The second quake was on a smaller scale than the first, said meteorology official Fauzi, who uses only one name. There were no damage reports yet. Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari expected "the casualties and the damage of this earthquake to be bigger than the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake, given the intensity and the spread of the damage." The magnitude-6.3 Yogyakarta quake in central Java in May 2006 killed more than 5,000 people, triggered fears of an eruption of a nearby volcano and caused significant damage to a 9th century Prambanan temple. Thousands may be trapped by collapsed buildings and houses, Rustam Pakaya, the head of the Health Ministry's crisis center, told CNN on Wednesday. State-run Antara news agency cited Pakaya as saying he had received reports that part of a hospital had collapsed and that people were buried under the debris. The temblor struck around 5 p.m., about 33 miles (53 kilometers) from Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra and home to more than 800,000 people. The quake caused widespread power and phone outages, making it difficult to assess damage. Aid agencies kicked into gear to help those in need. "We had aid ready because this area of Indonesia is susceptible to this type of tragedy," said Jane Cocking, humanitarian director for Oxfam. "Communications with the quake-zone are difficult and we are hoping for the best but having to plan for the worst." "The situation is quite devastating," said Amelia Merrick, the operations director for World Vision Indonesia. "Bridges have gone down, phone lines are in total disrepair. It's difficult for us to assess the situation," she said. The organization had said it would send assessment teams to the area Thursday morning. "We know there's no electricity tonight... many of the families will be spending the night outdoors, in pitch black. I'm very afraid of what might happen next," she said, referring to the possibility of aftershocks. Hundreds of houses have been damaged, Wayne Ulrich, the Red Cross disaster management coordinator in Indonesia, told CNN. "We do not know the [exact] numbers." "We have concerns that a hospital has been partially damaged, a market has caught on fire, the airport was closed down for inspection because of the fear if they landed any planes," it might cause problems, Ulrich said. Watch Ulrich discuss the rescue efforts » . Access to the affected areas was obstructed in parts, he added. It's "blocked by all kinds of problems: frightened people out in the streets, cars, and people trying to get out of the city." The earthquake was felt in nearby cities, such as Medan and Bengkulu, where people panicked and ran outside in search of higher ground, fearing a tsunami. But it was also felt as far away as Singapore and Malaysia. "I did feel the tremor in office today somewhere between 5 - 6 p.m.," said Ratna Osman, who works in a single-story office building in Petaling Jaya, just outside Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur. "I asked [a co-worker] if there's an earthquake somewhere -- either that or I was hallucinating." "At first, I thought the chair I was sitting on had a screw loose or something," Osman said. The region is accustomed to earthquakes, and locals have been taught to identify safe places in case of a tsunami, according to Sean Granville-Ross, the Mercy Corps country director for Indonesia. "We hope that preparation is now paying off," he said. But if many homes have been destroyed, people may be spending the night with no shelter, he said. Earlier this month, an earthquake in West Java killed 57 people. Several buildings were damaged, Metro TV reported, and people were seen running out of their homes and toward the hills. One employee of a private company in Jalan Ahmad Yani, told Antara news agency that "everybody panicked with some shouting 'earthquake.'" TVOne pictures from the scene showed people milling around outside in the city. Phone lines were apparently down in many parts of Padang. Indonesia's Tempo Interactive, a media outlet based in Jakarta, had trouble reaching its correspondent in the West Sumatra city, according to journalist Purwani Diyah Prabandari. "I hope it's just the cell phone connection," Prabandari told CNN. Indonesians trying to find out more about the quake flooded the Internet, including Twitter. Some expressed concern for relatives and friends in Padang. "Dear God, please send down your angels to hug and protect my grandpa in Padang," said one Twitter post. The Web site for one of Indonesia's main newspapers, The Jakarta Globe, crashed for a while, partly as a result of the heavy traffic from people trying to find out about the quake, the paper said in a Twitter post. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia, India, Thailand and Malaysia, but canceled it soon after. The temblor did generate a tsunami just under one foot high, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. On Tuesday, a magnitude 8.0 quake-triggered tsunami killed at least 111 people in the Samoan islands and Tonga. Read latest news on the Samoa quake and tsunami . The tsunami waves swept across a wide swath of the Pacific Ocean, killing dozens and flattening or submerging villages. The dead included 22 in American Samoa, 82 in Samoa and seven in Tonga. Officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue workers start to reach outlying villages and discover new casualties. The U.S. Geological Survey declined to say whether the two quakes were linked. "The simple answer is we can't speculate on a connection," Carrieann Bedwell of the USGS told CNN. "Both are in highly seismic areas." The epicenters of the two temblors are about 4,700 miles (7,600 km) apart. CNN's Tricia Escobedo and Andy Saputra contributed to this report.
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NEW: Aid agencies kick into gear to help those in need .
Second quake hits; thousands feared trapped by collapsed buildings .
Death toll could climb into thousands .
Bridges down, phone lines in disrepair, says World Vision Indonesia .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . A 31-year-old Chicago man has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend, allegedly strangling her to death during a late-night fight on Tuesday. Daniel Kralik is being held on a $1 million bond in the relation to the slaying of Victoria McManus, 26, who he had been dating for two years. The couple had been living together for the past two months at her home in the 1200 block of North Rockwell Street, Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Molesky told The Chicago Sun-Times. Two weeks ago, the couple got into a fight because McManus, 26, had a relationship with another man, Molesky said. Confessed: Daniel Kralik called 911 and admitted that he had strangled Victoria McManus after an argument at the apartment they shared in Chicago on Tuesday night . Gone too soon: Victoria A. McManus was found dead in her home in the 1200 block of North Rockwell Street in Chicago on Tuesday night . Kralik initially planned to move out and stay with friends, but the couple reconciled and continued living together. On Tuesday, the couple got into another fight at McManus’ apartment, authorities said. McManus left her residence while Kralik went to a friend’s place until he 'cooled off', Molesky said. Instead, Kralik stayed at McManus’ apartment and when she returned home the couple got into another argument in her bedroom, Molesky said. During the argument, Kralik allegedly strangled McManus with his hands. The roommate heard the muffled sounds of an argument and a brief struggle, Molesky said. Kralik called 911 and admitted that he strangled McManus after an argument. Police responded about 12:50 a.m. and arrested Kralik, authorities said. McManus was declared dead at the scene. McManus is believed to have recently started a relationship with another man, infuriating her boyfriend, who has now been charged with her murder . McManus was found lying on her bed with an abrasion on her forehead and a pillow covering her face, Molesky said. An autopsy confirmed McManus died of strangulation, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Kralik appeared in court wearing Thursday a white plastic jumpsuit because his clothes were taken as evidence. Judge Adam Bourgeois ordered Kralik held on $1 million bond and issued a next court date of June 4. Kralik, whose parents live in Montana, had been working at an aquarium and fish store and has no criminal history, his public defender said. Police listed his address as the 2200 block of West Iowa Street.
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Victoria McManus, 26, was pronounced dead at her Chicago apartment late on Tuesday night .
Her boyfriend of two years, Daniel Kralik, 31, called 911 and allegedly admitted to her murder .
She died by strangulation .
Police say McManus had recently met another man .
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Prehistoric hunters in Greenland lived through a 'Meteorite Age' where they mined metal from fallen space rocks to make weapons, according to archaeologists. Danish researchers have found evidence that suggests ancient cultures in Greenland were making tools from a meteorite they found on the ice more than 1,200 years ago. This was nearly 300 years before Norse settlers from Iceland arrived in Greenland and are thought to have brought iron with them made from ore on Earth. Prehistoric Eskimos made spears like the one above with a point made from iron mined from a meteorite . With no metal naturally accessible in Greenland, the discovery suggests that the meteorite was responsible for kickstarting the Iron Age in the country and allowing the native hunters to develop new metal technology. The meteorite is thought to have crashed into the Greenland ice sheet around the Cape York Peninsula in north west Greenland, around 10,000 years ago and split into at least eight large pieces. Greenland is one of the largest frozen landscapes in the world, with much of the land covered with giant ice sheets. The first humans are thought to have arrived in Greenland around 2500 BC, and was repeatedly colonised by waves of immigration from the islands north of Canada. The first Paleo=Eskimo cultures to arrive on Greenland were the Saqqaq culture, who appear to have intermittently inhabited the western reaches of the country island between 2500BC and 800BC. Two other unique cultures, known as the Independence Cultures also arose on Greenland over the same period until the Dorest Culture arrived in 700BC. They continued until 1300AD, although the early Inuit Thules began arriving around 1100AD. It is thought that the Thule's take over of the trade in meteorite iron is thought to have been partly responsible for the demise of the Dorset culture. The Norse began settling in the southern part of Greenland in around 980AD before spreading and bringing with them iron from elsewhere in Europe. Among them was an enormous lump of iron known as Ahighito, or the Tent, which weighs around 31 tons, a 22 ton piece called The Man, a 2.5 ton chunk called the Woman and the Dog, weighing half a ton. These are now all housed at the American Museum of Natural History after being transported there by arctic explorers in the 19th century. However, archaeologists from the National Museum of Denmark have now found evidence that the native 'Paleo-Eskimos' who lived in the area had been knocking fragments off these boulders for hundreds of years. They found piles of basalt stones weighing up to 40kg (88lbs) that had been carried to the locations where the meteorites were found where they were used to hammer pieces off the meteorites. The metal was then used to forge a knife or harpoon blade. Dr Martin Appelt, an archaeologist from the National Museum of Denmark, told online magazine Polarfronten: 'We knew the locations because what we have here are large scientific objects, but the story of the meteorites as the whole area's source of iron have sunk into oblivion.' Together with a team of archaeologists from Denmark and Greenland, Dr Appelt and his colleagues discovered huge piles of hammer stones. Mikkel Myrup, an archaeoloigst from the Greenland National Museum, measured the piles using a drone and estimates that they may contain up to 70 tonnes of hammer stones. The Ahnighito, or Tent, fragment of the Cape York meteorite, above, weighs 34 tons but was mined for iron . The Agpalilik fragment, also called the Man, of the meteorite now sits outside the Geological Museum in Copenhagen (seen above) but the iron rich space rock brought new material for weapons to Greenland . The 34 ton Ahnighito meteorite fragment was mined for centuries before it was moved by American polar explorer Robert Peary, seen above posing next to the meteorite in its original location, to the United States . This would suggest that huge amounts of iron had been mined from the meteorites over the years. 'They did a heck of a lot of hammering,' said Dr Jens Fog Jensen, another archaeologist involved in the research from the National Museum of Denmark. 'The blacksmiths would start by knocking off a small piece, thoroughly beating it flat and giving it a sharp edge, then hardening it further so that it could serve as an arrowhead or flensing knife.' Analysis on iron tools from the area show that it had come from these meteorites as they have a distinctive chemical signature that includes traces of nickel. The meteorite broke up over the Cape York Peninsula in north west Greenland, scattering on the ice sheet . Polar explorers transported the Ahnighito meteorite fragment to the American Museum of Natural History . It is through early Eskimos, also known as the Dorset people, began exploiting the iron in the meteorites in the mid eighth century. When the Thules, an early Inuit people, arrived in the 12th century, they took over the trade in meteorite iron. Weapons made from the meteorites have been found as far away as Canada. In southern Greenland, which was the first area to be occupied by the Norsemen, just one single fragment of the meteorite has been found. It is thought that they had no need to use the meteorite iron as they had access to iron from terrestrial ore. Dr Appelt added: 'It has been traded over large distances and testifies to the significance of the meteorites from the Thule as a source of iron in the Eastern Arctic.'
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Danish archaeologists found evidence that early Eskimo hunters broke iron from giant meteorites on the Greenland ice sheet using basalt stones .
A meteorite broke apart and fell onto the ice sheet around 10,000 years ago .
The iron it contained was used to make knives and harpoons for centuries .
Iron from the Greenland meteorite has been found as far away as Canada .
Scientists say the huge chunks of meteorite kickstarted Greenland's Iron Age long before Norse settlers brought iron ore from Earth to the island .
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(CNN) -- The bodies of two ATV enthusiasts missing since Sunday in California's Mojave Desert were found Thursday after a massive search, authorities said. Kern County, California, sheriff's Lt. Steve Hansen said the bodies of Daniel Preddy Carbonaro, 27, and Chris Wayne Rice, 29, were found and the search was ended. He had no additional details. Carbonaro and Rice, both of Santa Barbara, California, had traveled to a remote corner of the desert with their girlfriends, hoping to test out Rice's new 2011 Polaris ATV, family members said. The area is popular with "off-roaders," campers and recreational enthusiasts. "I am so sad to report it is official, Dan and Chris were found deceased," said the search's Facebook page, "Friends of the Chris Rice and Dan Carbonaro search." A memorial fund was set up on the site. The two young men left a Randsburg, California, hotel about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, telling their girlfriends where they were headed and saying they'd be back within a few hours. The two planned to travel by ATV about 15 miles to the Cuddeback Dry Lake Bed in San Bernardino County, an expansive and popular "off-roading" area. It was a "dark, moonless night," said Carbonaro's father, Robert Carbonaro, who worried as the search was under way that the two "may have gotten disoriented." Carbonaro said he was worried about abandoned gold mine shafts in the area. But Kern County authorities said the bodies were found in a ravine area with rugged, steep terrain. Agencies participating in the search for the two men included the Kern County Sheriff's Office; the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department; the California Highway Patrol; the Bureau of Land Management; and the Indian Wells Mine Rescue Team. Relatives of the two men were out searching alongside authorities as well, Robert Carbonaro said.
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NEW: The two men are found dead Thursday .
They had been missing since Sunday .
The two planned to ride ATV in the Mojave Desert .
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By . Simon Cable and Peter Robertson . PUBLISHED: . 18:29 EST, 7 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:43 EST, 8 November 2013 . Longest-serving: Kay Burley marked her 28-year . television career by claiming her longevity proves older women can still . succeed on the small screen . Newsreader Kay Burley has marked her 28-year television career by claiming her longevity proves older women can still succeed on the small screen. The 52-year-old Sky News broadcaster has been on camera for a total of 20,000 hours and is the longest-serving British news presenter still working. Speaking at the Breast Cancer Care lunch at Champneys Tring health spa, she said: ‘I’m 53 in December and I’ve just signed another five-year contract, so I think that probably blows a few holes in the argument of people who say that older women can’t be a success in television. 'I’m the longest-serving British newsreader. That’s quite a lot of longevity, isn’t it? ‘I was staggered, to be honest … and apparently I’ve also done more live broadcasting than anybody else in the world.’ ‘Apparently there is some chap in America who’s done about 16,000 hours and apparently I’ve done 20,000 hours. Isn’t it amazing? It’s incredible. I can’t believe it. ‘It feels like yesterday that I joined the company. I suppose it’s because it doesn’t feel like work because I love my job, I love what I do for a living. ‘I’m not expecting a trophy, I’m just safe in the knowledge that I can continue to do for another five years the best job in the world. I love my job and I’m very lucky and privileged to be able to do it. ‘I’m very content to be with Sky. I was there when it was just great big potholes in the car park, and now we have something like 130 million viewers around the world. I was recently on safari on holiday and I was recognised on the Zimbabwe/Botswana border, which was a bit weird but it made me think, “We reach all of these people”.’ At a Breast Cancer Care lunch she hit back at critics such as Sir Terry Wogan, who last week claimed ageing female presenters should not complain when they are replaced as they often use their looks to land TV roles as young women. Miss Burley, who admits making a series of high-profile blunders during her live broadcasts, recently signed a new contract which will keep her at Sky until she is 57. Shining example: Miss Burley, who has clocked up . a phenomenal 20,000 hours on screen, meets Prime Minister David Cameron . at a Downing Street reception to celebrate the achievements of women in . the media . 'It feels like yesterday that I joined the company': And she has just signed another five-year contract . She began her career on the Evening Post and Chronicle in Wigan in 1978 before working in local radio and television. She . joined TV-am in 1985 as a reporter and breakfast TV presenter. She . joined Sky News in 1988, helping launch the channel three months later. She . currently presents Sky News from 2-5pm, and has covered some of the . world’s biggest news stories including the death of Princess Diana, the . Asian Tsunami and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for which she won a BAFTA . award. Covering all the big news: Miss Burley reported on the death of Princess Diana in 1997 . Consummate professional: And she was part of the media scrum outside the Lindo Wing of St . George's Hospital, London, where to reporting the birth of her grandson, Prince . George, this summer . However, she made a series of widely-publicised gaffes during her career, including mistakenly mocking US Vice President Joe Biden for marking his forehead with ashes on Ash Wednesday. She told viewers it looked like he had ‘walked into a door’. She grabbed a photographer by the throat during the scrum that greeted Naomi Campbell’s court appearance in 2008, and was labelled ‘a bit dim’ during a clash with Labour MP Chris Bryant. She said: ‘I’ve had so many bloopers . I’ve no idea where to start. There’s a great quote that goes “Doctors . bury their mistakes, lawyers lock theirs up, and television presenters . broadcast theirs”, and it’s true. ‘Of . course you make mistakes. You can’t be the longest-serving newsreader . in the world and not make mistakes, but the key is to get back on the . horse’. Big break: Miss Burley, second from right, with colleagues on breakfast programme TV-AM, which she joined as a reporter in 1985 . Career progression: Miss Burley pictured in the Sky News newsroom in 1989, after she joined a year earlier . Talking about ageism . in the past, Miss Burley admitted she had never been a victim, but said . she would follow former BBC presenter Miriam O’Reilly, who successfully . sued the BBC for age discrimination and victimisation after she was . dropped as a presenter of Countryfile at the age of 51 in 2009. She said: ‘Ageism and sexism have passed me by - but if it happened, I’d fight it like Miriam O’Reilly did.’ Glamour puss: She hit back at critics like Sir Terry Wogan, who last week claimed ageing female presenters shouldn't complain when they are replaced as they often use their looks to land TV roles as young women . Talking about retiring from television, she once admitted: ‘I sometimes dream of a life in the country with my chickens, growing vegetables. That would be heaven one day, but not yet.’ Britain’s longest-ever serving newsreader is Peter Sissons, who retired from the BBC at the age of 66 in 2009 after 31 years as a newscaster. Before him, the title was held by Dickie Baker, who retired from the BBC after 28 years.
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Sky News broadcaster, 52, has been on camera for a total of 20,000 hours .
She's just signed another five-year contract to stay on screen until she's 57 .
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Paris, France (CNN) -- The French Senate approved Tuesday a law banning any veils that cover the face -- including the burqa, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women -- making France the first European country to plan such a measure. The law passed by a vote of 246 to 1, with about 100 abstentions coming essentially from left-leaning politicians. The legislation was overwhelmingly approved by the lower house of parliament in July and will go into effect next spring. French people back the ban by a margin of more than four to one, the Pew Global Attitudes Project found in a survey earlier this year. Some 82 percent of people polled approved of a ban, while 17 percent disapproved. That was the widest support the Washington-based think tank found in any of the five countries it surveyed. Clear majorities also backed burqa bans in Germany, Britain and Spain, while two out of three Americans opposed it, the survey found. A panel of French lawmakers recommended a ban last year, and lawmakers unanimously passed a non-binding resolution in May calling the full-face veil contrary to the laws of the nation. "Given the damage it produces on those rules which allow the life in community, ensure the dignity of the person and equality between sexes, this practice, even if it is voluntary, cannot be tolerated in any public place," the French government said when it sent the measure to parliament in May. The law imposes a fine of 150 euros ($190) and/or a citizenship course as punishment for wearing a face-covering veil. Forcing a woman to wear a niqab or a burqa will be punishable by a year in prison or a 15,000-euro ($19,000) fine, the government said, calling it "a new form of enslavement that the republic cannot accept on its soil." The French Council of State has warned that the ban could be incompatible with international human rights laws and the country's own constitution. The council advises on laws, but the government is not required to follow its recommendations. The ban pertains to the burqa, a full-body covering that includes a mesh over the face, and the niqab, a full-face veil that leaves an opening only for the eyes. The hijab, which covers the hair and neck but not the face, and the chador, which covers the body but not the face, apparently are not banned by the law. However, a 2004 law in France bans the wearing or displaying of overt religious symbols in schools -- including the wearing of headscarves by schoolgirls. The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life estimates that France has about 3.5 million Muslims, or about 6 percent of the population. France does not keep its own statistics on religious affiliation of the population, in keeping with its laws requiring the state to be strictly secular. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.
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NEW: The law will go into effect next spring and impose a fine of $190 for violations .
The ban passed the lower house of the French parliament by a huge majority .
A poll this year showed French people overwhelmingly favor a ban .
France has about 3.5 million Muslims .
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Embattled Republican Sen. Pat Roberts added to his cavalry of endorsements Monday, receiving the backing of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Roberts, a conservative three-term senator, is in an unusually tough race in deep-red Kansas with independent businessman Greg Orman, whom Roberts attacked hard about what he's calling questionable business dealings with Rajat Gupta, a former Wall Street executive convicted of insider trading. "He isn't honest about his liberal ideology, and he isn't coming clear about his business record," Roberts said. "Mr. Orman is using his business record as a sole qualification for his candidacy, but the truth is Mr. Orman built his business career working with one of Wall Street's biggest criminals, avoiding taxes, and laying off hard-working Americans." Roberts' low poll numbers have garnered national attention in a year Republicans could win a Senate majority. It's been over 80 years since Kansas elected a non-Republican senator, and party members don't want the Sunflower state to be the reason they remain in the minority during the next Congress. The Chamber of Commerce endorsement is critical for Republicans who represent themselves as business allies. The organization typically shows support for Republican candidates, which could include ads and other financial support. "We're all in for Senator Roberts. Period," Rob Engstrom, a senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told CNN. "We're going to clearly point out where Mr. Orman and his liberal record with his liberal allies stands on the issues. And once Kansas voters hear that and believe that and know that, Senator Roberts will win." Republican Party members from all spectrums concerned about winning a majority have also come to Kansas to campaign with the senator. Bob Dole, a former GOP presidential candidate, Senate majority leader, and member of the Kansas congressional delegation, campaigned for Roberts last month, as did other establishment party members including former former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be in Kansas later this month, Roberts said. Tea party supporters also have given Roberts the support he'll need to win in November, even after their preferred candidate, Dr. Milton Wolf, lost to him in the primary earlier this year. Sarah Palin has already stumped for Roberts, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas will kick off a statewide bus tour campaign this Friday. Asked why Orman's business experience and position in favor of immigration reform like the Chamber's didn't qualify him for the endorsement, Engstorm said, "I would argue there are very few positions where we share a common view. Dodd-Frank, American energy exploration, cap-and-trade, Obamacare. He's either on the wrong side or won't say where he stands." Engstrom didn't mince words to show his support for Roberts' business record. "This is the senator -- this is the man -- who is pushing back against Obama and Harry Reid, and Mr. Orman is not. He's absent," he said. Orman didn't return the candidate questionnaire used to decide endorsements within the organization that represents over 300,000 members, Engstrom noted. Roberts isn't the only Republican having trouble in the polls this year in Kansas. Gov. Sam Brownback's re-election is also in question. Asked by CNN whether Brownback is dragging down his campaign, Roberts replied, "I will let Governor Brownback speak for himself, but I think -- I think he's coming back."
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is endorsing Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts .
Roberts is trailing independent candidate Greg Orman in the key race .
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(CNN) -- In honor of the one-year anniversary of her groundbreaking self-titled work, Beyonce has taken us by surprise yet again. The superstar singer gets personal in a nearly 12-minute short film titled "Yours and Mine," which was released Friday without warning, much in the same way she unleashed her album "Beyonce" in December 2013. The result is a visually arresting piece that also includes nuggets of insight from Bey, who speaks on a range of topics from feminism to fame to marriage. Here's what we learned: . 'Humanist' rather than 'feminist' One of the biggest hits from "Beyonce" is the track "***Flawless," which uses a snippet from a 2013 TEDx talk given by writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called "We Should All Be Feminists." Though Beyonce's always been a proponent of female empowerment, even going back to her Destiny's Child days, she admits in her short film that she was initially skittish around the word "feminist." "I've always considered myself a feminist, although I was always afraid of that word because people put so much on it," Beyonce says. "When honestly, it's very simple. It's just a person that believes in equality for men and women. Men and women balance each other out, and we have to get to a point where we are comfortable with appreciating each other." When it comes to men and the cultural pressures they face, "I have a lot of empathy," Beyonce continues. "I have the same empathy for women and the pressures we go through. ... I consider myself a humanist." 'The property of the public' No one is immune to the price of fame, and that includes Beyonce. With global stardom, "you become the property of the public," she laments. "There's nothing real about it." To be honest, "I sometimes wish that I could just be anonymous and walk down a street like everyone else," she adds. "Before I was famous, I was the girl on the hill with the guitar. I was the girl that just wanted a beautiful view of the beach. And now that I'm famous, it's really, really difficult to do very simple things. I think it's the hardest thing to give up." CNN 10: Beyonce and more of 2014's most influential entertainers . 'Never make excuses' That said, Beyonce is never one to play the victim. "My mother always taught me to be strong," she says. "Never make excuses; never expect anyone else to provide for me things that I know I can provide for myself. I have dreams, and I feel like I have a power to actually make those dreams become a reality." 'We're supposed to depend on each other' There are those who think they'll "lose something when they get married, but it doesn't have to be that way," Beyonce, who's been married to Jay Z for six years, reflects. "There's nothing more exciting about having a witness to your life." And beyond that, she sees something powerful in partnership. "You know, everybody's not good at everything. It's OK to depend on someone; it's actually what we're supposed to do," she says. "We're supposed to depend on each other, and when you find the person that you trust and you love and that you feel that is going to respect you and take all of the s*** that you have and turn it around and bring out the best in you, it feeds you. It is the most powerful thing you can ever feel in your life. ... One thing that's for sure: The love that I have for music, for my husband, for my child, is something that will last far beyond my life."
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Beyonce released a short film Friday .
She reflected on a number of topics, from feminism to fame .
She also talked about marriage .
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By . Andy Dolan . Last updated at 9:17 AM on 28th February 2012 . A grandfather who was so scared of being burgled that he slept downstairs in his armchair was throttled to death by a serial thief who had been released early. Paul Cox had taken to spending nights in his living room two years earlier after becoming the victim of burglaries only months apart. But his fear of being targeted again became a reality when he was killed by drunken intruder Cory Youlden, who escaped with a bag of coins and Mr Cox’s car. Serial offender: Murderer Cory Youlden had been out of prison on licence for just three months when he savagely strangled Paul Cox (right) The disabled grandfather’s body was . found hours later, slumped at the foot of his chair in the home he had . lived in for 55 years. Mr Cox died just four days before his 84th . birthday. Yesterday, Youlden, who had 24 other convictions, was jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 22 years for the savage crime. He carried out the attack three months . after being released on licence, half-way through a 42-month sentence . for three street robberies. After strangling Mr Cox in a headlock, he tried to erase forensic evidence by cleaning up with bleach, the court heard. He then left the house at Rednal, . Worcestershire, in his victim’s Ford Focus, having taken the keys along . with the cash from Mr Cox’s pocket. Prosecutor Alex Warren said Youlden, . 23, smashed a bay window to break in to the semi-detached home in the . early hours, after storming out of his girlfriend’s home during a row. The barrister added: ‘Mr Cox had been burgled on two previous occasions . in 2009. ‘He had started sleeping downstairs in a chair with a hammer because he was afraid of further burglaries.’ Mr Warren said that after a . confrontation in the rear sitting room – where Mr Cox was sleeping with . an electric fire on for warmth – Youlden left his victim ‘dead or . dying’. He said footprints matching Youlden’s . shoes were discovered upstairs while the defendant’s fingerprints were . found on the smashed window pane. Scene: Mr Cox was found dead in the living room of his home in Rednal, Worcestershire, in June last year . Police were called after a neighbour noticed Mr Cox’s car was missing. Mr Cox, who had separated from his . wife 40 years ago, suffered from coronary heart disease, was blind in . one eye and partially deaf, the court heard. He had carried out his national . service in the Royal Engineers, stationed in Palestine and Egypt, and . spent much of his working life as an engineer and toolmaker for . Cadbury’s. A post-mortem examination found the pensioner died of pressure to the neck. Youlden was arrested two days after the killing in June. By then he had sold Mr Cox’s car for £400. It was found burned out. Stephen Lineham QC, defending, told . Worcester Crown Court Youlden had had a ‘wretched life’, having been . fostered at 11 months and later adopted. Youlden, whose address was given as a hostel in Birmingham, admitted murder, theft and burglary earlier this month. Jailed: Worcester Crown Court (pictured) heard that Youlden had served half of a 42-month sentence for a string of street robberies when he murdered Mr Cox . The court heard the father of one, who . was first convicted at 14, had a string of burglaries and robberies to . his name. Judge Robert Juckes QC said Mr Cox had offered Youlden ‘little . by way of resistance’ but was nevertheless held in a headlock for . between 15 and 20 seconds. He told the defendant: ‘You not only killed him but you left him on the ground after taking from him money and keys. ‘You are a young man with an appalling record of burglary.’ Mr Cox is survived by his son Greg, 58, daughter Jane, 54, a brother and two grandchildren. In a statement, the family said it is . they ‘who feel they have the life sentence’, adding Mr Cox had been . living independently, ‘still able to enjoy life, have a pint, watch . sport and spend time with his family’. Detective Chief Inspector Paul Williamson, of West Mercia Police, said Youlden was ‘deceitful, callous and calculated’. The ‘tragic and brutal killing of a vulnerable man’ was ‘all the more senseless because Youlden gained very little, he added.
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Cory Youlden had been out of jail for just three months when he throttled defenceless pensioner .
Killer had string of robbery convictions when he murdered frail Paul Cox .
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(CNN) -- I peered over the shoulder of the flight engineer and studied the pressurization gauge on his panel. The needle indicated that the cabin was climbing, and the slow popping in my ears confirmed it. Not good. The flight engineer swiveled his seat away from the panel and turned in my direction, brow furrowed, eyes wide. "Should I tell the captain?" he asked. The question seemed foolish, but I understood. The flight engineer was brand new, having completed his training with the airline a week earlier. I was a seasoned veteran of six months, observing from the jump seat for the purpose of monitoring co-pilot procedures. I had just upgraded from the flight engineer position to a "window seat" on the 727. "Yes," I replied with raised eyebrows. "I would tell the captain...like right now." The captain had already begun to swivel in his seat. He squinted at the array of switches and indications on the panel. A conference with the flight engineer ensued. All four of us in the cockpit focused momentarily on the cabin rate needle. It was still indicating a climb. For some mysterious reason, we were slowly losing cabin pressurization. The captain turned toward me in a silent gesture to obtain confirmation. I nodded. Without hesitation, he instructed the co-pilot to request an immediate descent to 10,000 feet from our altitude of 37,000 feet. I reached for the oxygen mask and strapped it to my face. The rest of the crew followed my lead. Ten minutes later, and after the completion of the appropriate emergency checklist, we reached 10,000 feet. Our 152 passengers had to endure a lack of air conditioning because of the pressurization problem, but other than that, the experience was a non-event. This should have been the same outcome for the single-engine Socata TBM 900 turboprop that crashed, tragically, in the waters off Jamaica on Friday. The TBM 900 had departed Rochester, New York, bound for Naples, Florida, with two occupants on board: Larry Glazer, the pilot/owner and his wife, Jane Glazer. But the pilot became unresponsive while the airplane cruised at 25,000 feet over Georgia. Instead of landing in Naples, the autopilot system allowed the turboprop to continue flying off the eastern U.S. coastline, crossing over Cuba before, with its fuel supply exhausted, it crashed into the sea about 12 miles north of the Jamaican coastline. Two U.S.-launched F-15s confirmed through observation that the pilot appeared unconscious. The French-made TBM 900 is a sophisticated piece of technology, far superior to the old Boeing 727 airliner I described above. It is a great representative of the new generation in privately-owned cabin class airplanes, competing with traditional twin-engine turboprops and even small, corporate jets. Composite material, finely tuned aeroengineering design, a reliable and proven Pratt and Whitney engine and advanced cockpit displays and controls all combine to make the $3.7 million airplane a respected machine. More than 1,000 of these airplanes are operating today; the 900 is the most recent version. According to an Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) report, this was the third TBM owned by Larry Glazer; he had logged 5,000 hours in the model. One would think that such experience would have produced a positive result and not a crash into the ocean. What happened exactly? Hypoxia, lack of oxygen to the brain, would appear to be the most likely culprit. Depending upon the health condition of an individual, the time of useful consciousness at 25,000 feet isn't much more than about a minute. But that's if a depressurization occurs as a catastrophic event with some type of major hole in the fuselage, allowing air to escape explosively. But in this instance, judging by 30 minutes of Air Traffic Control audio recording, it was not a catastrophic occurrence, but rather a slow event. News reports say the pilot asked to descend to 18,000 feet because "we have an indication that is not correct in the plane," according to a stream of that transmission posted on LiveATC.net. After about one minute, the airplane was cleared initially from 28,000 feet to 25,000 feet where it eventually remained until fuel exhaustion. While descending, ATC gave further clearance to 20,000 feet but the pilot responded with an unintelligible transmission. It's possible he was already suffering from hypoxia. A slow loss of oxygen to the brain is insidious; most people not familiar with the symptoms don't recognize the danger. A depressurization problem is a traumatic event that it is easily managed -- but only if the problem is recognized. Like the captain of the 727, a pilot facing such a situation would have to don an oxygen mask the minute he suspected the issue. The next objective would be to descend the airplane to a habitable altitude -- 10,000 feet is a typical procedure goal. For this to occur, a sense of urgency has to be stated or an emergency declared. Apparently, none of this happened. At the airline level, we train for such a depressurization event from day one. It is an emergency that is etched into our muscle memory. I am certain this emergency was part of the training for this particular TBM pilot. Whether it was part of his muscle memory, we can't know. The airplane is equipped with an emergency oxygen bottle attached to quick-donning masks for just such circumstances. It is possible that the system may have malfunctioned. Perhaps a closed valve not noticed on the preflight inspection? An undetected leak? Or maybe the system that had been causing the malfunction released the cabin pressurization in one final event. Regardless, if indeed a pressurization malfunction had been observed, the prudent decision would have been to descend immediately and head off a tragedy. Sad as this outcome was, we can be thankful for small favors. The airplane's sophisticated automation system steered it away from populated areas and a tragedy of even greater proportions.
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Early in pilot career, Les Abend faced rapid loss of cabin pressure .
He says captain of doomed flight that crashed in Jamaica waters may have faced that, too .
If so, hypoxia would have kept him from making lifesaving altitude adjustments, he says .
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A plunging neckline closing three inches below a woman's cleavage is the new super-low-cut trend being worn by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Rita Ora and Sienna Miller - but is it a look that's going to make it into the real world? Kate Hudson, 35, was one of a handful of celebrities that dared to take the look to the red carpet, wearing an extremely revealing white gown, slashed to the navel, at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. Sienna Miller and Jennifer Lopez also championed the look at the event. Away from the red carpet. Kim Kardashian, 34, went bra-less on a night out in New York last week, refusing to let the Arctic temperatures stop her from making a daring fashion statement and Rita Ora also caused a stir last Monday- and sparked more than 400 complaints - when she appeared on BBC1's The One Show in a white blazer buttoned at the stomach with nothing underneath. Scroll down for video . Can a 'real' woman pull off extreme cleavage look? Deni hits the streets in a revealing neckline to find out . The trend - which is set to be big in 2015 - has been building for the last couple of months and fashion conscious stars including Miranda Kerr and Cara Delevingne used it regularly to spice up their wardrobe last autumn. But while such a daring dress isn't out of place in the A-lister's wardrobe, what would it be like for the average woman to try out such a design - and what would the public's reaction be? FEMAIL put one writer to the test to find out. Deni Kirkova, 24, from London, attempted to give Kate Hudson and Kim Kardashian a run for their money by trialling out the extreme cleavage trend - stepping out in Kensington High Street - the borough of London that counts the Royal family as locals - to find out what the reaction from the public would be. (l-r) Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez and Sienna Miller made sure all eyes were on them at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, with daring dresses slashed to the navel . Zuhair Murad Fall 2014 Couture . Not available - but click for more Zuhair Murad at Luisa Via Roma . Visit site . For one of the main red carpet season events, of course J-Lo was in attendance and naturally, she looked as stunning as ever. It must be hard not to look good with as banging a body as J-Lo, but this is one woman who knows how to nail the red carpet. She always accentuates her figure to the max and manages to show off plenty of skin without looking too risque and it was no different for this year's Golden Globes. J-Lo stepped up to present Best Actor in a Mini TV Series award at the event and Fashion Finder couldn't help but lust after her sparkly dress, which featured a cape - one of the hottest trends this season. And of course, sparkles and glitter are so very Hollywood and expected of the red carpet events so this pick had it all. We know everyone can't resist a sequin, so that's why we've rounded up some glittering numbers below, perfect for your next big event. Asos sequin kimono maxi dress . Visit site . Asos sexy gold wrap maxi dress . Visit site . Needle &Thread lace petal maxi dress at Revolve . Visit site . NLY Eve sequins long dress at Nelly . Visit site . Kim Kardashian, 34, went bra-less on a night out with husband Kanye West in New York last week, refusing to let the Arctic temperatures stop her from making a daring fashion statement . Speaking about the look - and whether she thought she could pull it off - Deni said: 'I feel very exposed - I don't mind showing cleavage created by a good push-up bra, but this plunging top is quite extreme.' While Kim's garment is no doubt designer - and comes with a high-end price tag - Deni got dressed up in her daring black ensemble from New Look and H&M. 'I feel quite sexy and confident, but also self-conscious,' Deni added. Deni said that she felt quite sexy and confident in her plunging top in High Street Kensington, but also self-conscious in her revealing outfit . Eyes right! Deni got lots of attention from passers-by on the street in her cleavage-baring outfit . Deni attempted to emulate confident Kate as best she could with a photographer in tow, striding nonchalantly along in High Street Kensington on a very cold Friday afternoon - much to the amusement of passers-by. Lucien Joyce, a 27-year-old from London, paid particular interest when he saw Deni walking past. He said: 'She's showing too much flesh for the temperature but she looks really nice and I like her outfit.' So did he think Deni pulls it off better than Kate or Kim? Lucien said: 'A celebrity is a real woman at the end of the day, someone like Kim just celebrates her body more than the next person. 'If a lady wants to show off her assets like Deni is, then she should go for it.' Getting an eyeful: Lucian Joyce, a 27-year-old from London, paid particular interest to Deni as he strolled past . Deni copied Kate Hudson and Kim Kardashian's style by striding confidently down Kensington High Street . Deni received more than a few glances - especially from passing men. 'You look amazing, love', 'are you a model?' and 'smoking' were just a few of the comments from gawping guys walking past. An older lady who didn't want to be named added: 'She's young, she can get away with it, she's having fun', while a few school boys stopped to take some snaps on their mobile phones. One passer by, Martin, a 26-year-old who works in the music industry in London, stopped for a lingering glance. He said: 'She looks great, I have absolutely no complaints about her look. 'I don't think anyone can judge her and if you do, that says more about your character than her look.' 'You look amazing, love', 'are you a model?' and 'smoking' were just a few of the comments that Deni got . Deni bought her daring black ensemble from New Look and H&M and took it to High Street Kensington to find out what the reaction would be . Sharing his opinion, fashion writer Simon Glazin said: 'Granted, Sienna, Kim and Kate gets chauffeured from one place to the next, and probably have an on-hand stylist with an iron, so their dresses will always look perfect. 'But for us mere mortals, a plunging top or dress like this is possible with the same amount of glamour. 'As long as you are always on boob-watch, and have emergency tit-tape in your bag, you'll be fine and Deni looks amazing.' This isn't the first time that Kim or Kate have dared to bare and their fashionable friends Cara Delevingne, Gwyneth Paltrow and Miranda Kerr have all trialed the trend, too. Speaking about the new extreme cleavage fashion, celebrity stylist Claire Wacey, said: 'The trend to show off more cleavage is great provided you have a pert, toned bust. 'If, however, your breasts do not defy gravity and require bras of steel to keep them in place do not attempt this trend.' Passer by Martin, a 26-year-old who works in the music industry in London, stopped for a lingering glance at Deni . She continued: 'If attempting then ensure that you only show the curve of the bust, either in the centre or at the top rather than creating a pushed together "Bum Boob". 'Look for dresses that will separate and lift the bust so that the look remains classy. 'Invest in strong tit-tape, like Boots stock Eylure tit tape, which is great to keep everything in place.' Simon added: 'Anyone can add a chic blazer over a gown, I've been suggesting this particular styling in my work for years. 'It's super elegant, sophisticated and screams of power-woman, plus, it's a great option of jacket on a cold night out. 'I'd like to think that only those women with the "right" boobs for this dress would attempt it. 'That's not to say there isn't something for everyone, but when they are on show like this, you need to think carefully if you can go without support.' Rita Ora caused quite the stir when she appeared on The One Show to promote The Voice in a white blazer buttoned at the stomach . Cara Delevingne, pictured, left at the CR Fashion Book launch and Miranda Kerr, right, love wearing plunging tops .
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Kate Hudson and Sienna Miller both attended the Golden Globes wearing daring dresses slashed to the navel .
FEMAIL's Deni Kirkova tried out the reality star's cleavage-baring look on the streets of London .
Passers-by were impressed - most men thought she looked great and all stared (including some women)
This year's extreme cleavage trend has already been trialed by Kim Kardashian, Miranda Kerr and Rita Ora .
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By . Victoria Woollaston . PUBLISHED: . 06:53 EST, 28 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:15 EST, 28 October 2013 . It's long been known the surface of Titan, a giant moon orbiting around Saturn, is covered in lakes but now never-before-seen images reveal new clues as to how these lakes may have formed. The shots, taken by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft, were captured as the moon entered its Spring season, meaning the sun was shining down onto its north pole making it possible to capture them for the first time. The near-infrared images show bright spots in the northern part of the lakes, suggesting the surface is unique from the rest of Titan, which . might explain why almost all of the lakes are found in this region. Scroll down for video . Images of the lakes near the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan, pictured, were taken by Nasa's Cassini spacecraft as it entered its Spring season. This shot shows the outline of the different lakes and bright spots seen in the northern part of the land suggest the surface is unique from the rest of Titan . The data also suggests parts of Titan's lakes and seas may have evaporated to leave behind the Titan equivalent of salt flats found on Earth. This evaporated liquid is thought to be made up of chemicals that come from particles in the haze that surrounds Titan that have been dissolved in liquid methane. Titan's lakes, pictured, have distinctive rounded 'cookie-cutter shapes with steep sides'. The data suggests parts of Titan's seas may have evaporated to leave behind salt flats . Titan's lakes have distinctive rounded 'cookie-cutter shapes with steep sides'. The explanations for how the lakes formed range . from the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption to so-called . 'karst' terrain, where liquids on the surface dissolve . soluble bedrock. Although there is one large lake and a . few smaller ones near Titan's south pole, almost all of Titan's lakes surround its north pole. Cassini captured the images during . flybys of Titan on 10 and 26 July and 12 September. These flybys, . coupled with the sunlight shining on the north pole and a lack of clouds . as the moon entered its Spring season gave a much clearer, close-up . view. 'Ever since the lakes and . seas were discovered, we've been wondering why they're concentrated at . high northern latitudes,' said Elizabeth Turtle, a Cassini . imaging team associate based at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics . Laboratory in Maryland. 'Seeing that there's something special about . the surface in this region is a big clue to help narrow down the . possible explanations.' Scientists at Nasa's . Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California study Titan's terrain . using Cassini's visual and . infrared mapping spectrometer. This mosaic, made from near-infrared images of Titan obtained by Cassini's imaging science subsystem, shows a view from the north pole (upper middle of mosaic) down to near the equator at the bottom. Here, the seas and lakes appear as dark shapes, embedded in some kind of bright terrain . Titan . is Saturn's largest moon - with a radius of appropriately 1,600 miles (2,574 . kilometers). It's bigger than planet Mercury and is the second-largest . moon in the solar system. The . atmosphere of Titan is largely composed of nitrogen; minor components . lead to the formation of methane and ethane clouds and nitrogen-rich . organic smog. The climate - . including wind and rain - creates surface features similar to those on . Earth, including dunes, rivers, lakes and seas (probably of liquid . methane and ethane), and deltas, and is dominated by seasonal weather . patterns as on Earth. Launched in 1997, Cassini has been . exploring Saturn and its series of moons since 2004. On Saturn, a full year is the . equivalent to 30 Earth years, meaning Cassini has only been able to . observe a third of a Saturn year. Since 2004, Saturn and its moons have seen the seasons change from . northern winter to northern summer. Cassini revealed that Titan's . surface is shaped by rivers and lakes of liquid ethane and methane (the . main component of natural gas), during its initial flybys. Scientists are interested in Titan because its atmosphere is most like that on Earth. Titan is said to resemble a . frozen version of Earth, several billion years ago, before oxygen entered the atmosphere. Images taken using this visual and infrared . mapping spectrometer, which turns infrared colours into colours that can . be seen by the human eye, reveal differences in the composition of . material around the . lakes. Yet, until now, they have only been able to capture distant or partial . views of this area. Linda . Spilker, Cassini project scientist at Nasa's Jet Propulsion . Laboratory in California: 'Titan's northern lakes region is one . of the most Earth-like and intriguing in the solar system. 'We know lakes here change with the . seasons. Now that the sun is shining . in the north and we have these wonderful views, we can begin to compare . the different data sets and tease out what Titan's lakes are doing near . the north pole.' Jia-Rui . Cook, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory added in a blog post: 'The . exploration of this amazing place is just beginning. Frigid and alien, . yet also remarkably similar to our own planet, Titan is a new world - . revealed before our very eyes by the Cassini and Huygens spacecraft.' Ultracold hydrocarbon lakes and seas (dark shapes) near the north pole of Saturn's moon Titan can be seen embedded in some kind of bright surface material in this infrared mosaic from the Cassini mission .
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Nasa's Cassini craft caught the images as it flew by Saturn's moon, Titan .
Photos taken as Titan entered Spring and the sun shone on its north pole .
This gave a never-before-seen viewpoint of the lakes and their depths .
Data suggests Titan's seas may have evaporated to form these lakes .
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By . Peta Bee . UPDATED: . 06:39 EST, 8 February 2012 . Downward dog for back pain, sun salutations for an energy boost - yoga has become the workout for a healthy mind and body, and is the exercise of choice for endless celebrities including Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. But is the ancient art form as healthy as we’d like to think? On yesterday’s Today programme on Radio 4, New York Times science writer William Broad, the author of a controversial new book, The Science Of Yoga: The Risks And Rewards, asked whether yoga - when taught incorrectly - might actually have the potential to kill. Bent out of shape: New York Times science writer William Broad yesterday asked whether yoga - when taught incorrectly - might actually have the potential to kill . During his research Broad - who himself practised yoga for many years before getting injured doing it in 2007 - uncovered endless documented examples of injuries to backs and limbs such as strains, broken bones and trapped sciatic nerves. He also found to his ‘horror’ that while some poses were low risk others could have extremely serious consequences. These risks, he says, occur as a result of hyper-extension - over-stretching - of the head and neck. It’s not just doing advanced postures such as headstands, where you balance your legs straight up in the air, resting on just your head and hands, that are risky, says Broad. He’s gathered evidence that even traditional yoga moves, or asanas, practised at beginner and intermediate level, can lead to serious problems. ‘This is not anecdotal and they are not freak accidents,’ he says. ‘Postures like the shoulder stand, in which you lie on your back and raise your legs into the air, and the plough, in which you lie on your back and put your feet over your head on the floor behind you, that are widely performed can crank the neck around in a risky way.’ Reductions of blood flow in one of the vertebral arteries, called the basilar artery, are known to cause strokes in some people and can be fatal. ‘If the clots that form go to the brain, you can have a stroke,’ Broad says. ‘And one in 20 people who have these vertebral artery problems can die.’ He explains that the first real evidence of yoga injuries was initially published in credible medical journals several decades ago. As long ago as 1972, a respected Oxford University neurologist, Professor Ritchie Russell, wrote an article in the British Medical Journal arguing that some yoga postures had the potential to cause strokes in healthy, young people. He had found evidence that yoga students typically turned their necks as far as 90 degrees, double what is considered a normal, healthy rotation. Such excessive extension of the head and neck, Russell said, could harm the fragile arteries running along the neck, causing clots, swelling and constriction. In theory, he said this could produce serious problems in the brain. Followers: Brad Pitt and his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston both partake in yoga as their exercise of choice . In 1973, a spinal rehabilitation expert at Cornell University Medical College described the case of a 28-year-old woman who suffered a stroke while doing a yoga move known as the wheel or upward bow in which a person lies on their back and then lifts their body into an arc, balancing on the hands and feet in a sort of back-bend. Instead of allowing the head to hang in this position, many people tense and move their necks in an attempt to create balance, a move which can dangerously backfire. A few years later another paper, this time in the Archives of Neurology Journal, detailed the case of a 25-year-old man who was rushed to hospital with loss of control in the left side of his body and blurred vision. Again, yoga was to blame. The patient had been performing daily . asanas every morning, including spinal twists in which participants lie . or sit on the floor and twist their upper body in the opposite direction . to their lower body to stretch the spine, as well as shoulder stands, . often maintaining the positions for five minutes. Doctors wrote that a series of bruises down his lower neck were a result of trauma ‘caused by repeated contact with the hard floor surface on which he did his yoga exercises’. Examinations revealed he had suffered a stroke after his left vertebral artery became blocked, preventing blood from reaching his brain. While he recovered the ability to walk, his hand function remained damaged. Over the years, Broad says that there is an increasing amount of ‘real data that medical and government communications have gathered’ confirming yoga’s risks. In 2001, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published an article citing yoga as one of the many possible causes for arterial damage in susceptible patients. Broad also cites a 2009 survey of US yoga therapists, teachers and doctors that looked at the most common yoga-related injuries. The researchers from Columbia University found that while back injuries were, predictably, the most usual, the next most common in declining order of prevalence were shoulder injuries, knee problems, neck injuries and then strokes. ‘The respondents noted four cases in which yoga’s extreme bending and contortions resulted in some degree of brain damage,’ Broad writes. ‘The numbers weren’t alarming, but the acknowledgement of risk pointed to a decided shift in the perception of the dangers yoga posed.’ So common are yoga-related injuries that they are even being recognised in medical dictionaries. Dangerous? In 2001, the New England Journal of Medicine published an article citing yoga as a possible cause for arterial damage in susceptible patients . Broad highlights the case of a young man who was relatively experienced at yoga and spent several hours a day in a kneeling position known as vajrasana - something that is not advised for long lengths of time. After a few weeks, he had difficulty walking or climbing stairs and went to see his doctor for an explanation. He was told that the kneeling posture had prevented oxygen from reaching a branch of the sciatic nerve that runs from the lower spine through the buttocks and legs. As a result, the nerve had become temporarily deadened and, after seeing several other cases of the same injury, doctors named the condition ‘yoga foot drop’. Glenn Black, a yoga teacher for nearly 40 years, who spoke to Broad when he was doing his research, says he has seen everything from pinched nerves, lower back tightness and injuries to hips and knees - and worse - among yoga regulars. He says moves such as the chaturanga - a challenging pose similar to the plank in which all four limbs and the core abdominal muscles support the body - can create repetitive use injuries in the shoulder. He adds that moves with deep knee flexion . such as deep squats, which are a feature of many standard yoga . postures, can strain ligaments and tendons. Lifting the head - instead of letting it hang - during arm balances, in which you support the entire body with the hands on the floor, can also restrict blood flow to the brain and around the body, Black says. Any asanas involving flexing, extending and rotating the lower back and cervical spine can cause problems. ‘It’s a myth that it’s safe to do an asana without awareness and consciousness,’ Black says. Indeed he has come to believe that ‘the vast majority of people’ should give up yoga altogether. Furthermore, he is convinced that people are ending up in hospital because they have underlying physical problems that make serious injury more likely. Instead of doing yoga, they should be doing specific exercises to strengthen these weaker parts of their bodies. But is Broad being alarmist? In the UK, the growth in the number of people taking part in yoga - it is now thought to be close to one million - has predictably led to a growth in related injuries, according to the Society of Sports Therapists, but there are no reported cases of anyone suffering a stroke as a result of yoga exercises. Defenders claim its links to injury and pain can mostly be caused by poor teaching. Yoga is woefully unregulated in the UK and anyone can become an instructor after completing a weekend course. Pierre Bibby, chief executive of the British Wheel of Yoga, the national governing body says: ‘Yoga is not bad for you, but bad teaching is.’ The BWA’s own instructors undergo a minimum of two to four years’ tuition. Others blame the fact that yoga has become too competitive. ‘People push themselves too far,’ says Mollie McClelland, a yoga teacher at the Alchemy Centre in London. ‘And there are such huge egos in yoga that everyone wants to prove a point.’ Broad agrees that yoga does have benefits. It can relieve stress and decrease pain, but it can be a disappointment for those expecting it to bring miraculous changes to body and mind. It was while doing the extended-side-angle pose, a posture hailed as a cure for many diseases, that Broad’s own back ‘gave way’ five years ago. ‘With it,’ he says, ‘went my belief, naïve in retrospect, that yoga was a source of only healing, never harm.’
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But does New York Times writer William Broad's evidence stack up?
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It was plauded by movie critics and hailed by activists for its championing of gay rights. But marketing gurus have been forced to 'straight-wash' 2013 British film Pride - so that it appeals to a wide US audience. The DVD cover of the movie, based on the campaign of a gay and lesbian activist group, has been altered - with any reference to the film's focal theme of homosexuality removed. Scroll down for video . Original version: In UK promotional material a banner reading 'lesbians and gays support the miners' is seen behind the marching crowd . In UK promotional material, a banner visible behind the marching crowd of campaigners appears to read: 'Lesbians and gays support the miners.' On the US version this banner has been digitally removed, and the synopsis has eradicated any hint of homosexuality - vaguely referring to the film's protagonists as 'London-based activists'. In Britain, this had been written as 'a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists'. The designers of the US DVD cover have been accused of putting the film back in the closet, with some critics dubbing the move a 'straight-washing'. 'Straight-washed': The DVD cover of the US release of Pride has digitally removed the banner reading 'gays and lesbians' while also deleting references to homosexuality in the synopsis . The film, aired in cinemas in September, is based on the true events of the LGBT activists who marched in solidarity with coal miners during their strike in 1984. The movie, which stars Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy, was released on DVD in the US shortly before Christmas by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, after the rights to the film were bought by CBS Films. Ben Roberts, of the British Film Institute, told The Independent: 'I'm not surprised that the US distributors have taken a decision to sell more copies by watering down the gay content. 'I'm not defending it - it's wrong and outmoded - but I'm not surprised. 'It's an unfortunate commercial reality both here and in the US that distributors have to deal with. LGBT material is largely marginalised outside of rare hits like Brokeback Mountain.' Critically acclaimed: The movie, released in cinemas last year, starred Brits (L-R) Andrew Scott, Faye Marsay and Bill Nighly, pictured at the UK premiere in September . Gay author Matt Cain also criticised the move, saying it went against the spirit of the film. But Mr Cain, who is the former culture editor of Channel 4 News, said it will be a positive thing if it means more people buy the DVD and watch it. Pride was not a huge hit at the box office, but was plauded by critics and has already won a series of awards. In the US, it is nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of best comedy or musical film - with the ceremony taking place on Sunday. Slammed: Many people have taken to Twitter to criticise the decision to remove references to homosexuality on the DVD cover of Pride released to the US market . It was also named best film at the British Independent Film Awards in December. Accepting the top award of the night, Pride director Matthew Warchus told the BBC: 'We're getting reports from up and down the country of audiences standing up and applauding. That doesn't really happen in British cinemas. It's just extraordinary. It's a real tribute to the source material.'
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Pride was hailed for championing gay rights after its September premiere .
British film recently went on DVD in US - but the cover has been altered .
A banner referring to 'lesbians and gays' has been digitally removed .
Synopsis also missing reference to film's main theme of homosexuality .
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(CNN) -- Former world number one Rafael Nadal will end a six-month absence from tennis when he competes in an Abu Dhabi exhibition tournament later this month, the Spaniard has revealed. Nadal has been sidelined by knee problems following June's shock second-round exit at Wimbledon to 100th-ranked Czech Lukas Rosol. "Can't wait to get back on court in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month," he wrote on his Twitter and Facebook pages. "I won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in 2010 and 2011 -- would love to get my hands on the trophy again this year." After his Wimbledon exit, the 11-time grand slam champion was diagnosed with Hoffa's syndrome, an inflammation of the fatty tissue in his left knee that has sidelined him on numerous occasions over the years. The injury meant Nadal was unable to defend his Olympic title at London 2012, with the 26-year-old dropping to fourth in the rankings after also missing out on the U.S. Open and Spain's Davis Cup final defeat to the Czech Republic in November. Having started training again late last month, Nadal will make his return in Abu Dhabi on December 28, 17 days before the first grand slam of 2013 -- the Australian Open in Melbourne. Earlier this month, he said it would be difficult to win the Australian Open after such a lengthy period off court, warning fans not to expect "miracles." Nadal has a first-round bye in Abu Dhabi, then plays the winner of the match between U.S. Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray and ninth-ranked Serbian Janko Tipsarevic. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will also line up in the six-man, three-day event. He will play either world No. 5 David Ferrer or Czech Davis Cup winner Tomas Berdych on the second day. Meanwhile, the International Tennis Federation has named Djokovic and third-ranked woman Serena Williams as its 2012 world champions. Djokovic received the honor for the second year running, as the Serbian retained the Australian Open and won the season-ending ATP championship but suffered the disappointment of losing the final at both Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows. "I am proud to have been named ITF World Champion for the second successive year," said the 25-year-old. "It was very difficult to follow up such a successful season in 2011, but it was extremely satisfying to win another grand slam title, reach two other major finals and finish the year at No. 1." Meanwhile, Williams was in vintage form in 2012 as the 31-year-old tasted Olympic singles gold for the first time in addition to taking her grand slam collection to 15 titles, following this year's triumphs at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. "It means a lot to be named ITF World Champion for the third time," said Williams, who finished the season with a WTA Tour-best seven titles. "It has been such an amazing experience this year to win the Olympics and two grand slam tournaments, and I look forward to having an awesome 2013." It is the second year in a row that the top-ranked woman has missed out on the ITF award -- last year Petra Kvitova headed off Caroline Wozniacki. This time Victoria Azarenka missed out despite leading the earnings list with more than $7 million in prize money and winning her first grand slam in Melbourne. The ITF World Champions will receive their awards at a dinner during the French Open in Paris next June.
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Rafael Nadal to end six months of injury-enforced absence in Abu Dhabi later this month .
The 11-time Grand Slam champion has not played since the Wimbledon championships in June .
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams named ITF World Champions of 2012 .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . and Ap . Billionaire Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has checked himself rehab, the team announced in a statement Tuesday afternoon. The announcement comes just days after Irsay was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of illegal prescription drugs following a traffic stop in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel on Sunday evening. In the statement, the team thanks fans for their support and applauds Irsay's decision to seek help for what reportedly has been a long battle with prescription drug addiction. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . James Irsay, owner of the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, was jailed early March 17 . Social-media butterfly: Irsay is known to often interact with fans on social media websites like Twitter . 'Yesterday, Jim Irsay took the first step toward regaining good health,' the team says in the statement. 'He voluntarily checked into a highly-respected health care facility . and is committed to undergoing the treatment and care necessary to help . him meet his challenges head-on. Jim, the Irsay family, and the Colts . organization are all deeply appreciative of the incredible outpouring of . support and compassion from our fans and the Indiana community.' Additionally, Irsay thanked supporters in a post on Twitter. 'Deepest . thx to family, friends, fans, colleagues for the messages of support, . thoughts and prayers. Impossible to tell u how much this means,' the NFL . owner posted on the social networking website on Monday afternoon. Friends say Irsay has been battling his drug problem for some time, and that his arrest could be a blessing in disguise. 'He's a sick, sick man,' one source told the Indy Star. 'He desperately needs help.' According to the Indy Star Irsay's recent dramatic weight loss - he went from 235lb to 165lb - has raised red flags among his friends and acquaintances. The night of his arrest, Irsay drove at a slow rate of speed, stopped in the roadway and failed to signal a turn before police stopped him, Lieutenant Joe Bickel of the Carmel Police Department said in a release. Teetotal: Irsay told Twitter followers that he hasn't had an alcoholic drink in 15 years last October . Jailed: Attorney James Voyles (left) and Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay leave the Hamilton County Jail in Indianapolis, Monday after Irsay was detained overnight . 'During the course of the investigation, Irsay subsequently failed several roadside field sobriety tests,' Bickel said. Myra Borshoff Cook, a spokeswoman for Irsay, declined to comment early Monday on his arrest. In an inventory of Irsay's vehicle, 'multiple prescription drugs were discovered in pill bottles,' police said. 'These Schedule IV prescription drugs were not associated with any prescription bottles found in the vehicle.' Irsay, who frequently interacts with fans of the NFL team on Twitter, wrote an October 2013 tweet saying 'I don't drink...haven't in over 15 years.' Irsay acknowledged in 2002 that he had become dependent on painkillers after several years of orthopedic operations but said he had overcome the problem after undergoing treatment. Marion County prosecutors said the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated how Irsay obtained the painkillers. Federal authorities wouldn't confirm any investigation was taking place. Prosecutors at the time said they saw no reason to charge Irsay. A plastic surgeon who wrote painkiller prescriptions for Irsay later surrendered his federal permit to prescribe narcotic drugs. League spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail to USA Today Sports that Irsay, if found guilty, would be subject to league discipline, the same as a player would. Weight loss: A fuller-looking Jim Irsay addresses media about his team the Colts in 2012 . Drug charges: Irsay (pictured in October 2013) now faces four felony charges relating to drug and intoxicated driving . 'The league's Personal Conduct Policy applies to all NFL personnel,' Aiello said. Irsay, who lives in Carmel, became the Colts owner in 1997 after the death of his father, Robert Irsay and a lengthy legal battle with his father's second wife. Along the way, Jim Irsay held virtually every job from ball boy to general manager. Forbes magazine estimated Irsay's net worth at $1.6 billion. Meg Irsay filed in November for divorce from her husband of 33 years, citing an 'irretrievable breakdown' of the marriage. A joint statement issued by the couple said Jim Irsay would retain full ownership of the Colts and his other business interests. The couple, who married in 1980, have been separated for a decade and are the parents of three adult daughters. Since taking ownership of the team, Jim Irsay has made a reputation for himself by buying the scroll manuscript of Jack Kerouac's beat poem 'On the Road. 'for $2.43 million and often takes to Twitter to post comments ranging from the Colts' inner workings, popular music, and idle thoughts. Irsay's next court appearance is scheduled for March 26.
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Jim Irsay, 54, owner of the Indianapolis Colts, was arrested Sunday night for DUI and possession of a controlled substance .
He announced Tuesday that he was checking into rehab .
The billionaire has battled an addiction to prescription pain medication in the past but has said he overcame it .
Sources close to Irsay say his problem has worsened recently and that he needs help .
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(CNN) -- With her curved 'wings,' long pointed nose, and gleaming underbelly propped high above the waves, this space-age yacht might be better suited to the sky than the sea. Just a few square meters of the futuristic vessel -- valued at $15 million -- actually touch the surface of the water, allowing it to skim across the waves with ease. The innovative design, along with high-tech features such as an iPad-controller, helped glossy "Adastra" win three prizes at last week's prestigious ShowBoats Design Awards in Monaco, including Best Naval Architecture. The yachting world is clearly impressed. The honor follows a prize for the Most Innovative Design at the 2013 World Superyacht Awards earlier this year. So could this alien shape -- resembling something between a spaceship and the Concorde supersonic plane -- be the future of superyacht design? "The superyacht industry is pretty traditional," designer John Shuttleworth, told CNN. "But the establishment has given a 'yes' to this idea which is a huge step forward." "Inevitably, there has to be a trend for reducing fuel consumption -- and I think superyachts will have to look something like this in the future. Initially I don't think economics will drive it -- these are wealthy owners and cost isn't an issue. Instead, it will be from an ethical, environmental point of view." Billionaire's toys . Billionaire shipping magnate Anton Marden is believed to be the proud owner of the plush 42.5-meter vessel, which took more than five years to design and build. The Hong Kong-based mogul and wife Elaine will be able to remotely control their luxury yacht from up to 50 meters away, simply by sweeping their hand over an iPad. If you want to appeal to the mega rich, such flashy gadgets -- and room to house them -- are now an essential part of superyacht architecture. "We have recently seen an increase in new and exciting superyacht toys on the market and clients are increasingly looking for more space to house these," said co-exterior designer Orion Shuttleworth. "Our new designs incorporate lots of space to accommodate jet skis, sailing boats, kayaks, paddle boards and other toys." Speed machine . With just 20% of the enormous 52-ton boat submerged in water, Adastra is able to glide along the waves without the same drag as traditional superyachts, hitting up to 43 kilometers per hour. It also means the vessel, made from a super-light glass and carbon material, consumes a lot less fuel -- around 14% of a conventional superyacht the same size. "Adastra's longer, slender main hull has extremely low drag, which is why she is so fuel efficient," explained Orion. "The smooth, seamless, unbroken surfaces also help to reduce weight," he said of the boat, which can travel up to 6,400 kilometers -- the same distance from London to New York -- without refueling. In fact, the three-pronged design -- featuring a slim hull and two 'wings' -- is similar to the world's fastest sailboat Hydroptere, which broke the speed record in 2009 at 95 kilometers per hour. Living in luxury . Step inside the sleek Adastra and you'll find all the luxury of a five-star hotel, including five elegant bedrooms and four bathrooms. The plush yacht also features a saloon, a lounge and an industrial kitchen. The rear deck has an open-air bar, allowing guests to gaze out at the water while they enjoy a cocktail. At night, the glowing underbelly of the boat lights up in neon blue, giving it the impression of a futuristic spacecraft. If the reams of recent awards are anything to go by, this yachting future could be a lot closer than you think.
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The $15 million yacht features an iPad controller, luxury interior .
Features aerodynamic 'wings' to help glide along water, cut fuel consumption .
Space-age shaped vessel could spell the future of superyacht design .
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Australia is involved in what could be a century-long conflict against radical Islam but should try to avoid direct combat, a new reports says. Former army chief Peter Leahy says Australia should not sit idly by but there are limits to what it can do. 'Australia's international focus should be on co-operating with allies and friends to support moderate nations with radical Islamist problems in the immediate region: Indonesia, the Philippines and Pakistan,' he says in a report released by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Former army chief Peter Leahy says Australia should not sit idly by but there are limits to what it can do . Professor Leahy, the director of the Canberra University National Security Institute, says the threat from radical Islamists is real, likely to be sustained and a threat to Australia's way of life. The home-grown terrorism threat would worsen and there was real potential for attacks. But Australia should try to avoid involvement in fighting the extremists because this was the responsibility of regional nations. 'The best course of action is to be careful about becoming involved and to offer carefully tailored, largely non-combat support where appropriate,' he says in the paper. Professor Leahy says defensive measures are important but so is an offensive capability to reach out to deter and if necessary destroy imminent threats. 'The focus should be on defensive and protective measures and intervention only when there's a clear vision of what can be achieved, an agreed and long-term strategy, and the commitment of resources over an extended period,' he says. Professor Leahy's comments come just days after Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop confirmed Australia will send its special forces into Iraq to combat the growing threat of terror group Islamic State. Only on Saturday had Ms Bishop said there were still no plans to put boots on the ground in Iraq. But on Sunday it was a different story. 'We have reached an agreement for a legal framework and now it will be a matter for our military when our special forces will be deployed,' Ms Bishop said.
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Former army Peter Leahy says Australia should not sit idly by but should limit what does .
He said the nation's focus should be co-operating with allies to support countries with extremist problems .
His comments come just days after Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop announced troops would go to Iraq .
They will be on the ground to combat the growing threat of terror group Islamic State .
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By . Mario Ledwith . PUBLISHED: . 06:34 EST, 22 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:43 EST, 22 November 2012 . Most people tend to use irons to remove creases from their clothing and bed linen. But one enterprising artist chose to mimic his artistic heroes by doing quite the opposite - using his trusty domestic tool to purposefully crease a white sheet. The technique helped the artist create replicas of masterpieces by classic Dutch painters van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Scroll down for video . Spot the difference: Vermeer's classic Girl With a Pearl Earring, right, reworked by an artist using only an iron and a white sheet, left . Van Gogh: The artist's Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe, right, and the artist's version, left . The works have all been skilfully recreated to be used in an advert for electrical company Philips in Russia. One of Vincent van Gogh’s most renowned works, Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear and Pipe, is one of the piece's interpreted by the artist using his iron. Known for his distinctive self-portraits, this particular piece captures van Gogh after he famously cut off part of his own ear - although historians have debated whether he was maimed by somebody else. Completed in 1889, the year before his death, the painting shows van Gogh smoking a pipe and wearing a hat. It is currently part of a private collection. Modern art: Rembrandt's classic Self-Portrait with beret and Turned-Up Collar, right, and the version created for Phillips, left . Girl With a Pearl Earring is widely regarded as Johannes Vermeer's best work. It is usually housed in the Mauritshuis gallery, based in The Hague, although the famous painting is currently part of the gallery's touring collection in Japan. A novel of the same name was written by author Tracy Chevalier in 1999 based on the fictional character. A film adaption of the book was released in 2003, starring Scarlett Johansson. The last painting reworked by the artist was Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar. The self-portrait has been housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC since 1937, having been painted by the artist in 1659. Creasing up: The artist holds up the board featuring Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring . At work: The artist pictured creating his Rembrandt adaption using an iron . VIDEO: Incredible Russian artist creates portraits using an iron and a bedsheet for a Philips ad campaign .
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Works by van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer given unusual twist .
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Arrested: Edward Venteroso, 46, held a 55-year-old woman prisoner in her own home while he assaulted her with a cast-iron pan and prevented her from seeking medical assistance, police said . A Colorado man kept a 55-year-old woman prisoner in her own rural home while he assaulted her with a cast-iron pan and prevented her from seeking medical assistance, police said. Edward Venteroso, 46, was arrested after deputies discovered he had imprisoned Kathy Harris for two days in her home on the outskirts of Durango. The Durango Herald reports that La Plata County Sheriff's deputies responded to an emergency call around 7 a.m. Wednesday. When the door to the house was opened, Harris fell to the ground bloody and nearly unconscious, begging for help from police. The deputies arrested Venteroso, who had allegedly entered Harris's home on Tuesday and kept her locked in the house and unable to seek medical care while he assaulted her. Police say he also damaged Harris's phone in order to keep the woman from calling 911. La Plata County Sheriff's spokesperson Lt Dan Bender said she was transported to Mercy Regional Medical Center with head and ear injuries, including some caused by a cast-iron frying pan. Venteroso had reportedly been living on Harris's property, but had a protection order against him stemming from a previous assault against Harris. Venteroso was charged with first-degree assault, violation of a protection order, false imprisonment and obstructing telephone service and he remains in custody Friday on $25,000 bond.
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Edward Venteroso, 46, imprisoned 55-year-old Kathy Harris in her home .
He damaged her phone and kept her from contacting authorities or seeking medical attention .
Harris was admitted to the hospital for injuries from blunt force trauma, including from being struck by a cast-iron pan .
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Colorado Springs, Colorado (CNN) -- U.S. Army Capt. Immanuel Mgana was half a world away from his home and his family in Colorado Springs on June 26, when he received a text message from his wife: It was an image of a house on fire with the words, "This is our home." "I could identify the house because of my car, which was in the driveway," he said. Both Mgana and his wife, Melissa, had been following the news of the Waldo Canyon Fire, which had started three days earlier, but neither was aware of their home's fate until they saw that photo, which had been splashed across the front page of the Denver Post. From his post in the Horn of Africa, Mgana wasn't even aware that his family's home was in danger of being consumed by the wildfire. Just hours before sending that text, Melissa Mgana had scrambled the couple's three kids into a car and rushed to a friend's house, abandoning plans to celebrate their son Kael's 10th birthday. "We had picked up the cake. We were just preparing for a birthday evening," she said. Amid the last-minute birthday preparations, Melissa continually checked local news reports about the progress of the massive fire as it bore down on Colorado Springs. At that time, the blaze had forced the evacuation of 11,000 people (that number would later triple), threatening 13,000 homes, and none of the fire had been contained. "I was watching the news and I would run outside and look at the plume," she said. As the sky grew darker and more ominous, Melissa knew time was running out. "When I looked up and saw the flames coming over the ridge is when I knew it was possibly very serious," she said. "I just said, 'We need to get out of here.'" iReporters share their harrowing views of the wildfires . She knew she made the right decision hours later, when she saw the Denver Post's front page. She immediately sent the image to her husband, who showed the photo to his superiors. "The first thing they said was 'You need to go home,' " he said. "I was on the next flight out." As he boarded a flight home, Immanuel Mgana stayed in touch with his wife, keeping tabs on the situation without telling her that he was homeward bound. A day later, he arrived at the home where his wife and three children were staying. "I knocked on the door and I believe my daughter Grace opened the door first and she just stepped back for a moment," he said. "She didn't know how to react, but after a few seconds she was just all over me." The emotional pendulum swung from the despair to "elation," Melissa said. "There was a ring at the door bell and there he was," she said, still beaming at the memory. "I felt so relieved. It was amazing." "This wasn't something my wife could do alone," Immanuel said. "I definitely needed to be there for support. Also, the kids, they needed a father figure around." The Waldo Canyon fire charred more than 18,000 acres and destroyed 346 homes, making it the most destructive in the state's history. At the height of the fire, 32,000 Colorado residents evacuated their homes. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Are wildfires getting wilder? The Mganas have made a temporary home at a local hotel, where they spent the Fourth of July holiday. The couple's three children -- Kael, 10, Sofia, 5, and Grace, 2 -- splash around in the hotel pool while Melissa and Immanuel talk about their hope for the family's future. "We just feel compelled to rebuild there," Melissa said of the lot where their home once stood. "After 15 years of being together, we've weathered a lot of storms together and we just know how to get through things together," Immanuel said, putting his arm around his wife. "It's a new beginning for us." Wildfire victims face double tragedy .
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Capt. Immanuel Mgana returned to Colorado Springs from his station in Africa .
His home was destroyed by the Waldo Canyon Fire .
He and his wife learned about their home's fate from a Denver Post photo .
His wife and three children had evacuated hours earlier .
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Newcastle will step up their search for a new head coach on Sunday morning after caretaker boss John Carver and his team were booed off following defeat at Leicester. Carver, who took over in temporary charge from Alan Pardew on Monday, insists he still wants the job full-time. But the fans’ reaction to Saturday’s dismal defeat will not have helped his case and it is believed Steve McClaren and Rafa Benitez are front-runners to fill the vacancy. VIDEO Scroll down to see John Carver throw his 'hat in the ring' for Toon job . Caretaker manager John Carver saw Newcastle crash out of the FA Cup third round to Leicester . Leicester striker Leonardo Ulloa scores the only goal in a 1-0 victory at The King Power Stadium . Newcastle fans are reported to have booed the team off after defeat in the FA Cup . Carver admitted he had not had any conservations with owner Mike Ashley since the departure of Pardew, who resigned to join Crystal Palace. But he said: ‘I’d be a fool if I didn’t want to be head coach of this club. Obviously results dictates that happens but I don’t feel any different. I still want to be head coach. ‘I’ve not spoken to Mike and my only communication has been with [managing director] Lee Charnley on Monday night and a short conversation last night just about the game today. ‘It will be confusing [to fans] but the only thing I will say is that the position is not now as a manager — it’s now a head coach’s job. So the head coach’s job is to get the team ready and prepared for the next game and that’s all I’ve been thinking about.’ The likelihood is that the 49-year-old will still be in charge for next Saturday’s trip to Chelsea but the manner of the FA Cup exit could accelerate the process of finding a permanent successor. McClaren, who has done an excellent job at Championship title contenders Derby, is likely to be at the top of any shortlist, alongside Benitez and former Swansea boss Michael Laudrup. Napoli manager Rafa Benitez, who has Premier League experience with Liverpool and Chelsea, is in the frame . Former England manager Steve McClaren has been working wonders with Championship side Derby . Former Swansea manager Michael Laudrup is also said to be under consideration by the Newcastle board . But McClaren on Sunday tried to distance himself from the vacancy following his team’s 1-0 win against Southport. ‘I’ve dismissed that link and I’m sticking to that,’ he said. And Derby chief executive Sam Rush issued a hands-off warning on Saturday: 'There is no question whatsoever of him leaving. 'He is one of the highest-performing managers in English football, so he is going to be linked and admired by others. But we have had no approaches.' Carver said Newcastle fans were within their rights to protest so audibly, with some also furiously gesturing for the players to go away rather than applaud. ‘It’s hugely embarrassing but they’re entitled to do that,’ he said.
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Newcastle are searching for a new boss following Alan Pardew's departure .
John Carver dented his chances by crashing out of the FA Cup to Leicester .
Steve McClaren, Rafa Benitez and Michael Laudrup are in the running .
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Thousands of people have been evacuated from across the central Philippines today with what is expected to be the year's strongest typhoon set to strike the region in the early hours of tomorrow morning. Typhoon Haiyan has intensified and accelerated as it moves closer to the country with sustained winds of 225kph (140 mph) and ferocious gusts of 260 kph (162 mph). One of the areas expected to be hit is the province of Bohol which was devastated by an earthquake last month. Incoming: Typhoon Haiyan gather momentum as it moves towards the Philippines. The U.S. Navy believes it is the strongest typhoon so far this year . Preparation: Filipino fishermen haul a wooden boat ashore in in Ormoc city in the island of Leyte as Typhoon Haiyan approaches . Impact: The Typhoon is expected to hit the coast of the Philippines at 9am on Friday morning . Haiyan could further strengthen and pick up speed as it moves over the Pacific Ocean before slamming into the eastern province of Samar early Friday, government forecaster Buddy Javier said. As of 9pm the eye of the typhoon was 338 kilometers (211 miles) southeast of Eastern Samar province's Guiuan township. The storm was moving at 39kph (24mph), up from its earlier speed of 33 kph (20mph). The storm was not expected to directly hit Manila further north. The lowest alert in a four-level typhoon warning system was issued in the flood-prone capital area, meaning it could experience winds of up to 60 kph (37 mph) and rain. The U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Hawaii said it was the strongest tropical cyclone in the world this year. Cyclone Phailin, which hit eastern India on Oct. 12, packed sustained winds of up to 222 kph (138 mph) and stronger gusts. President Benigno Aquino III warned people to leave high-risk areas, including 100 coastal communities where forecasters said the storm surge could reach up to seven meters (23 feet). He urged seafarers to stay in port. Authorities warned more than 12 million people were at risk from Haiyan which is more powerful than the typhoon which hit India last month . President Benigno Aquino III warned people to leave high-risk areas, including 100 coastal communities where forecasters said the storm surge could reach up to 7 meters . Thousands have been evacuated from across the central Philippines wiith Typhoon Haiyan expected to bring ferocious gusts of 260kph . Aquino also assured the public of war-like preparations: three C-130 air force cargo planes and 32 military helicopters and planes on standby, along with 20 navy ships. 'No typhoon can bring Filipinos to their knees if we'll be united,' he said in a televised address. Governors and mayors supervised the evacuation of landslide- and flood-prone communities in several provinces where the typhoon is expected to pass, said Eduardo del Rosario, head of the government's main disaster-response agency. School classes and plane flights were canceled in many areas. Aquino ordered officials to aim for zero casualties, a goal often not met in an archipelago lashed by about 20 tropical storms each year, most of them deadly and destructive. Haiyan is the 24th such storm to hit the Philippines this year. Edgardo Chatto, governor of Bohol island province in the central Philippines, where an earthquake in October killed more than 200 people, said soldiers, police and rescue units were helping displaced residents, including thousands staying in small tents, move to shelters. Bohol is not forecast to receive a direct hit but is expected to be battered by strong winds and rain, government forecaster Jori Loiz said. 'My worst fear is that the eye of this typhoon will hit us. I hope we will be spared,' Chatto told The Associated Press by telephone. One of the areas expected to be hit is the province of Bohol which was devastated by an earthquake last month . Gov. Roger Mercado of landslide-prone Southern Leyte province said more than 6,000 residents had been evacuated to shelters, government and emergency personnel had been put on alert, and relief goods have been packed for distribution. 'All we are doing now is we are praying, praying hard,' he told ABS-CBN News Channel. Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo of Eastern Samar's Dolores township said residents of her town did not want to be evacuated because the weather was fine on . Thursday but 'we forced them and hauled them to evacuation centers.' Haiyan is forecast to barrel through the country's central region Friday and Saturday before blowing toward the South China Sea over the weekend, heading toward Vietnam.
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Typhoon Haiyan expected to bring ferocious gusts of up to 162mph .
It is expected to slam into the eastern province of Samar early Friday .
U.S. Navy said it was the strongest typhoon in the world this year .
One area it is expected to hit was devastated by an earthquake last month .
Cyclone Phailin, which hit India last month, packed winds of up to 138 mph .
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By . Erin Clements . A Facebook page created to shame overweight people is causing outrage, especially among those who were pictured on the site without their permission . '530 Fatties,' which was taken down Monday, featured photos of people who live within the Northern California area code 530, along with comments mocking their size. Most of the shots appear to have been taken in public while the person targeted was completely unaware that he or she was being photographed - and the identity of the page's administrator remains unknown. 'Hurtful and embarrassing': 18-year-old Jessi Lynn Howell discovered a photo of herself on '530 Fatties,' a Facebook page created to mock overweight people . Candid camera: Those featured on the page seem unaware they are having their photos taken . 'It's really hurtful and it's really embarrassing,' 18-year-old Jessi Lynn Howell told CNN after finding an image of herself on the page. 'They post people's pictures without their permission - that's hurtful,' she said, adding, 'I know it's probably someone from around here and whoever it is, they need to stop.' According to CBS13, most of the subjects were residents of Yuba and Sutter counties. Weighty matter: Jessi Lynn says that a photo featured on the page was taken when she was 50 pounds heavier . Speaking out: 'Cyberbullying - bullying period - needs to stop,' she said . Jessi Lynn said that the photo of her was taken back in October, when she was 50 pounds heavier, and she has since slimmed down thanks to medication. The teen, who has struggled with her weight due to medical problems, told CNN that she was compelled to speak out on the controversy on behalf of those who haven't. 'Cyberbullying - bullying period - needs to stop. So I'm going to be that voice today for those people who don't have that voice,' she said . CBS13 tried to contact the administrator of the page before it was removed, but the number listed was disconnected.
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Most victims pictured on the page were from Yuba and Sutter counties .
The identity of the page administrator is not known .
The Facebook page was taken down Monday in the wake of locals’ anger .
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Bryan Kryscio who is accused of stealing an ambulance from a hospital and then telling police he took it to drive to a strip club . A man who is accused of stealing an ambulance from a hospital in Michigan told police when he was arrested that he took the vehicle so he could drive to a strip club. Bryan Kryscio was arrested on Sunday after he was found behind the wheel of the emergency vehicle when police pulled him over. But when they asked him why he took the ambulance he told them he was on his way to a pole dancing club. Earlier in the evening, officers had been called to McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, after reports that an ambulance was taken after it was left outside unlocked with the engine running. According to foxdc.com, emergency workers were returning a stretcher to the ambulance when they saw it being driven off. One of the ambulance workers had left their cell phone inside and officers were able to use it to trace the vehicle to Sterling Heights, 14 miles away. Krysico, who is homeless and said to have mental health issues, was then found behind the wheel and immediately arrested. When officers then asked him why he took the ambulance, he told them he was on his way to the 'Booby Trap', a topless bar in Detroit to see pole dancing, even though the club has been closed for years. Police confirmed that even though the ambulance had been taken there wasn't any damage and it was returned to the emergency services. Undersheriff Mike McCabe of Oakland County Police told the Detroit Free Press: 'The caller advised that the ambulance was not locked and that a cellular phone had been left inside. 'The medication box, EMS radio and EKG monitor were all intact.' Officers had been called to McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan, pictured, earlier in the evening after staff reported the theft of an ambulance . Police also added that he has convictions for robbery in Florida, as well as breaking and entering, trespassing and possession of marijuana convictions in Michigan. Kryscio, 50, was arraigned yesterday on a charge of unlawfully driving away an automobile and is currently being held at Oakland County Jail. He is scheduled to appear at Pontiac District Court later this month.
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Police were called after an ambulance was stolen from a Michigan hospital .
Was tracked down with 50-year-old Bryan Kryscio found behind the wheel .
The homeless man was arrested and then driven to the nearest jail .
On the way he told officers he was driving vehicle to a strip bar .
Explained that he wanted to go see pole dancing at the 'Booby Trap' club .
Was charged with unlawfully driving away an automobile and is being held in jail .
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(CNN) -- An 18-year-old Panamanian fisherman who survived 28 days adrift at sea is suing Princess Cruise Lines, arguing that one of its cruise ships should have stopped and saved him. A negligence lawsuit filed in Florida last week says the behavior of officers or crew members of the Star Princess was "outrageous and, under the circumstances, so beyond all bounds of decency as to be regarded as shocking, atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized community." Three passengers who were birdwatching on the ship alerted a crew member when they spotted Adrian Vasquez and his companions signaling for help from their fishing boat, the suit says. Even though crew members "had clear knowledge that people were stranded in an open boat hundreds of miles from shore in the Pacific Ocean and desperately calling for their help," the suit says, "they consciously ignored the emergency situation and did not deviate from their cruise." The fishing boat, Fifty Cents, had been adrift for 15 days when it crossed paths with the Star Princess on March 10, according to the lawsuit. At the time, all three fishermen aboard were alive. Later that day, according to the lawsuit, 16-year-old Fernando Osorio died, "having lost all hope as the Star Princess steamed away." Five days later, another fisherman on the broken-down boat, Oropeces Betancourt, 24, died at sea. Two days after spotting the struggling fishermen, the three cruise ship passengers followed up with a ship officer, asking him what happened to the fishing boat after their report, according to the lawsuit. "This officer did not have an answer for them and walked away without explanation," the lawsuit says. Princess Cruises spokeswoman Karen Candy did not comment on this specific allegation Monday, adding that the company was still investigating the incident. Robert Dickman, a lawyer for Vasquez, speculated that one reason the Star Princess did not stop was because the cruise ship's crew didn't want to get off schedule for their next stop in Puntarenas, Costa Rica -- and, thus, lose money. The ship did arrive in Puntarenas on March 11, noted Candy, but she strongly denied that the crew decided not to help the fishermen for financial reasons. "This is absolutely false," she told CNN by e-mail. Princess Cruises released a statement Monday saying it was "deeply saddened that two Panamanian men perished at sea" and "very sorry for the tragic loss of life." "Because of what we suspect was a case of unfortunate miscommunication, regretfully the captain of the Star Princess was never notified of the passengers' concern. Had he been advised, he would have had the opportunity to respond, as he has done numerous times throughout his career," the statement said. "This is an upsetting and emotional issue for us all, as no employee onboard a Princess ship would purposefully ignore someone in distress. It is our ethical and maritime responsibility to provide assistance to any vessel in need, and it is not an uncommon occurrence for our ships to be involved in a rescue at sea. In fact, we have done so more than 30 times over the last decade." Jeff Gilligan, one of the cruise ship passengers who said he saw the stranded fisherman and alerted the cruise ship's crew, told CNN last month that he took a picture of the fishing boat from about two miles away. "It's just a horrible thing. I'm sick about it," he said. He saw the tiny vessel through high-powered scopes, he said. It appeared not to be moving, he said, but the men onboard were. "We were looking through powerful spotting scopes before I took those photographs, and we -- the three of us -- couldn't come up with any reasonable explanation why somebody would have been flagging with two different colors of cloth, clothing or whatever it was, to our ship from perhaps two miles away on a little boat that wasn't moving, over 100 miles from the coast," he said. At the time, he and his fellow passengers thought the cruise ship crew members would do something. "We fully expected the ship to turn around or to send a tender boat out to investigate ... our suspicions," he said. Vasquez's lawsuit seeks compensation for physical, emotional and psychological injuries that it alleges he suffered as a result of the conduct of cruise line employees. The story of Vasquez's survival gained international coverage when the Ecuadorian navy rescued him north of the Galapagos Islands in March. The trio's February 24 fishing trip had started out well, according to Vasquez's mother, Nilsa de la Cruz. The three caught plenty of fish, she said. But the boat's engine died without warning and, with no tools and scant navigational experience, there was little the trio could do, de la Cruz told CNN. Ecuadorian Rear Adm. Freddy Garcia Calle said that at the time he was found, the 18-year-old showed "severe signs of dehydration and lack of nutrition." He said the survivor had thrown his friends' bodies into the ocean "because they had become badly decomposed." CNN's Brian Todd, Dugald McConnell, Catherine E. Shoichet and Rafael Romo contributed to this report.
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NEW: Princess Cruises denies a lawyer's claim its crew didn't stop for financial reasons .
A man who watched two of his companions die at sea sues Princess Cruise Lines .
The survivor says the behavior of the cruise's crew was "outrageous"
The cruise company says it's investigating, adding it suspects "unfortunate miscommunication"
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Belgium's Romelu Lukaku is carrying the hopes of a nation on his shoulders in his first World Cup in the absence of injured Christian Benteke, but the forward is relishing the pressure that comes with the tournament. 'I love pressure, I embrace it,' the 21-year-old told reporters on Sunday ahead of their World Cup Group H game against Algeria on Tuesday. Belgium are the dark horses of the tournament with a squad of young, talented players eager to leave their mark in a competition where their country has been absent for 12 years. Scroll down for videos... Great expectations: Romelu Lukaku is keen to take the responsibility of leading Belgian's attack in Brazil . Dark horses: Eden Hazard (L) and head coach Marc Wilmots take part a training session in Belo Horizonte . Glove affair: Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois prepares for Belgium's opening game against Algeria . Man of experience: Coach Marc Wilmots has played for Belgium at four World Cups . VIDEO Team Profile: Belgium . 'If you are scared of pressure then you cannot play well,' said Lukaku, who returned to training only this week following an ankle injury in their friendly against Tunisia last weekend. The tension in the Belgium camp has been rising in training this week, with crunching tackles that saw two players injured. 'I like it,' said Lukaku of the incidents. 'You need this. It shows that we want to win. Our training sessions are all like competitive matches.' Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea to Everton last season, is one of several Belgians in the squad plying their trade for top European clubs, raising expectations among their fans. Team bonding: Belgium players including Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen have been in high spirits during training . Walking wounded: Intense training has left Kevin De Bruyne nursing an injury . Great expectations: Belgian fans watch a training session of their national team in Sao Paulo . Yet apart from defender Daniel van Buyten, no player has competed at a World Cup. For Lukaku that is not a problem. 'We have a lot of quality in the team and year after year we have been getting stronger and stronger," the soft-spoken striker said. 'A lot of us are now playing for top European clubs so there is no problem.' Belgium coach Marc Wilmots, who has featured in the Belgium squad at four World Cups, has enough experience to go around, and he is sharing it with his players, Lukaku said. 'He has been doing this from the first day we started,' he said.
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Romelu Lukaku is relishing the pressure of leading Belgium's World Cup attack in Brazil .
Dark horses Belgium face Algeria in their opening Group H game .
Origi and De Bruyne were injured in training ground incidents .
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1241b04b4380b1a796390d32183e3e738d7b82ff
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:05 EST, 17 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:30 EST, 17 April 2013 . A British man was crushed to death by his own digger as he worked on his farm in Spain. The 66-year-old died from serious head injuries after falling from the digger on land in Sella, near Alicante yesterday. It appears the pensioner fell from the machine into a 13ft deep pit and that the machine landed on top of him. Accident: The 66-year-old British man died from head injuries after he fell of his digger and it landed on top of him . The accident occurred at 8.25pm on Tuesday, and paramedics were called to the scene. He also suffered severe injuries to his hands and legs. Paramedics were called and he was taken to a nearby hospital, but was declared dead soon after. Spain is a popular destination for Britons looking to move abroad when they retire. Nearly 400,000 British citizens are registered as living in Spain, as of September last year. Tragedy: The map shows Sella in Alicante, Spain, where the 66-year-old Brit died .
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66-year-old fell out of digger and into 13ft deep pit .
Digger also fell into pit and landed on top of him .
Accident happened in Sella, near Alicante .
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LeParmentier as Admiral Motti in the infamous Death Star choking scene as featured in 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope. He has died aged 66 . Star Wars actor Richard LeParmentier has died, aged 66. He famously played a choking victim of Star Wars villain Darth Vader in 1977 film A New Hope. TMZ reports that the circumstances surrounding LeParmentier's death are currently unclear. The actor had appeared in more than 50 movies and TV shows but was best remembered for his role as the arrogant Admiral Motti, commander of Vader's planet destroying Death Star in 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope. In the infamous scene, Motti mocks Vader's 'sorcerer's ways' and 'sad devotion to that ancient Jedi religion.' This leads to a near-fatal confrontation with the helmeted Vader who crushes his windpipe using 'the force.' LeParmentier also played a police officer in 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and is reported to have recently been working as a screenwriter for British television. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1946 to British and Irish parents, he moved to the UK in 1974. He was married from 1981 to 1984 to British actress Sarah Douglas, who played the supervillain Ursa in Superman II. LeParmentier also made an appearance in the Christopher Reeve film as a reporter. He also had roles in James Bond film Octopussy and the TV shows Capital City and We'll Meet Again. Scroll down for video . Famous scene: Richard's character Admiral Motti was choked by Darth Vader but narrowly escaped death . The actor, who appeared at several sci-fi conventions, said in 2008 of his famous Star Wars scene: 'I did the choking effect by flexing muscles in my neck. It set off a chain of events, that choking. 'I can't do it anymore because, oddly . enough, I have had an operation on my neck and had some 21st century . titanium joints put into it,' he added to The Coventry Telegraph Geek Files. Originally, . LeParmentier was asked by creator George Lucas to play an unnamed part . with only a few lines, but he turned it down, before being offered the . role that would launch his career. His family paid tribute to 'a warm, genuine person with an unparalleled joie de vivre.' 'He absolutely loved travelling the world and meeting his friends and fellow Stars Wars fans - whose tributes have given us all the best lines in this message,' Rhiannon, Stephanie, and Tyrone LeParmentier said in a statement. 'Every time we find someone's lack of faith disturbing, we'll think of him .. He has gone to the Stars, and he will be missed.' He died while visiting relatives in Austin, Texas. Long career: LeParmentier worked as a script writer following his 50 year career in films and TV .
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He played the arrogant Admiral Motti, commander of Vader's Death Star .
The circumstances surrounding his actual death are currently unclear .
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By . Snejana Farberov . PUBLISHED: . 13:43 EST, 28 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:54 EST, 28 December 2012 . Police in Georgia issued an Amber Alert on Thursday for two young brothers believed to have been abducted by their father, who is considered armed and dangerous. Ben Cleary, aged nine, and his seven-year-old brother, Henry, spent their Christmas break with their father, 46-year-old Daniel Cleary, in Roswell. The children were supposed to be back with their mother in Suwanee on Wednesday, but police say Daniel Cleary failed to return them to his ex-wife. Wanted: Daniel Cleary, left, is believed to have abducted his two sons, Henry and Ben, right, after failing to return the boys to his ex-wife at the end of their weeklong stay . Roswell police issued the nationwide Amber Alert, known in Georgia as Levi’s Call, after discovering that Mr Cleary violated a court order by not communicating with the boy's mother, Theresa Nash, for several days about the whereabouts of their children. Officials believe Clearly is armed and may pose a danger to his sons . 'He bought a Glock a month ago,' Theresa Nash told WTVM. 'He is drinking. He is under extreme stress because he probably realizes that he's kidnapped the kids and there's now an Amber Alert.' Ben Cleary is described as 4 feet 8 inches tall, weighing 66lbs, with brown eyes, and brown medium length hair. He was last seen wearing a light blue winter vest. Henry Cleary stands at 4 feet 5 inches and weighs 60 lbs, with green eyes, brown medium length hair. He, too, was last seen wearing a light blue winter vest. Their father picked the kids up on December 19 and was supposed to return them to Nash by 2pm on December 26, but never made it. Distraught: The boys' mother, Theresa Nash, said her ex-husband, a recovering alcoholic, had recently bought a Glock hangun, and she fears for her son's safety . Getaway car: Police believe that Cleary ditched his car and switched to a 2002 silver Jeep Grand Cherokee, similar to this one, with temporary Georgia license plate No 10742627 . The woman said that she last heard from her ex-husband on December 22 when he called her to say that he and the boys will be spending a night at a Quality Inn motel in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after visiting the Tennessee Aquarium in town, according to 11Alive. Cleary made one final call from his cell phone on December 23 from Nashville, after which the device was shut off. With mounting concern, Theresa Nash drove to Roswell and went to Cleary’s home at 285 Crab Orchard Way, only to discover that the house had been cleared out and there was no one there, MyFoxAtlanta reported. Troubled relationship: Cleary regained joint custody of his sons only in October after a stint at a rehab facility, and the Christmas break was the first week the kids spent alone with their father . Cleary’s car was later found abandoned in a restaurant parking lot, leading police to believe that he may have switched vehicles to travel in a 2002 silver Jeep Grand Cherokee with temporary Georgia license plate No 10742627 on Interstate 40 west of Nashville, Tennessee. Theresa Nash said her ex-husband does not have any family in Tennessee, but he does have relatives in Nevada, Florida and California. Nash said that a friend of Cleary's confirmed to her that the 46-year-old man purchased a Glock handgun last month, and she said that police said that the firearm was on him. The mother also added that Cleary, whom she described as an alcoholic, had recently undergone treatment at a rehab facility in California, KOLO8 reported. The man regained shared custody of Henry and Ben only in October, and the Christmas break was their first week alone with their father. Nash said her ex-husband is volatile and that she cannot be certain he won’t cause harm to the children. ‘I can’t predict his behavior with logic. It always defies me when I try, so I don’t have certainty that he wouldn’t,’ she said. “He loves them very much but he is not of sound mind.’ According to court records obtained by Channel 2, Nash filed a petition for contempt against Cleary last November. The document stated that the woman smelled alcohol on his breath when he went to pick up the children, so she refused to let Cleary take them. The petition, however, was denied.
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Ben and Henry Cleary, aged nine and seven, respectively, have stayed with their father, Daniel, since Dec. 19 .
Daniel Cleary was supposed to return boys to his ex-wife on Dec. 26, but didn't .
Boys' mother last heard from Daniel Cleary on Dec. 22 .
Friend said man bought a Glock handgun last month .
Father and sons are believed to be traveling in 2002 silver Jeep Grand Cherokee in Tennessee .
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For eight years, a Pluto-bound spacecraft has been snoozing through space as it drifts nearly three billion miles (4.8 billion km) from Earth. But it will soon be time to wake up the New Horizons probe from its long slumber, as scientists prepare it for a six-month encounter with the dwarf planet. On December 6th, the piano-sized craft will come out of its hibernation to take historic images and data from Pluto – a dwarf planet whose appearance remains a mystery to astronomers. There remain many unanswered questions about Pluto. The New Horizons probe (artist's impression pictured) hopes to provide some answers when it flies by the dwarf planet on July 15, 2015 . Since launching in January 2006, New Horizons has spent 1,873 days in hibernation – about two-thirds of its flight time. It has had around 18 separate 'nap' periods spread from mid-2007 to late 2014 that ranged from 36 days to 202 days long. In hibernation mode, much of the spacecraft is unpowered; the onboard flight computer monitors system health and broadcasts a weekly beacon-status tone back to Earth. 'New Horizons is healthy and cruising quietly through deep space – nearly three billion miles from home – but its rest is nearly over,' says Alice Bowman, New Horizons mission operations manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The artist's impression shows the Pluto system from the surface of one of the smaller moons. Pluto is the large dwarf planet at centre, right. Charon, the system's largest moon, is the smaller body to the right of Pluto . 'It's time for New Horizons to wake up, get to work, and start making history.' On average, operators woke New Horizons just over twice each year to check out critical systems, calibrate instruments, gather science data, rehearse Pluto-encounter activities and perform course corrections when necessary. Next month's wake-up call was pre-programmed into New Horizons' on-board computer in August, commanding it come out of hibernation at 8pm GMT (3pm EST) on December 6. About 90 minutes later New Horizons will transmit word to Earth that it's in 'active' mode; those signals, even travelling at light speed, will need four hours and 25 minutes to reach home. As New Horizons travelled towards Pluto, it captured the dwarf planet locked in a mesmerising dance with its largest moon, Charon. The New Horizons spacecraft took the footage as it raced through space to rendezvous with the dwarf planet in 2015. The 12 images that make up the animation were taken from a distance ranging from 267 million to 262 million miles (429 million to 422 million km). Put together, the footage covers Pluto and almost one full rotation of its largest moon, Charon, which orbits 11,200 miles (about 18,000km) above the dwarf planet's surface. Charon is almost half the size of Pluto. The moon is so big that Pluto and Charon are sometimes referred to as a double dwarf planet system. The mission team are now using the footage - which focuses on Pluto's position against a backdrop of stars – to fine-tune the distance that New Horizons will fly past Pluto and its moons. Pluto's four smaller satellites are too faint to be seen in these distant images, but will begin to appear in images taken next year as the spacecraft speeds closer to its target. New Horizons took this footage as it raced through space to rendezvous with the dwarf planet. The footage shows Pluto and almost one full rotation of its largest moon, Charon, which orbits 11,200 miles (about 18,000km) above the dwarf planet's surface . Confirmation should reach the mission operations team at in Maryland around 2.30am GMT on December 7th. At the time New Horizons will be more than 2.9 billion miles from Earth, and just 162 million miles – less than twice the distance between Earth and the sun – from Pluto. Top on the mission's science list is characterising the global geology and topography of Pluto and its large moon Charon, mapping their surface compositions and temperatures. They also hope to examine Pluto's atmospheric composition and structure, studying the dwarf planet's smaller moons and searching for new moons and rings. New Horizons' seven-instruments includes advanced imaging infrared and ultraviolet spectrometers, a compact multicolour camera, a high-resolution telescopic camera, two powerful particle spectrometers, a space-dust detector and two radio science experiments. The entire spacecraft, drawing electricity from a single radioisotope thermoelectric generator, operates on less power than a pair of 100-watt light bulbs. Distant observations of the Pluto system begin January and will continue until late July next year, with the closest approach to Pluto on the 14th of July. 'We've worked years to prepare for this moment,' said Mark Holdridge, New Horizons encounter mission manager at APL. 'Our team has done anything but, conducting a flawless flight past Jupiter just a year after launch, putting the spacecraft through annual workouts, plotting out each step of the Pluto flyby and even practicing the entire Pluto encounter on the spacecraft. We are ready to go.'
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Piano-sized craft is now three billion miles (4.8 billion km) from Earth .
On December 6th, the craft will come out of its eight-year hibernation .
Scientists want to map the global geology and topography of Pluto .
They are also hoping to learn more about its largest moon, Charon .
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An Indiana man who admitted fatally stabbing and shooting a fellow Purdue University student inside a crowded classroom was sentenced on Friday to the maximum 65 years in prison after telling a judge he lied about being mentally ill. 'I killed Andrew Boldt because I wanted to, and I do what I want to do,' said killer Cody Cousins, 24, in court on Friday. 'I will deal with the consequences later.' Tippecanoe Superior Court Judge Thomas Busch cited Cody Cousins' lack of remorse, the viciousness of the Jan. 21 attack on Andrew Boldt and Cousins' apparent pride in Boldt's death in rejecting the defense's request that Cousins be found guilty but mentally ill. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Maximum sentence: Confessed killer Cody Cousins was sentenced the maximum sentence of 65 years in prison on Friday and told the judge he killed his classmate because he 'wanted to' No remorse: Cody Cousins showed absolutely no remorse in court on Friday and says that he does what he wants to do and then deals 'with the consequences later' Murdered: Andrew Boldt was killed by classmate Cody Cousins in a 'crime of hatred' because 'Andrew was everything he was not,' said prosecutors . 'That's not insanity. That's not mental illness,' Busch said, calling the slaying a 'crime of hatred' and likening it to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. Both Cousins and Boldt were teaching assistants in Purdue's electrical engineering program at the time of the attack. Prosecutor Pat Harrington said Cousins, who had struggled in some classes and left Purdue at one point, envied Boldt, whom witnesses described as a humble man and top student. 'Andrew was everything he was not,' Harrington said. Boldt, of West Bend, Wisconsin, was shot five times, including three times in the face, and suffered 19 cuts as horrified students looked on. Feigned insanity: Cody Cousins admitted to a judge that he'd pretended to be crazy to get a lighter sentence and in reality was aware of his actions and wanted to kill Andrew Boldt . Guilty: Cody Cousins was sentenced on Friday to the maximum 65 years in prison after telling a judge he lied about being mentally ill and saying he knew he wanted to kill Andrew Boldt . 'This is the worst homicide I've ever seen,' said Dr. Elmo Griggs, the pathologist who performed Boldt's autopsy. Cousins pleaded guilty to the slaying last month. Defense attorneys argued that the 24-year-old Warsaw man was mentally ill at the time of the attack and asked that he receive treatment now instead of upon his release from prison. Defense attorney Kirk Freeman said his client was 'so sick, he may not know he's sick.' Cousins' mother testified that there was a history of mental illness in her family and said she had her son hospitalized on a 72-hour psychiatric hold in the summer of 2013. Cousins told Judge Busch at a May 8 hearing that he was taking medication to treat schizophrenia. But he testified Friday that he lied to doctors about having auditory hallucinations. Experts who examined Cousins said he didn't show signs of mental illness the day Boldt was killed. Boldt's parents testified Friday that they cry every day over the loss of their son. 'Every single day I think of how terrified he must have been, having that gun pointed to him,' Mary Boldt said during a statement she directed at Cousins. 'It brings me to tears.' 'Mr. Cousins, you blasted holes in many, many hearts.' Cousins has been jailed since his arrest soon after the attack. He will receive credit for time served.
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'I killed Andrew Boldt because I wanted to, and I do what I want to do,' said killer Cody Cousins, 42, in court on Friday .
'I will deal with the consequences later,' he added referring to the premeditated killing of classmate Andrew Boldt .
Both Cousins and Boldt were teaching assistants in Purdue's electrical engineering program at the time of the attack.
Defense attorney Kirk Freeman said his client Cody Cousins was 'so sick, he may not know he's sick.'
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Who was the best centre half in the Premier League at the weekend? Obviously it was Michael Carrick. And with England struggling to find a partner for Gary Cahill, the solution presents itself right in front of Roy Hodgson’s eyes. Manchester United’s six-game winning streak has coincided with Carrick’s return, and while the finishing of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, along with the sometimes stunning goalkeeping of David de Gea, have all been crucial in United’s run of results, Carrick has been vital. Michael Carrick has been impressive for Manchester United this season, sometimes at centre half . He is a calming influence on everyone around him, almost as if his team-mates can now relax and say: ‘It’s OK now, Michael is in the vicinity, we can just give it to him and we’ll be OK, we’ll keep possession.’ Few players have the spatial awareness and ability to know where everyone is on the pitch, and how much space they’re in. It seems to come naturally to Carrick. While Louis van Gaal has every reason to curse his luck with injuries this season, he has been blessed with good fortune by the return of Carrick, and the revelation that he is actually one of the best centre halves at the club. I’m not sure the Dutchman was banking on that. I’ve always been a massive fan but I thought his England chance had gone. And when I talk about his England chance, I mean Carrick being a regular in the national side. He has been criminally overlooked, and in my view England now owe it to Carrick to make him a regular, and in the immediate future, he can easily fill that troublesome second centre half role. Some will only fancy him as one of three centre halves, but he’s so good I don’t see why he can’t be one of two. Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal congratulates Carrick after the win at Southampton . Carrick has the ability to play in both defence and in midfield for both United and England . And I think he will get the chance as well. This is what England coach and Carrick’s former team-mate Gary Neville told me about Carrick when I interviewed him recently: ‘The players that play with him love him, and Sir Alex Ferguson picked him in probably 95 per cent of games during the most successful period of Manchester United’s history. What he does isn’t wow, it’s largely unseen stuff, but a lot of midfielders don’t do it.’ At United he won five titles in his first seven years, played in three Champions League finals and won one of them. Yet his international career never took off. He made his England debut in May 2001 in a 4-0 friendly win over Mexico at Derby County’s Pride Park. But from that game, all the way through to the end of the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, Carrick was never been an established regular in the England team. Carrick has won 31 caps for England - but should have won far more . Carrick often found himself on the substitutes bench for England . Players such as Jermaine Jenas were often picked for England ahead of Carrick . Between his debut and England’s 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Germany in 2010, Carrick played 22 times for England, 16 of those in friendlies, and in only 10 of his games did he complete a full 90 minutes. The best moment Carrick had in an England shirt was controlling the midfield in a man of the match display in Berlin in November 2008. They beat Germany 2-1 that night. It was Carrick’s first international for over a year. He won the Premier League title and the Champions League with United in 2007-08; also in that season he played just once for England, in a friendly. He was overlooked for crucial qualifiers in Russia and at home to Croatia – England lost both and didn’t make it to Euro 2008. One of Carrick's best performances for England came in the 2-1 friendly win over Germany in 2008 . The most remarkable fact about Carrick’s international career is that he didn’t play a meaningful, competitive game for England from October 2006 through to September 2012. That’s the period when he was helping Manchester United to domestic and European success. So while successive England managers struggled with the tricky Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard dilemma, Gareth Barry and Scott Parker were golden boys for a while – even Jermaine Jenas played 21 times for England – the man trusted by Ferguson in Manchester United’s central midfield was repeatedly overlooked. Carrick has played a key role in helping United win five Premier League titles in his time at Old Trafford . Heads gone for the managers who ignored him, and in particular Fabio Capello. A month after Carrick’s son was born, Capello took the midfielder to South Africa for the World Cup. England were an embarrassing shambles, couldn’t pass the ball to each other, yet Carrick spent no time on the field at all. Not one second. Worse than that, Capello didn’t even take him to one side to explain why. So that’s why this player deserves his England chance, along with the fact he’s in brilliant form whether it’s at centre half or central midfield. Carrick isn’t a player who has let England down, the truth is the other way round. Head here to Like our Manchester United Facebook page. VIDEO 6 wins in a row, my wife is happy - Van Gaal .
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Michael Carrick has helped Manchester United win their last six games .
Carrick should be selected alongside Gary Cahill for England .
Carrick has been overlooked too many times by his country .
READ: Carrick and Man United team-mates enjoy second Christmas party .
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PUBLISHED: . 07:39 EST, 25 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:50 EST, 25 May 2012 . A 13-year-old boy whose friend was accidentally shot dead as they played with a gun covered the body with a blanket and fled his family home, police said yesterday. The panic-stricken teen did not tell anyone what had happened and spent Wednesday night elsewhere, leaving his cousin to come home and find 14-year-old TyJuan Woodard lying dead on a futon. But the man initially assumed the figure under the blanket was his sleeping cousin and did not disturb him, according to police in Little Rock, Arkansas. The skyline of Little Rock, Arkansas, the city where TyJuan Woodard was accidentally shot dead on Wednesday . It was not until a few hours later that the 13-year-old's relative took a closer look and realised he did not recognise the boy on the futon. He picked TyJuan up and noticed he was not breathing, having been shot in the chest. Someone called the emergency services and when officers arrived, they found the boy lying face-up on the floor, according to the police report. There was blood on his face and chest, and as medics lifted his shirt, they found what looked like a bullet wound. Police said everyone in the home said they didn't know the boy or what had happened. TyJuan lives elsewhere and had previously run away from home, according to police spokesman Lt Terry Hastings. Lt Hastings said officers talked to the other boy on Thursday morning. A woman who said she was the 13-year-old's grandmother said he stayed with his aunt on Wednesday night. 'He said he was scared, but I wish he had told me, just told me something,' she said. She had never seen TyJuan before he was found lying on the floor of her home. 'All I could see was blood on his nose,' she added. The woman is not being named so as not to identify her young grandson. Lt Hastings said he wasn't sure how the boys got a hold of the gun, which belongs to one of the 13-year-old's relatives. He said they were playing with the firearm in a bedroom when it went off and a bullet hit the 14-year-old in the chest. No charges have been filed, but Lt Hastings said the case will be forwarded to the prosecutor. One of the prosecutors, John Johnson, said his office is yet to receive the case file.
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Man who discovered body of TyJuan Woodard, 14, initially thought it was his sleeping cousin .
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12462692924a87e2e5d177501192bf9747eb5616
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By . Carol Driver . Compensation: Oliver Keynes with his passport and the stamps Royal Mail offered . A holidaymaker whose passport was lost in the post by Royal Mail has been offered six stamps in compensation - despite the ordeal costing him £500. Oliver Keynes was forced to cut his three-week trip to India to nine days due to the loss of his ID, which was sent to Trailfinders as part of a visa application. Mr Keynes, from Bristol, said he had used Royal Mail's special delivery service to send his passport in the post, but when the travel company opened the envelope, nothing was inside. The delay . forced Mr Keynes to reduce the length of his trip - and he also had to . pay out for a replacement passport, and spend another £500 on a new . flight to India. However, when he approached Royal Mail for compensation, the organisation offered him six stamps by way of an apology. Mr Keynes told the BBC: ‘I was asking for a refund of the costs that I've had to spend as a result of having my passport stolen. ‘I'd also . like, if not an apology, then a little bit of feeling like I've been . treated with respect for something that was nothing to do with me.’ The letter Mr Keynes received apologised for the missing item of mail. However, it said the firm had taken the 'following action', which included enclosing a book of stamps 'as compensation for the loss'. Royal Mail has now offered to reimburse Mr Keynes for the passport costs. Compensation: A paragraph of the letter Mr Keynes received from Royal Mail states what the firm would offer . 'We're sorry': Royal Mail said it had enclosed a book of stamps by way of an apology . But the firm told the BBC that it could not cover 'unlimited liability for costs incurred' unless extra 'consequential loss cover is also purchased at time of posting'. A spokesman added: ‘We process millions of items each day without incident and take seriously any customer reports of loss or undelivered items. ‘We will in this instance reimburse Mr Keynes for the cost of his passport and postage costs. ‘Royal Mail would like to apologise unreservedly to Mr Keynes for this incident and for the obvious inconvenience caused.’
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Oliver Keynes, from Bristol, used Royal Mail's special delivery service .
However, when Trailfinders opened the delivery, nothing was inside .
Holidaymaker was forced to cut short trip to India and book new flight .
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1248dd8868e14d8c369b061fa675aba3eb5bdf0c
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The woman at the centre of the Francis Abbott scholarship scandal has landed an internship with the Australian Greens after beating out more than 160 applicants for the job. Freya Newman escaped a jail sentence in November after she pleaded guilty to accessing details of Ms Abbott's $60,000 scholarship at the Whitehouse Institute of Design. Newman then leaked these documents to journalists and led to the intense media scrutiny of how the prime minister's daughter landed the merit. Scroll down for video . Freya Newman (pictured) has landed a job with the Australian Greens in Senator Lee Rhiannon's office . Newman pleaded guilty in November to accessing the files about a $60,000 Whitehouse Design Institute scholarship given to Prime Minister Tony Abbott's daughter Frances (pictured) in 2011 . NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon confirmed Newman would be starting her two-day-per-week, paid internship in April. And it seems Newman is extremely eager to start her new role as part of one of Australia's major political parties. 'I'm really excited to be working with Senator Rhiannon and the rest of her staff this year on issues like higher education, aid and animal welfare,' she told Buzzfeed Australia. But her part in the Frances Abbott scandal did not sway the senator's decision to hire Newman for the Sydney-based position. 'In November 2014, my office opened applications for a part-time, paid internship position,' Senator Rhiannon said via an email statement. 'Following an extensive application process involving over 160 applicants and two rounds of interviews we offered the position to Freya. 'Freya was an outstanding applicant and we are very much looking forward to having her on board.' The news caused controversy because the institute's chairman Les Taylor is a friend of Frances Abbott's father, Prime Minister Tony Abbott . Newman was handed a two-year good behaviour bond in Sydney after she leaked files to the media . The emergence of the leaked documents sparked widespread protests as it raised questions about how Ms Abbott landed her scholarship as the institute's chairman, Les Taylor, is a friend of Prime Minister Tony Abbott and donor to the Liberal Party. While handing down her sentence in November, Magistrate Teresa O'Sullivan said she did not think Newman was 'motivated by a sense of injustice, rather than notoriety... or greed'. Ms Newman faced a maximum custodial sentence of two years imprisonment. Ms O'Sullivan said Ms Newman's offence was at the 'lowest end' of the scale and told a courtroom cramped with media and supporters that the university communications student had 'good prospects of rehabilitation'. Supporters gathered outside Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, calling for Newman to be 'freed', as she was sentenced inside . Frances Abbott, pictured left with Tony and Margie Abbott and her sisters, attended the Whitehouse Institute of Design (right) But while the magistrate added that Ms Newman's actions had done harm to the community and the victim, she told the court the university student had not accessed sensitive documents, just material that was not in the public domain. 'She made no attempt to conceal her actions and resigned from the institution the following day,' the magistrate said. Ms O'Sullivan said other Whitehouse staff members had briefed Ms Newman in how she could access documents that detailed Ms Abbott's scholarship by using another staff member's log-in. Isolated protesters held up placards of support for Newman and condemnation of the Abbott family prior to the hearing.
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Senator Lee Rhiannon confirmed Freya Newman had landed an internship with the Greens .
Newman beat out more than 160 applicants for the part-time, paid job with the senator's office .
She will start the job in April following the advertisement of the position in November .
The university student, 21, pleaded guilty to accessing details of Frances Abbott's scholarship .
Newman was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond in November .
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By . Bianca London . PUBLISHED: . 07:14 EST, 6 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 13:25 EST, 7 March 2014 . A mother desperate to lose weight in time for her 40th has celebrated her 5st weight loss and landmark birthday with a lingerie shoot. Lorraine Merrett, who weighed 15st, wore size 20 clothes and was embarrassed by her 40FF boobs, was inspired to shift the pounds by Birds of a Feather star Pauline Quirke. Speaking about her weight loss, Lorraine said: 'I thought if Pauline could so it then so can I - she was my inspiration. Celebratory photo shoot: Lorraine Merrett, who lost five stone thanks to comedy super slimmer Pauline Quirke, has celebrated with a lingerie shoot . Comedy actress Pauline, 52, was almost . 20st when she started on Lighterlife and slimmed down to her target . weight of 11st. 'Everyone thought of her as a naturally big woman - and that is what people thought of me. But I saw how Pauline lost all her weight and decided I could do the same.' Lorraine had gained weight after years of eating unhealthy takeaways and fry-ups. She said: 'My husband Andy loved me being cuddly - he was quite happy being married to a big lady. 'But I didn't want to be big anymore and with my 40th birthday coming up I knew it was time.' Before: Lorraine previously weighed 15st and wore size 20 clothes. She was struggling to lose weight in time for her 40th birthday when she read about Birds of a Feather Pauline slimming down . Is that really me? Lorraine, who is now her dream weight of 9st 6lb, was shocked by the photos and thought they'd been airbrushed . 5ft 4in Lorraine joined slimming programme Lighterlife and swapped greasy food for low-calorie milkshakes, complemented by a new exercise regime. Lorraine, from Oxford, reached her perfect weight of 9st 6lb five months later. The mother-of-two said: 'My body had changed shape totally. The weight just fell off and I slimmed down to a slinky size 10. My boobs had lost ten inches too! 'I owe it to Pauline Quirke and Lighterlife - we are like birds of a feather when it comes to losing weight.' Lifestyle overhaul: Lorraine joined a slimming programme and swapped greasy food for low-calorie milkshakes, and took up a new exercise regime . Proud: Lorraine's husband Andy was so proud of her new size 10 look (left) he booked a boudoir photoshoot for her 40th birthday - and she couldn't believe the results of her efforts after previously wearing size 20 clothes (right) Lorraine's husband Andy was so proud he booked a boudoir photoshoot for her 40th birthday. Lorraine said: 'Part of me was thrilled and I wanted to do it for Andy because he's supported me throughout the diet. But it was nerve wracking and I cancelled the first session because I was too nervous to strip off. 'Eventually I plucked up the courage. I stripped down to my red and black lace underwear and suddenly felt a natural in front of the camera. Inspired: Lorraine saw comedy actress Pauline drop from 20st (right) to her target weight of 11st (left) and decided to try the same . Changed woman: The mother-of-two said: 'My body had changed shape totally. The weight just fell off and I had shrunk to a slinky size 10. My boobs had lost ten inches too!' 'The photographer was very encouraging and kept reassuring me saying I looked great. 'When the pictures finally arrived I was amazed it was really me. Andy couldn't take his eyes off them. 'I had to admit they were so good I thought they had been airbrushed!' Lorraine has had some of the pictures framed to put on the walls of her home in Oxford. Proud husband Andy said: 'She looks fantastic.'
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Lorraine Merrett weighed 15st and wore size 20 clothes .
Wanted to lose weight by 40th birthday, inspired by actress Pauline Quirke .
Swapped takeaways and fry-ups for healthy diet and exercise .
Now 9st 6lb and size 10 .
Husband is extremely proud and he arranged the shoot .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 16:58 EST, 5 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:11 EST, 6 September 2013 . The Duchess of Cambridge had a 'perfect, natural birth' when she welcomed baby Prince George on July 22nd, the latest issue of Vanity Fair reports. 'She spoke to some of her best girlfriends after the birth and described the birth as perfect,' a source told the October issue of the magazine. 'She said it was straightforward and . there were no complications. She wanted a natural birth and she was so . happy she was able to have one.' A 'perfect, natural birth': The Duchess of Cambridge's July 22nd delivery of baby Prince George was apparently exactly as she had hoped it would be . Looking flawless: Kate apparently had her hair stylist on standby for a month before George's birth . And it would seem that the Duchess mirrored her own mother in that regard. George Brown, who has been a close family friend of the Middletons for the past 31 years, told the U.S. glossy that new grandmother Carole had an 'easy and natural' birth when she delivered her own firstborn. '[It] didn't surprise me,' he said. 'She was fit and competent from the word go. She seemed to take to . motherhood amazingly well, and when I went round to see her, she was . happily breastfeeding and seemed to know exactly what she was doing. Natural mother: A family friend says that Kate was 'fit and competent' from the word go . Like mother, like daughter: Carole Middleton holding a baby Catherine at the home of family friend George Brown in 1982 . 'Catherine . was a lovely little baby, cherubic and chubby-cheeked and so good. I . remember she didn't cry much at all. I think that was probably because . Carole was so relaxed.' 'She decided there was no point trying to hide her bump, so she went for a flattering dress that showed off her curves' The article also sheds light on new . details surrounding the birth, such as Kate's appearance when she . entered the hospital in the early hours of the morning (a dark shawl and . her hairl loose around her shoulders) - and how waiting photographers . decided it would be inappropriate to snap her. The article also reveals that the Duchess's hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker was on standby for the entire month of July. Family photo: Kate, William and their dog Lupo with new baby Prince George in the garden of the Middleton home in Bucklebury, Berkshire . Back on form: Kate in her first public engagement since giving birth at the start of the Ring O' Fire Anglesey Coastal Ultra Marathon, a three-day foot race around the coast of Anglesey, Wales . The hair stylist, who arrived at the . hospital with an assistant, was also responsible for bringing a . selection of dresses for Kate to choose from for her first post-baby appearance outside the hospital, the magazine reports. Tradition: The Prince and late Princess of Wales with a baby Prince William after his christening at Buckingham Palace in 1982 . 'She . chose the pale blue spotted Jenny Packham dress that afternoon because . her tummy was still very rounded and she decided there was no point . trying to hide her bump, so she went for a flattering dress that showed . off her curves,' a source said. They added that the Duchess was . apparently still very emotional at the time, and 'incredibly nervous' about posing for the press, though William was on hand with plenty of . reassurance. Now the Cambridges are apparently planning George's christening, which is set to take place in October or November after the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh return from Scotland. In accordance with tradition, the royal baby will have six godparents, which are likely to include Kate's sister Pippa and William's brother Prince Harry, the article reports. He will wear a replica of the christening gown worn by Queen Victoria's children as his father and grandmother did, and as the future head of the Church of England, will most likely be christened at Buckingham Palace by the Archbishop of Canterbury like his ancestors.
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The Duchess's hairdresser, Amanda Cook Tucker was on standby for the entire month of July, and even brought a selection of dresses - including that Jenny Packham frock - for the new mother to choose from .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:08 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:08 EST, 19 September 2013 . It is one of the world's most successful companies built on it's famous motto 'Don't be evil'. But a report by Business Insider says rather than peace and love, Google is filled with fierce relationships that would not be out of place in Game of Thrones. Behind the modern glass doors of the internet giant's California headquarters are complex stories of sex and intrigue. One member of staff told Business Insider: 'Inside Google, it's a Game of Thrones.' A report suggests Google is filled with sex scandal and political intrigue that would not be out of place in Game of Thrones, starring Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister . Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California, where insiders say bosses are trying to clamp down on in-fighting . Former staff told the website that the politicking that goes on behind the scenes is reminiscent of the secret networking in the famous book and television series. According to sources quoted by Business Insider, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin actively encouraged loud and angry debate among their subordinates. But divisions within the company's various strands have now reportedly become so deep, that bosses are now trying to stamp out the in-fighting that was once so encouraged. Business Insider said that during a conference in Napa Valley in February, Page told senior executives that the warring had to stop and there would be 'zero tolerance for fighting.' The alleged change in stance comes after rumoured rivalries between the likes of former search and product executive Marissa Mayer, who is now CEO of Yahoo, and Salar Kamangar, CEO if YouTube. It was not only the networking and politicking that has been likened to Game of Thrones, in which mythical aristocracy and royalty battle for the crown. One member of staff said: 'Inside Google, it's a Game of Thrones'. Pictured: Court meddlers Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish (right) and Varys (left) Google co-founder Sergey Brin was involved in a recent sex scandal after it emerged he was dating Google worker Amanda Rosenberg . The book and series' sex and dangerous liaisons also has similarities to life at Google, according to insiders. The . most famous recent 'scandal' involved married Google co-founder Sergey . Brin who, it emerged last month, had an affair with Google Glass . employee Amanda Rosenberg. She had also previously dated Google executive Hugo Barra, according to reports. Although Google has a written code of conduct involving relationships with colleagues, staff say bosses mostly turn a blind eye. The internet giant's code states: 'If a romantic relationship does create an actual or apparent conflict it may require changes to work arrangements or even the termination of employment of either or both individuals involved. ‘When faced with a potential conflict of interest, ask yourself: Would this activity harm my reputation, negatively impact my ability to do my job at Google or potentially harm Google? Google co-founders Sergey Brin, left, and Larry Page, actively encouraged fierce debate among staff, according to the report . ‘Would this activity embarrass Google or me if it showed up on the front page of a newspaper or blog? If the answer to any of these questions is “yes”, the relationship or situation is likely to create a conflict of interest and you should avoid it.’ However, as Business Insider states, in Douglas Edwards' book about the launch of the company 'I'm Feeling Lucky: The Confessions Of Google Employee Number 59' relationships with co-workers were common. Mr Edwards quotes HR worker Heather Cairns as saying: 'hormones were flying and not everyone remembered to lock their doors.' But as one Google worker told Business Insider: 'In a place like Google, which has strong technical talent as well as business talent, it's very natural that people are going to be attracted to one another.' Google did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.
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Business Insider says internet giant filled with sex scandals and politicking .
One former staff member said: 'Inside Google, it's a Game of Thrones'
Comes after it emerged married Google co-founder Sergey Brin was dating co-worker Amanda Rosenberg .
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By . Harry Mount . PUBLISHED: . 19:15 EST, 17 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:29 EST, 18 November 2013 . Doris Lessing, the grand old lady of letters who has died at 94, lived long enough to turn against practically all the strongly held convictions of her youth. An avid Communist in her younger days, she later rejected not just communism but feminism and political correctness, too. Still, though, she retained some shocking political thoughts. Days after the attack on the World Trade Centre in 2001, she was belittling the act of terrorism, saying: ‘It was neither as terrible nor as extraordinary as the Americans think.’ Some years earlier, Englishmen were in her sights. In her 1962 feminist classic novel, The Golden Notebook, she attacked their uselessness, particularly their inability to satisfy their wives sexually. But, despite her scorn, it was to England that she came, from colonial Rhodesia — now Zimbabwe — more than 60 years ago, settling into a gloriously ramshackle, tall, slim house in London’s West Hampstead. Titan: Writer Doris Lessing, pictured in 2006, has died peacefully aged 94 at her home in London . She derided literary prizes, but scooped them all including, in 2007, the Nobel Prize. At 88, she was the oldest woman ever to win it and only the 11th woman to receive the award. Her triumph came as no surprise to a woman formidably confident in her own intellectual abilities. While the Swedish Academy praised Lessing for her ‘scepticism, fire and visionary power,’ when informed about winning the prize, the writer responded: ‘Oh Christ! . . . I couldn’t care less.’ But she later said: ‘I’ve won all the prizes in Europe, every bloody one. So I’m delighted to win them all. It’s a royal flush.’ Born Doris Tayler in 1919 in Persia (now Iran), she moved as a child with her British family to Southern Rhodesia. Her father, who lost a leg in World War I, ran a rundown maize farm, where he was looked after by an increasingly desperate wife, a former nurse, whom the young Doris was at odds with from earliest childhood. Her mother was refined, cold and unemotional, always beautifully dressed and more interested in perfectly polished silver and whether the piano was in tune than in Doris and her brother. ‘I have sacrificed myself to my children,’ she would complain in their hearing. Still, it was her mother who helped to forge Lessing’s extraordinary literary career, shipping huge parcels of books from England for her daughter. Recognition: Lessing who was born in Persia - now Iran - was awarded the Nobel Prize aged 88 in 2007. She was the oldest woman ever to win it . ‘I was never educated, you see,’ said Lessing, who left convent school at 14. ‘Without the books, I would have come to grief.’ Determined to escape what she described as a stifling, provincial, expat world, she entered a doomed marriage to Frank Wisdom, a civil servant ten years her senior. She was only 19 and it was the eve of World War II. ‘Everyone got married,’ she explained. A fter less than five years and with two children, John and Jean, the marriage came to an end. Rather than subject the boy and girl to the cool neglect she had suffered from her own mother, she decided it would be preferable if she abandoned them, leaving their father to bring them up. In due course, in 1944, she married a German internee, Gottfried Lessing, and had another child. That marriage, too, failed after five years. In 1949, she fled to London with her youngest son. Honor: Lessing shows off her Nobel Prize. She responded to the accolade by saying 'I couldn't care less' Lessing later said: ‘I’m very proud of myself that I had the guts to do it. I’ve always said that if I hadn’t left that life, the intolerable boredom of colonial circles, I’d have cracked up and become an alcoholic or had a mental breakdown.’ Such callousness was hard to forgive. Her older son, John, later told her: ‘I understand why you left, but it doesn’t mean I forgive you for it.’ Just as the Cold War began, Lessing joined the Communist Party, but later came to see that it had been a mistake. ‘We believed this rubbish, absolutely. But I think there is something about politics that makes people mad, really.’ Whatever the shortcomings of her political and private life, she was undeniably a literary titan. Controversial: Doris Lessing's novel The Golden Notebook has been hailed as a classic feminist text . The Grass Is Singing, her 1950 debut novel about the racism of white colonials in Forties Rhodesia, was a sensation. A tide of novels, poems, operas, autobiographies and short stories followed. Over 60 years she published almost 60 books. They were not all rapturously received. After she won the Nobel Prize, the acerbic American literary critic Harold Bloom said: ‘Although Ms Lessing at the beginning of her writing career had a few admirable qualities, I find her work for the past 15 years quite unreadable . . . fourth-rate science fiction.’ Those early, admirable qualities were most in evidence in her controversial novel The Golden Notebook. Explaining its genesis, she said: ‘I had been listening to women talk about women’s issues and about men. Suddenly when I wrote down these private conversations, people were astounded. It was as though what women said didn’t exist until it was written.’ The sexually graphic book tells the story of Anna Wulf, a deeply frustrated woman at the dawn of the sexual revolution and women’s liberation movement. It is unremitting in its detail. It deals candidly with menstruation, the female orgasm and men’s sexual shortcomings. Lessing called England a country ‘full of men who are little boys and homosexuals and half-homosexuals’. She made it clear that she thought that public boarding schools had a lot to answer for. The Golden Notebook was widely venerated by feminists and declared ‘the Bible of the women’s movement’, though Lessing refused to become a feminist poster girl. She said: ‘What I really can’t stand about the feminist revolution is that it produced some of the smuggest, most unself-critical people the world has ever seen. They are horrible.’ Indeed, in the introduction for a 1993 reissue of The Golden Notebook, she said it was not a ‘trumpet for women’s liberation’. ‘I think a lot of romanticising has gone on with the women’s movement,’ she said a few years ago. ‘Whatever type of behaviour women are coming up with, it’s claimed as a victory for feminism — doesn’t matter how bad it is. We don’t seem to go in very much for self-criticism.’ And she told the Edinburgh book festival that modern men were ‘cowed’ by women. ‘They can’t fight back,’ she said. ‘And it’s time they did.’ Return: Lessing's novel was reissued in 1993 - a move called a 'trumpet for women's liberation' Lessing wrote her later works from a messy, chaotic home in Hampstead, North London, with worn-out carpets — more student digs than elegant literary salon. Her black and white cat Yum Yum (named after a character in Gilbert and Sullivan’s light opera The Mikado) would keep her company. So fond was she of her various cats that she wrote three books about them. She was desperate to escape categorisation as a particular kind of writer. Lessing noted that over the years she had been given ‘every conceivable label’ — starting off as a writer about the colour bar, then a Communist, then a feminist, then a mystic. The mystic label came about because of her interest in later life in Sufism, a form of Islamic mysticism. She saw herself as none of these things, but as a storyteller. ‘Just being a writer was the thing,’ she told this newspaper when she was in her 70s. ‘For me, it still is.’
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Author died peacefully at her London home early this morning aged 94 .
Renowned for her sharp way with words and cutting put downs .
Once called George Bush a 'calamity' and Tony Blair a 'little showman'
Her iconic 1962 novel The Golden Notebook hailed as a 'feminist classic'
Was oldest recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007 aged 88 .
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By . Emily Kent Smith . The man who played actor Daniel Craig's James Bond stunt in the opening ceremony of London 2012 died when a wing suit jump went wrong in the Swiss Alps, an inquest heard. Wing suit flying enthusiast Mark Sutton was killed at Trient, near Lake Geneva, on August 14 2013. The 42-year-old appeared on television screens across the world when he parachuted into the Olympic opening ceremony as James Bond with a fellow stuntman playing the Queen. Scroll down for video . Mark Sutton parachuted into the Olympic opening ceremony with another stuntman playing the Queen . In a tribute paid days after his death Danny Boyle, who directed the Olympic opening ceremony, described him as a 'gentle and thoughtful' man . An inquest into his tragic death at Loughborough Coroner's Court on Thursday heard that the former Army officer crashed into a mountain ridge at high speed. Trevor Kirkman, senior coroner for Rutland and North Leicestershire, said: 'The circumstances of Mr Sutton's death were fully investigated in Switzerland. 'But following repatriation of his body, a post-mortem examination was undertaken at Leicester Royal Infirmary.' Home Office pathologist professor Guy Rutty, in a report read at Thursday's hearing, gave the medical cause of death as a 'head injury sustained while wing suit flying'. Wing suit flyers wear suits designed to allow them to glide at high speed before a parachute is opened for landing. The coroner said: 'Mr Sutton had jumped from a helicopter wearing a wing suit, camera and parachute. He crashed into a mountain range at a speed of about 150mph. Mark Sutton (L) was an experienced parachutists. The coroner said: 'Many people have had great pleasure in watching what he used to do most expertly' Mr Sutton's girlfriend Victoria Homewood paid tribute to Mr Sutton last year describing him as a man who brought 'joy and laughter to millions' 'He took the full force of the impact on his head, resulting - without doubt in Professor Rutty's opinion - in instantaneous death.' Mr Kirkham referred to a report from the Swiss accident investigation. 'It tells me Mr Sutton was well used to making jumps of this nature,' he said. 'He was making his first jump of the day. Video footage showed him approaching the crest of a hill. 'He crossed the crest line of that hill, but there was a second crest and, due to a lack of height, had hit the rocks just before the second crest.' Mark Sutton gives the thumbs up before jumping from the aircraft during his final flight . He looks out onto the scenery before making the jump . Mr Sutton is pictured making his initial descent from the aircraft. Moments later the father-of-two was tragically killed . Mr Sutton was killed when taking part int the three-day HeliBASE event. The event, which featured 23 of the world's best wing suit flyers was filmed for extreme sports broadcaster Epic TV (video below). Recording his verdict, Mr Kirkham said: 'It is quite clear this was a tragic accident. 'I would like to express my sincere condolences to all of Mark Sutton's family. 'Many people have had great pleasure in watching what he used to do most expertly.' Mr Sutton was a former pupil of Oakham School in Rutland. In the school's magazine, he had described playing the part of James Bond, as a stuntman, as his 'boyhood fantasy'. He had learned to skydive while serving with the Gurkhas in Hong Kong and had taken up base-jumping in 2005. In tributes paid earlier Danny Boyle, who directed the Olympic opening ceremony, described him as a 'gentle and thoughtful' man. 'The show was built from so many contributions from so many people, none finer and braver than Mark Sutton's.' Lord Coe, who chaired the committee that organised London 2012, described him as a 'consummate professional and team player'. Lord Coe, who chaired the committee that organised London 2012, described Mr Sutton as a 'consummate professional and team player' Mr Sutton is pictured two months earlier preparing for the wingsuit event in Switzerland . The HeliBASE team published the Epic TV footage of the day Mark Sutton died in his memory. In the clip, his friend and flying partner Tony Uragello, who flew down behind Mr Sutton in the final moments of his life, said that he would retire from the sport, despite being the founder of Tony Suits a wingsuit company. Mr Sutton's girlfriend paid tribute to her boyfriend last year describing him as a man who brought 'joy and laughter to millions'. Victoria Homewood said his death had left a void that could not be filled, but said his 'passion, spirit, bravery and love will live on to inspire us all.' Modern wing suits, also known as birdman suits, were first developed during the 1990s and allow jumpers to cover huge amounts of ground at speeds well over 200mph. The practice uses a special jumpsuit with webbing between the limbs to add surface area to the body and give it lift to enable to wearer to glide towards the ground. The wingsuiter uses their body to control forward speed, direction and lift. As they approach the ground that is when a wingsuiter will deploy a parachute. According to wingsuitcity.com, it is generally accepted that wing suiting adds a degree of complexity to skydiving, with risks such as uncontrollable spinning, hitting an aircraft's tail on exit and extra material to manage.
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Mark Sutton, 42, died in August 14 during an accident in Switzerland .
He crashed into the mountain range at a speed of around 150mph .
Coroner recorded medical cause of death as 'head injury sustained while wing suit flying' and says 'this was a tragic accident'
Performed James Bond stunt of 007 and Queen parachuting into Olympics .
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Like most people who lose a beloved pet, Nicole Green is grieving for her cat Poppy. The playful tabby arrived in Nicole’s life 15 years ago as a lively kitten and soon became a big part of her family. ‘Poppy was always such a boisterous little thing,’ says Nicole, 38, an insurance underwriter from Epping, Essex. ‘She loved being out in the garden and every summer I’d look out of the window and see her flying through the air trying to catch butterflies. Then at night she’d be so loving and would curl up close to me on my bed. That’s the thing I miss most, our snuggle time.’ Mourning: Nicole Green, 38, is grieving for her cat Poppy, 15, who was diagnosed with dementia last December . Nicole, who is married to James, 31, a fireman, and has three children, Macey, 14, Archie, seven, and George, eight weeks, admits that she wells up when she reminisces about her pet. But Poppy isn’t dead. She is one of more than 1.3 million British cats and dogs with dementia, which has a devastating effect on their lives — and those of their owners. ‘Every night it takes me two or three hours to try to settle her to sleep because she’s so distressed and doesn’t know where she is,’ says Nicole. ‘She’ll miaow loudly and pace up and down for ages before she sleeps. ‘In the morning I’ll come downstairs and whereas before she used to jump off the table and come purring around my legs, now she simply doesn’t respond. She just stares blankly back at me and it’s obvious she has no idea who I am. It breaks my heart. ‘She never used to have toilet accidents but now it happens most nights. Sometimes when the back door opens she will wander outside and I feel a huge sense of panic because if she gets lost, she won’t be able to find her way home again. She can’t even find her bowl.’ Snuggle time: Nicole cuddling Poppy (left) and Poppy as a kitten (right) Recent research from the University of Edinburgh found that half of all cats over the age of 15 and a third of those aged 11 to 14 suffer from dementia. Another study found that 41 per cent of dogs aged 14 and over and 23 per cent of those aged 12 and over also suffer. Although most studies so far have focused on cats and dogs, owners are reporting behaviour similar to dementia in a variety of animals, including rabbits, guinea pigs and even parrots. If your pet is eight or older, and you answer yes to one or more of these questions, consult your vet: . Does your pet pace or wander aimlessly, finding it hard to settle? Does it stare blankly as if unaware of surroundings? Does it fail to recognise or respond to familiar people such as family and friends? Does it get lost or confused in the home or garden? Is it forgetful — for example, forgetting to go to the toilet or repeatedly seeking attention? Does it vocalise repeatedly or for no reason? The irony is that the disease is actually a result of domestic animals living beyond their natural life expectancy, as loving owners pay out for expensive food, medication and surgery to keep their pets alive. ‘The main form of dementia in animals is called Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, which is a degenerative brain disease remarkably similar to Alzheimer’s in humans,’ explains Jon Bowen, Honorary Lecturer in Small Animal Behaviour at the Royal Veterinary College, London. ‘As with humans, areas of the brain stop working properly which leads to problems with learning, memory, sleep patterns, social interaction and continence.’ Bowen believes that, just as humans are increasingly suffering from dementia due to our rising life expectancy, our pets are being stricken by the disease because they are living longer than ever. The average dog now lives to the age of 12 and a cat to 14. So, to some extent, animal-loving owners are responsible for the rise in dementia. ‘Years ago we weren’t seeing pets live until 17 or 18 years of age and nowadays we do,’ says Mr Bowen. ‘Their brains aren’t evolved to live so long — they wear out.’ The rise is so sudden that animal insurer Petplan recently revealed claims for vet appointments regarding dementia have increased by 23 per cent for dogs and 48 per cent for cats over the last three years. Michael Davies, Associate Professor in Small Animal Clinical Practice at the University of Nottingham, says — as with humans — experts are still in the dark as to why some animals are afflicted and not others. ‘Loss of cognitive function with age in dogs and cats is associated with similar structural changes in the brain to people — an accumulation of a protein called amyloid in the brain tissue. ‘The amyloid accumulates within the nerve cells in the brain, altering how it functions.’ Heartache: Nicole says the affect of dementia on your pet, and your life as an owner, can be devastating . Nicole found out that Poppy had dementia . last December. Vets usually diagnose the condition after hearing about . the change in the pet’s behaviour, and undertaking a full physical . examination and a range of tests. Loving friend: As Poppy is not in pain Nicole and her family plan to make her comfortable until the end . Putting down a pet with serious dementia may be an option, particularly if they are in physical pain or injuring themselves. However, it is not always the kinder option, as senile pets can live perfectly comfortable lives. ‘Some days Poppy doesn’t even remember what she likes eating any more,’ says Nicole. ‘A few weeks ago she left a bowl of her favourite cat food and went into the living room and lapped baked beans off my son’s plate. She never liked them before. She also gets disorientated and walks round and round the garden like she’s trying to get her bearings. ‘Three months ago Poppy managed to squeeze through a gap in the fence and I found her wondering in the grounds of the local hospital looking lost. ‘We were told that there’s no medication we can give her. She’s not in pain so the kindest thing is to make her comfortable at home and spoil her. I’ll be her best friend to the end. She has been a loving friend to me.’ As well as the one million cats with dementia in the UK, there are 300,000 dogs who suffer from the condition, too. Janice Care’s 12-year-old Airedale terrier, Zoe, was diagnosed a year ago. ‘She was such an energetic and playful little dog,’ says Janice, 45, a housewife who is married to Steve, 48, a furniture manufacturer, and mum to Jade, 21, Rosie, 18 and Freddie, 16. ‘As she got older, she started to sleep more. Then a year ago we noticed her bumping into furniture and getting lost on walks, which was heartbreaking. Heartbroken: Janice Care, 45, and her Airedale terrier Zoe, 12, who was diagnosed with dementia a year ago . ‘We took her for a check-up and discovered she’d gone partially deaf and blind in her old age. ‘But something still didn’t add up and six months later Zoe started behaving oddly and barking for no reason.’ Janice, from Ongar, Essex, took Zoe back to the vet, who diagnosed dementia. ‘We weren’t told about any medication that could help Zoe so we just got on with caring for her ourselves. It helps that we also have Darcie, a three-year-old schnoodle (a cross between a schnauzer and a poodle), and she encourages Zoe to get up and play. She even helps guide her round the house.’ Elderly pets: Zoe is one of 300,00 dogs in the UK who suffer from the condition, with 41 per cent of dogs aged over 14 suffering and 23 per cent of those aged 12 and over . Alison Stratford, 56, a research manager from Bracknell, Berkshire, cares for her mother Glenys, 88, who has Alzheimer’s. Alison realised her 20-year-old cat Toffee had dementia when he started displaying similar symptoms to her mother. Cat protection: Alison, 56, with her cat Toffee, 20 (left) and Toffee as a young cat (right) ‘My mother would often eat her dinner, I’d take the plate away, then sit down to eat mine and she’d shout and ask me, “Where’s my dinner?” She thought she hadn’t had it and wanted it again. ‘Toffee would do the same. He’d eat his dinner and instead of curling up and sleeping, he’d go back and stand by his bowl and miaow for it all over again. ‘I volunteer as a welfare officer for Cat Protection and I’m trained in cat health so my heart sank. I knew it was dementia.’ Surprisingly, despite the rise in pet dementia, it often goes under-reported by vets. Symptoms: Alison recognised Toffee was suffering from dementia because he started displaying similar behavior to Alison's mother, a dementia sufferer . ‘We may be detecting only about one in eight cases because signs of dementia just aren’t visible in a consultation,’ says Jon Bowen. ‘We rely on owners to spot the signs and tell us. If you diagnose a senile pet early, you can get in quickly and start treating them sooner with much better results. Just six months can see a pet decline rapidly.’ Some owners say pet dementia can be slowed down using games to exercise and stimulate their animals, although there is no cure. Gently stroking Poppy, who is now purring softly, Nicole knows only too well the heartache of suddenly ‘losing’ a pet to dementia. She says: ‘This is something every animal lover should be aware of. The impact on your pet — and your own life — can be devastating.’
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Nicole Green's cat Poppy is one of 1.3m UK cats and dogs with dementia .
Half of all cats aged over 15 suffer from dementia, and 41 per cent of dogs aged over 14 .
Janice Care's dog Zoe was diagnosed with dementia last year .
Pets are being stricken by the disease because of rising life expectancy .
Research shows that rabbits, guinea pigs and parrots also suffer .
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124c5c81414f1b698be078539b5d43f32bbb9ec3
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(CNN) -- He may have written his name into national folklore less than a week ago but Germany's World Cup winning captain Philipp Lahm has decided to go out at the top by announcing his retirement from international football Friday. The 30-year-old made 113 appearances for "Die Nationalmannschaft" over 10 years culminating in Sunday's dramatic extra-time victory over Argentina in the Maracana, Rio de Janeiro. Lahm will continue to play for club side Bayern Munich with whom he extended his contract prior to the tournament in Brazil. In an open letter posted on the German Football Federation (DFB) website Friday, Lahm thanked fans, management and fellow players for "a wonderful time." He informed Germany coach Joachim Low of his decision on Monday over breakfast. "I am happy and grateful that the end of my career end with the national team coincides with winning the World Cup in Brazil," he said. The surprise news was met with tributes from across the sporting world and beyond. Lahm was at the center of celebrations as Germany paraded the World Cup trophy to an estimated one million people on the streets of Berlin Monday. Germany coach Joachim Low said: "Philipp is a model professional who puts the team's success above everything else." "His intelligence and versatility as a player have allowed him to play at the highest level on the international stage for many years. "He is a world-class player, as he again demonstrated over the last few weeks in Brazil. He crowned his outstanding career by winning the World Cup title." Team manager and former international Germany international striker Oliver Bierhoff added: "Philipp is an absolute role model as a player and person. "He is a big personality and happily takes on a great deal of responsibility. "I have immense respect for Philipp's career and his decision. What remains is for all of us to say a big thank you." Meanwhile German chancellor Angela Merkel, who was pictured celebrating with the German team after their victory in Brazil, said "I would like to express to him my utmost respect for what he has done for the national team." Lahm made his debut for Germany in a 2-1 victory over Croatia in February 2004 and became German captain prior to the 2010 World Cup after injury to then captain Michael Ballack. Traditionally a right sided defender, Lahm has been deployed more often as a central midfielder by Bayern and Germany over the past season. This was a role he played in the early games of the 2014 World Cup before reverting to right back after injury to Shkodran Mustafi. Only three players -- Lothar Matthaus (150 caps), Miroslav Klose (137 caps) and Lukas Podolski (116 caps) -- have made more appearances for the German national team.
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Germany captain Philipp Lahm retires from international football .
30-year-old will continue to play for club side Bayern Munich .
Lahm made 113 appearances for Germany over 10 year international career .
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By . John Stevens . Last updated at 2:35 PM on 22nd October 2011 . The scent of a deceased human being was smelt by police dogs on the floor of Baby Lisa's parent's bedroom, it has been revealed. A cadaver dog got a 'positive hit' during a search on Monday at the home in Kansas City, Missouri, where the 11-month-old vanished two weeks ago. A warrant issued to police to carry out a further search the home, which was made public today, revealed that a dog had sensed the smell of death in the room. Scroll down for video . Smell: A cadaver dog reportedly detected the scent of a deceased human being in the bedroom of Lisa Irwin's parents Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley . The scent was detected 'in an area of the floor of [Lisa Irwin's mother Deborah] Bradley’s bedroom near the bed,' the affidavit said. The positive hit was used as evidence to get the search warrant for a 17-hour search on Wednesday. Police said that they wanted to look for DNA, fingerprints, cell phones and evidence of human decomposition. Officers today said that they removed items including a multi-coloured comforter, purples shorts, a Disney shirt, a glow warm toy, a Cars-themed blanket, rolls of tape and a tape dispenser. Bradley had previously told police that her daughter was was wearing purple shorts and a purple T-shirt when she put her to bed. Hunt: . The smell led to police getting a warrant to carry out a 17-hour search . of the house in Kansas City, Missouri, on Wednesday . In the search warrant revealed today, officers indicated that parents Bradley and Lisa's father Jeremy Irwin had restricted police access to their home. 'The only areas extensively processed . for DNA and fingerprints during the consent were the baby's bedroom and . possible points of entry,' court documents reported. 'The extent of the search had been . limited in nature with consent' of the parents, police wrote. The police application for a search warrant said that people involved in the case had 'revealed conflicting information for a clear direction' for the search for the missing child. 'Bradley made the statement she did . not initially look for her baby behind the house because she 'was afraid . of what she might find,' the document revealed. Baby Lisa: Deborah Bradley said that she put her daughter in her crib at 10:30pm on October 3 . Missing: It has been over two weeks since 10-month-old Lisa Irwin was last seen . The police also cited a . 'garden area with portions of dirt having an appearance of being . recently disturbed or overturned.' Investigators . spent all day Wednesday and late into the night examining the inside of . the house, a large detached garage, the lawn and the house exterior, . including the eaves along the roof line, according to television video. Officers . and agents could be seen removing large brown paper bags of items, . rolls of carpeting and dark panels that appeared to be from X-ray . equipment. Police had a . warrant to search the house without the parents present. Deborah Bradley . and Jeremy Irwin are staying with relatives nearby. Earlier . today witnesses claimed a man was spotted carrying a naked baby three . houses from where the baby disappeared on the night she vanished. Abducted? Deborah Bradley said she left Lisa in her cot at 10:30pm on October 3 . October 3: Mother spotted on surveillance footage buying wine at grocery store with unidentified man. Claims she put Lisa to bed at 10:30pm.October 4: Father arrives home at 4am to find Lisa missing from her cotOctober 5: Couple plead for daughter’s safe returnOctober 6: Police claim parents are no longer cooperatingOctober 7: Landfill close to home searched for second time and mother claims she has been told she has failed a lie detector testOctober 9: Police go back to home to re-enact possible abduction scenarioOctober 10: Drainage ditch searched near the couple’s homeOctober 11: Lisa’s 11-month birthday and local media are subpoenaed to hand over all interview footage of parents and friends to policeOctober 12: New York detective Bill Stanton says he has been hired by a private benefactor to work with parentsOctober 14: Anonymous donor offers $100,000 reward for the return of LisaOctober 17: Police dog smells scent of dead body in houseOctober 18: Mother admits she was drinking on night of disappearanceOctober 19: Officers carry out 17-hour search of houseOctober 21: Witnesses appear on TV claiming that they saw a man with a naked baby on the night Lisa disappeared . A couple saw a man in a T-shirt . walking with a child who appeared to be wearing no clothes at 12:15am on . October 4, just hours after the 11-month-old was last seen at her house . in Kansas City, Missouri. Hours . later at around 4am another witness claims he saw a man walking along . an intersection three miles from the house carrying a naked baby. The mother of Lisa Irwin, Deborah . Bradley, claims that her daughter was abducted after she put her to bed . at 10:30pm on that night. The witness statements, which were . today revealed for the first time, appear to back up the testimony of . the mother, who has been under suspicion. A . woman, who has not been named but spoke to ABC News, said that she and . her husband were three blocks from home of Lisa Irwin's parents when . they saw the man and baby. 'It . was shocking because I couldn't imagine anyone outside walking with . their baby in the cold like that with no clothes on,' she said. 'The parts of the body we seen, it didn't look like the baby had any clothing at all, just a diaper.' Just under four hours later, another . witness, Mike Thompson, said on his way home from work he saw what could . be the same man carrying the baby about three miles from the house. 'It . was about 4 o'clock in the morning, 45 degrees, baby didn't have a . blanket or coat or nothing, and this guy's walking down the street,' he . told ABC News. 'I thought it was kind of weird.' He described the man as 5'7 or 5'8, 140 to 150lbs, and in his late thirties or early forties. All three witnesses described the man as calm. The . couple reported their sighting to the police on the morning they saw . the man and said they have been interviewed four times by police. Witness: This woman, who has not been named, said she and her husband saw a man carrying a naked baby three houses from Lisa Irwin's house . Testimony: Mike Thompson said that he thought the man's behaviour was 'weird' Spotted: Another witness said that he saw a man with a baby walking at this intersection three miles from the Irwin's house at 4am on that night . Police said they are pursuing more than 60 out-of-state leads in their investigation into the disappearance. Police spokesman Steve Young said police have cleared nearly 700 tips and leads in the disappearance. The . continued police search comes as a woman who describes herself as . Bradley's former best friend has claimed she had a dark side. 'She . was my friend at one time and I loved to be around her, but when I . [saw] the other side of her and got to know the true Debbie, I couldn't . even believe I trusted her with anything,' Shirley Pfaff told The . Huffington Post. Ms Pfaff, . who met Bradley in 2002 when they were both military wives and lived . across the street from each other said she was not surprised by . inconsistencies around Bradley's story. 'I am not shocked that her story has changed like the wind,' she said. 'That's typical Debbie.' Clues: The sightings were made in the middle of the night after Baby Lisa disappeared . Lisa . Irwin vanished on the night of October 3 in Kansas City, Missouri, . after her mother Deborah Bradley claims she put her to bed at 10:30pm. But . later that night, when Lisa's father Jeremy Irwin checked on the child . when he got home from work, the baby was gone, and she was reported . missing by her parents early on Tuesday. Irwin . and Bradley claimed someone must have crept into their home while the . child's mother and brothers slept and snatched the baby girl, saying . that the front window had been tampered with. Police have searched the couple's home, nearby wooded areas, an industrial park, landfills and sewers. Watch the video .
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Search warrant revealed today shows that cadaver dog smelt scent of death in house on Monday .
Police say that they took toys, clothing and a tape dispenser from house during 17-hour search on Wednesday .
Baby Lisa's mother told police that she did not look behind house in search for daughter as she was afraid what she might find .
Comes as three witnesses report seeing a man carrying a naked baby close to house on night Baby Lisa disappeared .
Former best friend of missing child's mother says she had a dark side .
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Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic has sounded an ominous warning to the rest of the Premier League by insisting Jose Mourinho's team will only get better. The Blues entered the October international break with a five-point lead at the top of the standings after dropping just two points in the opening seven games, in a draw at defending champions Manchester City, who are second. Striker Diego Costa, with nine goals in seven Premier League games, and playmaker Cesc Fabregas have slotted seamlessly into Mourinho's side, leaving many to wonder who can beat Chelsea to a first title since 2010 this season. Branislav Ivanovic and his Chelsea team-mates have made a strong start to the new campaign . Ivanovic believes Chelsea will improve as the players get to know each other better. "It is really amazing how quickly the new players have adapted," the Serbia defender said in the Chelsea magazine. "You could see straight from the first day how they work, how well they do their jobs, and that it is normal for them to play this way. "That is why they are here and we are all very happy about that. Diego Costa has spearheaded Chelsea's attack this season and has netted nine times in seven games . "As this group stays together for a long time, we will get better and better - we know each other's games, we know the movement of each other and this gives us the opportunity to play more easily in games." Mourinho has pointed to his team's potential to improve and also to their adaptability regarding tactics, including at City, where Chelsea shut down their opponents and almost stole a victory but for their former midfielder Frank Lampard, who netted a late equaliser. Ivanovic believes understanding one another is even more key than specific tactical work. Jose Mourinho believes his team are more adaptable than ever when it comes to tactical planning . Ivanovic added: "Sometimes we work on special things in preparation for a game, and this is one thing, but it is another to understand your team-mates, to know how they work and what they like on the pitch. "The moment you start to see what they usually do in training, you know they will usually do this in the game. You have to feel that."
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Chelsea hold five-point lead at the top of the table .
Jose Mourinho's side have only dropped two points in opening seven games .
Serbian heaps praise on new signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas .
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Berlin (CNN) -- Twenty-five years on from the fall of the Berlin Wall, much has changed. But former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says the lessons learned back then could help restore calm to today's increasingly volatile world. Speaking to CNN in Berlin, where he is attending anniversary celebrations, Gorbachev called for efforts to rebuild trust between East and West and for leaders to again work together for the common good. "A lot depends on America, Europe, Russia -- they have to work together more productively," he said. "We have to reestablish the cooperation and the trust that has been destroyed. We must start by dialogue -- we must meet and not just talk past each other." Gorbachev, now 83, is often praised for his decision to avoid using force to quell uprisings in Eastern Europe, helping pave the way for Berlin Wall to fall in 1989. While Soviet leader -- from 1985 until his resignation in 1991 -- he embarked on a process of change and increased openness to the West that became known as "perestroika." He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990 for helping end the Cold War. Now, with the conflict in Ukraine plunging East-West relations to their lowest point since then, many wonder what might happen next, as a bullish Russia seems determined to forge its own course despite pressure from the West. Leaders today 'looking askance at each other' While the nuclear weapon reduction agreements signed at the end of the Cold War still have a positive influence, Gorbachev said, current events in Europe could undermine the situation. "Straight after the end of the Cold War, when we signed those important agreements, we used to be more peaceful, people trusted more. People trusted that things got better," he said. "Now is a troublesome time. Let us not engage in mutual accusations, let us rebuild the trust that has been wrecked and let us cooperate, let us look for ways out of any difficult situation," he said. Defeating radical groups like ISIS "requires a common effort on our part," he said. But while the possibilities and the resources are there, leading countries have been looking to serve their own advantage. This is wrong, he said, and the first steps to correct it must include political decision making and dialogue. Some people's impression that things have moved backward today is correct, he said, adding, "this is because the common approach has been destroyed." When leaders took decisions on nuclear disarmament or on ending the Cold War, he said, "with all these things we were meeting each other halfway, we cooperated. But now we are just looking askance at each other." Report: Ex-Soviet leader Gorbachev leaves hospital . Media 'sow division and mistrust' Gorbachev said some irresponsible media outlets were fueling international tensions. The media should convey the truth, he said, rather than taking part in "information warfare" that "sows division and mistrust." He characterized recent reports of Russia sending tanks and troops into Ukraine as examples of dangerously irresponsible reporting. Gorbachev called for those who benefit from manipulating media coverage to be revealed, even if that carries some risk to those doing the revealing. He did not single out any media outlets, but said it is up to politicians to prevent "information warfare" while also defending freedom of the press and civil institutions. Asked what lesson people should draw from the historic events of 25 years ago, Gorbachev said: "We made the right choice. We made the right decision, these decisions required courage, these decisions required a lot of work -- and this is the only right approach, acting responsibly, acting with a view to common efforts." No one can single-handedly solve the problems of the world today, he said, even America. Gorbachev: Obama must stand firm . As for President Barack Obama, the former Soviet leader had some positive words -- and encouragement for the difficult days ahead for the President's Democratic Party, which was hammered in the midterm elections. His election in 2008 was a response to the American people's desire for change and reform -- their own perestroika, Gorbachev said. "At first he showed himself as a person who could be trusted, a smart person, an intelligent person, and his first term I would say he was quite satisfactory," Gorbachev said. Now, with both the House and Senate in Republican hands and a raft of other problems stacking up, Obama must "stand firm," he said. "It's not the most important thing to be in power. It's important to withstand the pressure of those who would like to bend your knees." CNN's Jim Clancy reported from Berlin and Laura Smith-Spark wrote in London.
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Mikhail Gorbachev: America, Europe, Russia must work together more productively .
"We have to reestablish the cooperation and the trust that has been destroyed," he says .
Gorbachev is in Berlin to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall .
Former Soviet leader says leaders must work for the common good, not their own benefit .
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Waistlines drop, hemlines rise, but the domestic drama never wavers. And there's an outfit for everything. That's the case at Downton Abbey, the fictional estate at the center of the hit British period drama. Costumes from the show have been transported across the pond to one of America's great houses, where visitors can compare and contrast the lifestyles of the very rich in Britain and America. The exhibition "Costumes of Downton Abbey" opens March 1 at Winterthur, the historic Delaware estate where American industrialist Henry Francis du Pont lived and entertained lavishly in the early part of the 20th century. "Winterthur was run kind of like a great resort hotel in its heyday. There were 34 indoor servants, and that was really to take care of Mr. and Mrs. du Pont, their two daughters and their house guests when they came to visit," said Jeff Groff, director of public programs at Winterthur and one of the exhibit's curators. The "Downton" exhibit features 40 costumes worn upstairs and downstairs by the fictional Earl of Grantham, Robert Crawley, his family and their staff of servants. The costumes are on loan from Cosprop, a prominent costumier for film, theater and television. The "Downton Abbey" series has moved from its start in 1912 into the Jazz Age of the 1920s, and the exquisite costumes have evolved with the times. In women's dresses, "what we're really seeing through the seasons is the waistline dropping and the hem beginning to rise," Groff said. The shape of women's wear also changes, with sinuous form-flattering silhouettes giving way to less structured clothing. 'Downton' in America: 6 big estates . "By the 1920s, you've got all of these loose-hanging, very short dresses," said Linda Eaton, Winterthur's director of collections and senior curator of textiles. "Fashion history is following right along with cultural history in terms of votes for women, women working outside of the home, women needing the ability for movement, losing their corsets, more natural silhouettes, less underclothing," Eaton said. Men's clothing changes far less on the show, Groff said. Tweeds worn at the time are still popular today in different cuts. Lord Grantham and his gentlemen contemporaries wore tweed suits around their country estates in the daytime. They would not, however, have worn tweeds to town. "There was kind of a catchphrase at the time of 'no brown in town,'" Groff said. Things had loosened up a bit by the 1920s and "Downton's" season four, which just concluded for U.S. television audiences. Black tie was becoming an alternative -- in certain less formal circumstances -- to white tie and tails in the evening. The exhibit contrasts country house life in Britain and the United States using fictional Downton and real-life Winterthur. The differences? For one, Americans have long loved their technology. "Americans love the history and style of Britain and the sporting life and kind of the gentleman's lifestyle, but Americans were completely devoted to the latest technology, modern conveniences and comfortable living." 8 elegant U.S. mansion hotels . Winterthur had its own telephone system with 95 exchanges by the time it was overhauled by Henry Francis du Pont in the early 1930s. It also had central heating and 23 bathrooms. In "Downton Abbey," anxiety accompanies the arrival of technological advances for many of the characters. Bringing the latest technology to American estates was easier, Eaton said, because homes were newer and successive generations were likely to regularly renovate to put their own stamp on the home. America's melting pot was also evident at Winterthur when the du Pont family was in residence, with a Swedish valet and a French ladies maid among many nationalities represented in the household. "The diversity of nationalities who work in these great houses really reflects the diversity of nationalities who were coming to America," Groff said. In Britain, servants had more direct ties to local villages and tenant farms. What newly wealthy Americans lacked in centuries-old tradition, they made up for in money. "By the late 19th century the Americans were the ones with all the money," said Eaton. "Downton Abbey" illustrates that wealth through Lord Grantham's American wife Cora, whose fortune has kept the estate from ruin, and her mother -- who occasionally sails in from New York sporting the very latest fashions. "Wealthy Americans were not at all behind," Eaton said. "They traveled, they frequented all of the best couture designers in both London and Paris." Yet the American fascination with all things British is still very much alive and well. The exhibition is on view at Winterthur through January 2015. The museum recommends advance purchase of the timed tickets. Entry to the exhibit is included in general admission, which is $20 for adults.
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Exhibit of "Downton Abbey" costumes opening in Delaware .
Winterthur, the estate of an American industrialist, is hosting the show .
40 costumes worn upstairs and downstairs are on display with scenes from the show .
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By . Sophie Jane Evans . PUBLISHED: . 15:10 EST, 12 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:14 EST, 13 November 2013 . Lifelong battle: Jacqueline Kemp, 64, has suffered from anorexia for more than half a century . A woman has told of her pain of battling anorexia for more than half a century - and how it has robbed her of her health, happiness and chance of having a family. Jacqueline Kemp, 64, started losing weight in 1962 after feeling 'ugly' compared to her best friend at school. Within months, she was in the grip of the eating disorder - with her weight soon plummeting to a tiny five stone. However, with little help available for teenagers suffering from anorexia, Ms Kemp, from Dunfermline, Fife, never fully recovered. At 5ft 5in tall, she has never weighed more than seven stone. Now, more than 50 years after she first starved herself, Ms Kemp has spoken out about her lifetime of anorexia in a bid to help others. 'I have never been able to hold down a proper job as I was taking a cocktail of drugs to help with my anorexia and I spent most of my time as an out-patient at the hospital,' she said. 'I missed the chance to have my own family - I married anorexia and everything else came second. 'As much as I wanted to have children, I knew I couldn’t as the thought of putting on weight terrified me. I still haven’t overcome anorexia I have just learned to live with it.' With 'no real understanding' of the illness in the '60s, Ms Kemp said she was left to starve herself. 'I was never called pretty': Ms Kemp at the age of six, left, and as a teenager, right. She first started to starve herself after feeling 'ugly' compared to her best friend at school . 'My friend was always being called pretty - and I never was,' she said. 'As a young teenager, that made me feel worthless in comparison. 'I was so confused, there was no real treatment for anorexia back in the 1960s - I was just left to starve and deal with the illness myself. 'My teenage years were awful - I was desperately thin and only weighed around five stone. 'I can never remember exactly how much I weighed during this time as I was too ill to really function properly. 'I was just left to starve': Miss Kemp, pictured in her late teens, was soon in the grip of the eating disorder . Illness: Her weight plummeted to five stone - and, even now, she has never weighed more than seven stone . 'Anorexia has made me feel insecure and I have found it hard to make friends - as you can imagine a lot of socialising revolves around food - something I was never able to be part of. 'Even the thought of being given a biscuit with a cup of tea would of completely terrified me.' She added: 'I was too fixated by the way I looked and, more importantly, how much I weighed.' Ms Kemp's life has been a cycle of compulsive eating, laxatives and starvation - the consequences of which she is still living with. She has been left with poor digestion, as well as problems with her sinuses and teeth. Opening up: Ms Kemp, from Dunfermline, Fife, has spoken out about her lifetime of anorexia in a bid to help others. Above, she is pictured in her mid-20s . Dangerous: Her life has been a cycle of compulsive eating, laxatives and starvation. Here, Ms Kemp, second right, is pictured with her sister Sylvia and her parents . 'There are so many women and men dying from anorexia - it’s a growing problem especially now there’s pro-anorexia websites,' she said. 'They should all be shut down. I have no idea why and how people could try and influence others to lose weight when they are already so thin. 'But the support for anorexia nowadays is great - there are plenty of support groups and charities willing to help.' Despite admitting that she is probably still too thin, Ms Kemp feels her eating disorder is now manageable and she has learned to overcome her fears of eating. Consequences: Ms Kemp, pictured in her 50s, left, and late 30s, right, has been left with poor digestion, as well as problems with her sinuses and teeth . She also says she is determined to help other sufferers. 'I just want people to speak out if they’re struggling with an eating disorder - there is a lot of help out there now,' she said. 'There is no reason for anyone to allow an eating disorder to take over your life - I want my story to be a warning to anyone contemplating losing weight unnecessarily.' Leanne Thorndyke, a spokesman for Beat, an eating disorder charity, said: 'Eating disorders are treatable conditions and full recovery is possible. 'I want people to speak out': Ms Kemp wants her story as to act as a 'warning' to other anorexia sufferers . Still battling: The 64-year-old admits she is probably still too thin, but says her anorexia is now 'manageable' 'The sooner someone gets the treatment they need, the more likely they are to make a full recovery. 'Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses and more than 1.6 million men and women of all ages and backgrounds in the UK are affected. 'We challenge stereotypes and stigma, increase understanding and campaign for better services and access to treatment.' To illustrate her lifelong battle with anorexia, Ms Kemp has written a book called ‘Size Zero & Beyond’.
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Jacqueline Kemp, 64, has battled anorexia for more than 50 years .
At 5ft 5in tall, she has never weighed more than seven stone .
'I married anorexia and everything else came second,' she says .
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(CNN) -- Michael Jackson was an international superstar, and many in the black community herald him for breaking down racial barriers in the music industry. Michael Jackson was one of the first black global superstars. "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama," said the Rev. Al Sharpton. "Michael did with music what they later did in sports and in politics and in television. And no controversy will erase the historic impact." As the Jackson 5, Michael Jackson and his brothers "became a cutting-edge example of black crossover artists," said Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of black popular culture at Duke University's Department of African and African American Studies. "You basically had five working-class black boys with Afros and bell bottoms, and they really didn't have to trade any of that stuff in order to become mainstream stars," Neal said. Young Michael Jackson was the first black "bubblegum teen star" in the vein of Monkees singer Davy Jones, Neal said. Jackson continued as a pioneer in the black culture when he broke barriers by appearing on MTV, and by breaking sales records with the 1982 album, "Thriller." Timeline: The life of a "King" » . "At the time that he releases 'Thriller,' I always argue that MTV was arguably the best example of cultural apartheid in the United States," Neal said. The former president of CBS Records, Walter Yetnikoff, remembered with scorn that MTV would not play "Billie Jean" or "Beat It" because it billed itself as a rock station. Looking back on that era, a 1991 Los Angeles Times article quoted MTV founder and then-CEO Robert Pittman as saying the channel's format didn't lend itself to other musical styles, including R&B and country. And Pittman accused his critics of attempting to impose their musical pluralism on the channel's die-hard rock fans. But Yetnikoff said he threatened to pull videos of his other artists unless MTV played Jackson's videos. Watch Yetnikoff talk about getting Jackson's videos played » . Soon Jackson's videos were heavily in rotation on MTV. Showcasing a black artist paved the way for the popular show, "Yo! MTV Raps," and other black artists, Neal said. In turn, Jackson became one of the first African-Americans to be a global icon. He also influenced a new generation of black musicians, including Usher, Ne-Yo and Kanye West, according to Joycelyn Wilson, a professor of African-American studies at Morehouse College, who specializes in popular culture and hip-hop studies. Slideshow: Michael Jackson and his music » . Changing appearance . Jackson's changing physical appearance in the past two decades led to criticism he was trying to be less black. "Here's a man who started off looking very typically African-American and ended up looking like something few people would have recognized early in his career. His nose was trimmed, his lips were different ... his skin was different," said Cheryl Contee, who writes as Jill Tubman on Jack & Jill Politics, a blog centered on African-American issues. "The only thing that seemed to almost stay the same were his eyes," said Contee, who also called Jackson "a genius and more than a trailblazer." "I think [it] troubled a lot of people that he left his skin color behind and seemed somehow to be ashamed of who he was [when] he was born," Contee said. But during a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson shot down rumors that he was dying his skin to make it lighter. He told the talk show host that he had vitiligo, a disorder that destroyed his skin pigmentation. Black popular culture professor Neal said Jackson's physical changes did not reflect his life on the whole. "I think if you solely pay attention to Michael Jackson's physicality, you actually miss something that's much more complex. ... Michael Jackson artistically and aesthetically never turned his back on blackness. His work was always in conversation with black culture both in the United States and more globally," said Neal. Neal said Jackson's changes were not to deny blackness, nor to become more white. "This was somebody who most of his career we read as being asexual. And I think that many of the changes to his face, particularly his skin tone, he was almost trying to achieve an a-raciality," said Neal. Contee upset some commenters on her blog when she highlighted both the positive and negative aspects of Jackson's life, or what she termed his "mixed legacy." "Some people were very offended that I would dare to mention some of the unfortunate aspects of his later years," she said. "But others [acknowledged] that they had mixed feelings about his legacy and what that meant to African-Americans."
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Jackson 5 went mainstream and maintained black identity, professor says .
MTV didn't play videos of black artists before Jackson .
Expert: Despite his changing appearance, he was always in touch with black culture .
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12503c8be2890bf521efd0350cb95c4074289aca
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Buchanan, New York (CNN) -- The chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission got a firsthand look Tuesday at the Indian Point nuclear plant on a visit organized by two members of Congress from New York who want the plant shut down. Chairman Gregory Jaczko toured the plant with longtime Indian Point opponents Rep. Nita Lowey and Rep. Elliot Engel, who have been raising concerns about the safety of the plant following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that seriously damaged the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. "As I have repeatedly stressed to (plant owner) Entergy and the NRC, I continue to have serious concerns about several specific issues related to Indian Point," Lowey said at a press conference following the tour. Indian Point is on the Hudson River, 35 miles north of midtown Manhattan. Among the chief concerns raised by Lowey and Engel is the feasibility of evacuating such a populated area in the event of an emergency. Currently the NRC requires plants to have plans in place to evacuate a 10-mile radius around their facilities. But, pointing out that the NRC urged Americans within a 50-mile radius of the damaged Japanese reactors to leave, Lowey said that "evacuating 20 million people within a 50-mile radius of Indian Point would be a near-impossibility." "The bottom line," said Engel after the tour, "I still believe Indian Point should be closed." Jaczko said the visit was a good opportunity to hear firsthand from the representatives about their concerns. "I think it's so important that we continue to have a very open and transparent dialogue," he said. Asked whether the proximity of the plant to such a densely populated area was sufficient reason to close the plant, as many New York officials have argued, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Jaczko said he couldn't comment since Indian Point is undergoing a formal relicensing effort right now. There are two reactors at Indian Point. One is due to be relicensed in 2013 and the other in 2015. Jaczko said the agency closely monitors the operation of all nuclear facilities "to ensure that they meet our very stringent safety and security requirements." Indian Point, he said, meets those requirements. Lowey and Engel have introduced a bill that would require the NRC to use the same standards it uses to license new nuclear plants when relicensing older plants, "including evaluating terror threats, seismic risk, population density and evacuation concerns," Lowey said. Engel, who first called for the plant to be closed following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said, "If this plant were being built today, in 2011, I can tell you it would not be sited here in Buchanan, New York." Lowey said new data showing that Indian Point is located at two fault lines means the NRC should also evaluate whether a seismic event could affect the power supply or cause the spent fuel pools to leak. Jaczko said as part of relicensing, the NRC looks at the seismic qualifications of plants to ensure that all systems will continue to operate safely. A task force of "top-notch experts" at the agency is looking at all the challenges and issues that emerged following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, he said. "I expect that we'll learn some good lessons, and I expect there will be some changes to our requirements as a result of that," he said.
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2 New York members of Congress want nuclear plant closed .
Lowey, Engel say too many people live too close for evacuation .
NRC chairman praises "dialogue"
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:09 EST, 7 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 15:37 EST, 7 November 2012 . A mother-of-two has revealed how she leaves a trail of skin behind her due to a rare condition that causes her to shed 14 times more skin than normal. Melanie Bradley suffers from the rare disorder Bullous Ichthyosis. In a cruel twist of fate her 21-month-old daughter Rebecca suffers from the same condition. Mrs Bradley, from Atherstone, Greater Manchester, said: 'My skin sheds rapidly, so overnight I can shed the equivalent of what a person with ‘ordinary’ skin sheds in two weeks. 'I'm covered in scales from head to . toe. It's can be so thick to the point that I can barely move, but at . the same time it's so delicate that the slightest knock can break the . skin. 'It can be quite awkward, because you leave a trail of skin behind you. A lot of vacuuming goes on in my house.' Melanie Bradley and her daughter Rebecca both suffer from a rare disorder that causes them to shed their skin far quicker than normal . Medics gave Melanie a 50 per cent chance that her children might be born with Icthyosis. Although older sibling Daniel, three, was born free from the condition, his younger sister was not so lucky. Mrs Bradley said: 'As soon as Rebecca was born it was obvious she had it. I'd had an emergency C-section so didn't see her straight away, but I overheard the doctors discuss it and obviously I was devastated. 'When I first saw her, and how her skin looked I just felt numb. It was the last thing I wanted. 'But I knew that I had to cope and get over it - and who better to raise a child with Ichthyosis than a fellow sufferer. I worry for mums that haven't been through it themselves but Rebecca is already starting to understand her condition, which is great. 'She's already rubbing cream into herself, and she notices when she has lose skin. She'll just have to learn her limitations.' Advancements in medicine mean that doctors are able to recognise Ichthyosis as soon as possible. But when Melanie first began to suffer from the condition she was not so lucky. 'When I was born the doctors were totally baffled. The top layer of my skin had been stripped off during birth and the doctors had no clue what was going on. 'My skin was so thick - I couldn't bend my knees until I was about three, and I had to wear slippers to school because they were the only shoes that didn't hurt. 'Fortunately, things were different for Rebecca.' When Mrs Bradley was born (left and as a child, right) doctors were baffled by her skin disorder. Now they can recognise Ichthyosis quickly . Close-ups of Melanie's skin: Is it not waterproof and very susceptible to infection . The stay-at-home mother must follow a strict care routine to ensure that her and her daughter's skin is properly hydrated. 'Our . skin is very susceptible to infection, so we have to be very clean, but . we also have to bathe and shower a lot to get moisture into the skin,' she said. 'My daily . routine starts with a bath or shower using emollients, which I do twice a . day. It then takes a minimum of around 30 minutes just for my skin to . dry off, then I have to liberally apply creams all over my body. 'I . then have to let the creams soak into my skin for at least a further 20 . minutes or so before I can get dressed. It takes up to two hours for me . to just get ready in the morning and ready for bed at night. 'I then have to do the same for Rebecca.' The 34-year-old says the blisters that come with the Ichthyosis are the most painful part of the condition. 'The blisters can appear anywhere and be of any size. I once got one from my elbow to my wrist - it was awful. 'They make getting around very difficult, and antibiotics and dressings are always needed when you get them. 'During my childhood Mum had to burst the blisters herself using sterile needles. Even now I sometimes have to do the same.' Melanie with her husband Vincent, son Daniel and daughter Rebecca: I just want people to know that, even though it's difficult to live with, you can cope . A further bizarre symptom of Ichthyosis is that the skin is not waterproof. 'We lack a specific protein, so the the skin absorbs water. It leaves the skin white in colour and very soggy.' Mrs Bradley now runs the Friends of Ichthyosis website and charity, which has been successful in giving advice and support for fellow sufferers. The mother added: 'I just want people to know that, even though it's difficult to live with, you can cope.' 'I . never thought I'd marry or have children with skin like I do, but I . have a wonderful husband, Vincent, 30, and two beautiful children. The skin condition can cause painful blisters . 'I . am living proof that anything is possible, and there is still so much . more I’ve yet to achieve. There are lots of people in this world who are . far worse off than myself.' Bullous Ichthyosis affects less than 1 in 100,000 people. Hermoine . Lawson, of The British Skin Foundation, said: 'Bullous ichthyosis, is a . rare form of inherited ichthyosis. At birth the baby's skin seems to be . fragile and may show blisters. 'Skin . infections are quite common and can lead to a characteristic odour. There may be a reduction in sweating in childhood, which improves later . in life. 'It is . transmitted as an autosomal dominant disorder, which means that one of . the parents may be affected. However, in at least half of affected . children, neither parent is affected; therefore the child has developed a . new gene fault while growing in the womb.' Melanie's Friends of Ichthyosis website can be found at www.Friends-of-Ichthyosis.webs.com .
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Mother and daughter have Ichthyosis which causes thickened, flaky skin that is prone to infection .
Skin care routine takes two hours both at morning and night .
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(CNN) -- A car bomb detonated on a busy street in southeastern Baghdad on Wednesday night, killing 14 people and wounding 51 others, authorities said. Several shops and vehicles nearby were damaged in the explosion in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood known as New Baghdad. In a separate incident Wednesday night, three mortar rounds landed inside the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, Iraq's interior ministry said. It's unclear whether there were any casualties. The Green Zone houses Iraqi government offices, as well as the U.S. and British embassies.
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In another incident, mortar rounds land inside the Green Zone .
The Green Zone houses U.S. and British embassies .
It's unclear whether there were any casualties .
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Rome, Italy (CNN) -- Somewhere in the world, a child dies of hunger every five seconds -- even though the planet has more than enough food for all. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon laid out this sobering statistic as he kicked off a three-day summit on world food security Monday in Rome. "Today, more than 1 billion people are hungry," he told the assembled leaders. Six million children die of hunger every year -- 17,000 every day, he said. The summit opened with the leaders adopting a declaration to renew their commitment to eradicating hunger. They promised to do so by promoting investment, reversing the decline in funding for agriculture and tackling the effect of global warming on food security. Urgent action is critical, Ban said. In 2050, the world will need to feed 2 billion more mouths -- 9.1 billion in all. The steps Ban proposed included providing farmers with seeds and land and offering them access to better markets and fairer trade. "These small-holder farmers are the heart and soul of food security and poverty reduction," he said. "Our job is not just to feed the hungry but to empower the hungry to feed themselves." The summit came under criticism even before it began, with some aid groups skeptical that it would accomplish much. The United Nations hopes that donors will go beyond affirming their support to end hunger and fulfill a promise they made during a Group of Eight meeting in July to increase food aid significantly. Though more than 60 world leaders are at the summit, all but one of the G-8 leaders were absent. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Belusconi is hosting the gathering. The United States sent the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Britain sent two ministers. During his speech, Ban also tied the global warming crisis to hunger eradication. The melting of Himalayan glaciers will affect the livelihood of 300 million people in China and up to 1 billion throughout Asia, he said. And African farmers might see harvests drop by 50 percent by 2020. The United Nations has scheduled a climate summit next month in Copenhagen, Denmark. "There can be no food security without climate security," Ban said. "They must produce results. "The world is impatient for us to make a difference. I, too, am impatient. And I am committed." The United Nations also seeks commitment from the public, making an online appeal for individual donations to fight hunger. The U.N. World Food Program's "Billion for a Billion" campaign aims to reach 1 billion individuals. "If a billion Internet users donate a dollar or a euro a week, we can literally transform the lives of a billion hungry people across the world," said Josette Sheeran, the World Food Program's executive director. Small donations can make a big difference, Sheeran said. "Year in, year out, governments have supported WFP in its mission to feed the world's hungriest people, but they cannot be expected to do it alone," Sheeran said. "It's time for members of the public to act."
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More than 1 billion hungry, U.N. official says at summit for world food security .
Ban Ki-moon: "Small-holder farmers are the heart and soul of ... poverty reduction"
Some aid groups express skepticism about summit .
More than 60 leaders attend summit, but only one Group of Eight leader .
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By . Mark Prigg . PUBLISHED: . 13:29 EST, 7 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:23 EST, 7 March 2013 . Facebook has unveiled a major redesign of its Newsfeed - and says it wants it to look more like a personalised magazine or newspaper. Mark Zuckerberg said the radical overhaul reflects the huge amount of pictures being shared on the social networking site - which he revealed is now over 50% of the items shared. However, it was also revealed that along with bigger pictures, the advertisments Facebook's billion users will see will get bigger. Scroll down for video of the new design . Facebook's new design makes pictures more prominent, with videos and photo albums easier to see . All Friends - a feed that shows you everything your friends are sharing . Photos - a feed with nothing but photos from your friends and the Pages you like . Music - a feed with posts about the music you listen to . Following - a feed with the latest news from the Pages you like and the people you follow . 'Our mission is to make the world more open and connected,' said Zuckerberg at the launch. 'Newsfeed is one of the most important services we build, and we want to to give people around the world the best personalised news.' Zuckerberg had singled out the feature as in need of a makeover as recently as January, when the company introduced 'graph search' to address inadequacies in allowing users to trawl for information across the world's largest social network. Robyn Morris, the designer of the new Newsfeed, admitted that as pictures got bigger for users, so would ads. 'Integrating ads isn't something we really thought about,' he claimed. 'This redesign is about letting the content shine - whether that's from a musician, sponsored or from friends. 'The adverts will be bigger and richer, along with everything else.' Julie Zhuo, Facebook's director of design, said the firm was 'putting these pictures front and centre - they are more immersive.' She said the new designed was similar to a magazine table of contents. 'The new newsfeed is richer, simpler more beautiful newsfeed or desktop and mobile,' she said. The firm also revealed the new look will make the mobile phone and tablet apps look more like the desktop site. The changes are Facebook's also attempt to . learn more about its users and keep people coming back so the company . can sell more advertising. Robyn Morris, the designer of the new Newsfeed, told MailOnline he has been working on the project for a year. 'When we began we weren't sure what we would be doing,' he admitted. 'One early study used cut up paper to get people to rearrange their newsfeed. 'We found people really want to be able to see just posts from friends, and see photos . 'We decided if we're going to be showing photos, we need to have a design that gave them centre stage.' The new look was inspired by the firm's mobile apps. 'It starts to feel like mobile and desktop are made of the same material, we don't want people to have to learn things twice.' Morris also said the firm still treated Facebook as a third party app -even thought the firm owns the retro picture service. 'Instagram remain an independent app - even thought they are in house . It's been really interesting to have them here, to make sure third party apps look good - they are guinea pigs in many ways. The team behind the redesign was tiny - with Morris and one other designer working with engineers. 'The design team was small - me and one other designer, in fact. 'It's been a big undertaking, it's a high profile page - and we've had a lot of help. 'We've been bunkered down in a room working closely with engineers - 15 of us in a conference room turned war room.' 'Panda was the mascot - black and white like a newspaper, so somewhere along the way we adopted it - we all call each other pandas.' New music pages for bands were also revealed, with this one showing the new design for Justin Timberlake . Facebook's new album page shows more photos than the current version . Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the new look at the firm's Menlo Park HQ . The event comes a month after a Pew study reported that many Facebook users take a break from the site for weeks at a time. The report, from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, found that some 61 percent of Facebook users had taken a hiatus for reasons that range from boredom to too much irrelevant information to Lent. Overall, though, Facebook's user base is growing, especially on mobile devices. At last count it had 1.06 billion active monthly accounts. Mark Zuckerberg said the redesign was triggered by a huge increase in pictures being shared on the service, with 50% of items now being shared photos . Facebook's new design will also make the site look the same on both desktop and mobile computers . The number of people who access Facebook daily is also on the rise. That said, even the company has acknowledged that some of its users, especially the younger ones, are migrating to substitutes, but so far this has not meant an overall decline in user numbers. The world's largest social network is moving to regain Wall Street's confidence after a botched IPO last year, addressing concerns about its long-term prospects - many of which center on an industry-wide shift toward the use of mobile devices. Facebook shares, which are still more than a quarter off their IPO price of $38, were up 2 percent at $27.99 on Thursday afternoon on the Nasdaq. Facebook and Google, which both got their start on desktop computers, are now managing a transition of their products onto smartphones and tablets, which typically yield less revenue than on PCs. The two Internet mainstays are also waging a war for revenue in mobile advertising - a market that is still small compared with the traditional desktop but that is growing exponentially. In terms of overall mobile advertising, Google commanded a 53.5 percent share in 2012, aided by its dominance in search-based ads. Facebook had just 8.4 percent, a distant runner-up, according to estimates from research house eMarketer. 'For example, we believe that some of our users have reduced their engagement with Facebook in favor of increased engagement with other products and services such as Instagram,' the company said last month in the "risk factors" of its annual report. 'In the event that our users increasingly engage with other products and services, we may experience a decline in user engagement and our business could be harmed.' Facebook's old design (left) compared to the new look revealed today (right) New music pages will allow people to see which of their friends like the same artist, while a a feed will show posts about the music you listen to .
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New look revealed by Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook's Silicon Valley HQ .
Gives pictures more prominence .
Designed to look like a magazine content page .
Available to some users from today - with tablet and phone versions following within weeks .
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A couple claim their house is haunted after capturing what they believe to be an apparition of a baby ghost on camera. Shocked John Gore, 43, was taking photographs of his pet cats when he noticed the bizarre outline of a small ghostly figure. The shape - which looks like a toddler or baby - appears to be stand next to an armchair in the living room of the house Mr Gore shares with his girlfriend Sonia Jones in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. The couple have now given the ghost the nickname 'Johnny Junior'. Caught on camera: John Gore, 43, was taking photos of his pet cats at home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, when he noticed the bizarre outline of a small ghostly figure appear (right) Neighbours have since told the couple that a baby died from cot death in their home a number of years ago. Mr . Gore and Miss Jones have also noticed the room’s lights turning on and . off and the television changing channels on its own in a series of . spooky goings-on at the house. Mr . Gore said: 'One of my cats kept scratching at the wall and jumping up . in the area and we’re always taking pictures of the cats. 'When we got it through we were surprised to find the little figure just stood by the sofa. 'We have had a few strange things happen before, like the TV kept changing channels and turning itself off. 'I . showed it to a lady over the road who has lived here for years. She . said somebody who lived in the house before us had a child who died of . cot death.' But the couple have no plans to move and have even given the ghost the nickname ‘Johnny Junior’ and believe it is a friendly ghoul. Mr Gore said: 'I am feeling . fine about it and so is Sonia, it does not bother us as we have nothing . to show it is not a friendly ghost. 'I started believing in ghosts after my mum Anne died in 2004, but people always say until you see it you do not believe it. 'It . is hard to tell whether it is a boy or a girl, but we have called the . ghost Johnny Junior, and it looks to be about a toddler’s age. 'Lots . of people have seen it and are commenting on it on Facebook. Some have . said it looks like a shadow, but it is such a strong shape of a person.'
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John Gore, 43, was taking photos of his pet cats when he noticed the bizarre outline of a .
small ghostly figure .
Neighbours then reveal baby had died of cot death in house .
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England assistant manager Gary Neville has been accused of telling a cameraman to ‘f*** off’ during a walk in Rio de Janeiro. According to FA sources, the Sky Sports pundit and former Manchester United star finally snapped after being followed for around a mile by a persistent cameraman just hours after the England squad arrived in Brazil for the World Cup. In one picture which circulated on Twitter, an angry-looking Neville was seen glowering into the camera while being followed by a man dressed head-to-toe in small Brazil flags. Centre of attention: Gary Neville was followed around when he went for a walk on a Rio de Janeiro beach . Snap: Neville appeared to angrily swat away a cameraman as he walked along Sao Conrado beach . Scrum: Neville has only been in Brazil for a short time before finding himself surrounded by passers-by . Having checked in to the team hotel, Neville was said to have gone for a walk on Sao Conrado beach with other members of the England party. According to Globoesporte, which is part of Brazil’s biggest broadcaster, he then told the photographers and cameramen following him to leave him alone, shouting at one: 'Do you speak English? Back off. I just want to walk on the beach,' It is also reported that he put his hand over one camera lens and swore. England arrived in Rio on Sunday morning after a difficult couple of draws against Ecuador and Honduras. Roy Hodgson's side begin their World Cup . campaign proper on Saturday against Italy in Manaus, two days after the . tournament kicks off with hosts Brazil taking on Croatia. Wish you were here? Steven Gerrard walks by the side of England's hotel swimming pool on Sunday . On yer bike: (left-right) Glen Johnson, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson train at their hotel . Orders: Neville talks with Jordan Henderson during the warm-up draw against Honduras in Miami on Saturday . Meanwhile, Neville is presenting his own video technology-inspired Monday Night Football specials for the England team ahead of the World Cup, defender Phil Jagielka has revealed. Neville, one of Roy Hodgson's coaches, has been using his hugely successful video analysis routines from Sky Sports to teach players the ins and outs of group opponents Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica.
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Neville and England arrived in Brazil on Sunday ahead of World Cup .
England assistant manager went for walk shortly after arriving .
Neville said to have lost his temper at a persistent cameraman .
World Cup starts on Thursday - England play Italy first up on Saturday .
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125525de67e13788bd063bbcae1c3988458abe4e
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:21 EST, 17 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:27 EST, 18 November 2013 . Two bodyguards have been convicted of attempted murder for shooting at two photographers trying to get shots of supermodel Gisele Bundchen's wedding in 2009. Miguel Solis and Alexander Rivas were each sentenced to five years behind bars and ordered to pay each victim $10,000 in restitution on Friday. A third bodyguard, Manuel Valverde, was cleared of all charges. Love birds: Power couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen got married in 2009 in Costa Rica . When Brazilian model married American football star Tom Brady four years ago, paparazzi swarmed her seaside house in Costa Rica. Two photographers trying to shoot the wedding from a nearby property claimed two bodyguards approached them, demanding they hand over their cameras' memory cards. It is not clear if they refused. However, as they attempted to drive away, the bodyguards opened fire. Photographer Rolando Aviles said a . bullet shot through his Suzuki's front and back windows, narrowly . missing him and his colleague, AFP Central America bureau chief Uri . Cortez. AFP photographer Yuri Cortez (left) and colleague Rolando Aviles were shot at by bodyguards as they tried to photograph Gisele Bundchen's wedding in 2009 . Central America bureau chief for AFP, Uri Cortez, pictured with his Suzuki which was shot at by bodyguards in Costa Rica in 2009 . Central America bureau chief for AFP, Uri Cortez, told police Bundchen's security team fired a bullet at him as he sat in his car, smashing the rear window and bouncing off the front windscreen (pictured), missing his head by inches . 'The bullet went between us, missing our heads. If the bullet been a little more to the left or right, it would have killed one of us,' Aviles said. 'I said, "They're going to kill us," and that's when I hunched down to cover myself. 'When the glass broke, that's when my friend started driving really fast. 'I could have lost my life for the sale of some pictures that Gisele didn't want published. Are they insane?' The snappers were not injured. At the time, NFL player Tom Brady insisted the claims were untrue. 'It's absolute b.s. We found two guys on our property, and we told them to get out. Our security didn't even have guns. There were no shots fired (sic),' he said. Bundchen claimed she didn't know about the shooting. The power couple have two children, Benjamin, three, and Vivian, eight months. Second time round: Gisele in her wedding gown outside her Costa Rican home in 2009 .
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Two bodyguards jailed for shooting at two photographers trying to get shots of Gisele Bundchen's 2009 wedding .
Miguel Solis and Alexander Rivas were found guilty of attempted murder on Friday .
Bodyguard Manuel Valverde was acquitted .
The model married NFL star Tom Brady in Costa Rica .
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12556a6d5224b1a2814f4857bae8f1af0fb6a58d
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By . Sarah Dean . A shadowy Malaysia based company has applied to trade mark the word 'MH17' in what could be a sick attempt to profit from the tragic Malaysia Airlines disaster. A business called Remit Now International Limited lodged an application with the Australian Trade Mark Office on July 18, just hours after 298 people were killed when their plane was shot out of the sky by a missile above eastern Ukraine. Amongst the passengers on the doomed flight were 37 Australian citizens and residents. The application on the Australian Trade Mark Office website, seen by Daily Mail Australia, shows that it is currently being examined by officials. Sick: A mysterious Malaysia based company applied to trademark the word 'MH17' within 24 hours of the disaster happening . The company has applied for a Class 41 trade mark which includes entertainment, educational and cultural services which would cover film production, exhibition, curatorial and gallery services and live performances. A person who owns a trade mark in Australia may be able to stop other people using the same or a similar trade mark in the country. This means, for example, if someone wants to make a documentary about MH17 they may not be able to use the word 'MH17' or may have to pay the company for the right to use it. The mysterious business is registered to an address in an apartment block in Kuala Lumpur but they also have a post office box at the Australia Fair shopping centre on Queensland's Gold Coast. Offices? The shadowy business is registered to an address in an apartment block in Kuala Lumpur (pictured) The people behind the company are not named, they do not have a website and no contact details are available for them. A spokesperson for the Trade Mark Office, IP Australia, told Daily Mail Australia: 'The trade marks will be examined in due course'. 'Prior to that examination we are unable to say whether it will be accepted or not. However, there is provision within the Trade Marks Act to object to marks which are considered "scandalous", they fall under s42(a) of the Trade Marks Act,' they said. It typically takes approximately 4-8 weeks for a trade mark to be examined. 'If it were to be accepted for registration, any interested third party can oppose its acceptance. If a trade mark is registered it means that the registered owner of the mark has proprietary rights to use as a trade mark for the goods and or/services claimed, this does necessarily preclude others from using or referring to the term outside the parameters of the trade mark,' the spokesperson added. Cashing in? As families of the 298 people killed on flight MH17 grieve around the world, the company is trying to trademark the flight's name . Devastated: Family and friends attend a multi-faith service at St. Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne on Thursday for those who lost their lives on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 . Asked whether they often received applications for trade marks based around disaster events, they explained 'it is not a common occurrence for these types of marks to be filed, but it can occur'. A Malaysia Airlines spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that they are trying to block the application by also applying to trade mark the name. 'Malaysia Airlines has started the process of filing the trademark over "MH17". The purpose is to ensure no party takes advantage of the tragedy for their personal gains,' they said. Sadly this is not the first trade mark application for the word 'MH17'. A Belize based company named incorporated Seyefull Investments Ltd has applied to the European Trade Mark and Design Network website to trademark 'MH17' in Europe, Digital News Asia reports. A corporate lawyer told the website that the most obvious reason why one would want to register 'MH17' is probably due to the potential of movies or books being made around the event. 'However, one should also question whether they infringe the rights owned by Malaysia Airlines in applying to register such a mark in the first place. 'Usually, the Registrar would not allow registration should it feel that this infringes the existing rights of another party. MAS still retains the common law proprietary rights in the mark,' she said. Devastation: The crash site of the downed Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, in a field near the village of Grabove, in the Donetsk region of Ukraine . Tragic: This photo shows a Malaysian expert checking the debris at the main crash site of the Boeing 777 Malaysia Airlines flight . A trade mark registration initially lasts 10 years from the date the application is filed. It can also be renewed indefinitely by paying renewal fees. Earlier this week it was revealed the names and photos of Australian MH17 plane crash victims are being exploited by online scammers who have set up fake Facebook tribute pages to drive traffic to a dodgy external website. The Facebook pages, created on the day the plane crashed, baited people to click on another website with a link purporting to show footage of the MH17 disaster. 'Video Camera Caught the moment plane MH17 Crash over Ukraine.Watch here the video of Crash,' the link read. Scroll down for video . Scammers have created fake Facebook accounts for MH17 victims, including the three young Perth children who died with their grandfather . Victims targeted by the scam include young Perth siblings Otis, Evie and Mo Maslin, Canberra woman Liliane Derden and Fatima Dyczynski, who was born in Germany but was on flight MH17 because she was moving to Perth. The scam also exploited the names of victims from other countries, including Quinn Lucas Schansman from the US, British-born Kiwi Rob Ayley, Malaysia Airlines pilot Eugene Choo Jin Leong and Richard Mayne, Ben Pocock and Liam Sweeney from the UK. Facebook has taken down the pages but the external site goalshighlights.com remains live. It was registered in Bucharest, Romania in 2010 and the ISP address tracks back to the Netherlands. Ken Gamble, chairman of the Australian chapter of the International Association of Cybercrime Prevention, said it looked like the website had been hacked in order to divert to adult hook up websites and others selling counterfeit drugs. Online fraud experts said the pages were in poor taste but would only be forcibly removed by Facebook if they were criminal . 'I've seen this quite a lot, hackers get in, take control of a site and they then divert to a stack of stuff and use the bandwidth of this guy's website sometimes for illegal purpose sometimes or for getting the hits up on certain sites,' Mr Gamble said. He added that the websites that goalshighlights.com diverted to contained malicious files that would infect a user's computer if clicked on. Canberra mother-of-two Liliane Derden was one of the victims targeted by the scam . Mr Gamble added that fraudsters often capitalised on disasters like the MH17 crash. 'When a disaster like this happens it's a great opportunity for all sorts of scammers,' Mr Gamble told Daily Mail Australia. 'Everybody is out there looking for information at the moment, everyone wants to know more about what's happened. 'It's a great opportunity to prey on people's vulnerabilities and emotion is the greatest one.' Scammers aim to lure a portion of the high amount of internet traffic going to websites with MH17 information, Mr Gamble said. 'Some people will be using it for an opportunity to market their sites, it's a good way to bring a massive amount of traffic to someone's site,' he said. 'Other offenders will be doing this for more sinister purposes.' Before the Facebook pages were removed users expressed outrage, labelling them 'disgusting' and the person who created them a 'sicko'. Others reported the pages to Facebook as spam in the hope of getting them taken down. But some Facebook users did not realise the pages were fake, posting heartfelt messages to the page. 'Incredible, terrible...To lose your kids in this way...Such beautiful lovely children...no words...' one person wrote on the page of Mo Maslin. 'We pray for all the Australian people, especially the children god will take care of them in his safe hands let the stars shine bright for u so u know that ur not alone,' another person posted. A spokesman for Facebook said: 'We are disabling these profiles as soon as we are made aware of them. 'We encourage people to block those responsible and report suspicious behaviour to our team of experts via our reporting buttons so that we can quickly take the appropriate action.'
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Company in Kuala Lumpur applied to the Australian Trade Marks Office to have the term 'MH17' trademarked .
Applied for the name on 18 July after 298 passengers were killed .
Trade mark would give them rights to ask for payment for using the name .
Malaysia Airlines has also started the process of filing a trade mark .
'The purpose is to ensure no party takes advantage of the tragedy for their personal gains,' an airline spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia .
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12563f3c796a93a3c09dac354bfebd34319448ce
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Football clubs from the Crimea region annexed by Russia will play in the Russian leagues this season. The Russian Football Union says in a statement that clubs from the cities of Simferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta will play in the second division south, a third-tier Russian league. Time out: Ukrainian servicemen play with a football near Russian military vehicles at the Belbek Sevastopol International Airport in the Crimea region. Teams from the Crimea region will now play in the Russian league . Since Russia annexed the peninsula in February, it has registered five new clubs there. The Sevastopol teams will use a stadium occupied by now-defunct Ukrainian Premier League team FC Sevastopol last season. Ukrainian Football Federation spokesman Pavel Ternovoi told the Associated Press that Russia had no right to administer football on what Ukraine considers its territory, and called on FIFA and UEFA to 'take corresponding decisions' in response. Russian organisers of the 2018 World Cup have said Crimea could host teams' training bases during the tournament. Coming up: Russia will host the next FIFA World Cup in 2018 and Crimea could host teams' training bases .
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Crimea region recently annexed by Russia .
Cities of Simferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta will play in the second division south, a third-tier Russian league .
Ukraine Football Federation spokesman Pavel Ternovoi calls for FIFA and UEFA to 'take corresponding decisions' in response .
Crimea could host training bases for teams at 2018 World Cup in Russia .
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(CNN) -- Defending champions Real Madrid trail arch rivals Barcelona by a massive 18 points in the Spanish League, so for the rest of the season their mission is to hunt down success in the cup competitions. Such a gap to their Catalan cousins has heaped the pressure on Real coach Jose Mourinho, who must now focus on Spain's premier cup competition, the Copa del Rey, and the European Champions League for salvation. All might be forgiven if he was to secure Europe's most prestigious club prize for a third time as coach, after previous triumphs with Portuguese side Porto and Italian giants Inter Milan. At the very least Real's fans will expect him to win the Spain's second biggest domestic trophy, and a 2-0 win in the first leg of their Copa del Rey tie was enough to quieten the protests against him. A strike from Karim Benzema and an Andrés Guardado own goal sealed victory on a chilly night in Madrid but Real rode their luck on several occasions in front of their vociferous home support. Cristiano Ronaldo, as ever, was at the center of most of Real's attacking thrusts in the early stages, the Portuguese striker firing a free kick narrowly wide of the post in the opening stages. Luka Modric, signed last year from English club Tottenham Hotspur, then spurned a glorious chance to put Real ahead before Valencia's Brazilian striker Jonas twice went close in a matter of minutes. His misses were to prove costly as Benzema then slotted home from Germany international Sami Khedira's pass inside the area on 37 minutes. Real's fans began to get restless around the hour mark as Valencia began to dominate before Jonas shot wide of an open goal from 12 yards after Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas had parried Roberto Soldado's effort into his path. Again, within minutes of a Jonas miss Real scored, this time Valencia defender Guardado putting through his own net from a Fabio Coentrao cross. Ronaldo was then denied his 29th goal of the season by two brilliant saves from Valencia goalkeeper Vicente, who first repelled the striker's point blank shot from ten yards out before flicking a powerful strike round the post less than a minute later. A 2-0 win gives Real a comfortable cushion going into the return leg in Valencia next Wednesday. In the Italian Cup, Inter Milan had to rely on a goal seconds from the end of extra time to beat Bologna 3-2 and progress to the semifinals. Goals from Fredy Guarin and Rodrigo Palacio put Inter in a commanding position but two goals in four minutes from Alessandro Diamanti and Manolo Gabbiadini pushed the match into extra time. But with a penalty shootout looming Andrea Ranocchia's header crushed Bologna and sent Inter through to the next round. In England's premier cup competition, the FA Cup, there were replay wins for Premier League sides Wigan, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke and Fulham, though Sunderland succumbed to second tier Bolton.
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Real Madrid beat Valencia 2-0 in the first leg of their Spanish Cup quarterfinal tie .
A strike from Karim Benzema and an Andrés Guardado own goal seal victory .
Win eases pressure on under fire Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho .
Inter Milan beat Bologna 3-2 with a goal seconds before tie went to penalties .
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(CNN) -- Students in Gainesville, Georgia, are likely eating a better lunch than you today. On the menu in their cafeterias? Chicken salad on a bed of spinach with strawberries and Mandarin oranges. Boneless wings. Brunch for lunch. Roughly 76% of students in Gainesville City Schools qualify for free or reduced-cost meals under the National School Lunch Program. Since the program's nutritional guidelines went into place in 2012, school administrators have been getting creative with their food program to create meals children like. "Taste testing is where it's at," said Penny Fowler, the district's director of school nutrition. "They're your customers. It's like running a business." Fowler said her team has worked hard to implement the new guidelines, which are entering a third school year this fall. The ultimate goal is to reduce childhood obesity, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in 30 years. Gone are the days of mystery meats and grilled cheese on white bread. Instead, participating schools in the federal lunch program are required to serve skim or low-fat milk, add more whole grains, include a fruit and vegetable at each meal and prepare food with zero grams of trans fat per serving. Calorie and sodium limitations are also in place. "With one-third of American children obese or overweight, members in both parties agreed that Americans' tax dollars should fund healthy and wholesome food," said Kevin Concannon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services. USDA new rules for school meals . About 90% of schools are now in compliance with the new guidelines, according to the USDA, with students eating about 16% more vegetables and 23% more fruit on a daily basis. But there's been controversy over the program's implications for school food budgets. The USDA says 1 million fewer students nationwide are eating federal school lunches since the guidelines were enacted in 2012 -- either by personal choice, or because their schools have opted out of the lunch program altogether. What it really comes down to, experts say, is money. Wealthier school districts can turn down federal reimbursements if their students aren't enjoying the healthier fare. Districts with more students who qualify for the program, such as in Gainesville, often don't have a choice. Economics of school lunch . Established in 1946, the National School Lunch Program was created to provide free or low-cost meals to students. Although the program is optional in most states, the federal reimbursement for students' meals is so significant that some schools find it too expensive to run programs on their own, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, ‎director of media relations at the School Nutrition Association, a national organization of school nutrition professionals. The School Nutrition Association was instrumental in helping the Obama administration put these new nutrition guidelines in place; now the organization is lobbying for schools to be allowed to opt out. Opponents say food companies are working behind the scenes, trying to keep their less-healthy items on the menu longer. The USDA gives schools in the continental U.S. $0.28 per lunch for students who pay full price. For students in need, the USDA pays almost 10 times more: $2.58 for those who qualify for reduced price meals and $2.98 for children who qualify for a free lunch. It isn't surprising then that state agencies reported to the USDA that students leaving the program were mainly from residential child care institutions, wealthier districts and/or smaller schools with low percentages of children eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Fort Thomas Independent Schools in Kentucky is one such district that decided to opt out for the 2014-2015 academic year. The local high school was losing students to its rivals: Subway and a handful of convenience stores down the street. With an open campus, students can leave for lunch, and administrators say the daily exodus increased after new nutritional guidelines went into effect two years ago. This meant less money being spent in the cafeteria. "The guidelines are too strict and the kids can leave," said Gina Sawma, the school district's food and nutrition director. "If they aren't eating with us, they're leaving and eating junk." Sawma says the biggest challenges were the calorie and sodium restrictions required by the federal program. The students wanted more protein and larger portions, especially athletes. The school has a robust football program that has won 22 Kentucky state championships. Douglas County High School in Colorado and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Board of Education in upstate New York also have called it quits, citing burdensome regulations, hungry children and a decline in food sales that led to large amounts of debt. Like Fort Thomas, these school districts are in areas with relatively high median incomes and have a low percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced meals. Donna Brazile: Let them eat ... whatever . Schools that predominantly serve low-income students have fared better in both revenue gains and participation, according to the USDA. Since they are unable to opt out of the program, and students can't afford to eat elsewhere, cafeteria workers are making the new rules work. The Los Angeles Unified School District, which has one the highest concentrations of low-income students in California, is an example. Since the nutrition guidelines were established, there has been a 14% increase of participation in its school lunch program. Testing taste buds . For some schools, labor and food costs, and the quality of kitchen equipment can play a role in whether their revamped food program is a success, says Pratt-Heavner. Schools in small and rural areas may also have local vendors and distributors that don't carry a great deal of healthy food options. Sawma in Kentucky, for example, found that foods that met the new dietary guidelines from her vendors didn't taste all that great. She says companies are trying, but may just need more time to reformulate their foods so they taste better. "It's important to keep in mind that all school meal programs are different," Pratt-Heavner explained. "Some communities have an easier time if students are more familiar with healthy foods at home." Most students seem to be liking the healthier lunches despite some early negative feedback. A survey published in the Childhood Obesity journal reported that 70% of elementary school children, 70% of middle schoolers and 63% of high school students liked their school's meals. And schools opting out of the federal lunch program aren't necessarily serving unhealthy fare. In the Fort Thomas district, Sawma said schools will continue to serve extra fruits and vegetables at no charge and add back larger portions of protein and the popular homemade soups, which had to be discontinued due to the National School Lunch Program's calorie restrictions. She said she has received calls from vendors selling unhealthy foods after the school district announced it was leaving the federal program, but she made it clear her schools have always offered healthy foods. Soft drinks and candy bars aren't on the menu. For those schools remaining in the National School Lunch Program, the USDA is offering technical support, help with recipes and financial assistance. According to the USDA, about $48 million in grants is still available to schools with lunch programs. "The USDA continues to help schools by demonstrating flexibility and common sense as we work together to improve the health of the nation's next generation," Concannon said. "The department will continue to provide additional funding and training to schools as progress continues."
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USDA: Students eating more fruits and vegetables with lunch guidelines enacted in 2012 .
It says 90% of schools are in compliance; schools with more federal aid growing programs .
Some schools with students who pay full price for lunches say they're losing revenue .
USDA says 1 million fewer students are eating federal lunches since 2012 .
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It’s ballet, but not quite as you know it: As well as the usual ballet attire, these dancers are also wearing their babies. In a new fitness craze sweeping America, Babywearing Ballet is being billed as the perfect exercise class for new mothers, especially those who can’t find a babysitter. It means the little ones pictured here are already doing plies and tendus before they can even walk. For the duration of the class, the mothers practice usual ballet techniques while wearing their newborn babies in a baby carrier or sling. Scroll for video . Dance moms: In Babywearing Ballet classes, participants wear their babies . Raising the barre: Babywearing Ballet is being billed as the perfect exercise class for new mothers . It is claimed that not only do the classes benefit the mothers who get a gentle, safe and effective workout, but the babies too, who enjoy the movement and music, said to emulate the swaying and motion they felt in the womb. Ballet dancer and mother of two Morgan Castner created this class in California. Now an adorable video she posted on Facebook showing her students dancing with their babies has been shared more than 20,000 times. Baby on board: The mothers practice usual ballet techniques while wearing their newborns in a carrier or sling . Quality time: The main focus of the ballet class is bonding between the mother and child . Ms Castner teaches with her nine-week-old daughter Quinn in a sling and came up with the idea two years ago. She explains: ‘My son was 11 months old and with my husband serving in the military, I was looking for fun things we could do together out of the house while he was away. ‘I love dancing and loved babywearing so it was a natural progression. Social network: The class is also a way for new mothers to meet one another . ‘I think Babywearing Ballet has taken off as mothers are embracing the idea and culture of babywearing.’ Ms Castner said she has been overwhelmed by the response to her video since posting it online. She said: ‘It’s crazy, I’ve had so many messages from people wanting to take part and lots are from mothers in the UK who say they wish there were Babywearing Ballet classes there for them to go to.’ Work it out: The class features low-impact toning exercises . Ms Castner added that the main focus of the class was bonding between mother and child. She said it was only natural that babies enjoyed the motion from dance and found it relaxing after being swayed in the womb for nine months. She explained: ‘It’s the perfect class for mum and baby to spend time together. There is no sitter required and mums get to enjoy a low impact toning work out while baby gets to experience all of your movements, rocking motions, soothing classical music and time close to you.’ ‘It’s a wonderful way for mothers to spend time with their babies outside of the house. Maternal bond: The movements are said to emulate the swaying and motion the babies felt in the womb . Head of the class: Morgan Castner, who created Babywearing Ballet, teaches with her nine-week-old daughter Quinn . ‘You are dancing, toning, bonding and meeting other new mothers.’ According to her website, classes begin by warming up at the barre with plies, tendus and desages and move to centre floor work, including upper body port de bras, positions and choreography all while wearing the little one in a sling. She added that Babywearing Ballet was suitable for all levels of fitness and for babies from newborn to any babywearing age. All participants need is a comfortable and secure baby carrier and usual gym clothes. Tutus are optional.
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Ballet dancer and mother of two Morgan Castner created the class, in which moms dance with their babies in a carrier or sling .
The movement is said to emulate the swaying and motion babies felt in the womb .
A video she posted showing her students dancing with their babies has been shared more than 20,000 times .
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Former Chelsea striker Mikael Forssell faced a last-minute dash to training after revealing that he had been held by by a cat sitting next to his car. The 33-year-old VfL Bochum striker, who also had spells at Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Leeds, is allergic to cats, and claimed he couldn't get into his car because a cat was sitting next to it. The Finn waited in the safety of his house, watching the feline threat for 20 minutes. Mikael Forssell revealed he was held up for training because a cat prevented him from entering his car . Forssell then tweeted a picture of beast, saying: 'I'm allergic to cats. I need 2 leave 2 training...semi-scary...been there now 4 about 20mins rubbing against my rubber.' The Finnish striker spent a decade in English football between 1998 and 2008 with Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Birmingham, scoring over 50 league goals. After a three-year spell in Germany with Hannover in the Bundesliga, he returned to England with Leeds in 2011, but was scoreless in 15 appearances. Forssell, who has 29 goals in 86 games for Finland, has scored one goal in six appearances this season. The 33-year-old Finnish striker now plays for German side VfL Bochum in Bundesliga 2 . Forssell was at Chelsea for seven years but was sent on six different loan spells during that time .
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Mikael Forssell currently plays in for German side Bochum in Bundesliga 2 .
The Finnish striker was held up for training by a cat sitting next to his car .
The 33-year-old is allergic to cats, and one was sitting by his car .
Forssell had spells at Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Leeds .
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(EW.com) -- Universal announced at its CinemaCon presentation today that it plans to produce a "Pitch Perfect" sequel that would hit theaters sometime in 2015. The reveal doesn't come as too much of a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention. 'Pitch Perfect' cast reunites for MTV Movie Awards opener . "Pitch Perfect" earned $112 million worldwide against a slight $17 million budget, and in the months since its theatrical run has kept hitting new high notes. According to Universal, the film has earned over $90 million across all home market platforms, and it currently stands as the studio's third highest-grossing VOD title ever behind blockbusters "Ted" and "Bridesmaids." On top of that, the "Pitch Perfect" soundtrack has sold over 636,000 copies and spawned a hit single — complete with its own music video -- with Anna Kendrick's "Cups." Anna Kendrick mugs her way through a diner in new 'Cups' video . Kay Cannon, who penned "Pitch Perfect," will write the screenplay for the sequel, but no other cast or crew have been revealed as of yet. Still, given the cast's recent MTV Movie Awards reunion (which, notably, excluded star Anna Kendrick), it's safe to assume that most of the major players will be back for a second round of choral comedy. See the original 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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Universal is planning a 'Pitch Perfect' sequel .
It's expected to arrive sometime in 2015 .
The news isn't surprising, considering the film's $112 million worldwide gross .
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Jamie Donaldson has some advice for the US taskforce looking to end their embarrassing series of defeats against Europe in the Ryder Cup, and it's really rather simple: just enjoy it. Europe have won eight of the last 10 Ryder Cups and the secret to their success, according to Donaldson, is nothing but having fun together. The Welshman - whose stunning wedge to two feet of the pin was the shot that sealed the cup for Paul McGinley's side at Gleneagles last month - said that laughter helped them to cope when their opponents piled on the fiercest pressure. Jamie Donaldson tees off at the 10th hole during the BMW Shanghai Masters on Thursday . Ballantine’s asked Donaldson to name a defining moment, or ‘Moment of Truth’, in his golfing history, with the player signing his answer on the camera. Donaldson wrote ‘My first win!’ in reference to his Irish Open victory . The Welshman celebrates with the Ryder Cup after his starring role in Europe's victory . 'It’s difficult to comment on the American team but we seemed to just gel better as a team and enjoy the experience,' said Donaldson. 'When the European team gets together we have a thoroughly good craic and enjoy each other’s company, which helps us play well under pressure in my view.' Donaldson tees it up at the BMW Masters in Shanghai this week hoping to cap the most special year of his career with a big victory in one of the European Tour's flagship Final Series events. He made a promising start, shooting a four-under-par round of 68 to sit in sixth place, three shots behind leader Alexander Levy. CLICK HERE to read a report of the first round . But for years, Donaldson was a journeyman pro, a decent player touring the world with no tournament wins to his name, due in no small part to an ongoing back problem. One specialist even advised him to give up golf for good. Thankfully for Europe and McGinley he paid no notice. Donaldson's first victory came at Royal Portrush two years ago and he is now reaching the pinnacle of his career at the age of 39. That laser-guided wedge on the 15th hole of the Centenary Course remains the defining shot not just of his 4&3 victory over Keegan Bradley but also of this year's Ryder Cup. 'It was huge for me and the European team. This has been my most exciting season without doubt,' he said. Donaldson hits the shot that sealed the Ryder Cup - a wedge into the 15th in his match against Keegan Bradley . Phil Mickelson (centre) is one of the big names on the US Ryder Cup taskforce . 'Winning my first European Tour title, the Irish Open in 2012, was pretty special. It had taken a lot of hard work to get that point and a lot of tournaments.' But speaking of finding those elusive keys to victory, Donaldson has another more personal one to share. 'My good form also coincided with me having kids, so I think that may be the secret to my success,' he said. Ballantine’s has launched a new online golf club www.ballantinesgolfclub.com/en/ .
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Jamie Donaldson reflected on his and Europe's success at the Ryder Cup .
Welshman struck the shot that sealed victory for Paul McGinley's team .
Donaldson says Europe are successful because they have fun .
US have set up a taskforce to investigate their run of recent defeats .
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(CNN) -- Abbey Lincoln, a jazz singer, songwriter, actor and activist, died on Saturday at age 80 in New York City, a friend of hers told CNN. Carol Friedman, who has been working on a documentary about the singer for some 20 years, said Lincoln died of natural causes Saturday morning in Manhattan. She declined to provide further details. Lincoln started performing in the 1950s when she released her first album, "Abbey Lincoln's Affair ... A Story of a Girl in Love." Often said to have been heavily influenced by the legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday, Lincoln continued to write and perform for six decades. She was also well-known as an actress. She co-starred with Sidney Poitier in the 1968 film, "For Love of Ivy," for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. During the 1960s, Lincoln became active in the civil rights movement. She sang on the album, "We Insist! -- Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite." She was married to the jazz musician Max Roach during the 1960s. They divorced in 1970. Speaking to National Public Radio before her death, Lincoln reflected on her life and art. "You know, when everything is finished in a world, the people go to look for what the artists leave," she said. "It's the only thing that we have really in this world -- is an ability to express ourselves and say I was here," she said.
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Lincoln was a prominent civil rights activist during the 1960s .
She was said to have been influenced by legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday .
Lincoln was also well known as an actress .
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A rum named after famed porn star Ron Jeremy has been pulled from shelves in parts of Canada after customers complained it was obscene. The country's liquor authorities ordered stores in the province of Manitoba to remove bottles of the alcohol from shelves late last week. The product is called Ron de Jeremy and features an image of Jeremy's face on its label above the slogan 'the adult liquor' and 'long smooth taste.' Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries spokeswoman Andrea Kowal said they 'erred on the side of caution' after it received several complaints from rum-lovers. Scroll down for video . Banned: A rum, pictured with it's namesake Ron Jeremy, has been pulled from shelves in parts of Canada after customers complained it was obscene . But on Thursday the rum was back in stores, after the liquor authorities deemed the bottle unoffensive. 'There's nothing offensive about the name of the product or its label; you have to know who Ron Jeremy is and what his former profession was — and then that has to offend you,' Kowal told Canada's The National Post. The man behind the Ron Jeremy-dedicated booze said he was thrilled his product was back on shelves. 'I'm just happy this whole drama is behind us and we can work on getting rum to the Canadian people,' Olli Hietalahti, the CEO of One Eyed Spirits, told the news service. The furor over Ron de Jeremy comes a week after the adult film legend tweeted a picture of himself showing he's on the mend after a near-fatal aneurysm. In the photograph, tweeted on February 6, the porn star is seen giving a thumbs up to camera - with a smiling, comely nurse leaning over his bedside. Jeremy accompanied the photo with the words: 'Thank you ALL for the concern & well wishes, I'm doing very well thanks to modern technology! - Ron.' Bouncing back: Porn star Ron Jeremy gives a thumbs up from his hospital bed at Cedars-Sinai in LA earlier in February . The star was pictured wearing a hospital gown and with an oxygen tube around his face. Jeremy's agent said the actor will likely stay at a Los Angeles hospital to recover from an aneurysm near his heart for some time. Agent Mike Esterman said Jeremy wasn't allowed to receive visitors or deliveries following a recent procedure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and added that he doesn't expect the 59-year-old to leave the hospital 'for some time.' Jeremy had a heavy feeling in his chest after eating a honey-glazed donut and drove himself to the hospital on January 30. Jeremy's . father, Arnold Hyatt, told reporters at the time: 'Right now everything . is in a holding pattern. He's heavily sedated and intubated. 'The . doctors are waiting to see what develops. They anticipate it will be two . or three days before they take him off the respirator.' Scare: Ron Jeremy is likely to stay in a Los Angeles hospital for some time after being admitted suffering from an aneurysm near to his heart . The pop culture icon has undergone two surgeries as doctors . battle to stabilize him. 'It was an eight-hour procedure to . begin with, and then there was some bleeding around his valves, so they . had to go in for a second time to stop the bleeding,' Mr Hyatt, 94, told . the New York Daily News. Ron . Jeremy was eating donuts at a rehearsal for a show . based on legendary porn film Deep Throat the day before he was admitted . to hospital. 'He has a lot of friends and his brothers close by,' Hyatt added. 'There are a lot of people praying.' When he was once asked about an unprecedented . career in adult entertainment that has seen him ranked No. 1 on the AVN . Magazine's list of the 100 Top Porn Stars of all time, Jeremy remarked . that it was his family that put him on the right path. Treats: Jeremy ate honey glazed donuts (left) while rehearsing for friend Dave Bertolino's (right) play about landmark 1970s film Deep Throat . 'I attributed that to great parents,' Jeremy said, bragging that he'd also remained STD-free. 'It's good . genes and being very careful.' The 59-year-old cult figure was due . to have a cameo in his friend, Dave Bertolino's play about the landmark . 1970s adult movie when the high-calorie delivery arrived. 'I was trying to steer him towards . the vegetable platter. But you know what they say about Ronnie, he never . turns down food or work,' said Bertonlino. Jeremy . has appeared in more than 2,000 adult films throughout his life and . left behind a career in teaching to become a porn star. Crossover Appeal: Charlie Sheen and Ron Jeremy arrive at Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen held at Sony Studios on September 10, 2011 in Los Angeles, California . Ron Jeremy and adult film actresses Kirsten Price and Lily LaBeau present an award during the 29th annual Adult Video News Awards Show at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino January 21, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada . His . level of fame has transcended his chosen profession and he has appeared . in various music videos, non-adult films and television shows and . reality serials throughout his career which began in the 1970s. In addition to his adult film career, Jeremy appeared on 'The Surreal Life,' 'Tosh.O' and 'Chappelle’s Show.' He later became a consultant of feature films that . featured adult films in their premise, such as 'Boogie Nights.' He was . also a guest on Anthony Bourdain's 'No Reservations' reality television . series for season 5 and 6. His sense of humor and everyman appearance has been seen as key to his success over the years. Jeremy . is nicknamed 'The hedgehog' and has been a household name for at least . thirty years for his work in the adult film industry. Popular: Adult film stars Echo Valley and Ron Jeremy participate in the 2005 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo at the Sands Convention Center at the Venetian Hotel January 7, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada . Peers: Crystal Steel, Ron Jeremy and Jenna Jameson present an award at the 2005 AVN (Adult Video News) Awards on January 8, 2005 at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada . Jeremy has won countless awards throughout his career, and he was ranked by AVN at number one in their 'The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time' list. The actor's real name is Ron Jeremy Hyatt and he originally hails from Queens, New York. His father Arnold was a physicist and his mother worked as a book editor and served in the O.S.S. - the direct predecessor of the CIA during World War Two. As a young man, Jeremy attended Cardozo High School in Bayside, Queens, where former CIA director George Tenet was a classmate. Before he began his career in porn, he earned a bachelor's degree in education and theater and a master's degree in special education from Queens College in New York. Not fully-retired from pornographic films, he is still cast in many non-sex roles and is an advocate for pornographic films as a whole. The star is reported to have been booked to appear at a Super Bowl Sunday party this weekend in Dedham, Massachusetts, although it is not yet known if he will be well enough to honor the commitment. WATCH JEREMY TALK ABOUT HIS RUM HERE: .
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Canadian liquor authorities ordered stores in the province of Manitoba to remove bottles of the alcohol from shelves late last week .
Bottle features an image of Jeremy's face on its label above the slogan 'the adult liquor'
On Thursday, the alcohol was back on shelves after it was deemed to be inoffensive .
Prolific porn actor, 59, suffered an aneurysm near his heart this month .
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A mother is furious after her 15-year-old daughter came home from school crying with a chopped off ponytail of her once waist-length hair in her hands. That's all because of a friendly bet between a high school coach and a wrestler leading to the coach's suspension and a police investigation in Hawaii. Carla Fontes, 15, hadn't cut her hair since intermediate school, but her coach at Waiakea High School, Stan Haraguchi, thought the locks flowing below her waist were interfering with the sport. They bet if she lost a match, he would cut her hair. After a 3-0 start, Fontes lost her first match last week. Cut it out!: Arlette Fontes holds a ponytail of her daughter, Carla Fontes' hair, that was cut off by Carla's wresting coach Stan Haraguchi during a practice at Waiakea High School as part of a bet . Chopped; Carla Fontes agreed to have her hair cut by her coach as part of a bet and while she wishes she still had her hair she's said, 'it is what it is' and will continue to wrestle . 'Coach thinks it was hard for me to wrestle with my hair long,' Fontes said in an interview on Wednesday. 'When we wrestle in a match, we wear hair nets.' She allowed the coach to cut her hair at a team meeting Monday, even though Fontes' mother had expressly forbidden it. Fontes said she didn't relay that information to Haraguchi. The coach has been suspended, said Donalyn Dela Cruz, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education. Arlette Fontes was furious when her 15-year-old daughter came home with shoulder-length hair. 'I'm shaking,' the mother told Hawaii Tribune-Herald . 'My daughter's hair went all the way down her butt before. Now it looks like a rat has been nibbling on it. That's a piece of her, gone. A piece of her body.' Carla Fontes said she loves wrestling and wants the sport to lead to a college scholarship. 'It lets me take some of my anger out,' she said of wrestling. She said she wishes that her hair wasn't cut, 'but it is what it is.' Haraguchi declined to comment. Suspended: Stan Haraguchi is suspended from his coaching job at Waikea High School because he cut his student's hair in a bet without her mother's permission . 'In any educational situation, it is always best practice to receive parent consent before making any decision that directly affects a student, especially in a situation like this,' Principal Kelcy Koga said in an email. Arlette Fontes said she will pursue charges against Haraguchi. Hawaii County police said the department started an investigation Tuesday. 'I told her no, I’m your parent, I didn’t give him the parental right to do that,' Arlette Fontes said. 'No one’s going to cut my baby’s hair.' Carla Fontes admitted she didn’t tell her coach that her mother wouldn't allow her to get her hair chopped off. 'I told him it was OK, as long as it was not too short,' Carla Fontes said. According to Carla Fontes' aunt Roberta, Carla was crying when she got home from school. 'I asked her, "What happened?" and she said, "Coach cut my hair,"' Roberta Fontes said. 'I couldn’t believe it.' Roberta then called her sister who was furious to hear that her daughter’s hair had been cut by the coach. 'I was still working. My sister called me frantic. She said, "Arlette, you don’t know what he did!" I said "What, sis?" She said, "He cut off all her hair!" I said, "What?!" I kind of had an indication from the weekend, but I didn’t think he would follow through on Monday,' the girl’s mother Arlette Fontes said. Carla Fontes may have been a little upset that her long dark hair now only reaches her shoulders but she thinks the whole thing has been blown out of proportion. 'Our team really pushed a lot,' she said, adding that she thinks Haraguchi is a good coach. Horrified: Arlette Fontes said she will pursue charges against coach Stan Haraguchi who cut off her daughter's waist length hair as part of a bet over losing a match .
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Carla Fontes' coach at Waiakea High School, Stan Haraguchi, cut her hair as part of a bet last week and now he's been suspended from his job .
They bet if she lost a wrestling match, he would cut her hair to prove it's easier to wrestle with short hair .
She allowed the coach to cut her hair at a team meeting Monday, even though Fontes' mother Arlette had expressly forbidden it .
'That's a piece of her, gone. A piece of her body,' said mother Arlette Fontes .
Carla Fontes loves wrestling and though her hair is gone said , 'it is what it is'
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A copy of the letter which was sent be Dennis Giemsch seeking the addresses of Jews in town . A neo-Nazi party has demanded to know where all Jews in the city of Dortmund live in a chilling echo of the build-up to the Holocaust. Die Rechte – The Right – wrote to mayor Ullrich Sierau through one of its councillors, Dennis Giemsch, seeking to know how many Jews live in and around the town, and their addresses. He asked that the information be supplied at a meeting of the council in the town hall on Wednesday night. The demand was refused and the letter has been passed to the interior ministry of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which is looking at ways to legally ban the party. Full-time computer student Giemsch said the information was 'relevant for our political work'. Die Rechte is the smallest of the far-right groups in the country but its numbers are growing, particularly among the young. The echoes of the terror that was unleashed on Jews after Hitler came to power in 1933 is not lost on Jews everywhere in Germany because the Holocaust of six million began with their registration, their numbers and where they lived. Die Rechte has been under the watchful eye of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the domestic intelligence service, since it was founded two years ago from the rump of an old neo-Nazi party. It is the smallest of the far-right groups in the country but its numbers are growing, particularly among the young. In the party programme it swears to protect the 'German identity,' ban English words in advertising, 'protect' German culture, limit immigration, kick out foreigners convicted of crimes, support 'German' families to have 'German' children, widen police powers of arrest and protect animals. Most of their manifesto can be found in a similar form from that of Hitler's National Socialists back in the 1920's. Jewish people in Dortmund have reacted with alarm to the demand of the party to know where they reside and how many of them there are. One told a local newspaper: 'This is how it all began before. I don't think it will come to that again but such things evoke terrible memories. I hope this will be used by the authorities as a building block in future legislation to ban them.' The echoes of the terror that was unleashed on Jews after Hitler came to power in 1933 is not lost on Jews everywhere in Germany because the Holocaust of six million began with the registration of where they lived .
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Die Rechte wrote to Mayor Ullrich Sierau to ask how many Jews live nearby .
Councillor wanted information supplied at council meeting on Wednesday .
Demand was refused and letter passed to interior ministry of state .
Request was said to be 'relevant for political work' by Dennis Giemsch .
Die Rechte's been under eye of Office for Protection of the Constitution .
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By . Laura Clark . and Andrew Levy . and Geraldine Hackett . The founder of a chain of academies who raised funds for the Archbishop of Canterbury has been investigated over ‘highly unusual’ payments. Officials highlighted a series of dubious financial practices at 16 schools set up by Sir Ewan Harper in the Education Fellowship Trust. These included £90,000 paid to himself and £28,000 to his wife Jane. Department for Education officials who investigated the group of 16 academies - the Education Fellowship Trust (EFT) - also criticised £45,000 expenses awarded in a year to just two governors, a £20,000 fact-finding trip to New York and excessive spending on hotels, meals and alcoholic drinks. Dubious: Payments from the Education Fellowship Trust included £28,000 in rent of office space in Titchmarsh, near Kettering, (pictured) to the wife of founder Sir Ewan Harper . Further concerns were raised over family members being given unadvertised jobs - including a director of communications on £70,000-a-year - while £1,000 was spent on Christmas cards and £630 on customised umbrellas. The EFT admitted that wine was purchased for a workshop with head teachers - as part of a training exercise designed to show that children, like grapes, can mature into ‘exceptional wines’ given the right nurturing or merely end up as ‘plonk’. Sir Ewan’s links both to education and the Church of England stretch back decades. He was tutored at Cambridge by Robert Runcie, who later became Archbishop of Canterbury. In the 1980s, he helped set up the Lambeth Fund, which raises funds to support past and present Archbishops of Canterbury. Marlborough-educated Sir Ewan, 74, was knighted in 2003 for services to the Church of England, having been recommended by another former Archbishop, George Carey. Commended: Sir Ewan Harper was knighted in 2003 for services to the Church of England, having been recommended by former Archbishop, George Carey (pictured) Before founding the EFT, he led the United Learning Trust - one of the biggest backers of academy and independent schools in the country. A former businessman, he ran the family’s export firm, which he later sold. Sir Ewan became chairman of the Lambeth Fund in 2011 but retired in March. The EFT said he had also now retired from the trust. Officials from the DfE’s Education Funding Agency probed financial practices at the EFT after a review of 2012/13 accounts highlighted ‘highly unusual’ payments. These included nearly £28,000 in rent and insurance premiums to Lady Jane Harper, who is listed as owning cottages which the trust uses as an office. In a report, the agency said there was evidence ‘that the lease rental was a fair market price from an estate agent’ and that alternative premises were checked. ‘However there was no documented evidence provided to record the outcome of the inspections or the basis for the final decision to lease the current accommodation,’ it said. Checks by the Daily Mail revealed the two grade II listed stone cottages with thatched roofs under Lady Jane Harper’s name were leased to the EFT after failed attempts to find a private residential tenant. Official documents from East Northamptonshire Council show they were used by the United Learning Trust - the schools chain Sir Ewan previously headed - until it moved to larger premises. Internal changes were made to make it suitable for residential use and it was put on the market through a letting agent in September 2011. The council documents state: ‘As of 16th December no tenant had been found. ‘The applicant’s husband discovered the need to use the building as an office once again for his personal business.’ Another cottage in the same lane in the picture postcard village of Titchmarsh, near Kettering, is registered to Lady Jane Harper. All the properties are next to the couple’s home, which is in both their names and was valued at £1 million in 2010. It is hidden at the end of a long gravel driveway and is set in extensive landscaped grounds with a swimming pool. A woman who answered the door of the cottages said they were still being used by the EFT. The Government probe also raised concerns about £90,000 awarded to Sir Ewan as chairman of the trust - as well as ‘transactions with companies in which the chairman has a controlling interest’. The trust said £90,000 was paid to Sir Ewan because he was also chief executive at the time. But the investigation found that Sir Ewan was forbidden from holding both roles under trust rules. The trust, which has a turnover of £10million per year and lists 16 member schools on its website, was found to have committed ‘significant breaches of the Companies Act 2006, Charity Commission regulations and the Academies Financial Handbook’. A report on the findings, which is redacted in places, makes 26 separate recommendations. It highlights a series of questionable uses of public money including a £20,000 trip to New York by a group of heads. The report said it may not have been ‘the best use of public funds’. Expenses exposed: The Education Fellowship Trust runs a chain of 16 academies (stock image) Two governors ‘claimed £45,000 in expenses and other supplies and services’ while one academy in the group suffered a £38,000 fraud because IT security software was not up-to-date, enabling a transfer out of its bank account. The money is reportedly being reimbursed by the bank. The report also highlights that expenses policy allowed for ‘moderate consumption of alcohol’ - even though alcohol spending is considered an ‘improper use of public funds’. ‘A number of claims were made that included the purchase of alcohol,’ the report said. Meals and hotels were also claimed ‘in excess of the staff expenses policy’. Concern was also raised over unadvertised posts for family members. ‘We found that a number of the appointed head office staff were family members of either trustees or senior members of staff,’ said the report. There had been no ‘competition or advertising’ of the posts, which included a director of communication at a salary of £70,000 per year plus benefits. Meanwhile a finance manager had been appointed on £100 an hour with no formal tender for the work. It was ‘questionable’ whether this was value for money, said the report. More than half of secondary schools - and growing numbers of primaries - now have academy status which allows them to operate outside local council control. But there have been a series of financial scandals involving some of the groups which run academies, leading to calls for tighter controls. The agency issued the trust with a financial notice to improve. A spokesman for the EFT said: ‘The EFA are very clear that all issues found are from pre-September - before significant structural changes were made and Johnson Kane was appointed as CEO. ‘The Fellowship had already commenced on change of policies and governance in November 2013, before the review took place. ‘The EFA acknowledged to The Fellowship that it was under a different structure and clear evidence was showing that there was a positive change in the operation since September 2013.’ Sir Ewan wasn’t available to comment and his wife refused to comment when approached at their home. ‘I haven’t got time,’ she said. Lambeth Palace said Sir Ewan retired as chairman of the Lambeth Fund on March 31 as part of a ‘planned transition’. A spokesman for the Department for Education said: ‘The EFA has undertaken a financial review on The Education Fellowship and is working with them to agree an action plan to address the issues raised. We have issued the Trust with a Financial Notice to Improve and if they do not take the necessary steps, we will not hesitate to take further action. ‘Academies operate under a strict system of oversight and accountability - more robust than in council-run schools - which means any issues are identified and that we can take swift action to address them.’
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Education Fellowship Trust paid rent to founder Sir Ewan Harper's wife .
Lady Jane received £28,000 for cottages which trust uses as an office .
Also paid £90,000 to Sir Ewan and £45,000 expenses to two governors .
Around £20,000 was spend on a 'fact-finding trip' to New York .
The Education Fellowship Trust runs a chain of 16 academies .
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Louis van Gaal says that Danny Welbeck was sold to Arsenal because he was not good enough for Manchester United but denies that the club have ditched their vaunted youth policy. United’s £150million summer spend on six new players, including Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao, has led to concerns that they are turning their back on homegrown talent – especially after England striker Welbeck was sold to Arsenal for £16m. But at a press conference to unveil Falcao and Daley Blind on Thursday, Van Gaal claimed that United remain as committed as ever to promoting young players. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Van Gaal: Danny Welbeck wasn't good enough for Man United . Danny Welbeck (2nd right) laughs with team-mate Jack Wilshere (2nd left) during an Arsenal team photo shoot . Arsenal's new signings (from left) Mathieu Debuchy, Calum Chambers, David Ospina, Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez at London Colney on Thursday . Danny Welbeck gets down to work at training with Arsenal after his £16m move from Manchester United . He explained the reason behind selling Manchester-born Welbeck, who has been at the club since childhood, pointing out that the England striker’s record of 29 goals from 142 games was not nearly as good as Wayne Rooney or Robin van Persie. ‘I have given all the players a chance to convince me of their qualities,’ said Van Gaal. ‘When you ask about Danny Welbeck, he was here since the age of nine and after Sunderland (on loan) he played three seasons at United but he doesn’t have the record of Van Persie or Rooney and that’s the standard. That’s why we let him go. ‘Falcao, okay, but also the youngsters who will fit in. That’s the policy and that’s why I’m here. The transformation is in this new process. ‘We spoke with Danny Welbeck and also Chicharito [Javier Hernandez] before we got the chance to sign Falcao. We have to be fair about that. In that part (area of the team) we had a lot of youth who can fit in. They have to take their chance to play football. I have to put them in the squad.’ Louis van Gaal says Danny Welbeck's record isn't as good as that of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie . Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney are the standard for Manchester United, says Van Gaal . Former United favourites Gary Neville and Paul Scholes have questioned United’s transfer policy, while Sir Alex Ferguson’s former No 2 Mike Phelan has claimed that the club are losing their ‘identity’ by selling Welbeck. I can’t work it out and I know I worked with Danny Welbeck last week [with England], but it’s odd,' Neville said. 'I have to admit I thought the Danny Welbeck sale was a strange one, but that’s just me. ‘Of all the prices paid this summer, there are right backs and left-backs galore who have been bought for £14m, £15m, £16m? ‘How have Arsenal got him [Welbeck] for £16m? I can’t work it out. It has helped out a competitor because Arsenal are the team they are fighting for fourth possibly. ‘I am struggling to work out the logic, I can’t understand it. It’s odd in two or three ways. But Van Gaal was quick to point out that having let 14 players go this summer and signed six, United have created the possibility of eight vacancies for young players at the club. James Wilson will be in contention for Welbeck’s place and Jesse Lingard and Tyler Blackett have made the first-team debuts already this season. Danny Welbeck scores the second goal for England in his Euro 2016 qualifier brace against Switzerland . Now at Real Madrid, Javier Hernandez was surplus to requirements in Louis van Gaal's Manchester United . Javier Hernandez is put through his paces at Real Madrid's training ground at Valdebebas . Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal (centre) with Radamel Falcao (left) and Daley Blind (right) He added: ‘We let go 14 players so how to fit them all isn’t so difficult when you let go 14 and only six come in. We need the youth education, that is the policy of Manchester United also. ‘I am always willing to give players chances but they have to take them. I can’t do that for them. The possibility is there and all the youngsters have to know that. Manchester United have come to me because of that. ‘There is a new hierarchy in the dressing-room so there is a new process. It’s not so easy, and that’s why I have asked for time because I knew in advance that this would happen. ‘When you don’t let go of players to other clubs then you never allow to give youth players a chance. Because of this policy, we will give youth players a chance. ‘The question is if they take the chance. It’s of course more risky but it’s the only way to do it, and United have always grown players in the squad. James Wilson could be in contention for Danny Welbeck's place, but has some superstars to contend with . Jesse Lingard (left) and Tyler Blackett (right) have made first-team debuts for United this campaign . New signing Radamel Falcao trains ahead of a likely Manchester United debut against Queens Park Rangers . VIDEO Falcao wants long-term United stay . ‘I hope so because they have to perform our philosophy, and that is not so easy to perform. You have seen that already. ‘I think the players we have selected will do that better, otherwise we wouldn’t have to buy these players.’ Van Gaal paid tribute to Falcao and described how the Colombia striker – who could cost United a total of £52m if they make his £6m loan from Monaco permanent next summer – had demonstrated his class in his very first training session at Carrington. ‘When you can hire or buy a player like Falcao then I don’t have doubts because he is for me one of the best strikers in the world. When you see his record it’s unbelievable. ‘Today at training he got one ball and it was in the goal. He confirmed it in his first training session with me. When I say that I put too much pressure on him and that’s not good.’
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Danny Welbeck moved to Arsenal on transfer deadline day for £16million .
Louis van Gaal said the striker wasn't up to Manchester United's standard .
The Dutch manager said he prefers Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie .
Radamel Falcao came Manchester United on a one-year loan from Monaco .
Manchester United has spent £150m on players during the summer .
Van Gaal spoke at the unveiling of new stars Falcao and Daley Blind .
Welbeck debuts for the Gunners on Saturday against Manchester City .
Man United chase their first win of the season against QPR on Sunday .
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By . Lucy Waterlow . PUBLISHED: . 10:11 EST, 25 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:11 EST, 25 February 2013 . A failed romance won't just cost you time, tears and heart ache, millions of Brits are finding a relationship breakdown can also bring the additional stress of being credit blacklisted as a result of their ex's money troubles. Nearly seven million Britons have seen their credit ratings affected by the poor finances of a partner, including many who have long since split with that person. But unless they have applied for the equivalent of a financial divorce, even responsible adults could find themselves turned down for a loan or credit card because of a former lover. Money woes: Nearly seven million Britons have seen their credit ratings affected by the poor finances of a partner . Analysts Experian CreditExpert estimates up to 6.8 million Britons - around one in seven of the adult population - have suffered money troubles because of a romantic relationship. Almost half of these (47 per cent) have been affected by the problems of an ex-partner and a third (33 per cent) are still affected up to three years after the relationship has ended. The survey of over 3,000 adults also found one in four (25 per cent) ex-lovers struggled to get a loan as a result of a former partner's credit rating and 18 per cent were set a higher interest rate as a result. Problems occur when unmarried couples get joint loans, mortgages, credit cards or bank accounts - which 57 per cent of the couples said they did to prove how committed they were. But if one of the couple gets into financial trouble, even on an individual rather than joint account, the other is listed as being 'financially associated' and so their rating suffers too. Ex still ruining your life? If you don't want a former flame's credit rating to affect yours, you need a 'financial disassociation' This can happen if one of the pair defaults on a loan repayment or does not pay their credit card bill for instance. When couples split, it is possible to file for a 'financial disassociation', a monetary version of a divorce which means the two individuals are no longer classed as a couple to lenders. Yet few individuals tend to do this, said Experian, even though it could repair any damaged credit rating in as little as nine months. Experian managing director Peter Turner said: 'Financial ties, such as a joint mortgage, a joint bank account or a partner's name on a credit card, will be viewed on a credit report as an 'association' to your spouse or partner. 'This association will stay on a credit report - regardless of whether the relationship has ended or not - unless a request to have it removed is made. 'It can be painful to have to think about finances in the middle of a break-up but it can be the first step towards regaining your financial independence.'
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Nearly seven million Brits had credit ratings affected by the poor finances of a partner, .
including many who have long since split up .
Problems occur when unmarried couples get joint loans, mortgages, credit cards or bank accounts .
Solution is to get a 'financial disassociation' - a monetary version of a divorce - when separating .
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1263c238fcdcebdf3149bcbb32e4290ba5c3dc8b
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A pay-it-forward craze of pinning scarves and hats to trees is warming hearts across North America. Items of warm clothing are deliberately being left in public places amid freezing temperatures across large parts of the U.S. and Canada. Many of the items, which include gloves and blankets, are accompanied with notes explaining that they are available for anyone who needs them - and requests to pass the favour on in the future. Items of warm clothing are deliberately being left in public places amid freezing temperatures across large parts of North America, including in Regina, Canada (pictured) Warm-hearted: These scarves were tied to trees in the Canadian city of Winnipeg in Manitoba . Notes attached to the scarves explain how anyone can take them away if they are feeling the cold . The Chase the Chill scheme, which started in Pennsylvania in the US, is already becoming popular in other cities including in Winnipeg and Ottawa in Canada. It comes a week after frostbite warnings were issued across the East Coast of the US, with millions of Americans urged to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold as temperatures plunged across the country. A group has recently been set up in Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, where temperatures have dipped as low as -45C. Branch founder Dianne Mursell said: 'I felt it was something badly needed here as just this past weekend it was -45C with the wind-chill. It comes a week after frostbite warnings were issued across the East Coast of the US, with millions of Americans urged to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold . Winter warmer: Three scarves were up for grabs in Winnipeg after being tied to this tree . A group has recently been set up in Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada, where temperatures have dipped as low as -45C . Many of the items, which include knitwear, gloves and blankets, are accompanied with notes explaining that they are available for anyone who needs them - and requests to pass the favour on in the future . 'I can't imagine being homeless or out in this weather. 'One of the reasons I wanted to start this is because not everyone will ask for help, people have dignity and pride. 'It's hard to ask for something when you can't provide for yourself - this way it's just there for them. 'Not all shelters are open throughout the night so this way it's there for them if they need it. 'It's hard to believe something as simple as a hat or scarf is considered a luxury item but for some people it really is.'
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Warm clothing deliberately being left tied to trees across North America .
Hats, scarves and gloves donated as part of popular pay-it-forward craze .
Clothing left with notes explaining it is for the use of anyone who needs it .
Notes often suggest people who take items should then return the favour .
Comes amid plunging temperatures across parts of the U.S. and Canada .
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The 'broken windows' law . enforcement strategy of aggressively pursuing petty criminals is . coming under attack, after a grand jury this week decided not to . indict a New York police officer in the chokehold death of an . unarmed black man. Eric Garner died in July after a confrontation with police. Officers tried to arrest Garner based on complaints that he was . illegally selling cigarettes on a Staten Island sidewalk. The clash between Garner and police, captured on video, has . stoked a debate over the 'broken windows' concept that says . police should pursue small violations to create a larger . atmosphere of obedience and prevent other, more destructive . crimes. Furious: Protesters have staged a third night of rallies in New York following a grand jury's decision not to indict white police officer Daniel Pantaleo over the chokehold that killed black father-of-six Eric Garner . The idea dates back to the early 1980s and was popularized . by former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Republican who governed the . city from 1994 to 2001. Giuliani's first police commissioner was . Bill Bratton from 1994 to 1996 and Bratton is in the same . position under current Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat. Some say the theory has evolved into a zero tolerance policy . that has led to disproportionate responses by police. Speaking out: Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York struck out against what she called a disproportionate response to minor crimes . U.S. Representative Jose Serrano, a Democrat who represents . a largely minority community in New York City, said on Friday . that he has asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate New . York's policing for small crimes. 'We should carefully evaluate how 'broken windows' is being . implemented in practice and how its enforcement may be . infringing on people's civil rights,' Serrano said. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined comment on . Serrano's request. Republicans this week also questioned whether police are . appropriately focusing their attention. Senator Rand Paul of . Kentucky blamed laws such as New York City's cigarette taxes . that give rise to illegal sales and other bad behavior. 'I think, my goodness, do we not have enough violence going . on in our community that really needs to be policed that we're . going to go harass people for selling cigarettes?' Paul said on . Fox News on Thursday. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York struck out . against what she called a disproportionate response to minor . crimes. Hands up: U.S. House Member Hakeem Jeffries, a black congressman from Brooklyn, New York, said he views some 'bad apple' police officers as a threat to his son. Jeffries called the Grand Jury's decision a 'stunning miscarriage of justice' Broken policing: In the ’90s, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton presided over a surge in petty-crime law enforcement on the theory that vigorously enforcing the small laws in some way dissuades or prevents people from breaking the big ones. There’s little evidence that theory is correct . 'When you have a man who was committing an arguably . low-level offense end up dead because of the use of lethal . force, you have an issue,' Gillibrand said on MSNBC on Friday. Police backers say programs like New York's 'stop and frisk' sets the standard that bad behavior will not be tolerated and . has reduced violent crime rates. Rudy Giuliani: The former mayor built his career on scaring white New Yorkers with fears of black criminals . Last year, however, a federal . judge found the city's use of that strategy constituted a form . of illegal racial profiling, and ordered major changes. The broken windows theory was introduced by two social . scientists in a 1982 magazine article and gained traction in New . York. It posits that poorly maintained urban environments with . dirty streets, abandoned buildings and the like attract crime, . while well-kept communities are more law-abiding. Giuliani, who is largely credited with popularizing the . strategy, could not be reached for comment on Friday. He said on . Fox News on Thursday that the police response to Garner was . justified because he did not cooperate with law enforcement. But critics say police have stretched the theory beyond its . original intent into an indiscriminate zero-tolerance policy. 'If the problem is a broken window they should fix the . window,' said City University of New York law school professor . Steve Zeidman. 'But somehow we don't fix the window, we just . arrest people who start hanging out by the broken window.' Stuart Gang, a retired New York City police officer, . defended the doctrine, saying it has increased the . responsiveness of law enforcement to a range of crimes. 'There . is nothing wrong with 'broken windows',' he said.
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Death of Eric Garner at hands of NYPD shows old police strategy that doesn't work .
The 'broken windows' approach is from the '80s and aimed at tackling 'quality of life' crime .
NYPD need to look at how crime enforced in a much safer city in 2014 .
Daughter of Eric Garner says officers should go to prison .
Demonstrators marching in New York hand out list of demands that starts with police firings .
Protests came after jury opted not to indict officer who put Garner in a chokehold .
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A transsexual who had a £10,000 sex change on the NHS to become a woman now wants the taxpayer to foot the bill for a further £14,000 of surgery so she can become a man again. Chelsea Attonley, 30, who was born a boy and called Matthew, said she now finds being a woman 'exhausting', is tired of putting on make-up and wearing heels, and now accepts that she should always have stayed a man. Chelsea said she had struggled with her identity while growing up in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and as a child she would dress up in women's clothes. In her twenties she became a drag queen known as Miss Malibu, drawing on glamour model Katie Price's look for inspiration. Scroll down for video . Chelsea Attonley, 30, who was born a boy and called Matthew, had a £10,000 sex change on the NHS to become a woman. She now wants the taxpayer to foot the bill for a further £14,000 of surgery so she can become a man again . An initial bid for a sex change to become a woman was turned down by a doctor, sending Chelsea into a spiral of depression, she said. But then the former drag queen, who copied Jordan's style by wearing a blonde wig, mini skirts and stilettos, had a chance meeting with her idol in a nightclub in 2007. The glamour model told her to 'go for it' and her words inspired Chelsea to return to her GP and push once again for the gender reassignment surgery, costing £10,000. But now, seven years after surgery to become a woman, Chelsea wants to go back to being a man - and wants the taxpayer to foot the bill. Chelsea, who lives on welfare benefits, told a magazine yesterday she finds dressing and acting as a girl 'exhausting' and feels she has never been fully accepted as a real woman. She is aiming to have a breast reduction on the NHS and painful gender reassignment surgery to give her back a penis at a total cost of £14,000. Chelsea, who changed her name by deed poll from Matthew in 2008 after a £5,000 boob job in Thailand partly funded by benefit money, says she gradually began having doubts about the sex change . Chelsea, now living in London, said: 'I have always longed to be a woman, but no amount of surgery can give me an actual female body and I feel like I am living a lie. 'It is exhausting putting on make-up and wearing heels all the time. Even then I don't feel I look like a proper woman. 'I suffered from depression and anxiety as a result of the hormones too. 'I have realised it would be easier to stop fighting the way I look naturally and accept that I was born a man physically.' Chelsea, who spoke on ITV's This Morning earlier this year about Katie Price's encouragement, says she does not feel guilty about asking the taxpayer to pay for her reversion. 'Now I have decided I want to live as Matthew, I am desperate to have my FF-cup boobs removed,' she said. 'I can't afford to have them done privately, so I am hoping to have the op on the NHS. 'I can't work at the moment because I am too upset after what I have been through. 'I am considering having penis reconstruction too. I don't feel bad about the NHS paying for the surgery as I don't consider it a choice. 'I need to have these operations for the sake of my mental health. I am lucky enough to live in a country where there is free health care.' Chelsea, who changed her name by deed poll from Matthew in 2008 after a £5,000 boob job in Thailand partly funded by benefit money, says she gradually began having doubts about the sex change. She said: 'I thought the surgery would make me feel complete, but it didn't. 'I knew deep down that, even though I had had surgery, I had still been born a man. 'But I tried my best to block out my feelings.' Chelsea said living as a woman is exhausting. 'No matter how much make-up I put on or how I dressed, I knew people would not know me as a real woman. Chelsea, now living in London, said: 'I have always longed to be a woman, but no amount of surgery can give me an actual female body and I feel like I am living a lie' 'It was draining to constantly think about how to walk and speak like a girl. 'I was fighting a losing battle. When people found out about my past, they treated me like a liar and a fake. I suffered from anxiety and depression.' She said she lost the support of her mother when she died from a heart attack. She said : 'I could not keep up the act of pretending to be a woman any more. It was making me miserable. 'I had to go back to living as Matthew.' She said she had always struggled with her identity while growing up in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. As a child she would dress up in women's clothes, and in her twenties she became a drag queen known as Miss Malibu . Chelsea has already had testosterone injections to begin her transition to becoming a man again. She has also had testosterone injections to stimulate hair growth and has cut his hair. She added: 'If people criticise me for wanting treatment on the NHS, it does not bother me. 'I know I need these changes to make me happy and no one should deny me that.' The TaxPayers' Alliance yesterday insisted the NHS should not be expected to pay out again. Research director Alex Wild said: 'The NHS must prioritise crucial frontline services over ridiculous vanity operations. 'This whole saga has simply cost far too much. If the Health Service is to be properly funded, this sort of waste must be cut out.'
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Chelsea Attonley, 30, was born a boy and called Matthew .
She was inspired to have gender reassignment by glamour model Jordan .
But she now wants the NHS surgery, which cost £10,000, reversed .
And she wants the NHS to once again pay for £14,000 operation .
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1265a42e8ddfb3830bd16bb6c37025cac16c4dfa
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By . Luke Garratt . These amazing pictures show life on board the Royal Navy ship working around the clock in the southern Indian Ocean in the hunt for missing flight MH370 and its back box. The captain of survey ship HMS Echo said the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight is proving 'challenging', but that the crew are working 24/7 to help the search efforts. Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board, sparking an international effort to find out what happened to it. Survey ship HMS Echo, as a Lockheed P-3 Orion flies overhead, in the southern Indian Ocean helping in the underwater search for the flight recorder from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 . Hydrographic survey ship HMS Echo was diverted from its work in the Indian Ocean to help in the hunt, and arrived on Thursday in the area of the southern Indian Ocean where 'pings' thought to be from the missing plane had been detected. According to Australian prime minister Tony Abbott, the search area has been significantly narrowed down in the hunt for the 'ping' signals which authorities are confident are from the missing jet. However, he said the signal from the Boeing 777's flight data and cockpit voice recorders is fading - batteries powering their locator beacons last only about a month and it has been more than a month since the plane disappeared. The ship has been diverted from its regular duties to assist in the search for the missing plane since 'pings' were heard coming from the ocean earlier this month . The 'pings' were possibly emitted by the Malaysia flight's black box, which puts a strict time limit on the search, as the black box only has about a month of battery power, and has been missing for a month already . Working alongside ships and aircraft from seven other nations, the two Royal Navy vessels face the same race against time to find the black box flight recorder . Australian vessel Ocean Shield, which is towing a US Navy device to detect signals from the beacons, first picked up two underwater sounds consistent with the 'pings' a week ago, followed by two more in the same general area on Tuesday. Those involved in the search are trying to pinpoint the location of the source of the signals so they can send down a robotic submersible to look for wreckage and the flight recorders. HMS Echo, whose specialist equipment has been specially adapted to pick up sonar pings from the jet's missing black box, is supporting Ocean Shield by understanding the signals it is picking up, its commanding officer said. Crew of the HMS Echo, Kev Rail and Stephen Boyd, prepare the ship's Undulating Oceanographic Recorder for deployment . Speaking from the ship today, Commander Phillip Newell said they are working in conditions after inclement weather caused difficulties interpreting signals picked up underwater. He said: 'It's been challenging. Over the last couple of days we have been conducting oceanographic observations to support Ocean Shield. 'The key thing is to help their understanding of what is going on, and how it is affecting the ocean column.' He said there had been some difficult weather conditions which had 'messed up' the water column, making it hard to understand some signals being picked up. Sailors from HMS Echo prepare one of the ship's CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth) probes for launch into the southern Indian Ocean . He said: 'The key challenge is to try and refine all of the observations they are making. They are doing that at the moment but it's challenging. 'Looking out of the window right now, what we are seeing is Ocean Shield to the south of us conducting further observations. 'She is trying to get in a position so she can then observe on the seabed, and then through the water column, the pings from the black box, which involves physically moving the ship.' He said another challenge is directing Australian navy P-3 Orion aircraft which drop sound-locating buoys, each dangling a hydrophone listening device about 1,000 feet below the surface, into the water. With its fuel and food supplies, the ship has the capacity to travel half way around the world in a single journey . Cdr Newell said he and his crew are conscious of the importance of their task and need to refine the search area while the black box's signal can still be detected. 'At this stage it's a challenge trying to refine this position so that when they put a submersible into the water they will be in a position where they can identify what is on the seabed correctly. 'We have got to give them the best advantage we can and within that they will get to the position where they have the best refined position that they can search. 'In anything like this I am very conscious, I have 20 years experience of trying to find things on the seabed, it's pretty much my day job. The ship is designed for long stays at sea, and could potentially continue its search for up to 60 days . 'I have a brilliant team, young, bright and enthusiastic and we are working 24/7 to cover the sea bed and observe on the surface. 'There's a sense that we are playing an important part in this role and we are keen to get it right. 'In terms of purpose, it's key to make sure that we detect anything that can help in the investigation.' Before arriving in the latest search area HMS Echo had already searched 6,000 square miles of ocean - an area 10 times the size of Greater London - 1,000 miles north-west of Perth with Chinese vessels after sensors picked up a possible signal earlier this month. Also aiding Australian vessel Ocean Shield in the search effort is the U.K nuclear submarine HMS Tireless . The was gathering data on her way from Oman to the Seychelles when she was diverted to join the international search for the Malaysia Airlines plane. Apart from a 12-hour stop in the Maldives to take on supplies and change some of her crew, the survey ship has now been at sea continuously for six weeks. Cdr Newell said: 'We are a ship that's designed and built to operate for long periods at sea. 'We can carry provisions for 60 days at sea, and fuel to go pretty much halfway round the world' He added that the ship would carry on helping with the search, providing as much support as it could to Ocean Shield, with help from British nuclear submarine HMS Tireless, until its tasking is reviewed later in the month.
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The survey ship was called off regular duty to help aid the search .
Comes equipped with different probes and buoys to narrow search field .
Is aided by nuclear submarine HMS Tireless .
Both will help the deep-sea search for MH370's black box .
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Washington (CNN) -- The American Petroleum Institute has a message to Congress as it starts work Wednesday: Open more areas for drilling and we will create more jobs for the American people. "With the right policies in place at all levels of government, our industry stands ready to be the engine of economic growth and recovery this country needs in 2011 and well beyond," said the industry group's chief, Jack Gerard, in a speech Tuesday. The institute commissioned a study that says if the government will sign off on a plan to open the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, portions of the Rocky Mountains, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Atlantic and Pacific Outer Continental Shelf to oil and natural gas exploration and production, the industry can create 530,000 jobs by 2025. But critics of previous plans to open vast areas to drilling have disputed industry reports about job creation, citing increasing production of drilling equipment outside the United States and a shortage of refineries in the United States that could limit the amount of oil sold in the country. Additionally, according to the Department of Energy, oil companies are sitting on nearly 70 million acres of leases they are not drilling, and America's oil refineries are not operating at their capacity because demand is lower. "It's hard to say they create jobs when you look at the oil spill in the Gulf and see how they destroyed jobs," said Joe Mendelson, director of Global Warming Policy at the National Wildlife Foundation. "We've certainly seen in the Gulf that when drilling offshore and things go wrong, they have a domino effect on the economy and the regions that depend on the other natural resources," said Mendelson. But Gerard said he is concerned that if oil and gas companies cannot drill in U.S. territory or if that ability to drill is restricted, companies will take their infrastructure and jobs elsewhere. "We've already seen some companies send their idled Gulf rigs to waters off the coast of Africa and South America -- and other companies are discussing plans to relocate their Gulf rigs," he said. Mendelson agreed that job creation is important but said the renewable energy industry will create jobs that have less potential for an environmental disaster. "The renewable energy industry is one of the fastest growing industry sectors and it can create jobs that keep us competitive in the world and that are much healthier for our country," he said. T. Boone Pickens, a former oil and gas executive and current proponent of alternative energy, said that while he disagrees with much of the institute's study, it did get one thing right. "America has an ever-increasing supply of natural gas and those reserves and development of untapped shale resources should be utilized to meet expanding energy needs, especially in power generation," he said. Gerard said the Department of Interior is delaying the process of granting offshore leases for exploration and drilling, has placed large areas off limits and is slow to issue permits in areas where exploration and drilling are currently allowed. The Department of Interior and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement dispute Gerard's statement that they are slow to issue permits or that they are opposed to offshore drilling. In fact, according to the Interior Department, there are more than 42 million acres in the Outer Continental Shelf that are leased and available for permitting. "We remain focused on raising the bar for safety and environmental protection in offshore drilling, while also continuing to take aggressive steps to strengthen the agency responsible for overseeing offshore energy production," Interior spokeswoman Kendra Barkoff said. "Outer Continental Shelf decisions will continue to be based on science, public input and an open and transparent process." Ocean Energy Management spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said there have been a significant number of shallow water permits approved and that they are accepting applications for deepwater permits. However, she said oil companies have not requested many deepwater permits since the moratorium was lifted in October. "There have only been two permits submitted for new deepwater wells since October 12, one of those is for activity that had been allowed under the moratorium. That means that there is only one application for a new deepwater well," said Schwartz. At one time, the Obama administration was actively trying to increase the area available to oil and gas companies for exploration and drilling as part of a strategy to become less reliant on foreign energy. In March 2010, President Barack Obama and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced a plan to expand oil and gas development along the Outer Continental Shelf and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. "By responsibly expanding conventional energy development and exploration here at home we can strengthen our energy security, create jobs and help rebuild our economy," said Salazar. But the April 2010 explosion and subsequent spill at BP's Macondo Oil Field in the Gulf of Mexico stopped those expansion plans. The Department of Interior later issued a moratorium on deepwater drilling that lasted until October 12. There was no moratorium on shallow water drilling as it was deemed less risky. Gerard said that incidents like the BP spill are rare and the oil and gas industry is committed to improving safety, but said the oil and gas industry can work on improving safety, explore new resources and create jobs all at the same time. "More domestic production of oil and natural gas both onshore and offshore is critical to jobs for all Americans, a stronger economy (and) an enhanced energy security," he said.
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Oil industry promises hundreds of thousands of jobs if Congress opens more areas to drilling .
Department of Energy says millions of acres are leased now and not being drilled .
Interior Department says oil companies aren't applying for deepwater drilling now .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 08:29 EST, 20 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:31 EST, 20 August 2013 . The weekend wedding between the billionaire chairman of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder and the glamorous CEO of the Brooklyn Public Library was dramatically called off at the last moment after the couple decided things were moving too fast. Leonard Lauder, the 80-year-old son of Estée Lauder, and his intended, Linda Johnson, 55, have enjoyed something a whirlwind romance since meeting last year. The couple had begun publicly dating in late 2012, just a year after Lauder had tragically lost his first wife Evelyn to ovarian cancer. They had been married for more than 50 years and had helped grow the family business together. Slowing things down: Estée Lauder heir Leonard Lauder and his Brooklyn Library boss girlfriend Linda Johnson have postponed their wedding but have gone on honeymoon anyway . Lauder and Johnson were pictured attending several New York society events together last year and spent last New Year's Eve at the Metropolitan Opera Gala. In May it was revealed that the couple were very happy and talking about marriage, news that caused much distress among aspiring socialites 'of a certain age'. Launder, the chairman emeritus of Estée Lauder Co., is worth an estimated $8 billion and had been described as ‘New York’s most eligible bachelor.’ The couple had been planning to wed in Philadelphia in front of an intimate group of family and friends over the weekend. Cancer campaigner: Leonard Lauder pictured with late wife Evelyn Lauder in 2009, who famously spearheaded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Pink Ribbon initiative . But the New York Post reports that the couple had started to called guests just a few weeks ago to tell them that their big day was being ‘postponed.’ Although no new date has been fixed, the pair are still very much an item and are currently enjoying a holiday in Sardinia, which had originally been scheduled to have been their honeymoon. ‘Some people assumed that Leonard and Linda had not reached an agreement on a prenup in time for the wedding, but in fact the prenup had already been signed a while ago,’ a source told the Post. ‘They have been having a few ups and downs, and perhaps he feels it is “too soon” after Evelyn.’ Leonard and Evelyn Lauder married in 1959 and had two sons together. She had also worked at the cosmetics giant and was especially famous for spearheading the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Pink Ribbon initiative. Lauder clan: Leonard Lauder poses with his nieces Aerin, left, and Jane, right . Johnson, who was born and raised in Philadelphia, studied law. According to her Brooklyn Public Library biography, she was formerly CEO of the National Constitution Center and collects contemporary art, contemporary craft and early American folk art. Leonard Lauder is uncle to Aerin and Jane Lauder, who both work for the family business too. Aerin is described as a 'modern-day ambassador' for the brand, while Jane has been global president/general manager of the Origins and Ojon brands since July 2010.
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The Estée Lauder chief and his girlfriend have postponed their nuptials after deciding things were moving too fast .
The couple only started dating late last year - just 12 months after Lauder's first wife died of cancer .
Leonard and Evelyn Lauder were married more than 50 years and helped grow the cosmetics business together .
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There's no arguing that Apple set the standard for modern mobile devices with the iPhone and the iPad. It didn't take long after those two products launched for competitors to rush out their own copycat devices. Even then, it took another few years before Android was good enough to go toe to toe with iOS, Apple's mobile operating system. But it's no longer about being just as good as Apple. You have to be better. Competitors have built upon the foundation Apple laid in mobile and are now leapfrogging it with bunch of useful features you can't find on iPhones and iPads. The evidence is everywhere, but it's most apparent in products made by Apple's biggest mobile rival, Samsung. By now, Samsung's Galaxy devices have become synonymous with Android, to the point that the manufacturer has more brand recognition than any other phone or tablet running Google's operating system. A lot of that has to do with Samsung's massive marketing budget, but you can't ignore the fact that the company has innovated a lot by creating popular new product categories that Apple is wary to try. The best example of this is the Galaxy Note, a smartphone-tablet hybrid with a giant screen. When that device first hit the United States about a year ago, critics (including me) slammed the device for being too large. It couldn't fit comfortably in your pocket. It was really thick. And it came with a stylus, that relic of the Palm Pilot era, making the Note feel like a step backward. None of that mattered. Samsung sold at least 10 million Galaxy Notes. The company came out with an updated version with an even larger screen called the Galaxy Note II a few months later and sold another 5 million (at last count), a very big achievement for a single Android device. But more importantly, Samsung created a new category of smartphone that people didn't even know they wanted, much like Apple did when it released the first iPhone. Samsung isn't afraid to tout its cool factor either. Since the first commercial debuted in late 2011, you've probably seen those "Next Big Thing" ads that make fun of starry-eyed Apple fans waiting in line for the next iPhone. Whether it's boasting about the bigger screens or sharing content by tapping phones together, Samsung seems content to blast Apple for its stuffiness while showing in a practical context what its devices can do. On the software side of things, Samsung is taking advantage of its mobile devices' processing power to layer premium features on top of Android, such as the ability to run two apps at once in a split screen or separate window. Samsung's best tablet, the Galaxy Note 10.1, can do all that plus take advantage of a stylus so you can draw and take notes on the screen. There is a downside to the split-screen thing, however. Developers have to tweak their apps to work in split-screen mode on the Note 10.1. There are only about 20 apps right now that can do it. But what's most important is how nimble Samsung has become at improving its mobile devices through software updates. The Note 10.1 launched last fall, but it received a software update with a new version of Android and a slew of other features like the voice assistant Google Now, which is a lot more impressive than Apple's original Siri. Samsung's director of product planning, Shoneel Kolhatkar, said the company takes user and reviewer feedback into account when preparing to deliver new software updates. Instead of making users wait a year for new features, Kolhatkar said Samsung can use that feedback to deliver "incremental innovation that keeps the product alive." "We want to keep the product relevant to consumers," Kolhatkar said. "It's about how to fit our devices into people's lives versus changing their behavior." Samsung isn't alone, of course. Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system is built for touchscreen devices like tablets, too, and it offers a lot of advantages over iOS. All Windows 8 apps can run in a split screen so you can run two at once, plus the main menu is capable of displaying real-time updates for stuff like news and weather. Microsoft even has its own line of Surface tablets that blur the line between PC and laptop thanks to a clever snap-on keyboard cover. Based on all this evidence, Apple feels behind. Take a look at its newest fourth-generation iPad. It has a killer processor and other great hardware features, but the operating system doesn't take advantage of any of that. The home screen is still just a grid of static icons that launch apps. Apple also isn't nearly as versatile at adding new software features to its devices. Apple usually makes users wait a year or more for a new version of iOS, and even then some older devices can't access all the latest and greatest features. Apple CEO Tim Cook likes to say tablets -- not laptops -- are the future of computing, yet it feels like Apple's software goes out of its way to limit what you can do on the machine. Meanwhile there are others, especially Samsung, that appear to be innovating at a pace faster than Apple can. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Steve Kovach.
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Mobile-gadget rivals are leapfrogging Apple with useful features not on iPhones, iPads .
This success is most apparent with Apple's biggest mobile rival, Samsung .
Samsung is more nimble than Apple at improving its devices through software updates .
With Galaxy Note, Samsung has a category of phone people didn't know they wanted .
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(CNN) -- Ireland's top Catholic cardinal is using the "Nuremberg defense" in the face of public outrage at his role 35 years ago in investigating one of the country's most notorious child-abusing priests, an activist said Tuesday. Cardinal Sean Brady has been under fire over the investigation into the Rev. Brendan Smyth. The latest scandal comes on the heels of a huge government-backed report that found the Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic Church authorities in Ireland covered up child abuse by priests from 1975 to 2004. Child sexual abuse was "widespread" then, the report found. Brady's office said Tuesday that the cardinal, then a priest and teacher with a doctorate in canon law, had been asked to investigate two complaints against Smyth in 1975, but had no decision-making power. He reported his findings to Bishop Francis McKiernan, his office said, and McKiernan recommended Smyth get psychiatric help. But John Kelly, the founder of Irish Survivors of Child Abuse, said Brady should not have remained silent about what he learned in the course of investigating Smyth, who was later convicted of dozens of counts of child abuse in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. He died in prison. "He's basically using the Nuremberg defense, he was carrying out orders," Kelly said, in reference to the justification many Nazis used in their war crimes trials after World War II. There has been particular outrage over the revelation that two boys who filed complaints against Smyth were asked to sign confidentiality statements as part of Brady's investigation. The oaths of secrecy were "to avoid potential collusion" between the two boys as church officials investigated the case, Ireland's Catholic Communications Office said Tuesday. Despite his criticism of Brady, Kelly said it would not necessarily do any good for the cardinal to resign. "He's lost all moral authority to lead, but by replacing him, it won't resolve the problem," he said, arguing that the Vatican would "just replace guys with other guys." The best solution, he said, would be for the Roman Catholic Church to let secular authorities deal with accusations of abuse, rather than trying to handle them itself. "They have to accept secular authority, and they can get on with the business of religion," Kelly said. "It would be in the church's own interest. Resignations in themselves aren't the answer." Four Irish bishops tendered their resignations in the wake of the government-backed report, and Pope Benedict XVI is expected to make a formal statement, or pastoral letter, on the Irish abuse issue by Easter. The pope himself has been under fire since it was revealed that a priest suspected of abusing children was allowed to move into his diocese when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in Germany in 1980. The Archdiocese of Munich and Freising said in a statement Monday it must have been clear at the time that the priest, whom multiple sources identified to CNN as Peter Hullermann, was coming to get therapy for allegedly molesting children. He was convicted of abuse in 1986, after Ratzinger moved to Rome. Hullermann was suspended on Monday. Hundreds of allegations of sexual or physical abuse of children by Catholic clergy have come to light in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands this year. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen in Berlin, Germany, contributed to this report.
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Cardinal Sean Brady has been under fire over the investigation .
Brady investigated two complaints against Rev. Brendan Smyth .
Two boys who filed the complaints were asked to sign confidentiality statements .
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126b7d852cfa2ab1b553b86a9c1a829cddecf95f
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By . Tamara Cohen . Last updated at 9:33 AM on 10th November 2011 . As many a forecaster will cheerfully admit, predicting the weather isn’t an exact science. But the Met Office is about to try to make it that little bit more precise with a new format. Rather than telling us that rain, sun or snow will be ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’, they will use percentages to describe the probabilities of what the weather could be. 100% chance of rain: Hundreds of golf spectators huddle beneath their umbrellas at the Royal St Georges Golf Course, Kent, in July this year . So, for example, tomorrow’s forecast could tell you there is a 45 per cent chance of rain. The Met Office said the system would ‘empower people to make their own decisions’ based on the information available. But anyone who’s ever been caught in an unexpected downpour may feel they have simply come up with a way to deflect blame when they get it wrong. In the U.S., forecasts often outline multiple scenarios for what could happen, so people have to make up their own minds as to whether to brave a day out, or stay home. Yesterday the minister who oversees the Met Office, Edward Davey, told MPs that an American-style system of percentages was the ‘direction of travel’. The system is being tested on a separate Met Office website to gain public feedback, and is expected to be launched formally next year. The information on it includes ‘probability of precipitation’ – rain, sleet or snow – the percentage of humidity, wind speed and a UV level between one and ten indicating how strong the sun will be. Edward Davey, who oversees the Met Office, told MPs that an American-style system of percentages was the 'direction of travel' It also gives actual temperatures and what it ‘feels like’ taking into account these factors. Consumer affairs minister Mr Davey told the Commons Science and Technology committee: ‘The Met Office is working with a number of people to look at how best to get over those risks and probabilities. ‘We do know that other countries use percentages to try to get that over. On the website they are beginning to use a lot of probability data, fan charts and so forth, so this is the direction of travel. ‘But if we do move away from “it is likely to rain” or “it is very likely to be foggy” or the phrases we see and hear on our TV screens, we need to make sure where we end up is something the British public feel happy with and are able to use in their daily lives.’ Met Office spokesman Dan Williams said: ‘It would mean the public can assess the likelihood of what they do. Instead of us saying it is likely to rain, it will empower people to make their own decisions based on the best information we’ve got.’ He said that broadcasters such as the BBC would have to decide whether or not to use the probabilities in their weather reports. In 2009, the Met Office came under fire for predicting a barbecue summer which turned out to be a washout, then months later was accused of failing to warn the public of the coldest winter for 30 years. As a result, it ditched its 90-day seasonal forecasts.
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Met Office says it will 'empower people to make their own decisions'
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126c67eb8744974575512b0a9c2056920e648baa
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(CNN) -- "F.E.A.R. 3," the latest installment in the action-horror series, aims higher than your typical first-person shooter game. It boasts cool combat features, a spooky paranormal story line and some dramatic tension. But because its emphasis is on combat, not thrills, the game is not nearly as scary as it should be. "F.E.A.R. 3" (Day 1 Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive) continues its franchise's story of a family in conflict as two brothers work together to track down their psychically enhanced mother, Alma, who is about to give birth. However, their reasons for wanting to find dear Mom are totally opposite. Filmmaker John Carpenter, director of the classic fright flick "Halloween," helped create cinematics for the game that heighten its fear factor. Comic book horror writer Steve Niles co-wrote the story line. Co-op mode is the preferred mode of play here, allowing you to take advantage of each brother's skills during combat and strive toward the highest score on each level. You can play as Point Man, who is well versed in military training and technique, or as Paxton Fettel, who was slain during the original "F.E.A.R" but returns here as a ghost with psychic energy powers. The brothers must navigate wave after wave of soldiers, whacked-out cultists and creepy creatures created from Alma's mind. The battlefields range from a looted food warehouse to the science bunker where Alma is being held. While the action is pretty linear, there are detours in which you can search for hidden weapons and ammo, psychic link gathering locations, and an Alma doll, which scores big points when found. There are enemies who require some extra work to defeat, including one called a Phase Caster, who summons additional soldiers over and over. Kill him first. Seriously. It is easy to get immersed in the run-and-gun aspects of "F.E.A.R. 3," but keep in mind that it's also supposed to be a horror game. Remember, Mom is a psychic time bomb allegedly waiting to erupt when she gives birth to ... whatever. To be sure, there are some very good horror moments in the game. The apparitions that briefly appear, scare and disappear are disconcerting. And having a ghost brother along during solo mode is a constant reminder. When they occur, the terror elements are jump-out-of-your-seat frightening. It is almost like watching a horror movie from the eyes of the lead actor. The problem is those moments don't seem to occur as often as you'd think or hope. There were plenty of times in the game where I forgot it was supposed to be a thriller and not just a shooter. Some levels' features are so combat-heavy that there's no room for any memorable paranormal experiences. Early in the game I was peeking around every corner expecting to find some apparition or twisted scene, only to shrug and move on. By the end of the game, I stopped looking for ghosts and just treated everything as a combat scene. Multiplayer modes help make the game fun to replay. You can work together with your teammates to survive waves of enemies emerging from an advancing fog, or be possessed by Alma and try to take over your former teammates. "F.E.A.R 3" is a well-made first-person shooter that will challenge players with intelligent enemies and compelling battles. Sadly, the frights aren't quite as jarring as they could have been. Which, I'm sure, makes the ghosts very sad. Boo. "F.E.A.R. 3" is playable on the PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. It is available now in North America, Australia and the UK. The game is rated M for mature due to blood and gore, intense violence, partial nudity and strong language. This review was done after playing the Xbox 360 version.
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"F.E.A.R. 3" aims higher than your typical shooter game, with some dramatic tension .
The game is the story of two brothers trying to find their mother .
The brothers must wade through wave after wave of soldiers and whacked out cultists .
Sadly, the frights aren't quite as jarring as they could have been .
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126ea03a99bb5df17b79db3009c38ccb1c79c079
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Sci-Fi films such as Minority Report show people controlling computer programmes with expansive hand gestures. And now there's a gadget called Flow that will allow users to do just that, which could one day replace the computer mouse. Flow is designed to be more sensitive than a mouse and will allow people to edit documents, draw and control apps by touching it or swiping in mid air above the gadget. Flow, a gadget that responds to gestures and touch could be used to edit documents, draw and control apps, replacing the computer mouse . It can be programmed with shortcuts for more than 30 applications, enabling users to control Spotify with the flick of their wrist or use it to manipulate images in Photoshop. The gadget, designed by engineers in Berlin, Germany, works alongside a desktop or laptop via a Bluetooth connection, with apps such as Final Cut Pro X, SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube. The engineers and computer scientists are raising money on crowd funding site Indiegogo to put Flow into production. Flow (pictured) works alongside a desktop or laptop via a Bluetooth connection, with apps such as Final Cut Pro X, SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube. For example, a user could programme the device to skip tracks in a Spotify playlist by swiping in mid-air over the device . Flow will allow users to manipulate images and documents using hand gestures, such as in sci-fi films like Minority Report (a screenshot is pictured) - without the light-up gloves . To begin with, the device will support Macs, with iOS devices, Android, Windows and Linux support in the pipeline. It could be used alongside work equipment or in the home (pictured) which may mean that smart appliances could one day be controlled using the simple device . Description: A programmable wireless controller that is small enough to fit in a pocket and could one day replace the computer mouse. Materials: A metal ring and polycarbonate touch surface. Connectivity: Bluetooth LE/4.1. Compatibility: Macs, with more operating systems in the pipeline - starting with 30 popular apps. Battery: Four months. Size: Almost three inches (7cm) in diameter and half an inch (1.5cm) high. Sensors: 360° angular positioning, capacitive touch, light and infrared hand gesture recognition. They say: ‘We work on graphic design, video editing or CAD on a daily basis. Keyboard and mouse are great but they are far from giving you the same sensitivity and abilities as your hand. ‘The same applies for music, browsing or presentations. We need a tool that gives us flexible shortcuts and perfect control, a tool that makes the things we love fast, precise, intuitive and fun. ‘That's why we created Flow, a freely programmable wireless controller.’ The team combined three technologies into their small circular device so it can recognise hand gestures, sensitive touch and precise haptics (such as being tapped) via sensors. They say that controls for more than 30 popular applications will be available at launch with more becoming available week by week. ‘Let us know which shortcuts or controls are important to you and we'll get right to work,’ they wrote. The engineers creayed Flow beacuse they said that the computer mouse is ' far from giving you the same sensitivity and abilities as your hand,' whereas their gadget has more sensing capabilities . he team combined three technologies into their small circular device (pictured in a work situation) so it can recognise hand gestures, sensitive touch and precise haptics via sensors . To begin with, the device will support Macs, with iOS devices, Android, Windows and Linux support in the pipeline. The gadget is open source so users with some coding know-how will be able to build new shortcuts and applications. Flow is available to pre-order via Indiegogo for $99 plus shipping, with an estimated delivery date of June 2015. Samsung has revealed a next-generation kind of eye tracking mouse, called EyeCan+. When positioned below a computer monitor, the portable box allows disabled people to write documents or browse the internet by blinking and moving their eyes. The device works by wirelessly calibrating with the user's eye as long as they sit or lie between 23 inches (60cm) and 27 inches (70cm) away from the monitor. Samsung has revealed a next-generation kind of eye tracking mouse, called EyeCan+ which allows disabled users such as Hyung-Jin Shin (pictured) to browse the internet by blinking and moving his eyes . EyeCan+ only needs to be set up when a person uses it for the first time and remembers individuals’ eye characteristics. The gadget was developed by Samsung engineers in their spare time, with help from quadriplegic grad student Hyung-Jin Shin. By using the system for 17 months, the team were able to refine the tracking system - a number of which will be built for charities. The technology is open source so that anyone can commercialise it.
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Flow is a small programmable wireless controller created by engineers and computer scientists in Berlin, Germany .
It is designed to be more sensitive and flexible than a computer mouse .
Gadget can be programmed with shortcuts for more than 30 applications .
Users could control apps with the flick of a wrist, or by tapping the device .
Gadget is available to pre-order via Indiegogo from $99 (£63)
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126f00ba494daa2ab04c0bb023f9e0321e52456c
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By . Katy Winter . PUBLISHED: . 08:13 EST, 22 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:53 EST, 22 January 2014 . The book, entitled The Lawes of Resolutions of Women's Rights: or the Lawes, Provision for Women, was compiled by Thomas Edgar and sold by John Grove in 1632 . The first ever English book of women’s rights, written in the 17th century, is set to go under the hammer. The revolutionary read is the first book in English to compile laws on the rights of women and is expected to fetch over £3,000 when it reaches sale. The book, entitled The Lawes Of Resolutions Of Women’s Rights: or The Lawes, Provision for Women, was compiled by Thomas Edgar and sold by John Grove in 1632. The work features the laws and rights applicable to women including issues such as divorce, polygamy, marriage and rape. It features such intriguing chapters as 'What Persons Women May Not Marry', 'The Baron May Beat His Wife' and 'Of Wooing'. In the radical text Thomas Edgar said: 'The Theme, as the subject, is, The Lawes Resolutions of Womens Rights; which comprehend all our Lawes concerning Women, either Children in government or nurture of their Parents or Gardians, Mayds, Wives, and Widowes, and their goods, inheritances, and other estates. 'Women have nothing to do in constituting Lawes, or consenting to them, in interpreting of Lawes, or in hearing them interpreted at lectures, leets or charges, and yet they stand strictly tyed to mens establishments, little or nothing excused by ignorance. 'Mee thinkes it were pitty and impiety any longer to hold from them such Customes, Lawes, and Statutes, as are in a maner proper, or principally belonging unto them.' The idea of a pastor defending polygamy, and subjugating women in marriage seems bizarre now . The book will be sold at Bonhams Auctioneers on March 5th as part of the sale of rare and historic European law books from the collection of the Los Angeles County Law Library. Head of Bonhams Book Department in the UK, Matthew Haley, said: 'Marriage in one form or another has, of course, been a central institution of human societies for thousands of years so it is not surprising to find so many books dedicated to laws about it. 'Some of the preoccupations, however, do seem strange to modern eyes - the idea of a 17th century Lutheran pastor issuing a defence of polygamy is odd today but this was a live issue for Christian commentators during and after the Reformation. 'Both Luther and Milton, for example, were defenders of the practice.'
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The Lawes of Resolutions Of Women's Rights written by Thomas Edgar .
Includes chapters The Baron may beat his Wife and Of Wooing .
Outlines women's rights on issues such as marriage and rape .
The book will be sold at Bonhams auctioneers on 5 March .
Expected to generate high bidding .
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126f469e57ee66bfbfd991fcaa439205cd847f6a
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The children of an elderly West Virginia couple who passed away months apart in late 2012 and early 2013 are blaming their deaths on a restaurant chain's meatloaf. Mark and Ann Starcher say a tainted meal that their parents shared from a local Bob Evans restaurant in October 2012 made them so "violently ill" that it ultimately led to their deaths, according to a lawsuit they've filed against the Ohio-based chain. According to the complaint, about nine hours after consuming a meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and a roll, Virginia Starcher -- who went by "Ginny" -- "fell violently ill" shortly before Harold Starcher "also became violently ill but was able to call 911 for ambulance transport for both." Both were told by emergency room staff at Jackson General Hospital in Ripley, West Virginia, that they had suffered from food poisoning "from consuming the tainted meal from Bob Evans." The next day, the children allege that their dad -- who went by the nickname "Punk" -- "suffered a stroke after becoming violently ill from consuming the tainted meal from Bob Evans," resulting in both parents being moved into a rehabilitation facility. Neither would return home. About two months later, Ginny, who served in the West Virginia Legislature in the 1980s, died in hospice care. Punk -- who was healthy, active and still operating his business at the time of the Bob Evans meal, according to the suit -- deteriorated rapidly thereafter. The next few months of his life would be spent in an intensive care unit before he, too, passed away. Protect yourself from food poisoning . Mark and Ann Starcher want $250,000 for medical expenses from Bob Evans Restaurants, as well as an unspecified amount for the "pain, suffering, emotional distress, mental anguish and the loss of ability to enjoy life" that were caused by their parents' deaths. A spokesman for the restaurant chain, which has 600 locations in 19 states, said that while it's the company's policy not to comment on pending litigation, "we believe this is an appropriate and important exception to the rule." "Bob Evans is committed to serving the safest, highest-quality foods for our guests -- that is our responsibility and our priority," said Scott Taggart, who added that the company "sympathize(s) with this family for the loss of their loved ones." However, Taggart said that the company had done "a thorough review of the alleged claims in this matter, and quite simply, there is no basis to the allegations contained in the complaint and the suit is entirely without merit." The case will be heard in federal court in West Virginia early next year. Caramel apples linked to fatal listeria outbreak .
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Lawsuit claims tainted meatloaf caused elderly couple's death .
Bob Evans Restaurants says suit is "entirely without merit"
The case will be heard in federal court in West Virginia early next year .
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126f72194d926e9da9fcc2d7c08b5a2109e8a376
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(CNN) -- Deidre Robinson's cheeks flushed as two ride attendants tried to push her safety guard into the lock position. At 310 pounds, Robinson knew she'd have restrictions at the theme park, but that didn't make her feel any less humiliated when she was told she couldn't ride the roller coaster with her daughter. "There was a big guy next to me and his snapped," she said. "I thought, 'There's something wrong with that.' Obviously I was a lot bigger than he was." The 2007 event was one of several turning points for Robinson, now 31, who was eventually inspired to join Weight Watchers and start doing Zumba, a Latin-inspired dance fitness class, in February 2009. Less than two years later, the South Carolina native had dropped more than half her body weight -- going from a size 24 to a size 2 -- and was ready turn her healthy lifestyle into her livelihood. Childhood scars . "My mom always called me thick," Robinson said. "Back in the fourth grade, I remember my mom measuring my cereal ... three-fourths a cup of Cheerios." Nobody in her family had ever battled weight problems, she said. They couldn't understand why she gained weight while eating the same things as her sister, who "to this day is just genetically thin." By high school, she had tried just about every diet out there: from eating only chicken and rice every day for a month to "the no-carb thing." The quick results were nice, she said, but nothing ever stuck. Weight loss helps mom battle cancer . Things didn't get any easier after graduation. Robinson's parents and sister, who she said she's very close with, tricked her into attending a weight intervention under the false pretense of discussing a bill. She showed up with her boyfriend at the time, who wasn't overweight. A few years ago, they tried again, giving Robinson a gym membership for Christmas. "For my family to come at me like that ... they didn't intentionally try to hurt my feelings, but they were trying to wake me up," Robinson said. "They didn't know what it was like. They never had weight problems. They ate the same food (as me). They're the ones who took me to the restaurants." Robinson said her family's well-meaning gestures did nothing to motivate her to lose weight. Rather, they made her defensive and caused tension. Robinson's dad wasn't overtly hard on her, but she could tell he was disappointed -- "like he thought I let myself go," she said, which might have been unfair considering he had his own vice. Just as Robinson considered eating a habit that she had little control over, her dad had smoked cigarettes since he was 20. He died at 45 in 2004 from coronary artery disease, five years before Robinson lost the weight. "The one thing I hate the most is that my dad never got to see (me thin)," she said. "I know how proud he'd be that I got that weight off. He was always so proud of me for my job accomplishments, but he could never understand why I couldn't get that part right." Family wins $10K after losing 255 pounds . The tipping point . From what she could wear and drive to where she would sit at restaurants, Robinson's size dictated many aspects of her daily life. "I didn't have one pair of shoes that had laces," she said. "It put me out of breath to tie them. ... I would go into a restaurant already determining in my head whether I'd need a table or booth. I couldn't drive a sports car. I literally couldn't fit behind the wheel." And the theme park incident is just one bad memory of a too-snug safety belt. Robinson hadn't been on an airplane in about five years when she jetted off to Miami for a work trip with her husband in 2005. She cringed as a flight attendant yelled out for someone to bring a seat belt extension over. "In that situation, you almost feel like ... yes, you are a human being, but not only do you not fit into society because you look different and you stand out, but you literally do not fit," she said. "I wouldn't even go to a concert because the seats (were) too small. You don't want to put yourself in those situations because they're so embarrassing." Robinson said her daughter McKenzie, who turns 10 in November, is the main reason she ultimately decided to get fit. Up until McKenzie was 6, Robinson hadn't been in a pool with her because she didn't feel comfortable in a bathing suit. "She started asking me, 'Mom, why are you not swimming with me?' " And as parents slid down the giant slide at the carnival with their children, Robinson waited for her daughter at the bottom. "Why won't you go down with me?" McKenzie would ask her mom. "I felt like I was missing out," Robinson said. "I was there. I would take her to the events, but I couldn't participate. I'm at all the events, but I'm in none of the pictures." Shake it . Thanks to Weight Watchers and Zumba DVDs, the weight started to fall off, Robinson said. After losing 30 pounds and gaining confidence, she began taking Zumba classes at a gym. She started going a few times a week and loved it so much she continued to go every day. More than 150 pounds later, Robinson decided to open her own fitness studio in Greenville, South Carolina. Within two months of opening Fitness Shakers in May 2011, Robinson said she quickly lost another 15 pounds -- bringing her total weight loss to 170 pounds in two years -- just from being the only instructor at the time. "It's amazing to think I used to have these huge round chubby thick arms and now I've got this muscle definition," she said. "Pounds don't even bother me anymore. Now it's body fat percentage." FDA: Dietary supplements dangerous . Her studio, as well as her story, now helps inspire others to be active and healthy, if the testimonials on her website are any indication: "I could never thank Dee Dee Robinson and her team enough for all they have done for me through Fitness Shakers," Jessie E. writes. "I immediately felt love, support, and acceptance walking into my first class." "They trust me because they know where I've been," Robinson said of the members at her gym. "They know I can relate." She now has a staff of 10 and a second location in Taylor, South Carolina, which opened in November 2011. "I work out every day of my life," Robinson said, who also credits her fit physique to knowing what foods to eat. Salmon is one of her favorites because it's filling, yet low on the Weight Watchers' PointsPlus system. "Do I have my one cheat day a week? Yeah," she said. "Is one cheeseburger going to make me gain weight? No." Robinson has also noticed some other positive changes in her life since losing the weight. In addition to strengthening the bond she has with herself -- gaining confidence and happiness -- she said her relationship with her family has flourished. "They say, 'We finally got our Dee back. Her personality is back. She's her bubbly normal self,' " Robinson said. "We're definitely closer." She said she used to remove herself from situations, such as family cookouts, because she wasn't comfortable with her size, but now she's a lot more involved. "I did it for me," Robinson said of losing the weight. "But maybe this whole weight loss process wasn't just for me. Never did I think I could inspire others. ... I get more gratitude from that than just knowing what I've done for myself." Have you lost weight? Share your story on iReport.
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Deidre Robinson went from a size 24 to a size 2 and opened a fitness studio .
Robinson's family didn't understand why she was overweight growing up .
Her daughter encouraged her to get fit so they could participate in activities together .
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1270451b3b62837ec747d3b61d5694463a617305
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By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 16:08 EST, 29 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:04 EST, 30 August 2013 . In a dramatic change in drug policy, the Obama administration said on Thursday that it won't sue to stop the states of Colorado and Washington from allowing recreational marijuana use as it issued a sweeping national policy statement that outlines its top priorities for pot enforcement. The action, welcomed by supporters of legalization, could set the stage for more states to legalize marijuana. Alaska is scheduled to vote on legalizing recreational use of marijuana next year, and a few other states plan similar votes in 2016. Under the policy, the top investigative priorities range from preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors to preventing sales revenue from going to criminal enterprises, gangs and cartels and preventing the diversion of marijuana outside of states where it is legal under state law. No Longer Under Threat: Cody Park exhales a cloud of marijuana smoke after taking a hit on a bong at the first day of Hempfest, Friday, Aug. 16, 2013, in Seattle . Other top-priority enforcement areas include stopping state-authorized marijuana activity from being used as a cover for trafficking other illegal drugs and preventing violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana. The top areas also include preventing drugged driving, preventing growing marijuana on public land and preventing marijuana possession on federal property. The announcement follows last year's first-in-the-nation legalization of recreational marijuana use by the states of Colorado and Washington. In the aftermath of the moves by the two state, Attorney General Eric Holder launched a review of marijuana enforcement policy that included an examination of Colorado and Washington. The issue was whether the states should be blocked from operating marijuana markets on the grounds that actively regulating an illegal substance conflicts with federal drug law that bans it. Nearly a year after Washington state and Colorado voted to legalize . recreational marijuana, the Obama administration announced on Thursday . that it won't sue the states to comply with federal laws . Hempfest: Last December, President Barack Obama said it does not make sense for the federal government to go after recreational drug users in Washington and Colorado . The Obama administration also issued new guidelines for all U.S. attorneys on the dynamic issue of marijuana law . Last December, President Barack Obama said it does not make sense for the federal government to go after recreational drug users in a state that has legalized recreational use of small amounts of marijuana. Last week, the White House said that prosecution of drug traffickers remains an important priority. A Pew Research Center poll in March found that 60 percent of Americans think the federal government shouldn't enforce federal anti-marijuana laws in states where its use has been approved. Younger people, who tend to vote more Democratic, are especially prone to that view. But opponents are worried these moves will lead to more use by young people. Colorado and Washington were states that helped re-elect Obama. The Munchies: Seattle Police Department Detective Mark Jamieson (L), hand out bags of Doritos to festival goers during the Hempfest rally in downtown Seattle, Washington August 17th 2013 . Dan Riffle of the Marijuana Policy Project, the nation's largest marijuana policy organization, called the policy change "a major and historic step toward ending marijuana prohibition" and "a clear signal that states are free to determine their own policies." Kevin Sabet, the director of Project Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an anti-legalization group, predicted the new Justice Department policy will accelerate a national discussion about legalization because people will see its harms — including more drugged driving and higher high school dropout rates.
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Last December, President Barack Obama said it does not make sense for the federal government to go after recreational drug users in Colorado and Washington State .
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1270ac00307a38b890126dbc94af7dc29bfa4c93
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Reading midfielder Danny Williams took to Instagram to reveal he was the lucky recipient of a signed James Rodriguez shirt. Williams posted a picture of himself holding up a Rodriguez Real Madrid No 10 shirt alongside the Colombian superstar. The duo would have come into contact on Friday night when the USA played Colombia at Fulham's Craven Cottage. VIDEO Scroll down to see Rodriguez and Ronaldo in Real Madrid training . Reading midfielder Danny Williams poses for a picture with Real Madrid superstar James Rodriguez . Rodriguez captained Colombia during his side's 2-1 win against the USA at Fulham's Craven Cottage . Rodriguez shakes hand with Sunderland striker Jozy Altidore before the international friendly match . Williams did not feature against the South Americans but was able to meet up with the 2014 World Cup top scorer and swap his USA shirt for one of Rodriguez's club shirts, which he signed. Rodriguez played the full 90 minutes of the friendly clash and managed to claim an assist in Colombia's 2-1 win against Jurgen Klinsmann's side. Championship midfielder Williams played just three times for Reading so far this season due to a knee injury which ruled him out of the World Cup. Williams has missed a large chunk of the Championship campaign due to a knee injury . The 25-year-old missed out on the opportunity of representing the USA national team at the 2014 World Cup .
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Danny Williams thanked James Rodriguez for signing Real Madrid shirt .
Rodriguez starred in Colombia's 2-1 win against USA at Craven Cottage .
The 2014 World Cup star played the full 90 minutes of friendly match .
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