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The UK economy has shaken off the European crisis with growth figures that outshine its G7 peers. It is expected to grow 3.1% this year, according to a forecast by the prestigious EY ITEM Club, above earlier expectations of 2.9%. The growth is well above that expected of Germany, Europe's biggest economy and one which dragged the bloc out of crisis, at 1.8%. "We have moved from the recovery phase to expansion. And furthermore, it's looking very durable," said Peter Spencer, professor of Economics and Finance at University of York and chief economic adviser to the ITEM Club. Figures released Friday show the British economy passing the pre-crisis peak from 2008, with second quarter of growth of 0.8%. Spencer said the growth is no longer financed by people tapping into their savings -- as was the case this time last year -- but by business expansion and a stronger labor market. Business spending is on the rise, meaning companies are investing into production rather than sitting on cash. Business investment by itself now generates more than half of the UK's growth. The government is trumpeting a record-high employment -- 73.1% of people were in work in the three months to May, matching up the previous record-high from 2004/2005. But there is a catch. While record numbers of Brits are working, their wages are growing at the slowest rate on record -- and at about half of the inflation rate. That fuels another problem of the UK's economy -- the chronic and rising inequality. Of all UK households, only the highest earning 20% increased their disposable income last year. The remaining 80% of households suffered a drop in their income, numbers released by the Office of National Statistics show. The Bank of England has also warned that the UK productivity has been "extremely and uncharacteristically weak" since the recession. Productivity growth, which indicates if the economy can produce more for less, remains below the pre-crisis levels, at 16%. Many economists are also warning the UK about a potential housing bubble. The average cost of a home in the UK is now 20% above the pre-crisis peak in 2007. The IMF has already warned the UK government that rising house prices and low productivity could hinder the economic growth and urged the country to put in place "early measures" to prevent housing bubble. But Spencer told CNN the fears of a bubble were overblown. "This is not driven by mortgage borrowing. In London for example, it's mainly cash buying and overseas buyers," he said, pointing to relatively flat mortgage borrowing. The UK is also vulnerable to shocks from outside. Half of the country's international trade is with the European Union countries, many of which are still suffering from the consequences of the eurozone crisis. "If Germany takes a hit, we'll suffer too. If Germany does well, we'll do well, like the rest of Europe," Spencer said. Read more: How to tame your property bubble Read more: U.K. economy picks up paceRead more: Britain, Italy include drugs and sex in GDP .
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The UK economy expected to grow 3.1% this year, according to the EY ITEM Club .
Employment is at record-high, but wages are growing at the slowest rate on record .
Many economists are also warning the UK about a potential housing bubble .
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161b38017ea52972640d1b29bfe13329c1e99498
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President Barack Obama and his family enjoyed a leisurely bike ride on Friday while vacationing on the island of Martha's Vineyard. The president, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughter Malia were seen cycling together down the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest bike path outside West Tisbury, Massachusetts, this afternoon. It was not immediately clear where Sasha Obama, the younger Obama daughter, was during the family outing. President Barack Obama, rear, bikes with First Lady Michelle Obama, center, and daughter Malia at Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, this afternoon . It wasn't immediately clear where Sasha, the Obama's other daughter, was during the outing. She has not been seen with her family since before they began their summer vacation last Saturday . The president rode bikes with his family for a little less than an hour before breaking off to go play golf . Sasha did not accompany her family to . Martha's Vineyard when they left Washington, D.C. last Saturday. The . White House has said she'll be joining her family for part of their . two-week summer vacation, but she has yet to be seen. Reporters traveling with first family on vacation said the president spent just under half an hour biking with his wife and daughter before breaking away to hit the links. Obama is playing his fifth game of golf today since arriving on the island. He was joined today by 32 Advisors Founder and CEO Robert Wolf. Wolf is a hedge fund and money manager who served on Obama's now-defunct Jobs Council. Today was the first time that the Obamas, sans Sasha, have been seen hanging out together since the start of their 15 day vacation . President Obama rode a black and blue bike and sported a black Nike athletic shirt, dark gray pants and black Nike tennis shoes . Obama and his family leisurely cycled down the Correllus State Bike Path outside of West Tisbury, Massachusetts, as the president's security team followed close behind . Malia Obama cycled a bright purple bike and wore a black Stanford shirt and running shorts . Today is the first time the Obama family, . sans Sasha, have been seen hanging out together since the start of their . 15 day vacation. The president's two-week holiday has been half work, half play, as crises domestically and abroad demanded his attention. Obama . refused to cancel his summer vacation as a the fighting in Iraq raged . on, but took time to make an on-camera statement on the situation from . the lawn of his vacation home on Monday. He . again briefed Americans on Thursday afternoon, speaking both on Iraq . and on the civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, after a white police . officer shot and killed an unarmed 18-year-old, African-American . resident of the town. President Obama has played golf five times in the last seven days . Today he is playing on Farm Neck Golf Club course in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts . Today Obama played golf with Robert Wolf, a hedge fund manager who served on his now-defunct Jobs Council . When Obama hasn't been working on the trip, he's been on the golf course with a rotating group of friends, including Cyrus Walker, the cousin of White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, and former U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. The president has played golf every day of his trip except Monday and Wednesday. On Monday the White House says the Obamas went to the beach. No photos of that family outing have emerged, however. The president and first lady were spotted, however, out at dinner on Tuesday night at the Sweet Life Cafe in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, with Obama administration officials Susan Rice and Eric Holder and their spouses. Kirk and his spouse also went on the outing. The following evening the White House says the Obamas danced the night away at the birthday party of a friend. An attendee of the dinner, held at the Farm Neck Golf Club, posted a photo of the president cutting a rug on the dance floor at the celebration, but it has since been deleted. The Obamas are scheduled to stay in Martha's Vineyard through Sunday, August 24, however the president will take a two-day trip back to Washington this Sunday. It's unknown why Obama is heading back to the White House in the middle of his trip, as his spokesperson is staying on Martha's Vineyard and Vice President Biden is scheduled to be away until Tuesday - the day Obama plans to return to his vacation spot. The White House has stated that the president has 'meetings' he needs to attend in Washington and has declined to go in detail on Obama's mid-vacation agenda.
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The Obama's younger daughter, Sasha, was not on the family outing .
Today is the first time the Obama family has been spotted together since arriving on Martha's Vineyard island last Saturday .
President Obama cycled with his family for a little less than half an hour before breaking off to go play golf .
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161b89d82447a4df4e6ff7dfbfeef178996f6269
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Miami (CNN) -- The 4-year-old girl sobbed as rescuers rushed her ashore. In the boat behind her, the faces of her fellow survivors were painted with "a thousand-yard stare," one witness said Monday. That girl and three others spent 20 hours stranded in stormy water after their 22-foot boat capsized off the Florida Keys over the weekend. They were picked up Sunday afternoon by Coast Guard rescuers. A few hours earlier, David Jensen was maneuvering the Snap Shot, his fishing charter boat, from Duck Key to the open sea when he and others "saw a big object floating in the distance." "The closer I got, I could see a guy waving," Jensen said. They found three men clinging to part of what had been their boat. One charter customer quickly jumped in to help, while others threw life jackets to the men, only one of which could muster the energy to swim over, Jensen said. Once aboard, a language barrier -- the rescued men were Spanish-speaking -- and raw emotions made it difficult to ascertain exactly what had happened. One who did speak English was very upset: "He lost his mother," Jensen explained. Officer Robert Dube of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said Monday that a son had tried to hold onto his 79-year-old mother in the hours after their ship went down around noon Saturday. But she slipped away into the rough waters, Dube said, before rescuers could reach her. This victim, later identified as Zaida San Jurjo Gonzalez, and the men had clung to the capsized boat's hull. But four others -- three women and the young girl -- couldn't hold on, and drifted off, Jensen said, based on his conversations with the survivors and authorities. The charter boat captain contacted the Coast Guard after learning others were unaccounted for, and he took his boat out five miles in the direction where the four had drifted away. He saw no signs of them. But rescuers did come upon the four Sunday morning, bringing them aboard near Marathon, which is roughly halfway between Key Largo and Key West, according to a Coast Guard statement . Authorities later learned that the three women, wearing life jackets, had held tight to a floating cooler and took turns holding the girl through the afternoon, night and next morning. "That definitely saved their lives," Dube told CNN. "It could have been a lot worse situation." Wayne Crosby of Captain Hook's Marina and Dive Center said he watched rescuers bring the four to a dock in Marathon on Sunday. They handed the girl off the boat first, he told CNN affiliate WSVN. "They had her all wrapped up. ... She couldn't stop crying. She was panic-stricken," Crosby said. At the dock, rescuers scrambled to tend to all the victims. "They just had that look on their face, like a thousand-yard stare," Crosby told WSVN. The group had suffered multiple jellyfish stings over the course of their ordeal, Dube said. And by Monday, the 4-year-old had been treated for mild hypothermia and exhaustion. But the wildlife officer added that, by then, she appeared to be "in very good spirits." Ernie Perroncello, owner and operator of Sea Tow in Marathon, said weather in the area Saturday when the boat went down was terrible. "You can get yourself in trouble real quick " on the area's water, said Perroncello, whose company salvaged the capsized boat. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.
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NEW: A charter captain describes coming upon three men clinging to a capsized boat .
NEW: He says one was upset because "he lost his mother," who had slipped away .
The Coast Guard later rescued four more who'd been on the boat, including a young girl .
A witness says the girl "couldn't stop crying" when rescuers brought her ashore .
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161bd114366bec4cea9205c9ff749bf3ecb46235
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Syrian expert Elizabeth O'Bagy, who was sacked after lying about having a PhD, has apologised for misleading people . A expert on Syria whose work was quoted by senior politicians as they debated military action has finally admitted she that she lied over her degree and said sorry. A week after she was sacked from her job as an analyst with the Institute of War, Elizabeth O'Bagy has said that not only did she not earn a doctorate from Georgetown University, but she never even attended the PhD program there. And the researcher, whose op-ed in the Wall Street Journal was cited by Secretary of State John Kerry and Senator John McCain in discussions over whether to launch a missile strike on Syria, has apologised for her 'many mistakes' and 'extremely poor judgement'. O'Bagy, who was hired by the Institute of War a year ago as a research analyst, wrote an opinion piece in the WSJ on 30 August entitled On The Front Lines Of Syria's Civil War. In the article she said rebels in Syria were divided into distinct groups: moderate and extreme - a key point in the debate over whether to intervene in the war-torn country. Kerry and McCain agreed that Syria was a secular state and hailed her op-ed as evidence that the rebels were not the jihadists that some were suggesting. McCain even said her article was 'important'. However a week after the article was published it emerged that O'Bagy was affiliated to the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a group that supports the removal of Assad from power, and that she had connections with rebel groups in the country. When it was subsequently discovered that O'Bagy had not received a doctorate as she had claimed, she was fired from the Institute of War, although her employers were still under the impression that she had attended the course and had simply not completed her disseration. Last night, however, the controversial analyst admitted that she had not even attended the PhD program in Georgetown at all. Secretary of State John Kerry and Senator John McCain both cited O'Bagy's op-ed on the Syrian rebels . She told the Daily Beast she was only enrolled in a master's program at the university and had applied to join the MA/Ph.D course but was never accepted. In a statement to the website, O'Bagy said: 'I would like to deeply apologize to every person with whom I have worked, who has read and depended upon my research, and to the general public. 'While I have made many mistakes and showed extremely poor judgment, I most particularly regret my public misrepresentation of my educational status and not immediately disclosing that I had not been awarded a doctorate in May, 2013.' She apologized to colleagues and others she had misled, adding: 'Their anger and distrust is understandable, however, I never intended to willfully deceive anyone.' O'Bagy, who has also now left the SETF as a result of the exposed deception, said that she still stood by her work on Syria.
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Elizabeth O'Bagy's article on Syrian rebels was quoted by top politicians .
The Institute of War fired the analyst after it emerged she didn't have the PhD she'd claimed .
O'Bagy also failed to disclose her links with Syrian rebel group SETF .
Now she apologises and admits she never even attended the PhD program .
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161bdb7ca7a0ffffcda53fdbbb41546e3af07616
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- His was one of the first photos of a missing child to appear on a milk carton. Almost 30 years later, Etan Patz is still missing. Etan Patz, who disappeared in 1979, was the first missing child featured in the milk carton campaigns of the 1980s. Etan was 6 when he disappeared on May 25, 1979, the Friday before Memorial Day. He was on his way to school in what is now the upscale Soho neighborhood of New York. It was the first time he'd walked to the bus stop by himself. It was just a few blocks away. Etan, like any 6-year-old, argued that all of his friends walked to the bus stop alone, and his parents relented. His mother, Julie Patz, learned that Etan hadn't been in classes when he failed to return home. She called the school at 3:30 p.m., then called the homes of all his friends. When no one had seen Etan, she called police and filed a missing person's report. By evening more than 100 police officers and searchers had gathered with bloodhounds. The search continued for weeks, but no clues to Etan's whereabouts were found. Watch an update on the case » . The boy's disappearance was one of the key events that inspired the missing children's movement, which raised awareness of child abductions and led to new ways to search for missing children. Etan's case was the first of the milk carton campaigns of the mid-1980s. "In our minds there were only two possibilities," said Stan Patz, the boy's father. "Either Etan was taken by a stranger and killed or he was taken by a very sad woman desperate for a child of her own, and we hoped that such a woman would at least take care of him and keep him safe." Patz lived with this hope until 1982, when he learned of Jose Antonio Ramos' arrest and the surprising connection between him and a former babysitter of Etan's. Ramos was a drifter who in 1979 lived in Alphabet City, a neighborhood not far from Soho. In 1982 he was arrested after boys in a neighborhood in the Bronx complained that he had stolen their book bags while trying to coax them into a drainpipe under a bridge, where he lived, said the Patzes and federal prosecutor Stuart GraBois, who spent years investigating the case. When police found Ramos in his drainpipe home, they found he had many photographs of small blond boys. They noticed that they looked a lot like Etan Patz, according to author Lisa R Cohen's book about the case, "After Etan: The Missing Child Case that Held America Captive." Bronx police questioned Ramos, and he denied having anything to do with Etan's disappearance. But he did tell police that his girlfriend used to baby-sit for the boy, GraBois said. Prosecutors in the Bronx and Manhattan pursued this lead, but concluded they did not have enough evidence to connect Ramos to Etan's disappearance, GraBois and a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said. Ramos was released when the parents of the Bronx boys chose not to press charges against him, according to published reports. He left town and disappeared for six years -- until GraBois reviewed Etan's case. GraBois said he focused on Ramos as the prime suspect. GraBois said he learned in 1988 that Ramos had been arrested and convicted of child molestation and was serving time in a Pennsylvania prison. GraBois said he brought Ramos to New York for questioning and surprised him with the question: "How many times did you have sex with Etan Patz?" Ramos told GraBois that he'd taken a little boy to an apartment he had on the lower East Side on the same day that Etan went missing. "He was 90 percent sure it was the same he'd seen in the news that was missing," GraBois said. According to GraBois, Ramos claimed he released the boy and brought him to a subway station so the boy could go visit his aunt in Washington Heights. "Etan did not have an aunt in Washington Heights," GraBois said. When questioned further, Ramos refused to say anything more and asked for a lawyer, according to GraBois. Ramos is serving a 10- to 20-year prison sentence in Pennsylvania. He is scheduled to be released in November 2012, GraBois said. GraBois said he had Ramos transferred to a federal prison, and planted informants as his cell mates. He wouldn't go into detail about what Ramos might have told them, but said he's convinced he's eyeing the right suspect. GraBois turned over his evidence to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, but prosecutors have not brought charges. They say that without a body, they don't have enough evidence. Etan's case is still considered by the NYPD to be a cold case. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Etan Patz or that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual responsible for his disappearance is asked to call the FBI/NYPD Etan Patz hotline: 212-384-2200.
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Boy, 6, begged his parents to let him walk to school bus stop for first time .
He never showed up at school in Manhattan's Soho neighborhood .
Etan Patz disappeared on May 25, 1979 .
Know something? Call the FBI/NYPD Etan Patz hotline: 212-384-2200 .
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161cbdb240c2788884a12301c72e66593b7fe1d8
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By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 07:32 EST, 2 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:11 EST, 2 May 2013 . From student riots to anti-social behaviour, youths are often singled out for their lack of respect for authority. But it appears that humans are not the only species with a discipline problem, as this lion cub's insouciant reaction to his father's bellowing shows. The grumpy lion gave the playful youngster the hairdryer treatment for blocking his path as they wandered a trail in Botswana. No respect: Despite the fierce roars of this pride's alpha male, this young cub seems to be completely unruffled . The cub remained unruffled, however, giving him a look as if to say, in the words of spoof terror-teen Vikki Pollard: 'Am I bovvered?' The pride had been enjoying a stroll following an afternoon nap in the the Linyanti area, which straddles the border between Botswana and Namibia. It appeared as though the pride's leader, nicknamed Romeo, had got out of the wrong side of the bed when, as his cubs frolicked in the warm sun around him, one ran on stood directly in his path. Romeo roared and, according to witnesses, sent the terrified cub scampering away. On the evidence of these photos, however, it seems like the youngster remained defiant right up to the last second. Got out of bed on the wrong side? The pride had been enjoying a stroll following an afternoon nap in the the Linyanti area, which straddles the border between Botswana and Namibia . Anti-social behaviour: The cubs had been frolicking in the warm African sun when one provoked their father's wrath by standing directly in his path, prompting the fierce response . Snarl: Photographer Dmytro Cherkasov, from Kiev in Ukraine, captured the scene while on safari . Photographer Dmytro Cherkasov, from Kiev in Ukraine, captured the scene while on a safari holiday. 'It was afternoon and the pride was slowly waking up after the midday rest. The last member of the pride to wake was the alpha-male named Romeo, who was sleeping apart from the rest of the pride,' he said. 'As soon as he woke up the pride went to the river area, for hunting. The zebras and impalas were occupying that area, mainly. We were interested and carefully started to follow them. 'Before entering the high-grass Romeo had a little fun with two lion cubs. Afterwards the glad cubs were running in front of Romeo and behind the two lionesses. 'Straight before the high-grass area with narrow path, one of the cubs ran after the lionesses while another one stopped as he was waiting for his father.' Not a morning person: Following the parental castigation, the pride went on to do some hunting . Mr Cherkasov went on: 'Romeo didn't really appreciate that. He thought that the cub was blocking the way and he decided to castigate the small lion. 'Romeo bent closer to the cub and roared at him angrily. 'The cub was so scared that he jumped a bit in panic and run away to the open space. 'Romeo grumbled a bit on the way to the rest of the pride, but calmed down quite quickly. Later the pride continued the hunting. 'The two lionesses didn't react at all. I think they preferred not to interfere in the educational process.'
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Just woken pride had been wandering the trails of northern Botswana .
One cub decided to run into the path of the alpha male .
But his furious response was met with a poker face .
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161d4bd20cc058defed7d920aaaf658ac816e95c
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By . Fraser Mackie . Gordon Strachan has called for more from his Scotland team, warning that not one of the 90-minute performances from his reign thus far will be good enough to overcome Germany on Sunday. The highlights since he started guiding Scotland in the right direction include back-to-back defeats of Croatia who, when beaten 1-0 in Zagreb in June 2013, were ranked fourth in the world. Scotland’s unbeaten streak stands at six matches but the national coach believes it will require something of a greatest hits compilation of their best work from the last 18 months to enable his men to stun the world champions in Dortmund. Big show: Scotland have gone their last six games unbeaten before they face Germany on Sunday . Demands: Scotland boss Gordon Strachan says they'll need to combine the best of their recent efforts . When asked to pick one Scotland team display from his tenure that would satisfy his demands for the opening Group D test, Strachan replied: ‘I think I’ll have to pick different bits out of some games. ‘There’s the defensive side in Croatia, the attacking against Nigeria, the attacking and bravery when we played England. If I threw all that in, then I think we’d need that. ‘I don’t think there is a “one performance” that would give us a victory. It’s elements of it all sewn in that would give us the chance. ‘But, even with that, what I can’t plan for is some brilliance from some of the Germany players. Sometimes, if that happens, you’ve just got to stand up and say: “Fair enough”.’ Nothing to lose: Strachan (right) and Darren Fletcher (left) speak ahead of the match at Signal Iduna Park . If it’s a Scotland player who conjures a moment of such brilliance this evening, then a slot in national sporting folklore is guaranteed. Strachan booked his place with a goal against West Germany in Mexico at the 1986 World Cup Finals, albeit Scotland then conceded twice to lose. More recently, Gary Caldwell and James McFadden scored in remarkable home and away performances to see off a world football superpower in France. The stage is there for one of Strachan’s number to record a career highlight as Scotland team up against the brilliant Brazil 2014 winners. Champions: World Cup-winning Germans Benedikt Hoewedes and Thomas Mueller prepare in Dortmund . That defining act of glory will only be possible, though, if Scotland’s dirty work is on a par with that which so frustrated the French twice on those nights in Euro 2008 qualifying. ‘I think people talk about “the goal”, no matter what happens,’ Strachan said. ‘Of course, you want to go into a big game and be the best player on the pitch but as part of a team at the same time and on a winning side. ‘They’ll talk about McFadden’s goal, Gary Caldwell against France. But you’ve got to remember that behind every individual’s moment, the defending was phenomenal. ‘If you remember rightly, especially at Hampden, the bravery and commitment the defenders showed was amazing. I don’t think Scotland had another chance at goal and I think Scotland defended that well the French got bored. They had that much of the ball and ran out of ideas.’ It's not too late to play MailOnline Fantasy Football… There's £1,000 to be won EVERY WEEK by the highest scoring manager .
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Scotland play Germany in Dortmund in a Euro 2016 qualifier on Sunday .
Gordon Strachan's side are unbeaten in the last six matches .
Strachan warns none of those performance are good enough for Germany .
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161d562a089c99742733582827f0f839d77b0a39
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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 10:35 EST, 14 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:05 EST, 14 March 2014 . A popular fifth-grade teacher who fatally shot a knife-wielding prowler in a ski mask and then learned it was his 15-year-old son will not face prosecution. Prosecutors do not plan to file charges against Jeffrey Giuliano, said a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, because investigators have not released their findings. State police have said Giuliano went outside with a gun around 1 a.m. on September 27, 2012, when his sister called to say someone was trying to break into her house next door. Authorities say Giuliano saw a masked person holding a knife come toward him in a threatening manner and shot him. Scroll down for video . Mistaken identity: Tyler Giuliano was shot dead by his father, police said, as he tried to break into his aunt's home . Mistake: Jeffrey Giuliano opened fire on a burglary suspect next-door, only to find that he was in fact his adopted son, Tyler . He later was told the person was his son Tyler, who died of multiple gunshot wounds. State's Attorney Stephen Sedensky III is expected to release his findings Friday, marking the conclusion of his investigation into the shooting in New Fairfield, a town of nearly 14,000 about 50 miles from New York City. At the time of the shooting, Giuliano thought the masked person had a gun, his attorney, Gene Zingaro, has said. He later learned it was a knife. 'My client felt like his life was in imminent danger at the time he fired,' he said in 2012.'In my opinion, Jeff Giuliano had a fear of being shot at the time he fired his weapon.' Zingaro declined to comment Friday morning, but he had said he did not expect any charges to be filed against Giuliano. The attorney said Giuliano knew of reports of a break-in and a sexual assault in the same town. Giuliano was so concerned that he called a family meeting to make sure his children took precautions, he said. The Giuliano home: The family's attorney Gene Zingaro, who arrived at the scene shortly after the shooting, said the father was inconsolable and physically ill - crying and vomiting . Mr Giuliano had gone outside with his gun after his sister called to say someone was trying to break into her house next door (pictured) 'Weighing heavily on his mind was the fact that there was a forced entry rape a day or two before in New Fairfield,' Zingaro said. 'In my estimation, Jeff Giuliano felt like he had happened upon maybe the same intruder.' Zingaro has said Giuliano had shouted several commands before the shooting, but he would not disclose what his client said. Asked if Tyler responded, he said, 'not audibly.' Giuliano and his wife adopted Tyler and his sister about four years before the shooting. The children would have gone into foster care if the couple, who had three other children, had not adopted them, Zingaro said. The family was 'heartbroken' after Tyler's death. The teen's funeral was attended by over 900 people. Tyler and his adoptive father shared a love of music and the Civilian Air Patrol, in which Tyler served as a cadet and enjoyed flying gliders and small aircraft, Zingaro said. Giuliano, affectionately known around Meeting House Hill School as Mr. G, holds summer music and zoology camps for his students and plays guitar in a local rock band that raises money for charity, schools superintendent Alicia Roy said at the time.
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Giuliano saw a masked person holding a knife come toward him in a threatening manner and shot him .
He later was told the person was his son, Tyler Giuliano, a 10th grader .
When police officers arrived at the scene, they found a distraught Giuliano, a fifth-grade science teacher, overwhelmed with grief .
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161d9edc7649d4334604228e681f5ddd5557c565
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By . Laura Collins In Plymouth Township, Michigan . PUBLISHED: . 14:49 EST, 30 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:57 EST, 30 October 2013 . A 37-year-old man who ran away with a 15-year-old girl and sparked a state-wide search boasted two months ago that they shared a 'secret', it was revealed today. Emily Lalinksy and Robert Messer were found in a Michigan field on Tuesday afternoon and each were taken to separate hospitals where they received treatment for dehydration and ‘superficial self-inflicted wounds’ to the wrist. Lieutenant Cal Lauria told MailOnline: ‘Emily’s still in hospital. They were both dehydrated when they were found and they’re keeping her in a bit longer.’ Scroll down for video . Besotted: Messer posted this picture of Emily on Instagram boasting 'Looks like someone knows a secret'. He is now on suicide watch in custody after they were found after three days . Warning signs: Messer posted this montage on his Flickr page clearly setting out how smitten he was . Secret: Messer posted this picture of Emily on his Instagram account under #agapetos, which means 'beloved' in Greek . He said he was not authorized to comment on whether the wrist wounds found on both Emily and Messer were part of a suicide pact formed between the couple. Messer is in police custody pending charges and has been placed on suicide watch. Emily's mother is still reeling from the shocking disappearance on Sunday - completely unaware just how close the Messer, a family friend, had got to her daughter. But a search online shows that Messer at least was becoming increasingly brazen in his show of devotion. On his Instagram account two months ago he posted a picture of Emily with the caption: 'Looks like someone knows a secret'. More... Mystery over 'distressing' evidence against boy, 14, 'who stabbed teacher to death' made secret by judge . Main suspect in Madeleine McCann case died four years ago and was sacked holiday complex worker who may have been out for revenge, says Portuguese media . 'He wanted me to spend the last moments of his life with him': Man kidnaps ex-girlfriend from her job at a mall, goes on a police chase and then kills himself . Bulgarian mother of 'Maria' has FIVE of her other NINE children taken into care . And alongside a picture of Emily posted three weeks ago in his account he wrote ‘agapetos’ a Greek word for ‘beloved.’ And on his Flickr page he produced a montage of pictures of Emily with the worrying caption: 'We have known each other for many days... but every day with you has been a great day'. Yesterday Emily’s family spoke of their relief and delight that the teenager had been found. Asked by text whether she was pleased to have her daughter home, Emily’s mother, Lisa Schwartz replied simply: ‘You betcha.’ She summed up the ordeal as ‘every parent’s nightmare.’ Emily and Messer were found in a field in Washtenaw County, near 7 Mile and Chubbs Road in Northville. Their discovery brought to an end a search that began when Emily vanished from her home in Plymouth Township four days ago. Found: Emily Lalinksy, pictured with Robert Messer, is staying in hospital for longer after they were found suffering from identical 'self-inflicted' wrist wounds . During that time police had feared for her safety. Emily's mother had made public appeals for her safe return on television, during which she admitted: ‘I think once Bob realizes what he has done he might hurt himself and I don’t know where that would leave her.’ Speaking today from the family home in a quiet Plymouth neighborhood Lisa’s husband, Neil said: ‘Lisa’s priority now is Emily and looking after her.’ Relieved that the teen is back in her mother’s arms he reacted angrily to comments made by former neighbor, Donna Kelm, yesterday. Mrs Kelm told MailOnline that she had seen Messer and Emily ‘kissing in his truck and holding hands,’ Mr Schwartz said: ‘If somebody saw something why didn’t they say anything? Why didn’t she tell us or report it to authorities. ‘I have no respect for somebody saying that now.’ He added: ‘I’ve only been in her life for the past couple of years but I’m telling you if we’d known something we’d have done something.’ As a family it is clear that the Schwartzs feel deeply betrayed by Messer, a man who has known Emily since she was a little girl and who Mrs Schwartz regarded as a ‘father figure’ for her six children. Both Messer and the teenager left notes professing their love for each other, with Emily asking her mother to try not to blame herself. Messer, recently divorced and father to a son, wrote: ‘We are in love and cannot be apart from each other. Distress: Emily's mother, Lisa, and her new husband, Neil Schwartz, are delighted she is back home. However, Neil told MailOnline he is angered that a neighbor who claimed to have seen Emily and Messer kissing in a truck didn't report it to anyone . Explanation: They left behind a letter explaining why they had run away and apologizing to their families . Desperate search: Police had been appealing to the public for help and received a number of tips that may have led them to the couple's hiding place . ‘This is sad to us but our love, though we’ve had to keep it a secret, has been the best part of our lives. Please be happy for us.’ In a heartfelt note to her mother, Emily wrote: ‘You are an amazing and wonderful mother and person. I’m so sorry I hurt you and if there was any other way we would’ve done it. ‘Try not to be sad and don’t blame yourself, nothing could be done.’ Messer had become a friend of Emily’s mother when they met at church. ‘I trusted him,’ Schwartz told ABC7 at the height of her search for her daughter. ‘My whole family trusted him. My daughter trusted him. Bob was always like a brother to me. ‘Emily doesn’t have a dad, so she always looked up to Bob as a dad, as a father figure. They’re both very introverted. They both love photography and they both love hiking.’ She said that far from feeling concern at Messer’s involvement in her teenage daughter’s life she had been grateful for the time he spent with her. She said: ‘With me having so many kids I could not just take her and do things with her, so he was like, “I’ll take her to Ann Arbor, I’ll take her to the Botanical Gardens.’
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Emily Lalinsky and Robert Messer were found in a field in Washtenaw County, Michigan on Tuesday afternoon .
Messer posted a picture of Emily two months ago with the caption 'looks like someone knows a secret'
They were taken to separate hospitals to be treated for 'superficial' wrist wounds .
Messer is now in custody on suicide watch pending charges .
Her family are thrilled, saying: 'We're all so happy, so relieved.'
The pair left Plymouth Township on Sunday, claiming they were going on a hiking trip .
Left a note reading: 'We are in love and cannot be apart from each other'
Messer, who is recently divorced and left behind a son, has known the family since Lalinksy was a child .
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(CNN) -- If you're scared of heights, then this is not for you. But for those who love an adrenaline buzz, then "step into the void" -- a suspended glass cube with a transparent bottom overlooking the Alps. But it's not for the fainthearted -- there's a drop of over 3,300 feet (1,000 meters). A rival to the London Shard, which stands at 1,017 feet (310 meters) and offers a 360-degree view of the city, it is the latest piece of architecture to attract thousands of tourists. Designed by Pierre-Yves Chays, the structure is inspired by "The Skywalk," a huge glass walkway overlooking the Grand Canyon in the U.S. state of Arizona. Perched at the top of the 12,600-foot (3,842-meter) Aiguille du Midi peak near Chamonix, France, it gives a view of Mont Blanc which had previously only been attainable by skiing. "I don't know if I can do it," were the first words to flash into the mind of Mathieu Dechavanne, the man who helped create the attraction. After three years of development, Compagnie Mont Blanc, the firm which operates the ski lifts and attractions in the area, has created a structure made from three layers of tempered glass which can withstand winds of up to 200 kilometers an hour. The stupendous view captures the highest peaks in France, Italy and Switzerland, as well as the biggest glaciers in Europe. "The original idea was to create something even bigger to cross from one end to another," Dechavanne, general manager of Compagnie Mont Blanc, told CNN. "One of the main conditions we had was that the design fitted in with the environment of the site. "If that wasn't possible, we wanted to do something to allow the visitor to step into the shoes of a mountaineer. "We wanted people to understand what was going on at altitude. From the void, you can see people climbing and making their way up the mountain. "You can also try to climb if you want but if you want the sensation of what it's like at the top then try this transparent box and you can gain a real experience." While the view may be enough to send shivers down the spine, the journey to the very top might leave a few feeling queasy. To get to the top, patrons must brave a cable car ride which takes them 8,858 feet (2,700 meters) up the side of the mountain. Once that's been completed, it's on board a second cable car for the final 4,790 feet (1,460 meters) to ascend to the peak. "The view is fantastic," added Dechavanne. "The beauty is that the void is beneath the feet but the impact on the brain comes from the transparency of the glass." "It's not like walking in the street, but this gives the impression to people of what it's like on the mountain." To compare how "The Void" compares to other viewing structures around the world, Toronto's CN Tower -- named one of the modern world's Seven Wonders by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1995 -- is 1,815 feet (553 meters) tall and its highest platform is at 1,465 feet (447 meters). It has since been overtaken by Shanghai's World Financial Center, which has an observation deck at 1,555 feet (474 meters), and Guangzhou's Canton Tower (1,601 feet, 488 meters). In 2012, the tallest hotel in the world was opened in Dubai -- the Marquis, standing at 1,164 feet (355 meters) tall -- while its owner Marriott recently unveiled its newest property in New York. The Residence Inn consists of 68 floors and stands at 750 feet (228 meters) -- making it the tallest hotel in the U.S.
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"Step into the Void" is a glass room built around a metal frame in mountains .
Structure installed at Aiguille du Midi peak above Chamonix in French Alps .
It can withstand winds of more than 220 kph .
Visitors can take a 20-minute ride to the top in a cable car .
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1620f5a59138b0d30a5882923cee21099f7c99b6
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(CNN Student News) -- February 11, 2013 . Media Literacy Question of the Day . What is the best role for the news media during a natural disaster? What should the news media take care to avoid? * . * . Daily Discussion Questions . According to the program: What was the impact of a blizzard that struck the Northeast over the weekend? What did various officials say about this snowstorm? What do you think the residents affected by this storm would say about it? How are weather forecasts valuable in preparing for a storm? In your view, how well do people know how to use this information? Explain. * . * . What are some sources of carbon monoxide? What are the dangers of inhaling this gas? What are some ways you can think of to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning? * . * . What is the purpose of New York's Fashion Week? What kinds of business decisions are made surrounding this event? Do you think this event is newsworthy? Explain. To what extent, if any, are consumers influenced to buy the clothing they see at fashion shows? * . * . What was your reaction to the segment on a chef who prepares food using dirt? What did the chef say about why he uses dirt in the food he prepares? Would you be interested in tasting any of his dishes? Why or why not? * . * .
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Use these questions to help students understand today's featured news stories .
Today's Daily Discussion includes the Media Literacy Question of the Day .
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162139bc6ba5b71856e7c1a40a4cd4a9cbeae68f
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By . Paul Donnelley . Squatters fighting against the expansion of Heathrow have vowed to continue their sit-in on a plot of land after bailiffs failed to show up. The protesters calling themselves Grow Heathrow have created a market garden at Sipson, Middlesex, which would be bulldozed if the airport succeeds in its campaign to build a third runway. The group was served an eviction notice last month and expected bailiffs to enforce it this morning. Protesters at Sipson near Heathrow make plain their views over how long they intend to prevent the expansion of the airport, They have been in situ for four years and were expecting to face bailiffs determined to evict them this morning but instead they were faced with the land owner Imran Malik . However, the owner of the land went alone and was met by the squatters and 'up to 200' supporters. Grow Heathrow was set up on the land four years ago and the group threatened to dig tunnels and use locks to frustrate the expected eviction attempt. Campaigners, some of whom live on the land, have been training in ways to prevent efforts to remove them. Grow Heathrow was set up on the land near the airport four years ago and the group threatened to dig tunnels and use locks to frustrate the expected eviction attempt . The entrance to the squatters' camp at Sipson near Heathrow where they have been for four years . Laura Simpson (left), her father Cavan O'Connor (centre), and her son Owen (right) at the squatters' camp at Sipson in the shadow of Heathrow airport . The land is owned by businessman Imran Malik, and the decision to evict them was upheld in the Court of Appeal. Today John McDonnell, the Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, handed Mr Malik a letter urging him to discuss the issue with the residents, who want to buy the land. Protesters claim he has so far not returned requests to talk about the land. A resident guards the entrance to the squatters' camp at Sipson where protesters were expecting bailiffs this morning, having been served an eviction notice last month . Living room: This is one of the living areas at Grow Heathrow where the squatters rest and relax in between bouts of protest against a third runway at Heathrow . Cameron Richardson, a resident at Grow Heathrow, said: 'This morning was a mixture of excitement and apprehension because this could have potentially been a foretaste for what might happen if a third runway at Heathrow is granted. 'We were ready to peacefully resist using lock-on and peaceful manpower stopping them coming through the gate. A mask hangs from a peg at Grow Heathrow at Sipson, near Heathrow Airport; Labour MP John McDonnell (right) wants the squatters to sit down with Imran Malik, who owns the land . Activists eat at Grow Heathrow at Sipson, near Heathrow Airport where they have been holding a protest for four years against the expansion of the airport to three runways . Squatters at Grow Heathrow are protesting against the building of a third runway at the nearby airport . The inside of Grow Heathrow at Sipson, Middlesex where protesters are resisting against a third runway being built at Heathrow Airport. The site, called Grow Heathrow has a meadow where the campaigners grow food to cook and they harvest their own energy supply with solar panels . 'We're hopeful that in the next few days and weeks that he'll come and talk to us and start an adult conversation. 'I think we're still waiting to see if the bailiffs are going to come and we're ready for it but I'm hoping we're going to start a negotiation to buy this land and have a community-owned project for everybody.' Grow Heathrow was set up to in 2010 in protest against the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport . Two protesters play instruments on the roof of the Grow Heathrow site where they have solar panels to generate their own electricity. Squatters are resisting a third runway being built at Heathrow Airport . Tracey Howard, who lives in Sipson, said: 'I've been fighting for no third runway for the last 14 years and this is another cog to our wheel of the battle we've been fighting. 'We want to keep our village so anything that is offering support is a benefit to anybody. 'I would be lying if I said we couldn't get evicted off this land because we could, but I'm hopeful the land owner will talk to us about selling it.' Grow Heathrow claimed that up to 200 locals joined the protest chanting and playing music, and dancing and singing. The entrance to Grow Heathrow, which is a protest site where campaigners are resisting a third runway being built at Heathrow Airport. Bailiffs were expected to turn up this morning at 8am but did not show . The inside of one of the workshops at Grow Heathrow. The squatters have a bike shed where they repair and sell bikes on a donation basis .
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Squatters served with eviction notice a month ago; expected bailiffs today .
Landowner Imran Malik turned up, greeted by squatters and '200 supporters'
MP John McDonnell urged Mr Malik to talk to squatters who want to buy land .
Grow Heathrow grows vegetables, repairs bikes and has own solar panels .
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16215cf146f540d88d9faba7df40c604189b2e39
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(CNN) -- Glenn Greenwald, the reporter who broke the news about secret U.S. surveillance programs, said the authorities who took his partner into custody at London's Heathrow Airport "are going to regret what they did." "I am going to write my stories a lot more aggressively now," the Guardian reporter told Brazil's Globo TV on Monday in Rio de Janeiro. "I am going to publish many more documents now. I am going to publish a lot about England, too, I have a lot of documents about the espionage system in England. Now my focus is going to be that as well." Greenwald's partner, 28-year-old David Miranda, was held for nearly nine hours. He was reportedly passing through the airport on his way home to Brazil after leaving Berlin. Authorities seized his laptop, phone, and other materials. The White House knew the move was coming. "There was a heads up that was provided by the British government," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday. So the United States knew it "was likely to occur, but it's not something that we've requested and it's something that was done specifically by the British law enforcement officials there," he said. He would not comment on whether the United States has obtained material from Miranda's laptop -- and would not say whether President Barack Obama condemns the detention. Agents asked 'about my entire life' Miranda, also speaking to Globo TV in Rio, said agents were asking him questions "about my entire life." "I was in a room, there were six different agents coming in and out and talking to me," he said. "They took my computer, video games, cell phone, everything." The detention was reported by The Guardian. Before releasing him, authorities seized Miranda's laptop, cell phone, video game consoles and USB sticks, Greenwald wrote for The Guardian. "This is obviously a rather profound escalation of their attacks on the news-gathering process and journalism," he said. "It's bad enough to prosecute and imprison sources. It's worse still to imprison journalists who report the truth. But to start detaining the family members and loved ones of journalists is simply despotic. Even the Mafia had ethical rules against targeting the family members of people they felt threatened by." A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed that a 28-year-old man was detained Sunday at Heathrow. The spokesman said the man was held for close to nine hours under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000. 'Grave concern' Brazil's foreign ministry issued a statement Sunday expressing "grave concern" over the incident. Anger had erupted in Brazil when citizens learned of U.S. National Security Agency spying on Brazil. "This measure is without justification since it involves an individual against whom there are no charges that can legitimate the use of that legislation. The Brazilian government expects that incidents such as the one that happened to the Brazilian citizen today do not repeat." According to The Guardian, nine hours is the maximum time allowed before authorities must either release or arrest a detained individual. Miranda was returning to their home in Rio de Janeiro. While in Berlin, Miranda stayed with filmmaker Laura Poitras, who has worked "extensively" with Greenwald on his stories about the National Security Agency, the reporter wrote. The Guardian reported that it paid for Miranda's flights. "Miranda is not a Guardian employee but often assists Greenwald in his work," the newspaper said. Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, in an editorial, wrote that "Miranda is not a journalist, but he still plays a valuable role in helping his partner do his journalistic work." He added that Greenwald's work on the reams of material provided by Snowden has been "immensely complicated by the certainty that it would be highly unadvisable for Greenwald (or any other journalist) to regard any electronic means of communication as safe. The Guardian's work on the Snowden story has involved many individuals taking a huge number of flights in order to have face-to-face meetings." Miranda is quoted by the Guardian as saying: "So they think I have a big connection. But I don't have a role. I don't look at documents. I don't even know if it was documents that I was carrying. It could have been for the movie that Laura is working on." "If the UK and U.S. governments believe that tactics like this are going to deter or intimidate us in any way from continuing to report aggressively on what these documents reveal, they are beyond deluded," said Greenwald. "If anything, it will have only the opposite effect: to embolden us even further."
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The White House knew the move was coming, spokesman says .
David Miranda, 28, was reportedly held for nearly nine hours .
Glenn Greenwald broke the story about secret surveillance programs in the United States .
Greenwald says he'll focus efforts on the English spy system .
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16227e77cf515993fa35ba21dde683c4f0ed20cf
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By . Emma Thomas . PUBLISHED: . 09:12 EST, 8 November 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:39 EST, 8 November 2013 . An entrepreneur says hackers stole $1million of the virtual currency bitcoin from his website. The Australian man, who refused to be identified citing fears for his safety, said thieves compromised his site and took a haul of virtual currency. Bitcoin is a digital-only currency traded from computer to computer and is usually used to pay for goods online. Theft: $1million bitcoins were stolen from an Australian man's website . The alleged theft is one of the largest since bitcoin was created four years ago. Bitcoin has no central authority and is not backed by governments or banks. A bitcoin user who calls himself TradeFortress told ABC more than 4,100 bitcoins worth about $1.1million (£585,000) were stolen from him. He says he is not much older than 18 and he knows the chances of getting any of the digital currency back is unlikely because all bitcoin transactions cannot be reversed. As the transactions are all anonymous, speculation has arisen that this was an inside job and TradeFortress took the coins for himself. However, the young man strenously denied the allegations - but admitted he was unlikely to report the theft to police. Digital: Bitcoin is presented as a payment method at e-commerce companies on a website in Berlin . 'The police don't have access to any more information than any user does when it comes to bitcoin. Some say it gives them control of their money,' he explained. The $1.1million bitcoins were owned by users of his website who had trusted him to look after their digital currency. A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police says to his knowledge, a theft of bitcoins has never been investigated but if it was reported to officers then police would investigate it like any other theft. Experts say as the popularity of bitcoins increases, thieves will look to hack into the system and exploit the currency's anonymous nature. Stilgherrian, a technology commentator, said unlike stocks or bonds, bitcoins are very hard to trace. 'Once you've got the bitcoin there's no way, well no easy way, of telling where you got that from,' he said. 'So from a money laundering point of view, it's very attractive. Going mainstream? A customer uses the world's first ever permanent bitcoin ATM unveiled at a coffee shop in Vancouver, Canada . 'We're talking about roughly a million dollars worth of bitcoin gone. That puts it up there with some of the biggest bank robberies in history.' A bitcoin is worth about $275 (£161). At the beginning of the year, they were worth about $30 (£17) each. Sthilgarian says the popularity of the digital currency is making stealing it more attractive to crooks. 'People rob banks because that's where the money is, your bitcoin wallet which is really just a digital file sitting on your computer, can be just as vulnerable and just as attractive,' he said. 'And the more of it that is out there, the more thieves will be drawn to it.'
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Bitcoin is a digital-only currency traded from computer to computer .
Alleged theft is one of the largest since bitcoin was created four years ago .
Experts say as popularity increases more thieves will look to steal them .
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162283beeb2bedc2d6a3be2a5ef92775d6f17a26
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It may be difficult to believe, but according to research published next month a world without war may be getting nearer. Futurologists from the University of Oslo in Norway and the Peace Research Institute Oslo have predicted that global conflict will halve in the next 40 years. Their study claims the combination of . higher education, lower infant mortality, smaller youth cohorts, and . lower population growth are a few of the reasons why the world can . expect a more peaceful future. World at war: Soldiers who support Guinea-Bissau's breakaway military leaders known as The Junta fire at a position held by Senegalese soldiers . Conflict zone: Palestinians burn a U.S. flag near the United Nations office in Gaza City earlier this month. The on-going tension in the region will die down by 2050, research suggests . Professor Håvard Hegre predicts conflict will be on the wane by 2050. Here's how the war map will change . That will mean in the next five years the current conflicts in Libya, Tajikistan, Syria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mauritania and Iraq will probably be over, the research suggests. As the risk of war decreases worldwide, by 2017 it will be greatest in India, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Uganda and Burma. And by 2050, as the number of countries at war falls from one in six to one in 12, the risk of conflict will be greatest in India, Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia and Tanzania. The conclusions were made by Håvard Hegre, a professor in the university's department of political science, who has devised a statistical model in collaboration with Oslo's Peace Research Institute. The model, it is claimed, is capable of telling us what is likely to happen in the future. 'The number of conflicts is falling,' said Professor Hegre. 'We expect this fall to continue. We predict a steady fall in the number of conflicts in the next 40 years. Futurologist: Research by Professor Håvard Hegre suggests conflict will halve by 2050 . 'Conflicts that involve a high degree of violence, such as Syria, are becoming increasingly rare. 'We put a lot of work into developing statistical methods that enable us, with a reasonable degree of certainty, to predict conflicts in the future. 'A conflict is defined as a conflict between governments and political organisations that use violence and in which at least 25 people die. This means that the model does not cover either tribal wars or solo terrorists like Anders Behring Breivik. 'In the 1700s it was normal to go to war to expand your country's territory. This strategy has passed its sell by date. But, demands for democracy may be suppressed with violence and result in more violence in the short term. As in Libya.' His research has found there has been a decrease in armed conflicts and the number of people killed since World War II and this trend will continue. 'War has become less acceptable, just like duelling, torture and the death penalty.' Infant mortality, calculated by the UN up to 2050, is one of the key factors in Professor Hegre's model. 'Countries with a high infant mortality rate have a high probability of conflict. Infant mortality is now decreasing everywhere.' The UN has also estimated population structure up to 2050. The population is expected to grow, but at a slower pace than today, and the proportion of young people will decrease in most countries, with the exception of countries in Africa. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna has extrapolated the level of education up to 2050. The . simulation model is also based on the last 40 years' history of . conflicts, of all countries and their neighbours in the world, oil . resources and ethnicity. The conflict data were collated by the Uppsala . University . 'Economic . changes in society have resulted in both education and human capital . becoming important. A complex economy makes political violence less . attractive. Kurdish soldiers patrol the mountainous Iraq-Turkey border region where conflict has raged . Nigeria is one of the countries where the risk of war will be greatest in 2050. Here Nigerian soldiers march towards protestors during a demonstration against spiraling fuel prices in Lagos earlier this year . Risk of war: An armed man waves his rifle as buildings and cars are engulfed in flames after being set on fire inside the US consulate compound in Benghazi, Libya, last month . 'It has become too expensive to kill people. Modern society is dependent on economic development. It is too expensive to use violence to destroy this network. It has also become harder to take financial capital by force. 'It is easy to move capital across national borders. Therefore, a cynical leader will be less likely to choose violence as a strategy.' It is hard to discern the most important reason why the future will be more peaceful, but some studies suggest that education is the crucial factor. 'Education may be a fundamental causal explanation, but this is difficult to show with our methods. Demographers believe that more education leads to fewer children. There are fewer mouths to feed.' Another explanation is the UN's peacekeeping operations. The world has become better at employing means of preventing states using violence. 'The UN operations in Bosnia and Somalia failed. But the UN's operations have been more successful since 2000. Of course, the UN cannot prevent conflicts, but fewer die and the intensity is lower when they intervene.' Drawing to an end? Anti-government fighters celebrate the fall of Sirte in Syria in October last year . Tension continues: An unidentified U.S. soldier stands in front of the blast-shattered Khobar Towers building in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia . Prof Hegre used data from 1970 to 2000 to check whether or not the conflict model works as intended. He wanted to see if the model could predict the actual conflicts between 2001 and 2009 . 'For 2009 we estimated that the likelihood of a conflict was more than 50 per cent in 20 countries. 16 of these countries ended up in a real conflict. We missed by four countries.' The simulation programme, which for statistical reasons must be run 18,000 times, was programmed by Joakim Karlsen, a research fellow at Østfold University College. But changes had to be made as the on-going instability in the Middle East impacted the model. 'Prior to the Arabian spring, we expected 5 per cent of the countries in the world to be involved in a conflict in 2050. This percentage has now risen to 7 per cent. 'The conflicts in the Middle East weaken the clear correlation between socio-economic development and the absence of civil war. The conflicts in Syria and Libya show that we also have to include democratisation processes in the model. 'To achieve this, we are now working on projecting democratic systems of government and regime changes,' explains Prof Hegre. The study is due to be published in the periodical International Studies Quarterly next month.
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University of Oslo research suggests number of countries at war will fall from one in six to one in 12 .
Higher education, lower infant mortality and lower population growth are reasons why the world can expect a more peaceful future .
Current conflicts in Libya, Tajikistan, Syria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mauritania and Iraq will probably be over .
The risk of conflict will be greatest in India, Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia and Tanzania .
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1623997fa8187f7c6563edabeeaf112e719a92de
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Wilmington, Vermont (CNN) -- Residents of Hatteras Island, N.C., can begin going home Sunday morning, more than a week after most of them evacuated ahead of Hurricane Irene. The staged re-entry through Tuesday will include the villages of Buxton, Hatteras and Frisco, Dare County Energency Management announced Thursday. "Conditions, utility service and other supporting infrastructure in those villages is the most conducive for re-entry at this time," the county said in a statement. "As conditions improve in the remaining villages, re-entry will be established and announced as soon as possible." Visitors will not be able to go to Hatteras Island. Instead, they can stay north of Oregon Inlet, the county said. About 2,500 residents of the island who did not take part in a mandatory evacuation have been receiving vital supplies and services. The storm washed out a critical stretch of Highway 12, a road that runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean and connects Hatteras Island to the other barrier islands on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Causeways from those barrier islands connect them to North Carolina's mainland. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama declared a disaster in Vermont, making federal grants and aid available to those who suffered losses from Tropical Storm Irene. The money can be used by individuals in Chittenden, Rutland, Washington and Windsor counties for temporary housing and home repairs, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Low-cost loans are available to cover uninsured or under-insured property losses. Counties eligible for federal funding to do emergency repairs and work are Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham and Windsor. The president issued disaster declarations earlier this week in North Carolina, New Jersey and New York. Irene killed 43 people from Florida to New England as it marched up the Eastern Seaboard over the weekend, dumping torrential rain. Some of the worst flooding struck Vermont, New Jersey and upstate New York. Ten-foot-high floodwater poured through Eileen Ranslow's 40-year-old flooring business in Wilmington when Irene struck Vermont over the weekend. The family business, where revenue has dwindled in the economic downturn, now faces at least $300,000 in damage. "It's devastating. It's devastating," Ranslow said, her voice cracking. She is not alone, as the effects of Irene continue to be felt in flood-ravaged communities along the U.S. East Coast. Flood advisories remained in place Thursday for portions of New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Virginia and South Carolina. In the days since Irene, the extent of the damage has become more evident in upstate New York, where the storm battered a cluster of communities 50 miles southwest of Albany. "There is a lot of damage left to clean up. I know the town of Prattsville has been almost completely condemned," said Jacob Hubbell of neighboring Margaretville. "Fleischmanns isn't doing too well either, and Main Street (in) Margaretville has been closed." "It's safe to say that we probably won't be back to normal in the Catskills for at least a month." In northern New Jersey, the Passaic River has begun to settle back into its banks, the National Weather Service said. Most locations are expected to drop below flood stage during the weekend as the high water works its way downstream. The development will be welcome news in the towns of Wayne, Totowa, Little Falls, Paterson and Woodland Park, where about 1,700 residents were evacuated from their homes this week. Obama will travel to Paterson on Sunday to view the damage, the White House announced. The full extent of Irene's destruction won't be known for some time. The federal government estimates that the cost from wind damage alone will exceed $1 billion. Analysts have put the total expected cost of Irene much higher. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday the storm also took a toll on agricultural production. "I had an opportunity to take a look at fields in North Carolina," he said. "I have never seen anything like it. The corn was just totally destroyed. Tobacco hit hard, cotton hit hard." It remains to be seen how some other crops, such as soybeans and tomatoes, fared, he said, but "it's very clear that farmers in North Carolina, Virginia, along the East Coast have suffered pretty significant losses." But, he said, it's unlikely that higher prices will result, as "we have such a diverse agriculture in the United States and we have so many acres planted and so many different crops. I don't think this is going to affect much of anything." The federal government's tab for the storm could exhaust the $800 million left in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund before the fiscal year ends on September 30. With conservative House Republicans, led by Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, calling for spending cuts to offset any increase in emergency funds -- a measure opposed by many Democrats -- the ability of Congress to act quickly on the issue remains uncertain. Mayor Jeffery Jones of Paterson said he was "outraged" about the funding dispute. "Mother Nature has a mind of her own, a will of her own, and we can't have the petty wrangling going on when we have folks in dire need," he said. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie echoed those sentiments during a news conference Wednesday, saying, "We don't have time to wait for folks in Congress to figure out how they want to offset this stuff with the budget cuts. Our people are suffering now. And they need support now." More than 1.1 million customers remained without electricity Thursday from North Carolina to Maine, the U.S. Department of Energy said -- a decrease from the 1.7 million reported Wednesday. Vermont transportation officials made emergency repairs on roads to previously isolated towns, officials said. Replacing washed-out bridges will take more time. In Wilmington, volunteers from across the state descended on the community to help with the cleanup. "I couldn't sit at home. I had to come help," said Sarah Boisbert, as she worked outside Ranslow's gutted flooring shop. Ranslow was touched by the gesture of so many helping hands. "They're just people," she said, pausing. "They're neighbors and in Vermont we're all neighbors." CNN's Ed Payne, Phil Gast, Amber Lyon, Nicole Saidi and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report.
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NEW: Hatteras Island, North Carolina, residents start going home Sunday .
President declares disaster in Vermont .
Agriculture is impacted, but higher prices are unlikely, official says .
Floodwaters wipe out businesses in Vermont .
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1624c69b93d7e5f118436442ffbe3803087ede5d
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While traveling in the Earth's orbit over 240 miles up, American astronaut Karen Nyberg joined Leading Women anchor Becky Anderson for a live interview from the International Space Station (ISS) Friday. When she's not working on scientific experiments, Nyberg can be found tweeting amazing pictures of the planet, chasing floating desserts in space and knitting. Read on for the full interview. CNN: Station, this is CNN. How do you hear me? Karen Nyberg: Good Morning CNN. This is station. I have you loud and clear. CNN: Simeon Birchall, a CNN.com commenter asks is there huge competition for every seat on a shuttle launch? KN: Well I don't know if I'd say competition. Definitely everybody that is in the astronaut office that wants to fly is very eager to do so even if they have gone before. Generally it's kind of going in order of when a class is selected, they start flying people from that class. And then it depends on what roles are needed. If we need to fly somebody that is going to be the commander of the space station, frequently most often that is somebody who has experience flying; if we need somebody who is going to be doing space walks, we need somebody that can do that. Back when we were flying the shuttle, there were a lot more specific tasks doing robotics ops and the space walks. TIMELINE: 50 years of women in space . Now on the space station everybody pretty much has to do everything and so it's a little competitive I guess, but your turn comes along. CNN: @Alizabev asks what type of experiments are you working on? KN: This week we've been doing a lot of experiments on our ocular health. We've noticed some problems over the past several years with many of our astronauts. They come back to Earth after three to six months in space and have long term vision problems, changes in their vision. We are trying to figure out what exactly is causing that. Luca (Parmitano) and I have been involved in numerous tests. We're doing tonometry -- we are looking at the pressure of the eye. We are doing ultrasounds to look at the morphology of the eye, we are doing fundoscopy to take images of the retina, vision tests. We are hoping that we can determine exactly what is causing this and hopefully mitigate the problem, especially if we start longer duration missions going to Mars ... we really need to understand this so we don't degrade the vision of every astronaut that is going into space. CNN: A commenter on CNN.com Marik asks what do you think of the Mars One project which aims to privately settle people on the planet? KN: I think it would be interesting. I think there are a lot of challenges and a lot of things that need to be figured out before that can be a successful mission. Mars is a long ways away and we have a lot to learn ... I don't know how many years from now that will be, but that type of thing may become standard. CNN: Floyd Moore aged 5 and Camper Carl of @AZChallenger both asked the same question: What is it like to sleep in space? And have you ever floated out of your bed? KN: It's actually quite comfortable sleeping in space. We have sleeping bags that we hang from the wall. The first couple weeks when I was here, it was very important to me to feel like I was almost laying on something. I would lay with my legs sideways in the sleeping back so that I felt pressure along my back from one side of the sleeping bag and I felt pressure from my legs on the other side. Now I've become a little more adapted to it and I can just float there. And no, I've never floated out of the bed. I'm usually zipped in pretty well. CNN: @Womenintheair asks: Which female astronauts influenced you? And have you met any of them as an astronaut? KN: Sally Ride was making her first flight into space and she really impacted me. And also just looking back, I did some research on Valentina Tereshkova when I was in high school because she was the first female to fly in space. And I actually did meet her last year for a brief moment before traveling to Baikonur as a back up for one of the missions. It was just (a) fantastic opportunity to get to meet her. I never did meet Sally Ride. I met her sister after her passing but it would have been fantastic to meet her too. But I think those two, the firsts, those names stick in your head and they really become inspirations for you. CNN: @nmedia_s asks do you think there is intelligent life in space -- besides the people at the ISS? KN: I don't know. I don't think I'm smart enough to know. The universe is so big. It's hard to imagine that there isn't something out there that is similar to our solar system and could provide what the Earth provides for us. But certainly we haven't seen that and you know, maybe some day we will. It's hard for me to say whether I truly believe it or not. I think it's possible. I don't believe we've seen anything but it's possible there is life out there somewhere. CNN: @FumaiMartin asks how much physics and chemistry taught in high school helps at the International Space Station? KN: I think any type of scientific class or mathematical class or any class really that you take is helpful even if you don't use the specific fundamentals that you learn in that class. There is something about learning how to learn that I think is very important is a very broad spectrum. And the same for college, a lot of the classes you take you are like, you think to yourself 'I'm never going to use this.' And you know what, sometimes you don't ... But a lot of it you do use. Even though we are working directly with the investigators of the scientific experiments. It's important for us understand what's going on so we can help and maybe we can see things and we can help them with their discoveries. CNN: Greg Wagner on Facebook asks what one place on Earth would you most like to visit with only the knowledge of having seen it from the ISS? KN: Oh wow! You know there are so many beautiful places that I don't even know how I would answer that. I've seen some mountain ranges that are just absolutely incredible ... But at the same time, I've come along some coastlines that look just breathtaking and so I guess I would have a lot of traveling to do if I were to go to every single place that I thought looked like a great place to be. CNN: CNN Mexico commenter Luis Flores Gonzalez asks if you were offered the opportunity to take a one-way trip to the deepest part of the universe, would you accept it? KN: A one-way trip, no. Especially with the current situation I'm in with a young son and a husband at home. I definitely would not want to do a really long, and definitely a one-way trip. It might be a different story if I had family with me but I'd have to say no to that. CNN: @Fadhelindonesia asks when you read my message what continent are you looking at? KN: We just passed over the east coast of South America and we are heading up towards Africa. We should be there in just a couple of minutes. And then we'll head up over Europe and into Asia. CNN: Leading Women co-anchor Kristie Lu Stout tweeted: We hear you're a bit of a DIY design geek. Do you get crafty in space? KN: I have been trying to do a little bit. ... It's amazing. Time goes by so fast and in the weekdays and on the evenings, there's absolutely no time for that. Sundays is really my day and I actually got a few things out the other day and drew up a design on a piece of paper and cut up some old T shirts and have started sewing things together. Not quite sure exactly how it is going to turn out but ... when I find the time to sit there and do that only, hopefully I'll get something done. WATCH THE FULL LIVE STREAM INTERVIEW .
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NASA astronaut and engineer Karen Nyberg joins CNN from the International Space Station .
Nyberg discusses space exploration, current work, women in science .
She answers questions submitted from you via CNN.com, Facebook and Twitter .
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By . Louise Eccles . PUBLISHED: . 16:34 EST, 11 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:16 EST, 13 April 2013 . Emirates flight attendant Evelyn Clarke, 28, was found dead in a car park after falling from a window on the eighth floor of a Dubai tower block in the early hours of Monday . A British air hostess who plunged to her death from a Dubai tower block told building staff ‘someone’s trying to kill me’ in the minutes before her death. Emirates flight attendant Evelyn Clarke, 28, was found dead in a car park after falling from a window on the eighth floor in the early hours of Monday. Miss Clarke apparently ran into the lobby without any shoes on as she sought refuge from a man she believed was following her. Police in Dubai are treating her death as an accident, but are continuing to question the last people who saw her alive. Detectives are also examining why Miss Clarke seemingly pulled the pin out of a dry powder fire extinguisher in a narrow stairwell, which filled the area with a thick black smoke. Staff at the residential block said they believe she may then have struggled to find her way down the stairs and opened the window, which is 3ft off the floor, to ‘escape the smoke’. Blackened fingerprints were still visible yesterday on the walls and window frames in the stairwell, as well as on a door, which led to a locked ‘lift mechanics’ room. A newspaper delivery man said Miss Clarke entered the Afaf building in Bur Dubai at about 4.15am and appeared ‘drunk’ and in distress. He also saw a man who Miss Clarke may have feared was following her. He said: 'She had no shoes on. I got into the elevator to go up to the fourth floor. But just as the doors were closing, the woman put her hand in to stop the lift and stepped inside. The man did not take the lift. ‘She was cowering with fear and it appeared she was being followed by the South Asian man. She kept saying “Someone is trying to kill me”. As she spoke, there was a strong smell of alcohol. I told her to call the police or I could do it for her. But she said no.’ Miss Clarke, from Ayrshire, Scotland, reportedly got out on the third floor and headed towards the stairwell, while the delivery man continued to distribute papers to the fourth and fifth floors. When he returned to the lobby he told security guard Mozammal Haque Bhulyan, who had been on a break when Miss Clarke arrived, about the incident. Mr Bhulyan, 33, told the Mail: ‘I . searched all the floors and, when I got to the second floor, I heard a . loud bang. I think now that was Miss Clarke falling.’ He . searched the building twice but initially did not think to check the . eighth floor, which holds a locked rooftop terrace and the mechanics . room, because it is usually for ‘authorised personnel’ only. However, when he failed to find Miss . Clarke, he opened the door to the eighth floor stairwell and was shocked . to discover it was filled with a black powder. He said: ‘I got very scared for her. I thought the powder was smoke, so I thought perhaps there had been a fire. Miss Clarke apparently ran into the lobby of the Afaf building (above) without any shoes on as she sought refuge from a man she believed was following her . ‘I ran to the watchman’s flat on the third floor and asked him to check the stairwell because there was smoke, while I went outside.’ The watchman discovered an open window and a woman’s brown handbag on the floor nearby. Next to the handbag was a pin for the fire extinguisher, which was still hanging on the wall. Mr Bhulyan said: ‘I think when she used the fire extinguisher she couldn’t see anything or anywhere to escape. Maybe she opened the window and fell or jumped.’ He walked around the outside of the building, where he found Miss Clarke’s body beneath the eighth floor window. He made the discovery at 4.37am, around 20 minutes after she entered the building. ‘She had already died,’ he said. Mr Bhulyan, a father-of-one from Bangladesh, added: ‘It is very sad.’ Miss Clarke had been working for Emirates since June and, two days prior to her death, had returned from a six-day working trip to Brisbane and Auckland . He questioned why she had entered the ordinary residential building, saying: ‘I don’t know why she was in here at night. She was definitely not living here. 'The air hostesses live in high-class buildings owned by Emirates. There is one just up the road. But this building is normal, it is not the quality that they are used to.’ He said he understood the newspaper delivery man saw an Indian man follow Miss Clarke into the building and loiter in the lobby. He added: ‘He did not enter the elevator and he was not a resident here.’ The delivery man added: ‘When I [returned to] the lobby, the man was still there and asked me in Hindi if the woman lived in the building. I ignored him and walked away.’ It is still unclear what Miss Clarke was doing in the residential Bur Dubai district, two miles from her flat. She is understood to have shared a three-bedroom apartment with fellow air hostesses in a 28-floor apartment block for Emirates staff, in the heart of the business district. Reports suggested she was on a night out with friends and may have gone on to an after-party when Dubai’s bars shut at 3am. She had been working for Emirates since June and, two days prior to her death, had returned from a six-day working trip to Brisbane and Auckland. Her parents Edmund and Maryann and brother Ryan, 23, are believed to have flown out to Dubai. A spokesman for Emirates said: ‘Our sympathies go out to her family who are currently being supported by our staff.’ On a Facebook tribute page, friends said Miss Clarke had ‘a heart of gold’ and ‘wanted to help everyone in need’. An Indian man also reportedly died the same night in Dubai from falling from a 10th-floor apartment.
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Emirates flight attendant Evelyn Clarke, .
28, was found dead in car park .
She fell from a window on the .
eighth floor in the early hours of Monday .
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1624e66ac5788155eb6fae9940f12a0edb9229c1
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A newly-released document has revealed that after the top secret mission to kill Osama bin Laden the head of U.S. special forces ordered all photos of his body be either turned in or destroyed. The e-mail was sent by then-Vice Admiral William McRaven two weeks after the secret seek and destroy operation found the Al Qaeda leader. A conservative campaign group which requested its release has claimed the e-mail, which is almost entirely redacted, 'may have been in violation of the law'. Dated May 13, 2011, it said: 'One particular item that I want to emphasize is photos; particularly UBLs remains. At this point -- all photos should have been turned over to the CIA; if you still have them destroy them immediately or get them to the [redacted.]' Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House . Osama bin Laden was killed in a special forces raid on his hideout in Abbottabad in Pakistan . CNN reports the e-mail was obtained by Judicial Watch, which has called for the public release of photos of the raid in Pakistan that killed the al Qaeda leader. The e-mail, which was almost entirely redacted, was released under a Freedom of Information Act request. Days before McRaven's instructions, Judicial Watch had filed a request for such photos, and hours before, they filed a lawsuit, according to the group's president, Tom Fitton. 'Despite there being multiple requests for this information, and a lawsuit for this information, there was a directive that was sent out, to who knows who, to destroy records,' he said. 'It may have been in violation of the law,' he said. It is not clear whether any photos of bin Laden's remains were actually destroyed. Through a spokesman, McRaven declined to comment, CNN reported. Retired General James 'Spider' Marks, a CNN military analyst, says if McRaven ordered photos deleted, he may have been trying to protect operational secrets, sources and methods and trying to make sure no commandos kept any photos or video of the covert raid that they were not authorized to keep. U.S. Marines of Regiment Combat Team 1 watch TV as President Barack Obama announces the death of Osama Bin Laden . The hideout of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following his death by U.S. Special Forces in a ground operation in Abbottabad . Found: An aerial view of the Abbottabad compound Bin Laden was hiding in . 'It wouldn't be surprising if they shook them down, and they said 'OK, I want to make sure you don't have something that's hidden away someplace,' ' he said. In the days after the raid, President Barack Obama said he would not authorize the release of any images of bin Laden's corpse, saying it would create a security risk. 'It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence, as a propaganda tool,' the president told CBS news magazine '60 Minutes.' People gather in Times Square New York shortly after the announcement from the President Obama announced that Al Qaida mastermind Osama bin Laden was dead and the United States has his body . Former FBI Assistant Director Tom Fuentes said he would have similar concerns if photos of the terrorist's body were made public. 'You would see those images forever on television,' he said. 'That could lead to more recruitment of future al Qaeda members, making him a martyr.' Fitton is not persuaded by that argument. 'Americans' right to know about what their government is up to should be circumscribed because we don't want to offend terrorists and their sympathizers? That to me is unbelievable,' he said. 'This is a historic raid. People have a right to this information.' But so far, the courts have not sided with Judicial Watch on that question, and the Supreme Court declined to hear the organization's appeal. The U.S. raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was conducted on May 2, 2011.
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E-mail was obtained by the conservative activist group Judicial Watch .
It orders special forces to turn on or destroy all pictures of the mission .
But Judicial Watch claim order 'may have been in violation of the law'
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1624e800624bddfaaba69ca94d06200733b5d76c
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(CNN) -- Billy Joel's daughter with Christie Brinkley fainted on a New York cabaret stage Saturday, her rep said Monday. An emergency room doctor concluded that Alexa Ray Joel, 28, experienced vasovagal syncope, a common cause of fainting that "is usually harmless and requires no treatment," Joel rep Claire Mercuri said. In vasovagal syncope, according to the Mayo Clinic website, a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure can cause reduced blood flow to the brain, which results in a brief loss of consciousness. Joel was performing to a sold-out crowd at The Café Carlyle on Manhattan's Upper East Side when she collapsed and was rushed to the emergency room at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Mercuri said. "Ms. Joel was taken ill earlier in the afternoon and announced from stage that she pulled out her back and neck, but wanted the show to go on," she said. It was closing night of her two-week run at the venue. "I wanted to thank everyone for coming out to support me," Joel said Monday. "I was excited and determined to fulfill my final performance and I really wanted to end my run with a bang, but this was not what I had in mind and hope I have the opportunity to make it up to the wonderful audience very soon." The songwriter and singer launched her performance and recording career in 2006. Alexa Ray Joel speaks up on depression . She suffered from what she called "heartbreak-related depression" after a break up with longtime boyfriend and former bandmate Jimmy Riot in 2010. She was rushed to a New York hospital on December 5, 2009, after swallowing a handful of homeopathic pain pills, her publicist confirmed at the time. The pills were not considered to be life-threatening. After media reports suggested that her depression was sparked by a fight with her mother, Christie Brinkley, the former model and her ex-husband Billy Joel released a public denial. "As much as we hate dignifying tabloid stories with a response, we feel we must set the record straight," Joel and Brinkley said in 2009. "Every parent can imagine the pain and anguish ... of a daughter who is working to recover from the dangerous actions she took while suffering a devastating heartbreak." CNN's Jane Caffrey contributed to this report.
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Doctor says Alexa Ray Joel experienced a harmless fainting episode .
She is the daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley .
She was performing at Manhattan's Café Carlyle when she collapsed .
The songwriter and singer launched her performance and recording career in 2006 .
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16251263590f7623d8640d7547f86033f2beb749
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Tragic: Quinn Lucas Schansman, a dual U.S.-Dutch citizen, is the only American confirmed killed aboard Flight MH17 . A 19-year-old American citizen who has been confirmed killed aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was remembered by his grieving relatives and friends today as a kind young man with a great sense of humor. Quinn Lucas Schansman, 19, a dual U.S. and Dutch citizen, was on his way to meet family members who were vacationing in Malaysia when his plane was hit by a Russian-made surface-to-air missile. Quinn was born in Fort Lee, New Jersey, but spent most of his short life in the Netherlands. He also had family in Georgia. His father, Thomas, worked in San Mateo, . California, and New York City as an account executive for the Netherlands Foreign . Investment Agency, a Dutch government bureau that helps foreign . companies get established in Holland. On Friday, . Quinn's grandfather Ronald, who was visiting his sister's home in . Woodbury, New Jersey, this week, made a statement about the tragedy . that claimed his grandson’s life. ‘You go through all the phases of mourning,’ Ronald Schansman told NBC Philadelphia. ‘At the moment, it's just mourning. And of course anger. ‘It didn’t need to happen. [It was] A senseless thing to do.’ Scroll down for videos . Quinn's Facebook page shows he was dating Floor van Dranen, who posted loving pictures of her with her boyfriend on Thursday after learning he had been killed . Quinn's family is from Hilversum in the north of the country. It was not immediately clear where his family was from in the United States . Rage: Quinn's grandfather Ronald Schansman, speaking from his sister's house in New Jersey, said their family demand justice for the 19-year-old and the rest of the passengers and crew of the doomed flight . According . to Mr Schansman, Quinn was on his way to join his father, stepmother . and siblings in Indonesia. From there the family were supposed to travel . to Bali for a week-long vacation before returning home to Amsterdam. Now, Thomas Schansman is heading back to Holland, where he will await the return of his 19-year-old's son's remains. 'We want to know why,' Ronald Schansman said. 'Who shot?' Quinn . Schansman's friend from high school described the 19-year-old as caring . and sensitive - the kind of boy who was willing to stick up for his friends and diffuse a tense situation with humor. ‘If . there was a fight in class he could cool everyone down again, made a . joke and it was like it never happened,’ Fabienne Schriek told NBC. The U.S. State Department is still . checking to see whether there are more American victims among the 298 . passengers and crew members on the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala . Lumpur, Malaysia. 'At . this point, the individual that I mentioned is the sole person that we . can definitively say is a U.S. or dual citizen,' the President said in a . White House press conference today. 'At this point, having worked through the list, this is our best assessment of the number of Americans that were killed.' He cautioned that more American victims could be identified. 'So cute!' According to Quinn's Facebook page he and Floor had been dating since last September. He commented on this picture #she #is #so #cute . Quinn also posted several pictures of him and his little brother. Quinn was supposed to meet his family in Malaysia for a vacation . Quinn posted this picture of himself on vacation in Malta with the hashtags #just #chilling . Quinn Schansman's Facebook page shows that he studied at international business at . Hogeschool van Amsterdam (the University of Amsterdam) and also lived in . the Dutch capital. After . news of his death broke, in girlfriend, Floor van Dranen posted a . touching picture of the couple lovingly kissing. Condolences poured in . for the young business school graduate. His Facebook page reveals that they had been together since last September. Quinn is also a former player for the Olympia'25 soccer club. The . club is based in Hilversum, the city in northern Holland where Quinn's . family lives. His brother is currently plays with the club, the . organization said in a statement posted on its website. 'We . wish the relatives, friends and acquaintances much strength to cope . with this unimaginable loss, huge blow,' Olympia'25 said in a statement. According . to the latest information from Malaysia Airlines, only four passengers . remain unidentified. The new totals show that 189 of the victims were . Dutch citizens and 44 were Malaysia - including the 15 crew members. There were 27 Australians killed, along with nine British citizens, one . Canadian and one New Zealander. President Barack Obama has confirmed that 'at least' one American was killed aboard Flight MH17. The State Department is reviewing whether there were more U.S. citizens involved . Internal White House emails obtained by BuzzFeed appear to show that the White House knew shortly after the crash Thursday that there were not 23 Americans aboard the plane, as had been widely reported on Thursday. President Barack Obama made very brief remarks about the crash on Thursday afternoon before a pre-planned speech in Delaware. 'Obviously . the world is watching reports of a downed passenger jet near the . Russia-Ukraine border. And it looks like it may be a terrible tragedy. Right now we’re working to determine whether there were American . citizens on board. That is our first priority,' he said. He then quickly returned to his prepared remarks, joking, 'It is great to be in the state that gave us Joe Biden. We’ve got actually some better-looking Bidens with us here today. We've got Beau and his wife, Hallie, are here. Give them a big round of applause. We love them.' As the search continues, pro-Russian separatists who control the area . where the Malaysia Airlines flight was brought have announced they will . allow FBI and NTSB officials access to the area in an 'advisory role'. Initial assessments from U.S. intelligence officials say that the Flight MH17 was blasted out of the sky by Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine using a Russian . It is believed that a sophisticated surface-to-air missile blasted Flight MH17 out of the sky. U.S. officials say they believe it was fired by Russian separatists who thought the plane was a Ukrainian military transport . Netherlands: 189 victims . Malaysia: 44 victims (including 15 crew & 2 infants) Australia: 27 victims . Indonesia: 12 victims (including 1 infant) United Kingdom: 9 victims . Germany: 4 victims . Belgium: 4 victims . Philippines: 3 victims . Canada: 1 victim . New Zealand: 1 victim . Unverified: 4 victims .
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President Barack Obama has confirmed Quinn Lucas Schansman an American and Dutch dual citizen, died on board the plane .
The 19-year-old was born in Fort Lee, New Jersey, but spent most of his life in Holland .
Quinn was flying to Malaysia to join his family on a vacation in Bali .
His father, Thomas Schansman, worked for the Dutch government in San Francisco and New York before returning to Holland .
President Obama said 'at least' one American killed .
U.S. State Department still searching for others .
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1625306322789c1574debf9f029c9241d0b835aa
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By . Ronnie Esplin, Press Association . Jo Inge Berget is hoping his double in Celtic's 6-1 Scottish Premiership thrashing of Dundee United on Saturday signalled that his Parkhead career is up and running after a false start. The Norway international was surprisingly pitched into the first-leg of the Champions League third qualifier against Legia Warsaw in Poland last month by manager Ronny Deila only a couple of days after signing a six-month loan deal from Cardiff. The 23-year-old forward looked out of sorts along with his equally hapless team-mates and was eventually substituted after just an hour of the 4-1 defeat. Get in: Berget celebrates scoring his first goal for the club as Celtic ran out 6-1 winners against Dundee United . He was left out the starting line-up in the next two games but returned against United where his brace washed away his Warsaw woes which he put down, in part, to not knowing the names of his team mates. 'As a footballer you always want to play,' said Berget. 'The manager asked me and I told him I was ready for it, and I was. 'I don't think anybody really had their best game there (Warsaw). 'So it is easy to say the new guy had only trained a couple of times, but things could have gone the other way as well. 'I thought I was ready for it but of course it is easier when you know the names of the players you play with.' Berget certainly looked more comfortable against United, defensively hopeless as they were, and indeed he was only thwarted by the crossbar from grabbing a hat-trick. Friends now: The Norwegian is embraced by Charlie Mulgrew, and says he now knows he teammates' names . The former Stromsgodset and Molde player said: 'It's a long time since I scored twice. 'It was the second game I have started, I feel I'm getting into it. I know all the boys now and I've settled well. 'I knew Stefan (Johansen) from before so that is an easier way into the group but the boys have been good, all of them, so I've settled in fine. 'I have already played more games here than I did in Cardiff so that's a good thing, and scored two goals so that is great. 'You can't say I've proved myself with one game but it is definitely a step in the right direction and hopefully I'll get many more goals.' It is back to the drawing board for Jackie McNamara's side who contributed massively to their own downfall. Benched: After his disappointing debut Berget had to sit out two games before getting another chance . Their troubles started in the third minute when Celtic debutant Jason Denayer, the 19-year-old Belgian defender who arrived on a year-long loan from Manchester City, put the home side in front when United failed to deal with a Kris Commons corner. Further goals by Commons and Johansen, both also avoidable from the visitors' point of view, had the points tied up by the interval and stand-in skipper Charlie Mulgrew claimed a fourth with a nick although that was disputed by Anthony Stokes who curled in the free-kick. Berget scored either side of a deflected drive by United captain John Rankin which left McNamara wondering if the early goal had frightened his team. The former Hoops defender said: 'Maybe losing a goal after three minutes spooked a few of our players who have been on the end of it before. A bit of fear creeps in. 'But I'll make sure the players watch footage of the set-pieces and the goals.'
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Berget had a difficult debut against Legia Warsaw after loan move from Cardiff .
Norway striker admits he didn't know his fellow players' names .
After being dropped for two matches the forward returned to score twice against Dundee United .
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1625675b0f7f51ed494a679af37ef3b8c8c42e14
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Ever the gentleman, nothing could stop William Gordon from escorting his wife, Nelly, on her greatest journey. He lovingly watched their children crowd around their mother to say goodbye. Suddenly, Nelly stretched her arms, smiled as if she were a blushing bride, lay down on the bed and died. Gordon, though, had died five years earlier. Legend has it that when Nelly, the mother of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, died in 1917, her husband came back to escort his wife to the great beyond. According to the Gordon family, the butler saw the late master walking down the stairs and out the front door of their stately Savannah, Georgia, home, appearing young, handsome and happy. It's one of many ghost stories told around the city of Savannah, where centuries-old cemeteries and antique houses betray a bloody history of battles, fires, epidemics and storms -- a supernatural tourist delight. Gordon Low was even born on October 31, 1860, on Halloween. But Gordon Low's childhood home, a beloved Scouting destination, doesn't seem creepy at all. Photos capture how scared you look inside a haunted house . Katherine Keena, the interim director for the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, is quick to mention its bright, happy feeling. The stone facade and double-staircase entry, blessedly shaded from the hot Georgia sun by oaks and hanging moss, looks like the destination for a grand ball, not a big scare. "I always think of haunted houses being unwelcoming or scary," Keena said. "That's certainly not what this house is like." So why have columns, turrets, widow's walks, mansard roofs and gingerbread trim of Victorian-styled houses -- not to mention overgrown grounds, Spanish moss and cobwebs -- become the hallmarks of spooky, sinister places? To start, all those details signal that a house has history. "With old houses of any style, especially those that have been in the same family for generations, more than likely, there will be legends," said Sarah Lea Burns, a professor emeritus from Indiana University's department of art history, who researches haunted houses. "These historic houses, especially the beautiful ones, embody what it is we feel that we've lost." And they're a living reminder of a time when ghost stories took on greater meaning. Early architecture in the United States drew on popular Georgian styles from England. As the country grew, neoclassical homes incorporated columns and pediments better known from ancient Greece, the bed of philosophy and political theater. Later still, American Victorian homes borrowed romantic architectural elements from Gothic churches of Rome and castles of Northern Europe. As all those styles became fashionable, the early founding fathers were dying. Residents of a young America feared they were losing their sense of morality along with them, said Bret Carroll, an American history professor at California State University Stanislaus. This national anxiety, along with a strong tradition of folklore and ghost stories, led to radical ways of thinking about the dead that rejected the limits of the scientific method. Some believed that spirits of the dead not only existed in our universe but were able to understand it better than the living. By the 1840s and '50s, stories of ghostly communiques were making headlines in newspapers around the country. Through seances, self-proclaimed "spiritualists" sought wisdom and advice from the dearly departed. They were, for the most part, progressive middle- to upper-class people, Carroll said, who owned fine homes that might still be standing today. Legend has it that Winchester rifle heiress Sarah Winchester was haunted by the deaths of her child and husband when she sought guidance through a spiritualist. She went on to build a sprawling Victorian home in San Jose, California, perhaps under the guidance of a medium -- or perhaps because she was an enormously wealthy widow with a home-building hobby. Either way, the home -- now a tourist attraction -- became an architectural testament to turmoil. In the years Winchester was building, there was nothing farfetched about ghost stories or the idea that houses could be haunted, said Carroll, the history professor. "Back in those days, religious belief -- especially the physical reality of the afterlife -- was more widespread than it is today," Carroll said. "There was no reason for these folks to deny or disbelieve that spirits actually existed." Of course, Queen Anne and French Second Empire-style houses didn't start off sinister. "At the time they were built, they were fashionable, trendy and modern," said Burns, the art historian. But the taste for such houses vanished in the 20th century, she said, and elements of Victorian architecture gradually gained a dark aura. Few were wired for electricity, and they hardly suited modern tastes for light, efficiency and ease in cleaning. People began to look at Victorian houses as unsanitary, gloomy and dark, Burns said. Even the architecture itself gained a mongrel reputation because of its appropriation of historical styles -- Gothic, Roman, Greek -- mixed together in what seemed like an incoherent and disorderly manner. The South was especially susceptible to that attitude as once-grand Antebellum homes stood empty after the Civil War, dilapidated to the point of ruin. Loaded with architectural elements that had fallen out of style, Southern homes were "burdened by a history of violence, whether it was family violence or the violence of the slave system," Burns said. "There's almost this wholesale rejection of the Victorian style, which is thought to be literally unhealthy for people because of the darkness and gloom," she said. Pop culture helped to seal the deal on what seems spooky. Think of the home from "Psycho," and the dark room filled with bric-a-brac and rotting lace where Norman Bates' mummified mother sat, or the stately manors of "The Addams Family" or "The Munsters." Even Walt Disney turned to the Southern Victorian to create the façade of Disneyland's famous Haunted Mansion. The wrap-around porches festooned with New Orleans-style wrought iron, massive columns and pediment and crowning turret recall the houses of the coastal South, Burns said. (Indeed, even that home is rumored to be the final resting place of a departed soul.) So no matter how many haunted homes break from tradition, there's always something chilling about just the right spooky style. "I love a Victorian house," Burns said. "It makes me wonder where the bodies are buried."
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Victorian homes have developed a spooky reputation .
Paranormal history and architecture trends combine to create a haunted feel .
Art historian: "I love a Victorian house. It makes me wonder where the bodies are buried."
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(CNN) -- Better late than never. As those in green danced with joy and celebrated the apparent end of Mexico's World Cup curse, those in orange were already planning their flights home. Mexico, which had failed to win a last-16 match in its previous five attempts, finally appeared to have cracked it. Giovani Dos Santos' strike, which came in the 48th minute, looked like it had secured a quarterfinal place for only the third time in nation's history -- and the first on foreign soil. And yet, with the prize within its grasp, Mexico faltered at the last. With just two minutes of the contest remaining, step forward Wesley Sneijder. A man for whom nothing had gone right all afternoon. His passing was wayward, his touch was off and the quality with which he has been blessed appeared to have temporarily escaped him. But when the Netherlands needed the Galatasaray man the most, he delivered. With 88 minutes on the clock, the ball came out to Sneijder on the edge of the penalty area and he sent an unstoppable right-footed effort into the bottom corner. Cue the hysteria from the Dutch fans, who had already consigned themselves to an evening of drowning their sorrows and an early flight back to Amsterdam. In the energy-sapping conditions of Fortaleza, where the temperature pitchside reached over 100, Mexico suddenly wilted. For the best part of 90 minutes it had negated the attacking threat of the Dutch, seen off Robin van Persie and looked good value for a place in the last eight. After all, for a team which only qualified for the tournament following a playoff against New Zealand, a place in the quarterfinals would represent a huge success. Mexico, led by the charismatic and affable Miguel Herrera, have become one of the most difficult sides to beat. But when it needed its resilience most, it failed. Instead, Arjen Robben, the man who had tormented Mexico for large periods of the second half, was brought down inside the penalty area by Rafael Marquez. While the Mexican players protested following Robben's spectacular fall, their anger fell on deaf ears. "He dived three times, he should have cautioned him the first time," Miguel Herrera, the Mexico coach, told reporters of Robben after the game. "It seems to me the reason (we lost) was the referee, the man with the whistle. He left us outside the next stage of the World Cup. "If the referee starts marking fouls that don't exist, you leave the World Cup to circumstances out of your hands. We expect the referee committee to take a look at that and that this gentleman goes home, just like us." Herrera was still seething after the game as he addressed the press -- and television replays suggested he had a point. Nevertheless, a penalty was awarded and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar showed remarkable composure to fire low into the corner and break Mexican hearts in the fourth minute of six added on. "The players showed they had faith and belief until the very end," van Gaal told reporters following the 2-1 victory. "The humidity was not in our favor, so when you see that until the very last minute we were fresher and fitter than the Mexicans, that is a big compliment to my players. "Not only did they have belief but physically they prepared so well to play this match. That of course gives us enormous confidence going forward." Few would have expected such late drama, with the Dutch appearing to struggle to create many clear-cut opportunities before falling behind. Mexico, which defeated Cameroon and Croatia either side of a draw with Brazil, started positively and felt it should have been given a penalty when Ron Vlaar fouled Hector Herrera. Those appeals were dismissed by referee Pedro Proenca, as were the shouts from the Dutch when Robben was upended by a combination of Hector Moreno and Marquez. With both teams having slowed down play following the tournament's first three-minute cooling break, introduced by FIFA to combat dehydration in the hot weather, it was little surprise that the first half ended goalless. But the second 45 minutes proved a far more entertaining affair -- especially given Mexico's rapid start. Dos Santos received the ball 20 yards from goal and his fierce effort flew past Jasper Cillessen and into the far corner. That goal appeared to stun the Dutch -- a side which had swept all before it in the group stage. After all, this was a Netherlands team which had dismantled reigning world champion Spain 5-1, beaten Chile comfortably and fought back to see off Australia. But in the oppressive heat, the men in orange appeared to be toiling under the heavy sun. When the Dutch did get forward, they found the irrepressible Ochoa in the form of his life. Already a star following his performance against Brazil, where he produced save after save, the Mexico goalkeeper was at it again. First, he denied Stefan de Vrij from close range, pushing his header onto the post before standing tall to block Robben's effort. The Dutch looked down and out. And then it happened. Step forward Sneijder, one of the few experienced players who was there that fateful night in South Africa when his side was beaten in the final by Spain. With just two minutes remaining, his rasping effort flew past Ochoa and breathed new life into his ailing teammates. Huntelaar, who had replaced the ineffective van Persie, then converted his injury-time penalty to spark wild celebrations. A date with Costa Rica now awaits the Dutch -- for Mexico, it's home time once again. Brazil 2014 World Cup: schedule of matches .
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Netherlands defeats Mexico 2-1 in Fortaleza .
Wesley Sneijder and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar score late goals to secure win .
Giovani Dos Santos had given Mexico 48th minute lead .
Dutch will face Costa Rica in quarterfinals .
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Editor's note: This article contains profanity that some may find offensive. This is part one of a three part series showing different aspects of life inside Colombia's drug gangs. A gang member sniffs in a cloud of cocaine dust as he cuts the drug with other substances. MEDELLIN, Colombia (CNN) -- A young man with tattoos covering one arm rolls hundreds of marijuana joints in the half-light of a shack, perched on a hillside in a Medellin slum. A 9mm pistol and a .38 revolver lie on his work bench. An old battery-powered radio blares out the salsa music classic, "Todo Tiene Su Final" or "Everything Comes To An End." "I'm getting calluses on my tongue rolling all these spliffs," he laughs, telling me has enough marijuana for about 1,000 joints. He and his comrades plan to sell them for about 50 cents apiece. A few doors away, two other gang members have raided their mother's kitchen for soup plates, drinking glasses and a blender. They've just taken delivery of a kilogram (2.2 pound) brick of pure cocaine. Their job now is to cut it and package it in gram bags to peddle on street corners they control. Watch as cocaine is cut » . A female gang member shows up with two more bags, one containing powdered caffeine and the other lidocaine, a dental anesthetic used to dilute the pure cocaine. They mix business with pleasure. Every now and again one of the gang members pulls off the top of the blender and breathes in a cloud of pulverized cocaine. One of them coughs and keels over in the kitchen. Seconds later, he's back on his feet snorting cocaine off a spoon. "Breathing that cocaine cloud mellows me out so I need a line to take me back up," he says. Standing in the background, snorting lines of pure cocaine off a pocketknife is the gang leader, a man in his mid-20s. His cohorts call him "Chief." He tells me they'll sell the heavily cut cocaine for $1.50 a gram. Higher purity powder goes for about $4 a gram. That's much cheaper than the $50 or $60 a heavily cut gram costs on most U.S. and European streets, according to estimates from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. I agree to conceal Chief's true identity to protect him from the police and rival gangs. As we chat, he dismantles a small caliber pistol. Watch the gangs in action » . "Around here the only law is the rules of the street," he explains. "The rules don't change; they always will be the rules, here or anywhere else." A trusted source, who made the introduction for me, tells me Chief is a "total animal living on borrowed time," who has earned so many enemies he cannot risk stepping outside the few hundred square yards of his home turf. "I'm only human, of course I get afraid," he says. "Afraid my life will end suddenly before I can do anything to get out of this war." Since the time when undisputed cocaine king Pablo Escobar held sway here, the "northeastern commune" district has forged a fearsome reputation as a recruiting ground for drug cartel hit men and violent gang wars. Medellin is once again in the grip of a vicious drug war. In January to September this year, city authorities say the murder rate has more than doubled with almost 2,000 killings. Officials at the Medellin public prosecutor's offices say the vast majority of victims were shot, likely victims of rival drug gangs and cocaine capos. Watch marijuana joints being rolled by the hundreds » . That makes Medellin as dangerous as Ciudad Juarez, the frontier town dubbed Mexico's most dangerous city as a result of the ongoing cartel war there. Authorities in Juarez say killings are up from last year and are hitting record highs. Colombian authorities estimate there are around 130 street gangs -- known as "combos" -- in Medellin, totaling some 6,000 members. Their only real loyalty is to the money that drug capos dole out to hire a gang's services. Capos will supply them with drugs to retail on street corners and occasionally issue them weapons to take on rival gangs loyal to another crime boss. Until earlier this year, Medellin's drug underworld was ruled by the so-called "Office of Envigado," named after a district of the Medellin metropolitan area. The "office" was a syndicate of the top cocaine bosses who agreed on the basic rules of doing business in the area. They shared smuggling routes and acted as the ultimate enforcers if cartel members reneged on deals or debts. But the "office" has been ripped apart by infighting. Some senior members were arrested, some of those already in jail were extradited and others cut cooperation deals with U.S. authorities. That left the lower ranks fighting to fill the power vacuum. It's an internal battle that is still raging. Watch how CNN's Karl Penhaul got unprecedented access to the gangs » . "The ones fueling this war are the ones from the other side. They've f***ed up Medellin," Chief says. "They're from Medellin but they're traitors." "They want to get control of all Medellin so they're shooting up one gang then another. They're getting paid to fight. These are wars between the big capos and we're paying the price out here on the streets," he adds. Chief and his allies have stopped rivals intruding on their turf by strictly enforcing what they call "street rules." A day before our meeting, Chief says he helped bury one of his friends who had been gunned down when he ventured into the heart of Medellin with a girlfriend. "I couldn't even bear to take a look inside the coffin," he began explaining. "We don't really know who did it. But it was that crack head girlfriend who persuaded him to go down there. So we killed the bitch. "You see that's street rules. You have to answer for our friend and the only way you can do that is pay with your life," he says. Chief shies away from questions about which cartel boss is bankrolling his gang. But clearly somebody has been supplying them with guns. They pose with a Czech-made .22-caliber rifle and an assortment of semi-automatic pistols -- as well as the wholesale supply of drugs they then sell on the streets. My conversation with Chief is interrupted when another gang member arrives at the improvised drug den. He mumbles to his boss that a local man has been beating up his wife. Chief authorizes his underling to go and thrash the accused man with a pool cue. "I don't think we need cameras for this one please," he requests. As I get ready to leave I have one last question for Chief: I want to know if he ever had any dreams. "I've tried to get out of this but it's never quite worked out," he says. "I'd like to sail away in a sailboat. Alone and far away."
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Drug war raging in Medellin, Colombia, has seen almost 2,000 killings this year .
Gang leader says violence sparked by power vacuum as old bosses arrested .
His gang sells cocaine and marijuana and he rules through violence .
But he refuses to say which cartel boss is bankrolling his gang .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . When life gives you potholes, make pictures appears to be the theory of one enterprising New York photographer. Davide Luciano created a series of conceptual photographs with a surreal edge using the holes and crevasses in streets from Toronto to Los Angeles. From Alice chasing the White Rabbit down a pothole into 'Wonderland' to a Pamela Anderson lookalike saving a 'drowning man' from one particularly deep crack, the images are both highly inventive and incredibly bizarre. To the rescue! A Pamela Anderson look-alike darts down Almafi Drive in Los Angeles to save a 'drowning man' in a pothole . Down the rabbit hole: Alice in Wonderland chases the White Rabbit in a representation of Lewis Carroll's classic with a New York City twist . Street food: A hungry diner enjoys spaghetti meatballs a la carte . Airing the dirty laundry: A woman gets to grip with the scrubbing board on the Rue St-Urbain in Montreal . An impromptu baptism at Chemin de la Foret cemetery in Montreal, Quebec . Feeling bubbly: Glamorous divas live the high life with champagne and strawberries on Toronto's Tecumseth Street . Luciano’s art has appeared in galleries across the U.S. and Canada along with picture spreads in numerous publications. The artist and film-maker, who graduated from the Toronto Film School, received an excellence award from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in . New York City. Luciano collaborates on his projects with his wife and creative partner Claudia Ficca, a professional food stylist and photographer. The couple's latest off-the-wall project is called Gourmet Mouse Traps - where mini cheese platters are set on top of the traps. Dive in? A swimmer takes his chances with a huge pothole on the Avenue Musset, Montreal . Dunking: A baker surveys his tasty treats on Rue Belanger in Montreal . Fancy a glass? Wine-making on the Rue St Zotique in Montreal . Beauty care on the run: A makeshift nail salon pops up in the Rue Queen in Montreal . Green fingers: Pot holes become home to some beautiful blooms in Cote du Vesinet, Montreal . Catch of the day: Fisherman Henri Julien gets lucky at a street crack in Montreal . A young looks pleased with his bubble bath (and rubber ducks) in the Rue de St-Firmin, Montreal .
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New York photographer and film-maker Davide Luciano created a series of conceptual pictures using the cracks and crevasses in roads .
The photos were created on the streets of New York, LA, Montreal and Toronto .
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Paul Gambaccini is to return to BBC radio after he was cleared of historic allegations of sex abuse. The veteran broadcaster, who spent almost a year on police bail, will be in the studio on Friday to record a new edition of his Radio 4 music quiz Counterpoint. The presenter, 65, will then return to his popular weekly Radio 2 show on Saturday November 14. Paul Gambaccini, who has spent almost a year on police bail, will return to the BBC radio studios on Friday . The BBC has so far made no comment about the presenter’s future and declined to comment last night. But one source who asked not to be named said: ‘Paul will be returning to both of the shows. ‘He will be in the studio on Friday to record Counterpoint and he will also record the subsequent heats. The taping on Friday is for broadcast at a later date but he will be back on Radio 2 next month.’ The DJ was arrested in October last year as part of Operation Yewtree, set up in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal to investigate historic sex abuse cases. Mr Gambaccini was accused of sexually assaulting two teenage boys in the 1980s. He has always protested his innocence but agreed to step down from presenting duties while police pursued their inquiries. Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck was also arrested and released without charge as part of the operation . After his arrest in 2013 he compared his treatment to the musical The Scottsboro Boys which he had just seen. ‘It concerned a group of black men in Alabama in the 1930s who were falsely accused of sexual offences,’ he said. ‘Within hours, I was arrested by Operation Yewtree. Nothing had changed, except this time there was no music.’ Mr Gambaccini’s ordeal ended earlier this month when the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against him and an unidentified 75-year-old man who was arrested on the same day. The police’s treatment of the broadcaster and in particular the amount of time he spent on bail and unable to work has raised fresh concerns about the Operation Yewtree. Mr Gambaccini was the 15th person arrested as part of the operation and one of ten released without charge. Critics of the inquiry have branded it a witch hunt. Comedian Jimmy Tarbuck, who was also arrested and released without charge, has called for accusers in sex assault cases to lose their anonymity. Mr Gambaccini has so far declined to talk in depth about what he has described as ‘an horrific ordeal.’ In a statement he said: ‘To discuss horror in this way is to trivialise it. I will never trivialise the 12 months of trauma to which I have been unjustly subjected.’ Mr Gambaccini, who entered into a civil partnership with actor Christopher Sherwood in 2012, has hosted Counterpoint since 2008.
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Paul Gambaccini will return to studio on Friday to record Counterpoint .
Spent a year on police bail after being arrested as part of Operation Yewtree .
He was accused of sexually assaulting two teenage boys in the 1980s .
Ordeal ended this month when CPS said there was insufficient evidence .
The 65-year-old will return to his Radio 2 show on Saturday, November 14 .
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Liverpool defender Kolo Toure believes their forthcoming must-win Champions League encounter against Basle is made for Steven Gerrard to create 'magic' again. The Reds captain will return to the starting line-up on Tuesday having been rested in Saturday's goalless draw at home to Sunderland. Brendan Rodgers' side have to beat the Swiss to progress to the knockout stage, and Toure reckons Gerrard is the man who can really make a difference. Steven Gerrard was rested for Saturday's draw with Sunderland, although he did come off the bench . Brendan Rodgers gives his captain instructions, and he will need him to put in a big performance on Tuesday . And, in light of Rodgers' judicious use of his 34-year-old captain this season, the Ivorian insists the midfielder's class is such that he does not need a full match to impact games. 'He is a man for great days. He makes the magic when no-one can make it. That is why he is one of the best players in the world,' he said. 'His age is nothing. People just keep talking, but if you have a player like that in your dressing room it is very important with his experience. Gerrard has received criticism for his performances this season, but Kolo Toure says he can still be great . Toure claims Gerrard is still one of the best in the world and can provide moments of magic . 'Players like that don't need 90 minutes to make the difference - only 20 or 30 minutes - and I am really happy to have him as a captain first and as a man because he is a great player.' Having been frustrated by Sunderland, Toure expects Basle to be more aggressive - even though they need only a draw to progress at Liverpool's expense. And he admits the Reds will have to be more adventurous than their recent performances - which have all been about regaining some defensive stability. 'The team has had to settle defensively first and, because we have been conceding some goals, it was important to get back to basics,' he added. The former England captain celebrates scoring against Leicester, when he benefited from being rested . Liverpool need to beat Basle, who they lost to earlier this season, to progress to the Champions League . 'It has been working well for us but not against Sunderland, but we will take risks against Basle because we have to put them under pressure and win the game. 'It is a must-win game - it is like a final. We will take some risks to win the game. 'I think tactically they will be better than Sunderland, and going forward they are going to be dangerous as they have quick and intelligent players.'
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Liverpool take on Basle on Tuesday and must win to progress .
Steven Gerrard was rested for 0-0 draw with Sunderland on Saturday .
Kolo Toure believes Gerrard is still 'one of the best players in the world'
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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 15:10 EST, 14 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 20:07 EST, 14 March 2014 . A man who became known for claiming he was the sailor kissing a woman in Times Square in a famous World War II-era photo taken by a Life magazine photographer has died aged 86. Glenn McDuffie passed away on March 9 in a nursing home in Dallas, his daughter, Glenda Bell, told The Associated Press. A mail carrier and semi-professional baseball player after he returned from World War II, McDuffie's life became more exciting about six years ago when Houston Police Department forensic artist Lois Gibson was able to identify him as the young man leaning over the woman in his arms to kiss her. Scroll down for video . Iconic: U.S. Navy sailor Glenn Edward McDuffie (left) was 18 at the time of this famed 'kiss' photo taken in Times in August 1945 at the close of World War Two, after the surrender of Japan . Legendary: WWII veteran Glenn McDuffie died in a nursing home on March 9, aged 86 . By taking about 100 pictures of McDuffie using a pillow to pose as he did in the picture taken August 14, 1945, by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, Gibson said, she was able to match the muscles, ears and other features of the then-80-year-old McDuffie to the young sailor in the original image. 'I was absolutely positive,' Gibson said of the match. 'It was perfect.' The identification remained controversial, partly because other men also claimed to have been the sailor in the image, but also because Life magazine, whose photographer had died years earlier, was unable to confirm that McDuffie was in fact the sailor, noting Eisenstaedt had never gotten names for those in the picture. Yet for McDuffie, Gibson's word was enough. Contested: Several men came forward claiming they were the sailor in Alfred Eisenstaedt's iconic Life magazine photo, but a forensic artist proved it was Glenn McDuffie (pictured) A . well-respected forensic artist who was in the 2005 Guinness Book of . World Records for helping police identify more suspects than any other . forensic artist, Gibson said McDuffie was ecstatic when she told him the . results he had waited 62 years to hear. And . so began a whirlwind lifestyle of going to air shows, gun shows, . fundraisers and parties to tell his story. Women would pay $10 to take a . picture kissing him on the cheek, Gibson said. 'He would make money and kiss women,' Gibson said. 'He had the most glamorous life of any 80 year old.' Step back in time: Glenn McDuffie reenacted the famous 'Kissing Sailor' shot in Times Square 50 years after it was first snapped in August 1945 . Snapper: German-born American photojournalist, Alfred Eisenstaedt, captured the iconic Times Square kiss on August 14, 1945 . McDuffie had told the AP he was changing trains in New York when he was told that Japan had surrendered. 'I was so happy. I ran out in the street,' said McDuffie, then 18 and on his way to visit his girlfriend in Brooklyn. 'And then I saw that nurse,' he said. 'She saw me hollering and with a big smile on my face. ... I just went right to her and kissed her.' 'We never spoke a word,' he added. 'Afterward, I just went on the subway across the street and went to Brooklyn.' Gibson's daughter, Bell, said on anniversaries of the war's end her father would recall that moment and the air of excitement in Times Square. For years it bothered him that he wasn't identified as the man in the photo, she said, and he turned to Gibson for help to clear it up. 'He wanted to do it before he died,' she said. McDuffie is survived by his daughter and two grandchildren. His funeral will be held March 21 at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.
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Glenn McDuffie died on March 9 in a Dallas nursing home .
Photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt captured the spontaneous moment he kissed a nurse in Times Square on August 14, 1945 .
Several men claimed they were the famous 'Kissing Sailor' as Eisenstaedt hadn't captioned his photo .
Six years ago, Houston Police Department forensic artist Lois Gibson confirmed it was McDuffie .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:16 EST, 28 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:46 EST, 29 April 2013 . Tragic: Leila Fowler was stabbed to death in her home . California authorities are searching for an armed killer who's on the run after breaking into a home and repeatedly stabbed an eight-year-old girl to death. Leila Fowler's 12-year-old brother was at their home with her in Valley Springs around noon on Saturday when he encountered the intruder, who immediately fled. The terrified boy went to check on his sister and made the horrifying discovery. He called 911 and she was later pronounced dead at hospital. Residents in Calveras County have . been ordered to lock their doors as deputies search for the suspected . killer, who is described as a white or Hispanic male with long gray . hair. He is believed to be at least six feet tall and was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and blue pants. A neighbor said he spotted the suspect fleeing shortly after the 911 call. Police officers from neighboring areas have been called in to help as authorities hunt down the suspect. 'We were doing a house-to-house search . and in some cases we're searching extensively into attics and storage . sheds,' Calveras County officer Jim Macedo told CBS Sacramento. He added: 'It’s a . difficult area to search. It’s rural, it’s remote.' A quarter-mile perimeter was set up around the house as police conduct the house-to-house search. Macedo said the girl was suffering from severe injuries and her death has been ruled a homicide. He urged residents to keep their doors locked until they find the suspect. Horrifying: Leila Fowler's 12-year-old brother was at their home with her in Valley Springs around noon on Saturday when he encountered the intruder, who immediately fled . Leila would have turned nine-years-old in June. Schools in the Calaveras Unified School District will be open Monday. Mark . Campbell, the district’s superintendent, said in a statement Sunday . that there will be an added law enforcement presence at Jenny Lind . Elementary and bus stops nearby. Valley Springs is a community of about 2,500 people in an unincorporated area of Calaveras County, known as "Gold Country," in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, about 60 miles southeast of Sacramento. Manhunt: California police officers are searching for the man suspected of murdering a 9-year-old girl . Witness: The girl's 12-year-old brother was at their home with her in Valley Springs around noon on Saturday when he encountered the intruder, who immediately fled . Lockdown: Residents in Calveras County have been ordered to lock their doors as deputies search for the suspected killer .
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Leila Fowler was stabbed to death in her Valley Spring's home on Saturday .
Her 12-year-old brother was also in the house when the intruder broke in .
Suspect: Believed to be at least six feet tall and white long gray hair .
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By . Gemma Mullin for MailOnline . Police have launched an investigation after it emerged that Scots had been selling votes on eBay . Police have launched an investigation after it emerged that Scots have been trying to sell their referendum votes on eBay for as little as £1.04. Adverts offering the chance to buy a ballot slip for the September 18 vote were spotted by the Electoral Commission and quickly removed by the online auction site. One seller believed to be Chris O'Connor from Glasgow, who goes by the eBay username ‘chrisoc1986’ sold his vote for little over a pound. The listing read: ‘This is my very own unique piece of British History! It is my personal YES or NO vote for the upcoming Scottish Referendum in September. ‘I for one, do not give a flying monkeys about any of this. This could be the deciding vote. Who knows? ‘I am a hard working Scottish citizen with a house, a gorgeous wife and two beautiful kids who are my world. ‘This vote will not change anything in our lives so I have decided not to vote my opinion but instead..... ONE OF YOURS! Happy Bidding’. He is also believed to have posted the listing on Twitter saying he was hopeful for a 'wee earner'. Another seller named 'catfez' put a £10 reserve on bidding for their vote, and claimed any money raised would be donated to charity. Police Scotland today confirmed officers were investigating the listings. A spokesman said: ‘Our policing arrangements for the referendum are well in hand and will be appropriate and proportionate. ‘Police Scotland's priority is to ensure public safety and security. We will respond appropriately to any issues which arise. ‘We are investigating these incidents and therefore cannot comment on the outcome of these incidents until all inquiries are concluded. ‘Where other incidents are reported they will be investigated and appropriate action taken.’ A spokesman for eBay said the company ‘does not permit’ the sale of certain items. Scroll down for video . Chris O'Connor from Glasgow posted his eBay listing for his vote on Twitter saying he hoped for a 'wee earner' He said: ‘In addition to our own investigations, eBay uses reports from users and advice from third party experts to keep eBay safe and to ensure that items of concern are not listed for sale. ‘The Electoral Commission has an agreement in place where we remove upon request any items posted on eBay that relate to an individual's vote where the Commission has concerns that this could lead to the law being broken.’ A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission has told the BBC it made an agreement with the auction site that any ‘votes for sale’ listings would be taken down and referred to police. She also said that selling and buying votes was a criminal offence that could lead to a year in prison or a ‘substantial’ fine. Alistair Darling (left) and First Minister Alex Salmond (right) at the second television debate over Scottish Independence on Monday in the Kelvingrove Art Galleries in Glasgow, which was accused of being biased .
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Police have launched an investigation into listings on online auction site .
Adverts appeared on eBay offering chance to vote in September 18 ballot .
One seller said they didn't 'give a flying monkeys' about Scottish referendum .
Electoral Commission says that selling and buying votes is criminal offence .
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In this creative age of camera phones and photo apps, what better way to learn about a city from afar than through the lenses of its eagle-eyed street photographers? As part of CNN's On the Road Poland special, we asked Instagramers Wroclaw (a collective of photography enthusiasts with a passion for documenting their city) to show us what life is like in their home town. The group, which has been together since April 2013, meet regularly and aim to capture the best of Wroclaw, offering insights for those who may be seeking to visit or even just learn a little more about the picturesque city in Poland's southwest. "We want to show (Wroclaw) from a different perspective," explained group member Marcin Walencik. "We want to show the city as it is. Real, no fakes." See also: Polish street art goes large . From the enormous Sky Tower to the city's enchanting central square, and from the famous "Love Bridge" to the quirky gnome statuettes scattered playfully in squares and walkways around town, you can see the group's stunning results in the gallery above (and on their Instagram feed). Instagramers Wroclaw consists of Tomasz Jakub Sysło, Malina Mituniewicz, Marek Maziarz, Marcin Walencik, Grzegorz Rajter and Joanna Witek, said group member Marcin Walencik.
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Instagramers Wroclaw are a collective of street photographers .
They document their city using traditional cameras and smartphones .
The results are a stunning selection of images that reveal a different side of the Polish .
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Former Liverpool and Leeds forward El Hadji Diouf is in talks with Malaysian side Sabah FC. The Senegal international is a free agent after leaving Championship outfit Leeds at the end of last season. Former Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf could be on his way to Malaysian side Sabah FC . Diouf has been without a club since leaving Leeds United at the end of the campaign . Talks are underway between Sabah and the 33-year-old, with the Malaysian Premier League side hoping to tie up a deal for the player as early as next week. Diouf has spent more than a decade playing in the UK during spells at Liverpool, Bolton, Sunderland, Blackburn, Rangers, Doncaster and Leeds. The former Lens frontman hasn't played a competitive game since January and was shown the Elland Road exit in May. Diouf had a reputation as a troublemaker during spells at Liverpool, Blackburn and Bolton .
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Free agent could complete move to Sabah FC as early as next week .
Diouf had spells at Liverpool, Bolton, Sunderland, Blackburn and Leeds .
Forward had a reputation as a troublemaker after series of misdemeanours .
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By . Karen Kay . According to the Health & Social Care Information Centre, 83 per cent of Britons are showing signs of gum disease . It doesn’t take much to keep your teeth and gums in great shape, yet according to the Health & Social Care Information Centre, 83 per cent of Britons are showing signs of gum disease. So what can you do to ensure your smile stays in style? Most of us are aware of the confidence-boosting benefits of a fabulous foundation, mascara or blush, and we’re clearly happy to invest both hard-earned cash and precious time on them. It’s a rare woman who can make her way through a department store beauty floor without being tempted by the latest cosmetic colours. However, the amount of money we spend on replenishing our make-up bags may surprise you - recent figures estimate that we’ll each spend an average of £131.20 a year on make-up. And we spend, on average, around 20 minutes a day applying cosmetics, which equates to over 120 hours every year. Conduct a quick straw poll around you and you’ll probably find most of us don’t dedicate nearly as much time and effort to our oral health. INVEST IN YOUR SMILE . So, are you guilty of getting your priorities wrong and leaving the true beauty of your smile at the bottom of the pile? After all, no amount of on-trend lip colour can mask the signs of poor oral health. In fact, not only can symptoms such as red, swollen gums detract from a radiant smile, but if left untreated, gum disease could have devastating consequences such as tooth loss. With more than four in five people in the UK showing signs of gum disease, it’s time we refocused some of our efforts to improve our oral hygiene. And of course, it’s not just women who are guilty of ignoring the telltale symptoms. According . to a new survey by MailOnline, only 19 per cent of us would visit the . dentist if we noticed changes in our gums, compared to 46 per cent who . would visit when they have trouble with their teeth. And, astonishingly, almost half of all those questioned have never spoken with their dentist about gum health. More than four in five people in the UK show signs of gum disease . Gum disease is the swelling, soreness or infection – in varying degrees - of the tissue supporting the teeth. You may have heard of gingivitis, the name given to the early stage of gum disease, caused by an accumulation of plaque, which contains bacteria that needs to be removed in order to maintain healthy gums. READ THE SIGNALS . The problem is that many of us don’t recognise the early signs of gum disease: one of the warning signals that you may have gingivitis is redness of the gums around the tooth, and bleeding when you brush your teeth. MailOnline found that 41 per cent of readers surveyed had experienced bleeding while brushing or flossing, yet one in three said they believed bleeding gums are the result of brushing too vigorously. But, if ignored and left untreated, gingivitis can lead to the more advanced type of gum disease, periodontitis, which can result in the bone in your jaw decaying, and potential tooth loss. According to a new survey by MailOnline, only 19 per cent of us would visit the dentist if we noticed changes in our gums, compared to 46 per cent who would visit when they have trouble with their teeth . NHS figures suggest that between 10 and 15 per cent of adults in the UK suffer from severe periodontitis, with many more being affected by mild to moderate levels. The good news is that most gum disease is preventable and mild cases can easily be treated with an overhaul of your simple daily oral routine. Don’t wait until you notice bleeding or soreness when you clean, or experience bad breath (halitosis) or a metallic taste in your mouth. As with all health issues, prevention is far better than cure, so take those vital steps now and you could avoid problems later. OVERHAUL YOUR ORAL CARE . It's important to clean properly between your teeth, yet according to a MailOnline survey, only two in five of us floss on a daily basis . The first thing you need to consider is how you clean your teeth. It may seem obvious, but many of us have neglected to learn efficient and effective brushing methods, and have simply continued with our childhood technique, often slipping into sloppy habits. As with most areas of our lives, tooth care technology has vastly improved over recent years. Toothpaste formulas have changed dramatically to include multi-tasking active treatments that not only clean but care for your teeth on a daily basis. Even if your water supply contains fluoride, it’s worth using toothpaste which also contains this mineral, which helps protect against tooth decay. Ask your dentist or hygienist for their recommendation, as they will be able to offer expert advice on the best products to deliver optimum benefits for you. It’s important to make regular visits to a dental hygienist, as they can help remove stubborn tartar – hardened plaque – with a regular ‘scale and polish’, and monitor your oral wellbeing. If you’re not sure how frequently you should see a hygienist, your dentist will make a recommendation based upon your general oral health. BRUSH UP ON YOUR BRUSHING TECHNIQUE . While you are talking with your hygienist, tap into their expertise and ask for some guidance on brushing techniques. Many people are embarrassed to do this, as they feel it is an admission that they have potentially been doing it wrong, but it’s better correct poor habits now than continue and do further damage. If you’re still using a manual brush, you may find that switching to an electric brush helps clean more thoroughly, and helps to maintain the correct, even pressure – some more expensive brushes even alert you if you’re pressing too hard, to avoid pushing back the gumline and exposing the sensitive tooth root. Don’t be tempted to move the brush . around your mouth constantly, though. Let the rotating brush head do all . the work for you, and simply move from one tooth to another after a few . seconds. It should . take approximately two minutes to clean all your teeth – if it helps, . set a timer on your smartphone, and spend 30 seconds on each quarter of . your mouth, morning and night. Using a daily mouthwash can help control the build-up of plaque and protect against bacteria . Again, your hygienist will be able to advise on which type of brush head is best suited to your needs, and areas you really need to focus on. For example, some patients find one side of their mouth is healthier than the other, as they’ve cleaned more enthusiastically if they are left or right-handed. RINSE YOUR MOUTH OUT & GET FLOSSING . Use a daily mouthwash to help control the build-up of plaque and protect against bacteria. If you think you’re already showing signs of gum disease, talk to your dentist or hygienist, who may suggest you use a product containing chlorhexidine, an active ingredient that’s clinically proven to help treat gum disease. Products containing chlorhexidine are available over the counter, and can be an important weapon in the fight against gum disease. It’s also important to clean properly between your teeth, yet according to the MailOnline survey, only two in five of us floss on a daily basis. So, if you’re not doing it every day already, use floss, tape or small interdental brushes (they come in different sizes, so seek advice on which you need, which will depend on how tightly packed together your teeth are) to remove all remaining food debris and plaque from those crevices between your teeth.
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83% of Britons show signs of gum disease, but only 19% say they would visit their dentist if they noticed a change in their gums .
Almost half of Britons have never spoken to their dentist about gum health .
41% have .
experienced bleeding while brushing or flossing, yet one in three say .
they believe bleeding gums are caused by brushing too vigorously .
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By . Travelmail Reporter . Passengers flying from Brussels to Stockholm were shocked when airline bosses refused to return their luggage - after it was found to be infested with maggots. The surprised travellers were told that their baggage would be flown back to Brussels, to be either sanitised or destroyed. One passenger on board, 60-year-old . journalist Willy Silberstein, told Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet: 'When . they opened the baggage area, . maggots spilled out.' Gruesome: Luggage on a Brussels Airlines flight to Stockholm was found to contain maggots . Silberstein was on a flight to Stockholm's Bromma airport on Sunday. Infested: When the baggage area was opened, maggots spilled out . 'In these times of ebola, it's understandable that they have to be careful,' he said. 'But it's certainly unusual.' Brussels Airlines reported that the . infestation was due to a passenger packing expired food in their suitcase. Spokesman for the airline, Geert Sciot, said: 'I can confirm that we have . had sanitation problems with a passenger's baggage, which apparently . contained food which was expired and rotten.' 'It was transfer baggage from another continent.' The airline also confirmed that the infested bag had been destroyed. And the remaining bags had been flown back to Brusels to be sanitised, before being returned to passengers in Stockholm.
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The luggage on Brussels Airlines flight to Stockholm contained maggots .
Airline says infestation was due to a passenger packing expired food .
Infested bag has now been destroyed, and the remaining bags sanitised .
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Renewed accusations that Woody Allen molested an adopted daughter two decades ago were "engineered by a vengeful lover," the filmmaker's lawyer told CNN on Monday. The allegations were "fully vetted and rejected by independent authorities," Allen attorney Elkan Abramowitz said in a written statement. The controversy dates back to 1992 after the revelation that Allen, then 56, was having an affair with Soon-Yi Previn, Mia Farrow's 19-year-old adopted daughter with composer Andre Previn. Allen and Previn married five years later. Allen's legal and public relations teams scrambled to respond to an open letter written by Dylan Farrow and published by The New York Times on Saturday recounting her allegation that Allen sexually assaulted her when she was a child. "What's your favorite Woody Allen movie? Before you answer, you should know: when I was seven years old, Woody Allen took me by the hand and led me into a dim, closet-like attic on the second floor of our house," Farrow wrote. "He told me to lay on my stomach and play with my brother's electric train set. Then he sexually assaulted me." When Mia Farrow's 12-year relationship with Allen ended two decades ago, the actress accused him of molesting Dylan, one of two children she had adopted with Allen. The charge triggered a child custody battle, with Allen going to court to get both adopted children and Satchel, their biological son, who now goes by Ronan Farrow. But a police investigation of the allegations ended without charges against Allen. "A team of investigators from Yale-New Haven Hospital that was retained by the Connecticut State Police subsequently concluded Dylan had not been abused," according to an account in the Times, which covered the custody proceedings. Acting Justice Elliott Wilk of New York's State Supreme Court "said it was unlikely that Mr. Allen could be prosecuted for sexual abuse based on the evidence," the newspaper reported. "But while a team of experts concluded that Dylan was not abused, the judge said he found the evidence inconclusive." A former prosecutor who decided against pressing charges in the case declined to comment on the details in Dylan Farrow's letter Sunday. "As a prosecutor I really can't comment on the substance of the statement of this now young woman. As a father of a child not too much older than this young woman, I can only say I hope she finds some peace and solace in the way she's expressing herself," former Connecticut State's Attorney Frank Maco said. "I hope she had access to my written statement of decision. My statement is as valid today as it was 20 years ago." In 1993, Maco -- who's since retired -- told reporters he believed there was probable cause to arrest Allen. But he said he decided not to press charges, with Mia Farrow's support, "rather than exposing the child to possible harm." Allen's team responds . Allen's lawyer responded in a statement e-mailed to CNN on Monday: "It is tragic that after 20 years a story engineered by a vengeful lover resurfaces even though it was fully vetted and rejected by independent authorities. The one to blame for Dylan's distress is neither Dylan nor Woody Allen." Allen denies Farrow's allegation . Allen representative Leslee Dart said in a prepared statement Sunday that Allen "read the article and found it untrue and disgraceful." He would respond "very soon," Dart said. "At the time, a thorough investigation was conducted by court appointed independent experts," Dart said. "The experts concluded there was no credible evidence of molestation; that Dylan Farrow had an inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality; and that Dylan Farrow had likely been coached by her mother Mia Farrow. No charges were ever filed." Dylan Farrow's letter addressed this: "Woody Allen was never convicted of any crime. That he got away with what he did to me haunted me as I grew up," she wrote. "I was stricken with guilt that I had allowed him to be near other little girls. I was terrified of being touched by men. I developed an eating disorder. I began cutting myself." Her letter and Twitter postings by Ronan Farrow attacking his estranged father come as the 78-year-old director and his latest film -- "Blue Jasmine" -- are up for honors during Hollywood's annual award season. When the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gave Allen a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes last month, his son tweeted: "Missed the Woody Allen tribute -- did they put the part where a woman publicly confirmed he molested her at age 7 before or after Annie Hall?" Dylan Farrow's letter appeared in Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's blog just hours before the Writers Guild Awards ceremony, for which Allen had been nominated for best screenplay for "Blue Jasmine." He did not win. Academy voters begin casting Oscar ballots on February 14. Allen and his cast are up for three Academy Awards, including best original screenplay for Allen, best actress for Cate Blanchett and best supporting actress for Sally Hawkins. Dylan Farrow admonished actors by name for "turning a blind eye" and for continuing to work with Allen. CNN reached out to the stars that Dylan Farrow challenged by name in her letter but has not yet received responses. In a series of Twitter posts Sunday, actor Alec Baldwin, who starred in "Blue Jasmine," fired back at people asking him to respond to the allegations. "You are mistaken if you think there is a place for me, or any outsider, in this family's issue," he wrote. In another post, he slammed someone who asked whether he owed Dylan Farrow an apology: "What the f&@% is wrong w u that u think we all need to b commenting on this family's personal struggle?" Ronan Farrow's tweet puts Allen in harsh spotlight -- again .
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Dylan Farrow accuses Woody Allen of sexually abusing her when she was 7 .
"The one to blame for Dylan's distress is neither Dylan nor Woody Allen," his lawyer says .
The controversy began in 1992 amid revelations that Allen was dating Soon-Yi Previn .
A criminal investigation ended with no charges against Woody Allen .
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Samalut, Egypt (CNN) -- A policeman fatally shot a Christian man and wounded five other Christians Tuesday in an attack on a train in Egypt, officials said. The incident occurred at about 5 p.m. when a man walked onto the train, which was stopped in the station at Samalut, about 200 kilometers south of Cairo, said Maryanne Nabil Thaki, 29, one of the victims. She said she was seated with her sister, Maggie Nabil Thaki, 25, their 52-year-old mother, Sabah Sinot Suleiman, and Maggie's fiance, 26-year-old Ehab Ashraf Kamal. They were en route to Cairo to buy an engagement ring, Maggie Thaki said. Seated near them was an older Christian couple, Maryanne Nabil Thaki said. The gunman walked up and down the length of the train, then walked back to two groups of people who were seated near each other and were both Coptic Christians, she told a reporter at the Good Shepherd Hospital in Samalut, where she was being treated for gunshot wounds to the leg and the chest. The man said in Arabic, "There is no God but God," and opened fire, she said. The shooter fled the train, but was captured later, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said. The suspect, a deputy policeman, was identified as Amer Ashoor Abdel-Zaher Hassan. He boarded the train in Asiut and was en route to Bani Mazar, Menya province, where he works. The older man, Fathi Saeed Ebaid, 71, of Cairo, was killed, a local security source told the state-run Egyptian news agency MENA. His wife, Emily Hannah Tedly, 61, was in critical condition, as was the mother of the two younger women, said Dr. Petra Kamal. All five were to be flown to Cairo for further treatment, a hospital employee said. In front of the hospital, about a dozen Copts demonstrated in support of the victims but were dispersed by police who fired a tear gas canister that broke through a fifth-floor hospital window, said hospital employee Mina Farouk. The attack comes 10 days after a bombing killed 23 Coptic Christians outside the Church of the Two Saints in Alexandria, Egypt, an attack that unnerved Christians and led to increased security. Relations between the Christian minority and Muslim majority within Egypt have been tense since that New Year's Day bombing. Those troubles were evident last Friday -- the day Coptic Christians, who follow the Julian calendar, celebrate Christmas -- when police staged a large-scale security operation outside the same church. In a show of solidarity, some Egyptian Muslims attended the Christmas services. Still, protests have erupted almost nightly in many Christian areas of Egypt since the bombing. Egyptian authorities have released a sketch of a man they think was the suicide bomber in the church attack. The Interior Ministry used forensic technology to re-create the face. About 9 percent of Egypt's 80 million residents are Coptic Christians. They base their theology on the teachings of the Apostle Mark, who introduced Christianity to Egypt, according to St. Takla Church in Alexandria, the capital of Coptic Christianity. The religion is known for its rift with other Christians in the fifth century over the definition of the divinity of Jesus Christ. CNN's Ben Wedeman, Housam Ahmed and Amir Ahmed and Journalist Ian Lee contributed to this report.
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NEW: Deputy policeman arrested in shootings .
Incident occurred Tuesday evening on a train south of Cairo .
Family was en route to Cairo to buy an engagement ring .
Relations between the Christian minority and Muslim majority within Egypt are tense .
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By . Andy Hampson . A man has been arrested after colliding with a security guard while attempting to drive a golf buggy out of the gates at the Open Championship at Hoylake. Merseyside Police said a 45-year-old man was arrested following the incident outside Gate Four of the site at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, off Meols Drive. The security guard received a minor leg injury as the man clipped him before crashing the buggy into a barrier. Claret Jug: The 143rd Open will be staged at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Holylake . Pictures emerged on social media of the buggy, owned by tournament organiser the Royal & Ancient, on a banking outside the gate. A Merseyside Police spokesman said: 'We can confirm that a man has been arrested following an incident at The Open golf practice day in Hoylake at about 7.30pm on Wednesday evening. Keeping the peace: Police at The Open confirmed a man had been arrested on suspicion of assault . 'The 45-year-old man from Birkenhead was arrested following an incident which involved the taking of a golf buggy on the course. 'One man was arrested on suspicion of assault after the buggy collided with a barrier near to the entrance gate on Meols Road. Just before colliding with the barrier the buggy caught a security guard causing a slight injury to his leg.' Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, executive director of championships at the R&A, said: 'Police are now investigating and I cannot say any more at this time.'
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Police have confirmed that a man has been arrested at The Open, Holylake .
45-year-old was attempting to drive away in a golf buggy before colliding with a security guard and crashing into a barrier .
Security guard received a minor injury at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club .
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163254aca6cd80f8268ec4261aaddac9506f6b02
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By . Fiona Macrae . PUBLISHED: . 21:08 EST, 28 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 00:22 EST, 29 January 2013 . It may sound potty, but whistling to your baby could have him toilet-trained before he can walk. A study of Vietnamese families credited whistling with getting babies out of nappies by just nine months. By the age of two, when many British toddlers are yet to start potty training, the Vietnamese children were managing the entire process by themselves. Swedish researchers said potty training started almost from birth, with mothers making a whistling sound when their child gave a sign that they needed to go. A study of Vietnamese families credited whistling with getting babies out of nappies by just nine months . The children associated the whistling with urinating, and by the age of nine months, they were able to keep dry – as long as they were regularly reminded to sit on their potty, the Journal of Pediatric Urology reports. The researchers said that while Western babies are potty trained later now than in the past, early toilet training has traditionally been regarded as a badge of pride in Vietnam. They added that as well as saving on the cost of nappies and the time spent changing them, learning to control the bladder very early in life may be better for urinary health. In the past, potty training often started before the age of one. But today’s mothers are advised to wait until their child is 18 months to two years old - and many begin even later. The researchers said that while Western babies are potty trained later now than in the past, early toilet training has traditionally been regarded as a badge of pride in Vietnam .
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Study of Vietnamese families credits whistling with getting babies out of nappies by nine months .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:17 EST, 29 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:00 EST, 30 October 2013 . An 18-year-old girl who was paralyzed in a car crash last year and told she would never walk again has miraculously defied the odds by walking down the aisle for her sister's wedding. With her brother and the best man at her side at the ceremony in September, Mackenzie Gorden slowly moved forward - achieving her dream and revealing her inspiring determination. She has been able to stand again thanks to a groundbreaking new therapy, 'locomotor', at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado that recreates walking motions by force until the spinal cord learns how to control the muscles. 'I never accepted that I couldn't walk . again,' Gorden, from Lake City, Iowa, told the Denver Post. 'If I don't want to be in the chair, I've got to do . something myself to get out of it.' Fighter: Mackenzie Gorden, 18, is pictured . walking down the aisle at her sister's wedding last month - just 15 . months after she was paralyzed in a car accident and told she would . never walk again . Success! She stands with her brother and brother-in-law after successfully walking down the aisle . Gorden was a cheerleader looking forward to captaining her team on a summer trip to Hawaii when she broke her neck in June 2012 after she swerved to avoid a deer and rolled her truck into a ditch. She could see her cellphone ringing but her limbs were numb and pinned beneath her. Two hours later, an off-duty emergency responder stumbled upon her while out for a motorcycle ride. In the days after the life-changing accident, she overheard doctors saying how she would never walk again and a pyschologist said she should re-think her dream of becoming a nurse. Weeks into her recovery, she spent seven weeks in hospital in Rochester, Minnesota before moving to the hospital in Colorado, where she was taught how to use a wheelchair and start moving her fingers again so she could brush her hair. Stunning: She is pictured left with her sister, Brittanie, and right, back in her wheelchair following the feat . Proud: She is pictured with her parents at her school prom. She is now hoping to become a nurse . Mackenzie Gorden is among thousands of paralyzed patients . who are undergoing a grueling therapy called locomotor. The patient stands on a treadmill with a harness from the ceiling carrying much of their weight. Then as the treadmill moves, therapists recreate the motion of walking by force - moving the limbs and joints as if taking steps. Repetition of this allows the spinal cord to learn to control muscles the brain used to . control. While no two patients respond to the therapy the same way, all do experience a change as a result. One attractive trait of the therapy is that, even if the . patient never walks, the movement - even one created by an outside force - gives massive benefits to the body, such as building muscle and bone density, speeding up circulation and warding off obesity. Then on her first meeting with her care team, one of her doctors, Dr. William Scelza, came in on a wheelchair and she learned he was paralyzed in a car crash when he was 17. She thought: 'If he went to med school. I can be a nurse.' She returned to Iowa for her senior year, where she cheered from her chair and, six months later went for a check up at Craig Hospital, where she learned she was a good candidate to try walking. By the end of the school year, she could stand up for 26 seconds - and appeared in her prom photos standing tall beside her parents and friends. Two months later, she could stand for five minutes. She also began using a exoskelen to help her walk - a frame that supports her legs, keeps her upright and moves by feeling her intentions by how she shifts her weight. 'I feel like I either have on a jet pack or a leaf blower,' she said of the feeling. Life-changing: She is pictured left before the car crash in June 2012 and right in hospital afterwards . Treatment: Gorden undergoes water therapies and a new training called 'locomotor' in which therapists recreate the movement of walking by force before her spinal cord learns how to do it . Persevering: She continued to cheer from her chair throughout her senior year of high school . With the other locomotor therapies, overhead hoists take as much as 30 per cent of her body weight away as therapists push her joints and limbs to recreate walking on a treadmill. By doing this, her spinal cord will learn the movement that her brain once ordered. 'I've never seen her shed a tear,' her mother Karen Gorden told the Post. Mackenzie, who returned to her wheelchair after walking down the aisle at the wedding of her sister, Brittanie, and new brother-in-law, Tony, is now hoping to start nursing classes. To help the family with the costs of Mackenzie's care, please visit their fundraising page.
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Mackenzie Gorden broke her neck after rolling her truck in June 2012 and doctors told her she would never walk again .
But she was determined - and began undergoing a groundbreaking therapy that recreates walking by force until the body knows what to do .
In September, she was able to move down the aisle for her sister's wedding .
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By . Mike Dawes . Colin Montgomerie twice sank three consecutive birdies en route to a six-under 65 on Thursday that put him a stroke clear atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the US Senior Open. The Scotsman started his round on the back nine at Oak Tree National and birdied 14, 15 and 16 in hot and humid conditions and then did it again at six, seven and eight. 'That was the key to the round, the three birdies in a row on the front nine, my back nine,' Montgomerie said. 'To birdie six, seven, eight was good. That got me to the position I am now.' Man of the moment: Colin Montgomerie speaks to the media following his opening-round 65 . Marco Dawson was second after a 66, and Mark Brooks was third after shooting 68. Bernhard Langer was one of five tied for fourth with a 69. Dawson, in his first Senior Open, started on the back nine and shot 2 under, then was steady on the front nine before scoring birdies on seven, eight and nine. The 50-year-old was pleased with the performance, especially considering the course's challenging reputation. 'It just seemed to happen; birdie, birdie, birdie the last three holes, so I ended up 5 under,' he said. 'I could have shot 2 under and still would have been a good round.' Brooks was 4-under after just four holes following consecutive birdies from 11-14 but dropped one stroke for the remainder of a largely steady round. 'I've been playing here since high school,' he said. 'I'm comfortable here. My mother and father both are Oklahomans, so I got a lot of Oklahoma blood in me.' Langer, who entered the Senior Open having already won three events this year, was in a five-way tie for fourth along with Vijay Singh, Kirk Triplett, Scott Dunlap and Gene Sauers. Across the water: Montgomerie (right) and Tom Lehman walk off the fourth green at Oak Tree National . 'They say you don't win a tournament on the first day,' Langer said. 'You can certainly lose it with a bad round, so I'm somewhere in the top 10 or top 20 after today, which is a good spot to be. Still have three rounds to go.' Kenny Perry, last year's Senior Open winner, shot a 75. Play was delayed for 77 minutes at the start due to the threat of lightning, and that meant three players did not complete their round before play was suspended due to darkness. With temperatures in the mid-30s and high humidity, Darrell Kestner withdrew after 14 holes and required treatment for heat-related issue. On the green: Montgomerie putts on the 13th hole on his way to a six-under-par opening round of 65 . Heavy rains Wednesday softened the course, but the heat Thursday made it hard later in the day. Changing winds added another degree of difficulty to an already long, tough course. 'It is kind of difficult to judge the wind out here,' Montgomerie said. 'You're always going to get breeze out here in Oklahoma. That's part of the test out here.' Weather is expected to remain a factor through the rest of the tournament, with temperatures expected to soar. Montgomerie said it will amount to a physical examination. In the mix: German Bernhard Langer waves to the crowd on the 9th green on his way to a first-round 69 . 'It's going to be grueling over the next three days,' he said. 'Concentration levels will be difficult to maintain for everybody out there, not just myself. 'I look forward to the challenge of trying to compete against the rest of the field, the golf course, which is superb, and also the weather conditions, which are very foreign to myself and most competitors.' Focused: Former world No 1 Vijay Singh hits from the 4th tee on the first day of play in Edmond, Oklahoma .
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Montgomerie is one stroke clear at the top of the leaderboard .
The Scotsman twice sank three consecutive birdies at Oak Tree National .
German Bernhard Langer is one of five tied for fourth after a 69 .
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By . Ted Thornhill . A fire that broke out in a prison in northern Colombia late on Monday has killed ten and injured dozens after a fight between inmates following routine inspections for drugs and weapons, according to local media and the head of the country's penitentiary system. As many as 42 injured inmates were taken to hospital near the overcrowded Modelo prison complex in the coastal city of Barranquilla, according to local media. The flames were brought under control in the early hours of Tuesday. Scroll Down for Video . A burnt inmate is evacuated from the Modelo jail in Barranquilla, Colombia . Emergency: A fire at the prison killed 10 inmates and left 25 injured, the head of the country's penitentiary system said . Four of the victims died in hospital. The fire began when prisoners ignited their mattresses as guards launched tear gas in a bid to break up the fighting, according to RCN Radio. Prison officials seized drugs, knives and cellular phones during a day of cell inspections, angering inmates and setting off a battle between gangs. Semana magazine said the fighting kicked off after an argument between two religious groups. The prison, with capacity for about 400 inmates, houses about 1,200 inmates, RCN said. Inmates wave from inside the Modelo jail in Barranquilla, Colombia .
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Up to 42 injured inmates from the Modelo prison needed hospital treatment .
The flames were brought under control in the early hours of Tuesday .
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KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The Taliban said its gunmen opened fire on an aid group's vehicle in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing four International Rescue Committee workers and prompting the organization to suspend its operations. Three IRC female staffers -- a British-Canadian, a Canadian, and a Trinidadian-American -- were killed, as well as an Afghan driver who also worked for the New York-based aid group, the IRC said in a statement. Another Afghan driver was critically wounded in the attack in Logar province, south of Kabul, IRC said. "They were traveling to Kabul in a clearly marked International Rescue Committee vehicle when they came under fire," according to the statement. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The aid workers were in a two-car convoy when gunmen opened fire on them in Pul-i-Alam, the capital of Logar, according to provincial governor Abdullah Wardak. IRC, which provides relief to refugees and victims of armed conflict around the world, said it "has suspended its humanitarian aid programs in Afghanistan indefinitely." "We are stunned and profoundly saddened by this tragic loss," said IRC president George Rupp. "These extraordinary individuals were deeply committed to aiding the people of Afghanistan, especially the children who have seen so much strife. Words are inadequate to express our sympathy for the families and loved ones of the victims and our devoted team of humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan." Earlier this month, aid groups in Afghanistan issued a report that said 19 of their workers have been killed in the country this year. The deaths Wednesday add to the count. The groups, in a report issued by the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief, said the attacks have forced them to scale back on relief work. "This year there have been over 84 such incidents, including 21 in June, more than in any other month in the last six years," the report said. "So far this year 19 NGO (non-governmental organization) staff have been killed, which already exceeds the total number of NGO workers killed last year."
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Gunmen shoot and kill four international aid workers and driver near Kabul .
Shooting occured during ambush on their convoy south of capital .
Taliban claims responsibility for attack .
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Amsterdam (CNN) -- On November 2, 2004, Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh was bicycling to work in Amsterdam when he was shot eight times at close range. He died instantly, but in a fit of rage, his assailant, Dutch-Moroccan Mohammed Bouyeri, also attempted to cut off his head with a machete. Bouyeri killed van Gogh because of a short film he had recently produced with Somali-born Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali that criticized Islam's treatment of women. The film showed verses of the Quran projected onto the bodies of several naked young women. It was a film designed to provoke. And it did. Ali subsequently went into a self-imposed exile in the United States. News: Six things to know about the attack . Now, seven years later, a short, amateurish film entitled "Innocence of Muslims," purportedly created by Sam Bacile in the U.S., portrays the Prophet Mohammed as a philandering child molester. ("Sam Bacile" appears to be a pseudonym.) Terry Jones, a Christian pastor based in Florida who has a long history of making incendiary statements about Islam, is promoting "Innocence of Muslims." Jones also recently called for an "International Judge Mohammed Day" to be held on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, this past Tuesday. News about the film has sparked outrage in the Muslim world. Mobs have attacked American embassies and consulates in Egypt, Libya and Yemen. The U.S. ambassador to Libya, J. Christopher Stevens, and three of his staff members were killed in what appears to have been a well-organized attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on Tuesday. The attackers may have used the opportunity presented by the film protests to mount the assault. These attacks came after the accidental burning of Qurans by U.S. soldiers at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in February sparked massive protests across the country, resulting in the deaths of at least 30 Afghans and six U.S. soldiers, all of whom were shot by men in Afghan security force uniforms. Opinion: Survivor of 1979 consulate attack -- Libya an eerie echo . And these are just the latest in a series of violent reactions to the perceived disrespect of the prophet and the Quran by Westerners -- sometimes intentional and sometimes unintentional -- that, in an increasingly globalized world of almost instantaneous communication, has intensified significantly during the past several years. And Muslim extremists as well as Christian fundamentalists in the West have increasingly intentionally amplified this trend. Politicians and the media in the Muslim world have also played an important, though perhaps unintended, role in stirring up violence in the wake of a number of these perceived attacks on Islam. A YouTube video of "Innocence of Muslims" that provoked the Libyan mob to attack the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was initially published in July, but it was not until versions of it dubbed in Arabic appeared online and were broadcast by religious Egyptian news channel al-Nas that protests sprouted in Egypt. A May 2005 Newsweek article claiming that American soldiers at Guantanamo had flushed a copy of the Quran down the toilet went unnoticed for nearly a week before Pakistani politician Imran Khan pointed the article out in a news conference. More than a dozen people were subsequently killed during protests in Afghanistan. (Newsweek later retracted the story.) Similarly, when Jones burned a copy of the Quran at his church on March 20, 2011, two weeks went by without any incident. But then President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan made a speech calling for his arrest. Within 24 hours, protesters stormed the United Nations compound in Mazar-e Sharif in northern Afghanistan, killing seven foreign employees, and demonstrations across the country killed more than a dozen other people. In 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, setting off a wave of protests and attacks over the next several years in which as many as 200 people have been killed. In 2008, for instance, al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the bombing of the Danish Embassy in Islamabad, which killed a half-dozen bystanders, saying the powerful suicide car bomb was in retaliation for the offensive cartoons. Two years later, Kurt Westergaard, one of the cartoonists, barely escaped from a Somali man linked to Al-Shabaab, al Qaeda's Somali affiliate, who broke into the cartoonist's home in Denmark with a knife and ax. But the violence sparked by the Jyllands-Posten cartoons, one of which depicted the Prophet Mohammed with a turban-wrapped bomb on his head, began a full four months after the images were published by the newspaper and were the result of a carefully orchestrated campaign by two Danish Muslim clerics who toured the Middle East, presenting a dossier about the cartoons to important religious and political figures. Opinion: Libya killings show U.S. at risk in Arab world . Included in the dossier were cartoons that had never appeared in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, showing offensive images of the Prophet Mohammed. As a result, entering the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in Copenhagen today is akin to visiting a prison, with a heavily barred set of metal gates securing entrance to the building. And just as author Salman Rushdie remains under threat decades after the 1989 fatwa against him for his novel "The Satanic Verses," so too the threat against Jyllands-Posten is likely to endure for many years. On Wednesday, Karzai released a public statement strongly condemning the recent "criminal act." This was not a reference to the assault on the U.S. consulate in Libya a day earlier that resulted in the four deaths there but to the release of "Innocence of Muslims," the video that denigrates the Prophet Mohammed. News: Unanswered questions after the attack . Karzai did express his condolences about the deaths at the Libyan consulate when he spoke privately to President Obama. However, his public statement will surely draw attention to an issue that is likely to cause additional violent protests in Afghanistan, which NATO forces are steeling themselves for. With allies like these, who needs enemies?
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Peter Bergen: Violence against U.S. over film is part of a pattern of incidents .
He says Christian and Muslim extremists have incited deadly protests for years .
Bergen: In several cases, the words of political leaders have helped spark violence .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 10:09 EST, 9 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:21 EST, 9 August 2013 . When a fresh-faced movie website intern was set the daunting challenge of reciting the entire script of the film Mean Girls in 30 minutes, few could have thought he would succeed. But fast-talking Christopher Rosa didn't just complete the task but managed to rattle through the entire screenplay with almost two minutes to spare. In a mind-boggling display of verbal dexterity, the young Mr Rosa completed the task in just 28 minutes and 18 seconds. Scroll down for video . Off he goes: Fast-talking intern Christopher Rosa begins his challenge of reciting the entire script of the movie Mean Girls . And as if simply reciting the script wasn't enough, he also mimed the additional hand-gestures and facial expressions. Luckily Mr Rosa, who was interning for NextMovie.com who is seen in a pink polo shirt, is a big fan of the film and admitted to having seen it several times. And he made sure he was well prepared for the challenge, rehearsing it several times. In the zone: 10 minutes down and the young Mr Rosa appears to be taking the challenge ion his stride . Cruising: Just past the 20 minute mark and Mr Rosa is in full flow even providing accompanying hand gestures . Give the man a job! The young intern managed to complete the task in just 28 minutes and 18 seconds . Rosa, a junior at the University of South Carolina told teh Mashable website: 'It wasn't a conscious memorization. 'I have been a fan of the film for years and had seen the movie enough times that I just thought to myself, "I am pretty sure I can say this from start to finish." 'So one day I followed along with the movie and mimed every line. Crazy, right? The challenge was getting it under 30 minutes. That took some practice.' Box office hit: The 2004 movie stars Lindsey Lohan (standing) as the High School new girl who is mercilessly bullied by her cruel classmates . Lindsay Lohan (far left) in another scene from the 2004 movie in which she stars as a home-schooled girl who moves to a U.S. high . The 2004 film stars Lindsey Lohan as a teenage girl who has been home-schooled while growing up in the African wilderness before moving to a U.S. high school. At first she appears to be accepted but when she admits to having a crush on the boyfriend of the most popular girl in school she becomes the target of a merciless bullying campaign. It is currently listed as the second most popular film of that year and now scores a respectable 6.9 on the IMDb database. Get More: . NextMovie.com: More Videos | Trailers | Movie News | New on DVD & Blu-Ray .
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Fast-talking Christopher Rosa completed the task in an astonishing 28 minutes and 18 seconds .
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Washington (CNN) -- Ready for Hillary, the super PAC urging Hillary Clinton to run for president in 2016, raised over $2 million and had 21,000 new donors in the last three months, officials from the group said Wednesday. Ready for Hillary's haul came from more than 38,000 contributions, according to group spokesman Seth Bringman, giving the group an average contribution of $52. The $2 million is in line with what Ready for Hillary has raised in the past, but slightly less than the record $2.5 million the group raised in the second quarter. Ready for Hillary is part of a cadre of pro-Clinton outside groups that are organizing for Clinton's likely run at the presidency. Unlike other super PACs, which are focused on communications and large-money donors, Ready for Hillary has tried to focus on small, grass-roots donations. So far, the group has raised over $10 million. But in the third quarter of 2014, Ready for Hillary also moved to do more than just raise money and began to raise its profile in the eyes of many longtime Clinton confidants by having a large presence at events like September's Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa. Led by former Clinton aides and supporters, the super PAC also began to dish out money to state parties, local candidates and other Democratic groups, as well as helping raise money for 2014 candidates whom Clinton has endorsed. After Clinton endorsed Bruce Braley in Iowa, for example, the group blasted out an email to its supporters asking them to donate money to the Democrat's Senate campaign. Ready for Hillary also maxed out contributions during the third quarter to Vincent Sheheen, South Carolina's Democratic candidate for governor, Bakari Sellers, the state's Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor and the South Carolina Democratic Party. Donating money to state parties has been a Ready for Hillary strategy for much of the year. Last month, a source with the group said Ready for Hillary had donated thousands of dollars to 29 state parties. Most of these donations were close to $10,000, the maximum the group can give to a state party. Part of this stepped up involvement in early states is in reaction to the fact that other possible 2016 Democrats are already making moves there, too. Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley moved political staff into South Carolina in August and has been raising money for state Democrats for months. Vice President Joe Biden also has been heavily involved with helping local South Carolina politicos raise money since 2013. Ready for Hillary began sending political staff to 14 states -- including Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire -- on October 1.
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Ready for Hillary raises over $2 million in last three months, spokesman says .
Number is in line with what the group has raised in the past .
Third quarter sees Ready for Hillary focus on more than just fundraising .
So far, the group has raised over $10 million .
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TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Sony blamed the global economic slowdown, increased competition and an appreciating yen for a 95 percent drop in third-quarter profits, as the company announced its results Thursday. Customers check Sony's Bravia brand LCD TVs at an electronics shop in Tokyo, Japan. Profits for the quarter, which ended December 31, fell from nearly 200 billion yen ($2.2 billion) in 2007 to about 10 billion yen ($110 million) in 2008. Across the company, sales were down 25 percent, but electronics and games sales were especially hard hit. Sales of games, including the company's popular PlayStation series, fell 32 percent over the year. Sales of electronics decreased by nearly 30 percent. The appreciation of the yen also cut into profits. A stronger yen makes Japanese products more expensive or forces companies to lower their profit margins to keep prices the same. Last week, Sony warned that it will close out the fiscal year, which ends March 31, with an operating loss of 260 billion yen ($2.9 billion), its first in 14 years. Watch what lies ahead for Sony » .
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Sales were down 25 percent across the company .
Electronics and games especially hard hit, with sales falling 30 percent or more .
Sony warned last week it will close out fiscal year with operating loss of $2.9 billion .
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To call this XCOM would be a major disservice to one of the finest names in tactical gaming. For bar the well-realised time period, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is nothing but another generic third-person shooter with XCOM elements uncomfortably shoe-horned in. Set in the 1960s, you play Agent William Carter – the leader of a three-man squad sent to investigate various alien attacks. Negative space: Gamplay gets repetitive very quickly - despite 2K's best efforts in enemy variation . To its credit, the uninspired combat holds up well. Using a Mass Effect-style command and abilities wheel spliced with a Gears of War cover-system, battles often involve sending your teammates down the flanks to draw fire, while you attack from the other side. Each of your squaddies have their own abilities – for example the Engineer can deploy a floating turret and the Sniper has a useful Critical shot. But where it falls down is in its implementation of a key XCOM principle – that being; when a character dies, they stay dead. Although your squad mates can die if not revived, main character Carter cannot – his fatality merely causing a respawn of the entire squad at the previous checkpoint. Thus, throughout the game’s 15-hour campaign, you never feel connected to the character in the same way you were your squad in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. There's no sense of urgency because you know a checkpoint is always there to save you. Sure, it’s slightly annoying when a high-level squadmate is downed, but they all have no personality or character – and are replaced by yet another bot from a limitless supply of AI-controlled drones. Weapons, too, have no wow factor. All seem slightly muted, with even the largest alien guns coming across as completely limp. Another element uncomfortably borrowed from Enemy Unknown is player choice, and it's commendable that The Bureau – given its frequent delays in development – has kept this element in. However, choices are too black and white often not presenting a moral dilemma but a clear cut: be nice, be nasty scenario. Wooden voice acting and average lip synching do the dialogue sections no favours, either. You can even run around The Bureau's HQ - but apart from the odd mini-game, it's incredibly dull. Boring: There are some nice touches but for the most part there's little to make The Bureau stand out . But by far the biggest nail in The Bureau’s coffin is the lack of co-operative multiplayer. In sticking so rigidly to the rules of the XCOM universe (that being, once your teammates die, they die), they’ve missed a golden opportunity to lift this game away from average. But even then, thrills would be predictable and offer nothing other titles – for example Gears of War – do better. The Bureau isn’t a bad game. It’s just average. And in this day and age, that can be the kiss of death. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is out now. Let us know what you think on Twitter: @DailyMailGames and on Facebook: Daily Mail Games.
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Solid but completely uninspired third-person gameplay .
Well-realised time period and interesting environments .
XCOM's 'once you're dead, you're dead' mechanic just doesn't work with your team - losing that trademark sense of urgency .
No multiplayer .
Wooden voice acting and average graphics .
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(CNN) -- Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro is rejoining Juventus after three years at Real Madrid, the Serie A club announced on their Web site on Tuesday. Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro won two Primera Liga titles during his three-year stay at Real Madrid. News of Cannavaro's return comes less than 24 hours after the Turin-based club sacked coach Claudio Ranieri and replaced him with former player and youth coach Ciro Ferrara. The 35-year-old Cannavaro was voted world player of the year after leading Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 and has helped Real to achieve two title triumphs during his stay in Spain. Cannavaro was in Italy on Monday for a charity match and told the Juventus Web site: "I am happy to have returned to Turin and to have the opportunity to wear the black and white jersey again. "I am sorry that for a section of the fans the anger for having been transferred is greater then the appreciation for the glorious seasons which we lived together. "I am sure that I can convince the most sceptical through my work, professionalism and the passion with which I will face this new adventure". Defender Cannavaro won two scudetti with Juventus, in 2005 and 2006, while the side are currently fighting to clinch third place behind champions Inter and their city rivals AC Milan. His one-year contract will come into force as from the start of July and club official Alessio Secco enthused: "Fabio is a world champion, a golden ball winner and a great team-spirit builder. "During the Summer of 2006 the club was forced to sell him due to great economic necessities. "This year we took advantage of the natural expiration of Cannavaro's contract to bring him back to Turin and we are sure that his technical abilities will help Juventus become more competitive". Cannavaro left Juventus after the club had been relegated to Serie B following the match-fixing allegations that rocked Italian football. He was born in Naples and played for them for three seasons before joining Parma where he won the UEFA Cup and two Italian Cups over a seven year period from 1995. Cannavaro, who has 124 caps for Italy, left Parma to join Inter Milan in 2002 but after only two seasons moved on to Juventus. New coach Ferrara is determined to take Juve straight into next season's Champions League group stage and said on Monday: "I think the players need to understand that we're in a tight spot. "They need to rediscover the right motivation to tackle our last two matches with the right attitude. The players need to rediscover their pride and the right motivation."
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Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro rejoining Juve after three years at Real Madrid .
News comes less than 24 hours after the club sacked coach Claudio Ranieri .
Defender Cannavaro, 35, won two scudetti with Juventus, in 2005 and 2006 .
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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 10:16 EST, 15 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 14:37 EST, 15 November 2012 . A teenager who killed her best friend in a car accident when she ‘showed off’ driving into a blind bend and collided with a tree just four months after passing her test was today jailed for six months. Naomi Jones, 19, of Wesham, Lancashire, admitted causing the death of Elysia Ashworth, 17, of St Annes, by careless driving after crashing her Vauxhall Corsa near Blackpool Airport in July 2011. The pair had been close friends since the age of 13, regularly had sleepovers at each other's houses and Jones had even gone on holiday to Cyprus with Miss Ashworth's family three years ago. Death: Naomi Jones (left), 19, of Wesham, Lancashire, admitted causing the death of Elysia Ashworth (right), 17, of St Annes, by careless driving after crashing her Vauxhall Corsa near Blackpool Airport in July 2011 . Blackpool Sixth Form College student Jones, who wanted to become a teacher, admitted careless driving at her Preston Crown Court trial last month in which she was cleared of dangerous driving. Jones lost control of the car on the narrow, uneven road and failed to negotiate the left-hand bend, which left rear seat passenger Miss Ashworth with multiple injuries. She died two days later. The car hit two bumps in the derestricted Division Lane in quick succession, and an accident investigator estimated the speed at point of impact with the tree at between 30mph and 35mph. Her approach speed must have been more than 35mph, the jury heard. Judge Christopher Cornwall said the verdict should not be questioned but he believed it was not far short of dangerous driving. He told her: ‘There seems to have been every conceivable reason that you should have reduced your speed on that road. ‘There is no doubt in my mind that the considerable jolt you experienced ought to have acted as a warning that your speed was unacceptably fast. Sadness: The family of Elysia Ashworth, (left-to-right) sister Amelia, mother Maxine and father Chris, outside Preston Crown Court where Naomi Jones was sentenced to six months in prison . ‘There was no evidence of braking; only a desperate attempt to steer around the corner which failed.’ Judge Cornwall accepted she was not racing but pointed out ‘there may however have been an element of showing off to your friends in the car and those following’. 'This is an accident that could have happened to only someone like you who was driving at a wholly unacceptable speed' Judge Christopher Cornwall . He continued: ‘I do not accept this is an accident that could have happened to anyone. This is an accident that could have happened to only someone like you who was driving at a wholly unacceptable speed.’ Jones, whose mother had bought her the car as a present, will serve her sentence in a young offenders’ institution. She was given a 12-month driving ban and ordered to take an extended re-test. Jones said she was ‘completely devastated’ at the loss of her best friend. Tearfully giving evidence, she said she had broken her left arm and right ankle in the crash, requiring reconstructive surgery. She had had to use a wheelchair for two months and still had pain in her ankle. She was undergoing counselling and psychotherapy after she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Life cut short: Elysia Ashworth (left and right), known as 'Elly', had been preparing to take her driving test and wanted to study performing arts after her final year of studies at King Edward Queen Mary School in Lytham . She suffered nightmares and flashbacks about the accident. ‘There has not been a day since the accident that I have not thought about the accident and Elly (Miss Ashworth),’ Jones said in a statement to police given several months after the crash. 'I have been left completely devastated by the consequences of this accident but I know whatever I am going through does not compare to the suffering felt by Elly's family and my thoughts are with them always' Naomi Jones . ‘I have been left completely devastated by the consequences of this accident but I know whatever I am going through does not compare to the suffering felt by Elly's family and my thoughts are with them always.’ Jones was re-taking her A-levels after her studies were affected by the crash. Another girl in the car, Ellen Richardson, also suffered serious injuries in the collision but was recovering and was studying at university, the court heard. Miss Ashworth had been preparing to take her driving test and wanted to study performing arts after her final year of studies at King Edward Queen Mary School in Lytham. Scene: The car hit two bumps in the derestricted Division Lane in Blackpool. This is a file photo of the road . On the night of the crash, the girls were planning to meet friends in Lytham but took a detour when Miss Ashworth had asked her to drive past the home of her boyfriend whom she had argued with. 'In circumstances such as these there is no direct relationship between the sentence of the court and on the other hand the inexpressible grief of Elysia's family' Judge Christopher Cornwall . Miss Ashworth's parents, Chris and Maxine, had written to the judge before the trial to express their feelings of injustice that their daughter's life had ended and Jones's would continue. He said he had also read their ‘intensely moving’ victim impact statements. The families of the victim and the defendant sat together in the public gallery at the trial but today they were separated in court with Jones's parents flanked by a uniformed police officer. Judge Cornwall said: ‘In circumstances such as these there is no direct relationship between the sentence of the court and on the other hand the inexpressible grief of Elysia's family... the value of Elysia's life is beyond all measurement and calculation.’ Mr and Mrs Ashworth made no comment as they left court. Education: Jones was a student at Blackpool Sixth Form College (pictured) and wanted to become a teacher . Michael Shorrock QC, defending, said a suspended custodial sentence or a high community order could be imposed. He said Jones had to ‘live forever’ knowing that she had killed her best friend. He added it was a lack of attention, probably momentary, which caused her to lose control but the judge rejected that view. 'She has expressed genuine remorse. This offence has had serious consequences as far as she is concerned' Michael Shorrock QC, defending . Mr Shorrock said: ‘She has expressed genuine remorse. This offence has had serious consequences as far as she is concerned. ‘What possible purpose can be served in a case like this to send a young girl to prison? What she did could have happened to anyone. It came about through inexperience.’ He said it was ‘an accident waiting to happen’ with the former layout of the road, but that the ‘overwhelming probability’ was that would not have happened today after changes had been made. Mr Shorrock said her ‘supportive, loving family’ would help Jones deal with the ‘terrible, terrible’ consequences of her driving and that she had already been ‘severely punished’.
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Naomi Jones, 19, admitted causing death of Elysia Ashworth, 17, in 2011 .
Pair had been close friends since age of 13 and regularly had sleepovers .
Student sped into a blind left-hand bend too quickly at more than 35mph .
Jones passed test four months earlier and mother bought car as present .
She was in a wheelchair for two months after and diagnosed with PTSD .
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The sister of murdered honeymoon bride Anni Dewani has made an emotional plea for the judge not to halt the trial of Shrien Dewani without hearing the accused’s version of events. Ami Denborg, the victim’s elder sister, said she and her family would never be able to ‘move on’ without hearing what businessman Mr Dewani had to say in his defence. Judge Jeanette Traverso last week adjourned the trial in Cape Town for a fortnight to assess Mr Dewani’s claim that the case should be thrown out for lack of evidence because prosecution witnesses were unreliable. Scroll down for video . Ami Denborg, right, wants the South African trial judge in her brother-in-law's murder trial to ensure that Shrien Dewani explains his side of the story on how his wife Anni, left, was killed in November 2010 . The judge is due to make a ruling on December 8 and supporters of Anni Dewani fear that she may clear the wealthy care home owner of all five charges relating to the murder of his wife on their honeymoon four years ago. But Mrs Denborg, 37, an engineer, said: ‘What about us, as Anni’s family? We need to hear what he has to say. ‘We have been waiting for years, sitting through each and every hearing just to know what he can tell us about how Anni died. ‘At times, our patience has worn thin. But, as Anni’s family, we always believed it was important to maintain dignity and allow the courts of law to follow the full due process. ‘But I wonder how we are going to live our lives knowing that half of the story is missing?’ Mr Dewani, 34, denies any involvement in his wife’s murder in November 2010, two weeks after he married her in a £200,000 wedding in Mumbai. Anni was found dead after the taxi she was travelling in with her husband of two weeks was carjacked in a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. Shrien Dewani, pictured, denies all involvement in his wife's murder in Cape Town in November 2010 . Mr Dewani and the driver, Zola Tongo, were freed unharmed, while the 28-year-old bride was found the following morning with a single gunshot wound to her neck. The Bristol businessman is alleged to have masterminded the hit on his wife after asking Tongo to stage a robbery and engage two gangsters to kill her. Mrs Denborg, speaking at her home in Stockholm, said: ‘We absolutely respect the judge and the court. However, it would just not be fair of her to make a judgment to end the case before she has heard everything. ‘There are inconsistencies in what Shrien has said to the police and to my family and these need to be cleared up, once and for all. ‘We heard from the three men who were in the taxi and who have been convicted and now we need to hear Shrien tell his story. As Anni’s family, we are never going to be able to move on unless we hear what he has to say about what happened.’ Mr Dewani fought a three-and-a-half-year legal battle to avoid extradition from Britain to South Africa after an arrest warrant was issued to take him back and put him on trial. Mrs Denborg said: ‘We have always thought so highly about the South African justice system and it could be about to hit us in the face if it makes a judgment before hearing the case in full. I am totally devastated. I was at work and I couldn’t stop crying. It doesn’t feel fair. ‘If the judgment comes with her hearing the full story and he is declared innocent, then I would say, “Okay, he didn’t do it.” And it would be easier to accept.’ On the first day of the trial Mr Dewani confessed through lawyers to paying gay prostitutes for sex and declared himself bisexual. But a London-based rent boy and a senior Scotland Yard officer were banned from revealing details of Mr Dewani’s sex life by the judge and he has not yet been cross-examined.
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Shrien Dewani is accused of arranging his wife's November 2010 murder .
Anni Dewani was killed on her honeymoon in Cape Town, South Africa .
Mrs Dewani's sister Ami Denborg made a plea to the South African judge .
Ms Denborg wants Mr Dewani to explain his side of the story on the stand .
Trial judge Jeanette Traverso adjourned the hearing until December 8 .
Judge Traverso will rule if there is enough evidence to continue the case .
Mr Dewani denies all charges at the trial in Cape Town, South Africa .
Mr Dewani's legal team is trying to get all charges against him dismissed .
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By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 20:07 EST, 16 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:07 EST, 16 December 2013 . Emperor penguins maintain the tight huddle that protects them from the harsh conditions of an Antarctic winter with stop-and-go movements like cars in a traffic jam, a new study has shown. German researchers said an individual penguin only needs to move a mere two centimetres in any direction for its huddling neighbour to react and also make a small step to stay close to it. These tiny movements then flow through the entire group - which includes thousands of penguins - like a wave. Scroll down for videos . Emperor penguins maintain the tight huddle that protects them from the harsh conditions of an Antarctic winter with stop-and-go movements like cars in a traffic jam . The Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and is endemic to Antarctica. The male and female are similar in plumage and size, reaching 48inches (122cm) in height and weighing anywhere from 49 to 99lbs (22 to 45 kg). Like all penguins the Emperor is flightless, but has a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Its diet consists primarily of fish, but can also include crustaceans, such as krill, and cephalopods, such as squid. In hunting, the species can remain submerged for up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 1,755 ft (535m). It has several adaptations to facilitate this, including an unusually structured hemoglobin to allow it to function at low oxygen levels, solid bones to reduce barotrauma and the ability to reduce its metabolism and shut down non-essential organ functions. The Emperor is the only penguin species that breeds during the Antarctic winter, . It treks 31–75 miles (50–120 km) over the ice to breeding colonies which may include thousands of individuals. Their lifespan is typically 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individuals may live to 50 years of age. The stop-and-go motion plays a vital role in keeping the huddle as dense as possible to protect the penguins from the cold, while the wave also helps smaller huddles merge into larger ones. Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), in Bremerhaven, Germany, used a mathematical model to recreate the positions, movements and interactions of individual penguins in a huddle. In a previous study, the same group of researchers studied time-lapse videos and showed that instead of remaining static, penguins in a huddle actually move every 30 to 60 seconds, causing surrounding penguins to move with them. Daniel Zitterbart, co-author of the . study, which is published in the Institute of Physics and German . Physical Society’s New Journal of Physics, said: ‘Our previous study . showed how penguins use travelling waves to allow movement in a densely . packed huddle, but we had no explanation as to how these waves propagate . and how they are triggered.’ German researchers said an individual penguin only needs to move a mere two centimetres in any direction for its huddling neighbour to react and also make a small step to stay close to it. This is a screenshot of the animation showing the stop-and-go movement of the penguins . To investigate this, the researchers used a mathematical model, which has previously been used to study traffic jams and compared the results with an analysis of video recordings of a real-life penguin huddle. Unlike a traffic jam, the researchers found that the waves of movements in a penguin huddle can originate from any single penguin and can propagate in any direction as soon as a sufficient gap, known as a ‘threshold distance’ develops between two penguins. To cope with the harsh conditions, the male penguins form dense huddles, often consisting of thousands of individuals, to maintain their body temperatures . This threshold distance was estimated to be around two cm, which is twice the thickness of a penguin’s compressive feather layer, suggesting the penguins touch each other only slightly when standing in a huddle without compressing the feather layer so they maximise huddle density without compromising their own insulation and warmth. ‘We were really surprised that a travelling wave can be triggered by any penguin in a huddle, rather than penguins on the outside trying to push in,’ said Dr Zitterbart. ‘We also found it amazing how two waves, if triggered shortly after each other, merged instead of passing one another, making sure the huddle remains compact.’ The stop-and-go motion of the penguins plays a vital role in keeping the huddle as dense as possible to protect the penguins from the cold, while the wave (illustrated in a computer model) also helps smaller huddles merge into larger ones . The Emperor penguin is the only vertebrate species that breeds during the severe conditions of the Antarctic winter. At this time of year temperatures can get as low as -50°C and winds can reach speeds of up to 200 kmp. To cope with the harsh conditions, the male penguins form dense huddles, often consisting of thousands of individuals, to maintain their body temperatures. Unlike other species of penguin, the male emperors are solely responsible for incubating their single egg during the winter, covering it in an abdominal pouch above their feet while the female returns to sea to feed. Unlike other species of penguin, the male emperors are solely responsible for incubating their single egg during the winter, covering it in an abdominal pouch above their feet while the female returns to sea to feed .
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Researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute said the stop-and-go motion plays a vital role in keeping the huddle as dense and warm as possible .
An individual .
penguin only needs to move a mere two centimetres in any direction for .
its huddling neighbour to react .
These tiny movements flow through the entire group - which includes thousands of penguins - like a wave .
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U.S. President Barack Obama voiced his support for Ukraine's newly elected president and called for the international community to "stand solidly behind" him Wednesday, on a visit to Europe dominated by the crisis in Ukraine. Obama's meeting in Warsaw, Poland, with Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko can be seen as a sign of U.S. support for the government in Kiev as it battles to quell a pro-Russian separatist uprising in Ukraine's East. Ukrainian authorities claimed Wednesday to have inflicted heavy losses on militant forces in the Donetsk region, at the same time as acknowledging that separatists have now seized two military bases in Luhansk. A separatist leader gave conflicting casualty figures. In remarks at a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of Poland's return to democracy, Obama also voiced his backing for Ukraine, and said the United States would stand up for freedom across the region. Poland and former Soviet states "will never stand alone," Obama said. "These are not just words. They are unbreakable commitments backed by the strongest alliance in the world and by the armed forces of the United States of America -- the most powerful military in history." Conflicting accounts in heightened eastern Ukraine fighting . He also vowed to stand with Ukraine, which is not a member of NATO, in the face of Russian "aggression," including its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in March. "Ukraine must be free to choose its own future, for itself and by itself," Obama said. "We will not accept Russia's occupation of Crimea or its violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. Our free nations will stand united so that further Russian provocations will only mean more isolation and costs for Russia." Obama, who spoke after Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski at the solemn ceremony in the heart of Warsaw, also paid tribute to the Poles whose struggle for democracy lit a spark for revolutionary change. The 1989 election commemorated Wednesday "was the beginning of the end of communism -- in this country and across Europe," he said. 'Deeply impressed' Addressing reporters earlier alongside Poroshenko, Obama said he was "deeply impressed" by the newly elected leader's vision of what is required to help Ukraine grow. "The challenge now for the international community is to make sure that we are supportive of Petro's efforts, and the United States has already stepped up in a number of ways," he said. Obama said the pair had discussed additional steps the United States can take to help Ukraine through its transition process, including helping to train Ukrainian law enforcement officers and providing more nonlethal aid to its military. Deadly attack on pro-Russian separatists . He also spoke of the need for Ukraine to undertake economic reforms, including steps to reduce its dependence on natural gas supplies from Russia, currently used by Moscow as a means of leverage. Poroshenko, a business magnate seen as pro-European, is due to be sworn in Saturday. He thanked the United States for its support and said the Ukrainian people had shown their solidarity in rejecting Russia's annexation of Crimea. G7 diplomacy . The U.S. President then flew to Brussels, Belgium -- the second stop of his three-nation tour -- for a meeting of the G7 group of industrialized nations. Obama led the international effort to suspend Russia's participation in the world group of economic powers. That suspension resulted in the relocation of this year's planned G8 summit from Sochi, Russia, to Brussels, as the leaders of the G7 nations decided to meet without Russia. Obama suggested Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin could regain the trust "shattered" by Russia's incursion into Ukraine, but only if Moscow plays by the rules and stops destabilizing Ukraine. Putin "has a choice to make" on Ukraine, Obama said, calling on the Russian President to continue to pull back troops from the border with Ukraine, persuade pro-Russian separatists to stand down and back Ukraine's recent presidential election. Obama and Putin are likely to cross paths while both are in France at the end of the week for events to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, but no formal talks have been announced. Putin told French television station TF1 that he will not "evade" Poroshenko or anyone else. "There will be other guests, and I'm not going to avoid any of them. I will talk with all of them," he said, according to the Kremlin's translation. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet Putin on the sidelines of the D-Day events Friday for discussions on Ukraine, the German government said. British Prime Minister David Cameron will meet the Russian leader on Thursday night, Downing Street said, adding that their talks will focus on steps Russia can take to de-escalate the crisis. Obama urges Putin to make choice over Ukraine . NATO defense ministers meet . Amid the heightened East-West tensions, NATO defense ministers met Wednesday in Brussels. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said before meeting it was a timely opportunity "to discuss our shared concerns over Russia's illegal aggression against Ukraine." The alliance has come to the fore in recent weeks as former Soviet states which are now NATO members seek reassurance amid heightened concerns following Russia's annexation of Crimea. Obama on Tuesday announced that he would ask the U.S. Congress for a fund of up to $1 billion to allow for a "European Reassurance Initiative" to bolster the security of NATO allies. This would help the United States undertake increased training exercises, explore the prepositioning of military equipment, and build the capacity of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to partner with the United States and NATO. More U.S. Air Force and Army personnel will be rotated through allied countries in central and eastern Europe, Obama said. Recent moves by Russia to withdraw some of its forces from its border with Ukraine have the potential to ease tensions between Moscow and Washington. But administration officials caution a new detente is a long way off. Kiev and the West have said the separatists in Ukraine are coordinated and supplied by Russia, a claim that Moscow denies. Separatists seize Ukraine military bases . The volatile situation in eastern Ukraine appears to have taken a turn for the worse this week. The Ukrainian government claimed Wednesday that more than 300 pro-Russian militants have been killed and at least 500 wounded in ongoing Ukrainian military operations in the towns of Chervoniy Liman and Slovyansk. CNN could not immediately confirm the report. However, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, self-declared mayor of Slovyansk, told CNN that during Tuesday's attack by Ukrainian jets and helicopters, 10 separatist militants had died and 12 were injured. He added in the past three days, three civilians, including a woman, had died in the violence. The authorities also said that separatist fighters had taken over two military bases in Luhansk -- one run by the Border Guard and the other by the National Guard. The Ukrainian Border Guard base on the outskirts of Luhansk city has been evacuated and taken over by pro-Russia separatists, according to the Border Guard website. Ukrainian official: Five militants killed in attack on border guard base in Luhansk . The border guard detachment at the compound, which was badly damaged during 12 hours of clashes Monday, has been relocated to safe place, the Border Guard Service said. The Ukrainian National Guard said Wednesday it had lost control of its base after an attack by "terrorists" that began late Tuesday. Video appeared to show its detachment surrendering to separatists early Wednesday. The National Guard said its troops at the base had been relocated to "a safe place." Three of its men were injured, while six of the attackers were killed, it said. CNN cannot independently confirm the number of casualties. Civilians killed . The loss of the military bases follows a deadly attack Monday on a regional headquarters building in Luhansk that had been taken over by separatists calling themselves the People's Republic of Luhansk. Five women and three men, all of them civilians, were killed in the attack, which Kiev blamed on separatists. A munitions expert who accompanied a CNN crew to the scene, however, said the damage to the building was indicative of an airstrike. Ukraine's President-elect vows vengeance over helicopter attack . The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe came to a similar conclusion. It's thought to be the first time that civilians have been killed or injured in an attack by the Ukrainian air force since pro-Russian groups began occupying buildings in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions more than two months ago. The U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, raised concern Tuesday over the plight of children caught up in the violence and urged all groups involved to protect children. Seven children, the youngest age 4, have sustained gunshot and shrapnel injuries in eastern Ukraine since May 9, the agency said, while others in Donetsk have been exposed to violence and terrifying events.
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Vladimir Putin tells French TV he won't avoid any world leaders at D-Day ceremony .
U.S. President Obama celebrates 25 years since Poland's return to democracy .
He gives his backing to Ukrainian President-elect Petro Poroshenko .
Obama traveled to Brussels for a G7 meeting, held as NATO defense ministers also meet .
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ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Three men who kidnapped and tortured a man over a drug debt were sentenced Tuesday in Atlanta, Georgia, to decades in prison, in a case tied to Mexican drug cartels. Federal authorities point to the 2008 case as evidence that Atlanta has become a major distribution hub for powerful Mexican drug groups such as the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels. Victor Abiles Gomez, 20, Omar Mendoza-Villegas, 19, and Gerardo Solorio Reyes, 23, were sentenced to more than 20 years each in the kidnapping and beating of Oscar Reynoso in a suburban Atlanta home, federal authorities said. Gomez and Mendoza-Villegas were sentenced to 24 years in federal prison; Reyes was sentenced to 26 years. The three gagged the victim and left him chained to a mattress in an unfinished basement for six days because of a $300,000 drug debt, authorities said. The three are illegal immigrants from Mexico and had ties to powerful drug cartels there, authorities said. "This case demonstrates the danger inherent in the illegal business of drug-dealing," said Atlanta U.S. Attorney David Nahmias. "Fortunately, this violent episode did not spill over to innocent members of our community." In fiscal 2008, authorities confiscated about $70 million in drug-related cash in Atlanta, more than anywhere else in the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration has said. Atlanta has become a stopping point for truckloads of Mexican cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine, agents say. The drugs are held in stash houses before being distributed on the East Coast.
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3 men linked to cartels kidnapped and tortured man over drug debt, authorities say .
Victim was found gagged, chained in basement in Atlanta suburb .
The three convicted kidnappers got sentences of 20+ years in federal prison .
Atlanta is stopping point for Mexican drug cartel shipments, authorities say .
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Birds of a Feather actress Linda Robson has revealed how her son's mental health deteriorated after witnessing the fatal stabbing of his best friend Ben Kinsella. Louis, now 22, was holding 16-year-old Ben, brother of former EastEnders actress Brooke Kinsella, in his arms when the ambulance arrived after the attack outside a bar in Islington, London, in 2008. Now, his mother has opened up on how the death of Ben affected Louis, and how she was told by a doctor that he needed to be sectioned. Tragedy: Linda Robson's son Louis was best friends with Ben Kinsella and present when the 16-year-old was stabbed to death in 2008, an event which sent Louis into a spiral of depression, anxiety and panic attacks . Linda Robson's son and Ben Kinsella had been best friends since the age of eight, and it was Louis who called the ambulance and tried to stem the bleeding with his cardigan after Ben was stabbed 11 times outside a bar in Islington six years ago. ‘Louis went back to Ben. He was holding him in his arms on the floor,' Linda told the Daily Mail in 2011. 'Eventually they put him in an ambulance. Louis’s clothes were covered in Ben’s blood so he had to take them off. ‘Life changed from that day. It never goes away. You think about it all the time. Louis was diagnosed with depression and dropped out of college, but his best friend's death had affected him so profoundly that he began suffering panic attacks. Long way back: Linda and Louis, pictured on stage with Pauline Quirke, her son Charlie and Lesley Joseph in 2012, struggled in the years after Ben Kinsella's death . Murdered: Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death outside an Islington bar in 2008 . In 2013, Louis began living like 'a recluse' as his anxiety crippled him and his family. 'Me or my husband had to be around him all the time,' Linda told The Mirror. 'We couldn't go out - he'd panic if we weren't there.' A year later, Linda and her husband Mark visited a Harley Street doctor for help handling Louis' illness, and were told their son needed sectioning. 'The doctor said Louis needed to be locked up, send away and put on medication for a month.' Linda and Mark did not take up the offer, and instead sought alternative anxiety therapy for their son, who is now recovered and working on a music career. Star pupil and promising artist Ben Kinsella was stabbed 11 times in an Islington street after a night out celebrating the end of his GCSEs with a groups of friends, including Louis, in 2008. Thee men, Michael Alleyne, Jade Braithwaite, and Juress Kika, all in their late teens at the time of the stabbing, were jailed for the murder. Ben's sister, actress Brooke Kinsella, has since campaigned tirelessly for tougher knife-crime sentences since her brother was killed, working as a Government ambassador and helping to set up the Ben Kinsella Trust.
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Linda Robson's son witnesses fatal stabbing of Ben Kinsella .
Louis, now 22, suffered from panic attacks and anxiety for years .
Birds of a Feather star feared Louis might have to be sectioned .
Ben Kinsella was stabbed to death outside an Islington bar in 2008 .
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(CNN) -- Wildlife officials in Colorado say they have killed a bear believed to have been involved in an attack on a teenage boy Friday morning. Park officials used 10 tracking dogs to hunt for the brazen black bear, which wandered into a heavily-populated campsite overnight. They established a scent trail by late afternoon, said spokesman Randy Hampton of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. At the end of the trail, they discovered a 200-pound bear that matched the description of the one involved in the early morning attack. It was shot and killed. Officials had said earlier they would have to kill the bear, pointing to the bold and aggressive behavior it exhibited when it wandered into the site with so many campers. The incident occurred in an encampment filled with hundreds of people participating in a bow-hunting event, Hampton said. "We manage wild bears for a healthy and thriving population," said Dan Prenzlow, regional manager for wildlife with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. "But when an individual bear enters a tent and attacks a sleeping person, we manage that animal to protect the public safety." The bear entered a tent occupied by a teenage boy and at least one other person early Friday. It bit the boy on the leg, but the teen fought it off. The bear was then chased away by the teen and other campers at the site. Wildlife officials who responded to the scene determined that the black bear had been poking around the campsite before it attacked the teenage boy. Investigators said they found a ransacked cooler and evidence that food had been eaten before the bear entered the tent. The teenager was taken to a hospital in nearby Leadville, Colorado, Hampton said. He was treated for deep lacerations on one of his legs and released. He is expected to recover but will receive followup treatment. The boy, identified as 13-year-old Rick Voss, told CNN affiliate KUSA that the bear stop attacking him and ran after another camper who ran away. "I got lucky. If he didn't run for help ... luckily the bear chased him. The bear kept getting more and more aggressive and I didn't think I would have lived if he didn't run," Voss told the affiliate. Hampton estimated that there are 12,000 black bears on Colorado's 23 million acres of public land. There are no known brown bears or grizzlies in the state. Earlier this month, a man was killed in a grizzly bear attack in Wyoming's Yellowstone Park. But park officials said the man, who was hiking with his wife, surprised the female grizzly while she was with her cubs. They determined that she was acting defensively and decided not to put the bear down. CNN's Nigel Walwyn contributed to this report.
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Black bear enters a tent and bites a teenage boy in the leg .
The boy fights off the bear, a Colorado parks spokesman says .
Wildlife officials kill the bear due to its apparent aggressiveness .
Tracking dogs are used to help find the bear .
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(CNN) -- Lewis Hamilton will start the first ever Russian Grand Prix in pole position after coming out on top in Saturday's tense qualifying session. The Mercedes driver has been on dazzling form in recent weeks, winning consecutive races in Italy, Singapore and Japan to climb atop the overall driver's standings, and his hot streak continued in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi. Hamilton clocked a fastest lap of one minute, 38.338 seconds but was made to sweat by the Williams of Valtteri Bottas who looked set to trump that time only to skid off at the very end of the third qualifying run. The slip ensured the Finn finished third fastest behind Hamilton's teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg. McLaren's Jenson Button will begin the race from fourth position ahead of the Toro Rosso of home favourite Daniil Kvyat who edged out Kevin Magnusson of McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull. "Pole is a great place to start," Hamilton told the waiting press after coming off the track. "It wasn't the easiest of sessions. Rosberg and Bottas were looking quite strong and hooking up a good lap wasn't the same as practice. It will be tough tomorrow in the race. It is a long way down to turn one. We'll see how that works out." Elsewhere on the track, Fernando Alonso clocked the eighth fastest time just ahead of Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen. Four-time world Champion Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, will start in eleventh position after failing to make the final qualifying run. "I wasn't comfortable in the car today. It was very difficult," Vettel said. "The car felt nervous, so I couldn't take the speed into the corners, I lost the rear many times around the lap and therefore wasn't quick enough." The day's qualifying took place under calm, sunny conditions that were in stark contrast to the heavy rain a week earlier in Japan that led to Marussia driver Jules Bianchi suffering a severe head injury. The 25-year-old Frenchman remains in hospital in Yokkaichi and a number of drivers spoke earlier this week about the difficulty of competing again so soon after such a traumatic incident. Hamilton said he was praying for the Frenchman while all 21 drivers have put the words "Tous avec Jules #17" on their helmets this weekend to show their support. Bianchi's Marussia teammate, Max Chilton, took to the track Saturday but finished the day in 21st position and will start last on the grid Sunday. He later described the emotions he and his team felt and the difficulties of trying to focus on racing under the circumstances. "(It's been) a tough weekend and one that hasn't got any easier as we've progressed towards the race," Chilton said. "I'm grateful for having the whole Team around me as I think that it is helping all of us to focus. "Performance-wise, we didn't get the qualifying position we wanted today, but there are some reasons for that. "We'll keep pushing hard this evening, and do our best to get ahead of the Caterhams tomorrow, but the fact is, it's not the same without my teammate."
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Hamilton claims pole position in Russian Grand Prix .
Title rival and teammate Nico Rosberg will begin in second position .
Mercedes pair pushed all the way by the Williams of Valtteri Bottas .
Drivers still trying to come to terms with the accident of Jules Bianchi in Japan last week .
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Boston (CNN) -- Jurors squirmed Monday as a Massachusetts pathologist detailed the wounds inflicted on the 19 bodies prosecutors have lain at the feet of reputed Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger. Richard John Evans, the state's former chief medical examiner, described gunshot wounds to the temple, neck, spinal cord or heart in graphic detail. The jury in Bulger's federal racketeering and murder trial was both riveted and visibly uneasy during Evans' testimony, with some of them holding their hands over their mouths as he outlined the damage inflicted by bullets in 17 of the 19 cases. Others twisted in their chairs during the testimony, while many intently took notes. But about eight victims into the litany of death certificates, the jurors appeared more relaxed. Most of the victims were shot repeatedly in the head or neck, Evans testified. They included William O'Brien, who was expecting a baby boy when he was shot 20 times on a Boston boulevard in 1973. "The most significant of the 20 was a wound to his right shoulder which pierced the spinal cord and lodged in his neck region," Evans explained. "It severed the spinal cord five centimeters from the bottom of the brain stem, which would make breathing impossible." Former drug dealers detail threats during Bulger's reign . Former gang associate Francis "Buddy" Leonard was found in 1975 riddled with 13 bullets, including two to the left side of the head and one in the neck, according to his death certificate. Another victim, Brian Halloran, was shot 14 times in 1975. All of the shots were "through-and-throughs," leaving no with bullets passing completely through the body, Evans testified. Dead alongside him was Michael Donahue, Evans testified, a friend who wasn't affiliated with Boston's criminal gangs. Donahue was giving Halloran a ride home from a bar; his cause of death was "a gunshot wound to back of head that went into his brain," Evans explained. Donahue's son, Tommy Donahue, sat with his head in his hands and his eyes closed during the description of the shot that killed his father. "Going through it was rough, but I know every word on that death certificate," Donahue said after Monday's testimony. He brandished the document, which he has carried to court every day since the beginning of the trial, as he spoke. Prosecutors say Bulger had a nearly 20-year reign of terror as the head of the Winter Hill Gang, the Irish mob that once terrorized South Boston. But during much of that time, they say, he was an FBI informant, and that rogue FBI agents tipped him off to his impending arrest and allowed him to flee a 1995 indictment. Juror view photos of alleged victims' remains . Now 83, Bulger was captured in California in 2011 and brought back to Boston for trial, where a succession of mob figures have tied him to the killings. Former FBI Agent Gerald Montanari testified Monday that Halloran was a "mid-level strong arm" who had agreed to wear a listening device and testify against Bulger and his associates. He was protected by the FBI and stationed in a safe house on Cape Cod until he began to "waffle" about entering into the witness protection program and refused a polygraph, Montanari said. Montanari said the FBI cut ties with Halloran in 1982. The mobster was found shot to death shortly afterward, and earlier testimony stated that Bulger had Halloran killed after his FBI handler tipped him off to Halloran's cooperation. Former hit man John Martorano -- now the government's star witness -- recounted Bulger's involvement in 13 killings, including O'Brien's and Leonard's. Former associate Kevin Weeks implicated Bulger in three more, including that of Halloran -- whose body was "bouncing off the ground" with every shot, he testified. Prosecutors expect testimony later this week from Bulger's former partner and fellow informant Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi to lock up their case. Weeks, Flemmi and Martorano have all testified in exchange for reduced sentences in other murders. Expletives fly Bulger, ex-partner during trial . CNN's Laura Batchelor and Deborah Feyerick contributed to this report.
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Medical examiner lays out fatal shots in Bulger trial .
Of the 19 killings Bulger is charged with, 17 were deaths by shooting .
Some jurors squirmed during the graphic testimony .
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His energy and enthusiasm would put presenters half his age to shame. But after nearly a decade of hosting Strictly Come Dancing, it seems Sir Bruce Forsyth is finally beginning to feel the weight of his 84 years. For the first time, the entertainer will take a holiday mid-series to recuperate from the strain of hosting the Saturday night shows. He seemed to struggle once or twice with the timing of his jokes on this weekend’s programme, but still happily warmed up the 500-strong audience beforehand with a combination of gags and song routines. Break: Sir Bruce Forsyth, pictured with Strictly co-host Tess Daly, will take a holiday mid-series . Off-stage, a crew member was on hand to guide him past the judges’ podium to make sure he did not trip over a set of steps. Co-presenter Tess Daly (right) will stand in as host for Sir Bruce (left), with her usual role taken by Claudia Winkleman . More than 9.9million tuned in to watch on Saturday, with Jerry Hall putting in a poor performance that saw her booted out of the competition in last night’s result show. Strictly easily beat its ITV rival the Factor, which was watched by only 8.2million. Sir Bruce negotiated the week-long break with producers before filming on the tenth series began in September. He will miss one show, on November 10, so he can rest before the following week’s live episode at Wembley Arena. His co-presenter Tess Daly will stand in as host, with her usual role taken by Claudia Winkleman. It will be the first time Sir Bruce, last month named as the longest-serving male TV entertainer by Guinness World Records, has voluntarily missed a show. Three years ago, doctors ordered him to pull out of one episode when he contracted flu. Yesterday, a Strictly spokesman said: ‘Even national treasures are allowed to take a week off. Sir . Bruce is taking a short break so he can be on top form and fighting fit . for the Children in Need show at Wembley the following week. Since this article was published, it has been brought to our attention that the mid-series break which Sir Bruce is taking was planned well in advance and was not arranged to allow him to take a rest from the show. Busy schedule: Despite reportedly feeling the strain, Bruce was on the mic as he attended the Arora Ball at the Sofitel Hotel at London's Heathrow Airport over the weekend, alongside Lord Jeffrey Archer . Victoria Pendleton got tangled up in her ballgown while dancing with Brendan Cole .
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Presenter will take a holiday, missing one show on November 10 .
Co-presenter Tess Daly will stand in as host .
It turns out years of cycling is rather good preparation for a Strictly wardrobe malfunction. Victoria .
Pendleton revealed perfectly toned pins after she got tangled up in her .
blue ballgown during her rumba with Brendan Cole.
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Sochi, Russia (CNN) -- The Olympic city has a dog problem. Thousands of stray canines wander the streets and suburbs of Sochi. They can be seen loping through the recently completed parks and housing developments that have sprung up around what was once a sleepy Black Sea resort. In the countdown to the Winter Games, Russian animal rights activists have accused city authorities of ramping up a campaign to exterminate street dogs through the use of poison. Yulia Krasova says she witnessed the long, agonizing death of a street dog when she walked out of a movie theater in Sochi two weeks ago. "At first I thought someone beat the dog," she recalled. "The dog jumped up and started running around in circles. Then she fell down and started spitting up ... I called the veterinarian. He said there is a 100% guarantee the dog was poisoned." Krasova filmed the dying dog with her cell phone. So did Irina Gutnik, another Sochi resident. Gutnik said she encountered a dog convulsing and barking in fear and pain in Sochi's Bitka neighborhood in December. "They always poison the street dogs here," Krasova said. "But in December it got terrible ... they began poisoning the animals terribly before the Olympics." Reports of the widespread culling of animals have put city and Olympic officials on the defensive. "All stray dogs that are found on the Olympic Park are collected by a professional veterinary contractor for the well-being of the people on the Park and the animals themselves," the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee said in a statement this week. "All healthy animals are released following their health check." Vladimir Makarenko, the head of the administration for Sochi's Hostinski district, said volunteers were welcome to take stray dogs to a brand new shelter recently opened on the outskirts of the city. But the announcement of new government-backed shelter was met with deep distrust by members of the grassroots network of animal rights activists in Sochi. "Over the last couple of days, when this uproar began, they built this new shelter just for the media," said Vlada Provotorova, a dentist who built her own make-shift shelter to protect dogs from extermination. Animal rights activists in Sochi sent CNN photos of three recent contracts signed between the Sochi city government and Basia Services, a company headquartered in Rostov-on-Don. In one of the documents, dated May 24, 2013, the city government agreed to pay the company 99,450 rubles [roughly $2,800] for the "trapping and gathering of neglected animals." CNN made several attempts to speak by phone with executives at Basia Services. Company representatives declined to respond to allegations their employees poisoned street animals. As alarm grows among Russian dog lovers, some animal rights activists have taken matters into their own hands. Last month, one Muscovite, Igor Airapetyan, drove all the way to Sochi to pick up a van-load of street dogs that he then "evacuated" to the Russian capital. Video of the journey trip was posted on a Facebook page titled "Death in Sochi." Meanwhile, Provotorova and several friends continue to donate time and money to feed, house and sterilize the dozen street dogs they placed in a small kennel they built on the outskirts of Sochi. This week, the dogs barked and wagged their tails madly when Provotorova and several other volunteers arrived with fresh supplies of dog food. "We are protecting them from Basia," said Provotorova said. "I don't blame the Olympics," said Dina Filippova, as she scrubbed out the kennels with a mop. "We don't have a sterilization program, so there is a huge amount of stray dogs here and authorities try to control them. They can't." Filippova, a lawyer living in Sochi, argued Russia needs new legislation for the protection and management of animals. "In Russia, you can abuse animals and it's not a crime. You can buy and adopt an animal and release it on the street, it's not a crime," she said. "You have no legal obligation to sterilize your dog or cat." Filippova and Provotorova both conceded that their families often accused them of being "crazy" about animals. But one of their fellow volunteers had another explanation for why she devoted so much time to caring and feeding for homeless animals. "At my age I prefer taking care of animals," said Valentina Slivat, who described herself as a "simple Soviet nurse" who worked at a hospital in Sochi. A fluffy street dog named "Pushistik" followed Slivat constantly around the kennel, and periodically leaped into her arms. "People have hands, legs, brains. But animals have been abandoned. We need to save them," the nurse said. CNN's Gena Somra contributed to this report.
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Russian animal rights activists accuse authorities of campaign to exterminate street dogs .
Government-backed shelter met with distrust by animal rights groups .
Reports of the widespread culling of animals put city and Olympic officials on the defensive .
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The whistleblower who caught an MP playing Candy Crush Saga during a Commons meeting will face no punishment, a Parliamentary watchdog revealed today. A leaked photo showed Tory Nigel Mills playing the game on his taxpayer-funded iPad when he was supposed to be listening to evidence on pensions and insurance. But instead of investigating the MP, who remains on the Work and Pensions Committee, Commons officials launched a probe into who leaked the photo. Scroll down for video . No punishment: The whistleblower who leaked this photo of Tory MP Nigel Mills playing Candy Crush Saga on his iPad will not be punished, Commons authorities have confirmed, after a 'mole-hunt' to find the culprit . Could one of these be the Candy Crush whistleblower? Footage showed these two people were alternately sitting behind the MP - although it is possible the incident was filmed by someone hidden from view . That sparked criticism over the decision to pursue the 'mole' rather than Mr Mills himself. Footage of the meeting, held last Monday, showed a male and a female sound technician sitting behind Mr Mills who both appeared to be using mobile phones. However, it was not clear if one of them was responsible for filming him or whether another person off-camera captured his gaming on film. A Commons spokesman insisted the investigation was 'standard procedure' because it is against Parliamentary rules to film inside Westminster without permission. Those who break the rules can be barred from the Parliamentary estate, which includes MPs' offices and meeting rooms. Today, just a day after the probe was launched, it was confirmed the whistleblower will face no further action. Distracted: The MP for Amber Valley in Derbyshire was spotted closely studying his iPad and swiping the screen with his finger as he attempted to complete levels of popular app the Candy Crush Saga . Apology: Mr Mills vowed he would not play the game - popular even with David Cameron - in meetings again . A House of Commons spokesman said: 'It is standard procedure that any breach of the filming and photography rules brought to the attention of the House is investigated. 'The Serjeant at Arms has concluded the investigation into this breach and has issued a reminder of the current rules; no further action will be taken.' The Serjeant at Arms, a post which dates to the 1400s, has scope to impose low-level punishments while 'serious breaches' are reported to the Commons Administration Committee. The spokesman could not confirm whether the whistleblower was actually tracked down or whether the 'reminder' was a general one. Mr Mills, who is defending a majority of just 536 in Amber Valley, initially told The Sun he would 'try' not to be distracted by the game again. He later issued a full apology, saying: 'I apologise unreservedly for my behaviour at the committee meeting and realise it fell short of what is expected of a Member of Parliament. Addictive: Candy Crush is incredibly popular - with more than 700 million games played on mobile devices . ‘I guarantee it will not happen again. 'It is a fantastic privilege to represent Amber Valley and I hope constituents will continue to support my campaigns.' Gail Dolman, a Labour councillor in his constituency, said: ‘I think it’s disgusting. He’s an MP and I find it very worrying.’ More than a billion people every day play the 'addictive' game Candy Crush Saga, in which players have to line up at least three sweets of the same colour in a row on a constantly-shifting grid. David Cameron – himself a self-confessed games addict – defended Mr Mills. ‘I know him well, he fights very hard in his constituency for people in Derbyshire, he works very hard in Parliament,’ the Prime Minister said. ‘I’m sure he will be embarrassed and he will work even harder in the future.’ Mr Cameron previously admitted to being addicted to mobile games Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds. Asked what level the PM had reached on Candy Crush, his spokesman said: ‘On that line of questioning, Game Over.’
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Tory Nigel Mills caught playing on tax-funded iPad in pensions meeting .
So Parliamentary watchdog investigated - to find out who leaked photo .
Mole hunt now called off and whistleblower will face no punishment .
Mr Mills apologised but keeps his seat and position on DWP committee .
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By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 06:22 EST, 9 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:07 EST, 9 December 2013 . The plumbing for a fountain that would have decorated a wealthy Israeli family's garden in the 10th century has been found intact, proving workmen of the time built pipes to last. It is the first time the plumbing of a decorative fountain from this period has been found almost complete outside the wealthier districts of Old Ramla, shedding light on the ingenious methods used to create water features in elaborate villas at the time. The fountain, which is described as ‘in an excellent state of preservation,’ was unearthed in Ramla, central Israel, and was discovered during preparations for the construction of a bridge as part of a new highway scheme. It is the first time the plumbing of a decorative fountain from the 10th century has been found almost complete outside the wealthier districts of Old Ramla, shedding light on the ingenious methods used to create water features in elaborate villas . Experts said the ruins of the luxurious villa are the remains of ‘an affluent estate’ that had a fountain it its garden that dates from the Fatimid period, which covers the late 10th century to the first half of the 11th century. The fountain, made of mosaic covered with plaster and stone slabs, was uncovered west of the building and is connected to a system of pipes consisting of terracotta sections and connectors made of store jars, which led to the fountain. A large cistern and a system of pipes and channels that was used to convey water were discovered next to the villa, where two residential rooms were also exposed. Hagit Torgë, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said: ‘It seems that a private building belonging to a wealthy family was located there and that the fountain was used for ornamentation. ‘This is the first time that a fountain has been discovered outside the known, more affluent quarters of Old Ramla.’ A fountain made of mosaic covered with plaster and stone slabs (pictured) was uncovered west of the building connected to a system of pipes consisting of terracotta sections and connectors made of store jars, which led to the fountain . A fountain made of mosaic covered with . plaster and stone slabs to the west of the villa, would have been used to decorate the garden. A system of pipes consisting of terracotta sections and connectors made . of store jars, was designed to carry the water to the fountain. A large cistern and a system of pipes and . channels that was used to convey water were discovered next to the . villa. She said that most of the fountains that archaeologists are aware of from this period have been found around the White Mosque, which was at the centre of the old city of Ramla. Dr Torgë said: ‘This is the first time that the fountain’s plumbing was discovered completely intact. ‘The pipes of other fountains did not survive the earthquakes that struck the country in 1033 and 1068’. Archaeologists believe the entire area was abandoned in the mid-11th century in the wake of a large earthquake. Ramla was established at the beginning of the eighth century by the ruler Suleiman Ibn ‘Abd al-Malik and certain periods its importance even eclipsed that of Jerusalem, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority, which oversaw the excavations. Ramla was established at the beginning of the eighth century by the ruler Suleiman Ibn 'Abd al-Malik and certain periods its importance even eclipsed that of Jerusalem, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority . A large cistern and a system of pipes and channels that was used to convey water were discovered next to the villa, where two residential rooms were also exposed . Ramla grew and expanded during the Abbasid and Fatimid periods, and it was an important economic centre in Israel because of its location on the road from Cairo to Damascus and from Yafo to Jerusalem. Numerous oil lamps, a baby’s rattle and parts of dolls made of bone were discovered in the excavation area, hinting at the house belonged to a wealthy family. A smithy’s forge built of bricks and used for manufacturing iron tools was also discovered around 20 metres south of the structure. Precious artefacts, including the fountain have been removed from the site and have been relocated in the Pool of the Arches compound in the city where they have gone on display.
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The decorative fountain was unearthed in Ramla, central Israel, and .
was discovered during preparations for the building of a new highway .
The water feature is thought to have decorated the garden of a wealthy Israeli family's garden in the 10th century .
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority said it is the first time the plumbing of a decorative .
fountain has been found near complete .
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The sometimes violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and the law enforcement response has sparked a debate about what some call the "militarization of police," after armored vehicles, stun grenades and high-tech weaponry were brought in to calm the violence. Some of the equipment may be military surplus that came from the federal government through a program from the Defense Department's Defense Logistics Agency, which provides military equipment to local police departments across the country. The DLA's law enforcement support program was created in 1999. "This is a program legislated by Congress which allows the secretary to transfer some excess military property to local law enforcements," said Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby on Tuesday. Kirby said since 2007 the Ferguson Police Department has received two Humvees, one generator, and one cargo trailer. Over the same time period, the St. Louis County Police Department received six pistols, 12 rifles, 15 weapon sites, an explosives disposal robot, three helicopters, seven Humvees (two used by Ferguson Police), and two night-vision devices. "It's still up to local law enforcement to determine how and when and where and under what circumstances they use excess military equipment," said Kirby, but Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel "has been mindful of the public debate and discussion about this issue and asked his staff this morning about some additional information about this program." According to Kirby, Hagel has received an information paper with more details on the program, but has yet to order a formal review. Hagel wants a better understanding of the law and regulations governing the transfer program and what parts of that program are the responsibility of the Defense Department. The program has been in place for several years with little controversy and attention, but has grabbed the national spotlight with the unrest in Ferguson, where police have used what looks like tactical military gear and vehicles, although it's not clear what equipment may have actually come from Pentagon inventories. Complete coverage on Ferguson shooting and protests . Pentagon officials say a key issue for the department is the fact that once the equipment is transferred, the military has no control over how a local agency uses it. Many police departments also get funding for military-style equipment from Homeland Security and the Justice Department, which operate programs aimed at beefing up police capability in the event of a terrorist attack. President Barack Obama called for a review of the program on Monday. "I think it's probably useful for to us review how the funding has gone, how local law enforcement has used grant dollars to make sure that what they are purchasing is stuff that they actually need. Because there is a big difference between our military and our local law enforcement and we don't want those lines blurred, that would be contrary to our traditions and I think that there will be some bipartisan interest in reexamining some of those programs." Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, said his committee would "review this program to determine if equipment provided by the Defense Department is being used as intended." Magazine: The Aftermath in Ferguson . Read more about the flash point in the Heartland at CNN.com/US .
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Ferguson and St. Louis PD received military surplus .
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wants to know more about the program .
Some are alarmed at what is seen as the "militarization of police" in Ferguson .
Many police departments get U.S. military surplus or funds to buy equipment .
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By . Jane Fryer . Hermione Norris admits that if she had the money she would go to an American plastic surgeon and get 'the lot' Hermione Norris is looking down at her chest in faux disgust. 'I want my boobs done,' she says, cupping them. 'But I just want them lifted a bit, not implants, and I don't think they do that. And I'd have my thighs tightened because all the muscle and skin tone's gone. 'And I'd have the cellulite shlooshed out of my tummy. And I'd have that wattle thing done, under my neck. 'Oh yes, and hair implants – maybe a hair transplant. If I had the money, I'd go to the best plastic surgeon in America and have the lot. I look all right in my clothes, but underneath I'm a melted candle. You wouldn't want to go there...' It's fair to say that Hermione isn't quite as I'd expected. She looks just like the cool, composed, very middle-class Karen Marsden from Cold Feet, or Spooks' tough Ros Myers, or even DCI Carol Jordan from Wire In The Blood – all sleek, beautifully fitting clothes, discreet jewellery and immaculate skin. But actually she's warm, funny, surprisingly open and brilliantly messy. 'Do you want to see the inside of my bag?' she says, grabbing an enormous soft leather tote. 'Look! There's sand, sweets, salt sachets, pens, drinks, packets of crisps, Lego, plasters. I like to be prepared and I know most things I need for all eventualities are there.' Which is all very interesting, but we're actually here to talk about The Crimson Field – a new BBC1 drama series set in a field hospital in France in the First World War, but filmed in the Cotswolds. Hermione, who's long been fascinated by the war and in her 20s made pilgrimages to the French battlefields, plays stern but compassionate Matron Grace Carter. 'It was very emotional. That level of loss – what must it have done to those poor men? To be a good nurse you'd have to have a level of detachment. I'd just want to take them home with me. My mother's a nurse, but I couldn't do it.' The cast of Cold Feet- back row, from left, John Thomson, James Nesbitt and Helen Baxendale. Front row- Hermione, Robert Bathurst, Fay Ripley . Her mother sounds more capable than most, single-handedly raising four children after her husband walked out when Hermione was just four. 'I don't know why he left – but I would imagine there was someone else involved, knowing my dad. There were four of us under six. It was really hard for my mum.' And her dad – what was he like? 'Great fun, naughty, charismatic, twinkly... trouble. He made me laugh. I saw him every Sunday. He was good at gifts and going out for nice meals but not the sort of man you should marry.' He died when Hermione was 21. 'It had a profound impact. It was really, really difficult. It was like the removal of a limb.' So Hermione immersed herself in work. 'Suddenly I was at Colchester Theatre, sharing a dressing room with a woman who drank gin out of the bottle and went on and on about her cats.' 'If I had the money, I'd go to the best . plastic surgeon in America and have the lot. I look all right in my . clothes, but underneath I'm a melted candle. You wouldn't want to go . there...' For years she alternated between theatre and anything that paid the bills – walking around shopping centres in a moose outfit and selling double glazing. Until, in 1997, she was cast in Cold Feet, the cult ITV drama co-starring James Nesbitt, John Thomson, Fay Ripley, Robert Bathurst and Helen Baxendale. The show ran for five series and served as a launch pad for its stars, who at one stage were reputed to be being paid £70,000 each an episode. (She looks a bit blank when I mention the money today, as well she might after saying last month she now shops at Asda because British TV pays such meagre wages.) Much has been made of the differences between the cast over the years – so did they get on at all? 'We were a very eclectic group,' is her careful answer. 'A really different bunch of people. But it worked.' Are any of them still friends? 'I'm . godmother to John Thomson's little girl. And I worked with Robert . recently. And Jimmy's been away in New Zealand doing The Hobbit... With . Jimmy you always knew. I remember a helicopter arriving on set to pick . him up, and John saying, "Oh look, there's Jimmy's career taking off," as the rest of us got into a minibus.' Which brings us neatly back to hair transplants and, in passing, Jimmy Nesbitt's very natural-looking new thatch. Hermione as Ros and Richard Armitage as Lucas North in Spooks . 'Jimmy's is amazing. You've got to have the cash to do it really, really well. I'm so pleased for him. As an actor it makes a difference to your castability as well.' So what about Botox? 'I would...' And has she? 'I'm not telling you! If you have surgery, don't speak about it. But I'm not against it, obviously.' It's ironic that while she played the wife with children in Cold Feet, Hermione was the last of the cast to settle down. For years, she found herself attracted to charming but unsuitable men – not unlike her father. Then in 2002, at the age of 35, she met Simon Wheeler, a writer and TV producer, when she was filming Wire In The Blood with Robson Green. They married the same year and now have a son, Wilf, nine, and daughter, Hero, six. 'I just thought, "Oh **** it's you!" It was very straightforward. He's kind, bright, my best friend.' At 40, he's also seven years younger than her. Is she conscious of the age gap? 'I'm sure as I get older I will be. I need that work done!' The family live in Dorset and, between filming commitments, spend their time watching mostly American DVD box sets. 'I'd absolutely love to be in an American drama, but I couldn't go over there and peddle my wares,' she says. 'I'd want them to come to me and just offer me an amazing part. I'd never have to work again and I'd be able to get my plastic surgery done then. I reckon I'd need about a quarter of a million.' Hermione is brilliant. She may have a tendency to play dauntingly capable women but she's great company. And you never know, one day, if Hollywood does finally come calling she might end up looking rather different. 'I'd see you in a few months and my boobs would be up here and I'd look amazing!' Let's just hope she leaves the hair transplants to James Nesbitt. The Crimson Field starts tomorrow at 9pm on BBC1.
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Hermione Norris opens up about how she's unhappy about her body .
She says her naked body looks like a 'melted candle'
The actress will star in a new BBC war drama debuting tomorrow night .
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- When HIV-positive Winnie Sseruma was invited to speak on the subject at the United Nations in New York last June, she never expected that her condition would prevent her from obtaining a visa. HIV positive Winnie Sseruma was repeatedly questioned before being allowed into the United States. Winnie Sseruma has been living with the disease for over 20 years. Preparing for her trip, UK-based Winnie discovered that the United States was one of 70 countries worldwide that either banned or restricted inbound travel for people with HIV. "I was told I needed to come to the U.S. embassy for an interview and bring a doctor's letter stating I was fit to travel," Sseruma, HIV coordinator for charity Christian Aid, told CNN. "At first, the embassy told me that the first available appointment for my interview would be at a date past the U.N. High-level Meeting I was meant to attend." Only when the U.N. intervened on Sseruma's behalf was she granted an earlier interview date. Sseruma was relieved when she finally received her visa on time. But the hurdles were far from over. At the airport in New York, Sseruma was detained twice for further questioning. "It was so humiliating," Sseruma said. "The immigration officers were asking me very personal questions about my health." A month after Sseruma's ordeal, the U.S. Senate passed the re-authorization of President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), including an amendment to the ban on travel and immigration for HIV-positive non-citizens. But the United States travel ban still remains in effect, and will continue to be the law until the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) modifies its regulations. Fifty-eight Members of Congress have sent a letter to the HHS, urging them to take action. Russia also places restrictions on travelers with HIV. Affected visitors are not permitted to stay in the country for more than three months. Anyone applying for a visa for long-term stay must present a certificate stating that they are HIV negative. The Russian embassy's spokesperson in London told CNN no changes to the ban were currently being considered and declined to comment further. Crusading against these bans is "Ctrl.Alt.Shift," a UK-based organization that attempts to engage youth to combat global and social injustices. The organization argues that there is no public health rationale for "restricting liberty of movement or choice of residence on the grounds of HIV status." Are these laws outmoded? What do you think? Tell us in the Sound Off below. The fight against stigmas associated with HIV and AIDS has been widely adopted by the organization's young members. Many are joining Ctrl.Alt.Shift's protests across London. Last week, following two protests at the embassies of Saudi Arabia and South Korea -- both countries ban HIV positive travelers from entering their borders -- the organization launched its third protest in front of the Russian embassy in London. "The level of proliferation of the HIV virus in countries that do not implement bans on HIV travelers is proof that these bans have no impact whatsoever, except for reinforcing the stigma," said Neil Boorman, Ctrl.Alt.Shift's project manager. Boorman told CNN that the bans and restrictions further the spread of the epidemic by driving the issue underground and force people to lie about their health on visa applications. Tinchy Strider, a 22-year-old British rap artist, was also present at the protest. "I'm here because many young people are not aware of these issues, but if they knew these bans existed, they would want to do something about it," Tinchy explained. Eighteen-year-old Sian Anderson agrees. Anderson believes it is bad enough to live with HIV and that these regulations make life "even harder." "Some people are completely not at fault, they might have gotten the virus through blood transfusion and Russia doesn't take that into consideration," Anderson said. "Science has moved on from the days where HIV was an unknown virus. Now the world needs to move on too," Sseruma said. "Stigma remains our biggest challenge."
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Russia is one of 11 countries worldwide that restricts HIV positive visitors .
The U.S. lifted similar ban last July, but has not yet been implemented .
Protesters argue that ban forces people to lie about health to gain entry .
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, pictured leaving his house this morning, is assessing the damage to the Lib Dems' local government base . Nick . Clegg today refused to resign as Lib Dem leader after losing control of some of his party's flagship councils. The Lib Dems were ousted from Portsmouth after a surge of support for Ukip while the Tories took control of Kingston-upon-Thames - the local authority of Energy Secretary Ed Davey. A rare glimmer of good news came in Eastleigh, where the Lib Dems have tightened their grip on the local authority after successfully defending the parliamentary seat in a by-election last year. Mr Clegg conceded that his party had suffered at the hands of a Ukip surge, blaming a 'very strong anti-politics feeling among the public. But he added: 'Actually I think in the areas where we have MPs where we have good organisation on the ground... we are actually doing well.' The Lib Dems are are on course to lose around 300 seats. Earlier Lib Dem minister Lynne Featherstone said her party had lost its ‘humanity’ in office. ‘Ukip . have managed to sound like human beings – that’s Nigel Farage’s big . win,’ she told the BBC. ‘All of us have become so guarded, we are so . on-message that we seem to have lost some of our humanity. ‘The . Lib Dems are the whipping boys in the coalition. In the last general . election debates Nick came across as the human being… Partly being in . government, we have become more ministerial, we have become more . political. We have lost some of the humanity Nick had four years ago.’ With . rumours swirling of a leadership plot, Mr Clegg has urged his party not . to ‘lose its nerve’ just as the Government’s key decisions are being . ‘vindicated’. Mr Clegg told reporters it was 'never easy' seeing 'dedicated, hard-working' councillors kicked out. But he said he would 'absolutely not' resign, and insisted the Lib Dems were still succeeding where they focused on their achievements in coalition. 'Based on the results which have come in so far, it has obviously been a mixed result, a mixed night for my party, for the Liberal Democrats and the other mainstream parties,' Mr Clegg said. 'We will see what the further results today, what story they tell. But so far what I have seen is that where we can work really hard to tell our side of the story, we can win.' He added: 'I certainly accept that there is a very strong anti-politics mood around, not only in our country but in many other parts of Europe as well. I think you will see that in European elections in the days to come... 'There is a very strong mood of restlessness and dissatisfaction with mainstream politics and that is reflected in the results for all mainstream parties, including the Lib Dems.' Mr Clegg is under fresh pressure, with the Lib Dems braced to lose many of their MEPs when the European election results emerge on Sunday night . WINS: Did well in Eastleigh - stopping Ukip from taking any seats on council. LOSSES: Portsmouth slipped into no overall control, as Ukip took four seats. Tories took overall control of Kingston-upon-Thames. Labour took Cambridge. Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Malcolm Bruce played down his party's losses and stressed it intended to be a 'major force' in British politics for the foreseeable future. He told BBC Breakfast: 'It is obviously disappointing to lose councillors, particularly those who have worked hard in their community and may have been replaced by those who haven't got a track record. 'But actually we are pleased that where we have targeted our resources, particularly in held seats or key seats, we have actually had very good results. 'That's really very important for us. Getting an even share across the country doesn't deliver seats, getting them in the seats that matter is what matters to us.' Senior party . figures dismiss ideas that Mr Clegg could be replaced by Danny Alexander or . Vince Cable, but are preparing for a bumpy few weeks if the results are . bad. In several European election polls, the party has been languishing . in fifth place behind the Greens. A . poll suggests that only 46 per cent of Lib Dem voters would want Mr . Clegg to stay in his job if the party ends up in that position. David . Cameron and senior Tories, however, are said to be planning a ‘Save . Clegg’ operation that will see the Lib Dems given ‘wins’ in the . forthcoming Queen’s Speech. Lib . Dem sources insisted their vote was holding up well in their . Parliamentary seats, and that both the Tories and Labour were falling . short of the sort of results they need to demonstrate if they want to . win a majority next year.
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LATEST: Lib Dems have 404 seats, down 284. Hold 6 councils, down 2 .
Lib Dems lose Portsmouth and Tories rob them of Kingston-upon-Thames .
Labour takes control of Cambridge after kicking out Lib Dems .
European election results will not be announced until Sunday night .
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By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 05:50 EST, 1 April 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 06:16 EST, 1 April 2013 . The controversial NHS 111 hotline service will go live in only one area of England tomorrow after grave concerns were voiced about its safety. The advice line is designed to be a cheaper replacement for NHS Direct - with . non-emergency callers with health problems being giving guidance on . whether they should visit their GP or attend a hospital. Already in operation in 22 NHS . regions, 111 is due to ‘go live’ across the North of Tyne and Tees . area tomorrow, and in a further 13 areas over the coming month. The initial plan had been to roll it out nationwide today, but doctors had repeatedly warned lives could be at . risk. Delayed: The new NHS 111 hotline service will go live in only one area of England tomorrow after grave concerns were voiced about its safety . Last week the British Medical Association wrote to the head of the NHS, Sir David . Nicholson, urging him to delay the full national roll-out of the . 111 service. Dr Laurence Buckman, chairman of the BMA’s GP Committee, said: ‘We . cannot sacrifice patient safety to meet a political deadline.’ A cornerstone of the BMA's argument is that those taking the calls do not need to be medically trained at . all, and instead work through computer check lists as callers tell them . their symptoms. They may then be referred to speak on the phone with . nurses or doctors if necessary. Last night a spokesman for NHS England, . the body managing the NHS 111 service’s introduction, said: ‘This is a . very important service for the public and we will make sure everything . is in place to make a safe, high quality service that patients and the . public can trust. ‘Many . sites are already up and running, but in areas where NHS 111 is not yet . available we will make a thorough assessment of readiness before new . sites are introduced. ‘The . public can be assured the areas that already have NHS 111 will continue . this service. In those areas where NHS 111 is not yet in place they can . ring NHS Direct on 0845 46 47. All GP surgeries also have messages . advising what to do.’ The initial plan had been to roll the service out nationwide today, but doctors had repeatedly warned lives could be at risk . NHS Direct was launched in 1998 to provide medical advice round the . clock in an attempt to reduce the number of patients needlessly turning . up in A&E. The idea is the new service combines the long-running NHS Direct helpline with local emergency out-of-hours services. NHS bosses believe that dismantling it and merging it with . out-of-hours telephone services for GP surgeries will make it easier for . patients to get medical help particularly at evenings and weekends. They will be put through to a call centre worker who will decide if they . need to go to A&E, a GP clinic, a chemist or can get by with . over-the-phone advice. The operator can potentially send out an ambulance, put someone straight . through to a nurse, book an out-of-hours GP appointment, or direct the . caller to a pharmacist or dentist. In some areas of the country the new service will be run by private . firms while in others it will be overseen by NHS ambulance services. But the BMA has also warned that the service is being ‘run on the cheap’ with far higher proportions of untrained workers than nurses. Mess: Fears about the state of the service in trial areas have been reported, with some people kept waiting for hours . Staff have been recruited for as . little as £8 per hour to man the phone lines. Job adverts suggest they . require no medical experience but should have telesales experience and . typing skills. While nurses represented around 36 per cent of staff at NHS Direct, they . only comprise around 17 per cent of the NHS 111 workforce. As well as claims of potentially fatal conditions being missed, there have already been reports of ambulances being sent to people with hiccups. Some patients using limited 111 pilot schemes are already waiting . several hours for urgent medical advice, while others have been told to . phone back the following day because there is no one available to talk . to them.
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Advice hotline designed to be a cheaper replacement for NHS Direct .
Already in operation in 22 areas and was scheduled to go nationwide today .
Halted after doctors warned repeatedly that patient safety was at risk .
Will now only roll out in the North of Tyne and Tees .
area tomorrow .
New plan is to extend to 13 other areas later in the month .
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(CNN) -- Twenty-one U.N. peacekeepers being held by rebels in Syria were taken from an area near the Golan Heights for their own safety due to fighting there, Syrian opposition coalition President Moaz al-Khatib said Thursday. Al-Khatib told CNN's Christiane Amanpour he wants the Red Cross to pick them up. "There was a U.N. convoy at risk" in an area under bombardment for seven days when the rebels took the peacekeepers Wednesday, al-Khatib said. The rebels are "ready to release them on the condition that the Red Cross come and receive them from the border," al-Khatib said. Injured civilians, including women and children, should also be rescued by the Red Cross, he added. The 21 peacekeepers are Filipino, the Philippine government said earlier Thursday. "The apprehension and illegal detention of the Filipino peacekeepers are gross violations of international law," Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement. The peacekeepers are reportedly unharmed, and negotiations are under way to secure their safe release, the Philippine government said. The Department of Foreign Affairs said it is coordinating efforts with the United Nations' peacekeeping agency. A spokesman with the U.N. peacekeeping department said the agency was still waiting Thursday for the release of its forces. The mission has spoken with the peacekeepers over the phone and confirmed they are unharmed, the spokesman said. U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters Thursday that decisions on withdrawing peacekeepers from the Golan Heights rest with the U.N. Disengagement Observer Force. "The security conditions on the ground are not easy and we have said so in recent days," Nesirky said. "It's for the commander of UNDOF to be able to assess the security situation with regard to the mission and patrols they carry out." A video posted on the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights' YouTube website shows six of the peacekeepers sitting in a room. CNN couldn't immediately verify the authenticity of the video. In it, one peacekeeper gives a statement to the camera: . "We are here safe in this place. We are here because while we are passing through position (unintelligible) to Jamlah, there were bombing and artillery fires. This is why we stopped and, civilian people tell us, for our safety, and distributed us in different places to keep us safe. And they give us good accommodation and give us food to eat and water to drink." The rebels have said the peacekeepers entered a Syrian village near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, an area where peacekeepers should not be and where intense fighting has been raging for days between rebels and government forces. The rebels said they suspected the peacekeepers were trying to aid their enemy -- the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The United Nations said the peacekeepers were on a "regular supply mission." Two other videos that rebels posted on YouTube present the rebels' point of view. In one, a rebel insists that the peacekeepers will be held until al-Assad's forces withdraw from the village of al-Jamlah. The other video shows rebels walking near several U.N. trucks. "This U.N. force entered Jamlah village to assist the regime ... and (the U.N. is) claiming that they are here just to stop the clashing," a rebel says. Members of the U.N. Security Council condemned the detention of the peacekeepers. An Israeli official said Israel, which controls the Golan Heights, would not intervene in the situation. "It's happening in Syria. We are following it very closely," the official said." We can't and won't interfere in the events on the other side of the border. We have offered UNDOF (the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) any kind of assistance they might require and we hope this ends quickly with no harm to anyone." Earlier this week, al-Khatib posted on the rebels' Facebook page a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the leaders of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the League of Arab States. "What is happening (is a) genocide for the Syrian people with the world watching and listening (and) will lead to the gravest consequences," he wrote. "The blood of the people of Syria will be a curse on the whole world if there" is "no effective action," it said. There has been "hardly a Syrian village spared from the regime bombing," the letter said. "This might be the last message to you," it warns. "I call on you all to bear your international responsibilities before God and the people." CNN's Richard Roth and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.
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NEW: "There was a U.N. convoy at risk" in an area being bombed, rebel leader tells CNN .
NEW: U.N. commander would have to decide on withdrawing peacekeepers .
Opposition President Moaz al-Khatib says Red Cross should also rescue injured civilians .
Peacekeepers were taken Wednesday from area near the Golan Heights; U.N. demands their release .
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(CNN) -- Edward Snowden will join the ranks of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Ali G and Marge Simpson when he delivers an "alternative" Christmas greeting to British television viewers Wednesday. The National Security Agency leaker will urge listeners to rally against mass government surveillance when he gives Channel 4's annual Alternative Christmas Message, which follows Queen Elizabeth II's traditional Christmas broadcast. "Together we can find a better balance, end mass surveillance and remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel, asking is always cheaper than spying," Snowden will say in the Wednesday address, according to a transcript that Channel 4 released a day in advance. Channel 4's alternative address tradition, begun in 1993, has included addresses from Ahmadinejad, then the Iranian president; Ali G, a character played by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen; an injured Afghan war veteran; and a survivor of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2004, the cartoon character Marge from "The Simpsons" gave the greeting. Snowden, a former NSA contractor, is living in asylum in Russia after leaking U.S. surveillance secrets to the news media earlier this year. He is wanted in the United States on espionage charges. In his address, Snowden will assert that the types of surveillance imagined in George Orwell's "1984" are "nothing compared to what we have available today." "We have sensors in our pockets that track us everywhere we go. Think about what this means for the privacy of the average person," the transcript reads. "A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all." "The conversation occurring today will determine the amount of trust we can place both in the technology that surrounds us and the government that regulates it," the transcript reads.
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NSA leaker Edward Snowden to deliver Christmas message on British TV .
Channel 4 has broadcast alternative to queen's traditional message since 1993 .
Snowden: "A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all."
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(CNN) -- A residential building in Spokane Valley, Washington, was being decontaminated after police removed a half pound of highly sensitive explosives from one of the apartments, a sheriff's spokesman said. John D. Raymond, 53, is being held on a civil bench warrant and is likely to face charges in district court Tuesday of illegally manufacturing and possessing explosives, said Sgt. Dave Reagan of the Spokane County Sheriff's Office. Raymond uses a wheelchair to get around and lived in a ground floor apartment of the 10-unit building. He was transported to jail by ambulance, Reagan said. A police robot removed a half pound of TATP, or Triacetone Triperoxide, from Raymond's apartment, Reagan said. TATP is extremely sensitive to impact, temperature change and friction, according to the defense and military Web site GlobalSecurity.org. It has been used by suicide bombers in Israel and was chosen as a detonator in 2001 by the thwarted "shoe bomber" Richard Reid. The TATP in Raymond's apartment was placed in a bomb-proof container and taken to a county-owned gravel yard for detonation. "It is too unstable to save as evidence," Reagan said. A secondary sweep of the apartment did not turn up any more TATP, but authorities were concerned about material found in the kitchen sink. As a precaution, the Spokane Fire Department HazMat unit has been called in to decontaminate the scene before residents are allowed to return to their apartments. Reagan said Raymond was angry about how his divorce case was being handled. CNN's Greg Morrison contributed to this report.
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Police remove a half pound of highly sensitive explosives .
Triacetone Triperoxide is sensitive to impact, temperature change, friction .
John D. Raymond, 53, is being held on a civil bench warrant .
HazMat unit called in to decontaminate the scene before residents can return .
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16475445149ccacaafe962b8cb97326daec841d7
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High-powered Maserati sports car was also seized in the raid on Szymon Lam's luxury Leeds apartment . Court hears that the proceeds of Lam's fraud were siphoned off to buy property in Germany . Fraudster told police he was now worth £250,000 after arriving from Poland eight years ago with just £500 in his pocket . Credit card fraudster Szymon Lam was jailed after police raided his house and find £90,000 of gold and silver . Police discovered a 'glittering Aladdin’s cave' of gold and silver bullion worth £90,000 when they searched the penthouse flat of a credit card fraudster, a court has heard. A high-powered Maserati sports car was also seized in the raid on Polish national Szymon Lam’s swish riverside apartment in Leeds. West Yorkshire Police officers searched Lam’s home at the Santorini flats beside the river Aire in September 2010 after receiving a tip-off from officers in London. Ian Brook, prosecuting at Leeds Crown Court, said: 'When they got there the police found a glittering Aladdin’s cave.' Mr Brook said photographs of the huge haul of bullion made for 'impressive viewing'. Officers in Leeds were asked to go to the flat after Lam’s wife had been detained at the exclusive Chelsea Bridge Hotel after a form was completed with a false address, the court heard. Police went to her room and found a laptop containing high volumes of credit card numbers. Another laptop containing credit card details was also found in Leeds. The court heard Lam and his wife were highly intelligent, financially astute and had 21 bank accounts between them. Police discovered £90,000 worth of gold and silver bullion when they raided Lam's address . A high-powered Maserati sports car was also seized in the raid on Lam's luxury riverside apartment in Leeds . Lam had profited to the tune of £128,000 through his fraudulent activities, around £90,000 of which he had invested in gold and silver bullion (pictured) After his arrest, Lam told police he had come to the UK eight years previously with just £500 in his pocket and was now worth £250,000. Lam was jailed for three years on Thursday after pleading guilty to money laundering offences. The court heard Lam siphoned off the proceeds of his £128,000 deception into off-shore bank accounts and used it to buy property in Germany. Lam's lawyer said he was solely responsible for the offending. The huge bullion haul was uncovered at Lam's luxury apartment in the Santorini flats in Leeds, pictured . Officers were alerted to the fraud after Lam's wife was held at the Chelsea Bridge Hotel, pictured . His barrister said Lam turned to fraud after being made redundant from a job in IT and running up gambling debts without his wife knowing. She said he was introduced to people at a casino who gave him the idea of committing fraud on-line. Detective Sergeant Tom Walsh, of West Yorkshire Police, said: 'It is obviously very unusual for officers to come across such a large amount of gold and silver bullion while searching a flat in Leeds city centre. 'Our investigation uncovered evidence which showed that Szymon Lam was living a lifestyle way beyond his legitimate means and one which therefore could only have been funded by crime.'
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High-powered Maserati sports car was also seized in the raid on Szymon Lam's luxury Leeds apartment .
Court hears that the proceeds of Lam's fraud were siphoned off to buy property in Germany .
Fraudster told police he was now worth £250,000 after arriving from Poland eight years ago with just £500 in his pocket .
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1647edaa7891e35de5c94b6158cec7ef252a8d1b
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(CNN) -- A Philippine clan leader's bizarre attempt to revive the territorial claims of a defunct Islamic sultanate on the island of Borneo appears to be falling apart. With his followers engaged in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Malaysian security forces in the villages and palm oil plantations of northeastern Borneo, the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu is calling for a cease-fire after the U.N. secretary-general urged an end to the violence. But Malaysia promptly rejected the proposal and said its security forces had killed more than 30 of the Filipino fighters on Thursday. Between 100 and 300 men from the southern Philippines came ashore in the area, in the Malaysian state of Sabah, about three weeks ago, claiming to be the Royal Army of the Sultanate of Sulu, a former kingdom in the region whose power has faded. Jamalul Kiram III, one of the clan leaders claiming to be the rightful sultan, says he sent the men, some of whom are armed, to Sabah to reassert the sultanate's sovereignty over the area. But their arrival in the coastal district of Lahad Datu caused alarm and embarrassment in Malaysia, which still pays a token fee each year to the sultanate for the lease of Sabah. While scrambling to explain how so many armed intruders had managed to slip through the maritime border that separates Sabah from the nearby southern Philippine islands, Malaysian security forces tried to persuade the clansmen to return home peacefully. But those efforts -- supported by the Philippine government, which is pursuing a peace initiative with Muslim rebels in its restive southern islands -- failed as clashes in Sabah late last week left about 28 people dead, including several Malaysian police officers. A Malaysian offensive . Malaysian authorities responded by launching an offensive using fighter jets, mortar shells and ground troops on Tuesday. They followed that up with what they called a "mopping up" operation, going house to house in the area, searching for the Filipino fighters. But Kiram's spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, said Wednesday that the Malaysian attack had missed its target, striking an area that the Filipino clansmen had already vacated. He claimed the group hadn't suffered casualties. A day later, Idjirani made the call for a cease-fire on behalf of Kiram, saying the clan was responding to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's plea for the fighting to stop. But Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Kuala Lumpur won't consider any request for a cease-fire as long as the armed intruders in Sabah refuse to lay down weapons unconditionally, the official news agency Bernama reported Thursday. Later on, Ismail Omar, the head of the Malaysian Police, said security forces had killed 32 "militants" in Sabah on Thursday, including one they believed had the rank of general, according to Bernama. The task of the Malaysian security forces in hunting down the clan members has been made more complicated by the strong ethnic ties between many of the people in Sabah and the southern Philippines. Many of the sultanate's followers are believed to have friends and family living in the area. Malaysian police have admitted that the Filipinos are blending in with the local population. In a statement Wednesday, Ban's office said the U.N. secretary-general "urges an end to the violence and encourages dialogue among all the parties for a peaceful resolution of the situation." Ban also expressed concern about the effects of the fighting on the civilian population in the area, including migrants. People and goods regularly go back and forth across the porous sea border between Sabah and the southern Philippines. Eroded power . Established in the 15th century, the Sultanate of Sulu became an Islamic power center in the southern Philippines that at one point claimed sovereignty over Sabah. But the encroachment of Western colonial powers, followed by the emergence of the Philippines and Malaysia as independent nation states, steadily eroded the sultanate's influence. Sulu is now a province within the Republic of the Philippines. But the historical connection still fuels tensions between Malaysia and the Philippines, with Manila retaining a "dormant claim" to Sabah through the Sultanate of Sulu, according to the CIA World Factbook. The Philippines claims much of the eastern part of Sabah, which was leased to the British North Borneo Company in 1878 by the Sultanate of Sulu. In 1963, Britain transferred Sabah to Malaysia, a move that the sultanate claimed was a breach of the 1878 deal. CNN's Karen Smith contributed to this report.
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NEW: More than 30 "militants" are killed in Sabah, Malaysia says .
Malaysia says it won't consider a cease-fire unless armed intruders drop weapons .
Malaysian forces launched an attack this week on Filipino clansmen in the area .
Between 100 and 300 Filipinos arrived by boat on the Malaysian coast in February .
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1647f34613dfa54ca72bba2e4258ecf285b0c98d
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By . Lydia Warren for MailOnline . New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito has revealed she has 'high risk HPV', a sexually-transmitted disease that can cause cancer. She made the announcement on Twitter on Sunday, explaining that she learned about her human papillomavirus diagnosis on Friday following a long overdue gynecologist's appointment. 'At recent #GYN visit alarmed to find out last one, 2yrs ago,' she wrote on Sunday evening. 'Friday got call re: results. Told have "high risk HPV." #Biopsy needed #ASAP.' Diagnosis: Melissa Mark-Viverito, pictured last week, revealed on Twitter on Sunday that she has human papillomavirus, a sexually-transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancers . The 45-year-old went on: 'To say . I'm not wee bit worried = lie. "High risk HPV" can POTENTIALLY but NOT definitively lead to cervical #cancer.' An aide to Mark-Viverito, who is not married, explained to the New York Daily News that she went public with the news in an attempt to help de-stigmatize the condition, which is the most common sexually transmitted infection. 'Yes, I’m an extremely private person,' her first tweet read. 'But this position has led me to understand I now have a bigger responsibility.' She added she had 'struggled & came to conclusion it would be best to disclose & share process I’m going thru hoping it can be helpful to others. Speaking out: She said she revealed her diagnosis on Twitter to de-stygmatize the infection . Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. Around 79 million Americans are infected, according to the CDC. Although in many cases the virus may cause no symptoms, in other people, it can cause genital warts or cervical cancer. The infection occurs primarily through skin-to-skin contact, and can be transmitted through sexual intercourse, anal sex or oral sex. Rarely, a mother can transmit the virus to her baby during delivery. Two vaccines have been introduced in the U.S. to be given to schoolchildren aged 11 to 12. The vaccine is given at a young age because it offers the best protection before a person has become sexually active. 'Our . health should never be compromised. Annual physicals have . to be sacred. Yet our health care system doesn't lend itself to this . for many.' After she shared the diagnosis online, she received numerous messages of support. 'Madam Speaker, we pray for positive results!' Brooklyn Councilman Chaim Deutsch tweeted. Another Twitter user, Kara A Mergl, wrote: 'Recently went through same issue. Biopsy and surgery. Thanks for being a voice for women's health.' HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. and around 79 million Americans are infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 10,000 U.S. women diagnosed with HPV contract cervical cancer, and the infection can also cause other cancers, often years after the infection is contracted. There is no treatment for HPV but there are vaccines and tests can allow for higher survival rates.
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Melissa Mark-Viverito, 45, shared her diagnosis on Twitter on Sunday .
She learned she had the infection after her first appointment with a gynecologist in two years - and encouraged women to get checked .
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection and can lead to cervical cancer, as well as other cancers .
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1648042c65483715693b6113a236b6fc6bd9b9ea
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By . Ryan Gorman . and Laura Cox . The 12-year-old Maine girl sensationally accused two years ago of killing a three-month old baby has agreed to a plea deal that will see her avoid the original charge of manslaughter. Kelli Murphy when first charged in the death of three-month-old Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway in July 2012, but will only have to admit to committing an unspecified misdemeanor to avoid spending the rest of her life in jail. Murphy was found last year incompetent to stand trial by a state forensics investigator after multiple exams, according to the Portland Press Herald. The plea deal has been agreed to by prosecutors but still needs a judge's approval. Tragic: 12-year-old Kelli Murphy may escape a manslaughter charge for the 2012 death of 3-month-old Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway (pictured) 'There will be admissions to lesser charges,' Deputy Attorney General William Stokes told the paper. 'The goal of this, which has been the goal from the very beginning, is that the juvenile will be subject to conditions and to counseling, supervision, treatment for a lengthy period of time, so that the issues that she has can be addressed,' he added. The charges stem from a night in which the baby's mother stayed over Murphy's house with her baby while babysitting the then-10-year-old only to wake up and find her toddler dead. An autopsy and toxicology performed on the baby found . large quantities of the same prescription medication Murphy took to control her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The deal comes after the baby's mother Nicki Greenaway called for charges against Murphy's mother Amanda Huard. She said the woman was neglectful in watching Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway, and that she should be held liable for her conduct. The state disagreed. 'Legally speaking, it’s not possible,' Stokes said. 'One of the things we have to prove in any death is causation, and we don’t have any evidence that [Huard] caused anybody’s death.' The juvenile petition against Murphy . contained no additional details about the case, including Brooklyn's cause of death, but the baby's mother, Nicki Greenaway, claims to have been told her child was suffocated. When Greenaway saw her daughter for the first time at a funeral home, the baby had a black eye, bruises on her nose and marks that looked like fingerprints on her cheeks, she said. 'Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway has died as a result of your neglect,' said a notice delivered to the mother in the weeks after her child's death. 'You knew that (the 10-year-old) should not be babysitting children but have continued to allow her to do so.' Deputy Attorney General William . Stokes told the Portland Press Herald that prosecutors are not pushing . for Murphy to be tried as an adult, so she will not get a jury trial. If the case goes to trial a ruling will be made by a judge who deals with juveniles. But the deal tentatively agreed to is an effort to avoid even that. 'Nothing can bring back the baby,' Huard's lawyer John Youney told the paper. 'The best we can do is look out for the well-being of my client’s child.' Gone too soon: Baby Brooklyn died while in the care of Murphy and her mother . Brooklyn's mother, Nicki, said traces of the 10-year-old's medication was found in her daughter's system . Murphy had already been labeled as a . danger to children before Foss-Greenaway's death, according to documents from the DHHS which detail . that she suffers behavioral problems, including oppositional defiant . disorder, ADHD and attachment . disorder. Former tenants of Huard's house also claimed Murphy also harmed their baby. Ashley Tenney and Chad Hopkins have . named the 10-year-old as being responsible for their daughter's . hospitalisation in June, brought on by sudden seizures. Doctors found the same medication in eight-month-old Jaylynn's system that is used by the accused girl to control her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder after they had been left alone together. Tenney and Hopkins were living with in the basement of Huard's home, the Maine Sunday Telegram reported. They say the girl was alone with . their daughter in June 2012, while Hopkins was elsewhere in the house and . Tenney was out at work. The . couple trusted the girl, they said, that she had shown a 'healthy . interest' in their daughter up until that point, offering to help with . diaper changes and bathing. When Tenney arrived home from her shift at Dunkin' Donuts she found her daughter pale and sweating. 'She was soaked in sweat, just drenched,' said Tenney, 20. 'She was so pale. Whiter than a sheet of paper.' As they rushed her to the emergency room at MaineGeneral Medical Centre in Waterville, Jaylynn began convulsing and fitting. 'She . was on her father's lap, and her head just dropped back, and she . rapidly started shaking,' Tenney said. 'The first one lasted like 20 . seconds.' The sudden seizures baffled doctors at first as they struggled to work out what had brought them on. Medical experts consulted one another and Jaylynn was transferred to Maine Medical Centre in Portland to be reassessed. Shock: Ashley Tenney (left) claims Murphy was also responsible for her daughter Jaylynn's (right) hospitalisation in June . 'If her head went to the left her arm . went to the right and vice versa,' she said. 'Her heart rate was high . and they were worried and didn't know what to do for her.' In . Portland doctors probed Tenney about what medications were in Huard's . house, matching up the 10-year-old's attention deficit hyperactivity . disorder drugs with what they found in Jaylynn's system. So . much was detected, Tenney said, that her daughter 'should have been . dead'. She added that there 'wasn't any way' she could have ingested the . medication on her own. In . the days following the scare Tenney and Hopkins began looking for a new . place to live, sickened by the belief that Huard's daughter had . deliberately hurt their own. She . said she had found a canvas bag in a drawer in the 10-year-old's . bedroom, filled with more than 100 photographs of Jaylynn, some torn, . others with words like 'my baby girl' written on them. The . couple were interviewed by workers from the DHHS Office of Child and . Family Services, as were with the 10-year-old and her mother. All four . were told that the girl should not be given care of young children. But despite the warnings the girl was once again left alone with a toddler just three weeks later, this time three-month-old Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway whose mother, Nicki, had left in Huard's care overnight.
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Kelli Murphy was only 10-years-old when first charged in the 2012 death of three-month-old Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway .
She was the youngest person charged with manslaughter in the state in more than 30 years .
Murphy will plead down to a misdemeanor after a mental evaluation ruled her incompetent to stand trial .
Foss-Greenaway had traces of Murphy's ADHD medication in her system and may have also been suffocated .
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Nigel Farage today threw away the chance to become an MP within weeks as he ruled himself out of standing in a crunch by-election. Opponents accused the Ukip leader of 'bottling it' and being 'frit' after announcing he would not be the party's candidate in the Tory seat of Newark vacated by shamed MP Patrick Mercer. Last night Mr Farage claimed David Cameron would have to resign as Prime Minister if he won the seat for Ukip, but today he confirmed he would not be on the ballot paper. Ukip leader Nigel Farage, speaking outside a pub in Bath today, ruled himself out of standing in the Newark by-election . Senior Tories will breath a sigh of relief at the decision not to field Mr Farage in Newark. The Conservatives secured a majority of 16,000 in the seat at the last election, but bookmakers said Ukip were just 2/1 to win Newark in a by-election, with the Tories favourites at 4/5. Labour frontbencher Rachel Reeves said: 'I'm not surprised that Nigel Farage doesn't want to fight in Newark. 'He bottles it when there's a real contest, and when he has a chance to prove that people want him as a member of parliament he backs away and he's done that again.' Tory defence minister Anna Soubry said on Twitter: 'Niger Farage is not stupid - he knows he'd lose and runs frit from Newark!' But Mr Farage claimed that putting his own name forward for the seat would cause a 'distraction' from the party's bid to win the European Parliament elections on May 22. A by-election has been rumoured since the cash-for-questions scandal broke last summer. But in a statement outside a pub in Bath this morning, Mr Farage claimed he had not had long to consider whether or not to run. 'I have no doubt that UKIP will throw the . kitchen sink at this Newark by-election, but it won’t be me doing it . and we won’t get that huge distraction,' he told BBC Breakfast. 'It was only 12 hours ago that Patrick Mercer stood down so I haven’t had long to think about it, but I have thought about it and we’re just over three weeks away from a European election at which I think UKIP can cause an earthquake in British politics, from which we can go on and not just win one parliamentary seat but win quite a lot of parliamentary seats. 'And for that reason I don’t want to do anything that deflects from the European election campaign so I’m not going to stand in this by-election. 'I want to focus the next three weeks on winning the European elections and also I don’t have any links with the east Midlands; I would just look like an opportunist and I don’t think that would work.' The prospect of Mr Farage standing for Parliament emerged last night as he addressed a meeting of Ukip supporters in Bath . Tory defence minister Anna Soubry accused Mr Farage of being 'frit', an insult used by Margaret Thatcher against Labour . Ukip strategists are examining how the Reform party in Canada used a by-election as a springboard to becoming a dominant political force. Local teacher Deborah Grey won Reform's first seat in Parliament in 1989, and four years later the party overtook the Progressive Conservatives as the main right-wing party. Other names in the frame to fight the seat are communities spokesman Suzanne Evans, viewed as a strong media performer, and Ukip MEP Roger Helmer. Mr Helmer, a former Tory, has been an MEP in the East Midlands since 1999. But he has often sparked controversy, just yesterday making headlines for saying it was acceptable to dislike gay people. Later he appeared to admit part of the reason he did not stand was he did not think he would win. He told Sky News: 'I'm not sure electorally it would have worked anyway.' The seat went to Labour in 1997 during the first Tony Blair landslide but returned to the Tories in 2001. Last night Mr Farage told the BBC that if he stood and won Mr Cameron would 'have to resign' but if he lost Ukip would be finished: 'The bubble is burst.' The Tories were quick to seize on Mr Farage's decision as proof he lacked the will to fight a difficult election. Asked on Sky News 'The question is have you bottled it?' Mr Farage replied: 'Yes.' Conservative Cabinet minister Ken Clarke, who represents the neighbouring Nottinghamshire seat of Rushcliffe, said Mr Farage had backed out because he knew he could not win. 'I am not really surprised. Whatever else Nigel is, he is not an idiot and I don't think he'd have the faintest chance of winning in Newark,' Mr Clarke told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'I don't think Ukip will get anywhere in the by-election. 'I don't think the residents of Newark - some of whom I know because I used to represent some of the villages there - they're not going to vote for a card who's larking about trying to get protest votes.' It follows Mr Farage also refusing to stand in the Eastleigh by-election triggered by Lib Dem Chris Huhne's resignation and in the Labour seat of Wythenshawe and Sale. Local . Tories scotched suggestions of Boris Johnson being selected, saying . they had already chosen businessman Robert Jenrick to fight the seat. And Labour was at pains to stress that it last held the seat before boundary changes, and played down any prospect of winning the by-election. Former Tory MP Patrick Mercer speaks outside the House of Commons, London, as he announces his resignation . Mr Mercer, an . outspoken critic of David Cameron, quit the Tory party in July after he was exposed as having accepted £4,000 to ask Parliamentary . questions and lobby on behalf of Fiji. He referred himself to Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and . promised to quit the Commons at the next election. But . the standards watchdog is expected to recommend he be suspended from . the Commons for six months in a damning report tomorrow. In . a statement last night, Mr Mercer said he was ‘ashamed’ of his . behaviour. The former Army colonel said that as an ex-soldier he . believes that when you have done something wrong you should confess to . it. He added: ‘No . point in shilly- shallying or trying to avoid it. What has happened has . happened, I’m ashamed of it. Therefore, I’m going to do what I can to . put it right . . . I’m going to resign my seat.’ The market town of Newark lies on the River Trent in Nottinghamshire . In 2010 the Tories won 54 per cent of the vote, with Ukip securing just 4 per cent . Newark is a largely rural constituency which, since Patrick Mercer was elected in 2001, has been considered a safe Conservative seat. Centred on the affluent cathedral town of Southwell and the market town of Newark, and dissected by the River Trent, around half of the area's 72,000 voters live in villages and rural areas. It borders Labour-held Bassetlaw in the north and lies to the north east of a number of Labour-voting constituencies in the city of Nottingham. But unlike Nottinghamshire's more urban areas, Newark has a traditionally Conservative-voting population, like that of its two neighbouring Lincolnshire constituencies, Gainsborough and Sleaford and North Hykeham, which border it to the east. Newark's electorate is 93 per cent white British, and 67 per cent describe themselves as Christian, with less than one per cent considering themselves Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Jewish. More than 70 per cent of homes in the constituency either owned outright or mortgaged, less than 10 per cent of households have council or housing association tenants and only 20 per cent of the electorate are younger than 34. Well over half of voters are employed, with nearly one in five retired and only three per cent unemployed. Traditionally Tory, it was held by the party for the first half of the 20th century, but swung to Labour after the war, with Labour MPs George Deer and Edward Stanley Bishop representing it from 1950 to 1979. It swung back to the Conservatives in 1979, with Tory Richard Alexander holding the seat until 1997, when Labour's Fiona Jones won a slim majority as Tony Blair swept to power.Mrs Jones could only hold the seat for one term however and Patrick Mercer won it back for the Tories in 2001. At the last election, the Tories won 54 per cent of the vote, giving them a huge majority over Labour, who polled at only 24 per cent.
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Ukip leader Nigel Farage says by-election would 'huge distraction' for party .
Has no links to seat and says he does not want to look like an 'opportunist'
Tory defence minister Anna Soubry accuses him of being 'frit'
Conservatives won seat of Newark with a 16,512 majority in 2010 .
Tory MP Patrick Mercer quit last night over cash-for-questions scandal .
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By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 07:40 EST, 8 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:50 EST, 8 May 2013 . A 33-year age-gap is nothing when you find the one – and when she is 106 years old there is not a second to lose. That is what Gavin Crawford, 73, thought when he met his ‘princess’ Marjorie Hemmerde in a nursing home three years ago. The elderly couple from Melbourne, Australia are proof that you can never be too old to fall in love. Just a number: 106-year-old Marjorie Hemmerde met her 73-year-old boyfriend Gavin Crawford at a Melbourne care home three years ago . Neither Mr Crawford nor Miss Hemmerde ever married and agree that they did not expect to ever find true love. ‘We just sort of melted into each other,’ Ms Hemmerde, a former librarian, told Herald Sun. 'We get along like old friends, the age gap doesn't seem to matter.’ Mr Crawford, describing his girlfriend as ‘cheerful and appreciative’, said: ‘Marjorie is very outgoing and has good outlook in life.' ‘I think we both have learned that life is far too short not to enjoy it.’ Never too late: Gavin and Marjorie are rarely apart, even for a moment, saying life is 'too short not to enjoy it' But despite time running against them, Miss Hemmerde, a sprightly 106-year-old who holds the record of the oldest person to ever kiss Ireland’s Blarney Stone, has declared that marriage is not on the cards. ‘I'm too irresponsible,’ Ms Hemmerde said. ‘I quite like living in sin.’ Staff at Kew Gardens Aged Care Facility called the relationship ‘beautiful and genuine’. ‘It proves it's never too late,’ social life manager Vicki Fraser said.
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Gavin Crawford, 73, is head over heels for his girlfriend Marjorie, 106 .
Lovebirds met at Melbourne care home three years ago and are inseparable .
Neither ever married, but that never deterred them from finding love .
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By . Associated Press and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 07:43 EST, 25 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:17 EST, 26 July 2013 . Salustiano Sanchez-Blazquez puts it down to eating a banana a day. The 112-year-old New Yorker has been just crowned the oldest man in the world after Jiroemon Kimura died last month at age 116. Sanchez-Blazquez, nicknamed 'Shorty', said a daily intake of bananas and six Anacin tablets contributed to his longevity. 'I'm an old man and let's leave it at that,' the self-taught musician, coal miner and gin rummy aficionado said in a statement to Guinness World Records. Record-holder: Salustiano Sanchez-Blazquez, 112, pictured, became the world's oldest man when Jiroemon Kimura died on June 12 at age 116 . Sanchez-Blazquez, a great-great-grandfather, said he was humbled by the attention, . but he didn't feel he accomplished anything special just because he . has lived longer than most. But Robert Young, senior gerontology . consultant with Guinness World Records, said 90 percent of all . supercentenarians are female and Salustiano is currently the only male . born in 1901 with proof of birth. Guinness World Records used census reports, immigration papers, marriage records and news reports to confirm the record. The world's oldest person is a woman, 115-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan. The oldest authenticated person was Jeanne Louise Calment of France, who died at the age of 122 years and 164 days. Sanchez-Blazquez was born on June 8, 1901, in village of El Tejado de Bejar, Spain. He was known for his talent on the dulzania, a double-reed wind instrument that he taught himself and played at weddings and village celebrations. At 17, he moved with his older brother Pedro and a group of friends to Cuba, where they worked in the cane fields. The world's oldest person is Japan's Misao Okawa, 115 . In 1920, he moved to the U.S. via Ellis Island and worked in the coal mines of Lynch, Kentucky. He eventually moved to the Niagara Falls area of New York, where he still lives, working in construction and in the industrial furnaces. He married his wife, Pearl, in 1934. When she died in 1988, he lived with his daughter Irene Johnson, 69, before moving into a nursing home in 2007. Grand Island's Johnson offered her own theory for her dad's staying power: 'I think it's just because he's an independent, stubborn man.' Sanchez-Blazquez has a daughter, a 76-year-old son, John, seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
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New York's Salustiano Sanchez-Blazquez, 112, is the world's oldest man .
The world's oldest person is a woman, 115-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan .
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1648cbcbc2c4766597971b03acd6dd56f6848abc
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By . Dan Bloom . Former French First Lady Carla Bruni has waded into the row over Francois Hollande's affair by saying he had no right to privacy because public money was involved. The wife of former leader Nicolas Sarkozy complained privacy laws in France were the strictest in the world - and the liaison would have been exposed by foreign media anyway. Actress Julie Gayet won £12,400 in damages from the French magazine Closer last month after it published photos which it said were of President Hollande leaving her Paris flat. No right to privacy: Former First Lady Carla Bruni (left) has waded into the row over current President Francois Hollande's affair with Julie Gayet (right), saying he had no right to privacy because public funds were involved . Scandal: The revelations prompted Hollande (left) to split from long-term partner Valerie Trierweiler (right) The story caused a national scandal in France and saw Hollande's long-term partner Valerie Trierweiler move out of the Elysee Palace. She publicly blamed 'low blows' and 'betrayals' for the break-up in January, adding it had been ‘like being hit by a high speed train', and checked herself into a public hospital for eight days suffering from stress. The incident sparked outcry in some quarters of France, which has some of the strictest privacy laws in the world. But in an interview with the New York Post this week, Italian-born former model Ms Bruni, 46, said: 'You must understand that France has a law that is supposed to protect privacy. But nowhere else in the world does such a law exist. 'This is public money, right? So . it can’t be private. If the French magazine won’t publish this kind of . story, the Belgian one will, and it comes out everywhere.' Outspoken: Italian-born Ms Bruni (left with her husband Nicolas Sarkozy) told the New York Post: 'This is public money, right? So it can’t be private. If the French magazine won’t publish this kind of story, the Belgian one will' Ms Bruni said: 'France has a law...to protect privacy. Nowhere else in the world does such a law exist' Earlier this year 41-year-old Ms Gayet . launched a criminal claim for breach of privacy against the magazine for . using the photos, which showed the man it claimed was the President . with his face concealed inside a motorcycle helmet. He was identified using his shoes and the VIP bodyguards around him. She . demanded £40,000, but was awarded just £12,000 after the magazine . argued it was covering a security risk to the president about which the public . needed to know.
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Former First Lady said 'nowhere in the world' had privacy laws like France .
'This is public money', she added, and story would have come out anyway .
French magazine was made to pay £12,400 damages to actress Julie Gayet .
Closer had published shock photos of 'Hollande leaving her apartment'
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1649dbe8b9e33ec6f9ea2a7d4c1016845fd78283
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Apple devices are at risk of a virus described by researchers as 'the biggest scale' malware they have ever seen. Dubbed WireLurker, the malware targets both Mac computers as well as phones and tablets running iOS when connected using a USB cable. After it has infected the Mac, when a mobile device is connected to the infected computer the virus spreads and installs malicious apps. Dubbed WireLurker, the malware targets both Mac computers and laptops (pictured) as well as phones and tablets running iOS. It was discovered by experts at Palo Alto Networks who detailed their findings in a research paper . It was discovered by experts at Palo Alto Networks who detailed their findings in a research paper. 'We believe that this malware heralds a new era in attacking Apple's desktop and mobile platforms,' explained lead researcher Claud Xiao. WireLurker monitors iOS devices, including iPods, iPhones and iPads, connected to a Mac via USB. The virus begins by infecting the Mac OS software, through malicious files or links. When a device is connected to this infected Mac, the malware automatically installs malicious apps onto the phone or tablet. The researchers said this malware combines a number of techniques to successfully 'realise a new brand of threat to all iOS devices'. The experts suggest iOS and Mac owners only download apps from the official Apple app store, and that they make sure to keep their software up to date. 'It is only the second known malware that attacks iOS devices through OS X via USB [and] is the first malware to automate generation of malicious iOS applications, through binary file replacement.' WireLurker monitors iOS devices, including iPods, iPhones and iPads, connected to a Mac via USB. The virus begins by infecting the Mac OS software, through malicious files or links. When a device is connected to this infected Mac, the malware automatically installs malicious apps onto the phone or tablet. The researchers said this malware combines a number of techniques to successfully 'realise a new brand of threat to all iOS devices'. WireLurker is then capable of stealing information from the devices it infects. This malware is under active development and its creator's ultimate goal is not yet clear, added Mr Xiao. Palo Alto Networks said that the attacks have been concentrated in China, and only currently affect Chinese users because the malware originated from a Chinese third-party apps store called Maiyadi. Apple said it had clocked the offended apps, and urged people to only download apps from its official store. 'We are aware of malicious software available from a download site aimed at users in China, and we've blocked the identified apps to prevent them from launching,' Apple said. WireLurker monitors iOS devices, including iPods, iPhones (pictured) and iPads, connected to a Mac via USB. The virus begins by infecting the Mac OS software, through malicious files or links. When a device is connected to this infected Mac, the malware automatically installs malicious apps onto the phone or tablet . Palo Alto Networks said that the attacks have been concentrated in China, and only currently affect Chinese users because the malware originated from a Chinese third-party apps store called Maiyadi (pictured). However, they warned it has the potential to spread to other regions . However, it has the potential to spread to other regions, and other stores. According to the company, more than 460 infected apps had been downloaded over 356,000 times so far. The experts suggest iOS and Mac owners only download apps from the official Apple app store and that they make sure to keep their software up to date. They also advise people to install antivirus and security software, and never connect a device to an unknown, or unsafe computer.
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WireLurker malware targets OS X as well as the mobile iOS software .
When a mobile is connected to an infected Mac, the virus spreads .
It installs malicious apps on the device, and uses these to steal information .
Malware was discovered by experts at Palo Alto Networks in California .
It is currently only affecting Apple product owners in China - but has the potential to spread elsewhere .
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164b6593a03f7c7411008d1aeb8a5d5aef557c9a
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(EW.com) -- Good news: The shrill CG rodents, who last infested theaters in 2009's "Squeakquel," are stranded on a jungle island with little hope of survival. Bad news: They've brought us along. In their third big-screen adventure, the gang -- which now includes three harmonizing chipmunks, three dance-happy Chipettes, and their harried father figure (Jason Lee) -- tries for a relaxing cruise and ends up scavenging for mangoes alongside a brain-fried castaway ("SNL" vet Jenny Slate). At rare moments, you get the impression that some of the people involved in the movie actually put thought into their work. The Chipmunks' pop song covers are meticulously arranged. Their fur is animated with care. Then Alvin makes a tween-baiting ''honey badger'' reference or slips into an ill-advised impersonation of a Latino gangster (no, really), and "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" reverts to nothing more than a cynical stab at grabbing kids' attention -- and, more importantly, their parents' cash. C- . See full article 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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"Chipwrecked" reverts to nothing more than a cynical flick for kids .
The movie features three chipmunks, three Chipettes, and their father figure .
The Chipmunks' pop song covers are meticulously arranged .
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164b7d04b47a7c5a72998b1516efecdbd1a1fa1b
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By . Corey Charlton . It is a charity shrouded in as much mystery as that of the organisation it supports. A charitable trust set up to support Britain's spies and spooks has been registered, but the listing, unsurprisingly, is rather short on details. The Cinquefoil Trust supports serving and former members of the domestic spy agency MI5 - specifically helping members and their families who have come across 'financial hardship'. The Cinquefoil Trust's only available contact detail is the post box it shares with its domestic spy agency MI5 . Pictured is the charity listing set up for Britain's spy agency, with most of its details kept under wraps . The charity's cloak and dagger listing lacks almost all details other registered charities provide, such as financial records and trustee names - for which it has received special dispensation by the Charity Commission to keep secret. Registered in June, The Cinquefoil Trust - named after the leaf that appears on the MI5 logo - cites a trust deed dated May 30 that is not listed. Its existence has long been known of, but only lately has it been registered with the Charity Commission. It does state, however, it is used for the relief of 'financial hardship amongst serving and former members of the security service, the dependants of any such member and those in a family relationship with any such member'. The Sunday Times reported fundraisers such as book sales, raffles and snooker tournaments were being held to pay for wheelchairs and house alterations for members injured in the line of duty. While book sales are a far cry from the often glamorous exploits associated with MI5, a source told the Times the trust had made a 'real difference' to many members' lives. Spy central: The MI5 headquarters near Vauxhall Cross on the River Thames . 'The trust has been able to make a real difference to people when they most need help and support. 'It is a great example of the close-knit community.' With no registered address or contact number, The Cinquefoil Trust's can only be reached via the MI5 post box, for which correspondence can be addressed to 'The Secretary'.
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Britain's spy agency has publicly listed its secretive members' charity .
Financial grants used to support spies injured in the line of duty .
Book sales, snooker tournaments and raffles used to help raise money .
Grants have gone to members in need of wheelchairs and house alterations .
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164c2efa70e4454a31a5f63eb9ebb00f573c4286
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It was 40 years ago that two men met just before dawn on October 30, 1974, to earn $5 million in the Rumble in the Jungle. In one of boxing's most memorable moments, Muhammad Ali stopped the fearsome George Foreman to recapture the heavyweight title in the impoverished African nation of Zaire. The day before the fight in Kinshasa, Foreman and Ali made separate trips to the presidential palace to pay homage to Mobutu Sese Seko, the brutal dictator who wanted to put his country (now Congo) on the world map. Sporting history: Muhammad Ali, right, stands back as referee Zack Clayton calls the count over opponent George Foreman on October 30, 1974 - Ali won the fight in Africa by a knockout in the eightth round . The fight would finally unfold in the steamy darkness of equatorial Africa at 4 a.m., with machine gun-carrying soldiers watching the crowd from ringside and Joe Frazier among the interested spectators. Late in the eighth round, Ali landed a combination with a final right hand that seemed to crumple Foreman in pieces, ending the fight with a knockout. Before the fight: Ali chants to fans during a sightseeing tour of downtown Kinshasa, Zaire . Ready for action: Ali tells fans before fighting Foreman 'Ako bo mai ye,' which translates from Zaire's Lingalla dialect as: 'I will kill him' - Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, is seen here on the left . Setback: Foreman suffered an injury over his right eye which forced a five week delay of his fight with Ali . Touchdown: A Zairian man in traditional clothing leads Ali through a crowd at the airport in Zaire on September 10, 1974 - the boxer arrived in a chartered plane from Paris for his fight with Foreman . Preparations: Ali, right, boxes with sparring partner Larry Holmes during his first workout at the Zaire training camp in preparation for his title bout . Born to fight: Foreman (seen carrying two unidentified girls) touched down in Zaire two days after Ali - Boxing promoter Don King is seen in background, centre, in a green shirt . Build up: Archie Moore, right, former light heavyweight champion, gives a few words of advice to Foreman . Calm before the storm: Zaire's President Mobutu Sese Seko, center, raises the arms of heavyweight champion Foreman, left, and Ali, right, on September 22, 1974 . Pow: Ali winces as he takes a left from Foreman to the jaw in the fifth round of their heavyweight championship match on October 30, 1974, dubbed Rumble in the Jungle . Comeback: Foreman takes a right from Ali in the seventh round of the duel . Final blows: Ali watches Foreman head for the canvas after being knocked out in the eighth round of their match - each of the men were awarded $5 million in prize money for their efforts .
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On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali stopped George Foreman to recapture the boxing heavyweight title .
The historic match held at the 20th of May Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire, was dubbed Rumble in the Jungle .
Both men were awarded $5 million in prize money for their efforts .
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164c8d96ae7884ca0d17c0a3244240b04b0e28eb
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Towering over rural Cheshire, passing motorists could be forgiven for screaming for help from the Doctor. A huge 35ft Dalek has appeared in a field next to the A51, seemingly intent on world domination. But even though its fearsome plunger looks set to exterminate, the people of Nantwich can sleep soundly in their beds instead of hiding behind the sofa. A Dalek made out of straw is dominating fields in rural Cheshire, if not taking over the world as the greatest enemy in Doctor Who may like to do . Staff at Snugburys ice cream shop near Nantwich create a large straw sculpture every year and chose to mark the show's 50th anniversary for 2013's offering . The cyborg is made out of six tons of straw and five tons of steel and is the latest offering from staff at a nearby ice cream parlour. Each year, the team at Snugburys Ice Cream Farm, Hurleston, celebrates the summer with a new straw sculpture which is usually related to something newsworthy at the time. This year, they're marking the 50th anniversary of BBC favourite Doctor Who - and the most-feared of the Doctor's many enemies will even come to life and move, awakening childhood memories for many. The series itself will mark the occasion with a special edition of the show in November before the Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith leaves the programme at the end of the year. Celebrations have already begun in Cheshire, where the sculpture is expected to draw in visitors until the end of the year and will even be decorated for Christmas. Some of the company's Facebook fans speculated that this year's creation would mark the birth of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's child, Prince George. But devoted Whovians had other ideas. Hannah Sadler of Snugburys said: 'We were absolutely inundated with Doctor Who suggestions from customers coming into the shop and emailing and writing on Facebook. It has taken two days to get the Dalek to its full height, with straw stuffed into a steel structure before being moved into place by a crane . The body of the Dalek takes shape, helped by a team of 13 to get it to its full 35ft height . 'We just thought: a Dalek in that field would look amazing.' The annual event started in 1998 when staff built a huge Millennium Dome sculpture from hay. Since then, they've taken on the London Eye, Big Ben, the Angel of the North and the Lovell telescope at the nearby Jodrell Bank observatory, among others. Last year they celebrated last year's Olympics and Paralympics games with a cyclist racing around a straw velodrome. This year, engineer Mike Harper, 54, decided to go one better than previous years and animate the giant model. He designed the sculpture with Snugburys director Chris Sadler, 60, and then worked out how to make it bit more like its television counterpart. The head of the Dalek, seen being lifted into place, will move around once the sculpture and its electronics are completed today . The eye of the Dalek will light up and possibly scare a few Whovians who come to see the 35ft sculpture for themselves . Thanks to Mr Harper, the Dalek's eye will light up and its head and plunger will move. The familiar cry of 'exterminate!' will also ring out across the fields. Snugburys will also sell a Da-lick ice cream cone in the parlour to raise money for charity. A percentage of the cone's sales will be donated to Cancer Research UK to support a member of the dairy's staff whose father is undergoing cancer treatment. In 2004, the Snugburys team created their own Angel of the North out of straw - and even gave it a cone . The following year, the London Eye relocated to Cheshire for the summer, becoming a straw North West Eye . In 2009, Big Ben spent the parliamentary summer break as 'Steve Ben', which at 70ft was a quarter of the size of the real thing . In 2010, a 36ft meerkat, made popular that year by an insurance company's adverts, watched over drivers .
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The Doctor's greatest enemy has appeared near A51 in rural Cheshire .
Staff at Snugburys ice cream shop create a giant straw sculpture every year .
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164d9e73e0173af3d0959af29960a389ff505606
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By . Jack Crone for MailOnline . A school nurse accused of failing to properly raise the alarm after meeting a 'tormented' teenager three times in the month before her suicide has been charged with professional misconduct. Donna Barbara Moore is said to have had several chances to assess 15-year-old Helena Farrell before the gifted pupil hanged herself in a woodland area near her home in Cumbria on January 4 last year. The nurse, who worked at Kirkbie Kendal School, where Helena was a student, has claimed that initially she 'didn't see the risk' that the tragic pupil would end her own life - despite the girl's extremely distressed state. Helena Farrell, pictured, was found dead in woodlands in Cumbria in January 2013 with Coldplay song The Scientist playing on repeat . Several accusations have now been brought against her - for which she must appear at the Old Bailey on September 1. In all of her time with Helena, it is alleged that she failed to refer her case to children's services or complete a safeguarding profile of the teenager - recording her deep issues. When Helena attempted suicide on December 4 2013 - one month before her death - by taking an overdose, the nurse allegedly failed to make a referral to Cumbria Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in a reasonable period of time - namely between 24 and 48 hours. This and other factors meant Helena did not get an appointment with a social worker from CAMHS until January 3 - the day before her death - where she was deemed as not posing an imminent risk to herself. The inquest in July at Kendal County Hall in Cumbria heard Helena was a ‘bright, intelligent, adventurous and fun-loving’ girl who was a gifted cellist and singer . During an inquest in July, Ms Moore spoke about her early meetings with Helena, saying: 'I asked her if she had thoughts about ending her life. She said "no, not really, I just feel up and down". At the time I didn't see the risk then.' Her alleged oversight was one of many apparent failings in the lead up to Helena's death. The teenager was academically very able and gifted in sports and music, playing hockey and also attending the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. In the months before her suicide she had become depressed after splitting up with a boyfriend and had self-harmed on several occasions. She had even written letters saying goodbye to her family and friends in the weeks leading up to her death - but they were confiscated by a teacher and later binned. Helena's parents, Enda & Maria Farrell, speak at the end of the inquest into their daughter's death . On January 4, the former Windermere School pupil was found hanged in woodland behind the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal - with Coldplay song The Scientist playing on repeat in the background. July's inquest into the death concluded that Helena died 'as a consequence of her own actions'. However the coroner at the inquest criticised the school nursing system after hearing that Donna Moore had responsibility at the time for the welfare of around 5,000 pupils across five secondary schools and at least 20 primary schools. The CAMHS have also come under heavy criticism for failing to offer Helena an appointment with a social worker until her mother, Maria, called them - despite the case being classed as 'urgent'. Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust said in a statement: 'We have conducted a confidential investigation into Donna Moore's conduct and await the outcome of the NMC hearing.' Helena is said to have become deeply depressed after splitting up with a boyfriend towards the end of 2012 . Helena was said to be an extremely gifted student - after her death her parents said 'this unbearable tragedy has profoundly changed our lives' A Serious Case Review by Cumbria Local Safeguarding Children Board, part of Cumbria County Council, was published shortly after Helena's inquest, criticising child mental health care in the county. Helena's parents, Enda and Maria Farrell, have called for changes to the way the services are funded, organised and run. They said earlier this year: 'This unbearable tragedy has profoundly changed our lives.'
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Donna Moore met Helena Farrell, 15, three times in month before her death .
Teenager was found hanged in the woods in Cumbria on January 4 last year .
Nurse allegedly failed to raise the alarm to social services soon enough after girl attempted suicide by overdosing on pills one month before her death .
Also accused of failing to tell children's services or fill out profile of teenager .
Will appear at Old Bailey September 1 for professional misconduct hearing .
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A 73-year-old man has miraculously escaped with cuts and bruises after his light aircraft crashed through the roof of a bungalow in Leicestershire. The pilot of the small aeroplane had to be freed from the wreckage by emergency crews after his aircraft came down on the farm building outside Castle Bytham, south of Grantham, just after 2pm. The 61-year-old occupant of the property also escaped unscathed as he was outside the property signing for a delivery from a tanker driver, 52, at the time of the crash. Witnesses said the homeowner and the driver 'dived out of the way' as the plane made its crash landing. Scroll down for video . The light aircraft crashed through the roof of a bungalow at a farm on the outskirts of Castle Bytham in Leicestershire just after 2pm. The pilot, 73, had to be freed from the wreckage but escaped with bruises . The 61-year-old occupant of the rural farm property also escaped unscathed as he was outside the bungalow signing for a delivery from a tanker driver, 52, at the time of the crash. The delivery driver suffered from shock . Police said the homeowner was uninjured while the delivery driver was taken to hospital with minor cuts and bruises and to be treated for shock. It is not known at this stage what caused the light aircraft to crash, but an investigation is set to be launched by the Civil Aviation Authority. A private landing strip situated behind the farm property is often used by civilian light aircraft and it is believed the man may have been doing circuit practice in the area at the time of the crash. Police said the pilot, from Thurnby, Leicestershire, had been taken to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham by air ambulance but confirmed his injuries were non life-threatening. He was freed from the wreckage by fire crews. Pete Wiles, from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, said the homeowner pushed the delivery driver out of the way and to safety after realising the aircraft was making a crash landing. He said: 'The occupant of the bungalow and a fuel delivery driver were in the garden. They were just finishing off the delivery and noticed the aircraft coming over the hill. 'I understand the occupant pushed the tanker driver out of the way and in doing that he moved out of the way as well. 'In the process of being pushed, the tanker driver sustained a cut to the chin. 'If they hadn't moved... they would have been hit. 'It could have been far more serious than it actually was and there could have been three people killed or seriously injured.' He added that the trio had a 'fairly miraculous escape', and said the plane narrowly missed an overhead power line nearby. The plane crashed in rural Leicestershire, near to a private landing strip often used by civilian light aircrafts . Chris Wright, a neighbour who lives about one mile away, said he drove past the incident just after it happened. The self-employed 63-year-old said: 'It landed on the roof and it's just stuck there. Apparently the front wheel went through into the front bedroom. 'I believe he was doing circuit practice at the time, he wasn't able to control it for whatever reason and landed on the roof. 'It's not something you see every day. 'There was obviously a problem but fortunately everyone was OK.' He said the the homeowner and the delivery driver were chatting outside the property when the plane crashed through the building. He said: 'They were talking outside and saw it coming and dived for cover. 'The funny thing was that the oil delivery man was just asking if there were ever any problems with the nearby airfield, and then this happened. 'I saw the plane on the roof of the bungalow and one of the wheels was through the roof and landed on the man's bed. 'I saw both men afterwards and the guy who lives in the bungalow was a bit shaken up, obviously. The pilot, from Thurnby, Leicestershire, was taken to Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham by air ambulance . 'The delivery driver was in the ambulance and had blood on his face. I think he was hurt when the other man pushed him down. 'The pilot was being treated by ambulance men.' He said the private grass landing strip, about 15-yards from the bungalow, was known locally as Castle Bytham airfield. Officers confirmed the bungalow, which is situated on a farm, did not suffer major structural damage but the area has been cordoned off for public safety. East Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed an air ambulance, three ambulance and four response paramedics were deployed to the scene. Emergency services remain at the scene to ensure the crashed plane and its fuel tank are contained and pose no danger. The road remains closed at Counthorpe Lane at this time and a full investigation is expected to be carried out to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash. Anyone with information should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 244 of November 19.
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Pilot, 73, survived light aircraft crashing through bungalow just after 2pm .
Taken to hospital with leg injury and cuts after being freed from wreckage .
Homeowner, 61, escaped unharmed as he was outside signing for delivery .
Tanker delivery driver, 53, taken to hospital with shock, cuts and bruises .
Small plane crashed through roof of bungalow on farm in Leicestershire .
Private landing strip situated behind property often used by civilian planes .
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164f138877a6e1cf80cd90d6766493be96692eea
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Duncan, Oklahoma (CNN) -- Justin Boyles lay in bed, exhausted and depressed. His 385-pound body sank into the mattress with each breath he took. I have diabetes, he thought in disbelief. His 6-year-old daughter, Autumn, crawled on top of the king-sized comforter and stared at him with bright blue eyes. "Daddy, will you get up and play?" "No, baby, I'm tired." She sat back to think. Her mom had tried to explain why Justin was so sad, but Autumn didn't really understand diabetes or its dangerous implications. "Daddy, are you ever going to be healthy enough to ride a bike with me?" The question broke Justin's heart. Tears started to roll down his face. "Yes, very soon. I promise," he said. "Do you pinky promise?" she asked, holding out her tiny finger. Justin looped his last digit around hers and made the decision to change his life. All kinds of excuses . Shanon and Justin Boyles were high school sweethearts. The first time they hung out at 16, Justin took Shanon to church. He was smart, polite and made her laugh -- three qualities that helped Shanon overlook his size. "As long as I can remember, I've been overweight," Justin says. "I remember as a child coming home after school and having a stack of cookies and a giant glass of milk every day." In high school Justin weighed close to 250 pounds; he was considered obese even at 6 feet 1. As an adult he lived on fast food and spent most of his nights as a security guard sitting down. He'd eat dinner at work -- frozen burritos, burgers and fries -- then stop off at Taco Bell on the way home for the advertised fourth meal. "I was really kind of in my own little hole, and I didn't want to get out or do anything," he says. Shanon became worried. Any time their extended family tried to get together for a birthday party or holiday, Justin refused to go. "He would have all kinds of excuses," she says. "He was really depressed. He was down on himself real bad." Most concerning was his lack of time with Autumn, who got upset when her father wouldn't play outside. "She loves him. He's her hero," Shanon says. "I [knew] why he was feeling that way... but there was nothing I could do about it." Small steps for a big change . Since his diagnosis with type 2 diabetes in March -- and his pinky promise to Autumn -- Justin has lost more than 65 pounds. He walks around his neighborhood whenever he can and makes sure to do the little things like taking the stairs and returning his shopping cart. The family is also eating better with more vegetables, leaner meats and less sugar. For example, at dinner Justin usually eats a spinach leaf salad with tuna or baked chicken with broccoli. Shanon joins in; she's lost 20 pounds in less than six months on the new diet. The family recently took a trip to the Oklahoma State Fair and walked around all day, something they never would have done last year. "I no longer lay in bed thinking that my weight is just too much to overcome," Justin says. "I enjoy being out with family and friends and having a good time." He only weighs in once a month to avoid becoming obsessed with the numbers on the scale. He hopes to get down to 200 pounds, a weight at which his doctor said he would probably be able to go off his medications. "I just want him to be healthy and happy. I don't care what weight he's at," Shanon says. The couple raised more than $7,500 for the American Diabetes Association's "Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes" in Oklahoma City on September 14. Their team wore matching black T-shirts with a new slogan: "Do you pinky promise?" On his website Justin has included a section where he asks readers to make their own promises -- to themselves or to their family -- to get healthy. "[Autumn] taught me that you can do anything you put your mind to," he says. "It doesn't take a big giant step.It takes doing a little something." Justin still has a long way to go in his weight loss journey. But rest assured that he'll keep going -- you just don't break a pinky promise, especially one made to your little girl. Got a weight loss story to share? Submit it on iReport.com .
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Justin Boyles learned he had type 2 diabetes in March 2011 .
Since making a promise to his daughter, Boyles has lost more than 65 pounds .
Boyles raised $7,500 for the American Diabetes Association's "Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes"
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FIFA is facing the prospect of losing two of its biggest sponsors after airline Emirates decided not to renew its contract and electronics giant Sony also considering ending its links with the world governing body. The confirmation comes four months after a number of FIFA's official World Cup partners expressed concerns about the negative publicity surrounding the latest allegations of corruption. Emirates' contract expires next month and the Dubai-based airline has confirmed it will not renew its sponsorship. FIFA said it has known of the decision since 2012. FIFA president Sepp Blatter is facing the prospect of losing two of the organisation's biggest sponsors . It is understood Qatar Airways - owned by 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar - is considering becoming a sponsor in its place. FIFA confirmed that Emirates will not be renewing its deal and that talks are ongoing with Sony. Samsung, which is a major Olympic sponsor, may take over from Sony. Both Emirates and Sony are among FIFA's official partners - the six top tier sponsors who provided hundreds of millions of pounds in sponsorship income to the world governing body. FIFA said in a statement to the Press Association: 'Emirates had already informed FIFA back in June 2012 about the restructuring of its sponsorship concept and FIFA respects this. Due to the ongoing negotiations, we cannot give any further information about future partners in this category at this stage. 'The current contract with Sony still runs until 31 December 2014 and we are currently in on-going discussions with Sony.' Emirates also confirmed its plans, saying in a statement: 'Emirates can confirm that a decision has been made not to renew the sponsorship agreement with FIFA past 2014. This decision was made following an evaluation of FIFA's contract proposal which did not meet Emirates' expectations.' In June, a number of partners including Sony made public their concerns about the effect of continuing negative publicity around FIFA. It followed publication of fresh allegations of corruption surrounding World Cup voting and elections for FIFA positions. Conservative MP Damian Collins wants Chuck Blazer (above) investigated for alleged World Cup bidding fraud . Adidas, the sportswear firm which is perhaps FIFA's most important partner and has a deal until 2030, said at the time: 'The negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners.' Japanese electronics giant Sony said in June the corruption claims should 'be investigated appropriately' and called for FIFA to observe 'its principles of integrity, ethics and fair play'. FIFA earned more than £230 million from sponsors and other marketing partners last year. Meanwhile, a Conservative MP has called for the Serious Fraud Office to investigate World Cup bidding after claims that the FBI persuaded a FIFA executive to bug his meetings during the London 2012 Olympics. Damian Collins says reports that Chuck Blazer agreed to take a tiny, secret microphone into meetings with other football officials should persuade the SFO to investigate. The New York Daily News reported that Blazer, the American former FIFA executive committee member, agreed to take a bug hidden inside a key ring into meetings, some of which took place in London. He was under investigation by the FBI and tax authorities for millions in unpaid taxes, the newspaper said. Those he invited to the meetings included Russia 2018 organising committee chief Alexei Sorokin and Frank Lowy, the head of the Australian 2022 bid, but it is not known whether they did actually meet Blazer. The SFO said last week it does not have the jurisdiction to investigate World Cup bidding but Collins believes the latest reports on the FBI should make it reconsider. Collins told Press Association Sport: 'If the FBI investigation includes meetings that Chuck Blazer held in London during the Olympics, then that should come under the jurisdiction of the SFO.' US attorney Michael Garcia has finished his investigation into bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, won by Russia and Qatar respectively. England also bid for the 2018 tournament but was eliminated in the first round of voting. Garcia's report is now being studied by the head of FIFA's ethics adjudicatory chamber, German judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, but he has said he will not publish it in full. Collins wants the SFO to demand FIFA send it a copy of the Garcia report.
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Emirates' contract expires next month and the Dubai-based airline has confirmed it will not renew its sponsorship .
It is understood Qatar Airways, owned by 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar, is considering becoming a sponsor in its place .
Both Emirates and Sony are among FIFA's official partners - the six top tier sponsors who provided hundreds of millions of pounds in sponsorship income to the world governing body .
In June, a number of partners including Sony made public their concerns about the effect of continuing negative publicity around FIFA .
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(CNN) -- The International Criminal Court has excused Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta from his "continuing presence" at his upcoming trial on charges of crimes against humanity. The excuse "is strictly for purposes of accommodating the discharge of his duties as the President of Kenya." the court said Friday. The ICC is based at The Hague in the Netherlands. Kenyatta must be "physically present" in court during opening and closing statements, "when victims present their views and concerns in person," "the delivery of judgment in the case," and, "if applicable," sentencing hearings, the court ruled. The trial is scheduled to begin on November 12. The charges stem from violence that plagued a disputed presidential election six years ago. More than 1,000 people died after and hundreds of thousands were displaced when ethnic groups loyal to leading candidates in the December 2007 election torched homes and hacked rivals to death. The ICC has also accused Deputy President William Ruto of orchestrating attacks. A third suspect, radio personality Joshua arap Sang, is being tried alongside Ruto on similar charges. Kenyatta and Ruto have denied accusations that they coordinated violence among their respective ethnic groups after the disputed election.
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International Criminal Court to accommodate Kenyan leader Uhuru Kenyatta at trial .
He must be present in court at certain times .
The charges stem from post-election violence six years ago .
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By . Kerry Mcqueeney . PUBLISHED: . 13:11 EST, 18 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:56 EST, 19 March 2012 . An area around the port of the French city of Marseille was evacuated after a German bomb dating back to the Second World War was discovered. Experts removed the explosive in a delicate operation to transfer it to a military base, where it was to be safely detonated. About 1,000 people were asked to leave an area around the port today as officials began the task of moving the device. Easy does it: An expert examines the bomb, which dates back to the Second Word War. The explosive was discovered by construction workers . Delicate operation: The explosive was taken to a military base and safely detonated . Boat traffic was also halted and access to several coastal roads was blocked to ensure safe and clear passage for the bomb disposal experts as they moved it to a military base to be detonated. The explosive was discovered in the city about a week ago, when construction workers accidentally pierced the bomb with their equipment. The bomb's ignition system no longer works but the sheer amount of explosives - 1,400 pounds - made it dangerous, according to the regional government. It had apparently been buried by German soldiers, who had planned to destroy the city's port, as they retreated near the end of the war. Evacuated: About 1,000 people around the port area of the city of Marseille (pictured) were told to leave while the bomb was removed .
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Explosive was discovered when construction workers accidentally pierced it with their equipment .
It had been buried by Germans as a booby trap towards the end of the war .
About 1,000 people were told to leave an area around the port while it was being removed.
Bomb was taken to military base to be safely detonated, officials said .
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By . Becky Evans . PUBLISHED: . 22:18 EST, 7 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:17 EST, 8 July 2013 . Tourism is worth billions of pounds to the Caribbean every year but after 2010's devastating earthquake and years of escalating crime, Haiti has been left behind. Now the government is attempting to rebuild the country by redeveloping the once buoyant tourism industry. The Dominican Republic, which shares an island with Haiti, attracted 1.7million visitors in the first four months of this year alone. Tourist push: Haiti's Club Indigo beach resort is relatively empty in peak times but the government is hoping it can emulate its Caribbean neighbours by attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year . Packed: Haiti wants to build its economy on tourism, like the Dominican Republic, which attracted 1.7million visitors in the first four months of this year alone . Haitians hope jobs will be creating by emulating their neighbour and growing the economy on the back of its paradise beaches and weather. However, critics of the policy say it is moving too fast when much of the country is still lacking basics during as paved roads, drinking water and reliable electricity. Crime, health scares, hurricanes and . the monster earthquake of January 2010 have badly damaged the tourism . that was once a mainstay of the Haitian economy, attracting the likes of . Mick Jagger and Jackie Onassis. The Government is hoping a Venezuelan-financed $13.2million (£8.7million) airport . and new infrastructure on the southern island of Ile-a-Vache, and an $8million (£5.3million) development of the historic coastal town of Jacmel will help reverse the trend. However, it is a big challenge. The Club Indigo beach resort north of the Haiti capital Port-au-Prince is crowded with U.N. peacekeepers, aid workers, diplomats and missionaries, rather than tourists. Officials say the tourism push will . create more than 1,600 direct jobs and 6,500 indirect jobs. Tourism . generated $200million last year, Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin said. The country's entire budget is $3billion. Haiti was once a haunt of the rich and famous who came in search of late-night Voodoo ceremonies and rum-fueled revelry. But an AIDS scare in the early 1980s sent the tourists packing, and years of political instability continued to keep them away. Investment: Officials say building of more resorts like this one in Montrouis, will create 1,600 direct jobs . Picturesque: Haiti wants to see itself on its glorious beaches, such as the Raymond les Bains beach (pictured) Jobs: A water taxi waits for customers at the Wahoo Bay Beach hotel in Montrouis, Haiti. Many Haitians welcome anything that will create jobs but some say the tourism push is too soon . Officials say the 2010 earthquake killed 316,000 people, and a cholera outbreak nine months later took more than 7,750 lives. Today, the only mass tourism - 600,000 a . year, according to Villedrouin - comes from cruise ships stopping at . Labadie on the north coast where passengers can frolic for a few hours . in a fenced-in resort. Sen. Francois Anick Joseph said: 'There are a lot of things that need to be done before we can attract . tourists," he said in a telephone interview.' But steps are being made. The Tourism Ministry's budget has more than doubled. Under the previous government it was $2million (£1.3million) plus a $1million (£670,000) loan from Venezuela's PetroCaribe oil fund. Now it's $4.7million (£3.1million), and Petrocaribe is paying $27million (£18million) to finance development on projects that include Ile-a-Vache and in Jacmel. It says it has signed off on 15-year tax breaks and exemptions from import duties for 11 hotel and resort projects costing a total of $160million (£107million), with nearly $100million (67million) more in the pipeline or completed. It is also training a force of 53 . 'tourism police officers' who will learn Spanish and English and be . trained in first aid and customer service. Devastation: More than 300,000 people died in the 2010 earthquake that flattened whole neighbourhoods . Too soon? Critics say the government should ensure there are countrywide pavements and clean water first . While many in Haiti welcome anything that can create jobs, some worry that the country isn't ready for a tourist invasion. The Tourism Ministry says it has only . 3,200 hotel rooms and U.S. and Canadian travel advisories say medical . services are woefully lacking. The UK's Foreign Office advises against all travel to the country's slum districts and advises caution in visits to other parts of Haiti. The government hopes to double the number of hotel rooms in two years. But the critics say Haiti first has to improve its infrastructure. Tourism Minister Stephanie Villedrouin says Haiti has to stand on its own feet. 'If we want to be a sovereign country, if we don't want to depend on other countries, we need to figure out ourselves how to move forward and how to get revenue, and tourism must be no.1 on the list,' she said. Each hotel room built creates two jobs and four indirect jobs, she said. Last year the U.S. State Department designated Haiti a 'major drug trafficking country.' Meanwhile, the country faces tough competition from Caribbean neighbours offering cheaper holiday deals. Air Transat, a Canadian charter carrier, flies weekly between Montreal and Port-au-Prince, and says it has brought in 120 tourists this year on holiday packages in Haiti costing $1,399 to $1,600.
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The Haitian government wants to hook country's growth on tourism .
Dominican Republic attracted 1.7million visitors from January to April, 2013 .
New airport being built in Haiti and coastal town of Jacmel being developed .
Officials say tourism push will .
create 1,600 direct jobs and 6,500 indirect jobs .
Critics say government needs to focus on giving citizens clean water, reliable electricity and pavements .
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Two unknown New Zealand jewellery designers are set to be thrust onto the international stage after Kate picked four of their designs to wear on tour. Tory & Ko, run by young mothers Victoria Taylor and Kirstin O’Brien, have been asked to supply three pairs of earrings and a necklace. They were recommended by Miss Taylor’s sister, New York based fashion designer Rebecca Taylor, who has previously dressed the Duchess. Apparently Kensington Palace ‘liked what they saw’. Scroll down for video . Pretty: The pearl and diamond Tory & Ko earrings chosen by the Duchess of Cambridge for the royal tour . Glamorous: The Duchess of Cambridge is famous for selling out every item she wears . ‘We’ve been emailing back and forth with her staff. They were very specific in their choices,’ Wellington-based Miss O’Brien said. In the end Kate chose two pairs of earring from the ‘Pretty Collection’ – one in citrine featuring a bow costing £360 and another in blue topaz. The stylish royal also chose a pair of pearl and diamond white gold earrings costing £1,500 and a matching pearl necklace costing £770. It is likely that Kensington Palace would have paid full price for the gems as they refuse to accept unsolicited gifts from companies. But the publicity for the fledgling brand should Kate chose to wear them is worth many times more – most items worn by her become an instant sell-out. One Zealand fashionista also revealed yesterday that palace stylists discreetly visited some of the country’s best known labels to add to the Duchess’s travelling wardrobe on their recce of the country earlier this year. Elegant: The Duchess also plumped for a pair of citrine drops, topped with a 9ct gold and silver bow . Stylish: Pieces by Emilia Wickstead (left) and Karen Walker (right) on the catwalk in London . Murray Bevan said clothes by designers Karen Walker, Trelise Cooper and World have all been considered for the trip. World’s chief executive said tellingly when contacted: ‘I can’t say anything, not a word.’ One designer certain to feature in the Duchess’s wardrobe is London-based Emilia Wickstead, already one of Kate’s favourite designers who is happily a Kiwi by birth. Fit for a (future) queen: Emilia Wickstead's designs (left) are a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge (right)
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The Duchess has ordered earrings and a necklace from Tory & Ko .
Label is based in Wellington and were recommended by Rebecca Taylor .
Pieces will join others by Trelise Cooper, Karen Walker and World .
Clothes by London-based Kiwi, Emilia Wickstead will also feature .
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She's renowned for her glowing complexion and flawless skin. So it's no wonder Kim Kardashian's tanner was brought in to bronze a collection of the world's most beautiful women at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Tuesday night. Renowned beautician Jimmy Coco worked on supermodels including Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio - who both sported a noticeably deep mahogany glow - plus Behati Prinsloo and Doutzen Kroes. Scroll down for video . Brazilian beauties Adriana Lima (l) and Alessandra Ambrosio (r) looking super bronzed on the runway on Tuesday night . Owner/founder Jimmy Snyder of Jimmy Coco: Mobile Tanning Pros (l) and Kim Kardashian looking bronzed on Monday (r) Alessandra and Adriana, both 33, showed off their glow as they strutted their stuff down the runway in dazzling $2million Dream Angels Fantasy Bras. Jimmy used an incredible 3.5 litres of fake tan to prep the stunning beauties for their moment on stage. And he revealed his top tanning secrets ahead of his ninth year working on the annual lingerie show - which was held in London's Earl's Court Arena. According to the Telegraph, Jimmy uses up to three coats of tanner on each model, which takes approximately 25 minutes per layer and lasts for seven days. The false tan connoisseur told the paper how his process involves more than 40 cans, which totals almost 3.5 litres of product. Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio wear Fantasy bras on the catwalk . Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last night . Behati Prinsloo in £10,000 Nicholas Kirkwood boots (l) and Doutzen Kroes (r) on the catwalk . Jimmy has plenty of tools to help him along the way, including a mini airbrush applicator, two tanning tents and 24ft hose. When asked why the models require so much lotion, he said: 'Angels have the most beautiful long legs, which require lots of tanning liquid.' The 'tan man' then revealed how a chance encounter with Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr led him to his current role in the lingerie runway show. He said: 'The VS Fashion Show came to Los Angeles in 2006. I lived a block away from [then] Kodak Theater where the show was happening. I waited in the hotel lobby and introduced myself to Miranda Kerr as she walked by, and offered her a spray tan. 'Soon, all of the Angels were asking for a tan and I have been hired to be Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Tan Man ever since.' Candice Swanepoel on the catwalk (l) and Lily Donaldson (r) in similar gold winged ensembles . The highlight of the annual Victoria's Secret catwalk event is always the reveal of the Fantasy Bra, of which this year there were two, each of them designed and made by Mouawad jewellers for the lingerie brand. The jewellery makers created the bras using 16,000 rubies, diamonds and sapphires, all of which are strung together with 18-carat gold. The ornate ensembles took the designers more than 1,380 hours to make. Adriana wore the blue and silver version of the swanky lingerie, her toned body bedecked in intricate jewellery across her decolletage, down her torso and over her slim hips. Alessandra had the pleasure of wearing the red bra, and was covered in even more body jewellery than her colleague, accentuating her enviably trim shape, flat stomach and muscular yet lean thighs. The Brazilian models walk the runway wearing the $2m (£1.2m) Fantasy bras during the 2014 show . Each of the models - who have been Victoria's Secret Angels for years (Adriana since 2000, Alessandra since 2004) - were adorned with large, flowing capes matching the colour of their underwear, adding to the drama of the moment. In mid-November, they had taken the elaborate bras to the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, Nevada to pose with the bejeweled creations. Most of the shoes of the night were designed by Sophia Webster, while some of the boots were Nicholas Kirkwood - coming in at a whopping £10,000.
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Jimmy uses three coats of tanner on each model, taking approximately 25 minutes per layer, lasting for seven days .
Tan man says chance encounter with Victoria's Secret model Miranda Kerr in 2006 led him to his current role .
Alessandra and Adriana showed off their bronzed skin in dazzling $2million Dream Angels Fantasy Bras .
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1654befae9d5e8715321281096e67767707abaea
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Paris (CNN) -- Nineteen people have been arrested in a series of police raids on suspected Islamists, French President Nicolas Sarkozy told French radio Friday morning. The raids come a week after gunman Mohammed Merah, who killed seven people, was shot dead after a long siege in the southwestern city of Toulouse. The arrests took place in Toulouse, Marseille, Nantes, Lyon and the Ile de France region, around Paris, the Interior Ministry said. Authorities have not said that any of those arrested were directly linked to Merah. Sarkozy told Europe 1 that the decision to act had been taken by the interior minister and foreign minister "to deny the entry of certain people to France" who did not share the country's values. "It's not just linked to Toulouse. It's all over the country. It's in connection with a form of radical Islam, and it's in agreement with the law," he said. "What you have to understand is that the traumatic events in Montauban and Toulouse were profound in our country. I don't want to compare horrors but it's a bit like the form of trauma visible in the United States and New York after 9/11. We have to be able to draw some conclusions." Interior Minister Claude Gueant said that several firearms, including five rifles, four automatic weapons and three Kalashnikovs, had been found in the searches, as well as a bulletproof vest. Speaking to French media, he said the raids targeted people who have made the claim online that they are "mujahedeen," or Islamist fighters, and support "an extremely radical ideology." The authorities' decision to swoop was in part based on the suspects' claims that they had received paramilitary training, Gueant said. Sarkozy suggested that more raids will follow, saying, "There will be other operations that will continue and that will allow us to expel from our national territory a certain number of people who have no reason to be here." Sarkozy said he was obliged to act to ensure the nation's safety. "It's our duty to guarantee the security of the French people. We have no choice. It's absolutely indispensable." The Interior Ministry media office said "the police had plans to carry out 19 arrests, and therefore 19 arrests were made in connection with the group Forsane Alizza." Forsane Alizza is a pro-al Qaeda group in France with a cluster of followers in Toulouse. Merah appeared to have developed connections with the group, according to French media reports. The group was outlawed in January for encouraging French citizens to travel to Afghanistan to fight jihad. Police have been investigating whether Merah acted alone in planning his attacks. He is blamed for the killings of three French paratroopers, a rabbi and three Jewish children ages 4, 5 and 7. Two other people were seriously wounded in the shootings. Merah told police he had attended an al Qaeda training camp while visiting Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to Paris prosecutor Francois Molins. But his uncle, Jamal Azizi, denied statements by French authorities that Merah was an al Qaeda sympathizer and that he had traveled to Afghanistan or Pakistan to train to use arms. Merah was buried Thursday at a cemetery outside Toulouse. Algeria, where his family is originally from, had refused to accept his body, Merah's father said, citing French authorities. CNN's Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.
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NEW: The raids targeted people supporting radical ideology online, the interior minister says .
Raids took place in Toulouse, Marseille, Nantes and Lyon and around Paris, officials say .
The operation targets those connected with "a form of radical Islam," Sarkozy says .
The trauma of the Toulouse attacks for France was a bit like 9/11 for the U.S., Sarkozy says .
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165611ce731188b3e4a57c1d99877b2a71558c28
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Luis Suarez has revealed he couldn't stop crying after Crystal Palace scored three goals in 11 minutes to thwart Liverpool's Premier League title bid. Liverpool head into Sunday's final round of fixtures two points adrift of Manchester City after their 3-3 draw at Selhurst Park on Monday night. Suarez, who was voted Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association last week, was left on the Palace turf in tears after the match, and had to be consoled by captain Steven Gerrard. Blubber: Luis Suarez was left in tears on Monday night after Crystal Palace drew 3-3 with Liverpool on Monday . On the ball: Suarez in training for Liverpool on Saturday ahead of their clash against Newcastle . 'My team-mates were helping me, but I couldn't stop,' revealed Suarez, who has scored 31 goals this season. 'I play every single game from the heart and I was very sad. 'I was sad for my team-mates who have done so much. I was sad that I had missed chances.' Liverpool finished seventh last season, but have launched an inspiring assault on the title, some 24 years after they last won England's top flight. Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Suarez added: 'It is difficult. At the start of the season, our aim was to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, so it has been good. 'But then we got into a position when we thought we could win the league, but lost against Chelsea and then that happened at Crystal Palace.' Suited and booted: Suarez has scored 31 goals for Liverpool in an award-winning season for the Uruguayan .
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Luis Suarez says he was 'sad' he 'missed chances' in draw at Selhurst Park .
Liverpool are two points adrift of Manchester City with one game remaining .
The Reds face Newcastle at Anfield with City hosting West Ham on Sunday .
Suarez was voted Football of the Year by the Football Writers Association .
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16564a8fb64a7b070c83927d3476f137e452f89e
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By . John Stevens . They are supposed to be a man’s best friend. But it seems a new generation of dogs are not so well behaved. A third of dog owners have being bitten or attacked by a dog, it has been revealed. The rise of the unruly dogs has been blamed on a lack of discipline when they were puppies when their owners could not be bothered to have them trained properly. Snarl: A third of dog owners have been bitten, according to new research. File picture . The leading veterinary charity the PDSA has warned that millions of dogs are more aggressive due to gaps in their pet knowledge. A study of pet owners by the charity found that around 5.3million dogs (some 61 per cent) never attended training classes within the first six months of life. It said 1.3 million dogs across the UK are now displaying behavioural problems. The 2012 PDSA Animal Welfare Report found that a fifth of dog owners in the East of England reported that their dogs show problem behaviour on a regular basis. This was closely followed by the North East (19 per cent) and Yorkshire and Humber (19 per cent). Undisciplined: A lack of or poor training is behind the alarming figure, according to the PDSA. File picture . The area of the UK with the least reported problem behaviour in dogs was Wales (8 per cent). The research revealed that almost one in three (30 per cent) dog owners have been bitten or attacked by a dog with over half (51 per cent) knowing someone else who has. While in some cases dogs are deliberately trained to be aggressive, the report found that the primary cause of the anti-social behaviour is a lack of socialisation and basic obedience training when dogs are young .David Ryan, Clinical Animal Behaviourist and former Chair of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors said: ‘Good puppy socialisation and training classes undoubtedly help to reduce the initial development of aggression, but it is also essential to provide our pets with guidance in good behaviour, at home and elsewhere, throughout their lives. 'Training should be synonymous with ‘living with’ and never stops.’ PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Sean Wensley, said: ‘Each year there are awful stories of dogs attacking pets and people, sometimes with fatal consequences. ‘Tackling this begins with owners and breeders taking full responsibility for their dogs’ behaviour and adequately socialising and training them from a young age. ‘It is also essential that young people understand how to be safe around all pets and learn how to become caring and responsible owners in the future. ‘In PDSA’s view, this should include learning about a pet’s five welfare needs at school as well as from other responsible adults around them.’
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1.3 million dogs in UK have behavioural problems .
Poor training is behind the figure, according to PDSA .
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165697a247f2c6583fba3f1daf93d332deac63b1
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A Michigan man will spend life in prison for beating and strangling to death his girlfriend before chopping up and skinning her body to hide the evidence. William Dhondt, 29, was found guilty of first degree murder Friday in the grisly 2013 killing of Kaitlin Hehir, 29, in the Farmington home they shared. It took the jury only three hours to reach a verdict. The convicted killer told investigators in a taped interrogation played for the jury during his trial that he ‘sliced and diced’ Hehir’s corpse ‘like she was pot roast or some s**t,’ according to The Oakland Press. Better times: Kaitlin Hehir and William Dhondt shown in a picture posted online only months before her horrifying murder . At least one member of the jury was crying as the Dhondt’s guilty verdict for the Feb 23, 2013 slaughter of Hehir was read aloud, according to the Detroit Free-Press. He showed no emotion. The murder was so horrific, and the evidence so graphic, that jurors are going to be provided counseling by the court after the week-long trial, according to the paper. Guilty: Dhondt will spend the rest of his life behind bars . Hehir’s family was present for the verdict, and more than one friend found satisfaction in hearing the word guilty before seeing the killer led out of the courtroom. ‘Sweet angel… he won’t ever hurt anyone again,’ Hehir’s friend Maria Ellis wrote on Facebook in the hours after trial wrapped. ‘Justice was served,’ another friend commented. Investigators showed up at the couple’s Farmington home the day after the murder when Dhondt called to report her missing – they soon obtained a search warrant and found her remains scattered throughout the house, jurors were told. The killing happened only one week after a glowing Hehir wrote on Facebook of her love for her soon-to-be killer on Valentine's Day. 'Flowers and strawberries?!?' She posted. 'I'm a very lucky girl. Thank you to my amazing boyfriend!' The wicked depravity of the death only came to light when he admitted his guilt to police in the shockingly graphic confession played in court. Dhondt told detectives he and Hehir became embroiled in a fight when she became upset after having to leave a party to pick him up at work. She had been drinking and was throwing up when they returned, he tried to give her a glass of water – she responded to the gesture by kicking him in the groin, he recalled. Then he snapped, ‘I f*****g laid her out,’ he bragged. ‘The defendant described hitting Kaitlin in the face with a glass cup, causing her to hit her head on a dresser and fall to the ground,’ Farmington Police Detective Andrew Morche said during Dhondt's arraignment last year, according to Michigan Live. 'Sweet angel': Friend Mary Ellis (left) wrote online that Dhondt 'won't ever hurt anyone again' after he was found guilty of murdering Hehir (right) Evidence: Police were shown the day after slaying leaving the home with bags of evidence . ‘She cracked her head on the dresser, and she was out, and that’s where I freaked out,’ he continued. ‘The defendant got on top of Kaitlin and hit her multiple times in the face with his fist, causing her to bleed from the nose and mouth,’ Morche continued. ‘I didn’t know where this was going to end, and I was an idiot,’ he told investigators. ‘The defendant slammed Kaitlin's head into the floor repeatedly, causing her to bleed form her head,’ Morche testified. ‘The defendant then used his hands to strangle Kaitlin to death while she struggled and fought for her life.’ ‘I choked her, to make sure,’ he told cops. Dhondt described how Hehir’s lifeless body lay on the floor for nearly two hours while he tried to figure out how to proceed. ‘Then my mind went off — ‘Let’s get rid of it.’ He dragged Hehir’s corpse to the basement and chopped it into pieces that he then stuffed in garbage bags, police said. Butchered: Dhondt admitted to police that he used a saw similar tot he one at right to cut through Hehir's bones and an X-Acto knife similar to the one at left to strip them of skin and muscles . ‘I took care of that and went to bed. I woke up, said ‘That’s not going to work,’ so I skinned her,’ Dhondt admitted, ‘removed flesh.’ Prosecutor Tricia Dare told jurors in graphic detail how he skinned the already mutilated body with an X-Acto knife and then went about removing the muscles before using a power saw to get through bones. ‘He tried to use a sawsall,’ she said, according to Macomb Daily. ‘Can you imagine what that must have been like, to use an X-Acto knife to cut the flesh of another human being? ‘And when he got to the bone, he got out a saw.’ Dare said Dhondt removing skin and muscles from Hehir’s arms was ‘like she’s an animal that he just hunted out in the woods.’ Where it happened: The Farmington home shared by Dhondt and Hehir . ‘He talks about it like it’s nothing — ‘Well, that way I can put it in the garbage and people will just think it’s salmon. … It’s not salmon. That’s a person,’ Dare continued. Displaying a total lack of awareness to the sorrow felt by his victim’s loved ones, Dhondt actually told police the aftermath ‘sucks’ because ‘it was probably four minutes of the worst thing that ever happened to me.’ Dhondt and his lawyer tried to paint Hehir as a cruel, belittling woman who often abused him, leading to the brutal slaying. The attorney pleaded in her closing statement for him to be convicted of voluntary manslaughter. He was found guilty of first-degree murder only hours later. The conviction carries a mandatory life sentence in Michigan which will be formally announced during an April 18 hearing. It is not clear if Dhondt will appeal the verdict, but his attorney told reporters gathered outside the courtroom the decision 'shocked' her.
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William Dhondt, 29, was found guilty of first degree murder for the February 2013 killing of Kaitlin Hehir .
The grisly murder happened after the pair got into a drunken argument .
Testimony and other evidence in the trial were so graphic that the court will provide counseling to jurors .
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1656bc44e00bf15e17e1d52af5dda50c2f23bcf1
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 11:26 EST, 7 June 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:29 EST, 7 June 2013 . Alexander Perepilichnyy who was found dead near his £3million mansion in Weybridge, Surrey . The death of a Russian supergrass who was a key witness in a multi-million pound international fraud investigation is not suspicious, police said today. Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, was found collapsed outside his home in Granville Road, Weybridge, Surrey, on November 10 last year sparking a major police investigation over fears he had been poisoned. At the time of his death, Mr Perepilichnyy was involved in a fraud case involving the theft of around £140m in tax revenue from the Russian government. Surrey Police said the matter has now been formally passed to the coroner and an inquest will be held after detectives found no evidence of foul play. This was despite two post-mortem examinations carried out in November failing to establish a cause of death. Toxicology samples were also taken from both post mortems but the results have not been released. Senior investigating officer detective chief inspector Ian Pollard, from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: 'I am satisfied that following extensive inquiries, including a post-mortem examination carried out by a Home Office pathologist, and a full and detailed range of toxicology tests, there is no evidence to suggest that there was any third party involvement in Mr Perepilichnyy's death.' Britain's Beverly Hills: The Coach House, home of the Russian supergrass Alexander Perepilichnaya, who was found collapsed and dying on the luxury estate . Exclusive: St George's Hill, in Weybridge, is . one of the most secure roads in Britain and boasts many . multimillion-pound properties, in which celebrities including Elton John . and Kate Winslet have lived . 'I appreciate that there has been some . frustration around the length of time required to complete our . inquiries, however my priority as the senior investigating officer for . this investigation has always been to his family and to HM coroner for . Surrey. 'Although the results of the toxicology tests are now known, the . circumstances around Mr Perepilichnyy's death will now be the subject of . an inquest.' Mr Pollard added: 'This was a tragic . and sudden death which attracted intense media speculation. Mr . Perepilichnyy's family has had to endure this media attention at the . same time as coping with the loss of a loved one, and our thoughts . remain with them at this time.' Mr Perepilichnyy was helping Swiss . authorities over the alleged fraud when he died. He had lived in the UK . for three years and was believed to be in good health. One theory was that he could have been . poisoned in a similar fashion to Alexander Litvinenko, the former KGB . agent who died in London in 2006 after being contaminated with . radioactive Polonium 210. It had been speculated that Mr Perepilichnyy was poisoned in a similar manner to former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko who died after being contaminated with Polonium 210 in 2006 .
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Alexander Perepilichnyy, 44, had been helping in £140m fraud case .
Found dead outside his home on Granville Road, Weybridge, last year .
Surrey Police say there is no evidence of foul play .
Two post mortem investigations failed to establish a cause of death .
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1656cf86bac4931f4904a1661808496181f93d96
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By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . Ed Miliband's promise to guarantee patients a GP appointment within 48 hours could cost £3billion, doctors warned today. Labour has set aside just £100million to pay for the policy, launched last night to bolster support as polls put the Tories ahead for the first time in two years. Today the Royal College of GPs said the £3billion would need to be found from elsewhere in the NHS to reverse the 'erosion' of funding to local surgeries over recent years. Labour leader Ed Miliband announced plans to guarantee patients can get an appointment with their GP within 48 hours . In a speech last night Mr Miliband said it was a ‘scandal’ that many patients have to wait days to be seen by a GP, and said his party would plough hundreds of millions of pounds into cutting waiting times. He claimed the £100million a year needed to fund shorter waiting times would be found by cutting back on NHS red tape and highly-paid consultants. But Maureen Baker, chairman of the RCGP, said the money was not enough to fulfil the pledge. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The £100 million is a start and it’s a welcome start. It’s not actually anywhere near enough to give any sort of guarantee. 'When you look at it, it’s around about £10,000 per practice. It certainly won’t go anywhere near employing at practice level more nurses, more GPs. 'At the moment the share of NHS funding that goes to general practice is just over 8 per cent. We see about 90 per cent of all NHS consultations. We believe that our share should be around about 11 per cent.' She said this was the equivalent of 'a rebalancing of £3billion because that is the share of the NHS budget that historically came to general practice that let us provide the service that patients value and want'. Dr Baker added: 'That funding has been eroded over the years and we need to be able to balance NHS funding to deliver a proper general practice service.' Labour claimed that the number of patients who see a doctor within 48 hours has dropped from 80 per cent to 40 per cent under the Coalition, with one in four people have to wait a week to be seen. Mr Miliband visited Leighton Hospital in Crewe ahead of his policy launch, which has since been criticised for a lack of funding . Mr Miliband said his ‘guarantee’ would prevent patients who cannot get an appointment with their GP flooding A&E departments and would save the NHS more than £300million. ‘This will be better for patients, because they have better access to their GP surgery; better for the NHS, because it will save money currently spent in A&E; and better for Britain, because it is the kind of health service we need’, he said. The Conservatives called it an ‘unfunded pie in the sky policy’ and said they had scrapped the 48 hour target because doctors found it counter-productive to patient care. Mr Miliband told an audience in Manchester that Labour would allow patients to speak to a doctor or triage nurse, rather than a receptionist on the phone straightaway. If their condition is judged to need immediate attention they can see a GP the same day. All patients would have the right to see a GP at their own practice within 48 hours if they want to, although not necessarily the GP of their choice. The number of patients who see a doctor within 48 hours has dropped from 80 per cent to 40 per cent under the Coalition, Mr Miliband . Chaand Nagpaul at the British Medical Association said last year when this policy was suggested that ‘arbitrary targets, even for limited periods, are unlikely to alleviate the pressures on the NHS and could make the situation worse. He added: ‘It is likely to result in a rush for appointments when practices open which could overwhelm GP services and restrict the freedom of GPs to schedule appointments beyond 48 hours for patients with long-term conditions.’ Labour sources claimed the 48 hour guarantee would not be the same as the previous target, as patients who want to wait more than two days to see their own GP will still be able to. GPs can spend the extra funding as they see fit, by hiring more staff or asking GPs to work longer hours. The cost would be funded by cutting £78million of administration and legal fees associated with EU competition law, and reining in the £3million a month spending on consultants by three health quangos – Monitor, the Trust Development Authority and Commissioning Support Units. Mr Miliband also told an audience of health workers that he would repeal the Health and Social Care Act– the law putting GPs back in charge of health budgets. A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'Once again Labour's sums simply don't add up. Ed Miliband promised 'iron discipline' on spending, but he's too weak to stick to it. He's got no economic plan to secure Britain's future. 'All he does offer are more of the same old failed Labour policies from the past - more spending, more borrowing and more taxes.'
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Royal College of GPs says £3billion is needed to fulfil the ambitious pledge .
Miliband said patients will have right to see family doctor in two days .
Last Labour government imposed target but was scrapped by Coalition .
Doctors have previously warned against the setting more regulations .
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165908315f452320244a6604aa878611a85790c2
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(CNN) -- As a new round of French military strikes targeted Islamist rebels in Mali on Sunday, both sides of the fight said they were determined to win. French fighter jets bombed rebel training camps and other targets in northern Mali, France's Defense Ministry said in a statement. "France's goal is to lead a relentless struggle against terrorist groups," the ministry said, "preventing any new offensive of these groups to the south of Mali." Sunday's air raids were the latest in French efforts supporting Malian government forces battling militant Islamist forces. Additionally, France has several hundred ground troops in Mali, where they may soon be joined by hundreds of troops from nearby African nations. The U.N. Security Council -- at France's request -- will hold consultations Monday on the situation in Mali, according to France's U.N. mission. As those talks proceed, so too will French air strikes, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Radio Europe 1. "We have to eradicate this terrorism," he said. Islamist rebels in Mali acknowledged Sunday they suffered heavy losses in fights with the country's military and French troops -- but it wouldn't stop them. "This is a holy war. The deaths are normal," Sanda Ould Boumama, spokesman for the al Qaeda-linked rebel group Ansar Dine, told CNN by phone. "Our fighters are prepared to die for our cause." One of Ansar Dine's lieutenants, Iyad Ag Ghaly, was killed in the fight over the central town of Konna, security sources said. Who is Ansar Dine? Insurgents took the town Thursday but retreated the next day after a combined air and ground assault. "The war has only started," said Boumama. "We expect more casualties." He accused the French military of attacking Malians. "Now the world can see that it's the French who are the real terrorists," he said. But French and Malian military officials say the assaults are against rebel strongholds, not civilians. It was unclear whether there were any casualties Sunday. Residents in the northern town of Gao said they heard fighter jets' roar and bomb blasts at a nearby Islamist rebel base. France's Defense Ministry said they "destroyed" multiple "bases for terrorist groups" in the area Sunday. "It's still dangerous, even if they're not targeting the population," Habib Maiga, a teacher in Gao, said of the strikes. "For the moment, the town is calm. Everyone is still inside, expecting a new attack." Bodies lay on a road between the town and Islamist base, said Vieux Dada, another teacher in Gao. "I believe they were Islamist fighters who tried to flee," he said. Mali's military has suffered heavy losses in previous clashes, including 11 soldiers killed and about 60 wounded in the battle for Konna, according to a government statement read on state TV. Additionally, a French helicopter pilot died while taking part Friday afternoon in an aerial operation targeting a terrorist group moving on the town of Mopti, near Konna, Le Drian said. What's behind the instability in Mali . A French colony until 1960, Mali had military rulers for decades until its first democratic elections in 1992. It remained stable politically until March, when a group of soldiers toppled the government, saying it had not provided adequate support for them to fight ethnic Tuareg rebels in the country's largely desert north. Tuareg rebels, who'd sought independence for decades, took advantage of the power vacuum and seized swaths of land. A power struggle then erupted in the north between the Tuaregs and local al Qaeda-linked radicals, who wound up in control of a large area as the Tuaregs retreated. The United Nations says amputations, floggings and public executions -- like the July stoning of a couple who had reportedly had an affair -- became common in areas controlled by radical Islamists. They applied a strict interpretation of Sharia law in banning music, smoking, drinking and watching sports on television, and damaged Timbuktu's historic tombs and shrines. Already, the armed groups' activity and a pervasive drought have displaced hundreds of thousands of Malians. And the Islamists' movement southward has raised concerns among leaders in West Africa and elsewhere, some of them calling for swift and decisive military intervention in support of Mali's government, based in Bamako. The Economic Community of West African States plans to hold an emergency meeting in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, to prepare to send troops to Mali to help government forces, a spokesman for the organization said. West African troops are expected to number 3,500 and will operate in the framework of the United Nations resolutions, ECOWAS spokesman Sunny Ugoh said. The U.N. Security Council last month authorized a one-year military peacekeeping mission in the country. ECOWAS members pledged thousands of troops, and the Security Council has urged other nations to contribute forces as well. French officials earlier expressed reluctance to send troops to Mali, amid a broader vow to scale back their military involvement in Africa. So the decision to get involved in Mali -- a mission French President Francois Hollande said "will last as long as necessary" -- underscores how concerned they are about the situation there. French hostages have been taken in neighboring Niger by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and Paris appears intent on containing any further militant expansion in the heart of Africa. On Sunday, a Twitter post from the office of Mali's president said Canada, Britain and the United States agreed to provide logistical support. British Prime Minister David Cameron agreed to "provide logistical military assistance to help transport foreign troops and equipment quickly to Mali," but no British personnel in a combat role, a Downing Street spokesman said. The U.S. military is weighing options, including logistical support and intelligence sharing with France, a U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decisions have been made, said Saturday. "This is a serious issue, and ... the United States is committed to going after terrorists wherever they may be in order to protect American interests, but also those of our partners and allies around the world," Pentagon spokesman George Little said last week. Journalist Katarina Hoije and CNN's Vladimir Duthiers and Saskya Vandoorne contributed to this report.
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NEW: The U.N. Security Council will meet about Mali on Monday .
France assists Mali's military in the battle to halt Islamist rebels linked to al Qaeda .
A rebel spokesman admits casualties and adds, "Our fighters are prepared to die"
France is in "a relentless struggle against terrorist groups," government says .
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16591d33d31068cc6c143e29d097242e5fce9e91
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(CNN) -- Wildlife lobbyists are mounting an online campaign to urge Vietnam's prime minister to reprieve an animal sanctuary threatened with closure. Comic actor Ricky Gervais and broadcaster Stephen Fry are among the many people who have used Twitter to call on Vietnam to lift the threat to shut the Bear Rescue Center, operated by Hong Kong-based charity Animals Asia. The centre was set up to provide a safe home for bears previously captured and exploited by farmers as a source of bear bile -- regarded as a traditional medicine by many people in east Asian countries. Bears in the illegal bile industry can be held for decades in cramped cages, having their bile regularly extracted direct from their abdomens in conditions described as barbaric by animal welfare campaigners. Animals Asia says it's operating on land allocated by the government in 2005 for the purpose of a bear sanctuary, in Tam Dao National Park north of Hanoi. It now houses 104 rescued Asiatic black bears -- also know as moon bears, for their crescent-shaped chest markings. The charity says it has been told the center has to leave the site after coming under pressure from the director of the national park. It claims he lobbied the Ministry of Defense to declare the area is of national defense significance -- a status the charity says is not justified. It alleges the true motive for reclaiming the land is to develop it for profit. "We are desperate to ensure that the rescue center is not closed down and relocated," said Jill Robinson, the founder and chief executive of Animals Asia. The charity says it has invested $2 million of donors' money in the bear rehabilitation center, which will be lost if the centre closes. Robinson said it would also cost 77 local people their jobs, and added: "The welfare of 104 bears, who have already suffered enough, would be seriously compromised." Now she and Animals Asia are pinning their hopes for a reprieve on an appeal to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. They say he can override the eviction ruling, and are urging him to honor the original agreement to set land aside as a home for bears. Stephen Fry this week joined the campaign to stop the sanctuary from being shut, tweeting to his 4.9 million followers: "Stop 104 rescued bears losing their home! Email Vietnam's PM to save Animals Asia's sanctuary #stoptheeviction". The government of Vietnam has so far not responded to CNN's requests for comment.
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Online campaign launched to save bear sanctuary in Vietnam from closure .
Sanctuary provides home for rescued Asiatic black bears .
Bile from live bears extracted and used as traditional medicine .
Appeal to Vietnam's prime minister to stop center's closure .
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