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Washington (CNN) -- Here are six things you learned on "Inside Politics." 1. GOP jitters in Florida: The special House election in Florida's 13th Congressional District is Tuesday, but many plugged-in Republicans there are predicting defeat -- and are already finger pointing. It's a competitive district, but the seat has been in GOP hands for decades, so a win by Democrat Alex Sink would sting the GOP, and no doubt set off a round of debate about the party's midterm election strategy -- despite the fact history suggests the results of special elections often say very little about what will happen come November. Again, let's await the results. But already many Republicans involved in the race are complaining the party is falling short of its promise to make dramatic improvements in its use of data and technology to identify and turnout voters. 2. GOP outreach: Maeve Reston of the Los Angeles Times made note of another Republican promise being called into question. Remember after Mitt Romney's 2012 loss, there was a pledge for much more aggressive GOP outreach to younger voters, women, African Americans and Latinos. Maeve noted that at this weekend's big Conservative Political Action Conference "there was strikingly a lack of a message still at this point to these voter groups that they have had such a tough time with...They are going into all of these communities but they are still figuring out what they are going to say and so I think we need to watch very closely as to whether there is any evidence that they are making progress on that front." 3. Crushing his critics: Audie Cornish of National Public Radio noted the dramatic shift from Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell: usually silent about his primary opponent and conservative groups that attack him, now suddenly he vows to "crush them everywhere." In a new radio ad, McConnell specifically attacks the Senate Conservative Fund, which had made a name for itself the last few cycles by supporting primary challenges to GOP establishment figures. "So the gloves are not just off, they are in another room, they are under the bed," is Audie's take on the McConnell shift. "It just seems that they are going to go hard." 4. The right stuff?: Look for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to highlight his anti-abortion views as part of an effort to show the conservative GOP base it's unfair to dismiss him as just another Northeast moderate. Robert Costa of the Washington Post shares a conversation with Christie's top political operative. "All he was telling me about was Chris Christie's pro-life record and at CPAC we heard that from Chris Christie," Robert said. "My predictions is in the coming months as Christie continues to travel ... he's going to emphasize that pro-life record, looking ahead to Iowa and South Caroline in the 2016 campaign." 5. Deep chill: One person Christie apparently isn't interested in persuading is fellow Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. And vice versa. CNN's Peter Hamby took us behind the CPAC curtain to show how the deep chill between the two 2016 prospects continues. Christie is chairman of the Republican Governors Association; Jindal is the vice chairman. Both spoke at CPAC. "I'm told that these two didn't even cross paths backstage, there was no time set up to meet - even say hello in this green room where all these stars were crossing paths," Peter reports. "Jindal spoke right after Chris Christie and they didn't even talk afterward." A flashback to Jindal's frosty defense of Christie over Bridgegate a month ago: . 6. Hamlet on the Merrimack? Former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown and key allies are suddenly sending signals he intends to jump into the 2014 Senate race in New Hampshire. Brown has been debating for months about whether to challenge Democratic incumbent Jeanne Shaheen, torn, friends say, about whether he should instead run for president in 2016, or just forgo running for elective office again. Well a number of GOP sources in New Hampshire report receiving calls in recent days from Brown or his top allies, and there's word from GOP operatives that there are conversations about building a Senate campaign staff. So all systems are go? Not so fast. Because Brown has been pondering this for months, the GOP activists I spoke to say they won't believe it until he makes a public statement or files candidacy papers. The wait for Brown's final answer may be short. "I will make an announcement sooner, rather than later," he told Neil Cavuto of Fox News on Thursday. "Obviously, it's a very, very big decision --a very, very big decision for me and my family. And I'm going to make sure that I cross all T's and dot all I's. So it will be sooner, rather than later, and I'll certainly let everyone know.
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The special election for Florida's 13th district is Tuesday and the GOP predicts defeat .
Republicans at CPAC had little to say to women, minority and young voters .
Chris Christie is to focus on his anti-abortion message .
Christie and Bobby Jindal have little to say to each other .
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(CNN) -- Everyone knows that Super Bowl host New Orleans can throw a party better than almost any other city in the world. But If you can't get there anytime soon, know that the cities sending teams to Sunday's game also know how to have a good time. San Franciscans cheering the 49ers will tell you they have much to celebrate outside of football season, including a food and coffee culture that just won't quit. So do the residents of underrated Baltimore, where you can grab a bushel of crabs but not talk too loudly about the long-departed Colts. That's why CNN asked noted San Francisco chef and restaurateur Traci Des Jardins and CBS Baltimore weathercaster and personality Marty Bass for their must-do lists for their beloved cities. "Super Gras" a big score for New Orleans . First up: Bass, a fixture in Baltimore since he joined the CBS Baltimore team in 1977. Where can you sneak away for an hour in Baltimore? "Head to Cross Street Market in South Baltimore/Federal Hill. It's city-owned with many stalls and the home of Nick's Seafood and the Samurai Sushi Bar. Totally local. Sit with Ravens Nation and eat a ton of local oysters, clams, crabs in season and other Chesapeake Bay delights. And of course the beer is cold." Maybe you can steal a little more time -- a whole afternoon? "Go to Fell's Point, our original seaport. The weekend afternoon music at the Cat's Eye Pub is always good. Right next door at the Thames Street Oyster House you can have more delights from the Chesapeake." If you can swing an entire day? "It's time for museums, and we have two great ones. The Baltimore Museum of Art has a large collection of Cezanne and Matisse. It's also home of the world-famous Cone Collection and in the modern wing, a killer collection of Andy Warhol works. After that, have lunch at Gertrude's at the BMA. Again all local Chesapeake recipes from a fine chef named John Shields. Then head to the Inner Harbor and to the American Visionary Arts Museum. All outsider art." What about a nearby overnight? "Hell, stay here. Great Italian and Greeks spots and some fine clubs. But if you must leave, head to Annapolis. Stay at the Maryland Inn and stroll America's first capital and one of America's great boating centers." Trips for crime fiction lovers, including Laura Lippman's Baltimore . On the other coast . Next up: San Francisco chef Des Jardins . Her restaurants include Jardiniere and Public House in San Francisco, and Manzanita at the Ritz-Carlton in Lake Tahoe. Where can you sneak away for an hour in San Francisco? "Take a walk through the Ferry Building Marketplace and along the Embarcadero. You can do a bit of window shopping in the Ferry Building or buy any number of delicious local treats from some of the best food producers in the world. You can walk out of the building onto the back plaza and sit on a bench looking at the Bay Bridge and enjoy a quick lunch or a great cup of coffee. Or take a nice stroll along the Embarcadero and enjoy the views." Maybe you can steal a little more time -- a whole afternoon? "Take a walk or hike at Lands End, part of the Golden Gate National Parks, located in the northwest corner of San Francisco. You can take a little walk or a fairly rigorous hike depending on any number of path choices along the way at Lands End. There are great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Sutro Baths, the Legion of Honor and the Marin Headlands." If you can swing an entire day? "Get lost in the beauty of Muir Woods, a National Park Service monument, where there are any number of hiking options. You can spend a day wandering through the beautiful paths." What about a nearby overnight? "A trip to Sonoma to 'the other wine country.' Stay at the Hotel Healdsburg or h2hotel, and enjoy the many great restaurants available in Healdsburg. The hotel has a great spa, and you can go on wine-tasting excursions at many of the great Sonoma wineries." What would you recommend in these cities? Share your suggestions in the comments section. Answers have been edited and condensed for clarity.
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Sit with the Ravens fans in Baltimore's Cross Street Market and enjoy seafood in season .
Head to Fell's Point to see where famous shipyard helped build a young nation .
Eat your way through a San Francisco marketplace, then head to the city's coastal parks .
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By . Sarah Griffiths . PUBLISHED: . 05:47 EST, 3 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 10:39 EST, 3 March 2014 . It might be 9,000 years old, but the body of an bison looks as if it could have died just days ago. The ancient animal was discovered in July 2011 in a remote part of Russia, but scientists are now performing an autopsy in the hope that vital scientific information about the extinction of some bison species around 9,000 years ago will be revealed. The autopsy is thought to be the first in the world on such an old bison and scientists will now look for parasites that might have plagued the animals. The 9,000-year-old bison (pictured) was discovered in July 2011 in a remote part of Russia, but scientists are now performing an autopsy in the hope that vital scientific information about the dying out of the bison around 9,000 years ago will be revealed . The autopsy on the Yakutia specimen is the first in on the world on such an old bison. Scientists from a number of Russian and U.S. institutions are carrying out a full anatomic autopsy. This involves removing and describing every organ as well as conducting microbiological and genetic tests and looking for parasites. Histology samples – those showing the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of the animal - are thought to prove the most interesting, as scientists will be able to study parasites attached to ancient bison for the first time. Researchers hope to map a model of an ancient pasture by studying remains of the foods in the bison's digestive organs and to publish their research next year. The creature was found perfectly preserved in July 2011 in the Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia, on the shore of a lake in the north of Ust-Yana district, where woolly mammoth remains have previously been found. Its body became visible after part of the shore collapsed into the water. 'The discovery has an enormous value for scientists since it is the best preserved bison ever found,’ said Albert Protopopov, chief of the Mammoth Fauna Research Department of the Yakutian Academy of Sciences. He told The Siberian Times: ‘We have ascertained that the bison lived 9,000 years ago, at the very beginning of the Holocene epoch and died aged approximately four. 'By that time, many mammoths had died here, but the bison still lived.’ Scientists from a number of Russian and U.S. institutions are carrying out a full anatomic autopsy, which involves removing and describing every organ as well as conducting microbiological and genetic tests and looking for parasites . The period began between 9,000 to 12,000 years ago at the close of the Ice Age. Earth began to warm and tundra became forest. Very large animals that had adapted to extreme cold like the woolly mammoth and woolly rhinoceros became extinct - although woolly mammoths may have lived side-by side bison in parts of Russia for a short time. Humans began to hunt smaller animals. One species, Bison priscus to which the bison undergoing autopsy might belong, lived in western Europe, central Asia and later in north America before dying out for an unknown reason. 'The careful and thorough examination we have begun will give us answers to many questions, first of all as to why did the bison die out'. Scientists from the Yakutian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Geology of Diamond and Precious Metals, Yakutsk Agricultural Research Institute and the Agricultural Academy of Yakutsk are carrying out a full anatomic autopsy, which involves removing and describing every organ as well as conducting microbiological and genetic tests and looking for parasites. They are joined by the Russian Academy of Sciences and Mammoth Research Centre experts from the U.S. to assist Innokenty Pavlov, a taxidermist from the Joint Museum of History and Culture of the Peoples of the North, who is leading the autopsy. U.S. scientists have long been studying . bison living in North America and hope to compare them to the animal’s . Yakutian relatives. The scientists hope to map a model of an ancient pasture by studying remains of the foods in the bison's digestive organs and to publish their research next year. A close-up of a cross section of the rib cage shows the level of preservation of the ancient animal . The 9,000-year-old bison was found perfectly preserved in July 2011 in the Sakha Republic, also known as Yakutia (pictured) on the shore of a lake in the north of Ust-Yana district, where woolly mammoth remains have previously been found . The scientists hope to map a model of an ancient pasture by studying remains of the foods in the bison's digestive organs and to publish their research next year. Yevgeniy Maschenko, senior researcher at the Mammals Laboratory of the Russian Academy of Science Palaeontology Institute, said: 'This is the first study of an ancient mammal for the last 20 years. 'We have a team of experts from various fields. We are keen to learn the animal's morphology. 'All . its internal organs will be weighed and described. All tissue samples . will be taken. Any morphology study [the structure of an animal] is . connected to the study of animal's adaptation to his environment and in . this particular case to study the palae-ecology will be very . interesting. Here, scientists begin the autopsy and it is possible to see the animal's perfectly-preserved hair. They hope to reveal their findings next year . He said that histology samples – the samples showing the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of the animal - will prove the most interesting, as they will be the first chance scientists have to studying parasites attached to ancient bison. ‘Perhaps they didn't preserve, but we will find their DNA and the traces of their activity,’ he said. ‘By performing biochemical tests and then comparing them by identical tests of currently living worms we will be able to find out what kind of parasites lived 9,000 years ago. 'This will be done thanks to a new technology aimed at studying invertebrates' DNA. It will be used for the first time on the extinct animal'.
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Autopsy is thought to be the first in the world on such an old bison .
Ancient animal was discovered in July 2011 in the Sakha Republic, or Yakutia, a remote part of Russia where mammoths have been discovered .
Scientists are conducting a full anatomic autopsy, including .
removing every organ and .
microbiological and genetic tests .
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(CNN) -- An American lawyer based in Moscow who used to work at the U.S. Embassy there was expelled from Russia two weeks ago, his law firm said on Monday. Thomas Firestone was refused admission to Russia on May 5, according to the law firm Baker & McKenzie. "We have no reason to believe that our colleague has engaged in wrongdoing of any kind," the firm said in a statement. "Neither our colleague nor we have been informed of the reason for this action." Until 2012, Firestone was the resident legal adviser at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, specializing in crime and corruption issues in Russia. In September, he became a senior counsel in Baker & McKenzie's Moscow office. Now he is working at the firm's Washington office, the firm said. The U.S. State Department was not notified of the expulsion, a spokesman said Monday, and Russia would not be obliged to inform the United States. "I don't have any information on this particular individual," said spokesman Patrick Ventrell. "He was a private citizen." According to the New York Times, one source familiar with the case said Firestone turned down a March request from Russian intelligence operatives to spy for Russia. It is unclear whether that alleged approach is related to his expulsion. But after a trip abroad, when Firestone tried to return to Russia, he was detained for 16 hours at the Moscow airport and was eventually put on a plane to the United States, the newspaper said. A representative at the Russian Embassy in Washington declined to comment, and according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Russia's Foreign Ministry declined to comment as well. A week after Firestone's expulsion, Moscow publicly announced the expulsion of another American, Ryan Fogle, who worked at the U.S. Embassy. Fogle was accused of trying to recruit Russians to spy for the United States, and Russian officials released a video of him being detained while wearing a wig. The video also showed a map, a compass and other paraphernalia that were said to be in his possession at the time. Top officials from Russia and the United States have denied that the espionage claims are affecting relations between the two countries. But at least one former counterintelligence official says the expulsions are designed to send a message. "These things are stage-managed; they're orchestrated for maximum effect," said Joel Brenner, who served as the national counterintelligence executive from 2006 to 2009 and wrote the book "America the Vulnerable." "The Russians are letting us know across the board now that they're not our friends."
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Former legal adviser for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is denied re-entry to Russia .
Thomas Firestone was working for Baker & McKenzie when he was expelled May 5 .
Another American, Ryan Fogle, was kicked out, accused of trying to recruit spies .
Russians are saying "they're not our friends," ex-government official says .
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By . Sophie Borland . Last updated at 1:58 AM on 23rd February 2012 . The NHS is paying GPs to look after 2.5million ‘ghost’ patients, ministers admitted last night. Doctors are receiving an estimated £162million a year – footed by the taxpayer – for non-existent patients on their books who have moved house, left the country or been dead for up to 40 years. The Audit Commission has counted that in a single year at least 95,000 such ‘ghost’ patients were registered with GPs and earning them annual payments. But the Department of Health last night admitted there are probably up to 2.5million such patients on doctors’ lists in England. Empty: The NHS are paying doctors millions each year to look after 'ghost' patients who are on their surgeries' books but who have moved house, left the country or died . Every year GP surgeries are paid an average of £65 for each patient they have on their books, regardless of how often – or whether – they make an appointment or what treatments they receive. Although there are currently 55million patients registered with GPs, there are only 52.5million actually living in England. It means the NHS is potentially wasting £162.5million every year on ghost patients. Outraged: Katherine Murphy of the Patients Association wants to know why taxpayers' money was wasted in this way . Katherine Murphy, chief executive of the Patients Association, said it was ‘outrageous’ that money was being wasted to treat patients ‘that only exist within NHS bureaucracy’. Surgeries are meant to keep their lists up to date and take patients off when they die or move away, but this is frequently overlooked. In some cases doctors have been found to be deliberately keeping patients on their books to earn themselves extra cash. Last year the Mail revealed that four doctors at a surgery in Streatham, south London, were being investigated over a scam in which they were claimed to have 3,000 patients on their books who did not exist or had false information on their records that brought in extra NHS cash. Of the latest findings, Mrs Murphy added: ‘At a time when the NHS is being asked to make huge efficiency savings the Government needs to provide answers as to how money was wasted in this way.’ In its extensive investigation the Audit Commission, the Government’s spending watchdog, compared surgery lists to check patients were not registered with more than one GP if they had moved house. The officials also compared these lists with Government records of deaths and data on failed asylum seekers who have since been deported. When officials came across patients registered with two surgeries, or those recorded as being dead or deported, they contacted the local NHS body which asked practices to check that their lists were up to date. Health Minister Lord Howe, left, said that the NHS needed to make the best use of funds available while Andy McKeon said it was disappointing some areas had not followed up information provided by the investigation . The investigation, called the National . Duplicate Registration Initiative (NDRI), covered 2009 to 2010. It . found there were up to 32,668 dead patients on lists – including 157 who . had died more than 30 years ago. Officials even came across one surgery which was being paid every year to treat a patient who had died in 1969. A further 29,416 patients had moved house and were registered with a different GP, but both their old and new surgeries were being paid for treating them. Another 20,000 patients were removed from the lists when officials found they were not living at the address shown on the books. The officials also discovered 10,000 failed asylum seekers were on GPs’ books even though they had since been returned to their home country. Not all surgeries flagged up by the Audit Commission for having high numbers of ghost patients bothered to check their lists. Health minister Lord Howe said: ‘The NHS needs to make the best use of the funds it has available and avoid giving GPs extra income for patients who have moved away or died. Identifying ‘ghost patients’ will ensure that practices are fairly funded only for the patients they are responsible for.’ Andy McKeon, managing director of health at the Audit Commission, said: ‘The NHS and GPs generally manage patient lists well – at any one time there are some 58million records and many movements on and off lists. ‘It is disappointing that some areas did not rigorously follow up the information provided by NDRI.’ David Stout, deputy chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS staff, said: ‘It is important to make sure that lists of registered patients are up to date and accurate. ‘Being able to plan and offer the most appropriate care for local people depends on accurate information.’
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55 million people registered with a doctor in England - despite population being 52.5m .
Surgeries regularly fail to update patient lists when people die or move away .
32,668 dead patients were on lists, including 157 who died more than 30 years ago .
10,000 failed asylum seekers who had left the country were on the books .
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By . Joshua Gardner . Laid back Australians have been ranked as the happiest people on earth for the fourth year running as measured by the OECD's Better Life Index. The Paris-based economic organization's annual look at eleven categories of wealth, health, and other factors saw Oz take top marks in all but one. Americans came in at a so-so number 7 out of the 36 nations analyzed, but they led the pack in one category that makes almost anyone feel happy: money. Shining happy people: The Aussies are the world's happiest people according to the OECD's Better Life Index, which looks at 11 wellness categories and 36 countries worldwide . 1. Australia2. Norway3. Sweden4. Denmark5. Canada6. Switzerland7. U.S.8. Finland9. Netherlands10. New Zealand . While the Aussies beat out everyone in most of the categories, they fell short in work-life balance despite a widespread reputation for being laid back beachy types. Aussies' disposable income went up between between 2007 and 2011, notes the International Business Times, but that wasn't enough to overtake the United States. Americans boast far and away the most disposable income per capita with $39,531 per year. Trailing Australia overall were three Scandinavian nations, a region well-known for its world-leading well-being. In number two comes Norway, which ranked highly in the jobs category of earnings, unemployment and job security. In third were Norway's neighbors, the Swedes. They outpaced the rest of the West in the environment category, which looks at air and water quality. Behind the Swedes were the Danish, a people who have themselves been ranked the world's happiest by another little organization called the United Nations. he bottom three countries in this year's Better Life Index were Greece at number 34, followed by Mexico (35) and the last place Turkey. The survey was based on the responses of 60,000 people from around the world to questions about housing, income, jobs, community, education, environment, civic engagement, health, life satisfaction, safety and work-life balance.
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The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ranks all the world's developed nations on its Better Life index .
The index looks at factors including housing conditions, income, job security and civic engagement among many others .
Australia got top marks in more categories than most with the Scandinavian nations of Norway, Sweden and Denmark just behind .
Americans came in at a so-so number 7 but they have the most money to help cheer themselves up .
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A two year-old boy raised mainly by goats has been taken into care by social workers in Russia. The malnourished wild child named Sasha T was kept in a room with the animals by his mother Marina, 40, in Rostov region and has not learned how to speak, eat or use a potty. 'He played and slept together with goats, which lived in the same room,' said life.ru news website. Wild child: The malnourished two-year-old named Sasha T was kept in a room with the animals by his mother and has not learned how to speak, eat or use a potty . 'When we came in, Sasha's mother was absent,' said Irina Bochkova, deputy head of social work in the town of Shakhti. 'He was sitting in the ice cold room, undressed. Every hour could have become his last. 'It was incredibly cold, dirty and smelly in that house. We just grabbed him and rushed him to the city hospital. Disturbing: The boy is reported to have lived in the same room as the goats . 'Doctors said that because of how lived, his brain has not developed properly.' The 'Mowgli' boy weighs a third less than a typical child of his age. Children's doctor Natalya Simonina said: 'He refused to sleep in the cot. He tried to get underneath and sleep there. He was very scared of adults. 'He tried to break everything he saw - windows, furniture. 'He could not speak or hold a spoon. He had no idea about what to do with toys, and didn't even try to play with them.' Moves have begun to deprive the mother of her maternal rights, making Sasha an orphan. Sasha is not the first case of a child being raised by animals. In 2009, a five-year-old girl was found in a flat in the Siberian city of Chita, dressed in filthy clothes, barking at people. Known only as ‘Natasha’, she had been shut up in a flat for five years with only cats and dogs for company and she could not even speak her native language. Andrei Tolstyk was discovered in 2004, aged seven, after being abandoned by his parents when he was only three months old. His family's guard dog looked after him as if he was a puppy. But as a consequence he walked on all fours like a canine, sniffed at food and was known to bite people.
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The malnourished wild child named Sasha T was kept in a room with the animals by his mother Marina, 40 .
He has not learned how to speak, eat or use a potty .
Boy weighs a third less than a typical child of his age .
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165ee3c7fd120fa870dac168d8729e3c0d77ba63
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(CNN) -- Since the beginning of time, man has looked up into the cosmos at those shiny, twinkling stars and thought, "I wonder if lizards would do each other up there?" So, finally, after all these years, and for the sake of humanity, Russian scientists decided to find out once and for all. Because Russia. Really, it was that or another inconclusive nesting doll experiment. And, somehow, stacking little wooden Gorbachevs doesn't quite have the same pizazz as closely monitoring outer-space lizard whoopee. Thus, the world recently got introduced to Russia's brave "Space Sex Geckos." The idea was this: Roscosmos (Russia's federal space agency) would send five of these little critters into orbit on board a Foton-M4 satellite to study sexual reproduction in zero gravity. Four geckos would be female. One would be male. And, for the sake of the experiment, hopefully straight. "I don't know about that guy, Vlad. He's always watching 'Antiques Roadshow.' " Assuming that they properly picked out a willing male gecko with a healthy libido, good looks and/or an impressive bank account, their hope was that the quintet of lizards would get into space and then violate each other in the most orderly way possible. Fortunately, they were Russian. So, I'm pretty sure the lizards already knew how to queue. And if that wasn't weird enough, there would also be cameras on board so that scientists back on land could observe the space coitus. Yes, grown professionals, many with fancy degrees, were literally going to have to sit around and watch live lizard porn. So, they had that going for them. After choosing the lucky participants, on July 19th Roscosmos launched their (possibly fur-lined) satellite into space for what they hoped would be two full months of this bizarre Gecko Rumspringa. But soon, after just several orbits, things went bad. Mission control lost contact with the satellite. "Come in, space sex geckos. Come in. Moan once with desire if you can hear me." Days later they were able to reestablish contact. However, it was unclear if the life-support system continued to function during the blackout. If not, it was unlikely that the geckos would survive. On the plus side, had the geckos somehow become aware of their impending doom, I'm guessing there would've been several rounds of camera-free, super kinky, we're-all-going-to-die lizard sex. "Hey, ladies! Look who brought whipped cream and tiny handcuffs!" As the Russian space agency began sharing updates with the public, it quickly became a running joke online. The space sex geckos were suddenly famous to the world. But probably dead, for their clumsy end was perilously near. Which sort of takes the fun out of being international lizard celebrities. Nevertheless, they were stars. Even comedian John Oliver, on his HBO show "Last Week Tonight," latched on to the story and started the Twitter hashtag #GoGetThoseGeckos. However, on Monday, September 1st, a couple weeks short of its intended stay in space, the satellite came crashing back down to Earth, where the world finally learned the fate of the space sex geckos. In a statement, Roscosmos later confirmed their worst fear. Something went horribly wrong. And the lizards ... they have died. Frozen and mummified from having expired at least a week prior to impact, the tiny remains of the space sex geckos were recovered from a quiet field where the craft landed. Fallen heroes. Possibly aroused. But it wasn't only death and failure. Because a colony of fruit flies was also put on board for the mission, and they were found healthy and alive in a different chamber of the satellite. And, apparently, they managed to do what the lizards likely couldn't. The nasty. In fact, at the expense of God-knows-how-many rubles, new generations of offspring were conceived while in orbit. And now -- lucky us -- the world has more fruit flies. Because Russia. Follow @JarrettBellini on Twitter. And prepare to be underwhelmed. See more content with questionable news value at CNN Comedy.
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Russia's space agency sent five geckos into space to observe reproduction in zero gravity .
That's right ... space sex geckos .
For several days, mission control lost contact with the satellite .
If you want to know what happened to the geckos you actually need to read the story .
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A man who murdered an underworld figure, dismembered his body, and dumped it in the ocean off Perth will spend 23 years behind bars. Aaron Carlino shot 56-year-old Stephen Cookson twice in the head with a rifle as he slept on the couch in their East Perth apartment on December 15, 2012. After the murder, the 30-year-old visited a brothel and a boxing match, then took more than a week to cut up the body into six pieces using an angle grinder and a knife, bury it on a private property, dig it up and dump it at sea. Aaron Carlino (pictured)has been sentenced for the murder of Stephen Cookson and will spend 23 years behind bars . Aaron Carlino shot 56-year-old Stephen Cookson (pictured) twice in the head with a rifle as he slept on the couch in their East Perth apartment on December 15, 2012 . The crime was discovered after Mr Cookson's plastic-wrapped severed head washed ashore on Rottnest Island (pictured), where it was discovered by a young girl beachcombing with her family . The crime was discovered after Mr Cookson's plastic-wrapped severed head washed ashore the following month on a Rottnest Island beach, where it was discovered by a young girl beachcombing with her family. 'But for that fortuitous event, you might never have been caught,' Supreme Court of Western Australia Justice Stephen Hall said in handing down the sentence on Thursday. Carlino pleaded guilty to manslaughter, saying he acted in self-defence after months of abuse by his mentor, but that was rejected by the prosecution. During the trial, the jury heard a cash-strapped Carlino moved in with Mr Cookson after being promised payment of $500,000 to act as his driver, but soon became his personal assistant. Carlino said he had amassed large debts during the global financial crisis as a result of a failed bar venture, and claimed he wanted to learn about legitimate business from Mr Cookson. Aaron Carlino used an angle grinder (pictured) and a knife to dismember Stephen Cookson's body . After the murder, 30-year-old Aaron Carlino (pictured) visited a brothel and a boxing match, then took more than a week to cut up the body into six pieces using an angle grinder and a knife, bury it on a private property, dig it up and dump it at sea . Mr Cookson's severed head, wrapped in plastic, washed up on a beach at Rottnest Island (pictured) Justice Hall did not accept Carlino's assertion that he did not know his flatmate was a drug dealer. The judge cited in his testimony that Mr Cookson had told him he 'knew too much' when he complained about the heavy-set older man's gambling and asked if he could leave. Justice Hall accepted Carlino had been assaulted by Mr Cookson on that occasion - including having a spoon jammed into his eye amid threats it would be ripped out. Mr Cookson also said he'd previously killed people, but it was not reasonable for Carlino to believe that meant he was next. 'You did fear him but your reason for staying was more complex than that,' the judge said. 'You ... still held out hope of being paid at the end of the year.' But he eventually became angry and frustrated he had not received his money, Justice Hall said. He said he accepted Carlino was traumatised by ill-treatment at the hands of Mr Cookson, but not to the extent that he did not know what he was doing or that it was wrong. While Carlino felt trapped in a demeaning and abusive relationship, there was no real justification for what he did, the judge said. He should have told police or his loving family, Justice Hall said. 'These events are of utmost seriousness,' he said. Carlino's family wept as the sentence was handed down. While the trial took three-weeks, it took the jury just a few hours to find Carlino guilty of murder.
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Aaron Carlino, 30, who murdered an underworld figure, will spend 23 years behind bars .
Stephen Cookson, 56, was shot twice in the head as he slept on the couch in their east Perth apartment, in December, 2012 .
Carlino took more than a week to dismember the body before dumping it in the ocean .
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter, saying he acted in self-defence, but that was rejected by the prosecution .
The jury took just a few hours to find Carlino guilty of murder .
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He admitted that he had 'no idea' who pop singer Christina Aguilera was. But when it came to the classics, Prince Charles was on safer ground. The future king and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, enjoyed a tour today of Global Radio in London, which owns stations including Classic FM - Camilla's favourite, apparently - Heart, Capital and LBC. In the studio with Classic FM presenter John Suchet the prince admitted that he might have offered some 'gentle persuasion' when advising the Duchess of Cambridge on her wedding music. Scroll down for video . Charles, pictured at the BBC today with Fearne Cotton in the background, paid a visit to various radio stations today as part of a day to celebrate radio . Duchess on the decks! Camilla getting down at Kiss FM during her visit to Bauer radio in London today . While on a tour of Heart FM CHarles asked DJ Toby Anstis what song he was playing - and looked blank when he was told the singer was Christina Aguilera . Asked to choose his favourite piece of music, Charles picked Charles Hubert Hasting Parry’s I Was Glad, which was played when Kate and William walked down the aisle. 'Well I might have offered a bit of subtle influence,' he said archly. 'Don't forget that Elgar thought he was remarkable but for some unknown reason he was forgotten. I thought this was such a tragedy I wanted to revive interest in his music. He is so quintessentially English.' Charles was so clearly knowledgeable about classical music that he even had presenter John Suchet on the back foot with some of his questions about composers and suites. He also asked the presenter: 'Can you indulge yourself occasionally by playing a bit of Beethoven?' and congratulated him on 'diplomatically' playing some Wagner, another of his favourite composers. Upstairs it was a very different matter as he met Heart FM's Toby Anstis, however. An excited Fearne Cotton tweeted a picture of herself at Radio 1 as Charles and Camilla were given a tour . Charles, who was accompanied on the tour by the Duchess of Cornwall, spoke about his love of classical music, while the duchess admitted her favourite station was Classic FM . Politely asking what was currently playing to the station's seven million listeners, he was told it was U.S. superstar Christina Aguilera - a revelation which left the prince utterly blank faced. Downstairs the prince and his wife met some of the network's well-known presenters including Capital FM Breakfast show hosts Dave Berry and Lisa Snowdon. Berry said the prince was 'incredibly' polite and apologised for keeping him at the station when he and his partner had been up at 4.30am. 'I couldn't believe how concerned he was, what a top man,' he said. 'Admittedly he knew nothing about the kind of music we played and, as I am so polite, I wasn't going to ask him about the Big Top 40 number one Clean Bandit and whether he liked it. 'But I do have it on good authority, from a very good contact of mine, that William and Kate always have Capital on in the background when they are at home with little Prince George, so we do have a royal seal of approval.' Charles chatted to Heart FM star and former Spice Girl Emma Bunton - and asked her if the girls might reform . 'He is always such a lovely man and it was so nice to see him again,' said Emma after meeting the prince . Charles came face to face with a Dalek during his visit to the BBC, one of the stops on his London-wide radio station tour . Miss Snowdon added: 'The Duchess remembered me when I was on Strictly Come Dancing. She was such a lovely easy going woman. I think she wants to see Dave on it in his Spandex.’ Another familiar face was Heart DJ Emma Bunton who has met the prince many times in her previous guise as a Spice Girl. ‘He is always such a lovely man and it was so nice to see him again. He was asking me about when the Spice Girls were going to reunite. That puts a bit of pressure on you! He always asked after the rest of the girls and how they are doing.’ Her colleague Jamie Theakston added: ‘I think they were both quite fascinated to see how it all worked behind the scenes. They are clearly great radio listeners.’ Myleene Klass, who started her career as a classical musician an now hosts Smooth Classics on Classic FM, spent several minutes chatting to both the prince and his wife. DJs Jo Whiley, left, and Chris Evans, right, looked delighted to be presented to their Royal guest at the BBC today . ‘The Duchess is just lovely and is clearly a listener herself. She said when her father was alive he never turned the station off,’ she said. ‘It also turned out that we shared a dressing room at the Classical Brits and I had to apologise for not tidying it up. I felt mortified!’ The couple were out and about visiting radio stations across London as part of a day to celebrate radio. Their first visit was to the BBC at Broadcasting House in Portland Place which boasts 10 national and 40 local radio stations as well as the legendary BBC World Service which broadcasts in English and 27 other languages. The couple toured the BBC newsroom and met with staff at the New World Service headquarters. Camilla also toured the Woman's Hour offices, for whom she has pre-recorded a piece, and even viewed a rehearsal in the Live Lounge at Radio 1. Is one getting down to those funky beats? Charles and Camilla included dance radio station Kiss FM on their tour .
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Charles and Camilla visited radio stations as part of day to celebrate radio .
Met DJ Toby Anstis as he was playing Aguilera song on Heart FM .
Spoke to Classic FM DJ John Suchet about love of Beethoven and Wagner .
Admitting offering 'gentle persuasion' to Kate to help her choose I Was Glad to walk down the aisle .
Meanwhile Camilla learned to mix records at dance station Kiss FM .
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A 19-year-old suburban Denver woman who federal authorities say intended to wage jihad has pleaded guilty to trying to help the Islamic State militant group in Syria. Shannon Conley pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Denver to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. She wore a black and brown headscarf with her striped jail uniform. She said nothing in federal court other than acknowledging that she understood the plea and its ramifications. She could face up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Scroll down for video . Colorado teen Shannon Conley pleaded guilty to terror charges in Denver federal court today after her April arrest for trying to flee the country and join ISIS. Pictured above attending U.S. Army Explorers Camp . Ana and John Conley, parents of Shannon Conley, exit the U.S. Federal courthouse following their daughter's plea hearing on Wednesday . However, U.S. District Judge Raymond Moore ordered a psychological exam to be conducted before sentencing Conley. The agreement says she must cooperate with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies and provide information about people in Colorado and elsewhere looking to help terrorists abroad. If she cooperates, prosecutors promised to ask a judge to reduce her sentence. After the hearing, Conley's public defender, Robert Pepin, that she has been horrified by the atrocities committed by the Islamic State group and offered her condolences to those who have been caught up in its 'slaughter and oppression.' Those atrocities include the filmed beheading of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who were hostages of the group. Happier times: Shannon, pictured in a circle, with her mother (bottom center) and three older sisters in 2012 before her conversion to Islam . 'The fact that she was arrested may very well have saved her life,' he said of Conley, whom he referred to as Halima, the name she adopted after her conversion to Islam. The certified nurses's aide was arrested at the Denver Airport in April, as she attempted to board a flight she hoped would get her to Syria. She intended to meet up with a Tunisian ISIS fighter she met online who asked her to marry her and join the jihadist fight. Authorities have said they are still investigating the suitor, identified in court documents only as Y.M. Documents say Conley told FBI agents that she wanted to use her skills as a nurse's aide to help the militants. She received military training by going to a camp run by the U.S. Army Explorers. Agents repeatedly tried to discourage her. Conley, who worried friends and family when she started wearing a head scarf and calling herself 'Halima', had raised suspicion with the FBI long before she tried to flee the country. Prior to her arrest, she stalked Faith Bible Chapel in her hometown of Arvada, where she lived with her parents . Conley also allegedly stalked the Faith Bible Chapel, showing up at the church often to sketch the building. The senior pastor there turned her into authorities for her unusual behavior. Conley started visiting the Faith Bible, just as they were planning to take a trip to the Holy land with a Jewish congregation, and would regularly visit the church to sketch the building. Senor Pastor George Morrison eventually asked her to leave, and informed authorities about her behavior, but says he only thought Conley was a 'terrorist wannabe'. Another student who knew her at Regis University says Conley tried out several different religions in a period of six months before finally settling on Islam. During a visit to the Denver field office in August, FBI Director James Comey said stopping homegrown terrorists who radicalize through the Internet is a priority for the agency. He called Syria a safe haven and training ground for Westerners, who emerge with "the worst kind of relationships and the worst kind of training." A Minnesota man recruited to fight for the Islamic State group was killed in Syria last month — five years after his high school friend died fighting for the terror group al-Shabab in Somalia. It is unclear how Conley became interested in jihad, or holy war. After her arrest, authorities say they found CDs by U.S.-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki among her belongings. Conley (pictured on the right, with a friend) tried out several different religions in college before selecting Islam .
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Shannon Conley, 19, appeared in court on Wednesday after authorities arrested her in April trying to board a flight on her way to Syria .
The Colorado teen allegedly met an ISIS fighter online she intended to marry .
Today, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization .
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They've been relegated to moth-filled lofts, garages and basements all over the world. But it could be time to wipe away the dust from once-loved toys, as your 'vintage' dolls, consoles and games may be worth more than you think. Pokémon trading cards could fetch you £1,200 (1,870), Barbies may be worth up to £974 ($1,521) and the original version of Dream Phone could be sold for £89 ($139). This is according to an interactive quiz created by St Albans-based entertainment site, Two Little Fleas, who say people should dig out their old toys to make some extra cash over the Christmas period. Click on the image below to see how much your toys are worth... Tamagochi, the handheld digital pets that took the world by storm when they were released in 1998, can still be bought form £15 ($23). But if you have an original version tucked away, you could sell it for up to £240 ($375) on eBay, as long as it's in good working order. Another potential cash cow are Polly Pockets, re-designed by toymaker Mattel in 1998. Original versions could be worth up to £255 ($398), according to eBay. They've been relegated to moth-filled lofts, garages and basements. But it could be time to wipe away the dust from once-loved toys, as your 'vintage' dolls, consoles and games may be worth more than you think . Vintage Cabbage Patch Kids, which were first sold in 1984, are only likely to fetch £30 ($47) on eBay . Vintage Tamagochis, the Japanese handheld digital pets popular in the 90s, can sell for £240 ($375) on eBay . The Nintendo NES, the most popular games console of its time, could be worth £485 ($758) while today's version costs £249 ($389) But other collectibles may not be worth as much as you think. Remember the Ty beanie animals that were sold for £5 ($7.80)? There are now only likely to fetch £1 ($1.56). An early-version of a Furby, however, could be worth up to £350 ($547), while the modern equivalent can be purchased for around £47 ($73) today. Meanwhile, the Nintendo NES, the most popular games console of its time, could be worth £485 ($758) while today's version costs £249 ($389). Pokemon trading cards could be seen in playgrounds throughout the US and UK a decade ago. Now they could be sold on eBay for thousands . The original version of Dream Phone could be sold for £89 ($139) on eBay, according to Two Little Fleas . Pokémon trading cards could fetch you £1,200 (1,870). Based on the Pokémon video game series. They were first published in October 1996 by Media Factory in Japan . Another potential cash cow are Polly Pockets, redesigned by toymaker Mattel in 1998. Original version could be worth up to £255 ($398), according to eBay . 'The look and feel of things we owned as kids, or which we wanted to own but never could, lets us tap into happy memories and allows the big kid in us all to thrive,' Peter Jenkinson, a toy expert told BT. 'There's also the notion that things were "better before", whether that's in the manufacturing quality or more in general, this romanticised image of the past can be brought to life with cool, retro toys. 'It might be parents rediscovering classics with their own kids or hipster types giving their trendy selves an even cooler edge with a retro toy accessory, the point is that nostalgia is king.' Last month, it emerged that American Girl Dolls were selling for £480 ($750) on eBay. The modern versions of American Girl usually go for £74 ($115) including a book, the 1990s originals are now considered rare collectibles, valued at hundreds or even thousands of dollars. An original Furby (modern equivalent pictured left) could be worth œ£350 ($547), while a vintage Barbie (right) could earn sellers around œ£974 ($1,521) Pogs have decreased in value. The 90s versions are around œ£16 ($25) while today packs are sold for œ£19 ($30)
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St Albans-based Two Little Fleas have created a quiz to help you find out .
Barbies are now selling for £974 ($1,521) and a Dream Phone for £89 ($139)
Vintage Tamagochis, the handheld digital pets, can sell for £240 ($375)
But collectible Ty beanie animals are now only likely to fetch £1 ($1.56)
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(CNN) -- Burkina Faso's fairytale at the Africa Cup of Nations will have one more enthralling chapter after it overcame the might of four-time champion Ghana to seal a place in the final for the very first time in South Africa Wednesday. In a contest which was marred by a number of mystifying refereeing decisions, Burkina Faso survived the sending off of striker David Pitroipa and the ruling out of a seemingly legitimate strike to prevail on penalties. With the game ending 1-1 after extra-time, it was the Burkinabe which held its nerve to progress 3-2 on penalties and advance to Sunday's showpiece final against Nigeria. 'Super Eagles' end Ivory Coast's AFCON hopes . The Super Eagles had earlier booked their place in the final with a convincing 4-1 win over Mali in Durban. Burkina Faso, which had not won a game away from home at the tournament before arriving in South Afirca, had endured a frustrating night with referee Jdidi Slim's display a constant cause of consternation. But it will now have to take on Nigeria without star striker Jonathan Pitroipa, who was harshly shown a second yellow card for diving when it looked as if he had been fouled. Pitroipa's 117th minute dismissal leaves the Burkinabe without its two star strikers following the injury to talented forward Alain Traore. Burkina Faso should have been given the chance to take an early lead when John Boye sent Pitroipa hurtling towards the turf inside the Ghana penalty area, but the referee wrongly waved away appeals for a spot kick. Instead, it was Ghana which was controversially awarded a penalty after the Jdidi adjudged that Christian Atsu had been fouled inside the penalty area. Mubarak Wakaso stood up to fire home from 12 yards and net his fourth goal of the competition. What can we expect from the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations? With both teams struggling to play on a terrible surface at the Mbombela Stadium, the game lacked any real sort of quality. But what it lacked in quality it more than made up for in drama and excitement as Burkina Faso continued to fight back against a perceived injustice. Ghana goalkeeper Fatawu Dauda produced a wonderful reaction save to deny Aristide Bance, while Asamoah Gyan hit a post for the Black Stars. But with an hour on the clock, the underdog finally got its reward as Bance was allowed time and space to fire home a deserved equalizer. Burkina Faso make giant strides . With the game moving into extra-time, Burkina Faso appeared to have scored a dramatic winner when Prejuce Nakoulma beat Dauda to the ball and prodded into the net. But most of those packed inside the stadium were left in disbelief when Jdidi ruled the goal out for a minor clash with Kwadwo Asamoah. Worse was to follow for the Burkinabe when Pitroipa was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for diving , despite replays showing he was quite clearly fouled. In the end, the contest went to penalties and it was Burkina Faso which held its nerve with Bakary Kone, Henri Traore and Bance all scoring to send it through to the final. Burkina captain Charles Kabore told reporters: "The referee is human, all humans make mistakes, but he happened to make too many tonight. But we're not going to dwell on that, we've qualified." 'Super Eagles' end Ivory Coast's AFCON hopes . In the day's early kick off, Nigeria reached the final for the first time since 2000 following a comfortable victory over Mali. The Super Eages scored three times in 20 first half minutes to take control of the contest and leave manager Stephen Keshi dreaming of repeating the triumph he pulled off as a player in 1994. Elderson Echiejile headed Nigeria ahead on 25 minutes before Brown Ideye added a second on the half-hour mark. Momo Sissoko then deflected Emmanuel Emenike's free-kick into the Mali net to leave his side facing an uphill struggle. And Ahmed Musa, who replaced the injured Victor Moses , inflicted further punishment on Mali when he ran through to score eight minutes after the interval. Mali, which famously came back from 4-0 down to draw 4-4 with Angola in the opening game of the 2010 finals, pulled one back through substitute Cheick Diarra in the 75th minute. Nigeria go through . But that failed to take the shine off for manager Keshi, who is now hoping to become only the second man in the tournament's history to win the tournament as a player and a coach after Egypt's Mahmoud El Gohary, who won it in 1959 and 1998. "We won in 1994 after we had been together for five years," he told reporters. "But we have been together for five weeks. We met up for the first time in our training camp in Portugal before the tournament, and it was a young group. "We worked hard, the atmosphere was wonderful but you cannot compare this team to that. We did play very well today and I am very happy but we haven't won anything yet."
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Burkina Faso will play Nigeria in Africa Cup of Nations Final .
Burkinabe saw off Ghana 3-2 on penalties following 1-1 draw .
Nigeria thrashed Mali 4-1 in Durban to seal place in final .
Ghana will play Mali in playoff for third place on Saturday .
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By . Emma Innes . Life expectancies across the are increasing, with Iceland and Japan boasting the oldest citizens. Worldwide, a girl born in 2012 can expect to live to 73 and a boy can expect to live to 68, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation. This is six years longer than the average global life expectancy for a child born in 1990. Across the globe, life expectancies are increasing with the highest male life expectancy being in Iceland - 81 - and the highest female life expectancy being in Japan - 87 . At the top end of the scale, Japanese women have the highest female life expectancy in the world at 87, and Iceland has the highest male life expectancy – 81. The next highest female life expectancies were in Spain (85), Switzerland (85), Singapore (85) and Italy (also 85). After Iceland, the highest male life expectancies were found in Switzerland (80), Australia (80), Israel (80), and Singapore (also 80). In the UK, life expectancy for a boy born in 2012 is 79 and for a girl it is 83. In the U.S. a boy born in 2012 can expect to live to 76 and a girl can expect to reach 81. If all high-income countries are taken together, the average male life expectancy is now 76. This is 16 years more than for a boy born in a low-income country, where life expectancy is now 60. Globally, the leading causes of lost years of life due to premature death are heart disease, lower respiratory infections - such as pneumonia - and strokes . Worldwide, a girl born in 2012 can expect to live to 73 and a boy can expect to live to 68 but life expectancies in low-income countries remain much lower than those in high-income countries . For a girl born in 2012 in a high-income country, life expectancy is 82. For a girl born in a low-income country, the figure is just 63. ‘In high-income countries, much of the gain in life expectancy is due to success in tackling non-communicable diseases [i.e. chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes],’ said Dr Ties Boerma, Director of the Department of Health Statistics and Information Systems at WHO. ‘Fewer men and women are dying before they get to their 60th birthday from heart disease and stroke. ‘Richer countries have become better at monitoring and managing high blood pressure for example.’ Declining tobacco use is also a key factor in helping people live longer in several countries. However, the ‘World Health Statistics 2014’ report shows that the greatest progress was made in low-income countries where average life expectancy increased by nine years between 1990 and 2012. In many low-income countries female life expectancy is still held back by high rates of death during childbirth . And the greatest increases in life expectancy were in Liberia (from 42 years in 1990 to 62 years in 2012), Ethiopia (from 45 to 64 years), the Maldives (58 to 77 years), Cambodia (54 to 72 years), Timor-Leste (50 to 66 years) and Rwanda (48 to 65 years). ‘An important reason why global life expectancy has improved so much is that fewer children are dying before their fifth birthday,’ says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. ‘But there is still a major rich-poor divide - people in high-income countries continue to have a much better chance of living longer than people in low-income countries.’ The figures also revealed that across the world women live longer than men. In high-income countries they live for an average of six years longer, and in low-income countries they live for an average of three years longer. At the bottom end of the scale, life expectancy for both men and women is still less than 55 years in nine sub-Saharan African countries – Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. One of the reasons that life expectancies have increased in low-income countries is that infant mortality rates fell significantly between 1990 and 2012 . The WHO figures also revealed that the top three causes of years of life lost due to premature death are coronary heart disease, lower respiratory infections – such as pneumonia – and strokes. However, globally, the greatest causes of death vary. In 22 African countries 70 per cent or more of the years of life lost due to premature death are caused by infectious diseases. In contrast, in 47 mostly high-income countries, non-communicable diseases and injuries cause more than 90 per cent of years lost. These are diseases that cannot be passed between people, such as cancer and heart disease. More than 100 countries are transitioning rapidly towards a greater proportion of deaths from non-communicable diseases and injuries. Most deaths in children under the age of five occur as a result of premature birth. The second highest cause of infant mortality is pneumonia.
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A girl born in 2012 can expect to live to 73, a boy can expect to live to 68 .
This is six years longer than the life expectancy for a child born in 1990 .
Japanese women have the highest female life expectancy in the world at 87 .
Iceland has the highest male life expectancy - the average man lives to 81 .
UK: Life expectancy for a boy born in 2012 is 79, a girl 83 .
U.S.: A boy born in 2012 can expect to live to 76, a girl 81 .
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1662fbd564ecb5498203413b1381c82ceee7b56c
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By . Katherine Faulkner . PUBLISHED: . 17:50 EST, 8 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:34 EST, 9 August 2012 . Celebration: Brash and friend at the Greenwich party on Monday . He said he hoped winning a gold medal would improve his chances with the ladies. But show-jumper Scott Brash yesterday admitted it hadn’t quite worked out. The single 26-year-old – who won a team gold in the show-jumping on Monday – was seen out celebrating that night in Greenwich. But yesterday, the day he competed in the individual event, he revealed he ended that evening without a lady in tow. He had earlier told BBC presenter Claire Balding, who asked him how the win would change his life: ‘I really hope this win improves my pulling power with women, if I’m honest! That’s about it.’ But yesterday the rider from Peebles said things hadn’t gone to plan. ‘The medal hasn’t had the good effect I hoped for,’ he admitted – adding: ‘I had too good a celebration and a sore head the next day.’ Brash, 26, was one of the British riders who won gold in the team show-jumping on Monday. Both he and veteran Nick Skelton competed again yesterday for individual medals – but both narrowly missed out after incurring faults on the final round. Skelton’s hopes were dashed in Greenwich Park when he hit a fence called Cutty Sark. It was his first error over six rounds of team and individual jumping but it meant he slipped from a potential gold medal jump-off to finish equal fifth with Brash. Despite his disappointment, popular Skelton, who became Britain’s oldest medallist on Monday, received a standing ovation after his performance. Competing: Scott Brash on Hello Sanctos during the Individual Jumping Final Round A at Greenwich Park . Feeling confident: Brash talks to media at a press conference at Greenwich Park . Although he had a hip replacement last year, a shoulder operation the year before that, and has ‘problems walking about’, Skelton was instrumental in Team GB’s victory in team show-jumping on Monday. It was an amazing comeback for the colourful rider, who feared he would never ride again after he was thrown from his horse 11 years ago, broke his back and almost died. When asked about his injuries, Skelton joked: ‘I’ve had two cartilage operations, a shoulder replacement, a hip replacement, a broken neck and I’ve got to get a back replacement – but apart from that I’m fine.’ After finishing his round, the rider shrugged and smiled before taking his hat off for the crowd and clapping the spectators. He was rewarded with an enthusiastic send off, with 23,000 spectators cheering and stamping for the popular rider. Afterwards, the 54-year-old - who is on his sixth Olympics - said he was ‘disappointed’ not to get another medal. Winners: (Left to right) Gold medalists Nick Skelton, Ben Maher, Scott Brash and Peter Charles of Great Britain celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Team Jumping . Skelton added: ‘That is our game, you know. You touch one pole, and you can’t get it back. At least we’ve come away with a gold medal, which is brilliant. It is great for the sport, great for me.’ Steve Guerdat, 30, ended an 88-year wait for a Swiss gold medallist in individual show-jumping. Ireland’s Cian O’Connor won the bronze, the nation’s first medal of the games.
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Brash, 26, was one of the British riders who won gold in the team show-jumping on Monday .
Made the comment during interview with BBC presenter Claire Balding .
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A black woman who had recently moved into a wealthy Washington DC suburb awoke to find 'N**** go home' painted on her garage door, police have said. The victim, who has not been identified, was reportedly alerted to the racial slur by a neighbor who was walking past her house in Chevy Chase, Montgomery County, on Monday morning. The pair then worked together to remove the offensive words - scrawled across the door in bright red paint - before dialing 911. Police are now investigating the incident as a hate crime. Racial slur: A black woman who had recently moved into the wealthy town of Chevy Chase in Montgomery County, near Washington DC, awoke to find 'N**** go home' (above) painted on her garage door, police said . Chevy Chase, northwest of America's capital, is one of the most affluent towns in the country. With a median household income of more than $250,000, it is renowned for its stunning Victorian homes. Speaking to WTOP, Montgomery County Police Captain Paul Starks said the woman had only lived in the neighborhood - home to hundreds of lawyers and government officials - for a matter of days. 'The victim has just moved in a little over a week ago,' he told the news station. Police believe the racial slur was spray-painted on the woman's house - situated on the 3300 block of Glenmoor Drive - at some point between 2pm on Sunday and 7am on Monday. Affluent area: The victim, who has not been identified, was reportedly alerted to the racial slur by a neighbor who was walking past her house in the 3300 block of Glenmoor Drive (above), on Monday morning . In a bid to locate the offender, they released a photo of the victim's garage door via Twitter on Monday afternoon. In the image, the racial word in question is digitally hidden with a large white box. No other acts of vandalism nor malicious destruction have been reported in the area. The incident comes as million around the country have been celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Anyone with information can call police on 301-279-8000. Chevy Chase (file picture), northwest of America's capital, is one of the most affluent towns in the country. With a median household income of more than $250,000, it is renowned for its stunning Victorian homes .
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Woman was alerted to racial slur by a neighbor on Monday, police said .
The pair worked together to remove offensive words, before dialing 911 .
Police are now investigating the incident in Chevy Chase as hate crime .
Town is one of US's most affluent areas, with median income of $250K .
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By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 10:44 EST, 16 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:11 EST, 16 December 2013 . Glennis Brierley, 64, was found stabbed to death at her home in Littleborough, near Rochdale . Detectives investigating the killing of a respected marriage guidance counsellor were quizzing her son on suspicion of murder today. Psychotherapist Glennis Brierley, 64, was found with stab wounds inside her terraced cottage after police received a call from a phone box saying she had been killed. Officers later arrested her 45-year-old son over the death and he is being questioned on suspicion of murder. A police spokesman said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with Mrs Brierley's death. Mrs Brierley, who is said to have lived alone in Littleborough, near Rochdale, was a qualified and experienced psychotherapist with a masters degree in Gestalt psychotherapy, a branch of therapy which focuses on personal responsibility. She was also an artist specialising in watercolours and sketches of plants and flowers. Mrs Brierley's body was discovered at midnight on December 13, after police received a 999 call saying that a woman had been killed. Her unnamed son was arrested eight hours later. Greater . Manchester Police said a post mortem was being carried out to establish . the cause of death but said she was discovered with visible stab . injuries. Superintendent Chris Hankinson said: . 'This woman has been murdered in her own home and our focus is on . ensuring justice is done and the perpetrator is brought to justice.' Murder scene: An officer stands guard outside Mrs Brierley's house in Littleborough, near Rochdale . He added: 'I also want to reassure them and the wider public of Greater Manchester that we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with this woman’s murder.' Regulars at the King William IV pub near Mrs Brierley's home said she was often there for the Tuesday night quiz. One local said: 'She was a lovely, lovely woman and she will be deeply missed. Although she had a job which meant her engaging with many members of the public and exploring their private lives, she kept her own private life very much to herself. 'It's such a shock - this is a really tight-knit community.' From her consulting room on the top . floor of her home Mrs Brierley charged couples £50 an hour to advise . them on difficulties in their relationship and issues such as anxiety, . depression, loss, guilt and shame. On . her website she wrote: 'I provide a safe non judgemental space in which . to explore your concerns. As well as being non judgemental and . supportive, sometimes you might need me to be more challenging. I can do . this too - we can talk about all of this.' Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
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Glennis Brierley, 64, was killed at her home in Littleborough, near Rochdale .
Her son, who has not been named, was arrested eight hours later by police .
He is now being questioned and detectives are not looking for anyone else .
Counsellor Mrs Brierley, who was attacked on Saturday, was a keen painter .
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16667688b4d5e8557079431ed8ab79dfe517a68c
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(CNN) -- Protesters demanding that the newly installed military government step aside clashed with security forces in Burkina Faso's capital on Sunday as regional leaders pleaded for calm. After the resignation of President Blaise Compaore -- who himself faced violent protests over his desire to extend his 27-year rule -- Burkina Faso's military took power. On Sunday, a huge crowd gathered in Ouagadougou, protesting the military government and demanding the return to constitutional rule. Gunfire erupted during clashes between the protesters and security forces near the location of the state news television channel, local journalist Ouezen Louis Oulon told CNN. On Saturday, the military consolidated its support behind Lt. Col. Isaac Yacouba Zida, who will serve as interim President until elections can be held. On Sunday, as the protests renewed, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States called for peace and an orderly transition to democracy. Compaore resigned as President after initially vowing to stay until elections could be held, despite violent protests to his desire to extend his lengthy rule. His decision to step down "opens the necessary political space for all the stakeholders to work together to find a lasting resolution to the crisis facing the country," the head of the African Union, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, said in a statement. The African Union's Peace and Security Council will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the crisis in Burkina Faso. Dlamini-Zuma said she prefers an agreement that will lead to a civilian-led transition toward elections for a new government. She called on Burkina Faso's military to place themselves at the disposal of civilian authorities. ECOWAS Chairman John Dramani Mahama offered a more general assessment, calling for all parties to "work in the overall interest of the people of Burkina Faso in order to guarantee peace and stability in the region." Demonstrators last week stormed Parliament, setting fire to the building. The protests came amid rising discontent about the high cost of living and Compaore's attempts to amend the country's constitution to help him extend his term. Compaore had been in office since he took power after a bloody coup in 1987. The country was formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta when it was established in 1958 as a self-governing colony under France.
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Protesters clashed with security forces in Burkina Faso's capital on Sunday .
The protesters want the military government to step aside .
The AU and ECOWAS call for peace and a transition to elections .
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Famous musician Bob Dylan is being sued along with the . French version of Rolling Stone Magazine for ‘racist’ comments in the cover . interview of September’s edition. A Croatian group in France didn’t like Dylan’s answer to the . question about whether or not he sees similarities between America today and . the civil war era, reported Slate.fr. ‘This country is just too f***** up about color. It's a . distraction. People at each others throats just because they are of a . different color. It's the height of insanity, and it will hold any nation back . – or any neighborhood back. Or any anything back, ‘said Dylan. It was Dylan’s next comment in the interview referring to . the ongoing dispute between majority Roman Catholic Croats and Christian . Orthodox Serbs that caused outrage in the Croatian community. Signs of the . tension are still visible. Balkin Insight reported that Croatian vandals tore . down bilingual and Cyrillic signs in Serbian minority institutions—an act of . blatant discrimination, reported Business Insider Australia. US President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to musician Bob Dylan . ‘Blacks know that . some whites didn't want to give up slavery – that if they had their way, they . would still be under the yoke, and they can't pretend they don't know that. If . you got a slave master or Klan in your blood, blacks can sense that. That stuff . lingers to this day. Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can . sense Croatian blood,’ he continued. A law was passed in Croatia that in areas where a third of . the population is a minority, State buildings must have bilingual signs . Croatian . veterans in the city of Vukuvar, destroyed by the Serbs in a conflict in the . 1990s, started to protest against the minority population. American civil rights activist Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., talks to American singer and songwriter Bob Dylan after they were each given honorary degrees from Princeton University . Slate reports that Europe has stricter free speech laws than the US does, and if Dylan is found . guilty of racism then he will be fined and formally sanctioned. Bob Dylan has never been accused of being racist before and . was at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. Obama awarded Dylan with The Medal of Freedom in 2012, and . Dylan has long spoken out against racism between black and whites and how . racism had to be yanked out from the roots. ‘Mmm, I don't know how to put it. It's like . . . the United . States burned and destroyed itself for the sake of slavery. The USA wouldn't . give it up. It had to be grinded out. The whole system had to be ripped out . with force. A lot of killing. What, like, 500,000 people? A lot of destruction . to end slavery. And that's what it really was all about,’ said Dylan in the . infamous French Rolling Stone interview. Dylan was not only awarded in America, but in France as . well. He was named Legion of Honor by France with only one objection from the . Legion’s committee on the grounds that in the past Dylan had experimented with . drugs. The local reports that non-French citizens cannot become . members of the Legion of Honor, but they may wear the same insignia in . recognition of service to France. Bob Dylan performs during the Amnesty International "Conspiracy of Hope" concert held at the Forum . Folk singers Joan Baez and Bob Dylan performing in Washington DC during the March on Washington civil rights rally, August 28, 1963 .
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A French Rolling Stone interview with Bob Dylan stated, Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can .
sense Croatian blood,’ in regards to the ongoing dispute between Croatians and Serbians .
Bob Dylan has long been a proponent of the civil rights movement .
He was awarded The Medal of Freedom in 2012 .
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1668a8f95ce8b0b3df00e6109b9623bae86d994b
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Kim Kardashian's 20-carat diamond engagement ring, a remnant of her 72-day marriage to NBA basketball player Kris Humphries, was auctioned Tuesday in New York by Christie's for $749,000, US Weekly reported. Christie's auction house confirmed the sale of a 20-carat ring to an anonymous buyer. It did not reveal whether it was the ring that Humphries gave Kardashian. The ring "far exceed the presale estimate" of $300,000 to $500,000, said Gabriel Ford, a spokesman for Christie's. "This impressive diamond ring was sought out by two bidders in the back of the room, one online bidder and was ultimately won by a bidder on the phone," Ford said. Humphries, an NBA forward, accused Kardashian of fraud by entering the marriage only to make millions of dollars with their wedding, Humphries' lawyer, Marshall Waller, told a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. The August 20, 2011, wedding was aired in October on E! Entertainment in a two-part special titled "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event." Kardashian filed for separation in October 2011, beginning a more than 20-month divorce battle. The couple's divorce was finalized in June just days before she gave birth to a girl fathered by rapper Kanye West. The baby girl was named North.
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The 20-carat diamond ring exceeded the presale estimate, an official says .
US Weekly reports it was the ring Kris Humphries gave to Kim Kardashian .
Christie's did not confirm whether it was Kardashian's ring .
The couple was married for 72 days before splitting up .
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1668cdad0bafa53b52a41f641509ef61487ec811
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Kobe Bryant eclipsed Michael Jordan on the National Basketball Association's all-time scoring list on Sunday, surpassing the legendary scorer during the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' game at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Bryant entered the game needing nine points to top the retired Jordan's mark of 32,292 points and move into third on the all-time list. He achieved the mark with a pair of free throws midway through the second quarter, momentarily stopping the game. Kobe Bryant became the third highest scorer in NBA history on Sunday night . Bryant waves to the crowd at the Target Center in Minneapolis after passing Jordan on the scoring list . Bryant leaps to shoot against the Timberwolves as he moved into third place on the all-time NBA scoring list . The Los Angeles Lakers star was given a standing ovation in Minneapolis after passing Michael Jordan . Bryant reached the mark with two free throws in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves . Bryant is congratulated on his achievement by Thaddeus Young of the Timberwolves . Bryant is congratulated by his team-mates after surpassing Jordan's landmark . 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 38,387 . 2. Karl Malone - 36,928 . 3. Kobe Bryant - 32,310 . 4. Michael Jordan - 32,292 . The Minnesota crowd rose in appreciation and Bryant received congratulatory hugs from both teams before being presented with the game ball. 'It's a huge honour. It's been such a long journey,' Bryant said. 'It's gone by really fast; it feels great to be at this point.' Bryant finished the night with 26 points to run his scoring total to 32,310 as the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 100-94. Jordan, widely thought of as the greatest players of all-time, has long been the standard by which fellow shooting guard Bryant has been measured. The former great congratulated Bryant's accomplishment in a statement and has provided the Lakers standout with mentorship over the years. 'I try to learn so much from him in particular. He's been such a huge part of my success and career in giving me advice,' Bryant said. 'The relationship has meant everything to me.' The 36-year-old Bryant has achieved his scoring in his 19th season and 1,269th game. Jordan's career lasted 15 seasons and 1,072 games. Bryant now trails only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points) and Karl Malone (36,928) in career points. Bryant (left) takes on Jordan in a match between the Lakers and the Bulls in February 1998 . NBA legend Jordan is widely regarded as the best player to ever play basketball . VIDEO Bryant overtakes legend Jordan .
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Kobe Bryant moved into third place on career scoring list .
Los Angeles Lakers star leapfrogged the great Michael Jordan .
Bryant reached the mark with a pair of free-throws against Minnesota .
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928) ahead of Kobe .
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1668f1eb7d7f597d145a6941270b064355165259
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New York (CNN) -- The University of Connecticut men's basketball program will be penalized for recruitment violations, including a suspension for head coach Jim Calhoun, the NCAA announced Tuesday. "The case includes more than $6,000 in improper recruiting inducements, impermissible phone calls and text messages to prospective student-athletes," the NCAA said. Additional allegations include, "failure to monitor and promote an atmosphere for compliance by the head coach, failure to monitor by the university, and unethical conduct by the former operations director." Following a two-year investigation, the Division I Committee on Infractions found that UConn men's basketball staff members violated NCAA rules, exchanging 150 calls and 190 text messages with prospective recruits, and providing complimentary game tickets. The committee also found that Calhoun, who has been head coach for 24 years, knowingly allowed a booster and certified NBA agent to participate in recruitment and make prohibited financial contributions to a potential student-athlete. "Penalties include suspension of the head coach for three conference games during the 2011-12 season, scholarship reductions for three academic years, recruiting restrictions, permanent disassociation of a booster and three years probation," the NCAA announced. Calhoun responded, saying, "I am very disappointed with the NCAA's decision in this case. My lawyer and I are evaluating my options and will make a decision which way to proceed." In addition, the coaches and compliance staff must attend the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar. The former operations director was penalized with a two-year show-cause order, which essentially prevents him from participating in college basketball during the time allotted. "Let me be very clear, we will comply fully with the NCAA's sanctions and work with great resolve to restore the luster to our men's basketball program," University of Connecticut President Philip Austin said Tuesday. Dr. Dean Thomas, chair of the Committee on Infractions, defended the decision against claims from reporters that the punishment might have been too weak. "I can assure you with 100% accuracy that the committee is not influenced by high-profile cases or high-profile coaches," Thomas said on a conference call. "The committee bases its deliberations on the information presented."
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Allegations include improper recruiting inducements, prohibited phone calls and texts .
Head coach Jim Calhoun on his three-game suspension: "I am very disappointed"
Penalties include recruitment restrictions, scholarship reductions, 3 years probation .
The NCAA is being criticized for being too soft on punishing the UConn coaching staff.
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166917904c9ed8dfac091ba7e52c9af87b3f86c9
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By . Mail On Sunday Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 18:32 EST, 10 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 20:03 EST, 10 August 2013 . Benefit cheats who claim millions of pounds in state handouts while living abroad face being extradited back to Britain to stand trial and possibly jail. The Government is planning an unprecedented clampdown on the thousands of expat fraudsters who milk millions of pounds in bogus payments. Under the new proposals it is understood British police could even travel to ‘abroad fraud’ hotspots such as Spain to bring back suspected cheats. Clampdown: Under the new proposals it is understood British police could even travel to 'abroad fraud' hotspots such as Spain to bring back suspected cheats. This image shows the Spanish resort of Marbella . Britons moving abroad should notify the Government of their change of circumstances. But investigators say expats are continuing to claim benefits. The most common scams include claiming up to £56.80 a week for Income Support and £22.89 a week Pension Credit top-ups. Government figures estimate £79 million . was illegally plundered from the system by Britons in foreign boltholes . in 2011, with the money paid into their British bank accounts which can . be accessed abroad via debit and credit cards. A Department for Work and . Pensions spokesman said: ‘Benefit cheats think once they are lying on . the beach they are beyond our reach. 'But fraudulently claiming benefits while living abroad is a crime and we will investigate from Manchester to Marbella.’
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Government planning clampdown on expat fraudsters .
British police could travel to ‘abroad fraud’ hotspots to bring back cheats .
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16691885be6374bb93ad9d68d88d40660a72b2c4
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By . Simon Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 18:16 EST, 10 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 18:30 EST, 10 August 2013 . Naomi Campbell has been allowed back on British Airways flights after the airline lifted a five-year ban . Naomi Campbell is back on board . British Airways – five years after she was arrested for being abusive . on a flight and barred from the airline. The . decision to allow the supermodel to return comes despite her accusing . BA staff of racism, and assaulting police officers as they hauled her . from the aircraft. The Mail . on Sunday understands that some BA workers are upset by the decision to . allow her on flights – including a First Class flight to Milan on May 3 . this year. Staff are said to feel the ban should . have been maintained, and accused bosses of giving the model ‘special . treatment’ because of her wealth and fame. Ms . Campbell, 43, boarded the Milan flight at Heathrow Airport in London accompanied by the . airline’s special services staff who give VIP treatment to First Class . fliers. An insider said: ‘Naomi upset a lot . of staff, so to have her back on BA flights feels like a bit of a kick . in the teeth. 'The company should be taking a hard line against people . who are abusive or aggressive – whether they are rich and famous or . not.’ Ms Campbell was . banned after a row over her luggage at Heathrow Airport in 2008. A court . hearing was told she ranted at the aircraft’s crew before she was . ordered off. She was fined £2,300 and sentenced to 200 hours of community service for the incident. A British Airways spokesman said this week: ‘Due to data protection, we are unable to disclose passenger details.’ Controversial: Ms Campbell pictured outside a police station in 2008 following an altercation on a BA flight .
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Supermodel was allowed to board a First Class BA flight to Milan in May .
Airline lifts five-year ban imposed after she ranted at cabin crew .
Some staff said to feel model was given 'special treatment'
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166937e9146807d5a9e9cb354746810c6b4b116d
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(CNN)The call to police was for cardiac arrest. But the strangulation and trauma wounds on the 18-year-old woman suggested something far more violent happened. Karlie Hall was found in her dorm room Sunday morning at Millersville University, about an hour west of Philadelphia, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said. Her boyfriend, 19-year-old Gregorio Orrostieta, called 911 around 5:20 a.m., prosecutor Craig Stedman said. "We didn't know we had a crime at first," Stedman told CNN. But the prosecutor said Orrostieta later told authorities the couple had a fight. An autopsy Monday revealed Hall suffered trauma and strangulation wounds. Orrostieta has been charged with criminal homicide. He is being held without bail. Stedman said the couple started dating 11 months ago, when she was in high school. Orrostieta is not a student at Millersville University. About three hours before Orrostieta called 911, a residential assistant heard a struggle and knocked on Hall's dorm room door, Stedman said. But no one answered the door, and the residential assistant went back to bed. "Our university community has suffered an unfathomable loss," Millersville University President John Anderson wrote. He said counselors will be available throughout the week. Ex-Virginia lacrosse player sentenced to 23 years in ex-girlfriend's killing .
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18-year-old Karlie Hall was found fatally injured in her Millersville University dorm room .
Her boyfriend is charged with criminal homicide after an autopsy revealed strangulation wounds .
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Matthew Macklin was sore, obviously heartbroken, but gracious in defeat. A thunderous right hook from Jorge Sebastien Heiland of Argentina had knocked him out in the 10th round of their WBC world middleweight title eliminator at the 3 Arena on Saturday night. He is now left with the unappealing and likely decision to retire without winning a world title. A student of boxing, he pointed out fighters who had numerous title shots before reaching the summit but also name-checked legends of the sport who fought because they were fighters. He deserves access to that club. ‘Look at the [Jake] LaMottas and all them — they lost many, many times and still went on and won a world title,’ said Macklin in his dressing-room after the fight. ‘How many footballers have bad games? It’s just in boxing you’re as good as your last fight. Matthew Macklin could be nearing retirement after suffering a devastating defeat in Dublin . ‘It’s a shame because now the world title looks further away and maybe it’s just not to be for me. Maybe that fight in Germany will haunt me forever.’ That fight in Germany was a reference to his 2011 points loss to Felix Sturm in Cologne in a WBA world-title fight. He was awarded the decision by German TV pundits that night, but the judges, bafflingly, awarded the win to Sturm. In hindsight, it was his best opportunity to win a world title, despite the fact that he went on to headline at Madison Square Garden against Sergio Martinez and later challenged pound-for-pound monster Gennady Golovkin. Now it seems likely that this could be the end for the two-time European champion after his sixth career loss brings his record to 31-6. Macklin was stopped by Jorge Sebastien Heiland in the 10th round of their WBC world title eliminator . Heiland and Macklin went toe to toe for 10 rounds. After a clean left hand landed on Macklin’s chin, that right hook from Heiland left the home fighter on the canvas 42 seconds into the round. In truth, the Birmingham-born Tipperary man looked every inch of his 32 years from the third round on and the aggregate damage of a pro career which started in his teens made him look, for the first time, a very tired fighter. ‘He was decent and I knew he was good,’ said Macklin of Heiland afterwards. ‘No one wants to admit they’re getting older but the pace of the fight… it probably suited him more than me.’ A constantly busy 27-year-old Heiland was too much to deal with. Argentine Heiland celebrates victory over Macklin in Dublin on Saturday night . ‘I’ve got the sort of face where I show every emotion anyway, so I looked tired after a round!” laughed Macklin afterwards, but the 32-year-old is now, undoubtedly, considering retirement. ‘I’ve had tough fights, tough spars and lived in f***ing hotel rooms all over the world! It’s a tough-ish life, but I’ve had more highs than lows, definitely.... I’ll just have to see.’ The unusual predicament Macklin finds will finds himself in is whether to fight on considering there is a possibility that he could yet book an All-Ireland showdown with Limerick’s Lee or a date with England’s Martin Murray. Promoter Eddie Hearn pinpointed Dublin middleweight Luke Keeler as a star in the making after the 27-year-old demolished Gary Boulden in one round, while he hinted that Cork’s Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan could yet become a major player in the 160lb division after he battered Anthony Fitzgerald inside two minutes. Former amateur stars John Joe Nevin and Tommy McCarthy both recorded early stoppage wins.
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Matthew Macklin knocked out by Jorge Sebastian Heiland in the 10th round .
Birmingham-based Irishman was behind on points in middleweight bout .
The 32-year-old was floored by a left-right combination from Argentine .
Macklin could be nearing retirement after latest loss .
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166cd652cd118c0c2b928be7a8b297c9dd68f26e
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By . Martin Robinson . PUBLISHED: . 09:27 EST, 19 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:51 EST, 19 September 2013 . Nine out of ten men lie about liking sports to impress friends or to get ahead at work, it was revealed today. Football was the game that men most faked a love of, with two out of three admitting they gushed to mates about the national sport to avoid being unpopular, a survey found. The poll of more than 500 Britons, released today, revealed that only nine per cent of sports fans have never faked their love of it. Sports fatigue: Nine out of ten men have lied about liking sports to be popular (file picture), a new survey has revealed . Not knowing your Arsenal from your elbow: Aaron Ramsay celebrates a goal at Marseille last night but two thirds of men have lied about liking football to be popular, it emerged today . 'I really detest football but it’s all my mates talk . about. I’ve learned to bluff about it so I’m not left out of . conversations, but most of the time I just find it boring. Luckily . there’s usually beer to drink,' one man polled said. More than half of the men asked, 52 per cent, said they had lied about enjoying . Formula One despite secretly hating it. 'It’s cool to like F1 but the truth is it’s . just incredibly loud cars going round and round and round. I went along . to a race once, for large parts I wasn’t actually sure who was winning,' another survey participant said. 1. Football 61% 2. F1 52% 3. Cricket 46% 4. Golf 34% 5. Rugby 27% 6. Boxing 17% 7. Athletics 13% 8. Horse racing 12% 9. Snooker 6% 10.Tennis 2% . And despite England beating Australia in 3-0 the Ashes this summer, 46 per cent had lied about enjoying the sport and understanding its rules. Just over a third of people surveyed - 34 per cent - fibbed about liking golf, often because it is a sport that they believe could help them get promoted or find a new job. A quarter of blokes said that they didn’t like ruby but hid it and 13 per cent lied about liking athletics. Tennis and snooker were among the sports that people were least likely to hide a dislike of. A . spokesman from . LHDcarsupermarket.com, who carried out the survey said: 'It . was a surprise that so many men lied about liking football. It makes me . wonder whether it really is the nation’s favourite game? 'There must . be a lot of men out there lying to look good with friends and enduring . dull nights in order to be part of the group. With 9 in 10 male friends . lying about the sports they like this survey could change what men talk . about in the pub.'
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Only nine per cent of men have not lied to others about enjoying a sport .
Football was the most fibbed about, with 61 per cent hiding their dislike .
The national game was followed by F1, cricket, gold and rugby .
One in three admitted to lying because they thought it would aid their career .
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166dd3f6e16ab425f8466d996e26cec1f6fa488d
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By . Kerry Mcdermott . PUBLISHED: . 03:42 EST, 14 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:10 EST, 14 August 2013 . 'Hen do from hell': Katherine Gillanders and Chelsea Montgomery attended the hen party in Essex . A hen party appalled by a foul stench at their seaside guest house discovered it was coming from a decomposing corpse in the room next door. Friends of the bride-to-be told how she spent her hen night vomiting due to the 'disgusting' smell at Benson's Guest House in Southend-on-Sea in Essex on Friday. The girls, who described flies buzzing around at the Victorian building, told how a cleaner discovered a man's body in the neighbouring room the following morning - and said it is thought he could have been lying there for days. Chelsea Montgomery, 26, who attended the hen weekend in Essex, told The Sun newspaper: 'It was the hen do from hell. 'The bride threw up all night because of the smell. 'We spent the weekend spraying deodorant everywhere,' she said. The guest house investigated after the girls complained about the smell spoiling their party, but because the room next door was let to a permanent tenant staff said they could not enter without permission. It wasn't until the cleaner went in the following morning that the source of the stench was discovered, the girls said. Ms Montgomery, who travelled from Windsor to the seaside resort with friend Katherine Gillanders to celebrate the hen's impending wedding, said they arrived after police had been called to the guest house. The Victorian guest house, described on its website as a 'home-from-home' ideal for a holiday, business trip or short break at the beach, declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline today. Body: The body of man in his 40s was discovered in the room next door to the one the girls were staying in at Benson's Guest House in Essex . A spokesman for Essex Police said: 'Police were contacted just after 10.30am on Saturday with reports of the sudden death of a man at a property in Hartington Road in Southend. 'Officers attended and found the body of a man believed to be in his 40s. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner,' she added.
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Hens told of 'disgusting' stench at Benson's Guest House in Southend .
Bride-to-be spent her hen night vomiting due to the smell .
Cleaner discovered man's body in another room following morning .
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166e8a8af599b51323edf24f1aa27c46dbc93486
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(CNN) -- He travels in private jets and is one of the world's highest-paid athletes, but Fernando Alonso's humble beginnings are never far away from his thoughts. He recalls with fondness those childhood days when he used to race go-karts -- the precursor to his enormous success on the Formula One circuit -- free of any pressure. Back then he didn't have to worry about points or standings. His passion for motorsport stemmed from his father Jose Luis, himself a former go-kart driver, and Alonso is also quick to remember the sacrifices his parents made as they drove him around Spain and Europe during his rise through the ranks. His mother Ana Maria would even make his racing outfits, adjusting the size of his overalls as her son grew up. "One of the most important things that I received from my parents was to have always this sense of family and to be united," the Ferrari star -- who has an older sister, Lorena -- tells CNN's Human to Hero series. "You always have little fights with your family, with your sister when you're a kid, but at the end of the day you must know that family will always be there." Alonso admits he wants to have children of his own one day, but for now he is focused on trying to win more titles with arguably the most famous Formula One team in the world, the iconic "rosso corsa" of Ferrari. Talking to CNN at an exhibition of memorabilia in Madrid documenting his illustrious career, the 32-year-old reflects on his early days in Oviedo -- a city in northwest Spain, in the province of Asturias. "My father was the one to introduce the adrenaline and the passion for racing into the family," Alonso says. "The go-kart I had when I was three years old was going very, very slow. Basically my father was walking alongside me to control the steering wheel or if I was doing any funny things. "The weekends were probably a nightmare for (my parents) because they needed to take the car, they needed to drive maybe 10 hours with me asleep in the back and then have a race somewhere -- and then come home because they needed to work and I needed to go to school." Alonso showed promise from a young age, but his mother and father made it clear that the priority wasn't landing trophies. "First it was to study," he says. "If I do well, I keep racing in go-karts. "I needed to do all the exams. I missed a lot of lessons and I needed to recover. I needed to recover in the back of the car reading books, so that was my school probably." With his family's support, Alonso flourished -- becoming a megastar who last year was rated 19th in Forbes' top-earning athletes list on $30 million, and is considered F1's most marketable driver. His first "key" moment, he says, was winning the Spanish national championships in 1994. "I felt that this was a good moment and I would keep this trophy all my life because you never think that you will continue," says Alonso, a cycling enthusiast, too, who hopes to have his own team. "I didn't know if I would race anymore in go-karts or if my family would take me to the next weekend's race. You never know. "You just enjoy the present. And maybe that was the nice thing about that period of my career when I was a go-kart driver. "You enjoy that Sunday. You don't think anymore because you don't know if there is something more coming." In Alonso's case, plenty did come. In 1998, he was runner-up at the European karting championships and two years later finished fourth in Formula 3000. Alonso made his Formula One debut with Minardi in 2001 but wasn't thinking of winning that day in Melbourne. He was just happy he didn't crash. "We didn't have any preseason test because the car wasn't ready," he recalls. "It was just ready for the first race. They explained briefly what the steering wheel was, the buttons to press. "There was a panic moment because I did not know what the neutral button was, and I was trying to find it. I had one second or I would crash somewhere." Despite not tallying a single point in 2001, Alonso caught the eye and soon moved to Renault, where in 2005 at the age of 24 he became F1's youngest world champion -- a record since beaten by Lewis Hamilton and reigning titleholder Sebastian Vettel. "When you're world champion, there are many memories from the past, 20 years in different motorsports," says Alonso. "You arrive in Formula One, you win the world championship -- that's it. It's enough for your whole life, probably. "The satisfaction you have in a few minutes of your life when you become champion, it's enough to live forever." Yet Alonso didn't stop there. He repeated as world champion to emulate the likes of Ayrton Senna -- his hero. "When I was 10 years old to 15 years old, in my room when I opened the door to get clothes, I had a photo of Ayrton with a car. He was at Suzuka with McLaren and I remember that particular picture every time I open the door of the room." After leaving Renault for the first time in 2007, he endured a difficult season with McLaren, clashing with Hamilton and finishing third in the championship. His problems with the British driver led to accusations that Alonso was difficult to work with, but he insists that reports of tensions with his teammates over the years are "exaggerated." "It's true that you should beat your teammate to have a better reputation or to have a better result in that weekend," he says. "But believe me, when we are in a meeting or a debrief after a race, there are zero problems -- there are only good things, helpful comments from the other driver. "All are working together, if we discover something in the setup, immediately the other driver tests to see that positive result and confirm that that will be our standard setup from that moment on. "So there's a huge communication and a huge teamwork, despite what you read or what you see from the outside." Like everyone else on the circuit, he has lagged behind Vettel since joining Ferrari in 2010, with the Red Bull driver claiming four consecutive titles. This season Alonso is joined at the Italian team's Maranello headquarters by Kimi Raikkonen -- the last driver to win the championship for the Scuderia back in 2007. Felipe Massa, the man Raikkonen replaced, said last year he thought the two world champions would "collide" but Alonso has welcomed the Finn. "I think he's very talented so that is a huge help and huge motivation for myself first and also for the team because the team knows it has to deliver a good car because Kimi will deliver a good result," Alonso says. "Myself I know I need to deliver my best." And there's nothing he'd like more than adding to his already impressive collection of racing souvenirs. "If you ask me this question in 10 years' time ... I will tell you that two championships are more than I could dream of -- I never thought I'd become a Formula One driver, I never thought I'd win one grand prix. I'm extremely proud and extremely happy with my career," Alonso says. "If you ask me right now ... I am hungry for victories, hungry for success -- I will tell you that two championships are not enough."
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The foundation for Fernando Alonso's success stems from his family .
The Spaniard remembers with fondness his childhood days of go-karting .
Alonso looks forward to starting his own family one day: "It is a goal of life"
But for now the 32-year-old says he wants to win more Formula One titles .
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By . Ashley Collman for MailOnline . Donald Trump's 'pitbull' adviser is suing a Hamptons homeowner for 'ruining his summer'. Michael D Cohen rented an $8million Sagaponack mansion from NYU Dr Ali Guy, but says the physiatrist lied to him about the home's state. When Cohen and his extended family arrived at the home on August 2, they discovered that the air conditioning wasn't working and that half of the rooms were outfitted with too-small twin beds. Cohen paid $150,000 to rent the home for a month, and is now suing Guy for double, according to a suit filed in Manhattan Superior Court. 'He ruined my summer!' Cohen said, according to the New York Post. Not fit: Donald Trump's adviser Michael Cohen (left) is suing NYU Dr Ali Guy (right) for renting him an $8million Hamptons home he says was in disrepair . Upsetting: According to the $250,000 lawsuit, the home's air-conditioning was broken and the beds in four of the eight rooms were too small for the visiting adults . Cohen, a Trump Organization Vice President and special counsel to the Donald, says the home is more than double the size of his past rentals since he wanted a large space to house his wife, their two children, his parents, his three siblings, and his siblings' children. He eventually decided on Dr Guy's eight-bedroom, 12,000-square-foot home because it had enough room 'to accommodate his entire family' and for its 'wow factor,' according to the suit. According to a real estate listing, the home on Parsonage Lane sits on 1.2 acres and comes with formal living and dining rooms, a great room, screening room, gym, spa, wine cellar, two laundry rooms, pool, three-story elevator and 11.5 bathrooms. But Cohen says that while the home is aesthetically pleasing, it is non-functional. Not happy: Cohen admits the home is aesthetically pleasing, but that the various problems have ruined his summer vacation . Small: One of the biggest issues Cohen has with the home are the too-small twin beds in half of the rooms . Stuck inside: Cohen has also had to spend hours at home, supervising maintenance workers trying to repair the air-conditioning, missing out on family time . Bad surprise: The home's sauna and security gate have also had issues that were specified when Cohen agreed to rent the home for $150,000 . The home has had multiple issues that has tainted Cohen's summer and made it nearly uninhabitable for his family, who came all the way from California and Florida for a reunion. Right-hand man: Cohen is an Executive Vice President of the Trump Organization and special adviser to the Donald . One of the biggest issues was the twin beds in four of the eight rooms - too small for his 6-foot-tall teen soon or his married sisters. He says the broker was forced to buy two big beds with mattresses, box springs and frames just to 'make things right'. Cohen also found that the sauna was broken, the security gate malfunctioned and the toilets were busted. Even worse - the air-conditioning wasn't working in two of the bedrooms. When . he confronted Guy about the air-conditioning issues in the heat of . summer, the landlord told him to open the windows at night and 'hope for . sea breeze' even though the house isn't on the beach. Contractors . were called out to the house to fix the AC, but were unsuccessful. While they worked Cohen was stuck in the house supervising, missing out . on time with his family. Dr Guy has spoken out about the suit and told the Post Cohen's complaints are 'completely unfounded'. 'He wants to sue me for $250,000 and his rent was $150,000' Dr Guy said. 'We are filing a response, and I feel I will be vindicated,' he added. Cohen has been called Trump's 'pitbull' and has been given the nicknqame 'Tom' in reference to The Godfather character.
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Michael Cohen is an executive vice president of the Trump Organization and special adviser to the Donald .
He rented an $8million Hamptons home from NYU Dr Ali Guy for the month of August at $150,000 .
But when he arrived on August 2, Cohen found the air conditioning wasn't working and that most of the beds were too small for his family .
He is now suing Guy for $250,000, saying he 'ruined his summer'
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166eeb25a0cbb5a31556fba4d6c6a1529d6f284f
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By . Suzannah Hills . PUBLISHED: . 10:47 EST, 10 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:47 EST, 10 August 2013 . Twin baby girls abducted from a hospital have been rescued after police arrested nine suspects on suspicion of baby trafficking in northwestern China. It comes after another baby taken from Fuping County Maternal and Child Health Care became the first to be reunited with his parents earlier this week following the arrest of the hospital's obstetrician . Zhang Shuxia is accused of abducting newborns from the hospital in Shaanxi province after convincing the parents to give them up by falsely claiming the infants were born with serious health conditions. Police have received 55 reports of child abductions and allege that Zhang was involved in 26 of them. Twin baby girls stolen from The Fuping County Maternal and . ChildHealth Care Hospital (pictured) have been rescued following the arrest of the hospital's obstetrician who is accused of being involved in 26 abductions . Three government officials and three hospital managers have also been fired over the baby trafficking scandal, the official Xinhua News Agency reported last night. The twins were due to be reunited with their parents, mother Wang Yanyan and father Qi Kunfeng, today. The parents told CNN that Zhang convinced them to give up the twins after their birth on May 29 by telling them they had serious health problems. Wang, 31, said: 'The doctor was pretending to be very anxious, telling me that my babies have congenital problems. She said the twins would be brain damaged or paralyzed. 'I insisted on seeing the babies, but . she wouldn't let me. I never suspected that she was selling my babies, . because she was a family friend.' Emotion: Dong Wan cries as she holds her newborn son after being reunited with him in hospital . Joy: Ms Dong, 31, is handed her baby after he was recovered from human traffickers . The parents described the obstetrician as 'evil' and a 'terrible' person. Qi said: 'We trusted her so much. How could she be so cruel to sell our babies?' The other rescued baby boy was returned to his parents on Monday. His mother Dong Wan, 31, wept as she held the boy at the hospital in Fuping. The same doctor apparently told Ms Dong, 31, that her son was born with severe health problems and would soon die. The healthy baby boy was tracked down by investigators after Dong became suspicious. The . mother said: ‘I was told the baby would not survive and the best thing . for me would be to let the hospital take care of it so I did.’ Relief: The mother had been tricked by her obstetrician into handing over her son to him . Crime: Ms Dong spoke of her pain at being tricked by the doctor she had previously trusted . After signing the documents at The Fuping County Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Dong changed her mind and begged her husband, Lai Guofeng, to call the police. The baby was tracked down hundreds of . miles away in neighbouring Henan province where the original . traffickers had sold him on for a profit. He . had been sold for 21,600 yuan (£2,275 or $3,527) on July 17, the day . after he was born. The baby was then sold two more times over the course . ofthe next ten days. Despite severe legal punishments, including the death penalty, child trafficking is still a big problem in China. It . is very profitable for the traffickers, and demand is strong, driven . partly by the traditional preference for male heirs, a strict one-child . policy and ignorance of the law. Dong Wan's baby son (pictured) was sold to human traffickers in China after she was allegedly told by doctor Zhang Lin that he was born with severe health problems and would not survive . The baby's heartbroken father Lai Guofeng (left . in both pictures) and mother Dong Wan (right in both pictures) became . suspicious after doctors said their son was too ill to live and called . police . Dong Wan said she was told that it was in the baby's best interests to let the hospital take care of him .
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The girls were taken from Fuping County Maternal and Child Health Care in Shaanxi province shortly after being born on May 29 .
Obstetrician Zhang Shuxia 'convinced the parents to give them up because they had health problems'
Zhang was allegedly involved in 25 other baby abductions from the hospital .
First baby to be recovered was a boy who has been returned to his parents .
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166fda9e40a7c119adde3b258dee78b41d900048
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A government report released Thursday paints an alarming picture of an unstable future for international relations defined by waning American influence, a fragmentation of political power and intensifying struggles for increasingly scarce natural resources. The report aims to better inform policymakers, starting with the administration of President-elect Barack Obama . The report, "Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World," was drafted by the National Intelligence Council to better inform U.S. policymakers -- starting with the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama -- about the factors most likely to shape major international trends and conflicts through the year 2025. "Although the United States is likely to remain the single most powerful actor, the United States' relative strength -- even in the military realm -- will decline and U.S. leverage will become more constrained," says the report, which is the fourth in a series from the Intelligence Council. The report argues that the "international system -- as constructed following the second World War -- will be almost unrecognizable by 2025 owing to the rise of emerging powers, a globalizing economy, an historic transfer of relative wealth and economic power from West to East, and the growing influence of nonstate actors." It argues that the world is in the midst of an unprecedented "transfer of global wealth and power" -- from West to East -- that is being fueled by long-term "increases in oil and commodity prices" along with a gradual shift of manufacturing and certain service industries to Asia. And yet, while American power and influence are projected to decline, America's burdens are not. "Despite the recent rise in anti-Americanism, the U.S. probably will continue to be seen as a much-needed regional balancer in the Middle East and Asia," the report notes. The American military will continue to be expected to play a leading role in the war against global terrorism, though the United States as a whole will be less able to "call the shots without the support of strong partnerships." America's biggest rival by 2025, the reports says, will be China. "China is poised to have more impact on the world over the next 20 years than any other country," it notes. The report projects that China will have the world's second largest economy by 2025 and will be a leading military power. Equally problematic for U.S. policymakers is the fact that China is expected to become the world's biggest polluter and largest importer of natural resources. China will not be alone, however, in terms of its desire to provide a consumption-oriented American lifestyle to a rapidly growing population. Countries such as India and, to a lesser extent, Indonesia, Iran and Turkey, will also likely see their power -- and desire for natural resources -- increase. The report predicts that, the recent economic downturn aside, "unprecedented global economic growth" will mean that the demand for basic resources such as food, water and oil "will outstrip easily available supplies" over the next decade. As an estimated 1.2 billion people are added to the world population over the next 20 years, the demand for food will rise by 50 percent, the report projects. The lack of access to stable water supplies will also worsen due to rapid global urbanization, it says. Further complicating matters is the fact that while demand for energy is projected to rise, oil and gas production will continue to be "concentrated in unstable areas," it says. The world in 2025 is therefore likely to find itself in the midst of a "fundamental energy transition away from oil toward natural gas, coal and other alternatives." Such a transformation, however, may not stave off armed conflict driven largely by the struggle for scarce resources, the report says. While conflicts are still most likely to "revolve around trade, investments, and technological innovation and acquisition," the report states that "we cannot rule out a 19th century-like scenario of arms races, territorial expansion, and military rivalries." Terrorism is also expected to remain a major issue through 2025, though its appeal could be significantly reduced if economic and political liberalization accelerates in the Middle East. "In the absence of employment opportunities and legal means for political expression, conditions will be ripe for disaffection, growing radicalism and possible recruitment of youths into terrorist groups," the report argues. Adding to complications in the always-volatile Middle East will be Iran's possible acquisition of nuclear weapons, which could trigger a regional nuclear arms race, the report says. Continuing tensions between India and Pakistan also add to concerns regarding nuclear proliferation, it says. The report highlights the need for new technological innovation to provide "viable alternatives to fossil fuels" and overcome future food and water constraints. At the moment, "all current technologies are inadequate for replacing" traditional energy sources "on the scale needed," it says. The bottom line, the report says, is that "the next 20 years of transition to a new system are fraught with risks." "This is a story," it says, "with no clear outcome."
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Report says China will have growing impact, second largest economy by 2025 .
There will be an unprecedented global transfer of power because of oil, report says .
Indonesia, Iran, Turkey, will likely see power, desire for natural resources increase .
"Unprecedented" growth means demand for basic resources will outweigh supply .
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166fe0c3d3f400a48ec5fd716c675384512f152c
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A former top 40 radio DJ has announced he is undergoing surgery to become a woman. Simon Hirst, 39, who worked for Capital FM in Yorkshire until June, has revealed in an interview that she is now called Stephanie, and is halfway through gender reassignment treatment. The well-liked DJ left Hirsty's Daily Dose breakfast show at the start of the summer. Now, in an interview with Stephen Nolan on BBC Radio 5 Live, Hirst revealed she had made the decision to become a woman because she 'doesn't want to hide anymore.' Scroll down for video . Stephen Nolan (right) and Stephanie Hirst (left) who has revealed that she is changing gender in order to live life as a woman . The DJ (right) left the breakfast show on Capital FM Yorkshire in June. In an interview with Stephen Nolan (left) on BBC Radio 5 Live, Hirst revealed she will become a woman because she 'doesn't want to hide anymore' The former DJ refused to comment on whether Capitall Radio will give her the breakfast show once again . 'There were many times on the air in recent years where I nearly said that I'm transgender,' she said. 'I knew from around the same time that I knew I wanted to be on the radio that something wasn't right. 'I didn't feel complete, I didn't feel like it locked. I felt like a square peg in a round hole but I didn't know why and I couldn't work it out.' Stephanie has received messages of support from loyal listeners keen to have the personality back on-air . Hirst, who also hosted the Hit40UK national commercial radio Top 40 chart between 2003 and 2006, took the decision to leave the popular breakfast show because 'I got to the point in my life where I had to stop doing what I was doing to have some time out to focus on me, because I have devoted my entire life to radio'. She said the torment of carrying the secret around was like 'someone poking you in the arm constantly, just tapping you. It's like that every single day'. 'From the minute I woke up to the minute I went to sleep it was always there. 'The thought was there in my head constantly.' Hirst said: 'I'd drive home in the car - I'd be driving home on the M1 and, honestly, I could have just turned the wheel to the central reservation. I didn't of course. Or I would scream. 'I remember sitting in my kitchen rocking backwards and forwards going "just make this stop, go away, leave me alone" and I felt like she was eating me up inside.' Asked how listeners would react, she said: 'I'm just me, I'm the same person. 'I'm not going to flounce around in flowery dresses all day. I'm just me, I'm just a human being, I still love people, still care for people the same way - nothing changes. 'And for anyone who is going through this or anyone who's thinking of going through this we don't change, we don't change. Yes, the exterior changes but we're still the same people.' Growing out: Friends had commented how Hirst had been growing her hair longer in recent months, but only a select few knew the reason why . Simon Hirst and Katy Hill at the Brit Awards 2005 Shortlist Announcement. Hirst said she chose the name Stephanie to link with his old life, and to keep her initials . Hirst said she chose the name Stephanie to link with her old life. 'My name was Simon Neil Hirst and I still want to keep my initials because it's important to me, that. 'Some people in my position want to eradicate their past and forget about it. (But) I'm very proud of what I have done in my past and I'm not going to erase that or try and get rid of it. I can't and I don't want to, it's who I am.' 'I can get up and I can be myself and for me that encapsulates everything. I don't have to hide anymore, don't have to hide anymore. I can be me. I am a woman - and that's it.' A Capital Yorkshire spokesman said: 'We don't comment on people's personal matters. We were sad to see Hirsty leave the breakfast show and we wish him all the best for the future.' The full interview is at www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/5lnews . Getting back behind the mic? Simon is already halfway through gender reassignment treatment, and this week has changed his name to Stephanie Hirst .
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Fomer Capital FM Yorkshire presenter, Simon Hirst, will now live as Stephanie .
Well-liked DJ left breakfast show in June, to shock of listeners .
Said he will become a woman because he 'doesn't want to hide anymore'
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By . Associated Press . and Daily Mail Reporter . General Motors says a 'pattern of incompetence and neglect' is to blame for a long-delayed recall on dangerously defective ignition switches which have been linked to the deaths of 13 drivers. Company CEO Mary Barra released the results of a 'deeply troubling' internal investigation on Thursday, which found that many employees who could have uncovered the problem didn't speak up. Barra has since fired 15 employees - including the ignition's designer - and has announced intentions to start a compensation fund for victims' families. Scroll Down for Video . Sorry: General Motors CEO Mary Barra says a 'pattern of incompetence and neglect' led to a long-delayed recall of faulty ignitions in their Chevy Cobalt . The fund will be administered by compensation expert Kenneth Feinberg, who handled the victims funds for September 11, the Boston Marathon bombing and BP oil spill. The fund will begin taking claims on August 1, but it's still unclear how much money will be involved. Paying back: Georgia nurse Brooke Melton is one of the 13 official victims of the faulty ignition. Barra also announced on Thursday intentions to set up a fund for victims' families, such as Melton's parents Ken and Beth Melton . Barra said the company would 'do the right things for those who were harmed' and 'everything in our power to make sure this never happens again.' Barra called the investigation, which . she ordered in March, 'brutally tough and deeply troubling.' It took GM . more than a decade to report the deadly switch failures to regulators . and the public, and to recall the cars. 'I . hate sharing this with you just as much as you hate hearing it,' Barra . told employees in a town hall meeting at GM's suburban Detroit technical . center. 'But I want you to hear it. I want you to remember it. I want . you to never forget it.' Barra then promised to 'fix the failures in our . system.' The crisis began . in February, when GM recalled 780,000 older-model Chevrolet Cobalt and . Pontiac G5 small cars because of defective ignition switches. GM soon . added the Saturn Ion and other small cars to the recall, which ballooned . to 2.6 million cars worldwide. The . switches in the cars can slip out of the 'run' position and shut down . the engine. That disables the power-assisted steering and brakes and can . cause drivers to lose control. It also disables the air bags. GM . reiterated Thursday that it only links 13 deaths to the problem, but . trial lawyers suing the company put the death toll closer to 60. Barra . said attorney Anton Valukas interviewed 230 employees and reviewed 41 . million documents to produce the report, which also makes . recommendations to avoid future safety problems. The government was . expected to release the report later Thursday. Barra . said the report found that the company was operating in 'silos,' and . individuals who could have helped uncover the problem didn't speak up. 'Because . of the actions of a few people, and the willingness of others in the . company to condone bureaucratic processes that avoided accountability, . we let these customers down,' Barra said. She again apologized to the . families of those who died. Bad machine: The faulty switches would cause the cars to slip out of the run position and shut down the engine, which led drivers to lose control of the vehicle. Above, consulting materials engineer Mark Hood holds up one of the ignitions in March 2014 . Last . month, GM paid a $35 million fine — the largest ever assessed by the . National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — for failing to report . the problem quickly to federal regulators. GM knew about problems with . the ignition switches as early as 2001, and in 2005 it told dealers to . tell owners to take excess items off their key chains so they wouldn't . drag down the ignition switch. In . 2006, GM engineer Ray DeGiorgio — who designed the switch — approved a . change in the switch design, but didn't inform the government or change . the corresponding part number. In subsequent years, that made it harder . for other GM engineers to figure out why older Cobalts performed worse . than newer ones. Barra confirmed Thursday that two employees placed on leave in April have been fired; DeGiorgio was one of those employees. GM . began repairing the cars in April, and had fixed 86,000 as of Thursday. But it has said it doesn't expect to fix them all until October. GM . says the cars are safe as long as customers only use the key and have no . extra items on their key chains. Impacts: Melton's crashed Chevy Cobalt is pictured above. It's still uncertain how much victims' families will be entitled to from the new GM fund. The company will begin accepting claims on August 1 . Disappointed: Barra said she was 'deeply troubled' by the reports findings. Pictured above at the Thursday announcement . Barra . named a new safety chief at GM in March and pledged to quickly work . through a backlog of potential recalls. As a result, the automaker has . recalled a record 15.8 million cars and trucks in North America so far . this year. The company took a . $1.3 billion charge in the first quarter to pay for the recalls. It . expects to take a $400 million recall-related charge in the second . quarter. The report doesn't . complete GM's recall saga. The automaker still faces a criminal . investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice — led by the same team . that recently reached a $1.2 billion settlement with Toyota over its . 2010 sudden acceleration recall. It also faces multiple lawsuits from . victims and from owners whose say their cars have lost value. Barra, who testified before House and Senate committees in April, will also likely be called back to Washington. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and . Technology Committee's consumer protection subcommittee, said she . intends to hold a hearing on the delayed recalls later this summer. 'I . won't be letting GM leadership, or federal regulators, escape . accountability for these tragedies,' she said in a statement. 'The . families of those affected deserve no less.'
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On Thursday, company CEO Mary Barra held a press conference where she announced the findings of an internal investigation .
The company is currently the focus of a criminal investigation by the Dept of Justice for their defective ignitions .
Barra has since fired 15 employees, including the ignition's designer - for the long-delayed recall of the faulty product .
The company has taken responsibility for the deaths of 13 drivers due to the part problem, but trial lawyers put the death count closer to 60 .
Barra also announced intentions to start a fund for victims families .
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16709200925a4eed6120bf5022bd8530645b938c
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By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 12:19 EST, 30 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:43 EST, 30 September 2013 . As many as four dozen people were injured when two Chicago Transit Authority trains crashed at a station west of the city. CTA spokeswoman Lambrini Lukidis says the crash happened Monday morning during rush hour, just before 8 a.m., when an out-of-service eastbound train hit a westbound train that was stopped at the Harlem station in Forest Park, about 10 miles west of downtown Chicago. She says 33 people suffered non-life threatening injuries. Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone says he was told as many as four dozen people were injured, most reporting back and neck pain. He says they were taken to local hospitals. Scroll down for video . Authorities inspect the wreckage of two Chicago Transit Authority trains that crashed Monday, September 30, 2013, in Forest Park, Illinois . This image from a video provided by NBC Chicago shows the aftermath of a crash involving two Chicago Transit Authority trains . About four dozen people were injured in the accident. None of the injuries were serious . Lukidis says the eastbound train was empty but traveling on the same track when it hit the westbound train. A section of one train car was crushed. The CTA is investigating. Robert Kelly of Amalgamated Transit Union 308, said it's still unclear what happened and how the train got out of the station. 'Both the supervisor in the station at Forest Park and the motorman who was sitting in the station said there was nobody on the train as it went through and collided with the other train,' Kelly told NBC Chicago. 'This is baffling everybody,' he said. The crash happened when a westbound train stopped at the CTA Blue Line Harlem station, and was struck by an eastbound train on the same track . Several ambulances were sent to the scene of the crash, where as many as four dozen people were injured . Martinez Butler, a train engineer for another company, said he witnessed the collision. 'There was a train that was stopped at the station. Another train came through and looked like it blew the signal, because I heard beeping,' she told NBC Chicago. 'I'm a locomotive engineer,' she added. 'I know the systems, I know the sounds. When you hear those beepings it's warning you that there is an obstruction in front of you and you need to stop.'
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The crash happened Monday morning during .
rush hour, just before 8 a.m.
An out-of-service eastbound train .
hit a westbound train that was stopped at the Harlem station in Forest .
Park, about 10 miles west of downtown Chicago .
Dozens of people were taken to local hospitals complaining of back and neck pain .
Officials say injuries were non-life-threatening .
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1670bf1e0f08f0ac161096f8e8812418963c238c
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By . Ian Garland . PUBLISHED: . 10:48 EST, 24 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:00 EST, 24 May 2012 . A baby boy has cheated death after crawling through an open window and falling 30 feet. The 22-month-old tumbled onto the roof of a shop below his flat in Lower Clapton, London and then teetered towards another 20 foot drop to the street below before a passerby dashed inside the building and scooped him to safety. The un-named toddler was rushed to nearby Homerton Hospital, where he was found to have escaped with a broken jaw, cuts and bruises. Miracle rescue: Onlookers watch as the baby is carried down a ladder to safety . Parents are now being warned to keep children away from open windows during the heatwave, as staff at another London hospital reveal they have treated four young children in the past 24 hours after falling from windows. Alistair Wilson, an A&E consultant at the Royal London Hospital told the Evening Standard: 'We have noticed a big rise in the number of children who have fallen out of windows during the recent hot spell. We would ask parents and carers to be careful and ensure children to are kept well away from open windows.' Police have meanwhile vowed to investigate how the 22-month-old was able to crawl from the third floor window of the six-storey building in Lower Clapton on Tuesday afternoon. Injured and scared: The toddler suffered a broken jaw, cuts and bruises after his fall . After spotting him staggering, dazed on the roof below, terrified passers by screamed at the confused and injured infant to stay where he was, fearing he would tumble off the roof and die. A quick-thinking eye-witness spotted the danger and dashed into the building. He clambered out of a first floor window to scoop up the battered baby in the nick of time. Another man grabbed a ladder from a shop so he could bring the stunned toddler down to safety as scores of locals gathered to watch. The child's grandmother said that his mother had left the room to get ready to go out. When she returned, he was nowhere to be seen.She told the Evening Standard: 'She thought he was playing hide and seek games. The windows open out wide and the window sill is low enough for a baby to climb up on.' Neighbour Agne Turkman, 26, saw the accident unfold from her second floor flat. She told the paper: 'A lady on a bike saw him up on the ledge and started screaming. I saw him afterwards and he was talking and breathing but his mouth was bleeding.' Sharon Barrett, manager of Social Care 4 U Ltd in the parade, also witnessed the heart-stopping incident. Mrs Barrett said: 'Everybody was screaming and then the mother ran down on to the street. 'She was screaming and was very distressed.' 'A guy got on to the ledge to get the baby and somebody flagged down a passing police van.~ . A Met Police spokeswoman said: ;The one-year-old male infant was conveyed to an east London hospital, where it was established that he had sustained a broken jaw. His injuries were not deemed life-threatening or changing. Enquiries into the incident are ongoing.' Elsewhere on Wednesday, a two-year-old boy survived a fall onto concrete from the fifth floor of a block of flats in Walthamstow, London amid reports he had been left home alone. A day earlier a two-year-old boy suffered back injuries after falling from the fourth floor of a block of flats in Clerkenwell, London.
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22-month old was about to fall another 20ft when a passerby rescued him .
Incredibly he escaped with just a broken jaw, cuts and bruises .
Four young children admitted to ONE London hospital in 24 HOURS after falling through windows .
Parents warned not to open windows during heatwave if young children can crawl out of them .
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167136458fbfe21a58768f18e15cc324594ec504
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 06:42 EST, 2 July 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:08 EST, 2 July 2012 . Leading: Robert Peston has broken a series of scoops on the Libor scandal, but has previously been accused of being a 'stooge' He was at centre of the Northern Rock crisis leading to accusations his exclusive story prompted an unprecedented run on the bank. Now BBC Business Editor Robert Peston is in the spotlight again today after revealing a series of stories about the Barclays market-rigging crisis. Mr Peston's stories - which could only have come from a top-level source - have diverted attention away from the bank and on to the Bank of England. They come in the aftermath of revelations that Barclays staff submitted false numbers to the inter-bank lending rate in a bid to improve the bank's borrowing position during the heart of the 2008 financial crisis. The financial news journalist yesterday revealed that Barclays staff apparently made the lower Libor submissions after a telephone call between the Bank of England deputy governor Paul Tucker and Bob Diamond in 2008. His story effectively turned attention on the Bank of England at a critical time for Barclays as pressure grew on Bob Diamond to resign. Later he was first with news of the resignation of Barclays chairman Marcus Agius, in a move that was hoped to reduce pressure on Mr Diamond to quit. Questions may yet be asked about the timings of such stories. On his BBC blog, he wrote yesterday: 'Mr Agius has told the bank's board he is going - and an announcement will be made tomorrow.' Breaking news: Robert Peston's Tweets on the Barclays Libor-fixing scandal . In September 2007, Mr Peston broke news of Northern Rock's application to the Bank of England for financial support. The report was blamed for a run on the bank in which customers queued to pull their money out. Mr Peston has previously been . described as a 'market menace' after his reporting of a private meeting . between then Chancellor Alistair Darling and bank leaders at the height . of the 2008 financial crisis preceded a huge crash in share prices. RBS saw £10bn - 40 per cent of its value - wiped off its shares in October of that year. As a result of alleged Treasury leaks, Tory MP Greg Hands asked the Serious Fraud Office to . investigate alleged 'fraudulent behaviour' at the heart of Government. The following year, commentators . questioned whether Mr Peston was a Government stooge when he reported on . the value of RBS boss Fred Goodwin's pension. The . story overshadowed the news that state-backed RBS had made the biggest . corporate loss in UK history - £24bn, putting the spotlight on the . company's management rather than ministers. Scrutiny: Barclays chief executive Bob Diamond, centre, pictured with former chief executive John Varley, left, and former chairman Marcus Agius right, has been the subject of Mr Peston's stories .
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Revealed Barclays chairman was to quit and alleged involvement of Bank of England .
Follows series of 2008 financial crisis scoops which led to Business Editor being labelled 'government stooge'
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16714fcb8037ba1e514866b1ebe451095574bf51
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(EW.com) -- Corey Feldman and the late Corey Haim — known at the height of their popularity as "the Two Coreys" — were iconic '80s teen stars who dealt with more adult problems behind the scenes. In his upcoming memoir Coreyography (Oct. 29), Feldman, 42, details the sexual abuse he and Haim experienced while working in Hollywood. According to Feldman, Haim told him about an incident on the set of the 1986 film "Lucas": . "Haim started to confide in me, about some intensely personal stuff, very quickly ... Within hours of our first meeting, we found ourselves talking about Lucas, the film he made in the summer of 1985, the role I had wanted for myself. At some point during the filming, he explained, an adult male convinced him that its was perfectly normal for older men and younger boys in the business to have sexual relations, that it was what all the 'guys do.' So, they walked off to a secluded area between two trailers, during a lunch break for the cast and crew, and Haim, innocent and ambitious as he was, allowed himself to be sodomized." EW: Corey Feldman claims pedophilia top danger for child stars, but won't name names? Feldman recalls that Haim, 11 years old at the time, said, "I guess we should play around like that, too?" While Feldman never acted on his friend's suggestion, he did encounter more sexual abuse later on from the adults around him, including an older male Feldman had hired as his assistant who he calls "Ron Crimson" in the book. Crimson allegedly performed oral sex on Feldman after he encouraged a teenaged Feldman to take a cocktail of pills. Feldman writes that in his that in his teen years he was constantly surrounded by pedophiles. Feldman's childhood was so troubled that he looked to his friend Michael Jackson, introduced to him by director Steven Spielberg, for normalcy. "Michael Jackson's world, crazy as it sounds, had become my happy place," he writes. "Being with Michael brought me back to my innocence. When I was with Michael, it was like being 10 years old again." Feldman stresses in the book that Jackson never once acted inappropriately toward him. EW: Corey Haim: The Lost Boy . In the introduction, Feldman refuses to disclose the identity of Haim's alleged rapist, who he claims is "one of the most successful people in the entertainment industry." "You can't go around publicly accusing industry titans without expecting to find yourself in the middle of a nasty lawsuit," writes Feldman, "to say nothing of the potential threat to my career, as well as to the personal safety of myself and my son." Coreyography acts in part as a warning to parents pushing their children into show business. Feldman claimed on a 2011 episode of Nightline and repeats in the book that the "number one problem in Hollywood was, and is, and always will be pedophilia."0. See the original story at EW.com. CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly . © 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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Corey Feldman has an upcoming memoir titled "Coreyography"
In it he writes that the late Corey Haim was sexually abused in a movie set .
Feldman says he was also exposed to sexual abuse .
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16722659eb0eca325e6df630dcb88d6bf33df2c7
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By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 11:24 EST, 23 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:26 EST, 23 August 2012 . Cold case: Tammy Zywicki, 21, was returning to university in Iowa in 1992 and was found raped and murdered nine days after she went missing, hundreds of miles away . After her car broke down along an Illinois freeway, a Burlington County college student described by her mother as an all-American 'girly girl' was snatched, attacked sexually, and repeatedly stabbed, perhaps by a trucker posing as a good Samaritan. Tammy Zywicki's body eventually turned up in a blanket wrapped with duct tape in southwestern Missouri, hundreds of miles from where she was last seen alive. Two decades later, the killer is unknown. Federal and Illinois investigators hope a $50,000 reward changes that. On Wednesday, the eve of the 20th anniversary of Zywicki's disappearance, the head of the Illinois State Police said investigators had not forgotten the case. 'This investigation remains a top priority, both for me personally as well as the men and women' of the agency, Director Hiram Grau said, adding that authorities 'are committed to bringing justice and peace to the Zywicki family.' Robert Grant, head of the FBI's Chicago office, touted the reward from a source authorities have not disclosed. 'We remain confident that someone knows who committed this heinous act and will have the courage to help us identify this individual,' Grant said. Last seen: The student was last seen standing on the side of the road by her broken-down car near mile marker 83 on I-80 in central Illinois . On August 23, 1992, Zywicki had dropped off her younger brother at Northwestern University and turned her 1985 Pontiac T1000 toward Iowa's Grinnell College, where she played soccer and would have been a senior. The 21-year-old, whose family had moved to Marlton from South Carolina less than six months before, was considering graduate school and aspiring perhaps to teach Spanish. After her car broke down on I-80 near LaSalle, a passer-by caught the last glimpse of her alive at Mile Marker 83. Some witnesses said a tractor-trailer was parked behind her car. Others said they saw a pickup truck. Zywicki's body turned up nine days later just east of Joplin, Missori. Not forgotten: On August 22, the eve of the 20th anniversary of Zywicki's disappearance, the head of Illinois State Police insisted investigators haven't forgotten the case and offered a $50,000 reward . Mother's memories: Tammy's mother JoAnn Zywicki, pictured, sits by a photo of her daughter Tammy at her home in Ocala, Florida . The 5-foot-2-inch, 120-pound woman, who wrote in a high school journal that she did not want to suffer when she died, had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest. A task force headed by the FBI and Illinois State Police spent months chasing hundreds of leads 'without success' before disbanding, Wednesday's statement from the agencies said. Investigators looked at truckers suspected in killings and sexual attacks from North Carolina to California, but eliminated them from suspicion. Going years without knowing who killed Tammy has tormented JoAnn Zywicki, now of Ocala, Florida. She and her now-retired husband have endured the birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions they no longer get to share with their daughter, and 'you just go into a pattern of maybe acceptance, that that's the way it is,' she said last month. On Wednesday, JoAnn Zywicki welcomed word that investigators still were pursuing the case.'Something's better than nothing,' said Zywicki, 70. 'I'm confident that something could come out of this. 'Twenty years has been a lot harder than I thought it would be. We just have too many memories with her not around. It would just be nice to get some kind of closure.'
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Tammy Zywicki, 21, was driving along Illinois freeway in 1992 when car broke down .
One witness said there was man stopped by the side of the road appearing to help young student .
Her body was recovered hundreds of miles away in Missouri .
Rapist and murderer still remains at large .
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16725f066cbac895cebf70fa8fa3ef814322610e
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Fearful: Popular Commons Speaker George Thomas dreaded interest in his sexual proclivities . The row over claims of an establishment cover-up of an alleged paedophile ring took a new turn last night over fresh claims concerning former Commons Speaker George Thomas. When late Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens tried to expose public figures he claimed were involved in a Westminster child sex ring in the 1980s, Thomas, who was in the Speaker’s chair at the time, had himself been blackmailed over his homosexuality. Furthermore, The Mail on Sunday has been told of claims that Thomas, who later became Viscount Tonypandy, propositioned young men in the Speaker’s official grace and favour apartment in Parliament. A senior political source said: ‘Thomas had an interest in young men and did not hide it at Westminster.’ In the 1960s, Thomas was a Minister in the Home Office, which is accused of losing over 114 files on alleged child sex cases, including Dickens’S dossier in the 1980s. And he reportedly used his Home Office position to help Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe – who was later acquitted of attempted murder of his gay lover – to cover up an alleged homosexual offence against a minor. The disclosures follow the announcement of official inquiries into claims of a Westminster paedophile ring and a Home Office cover-up. Thomas, who died in 1997, was one of Britain’s best-loved and most influential public figures as Speaker from 1976 to 1983. A Methodist lay preacher, he was a Home Office Minister in Harold Wilson’s Labour Government and joined the Cabinet. As Speaker, he had unrivalled power, including control of Commons debates, security and disciplining MPs and even reading the lesson at Prince Charles’s 1981 wedding to Lady Diana Spencer. Influence: Thomas 'helped Jeremy Thorpe, later charged with a plot to kill his gay lover, to cover up an offence against a minor' Close friend and fellow Welsh Labour MP Leo Abse revealed before his death in 2008 that his friend and ally Thomas lived in constant fear of being unmasked as a homosexual. Abse, who led the campaign to legalise homosexuality, said Thomas was blackmailed for being gay and added: ‘The slightest tremor of scandal, however faintly reverberating into his private domain, reduced him to jelly. ‘In 1976, I found him grey-faced and trembling,’ said Abse. ‘Investigative journalists were pursuing inquiries into Thorpe. They had reached the conclusion that 16 years earlier, political intervention saved Thorpe from being prosecuted for a homosexual offence against a minor. 'They believed that when Thorpe became embroiled in another scandal in 1964, he feared Home Office records of his earlier misbehaviour would wreck his efforts to free himself.’ Abse said Thorpe – using his friend, fraudster and Liberal MP Peter Bessell, as an intermediary – ‘turned to George for help. Yielding to Bessell’s importuning, George set up a private meeting between Bessell and the Home Secretary [Frank Soskice]’. ‘George was frightened the journalists would be more interested in his own sexual proclivities than in Thorpe’s,’ added Abse. 'He asked for £800 to pay extortioner... he felt trapped' Labour MP Leo Abse, who led the campaign to legalise homosexuality, died six years ago. In 2001, in a book on Tony Blair, Mr Abse revealed how his friend, the former Commons Speaker George Thomas, was secretly blackmailed for being gay. By LEO ABSE . The phone rang at 6am. ‘George here,’ came a familiar voice. It was my friend George Thomas, secret homosexual and – until barely a year beforehand – superb Speaker of the House of Commons. His voice sounded strangulated, and George was sobbing. ‘I’m in terrible, terrible trouble. Come quickly.’ I immediately thought he was phoning me from a police station. My heart sank. I feared he was about to be crushed by scandal. Revelations: Labour MP Leo Abse was a loyal friend of George Thomas . I knew I had to dash to him; he would panic if there was the slightest sign of a crack in the thin ice upon which he skated all his life. George was 75 and one of the best-known men in Britain. He had been Speaker for seven years, an MP since 1945, Home Office Minister in the 1960s and Secretary of State for Wales. He was a prominent lay preacher, read the lesson at the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and enjoyed a warm relationship with the Queen Mother. During his political life, George could benignly sublimate his inclinations. But those inclinations could not always be contained under the fraternal rubric. Sometimes, overwhelmed, what he regarded as lapses did occur. Given his exposed position, it was inevitable that he would fall victim to blackmail. On one occasion, after a distraught recounting to me of the pressure upon him, I insisted I would meet and deal with the young criminal in his Cardiff constituency into whose hands he had fallen. The blackmailing cur had no doubt that, unless he desisted, I would carry out my threat to ensure he was put behind bars for ten years. Shortly after our encounter, he found it politic to quit the city. George had always been on the edge of catastrophe. I learnt he was visiting a grubby cinema in Westminster where, under cover of the darkness, groping prevailed unchecked. I warned him against his lack of discretion. Alarmed that I had been able to know about his haunt, he thereafter kept well away from it. But there were times when my advice had gone unheeded. While still a backbench MP, he asked me for a loan. The specificity and size of the loan, £800, aroused my suspicions. He poured out the story. I urged him to let me deal with this extortioner. But to no avail. That sum – the ticket and resettlement money which was to take the man to Australia – would, George insisted, mark the end of the affair. I had profound misgivings but I could see George was near breaking point. I gave him the money. The slightest tremor of scandal, however faintly reverberating into his private domain, reduced him to jelly. One such occasion was in 1976 when, summoned to his sitting room in the Speaker’s house, I found him grey-faced and trembling. Journalists were pursuing inquiries into the then Liberal leader, Jeremy Thorpe. They had concluded that, 16 years earlier, political intervention saved Thorpe from being prosecuted for a homosexual offence against a minor. They also believed that when Thorpe became embroiled in another scandal in 1964, he feared Home Office records of his earlier misbehaviour would wreck his efforts to free himself. Thorpe – using fraudulent Liberal MP Peter Bessell, as an intermediary – had turned to George, then a junior Home Office Minister, for help. Yielding to Bessell’s importuning, George had set up a private meeting between Bessell and the Home Secretary. The journalists wanted a probing interview with George. He felt trapped. He was frightened his motivation in assisting Bessell was under scrutiny and that the journalists, if denied the interview, would become more interested in his own sexual proclivities than in Thorpe’s. I had noted at funerals and marriages his penchant for using texts from the epistle to the Corinthians (on the ‘sin’ of homosexuality) – as he would again in the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981. I told him he must pull rank and indicate the impropriety of the Speaker granting a private interview. He took my advice, and regained his equanimity. He never again turned to me for assistance – until that poignant early-morning call in 1984, the year after his retirement. It turned out he was not at a police station, as I feared, but in a hospital. Puzzled and concerned, I rushed to him. There was, I knew, a link between his past flights into illness and dangerous threats of exposure. Once, when he was a backbencher, it drove him into hospital with a bout of shingles. Sometimes, overwhelmed with praise, his guilt at the encomiums being bestowed upon such a ‘sinner’ crushed him. (He collapsed at a party given for him at Guildhall to celebrate his 80th birthday.) I wondered, as I approached the hospital that dawn, what ghost had visited the haunted man this time. Before I even arrived, he phoned my wife three times. I reached George’s bed and found him convulsively sobbing. He grabbed my hand and said he was ruined. Soon the whole world would know that he was in hospital suffering from ... venereal disease. I chastened him to get a grip. ‘Waterworks’ was the answer, I explained. He should allow it to be known he had been rushed to hospital with prostate difficulties. It worked. George entered enthusiastically into the tale I had created for him. He even sent me, from the hospital, a beflowered ‘thank you’ card obviously designed to be shown to my wife. It read: ‘Dear Leo, I shall be for ever grateful. Strangely enough there had been no need for me to worry – it was all in my brain! I am due for the prostate gland operation next Wednesday. Love to you all. George.’ My wife laughed indulgently at his naivety that she would be deceived; but it helped George to think so and very soon he was out of hospital – taking, I hoped, the precautions that would avoid his ever again being placed in such a predicament. Once, after I had saved him from the consequences of some escapade, he could not contain his anger against the homophobic hostilities which had so dogged him. With tears in his eyes, he railed: ‘Bust them, Leo. I do not care a damn what is said after I’m dead but I couldn’t stand them taunting me in my lifetime.’ Extract from Leo Abse’s book Tony Blair: The Man Behind The Smile, Robson Books, 2001.
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Fresh claims concern former Commons Speaker George Thomas, who later became Viscount Tonypandy .
MoS has been told of claims that Labour MP Thomas propositioned young men in Speaker’s official grace and favour apartment in Parliament .
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1672625e192cdbf9dff9e13b00d678a5888e9fe0
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London, England (CNN) -- British troops dressed in red jackets and black bearskin hats put on a military spectacle in London on Saturday to mark Queen Elizabeth's official birthday. They marched to music as other troops sat on horses for the annual ceremony, known as Trooping the Color. It took place on the Horse Guards Parade, the marching ground within sight of the queen's residence at Buckingham Palace. Queen Elizabeth, wearing a lilac outfit and hat decorated with bow of pink and green, sat front and center to watch what many consider the most celebrated event on the British royal calendar. The queen, who turned 84 this year, was born on April 21 but celebrates her birthday on a Saturday in June when the weather is better. Trooping the Color dates at least to the early 18th century, when the colors -- or flags -- of the battalion were "trooped" down the ranks so they could be seen and recognized by all the soldiers, according to Buckingham Palace and the British Army. Since 1748, the ceremony has also marked the sovereign's official birthday, the palace said. Queen Elizabeth has attended it every year except for 1955, when a national rail strike canceled the event, the palace said. A limited number of tickets are available to the public to watch the event at the Horse Guards Parade. It is also shown live on TV, and others can watch the troops go by on The Mall, which leads from the palace to the parade. The ceremony is carried out by fully operational troops from the Household Division of the British Army. Only one color can be trooped at a time, and the five Household Regiments -- Grenadier, Coldstream, Scots, Irish, and Welsh Guards -- take their turn each year. This year it was the turn of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, who recently returned from Afghanistan. At the end of the ceremony, the queen climbed into an open-top horse-drawn carriage for the ride back to Buckingham Palace. The crowds along The Mall, lined with Union Jacks, cheered as she went past. The queen then stood on the palace balcony to watch a military fly-past that ended with aircraft trailing red, white, and blue, the colors of the British flag. She waved to the crowds and was joined by other members of the royal family, including her husband, Prince Philip; her son, Prince Charles; and her grandson, Prince William. CNN's Melissa Gray contributed to this report.
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Annual Trooping the Color held to mark queen's birthday .
Ceremony considered most celebrated annual royal event .
Queen Elizabeth turned 84 this year .
Grenadier Guards, recently in Afghanistan, trooped the color this year .
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1673bc2eb8c51f63fa7d5606a127c22340a8b174
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Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday it had detained shipments of orange juice and concentrate from Brazil and Canada after finding traces of the unapproved fungicide carbendazim. The agency discovered the substance in 11 shipments, six from Canada and five from Brazil. The FDA said it had detained nine of the shipments because companies behind two of the shipments withdrew their import request. The fungicide is allowed in limited quantities across Europe and Latin America, but the United States banned its use in 2009. The levels found by the FDA are below international maximum levels. Earlier this month, the FDA temporarily halted all orange juice imports after low levels of carbandazim were found in some juice shipments from Brazil. It later declared that the juice posed no health risks, but that it would analyze all incoming shipments for even trace elements of the banned fungicide. The controversy has sent orange juice prices skyrocketing. Brazil is the world's biggest exporter, accounting for 85% of total global exports. The United States is its second-biggest market after Europe. The FDA has collected samples from 80 shipments of orange juice. So far, 29 have tested negative for carbendazim.
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U.S. government detains orange juice sent from Brazil, Canada .
Agency has said products posed no health risks .
FDA does not allow traces of unapproved fungicide .
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1673c9c0b6e2a2229c42a0fabe6fb1eb104a9d33
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Failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney revealed today that he believed in his heart he was going to win the election and go on to the White House, and that ‘it kills me’ not to be president. The former GOP candidate, 65, said today in his first interview since losing the election that while he believed he was going to become commander-in-chief, early polling numbers spelled out trouble, and he began to have a ‘slow recognition’ that Barack Obama would win once seeing that Florida was a close race. In the interview with ‘Fox News Sunday,’ his wife Ann, 64, also confirmed during the show that she was approached by ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ but turned it down, saying: ‘I would have loved to have done it…(but) I’m not really as flexible as I should be.’ Scroll down for video . Painful: Failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney and wife Ann have given their first post-election interview to Fox News, both saying that losing hit them hard . FOX News Sunday's Chris Wallace sits down exclusively with former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife Ann Romney at their son's home in San Diego, CA for their first post-election interview to be presented on Sunday, March 3rd . The wide-ranging interview, led by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, was taped earlier this week and aired Sunday morning. It brushed upon Obama’s second term, current events, as well as the Romney’s newest grandchildren, among other things. The former Massachusetts governor . reflected over his campaign, saying that he did not do a satisfactory . job connecting with minority voters, and said that Republicans in . general must strive to do better in appealing to black and Hispanic . voters. 'That was a real mistake,' he said. He added: ‘It kills me not to be there, not to be in the White House doing what needs to be done.’ Romney later joked that he did better . in his second run for the White House than he did the first time around . - when he lost the 2008 nomination to Arizona Sen. John McCain. Regardless of his success making it as the GOP nomination, he said he . won’t run for a third time. He compared the . experience of running for the presidency to riding a roller coaster and told Wallace: ‘We were on a . roller coaster, exciting and thrilling, ups and downs. But the ride . ends, and then you get off. 'And it’s not like, “Oh, can’t we be on a . roller coaster the rest of our life?” It’s like, no, that ride’s over.’ Mistake: Romney, left, told Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, right, that one of his biggest campaign mistakes was not reaching out to minorities . Growing family: Seen cradling their two new grandchildren, the Romneys talked about their plans post-election . Ann compared the experience to the service that the Romneys have carried out within the Mormon church. ‘In our church, we’re used to serving . and you know, you can be in a very high position, but you recognize . you’re serving. And now all of a sudden, you’re released and you’re . nobody. And we’re used to that. It’s like we came and stepped forward to . serve. 'And you know, the other part of it . was an amazing thing, and it was really quite a lot of energy and a lot . of passion and a lot of - a lot of people around us and all of a sudden, . it was nothing,’ she said. ‘But the good news is we like each other,’ she joked. Watershed moment: Romney's '47 percent' comments, made at a private fundraiser in Florida was one of the pivotal moments of the 2012 campaign . In a one-on-one portion of the interview, Wallace touched upon more sensitive issues, including what faults he believed Romney and his staff made on the campaign trail, including the leak of the now-infamous '47 percent' video where he said 'my job is not to worry about these people.' The video, which was leaked last September, represented a pivotal point in the 2012 campaign, and a watershed moment in Romney's campaign. 'There's no question that hurt, and did real damage to my campaign.' -Mitt Romney on infamous '47 percent' video . ‘It was a very unfortunate statement,' Romney told Wallace. 'It’s not what I meant. When you speak in private, you don’t think about how much things can be twisted and distorted. It was very harmful. My whole life has been devoted to helping people. There’s no question that hurt, and did real damage to my campaign.' But Romney was defiant in saying that his career in politics is not over. ‘I’m not going to disappear… I care about America. I care about the fact that we’re racking up larger deficits and putting the peril of the future generation very much in play.’ Concession: Romney conceded to Obama on Election Day from his campaign headquarters in Boston with Ann by his side . Signed, sealed, delivered: The Obamas and the Bidens celebrated onstage in Chicago after learning that they had won a second term in office . Sharing the next phase of their lives in their home in La Jolla, California, the couple additionally took a moment to present their family's latest additions after becoming grandparents to 20 children on Valentine's Day. The couple cradled their son Craig's newborn twins before the cameras, one seen in a pink blanket and the other in blue. 'This means everything,' Romney said, holding one of his grandchildren and smiling broadly. 'There’s nothing more spectacular than seeing new life coming into the family.' The family has kept a low profile since Romney's concession to Obama last November. The couple has been spotted doing ordinary things, such as going to see 'Twilight' and, most recently, shopping for cereal at Target. Romney lost to Obama by a margin of 332 to 206 electoral college votes, with around 62.6million Americans voting for Obama over Romney's 59.1million votes. He spent the month after the failed White House bid in solitude at his beachfront mansion in La Jolla, near San Diego, reflecting upon the campaign. The former Republican nominee is due to address the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington next month. Stumping: Romney talks with his wife during a commercial break at the South Carolina Republican presidential candidate debate in Myrtle Beach last January (file photo)
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The former presidential candidate said 'it kills me' not to be president and has likened experience of running for president to a roller coaster ride .
Also talked about thinking he would win election until hearing early results from Florida .
Said that he didn't appeal to minorities like he should have...
...and addressed notorious '47 percent' comment .
Romneys have kept low profile since losing election last November .
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167426eb7e7b44dde1c6454a2383ae3f49113993
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By . Lillian Radulova for Daily Mail Australia . Sydneysiders who opted for a late-night stroll by the ocean would have been treated to a romantic sight on Sunday night as the ocean literally glowed blue with each rolling wave. As delighted Manly Beach locals shared snaps of the strange phenomenon across social media, Iain Suthers from the University of New South Wales told Daily Mail Australia that the strange glow is likely to continue over the next few days before dispersing over the weekend. The oceanography expert said the colourful display was nothing to be concerned about, describing it as 'a seasonal event, welcoming the early stages of spring'. A local photographer captured the bright blue glow of the waves on Sydney's Manly beach on Sunday night . 'The glow is caused by Noctiluca scintillans, which is a single celled phytoplankton - the algae of the sea - which blossoms in the spring and the autumn and in 90 per cent of occasions occurs due to natural causes,' Mr Suthers said. 'It has organs inside its cells which allow it to bioluminate. It is really common in the deep ocean and only occurs at night when the animals - like squid or fish, bacteria or single cell pytoplantuum - use it to communicate. 'They might just have bacteria they have on their bodies, or they have their own enzymes to make themselves glow.' Mr Suthers, who researched the environmental spectacle 10 years ago, said that the algae appears due to a certain sequence of events that occur in the ocean, but that the exact environmental recipe for its occurrence is still unknown. The colour came from a group of single-celled phytoplankton at the waters surface, called Noctiluca scintillans . The cells glow when they senses a pressure change, which indicates that a predator is about to eat them . 'They probably started up off the coast of Port Stephens, where the eastern Australian current separates from the coast,' Mr Suthers said of Sunday night's event. The natural oceanographic up-welling of nutrients which occurs in this area, as well as the nutrients from the recent rainfall, followed by the stable calm conditions and plenty of sunlight, are likely to have brought the algae to the surface. Mr Suthers explained that the bizarre carnivorous cell, which preys on another type of algae called diatoms, gives off the luminous glow as a defence mechanism. The natural phenomenon is not dangerous, according to oceanography expert Iain Suthers, and is likely to last for the next few night . 'It eats these diatoms and grows and blooms and divides and it fills the water column and they float to the surface as a whole when the population starts to age,' he said. 'These cells glow at night, at any stage of their life, from when they first start to divide. 'What causes it is a little pressure from the breaking of wave or when you dive in to the water- any sense of pressure change like that, indicates that a predator is about to eat them. 'And so they give off this beautiful bioluminescence signal to warn off any potential predators trying to have a go at them.'
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Breaking waves at Manly Beach in Sydney's north were glowing bright blue on Sunday night .
The colour came from a group of single-celled phytoplankton called Noctiluca scintillans .
The cells glow when they senses a pressure change - like that of a wave breaking - which indicates that a predator is about to eat them .
The natural phenomenon is likely to last for the next few night .
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By . Martha De Lacey . PUBLISHED: . 08:09 EST, 8 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:10 EST, 8 January 2013 . Romeo Beckham's Burberry modelling debut has been published British Vogue, despite editor Alexandra Shulman saying the 10-year-old was too young to appear in the magazine. The youngster's shoot has appeared in the February edition of the fashion bible as an advertising feature for the label, even though the publication has new rules about no longer using models who are under the age of 16. Shulman tweeted that 'Romeo Beckham @Burberry doesn't meet Vogue model health initiative criteria of over 16's only @BritishVogue' on 17 December. Romeo Beckham wearing Burberry's iconic trenchcoat in the campaign which has caused controversy in the Vogue offices . British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, left, said Romeo Beckham's Burberry shoot did not comply with her magazine's health guidelines, but they have appeared as advertising in the February edition, right . Her Twitter . followers replied saying the policy should not apply to a child modelling . children's clothes in a childlike way. Telegraph fashion writer Rebecca May . Johnson replied to the editor, saying: It seems unlikely he's exploited . considering who he is? Not sexualised/under eating etc. I feel like the . ad pose lets him be a kid.' Vogue launched their Health Initiative in the June 2012 edition, as 'a pact between the 19 international editors of Vogue to encourage a healthier approach to body image within the industry'. The aim was to protect young, up-and-coming models from exploitation and sexualisation by no longer 'knowingly' working with them. Romeo Beckham, 10, alongside Edie Campbell and Cara Delevingne in the Burberry campaign . Alexandra Shulman tweeted explanations of why Vogue wouldn't use Romeo in editorial, that she had no control over advertising features, and that she felt different rules applied to child actors . The editions also pledged 'to work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a . healthy body image', and to 'be ambassadors for the message of healthy . body image'. Shulman stated . at the time: 'As one of the fashion industry's most powerful voices, . Vogue has a unique opportunity to engage with relevant issues where we . feel we can make a difference.' A Vogue spokesman told the Telegraph . that in her tweet Shulman meant she would not be using photographs of . David and Victoria's middle son as editorial - but that the images were . advertising and therefore not under her jurisdiction, despite the . magazine profiting from the advert being placed by Burberry. British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman tweeted that she would not be featuring Romeo Beckham's photo shoot because it did not comply with the magazine's model health initiative . But the magazine has run editorial . features with young actors, including 15-year-old Chloe Moretz, star of . Kick-Ass, and Romeo Beckham's modelling co-star Edie Campbell wondered . why Shulman was happy to do this, tweeting to the editor on December 18: . '@AShulman2 what about features on - e.g. - Chloe Moretz?' To this Shulman replied:'@ebcampbell pre model health initiative rule. But child actors probably in a different category.' Responding to speculation over her tweets, Shulman commented: 'When I sent a tweet stating that Vogue's Model Health Initiative would prevent Vogue editorial from employing Romeo Beckham as a model, I meant exactly that. 'In the June 2012 issue, this initiative was launched by Vogue worldwide and prevents us from employing persons under the age of 16 to model adult fashion. 'It made no value judgement about his appearance in an advertising campaign. It also does not mean that we will never feature somebody under 16 in the magazine in any guise, which might include a sportsperson, actor, son or daughter or grandchild or any other role that an under-16 year old might appear. 'Additionally, Vogue does not employ the models that feature in our advertising and therefore the Health Initiative principles do not apply to appearing in an advert placed in the magazine.' Burberry have placed Romeo on a billboard above Sunset Strip in LA . Romeo Beckham in his latest appearance on a billboard on Sunset Strip in LA .
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Editor said shoot did not meet Vogue health initiative to only use models aged over 16 .
Romeo has been used in February edition in advertising feature .
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(CNN) -- Poof. Gone. That's what will happen to many of the vacation days workers don't use by December 31. Americans are expected to subject two days to this unfortunate fate in 2012, according to a study released Thursday. What's more, that sacrifice comes from a smaller overall pool of days. In 2012, Americans reported receiving 12 days of vacation, compared with 14 days last year. Of those 12, they're expected to take only 10 this year, according to Expedia's annual Vacation Deprivation study. Even so, American workers still take more vacation than their Asian counterparts, the study shows. The Japanese are expected to take only five of 13 allotted days. South Koreans will likely take seven out of 10. Asian workers also work the longest weeks, about 44 hours, according to the study. Average Americans work a 40-hour week, the most common, while the Dutch have the lightest work week of the 22 nations surveyed, putting in just 35 hours. 5 cheaper times to travel . The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive and included responses from 8,687 employed adults in 22 countries. Europeans are still the champions of making the most out of a relative boatload of vacation -- typically 25 to 30 days off in addition to holidays. In France and Spain, workers tend to take the full 30 days, while Germans take 28 of their 30 days. British, Swedish and Norwegian workers don't waste a single day, taking all 25 of their vacation days. "Studies consistently show that an ideal work-life balance leads to happier and more productive employees," John Morrey, general manager of Expedia.com, said in a statement. "Your vacation days are not a gift, not a luxury. They're yours to use." Overall, workers cited difficulty coordinating time off with family and friends and the possibility of rolling the days over into the next year as the biggest reasons they don't take their days. Workers in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Japan and Ireland cited money concerns as the biggest hurdle to taking their vacation time. Bosses in Norway, Sweden and Brazil are the most supportive of employees taking vacation time, the survey said, while more than half of bosses in Italy and South Korea were not so keen on the idea of workers getting away. 7 breathtaking clifftop hotels . Beach vacations ranked as the most popular escape, with 35 percent of respondents flocking to the water. So head to the shore, or lounge around in your living room. Just take those days, Morrey urges. "Instead of letting those days quietly expire, take that time and connect with the world outside your office." Are you taking all of your days? Why or why not?
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Americans are expected to let two vacation days expire this year, study finds .
Americans expected to take 10 days, while Japanese workers are likely to take five of 13 .
Europeans are the champions of making the most of their 25 to 30 vacation days .
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Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi walks Anjali Rao through the streets of Tokyo. She stunned global cinema audiences with her controversial and Oscar-nominated performance as a lonely deaf girl in the film "Babel." Rinko Kikuchi is one of Japan's hottest young actresses and models, recently working with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel. Despite her success, she remains an unconventional figure in Japan, at odds with the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman and forging a career on her own terms. Talk Asia follows her on a modelling assignment, discusses how her life has changed since "Babel" and revisits the unique location of one of the film's most important scenes. E-mail to a friend .
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Rinko Kikuchi was Oscar-nominated for her performance in the film "Babel"
She has recently worked with Karl Lagerfeld as the new face of Channel .
She challenges the traditional demure image of the Japanese woman .
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16786ea4ae60236da9b409322deccd1a824b5890
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The glaciers that accompanied ice ages are responsible for carving out enormous swathes of rock on Earth, but these periods of cold weather may have built up its crust too . Colder spells caused water to be drawn up into glaciers, and in turn this caused sea levels to drop, allowing more magma to seep out from underwater eruptions. This, scientists believe, caused thicker sections of crust to emerge during the same period. UK researchers say lower sea levels caused by glaciers (stock image shown) made the crust thicken. During ice ages, sea levels could be up to 330ft (100 metres) lower. This is because water is drawn up into the glaciers and ice sheets. In turn, this reduced pressure on the ocean floor, allowing more magma to seep out . The theory - published in the journal Science - suggests that during an ice age, increased amounts of water are taken up into glaciers, causing sea levels to drop by up to 330ft (100 metres). This reduces the pressure on the ocean floor, allowing magma to erupt more easily and spread across the ocean floor more easily. At the surface, Antarctica is a motionless and frozen landscape. Yet hundreds of miles down the Earth is moving at a rapid rate, research in May last year showed. The study, led by Newcastle University and published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, explains for the first time why the upward motion of the Earth's crust in the Northern Antarctic Peninsula is currently taking place so quickly. GPS data collected by the international research team, including experts from Newcastle University, Durham University, and the University of Colorado revealed that the land in this region is rising at a phenomenal rate of 0.6 inches (15 mm) a year. The effect is due to the glaciers thinning, allowing the land underneath to 'spring' upwards relatively quickly. Evidence for magma erupting is known from seafloor spreading centres, reports Science Magazine. This is where plates of ocean crust move apart, allowing magma to erupt outwards into the water. On the bottom of the oceans, this forms so-called 'abyssal hills', which are ridges hundreds of metres long, separated by valleys, on plates moving away from each other. It suggests that climatic effects on the surface of Earth can have previously unknown effects on other parts of the planet. Such is the effect that the oceanic crust can thicken by about 2,625ft (800 metres) during an ice age, about 10 per cent of its total thickness. 'We know that volcanism has an effect on climate,' said Dr Richard Katz, a geophysicist at the University of Oxford, UK, and one of the authors of the study, in Nature . 'What we're seeing is that climate cycles are also affecting ocean volcanism.' They also found that, during warmer times such as today, the production of new crust was stunted. The theory - published in the journal Science - suggests that during an ice age, increased amounts of water are taken up into glaciers, causing sea levels to drop by up to 330ft (100 metres). This reduces the pressure on the ocean floor, allowing magma to erupt more easily and spread across the ocean floor more easily (illustrated) Evidence for magma erupting is known from seafloor spreading centres, illustration shown. This is where plates of ocean crust move apart, allowing magma to erupt outwards into the water. On the bottom of the oceans, this forms so-called 'abyssal hills', which are ridges hundreds of metres long . The researchers noticed the effect in chains of 'hillocks - knolls or small hills - in the seas between Australia and the Antarctic. They examined two areas of a mid-oceanic ridge between the two regions, surveyed in 2011 and 2013, by the Korean icebreaker Araon. Here, a chain of hills about 655ft (200 metres) high lines the sea floor. These have been formed by a mixture of seismic activity, sedimentation, volcanoes and sea-floor spreading. But a pattern of crustal thickness variations was found to synchronise with 23,000, 41,000 and 100,000 year glacial cycles - known as Milankovitch cycles. Using a computer model to test their idea, the researchers found the decreased pressure on the mantle would increase the rate of mantle melting. More magma would be spilled onto the sea floor, explaining the formation of thick abyssal hills underwater. 'We know that volcanism has an effect on climate,' said Dr Richard Katz, a geophysicist at the University of Oxford, UK, and one of the authors of the study, in Nature. 'What we're seeing is that climate cycles are also affecting ocean volcanism.' Shown is a stock image of lava forming underwater . 'Step back and think about this: Small variations in the orbital parameters of the Earth - tilt and eccentricity and wobble - are recorded on the sea floor,' said Dr Katz to Science Magazine, referring to ice ages. 'It kind of blows my mind.' Furthermore, the research may also explain another puzzle about ice ages - why they start gradually but end suddenly. It's possible that increased seafloor eruptions by the decrease in pressure releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This would warm the atmosphere and ultimately cause the ice sheets to melt. 'It's a very seductive idea, and an interesting one,' said Dr David Lund, a paleoceanographer at the University of Connecticut, Avery Point, in Science Magazine. 'The ice sheet gets so big that it seeds its own destruction.'
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UK researchers say lower sea levels caused the crust to thicken .
During ice ages sea levels could be up to 330ft (100 metres) lower .
This is because water is drawn up into the glaciers and ice sheets .
In turn, this reduces pressure on the ocean floor, allowing more magma to seep out from the gaps between plates .
This allowed more 'crust' to form underwater - known as abyssal hills .
Interestingly, this ultimately caused the ice age to 'self destruct', as the increased magma would release more CO2 - and warm the atmosphere .
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(CNN) -- Twelve years ago, New York City taught the nation about resilience in the face of a massive attack. On Tuesday, New York again taught the nation that character counts. There is, of course, no comparison between the horror of 9/11 and a mayoral primary in America's largest city. But while the shadow of the twin towers still hangs over the hearts of many in New York, the persistence of daily life remains a quiet sign of defiance. This year, city politics seemed determined to hit a new low rather than aspire to new heights. A series of scandal-scarred candidates sucked up the oxygen amid an otherwise forgettable field. And for a while, Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer seemed likely to win their respective races on the strength of name ID and notoriety. If successful, their candidacies could have compounded the cynicism that surrounds politics in an era where too few leaders feel the obligation to hold themselves to a higher standard. But when it was discovered that Weiner had been a recidivist sexter -- under the quintessentially creepy nom de guerre "Carlos Danger" -- something heartening happened: Common sense kicked in. Weiner plummeted from first to fourth in the Democratic primary polls, with much of his support shifting to the aggressively progressive Public Advocate Bill De Blasio, who rose to pole position aided by powerful ads featuring his biracial son, Dante de Blasio, and a campaign theme focusing on inequality. Likewise, Spitzer's last-minute entrance into the obscure city comptroller's race initially injected that campaign with a shot of adrenaline. The former state attorney general and governor had derailed a meteoric rise with ill-advised dalliances with hookers during a stormy tenure in Albany. Instant infamy was followed by a long slog for redemption, punctuated by a brief tenure as a cable news host on CNN and Current TV. But the brilliant, ambitious Spitzer was always aiming for a return to political power, and he saw the comptroller's race as a means to that end, threatening to bigfoot the otherwise pedestrian campaign of mild-mannered policy wonk and career politician Scott Stringer. But the self-funded Spitzer was ultimately denied victory, an outcome that largely represented more of a rejection of Spitzer than an endorsement of Stringer. On the Republican side of the aisle -- in a far less prominent race -- a self-made billionaire grocery magnate named John Catsimatidis essentially tried to buy the GOP nomination, encouraged by a cadre of consultants and a handful of high-profile endorsees, many of whom were persuaded to support the man at least in part because of his financial largess. A barrage of negative ads directed at his opponent Joe Lhota -- a Giuliani administration deputy mayor during 9/11 (whom I served alongside) and chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority during Hurricane Sandy -- failed. In a political world where big money often drives outcomes, this was one campaign where wealth didn't determine the winner. That's a win for representative democracy. There is a final hopeful note in this primary election, 12 years after 9/11. In the past it has always been a cynical article of faith that winning campaigns were cobbled together by ethnic algebra. But this year, New York voters sent the clear, hopeful message that identity politics would not drive their decisions. The African-American candidate, Bill Thompson, did not win the black vote. The openly gay City Council Speaker Christine Quinn did not win the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender vote or the female vote. That represents real progress and political evolution toward a more perfect union -- and that is the deeper purpose of our politics. Twelve years after 9/11, voter participation still isn't what it should be -- turnout is low in closed partisan primaries, and that represents a creeping complacency where openness and civic energy should be an obligation. But in rejecting the sociopathic circus in favor of more sober candidates who tried to build coalitions across old dividing lines, New Yorkers sent the message that substance can beat slick self-promotion. Simply put, character counts. And for that timely reminder, it is worth saying again -- thank you New York. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John Avlon.
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John Avlon: New York's primary election sent an important message .
He says voters chose to reject comeback attempts of Anthony Weiner and Eliot Spitzer .
Avlon says Republicans wisely chose not to nominate candidate with the most money .
Voters also didn't vote strictly along ethnic or demographic lines, he says .
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16794715a14277f82d9074992ecaf67f2e10060a
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A new phone app calculates how many cows a South African bride-to-be is worth. The 'Lobola Calculator ' - Lobola means bride price, or dowry - calculates a woman's marital value and then determines what she is worth based on the dowry averages in different South African provinces, which vary. In Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, the average Lobola is 12 cows, or £893. A new phone app calculates how many cows a South African bride-to-be is worth based on her personal and physical attributes and the average dowry paid in provinces across the continent . The app was created as a way for giving men a 'ballpark figure' on what they will need to pay their bride-to-be's family, but was also said to be 'great for a laugh with friends' The app requests the users age, height, weight and waist size and asks them to rate their attractiveness on a scale of 'not at all' to 'really hot'. But the calculations aren't simply based on physical attributes, the app also bases its calculations on a woman's educational qualifications, their job and whether they have been married before or have children. Developer Robert Matsaneng describes the app as 'great for getting a ballpark figure if you're planning on proposing soon, great for breaking the ice on a date lol, great for a laugh with friends.' A disclaimer on a website for the app says the Lobola Calculator is 'just for entertainment and is not intended to replace the true culture and protocols of lobola'. The app is only currently available for Android devices, but it is being developed for iOS and BlackBerry. It also determines lobola for a man. In Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, the average dowry is 12 cows, or £893 . But South African's have been quick to see the funny side and have taken to Twitter to reveal their labola scores, using the hashtag - #Lobolacalculator . One reviewer praised the Lobola Calculator as 'innovative and relevant,' and a 'fun guideline' for South African men planning to marry. However, some of the feedback has been less constructive, with the Global Post reporting that commentators have requested the developer add extra metric to the equation, suggesting women should also be ranked according to their ethnicity, class and ability to cook. But South African's have been quick to see the funny side and have taken to Twitter to reveal their labola scores, using the hashtag - #Lobolacalculator.
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The app asks for a woman's measurements as well as her marital history .
The developer said it provided a 'guideline' for men looking to marry .
But said it wasn't intended to replace 'true cultural protocols'
South African's have been calculating and tweeting their dowry worth .
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167b21ce52d716ae56a22797c58c6ab89a4c17bc
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A 54-year-old . white man has been left barely clinging to life after he was brutally beaten by a group of black men when he got out of his car to check on a young black boy he accidentally hit. Steve Utash, . from suburban Roseville, was beaten into a coma Wednesday by an angry . mob in a poverty-stricken Detroit neighborhood after David Harris, 10, ran in . front of his truck on a busy street, but police insist the incident was . not racially motivated. The gang also stole his wallet before leaving him for dead. Utash . is in extremely critical condition with severe head wounds, Detroit . Police spokesperson Jennifer Moreno told MailOnline. It is not known if . he will survive. 'If it went on any longer, my dad wouldn’t be in the hospital right now, he would be in the morgue,' son Joseph Utash told CBS Detroit. Attacked: Steve Utash, pictured with wife Starr Utash, is still in a coma after being beaten on April 2 . On the mend: David Harris, 10, is expected to make a full recovery after being hit by Steve Utash's vehicle . Group of friends: Four individuals are shown . standing by the side of the road at left and Harris can be seen darting . head on into traffic at right . Security . footage from a gas station Harris and friends were standing in front of . shows him inexplicably running into oncoming traffic before being mowed . down by Utash's vehicle. Utash . immediately stops to check on the boy, but several black males from . their late teens to their early 20s quickly descend on the scene. Police quickly ruled the incident an accident. 'It was determined that the driver of the vehicle wouldn't have had any chance of stopping,' Moreno explained. But what happened next is considered by Utash's family to be an act of retaliation. Police . tell MailOnline that about a dozen young males attacked the married . father of three, beating him into a coma that he still hasn't woken from. Family man: Utash is a married father of two children - the relatives pictured are not identified . Moment of impact: Mr Utash hits David Harris just after the boy ran into the street . On the ground: The young boy is crumpled in heap on the ground just after being hit . Released from the hospital: Harris suffered only a broken leg, he has already been sent home . 'It’s not like he hit the kid on purpose and they were trying to get revenge,' daughter Felicia Utash told WXYZ. 'He literally just tried to stop and help the kid and people came out of nowhere and tried to kill him.' His son Joseph Utash hinted it might have been a setup to rob his father, perhaps even a hate crime. 'I . think it was all a setup from the gate,' he told CBS Detroit. 'My dad’s . been driving up and down Morang for 15, 16 years working for the same . company... they know he has money and they robbed him. 'As far as a hate crime, it might be,' he continued. 'You go in Detroit and you’re white, you don’t belong.' Police immediately dismissed the notion. 'We have no evidence to suggest it's a hate crime,' Moreno told MailOnline. The . boy's father was arrested after a background check revealed he has an . active warrant, according to the Detroit Free-Press, but police declined to say if he would be charged in . connection with the beating. Mob rule: The angry mob that would soon mercilessly beat Utash begins gathering where the boy was struck . Devastated: Felicia Utash, pictured with Steve, says her father was only trying to do the right thing . Witnesses said Utash immediately pulled over to check on Harris after hitting him. ‘David was laying right in front of the . driveway and he had blood coming out of his mouth,’ James Duston Jr., . the boy’s godfather told WXYZ. He couldn’t move his body.’ The crowd ran towards the boy's screams and mercilessly beat Utash. ‘This little boy was screaming,’ a woman told the Free Press. ‘There was a lot of people that came out. It was crazy.’ All hell broke loose. ‘I think it lasted about one minute and . then they let him go,’ a bystander told WXYZ. ‘And then they jumped back . on him again and they did it about three times and finally someone was . trying to help the guy that got beat up.’ ‘He had the biggest gash on his head I . ever seen – he was bleeding from the mouth and he was unconscious when I . first got there,’ Debra Hughes told WWJ. Harris suffered a broken leg, he has since been released from a local hospital, Moreno said. A message left with the family seeking further comment has not yet been returned. Brutal: The unidentified driver was savagely beaten after stopping to check on the young boy he accidentally hit with while driving this pickup truck . ‘It was sad because I knew the guy was getting out of his car to try and see what damage he did,’ the witness added. ‘He got his,’ another witness to the beating told the Free Press. ‘He got beat up real bad.’Both the driver and the boy were taken to a local hospital. The boy’s family condemned the beating. ‘We don’t condone that at all,’ said Duston. ‘I told his mom and she just was like, no, we wouldn’t want that to happen.’ Doctors are still trying to determine if Utash will need surgery to save his life. Where it happened: The boy ran out into the street at this spot on Detroit's east side, police said .
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Steve .
Utash, 54, accidentally hit David Harris, a 10-year-old black boy, with his truck when he .
darted out into the busy street, surveillance footage showed .
Utash stopped to make sure the boy was okay and was instead savagely beaten by as many as 12 people, said police .
Police have ruled out the beating being a hate crime, but are still searching for the attackers, who also stole his wallet .
The family of the young boy have condemned the attack .
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167b281a74fb9537148e7fa24b3501542cc74b6b
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Washington (CNN) -- More than half of all adult Americans say they don't want to get the H1N1 flu vaccine, according to a new national poll. The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Wednesday also indicates that the number of adults who have tried to get the vaccine but were turned away is higher than the number of adults who have gotten a swine flu shot. According to the poll, 55 percent of adults don't want to get the swine flu vaccine and don't plan to get a shot. Another one in five say they want to get inoculated but haven't taken any steps to do so; 14 percent want a shot and have tried to get it but have been unsuccessful. Just 7 percent have been inoculated for H1N1. Why are more than half of all Americans shunning the vaccine? "The perception that the vaccine has dangerous side effects is the top reason," says CNN polling director Keating Holland. "Roughly half of those who don't want a swine flu shot say that the possibility of side effects is one reason why they don't plan to get the vaccine. That works out to 28 percent of the adult population who don't plan to get inoculated due to the risk of dangerous side effects." So far officials of the National Institutes of Health say they've seen no serious side effects in clinical trials and that study subjects who have been immunized have generated a good response. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the vaccine for certain high-priority groups because they are more likely to have serious complications if they develop swine flu. These groups include: pregnant women; caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months; everyone between the ages of 6 months and 24 years; and people ages 25 to 64 with existing health problems. Most frequently asked H1N1 questions . One in four American adults say they don't plan on getting a shot because they are not in a high-risk group, with 21 percent indicating they don't plan on getting vaccinated because they only go to a doctor when they are sick. Most of those respondents are men. What about the 14 percent who have unsuccessfully tried to get the vaccine? "Some say they don't know where to go. That works out to 4 percent of the total adult population who want to get inoculated but haven't been able to locate a medical facility that is giving swine flu shots," Holland said. "A bigger group, 5 percent of the total population, say that they found a facility with the vaccine but were turned away because they were not in a high-risk group or for some other reason. And 3 percent of all adults say they found a facility that had the vaccine but it ran out before they got there." Add together those last two groups, and the number of Americans who actively sought the vaccine but were turned away for some reason is 8 percent of the total adult population, roughly the same number as the 7 percent who have been inoculated so far. The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted November 13-15, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. CNN deputy political director Paul Steinhauser and senior medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report .
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CNN poll shows 55 percent of adults don't want to get the H1N1 vaccine .
Many believe the vaccine has dangerous side effects, polling director says .
Poll shows number who were turned away is higher than number who have gotten a shot .
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167c1a637e0bc6cbab1d4c46d3fe1161a3167df8
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By . Mia De Graaf for MailOnline . At the time, you wouldn't bat an eyelid at hundreds of sheep clattering down Kendal high street in Cumbria. But alas, cars came along - making this 1953 photo a souvenir of a bygone era. More than 60 years later, however, residents have been treated to a bizarre case of deja-vu as livestock filled the town for a re-enactment of the classic shot. Deja-vu: This classic shot of sheep clattering through Kendal, Cumbria, (left) has been recreated (right) Throwback: The event was held more than 60 years after the 1953 picture to celebrate the town's wool trade . The photograph, called Kendal Rush Hour, was taken by Joseph Hardman in the Cumbria town. It bears a stark difference to today's Kendal as cattle are transported in trucks. But in a celebration of the town's thriving wool trade, the photograph was yesterday recreated. Hundreds gathered to watch 150 ewes chase each other down the street. The stars of the modern version of the photo were a flock of rough fell sheep owned by South Lakes farmer Jane Knowles. Event: Hundreds lined the street in the centre of the Cumbrian town to celebrate the re-enactment . Excitement: It marked a momentary return to the scenes of a bygone era, which ended with the advent of cars . They were herded down Allhallows Lane at 9am on Sunday by shepherdess Alison O'Neil. Westmoreland Agriculture Society chief executive Christine Knipe said: 'Sixty years ago it was an ordinary event. 'But today it was special and it was great to see how people embraced it'.
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150 ewes clattered through the Cumbria street to celebrate the wool trade .
The original shot was taken in 1953 Joseph Hardman of every day life .
Hundreds lined the streets for yesterday's re-enactment 61 years later .
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(CNN) -- Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent was arrested on suspicion of intoxication manslaughter after a Mercedes he was driving in Irving, Texas, flipped and caught fire early Saturday morning, killing teammate Jerry Brown Jr., police said. Brent's car was allegedly traveling at a high speed when it hit a curb, according to Irving police, who said officers on the scene "believed alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash." The car traveled about 900 feet after hitting the curb, said police spokesman John Argumaniz. When officers came upon the scene, Brent was dragging Brown from the car, he said. The 25-year-old passenger was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Brent, 24, in his third season with the team, was booked into the Irving City Jail on one count of intoxication manslaughter -- considered a second-degree felony that carries a potential two- to 20-year prison sentence with a maximum $10,000 fine. Brent pleaded guilty to a DUI charge in 2009, according to court records in Champaign, Illinois. The records list Brent, who played football with Brown at the University of Illinois, as Joshua Price-Brent, the same name listed in the Irving police report. The athlete got a 60-day sentence, a fine and 200 hours of community service. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Saturday, "We are deeply saddened by the news of this accident and the passing of Jerry Brown." "At this time, our hearts and prayers and deepest sympathies are with the members of Jerry's family and all of those who knew him and loved him," he said in a statement. Brown was an outside linebacker on the Dallas practice squad, having been released by the Indianapolis Colts in October. News of Brown's death prompted a flurry of online comments from former classmates and coaches at Illinois. Arrelious Benn tweeted: "Prayers go out to the family of my former classmate, teammate Former Illini Jerry Brown. RIP. #Illini" Illinois coach Tim Beckman posted: "Sad News for the illini family today. Jerry Brown, former illini and current NFL player has passed away. Keep him in your prayers." The incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday, one day before Dallas is scheduled to play the Bengals in Cincinnati. According to the Cowboy's website, Brent has 22 tackles in the 12 games that he's played in this year, starting in five of them. In an effort to keep intoxicated players from taking the wheel, the NFL Players Association runs a "Safe Rides" program for $85 per ride, taking it over from the NFL due to confidentiality concerns. CNN's Chandler Friedman and Jason Durand contributed to this report.
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Josh Brent was arrested in 2009 on DUI charges .
Jerry Brown, a passenger was pronounced dead at a hospital .
Brent, 24, in his third season with the team, was booked into the Irving City Jail .
The incident occurred one day before Dallas plays Cincinnati .
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A budget-conscious mother has won the £5.8million lottery jackpot - but she was too worried about money to call the hotline in order to claim her winnings. Tracy Tyler was only persuaded to ring up Camelot after her partner promised to foot the bill for the phone call. Nearly a week after their massive win, the couple have not yet spent a penny of the jackpot - apart from buying a round of drinks and taking their children to the local swimming pool. Scroll down for video . Winners: Adam Young and Tracy Tyler have won £5.8million on the lottery after scooping Saturday's jackpot . Mother-of-two Ms Tyler, 37, has been struggling for money ever since her partner Adam Young was made redundant from his job in a warehouse two months ago. The couple, from Epping in Essex, have learned to live on a budget, and have never been able to buy their own home. 'When he lost his job the bills were getting a bit tight. We had done OK so far but it was getting worse,' Ms Tyler said. 'We had managed to make enough phone calls and juggle things around. I was quite good at juggling after years of practice. 'Occasionally I had to ask my mum to help me though.' Joy: But the mother of two was initially reluctant to ring up the Camelot winners' hotline . On Saturday, she learned that her numbers matched the winning ones in the Lotto draw - but was reluctant to ring the winners' hotline to claim her £5,819,806 fortune. 'The lottery was an 0845 number and I was a bit worried that would cost me money,' Ms Tyler said. 'But he said he would pay for it so I said all right. I don't like to waste money, I'm very cautious.' 0845 numbers cost just 2p a minute to phone from a landline under BT's default calling plan. The delighted mother toasted her win with 'a large vodka and coke', and took her children for a swim the next day. Spending: The couple plan to buy a Range Rover and invest in owning their own home for the first time . She plans to buy a new Range Rover in place of Mr Young's battered Citroen Saxo, and will also go on his first ever trip abroad. Mr Young, 30, who has previously spent several hours a day looking for a job, said that he was acutely aware of how much the couple's life had changed - but added that he might go back to work anyway. 'This time last week, we certainly weren't sitting by a pool in the sun,' he said from a hotel in Essex. 'I was online looking for jobs. I worked in a warehouse, I had been there for eight years. 'I spent a couple of hours every day applying for jobs, sending my CV off. A few were planning to get back to me this week, so we will see what happens. 'I could yet be offered a job so I would have to make the decision whether or not to take it, or take a sabbatical or something.' Happy: The pair had been struggling ever since Mr Young lost his job working in a warehouse . The couple said they have yet to check whether their winnings have been paid in to the bank, but plan to spend some money on buying their own home. They also hope to get advice from Camelot on how to deal with such a huge jackpot. Ms Tyler, who is continuing to play the lottery, added: 'If there was one more person in front of me in the queue when I bought my ticket, it could have been completely different. 'We have been very lucky.'
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Tracy Tyler, 37, had been struggling since partner Adam Young lost his job .
When she won the jackpot on Friday she was worried about ringing hotline .
She only agreed to call when Mr Young said he would pay the phone bill .
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By . Jenny Hope Medical Correspondent . Full of beans: Increasing coffee intake could cut the risk of diabetes, a study has found (file photo) Drinking more coffee may further reduce the risk of diabetes, say researchers. Increasing consumption by one and a half cups a day cuts the chances of developing type 2 diabetes by 11 per cent. Although previous research suggested . coffee drinkers benefit from a reduced risk of diabetes, it now appears . an individual’s risk can be further improved by stepping up consumption. Dr Frank Hu and Dr Shilpa Bhupathiraju, from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University’s School of Public Health, looked at the link between changes in coffee consumption and diabetes risk. They used data from three US-based studies including the Nurses’ Health Study with participants ranging from 25 to 75 years. Detailed information on diet, . lifestyle, medical conditions, and other chronic diseases was collected . every two to four years for over 20 years. Participants whose coffee intake fell by one or two cups a day had a 17 per cent higher risk for type 2 diabetes. Changes in tea consumption were not associated with type 2 diabetes risk, but few people changed their drinking habits. Those with highest consumption of three cups of coffee a day or more had the lowest diabetes risk. It was a third lower than for those drinking one cup or fewer a day. The research was published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes). Fancy a cuppa? Those with highest consumption of three cups a day or more had the lowest diabetes risk . The authors said the higher risk of . type 2 diabetes from decreasing coffee intake may be a true change in . risk, or may reflect people giving it up because they develop medical . conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease or cancer. However, even when cases of cardiovascular disease or cancer were excluded, the results were very similar. One researcher said there was 'novel evidence that changes in habits are related to diabetes risk' Although . there was a lower risk of diabetes among decaffeinated coffee drinkers, . increasing or decreasing consumption made no difference to the risk. Dr Hu said: ‘Changes in consumption habits appear to affect diabetes risk in a relatively short amount of time. Our findings…provide novel evidence that changes in habits are related to diabetes risk.’ Studies on decaffeinated coffee have made similar findings with the protective effect due to ‘direct biological effects’ such as antioxidants and magnesium. Because of the benefits from decaffeinated coffee, it is unlikely caffeine is solely responsible for the effect. A European investigation into the effects of diet and lifestyle on health last year found moderate coffee drinking lowered the risk of diabetes by around 30 per cent. Dr Richard Elliott, Research Communications Officer at Diabetes UK, said ‘While this study found evidence of a connection between how much coffee you drink and your risk of Type 2 diabetes, this does not mean that increasing your coffee intake will reduce your diabetes risk. ‘Even if people who drank more coffee did tend to have a lower risk of Type 2, it does not necessarily follow that coffee consumption was directly responsible. ‘Other factors that this study has not identified could also be involved and it is even possible that being at high risk of Type 2 diabetes encourages people to reduce their coffee intake. ‘What we do know is that the best way to reduce your risk of Type 2 diabetes is to maintain a healthy weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and by being regularly physically active.’
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Researchers from Harvard University used data from more than 20 years .
They also found people who reduced their coffee drinking had a higher risk .
Dr Frank Hu said benefits can be achieved in a relatively short time period .
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HANDS OFF IN THE BOX is our new campaign to rid football of the dark arts of the penalty box. Whether it is wrestling, grappling, shirt pulling - or the outrageous headlocks witnessed in the Manchester United vs Chelsea match - the area has become a free-for-all for cheating. And that means fewer goals in the Barclays Premier League. For too long, referees have failed to punish players for blatantly stopping opponents from scoring. It's time to end that. So join us in our campaign to say Hands Off In The Box to players and referees. We’ll be naming and shaming the cheats and the officials who let them get away with it. Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has added his voice to Sportsmail's campaign to stop the amount of fouls that take place in penalty boxes across the Premier League. The Hands Off In The Box campaign aims to rid football of the dark arts in the penalty area. Acts such as wrestling, grappling and shirt pulling are now commonplace, as was so shockingly illustrated in the 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Chelsea on Sunday as Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling manhandled John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic respectively to the ground in brutal fashion. Both United defenders went unpunished. And the Manchester City manager has revealed that he shares the concerns that many have over the amount of blatantly stopping opponents from scoring. 'When the Premier League managers met [with referees] at the start of the season, this was one of the things we talked about,' he said. 'We said that that there was a lot going on and that were a lot of penalties [not being given]. 'It is definitely something that happens and it is very hard for the referees. 'Equally, there are lots of fouls of goalkeepers – where the goalkeeper is not being allowed to move – and that is a problem also.' But Sportsmail feels that enough is enough. It's time referees and assistants eradicated bodychecking and wrestling inside the box, just as tackles from behind have been, and reckless challenges are in the process of being now. Guilty defenders must be named and shamed - if everyone knows who the cheats are, referees will have no excuse not to punish serial offenders. Chris Smalling manhandles Branislav Ivanovic (left) to the ground, while John Terry wrestles with Marcos Rojo . Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini adds his voice to Sportsmail's Hands Off In The Box campaign . Stoke's Ryan Shawcross (right) did concede a penalty for this grapple with Swansea's Wilfried Bony last week . Martin Skrtel (second left) grabs hold of Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker's shirt at a set piece in February . John Terry, Chelsea captain . ‘Me and Branislav Ivanovic were double headlocked at every corner.’ Colin Pascoe, Liverpool assistant manager . ‘Grappling. That is the new word is it? It is the referees’ interpretation and we’ll leave it to them. That’s what the referees and the officials are paid for. They make decisions. So whatever they decide is grappling, or holding, it’s in their hands really. Did I do it as player? No, I was a winger and didn’t have to mark anyone.’ Ian Wright, Ex-Arsenal striker . ‘There should be an official specifically looking for holding in the box from set-pieces. It was like UFC in the United area.’ Graham Poll, Former top referee . ‘Hold or grapple and you can expect to be cautioned. Once fans, managers and — crucially — players accept it as normal, this campaign will have achieved its aims.’ Martin Keown, Ex-Arsenal defender . ‘Defenders are checking, blocking, holding, grappling, using force to foul opponents — and too often referees are allowing it to take place.’ Micky Mellon, Shrewsbury Town manager . ‘In a congested area how can you judge if someone’s been blocked? It’s part of the game and some people are good at it. It’s football. A local Football League referee came in and he was asking me about it. “Can you show me some blocking techniques?” That was great, he was trying to find ways of detecting it. The confusing thing for managers is that fouls outside the area are given as free-kicks, but the same won’t be given as penalties. There has to be consistency.’ And the readers of MailOnline... ‘It’s more infuriating because we never hear from the refs themselves. It’s about time the refs were made to answer the media just like players.’ Willdajack, Neath . ‘To those saying if there was a clampdown every game would be littered with penalties, that would be true for a couple of weeks then it would stop. I’ve been watching football since the Sixties and the cheating behaviour in the penalty area now is the worst I’ve ever seen.’ Sir Miles Platting, Manchester .
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Sportsmail has launched a campaign to rid football of the dark arts in the penalty area: HANDS OFF IN THE BOX .
Manuel Pellegrini agrees that something needs to be done to stop the amount of infringement at set pieces .
The Manchester City boss reveals this issue was discussed with referees at the start of the season .
Pellegrini also feels there are too many fouls on goalkeepers at set pieces .
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It took 60 chefs, 600 wait staff and 40 management staff to cater to 4,000 guests at last night's BRITs . Music superstars Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Rita Ora as well as Hollywood A-listers Robert Pattinson and Russell Crowe feasted on a banquet of British ingredients at the pre-award dinner in O2 Arena. Star-studded guests tucked into Japanese-inspired starters, and a main course two-types of beef for the meat-eaters, and mushroom mille-feuille for vegetarians. Not on the menu: Ant and Dec presenting the Brit Awards which took place last night at the O2 Arena . Guest tucked into dishes such as quintessential British dish, Wellington of slow-cooked beef (file photo) Dessert was a sugary-sweet overload of sherbet fountains, puffed meringue, lemon posset and Chantilly whirl. The awards were catered for by event caterers Payne and Gunter who have been looking after The BRIT Awards for several years. The menu was British, seasonal and elegant – with a touch of fun. There was the use British ingredients wherever possible: lamb farmed in the West Country, vegetables from Devon and Lincolnshire, herbs from Suffolk, and micro-leaf and cresses from Westlands, part of the leaf initiative linking farming and the environment. The three course meal was served to guests in the two hours before the show proper started at O2 Arena. Starter: Dorset wasabi and green tea panna cotta, tosaka (seaweed) salad, salted edamame, lotus root crisps, yuzu soy dressing, smoked tofu and pickled daikon (winter radish). Main course: Wellington of slow-cooked rib wrapped in brioche dough, slow-roast fillet of West Country beef, Lincolnshire savoy cabbage and celereiac puree . Veggie main course: Woodland mushroom millefeuille, wild mushroom arancini, roulade of aubergine, shallot and red pepper . Dessert: Sherbet fountain with pistachio cake, lemon posset and Chantilly whirl, puffed meringue, lemon sherbet dust and liquorice stick. Star-studded bash: Rita Ora dancing at the BRIT Awards after party . There were 60 chefs, 600 wait staff and 40 management staff making sure events went smoothly last night. In addition, three temporary kitchens were constructed. Set-up started at 9am yesterday morning and continued through to the peak pressure point of serving dinner, which was between 5.30 and 7.30pm. During the show itself, the catering teams were busy setting up the party area and readying bars for the after-show party.
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More than 4,000 guests tucked into sumptuous three-course menu .
Regional UK ingredients featured heavily in the contemporary menu .
Japanese inspired starter, and classic British flavours for main course .
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(CNN) -- Hours after being released from jail, a man walked through an emergency door at San Diego International Airport, onto the tarmac and sat down on a United Express plane Tuesday, according to San Diego authorities. "He completely bypassed TSA screening," San Diego Harbor Police Chief John Bolduc said. "He was in a public area and went out an emergency fire door, which gave him access to the tarmac." Marc Duncan, 38, was paroled from jail Monday night, according to San Diego County Sheriff's Department records. He had been serving time for theft. After it was opened, the emergency door alarm sounded, and Bolduc said police were on site in four minutes, but by then Duncan had blended in with other passengers. He allegedly boarded a 30-seat United Express aircraft operated by SkyWest, which was heading to Los Angeles, according to airline spokesman Wes Horrocks. The flight attendant realized she had too many passengers, Nicholas Blasgen, a passenger on the plane told CNN affiliate KGTV. "They said, 'What is your count?' She said this is my count, and they said that is wrong." The passengers got off the plane and their luggage was searched. "They had us put all the bags out, they separated the bags by enough distance and had the dog go over everything," Blasgen said. Duncan was identified and arrested. He is being held in the San Diego jail and is scheduled to be in court Thursday. "I still can't, in the world, understand how this happened," Blasgen said. "It sounds like they just have lax security or not enough management. Something was going wrong." The Harbor Police chief said they will examine this incident and find out where to make security improvements. "The guy did breach security, but he was caught," Bolduc said. "We have multiple layers of security built into our airports, as you know, and the backup systems were able to catch this guy." "Security of airports is a shared responsibility, and airports and airlines are required to adhere to TSA-approved security standards." TSA spokeswoman Sterling Payne said in a statement. "TSA has initiated an investigation and if necessary, will take appropriate action." CNN's Todd Sperry contributed to this report.
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Hours after leaving jail, man boards plane with no ticket .
Police say he bypassed TSA and went out an emergency exit .
Passenger says everyone left the plane, bags were searched before man was found .
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By . Shari Miller . Preserved for thousands of years, the ancient mummies of Egypt have literally kept their secrets under wraps - until now. Thanks to a new exhibition at the British Museum, the public can finally gain a glimpse into what lies beneath after eight mummies underwent CAT scans at London hospitals, proving the most detailed picture yet of our Egyptian forbears. Ancient Lives: New Discoveries, which opens on May 22, reveals that despite the separation of centuries, the Egyptians suffered from the same health issues that plague us today, including high cholesterol, fatty diets and bad toothache. Unwrapped: Eight mummies from the British Museum, like the one shown, revealed their secrets after undergoing CAT scans . One even sported a tattoo of the Archangel Michael on her inner thigh. John . Taylor, head curator of the British Museum's Ancient Egypt and Sudan . department, said: 'We want to promote the idea these are not objects, but . real human beings. 'We want to capture the humanity of these people.' The mummies came from all walks of life, from royalty to ordinary people living along the Nile. They also lived during different eras - the oldest tested is more than 5,500 years old and dates back to 3,500 BC, while the most recent lived around 1,300 years ago. Some were just youngsters when they died, at around two years of age, while others lived to see their 50th birthday. Using CAT scans, also known as computer tomography, scientists were able to build up a three-dimensional picture of the ancient remains. Some of the bodies were so well preserved that the scan revealed bones, tissue and vital organs. Scientists combined the CAT scan images with carbon dating and infra-red 'reflectography' to build up a detailed picture of their lives. Scans of the pelvic areas also helped the team work out their ages by looking at the wear and tear on their bones. Secrets revealed: CAT scans, like the one pictured, showed how the ancient Egyptians lived, what ailments they suffered and their dietary habits . Two of the eight mummies tested were found to have a build-up in their legs of plaque - essentially cholesterol, calcium and tissue - suggesting they suffered from heart problems. This can be caused by a rich diet high in fat, or it can be genetic. Many experienced poor dental health and had multiple abscesses, which if left untreated, may have led to inflammation of the throat, asphyxiation and ultimately death. Analysis of digestive remains suggested the Egyptians enjoyed a wide diet that included fish, a little meat, beer, bread and sugar-rich fruits, such as dates. Fascinating: The British Museum's latest exhibition, Ancient Lives: New Discoveries, opens on May 22 . One female mummy, aged between 20 and 35 and found in Sudan in 2005, sported a tattoo on her right leg. Exhibition curator Daniel Antoine, who also curates the museum's physical anthropology department, said: 'The tattoo on her right inner thigh represents a monogram that spells Michael in ancient Greek. 'She is the first evidence of a tattoo from this period. This is a very rare find.' The tattoo represents the symbol of the Archangel Michael and one theory suggests it may have provided the owner, who lives in AD 700, with spiritual 'protection'.
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Eight mummies from British Museum scanned at London hospitals .
Results show ancient patients suffered high cholesterol and dental issues .
One woman had a tattoo of Archangel Michael inked onto her inner thigh .
Fascinating results shown in new exhibition opening to public in May .
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Washington (CNN) -- Republican Scott Brown was sworn in Thursday as the new U.S. senator from Massachusetts to fill the seat formerly held by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, and immediately signaled opposition to President Obama's spending plans. Brown's new Senate colleagues applauded after the ceremony on the floor of the Senate chamber conducted by Vice President Joe Biden, in his capacity as president of the Senate. Democratic Sen. John Kerry, also of Massachusetts, and Brown's wife, Gail Huff, accompanied Brown into the chamber. At a news conference after the ceremony, Brown thanked Massachusetts voters who gave him a surprise victory in the January 19 special election in a state that had not elected a Republican senator since 1972. "I can't promise I'll be right in every vote I make. I'm sure I'll make mistakes from time to time," Brown said. "But I will try to learn and grow and do the very best job I can on a day-to-day basis." Brown's election victory stripped Senate Democrats of their 60-seat Senate supermajority, imperiling the ability of Obama and Democrats to push major legislative priorities such as health care reform through Congress. The Republican upset in Massachusetts also raised fears among many congressional Democrats of a potential GOP landslide in November's midterm elections. A fiscal conservative who holds some moderate views, Brown was noncommittal on whether he would support a Republican filibuster in coming Senate consideration of some Obama nominees for government posts. He also said he needed to talk to generals in the field before deciding to support Obama's call, supported by top military leaders, to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding a ban on gays in the military. Brown made clear he opposes the spending policies of the Obama administration, stating that the $862 billion stimulus bill passed last year "didn't create one new job" in Massachusetts or across the country. He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate. That prompted a response later from Jay Carney, spokesman for Biden, who said, "Anyone can go to recovery.gov (on the Internet) and see that Massachusetts state and local government, businesses and community organizations have already reported directly funding over 9,000 jobs in the state last year -- and that's based on a only a portion of the total $8.4 billion in (stimulus) funds that have already gone to Massachusetts." He also said Congress should start over on health care with bipartisan talks, instead of continuing work on separate comprehensive bills passed by the House and Senate. At the same time, Brown said he would consider each piece of legislation on merit, rather than whether it was proposed by one party or another. "If I see a bill that's good for my state first, I don't care where it comes from," Brown said. "If it's good for Massachusetts, I'll consider it." Thursday's ceremony occurred a week earlier than originally planned. Massachusetts officials had said it would take a few weeks after the election to certify the result of Brown's victory. In a letter to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick and Secretary of State William Galvin on Wednesday, Brown's attorney said the senator-elect had planned on being sworn in on February 11, but had been told that several Senate votes would be held before then. "For this reason, he wants certification to occur immediately," attorney Daniel Winslow wrote. The certification occurred Thursday, allowing Brown to officially fill his seat later in the day. "There's no hidden agenda," Brown said of his push to get certified this week instead of next. "It's because I want to get to work." Asked why his daughters didn't attend the swearing-in, Brown explained one of them, Ayla, had a college basketball game to play Thursday and the other, Arianna, had a college exam. "The Bibles I used for today's swearing-in belong to my daughters, and I stacked them one on top of the other and took my oath on them," Brown said. Brown will be taking over Kennedy's coveted office space in the Senate Russell building. Sen. Paul Kirk, who was appointed to fill the seat after Kennedy's death, currently occupies the office and will move out. Several Senate sources tell CNN that the Senate Rules Committee, which assigns office space, decided to give Brown the office space as a matter of convenience. Because of his seniority, Kennedy had one of the most coveted office suites in the Senate complex. It is located in the Russell building, down the hall from the Rotunda, and has balconies that overlook the Capitol. CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report.
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NEW: Newly sworn-in senator stresses opposition to President Obama's fiscal policies .
NEW: Brown noncommittal on prospect of filibustering over some Obama nominees .
Scott Brown is sworn into office Thursday, becoming crucial 41st GOP vote .
Brown won a special election to fill the remainder of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's term .
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By . Peter Allen . People who make more than 15 hours of mobile telephone calls a month are three times as likely to develop brain cancer, new research suggests. French scientists claims that sales and business professionals are particularly at risk as they travel from meeting to meeting while communicating with clients and bosses constantly. While most people average around two-and-a-half hours each month talking on their mobiles, busy executives can quickly reach far higher figures. Those who clock up around 900 hours of mobile use during the course of their career are particularly prone to developing a brain tumour. A study carried out at the University of Bordeaux in France has found those who spend more than 15 hours a month on their mobile phones are three times more likely to develop a brain tumour during the course of their life . The researchers drew their conclusions from a study of 253 cases of glioma and 194 cases of meningioma reported in four French departments between 2004 and 2006. Patients were matched against 892 healthy individuals drawn from the general population, in a bid to spot any differences between the two groups. The comparison found a risk among those who used their phone intensively which was three times higher than those who use it far less. The duration of use in the at risk category ranged from between two and 10 years, averaging at five years. The Bordeaux University research, which is published in the British Occupational and Environmental Medicine journal, is the latest possible evidence of the dangers of too much mobile phone use. It led to Priartem, a French pressure group, to call for tougher rules regulating electromagnetic waves. Janine Le Calvez, the group's president, told Le Parisien newspaper: 'How much proof is needed before we launch real protective measures for the population, notably for children who start using mobiles from the age of 13?' The study, which was carried out at the University of Bordeaux (pictured) found those who use their phones for more than 900 hours over the course of their careers were 'particularly prone' to developing a brain tumour . The World Health Organisation's International Agency for Cancer Research has classed electromagnetic waves, including the type emitted by mobile phones, as 'possible carcinogens.' But Roger Salamon, of the ISPED institute which carried out the research, said: 'There is no reason to panic. This does not mean that everyone who makes a call with a mobile phone is going to get a brain tumour.' The study itself reads: 'It is difficult to define a level of risk, if any, especially as mobile phone technology is constantly evolving," the study acknowledged. 'The rapid evolution of technology has led to a considerable increase in the use of mobile phones and a parallel decrease of [radiowave intensity] emitted by the phones. 'Studies taking account of these recent developments and allowing the observation of potential long-term effects will be needed.'
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Research carried out at University of Bordeaux found cancer link .
Those who clock up more than 900 hours during the course of their career are particularly prone to developing a brain tumour .
French pressure group has called for tougher regulation .
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By . Amy Oliver . PUBLISHED: . 04:29 EST, 12 October 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 10:00 EST, 12 October 2012 . Tragic: Greg Bear, 17, had been examined by three doctors and a paramedic six days before he died of septicaemia. They all dismissed his condition . A teenager died of blood poisoning after medics dismissed his illness as flu four times, an inquest has heard. Greg Bear, 17, had been examined by three doctors and a paramedic six days before he died. After he began coughing up blood - a key symptom of septicaemia - his mother Elizabeth begged one paramedic to rush the teen to hospital. But she was told his condition was not bad enough and that he should take some paracetamol. The paramedic added: 'If I was to take every 17-year-old boy coughing up blood, the system would grind to a halt,' the inquest heard. Mr Bear's condition worsened the following day. His mother told the hearing that when she phoned trainee GP Dr Christopher Cope for help he also dismissed her concerns. Hours later Mrs Bear dialled 999 and the teen was finally taken to Kings Mill Hospital in Nottingham on December 21, 2010, by another paramedic. He died the following morning. Mr Bear, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottingham, had first gone to his GP, Dr Christopher Woods, on December 16 - the day after his 17th birthday - and was told he had a 'nasty cold, possibly flu'. Giving evidence at the inquest, Dr Woods said he had received a message . stating Mrs Bear was concerned her son 'was burning up' and was 'worried about . swine flu'. He said: 'My initial concern was that this could it be something such as . meningitis, so I asked did he have a rash, which Mrs Bear replied that . he didn't. 'Then she went on to explain that he didn't have any pain in his neck. That reassured me that it was much less likely to be meningitis.' Days later he developed . 'uncomplicated septicaemia' which could have been cured by a course of . antibiotics, but was again wrongly diagnosed with flu. Mrs Bear told Nottingham Coroners Court she had been left frustrated by the medics who examined her son. The day before he died she said it was clear her son needed urgent medical attention. 'Greg was red and had pain in his groin and bottom, he was burning up, he was coughing up blood and bile,' Mrs Bear said. Death: The teen was finally taken to Kings Mill Hospital in Nottingham on December 21, 2010, but died the following morning . 'He was in excruciating agony, his fingers were blue, his face was red and hot. We were told to keep giving him paracetamol and to come in if he got worse. 'I thought I wasn’t getting anywhere, I was left not knowing what to do.' The inquest heard Dr Cope had told Mrs Bear to bring her son . into the surgery but failed to record the information about his . deteriorating condition. Dr Cope, who is now fully qualified, told the inquest: 'I didn't appreciate the blue tinge to him while talking to Mrs Bear. 'I cannot for the life of me understand why. I deeply regret not picking that up.' Recording a narrative verdict, deputy coroner for Nottinghamshire, Heidi Connor, said: 'To Greg’s family there aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe what you have been through. 'As a family your dignity throughout these proceedings has been nothing short of inspirational. You have done your son proud, if he was anything like his parents, he must have been quite a lad.' After the hearing Mr Bear's parents Gary and Elizabeth said they hoped lessons had been learned. 'Hopefully we can take something positive away from the tragic catalogue of errors which took our son away from us,'” Mr Bear's father said. 'We hope medical professionals can become better at spotting the early signs of sepsis so it can be spotted early and lives can be saved. We don’t want anyone to go through what we’ve been through. 'Something as simple as asking when someone last passed urine can save lives. If it’s a long time it’s more than likely they need to go to hospital. Greg was inspirational to his friends. He was well liked by everyone. He would literally do anything for anyone.' Dr Jim Grey, medical director of East Midlands Ambulance Service, said all staff have been given new guidance on recognising early signs of Sepsis.
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Greg Bear's condition was dismissed by three doctors and a paramedic six days before he died .
Mother was told his condition did not warrant a hospital visit, even when he began coughing up blood .
Paramedic told Elizabeth Bear: If I was to take every 17-year-old boy coughing up blood, the system would grind to a halt'
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(CNN) -- World number one Novak Djokovic came back down to earth with a bump Thursday after being demolished 6-2, 6-2 by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round of the Toronto Masters. His honeymoon period following victory at Wimbledon and his recent wedding was quite literally over as he bowed out without even a wimper against the Frenchman, making 18 unforced errors and dropping his serve four times. The defeat had been on the cards, though, after needing close to three hours to beat Gael Monfils in the first round. "Congratulations to Jo," Djokovic told the ATP's official website after the defeat. "He played some great tennis. Served very well. He was obviously the better player on the court. I hadn't played even close to what I intended before going to the court. Just nothing was going. No baseline, no serve, no return. Generally a very bad day, very poor performance. Couldn't do much." The in form Tsonga now plays Andy Murray in the quarter finals, who will be fresher after his scheduled third round opponent Richard Gasquet pulled out injured. It was a day of shocks after Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka was also knocked out 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 by South Africa's Kevin Anderson. Eugenie Bouchard suffers shocking defeat in front of home crowd . Aussie teen sensation Nick Kyrgios on the march in Toronto . Serena Williams joins 200 club .
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World number one Djokovic humbled in Toronto .
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beats Djokovic 6-2, 6-2 .
Tsonga now meets Andy Murray in the quarters .
Stan Wawrinka also knocked out by SA's Kevin Anderson .
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By . Anthony Bond . PUBLISHED: . 04:24 EST, 3 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:18 EST, 3 April 2012 . Controversial: Private security guards would be able to impose £80 on-the-spot fines for rowdy patients in hospitals under radical new plans being discussed by the government . Private security firms could impose on-the-spot fines to rowdy troublemakers in A&E to help reduce the growing violence in Britain's hospital wards. Under the controversial proposals, the guards working for the firms would also be allowed to confiscate alcohol from those who are taken to emergency departments following drunken disorder. The government hopes the £80 penalties will assist medics who are often threatened with violence. It is also considering a move to allow the NHS to apply for antisocial behaviour injuctions which could see persistent troublemakers banned from the wards. The Police Federation met the idea with concern claiming the move it was not in the public's best interest. Paul . McKeever, chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: . 'The public should be greatly concerned about the gradual erosion of . warranted police officers and the attempt to fill the gap with private . security guards and police community support officers.' But the Government claimed the plans - part of its alcohol strategy - were designed to hand back power to the community. A . spokesman told The Times: 'We will support NHS trusts and . foundation trusts to work with their local police to ensure that . appropriate action is taken, including through hospital security staff . being empowered through the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme. 'Under this scheme, accredited staff . can be given powers to issue penalty notices for disorder to those . individuals whose drunken behaviour is likely to cause harassment, alarm . or distress. They can also take action against the consumption of . alcohol in a designated public place.' There are already a number of hospitals in the UK which have piloted similar schemes. Security staff at Addenbrooke's Hospital . in Cambridge can demand the name and address of problem patients and . issue an £80 fine for anti-social behaviour while in the building. Powers: Security staff at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge can already demand the name and address of problem patients and issue an £80 fine for anti-social behaviour inside the hospital . Clampdown: Security guards at Basildon Hospital in Essex have had similar powers to those currently being discussed by the Government for four years but have not yet used them . At Basildon Hospital, Essex, security guards have had similar powers for four years but have not yet used them. Security guards would need to take a training course and would need a special badge from the chief constable of their police force before they are handed the powers. They would not be able to detain or arrest people. A Home Office spokesman said: 'We believe local people, services and businesses are best-placed to tackle these issues in partnership with law enforcement. 'That's why central to our alcohol strategy is ensuring local . communities have the tools and powers they need to take action against . irresponsible drinking and the crime and anti-social behaviour that too . often results.'
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Security guards would also be allowed to confiscate alcohol .
The Police Federation is concerned about 'the gradual erosion of warranted police officers' but the Government claims it will reduce violence on the wards .
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(CNN) -- Dozens of people have been killed in flooding in northern and eastern India, while the death toll in Nepal has passed 100, government officials in the two countries told CNN. At least 56 people have died in flooding and rain-related incidents in northern and eastern India over the weekend, with 28 deaths reported in Uttar Pradesh state, another 22 in the neighboring Himalayan region of Uttarakhand and six in Bihar state in eastern India. The heavy rains have hit thousands of villages along the border with Nepal, Kishan Singh Atoria, a regional disaster-management commissioner, told CNN Monday. India's water resources ministry warned that the Rapti river in Uttar Pradesh had risen to "unprecedented" levels in the state's Balrampur district. Nepal . Meanwhile, the death toll from floods and landslides in western Nepal since Thursday has reached 101 with another 126 people missing. More than 17,000 families have been displaced, according to government data. The biggest challenge for the government of this impoverished Himalayan country now is to provide relief to the people displaced since their homes have been washed away by the rivers, said Jhankanath Dhakal of the National Emergency Operations Center on Monday. Flooding was caused by incessant rain from Wednesday night to Friday night in some districts in western Nepal. "Since the rainfall was unusually high the water could not flow in the rivers causing flash floods," said Dhakal. "This was unexpected." CNN's Brian Walker contributed to this report.
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Dozens dead after heavy rains in northern and eastern parts of India .
More than a 100 dead, thousands missing in Nepal .
Heavy rains in recent days have caused flooding and landslides across the region .
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(CNN)Walter Cronkite had a golden rule for all wartime reporters: never self-aggrandize. Even though Cronkite had been the first reporter to fly over the beaches at Normandy on June 6, 1944, he minimized the experience. When asked decades later whether he had flown over Utah or Omaha Beach, Cronkite shrugged. "I think it was Omaha," he said. "We didn't know about those names then, of course. All I knew was the beach. I didn't even know how extensive the landings were." Such self-deprecating responses regarding his own WWII experiences became de rigueur for Cronkite. He gained credibility by dialing back his valor. Considered the "Dean of the Allied Air War," for going on U.S. bombing missions over Nazi Germany, Cronkite, a reporter for the United Press, insisted he was nothing more than a nervous-nelly fly-on-the-wall. Although Cronkite had once crash landed in a Dutch potato field under enemy fire, he chose instead to focus on celebrating the liberation of the Netherlands at the hands of the Free Dutch. "They pelted us with tulips until our car was fender deep in them," Cronkite recalled. "Tulips are heavy flowers. In bundles they are dangerous. The only blood I spilled in the war was that day -- hit by a bunch of tulips tied together with a piece of wire." Cronkite was Brian Williams's all-seasons' hero, and Williams was one of the heirs apparent to the Cronkite tradition. "I was a Cronkite groupie by the age of 6," Williams once told me." "At our household, dinner was hinged on Walter's saying 'And that's the way it is.' Only then could the meal get served. That was the mid-1960s, and I continued to travel with him from the age of polyester to the age of his ever-thickening sideburns and beyond." Cronkite, however, retired from CBS News in 1981, just as cable TV was beginning to blossom. For Williams to be the Cronkite of the Internet Age on NBC News, he had to be dramatic, not steady; pithy, not "aw shucks"; au courant, not a throwback to the days of Lowell Thomas. Everybody trusted Cronkite because he reminded them of their favorite uncle or trusted family physician. Being square in the age of the Beatles made Cronkite retro cool. Williams, at his heart, is the broadcast news nerd extraordinaire -- everybody's friendly neighborhood TV news anchorman writ large. At his worst he doubles as a multimedia showman, the class clown, eliciting laughs by lampooning his own nightly news straight-man act. What Williams has accomplished with this progressive strategy -- a postmodern approach to the patriarchal voice-of-God news anchor -- is to prove that he isn't a stuffed shirt, that he is self-deprecating like Cronkite. Media critics have lauded Williams' two-act juggle: serious newsman and surprisingly funny clown. But what Williams failed to consider was that death -- in either war (Iraq) or national disaster (Katrina) -- shouldn't have a showman front and center. Ernest Hemingway learned from hunting that one should never milk death or drown it in a sea of verbiage. Being solemn always trumps being out in front in a battle zone. What's important to know about Williams, why he deserves a second chance, is that he is a fine broadcast journalist. Like Cronkite after the Tet Offensive of 1968, Williams gets on the airplane, travels to danger zones, ad-libs for hours on end seldom making a gaffe. As a TV journalist, he is a pro. When Williams brings himself into the narrative, however, when he goes on "David Letterman" or "The Daily Show" or babbles to Michael Eisner, the showman overruns the reporter. When you sit around a campfire telling ghost stories, you want the audience to lean forward (the slogan of MSNBC), to be utterly captivated by every detail. The more embellishment the better. But Iraq and Katrina are all too real for that. I interviewed Williams about his New Orleans experiences for my book "The Great Deluge." His personal narrative was riveting. Give him credit for breaking a dozen news stories during those dark days in 2005. Online allegations now rage that Williams fabricated what he saw and experienced in post-Katrina New Orleans. That is unfair to him. Everything was helter-skelter in the Gulf South, and Williams did a public service by trying to make sense of the post-hurricane situation. Williams did have a dysentery-like condition (if not textbook dysentery), which he explained in an interview I did shortly after the Category 3 hurricane hit. "I couldn't keep anything down," he said. "That whole night was hazy. I couldn't get clarity of mind." Overall, his reporting of the post-Katrina events is credible. Nevertheless, Williams-as-showman very well may have embellished or conflated or compressed some of the on-the-ground, in-the-moment facts, but it's silly now to nitpick whether the dead body he saw was on Canal Street or Claiborne Avenue. It is clear that Williams needs to apologize more profusely, to set the record straight once and for all -- but only once, and for good -- for his Iraq fabrication and to clarify details about his Katrina experience. He needs to stay off the comedy shows for a while and to stop talking about himself. There is an Japanese adage that the nail that stands the tallest gets hammered down. Williams' hazing has made him right-sized. But enough is enough. The public needs hardworking newsmen like Williams as a matter of trust, of public good. If Cronkite were placed under the same digital media microscope, he'd look smaller than we remembered. The public shouldn't lose faith in Williams as a journalist, but it is all right for us to shout loudly in his ears, "It's not about you!" The superhighway of celebrity and showmanship is filled with debris. Tuesday night, NBC News decided to suspend Williams for six months without pay. That seems about right. Maybe Williams needed to be reminded of which role -- newsman or showman -- was most important, which ball to favor in his juggling act. It is a fact that Cronkite knew all too well: sometimes a little tuliping in a war zone goes farther than a tale of looking down the tube of an RPG.
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Douglas Brinkley says Williams should have heeded Cronkite's golden rule for war reporters: never self-aggrandize .
He says the newsman got tripped up when he tried to also be a showman .
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Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Protesters in Ukraine remained defiant and continued their mass demonstration against President Viktor Yanukovych over the country's U-turn away from the European Union Monday, the same day masked men raided the headquarters of the opposition party Monday, according to opposition party leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk. "Members of the special ops destroyed the entire server room," he said. "Equipment was destroyed, dragged out, across the entire premise of the Batkivshchyna Political Party headquarters." Police denied any involvement in the raid. The raid happened after Yanukovych 's announcement on his website that he would back a call for talks involving the opposition to work out a compromise. With pressure growing, thousands remained on the streets of Kiev, some facing off with lines of Interior Ministry troops Monday evening near the presidential administration building. Minor scuffles broke out, but demonstrators were holding their ground as security forces began removing barricades. Opposition leader and former heavyweight champion Vitaly Klitschko approached riot police and urged them to stay calm and "not break the law" should they be ordered to remove protesters. "None of us has either guns nor other objects; this is a peaceful protest," he said. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden entered the fray Monday with a phone call to Yanukovych in which he "expressed his deep concern about the situation in Ukraine and the growing potential for violence," according to a statement. Biden said he urged Yanukovych to hold talks with the opposition. Burning tires to stay warm . Faced with freezing temperatures as the bitter cold sets in, the protesters burned tires and sipped hot soup and tea to stay warm. Some played soccer or strummed guitars as they camp out in tents. The crowds often swell in the evenings as people leave work and join the rallies. As more police gathered on the streets, the demonstrators received a message of support from actor George Clooney. "We here in the United States have great affinity for those seeking democracy," Clooney said in a video posted online. "We learned through trial and error that true democracy cannot exist without a free and fair and honest election." The actor, who has lent his voice to campaigns for various issues in the past, added: "Let me just say this to all of you in the square in Kiev or all around Ukraine: When you look to the West, know that we are looking back at you with great admiration." Populist movement . The protests began when Kiev refused a deal with the European Union, opting instead for closer ties with neighbor Russia. It has grown into a populist movement, the biggest the Eastern European country has seen since the so-called Orange Revolution toppled the government nine years ago. "The government and opposition should hold talks to solve this. It has gone too far, it might result in conflict," Vysotsky said. "We do not want a conflict." European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton would travel to Kiev on Tuesday to try to "bring some solutions to the very tense situation that Ukraine is living today." Speaking at a conference in Milan, Italy, Barroso said he had spoken with Yanukovych by phone Sunday. "I asked him to show restraint in the face of these recent developments, to not use force against the people that are demonstrating peacefully, to respect fully the freedoms that are so important for all of us in Europe," he said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Yanukovych on Sunday and told the Ukrainian President that he had "grave concern" about the situation, urging authorities not to resort to violence. Yanukovych told the U.N. chief that "consultations would be initiated to defuse the situation," the United Nations said. East vs. West . The protesters say an EU agreement would have opened borders to trade and set the stage for modernization and inclusion. They accuse Yanukovych , who met Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, of preparing to take the country into a Moscow-led customs union. The tensions tugging at the country are felt across the nation -- Ukraine is split between pro-European regions in the west of the country and a more Russia-oriented east. One of the main reasons for Yanukovych 's decision to backpedal on the EU talks is Russia's threat of trade sanctions and gas bill hikes. Yanukovych was also under pressure by the EU to free Tymoshenko, his jailed chief political opponent. The Orange Revolution that swept him from office in 2004, when he was Prime Minister, also swept Tymoshenko to power. Tymoshenko was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 after being convicted of abuse of authority over a natural gas deal negotiated with Russia in 2009. The United States and Europe see the punishment as politically motivated. Many of the protesters have carried her picture in Independence Square during the rallies. "This is the end of Soviet occupation," the party's Twitter account said. "End of (the) regime of shame and humiliation." Journalist Victoria Butenko reported from Kiev and CNN's Marie-Louise Gumuchian reported and wrote from London. CNN's Susanna Capelouto contributed to this report.
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Masked men raid opposition party's headquarters, its leader says .
Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko urges police to stay calm .
U.S. Vice President calls President Viktor Yanukovych, urging talks with opposition .
Ukraine president supports proposal by a predecessor for "nationwide panel discussion"
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By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 08:33 EST, 20 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 11:53 EST, 20 May 2013 . The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for south east Scotland and higher ground through central parts of England, where heavy rain is expected to fall today . It might have been reasonable to believe spring was finally here with some of the temperatures the country has been enjoying recently. But parts of the country have had to brace themselves today after forecasters predicted heavy showers, flash flooding and huge hailstones. Heavy rainfall started in parts of Scotland this afternoon, according to the Meteogroup, at times reaching a rate of 50mm of rainfall an hour in areas around Dundee. The showers were moving in a south easterly direction. Forecasters have said the unstable weather was because of the warm humid air in Scotland - Glasgow has so far seen the highest temperature in Britain after the mercury hit 22C earlier today. Meteogroup forecaster Claire Austin said: 'It only really kicked off in the last couple of hours. 'At 2pm we started seeing some of the showers developing and they have started getting properly heavier from about 3pm.' The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for south east Scotland and across the higher ground through the central part of England, where heavy rain was expected to fall today. There has been some good news however, as sunshine is expected for most of the country during parts of the upcoming week, while temperatures were also expected to hit 19C elsewhere today. Helen Chivers, forecaster for the Met Office, said: 'We are expecting some very heavy showers to break out through this afternoon, mostly up the spine of the Pennines, so the higher ground in the central parts of the country, and particularly in south east Scotland. 'We have actually got severe weather warnings out for both of those areas. 'There's an amber warning out for the Scottish regions, where we are expecting the heaviest of the weather to be. 'We could find some flash flooding in areas and large hail stones which could make travelling conditions very difficult.' Ms Chivers said between 20 and 30ml of rain could fall in the space of one hour. She said hail was most likely to fall in Scotland while thunderstorms and heavy winds were likely to hit central parts of England. The showers will dry up this evening, meaning most of the country will be dry going into tomorrow. Ms Chivers said: 'Tomorrow is a bit of a cloudy start but the clouds will break up. While showers are expected in parts of the country today, sunshine could break out later on in the week . Heavy rain has fallen across parts of Scotland including Dundee this afternoon, at times reaching a rate of up to 5mm/hour . 'We . can expect a few showers to break out in the afternooon, not as many as . today, and once again I think they will be over high ground. 'But for most of us it should be a fine day after a rather cloudy start and we should get temperatures in the mid-teens.' And while Wednesday should not be too . bad either, there is the possibility of one or two showers. Ms Chivers . said there was also a possibility of some mountain snow over the Scottish highlands. She said: 'But again, Wednesday looks like being a bright day with some sunshine breaking through. 'On . Thursday and Friday we get a bit of an east-west split. The eastern . side is going to be cloudy with some rain around, but for the western . side of the country it looks fine and dry with some sunshine.' A pair of parent swans have been . keeping it in the family meanwhile, by teaching their recently hatched . cygnets to uphold an ancient British tradition. A pair of parent swans keep it in the family be teaching their recently hatched cygnets to uphold an ancient British tradition . The birds at the Bishops Palace in Wells, Somerset, were teaching their brood how to ring a bell for food . Swans have been synonymous with Wells for centuries where resident swans patrol the stunning 13th century Bishop's Palace . The . birds at the Bishops Palace in Wells, Somerset, have been teaching . their brood how to ring a bell for food - something that has become a . popular spectacle there for over a century. Swans have been synonymous with Wells for centuries where resident swans patrol the stunning 13th century Bishop's Palace which has been home to the Bishop of Bath and Wells for more than 800 years. The swans of Wells have the unusual habit of ringing a bell by the Palace drawbridge to ask for food. The unusual spectacle started 200 years ago when the daughter of an 19th century Bishop taught her favourite swan to ring the gatehouse bell for scraps of food - a technique that has been passed down the swan generations.
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Warnings in place for central parts of England and south east Scotland .
Heavy showers, flash flooding and huge hailstones expected today .
Country will mostly be dry tomorrow with temperatures in the mid-teens .
East-west split expected on Thursday and Friday .
Scotland has seen heavy rainfall this afternoon, at times reaching 50mm/hr .
Top temperatures in the country was seen in Glasgow where it hit 22C .
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168643682320ace0e1478ce702a58ffa55b3396e
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Andy Gray is at the centre of another sexism storm after video footage emerged of him aiming inappropriate comments at Sky Sports reporter Clare Tomlinson. The former Everton and Scotland striker, who made his return to British television after a three-year absence last weekend as pundit for BT Sport in their FA Cup fourth-round coverage, is facing more embarrassment along with his former Sky colleague Richard Keys. In the 30-second clip, from their time as Sky presenters, Gray and Keys are heard wolf-whistling at Tomlinson as she prepares to report to camera pitchside, before breaking into a chant of ‘Get your t**s out for the lads’. Gray then makes one final distasteful comment before the footage cuts off. VIDEO See below for shocking video of Keys and Gray (WARNING: offensive language) Courtesy: The Football Ramble . Long serving: Andy Gray (left) and Richard Keys worked together for Sky Sports from 1992 to 2011 . Inappropriate: Clare Tomlinson was about to appear on camera when the pair spoke to her . Wrong: Keys and Gray were caught singing: 'Get your t**s out for the lads' BT Sport: Andy Gray made a comeback on television for Everton's FA Cup game against Stevenage . Gray was sacked by Sky in January 2011 . after he and Keys were heard on air making derogatory remarks about . female assistant referee Sian Massey prior to a Premier League . match between Wolves and Liverpool. Believing . their microphones were off, Gray said: ‘Can you believe that? A female . linesman. Women don’t know the offside rule.’ Keys replied: ‘Course they . don’t.’ Both were banned before further footage emerged of Gray making . an inappropriate comment to Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson off . air at the Sky studios. Gray’s . contract was immediately terminated by Sky Sports' managing director . Barney Francis for unacceptable behaviour, while Keys resigned soon . after. Controversial: Gray was caught on tape with Sky Sports colleague Andy Burton discussing female official Sian Massey before a match at Molineux . Camera rolling: Gray and Sky Sports reporter Burton discussed Massey's appearance . Scandal: The clip was one of a number to emerge in the run-up to Keys and Gray leaving Sky . Poor form: The footage of Gray and Burton made for awkward viewing . More videos were . leaked around the time of the Massey incident, including one of Keys and . Gray giggling while watching highlights of the 1998 Women’s FA Cup . final. Both were later . involved in a stage show called Smash It!, designed for the corporate . hospitality circuit. The title of the show came from sexual remarks that . Keys had made in another leaked Sky video. After . a brief absence, the pair re-appeared as joint hosts of a talk show on . radio station talkSPORT, before continuing their TV careers with Al . Jazeera’s beIN Sports in the Middle East. Target: Official Sian Massey was the woman that Gray had aimed his insults at . A . source confirmed the Tomlinson video is genuine and it is . believed to have come from a Sky outside broadcast from the Millennium . Stadium in Cardiff in ‘the early 2000s’. Sky are unlikely to take the . matter further because both men have since left the company. Gray, . 58, will see the leak of this new video as a deliberate attempt to . sabotage his bid to make a return to TV screens in this country. Although . his appearance on BT Sport was promoted as a one-off, the broadcaster . have yet to decide if they will use him again, despite a public approval . rating of 85 per cent on Twitter for his contribution to last . Saturday’s Stevenage v Everton FA Cup clash. Inexcusable: Gray made a lewd suggestion to Charlotte Jackson as they prepared for a Sky Sports show . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Andy Gray and Richard Keys were on camera speaking to Clare Tomlinson .
They wolf-whistled and chanted: 'Get your t**s out for the lads'
Both had been sacked from Sky Sports when they were caught making derogatory remarks about female official Sian Massey .
Gray also made an inappropriate gesture to Sky Sports' Charlotte Jackson .
Sky confirm video's authenticity and say it dates from 'early 2000s'
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(CNN) -- You insisted the first Jeff Gordon wild-driving viral video was a fake. What do you think of the second one, Travis Okulski? Oh, this one is "unequivocally, one hundred percent, totally, absolutely real," he says. How would he know? Because he's in it, the victim of a prank and Gordon's revenge. A year ago, Okulski called out Gordon on the Jalopnik auto blog after the millions of views for a video in which Gordon dons a disguise and takes a supposedly unsuspecting car salesman for a high-speed test drive. It's one of those commercials masking itself as a video that begs the question: Is it fake? Okulski led the "it's obviously staged" camp. So Pepsi and Gordon decided to exact revenge. They tempted him into coming to North Carolina by promising an exclusive test drive in a highly anticipated new Corvette. Then they dressed Gordon up in a new disguise with a neck tattoo, sideburns, mullet covered by a camouflage hat and sent him over in a fake cab (with real markings) to pick Okulski up at the hotel. Gordon's cover story was that he's just out of prison after 10 years, so when a highway patrol officer pulls them over, the "cab driver" decides he cannot go back to the joint. And, despite the protests of Okulski, the chase is on. As the car tears through an industrial complex, Okulski screams in the back seat and begs the driver to stop. "I'm gonna lose this guy," Gordon says as he winds and slides over asphalt. "This never works. This never works!" Okulski replies. Finally the car skids into the open door of a warehouse where the folks from Pepsi await. As of Thursday evening, the video, "Test Drive 2," had 1,000,000 views in just a few hours. Test Drive, meanwhile, now has almost 41 million views. Okluski wrote on a blog post on how he fell for the cab gag. "I thought I was going to die," he wrote. "I yelled, I banged the glass, I actually tried to kick through the Plexiglas window between the driver and me. I pulled out my phone to call 911 but couldn't keep it steady enough to dial." He insists this video was definitely real. But is it? Is the video that proves the fake video isn't a fake actually a fake, too? The conspiracy theories have already begun. Keep your eye on the car, the naysayers say. Something changes on the car. And it looks like someone has driven the course before. Multiple takes, they wonder? That's aside from the questions about how did he get fooled, not figure out the cab was fake, not see the cameras, not realize it was Jeff Gordon. "Looking back on it now, I'm not sure how I didn't guess beforehand, but it boils down to the fact that I had no reason to believe anything was off," he said. Or was it? What do you think?
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Auto blogger Travis Okulski made Jeff Gordon mad when he said a popular video was fake .
Gordon decided to take the blogger on a wild ride of his own .
Okulski swears his panicked screams are real, that he thought he might die .
A few conspiracists don't buy it; they think there are clues that this one is fake, too .
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A Syrian refugee who piloted more than 700 illegal migrants on the Italian 'Ghost Ship' has claimed a trafficking gang offered him nearly £10,000 to be 'captain' of the abandoned vessel. Sarkas Rani, 36, took charge of the Blue Sky M, one of two large ships that were locked on a course towards Italian shores this week, with hundreds of Syrian asylum seekers on board. Mr Rani claims he was contacted by human traffickers who allegedly posted several messages on Facebook offering migrants covert passage to Europe for £3,500. Scroll down for video . A Syrian asylum-seeker who piloted nearly 770 illegal migrants on board the Blue Sky M vessel to Italy (pictured) has claimed he was appointed as the 'captain' of the ship by a trafficking gang . Sarkas Rani, 36, was allegedly approached by a gang to captain the ship, which was one of two large vessels that brought hundreds of asylum seekers from Syria towards Italy's shores last week . The former sailor allegedly told police that he was offered free passage, $15,000 and the possibility of his family being sent to Italy too, if he captained the ship. Separately, police have revealed that human traffickers could have earned around £2million for taking more than 350 illegal migrants on a second ship that was intercepted by the Italian navy just 48 hours later. According to the Telegraph, an Italian newspaper reported comments made by Mr Rani during police interrogation after the ship was intercepted on New Year's Eve. Mr Rani allegedly told police that the trafficking gang had asked him to commandeer the ship after finding out that he used to work as a sailor. He told officers that it would save the gang having to make an exit from the boat when it neared European waters. 'They promised me $15,000 and the possibility of sending my entire family over,' Mr Rani was reported as saying. The Blue Sky M, which was intercepted on Wednesday, had recently had its safety certificates withdrawn after it was ruled unseaworthy. It was originally heading for the port of Rijeka in Croatia, but the ship abruptly changed direction on Tuesday morning, heading west towards Italy. This is thought to have been when the smugglers abandoned their human cargo to its fate. Chills: Blue Sky M arrived at the southern Italian port of Gallipoli, Italy, on New Years Eve . According to reports, Mr Rani admitted leaving the bridge to hide among the migrant passengers once he set the autopilot toward Italy's southern shore. By the time Italian naval officers boarded the ship, it was close to running aground in what could have led to a fatal sinking. After it docked in the Italian port of Gallipoli, hundreds of desperately cold men, women and children carrying their few remaining possessions were helped to safety. Wrapped in blankets, they stumbled off the ship to waiting aid workers and ambulances. One woman holding a young child collapsed and several had to be carried on stretchers. Many of the migrants had been forced to huddle for hours on the main deck, and more than 100 were treated for hypothermia. Mr Rani said his participation in the people-smuggling venture began when he left Lebanon, where he had sought refuge from the civil war ravaging Syria, to spend time in Turkey. It has emerged that human traffickers earned around £2million from 359 illegal migrants who were brought towards Italian shores in a cattle ship 48 hours later . Migrants wait after disembarking from the cargo ship Ezadeen, in the southern Italian port of Corigliano, Italy, om Saturday . He said that he and the other asylum seekers boarded the ship at Turkey's Mersin port, which has become a haven for people-smuggling gangs trafficking refugees from the Syrian war into Europe. Two days later, the Ezadeen, carrying 360 migrant passengers, was intercepted by the Italian navy and towed to port. The Sierra Leone-flagged livestock carrier was found drifting without power about 40 nautical miles off the southern Italian coast. The police chief of Cosenza province, Luigi Liguori, told the BBC that each migrant had paid between $4,000 and $8,000 to board the ship. The migrants were said to have worn hoods and locked the migrants in the ship's hold before abandoning ship. It had been put on a collision course for the Italian coast but ran out of fuel, officials said. Passengers are said to be in good condition and are being transferred to immigration centres and foster homes across Italy, according to coastguard and police officials. Migrants look out from Ezadeen, where they had been kept in livestock pens with few supplies . European border officials believe last week's events represent part of a new tactic by trafficking gangs, who have started buying boats on the black market and then abandon them close to European shores. Last year it is estimated that nearly 3,500 refugees died trying to cross the Mediterranean while another 200,000 were rescued. But hundreds, and possibly thousands, have perished trying to make the crossing. Trafficking gangs send boats over in the knowledge that those who are picked up by the European authorities are likely to be granted asylum. The Turkish government has been accused of not doing enough to stem the flow of migrants from Syria. Illegal migration to the EU has been fuelled by the civil war in Syria, which has driven people to seek asylum in Europe, along with economic migrants.
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Sarkas Rani, 36, took charge of Blue Sky M, intercepted near Italy last week .
Claims he was offered free passage by human traffickers if he piloted ship .
Ship close to running aground in potential fatal sinking with 770 on board .
Migrants also paid up to £5,000 to board second runaway ship, Ezadeen .
Both vessels brought hundreds of asylum seekers from Syria towards Italy .
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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has temporarily banned YouTube to block access to a video that many Muslims consider anti-Islamic. Protesters demonstrate against an anti-Islamic film in front of the Dutch embassy in Jakarta. Indonesia's Communications and Information Minister sent a letter to all Internet providers ordering them to block the video-sharing Web site until further notice, a ministry spokesman said Tuesday. The minister has asked YouTube to remove the 15-minute movie "Fitna," but has not received a reply from the company, the spokesman said. "Fitna," which is the work of Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, features disturbing images of terrorist acts juxtaposed over verses from the Quran to paint Islam as a threat to Western society. It has been posted on several Web sites, including Google Video and YouTube. Last week, about 50 Indonesia students broke into a Dutch consulate compound to protest the movie. They tore off the gate of the embassy in the city of Medan and ripped down a flag, said a Dutch Embassy spokeswoman. Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkanende has said his government is worried that Geert Wilders' film could provoke a violent backlash. The film has also prompted protests in other parts of the Muslim world. Soon after its release last month, hundreds of angry Muslims rallied in Pakistan, where the government temporarily blocked access to YouTube because of a trailer for Wilders' film. The protesters burned the Dutch flag and called on Pakistan to cut ties with the Netherlands. The Dutch government and others, including the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, have rejected the film. The OIC has 57 member states across four continents and claims on its Web site to be the second largest inter-governmental organization, after the United Nations. In its statement, it urged the international community to condemn the showing of the film and asked the Dutch government to prosecute the author of the documentary under Dutch law. But Wilders has stood by his project. "My intention was not to offend in any way, but to show the truth -- at least the truth as I see it," Wilders told CNN. "And if the truth hurts and could be offensive, well, this of course is not my problem." Watch interview with Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilder. » . Wilders is a member of the Dutch parliament from the conservative Party for Freedom and an outspoken critic of Islam. He said he has "big problems" with Islam's Prophet Mohammed, the Quran and "everything that is stated inside this terrible book." The title, "Fitna," translates in Arabic to "strife" or "conflict" of the type that occurs within families or any other homogenous group. The film opens with passages from the Quran, interspersed with graphic images of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States . The video also includes disturbing images of other terror attacks -- bloodied victims; beheadings of hostages; executions of women in hijab, the traditional Muslim attire; and footage, with subtitles, of Islamic leaders preaching inflammatory sermons against Jews and Christians. E-mail to a friend . CNN's Kathy Quiano in Jakarta contributed to this report .
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Indonesia temporarily bans YouTube to block video many say is anti-Islamic .
Govt. asks YouTube to remove "Fitna," by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders .
Film, which juxtaposes terrorism and verses from the Quran, has sparked protests .
Last week students broke into Dutch consulate compound in Jakarta to demonstrate .
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By . Amanda Willliams . Peter Thompson, 48, struck the behind of stewardess Agnieszla Kowalczyk during a Ryanair flight from Alicante but said it was an accident . A bridegroom has been spared prison after he drunkenly struck the bottom of an air hostess while he was flying home from his stag night. Peter Thompson, 48, allegedly struck the behind of stewardess Agnieszla Kowalczyk during a Ryanair flight from Alicante, in Spain. She told Bournemouth Magistrates’ Court that Thompson told her she . was very pretty, that he loved her and that he had looked at her as if . she was a ‘piece of meat.’ But he claimed he had accidentally hit Miss Kowalczyk while swinging his arms around in a drunken manner. When the plane arrived at Bournemouth Airport, Dorset, Thompson - a languages teacher - was arrested. He pleaded guilty to common assault on the basis that it was an accident, and he also admitted being drunk on an aircraft. Thompson, a teacher at a private language school from Poole, was let off with a community service order. The court heard Thompson, who is due to get married in August, was flying home from his stag do in Alicante, Spain, when the incident happened on May 4. At a previous court hearing, Lee Turner, prosecuting read a statement from the air stewardess. Mr Turner said: 'As she walked past he smacked her bottom with his open right hand. He wasn’t aggressive, she thinks he was trying to be funny but was actually very disrespectful.' But James Moore, defending, said that the offence had been an accident on Thompson’s part. He said his client had consumed an anti-histamine tablet and alcohol before the flight. He was also sold a discounted alcoholic drink by the air stewardess on the plane. Mr Moore said Thompson was in high spirits and was looking forward to seeing his fiancee when the incident happened. He said: 'He should have known that had he swung his arms around he was likely to make contact, and contact he made. 'He has an exuberant and bubbly personality and he got himself carried away but it was in no way nasty. 'Because he was in drink this offence has taken place. 'He . is a kind person who is truly remorseful for the fact that he has . appeared before the court and for the fact that he has caused the air . stewardess any distress. 'It was not his intention to cause her distress.' During the hearing Thompson’s fiancee gave a witness statement in support of his character. The court heard Thompson, who is due to get married in August, was flying home from his stag do on a Ryanair flight in Alicante, Spain, when the incident happened on May 4 . The air hostess told Bournemouth Magistrates' Court that Thompson told her she was very pretty and that he loved her and that he looked at her as if she was a 'piece of meat' He was also supported by statements by his brother, a former police officer, and the boss of the charity organisation at which he volunteers. District Judge Stephen Nicholls sentenced Thompson to a 12 month community order, 120 hours of unpaid work, and fines totalling £245. He said: 'You accept that when you went on the aircraft you had been drinking and that you were reckless and struck the flight attendant. 'Any offence in an aircraft is clearly an aggravated feature. 'Everybody on that aircraft has no easy means of escape therefore any incident that takes place there is a concern of upsetting the staff and passengers. 'This behaviour is out of character for you.'
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Peter Thompson, 48, 'struck behind' of stewardess Agnieszla Kowalczyk .
She told court he told her she .
was very pretty and that he 'loved her'
Court accepted he accidentally hit Miss Kowalczyk while swinging his arms .
Thompson is teacher at language school in Poole and a charity volunteer .
Let off with community service order after admitting common assault .
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168aeb63b4e38f6380dcddd3f8989871b90a9883
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An Israeli soldier has been spotted laughing and drinking in a bar wearing a T-shirt with the slogan 'Deployed, Destroyed, Enjoyed, Gaza 2014' emblazoned on the back. The man, thought to be an army reservist was pictured wearing the shirt while enjoying a drink and chatting with friends at a bar in Jerusalem in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Pictured from behind, the black shirt has the slogan in white lettering emblazoned across the back of the garment. Scroll down for video . The Israeli army reservist officer with his back to the camera, pictured wearing the T-shirt referring to the Israeli forces' operations in Gaza . And since the photo, snapped by an Associated Press photographer, surfaced today, people have taken to Twitter to express their disgust. Dara de Brun tweeted: 'You have to question the mentality of someone who wears a t-shirt like this? #ICC4Israel' Another Twitter user named Abid posted: '#gaza You have to question the mentality of someone who wears a t-shirt like this?' While Kate Jackson wrote: 'what kind of person wears a t shirt like this...surely illegal?#gaza' People took to Twitter to express their disgust at the T-shirt worn by the soldier in a Jerusalem bar . This Twitter user, named Abid also criticise the T-shirt worn by the man while drinking with friends . The picture comes as 72-hour truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire at midnight local time . The picture comes as 72-hour truce between Israel and Hamas is set to expire at midnight local time with negotiators in Cairo trying to thrash out a more permanent ceasefire arrangement. Since the latest truce went into effect on Monday, Israel has halted military operations in the coastal territory and Gaza militants have stopped firing rockets. The ceasefire was meant to give the two sides time to negotiate a more sustainable truce and a roadmap for the coastal territory. During the ceasefire, people have strewn graffiti across the walls of buildings in Gaza, expressing their views on the conflict . Journalist Simone Camilli, who was killed while experts tried to diffuse an unexploded Israeli missile in Gaza . The 35-year-old Italian national, had worked for the Associated Press since being hired as a freelancer in Rome in 2005 . A member of the Palestinian delegation to Egyptian-brokered talks in Cairo said Wednesday that his team was considering an Egyptian proposal, which was tabled on Tuesday. The Egyptian proposal calls for easing parts of the Israeli blockade of Gaza, bringing some relief to the territory, according to Palestinian officials in the talks. Meanwhile six people were killed, including three members of a bomb disposal unit and an Italian journalist, while the Palestinian team attempted to defuse an unexploded Israeli rocket in Gaza. The journalist was later named as 35-year-old video journalist Simone Camilli, who worked for the Associated Press, who died alongside his translator Ali Shehda Abu Afash.
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Army reservist pictured wearing the T-shirt while drinking in a Jerusalem bar .
Had the slogan 'Deployed, Destroyed, Enjoyed, Gaza 2014' on back .
People disgusted with the shirt have taken to Twitter to express their views .
Comes as a 72-hour ceasefire is due to expire at midnight .
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A high school valedictorian denied her diploma after delivering a speech deemed too racy by her principal says she will not apologize for her choice of words. Appearing on NBC's Today show, recent graduate Kaitlin Nootbaar from Oklahoma's Prague High School said she doesn't need her diploma nor does her school need her apology after using the word 'Hell' in her class speech. 'I know what I've achieved and the fact that I don't want to give an apology, maybe I'll never get my diploma and that's fine,' the 18-year-old told NBC's Matt Laurer on Wednesday. Scroll down for video . Won't back down: High school valedictorian Kaitlin Nootbaar has refused to apologize after delivering a speech at her high school graduation that included the word 'Hell' in it . Upset: Because of her refusal to apologize, her former high school has refused to give her her diploma which has upset both her and her father, left . Appearing by her father's side, David Nootbaar, a military veteran, expressed his pride in his daughter for not backing down and practicing her first amendment in her speech that drew laughter and applause by her fellow students. 'Why should she bow down to this man and give those rights away when so many young men are laying their lives on the line to protect those rights?' Mr Nootbaar said. Moving on without her diploma, Miss Nootbaar is preparing to start her freshmen year at Southwestern Oklahoma State University on a full scholarship this fall after receiving straight A's throughout her four years in high school. When she went to collect her certificate from the school's administration office last week she was told she wouldn't be getting it until she wrote a formal letter apologising for using the unacceptable word. Not needed: Despite denied her diploma, the straight-A student says she doesn't need it as she embarks on her freshmen year of college on full scholarship . Apology: The 18-year-old issued an apology to her school and teachers on Wednesday, however, after hearing of numerous calls of harassment over the issue . 'We went to the office and asked for the diploma and the principal said "Your diploma is right here but you’re not getting it. Close the door we have a problem",' Mr Nootbaar told kfor.com. The script for the teenager's speech - inspired by the film Eclipse: The Twilight Saga - . had been given to the school in advance of the ceremony. It included the . word 'heck' but in the moments leading up to the ceremony she said she decided to change it to 'hell' instead. 'Right before I got on stage is when I talked it over with my classmates and the ones I had talked to were like no go ahead and say it!' she told NBC. As her father explained: 'Her quote was, when she first started school she wanted to be a nurse, then a veterinarian. Parody: The valedictorian, pictured, said that her speech was a parody of one given in the Twilight movie Eclipse . 'And now that she was getting closer . to graduation people would ask her what do you want to do and she said . "How the hell do I know? I’ve changed my mind so many times."' Furious, Miss Nootbaar said she won't be saying sorry because she doesn't think she did anything wrong. 'She earned that diploma she completed all the state curriculum,' said Mr Nootbaar. 'In four years she has never made a B. She got straight A’s and had a 4.0 the whole way through. 'She has worked so hard to stay at the top of her class and this is not right.' Despite her upset, Miss Nootbaar did offer one apology to her teachers, however. 'I'm sorry about the problems that this has caused the school especially the teachers. I've heard that they've been getting calls from numerous people and that would be nice if that would stop,' she said. Watch the video here: . Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy .
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Kaitlin Nootbaar told her use of the word 'Hell' in her speech to her graduating class required an apology to receive her diploma .
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168ce00564e1659cf55c92525b0c73c6f77255b3
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(CNN) -- In many ways, airplanes are a retailer's dream come true. They serve a captive -- often bored -- audience who have proven their income is disposable enough to afford air travel. It's no wonder that in the last few years, airlines have adapted an increasingly sophisticated approach to parting customers from their money. "By nature, airlines are mass transit operators, and they didn't necessarily have any retail savviness when they first started to unbundle -- it was very much low-hanging fruits, like chocolate bars and Pringles up and down the aisle," says Dan Thompson, senior vice president of global strategy at GuestLogix, a provider of in-flight retail solutions. "Now, there's a new sense of maturity in retail strategies with airlines," he adds. Lately, carriers have replaced mass market beers with craft brews, standard chips with locally sourced gourmet goodies, and added ticketed events to the retail roster. In 2011, AirBaltic even experimented with selling cars on board their flights, becoming the first carrier to do so. "We think of flight as a travel megastore; we expect to make money for the products that we offer," says Jannis Vanags, AirBaltic's vice president for communications. In many ways, the Latvian carrier has been a trailblazer when it comes to its retail offerings. Vanags claims it was the first airline to introduce bicycle rentals, and the first to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. It was also one of the first airlines to allow non-passengers to make surprise purchases (think roses and champagne) for their friends in the air. Currently, customers can also buy AirBaltic-branded shoes on the flight. "Some things have been batted around in terms of thinking outside the box, in terms of 'how wacky can we get?' and in a sense, the sky is the limit -- excuse the pun -- for what you can sell on board," says Thompson. Mainly, though, he notes that it's the tried-and-true that entice customers the most. "Really, passengers will spend on something that enhances their trip, and means something to them because of the experience they're in at the moment. It's hard to imagine them going on board and buying a sofa that will be delivered back to their apartment." The odd factor . For many years, airlines left the quirkier retail offering to SkyMall, the quarterly in-flight catalog available on almost all domestic flights in the United States. An old business model (the company is nearing its 25th anniversary), SkyMall has recently had to contend with the more aggressive retail strategies employed by many airlines, as well as distracting new technology; iPhones in the air mean travelers are less dependent on the catalog for entertainment. The company, which has made a name for itself by proffering off-kilter items (the garden yeti and remote-control R2D2 robot are long-standing best-sellers), has recently started to adapt its business model, putting even more focus on quirky products. SkyMall is also in the process of launching a mobile app. "One of the larger shifts in the last several years is we've become extremely product-centric," says Darin Geiger, SkyMall's director of merchandizing. "We want to be proactive in finding what's new and unique. To that end, we've been going to a lot more trade shows, searching the globe for those new products." Some of its biggest sellers, notes Geiger, are sports paraphernalia and pet products. Though he says SkyMall's customer base appreciates functionality, it's some of the stranger and more original products that capture the imagination. "First, we look at products that are new to market, or solve problems. Then, we look for those social-media type products that our marketing team can have a lot of fun with," he adds.
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To make money, airlines are pushing everything from craft beer to cars .
In addition to Mini Coopers, airBaltic sells branded shoes .
airBaltic was also the first airline to accept Bitcoins for payment .
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168da7811a0408b62eeac65b0351ea4b52ea0b28
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A Myanmar court has denied a New Zealand bar manager bail after he was arrested for allegedly insulting Bhuddism in Facebook marketing for his nightspot in the capital Yangon. Philip Blackwood, general manager of the newly opened VGastro tapas bar and nightclub, posted a promotional image of a psychedelic Buddha wearing headphones to the bar's Facebook page. The 32-year-old was arrested by Myanmar police on Wednesday, along with owner Tun Thurein, 40, and manager Htut Ko Ko Lwin, 26, after an official from Myanmar's Religious Department complained about the advertising. The bar has since been shuttered-up. 'They were trying to promote the bar. Buddha grabs people's interest... however, Buddhists cannot accept it,' a police official told reporters. The trio appeared in court on Thursday and were remanded in custody until the next hearing on December 18, when they will face two charges of breaching the country's Religion Act. New Zealand national Philip Blackwood, center, is escorted by Myanmar police officers following a court appearance in Yangon, Myanmar. Blackwood, the manager of VGastro Bar in Yangon, was arrested for allegedly insulting Buddhism after posting a promotional image of a psychedelic Buddha wearing headphones to the bar's facebook page . According to the Act, anyone who attempts to insult, destroy or damage any religion can be punished by a maximum of two years in jail, with another two-year penalty for those who try to insult religion through the written word. 'It is a no-bail offence,' Judge Ye Lwin said. 'We will give you the right of defence on December 18.' Around 30 monks and 20 ordinary citizens gathered at the court on Thursday. 'The whole public was insulted by the posting of the improper Buddha photograph,' a monk called Thusita from the Burmese Patriot Monks Union told reporters. 'We will wait and see what action the authorities take. We will do what we need to, if the authorities do not take action,' he added. A Buddhist monk tries to take a photo of New Zealander Philip Blackwood as he gets into a police vehicle outside the court in Yangon, Myanmar, on Thursday . VGastro Bar employee Htut Ko Ko Lwin is escorted to a police vehicle after appearing in court in Yangon on Thursday. The trio could face two years in jail for breaching Myanmar's Religion Act . The image was quickly removed from the Facebook page and replaced by an apology from VGastro Management expressing 'sincere regret' for having offended 'the citizens of this wonderful city.' 'Our ignorance is embarrassing for us,' read the statement. But the apology attracted a slew of angry comments from Burmese social media users including one which decried the bar management as 'utterly unprofessional and culturally insensitive.' V Gastro bar, which opened just two weeks ago. swiftly deleted the insulting image and posted this apology on its Facebook page . The arrests come as Myanmar grapples with a growing Buddhist nationalist movement, spearheaded by extremist monks who have urged boycotts of Muslim shops and proposed a raft of laws to restrict religious freedoms. Their rise has accompanied several bouts of religious violence between Muslims and Buddhists. The arrests come during a surge of religious nationalism in Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country .
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A New Zealand man has been arrested in Myanmar for allegedly insulting Buddhism in Facebook advertising for the Yangon bar he managed .
32-year-old Philip Blackwood was arrested on Wednesday, along with the bar's owner and another Myanmar employee .
The trio were remanded in custody by a Myanmar court on Thursday and could face two years in prison .
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168f2f2633faf659fc790bf73d1166fae51830e6
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By . Simon Tomlinson . PUBLISHED: . 07:58 EST, 7 April 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 08:08 EST, 7 April 2012 . A boy who was once so sick he was read his last rites three times is preparing to celebrate becoming a teenager. Connor Shaw’s family thought they would never see him grow up after he was diagnosed with a rare heart defect when he was a baby. But football-mad Connor, from Chorlton, Manchester, has made a remarkable recovery after getting a new heart nine years ago - and now he's planning to mark his 13th birthday by throwing a party. Teenage dream: Brave Connor Shaw is planning to celebrate his 13th birthday, a milestone his family thought would be unimaginable after he was diagnosed with a rare heart defect . His mum Maria Chebrika-Shaw, 45, hopes to raise hundreds of pounds for the British Heart Foundation by selling tickets for the bash. Incredible journey: With the help of the British Heart Foundation, Manchester City fan Connor has been given some amazing experiences, including a meeting with his idol, Blues keeper Joe Hart . She described how her son had been on an . ‘amazing journey’ in the past few years - with the British Heart . Foundation organising for him to run out at Wembley and Old Trafford as a . mascot for the England football and cricket teams. The City fan, who received treatment at Francis House Hospice, Didsbury, also met one of his football heroes, Blues keeper Joe Hart. Maria said: 'We just wanted to say a big thank-you to all the people who have lent their help and support to Connor and taken an interest in his life so far. 'At the age of four, we weren’t sure if he would grow up to be a teenager. 'All his birthdays are special but this is his first party where it will be more than just his family.' Connor was diagnosed at birth with a hypoplastic left ventricle, which meant only half his heart worked. The condition left him so close to death he was read his last rites on three occasions. He had a 10-hour transplant operation as a three-year-old and has since had numerous operations. He is now on daily medication to make sure his body does not reject the new heart. Connor . reaches his milestone birthday on August 10 and his birthday party will . be at the Hough End Centre, Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton. He said: 'I am really excited about my 13th birthday party. I will be a teenager. Amazing fightback: Connor shortly after his heart transplant at the age of four, which has given him a new lease of life . Giving something back: Connor with his mother, Maria, who hopes his 13th birthday party will raise money for the British Heart Foundation . Special memories: Connor with Australia cricket captain Ricky Ponting and his England counterpart Michael Vaughan during the coin toss at a match in August 2005 . 'I hope people will come as well and raise money for the British Heart Foundation.' Maria is looking for help from local businesses to provide raffle prizes and buffet food for the party. If you can help out - or would like tickets for the event, which cost £10 - email Maria on mchebrika@ntlworld.com.
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Brave Connor Shaw planning to throw party to raise money for heart charity .
Family feared the worst when diagnosed with rare heart defect as a baby .
But has made incredible recovery after getting a new heart nine years ago .
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168f42b78b7534650fef069d91c9b70de75c3774
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Eight Los Angeles police officers violated department policy for use of deadly force when they shot two women during last year's manhunt for renegade ex-officer Christopher Dorner, police chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday. "I sympathize with the officers, but I have a very high standard for the application of deadly force and the shooting did not meet that standard," Beck told reporters. Margie Carranza, 47, and her mother, Emma Hernandez, 71, were shot as police searched for Dorner, a former police officer who was wanted for killing several people in early February 2013. The two women were in a pickup truck similar to the one authorities said Dorner was driving and the officers had received reports that the suspect was in the area. 'A tragic cascade of circumstance' The police chief said Tuesday that state law prohibits him from discussing punishment for individual officers. "Discipline could be anywhere from extensive retraining up to termination," according to Beck. "All officers involved have been assigned to non-field duty since this event occurred." The two women were out delivering morning newspapers when they were shot. Beck said one of the officers mistook the sound of a paper hitting the ground as a gunshot and opened fire, followed by other officers also firing their weapons. "This was a tragic cascade of circumstance that led to an inaccurate conclusion by the officers," Beck said. Hernandez was shot twice in the back and Carranza suffered injuries from broken glass. City settles . They agreed to split a $4.2 million settlement, attorneys for the city and the women told reporters in April. The Los Angeles City Council approved the payout in June. Earlier, the women received $40,000 to replace their bullet-riddled pickup truck in a separate settlement. Dorner died February 12 while holed up in a cabin in Bear Lake, California, that caught fire when police fired tear gas canisters into it. Days before, he had killed four people and wounded three others as part of a vendetta against his former comrades before apparently taking his own life in the cabin. Dorner declared war on police in a manifesto after being fired by the LAPD in 2009 and losing appeals to be reinstated, claiming that racism in the police department was behind him losing his job.
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"I have a very high standard for the application of deadly force," police chief Charlie Beck says .
Discipline for the eight officers could range from retraining up to termination .
Emma Hernandez was shot in the back and Margie Carranza was injured by broken glass .
Ex-officer Christopher Dorner declared war on police after being fired by the LAPD .
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168faedfb21d6a48bd9070241020b5b866b7e41b
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(CNN) -- Just when many colleges have started sending out their acceptances, director Paul Weitz's "Admission," a comedy set in a fictionalized Princeton University admissions office, has debuted in movie theaters across the country. The film is off to a so-so start at the box office, but its timing could not be better for drawing in high school seniors and their parents. Tina Fey, in the role of Portia Nathan, an admissions officer with a screwball love life, gives us a lot to laugh at in "Admission," but as a college professor who has served on his school's admissions committee, I found myself doing more squirming than laughing as I watched the film. What had me squirming was the focus of "Admission," Portia's efforts to gain entry into Princeton for Jeremiah Balakian, a brilliant student, who was a screwup at his local New Hampshire high school but who has found himself at Quest, a nearby progressive, prep school. Jeremiah is the classic diamond in the rough. He has gotten fives on all his advanced placement tests, despite never having taken an AP course, and he is near 800 (the top score) on his College Boards. But Portia, whose motives for helping Jeremiah are personal and professional, cannot convince her fellow admissions officers that Jeremiah is right for Princeton. After they vote to reject him, she takes matters into her own hands. In the middle of the night, she sneaks into the Princeton admissions office and changes Jeremiah's folder from deny to accept. The result is a blessing for Jeremiah but the end of Portia's career in college admissions. What worried me -- and will, I assume, worry high school students and their parents -- is the film's implication that the only way a diamond in the rough gets into a college such as Princeton is through an admissions officer willing to sacrifice her best interests. My Harvard undergraduate experience, as well as my current Sarah Lawrence experience, tells me that admissions officers are a lot smarter than "Admission" suggests. The admission officers I know find it easy to advocate for the student with great grades or the 220-pound halfback who likes physics or the cellist who has played in the local symphony, but their eureka moment comes in discovering the promising student everyone else has ignored. Still, I take the larger point of "Admission" -- namely, these days getting into a prestigious college has become a blood sport. As Portia tells herself in the Jean Hanff Korelitz novel on which "Admission" is based, "The system as far as she was concerned was not about the applicant at all. It was about the institution. It was about delivering to the trustees, and to a lesser extent the faculty, a United Nations of scholars, an Olympiad of athletes, a conservatory of artists and musicians, a Great Society of strivers." Colleges want students who will enhance their ratings and their brand, which means many worthy applicants get left behind. At the country's most selective colleges and universities, only 3 percent of the students come from the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. Even worse, at all too many high schools, it is hard for aspiring students to get help on their college applications. A 2010 Public Agenda study found that across the nation the ratio of high school students to guidance counselors was 460 to 1. What are good students and their parents supposed to do then? Here "Admission" provides no checklist of answers, but its satire on the workings of a fictionalized Princeton (last year the real Princeton took in just 2,095 of the 26,664 who applied), provides solid, commonsense advice. "Admission" tells students and their parents that although the Princetons of America offer a great education, those who obsess over gaining admission to them are, in most cases, headed for disappointment. They are letting themselves play a game in which there are certain to be more losers than winners. Equally important, "Admission" asserts that landing a spot in a prestigious college (Portia is a Dartmouth graduate) does not guarantee a happy post-college life. Indeed, if there is an overriding message in "Admission," it is: Don't lose perspective. The one truly shallow moment in the film comes when the director of Princeton admissions complains to his staff that U.S. News & World Report has lowered Princeton to No. 2 in its rankings. The director is deeply upset by the downgrade. He believes, as all too many parents and their children do in real life, that the quality of an education can be measured like a baseball batting average or the carats in a diamond ring. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Nicolaus Mills.
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Nicolaus Mills: New film starring Tina Fey exaggerates the plight of college admissions staff .
He says admissions officers don't have to go to extraordinary lengths to admit unusual applicant .
Film properly sends message not to lose perspective over college admissions, Mills says .
Mills: Landing a spot in a prestigious college doesn't guarantee happiness in life .
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If you ever need inspiration to hide the chocolate tin then Lorraine Fisher and her daughter Fay are it. The chocoholic duo managed to lose eight stone combined after ditching their beloved treat. Lorraine, 45, and Fay, 19, from Lichfield, West Midlands, would munch on their favourite chocolate bars throughout the day, even skipping meals in favour of the snack. Then and now: Lorraine and Fay Fisher have managed to lose eight stone between them, right, by cutting out their favourite chocolate snacks . What a difference a year makes: Over the course of 15 months Fay lost more than five stone . Needs a new wardrobe: At her biggest Fay was a size 26 and felt unhappy about her body . Fay said: 'I used to eat at least four bars of chocolate a day - as well as chocolate on toast for breakfast and a chocolate pudding in the evening. But I hated how much weight I'd put on, I was a size 26 and couldn't look at myself in the mirror.' As a result of her sweet tooth, Fay weighed 18st 2lbs and said her size made her feel low in confidence. She said: 'People would call me fat and obese, and stare at me in the street. I couldn't fit in a pair of jeans, the only things I could ever wear was leggings.' It was an embarrassing incident abroad that was the last straw for Fay. She said: 'I was going on holiday with my friends to Greece and I couldn't fit the plane seat belt around me. I had to be given an extension and it was just mortifying. 'The holiday was horrible because I felt so awful - walking around in the heat made me so hot, and lying on the beach made me feel so uncomfortable. 'I realised I finally needed to sort my weight out, that's when I told Mum I was going to join Weight Watchers.' At the time, Lorraine was 16st 2lbs and had been advised by her doctors to lose weight. Thanks to her daughter's decision to diet, the mother-of-three decide the time was right for her to also finally try and beat the bulge. She explained: 'The doctors had referred me to a weight loss management programme, but apart from half a stone here and there I wasn't very successful. 'But when Fay told me she wanted me to go with her (to Weight Watchers) I thought it was the perfect opportunity. Before I was eating massive portions - I'd pile my food up into a mountain on my plate. I wouldn't eat anything at lunch, instead I'd just munch on chocolate and junk food throughout the day.' Bad habits: Before embarking on their diet Fay and Lorraine would snack on chocolate bars every single day, even having chocolate for breakfast . Transformed: Lorraine was told by her doctor that she needed to lose weight (left) but she struggled to get herself motivated before Fay decided to do it with her . Simmed down: Fay proudly shows off her weightloss certificate and new figure . The pair went to their first Weight Watchers meet just 15 months ago and haven't looked back. Fay, a student, has lost 5st 10lb, dropping to 12st 12lbs, while Lorraine has lost 2st 13lbs and is now 13st 5lbs. The pair said they couldn't have done it with each other's support. Lorraine revealed: 'It's been an amazing experience to have with my daughter. Fay has kept me going and her weight loss has been an inspiration to me. 'If it wasn't for her I'd have given up months ago. I feel so much better now and I go to the gym between four and five times a week.' Fay added: 'I couldn't have done it without my mum's support. We've been there for each other from the beginning and it's even brought us closer.' Fay and Lorraine managed to loose eight stone between them. Now they have a much healthier diet which includes a lot less chocolate! Breakfast . Four pieces of chocolate spread on Toast . Snack . Chocolate bar and pringles . Lunch . Sandwiches with lots of egg mayo . Snack . Chocolate bar . Dinner . Whatever Lorraine cooked - sometimes big portions of chicken and potato, with a warm chocolate pudding for dessert . Breakfast . Porridge and a banana . Snack . Grapes . Lunch . Soup with Weight Watchers bread . Snack . Weight Watchers crisps . Dinner . Healthy recipes which Lorraine cooks, like chicken with vegetables and a Weight Watchers chocolate bar snack .
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Fay used to be a dress size 26 and weighed 18st 2lbs .
Her mother Lorraine weighed 16st 2lbs .
They used to consume at least four bars of chocolate a day .
Often skipped meals in favour of the snack .
Changed their ways after joining Weight Watchers .
Now Fay weighs 12st 12lbs and Lorraine 13st 5lbs .
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(CNN) -- The Archdiocese of Dublin and other Catholic Church authorities in Ireland covered up clerical child abuse until the mid-1990s, according to a government-commissioned report released Thursday. The Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation's 720-page report said that it has "no doubt that clerical child sexual abuse was covered up" from January 1975 to May 2004, the time covered by the report. "The Dublin Archdiocese's pre-occupations in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse, at least until the mid 1990s, were the maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the Church, and the preservation of its assets," the report said. "The welfare of children, which should have been the first priority, was not even a factor to be considered in the early stages," it said. "Instead the focus was on the avoidance of scandal and the preservation of the good name, status and assets of the institution and of what the institution regarded as its most important members -- the priests." Archbishop Diarmuid Martin apologized Thursday in a news conference. "No words of apology can ever be sufficient," he said. And Dermot Ahern, Ireland's justice minister, said he felt a "a growing sense of revulsion and anger" as he read the report. "Bottom line is this: A collar will protect no villain," he said. The commission was set up in March 2006 to look into allegations of child sexual abuse made against clergy in the Irish capital. Its report was completed in July. Although the commission said it was not its place to "establish whether or not abuse occurred ... it is abundantly clear ... that child sexual abuse by clerics was widespread throughout the period." One victim, Marie Collins, said those who covered up the abuse were just as guilty as the perpetrators of the crimes. "How many people accused of abuse are still sitting in parishes today?" she asked in a Thursday news conference. The commission examined the histories of 46 priests, who were picked as a sample from 102 who had had complaints or suspicions of child abuse raised against them. Complaints from more than 320 children were leveled against the 46, the report said. But it said that the number of children abused likely exceeded that. "One priest admitted to sexually abusing over 100 children, while another accepted that he had abused on a fortnightly basis during the currency of his ministry which lasted for over 25 years," the report said. "The total number of documented complaints recorded against those two priests is only just over 70." In its analysis of the 46 priests, the commission said that all four archbishops -- Archbishops John Charles McQuaid, Dermot Ryan, Kevin McNamara, and Desmond Connell -- who served during the time period covered by the report handled the child sexual abuse complaints "badly." "Not one of them reported his knowledge of child sexual abuse to the Gardai (the Irish police force) throughout the 1960s, 1970s, or 1980s," the report said. The commission did credit Connell, who took over the archdiocese in 1988, with giving Irish authorities in 1995 the names of 17 priests against whom complaints had been made -- although it called the number incomplete, saying that there was "knowledge within the Archdiocese of at least 28 priests against whom there had been complaints." They said he was "slow to recognize the seriousness of the situation." Connell also gave authorities permission to access the archdiocesan files in 2002. Connell, a cardinal, apologized in a written statement. "I wish to express without reservation my bitter regret that failures on my part contributed to the suffering of victims in any form," he said. "Although I am all too aware that such apologies and expressions of regret can never be adequate as a response to so much hurt and violation and, in any case, lose their value through repetition, I apologize again now from my heart and ask the forgiveness of those who have been so shamefully harmed." The report named 11 priests who had pleaded guilty to or were convicted of sexual assaults on children. Of the other 35, it gave pseudonyms to 33 of them and redacted the names of two. The report shot down the notion that church leadership was unaware of the problem. "The Archdiocese of Dublin and other Church authorities have repeatedly claimed to have been, prior to the late 1990s, 'on a learning curve' in relation to the matter," it said. However, it said McNamara, Ryan and McQuaid had information on complaints against at least 17 priests when the Archdiocese took out insurance in 1987 to cover future compensation claims and lawsuits related to sexual abuse allegations. "The taking out of insurance was an act proving knowledge of child sexual abuse as a potential major cost to the Archdiocese and is inconsistent with the view that Archdiocesan officials were still 'on a learning curve' at a much later date, or were lacking in an appreciation of the phenomenon of clerical child sex abuse," it said. The report also said church officials perpetuated the problem by ignoring allegations and in some cases simply moved an alleged abuser on to another parish -- leaving him free to abuse another group of children. Thursday's findings follow a report that came out in May, detailing allegations of child abuse in various institutions across Ireland from the 1940s to the present. Though both reports deal with child abuse, they are not related, having been written by two separate commissions investigating two different subjects. The May report looked at child abuse in lay institutions, including reformatories, hospitals, orphanages, children's homes and industrial schools across the country. Some of those institutions were linked to religious orders, but none were strictly religious schools. Speaking last month after the Irish High Court cleared the way for Thursday's report to be made public, Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said he was pleased the information would not be kept private. "I have always made it clear that I have been anxious to put the report into the public domain as quickly as possible, while at the same time not wishing to do anything which would prejudice the chances of any of the people involved in these evil deeds being brought to justice," Ahern said in a statement. CNN's Atika Shubert contributed to this report.
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New report examines abuse abuse between January 1975 and May 2004 .
Earlier report detailed allegations of child abuse in institutions across Ireland .
Some of those institutions were linked to religious orders .
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin: "No words of apology can be sufficient"
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By . Matt Blake . Murdered: Rohan Gucchait, a pupil at the All Saints High School in Mumbai, was kidnapped more than a week ago by an electrician hired by his father, a jeweler, to wiork on the family home near Mumbai . A murder-kidnap gang are facing the death penalty in India after the dismembered body of a 12-year-old-boy was found near a flower market. Rohan Gucchait, a pupil at the All Saints High School in Mumbai, had been kidnapped more than a week ago by an electrician hired by his father, a jeweler, to work on his house. Ishtiyaq Sayyed Shaikh, 37, spent 11 days masterminding a plan to kidnap the boy in return for ransom, painstakingly plotting the family's movements from a secret vantage point that overlooked their home. But the plan went awry when he phoned the boy's parents to demand 5,000,000 rupees (£50,000)... only to find they were already reporting their son's disappearance to police. Rather than give himself up and release the boy, Sheikh ordered his accomplices to strangle him instead and chop the body into pieces with an electric saw. They then scattered the boy's body parts about APMC flower market in Kalyan, near Mumbai. All five men now face the death penalty after they were arrested and charged with kidnap and murder. The abduction took place at around 11am on April 17, when Shaikh arrived on a motorbike at the housing complex in which the Gucchaits lived telling Rohan his father wanted to see him at his shop. He already knew the boy would be home alone because he had been charting the family's movements for over a week. CCTV later captured Shaikh driving out of the complex with Rohan riding pillion. About two hours later, the two stepped into a sports shop, police said, where Shaikh bought a cricket bat for Rs1,400 and told Rohan to check it outside, where his four accomplices lay in wait. Gruesome: Rather than give himself up and release the boy, Sheikh ordered his accomplices to strangle Roshan instead and chop the body into pieces with an electric saw. They hid his body parts around the APMC flower market in Kalyan, near Mumbai . Callous: The AMPC flower market is a bustling hub of local trade . They grabbed the boy, bundled him into a van and drove away. But the kidnapper had not expected Rohan's parents to go straight to the police when their son did not return home. Tragically, by the time Shaikh made the ransom call, Mr and Mrs Gucchait were already at the police station. Shaikh learned that he was being hunted by detectives when the parents returned home, overhearing a conversation from his spy position. So, that same night, he arranged for the boy to be killed. His body parts had been scattered about several locations, all near the flower . market. The parts were then recovered after Shaikh made a full . confession. Police said the electrician turned killer was driven by greed and plotted his crime over 11 days, carefully plotting the movements of the boy and his family. It was Shaikh who had told the boy he was wanted at his father's shop, and kidnapped him on the way, they said.
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Rohan Gucchait was strangled and chopped to pieces with an electric saw .
Ishtiyaq Sayyed Shaikh, 37, and 4 accomplices now face the death penalty .
Shaikh plotted the kidnap for 11 days, spying on family from vantage point .
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A stray kitten who lost her right front paw in a mousetrap while looking for food has been adopted by new owners. The tiny black and white cat was almost killed by her curiosity when the trap slammed shut on her leg and left her facing an agonising and slow death. But luckily a passer-by heard her faint cries coming from a garden in Lewknor, Oxfordshire, and took her to a local pet charity. Staff named her Babybel after the small cheese and sent her to an animal hospital in London where vets performed the amputation. Scroll down for video . Home sweet home: Babybel the kitten relaxing on the sofa in her new home in Thame, Oxfordshire . Babybel not long after the operation to remove her front paw, an operation that undoubtedly saved her life . Fearless: Babybel lost her leg when looking for food and getting it caught in a mousetrap . Despite having only three legs, Babybel is fearless say her new owners and 'jumps around like a rabbit' Cristina Bull, a veterinary surgeon at the charity, said that the trap had caused irreversible neurological damage which, along with an infection to the wound, had prompted the amputation. She said: 'Babybel was very lucky she was found otherwise she wouldn't have survived much longer.' She was then taken in by the Blue Cross animal rescue charity who feared her injury would prevent her from finding a new home. But Babybel can now look forward to a life of comfort after being adopted by animal lover Tasha Henderson who wanted a friend for her four-year-old cat George. Despite losing a front paw in a mousetrap Babybel is not afraid of the devices and still loves running around . Babybel has all the comforts she could possibly want in her new home in Thame, Oxfordshire . Tasha, 37, mother to three-year-old son Albie, said that the cat was 'fearless' despite her traumatic ordeal - and still loves to nibble on a piece of cheese. Tasha, who lives with her husband Adrian, 40, in Thame, Oxon, said: 'We wanted to get a kitten and had been on the list at Blue Cross for three months. Tasha Henderson had been on the Blue Cross waiting list for three months when she saw Babybel . 'Then we saw the pictures of her and thought she was adorable. 'We've had her a couple of weeks now and she's absolutely mad. she jumps all over the place like a rabbit. 'She is totally fearless and after what happened she isn't scared of anything. She will even eat cheese.' Blue Cross has cared for over 40,000 sick, injured and homeless pets every year since it opened the world's first animal hospital in 1906. Babybel explores her new home and has some crunchy treats to eat to keep her strength up . 'We've had her a couple of weeks now and she's absolutely mad. she jumps all over the place like a rabbit,' says Babybel's new owners .
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Kitten got paw caught in trap while looking for food in Oxfordshire garden .
Blue Cross vets feared cat, named Babybel, would never be re-homed .
Adopted by animal lover Tasha Henderson as friend for her cat George, 4 .
Despite having three legs, Babybel 'jumps all over the place like a rabbit'
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1694d12af4f510cd51449600fa3363a0cba38aad
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(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama cautioned supporters Thursday against becoming complacent during the final days leading up to the election, noting he lost the New Hampshire primary despite a lead in the polls. After debating Sen. John McCain, Sen. Barack Obama says there's still plenty of campaigning to be done. "For those of you who are feeling giddy or cocky and think this is all set, I just [have] two words for you: New Hampshire," the Democratic presidential nominee said during a fundraiser breakfast in New York. "You know I've been in these positions before where we were favored and the press starts getting carried away and we end up getting spanked. And so that's another good lesson that Hillary Clinton taught me." About 10 hours after debating Sen. John McCain, Obama urged top campaign contributors at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan to not be overconfident, despite leading in a number of national polls. A CNN Poll of Polls calculated Wednesday showed him leading 51 percent to 42 percent. "We've got 19 days," Obama said. "We're going to have to work absolutely as hard as we've ever worked in our lives in order to just to get to the start of what is going to be a very difficult and very challenging but ultimately a very fulfilling four years where we can get this country back on track." Watch more of Obama's comments » . Hours later, Obama spoke to a crowd in Londonderry, New Hampshire, lashing out at McCain's debate tactics. "Well, New Hampshire, last night we had a debate. I think you saw a bit of the McCain attack strategy in action," he said. "But here's what Sen. McCain doesn't seem to understand: With the economy in turmoil and the American dream at risk, the American people don't want to hear politicians attack each other -- you want to hear about how we're going to attack the challenges facing middle-class families each and every day." Obama urged McCain to "debate our genuine differences on the issues that matter" rather than making the Arizona senator's campaign "all about me." "The truth is, this campaign is about you. It's about your jobs. It's about your health care. It's about your retirement. It's about your children's future," he added. Watch Obama discuss the economy » . McCain, speaking at an event in Downington, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, touched on his debate performance. "We had a good debate last night. It was a lot of fun. ... I thought I did pretty well," he said to loud cheers. McCain reiterated his position for taking America forward as economists say a recession is all but inevitable. "We can't spend the next four years waiting for our luck to change ... I'll take us in a new direction," he said. "Our troubles are getting worse, our enemies watch and we have to fight, and that's what I'll do for you ... I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it." McCain also urged voters there to help him win Pennsylvania -- a state where a CNN Poll of Polls shows Obama leading his counterpart 50 percent to 40 percent. "I need your vote. We will carry Pennsylvania. ... We need your help. ... It's a close race, my friends," he said. McCain also responded to Obama's assertions that his crowds are unruly and use dangerous language to describe the Illinois senator. "I cannot tell you about how proud I am of you," he said. It was a line that he used in Wednesday night's debate. iReport.com: Obama survived knock-out punch . Obama and McCain are scheduled to speak Thursday night at the Alfred E. Smith dinner, a political tradition that dates back to 1945. It honors the first Catholic ever nominated for president and was begun by Francis J. Spellman, the archbishop of New York's Roman Catholic Archdiocese at the time. The Republican presidential nominee will also appear on the "Late Show with David Letterman," after canceling an earlier appearance, which left the host fuming. Also Thursday, McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, sounded a note of triumph about Wednesday's presidential debate while campaigning in Bangor, Maine. "They [Obama and Democratic vice presidential nominee Joe Biden] look to the past because they'd rather run against the current administration, it sounds like, and that strategy though, thankfully, it's really starting to wear very very thin," Palin said. "As John McCain reminded Barack Obama last night, if he wanted to run against George Bush, he had his chance four years ago. This year, the name on the ballot is John McCain -- and America knows that John McCain is his own man, he is the maverick." Though Maine has trended Democratic for nearly two decades, the McCain campaign is making a push in the state's rural 2nd Congressional District, which is allotted one electoral vote independent of how the state votes at large. Despite the McCain camp's efforts, the Republican National Committee has stopped running advertisements in the state. Palin later traveled to Elon, North Carolina. At an afternoon rally at Elon University, near Greensboro, Palin pressed the audience to stand firm against accusations of negative campaigning, and told them to pay "close attention" to Obama's record. "It's not mean-spirited and it's not negative campaigning when you call someone out on their record," she said. "So don't let anyone, don't let them make you believe that you're being negative or mean-spirited or unpatriotic or unfair when you are asking about somebody's record, OK?" After the rally, Palin continued on to a fundraiser at a home in Greensboro. Biden is traveling to Los Angeles, California, taping appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and the "Ellen Degeneres Show." CNN political producer Ed Hornick contributed to this report.
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NEW: Palin in North Carolina: Pay "close attention" to Obama's record .
Obama to New Hampshire crowd: McCain has become "all about me"
McCain says "I thought I did pretty well" in Wednesday's debate .
Obama: I was ahead in New Hampshire, and we wound up "getting spanked"
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(CNN) -- Much-needed rain fell across drought-stricken Texas on Sunday, offering relief but no end to what's been one of the state's driest years on record. Some areas received more rain in a day than had fallen all summer. Waco, Texas, where temperatures hit at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit 78 days this year, received 5.83 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Dallas got 1.37 inches of rain, while San Antonio received 3.06 inches -- a record for the date. The weather service forecast rainfall amounts over the central and southern Plains of 1-3 inches per hour, with totals of more than 10 inches possible in some places by Monday morning. "This should put a significant dent in the ongoing severe drought over portions of the area, but this amount of rain in a short period of time could also lead to possible flash flooding across northern Texas and Oklahoma," the weather service said. It added that drought conditions are expected to persist because of the magnitude of the shortage. With much of the state in an exceptional drought, Texas has been scarred by one of the worst fire seasons in memory. Since wildfire season started in November, more than 3.8 million of the state's 167.5 million acres have burned in some 24,000 fires, according to the Texas Forest Service. Roughly 2,800 homes were destroyed. "What the state needs is several widespread rainfall events over several months," the weather service said. Heavy rains and slippery field conditions at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington forced the postponement Sunday of the second game of the American League Championship Series. Weather permitting, the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers will make up the game Monday afternoon. CNN's Jacqui Jeras contributed to this report.
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Some areas receive more rain in a day than they had all summer .
Drought conditions are expected to persist .
Texas has been scarred by one of the worst fire seasons in memory .
Baseball playoff game postponed till Monday .
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16962c83c4c078d0a3675758aa8f4b643364e57f
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Kate Middleton may get the most royal media attention, but there's another royal who is set to take the world by storm - Maria-Olympia of Greece. The 18-year-old, whose parents are Crown Princess Marie-Chantal and Crown Prince Pavlos, is quickly becoming the new royal 'It' girl, thanks to her mother's Instagram page, where she proudly posts pictures of Olympia and her brothers. Olympia was featured in this month's issue of W, where she struck a pose in a series of haute couture ensembles for the magazine's 'New Royals' spread. Make way for Olympia: Kate Middleton may get the most royal media attention, but there's another royal who is set to take the world by storm - Maria-Olympia of Greece (pictured) Social media royalty: The 18-year-old's parents are Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, who frequently posts pictures of Olympia and her brothers on Instagram. Pictured: Olympia in Capri, Italy . Olympia, who studies drama, history of art, graphics and photography in London, is quickly making her mark on the city's social scene; she was even featured on the cover of Tatler in February. She was photographed close-up and in black and white for the cover image of the issue, which bore the headline: Teen Princess - Olympia of Greece: The Most Eligible Girl in the World. Born in New York and raised in London, she is the eldest of five children and the only girl of the bunch. She lives with her parents and her brothers - 15-year-old Prince Constantine-Alexios, 13-year-old Prince Achileas-Andreas, nine-year-old Prince Odysseas-Kimon, and five-year-old Prince Aristidis-Stavros. Family: Born in New York and raised in London, Olympia is the eldest of five and the only girl of the bunch . In their genes: Olympia (right) and her mother could pass for sisters as they both give their best pout in a car . Expensive tastes: And a scroll through Princess Marie-Chantal's Instgram page reveals just how lavishly they live - from yacht trips down the Mediterranean to attending fashion shows in the front row . Cover girl: Olympia starred on the cover of UK glossy magazine Tatler in February. The issue bore the headline: Teen Princess - Olympia of Greece: The Most Eligible Girl in the World . And a scroll through Princess Marie-Chantal's Instgram page reveals just how lavishly they live - from yacht trips down the Mediterranean to skiing holidays in the Alps to sharing a private jet with Valentino. The Italian fashion designer, who designed the gown Marie-Chantal wore for her wedding in 1995, is just one of the famous figures this royal clan has befriended. In July, the Crown Princess and her daughter attended Valentino's runway show at Paris Fashion Week, where Olympia was seated on the front row next to Emma Watson. Famous friends: In July, the Crown Princess and her daughter attended Valentino's runway show at Paris Fashion Week, where Olympia was seated next to Emma Watson . Hitching a ride: A glamorous Olympia looks right at home on her father's vespa . Beach babe: Olympia (right) takes a bikini selfie with a view of the ocean in the background . Loved up: Olympia stands on a cobblestone street in Rome kissing a mystery boy - presumably her boyfriend . Marie-Chantal proudly posted a photo of the two young girls sitting side by side at the show, Olympia looking chic beyond her years in a sheer mauve dress. Olympia also posts photos on her own Instagram page, where she reveals what it's like to be a teen royal. One image sees her standing on a cobblestone street kissing a mystery boy - presumably her boyfriend. Becoming royal: Crown Princess Marie-Chantal - whose father is American billionaire Robert Warren Miller, the co-founder of duty-free shopping - married Prince Pavlos in 1995 (pictured) Fancy title: Even though Greece hasn't been a monarchy since the Seventies, Marie-Chantal and her husband are still known as Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess . Glamorous past: Before she married into the royal family Marie-Chantal worked for Andy Warhol (pictured in 1986) High places: Marie-Chantal is close friends with Italian designer Valentino, who designed her wedding dress. She even shared a private jet with him and posted a selfie from the air on Instagram . In another photo, she and her mother wear matching black lace dresses as they pose for the camera, their hair equally glossy and blonde. The family, who have a house in London and in Gloucestershire, spend their summers in Harbour Island, Bahamas, and their winters in Gstaad, Switzerland - where Prince Pavlos proposed to Marie-Chantal on a chair lift in 1994. In December 2012, Olympia shared a glimpse at her skiing holiday in the mountain town, where she rode on a sled with her cousin Talita von Furstenberg, 15, whose grandmother is designer Diane von Furstenberg. On vacation: The family spend their winters in Gstaad, Switzerland, where Prince Pavlos proposed to Marie-Chantal in 1994. (Pictured: Olympia with her cousin, Princess Talita von Furstenberg, 15) Let it snow: Olympia struck a pose in her ski goggles from a chairlift in the mountain town . Talita's mother is Alexandra von Furstenberg - Marie-Chantal's younger sister, who works as the image director for clothing label DvF. Alexandra, Marie-Chantal and their older sister Pia - often referred to as 'The Miller Sisters' - all married into very wealthy families; Pia's ex-husband is Getty Oil heir Christopher Ronald Getty. Marie-Chantal has a long history of associating with the rich and famous; before she married into the royal family, the London-born blonde - whose father was duty-free shopping co-founder Robert Warren Miller - worked for Andy Warhol. Trendy: Talita and Olympia show off their temporary tattoos as they sit in the waves on Harbour Island . Fashion family: Talita's (left, with Olympia) grandmother is designer Diane von Furstenberg. Her mother is Alexandra von Furstenberg, Marie-Chantal's younger sister, who works for clothing label DvF. Friends: Despite being three years apart, Olympia (left) and Talita (right) are close and often spend time together . In June, she shared a picture of herself with the late great artist, captioning the photo: 'Found this in a box of photos. Andy Warhol and me 1986 #andywarhol #mariechantal'. Born in London, she was raised in Hong Kong until the age of nine, went she went to boarding school in Switzerland. In the Eighties she attended a bilingual school in Paris before transferring to the Masters School in New York for her senior year of high school. Could be twins: Olympia posted a photo of herself and her mother wear matching black lace dresses as they pose for the camera, their hair equally glossy and blonde . All dressed up: No doubt the teen has access to a wardrobe full of the very best designers . Behind the scenes: The stylish teen poses for her W magazine photo shoot . Siblings: Olympia holds hands with her youngest brother, Prince Aristidis-Stavros, five, on Harbour Island . Marie-Chantal began a degree in History of Art at NYU in 1993, but she dropped out after Prince Pavlos proposed to her the following year. The couple met on a blind date set up by New York investment banker Alecko Papamarkou, a mutual friend who was convinced they would hit it off. 'We clicked,' the Princess told Vanity Fair in 2008. 'It was love at first sight. I knew that he was the person I would marry.' High-class hobbies: Their lifestyle couldn't be more royal; Marie-Chantal recently shared a photo of her daughter snuggling up to a horse . Passions: Olympia studies drama, history of art, graphics and photography in London . Growing up: She celebrated her 18th birthday this year, which means she'll start college next year . Their wedding was the largest gathering of royals in London since Queen Elizabeth's wedding to Prince Philip in 1946. Among those who attended were the royal families of Britain, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Romania, Jordan and Bulgaria. The couple moved to Manhattan, where they had Olympia, before moving to London in 2002 so their children could have a European education. These days, Marie-Chantal runs her own eponymous children's clothing label, which is stocked in boutiques and stores worldwide. Wild child: The 18-year-old gets silly with pal Adrian Schachter, the 17-year-old son of London-based American art dealer Kenny Schachter . Partying: Olympia wore a figure-hugging pink ensemble to a friend's 18th birthday party in June . Rising star: The teen (right, with a friend) dressed as a tiger for Halloween last year . Even though Greece hasn't officially been a monarchy since the Seventies, Marie-Chantal and her husband are still known as Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and Crown Princess - and their children, too, are given these titles. And their lifestyle couldn't be more royal; in May, Marie-Chantal shared a photo of her daughter perched on a grand staircase in a bright pink tutu-inspired gown, looking every inch the modern princess. Another photo shows the teen cuddling up to a horse in a stable, her nose touching the animal's lovingly. Downtime: Judging by her Instagram, Olympia spends a lot of time holidaying in tropical locations - like Ibiza, Spain (pictured), where she celebrated her birthday in July . Watch out: She may not be a household name just yet, but Olympia is setting herself up for a bright future. She has said that she hopes to attend NYU next fall, with a view to pursue a career in fashion or photography . And Olympia looks carefree in a bikini in a shot from her own Instagram page, expertly doing a handstand on a beach in the Bahamas. She may not be a household name just yet, but Olympia is setting herself up for a bright future. She told Tatler that she hopes to attend NYU next fall, with a view to pursue a career in fashion or photography. She may not be a household name just yet, but Olympia is setting herself up for a bright future. She told Tatler that she hopes to attend NYU next fall, with a view to pursue a career in fashion or photography. When she's not bonding with her brothers or cousins, Olympia .
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Maria-Olympia's parents are Crown Princess Marie-Chantal and Crown Prince Pavlos, whose father was the King of Greece until the monarchy was abolished in 1973 .
Her mother is the daughter of American billionaire Robert Warren Miller, who co-founded duty-free shopping .
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Theses are the first heartbreaking photos to emerge of Alanna Gallagher, the little six-year-old girl found horrifically stripped, bound and and murdered in a quiet suburban Fort Worth neighborhood. The photos reveal an adorable child with no shortage of smiles for the camera. Neighbors said she was an inquisitive 'spitfire' who always seemed to have questions that betrayed an intellect beyond her young age. Alanna's body was found wrapped in a tarp a mile and a half from her home in Saginaw, Texas, on Monday night. She her hands and feet were bound, she had a plastic bag over her head and she was naked except for a pair of purple underwear. Police on Wednesday announced that the FBI has offered a $10,000 reward for anyone who helps them find the monster who abducted Alanna from her parents' house. Little angel: This is Alanna Gallagher, the six-year-old who was taken from her suburban Texas home and murdered on Monday night . Neighbors said the often saw the little girl riding her scooter up and down her street in the quiet neighborhood in Saginaw . Alanna is seen here with her father Karl, a defense contractor, and her mother Laura - along with her two older siblings . Horror in Texas: A little girl's body was found bound and naked under this plastic tarp in Saginaw, Texas, outside Fort Worth on Monday night . At a news conference, police spokesman . Damon Ing said investigators are tracking down several leads and have . already received numerous tips about the disappearance of little Alanna - . but they need to public's help to find her killer. Alanna's parents have been ruled out as suspects in the case, Ing said. Her mother and father have been meeting with police chaplains and grief . counselors since their daughter disappeared Monday night. Investigators say they are trying to figure out exactly when Alanna was taken from her home. Her body was found about 7.30pm about a mile and a half from her parents' house. They are also still searching for a red pickup truck with a green splotch that could be involved in the her murder. Saginaw police have set up to 24-hour tip lines for the public to leave potential information about the case. The phone numbers are 682-888-3682 and 682-888-3684.More than 100 people showed up for a . candle-light vigil at a nearby Methodist church Tuesday night to pray . for little Alanna. Residents also started a make-shift memorial on a . curb near where her body was found. By Tuesday night, the line of . stuffed animals, flowers and cards stretched half the block. Neighbors say the inquisitive girl with 'curly brown hair and a constant smile' loved to play alone outside in her front yard - but was cautious to always tell strangers they had to keep away. Neighbors said Alanna always seemed far smarter than other children her age and always seemed to ask mature questions . Perfect pumpkin: Alanna's father Karl Gallagher posted dozens of adoring photos of his daughter, and all his children, on his Facebook page . Alanna is seen here dressed a Little Bo Peep for Halloween. Neighbors said her father loved to take her trick-or-treating . Mourning: About 100 people turned out for a candle-light vigil to mourn the little girl ground brutally murdered . Searching: Police executed a search warrant on the girl's parents' home following her murder. The house is located about a mile and a half from where the body was found . 'She seemed smarter than the average (child her age), just because of the questions she’d always ask,' neighbor John Janus told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 'And . her parents are nice and very, very smart people. They like books. The . last time I was in their home, the front room looked like a library.' Mr Janus said he took his children with Alanna and her father on Halloween for the last few years. According to his Facebook page, Alanna's father Karl Gallagher graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and works as an engineer for a defense contractor. He posted dozens of pictures of his three children on his Facebook page. 'She was a precious little girl. I usually just saw her on her scooter,' neighbor Kay Stief told the Dallas Morning News. Many neighbors say they often saw her playing alone - either in her yard or on the neighborhood streets near her house. However, in the quiet suburban neighborhood, they said they usually didn't think too much of it. Police and the FBI searched the girl's home for several hours on Tuesday, carrying out boxes of documents and computers. This aerial image shows the tarp where the girl's body was found, lower right corner, in the middle of a quiet intersection . Murder: The FBI has joined the investigation after the horrifying discovery. No children from the area have been reported missing, so the case starts with few leads . FBI agents combed the area searching for evidence. The body was dumped in a conspicuous spot in a suburban neighborhood in Saginaw . A police spokesman said they were . interviewing the parents - though at they moment they were only trying . to confirm the timeline of when the girl was abducted from her home. The . girl's body was found about 7.30pm on Monday by 14-year-old Owen . Whiddon, who was riding his scooter through his neighborhood in Saginaw - . about a mile and a half from where the girl lived. He said he saw a tarp in the middle of an intersection, tightly rapped with a belt. 'I . said, "Well, let’s pick it up, let’s put it in the trash can," you . know, because we’re a clean community,' he told the Morning News. What he found shocked him to his core. He ran back home and told his mother: 'Mom, it’s a little girl.' Whiddon's friend Josh Smith, 18, told KXAS-TV that he is will never be the same after seeing the girl dead. 'At first, I just thought it was some . rubber stuff at first, and then I got a closer look and all I saw was a . bag and I saw some hair sticking out and so, I was like, "Oh my God! It’s a girl!"' he said. 'And that’s when I dropped to my knees and just started crying.' The girl's body was found in Saginaw, Texas, a city of 20,000 outside Forth Worth . Coping: Neighbors quickly set up a makeshift memorial on the curb for the little girl. It was torched along with the family's car Friday . Katie Whiddon, Owen's mother, told KTVT-TV that she didn't believe her son at first. When he convinced her he was telling the truth, she called 911. 'I was panicking. I was freaked out. How can somebody hurt a little girl?' she said. Ms Whiddon told KDFW-TV . that the girl was naked except for a bear of purple underwear and her . hands and feet were bound. She had a plastic grocery bag over her head. Police . say they are still not sure when the girl's body was dumped. Some . neighbors said they noticed the tarp in the road about noon. Others say . they didn't see it until about 7pm. Neighbors . said her father started looking for her about 9pm Tuesday - an hour and . a half after he body was found. They recalled him going door-to-door . asking if anyone had seen his daughter. 'You could tell on his face, he didn’t know what to do,' Mr Janus, the neighbor, told the Star-Telegram. 'It was like he was in shock and that he didn’t know where else to look.' Another . neighbor, Derinda, told the Morning News that she saw Alanna's mother . around that time, too. The neighbor said she didn't seem very worried . about her daughter. Derinda recalls the mother saying: 'I bet she’s over at a neighbor’s home. She always does this.' About . 9.15pm, Mr Janus said he saw Alanna's father walk over to two police . cruisers that had parked on his street. He believes that is when the . parents reported their young daughter missing. Alanna's two other siblings are staying with family friends while their parents are being questioned by police. Neighbors say they noticed a red . pickup truck with a green splotch on the rear passenger-side panel in . the neighborhood shortly before the body was found. Investigators . believe the driver may have something to do with the body and have . asked anyone with information about the truck to come forward.
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Teens playing in the street found the body of the girl .
Her hands and feet were bound and she was naked except for a pair of purple underwear .
FBI has joined the investigation and deemed the case a murder .
Police looking for red pickup truck with green splotch that was seen in the area when the girl's body was found .
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Beaming broadly in jumpers emblazoned with snowmen, reindeers and even a penguin, these images are proof that even the A-list aren't immune to the charms of of a thoroughly naff Christmas knit. This group of kind-hearted celebrities, including Myleene Klass and Julie Walters, have volunteered to show theirs off in public, all in the name of promoting Save The Children's Christmas Jumper Day. The fundraiser, which takes place on the 13th December, aims to raise money to help support vulnerable and poverty-stricken children around the world. Glamorous for a good cause: Myleene Klass (left) and Rochelle Humes (right) in their festive knits . Cheerful: TV presenter Lorraine Kelly opts for a bright and beautiful crimson snowman-emblazoned number . Among the comedy knits featured in the campaign is the cheerful crimson effort emblazoned with a smiling snowman worn by Lorraine Kelly, and Julie Walter's star spotted elf inspired jumper. Presenter Myleene Klass manages to pull off the trick of looking glamorous while sporting a blue Christmas knit and an elf hat, while The Saturday's Rochelle Humes is cool in her penguin printed number. Other celebrities to feature include comedian Dom Joly who appears cheerful in a green knit with Rudolph pictured on the front, and Gok Wan, who appears in a red jumper with a Christmas pudding on it and his pet dog in his arms. Next month's event is the second time Save the Children have held a Christmas Jumper Day and the charity hopes 2013 will build on the success of last year's fundraiser. The first Christmas Jumper Day saw more than 275,000 people sign up for the event and donate £1 or more to the cause. Last . year's tagline, 'Make The World Better With A Sweater' will also return . and brands such as John Lewis are working with the charity to help . boost the amount raised. Yes! A Christmas JUMPER! Bye! Comedian Dom Joly puts his phone down for his festive photograph . Strictly charity: Actress Julie Walters and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips in their jumpers . Festive: One Show presenter Alex Jones (left) and celebrity chef Simon Rimmer unveil their Christmas knits . A Save the Children spokesman said: 'We’re lucky to have a host of celebrity supporters behind the campaign who have dug out their festive knits to drive awareness and to get people donating. 'As well as posing in their Christmas jumpers, many of our celebrities will be helping out in other ways: Myleene Klass will be launching Woolly Wonderland - a pop up at Westfields where you can pimp your Christmas Jumper at customisation workshops - and Arlene Philips will be leading our attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people wearing Christmas jumpers in one room.' Although individual donations are expected to form the bulk of the money raised, the charity has launched group fundraising packs for schools, families and offices. If nothing else, raising money as a group will mean that you won't be the only person sporting a novelty knit on December 13th. Join Myleene Klass and co, and donate £1 by texting JUMPER to 70050 or visiting christmasjumperday.org.uk . Doggy style: Britain's Got Talent winner Ashleigh Butler and Gok Wan pose with their canine companions .
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The trio joined a host of other celebrities for the charity photoshoot .
Images released to promote Christmas Jumper Day on December 13th .
Other A-listers to feature include Lorraine Kelly and comedian Dom Joly .
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By . Steve Nolan . PUBLISHED: . 15:22 EST, 14 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:52 EST, 14 February 2013 . A Nike advert featuring Oscar Pistorius and describing him as like a 'bullet in the chamber' has been removed from the sprinter's website hours after he was charged with shooting dead his model girlfriend. A banner of the advert, thought to have been made in . 2011, was visible on Oscar Pistorius's website earlier yesterday but has . since been taken down. Alongside a time lapse picture of Paralympic gold medalist Pistorius springing from the starting blocks reads the caption: 'I am the bullet in the chamber.' It was removed just hours after he was charged with shooting dead Reeva Steenkamp at his Pretoria home. The 30-year-old model was shot four times in the head, chest and arm. Fallen star: An advert for Nike featuring Oscar Pistorius which read 'I am the bullet in the chamber' was pulled from the sprinter's web page hours after he allegedly shot dead his model girlfriend . Tragic: Sprinter Oscar Pistorius, left, has been charged with murder after Reeva Steenkamp, right, was shot dead at his home in Pretoria . Nike has extended its 'sympathy and . condolences to all families concerned' but refused to comment . further as the matter is now a police issue. Pistorius has long been the poster boy . of disabled sport, never more so than since he made headlines around . the globe competing at the Olympics and Paralympics in London last . summer. But with the champion sprinter making . headlines of a different nature after he allegedly shot dead Reeva . Steenkamp, 30, at his home in Pretoria, his star already appears to have . fallen. A television station has already also pulled an advertising campaign featuring Pistorius following his arrest. The South African station M-Net said . it is no longer using the adverts that were to promote its coverage of . the Oscars on February 23. Billboards featuring Pistorius in a suit with the slogan 'Every night is 'Oscar' night this February' were pictured being removed in Johannesburg yesterday. Taken down: Adverts for television coverage of the Oscars featuring Oscar Pistorius were seen being pulled down in Johannesburg yesterday . Removed: Workmen move quickly to replace the roadside posters in the South Africa city . In a statement on Twitter, the . station confirmed: 'Out of respect and sympathy to the bereaved, M-Net . will be pulling its entire Oscar campaign featuring Oscar Pistorius . with immediate effect.' Another of his sponsors, British . Telecom, said: 'We are shocked by this terrible, tragic news. We have no . further comment at this stage. His agents at Fast Track management said there would be no comment. While fans took to Twitter in their . thousands to express their shock, others were . lambasted for making jokes about the shooting. A tweet from John Cleese came under fire for being distasteful . Twitter user Anthony McGuinness hit out at John Cleese's tweet yesterday . Harriet Garner also failed to see the funny side of Mr Cleese's post . Fawlty Towers star John Cleese came . under fire for Tweeting that Pistorius' defence would be 'that he was . absoultely legless at the time.' WIthin minutes, followers had branded the joke 'distasteful' and 'disrespectful'. Harriet Garner tweeted: 'Sorry don't . see how anyone can "make light" of such a death. That was . uncharacteristic poor taste I fear.' Distasteful: Comedian Frankie Boyle was also criticised for making jokes about the shooting . Disgust: A Twitter user hits out at Frankie Boyle's joke on the social networking site . Kellie Hill added: 'SERIOUSLY?!?!? A young woman lost her LIFE!!' Controversial comedian Frankie Boyle was also attacked for making light of Miss Steenkamp's death. Charges: Oscar Pistorius is pictured with his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Miss Steenkamp was shot dead at Mr Pistorius' home in Pretoria . He Tweeted: 'The tragedy is if Oscar Pistorius had no arms this would never have happened.' A Twitter user named Will hit back . 'The girl who died was someone's child. You're a father, imagine losing . one of your children only to have it joked about.' Former 100metre sprint world record holder Asafa Powell Tweeted about the news describing Pistorius as 'a true inspiration'. He posted: 'Sad news about @oscarpistorius & fatal shooting of his girlfriend . he's a true inspiration & amazing athlete. A real tragedy for all.' His former coach, Italian pole vaulter Andrea Giannini, said: 'I knew Oscar well. I'm hoping it was just a . tragic accident. 'He's a marvelous person, a really sweet and calm guy. It seemed like this was a calm time for him. He seemed really happy and . well-balanced.' The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee each had little to say about the case. 'This is not the moment for the IOC to be commenting on this tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the families affected and we send them our deepest sympathies,' the IOC said in a statement. The IPC said it was 'police matter' and that it would be inappropriate for them to comment. The South African Olympic committee released a statement saying they had been 'inundated' with requests for comment but were not in a position to give out any details of the shooting. Shot: Reeva Steenkamp, 30 an FHM model whose stock was on the rise according to her agent . Arrested: Oscar Pistorius, pictured with hood up and head bowed, is led away by police yesterday .
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A Nike advert featuring sprinter was taken down from his website yesterday .
The advert featured the slogan 'I am the bullet in the chamber'
It was pulled hours after Pistorius was charged with murder .
Billboards featuring Pistorius have also been taken down in South Africa .
Comedians Frankie Boyle and John Cleese criticised for joking tweets .
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169a4dd93b62e5fd70bc61aab8d6df1879101572
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By . Leon Watson . A man has been arrested on suspicion of subjecting the mother of murdered toddler James Bulger to vile abuse on Twitter and claiming to be the child's 'ghost'. Sussex Police confirmed today a 62-year-old man was taken in for questioning before being released on bail pending further investigations. It followed a series of posts on a Twitter profile named 'James Bulger’s Ghost' that contained images of the two-year-old's gravestone and mocked his murder in Walton, Merseyside in 1993. Abuse: A Twitter troll contacted Denise Fergus (left), the mother of murdered toddler James Bulger (right). The account holder posted a series of sick messages making fun of James' murder in February 1993 . Sick: The Twitter profile, named 'James Bulger's Ghost', contained images of the child's gravestone and mocked his murder in Walton, Merseyside in 1993 - describing James as 'dancing on train tracks' One post . pretending to be James Bulger read: 'While it cannot be argued that my . physical existence is somewhat dead, my spirit is pretty much alive.' Another said James was 'dancing on train tracks'. After learning of the tweets, James' mother Denise Fergus wrote on Twitter: 'Look at what c**p I am getting off some idiot.' It led to an outcry on Twitter with users calling the tweets 'disrespectful', 'disgusting' and 'disgraceful' and for the account to be taken down. The anonymous account holder also . published a reference to Peter Connelly, the toddler better known as . Baby P, who died as a result of child abuse in 2007. Another tweet contained a link to a children's musical cartoon, with the poster making references to railway tracks. Ms . Fergus urged her 23,000 followers to report the trolls to Twitter . officials. The suspect was arrested in Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex last Thursday and was questioned under the Malicious Communications Act 1993. Chilling: CCTV image shows James Bulger being led to his death by . Venables and Robert Thompson, who were were jailed for eight years for sadistically killing the two-year-old when they were aged 10 . A force spokesman said: 'Sussex . detectives arrested a 62-year-old man at an address in Bexhill on . Thursday May 22, on suspicion of sending offensive Twitter messages . about James Bulger, contrary to the Malicious Communications Act 1993. 'He was interviewed and bailed until August 28 while enquiries continue. 'Our . officers are co-ordinating their enquiries with Merseyside Police as . the Twitter messages were initially reported to that force, but the . investigation in Bexhill is being carried out by Sussex Police.' Killers: James Bulger was just two-years-old when he was abducted from The Strand shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993, by Jon Venables (left) and Robert Thompson (right) The . James Bulger Memorial Trust charity was set-up by Denise Fergus in . 2011, and provides holidays to bereaved children and victims of crime. A spokesman for the Trust said: 'This amounts to criminal abuse and harassment and it should be stopped.' 'Denise has held meetings with representatives of Twitter and she is in direct contact with the police over the matter. 'We are satisfied that everything possible is being done to bring this vile abuse and harrassment to an end.' James Bulger's mother Denise Fergus urged her 23,000 followers to report the trolls to Twitter . The 'James Bulger's Ghost' account is not the first time Twitter trolls have contacted Ms Fergus. In . March this year a poster posing as Jon Venables - one of the toddler's . killers - sent a series of vile tweets making light of his death. Using the name @SirJVenables the troll also wrote vile messages about harbouring a desire to kill more children. The account was shut down by Twitter after users contacted police to complain. In . November last year a Twitter user who posted pictures purporting to be . of James Bulger's killer Jon Venables as an adult was given a 14-month . suspended prison sentence. Security guard James Baines was handed the sentence, suspended for 15 months, at London's High Court for contempt of court. A . 2001 injunction binding on the whole world prohibits the publication of . any information alleging to identify the appearance, whereabouts, . movements or new identities of Venables or Robert Thompson. Twitter . users who post offensive tweets can be prosecuted under various laws . including the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Malicious . Communications Act 1993. They could also be open actions for civil damages for defamation or distress. James . Bulger was just two-years-old when he was abducted from The Strand . shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, in February 1993, by Jon Venables . and Robert Thompson. His body was discovered on railway lines two days later. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
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Sussex Police confirm suspect has been arrested and released on bail .
It follows messages tweeted from fake 'James Bulger's Ghost' account .
Troll cruelly contacted the murdered toddler's mother Denise Fergus .
She responded: 'Look at what c**p I am getting off some idiot'
Anonymous account holder also .
published reference to toddler .
Baby P .
Ms Fergus has previously been victim of another .
troll who posed as one of her son's killers .
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169a6b1962a925c0623e6129aadeb32a1844ba55
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For weeks leading up to the 2013 off-year elections, prominent Texas Democrats directly blamed the state's new voter ID law for problems in registration. First, Judge Sandra Watts said she had a problem because the name on her driver's license and the name on her voter registration card did not match. It turns out she had left her maiden name on her voter registration. It also turns out that it is the individual's responsibility to ensure that his or her voter information is up to date. Watts was able to vote. Then, state Sen. Wendy Davis, the presumed Democratic nominee for Texas governor, said she had a problem, too. Like Watts, the name on her driver's license did not match the name on her registration card. She signed an affidavit, which the polling place provided, and was able to vote. Then, nearer Election Day, former Speaker of the House Jim Wright said that he, too, had a problem voting. He said the Texas Department of Public Safety would not give him a voter ID card. But Wright, who is 90, tried to use an expired driver's license, which for most voters serves as their photo ID. How is this the fault of the state or anyone who supports voter ID? Wright got his card by going home and finding his birth certificate, and was able to vote. We know of these stories because all three prominent Democrats took those voting problems straight to the media. What we do not know from these three stories is how the voter ID law actually affected turnout. Democrats who oppose voter ID have consistently claimed that it suppresses votes. If they are correct, then Texas should have seen turnout drop off in 2013 compared with the closest comparable election. The 2013 election in Texas was an off-year, constitutional amendment election. Texas holds constitutional amendment elections every two years, after its legislative sessions, to give Texans the opportunity to approve or reject items that the legislature has approved for a vote. The Texas secretary of state administers elections and posts totals going back to 1992. According to the Texas secretary of state's office, 10 amendments were up for vote in 2011, the last constitutional amendment election before the voter ID law passed. Some issues received more votes than others. The one most voted on received 690,052 votes, for and against. Overall, an average of about 672,874 Texans voted on these 10 constitutional amendments. If voter ID suppressed votes, we should see a drop in turnout, right? Well, according to the Texas secretary of state's office, nine amendments went up for vote in 2013. The amendment that attracted the most votes, Proposition One, attracted 1,144,844. The average number of votes cast in 2013 was 1,099,670. So, in terms of raw votes, turnout in 2013 increased by about 63% over turnout in 2011 in comparable elections. But that's statewide. How about in areas the anti-voter ID side predicted should see "suppression"? Turnout for the 2011 election was 5.37% of registered voters; for 2013 it was about 8%. Democrats allege that voter ID will suppress the vote in predominantly Hispanic regions. Hidalgo County sits on the Texas-Mexico border and is 90% Hispanic. In 2011, an average of just over 4,000 voted in the constitutional amendment election. In 2013, an average of over 16,000 voted. If voter ID was intended to suppress votes, it is failing as spectacularly as HealthCare.gov. Look at Cameron County, which is about 85% Hispanic. Turnout increased from an average of 4,700 votes in 2011 to 5,100 in 2013. So in its first real-world test, Texas' voter ID law -- which 66% of Texans support, according to a 2012 University of Texas poll -- had no impact on suppressing the vote. It even can be argued that voter ID helped increase turnout. Turnout was up, and in fact, the 2013 constitutional amendment election saw the highest constitutional amendment election turnout in Texas in about eight years. Opponents of voter ID must come up with a new line to attack it. The old dog that it suppresses the vote just won't hunt. Join us Facebook/CNNOpinion.
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Prominent Texas Democrats blamed the new voter ID law for problems in registering to vote .
Bryan Preston: But problems due to expired driver's license, maiden names not updated .
Preston: Voter ID foes say it suppresses votes; if so, 2013 turnout would be lower .
He says 2013 turnout increased by 63% over turnout in 2011's comparable off-year elections .
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169b76712d1b3593ccf1a73c2470119745568474
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A Chilean college security guard has been arrested in the murder of an American graduate and ordered held in jail, an appeals court unanimously ruled on Wednesday. Erica Faith Hagan, 22, from Kentucky, had been in the southern Chilean city of Temuco on an exchange program after graduating from Georgetown College. She was working as a teaching assistant in English and religious education at the Colegio Bautista school, where her lifeless body was found in her dormitory bathtub on September 6. In custody: Domingo Cofre, 44 (left), a former security guard at the Colegio Bautista in Chile, has been arrested in connection to the murder of US graduate Erica Faith Hagan (right) Clues: DNA evidence linked Cofre to the crime scene, where the 22-year-old American psychology graduate was found bludgeoned to death with a metal rod September 6 . A week later, investigators in Chile arrested 44-year-old Domingo Cofre, a former night watchman for the Colegio Bautista, in connection to the slaying. On Wednesday, Judge Alejandro Vera ordered Cofre to remain in custody for the duration of the investigation, which is expected to take three months. Local media reported that the 22-year-old teaching assistant had apparently suffered multiple blows to her head with an iron poker. The Chilean news website Soychile.cl reported that DNA evidence found on the metal rod linked Cofre to the crime scene. Prosecutor Cristian Paredes has told El Tiempo that the injuries had ‘slashing-crushing’ elements. According to the site Emol.com, Cofre allegedly hit Hagan at least three times and then tried to start a fire in her apartment in an apparent attempt to cover up the crime. When police searched Cofre's home September 12, they reportedly found a blood-stained shoe. The footwear has been sent to a lab for testing to determine if the blood belonged to Hagan. The parents of the 22-year-old psychology graduate traveled to the city of Temuco earlier this month to transport their daughter's body back to the United States. Erica Faith Hagan was found with three head wounds in the bathtub of her apartment on the campus of Colegio Bautista of Temuco September 6. Parents' worst nightmare: Bambi and Chris Hagan are pictured in Chile, where they arrived this week to transport their daughter's body back to the US . She was working as an English teacher at a secondary school in Temuco, located 450 miles south of the capital of Santiago. On Tuesday, local authorities announced that they are investigating three potential suspects in connection to Hagan's slaying. They have not been named. Roberto Garrido, a spokesperson for the Public Ministry of Chile, told the press the investigation into the killing has revealed that Ms Hagan likely knew the killer or killers and opened the door for them because officers found no signs of forced entry in her apartment, reported Soy Chile. Hagan's wounds were said to have been caused by a blunt object. AFP reported there were traces of a fire at the unit. Two separate online fundraisers have been set up to help Erica's parents with her final expenses, including the cost of transporting her remains back to the US. Well-educated: Hagan, 22, graduated from Georgetown College in Kentucky earlier this year . Bright future: Hagan obtained a degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish . A friend of Erica Hagan’s has launched a GoFundMe account hoping to collect $100,000, which would go toward a memorial scholarship to 'help carry on her legacy.’ Erica's older sister, Kimberly, also set up a fundraiser Monday, which has since reached - and surpassed - its goal of collecting $5,000 towards the 22-year-old's funeral expenses. ‘Its [sic] very obvious she was loved by many, she will be greatly missed and never forgotten,’ the bereaved Ms Underhill wrote. Kimberly Underhill also revealed that an FBI agent has been sent to Chile to help with the investigation into her sister’s murder. Miss Hagan graduated from Georgetown College in Kentucky earlier this year with a degree in psychology and a minor in Spanish. In July, she traveled to Chile after accepting a six-month job as a teaching assistant in English. She had visited Chile previously and was scheduled to return home in December. 'This was a phenomenal, well-loved young lady that deserved better,' said Hagan's aunt, Charlene Martin. Do-gooder: Hagan went to Chile (pictured) in July to work as a teaching assistant in English for six months . She was found with three head wounds in the bathtub of her apartment on the campus of Colegio Bautista of Temuco (pictured) on Saturday morning . Killed by friends? Officials in Chile revealed that Hagan likely knew her killers because her apartment showed no signs of a forced entry . Erica had been documenting her experiences of living and working abroad in her blog 'Donde en el Mundo?' (Where in the world?) Her last entry went up September 5, just two days before her violent death. In her lengthy post, Hagan discussed some instances of culture shock she had experienced in her encounters with the locals. Along with anecdotes about cultural differences between Chileans and Americans, Hagan gushed about the friendliness of the local people. 'God has blessed me with many people that care how I spend my time and don't want me to be lonely while I'm here,' she wrote. 'Everyday I meet more people that invite me to be social with them and I love it! The hardest part is for me to take them up on it by asking them to keep me company during my free time. 'Ironic I know, but I still have that southern upbringing that taught me that it's rude to invite yourself to places. In due time I guess...' Temuco is one of the country's largest cities and located near the southern boarder. A memorial service will be held this week at Georgetown College. Hagan was set to return home in December and continue her education by entering a graduate school . Miss Hagan had been documenting her time in Chile – her second trip to the country – on her blog and in her final post she wrote about the friendliness of the Chilean people .
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Domingo Cofre, 44, is being held in the September 6 killing of Erica Faith Hagan .
Hagan, 22, was a psychology graduate from Kentucky .
She was found in bathtub in her Temuco, Chile, campus apartment with three wounds to the head .
Chilean police said they have found no sign of forced entry in Hagan's home, suggesting she knew the killer .
She had only arrived in July and was due to return to US in December .
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How many lightning strikes are taking place around the world every minute? If your answer is anything less than 300, you're in for a shock. A stunning interactive map has revealed just how much of Earth is subjected to lightning strikes every second, with an average of five taking place at any one time. And the scientists behind the map also want to use it to work out what effect climate change is having on thunderstorms, and how much lightning is due to increase by 2100. Below is the animation that you can use to view lightning strikes around the world, as recorded in October 2014 . To create the map, Professor Colin Price of Tel Aviv University's Department of Geosciences and TAU graduate student Keren Mezuman used the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). This is a vast global lightning network of 70 weather stations run by atmospheric scientists at universities and research institutes around the world . To create the map, Professor Colin Price of Tel Aviv University's Department of Geosciences and TAU graduate student Keren Mezuman used the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN). This is a vast global lightning network of 70 weather stations run by atmospheric scientists at universities and research institutes around the world. It is capable of detecting radio waves produced by lightning - the main feature of a thunderstorm - from thousands of miles away. The TAU team harnessed this ground-based system to cluster individual lightning flashes into ‘thunderstorm cells.’ Every hour the exact GPS time of every detected lightning pulse was registered. Professor Price and his colleagues then calculated the difference in arrival times of signals, using data from four to five different stations to locate individual lightning strokes anywhere on the globe. Finally, the researchers grouped the detected flashes into clusters of thunderstorm cells. The map shows a record of lightning over a specific time, although it should be noted it is not in real-time. Researchers at Tel Aviv University created the using a global network of stations that detect radio waves - the main feature of a thunderstorm - from thousands of miles away. A lightning strike in British Columbia, Canada is pictured . This map shows lightning strikes at the present time. Lightning stroke positions are shown as coloured dots, which 'cool down' from blue for the most recent (occurring within the last 10 minutes) through green and yellow to red for the oldest (30 to 40 minutes earlier). Red asterisks in white circles are active sensor locations. The terminator, or boundary between day and night, in grey and black respectively . ‘When we clustered the lighting strikes into storm cells, we found that there were around 1,000 thunderstorms active at any time somewhere on the globe,’ said Professor Price. The researchers, pooling seven years of data analysis, found that every day lightning activity on earth peaked at 1900 UTC, with low activity at 0300 UTC every day. While previous studies had estimated 90 per cent of lightning flashes occurred over land areas, the TAU team found that only 50 per cent of the thunderstorms cells existed over land areas, implying that land storms have much more lightning than ocean storms. ‘How lightning will be distributed in storms, and how the number and intensity of storms will change in the future, are questions we are working on answering,’ Professor Price said. The researchers, pooling seven years of data analysis, found that every day lightning activity on earth peaked at 1900 UTC, with low activity at 0300 UTC every day. Lightning over Sedona, Arizona is pictured . Research by the University of Reading in November 2014 found over a five-year period the UK experienced around 50 per cent more lightning strikes when the Earth's magnetic field was skewed by the sun's own magnetic field. Dr Matt Owens said: 'We've discovered that the sun's powerful magnetic field is having a big influence on UK lightning rates.' The findings could pave the way for an accurate forecasting system to warn of possible electrical storms many weeks in advance. The research will likely be crucial to measuring the impact of climate change on thunderstorms. The varying frequency and intensity of thunderstorms have direct repercussions for the public, agriculture, and industry. ‘To date, satellites have only provided snapshots of thunderstorm incidence,’ said Professor Price, whose new map of thunderstorms around the world is the first of its kind. ‘We want to use our algorithm to determine how climate change will affect the frequency and intensity of thunderstorms. ‘According to climate change predictions, every one per cent rise in global temperature will lead to a 10 per cent increase in thunderstorm activity. ‘This means that we could see 25 per cent more lightning by the end of the century.’ While lightning might seem like it's rare on Earth, travel to space and it's a whole different story. There, as astronauts orbit Earth, they can see a huge amount of lightning down below, and in a recent video and images Esa revealed some of the views astronauts are afforded. An incredible series of images was captured by astronaut André Kuipers on the ISS on 11 June 2012, during Expedition 31. Lightning was captured over Eastern Romania (shown) at about 8:55pm UTC, and a video was made by stitching together 49 images taken on the ISS while travelling at 17,100mph (27,600km/h) Estimates suggest that 100 discharges can occur between the system of clouds and the surface of Earth each second, causing many lightning strikes, so for astronauts seeing such a sight is not all too rare. Shown is another image by André Kuipers . The incredible series of images was captured by Dutch Esa astronaut André Kuipers on the ISS on 11 June 2012, during Expedition 31. The lightning was captured over Eastern Romania at about 8:55pm UTC, and a video was made by stitching together 49 images taken on the ISS while travelling at 17,100 mph (27,600 km/h). Estimates suggest that 100 discharges can occur between the system of clouds and the surface of Earth each second, causing many lightning strikes, so for astronauts seeing such a sight is not all too rare. As the clouds are so vast, however, they are not always visible from the surface. But from the ISS the lightning is much more visible - and when astronauts orbit Earth, they can often spot lightning in clouds from above. The pictures followed amazing images of lighting in the eye of a cyclone revealed in January, also captured by an astronaut on the ISS. The incredible views of tropical cyclone Bansi were spotted in the Indian Ocean near the island of Mauritius, when the ISS was east of Madagascar. This image by Italian Esa astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti show lighting in the eye of a tropical cyclone Bansi in January. The incredible views were spotted in the Indian Ocean near the island of Mauritius, when the ISS was east of Madagascar . In the images the calm ‘eye’ of the storm can be seen illuminated by lightning and surrounded by swirling clouds as it made its way across the ocean. They were taken by Italian European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti aboard the ISS in January this year. They show the swirling motion of the storm around the central blue eye. According to Nasa, the wall of the eye is being illuminated by a flash of lightning in the centre of the storm - which also lights up nearby clouds. The low-light settings of the camera used to take the image accentuate the contrast.
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Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel have created a map showing lightning strikes around the world .
The map was creating using a global network of 70 lightning stations that detects radio waves .
The peak time for lightning strikes was found to be 1900 UTC, with low activity at 0300 UTC every day .
Scientists hope the data can be used to work out the effect climate change is having on thunderstorms .
They said that by the end of the 21st century, there could be an 25 per cent more lightning around the world .
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By . Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 11:01 EST, 7 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:38 EST, 8 May 2013 . Two daredevil cyclists ride down a near vertical dam in these terrifying images. Ben Miller, 18, and Adam Flint, 27, rode down the 140ft high slope in a breathtaking stunt in Perthshire, Scotland. They flew down the 70 degree drop in a bid to raise awareness of the cycling opportunities in the area - although they admit their ride was not for beginners. Terrifying drop: Ben Miller, 18, and Adam Flint, 27, ride down the 140ft high slope . Drop: Mountain biker Adam Flint rides down the Lawers Dam on Lochan na Lairige in Perthshire . The pair performed a wall ride - cycling out from the grassy bank horizontally across the Lawers Dam on Lochan na Lairige before turning down the near vertical drop. Ben and Adam pull out of the drop at the last minute and head off to the side to avoid crashing at the bottom. Adam, 27, who runs a bike shop, said: 'It is called a wall ride - you approach from the side and cycle out across the dam and is common in cycling. 'To pull it off successfully you have got to have great balance. It is certainly not a ride for beginners.' They carried out the stunt for the Highland Perthshire Cycling event which promotes cycling in the area. Drop: The two cyclists ride out across the wall before pointing their bikes downwards. The picture was taken by the photographer's 11-year-old son Euan . Russell Cheyne who took the pictures said: 'The cyclists suddenly appeared from to the right of the dam and they cycled across before plunging downwards. 'It's hard to say how fast they were going but it was really quick. It is their skill - but is is not something that I could do! 'As they got to the bottom they pulled out at the last minute. If they hit the grass at the bottom their bikes would have just crumpled.' Last year Adam threw himself and his bike off a parapet in the UK's first ever 'bungee on a bike' jump. The daredevil made the spectacular 40-metre plunge off a bridge in Killiecrankie, Perth, into the wooded gorge of the River Garry below. The breathless cyclist, from Dunkeld, Scotland, said afterwards he enjoyed the bungee but it left him feeling ‘a bit green’. Drop: Adam rides down the 70 degree dam face in Scotland. He carried out the stunt for the Highland Perthshire Cycling event which promotes cycling in the area .
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Dam which Ben Miller and Adam Flint cycled down has a 70 DEGREE drop .
Adam, 27, has previously performed first ever bungee on a bike jump .
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Severe storms tore through the Midwest and South on Friday, killing at least 32 people. Tornadoes were reported from Alabama to Ohio. This comes only days after another deadly line of storms spawned multiple tornadoes, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses across seven states. Disaster relief organizations are mobilizing across the region to provide aid to survivors and begin cleanup efforts. Red Cross . The Red Cross has opened 22 shelters in 11 states for displaced residents and continues to assess damage in the region. Local Red Cross chapters have dispatched emergency response vehicles to provide meals for hundreds of residents and first responders. Go online to make a donation to the Red Cross Disaster Relief fund or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 from your mobile device. Salvation Army . Salvation Army canteens and mobile feeding units are providing meals to victims and first responders in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Tennessee. The organization served more than 200 meals at an evacuee center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and set up a shelter at the Cleveland, Tennessee, office. To support the Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services fund, go online or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769). Make a $10 donation to The Salvation Army Midland Division serving Missouri and Southern Illinois by texting ARCH to 80888. Team Rubicon . Team Rubicon, a disaster relief organization composed of veteran volunteers, has sent two-person Veteran Response Teams to Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. Team Rubicon's mission is to "unite the skills and experience of military veterans with medical professionals" in crisis situations. To support Team Rubicon's disaster response efforts, log on to their website. Samaritan's Purse . Samaritan's Purse sent five tractor-trailers with emergency supplies and equipment to damaged areas in Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. Go online to donate to the Samaritan's Purse Disaster Relief Fund. Volunteer Opportunities . Harrisburg, Illinois, Police Chief Bob Smith directed anyone interested in volunteering with cleanup efforts in the area to call Operation Blessing at 618-294-9600. Branson, Missouri, is accepting volunteers to help with storm cleanup efforts. Visit the Volunteer Branson website for more information. Volunteers interested in helping with cleanup efforts in Harveyville, Kansas, must be older than 13 and register by email to harveyvilletornado@gmail.com. For more information, log on to the United Way of the Plains website. For a more complete list of organizations helping tornado victims across the Midwest and South, log on to CNN.com/Impact.
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Tornadoes touched down in several states this week causing widespread damage .
Dozens were killed and hundreds of homes destroyed by the storms .
Disaster Relief organizations are mobilizing to help victims and begin cleanup .
Towns in Kansas, Illinois and Missouri are coordinating cleanup volunteers .
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169eab99eec8a418ab60ad29e357ed4412c9f25a
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Islamabad (CNN) -- The spotlight on so-called "honor" murders in South Asia and across the world in recent days has raised awareness about the deaths of countless innocent victims, but condemning the act and its perpetrators does little to end the murders or address the root causes of the problem. I started my career as a gender specialist working in many countries where "honor" murders and other acts of violence against women often found considerable public support. As a naïve and newbie rebellious activist, I never asked "why?" Instead I set out on my activism by loudly condemning the culture of violence against women in these regions as if it were an isolated phenomenon from other longstanding gender-racial-religious injustices I witnessed. British court convicts parents of murder in "honor" murder . Expressing my horror and repulsion of "honor" murders with like-minded colleagues made me feel righteous and involved. But the more I focused my outrage on the perpetrators, the more I sensed a growing divide between "them down below" and "us up above." Husband issued death sentence after I asked for divorce . Of course, I was part of the "us" -- the humane, the educated, the egalitarian. Today, I am an aid worker in Islamabad, Pakistan. It's a job that has exposed me to the dehumanizing effects of war, poverty, economic disasters, and natural calamities. I have seen dehumanizing living conditions breed dehumanized people. The outcome is a nation where tens of millions of people live without their most basic needs being met. Every day I see Pakistanis robbed of their dignity, their hope, and ultimately their sense of significance. I believe every human being instinctively yearns for a sense of significance -- a reason why their absence or presence matters. In a culture where systematic dehumanization through corruption-fueled poverty makes a sense of self virtually impossible, I have found that it's useless to merely condemn those seeking it by being an "honor" killer or a "protector of the Holy Book" or even a "suicide bomber." Instead, I blame the wealthy, powerful and educated elite for failing to humanize the masses. Not with charity and altruism -- which are acts that still preserve the "us up here" and "them down there" divide -- but by demanding true political, economic and institutional change. I am well aware of the stakes at hand. A large section of Pakistan's powerful elite is made up of landlords exploiting a deeply rooted feudal system. Today, the feudal elite is entrenched in Pakistan's political system. For the feudal elite to eradicate poverty and ignorance, they must conjure the political will to create equality by pushing for land reform. They must pay for education and social welfare programs by enacting new tax laws. And they must demand transparency in government to end corruption. These drastic policy shifts are likely counterintuitive to the power elite's longstanding views on governance, but a solution to "honor" murders and the many injustices and inequalities in Pakistani society starts here. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dania Gharaibeh.
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Dania Gharaibeh: Condemning the act and its perpetrators does little to end the murders .
As an aid worker, she blames the wealthy, powerful elite for failing to humanize the masses .
She says feudal system in Pakistan is preventing equality and the chance to battle ignorance .
Gharaibeh: Dehumanizing living conditions breed dehumanized people .
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169f5f6ab3818fc14b9f2471ee0d8dbd61d5e566
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Pasadena, California (CNN) -- When President Barack Obama formally ended "don't ask, don't tell" in July 2011, ending a 17-year ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military, Tracey Cooper-Harris felt liberated about her future as a veteran. As a sergeant in the U.S. Army, she received more than two dozen medals and commendations during her 12 years of service, which included tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. "Like a lot of other vets, I've had some struggles, including post-traumatic stress, but that's one of the issues that I'm taking care of," she said. While Cooper-Harris struggled with PTSD, she managed to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Northridge, and landed a job at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Los Angeles, where she helps other veterans with disabilities. Four years ago, Cooper-Harris disclosed her sexual orientation and married longtime partner Maggie Cooper in California, where same-sex marriages were legal under state law. Three days later, voters passed Proposition 8, an initiative that invalidated such marriages. Supreme Court will tackle same-sex marriage . "We knew there was a possibility that Proposition 8 would not go in our favor, but on that particular day, that was not really on our minds," said Maggie, who met Tracey during a women's rugby match at Occidental College, where she coaches a women's team. Like the 18,000 same-sex couples who obtained marriage licenses before the ballot initiative went into effect, the couple's marriage is still recognized as legal in California. They are entitled to the same protections as other married couples under state law. Victory for lesbian, years after her longtime partner's death . But in 2010, Tracey was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a chronic, disabling disease that attacks the brain and nervous system and has no cure. Because the Department of Veteran Affairs determined that the disease is connected to her military service, Tracey says she qualified for disability benefits of about $1,400 a month, which help cover medicine and doctor visits. In late 2011, Tracey applied for additional disability compensation as a married veteran to help ensure that her spouse had supplemental support. When the couple received a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs denying dependency benefits, based on their marital status, it was a setback in their struggle for same-sex equality. "It hurts and it's really frustrating," Tracey said. Federal appeals court strikes down Defense of Marriage Act . Under the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, the federal government does not recognize Maggie as a legal dependent. Therefore, she cannot receive spousal benefits that would be available to a male spouse. In February, Tracey and Maggie Cooper-Harris filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Justice. "This unequal treatment of Tracey and Maggie's marriage under federal law demeans not only their marriage but also the remarkable sacrifices of Tracey, a woman who gave more than nine years of her life in active duty military service to this country," according to the lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of the couple. "I just want to make sure that if and when something does happen to me, if any of my service-connected issues get worse, if I get really sick or incapacitated, that Maggie's provided for," Tracey said. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Veterans Affairs declined to comment on the lawsuit. Washington starts issuing same-sex marriage licenses . What worries Tracey is how Maggie will cope if she dies from the disease. According to their lawsuit, because of her gender, there are benefits in death that Maggie wouldn't receive, like bereavement counseling or death indemnity compensation. "It's very disappointing to think that during one of the roughest times in life, Maggie would be left out in the cold," Tracey said. What's worse, Tracey says, is that under DOMA, a same-sex spouse cannot be buried in a state or national veteran's cemetery. Despite the Department of Veteran Affairs' rejection of disability benefits for same-sex couples, Tracey and Maggie are optimistic that their lawsuit will prevail. Although Tracey is an employee at the same institution she is suing, she says her supervisors have been supportive. As their suit moves forward, equally important to the future of same-sex marriage, Tracey says, is what happens at the U.S. Supreme Court. Soon, it could decide on the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act in eight cases under consideration and one involving Proposition 8. "I'm very happy to be married to Tracey, and I look forward to a time when it's a fully recognized marriage in the eyes of the federal government and we don't have to worry about some of the things on our minds that add to burdens that already exist in our daily lives," Maggie said. Being LGBT: Then and now -- how has life changed?
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Veteran Tracey Cooper-Harris married her same-sex partner four years ago .
In 2010, she was diagnosed with a disease connected to her service and received benefits .
She later sought additional disability compensation for her spouse .
The VA denied the additional benefits, and the couple filed a federal discrimination lawsuit .
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169f6203951f39a056e7a94bb8db4bbda45e4ae2
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(CNN) -- The widow of a man who set free 56 exotic animals he owned before apparently committing suicide will get back the five animals that survived, Ohio agriculture officials said Monday. A state review board concluded Monday that the animals, which have been kept at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, are free of "dangerously infectious or contagious diseases." The finding required them to lift a quarantine imposed in a move last October to delay their return. State officials said they were concerned that Marian Thompson has said she would put the two spotted leopards, two macaque monkeys and a large brown bear back into the same cages they previously inhabited on her Zanesville, Ohio, farm. "This raises concerns, as she has indicated the cages have not been repaired, and has repeatedly refused to allow animal welfare experts to evaluate if conditions are safe for the animals and sufficient to prevent them from escaping and endangering the community," said Erica Pitchford, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Last fall in Ohio: Wild animals on the loose . State officials have no legal power to inspect the cages before the animals are returned, but they are hoping the local sheriff will seek a court order to inspect the farm "to ensure the safety of the animals and the public," Pitchford said. Thompson has not allowed local law enforcement onto the farm to check the pens, Muskingum County Sheriff Matthew Lutz told CNN Monday. Thompson's lawyer did not immediately respond to a CNN call for comment. Deputies are ready to deal with any problems with the returned animals, Lutz said. "We have the zoo on speed dial," Lutz said. "If we are pushed to do what we had to do the last time, we would take care of it." Terry Thompson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on October 18 shortly after he pried open cages and opened the farm's fences that held his private menagerie of lions, tigers, bears, wolves and monkeys. Authorities, who did not have access to tranquilizer guns, killed two wolves, six black bears, two grizzly bears, nine male lions, eight female lions, one baboon, three mountain lions and 18 Bengal tigers. One monkey that was unaccounted for might have been eaten by one of the big cats, they speculated. Thompson's property is about two miles outside Zanesville, which is east of Columbus along Interstate 70. The 62-year-old had been released from a federal prison three weeks earlier after pleading guilty earlier to possessing illegal firearms, including five fully automatic firearms. CNN's John Fricke contributed to this report.
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Board concludes animals are free of "dangerously infectious or contagious diseases"
Officials: Marian Thompson plans to keep two leopards, two monkeys, bear on her Ohio farm .
State officials raise concern about safety of cages, which they aren't allowed to inspect .
"We have the zoo on speed dial" in case of trouble, the sheriff says .
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