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### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Associated Press Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 14:16 EST, 11 March 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 05:57 EST, 12 March 2014 . Kitty Genovese's screams for help couldn't save her on the night she was murdered outside her apartment in 1964. Fifty years later, those screams still echo, a symbol of urban breakdown and city dwellers' seeming callousness toward their neighbors. The case 'caught the spirit of the time,' said Thomas Reppetto, a police historian. 'It seemed to symbolize that society no longer cared about other people.' Mythic murder: Kitty . Genovese, 28, was stabbed to death March 13, 1964, in a random attack, which captivated New York City after The New . York Times reported that 38 people witnessed the murder and did not help her . Genovese's random stabbing by Winston . Moseley on March 13, 1964, became a sensation when The New York Times . reported that '38 respectable, law-abiding citizens' in Queens watched . the attack unfold over more than half an hour and didn't call police . during the assault.' While more recent reporting — some of it by the Times itself — found that the number of people who actually saw the murder was greatly exaggerated and that some neighbors did try to help, the Genovese case left its mark on public policy and psychology. Monster: Winston Moseley was convicted of murdering Genovese and sentenced to death, a punishment later reduced to life n prison . It has been credited with spurring adoption of the 911 system in 1968 as well as 'Good Samaritan' laws that give legal protection to people who help those in trouble. The case also gave rise to research into the 'bystander effect' — the phenomenon in which a group of onlookers fails to help someone in distress — and is often featured in psychology textbooks. At least five books about Genovese's killing have come out recently or will be published this year, a testament to the enduring fascination with the case. 'Many people were murdered that year, over 600, but she haunts us because she could have been helped and nobody did,' said Peter Hellman, a journalist and author of the e-book 'Fifty Years After Kitty Genovese, Inside the Case That Rocked Our Faith in Each Other.' According to police reports and trial testimony, Genovese was a 28-year-old bar manager living in the seemingly safe, well-kept neighborhood of Kew Gardens when she was attacked while returning home from work after 3am. Moseley later told police he had been driving around looking for a woman to kill. He spotted Genovese, chased her and stabbed her in the back. Genovese screamed, and a neighbor yelled from his window, 'Leave that girl alone!' Moseley retreated to his car but returned minutes later and found Genovese in a hallway at the back of her building, where she had collapsed. He stabbed her several more times and raped her as she lay dying. Crime scene revisited: A pedestrian uses . the stairway leading past the entrance to 82-70 Austin Street in Queens, where Genovese was viciously attacked a half-century ago . Gruesome details: Genovese was initially stabbed in the back and collapsed at the back of her building, where her attacker later found her, stabbed her again multiple times and raped her as she lay dying . The story was not widely reported until A.M. Rosenthal, then metro editor of the Times, had lunch with Police Commissioner Michael Murphy, who told him about the 38 witnesses. Rosenthal assigned a reporter to write a story about the neighbors' apathy. 'I didn't want to get involved,' one neighbor was quoted as saying. The story seemed to show that New York was an urban hell where no one would lift a finger to help a neighbor. 'It fit some people's anti-New York perspective,' said Philip Zimbardo, a retired professor of psychology at Stanford University. Some later accounts of Genovese's murder challenged the Times' version. Kevin Cook, author of 'Kitty Genovese: The Murder, the Bystanders, the Crime That Changed America,' argues that only a few neighbors saw enough of the attack to understand much of what was going on, and some of them tried to help. The Times revisited the case in 2004 on the 40th anniversary. A former prosecutor told the paper then that while far fewer than 38 saw the murder, many others heard the screams. Killer's grin: Escaped killer Winston Moseley, laughingly tells newsmen he regrets only being caught after his capture in a suburban Grand Island apartment house . Catherine Pelonero argues in her book 'Kitty Genovese: A True Account of a Public Murder and its Private Consequences' that the reporting from 1964 was fundamentally correct: 'Many people heard the screams and had very good reasonable cause to believe that a crime was taking place.' 'The most chilling part is that once she reached the back of the building, she was lying down there for several minutes calling for help,' Pelonero added. 'She was saying, "It's Kitty! I'm stabbed! Help me!"' Moseley was convicted of murder and sentenced to death, a punishment later reduced to life in prison. He escaped during a transfer to a hospital in Buffalo in 1968, took five people hostage and raped a woman in front of her husband before surrendering to police. Now 79, Moseley is one of the longest-serving inmates in the New York state prison system. In reaction to the case, Fordham University Professor Harold Takooshian began studying bystander behavior as a graduate student in 1978. Working under the social psychologist Stanley Milgram, Takooshian conducted experiments that involved pretending to commit crimes to observe bystanders' reaction. Pretreated: Moseley escaped during a transfer to a hospital in Buffalo in 1968, took five people hostage and raped a woman in front of her husband before surrendering to police . 'The field emerged entirely because of her, and now it's a very large field,' Takooshian said. Genovese emerges in the new books as a compelling figure in her own right, a high-spirited young woman known as the class cut-up in high school. The oldest in an Italian-American family of five children, Genovese grew up in Brooklyn and stayed in New York when the rest of her family moved to New Canaan, Connecticut., in the mid-1950s. At the time of her death, she had been living with a partner, Mary Ann Zielonko, for about a year. 'She was a daughter and a sister and a lover and a colleague,' said James Solomon, a filmmaker who is working with Genovese's younger brother on a documentary about Genovese called 'The Witness.' ''She wasn't just a victim.'
### SUMMARY:
| Genovese, 28, was stabbed multiple times by Winston Moseley and raped as she lay bleeding to death March 13, 1964, in Queens, New York .
New York Times reported at the time that 38 people witnessed the attack but didn't move a finger to help the victim .
Murder inspired creation of emergency response system and passage of Good Samaritan laws .
Moseley was convicted of murder, but escaped from custody in 1968, held five people hostage and raped a woman in front of her husband . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Daniel Martin . Charities in Scotland are being handed a far larger slice of lottery money than English ones, it has emerged. Projects north of the border receive nearly three times as much cash per head of population – £25.27 compared to the £9.46 awarded in England. The money has been used to fund controversial Scottish projects such as ‘gay propaganda’ DVDs for schools, camcorders for asylum seekers and a ‘groovy’ diversity parade. Thousands have also been spent on dressmaking lessons exclusively for Scots from ethnic minorities, and on ‘educating’ Scottish householders about renewable energy. The Big Lottery Fund – the quango that allocates lottery money – dedicated £134million last year to projects in Scotland and £501million to English ones despite England’s population being ten times larger. Critics said the disparity was just another example of the way those south of the border get far less money showered on them by public bodies than those to the north. Peter Bone, Tory MP for Wellingborough, said the ‘outdated’ Barnett formula – the mechanism by which the Treasury divides spending between the home nations – already meant that ‘significantly more taxpayers’ money’ goes to Scotland. ‘This Big Lottery Fund money is simply adding to the distortion,’ he said. ‘People will wonder how that distribution can possibly be fair, as most would have thought that all parts of the United Kingdom were benefiting equally.’ Wales and Northern Ireland also did far better than England in terms of Big Lottery Fund spending – with the Welsh getting £13.49 per head and the Northen Irish £31.33. The fund said the disparity between England and Scotland was an exception, but analysis of previous years shows England consistently receives less money per head than the other home nations. Spending plans also show that Scotland is due to get a larger proportion of cash than England until at least 2015. Lucky help: The Big Lottery Fund is responsible for distributing around 40 per cent of awards raised for good causes from the National Lottery . The Big Lottery Fund makes grants to projects working in health, education and the environment; and most of its money goes to charities. It is responsible for distributing around 40 per cent of awards raised for good causes from the National Lottery, and says it distributes its cash based on both population size and indices of deprivation. The organisation’s annual report reveals that this means that projects from the three smaller nations of the United Kingdom are far more likely to benefit. In Scotland, for example, £10million was set aside to address ‘hardship which has sent people to food banks and community clothing centres’, £6.5million to tackle domestic abuse and £8million to provide safe housing to victims of such abuse. In 2012/13, England received 7,600 awards totalling £501million, Scotland received 3,122 awards totalling £134million, Wales got 950 totalling £41million and Northern Ireland 833 totalling £57million. As well as having separate pots for the four nations, the annual report reveals that there is a £44.7million fund for 323 UK-wide projects. It is not known how this is distributed. Previous reports show that the disparity in per capita spending has persisted. Annanhill Walled Garden Allotments Association: £10,000July 2013 – Organisation in East Ayrshire received money for a composting toilet. New Ethnic Media & Arts Trust: £10,000 July 2013 – Glasgow organisation that was helped to set up a radio station aimed solely at Black, Minority and Ethnic (BME) groups. Energy Advisory Service: £129,322July 2013 – Cash used to send environmental ‘outreach workers’ to homes to provide ‘educ-ation’ about renewable energy and reducing energy consumption. Stonewall Equality Ltd: £10,000 June 2013 – Homosexual rights group given cash to flood 2,200 primary schools with a DVD ‘celebrating’ same-sex parents. Funding also went towards showing its ‘Different Families’ DVD at two cinemas. Camcorder Guerrillas: £10,000 June 2013 – Camcorders provided for asylum seekers and refugees to make ‘awareness- raising’ films. Renfrewshire Effort to Empower Minorities: £10,000 June 2013 – Funding for a ‘diversity parade’ in Renfrewshire. The ‘Notting Hill-style’ carnival featured a ‘street procession, filled with colourful and groovy dance and music’. Screen Education Edinburgh: £9,949 October 2012 – To fund film production classes at a young offenders’ institution near Falkirk. Clydebank LGBT Social Group: £9,020September 2012 – Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group given cash to ‘provide activities, information and talks to build [the] confidence of gay people and transvestites’ and to fund events marking its first anniversary. The Cambuslang and Rutherglen Ethnic Group: £6,790 May 2012 – To fund dressmaking and swimming lessons for ethnic minorities to boost their ‘self- esteem’. OK Skate: £9,000 January 2012 – To buy a ‘yurt’ as a base for a youth group that runs ‘eco workshops’ and encourages youngsters to forage for ‘bush tucker’. Association of English Speaking Cameroonians in Scotland: £8,114December 2010 – Group that supports Cameroonian immigrants given grant for ‘equipment and training’, and to build the ‘capacity’. The Scotland Russia Forum: £7,750 September 2008 – Group that seeks to improve understanding of Russian people given cash to buy furniture and office equipment. Greenock Prison: £10,000 July 2008 – Grant to teach prisoners, including killers and rapists, how to become DJs and set up their own recording studio. Inmates at the time included Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi. It is not known if he joined in. In 2011/12, England received £9.25 per head, compared to £14.51 in Scotland, £16.05 in Wales and £12.54 in Northern Ireland. In 2010/11, England received £3.74 per head, Scotland £4.59, Wales £11.54 and Northern Ireland £3.78. And in 2009/10, England got £4.90 per head compared to £11.67 in Scotland, £10.45 in Wales and £18.77 in Northern Ireland. A spokesman for the Big Lottery Fund said: ‘The focus of our grants is on people and communities most in need. As a result the allocation of grant budget by each country is based on both population size and indices of deprivation. ‘Grant budgets, including a separate UK-wide budget, are allocated over a six-year period and vary greatly from year to year depending on programmes open for applications. No single year should be considered in isolation as this will not provide a true comparison. ‘For example, the Scotland allocation this year includes a one-off, £49million award to the Life Changes Trust.’
### SUMMARY:
| The Big Lottery Fund dedicated £134m to projects in Scotland .
England got £501m despite population being ten times larger . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Lizzie Parry . A new mother today faces an anxious wait to discover if the cancer which ravaged her body during pregnancy has passed to her son in the womb. On Thursday Dani Maloney's six-month-old son Jayden will have tests at Birmingham Children's Hospital to discover if he has the disease. His 26-year-old mother has been given just weeks to live, after being diagnosed with skin cancer after giving birth to her son. In extremely rare cases it is possible for leukaemia and melanoma cancer cells to pass from mother to her unborn child . Mother-of-two Dani Maloney, 26, today faces an anxious wait to discover if the skin cancer which ravaged her body while pregnant was passed to her son Jayden . In 2009 British scientists identified the first case in Japan, where a mother was diagnosed with leukaemia after giving birth. Eleven months later her daughter was diagnosed with the same disease and subsequent genetic tests revealed the baby girl had cancer cells at birth, and that they were passed from her mother. Miss Maloney urged people who suspect they might have skin cancer to seek medical help. She said: 'I want people to know how important it is to have any mole or skin blemish they’re concerned about checked-out. 'And don’t be afraid to challenge doctors, don’t be afraid to ask for a second opinion, and a third.' The mother-of-two has started to compile memory boxes for Jayden and his older sister Amina, three. Miss Maloney insists she raised her concerns with doctors last year, having spotted an mole growing in size on her leg. She claims doctors told her it was due to skin pigmentation changes that are common during pregnancy. While pregnant, Miss Maloney claims she raised her concerns over a mole growing abnormally on her leg, pictured. But she claims doctors told her it was skin pigmentation, which is common during pregnancy. Hospital bosses said Miss Maloney was sent letters referring her to a skin specialist in November but failed to attend appointments in December and January . Although extremely rare it is possible for cancer cells to pass from mother to unborn child, studies have shown. On Thursday, Jayden now six months old, right and left with his sister Amina, three, will undergo tests at Birmingham Children's Hospital to establish if he has the disease which is killing his mother . Birmingham's City Hospital said they sent out letters referring Miss Maloney to a skin specialist in November. But the 26-year-old claims she was living temporarily at an address in Aston, and never received the letters. 'It upsets me because I won't see my kids grow up. I won't be there on that first day of school. I won't be playing games with them at birthday parties' - Dani Maloney . After giving birth to Jayden on January 14, a nurse at City Hospital cleaned and dressed a wound on Miss Maloney's leg. But by that time the cancer was already spreading through her body. She was referred to Sutton Coldfield's Good Hope Hospital six weeks ago gasping for breath, with suspected pneumonia. Doctors admitted Miss Maloney to intensive care as her condition worsened. A week ago she returned home after doctors dealt the devastating blow that she has less than two months to live. 'I didn’t take it well, I didn’t take it well at all,' she said. '"Why me?" I ask that all the time.' Miss Maloney is now confined to her home, having been told her skin cannot be exposed to sunlight. Miss Maloney, pictured with Jayden, her daughter Amina and her sister Tara, has been given just two months to live after she was rushed to hospital six weeks ago with suspected pneumonia. There doctors diagnosed her with skin cancer . Pregnant women can transmit cancer to their unborn babies, though it is extremely rare. In 2009 British scientists discovered a mother with leukaemia passed the blood disease to her daughter in the womb. Normally a child's immune system would recognise and destroy any invasive cancer cells. There are known to be only a handful of cases of mothers and babies sharing the same cancer. Of the 30 past cases in 2009, most were leukaemia or melanoma - the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Professor Mel Greaves, who led the study at the Institute of Cancer Resarch said the risks to an unborn baby is extremely low. They investigated a case in Japan in which a 28-year-old was diagnosed with leukaemia shortly after she gave birth. Eleven months later her daughter was also diagnosed with the disease. The child was in remission in 2009, having had treatment for a year-and-a-half. Genetic tests revealed the child had cancer cells at birth, and that they came from her mother. Closer investigation revealed the child's leukaemia cells were missing a vital piece of DNA, which would have flagged them up as 'intruders' to her immune system. Without this her system was unable to target and destroy the cancer cells, allowing the disease to develop. The researchers said the same mutation could allow melanoma cancer cells to pass from mother to baby. But they believe it is unlikely other cancers can be passed on this way. She said her days are spent crafting items for her children's memory boxes and planning her own funeral as well as her children's christenings. She said: 'I'll wear a pink tracksuit, pink trainers and a Birmingham City top and I want the club crest on my coffin. 'I want colour - I don't want black. 'It upsets me because I won’t see my kids grow up. I won’t be there on that first day at school. 'I won’t be playing games with them at birthday parties. 'I want them to remember me, to be happy, to do well, to go to university. 'I want them to make me proud.' Macmillan nurses are helping the mother-of-two place pictures, letters, videos and arm bands in her children's memory boxes. 'The notes say I love them and I will always be there for them. 'I’ve told them never to forget me,' she said. Miss Maloney's aunt Tina Adams, 48, said: 'My neice went into hospital with a chest infection. Then we were told it was terminal skin cancer. Every single day brings worse news. 'She was a typical dizzy 26-year-old, but yesterday Dani told me she looked in the mirror and the person looking back wasn’t her. 'That broke my heart. Dani should not be dying.' Dr Roger Stedman, Medical Director at Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 'We are extremely sorry to hear about Dani’s situation and wholeheartedly back her call for anyone who has concerns about a suspicious mole or skin blemish to seek advice at the earliest opportunity. 'As part of her antenatal care a rapid access referral was made in November for Dani to see a specialist at our skin centre in December and January, but unfortunately she failed to attend on both occasions and her GP was informed.'
### SUMMARY:
| Dani Maloney was diagnosed with skin cancer after giving birth to her son .
While pregnant with Jayden she claims she raised concerns over a mole growing on her leg with doctors but was told it was skin pigmentation .
Six weeks ago 26-year-old was rushed to hospital with suspected pneumonia .
The mother-of-two was diagnosed with skin cancer and told she has less than two months left to live .
Birmingham hospital bosses said she was sent letters referring her to a skin specialist in November but did not turn up to two appointments .
She claims she was living in a temporary flat and never received the referrals .
On Thursday Jayden will have tests to reveal if he too has the disease . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Sarah Griffiths . It was one of the defining icons of the 1970s and every child wanted one. Now original designs for the Raleigh Chopper have come to light 45 years after bicycle was first made. The scribbled sketches were just basic outlines but clearly show the bike's most famous features - large U-shaped handlebars, chunky rear wheel and long leather seat. Icon of the 1970s: The original designs for the Raleigh Chopper have come to light 45 years after bicycle was first made. The scribbled sketches were just basic outlines but they clearly show its most famous features - large U-shaped handlebars and rear wheel and long leather seats . The chopper was based on dragster cars and bikes of the 1960s and was a signifier of a child's coolness in the 1970s. Ogle Design produced the concept art for Raleigh's design department headed by Alan Oakley including details such as the padded leather seat and distinctive wheels. The first Chopper went into production in 1969 and became a cultural icon of the 1970s. The first version of the bike featured a gear hub selected using a frame-mounted lever. It had an unusually-shaped frame, high back seat and ape hanger Handlebars as well as differently sized wheels which were 16inches (41cm) at the front and 20inches (51cm) at the back. The design cost £32 for the most basic version at the time. The Mk2 was produced from 1972 until the end of production and had a seat that was moved forward to prevent the bike tipping up as well as other tweaks. Around one and a half million bikes were sold before the BMX craze of the 1980s took over. This was despite the bicycle being unstable, slow, heavy and trickier to ride than conventional bikes. A lighter Mk3 Chopper was launched in 2004 made of aluminium with various safety features. They were drawn by inventor Tom Karen and evolved into formal designs for Raleigh, which produced the first Mark I Choppers in 1969. The bikes, which emulated dragsters, soon became the must-have toy for children across Britain and more than 1.5million of them were made until production ceased in 1979. Mr Karen, 87 has kept the two pages of original drawings, which he took with him when he retired from Ogle Design, the consultancy firm used by Raleigh, in 1999. Since then . his sketch books have been left gathering dust in the garage of his home . in Cambridge, but the grandfather recently rediscovered them . ‘The . sketch books were just for me to do some rough doodles for me to pass . on my ideas to the designers to work on and show to the client,’ he . said. ‘I . left Ogle in 1999 and took these books with me. I have had them in my . garage ever since. They were with a pile of things that I just saved.’ He . was managing director of the company between 1962 and 1999, and in 1968 . his company was approached by British firm Raleigh bicycles help them . come up with a design to rival one of the leading bikes on the market . made by Schwinn. The chopper bikes emulated dragster bikes, soon became the must-have toy for children across Britain and more than 1.5million of them were made until production ceased in 1979 . Creative: The sketches (pictured) were drawn by inventor Tom Karen and evolved into formal designs for Raleigh, which produced the first Mark I Choppers in 1969 . They had tried to compete against the cycle with their Rodeo model, but were unsuccessful. Mr . Karen took inspiration from the dragster cars which have two large . wheels at the back and sketched a picture in a matter of minutes that . went on to became the Chopper. However, Raleigh's . head of design. Alan Oakley claimed to have drawn the very first design . for the Chopper on the back of an envelope in 1967, while he flew back . from the U.S from a trip designed to get to grips with youth culture, . The Telegraph reported. He . saw teenagers in California customising push bikes to look like . dragster motorcycles used by the Hell's Angels by adopting 'ape hanger' handlebars and other features. Mr Karen, 87, (pictured in his study) has kept the two pages of original drawings, which he took with him when he retired from Ogle Design, the consultancy firm used by Raleigh, in 1999 . As well as the famous features of the . bike, Mr Karen said he had the idea to put in gears and springs under the seat. Certain parts were prototyped and eventually the designs were passed to . Raleigh. Mr Karen said: ‘In the 1960s there was a bike made by a company called Schwinn. Mr Karen (pictured) took inspiration from the dragster cars and sketched a picture in a matter of minutes that went on to became the Chopper . ‘It was very sturdy and was great for kids because they could just throw it down on the pavement and then pick it up again and ride away. ‘Raleigh . decided to make a bike to rival the Schwinn and designed something . rather like it, which they called the Rodeo. But unfortunately it . bombed.’ He . explained that Raleigh wanted to reach the same market but to have a . ‘different flavour, so I decided there and then that it must have a big . wheel at the back and a small one at the front.’ The . reason for that was because dragster cars had big wheels at the back . where the power was, and I wanted it to have that feel. I made a quick . sketch within a few minutes in my sketch book.’ The chopper . bike had similar handlebars to the Schwinn. ‘It had a straight frame, a . gear shift that kids loved to use to change speed, and the rear wheel . had some pretend disk brakes,’ Mr Karen said. ‘There was a concern that the saddle was too similar to the Schwinn so we redesigned it and put springs underneath it. ‘We . then delivered the final designs to Raleigh and it became a . considerable success and made a lot of money for them. It was quite . iconic and still is today.’ Raleigh . made two versions of the bike - the Mark I from 1969 to 1972 and then . the Mark II from 1972 to 1979. They also produced a number of limited . edition bikes. Mr Karen was approached by British firm Raleigh bicycles to help them come up with a design to rival one of the leading bikes on the market made by Schwinn (pictured at a flea market in Los Angeles) Mr Karen, riding on his Chopper bike (pictured) said: 'We delivered the final designs to Raleigh and it became a considerable success and made a lot of money for them. It was quite iconic and still is today'
### SUMMARY:
| Tom Karen penned the drawings for Raleigh, which produced the first Mark I Choppers in 1969 .
He kept the two pages of original drawings, .
which he took with him when he retired from Ogle Design, the consultancy .
firm used by Raleigh .
The design was inspired by dragster cars and 1.5million bikes were made until production ceased in 1979 .
The chopper was also intended to rival a sturdy 1960s bike by Schwinn . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Associated Press . and Zoe Szathmary for MailOnline . A Miami man who prosecutors say strangled a University of Florida student in a fit of jealousy over a woman choosing the victim over him was convicted Friday of first-degree murder. The family of slain 18-year-old Christian Aguilar watched in the courtroom as 20-year-old Pedro Bravo was convicted. After a two-week trial, the jury in Gainesville also convicted Bravo of six other counts related to Aguilar's death. Prosecutors did not seek the death penalty and Judge James Colaw sentenced Bravo to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Aguilar's parents and family were silent as the verdicts were read. They left the courtroom hugging and began crying outside. Bravo watched the clerk read the verdict with no reaction. He appeared calm. Aguilar's father, Carlos Aguilar, addressed the court before Bravo's sentencing. 'I cannot tell you the quantity of pain that we have been going through,' he said. The victim's brother Alexander said, 'It’s been agonizing - so much pain and agony' according to The Miami Herald. 'I am now a student at the University of Florida. I would have loved to spend time with my brother here but that is never going to happen. I trusted the jury and they didn’t fail me.' The victim's mother, Claudia Aguilar, said '[Bravo] made the most terrible decision for me and my family,' according to the newspaper. Mother: Claudia Aguilar, the mother of slain University of Florida student Christian Aguilar, cries with family on Friday . Brother: Alex Aguilar, left, the younger brother of slain University of Florida student Christian Aguilar is seen red-eyed on Friday at that Alachua County Criminal Justice Center after Bravo was convicted . Embrace: Diego Aguilar, the uncle of slain University of Florida student Christian Aguilar, hugs his nephew Alex, who is Christian's younger brother, and Christian's mother, Claudia, in the family's private room at the Alachua County Criminal Justice Center following the guilty verdict of Pedro Bravo . Diego Aguilar, center, the uncle of slain University of Florida student Christian Aguilar, hugs his son Diego . Carlos Aguilar earlier said 'The . reality is the verdict will not bring my son back. But Pedro was held . accountable. I promised Christian at his burial that there would be . justice' while speaking to The Herald. Bravo had pleaded not guilty, saying he and Aguilar got into a fist fight the day the college student died but that he left Aguilar alive. Bravo remained defiant before his sentencing, rising and walking to the podium to speak. 'I know in my heart I did not do anything to hurt my friend that would cause him to die,' Bravo said to gasps in the courtroom. 'I know in my heart what I did, I know God knows what I did. I'll take life or life without parole, and I'll do it.' Investigators found Aguilar's blood in Bravo's car and presented evidence that Bravo researched ways to drug people and dispose of bodies. Aguilar's body was found in the woods. Victim: Pedro Bravo was convicted of killing college student Christian Aguilar, pictured . Together: Carlos Aguilar, second from left, the father of slain University of Florida student Christian Aguilar, walks with his father Carlos, left, his brother Diego Aguilar and Diego's wife, Nasly, at right, after Bravo's conviction . Love triangle: Erika Friman, the former girlfriend of Pedro Bravo and Christian Aguilar, listens to Circuit Court Judge James Colaw sentence Bravo to life in prison for Aguilar's murder . Verdict: Claudia Aguilar, the mother of slain University of Florida student Christian Aguilar, listens as a guilty verdict is read to Pedro Bravo . Standing together: Alex Aguilar, second from left, leaves the courtroom with lead Detective Randy Roberts of the Gainesville Police Department at left . Sentenced: Pedro Bravo sits in court after being sentenced to life in prison . Aguilar and Bravo knew each other from their days at Doral Academy, a high school in Miami. Bravo had dated Friman, who was also a student, while at Doral, but she and Aguilar had begun dating when the two moved to Gainesville for college. Prosecutors presented reams of writings by Bravo that showed he was obsessed with Friman, so much so that he decided not to attend Florida International University so he could move to Gainesville and pursue her. But when he arrived, Bravo learned Friman had begun seeing Aguilar. Bravo bought what prosecutor's called a 'murderer's starting pack' including a shovel, duct tape and enough sleeping drugs to knock someone out. For days, Aguilar ducked Bravo's attempts to meet with him. But after a mutual friend approached him on Bravo's behalf, Aguilar reluctantly agreed in an effort to help with Bravo's depression. On September 20, the two spent hours together eating and buying a CD at Best Buy. Prosecutors say the two men were in Bravo's SUV in a Wal-Mart parking lot when Bravo slipped into the backseat, grabbed a strap, and choked Aguilar to death. Taking the stand in his own defense, Bravo said he and Aguilar fought, and that he left his friend lying injured on the ground. But Aguilar was still alive, Bravo said. The Gainesville Police Department released a statement, saying 'The men and women of the Gainesville Police Department stand relieved with the family of Christian Aguilar as a jury found Pedro Bravo guilty of 1st Degree Murder. 'For weeks, members of the Gainesville Police investigated the disappearance of Christian Aguilar and searched tirelessly for him. It quickly became clear that a missing persons case had turned into a Murder case. A very detailed investigation was completed that revealed Pedro Bravo was undoubtedly responsible for the murder of Christian Aguilar.' 'I am relieved,' Friman told The Miami Herald. 'I am exhausted. It’s been a long two years but I feel like the weight has finally been lifted off of us.' College student: Pedrp Bravo had dated Erika Friman, who was also a student, while at Doral, but she and Christian Aguilar (pictured) had begun dating when the two moved to Gainesville for college . Courtroom: Erika Friman, the former girlfriend of Pedro Bravo and slain University of Florida student Christian Aguilar, listens to closing statements by the state of Florida on Friday . Convicted: Pedro Bravo was convicted Friday of first-degree murder in the death of Christian Aguilar .
### SUMMARY:
| The family of slain 18-year-old Christian Aguilar watched in the courtroom as 20-year-old Pedro Bravo was convicted Friday for his murder .
Aguilar's father, Carlos Aguilar, addressed the court before Bravo's sentencing: 'I cannot tell you the quantity of pain that we have been going through'
Bravo pleaded not guilty, saying he .
and Aguilar got into a fist fight the day the college student died but .
that he left Aguilar alive .
Investigators found Aguilar's blood in .
Bravo's car and presented evidence that Bravo researched ways to drug .
people and dispose of bodies .
Aguilar and Bravo knew each other from .
their days at Doral Academy, a high school in Miami .
Bravo had dated Erika .
Friman, who was also a student, while at Doral, but she and Aguilar had .
begun dating when the two moved to Gainesville for college .
Prosecutors presented reams of writings .
by Bravo that showed he was obsessed with Friman and followed her to the University of Florida . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Sophie Jane Evans . It could have been a scene in the BBC's 1980s sitcom 'Allo 'Allo'. Teenage war hero Len Manning spent three months hiding in a French café after his Lancaster bomber was shot down in July 1944 - despite it being one of the Gestapo's favourite haunts. Now, the RAF veteran has finally received a medal for his bravery - 69 years later. 'People often liken it to the TV series ‘Allo ‘Allo! but it was a really risky experience,' said the Tail End Charlie rear gunner today. Hero: Len Manning, 88, spent three months hiding in a French cafe after his Lancaster bomber was shot down during a raid. He has finally received a medal for his bravery . 'I spent three months living in a . café/hotel in Bassevelle, hiding from the Germans who frequently used . the café and stayed at the hotel.' Mr Manning, from Sudbury, Suffolk, fought in the RAF’s savagely-battered Bomber Command during the Second World War. His 57th Squadron, based in East Kirkby, Lincolnshire, played a vital role bombing key strategic German targets as the Allies turned the tide of war against Hitler’s Germany. The airman, who was 19 years old at the time, was lucky to survive when his giant Lancaster was blasted out of the skies over northern France in July 1944 - killing four of his comrades. He plunged from the blazing bomber at 4,000ft with a burning parachute and was badly burned before going on the run from his German hunters. Fighter: Mr Manning, from Sudbury, Suffolk, fought in the RAF's savagely-battered Bomber Command during the Second World War . He told the East Anglian Daily Times: 'The plane was hit by a German fighter and immediately caught fire. 'After I climbed out of the turret into the fuselage which was burning furiously, it was like looking down the flames of a blow lamp. It was the most terrifying experience of my life. 'Although I managed to get out of the plane, the parachute had also caught fire and as a result, I was badly burned.' Four of Mr Manning’s fellow crewmen died in the stricken Lancaster. However, he was fortunate to be rescued by French Resistance fighters - although the unlucky navigator, who also survived the catastrophic crash, was captured by the Germans and sent to a Prisoner of War camp. Mr Manning kept his head down in Bassevelle until American troops liberated the town months later. 'They took us to a hotel and then flew us back to the UK where we were interrogated by M15 and bomber intelligence to make sure we weren’t Germans,' he recalled. 'I was given nine months sick leave because of the injuries I received and was then medically discharged.' He has always believed he and his comrades should have been given a medal because the air crew and particularly rear gunners – known as Tail End Charlies – stared into the face of death time and again. Lucky: The airman was fortunate to survive when his warplane was blasted out of the skies over northern France by a German fighter in July 1944. Above, the fallen Lancaster bomber . 'I was only 19 at the time and you couldn’t dwell on the possible dangers although it was at the back of your mind because every raid was risky,' he said. 'You literally had people shooting at you from the ground and fighters coming at you from all around – there was nowhere to escape so you had no choice but to go through it. 'I only did three raids before I was shot down and that was enough. Every raid was a trauma.' Mr Manning said angry Bomber Command members were not given medals because Prime Minister Winston Churchill believed it could have been seen as 'condoning killing civilians' after German cities were mercilessly bombed. 'We didn’t think it was fair because . all of the other services – the Battle of Britain, the Land Army – were . given campaign medals,' he said. 'More . than 30,000 air crew were killed in the war and we always felt it was a . bit of an insult not to be deemed worthy of a medal. There are not many of us left now and we felt really let down. Award: Mr Manning received his Bomber Command clasp at Ipswich Town Hall yesterday. He was presented with the medal by Ipswich Mayor Hamil Clarke (right), watched by Sudbury Mayor Adrian Osborne (centre) 'So about five years ago, we started a campaign to push for them (the government) to issue a medal – it was really about the principle of it.' Mr Manning has finally received a Bomber Command Clasp to mark the service he gave to his country as he risked his life time and time again. He was presented with the medal in a special ceremony at Ipswich Town Hall yesterday. He was accompanied by Sudbury Mayor Adrian Osborne, one of those behind the push to get rightful recognition for Bomber Command. Mr Osborne said: 'I have great respect for anyone who took part in the Second World War, especially in RAF missions, which were particularly dangerous. 'Those awful memories will live with the airmen forever and they will never lose the horror of what they’ve been through. 'It’s important to recognise the sacrifices they made and it’s a good reminder to younger generations. 'I’m really over the moon for Len that he has finally received the recognition he deserves.' 'Allo 'Allo! is set in a small town cafe in Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War. The 1980s BBC sitcom tells the story of owner René Artois, who is stuck in the middle of the Gestapo and the French resistance - both of whom frequent his cafe. Flirt: Many episodes include René's (centre) attempts to keep his affairs with waitresses a secret from his wife Edith (left) He ends up trying to appease the Germans - under the command of Colonel Kurt von Strohm - and the French resistance - under the watchful eye of Michelle Dubois - while avoiding getting himself killed. He also ends up being forced into hiding two clueless, English airmen - Fairfax and Carstairs - in his cafe. The dim-witted pair don't understand a word of French. Many episodes focus on the ownership of a painting - named 'The Fallen Madonna with the Big Boobies' - that everyone is trying to get their hands on. They also include René's attempts to . keep a string of affairs with his waitresses a secret from his wife . Edith, who is considered to be the worst singer in the world. His attempts are made even more humorous by the seemingly gay Lieutenant Gruber's advances - which often see the pair end up in embarrassing situations - and the fact that René is not exactly the best-looking man in France. Other characters include SS officer Otto Flick and his small sidekick Engelbert von Smallhausen; Madame Fanny, Edith's mother who lives in an attic above the cafe', and Yvette Carte-Blanche, a waitress who is in love with René and wants to elope with him. 'Allo 'Allo! was written and performed as a parody by writers David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd. It ran from 1982 to 1992 and comprised 85 episodes.
### SUMMARY:
| Len Manning, from Sudbury, Suffolk, spent three months hiding in a French cafe after his bomber was shot down in July 1944 .
The cafe was one of the Gestapo's favourite haunts .
He has finally received a medal for his bravery - 69 years later . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE STATS FROM THE GROUP E OPENER WITH OUR MATCH ZONE SERVICE . What. A. Finish. No more than 18 seconds after Valon Behrami produced a brilliant tackle to prevent Michael Arroyo from scoring a last gasp winner for Ecuador, Haris Seferovic was slotting home a winner for Switzerland with virtually the last kick of the game. The World Cup has been quite a spectacle so far - but it'll take something to beat this dramatic ending in Brasilia. Heartbreaking for Ecuador, heartwarming for the Swiss - exhilarating for the neutral. VIDEO Scroll down for Antonio Valencia and Ecuador teammates speed drills in training . Leaving it late: Haris Seferovic scoops home a late opener for Switzerland in a 2-1 win against Ecuador . Passion: Seferovic celebrates his late strike to give the Swiss a crucial win in World Cup Group E . Bedlam: The Swiss team join the striker on the pitch as he wheels away in celebration . Delight: Ottmar Hitzfeld congratulates his side as the final whistle blew seconds after the winner . Distraught: The Ecuador supporters look dejected after the painful defeat . Switzerland: Benaglio, Lichtsteiner, Djourou, von Bergen, Rodriguez,Behrami,Inler,Shaqiri,Xhaka,Stocker (Mehmedi 46), Drmic (Seferovic 75). Subs Not Used: Sommer, Ziegler, Senderos, Lang, Barnetta, Dzemaili, Fernandes, Gavranovic, Schar, Burki. Booked: Djourou. Goals: Mehmedi 47,Seferovic 90. Ecuador: Dominguez, Paredes, Erazo, Guagua, Walter Ayovi, Antonio Valencia, Gruezo, Noboa, Montero (Rojas 76), Caicedo (Arroyo 70), Enner Valencia. Subs Not Used: Banguera, Ibarra, Mendez, Minda, Jaime Ayovi, Bagui, Saritama, Martinez, Achilier, Bone. Booked: Paredes. Goals: Enner Valencia 22. Att: 35,000 . Ref: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan). Understandably, the South American's . looked far more comfortable in the Brazilian heat during the opening . stages - but it was Ottmar Hitzfeld's side that had the first sniff of a . chance in the 12th minute, Jorge Guagua making an excellent sliding . tackle to stop Josip Drmic. The . Swiss threatened again four minutes later when star man Xherdan Shaqiri . collected Gokhan Inler's pass on the edge of the box before firing a . low drive straight at keeper Alexander Dominguez. The . Ecuador shot-stopper didn't look so comfortable, however, two minutes . later as he spilled Ricardo Rodriguez's long-range effort out for a . corner. But just as Switzerland felt they had a foothold in the game, they were outdone by Valencia. Not, the Valencia you may have thought, though. Enner . Valencia, who was inexplicably left unmarked, planted a firm header . past Diego Benaglio from Walter Ayovi's brilliant free-kick to put . Ecuador ahead and score in his fifth consecutive international match. The travelling Ecuadorians were in ecstatic. Hitzfeld, . though, was furious with his back-four - namely former Arsenal man . Johan Djourou - for their feeble attempt at defending Ayovi's set-piece. His side's response, though, would have brightened his mood. Nowhere near: Admir Mehmedi gets ahead of Ecuador's goalkeeper to equalise for Switzerland in Group E . Super sub: Mehmedi had been on the pitch for just 121 seconds before his header . Comradery: The Swiss team celebrate together after that leveller in the second half . Former . West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami saw a downward header from Shaqiri's . corner well-saved by the Dominguez in the 34th minute before the keeper . got the slightest of touches to stop Inler's angled drive. And two minutes after the break, Switzerland were rewarded for their dogged response as they pulled themselves level. Admir . Mehmedi, on at half-time in place of the ineffective Valentin Stocker, . was the hero as he headed home Rodriguez's corner in a goal not too . dissimilar to Ecuador's opener. If . Hitzfeld was angry at the way his side defended the set-piece leading . to Valencia's opener, then Ecuador boss Reinaldo Rueda knew the feeling . given the South American's half-hearted attempts to deal with . Rodriguez's corner. But like his opposite number, Rueda's displeasure would have been tempered by the way his side replied. Slack marking: Enner Valencia put the South American side into a shock lead in the first-half . No chance: Unlike Ecuador's keeper, Diego Benaglio could do nothing about that World Cup opener . Unlucky: Josip Drmic's strike was disallowed for offside in the second half in Brasilia . Star men: But things didn't quite go as planned for Valon Behrami and Xherdan Shaqiri of Switzerland . Carlos . Gruezo fired well over the bar following good work from Manchester . United winger Antonio Valencia and Jefferson Montero in 57th minute. Moments . later goalscorer Valencia went close to doubling his tally with a shot . from the edge of the box following a dangerous run, before Benaglio . turned an effort from the sprightly Montero round the post. However, the Ecuadorians' hearts were in their mouths in the 69th minute when Drmic thought he'd given Switzerland. Shaqiri's . clever dummy rolled through to the Bayer Leverkusen striker to slot . home from close range only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. High boot: Antonio Valencia attempts to get past Swiss left-back Ricardo Rodriguez . Queue: The lines outside the National Stadium stretched for hundreds of yards on Sunday afternoon . Cheering them on: FIFA president Sepp Blatter was in the stadium to support Switzerland . The Swiss were perplexed, they'll be even more confused when they see replays showing Drmic to be onside. Benaglio . nearly compounded his side's frustrations when his error let in Enner . Valencia in the 74th minute, but the keeper's blushes were saved by . team-mate Steve von Bergen. Ecuador . midfielder Arroyo saw his deflected free-kick saved by Benaglio in the . final five minutes as the clash looked to be heading for the first draw . of the tournament before disaster struck for the South Americans. In . the final minute of stoppage time, Behrami produced a breathtaking last . ditch tackle to deny Arroyo after Antonio Valencia's excellent . cut-back. And somehow, less . than 20 seconds later, the Swiss were celebrating after Seferovic . slotted home Rodriguez's low cross after the Swiss' rapid breakaway. Wow.
### SUMMARY:
| Enner Valencia opened the scoring in Brasilia for Ecuador .
Admir Mehmedi equalises after being on the pitch for just 121 seconds .
Another substitute, Haris Seferovic nets late winner .
France and Honduras to follow in Group E of World Cup .
No draw so far in the tournament, a record since 1934 . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
He's the airline boss who called his own customers 'stupid' and told refund-hunters to 'f*** off'. But it seems Ryanair's Michael O'Leary is finally ending his not-so-friendly approach to customer service - and admits he should have done so a long time ago. With profits and passenger traffic on the rise amid a charm offensive, the divisive chief executive told MailOnline Travel: 'We should have been nicer to customers earlier than we have been'. Scroll down for video . Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said the airline should have been 'nicer' to customers in the past . The Dublin-based carrier has long faced public criticism for its surcharges and treatment of customers, and now it appears Mr O’Leary feels that his management style may have been too abrasive. Mr O’Leary said he realises that his mentor and Ryanair co-founder, the late Tony Ryan, was on to something when he campaigned for a customer-friendly airline. He said: ‘The thing that we repeatedly would have clashed over was my determination to make Ryanair the lowest cost airline in Europe and Tony’s desire to make it the most beloved airline in Europe. ‘I think the Always Getting Better programme we’ve launched in the last 12 months and the significant improvements we’ve made in the customer experience, and the way that customers have responded to that, would suggest that he was right.’ Mr O’Leary added: ‘He wanted it to be very low cost and very profitable but then he also wanted it to be winning awards for customer service and being beloved, and the two generally don’t match, but I think he was probably a little bit too extreme on the customer service side and I was certainly too extreme on being low cost and mean. ‘But I’m leaning over the last year or two that a lot of what he was saying was actually right, we should have been nicer to customers earlier than we have been.’ In response to his critics or sceptics, Mr O’Leary insists the no-frills carrier’s friendlier approach is not a gimmick or a temporary effort and they are ‘real’ and ‘genuine’ changes. Mr O'Leary says the carrier's attempt to improve customer service is not a gimmick or temporary effort . Ryanair's effort to win over customers includes a softer stance on baggage charges and booking conditions . He said: ‘This is a change. We have just completed the first year, I think we have two more years of the program to roll out where you’re going to see more and more focus on improving the experience and actively listening to customers and trying to provide them with the services they’re looking for. ‘As I said myself if I had known being nicer to our customers was going to work so well I would have done it years ago.’ Ryanair has implemented a number of measures to improve its image and address the impact that poor customer service has had on sales. It has softened its stance on baggage charges and booking conditions, overhauled its website and introduced allocated seating, a new business class service and a family discount scheme. Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Transport Roger Lewentz (left) and Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary hold a press conference at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport in Lautzenhausen, Germany on 12 May 2014 . Ryanair expects to carry 87 million customers, an increase of one million from the previous forecast, this year . But as for what Ryanair has planned next for its customers, Mr O’Leary remains tight-lipped. He said there are plans to in-flight wifi and a holiday brand, but declined to identify additional measures. He said the carrier is ‘looking at a couple of things’ and plans to cut fares and will ‘never say never’ to easing other surcharges. On the no refund policy: 'You're not getting a refund so f*** off. We don't want to hear your sob stories. What part of 'no refund' don't you understand?' On a passenger charged £236 in fees for forgetting to print boarding cards: 'We think Mrs McLeod should pay 60 euros for being so stupid... There are 0.02 per cent of passengers who are equally stupid. We say quite politely to those passengers, b***** off' On removing toilets and charging 'per pee': 'We are flying aircraft on an average flight time of one hour around Europe. What the hell do we need three toilets for? If you get rid of two [toilets] you can get six seats on a 737' On what powers his planes: 'All flights are fuelled with Leprechaun wee and my bull****' Travellers appear to be warming up to Ryanair’s effort to revamp its image with the airline expecting more passengers and a higher net profit than originally forecast this fiscal year. It expects to carry 87 million customers, an increase of one million from the previous forecast, and it has raised its full year net profit towards the upper end of its previously guided range of £484m to £507m. It comes as Ryanair plans an aggressive expansion across Europe and into new markets, including North Africa, Israel and the Gulf States with the purchase of up to 200 new Boeing 737 Max 200 aircraft. Mr O’Leary told MailOnline Travel that the airline is also looking to offer flights between Ireland and Moscow and St Petersburg in Russia, but talks that began six months ago are facing a hurdle. He said: ‘The problem at the moment is the Irish Tourism Authority, despite the fact that they say Russia is one of their target markets, aren’t willing to support the launch of services into Russia so we’re not willing to open up Russia until we get support from the Irish authorities.’ The 53-year-old Irish executive has been at the helm of Ryanair for 20 years and recently agreed to a five-year extension that will keep him with the airline through 2019. He spoke to MailOnline Travel to promote a biography of Mr Ryan, who took Mr O’Leary under his wing as a personal assistant at Guinness Peat Aviation, the aircraft leasing company he founded, in 1987. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary, centre, speaks to Tony Ryan, right, in this photo from 2001 . Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary said he had a 'quasi father-son relationship' with airline co-founder Tony Ryan . Mr O’Leary said he was interviewed by the book’s author, Richard Aldous, to provide ‘unvarnished recollections’ of Mr Ryan. The book details how their relationship became strained over Mr O’Leary’s brash management style and aggressive strategy for the airline. Mr O’Leary described it as a ‘quasi father-son relationship’ that had its ups and downs, and said he owes much of his success to Mr Ryan. He said: ‘We fought a lot made up a lot and achieved a lot together. ‘I learned his ambition, his world vision. He was never content to be a big noise just in Ireland, he wanted to go and conquer the world. I think that outward looking vision is what has made Ryanair a success, the quest to always get bigger and better. The biography, titled Tony Ryan – Ireland’s Aviator, has already been published in Ireland and goes on sale in the UK on Monday.
### SUMMARY:
| Ryanair's profits and passenger traffic on the rise amid a charm offensive .
Mr O'Leary says he should have focused on customer experience sooner .
He says co-founder Tony Ryan's wish to be customer friendly was 'right'
Dublin-based airline has plans to roll out in-flight wifi on its fleet .
Ryanair is looking at offering flights between Ireland and Russia .
CEO spoke to MailOnline Travel to promote biography of Mr Ryan . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Man-made global warming is worsening and will disrupt both the natural world and human society, according to a joint report of two of the world's leading scientific organisations. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society, which is the national scientific academy of the UK, have released an unusual plain language report on climate change that addressed 20 issues. ‘People do have persistent questions all about climate change,’ said study author Ben Santer of the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in California. ‘This is a one-stop shop for many of those questions.’ If emissions continue . on their present trajectory, without . either technological or regulatory . abatement, then the best estimate . is that global average temperature . will warm a further 2.6 to 4.8 °C . (4.7 to 8.6 °F) by the end of the . century (right). The figure on left . shows projected warming with very . aggressive emissions reductions . The Climate Change: Evidence and Causes report, released today, addresses new issues such as the recent slowing in the increase of world temperatures and how heat-trapping gases are connected to extreme weather. It maintains there is unequivocal evidence that soaring levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are mainly the result of burning fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide is now at its highest level for at least 800,000 years, and records dating back to the mid-19th century show a clear long-term warming trend. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, including water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, absorb heat energy and emit it in all directions (including downwards), keeping Earth¿s surface and lower atmosphere warm . Human activities have increased CO2 concentrations by about 40 per cent, with more than half the increase occurring since 1970. Since 1900, the global average surface temperature has risen by 0.8 °C (1.4 °F). This has been accompanied by warming of the ocean, a rise in sea level, a strong decline in Arctic sea ice. Much of this warming has occurred in the last four decades as a result of greenhouse gases. Continued emissions of these gases will cause further climate change, including substantial increases in global average surface temperature and important changes in regional climate. Long-term climate change over many decadeswill depend mainly on the total amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases emitted as aresult of human activities. One of the main clues to the origin of the CO2 is its atomic fingerprint, say the scientists. Measurements of different isotopes - or atomic ‘strains’ - of carbon show that most of the increase is human-generated. On the other hand, there is much less certainty about the extent to which sea levels are likely to rise, and what effect increasing acidity of the oceans will have on marine life. Increases in extreme weather, melting glaciers, rising seas and oceans getting more acidic are already happening, the 36-page report said. As well as this, the report claims the chemical balance of the oceans has shifted toward a more acidic state, which makes it difficult for organisms such as corals and shellfish to form and maintain their shells. As the oceans continue to absorb CO2, scientists believe their acidity will continue to increase over the next century, along with as yet undetermined impacts on marine ecosystems and the food chain. Earth's global average surface temperature has risen as shown in this plot of combined land and ocean measurements from 1850 to 2012, derived from three independent analyses of the available data sets . There is no scientific proof of man-made global warming and a hotter earth would be ‘beneficial for humans and the majority of other species’. The assertion was made by Canadian ecologist Patrick Moore, a member of Greenpeace from 1971 to 1986, to U.S lawmakers on Tuesday. He told The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee: ‘If there were such a proof it would be written down for all to see.’ Moore pointed out that there was an Ice Age 45 0million years ago when CO2 was 10 times higher. He said: ‘There is some correlation, but little evidence, to support a direct causal relationship between CO2 and global temperature through the millennia. 'The fact that we had both higher temperatures and an ice age at a time when CO2 emissions were 10 times higher than they are today fundamentally contradicts the certainty that human-caused CO2 emissions are the main cause of global warming.’ Even if the earth does warm up, Moore claims that it will be to the advantage of humans and other forms of life, as ‘humans are a tropical species’. He said: ‘It is extremely likely that a warmer temperature than today’s would be far better than a cooler one.’ Humans, he added, just aren’t capable of predicting global temperature changes. These changes ‘are expected to . increase greater warming and will threaten food production, freshwater . supplies, coastal infrastructure and especially the welfare of the huge . population currently living in low-lying areas,’ it added. The . report said that while the rate of warming is slower in the 2000s than . it was in the 1990s, it doesn't negate the 150 years of observations . that show the world is warming. It also said that more the 90 per cent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases lately has been absorbed into the oceans' deep water, which for a while slows surface warming but not the long-term trend. Even if greenhouse gas emissions were to suddenly stop, it would take thousands of years for atmospheric CO2 to return to its levels before the industrial era. A similar conclusion was last year reached by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who said global warming is unequivocal and human influence has been the dominant cause. The report highlighted a number of doomsday scenarios, including extreme storms, heat waves, rising sea levels and the melting of Greenland. Among its findings, it said that sea levels have risen by 19cm since 1901 and are expected to rise a further 26-82cm by the end of the century. However, it was unable to explain why world temperatures have barely risen in the past 15 years, despite growing amounts of greenhouse gases being pumped into the atmosphere. This slowdown has been seized upon by climate sceptics who claim carbon dioxide is not as damaging as has been suggested. However, Sir Paul Nurse, president of the Royal Society, says there is enough evidence on the science to warrant action. ‘We've changed the chemical composition of the atmosphere; that's not a belief system,' Sir Santer said in an interview. 'We know that beyond shadow of a doubt. We ignore this at our peril.’ For the global average temperature for the period 1850-2012, the plots show: (top) the average and range of uncertainty for annually averaged data; (2nd plot) the temperature given for any date is the average for the ten years about that date; (3rd plot) the equivalent picture for 30-year; and (4th plot) 60-year averages .
### SUMMARY:
| Report published by U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society .
It claims human activity has increased CO2 concentrations by 40 per cent .
Since 1900, global average surface temperature has risen by 0.8 °C (1.4 °F)
It argues 90 per cent of heat trapped by greenhouse gases has been absorbed into the oceans', which for a while slows surface warming .
Sir Paul Nurse, president of Royal Society, says there is enough evidence on the science to warrant action . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
There is possibly one rugby ball in the entire building, but Brian O’Driscoll manages to find it and cradle it in his arms for the whole interview. Here is a man who has spent most of his life with a ball in his hands — developing such a natural connection that it has almost become a fifth limb. As a player, he relied on guile and sleight of hand. These are traits that, he believes, are becoming devalued in a changing arena where junior players spend more time lifting weights than honing their skills. There is a diminishing marketplace for ‘spindly little kids’ — the words used to describe O’Driscoll when he arrived at his first Ireland training session in 1999 — but the Irishman believes it is time to restore some old-fashioned values. ‘I was exposed to the gym at about 28,’ joked O’Driscoll. ‘I never had a huge love or appetite for it — it was just a means to an end. I get burnt in the sun, so there’s no point me getting pecs for when I take my shirt off in the summer. Brian O'Driscoll thinks there is too much emphasis for younger players on to do well in the gym . The Irish rugby legend fears that learning the finer arts of the game is second behind performing in the gym . ‘In more recent years I got into it because it was a necessary evil. You have to adapt. You have to get a passion for it, but I don’t just know if that balance is there at the moment. ‘I never loved doing weights the way these young guys do. Their technique is phenomenal but it’s as if they’re winning if they have great scores in the gym. They’re not . . . they’re rugby players. ‘I’m not privy to the English set-up but at the academies in Ireland there is a huge focus on the weights room, as opposed to whether they can throw a 10-metre pass on the run. They should be rugby players becoming athletes, not athletes becoming rugby players.’ The team culture in English rugby encourages players to strive to be top of the charts in the players’ room. It becomes a machismo contest to see who has the highest one-rep maximum on the bench-press or the Olympic squat. O'Driscoll retired from international rugby earlier in 2014 after helping Ireland win the Six Nations . The 35-year-old has been working as a pundit for BT and will do so for the upcoming Six Nations . Size matters, but amid a growing chorus of concern, O’Driscoll believes the obsession is only serving to widen the gulf in class between northern and southern hemisphere teams — with the All Blacks setting the standard. ‘I don’t think the gym monkey thing applies to them as much as it does over here,’ said O’Driscoll. ‘They have farmer strength. The Polynesian guys are pretty strong without going to the gym. ‘In New Zealand, they focus way more from an early age on skills. They do everything with a ball. They do all their fitness work with a ball and that’s why they have better skill levels. They have the balance; they have that physicality but they are able to mix their game up.’ With a strong Pacific Island core, many of the All Blacks are blessed with natural strength — Julian Savea and Sonny Bill Williams are both of Samoan descent. O'Driscoll backs New Zealand to retain their crown and win the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England . England suffered defeats by both South Africa and New Zealand at Twickenham in the autumn internationals . O'Driscoll at a rugby event in east London . A clean sweep of victories on their European tour was rewarded with a new deal for coach Steve Hansen and the Kiwis reinforced their position as favourites to win next year’s World Cup. England and Wales both failed to shoot down the world champions, but focus now turns towards the Six Nations, which kicks off on February 6. O’Driscoll’s involvement will be as a pundit. He missed just one Six Nations campaign between 1999 and 2014, so it is natural that he still has the occasional pang to be involved. Ireland were expected to struggle after their talisman’s retirement but fared best out of the home nations during the autumn internationals. O’Driscoll says that New Zealand will win the World Cup, but he is not so decisive when asked about his country’s credentials to win the Grand Slam. ‘Ireland are the form team and England look as though they took a step back in November,’ he said. ‘I think it will be the most open Six Nations for years — but I can’t see anyone winning the Slam. I don’t think Stuart Lancaster has been able to pair up people he would have liked to, particularly with Manu Tuilagi being injured. You would imagine that he’ll now back George Ford at fly-half going into the Six Nations. ‘I think a really good foil for Ford would be Kyle Eastmond and Manu. I think they could complement each other really well. I also really like Jonathan Joseph and Luther Burrell — who can play plenty for a big man — but I’d probably go with Eastmond.’ The former centre thinks Ireland are the form team heading into the Six Nations in February . England’s midfield puzzle remains unsolved. The November Tests provided more questions than answers and Tuilagi is being heralded as the solution to Lancaster’s soft centre. Like the Polynesian All Blacks, the Leicester man also has roots in the Pacific Islands. He is England’s most naturally powerful player and has the potential to spark huge collisions in the contact area. O’Driscoll, a healthy-lifestyle ambassador for Coca-Cola, would never shirk a tackle on a player such as Tuilagi, but admits he is concerned about the long-term impact of the ever-increasing physicality. Last season’s England Under 18 side were, man for man, heavier than the senior England side who reached the 1991 World Cup final. This has a direct impact on the risks of concussion and O’Driscoll’s family have been at the forefront in raising awareness of head injuries. O'Driscoll took part in a surprise rugby session with teens in east London ahead of the Rugby World Cup . ‘It was not something we sat and talked about over Sunday dinner,’ said O’Driscoll, who suffered a series of concussions as a player. ‘There have always been head injuries in the game. The impacts are getting bigger, but we are more aware of concussion these days. ‘It’s not a cool thing to play on with a head knock any more. It is not manly, it is not heroic; it is just stupid. ‘We’re guinea pigs from the physicality in the game, not from a concussion point of view but how our joints are going to be when we are in our 40s and 50s after the impacts we are taking. You see guys from the amateur era having knee and hip replacements at 45 and 50. ‘Having said that, I think we are physically considerably fitter than they were in the amateur era so our bodies are more toned to take that level of impact, at least I would be hopeful that that’s the case.’ Brian O’Driscoll was taking part in a surprise rugby session with teens in east London to launch the official partnership between Coca-Cola and Rugby World Cup 2015. Coca-Cola looks forward to celebrating the passion and excitement of the tournament to bring fans together and inspire people to move more. Go to coca-cola.co.uk to find out more.
### SUMMARY:
| Brian O'Driscoll thinks English rugby is obsessed with gym work .
Former Ireland centre wants more players to work on rugby skills first .
O'Driscoll says that New Zealand will win the World Cup . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Golden State's Stephen Curry got involved in a rare altercation with an opponent as he helped the NBA-leading Warriors beat Houston 126-113 on Wednesday and stretch their home winning streak to 17 games. The Warriors extended their lead in the Western Conference to 4-1/2 games over Portland, which gave up a big early lead in losing at Phoenix. Elsewhere, Memphis beat Toronto in a clash of divisional leaders, while Oklahoma City won in overtime at Washington. Warriors' shooter guard Klay Thompson (right) dribbles the ball forward against the Houston Rockets . Daymond Green holds back Stephen Curry after he was bumped by Rockets' guard Trevor Ariza (left) Curry finished the game with 22 points and 10 assists, as Warriors secured their 17th consecutive home win . Curry, who finished with 22 points and 10 assists, normally never loses his cool but after being bumped by Trevor Ariza on the way down the court in the third quarter, he confronted the Rockets forward and had to be restrained by teammates. Ariza receive a technical foul after a video review. Golden State had already grabbed control by outscoring Houston 30-13 in the second quarter and led by 30 in the third before the Rockets' reserves made the final margin closer. James Harden had 33 points and six assists for Houston, which lost all four games of the season series against the Warriors; the first such sweep for 41 years. Phoenix built a big early lead, gave it up, then got back in front to edge Portland 118-113. Suns' guard Eric Bledsoe (left) recorded a season-high 33 points against Portland Trail Blazers . Isiah Thomas (centre) also added a season-high 27 points for The Suns during their 118-113 win over Portland . Portland Trail Blazers point guard' Damian Lillard (right) tries to dribble past Phoenix Suns' Brandan Wright . Eric Bledsoe had a season-high 33 points and Isiah Thomas added a season-high 27 points for the Suns, who have won seven consecutive home games. Portland grabbed a 110-105 lead on Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer with 2:22 to go, but Phoenix closed the game with a 13-3 run. Nicolas Batum had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who trailed by as many as 25 in the second quarter but hit back to lead by five points with 2:22 to go before the Suns closed it out with a 13-3 run. Raptors' guard Kyle Lowry (right) drives against Grizzlies' Mike Conley (centre) and Kosta Koufos (left) Marc Gasol eyes up a shot during an outstanding performance for the Grizzlies against Toronto Raptors . Memphis' Marc Gasol scored 26 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 92-86 win against Toronto. Zach Randolph had 19 points - going 8 for 14 from the field - and 13 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who broke open a close game with a 13-3 run midway through the fourth quarter. There were 14 ties and six lead changes for the night. Toronto had five players score in double figures, led by Lou Williams' 21 points, but dropped to 3-8 in its last 11 games. The Raptors shot 32 percent (27 for 85) from the field. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook drove for the winning layup with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Thunder a 105-103 win at Washington. Kevin Durant (left) runs past Washington Wizards' Andre Miller (right) in Oklahoma City's overtime win . Kevin Durant scored 34 points, and combined with Westbrook to score all 13 of the Thunder's points in the extra period. That included Durant's dunk and Westbrook's uncontested layup off of an inbounds play after Oklahoma City had called timeout with 3.6 seconds remaining. Nene scored 24 points for the Wizards, including nine of Washington's 11 points in overtime, but they could not hold on after having led by 12 points at halftime. Atlanta tied a franchise record with its 14th straight win, defeating Indiana 110-91. DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague each scored 17 points for the Hawks, who improved to a stunning 35-8 and Mike Budenholzer clinched a spot as the Eastern Conference coach in next month's All-Star game. Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague scored 17 points during his side's 110-91 win over Indiana Pacers . Indiana Pacers Argentinian forward Luis Scola (right) shoots against Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap . The Hawks romped to their 28th victory in the past 30 games, showing the kind of teamwork that has become their trademark in a season that no one saw coming. C.J. Miles' 18 points led the Pacers, who shot just 39.7 percent. A rejuvenated Cleveland won for the fourth-straight game, beating Utah 106-92. LeBron James scored 26 points and Kevin Love added 19 for the Cavaliers, who are 4-1 since James returned after missing eight games with a strained back and knee. Utah Jazz centre Enes Kanter (left) goes up for a shot against Cleaveland Cavaliers' Timofey Mozgov (right) Enes Kanter had 24 points and 17 rebounds for Utah, which has dropped five of six. Dallas hit 11 3-pointers and put in a strong defensive performance to win 98-75 at Minnesota, with Chandler Parsons scoring 22 points. Charlotte held on for a 78-76 win against Miami and notched an eighth win in nine games, holding on as the Heat missed two 3-point attempts in the final seconds. Brooklyn gave up most of a 23-point first-half lead and clung on to win 103-100 at Sacramento. Detroit Pistons guard Brandon Jennings (right) dribbles against Orlando Magic guard Devyn Marble (left) Centre Anthony Davis (right) scored 29 points during the Pelicans' 96-80 victory over Los Angeles Lakers . New Orleans' Anthony Davis scored 29 points and blocked four shots in his return from a sprained toe, leading the Pelicans to a 96-80 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Detroit's Brandon Jennings had 24 points and a career-high 21 assists to lead the Pistons over Orlando 128-118. New York's Carmelo Anthony had 27 points and 11 rebounds, powering the Knicks to a 98-91 win at Philadelphia; their second straight win after 16 consecutive losses. New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony (right) had 27 points and 11 rebounds,as his team powered to a 98-91 win . Knicks' point guard Langston Galloway (left) surges to the basket with Michael Carter-Williams in hot pursuit .
### SUMMARY:
| Golden State Warriors beat Houston Rockets 126-113 .
Memphis Grizzlies beat Toronto Raptors in divisional leaders' clash .
Oklahoma City secure overtime victory at Washington Wizards .
New York Knicks edge Philadelphia 76ers 98-91 to start winning run . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Spot the difference: Police have spent more than £50,000 on cardboard cut-outs like this one (right) Police have spent more than £50,000 on cardboard cut-outs of themselves - despite most forces admitting they do not know if they stop crime. The two-dimensional crime fighters are supposed to deter shoplifters and petrol thieves who think they are real PCs from a distance. But some have become victims of crime themselves after being stolen by pranksters or vandalised. Now MailOnline can reveal forces have bought more than 750 of the replicas - at the same time as axing more than 10,000 frontline officers. The total was questioned by the Police Federation, which said more cash should be spent on real PCs. The Taxpayers' Alliance campaign group added: 'This seems to be a gimmick.' Obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the figures show almost half of Britain's police forces have invested in the cut-outs since 2008, when they first made headlines. A total of 21 forces said £53,940 had been spent on 782 cardboard cut-outs. Most were used for crime prevention along with a small number used as promotional materials. The cost was borne almost entirely by police, with a small amount in some cases contributed by council-led safety partnerships. But there were huge differences in the amount paid by each force - and therefore the value of money to the taxpayer. One police force paid 10 times more for each cardboard policeman than another force 200 miles away. What's all this then? The cardboard PCs are supposed to deter shoplifters - but prove confusing for some . Gwent Police spent by far the most, splashing out £13,260 on just 52 cut-outs at £255 each. By comparison the average cost of a . carboard crime-fighter was a much more modest £69 - and South Yorkshire . Police paid just £25 for each of theirs. Meanwhile, only three of the 21 forces could provide MailOnline with any figures to suggest the cut-outs stop crime. Alongside local figures, South Yorkshire Police cited 'national research' which claimed cut-outs reduced crime by 35 per cent, but this was not quoted by any other force. Nottinghamshire relied on informal feedback which claimed they reduced crime by up to 40 per cent, while Hertfordshire saw shoplifting drop 8.6 per cent 'as part of a wider campaign'. 1. Gwent: £13,260 for 52 cut-outs (£255 each) 2. Derbyshire: £11,280 for 112 (£100 each) 3. South Yorks: £6,000 for 240 (£25 each) 4. Norfolk: £5,330 for 52 cut-outs (£102 each) 5. Humberside: £2,745 for 48 (£57 each) Source: FOI requests by MailOnline . They were not universally loved, however. Earlier this year a man who dragged one of the effigies onto a petrol station forecourt and kicked it to pieces in full view of CCTV was fined £90. Police tracked down the 23-year-old after the bizarre attack at a Tesco petrol station in Pitsea, Essex, after tracing his car numberplate. The incident was embarrassing for Essex Police, which reintroduced the cardboard policemen despite withdrawing a trial of them four years earlier after saying they did not reduce crime. Campaigners have criticised the cost of the effigies, which were bought amid swingeing cuts to police forces. In September 2008, England and Wales . had more than 142,000 officers. Now there are fewer than 132,000, a cut . of 7.4 per cent. Frontline numbers are down by almost 11 per cent since . their peak in September 2009. Falling flat: The cut-outs were scrapped in Essex (pictured) but were then reintroduced - with one being trashed . Responding to the figures, Police Federation Chairman Steve White said: 'Since the 2010 general election, the police service in England and Wales has lost around 16,000 officers and the anticipated reduction in the policing budget in 2015/16 will inevitably lead to a further falls. 2008: £11,735 . 2009: £4,556 . 2010: £4,434 . 2011: £3,865 . 2012: £13,875 . 2013: £7,237 . Year unknown: £8,237,78 . 'This drop in officer numbers is having a negative impact on the service that the police can deliver. We urge forces to ensure they use all the funds at their disposal to keep officer numbers as high as possible.' Andy Silvester, campaign manager for . the Taxpayers' Alliance, added: 'Until it's shown that these actually . work, this seems to be a gimmick that will take money away from . essential front-line services. 'The . public want the thin blue line to be made of police officers, not . cardboard. No cut-out, to my knowledge, has ever slapped handcuffs on a . criminal.' In Gwent Police, the cut-outs were bought from the MWL Print Group in nearby Pontypool between and 2011 and 2013, and were sent into areas with a high shoplifting rate. The high cost was signed off by Detective Superintendent Ian Roberts and his successor DCI Richard Williams insisted the force had sought multiple quotes - but 'the chosen supplier produced a far more robust model being mounted on wood which is still in use'. He added: 'We have had considerable success in dealing with shoplifting since the cut outs were introduced. On the beat: Police Federation chairman Steve White said funds should be focused on frontline officers . 'We have them deployed at larger stores, and garages throughout the force area. Levels of shoplifting continue to fall in Gwent. The trend began in October 2011 and, compared to our most similar Forces, Gwent experienced the second lowest level of shoplifting per 1000 residents in the past 12 months and we remain committed to using every technique available to prevent this crime. 'The replicas, which have also been introduced into other Force areas, are by no means a replacement for real police officers. They are simply another tool in the fight against crime. 'The replicas will remind potential thieves that real police officers are regularly in and around the shops as part of their normal patrols, and the initiative is another way for police and partners to work together.' The Association of Chief Police Officers said it was up to individual forces to decide what they buy. National policing lead for procurement Lee Tribe said: 'There are no national guidelines for the procurement of "cut-outs" of officers. This is a matter for each force and will be budgeted for on a force-by-force basis. 'Their use will be determined locally which may include such activities as publicity and recruitment.'
### SUMMARY:
| Almost half of Britain's forces have invested in the replicas since 2008 .
They are designed to deter shoplifters and drivers not paying for petrol .
Gwent Police spent £13,000 - 10 times more per cutout than another force .
But only three forces have compiled figures on whether they are effective .
Police Federation said cash must focus on frontline PCs facing huge cuts . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
The National Health Service is rehiring more than 50 staff a month who have been given redundancy pay-outs, it can be revealed. In just eight months the number of managers who have returned after being paid off leapt by 10 per cent to 4,300. The revelation will reignite the row over the revolving door of highly-paid administrators handed golden goodbyes worth thousands of pounds before walking straight into another role. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt argues the NHS reforms have saved £1.5billion a year, despite thousands of people given payouts returning to work in the health service . Under NHS rules staff must only wait four weeks after taking redundancy before they can move to a new job. Last month the Treasury announced it would claw back payments under future redundancy programmes, but staff will be able to keep the cash if they wait for a year before taking up a new post. It has previously been claimed that more than one in six managers and administrators given payouts worth as much as £650,000 are now back working in the health service. More than 21,000 staff were made redundant under the coalition's controversial health reforms, which saw Primary Care Trusts axed and replaced with GP-led commission groups. Each time an update has been published about the numbers returning to the NHS, the government has insisted it is getting a grip on the programme. However, ministers have admitted the numbers have risen again, including 2,502 in permanent roles and 1,870 on fixed-term contracts. Labour frontbencher Lucy Powell, who obtained the figures, said: 'This revolving door is further evidence of the chaos and waste David Cameron's NHS reorganisation has created. 'The health service is on its knees under the Tories. Only Labour will save our NHS.' The taxpayer has paid more than £2million buying smartphones and iPads for bureaucrats in new NHS quangos. Thousands of iPhones and tablet computers have been bought for staff at NHS England and Public Health England, set up under the coalition's reforms to save money for the health service. Data released by health minister Dan Poulter shows that NHS England and Public Health England, both formed last year, were the biggest spenders on iPads and iPhones. NHS England bought 115 iPads and 400 iPhones in the year before it was officially launched in April 2013, and since then has bought another 150 iPads and 1,900 ipads. The quango's total bill comes to £1.2million. Public Health England, also formed last year, has spent a total of £530,000 on 2,036 iPhones and £113,743 on 65 iPads. In response to a parliamentary question, health minister Dan Poulter said: 'The number of National Health Service staff estimated to have been made redundant since May 2010 and subsequently, up until July 2014, re-employed by an NHS organisation on a permanent basis is 2,502 and a fixed term contract basis is 1,870.' Labour's shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: 'This scandalous waste of money cannot be justified when cancer patients are waiting longer for treatment. 'Nurses denied a modest pay rise will find it galling to see David Cameron's been handing out cheques like confetti to people who have now been rehired. 'On his watch, we have seen pay-offs for managers and pay cuts for nurses. 'Cameron's top-down re-organisation has wasted £3 billion and left the NHS in a weak financial position. Nurses are paying the price for his mismanagement of the NHS.' The figure has risen by 422 to 4,372 since an update for November 2013. The total cost to the NHS of 'revolving door' payments has not been revealed but with the average redundancy payment being £48,000, it could mean more than £200million has been squandered on pay-offs for returning staff since 2010. The Department of Health says its 'bureaucracy-busting reforms' are saving £1.5billion a year, with 13,500 more frontline staff and 7,000 fewer managers in the NHS since May 2010. A Tory source said the 'big redundancy bills are down to Labour rules and Labour contracts - negotiated with Labour's union friends'. Under new rules announced by the Treasury last month, the law will be changed so that anyone earning more than £100,000 who returns to the same part of public sector within 12 months of taking redundancy will have to return all or part of their pay-off. It is expected the measure - which is included in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill currently going through Parliament - will mainly affect NHS and local government administrators. The Treasury said that of the 19,000 NHS administrators made redundant between 2010 and 2013, almost 20 per cent rejoined the NHS while 16 per cent of local government chief executives who left by mutual agreement between 2007 and 2009 had been employed by another council within a year. Almost all of the public sector will be covered by the measures, including the Civil Service, local government and the NHS. Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander said: 'It's only fair that highly-paid executives who receive a redundancy pay-out from the public purse and then quickly return to the same part of the public sector repay the taxpayer. 'Reforming the public sector so it works for Britain has been a key part of this government's drive to create a stronger economy and fairer society.' Family affair: Karen Straughair and husband Chris Reed received six-figure pay-offs from NHS trusts but both got jobs at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust . Among the staff paid off on huge sums before returning were a husband-and-wife team of NHS managers who walked away with £1million in combined redundancies straight into six-figure salary posts. Karen Straughair, 50, pocketed more than £605,000 when NHS South of Tyne and Wear, where she was chief executive, was wound up at the end of March 2013. Her husband Chris Reed, chief executive of NHS North of Tyne, was paid more than £345,000 when his organisation was abolished. By June last year both had board-level jobs at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust – Mr Reed as interim chief executive, Miss Straughair as recovery director. Today it emerged the couple earned a total of £120,000 while in the temporary management posts at hospitals in Leeds, West Yorks. Dia Chakravarty, political director at the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: 'This is yet another outrageous example of the 'revolving door' culture in the NHS, which hits taxpayers twice - once in the form of pay-offs and then again in the form of new salaries. 'This is exactly the sort of bad management and lack of foresight we simply cannot afford in the public sector, particularly at a time when hard-pressed families are having to budget to make ends meet.'
### SUMMARY:
| EXCLUSIVE From November to July 422 people given payouts were rehired .
1 in 5 people given redundancy payments are now back in the NHS .
Labour says it is proof of the 'chaos and waste' NHS reorganisation .
Law to be changed to take back redundancy payments if workers return . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
A shipwrecked fisherman who miraculously survived in the Pacific Ocean by clinging to a foam icebox for two days has revealed how he was just minutes from drowning when he was rescued. Father-of-five Salazar Solano was plucked from the water in a 'terrible' state by the Colombian Navy some 20 miles off the coast after his small fishing boat capsized. He spent the two freezing nights clutching the cover of a Styrofoam drinks cooler after deciding not to take lifejackets apparently because they were deemed too expensive and unnecessary. Speaking to MailOnline while recovering at home in his fishing village of Bocagrande, Mr Solano says his entire body aches and still feels seasick, but is thrilled to be alive. 'I was about to die,' he said. 'I couldn't hold out any longer.' Scroll down for video . Miraculous: Fisherman Salazar Solano shows his injuries to his arms and body after surviving for two days in the Pacific Ocean by clinging to a Styrofoam ice box until the Colombian Navy plucked him from the water . Lesson learned: Mr Solano spent two days clutching the cover of a drinks cooler which he used to store red snapper after he decided not to take lifejackets apparently because they were too expensive . The 47-year-old and a friend, Tomás Contreras, set sail from the town of Lopez in the south of the country on Friday, October 31, but came into difficulties in stormy conditions. By 1am on Saturday, Mr Solano and Mr Contreras hauled up their nets and filled the ice box with red snapper. But then the 22ft-long fibreglass boat began filling with water due to high waves and, possibly, a leak. The two men tried to bail out the water, but it came in even faster and the boat sagged to one side. They tried to jerry-rig a sail out of a tarp to catch the wind and right the boat, but it was too late. Mr Solano had bothered to take a lifejacket because he felt he was a very good swimmer. Alexis Bonilla, another fisherman from Bocagrande, also said hardly anyone in the village owns a lifejacket because they are expensive and – when all goes well - unnecessary. Instead, Mr Solano grabbed the cover of the Styrofoam ice box, broke in in two, gave one piece to Mr Contreras and clung to the other. Incredible: Video footage released by the Colombian Navy captures the exact moment sailors spotted Mr Solano floating in the open ocean tied to the buoyant icebox . The sailors manoeuvred their warship towards Mr Salazar before a diver jumped overboard to save him . He also removed his belt and, with a flashlight, fashioned himself a headlamp. Then the boat went down. At that time, they were only a few miles off the coast but, in the dark, they couldn't get their bearings to swim in the right direction. By sunrise on Saturday, they realised they were going the wrong way. 'The current kept taking us farther out to sea,' Solano said. 'We could no longer see the shore. We were both swimming and both getting tired.' The Colombian Navy has an emergency telephone line for such cases. Its vessels are constantly patrolling the Pacific coast often in search of drug traffickers who move cocaine to Central America and Mexico in fast boats and even homemade submarines. This coastal region is remote and nearly road-less thus people get around on ferries, speed boats and canoes. Incident: Mr Solano, 47, and a friend set sail from the town of Lopez in the south of the country on Friday, but two days later strong winds caused their vessel to overturn 21 miles from the coast . Lucky: Mr Solano was rushed back to short and taken to hospital, but despite his near-death ordeal, was found to be suffering from nothing but dehydration. He is expected to make a full recovery . When motors break down or vessels run aground, the Navy is often called in to pick up marooned passengers. But Mr Solano and Mr Contreras had told family members that they expected to return home late Sunday, so no-one in Bocagrande thought to call the Navy's rescue line. By Sunday morning, with Mr Contreras growing weaker, the two men drifted apart and Mr Solano lost track of his fishing partner. Now 22 nautical miles off shore, he prepared for the end. 'My life was nothing,' Mr Solano said. 'What mattered to me was my family'. By sheer coincidence, the Colombian Navy's ARC Nariño corvette was at that moment plowing through the sea nearby. Just before midday, the ship's spotters, who are on deck 24 hours a day, in part, to avoid accidents with tiny fishing boats, spied something suspicious floating in the water. Solano saw the Naval vessel and started yelling. 'The ship was not on a mission to look for him,' says Lt. José Dominguez, a Navy press officer. 'It was out patrolling, doing normal operations like looking for drug boats. It was almost a miracle that we found him.' Incredible video footage released by the Colombian Navy captures the exact moment sailors spotted Mr Solano floating in the open ocean. Miraculous: Salazar Solano, 47, survived two nights in the open ocean by clinging to a Styrofoam icebox . Sailors tossed him a flotation device, but by that point he was too weak to swim for it. A Navy diver jumped in to help the bedraggled castaway who was still grasping the ice box cover. Clad in a T-shirt, green short and his homemade headlamp, the exhausted survivor was hoisted aboard on a stretcher. 'He was in terrible condition,' said Captain Orlando Cubillos, the ship's commander. 'We got there just in time.' Solano was taken to a Navy hospital and treated for dehydration and sunburn. Then, he caught a boat back to Bocagrande where villagers had no idea he'd almost died. It was a bittersweet homecoming because Contreras is still missing. Solano, who is taking antibiotics, remains weak but is expected to recover. 'Fishing is his life,' said Lt. Dominguez, of the by-the-book Navy, who frowns at Solano's disregard for safety but marvels at his resourcefulness. 'He is a sea wolf.' Solano's story has captivated Colombia where maritime lore is rife with miraculous tales of survival. The most famous incident involved the sinking of a Navy ship overloaded with contraband and its sole survivor, a sailor who climbed aboard a life raft then fought off thirst, sharks and the blazing sun for the next 10 days. Published in 1955 in daily newspaper installments, 'The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor' was written by an aspiring Colombian novelist named Gabriel García Márquez.
### SUMMARY:
| Father-of-five Salazar Solano gives dramatic account of ordeal to MailOnline .
He and friend left stranded in freezing water for two nights after boat sunk .
Chose not to take lifejackets 'because they were expensive and unnecessary'
They floated 20 miles out to sea while clinging foam pieces of drinks cooler .
Finally spotted by Colombian Navy ship which just happened to be passing .
He is recovering at home after being plucked from water in 'terrible' state .
Search is still ongoing to find his friend who is now believed to have died . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
With England’s autumn series kicking off on Saturday, Sir Clive Woodward sets the scene for their four crucial matches. Sam Peters asks the questions. Sam Peters: How do you see the QBE series going for England and where are Stuart Lancaster’s team compared to yours at this stage 12 years ago? Sir Clive Woodward: The current group of English players is just as talented as the 2003 squad, but I just don’t think we’ve seen the right XV on the field playing the style of rugby required to win a World Cup. You need to create a team that can outscore any side in the world. Let’s be very clear: to win a World Cup you have to be able to outscore the southern hemisphere sides and not just the Six Nations teams. Can England beat New Zealand on Saturday? Yes. Can they win four out of four games? Absolutely. Sir Clive Woodward's 2003 side lift the Webb Ellis trophy after winning the World Cup in Australia . Peters: You beat the southern hemisphere’s top three in 2002. What did you say to the players before that series of matches? Woodward: At the beginning of a series like this everyone tries to figure out what an acceptable set of results will look like and what impact they will have on our chances at the World Cup. But ultimately it is all about the here and now and that was the approach we took in 2002. I made it clear to the players that there wasn’t going to be any selection based on ‘development’. Every team was picked to win the next game and nothing else. We staged the autumn tests as a series of ‘knockout fixtures’ to create that must-win-match attitude. We knew that if we won all three we would become the IRB’s No 1 ranked team, which would make for a great Christmas. In public we played it down, but privately that was the goal at the end of these three ‘knockout games’. England captain Chris Robshaw spins out a pass in training at Pennyhill Park this week . Peters: What do you put England’s injury crisis down to? Woodward: During my time, there were all sorts of battles going on between clubs and the union over the management of the players and, specifically, how much rugby they were playing and how they were managed when they became injured. I was determined to be at the front of the discussions in order to get what I felt was best for the players and the England team. Post-World Cup, my first major disagreement with the RFU came when it was decided, without my input, that the clubs would not only lead on the medical well-being of a player, but it was their decision whether they played or not. The RFU’s medical team believed they could ensure the player’s well-being by simply working closely with the club doctors. I totally disagreed with that philosophy. Players come under peer pressure. They are left in an impossible situation and end up playing when injured because they want to do what’s best for their club. Bath centre Kyle Eastmond is expected to start for England at Twickenham on Saturday . England’s current injury list has gone beyond simple bad luck. I would need more details before commenting on an individual basis, but Joe Launchbury’s problem surprises me. It appears from the outside as if he’s been carrying the injury for some time while continuing to play for Wasps. Why is he now missing England games? Are we now in a position where, because England are going to have all their top players from May, there is an acceptance the clubs are the priority until then? That can’t be right. We have five of the starting XV injured and Mike Brown looks like he needs a rest, too. I always encouraged the players to take individual responsibility for their well-being. Collectively the players understood the bigger picture and the effect playing with injuries at club level had to our England ambitions. We should not be facing the three biggest teams in the world with so many injuries, and it’s no surprise they are arriving with fully-fit squads. Joe Launchbury was a late withdrawal from the England training squad with a neck injury . Peters: So how does Lancaster approach the series? Woodward: Frustrating though these injuries are, England have depth — and now is the time to prove that to New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. I would be seriously concerned leaving Twickenham for the last time before the World Cup having been beaten by an England team depleted by injuries. England players won’t need reminding how great an opportunity this is to make the shirt their own, but privately I would still be winding players up. It’s wrong to play down the New Zealand game and suggest that with our injuries it’s merely a good chance to develop the squad. It’s times like this that Lancaster will see everything he needs to from the peripheral players. Can they cut it at the very top of the international game? By the end of this series he’ll know all he needs to know about guys such as Semesa Rokoduguni, Dave Attwood and Kyle Eastmond. Let’s not hide behind development, team culture or valiant efforts. We’re at Twickenham. Let’s beat these teams and be bold about it. Dave Attwood gets a chance to start at lock with both Launchbury and Geoff Parling out injured . Peters: Which players excite you most going into the series? Woodward: It’s a worry for me that no players immediately leap off the team-sheet as real X-factor types. Rokoduguni is a fantastic story and I’m looking forward to seeing if he can translate his club form on to the international stage but, make no mistake, he’s going to be targeted by the All Blacks on Saturday. If he can withstand that and come through in credit then it will give him enormous confidence going into the rest of the series. But Rokoduguni is keeping some top-class wings out of the side in Christian Wade, David Strettle and Chris Ashton — so he’s got plenty to prove. Semesa Rokoduguni is likely to be targeted by the All Blacks on his England debut at Twickenham . Peters: What about from the opposition? Woodward: Israel Folau is such a powerful and destructive runner and absolutely superb under the high ball. He gives Australia a completely different attacking option with his pace and physicality. He’s a brilliant player who will excite anyone who watches him. Whoever the Wallabies play at 10-12 will also be a threat. They went for Quade Cooper and Matt Toomua against the Barbarians, but they have such an array of talent, with players such as Christian Lealiifano waiting in the wings, that their midfield combination is bound to be dangerous. Then there’s Handre Pollard. The 20-year-old fly-half was absolutely outstanding for the Springboks as they beat the All Blacks when the sides last met. With a traditionally monstrous Springbok pack in front of him, he looks a huge prospect. I’m also a huge admirer of lock Eben Etzebeth. He’s a hugely powerful athlete who walks like a gunslinger and has an attitude to match. South Africa lock Eben Etzebeth (right) is a player Sir Clive Woodward is looking forward to seeing this autumn . Peters: Sorry for repeating myself, but can England really beat the All Blacks? Woodward: Of course they can. The great thing for them is that public expectation levels are low because of the players missing. There’s almost nothing to lose. They can cast off the shackles and play with a pace and tempo that gets the Twickenham crowd on their feet. I’m excited by that prospect and I really hope the players are, too. VIDEO Lancaster: England will be ready for the Rugby World Cup .
### SUMMARY:
| England face New Zealand, South Africa and Australia this autumn .
All Blacks are the first to play at Twickenham this Saturday .
Final chance to play 'big three' before next year's World Cup . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
A prominent Japanese politician has raised hackles as Barack Obama visits Tokyo by claiming it's an 'open secret' that he and the first lady are headed for divorce, and that the president has been using Secret Service agents to cover for him as he pursues extramarital affairs. Kazuyuki Hamada, who sits in the upper house of Japan's parliament, earned his PhD a half-mile from the White House at George Washington University, and emerged as a shrill commentator on America's economy and foreign policy. In 2009 he also joined the ranks of the so-called 'birthers,' arguing in a book titled 'Who is Obama?' that the president likely wasn't born in the United States. Scroll down for video . Boys' night out: President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shared expensive sushi on Wednesday in Tokyo, with their wives nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Obama stayed home, angering some outspoken Japanese politicians who saw her China visit in March as a slap . Kazuyuki Hamada (L) is a member of the upper house of Japan's parliament, called the National Diet. He claims the Obamas are headed for divorce over the president's cheating and the first lady's wild travel spending – especially her recent trip to China (R), which some in Japan saw as a slight . Uh-O: President Obama greeted U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy with extra warmth upon his arrival in Tokyo. His four-nation trip comes at a time of rising tensions and mounting distrust . But it's his more recent writing that's capturing the attention of the international press this week. Hamada complained April 5 on his official blog about Obama's decision to visit Tokyo without first lady Michelle Obama in tow. 'His approval numbers are dragging down . near 30 per cent,' Hamada wrote, according to an English translation. BIRTHER: Kazayuki Hamada's 2009 book 'Who is Obama?' sided with so-called 'birthers,' arguing that it was likely the President of the United States was born abroad and was ineligible to hold the White House . 'The . president has been criticized for having no visions or leadership to . solve domestic and diplomatic problems, some even ridiculing him as the . worst president of the postwar era.' 'The biggest reason – of many – for the collapse of his reputation is his failed relationship with his wife,' Hamada claimed . 'It is an open secret that the pair are already negotiating their divorce, and that they are waiting for his term in office to be over, and then they'll separate.' He had stiff words for the impact of the first lady's multimillion-dollar 'goodwill' trips to far-flung places on the taxpayers' dime. The Japanese pol claimed that 'if you ask the president, he will tell you, "I can't show my face to the voters after how she's spent so much money".' 'On the other hand,' Hamada added, 'if you get his wife to talk, she'll tell you: "The president is a pathological philanderer. He uses the Secret Service for this, and has used them to hide evidence that he's a cheater".' Some of Hamada's claims appear to closely mirror a January report from the National Enquirer. The tabloid reported in January that the Obamas are sleeping in separate bedrooms and have determined that the president will return to Hawaii in January 2017, while Mrs. Obama and their daughters will remain in Washington, D.C. Hamada's official parliamentary biography notes that after earning his Ph.D, he worked for the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, and then for the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. CRS briefs, prepared for members of Congress, often sort out technical details or split economic hairs on issues vital to American national security, defense and economic survival. MailOnline was unable to identify any briefs that bear his name. It's difficult to look at the nearly 50 books Hamada has published, though, without sensing an anti-American streak. Trouble in paradise? The National Enquirer first claimed that the first couple's marriage was on the rocks, a report that Kazuyuki Hamada seems to have absorbed and taken seriously . What trouble? The Obamas seemed to put any public relationship fears to rest with a smooch during Monday's White House Easter Egg Roll -- a photo that may not have made it to Japan . No men allowed: Mrs. Obama took her mother and daughters on a multimillion-dollar China trip last month, turning her absence this month in Japan into an insult in some corners . The 2009 'Who is Obama?' includes the claim that the president 'has . done nothing for the American People,' according to a partial translation of the book's introduction obtained by MailOnline. 'This . is the man who, during the [2008] campaign, took massive amounts of . money from Wall Street,' he wrote, 'and has now proceeded to throw around the . American people's tax dollars – a man with nothing more than a promise . on his lips.' Hamada's . other works include a 2002 volume titled 'The Dark Corridor: An . American underground conspiracy of the military-industrial complex.' In 2006 he wrote 'The Next World Order: The Rise and Development of America.' The low-budget paperback's cover, . reminiscent of campaign literature from the anti-Federal Reserve former . GOP congressman Ron Paul, featured a smirking Obama and a gold coin. Howard LaFranchi, a staff writer with the Christian Science Monitor, first hinted at Hamada's anti-Obama rant on Wednesday. In most corners, he wrote, Mrs. Obama’s absence from Tokyo 'is a woeful sign of Japan’s retreat from the top tier of America’s allies.' One Obama, no waiting: The U.S. first lady didn't make the trip to Tokyo, leaving an adoring throng with only her husband to gawk at . Many, LaFranchi noted, are speculating 'that Obama is suggesting his lack of connection with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by coming stag, or that Michelle is hinting at her disapproval of this or that Japanese policy or reality (perhaps whaling? or maybe the relative subjugation of Japanese women?) by staying home.' But if the first lady tags along when President Obama visits China next year, Hamada and other prominent Japanese national figures will likely crank up the anti-Obama press mill again. Keith Koffler, a veteran White House correspondent, noted on his White House Dossier blog that the first lady has the perfect political excuse for avoiding the long trip to Japan: a Democratic National Committee fundraiser on Thursday. The last American first lady to stay home while her husband made a state visit to Japan was Betty Ford in November 1974. That trip, just months after President Richard Nixon's resignation, marked the first time a sitting U.S. president traveled there. The White House did not respond to a request for comment, despite MailOnline calling it a 'softball' question.
### SUMMARY:
| Kazuyuki Hamada, a member of the upper house of Japan's parliament, is miffed that Michelle Obama is staying home as her husband tours Japan .
He claimed on his blog that a marital rift is responsible for the president's stag trip to Tokyo .
Mrs. and Mrs. Obama, he wrote, have already decided to divorce after he leaves office – a claim mirroring one in the National Enquirer .
Hamada claims Michelle Obama knows her husband is cheating on her and using the Secret Service to hide the evidence .
He wrote a 2009 'birther' book titled 'Who is Obama?' that argued the president likely wasn't born in the United States . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
It used to be Cowboys and Indians or Cops and Robbers, now school children are playing a new sickening game in the playground: Jihadi John and the hostages. The online plague of Islamic State propaganda has inspired a worrying new trend among some school children to shockingly re-enact the group’s disturbing execution videos. The latest video from Libya, showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians on a beach, has inspired a group of children in Yemen to film their own mock up version and post it online. Scroll down for videos . Lined up on the beach: The group of young boys in Yemen are forced to their knees and stare down at the sand whilst they await their mock execution . Sickening: The video in Yemen shows five young boys, aged around 10-years-old and wearing only trousers, being led to a beach by five teenagers . Chilling: The video bares a striking resemblance to ISIS' real murder video of 21 Coptic Christians on a beach in Libya and suggests the young boys have been studying the footage intently . The real thing: Each boy appears deep in character, honed from studying the authentic Coptic murder video . Blood in the Mediterranean: The real ISIS video they boys reenact was released by the terror group last month . The grainy mobile phone footage was reportedly filmed somewhere on the Gulf coast in Yemen. It shows five young boys, possibly aged around 10-years-old, wearing only trousers, being led to a beach by five teenage boys. The teenage boys are fully dressed and their faces are covered by scarfs to imitate the masked murderers from the Islamic State execution video. On the way to the beach, the older boys each pick up a stick, mimicking the collecting of knives by the executioners in the beheading video of 21 Syrian soldiers released in November 2014. Lined up on the beach, the young boys are forced to their knees and stare down at the sand whilst they await their mock execution. Each boy appears deep in character, honed from studying the videos. Accompanied to the soundtrack of a prominent Islamic State nasheed, the cameraman attempts to replicate some of the filming techniques used by Islamic State’s film producers, al-Hayat Media Center. Slow motion action shots and close up shots of the victims are shown in the video. Sick: The grainy mobile phone footage was reportedly filmed somewhere on the Gulf coast in Yemen . No joke: The teenage boys are fully dressed and their faces are covered by scarfs to imitate the masked murderers from the Islamic State execution video . Accompanied to the soundtrack of a prominent Islamic State nasheed, the cameraman attempts to replicate some of the filming techniques used by Islamic State’s film producers - Al-Hayat Media Center . Standing in the middle, one of the older boys in a white long sleeve tee-shirt and red tracksuit bottoms, begins to reel off extracts of Jihadi John’s speech. Furiously gesticulating with his pretend knife, the older boy, face obscured by a thick scarf, rants in the style of Jihadi John before the pretend executions begin. The chilling soundtrack of throat slitting and the final gasps of breath are played over the film whilst the boys attempt to replicate the atrocities on the Libyan beach. The cameraman takes time to film close-up shots of the young boys, pretending to lie dead on the sand. Their motionless bodies lie face down with their hands still held behind their back. Three older men can be seen watching in the background when the cameraman films the scene from the side. The video even finishes with similar shots of the blood stained water at the end of the Libyan execution video. Imitation: Standing in the middle, one of the older boys in a white long sleeve tee-shirt and red tracksuit bottoms, begins to reel off extracts of Jihadi John’s speech . False beheading: The chilling soundtrack of throat slitting and the final gasps of breath are played over the film whilst the boys attempt to replicate the atrocities on the Libyan beach . Warped: A young Yemeni boy is seen on his knees in the mock execution video released online . Playing dead: The cameraman takes time to film close-up shots of the young boys, pretending to lie dead on the sand. Their motionless bodies lie face down with their hands still held behind their back . It is not just in Yemen that Islamic State videos have been re-enacted by young boys. A similar video, made by a group of Egyptian teenage boys, was also posted online. Despite the victims being Egyptian nationals, the teenagers see little wrong in mocking the persecution of their fellow countrymen. Similarly the shocking influence of Islamic State’s videos has been seen outside of the Arab world with school girls in Japan producing their own dramatised version. Last month, Islamic State released a video demanding $200 million for the safe release of Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto. Two days later, a Vine video emerged on social media showing three Japanese school girls re-enacting the horrifying video. The six second video opens with a close up of one of the girls having a black and white scarf wrapped around their face to obscure her identity. More horror: It is not just in Yemen that Islamic State videos have been re-enacted by young boys. A similar video, made by a group of Egyptian teenage boys, was also posted online . Brutal: Despite the victims being Egyptian nationals, the teenagers see little wrong in mocking the persecution of their fellow countrymen . Two girls, innocently dressed in their navy school uniform with a white cravat, are shown kneeling on the tarmac. Pretending to have their hands tied behind their back, the two school girls stare silently into the camera. Standing between them is the third friend, posing as Jihadi John. Holding a short samurai like sword in her hand, the school girl begins to mock Jihadi John's threats and gestures. Such is her enthusiasm to imitate the blood thirsty jihadi, her two friends break into fits of giggles in front of the camera. The vine video was looped over 50,000 times before it was suspended. The identities of the girls remain unknown. The group of Egyptian teenage boys re-enact the beheading of Islamic State hostages . The young boys wield wooden sticks, which they pretend are swords during the sickening video . Another Japanese social media user posted a photo showing three school boys posing as Jihadi John and the two deceased Japanese hostages. The photo was posted just five days after the Islamic State video was released. All three boys appear to be in their school uniform and the photo appears to have been taken in a classroom. Two of the boys are shown kneeling with their hands behind their backs, pretending to be Yukawa and Goto. In the middle, the other boy is shown with his face covered by a grey scarf. His arm is outstretched, copying Jihadi John’s gesture of pointing his knife at the camera. The identities of all three boys are unknown.
### SUMMARY:
| Chilling video shows children recreating the murder of Coptic Christians .
Teenagers lead younger boys to a beach and force them to their knees .
One boy then rants towards the camera while Islamic chanting is heard .
They then pretend to execute the boys in scenes that suggests they have studied ISIS' murder of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians on a Libyan beach .
Elsewhere young Egyptian boys are also re-enacting ISIS murder videos .
And Japanese schoolgirls have also filmed ISIS-style mock executions . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
One of Shakespeare's greatest plays has received perhaps its most radical transformation ever after it was adapted into a hip-hop opera - and performed in a jail. The story of Othello has been 'remixed' by the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, who have attempted to update the Elizabeth tale of a valiant Moor deceived by the villainous Iago into believing his wife has been unfaithful. Four actors in denim overalls and baseball caps rap their way through the epic tragedy with lines such as: 'Othello never knew, He was getting schemed on by a member of his crew.' Scroll down for video of the performance . Othello the Remix: A contemporary rapping version of Shakespeare's Othello has been performed to inmates at Cook County Jail, in Chicago . That's how Shakespeare told the story 400 years ago. Othello: The Remix, performed this week for about 450 inmates of Cook County jail - the largest jail in the U.S. - is a rhyming, rapping, poetic homage to the Bard. It has singing and dancing, comic touches, men playing women, sexual talk, references to Eddie Murphy and James Brown, and a throbbing beat, courtesy of an on-stage DJ. And a contemporary plot: MC Othello is a self-made rap star turned music mogul comparable to the likes of Jay-Z who decides to promote Cassio, a middle-of-the-road rapper, by releasing his next album. That infuriates the more edgy MC Iago, who vows revenge. 'This is why I hate the Moor,' he fumes. 'He never lets me get my foot in the door.' Desdemona is not seen, but heard, her ethereal golden pipes occasionally filling the air. The Remix version has already been performed in England, South Korea and Chicago. It was originally commissioned by Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London . The Othello remix is the brainchild of two Chicago brothers and rappers - GQ and JQ, aka Gregory and Jeffrey Qaiyum. They wrote and directed the show, honing 40 or so drafts over eight months into a 75-minute rhyme-a-thon. It's their third hip-hop translation of Shakespeare, following 'The Bomb-itty of Errors' and 'Funk It Up About Nothin'. This new Othello - originally commissioned by the Globe Theatre - has been performed in England, South Korea and Chicago. Taking the play behind bars, the brothers expected the inmates would apply themes written four centuries ago to their own lives today. 'The story of Othello and the way we paint it is very much of an outsider who kind of never feels like he's at home and I think that will be pretty relatable,' JQ said before the show. '[It] really comes down to choices and repercussions and often times, poor choices. I can't imagine that some people in there are not going to feel that.' Audience participation: Inmates danced in their seats while watching rappers perform the hip hop adaptation of William Shakespeare's Othello . At one point inmate Kristy Montgomery, centre, cheered from her seat while watching the performance . He also pointed to the show's last words: 'In a cold, dark and unforgiving system we struggle with our destiny. When the world is crumbling, emerge from the rubble and your love will surely set you free.' Watching the inmates applaud and laugh in the sweltering gym, Rick Boynton, the show's creative producer, said he quickly knew the play had struck a chord. Othello 'listened to forces outside himself that made him do really unspeakable acts,' he said. 'At the end of the play he says, "Look what happened and heed my advice." I think the tension and the resonance of that theme in the room were incredible.' Kristy Montgomery, a 29-year-old inmate, agreed. She came away from the play believing it had an important message:'Be careful of who you affiliate . yourself with because they might not actually be your friends. They . might be somebody who wants to bring you down.' Brothers and rappers JQ and GQ, aka Gregory and Jeffrey Qaium, wrote, directed and acted in their hip hop adaptation . Rapper Postell Pringle, pictured, performed Shakespeare's tragedy to about 450 inmates with his rapper co-stars . She said she would try and remember the lesson, 'because I befriend the wrong people all the time.' Julian Campbell, 19, who swayed with the beat as Iago danced his way down the aisle, found his own meaning in the story. He said it offered two lessons: 'Be honest. Always think before you do.' And Kevin Fields, a third inmate, also 19, saw the play as a cautionary tale. 'You can't affect what other people do but you can affect what you do,' he said. The show was an eye-opener in another way: 'In hip-hop,' he added, 'I finally found out what Shakespeare really is.' So it is really Shakespeare when Othello briefly dons a blond wig and joins a faux backup girl singing group a la Motown to belt out It's a Man's World? And are lines such as 'Othello wouldn't listen, He had crazy tunnel vision' a true reflection of the Bard's greatness? Absolutely, GQ said. Versatile: The four men took on every role in the play, at times wearing wigs and dresses . Tragedy: The basic storyline of the Shakespeare classic remains the same, a story of love that doesn't end well . 'Shakespeare was a master storyteller who used musical language and poetry,' he said, and the same is true of the best rappers. 'So at the very basic level they're doing the exact same thing. You're using poetic devices like alliteration and repetition and onomatopoeia. They're very similar art forms despite how different they tend to be judged.' The Q brothers say they have chatted with Shakespeare scholars and others who arrive at their shows skeptical and leave impressed. 'We're treating the work with respect and we think he was a genius,' GQ said. 'But our philosophy is you want to live on as an art form 500 years later, you can't do it the same way.' Rapper GQ, aka Gregory Qaiyum (pictured) said there was little difference between their play and the original: "..at the very basic level they're doing the exact same thing... using poetic devices like alliteration and repetition and onomatopoeia.... They're very similar art forms despite how different they tend to be judged.' After the 70-minute performance the actors, who are all rappers and DJs, took questions from the audience . In fact, GQ says, if Shakespeare were around nowadays, 'I think he'd be doing this. He'd be a rapper.' The Q brothers are now working on a hip-hop version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and plan to eventually create hip-hop translations of all of Shakespeare's works, including 'A Mad-Summer Night's Dream.' They not only admire the Bard, they also think their words measure up to his standards. 'Without trying to sound like we're tooting our own horn,' GQ says, 'I would like to think that at our best moments it's like seeing great Shakespeare in his time.'
### SUMMARY:
| Othello: The Remix has been performed in rap to Cook County Jail inmates .
The plot remains the same but the entire play is rapped by four men .
It took rapper brothers 'GQ' and 'JQ' eight months to re-write the tragedy .
The show is performed by the Chicago Shakespeare Company . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Striking images of New York mobsters from the dirty thirties have been revealed as they come up for auction. Over 24 years, Eugene Canevari, a detective with the New York Police Department began working on cases involving some of the most well-know crime figures of the era: Lucky Luciano, Louis 'Lepke' Buchalter, Dutch Schultz and Vincent 'Mad Dog' Coll. After retiring in 1952, Canevari took with him a number of police documents and photographs that charted his long career. Revealed: The files of New York Detective Eugene S. Canevari will be auctioned next week . Now his files are up for auction and . they include some incredible artifacts such as original mugshots of . gangsters like Lucky Luciano and Johnny Torrio. The files also contain various other police documents. Canevari, who born in Greenwich Village, was on a first name basis with many of the mobsters he later prosecuted, having known several since childhood. Last rights: The collection includes pictures of deceased bodies in suspected homicides laying in coffins . With a career beginning in 1928 at . the age of 25, Canevari eventually rose to the rank of Detective 2nd . Grade, mainly through his work on organized crime. In . addition to organized crime, he also worked on the NYPD Bomb Squad and . Homicide Unit, not to mention his undercover work infiltrating Communist . organizations. Beyond the force, he also protected several celebrities including FDR, James Cagney, and Winston Churchill. After a long and successful career, Canevari retired in 1952, at the age of 49, having served nearly 25 years. Attempted train bombing: Fascinating collection related to an attempted train bombing, consisting of five original and seven typed witness statements, most dated February 15, 1930 . In one part of the collection, photos depict the scene of an attempted bombing with dynamite on train tracks. A witness statement reads: 'There was a box of dynamite with a bomb wired up ready to explode…I volunteered to go down and take it out of the way as quickly as possible…I collected the sticks of dynamite…The full sticks of dynamite I put back in the box.' Another states: 'I looked down and I saw it was dynamite and said get away it is dynamite…When I got down on the track I took a stick in my hand and I looked at it. Then I knew it was dynamite.' In the mafia assassination of Dutch Shultz a typed police report is up for sale. The incident is described in detail on now yellowing paper. 'A Tavern and Restaurant…was entered by three men and upon going to the rear of restaurant opened fire…four men received gun shot wounds of the body and were removed to Newark City Hospital…' The notes taken at the time by a member of the Newark Police Department, at the bedside of Dutch Schultz, while he was talking irrationally, in a semi-conscious condition are also noted. ‘Please leave me alone Bugs, I was never a bad guy in my life, I’m not a rat. Tough sweating. Augie, I always though you were a rat but I did not think you would do this.’ The report concludes with a description of three unidentified suspects in the shooting. Schultz’s rambling last words became famous, and have been referenced and parodied in many works since. Shooting report: In the shooting of Dutch Schultz, the gangsters famous last words are recounted.He was assassinated by the Mafia in 1935 . Papers: The collection of NYPD reports and documents related to mobsters and complaints, dated from throughout the 1930s . The collection has various mug shots of criminals. Johnny Torrio's is filled out with a physical description and personal details on the reverse, listing his crime as 'Forging In,' occupation as 'Real Estate,' and date of arrest as '4-28-36,' although the date on the identification card in the photo is April 22, 1936. Torrio was arrested on a forgery indictment for passing a bad promissory note; he subsequently plead guilty to income tax evasion and served two years in prison. His arrest made headlines throughout the nation, as bail was set at a whopping $100,000 — which Torrio’s wife quickly delivered to the courthouse in cash. Johnny Torrio: Incredibly influential mobster who mentored Al Capone and helped build the ¿Chicago Outfit¿ in the 1920s (1882¿1957) History in your hands: The collection contains NYPD reports and documents related to interrogations and witness testimonies, dated between the 1920s and 1950s . Charles 'Lucky' Luciano was instrumental in the development of organised crime across the United States. In this mugshot from February 1931, Luciano was indicted on two counts of assault in the first degree, both of which were dismissed. This mug shot is probably the most iconic image of Luciano, and clearly shows the droopy eye which he suffered as a result of an earlier stabbing. A major turning point came later in 1931, when Joe Masseria was assassinated at Luciano’s command, allowing him to take over as the first official boss of the Genovese crime family. Lucky Luciano: New York Mafia boss (1897¿1962) instrumental in the development of organized crime in the US; he was responsible for splitting the Mafia into five different crime families . Notorious: Al Capone's death certificate. Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate . Al Capone is one of the most famous gangsters of the 1930s. He was part of The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently also became known as the 'Capones', . It was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early 1920s to 1931 . Capone became involved with gang activity at a young age after being expelled from school at age 14. he spent eight years in prison between 1931 and 1939. In 1947, he died from a heart attack after suffering a stroke. Across town New York mobster Joe Adonis was committing other crimes. As a part of his criminal empire, Adonis owned a number of car dealerships in New Jersey, where customers were intimidated into buying ‘protection insurance’ for their vehicle. Joe Adonis: New York mobster (1902¿1971) influential in the rise of the modern Cosa Nostra . Vincent 'Mad Dog' Coll was assassinated by rivals while in a phone booth at age 23. In photo all are charged in connection with the shooting death of Michael Vengalli, a five-year-old child. Coll earned his nickname in the aftermath, when New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker dubbed him ‘Mad Dog.’ Lineup: Vincent 'Mad Dog' Col (far right)l, Notorious Irish-American mob hitman (1908¿1932) who had been recruited to assassinate Lucky Luciano in a plot foiled by a tip-off . Cast array of artifacts: Consists of over 60 pieces (many original carbon copies), primarily typed police reports and complaints, as well as handwritten notes and some court documents .
### SUMMARY:
| Eugene Canevari joined the New York Police Department and worked for 24 years in crime .
He dealt with some of the most prominent New York organized crime figures of the era .
Upon retiring in 1952 he took with him a collection of police documents and photos as souvenirs . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Syrian foreign minister Walid al-Moallem said his government was ready to work with any side, including Britain and the U.S., or join any regional or international alliance against the Islamic State group . Syria has said it is ready to cooperate with the international community to tackle Islamic State militants as it continues its civil war with various rebel groups. Foreign minister Walid al-Moallem said his government was ready to work with any side, including Britain and the U.S., or join any regional or international alliance against the Islamic State group. But he insisted any military action inside the country must be co-ordinated with Damascus, or else an attack would be considered as aggression. Al-Moallen added that airstrikes alone will not be enough to eliminate extremists groups such as the Islamic State and the Nusra Front. He called for 'drying up' their resources including cutting off funding and arming by regional state actors and private donations as well as controlling the borders and exchange of intelligence information. America's top general last night said he will only recommend military action against Islamic State militants in Syria directly if they become a threat to the U.S. homeland. General Martin Dempsey said that he still believes the insurgent group is more of a regional threat and is not planning any attacks against the U.S or Europe. The Joint Chiefs of Staff also said he believed key allies in the region, such as Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, will join the U.S. in its battle against the group. Al-Moallem's remarks at a news conference in Damascus marked the first public comments by a senior official of President Bashar Assad's government on the threat posed by the Islamic State group, which has captured large swaths of Iraqi and Syrian territory. 'Syria is ready to cooperate and coordinate on the regional and international level in the war on terror,' al-Moallem said. 'But any effort to combat terrorism should be coordinated with the Syrian government.' Al-Moallem's remarks at a news conference in Damascus marked the first public comments by a senior Assad official on the threat posed by the Islamic State group . He went on to say: 'Any strike which is not coordinated with the government will be considered as aggression.' President Barack Obama has resisted ordering U.S. military action in Syria for three years, even after a deadly chemical weapons attack a year ago near Damascus he blamed on President Assad's government. But now, Obama faces pressure from his own military leaders to go after the Islamic State group inside Syria. Obama remains wary, however, of getting dragged into the bloody and complex Syrian civil war that the United Nations says has killed more than 190,000 people. Western authorities now fear the Islamic State 'caliphate' could be used as a launchpad for global terror attacks - fears that were increased following the beheading of American journalist James Foley last week. An Islamic State video last week depicting the beheading of Mr Foley prompted revulsion in the West and calls for tougher action against the jihadists, including taking the fight to them in Syria as well as Iraq. Some experts have suggested that attacking Islamic State in Syria should involve coming to some sort of arrangement with the government of President Assad, seen in the West as a pariah since an uprising against him began three years ago. A man inspects damage at the entrance of the National Hospital of al-Tabaqa, caused by what activists said was an airstrike by forces of Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad on the hospital, beside al-Tabqa military base, west of Raqqa . Last week, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond insisted that Britain will not 'align' itself with President Assad to defeat IS fighters. Mr Hammond said Britain may have a 'common enemy' with the Syrian regime but added: 'That doesn't make us friends. It doesn't make us able to trust them, it doesn't enable us to work with them.' His remarks came after Lord Dannatt, the former Chief of the General Staff, said it was impossible to fight Islamic State terrorists in Iraq while allowing them to retain their stronghold in bordering Syria. The peer said Britain would eventually have to work with President Assad to defeat the insurgency by getting his approval for a bombing campaign in Syria. During today's press conference, al-Moallem said the Syrian government had repeatedly warned of the threat of terrorism and the need to cut off resources and funding but 'no one listened to us.' Syria's government has long described the rebels fighting to topple Assad as 'terrorists' in a foreign conspiracy. U.S. officials revealed last week that U.S. forces had tried to rescue Mr Foley in a failed operation in Raqqa in July. General Martin Dempsey said last night that he still believes the insurgent group is more of a regional threat and is not planning any attacks against the U.S or Europe . 'Had there been prior coordination that operation would not have failed,' al-Moallem said. The minister also denounced 'in the strongest terms possible' Mr Foley's killing last week by Islamic State militants, while asking: 'Has the West ever condemned the massacres by the Islamic State and Nusra against our armed forces or citizens?' Al-Moallem's news conference came a day after jihadis captured a major military air base in northeastern Syria, eliminating the last government-held outpost in a province otherwise dominated by the Islamic State group. After several failed attempts, Islamic State fighters stormed the Tabqa air base Sunday, killing dozens of troops inside. Al-Moallem conceded defeat in Tabqa, saying that soldiers were withdrawn to nearby areas, along with their weaponry and warplanes inside the base. The Islamic State group has established a self-declared caliphate in areas straddling Iraq and Syria's shared borders. The United States began airstrikes against the group in northern Iraq earlier this month which have helped the Kurdish peshmerga to reclaim some lost territory. Lord Dannatt, the former Chief of the General Staff, has said it was impossible to fight Islamic State terrorists in Iraq while allowing them to retain their stronghold in bordering Syria . The United Nations meanwhile today condemned 'appalling, widespread' crimes by Islamic State forces in Iraq, including mass executions of prisoners that could amount to war crimes. U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay condemned 'grave, horrific human rights violations' being committed by Islamic State, a Sunni Muslim group which has seized large areas of Iraq and Syria to the alarm of the Baghdad government and its allies in the West. Up to 670 prisoners from Badush prison in the city of Mosul were killed by Islamic State on June 10, Pillay said in a statement quoting survivors and witnesses to the 'massacre' as telling U.N. human rights investigators. 'Such cold-blooded, systematic and intentional killings of civilians, after singling them out for their religious affiliation, may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity,' Pillay said. Islamic State (ISIL) loaded 1,000 to 1,500 prisoners from the jail on to trucks and took them for screening, Pillay said. Sunni inmates were then separated and removed. 'ISIL gunmen then yelled insults at the remaining prisoners, lined them up in four rows, ordered them to kneel and opened fire,' she said.
### SUMMARY:
| Syrian foreign minister says government is ready to cooperate to fight ISIS .
But he insisted any military action must be co-ordinated with Damascus .
He said any attack not coordinated with the government would be considered as 'aggression' |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
From 250 to 271 AD up to 5,000 people died each day in Rome not from war and famine, but from a deadly pandemic that would later be known as the Plague of Cyprian. And now archaeologists have found the remains of what appears to be victims of the widespread disease, in a pit in Luxor, Egypt. Kilns used to produce lime to cover the victims were also found, alongside a bonfire where stricken people were burned in order to stop the spread of the highly infectious disease, dubbed the 'end of worlds' pandemic. Archaeologists in Egypt have found the remains of victims that were struck down by the Plague pf Cyprian in the latter half of the 3rd century. The victims were burned and covered in lime to prevent the deadly disease from spreading. Here can be seen two skulls, two bricks and a jug at the burial site . The find was made by the Italian Archaeological Mission to Luxor (MAIL) team, reported Live Science. Smallpox was an ancient disease caused by the variola virus that resulted in a . nasty rash where lesions were filled with fluid and pus. The highly contagious disease was fatal in up to 30 per cent of cases. It . spread through contact . between people and saliva droplets in an infected person's breath. More than 300 million people died from smallpox in the 20th century alone. But vaccination campaigns throughout the 19th and 20th centuries ultimately led to its eradication in 1979. It is one of only two infectious diseases to have been completely destroyed, the other being rinderpest in 2011. The eradication of smallpox is regarded as one of humanity's greatest accomplishments. SOURCE: WHO . The team, led by Francesco Tiradritti, excavated the tomb, known as the Funerary Complex of Harwa and Akhimenru, from 1997 until 2012. The monument had been built for an Egyptian grand steward named Harwa in the 7th century BC and it was continually used until it became a plague-burial site in the 3rd Century AD - and was then never used again. Writing in the Egyptian Archaeology magazine, Tiradritti said using the tomb to dispose of infected corpses ‘gave the monument a lasting bad reputation and doomed it to centuries of oblivion until tomb robbers entered the complex in the early 19th century.’ The Plague of Cyprian raged until 271, by which time it claimed a quarter of Rome’s population - and countless lives elsewhere. It spread across what is now modern-day Europe and into Africa. Now believed to have been caused by smallpox, the plague was so devastating that it led the bishop of Carthage at the time, Saint Cyprian for whom the pandemic is named, to lament that it could signal the ‘passing away of the world’. The find was made at a funerary complex, or tomb, in Luxor, Egypt. In the time of the Romans this city was known as Thebes and, from 250 to 271 AD it, like many other regions, was ravaged by smallpox in a pandemic that is now called the Plague of Cyprian . The kilns to produce lime to cover the bodies were fuelled by the remains of old wooden coffins, such as the one shown here. The find was made by the Italian Archaeological Mission to Luxor (MAIL) team after 15 years of excavations from 1997 to 2012 . Oil lamps discovered near the lime kilns, shown here, were used by the stokers who kept the kilns burning to see in the dark. Stokers would have had to keep the kilns burning around the clock for several days in order to produce the lime necessary to cover the bodies . Of the . plague, Cyprian explained the rather gruesome ways it would ravage its . victims in his essay De mortalitate (On the plague). 'The intestines are shaken with a continual vomiting’ and ‘the eyes are on fire with the ejected blood,’ it read. In some cases victims would also lose limbs to the disease, while many also eventually died. The remarkable artefacts found by the archaeologists show the level of fear and panic the plague induced in the locals. This best disinfectant known at the time was lime, which involved heating limestone to huge temperatures of up to 1,000°C (1,800°F). The large temperatures, though, required huge amounts of fuel, and in order to produce enough lime to cover all the bodies it seems the locals at the time used coffins, and other artefacts, they found in this tomb to burn. Bodies were covered with a layer of lime, used as a disinfectant, and kept inside a pillared hallway shown at 1. The three kilns are shown at A, B and C, in part fuelled by both coffin and mummy remains stored at 4. Water was added to the lime at niche 3, while the bonfire to burn the bodies is at 2 . Here can be seen a close-up view of lime kiln C, which has a double chamber. It was built along with the other two kilns in order to produce enough lime disinfectant to cover the multitude of human remains that had died in the plague that struck the ancient city of Thebes, now Luxor . Seen here is the location where bodies were stored on the northern aisle of the monument's first pillared hall and covered with lime. The Plague of Cyprian raged until 2071, by which time it claimed a quarter of Rome's population . At the . time of the outbreak, it was said people were quick to turn over their . friends and even family to the authorities in the hope they could avoid . the deadly plague themselves. The streets were strewn with carcasses, many of which were burned to try and destroy the disease. In . 270 the pandemic claimed the life of emperor Claudius II Gothicus and . is thought by some to have contributed to the eventual fall of the Roman . Empire. There are many other incidents of smallpox breaking out around the world through human history, until the deadly disease was eradicated in 1979 after a widespread vaccination campaign. This area was used to 'slake', or add water to, the lime. The lime production capabilities show just how fearful the locals were of the disease. Now believed to have been caused by smallpox, the plague was so devastating that it led Saint Cyprian to lament that it could signal the 'passing away of the world' Before becoming a burial chamber for those killed by the Plague of Cyprian, the funerary had been built for an Egyptian grand steward named Harwa in the 7th century BC. Shown here is a grey fragment of decoration from within the monument found inside of the lime kilns . It seems when it came to disposing of the plague victims the 3rd century Egyptians did not hold back in desecrating previous burials and tombs in their panic. Here is seen the face of a second century coffin that was stored as fuel in the entrance of the monument .
### SUMMARY:
| Italian archaeologists have revealed an ancient burial plot in Luxor, Egypt .
The 3rd century tomb was used to stop the deadly spread of a pandemic .
The Cyprian Plague killed 5,000 people a day at its peak from 250 to 271 AD .
The disease was believed to be smallpox, which was eradicated in 1979 .
At the time, St Cyprian said it could signal the 'passing away of the world' |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Europe faces being crippled by debt until 2021, with devastating consequences for its population of 500million people, including those in Britain, Angela Merkel warned yesterday. The German Chancellor’s gloomy forecast of ten years of economic misery followed the failure at the G20 summit in Cannes to agree how to bail out bankrupt Greece. ‘This debt crisis will not simply go away,’ Mrs Merkel said. ‘It will certainly be a decade before we are in a better position.’ Warning: Angela Merkel has predicted that Europe's debt crisis is unlikely to be resolved any time soon . In her weekly podcast to the German people, she added that to have any chance of solving the crisis, everyone in Europe had to ‘make an effort and do their homework’. The grim message came as economic forecasters warned that the eurozone crisis could knock back Britain's economy by six years. The Ernst & Young Item Club predicted that Britain's gross domestic product could fall by 4 per cent to below its levels during the 2008-09 recession, reported The Sunday Times. Marie Delon, senior economic adviser at the firm, said: 'We could see a contraction of 5 or 6 per cent in the eurozone. Share prices could fall by 30 or 40 per cent and credit conditions would tighten as they did after the collapse of the Lehman Brothers.' David Cameron, meanwhile, has stepped up the pressure on Mrs Merkel to use her clout as the eurozone’s most powerful leader to sort out the financial crisis. The summit resulted in a poker-like stand-off that saw the British Prime Minister form a powerful new alliance with Barack Obama and the Chinese, with Mrs Merkel, France’s Nicolas Sarkozy and the rest of the EU on the other side. Britain, the U.S. and China angered the German and French by vetoing a multi-billion rescue package for Greece by the International Monetary Fund. They said Germany, France and other eurozone countries must reach deeper into their own pockets first. It led to angry exchanges, including another attack on Mr Cameron by Mr Sarkozy, who said the English ‘don’t understand Europe because you come from an island’. Demonstrators protest against job cuts in central London yesterday. Leading economic forecasters have warned that the eurozone crisis could push back Britain's economy by six years . Meeting: Last week's G20 summit failed to find a resolution for the eurozone's problems . The row came as the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, who is clinging to power a day after narrowly winning a confidence vote from MPs, admitted his country was facing ‘critical times’ ahead of his attempt to push the EU’s bailout deal through parliament. Without the money - contained in an agreement hammered out by EU leaders on October 27 - Greece would go bankrupt by Christmas, leaving the country unable to pay the wages of public workers such as doctors, nurses and police officers. Mr Papandreou held talks with Greek president Karolos Papoulias in which he signalled his intention to form a ‘government of national unity’ focused on ratifying the deal, which offers loans and a write-off of Greece’s international debts in exchange for drastic spending cuts and other austerity measures. The prospect of further cuts to their living standards has led to strikes and protests on the streets of Athens. ‘Co-operation is necessary to guarantee for Greece and for our partners that we can honour our commitments,’ Mr Papandreou said. Under fire: George Papandreou's position as Greek prime minister hangs by a thread . Potential successor: Finance minister Evangelos Venizelos could take over from Mr Papandreou . Reports from Athens last night . suggested that despite Mr Papandreou surviving the no-confidence vote, . he could be soon replaced by his finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos. Mr . Venizelos was at the centre of farcical scenes last week when Mr . Papandreou shocked his EU partners, and sent the financial markets into . turmoil, by calling for a national referendum on the deal that they . thought had already been agreed. Mr . Venizelos complained that he had not been consulted ahead of the . announcement, and was then admitted to hospital with stomach pains. He publicly criticised the referendum decision, cranking up the pressure that led Mr Papandreou to later abandon the plan. Mr Papandreou won Friday’s late-night, knife-edge confidence vote by 153 votes to 145. The markets will be watched nervously for their reaction when they open tomorrow after another weekend of economic turmoil. The bond market – which determines . the interest charged to governments – has been particularly influential . in determining the pace of the crisis. Italian borrowing costs have soared in particular, with the interest on ten-year loans now priced at more than 6.3 per cent. Defiant: David Cameron opposes an IMF bailout for the troubled eurozone . Anything . over six per cent is said to signal that a government is heading for a . default on its debts and tends to lead to a knock-on rise in the . interest rates charged to other vulnerable economies, such as Spain and . Portugal. Italian and . French banks are heavily exposed to the sovereign debt problems in . Athens and Rome, and have seen their share prices slide steeply . throughout the year. If major institutions collapsed it could have a domino effect on dozens of other banks, including those in the UK. Mr . Cameron is determined to stand by his refusal to approve an IMF rescue . for Greece until the EU finalises plans for its own bailout. ‘How can the world economy do this kind of thing when Europe cannot sort out its problems?’ said a senior Government source. ‘We were ready to back the IMF deal but the Germans must do more to push the EU deal. Something has got to give.’ Another British source said the Germans’ reluctance to go further in helping out Greece stemmed partly from their fear that it might trigger a repeat of Thirties-style hyper-inflation in Germany that fuelled the rise of Adolf Hitler. And it is believed that Mrs Merkel fears a backlash from German voters if they are asked to give more money to prop up countries such as Greece. If a UK-backed multi-billion IMF rescue goes ahead, Mr Cameron is ready to resist moves to block it by Eurosceptic Tory MPs. ‘Countries which give money to the IMF always get it back,’ said a senior Whitehall aide. ‘If we gave £10 billion to the IMF it does not mean £10 billion less for schools and hospitals here. We would get it back.’ And Tory officials say there is no need for a Commons vote to approve any such deal, removing the threat of Conservative rebels teaming up with Labour to defeat Mr Cameron. The turmoil in Greece has increased expectations that the country will crash out of the eurozone, with chaotic knock-on effects for economies across the continent. Chancellor George Osborne has admitted that the return of the drachma would be ‘pretty traumatic’ for the UK. Treasury officials have been ‘war gaming’ about how to best protect the British economy if that happens. ‘The British Government prepares for all contingencies. You would expect us to do that. It is our responsibility to the British people,’ Mr Osborne said. ‘We are dealing with our debts, dealing with our situation, but we are also planning and prepared for whatever the world and whatever the eurozone throws at us.’
### SUMMARY:
| German Chancellor warns 500million population will suffer for years to come .
Gloomy outlook follows failure of G20 summit to bail out bankrupt Greece .
Economic forecasters predict Britain's economy could be set back six years . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
The U.S. military launched its highly secretive unmanned $1 billion X-37B space plane into orbit today from Cape Canaveral on top of an Atlas V rocket. The U.S. Air Force which operates the small, top-secret version of the space shuttle still will not say how long the third X-37B mission will last, nor what the vehicle will be doing in orbit. Cloud coverage in the area had threatened to scupper today's launch, but the skies cleared sufficiently for the classified mission to take-off on time at 1.03 p.m from the Florida space center. Scroll Down for Video . A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, carrying an X-37B experimental robotic space plane, lifts off from launch complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in 2012 . It is the second flight for this original X-37B spaceplane. The craft circled the planet for seven months in 2010. A second X-37B spacecraft spent more than a year in orbit. The high-tech mystery machines – 29 feet long – are about one-quarter the size of NASA's old space shuttles and can land automatically on a runway. The two previous touchdowns occurred in Southern California; this one might end on NASA's three-mile-long runway once reserved for the space agency's shuttles. The military isn't saying much if anything about this new secret mission known as OTV-3, or Orbital Test Vehicle, flight No. 3. In fact, launch commentary ended 17 minutes into the flight and a news blackout followed. Lift-Off: Air Force officials said the unmanned space plane, which resembles a miniature space shuttle, provides a way to test technologies in space . But one scientific observer, Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, speculates the spaceplane is carrying sensors designed for spying and likely is serving as a testbed for future satellites. He dismisses rumors of 'exotic ideas' for the X-37B as weaponry or shadowing a Chinese satellite. While acknowledging he does not know what the spaceplane is carrying, McDowell said on-board sensors could be capable of imaging or intercepting transmissions of electronic emissions from terrorist training sites in Afghanistan or other hot spots. 'All the sorts of things that spy satellites generally do,' he said. The beauty of a reusable spaceplane is that it can be launched on short notice based on need, McDowell said. What's important about this flight is that it is the first reflight. 'That is pretty cool,' McDowell said, 'reusing your spacecraft after a runway landing. That's something that has only really been done with the shuttle.' Top Secret: The Atlas 5 rocket carrying the U.S. military's X-37B spacecraft lifts off from launch complex 41 in Cape Canaveral, Florida today . This April 5, 2010 photo made available by the U.S. Air Force shows the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle at the Astrotech facility in Titusville Florida - this was the vehicle's second launch . Now retired museum pieces, NASA's space shuttles stretch 122 feet long, and have 78-foot wingspans and weights of more than 170,000 pounds. They were launched, from 1981 to 2011, with two strap-on booster rockets and an external fuel tank feeding three main engines. The X-37B wingspan is 15 feet, and the 11,000-pound, Boeing-built vessel requires the United Launch Alliance's hefty Atlas V for hoisting. It is solar powered. The two previous secret X-37B flights were in 200-plus-mile-high orbits, circling at roughly 40-degree angles to the equator, as calculated by amateur satellite trackers. That means the craft flew over the swatch between 40 degrees or so north latitude and 40 degrees or so south latitude. That puts Russia's far north out of the spaceplane's observing realm, McDowell noted. 'It might be studying Middle Eastern latitudes or it might just be being used for sensor tests over the United States,' he said. McDowell speculates that this newest flight will follow suit. Lift off: The X-37B sits on top of an Atlas V rocket as it's launched at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in 2010 . The military is not saying how long the third X-37B mission will last, nor what the vehicle will be doing in orbit. 'The focus of the program remains on testing vehicle capabilities and proving the utility and cost-effectiveness of a reusable spacecraft,' Air Force spokeswoman Tracy Bunko wrote in an email to Reuters. While launching from Florida, the military has been landing the robotic space planes at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The agency is considering landing and refurbishing its X-37B spaceships at NASA and Air Force bases in Florida, which has been courting new customers since the retirement of NASA's space shuttles last year. Personnel are shown here inspecting the X-37B, the Air Force's first unmanned re-entry spacecraft, after landing on December 3, 2010 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California . 'We are investigating the possibility of using the former shuttle infrastructure for X-37B OTV landing operations and are looking into consolidating landing, refurbishment and launch operations at Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in an effort to save money,' Bunko wrote. 'Those investigations are in an early state, and any specifics will not be known for some time,' she added. The vehicles, which were built by Boeing, are about one-fourth the size of a NASA shuttle and use solar panels to generate power, rather than chemical fuel cells that limited the space shuttles' time in orbit. Neither NASA nor the Air Force has plans to upgrade the X-37B to carry people. A computer graphic shows what the X-37B will look like operating in space. The craft took a decade to develop and is operated by the U.S. Air Force . This computer image shows the space plane re-entering Earth. Although it resembles a small space shuttle it is not designed to carry humans. It's wingspan is a mere 4.5m with a length of 8.9m. It is powered by batteries and solar cells . The OTV-3 flight had been delayed several months pending the results of an investigation into an upper-stage engine problem during an October 4 Delta 4 flight to put a Global Positioning System satellite into orbit. The International Space Station, by comparison, orbits about 250 miles high but at a much steeper 51.6-degree inclination, or angle to the equator, that covers more territory. The X-37B program, which dates back to 1999, is operated by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and geared toward space experimentation. Some scientists – like Laura Grego of the Union of Concerned Scientists – argue the Air Force could accomplish the same objectives by using cheaper, more efficient spacecraft that either burn up on entry or parachute down. 'The ability to return to Earth carries a high price,' Grego said in a statement. Watch Video: Profile of NASA's Highly Secretive Boeing X-37B .
### SUMMARY:
| Boeing's secretive X-37B space plane was launched into space on its third mission this afternoon from Cape Canaveral in Florida .
The $1 billion unmanned craft is on a classified mission which the U.S. Air Force who operate it will not discuss . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
For the adventure seekers among us, going on specialised tours can really make it a holiday to remember. But some experiences around the world are more extreme than others, even putting holidaymakers at risk of arrest. From Bolivia's so-called Death Road - a mountain-side route that tourists tackle on bikes - to the experience of being 'arrested' by Soviet secret police in Lithuania, here are some of the most extreme tours that holidaymakers pay for around the world. Memories of the horrific nuclear blast remain for tourists to see on the Fukushima tour . Contamination levels are now low enough for coach tours to visit the Fukushima power plant . The Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Tour - Japan . The Fukushima site, the scene of the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, has become a tourist attraction. Local government tour guides are now escorting buses of people through the area, explaining what has become of the disaster zone. Back in 2011, three of the Fukushima Nuclear Plant's six reactors blew up following a tsunami, releasing radioactive gases that meant the whole area had to be evacuated. However, with contamination levels said to be 'low', people are being permitted on whistle-stop tours to view the desolate and abandoned place. Tourists who visit Lithuania get the chance to experience the terrors of a Soviet bunker . Holidaymakers must sign a waiver before agreeing to sign up for the Soviet Bunker Tour . The Soviet Bunker Experience - Lithuania . Lithuania offers a chance for holidaymakers to experience what life was like under the control of the USSR - using real dogs and former KGB officers, and taking place in a former Soviet bunker. The terrifying experience starts with visitors being 'ambushed' by the Red Army in the middle of the forest, 15 miles from the capital Vilnius, before being transported down into the bunker for a three-hour Soviet experience. Before taking part in the experience, which is called 1984: The Survival Drama, holidaymakers are asked to sign a waiver, which includes a clause stating: 'In case of disobedience participants may receive psychological or physical punishments.' Mexicans are led to the border with the US all for show in the Illegal Border Crossing Experience . The Illegal Border Crossing Experience - Mexico . A small town in Mexico has set up a quasi-theme park that offers visitors the chance to experience what Mexican immigrants go through when they illegally cross the U.S. border. For approximately $20 (£13), tourists visiting El Alberto can spend their Saturday night getting a three-hour simulated experience of what it is like to be a migrant attempting to cross the border. Participants in the Caminata Nocturna, which translates as 'night walk', go on a challenging trek where they must evade 'immigration officials' and 'border patrol agents' as they flee through rough terrain. Of course, unlike the millions of migrants who illegally cross into the U.S, the tourists’ lives are in no real danger. A worst case scenario here would be a nasty fall. Make Your Own Cocaine Tour - Colombia . The South American country has cocaine 'factory' tours high up in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Holidaymakers willing to take extreme risks can work with local guides to visit poverty-stricken farmers who gamble with their lives in a desperate bid to provide for their families. Tours of the illegal farms can cost as little as $9 (£6), but tourists put themselves at risk from paramilitaries operating in the area - who have been known to kidnap foreigners and hold them years at a time - or arrest by local police. Both experiences are highly illegal and even seeking them out can put foreign travellers at risk of arrest or attack by drug traffickers or paramilitaries. Those who take part in the underground tours can be arrested even if they are just caught on the property of the drug-makers. Many people like taking on a bungee jump, but would you fancy doing one over a crocodile-infested river? Bungee Jumping Over Crocodile-infested Waters - Zambia/Zimbabwe border . Tourists can leap head first from the Victoria Bridge over the crocodile-infested Zambezi River. However, back in 2012, then 22-year-old Australian Erin Langworth took on the bungee challenge, with almost fatal consequences. After flying off the bridge, her rope snapped and she plunged into the water, feet still bound. Her rope got caught on rocks, but that was the least of her trouble with crocodiles swarming. Miraculously, she managed to untangle the rope, and swim to safety with just cuts, bruises and a broken collarbone. Tourists get the chance to explore the Bolivian mines of Potosi, with dynamite strapped to their backs . Mining With Dynamite - Bolivia . In the Silver Mines of Potosi, Bolivia, you can crawl around in the gravel with dynamite strapped to your back. Not only that, but you are handed 95 per cent proof alcohol to give you the Dutch courage to continue on your quest. But once you've polished off the tipple, be prepared to put your mask on, as the dynamite show begins - the walls of the mines shake and disintegrate around you. Not one for the faint-hearted. Silver Lining Tours allow visitors to get up close and personal to Tornados in America's Midwest . Tornado Tours - America's Midwest . Silver Lining Tours will take guests to within a quarter of a mile of some of the swirling 300mph vertical wind funnels. Storm-chasers Roger and Caryn Hill are now taking British punters on the hunt of their lives following deadly and destructive tornados. Ploughing their way through 'Tornado Alley', the couple drive groups of up to 18 people in three buses and charge up to £230 a day for a ten-day chase. At 15,400ft, The Death Road in Bolivia is a favourite spot for thrill-seeking cyclists . The Death Road Tour - Bolivia . At 15,400f, Bolivia's North Yungus Road - better known as 'The Death Road' - is among the nation's biggest draw cards for thrill-seeking tourists, even though it is estimated that 300 people die here every year. Dubbed 'El Camino de la Muerte' (The Death Road) by locals, for obvious reasons, and considered by many the most dangerous stretch of road in the world, the 40-mile journey from its summit entices in excess of 25,000 mountain bike riders annually. The ride takes in the stunning views among the rolling hills of the Amazon rainforest, but come with the somewhat distracting - and for some terrifying -sheer drop into the canopy as two rubber tyres separate the rider from a narrow single-lane road with very little in the way of railings. For the locals, the 'Death Road' is an important transport route which they brave in cars and trucks, teetering on the edge and risking their lives with every trip. For companies such as Gravity Bolivia, a cycling tour company that offers riders the opportunity to experience the once in a lifetime journey through clouds and waterfalls, it's big business.
### SUMMARY:
| Japan offers tourists a tour of the obliterated Fukushima power plant .
Crocodile-infested bungee jumping in the Zambezi has obvious warnings .
Death Road in Bolivia is tackled by cyclists as well as motorists .
Visitors can go on a 'make your own cocaine' tour in Colombia . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
The next six months could prove the best time in history to take out a mortgage, experts claimed yesterday. They said a price war between lenders will make it the perfect opportunity for homebuyers or anyone remortgaging. Fixed-rate deals have never been cheaper and may even slip below 1 per cent within weeks. Variable rates have almost halved over the past 12 months to 1.64 per cent. Brian Murphy, of the Mortgage Advice Bureau, said: ‘The next six months are shaping up to be the best-ever window to secure a low interest rate if you are looking to buy or remortgage. House buyers can secure fixed rate mortgages of just 1.19 per cent according to new research, file photo . ‘Today’s prices have never been bettered in modern times and given that a base rate rise is inevitable at some point, it is unlikely they will be surpassed in the years ahead. ‘Lenders have begun the year with a strong appetite for growth, and newcomers are going head to head with established names to launch attractive new deals.’ Bank of England data shows that a typical two-year fix has dropped from 2.37 per cent to 2.01 per cent over the past 12 months. On a £200,000 loan with 25 per cent deposit, that would save £420 a year. A five-year fix has fallen from 3.34 per cent to 3.09 per cent, saving £300 a year. And the average variable rate has plunged from 2.74 per cent to 1.64 per cent – chopping £1,300 off annual repayments. Lenders have dropped their rates after economists tipped the Bank to keep its base rate at an historic low of 0.5 per cent until next year. The arrival of new challenger banks entering the mortgage market has also increased competition, driving down rates further. Experts said two-year fixed rates could fall below 1 per cent while five-year mortgages could go below 2 per cent. Shrewd investors can secure a ten-year fixed rate mortgage for just 2.89 per cent according to new figures . Mortgage broker Andrew Montlake, of Coreco, said: ‘We are now seeing rates fall to a level that once seemed unthinkable. ‘Mortgage lenders are in the midst of a rate war which shows no sign of abating soon, as they battle it out for business. ‘With new lenders coming into the market and competition intensifying we could even see these offerings fall a touch lower. ‘The next few months could well prove to be the best time to lock into low rates which may not be seen again for a generation.’ He warned however that the low rates on offer sometimes came with high one-off fees. Experts have said that two-year fixed deals could drop below 1 per cent as established lenders compete with newcomers to win business . And, while mortgages are cheap, steep property prices mean home ownership is still out of reach for many. Prices across the UK rose by 10 per cent in the last year and 15 per cent in London, with the average home now £271,000 or £501,000 in the capital, according to the Office for National Statistics. Campbell Robb of the charity Shelter said: ‘Despite talk of mortgages being at an historic low, it certainly doesn’t feel like that for many young people and families for whom buying their own home remains a distant dream. ‘Sky high house prices mean families working hard and saving what they can can’t even come close to affording a home of their own. The only way to tackle our housing crisis is for politicians to build the affordable houses we urgently need.’ Mortgage rates are also at record lows for homeowners with lower deposits such as 5 and 10 per cent. But while many banks have slashed interest rates potential buyers must still pass strict affordability tests which were introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority last April. The Mortgage Market Review forces lenders to ask applicants in-depth questions about their income and spending habits to ensure they can still afford their repayments if interest rates rise significantly. Last June, the Bank of England also recommended that no more than 15 per cent of new lending was for high-risk loans worth more than 4.5 times buyers’ income. Both of these restrictions initially slowed down the mortgage market as lenders were reluctant to lend for fear of breaking the rules. However, lending has since bounced back after banks and building societies adapted to the changes. Lenders are now making up for lost time and competing aggressively for customers, including those with low deposits, providing they can comfortably afford such a large debt. Happy days: Rumours that the Bank of England could hold base interest rates at their current record low of 0.5 per cent for another year has sparked a lending war (pictured, bank Governor Mark Carney) The low-deposit market has been fuelled by the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, where the state helps buyers with small deposits on to the property ladder. One of the reasons banks are able to offer mortgages at such low rates at the moment is because they have a glut of cash to loan out from the Funding for Lending scheme. Launched in 2012, the initiative allowed banks and building societies to borrow cheaply from the Bank on condition they then used some of the money to offer mortgages to home buyers. Rigorous stress testing must still be carried out on customers, however, before loans are agreed. Where are the cheapest fixed rate mortgages? The best rate on an online easy access savings account is currently 1.5 per cent from Kent Reliance in branch. You could also put money away tax-free in a cash Isa and NS&I has the best easy access Isa at 1.5 per cent. There are 25 mortgages priced below these savings rates - not all are fixed rates, some are tracker or variable rates and the cost of these would move up if interest rate rise. HSBC has a record low two-year fixed rate at 1.19 per cent with a £1,499 fee, but you will also need a big 40 per cent deposit. A 25-year £150,000 mortgage would cost £578 a month and £15,378 over two years, including the fee. But you must watch out for the fees attached to the best mortgages as these have risen, so it is still important to shop around. For example, the high fee actually makes this mortgage more expensive. In comparison,Yorkshire Building Society has a higher rate at 1.29 per cent with a £975 fee. That 25-year £150,000 mortgage with Yorkshire Building Society would cost slightly more at £585 a month, but thanks to its lower fee come in £358 cheaper than HSBC at £15,020 over two years. You could also get a rate of 1.24 per cent from Chelsea Building Society with a £1,675 fee. The Post Office has a two-year fixed rate at 1.37 per cent with a £1,995 fee, while Norwich & Peterborough Building Society has a deal at 1.39 per cent with a £795 fee.
### SUMMARY:
| A two-year fixed rate mortgage is now available with 1.19 per cent interest .
Bank of England shows mortgage fixed rates at record lows .
House buyers seeking cheap mortgages need deposits of up to 40 per cent .
Buyers with a five per cent deposit will pay almost five per cent in interest .
25 mortgages charge less than best easy access saving rate of 1.5 per cent . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Senator Jeff Flake's son and his young wife are suing Maricopa County Sheriff's office and Sheriff Joe Arpaio for $8million in damages claiming they 'constructed a conspiracy' to wrongfully indict the couple. Austin and Logan Flake, both 21, are seeking $4million in damages each after they were initially charged in the deaths of 21 dogs who died from heat exhaustion while in their care last summer in Arizona. The couple's lawyer stated in a letter that the sheriff's office had a plot to 'harm their reputations by presenting false and misleading information', which caused 'irreparable injury to their good names and future prospects'. The Flakes case against Arpaio and the sheriff's office is centered around claims including malicious prosecution, conspiracy, abuse of process, negligence, defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and intentional and/or negligent infliction of emotional distress, according to their lawyer's statement. Scroll down for video . Austin (left) and Logan (right) Flake, both 21, are seeking $4million in damages each after they were initially charged in the deaths of 21 dogs who died from heat exhaustion while in their care last summer in Arizona . Austin (above far left), the son of Senator Jeff Flake (pictured far right with his wife Cheryl Flake, left), and his young wife Logan (right of Austin) are suing Maricopa County and Sheriff Joe Arpaio for $8million in damages claiming they 'constructed a conspiracy' to wrongfully target the couple . The Flakes' attorney, Jack Wilenchik, said among the damages the couple have suffered from include Austin being kicked out of Brigham Young University, where he was attending school, after he was indicted on charges, according to ABC15. Even though the 21 felony counts and seven misdemeanor counts he and his wife were charged with were dismissed in December, Wilenchik said the university has not reinstated Austin. The lawyer also said that Arpaio was 'undeterred by the facts', and after conducting a rigged investigation, 'sent his detective in to lie to the grand jury'. The events unfolded in June 2014, when Logan's parents, Jesse Todd and Maleisa Hughes, asked her and Austin to care for the dogs in the kennel, Green Acre dog residence, operated out of their home while they went away to Florida. They found 21 canines dead which the sheriff's department investigators concluded likely died on June 20 from suffocation and heat exhaustion after being confined in a small room that measured eight by 12 foot. The Hughes told authorities that the air-conditioning was knocked out by a dog chewing through an electrical cord, but the investigators could not confirm that. In October, the Hughes were indicted on 22 felony counts, seven misdemeanor counts and one count of fraud, but they were also dismissed in December a part from the count of fraud. KNXV abc15 . The Flakes' attorney, Jack Wilenchik, said among the damages the couple have suffered from include Austin (pictured left with President Barack Obama) being kicked out of Brigham Young University, where he was attending school, after he was indicted on charges . The couple's lawyer stated in a letter that the sheriff's office had a plot to 'harm their reputations by presenting false and misleading information', which caused 'irreparable injury to their good names and future prospects' (above Logan) The charges against both couples were dropped because the case presented by prosecutors did not take into account potential problems with the air conditioning unit. However, the county attorney warned that new charges could be filed against them. The one count of fraud remains intact against the Hughes, alleging that dog owners were fraudulently led to believe their pets would be roaming free and playing with the Hughes' children in a spacious backyard. Instead, the pets were kept in a 'dog room' that was not shown to prospective customers on tours of the kennel. In June 2014, Logan's parents, Jesse Todd and Maleisa Hughes, asked her and Austin to care for the dogs in the kennel, Green Acre (above), operated out of their home while they went away to Florida . The Hughes told authorities that the air-conditioning was knocked out by a dog chewing through an electrical cord, but the investigators could not confirm that . They found 21 canines dead which the sheriff's department investigators concluded likely died on June 20 from suffocation and heat exhaustion after being confined in a small room that measured eight by 12 foot . When the bodies of the dogs were found, some of the owners claimed that they were initially told their pets had run away. Jacqueline Heath, who lost three dogs, told ABC that her home would never be the same. It still doesn't seem real that I'm never going to see these dogs again,' she told CBS as she broke down in tears. 'We don't have them running around. We're never going to have them to cuddle.' The dog owners claim that they were told the family would only board a few dogs at a time but a police investigation found more than two dozen dogs were in the small room together. 'Our clients were deceived, attorney John Schill told AZFamily. 'They were told their dogs would be boarded at a Disneyland-type facility, where the dogs would run free. 'In reality, it was 28 dogs crammed into a nine-by-twelve [foot] room, where they died.' As the Flakes file their claim against Maricopa County, one woman whose two dogs died at the kennel is 'shocked' that they are going from suspects to alleged victims. As the Flakes file their claim against Maricopa County, one woman whose two dogs died at the kennel is 'shocked' that they are going from suspects to alleged victims (above a makeshift memorial that was created outside the Green Acre Dog Boarding house in Gilbert) The dog owners claim that they were told the family would only board a few dogs at a time but a police investigation found more than two dozen dogs were in the small room together . Valerie Collins said: 'It’s like slapping [the dog owners] in the face. How could this be happening?' The Flakes' lawyers said that as tragic as this accident was, it was exactly that - a tragic accident, and never a crime. His statement said: 'There was never probable cause to believe that the Flakes intended for these animals to die,or that the Flakes had actual awareness that they were going to cause the animals to die and then decided to go ahead and do it anyway.'
### SUMMARY:
| Logan and Austin Flake, son of Senator Jeff Flake, both 21, were in charge of dog kennel owned by Logan's parents in Arizona when 21 dogs died .
In June, one of the dogs reportedly chewed through the air conditioner's power cord and the dogs died of heat exhaustion in the cramped kennel .
Couple was dismissed of 21 felony counts and seven misdemeanor counts in December - but lawyer says case ruined their 'future prospects'
They are filing claim saying Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Joe Arpaio had plot to 'harm their reputations'
Austin was reportedly kicked out of Brigham Young University and has not been reinstated since charges were dropped .
Flakes are seeking $4million in damages each for claims including malicious prosecution, defamation and negligence . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
The demand on the NHS is 'greater than ever before' as it emerged 900 more patients are being admitted to hospital every day compared with a year ago. New figures published today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre reveal NHS hospitals in England dealt with 15.5 million admissions in 2013-14. That figure equates to 42,400 patients being admitted each day - 870 more on average than the previous year. Those aged 65 to 69 were most likely to be admitted to hospital, and the age group saw the greatest increase in admissions, up 66,000 from the previous year to 1.3 million. Falls accounted for 421,800 admissions, an increase of 11,000 from 2012-13, with patients aged over 65 most likely to suffer a fall. Pressure on the NHS is 'greater than ever before' as new figures reveal 900 more patients were admitted to hospital each day in 2013-14 than the previous year . Meanwhile women were more likely to be admitted for treatment, making up 56 per cent of admissions. Of the total admissions, 5.4 million were emergencies, up from 5.3 million the previous year. Experts warned the demand being placed on the health service is unprecedented, with more older people needing care. Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director at Age UK said: 'The rising numbers of older people being admitted to hospital is a wake- up call that social care is in crisis and that we're not doing enough to keep older people well at home. 'Without good social care to sustain them in living independently, older people are more likely to end up in hospital. She added: 'Falls are a serious threat to older people's health, wellbeing and independence, causing pain, distress and loss of confidence. 'However, despite having serious consequences, falls in later life are often dismissed as an inevitable part of growing older, when the reality is that they are usually preventable. 'Properly funded social care would make a huge difference to people's lives, helping to keep them well and ultimately saving money in the NHS. 'Hospitals can work better for everyone if we do more to prevent the need for older people to be admitted in the first place, as well as making sure that when people do need inpatient care, they are supported to get home as quickly as possible.' Rob Webster, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents more than 500 NHS organisations, said: 'Pressures on the health and care system have never been greater. NHS Confederation chief executive Rob Webster said: 'To improve care and tackle these pressures we need to radically reshape services around people's needs and aspirations' 'To improve care and tackle these pressures we need to radically reshape services around people's needs and aspirations.' To do that the Confederation and 23 organisations, which include leading charities and various medical Royal College, are urging all political parties to focus on four key healthcare issues in the run up to the election. A 12-page document, The 2015 Challenge: Our Prescription For The Election highlights the importance of political leadership alongside health and care leadership in helping secure change. It calls for politicians to: . Mr Webster, said: 'We will only succeed in this task if the next Government and national arms-length bodies put in place the right conditions for our members to succeed. The significant steps towards this by national bodies and the political parties in recent months are very welcome, but given the huge scale of the challenges more progress is urgently needed. 'Many politicians have talked about the kind of changes to care we set out in the 2015 Challenge, for example, more supported self-care programmes and care being offered in places other than hospitals with health and care professionals working in different ways with patients and families. 'As the election approaches, we now need all candidates to play their part in a constructive debate about how to ensure health and care services are sustainable and deliver the best possible outcomes for people. 'If necessary change is blocked, the funding gap will increase and people's care will suffer. 'We also need honesty about the resources needed. The Five Year Forward View gives a start by saying the NHS will need at least £8 billion extra as well as funding earmarked for changing services. 'This must be matched by adequate social care funding and the reform which is needed to free up £22 billion of efficiencies, otherwise the whole system could become unsustainable.' Hospitals in England have failed to meet waiting time targets in A&E for five months running. The latest set of figures, published today, reveal the misery for patients is ongoing, with no sign of the mounting pressure on medical staff abating. NHS England said 91.6 per cent of patients spent four hours or less from arrival in A&E to being admitted to hospital, transferred or discharged. The figures reveal performance for the week ending February 15 and is down from 92.9 per cent the previous week - short of the 95 per cent target. The damning statistics mark the 20th consecutive week that the A&E target has been missed. Dr Barbara Hakin, national director of commissioning operations for NHS England, said: 'Last week saw a sharp increase in A&E attendances and emergency admissions - up by nearly 15,000 on the week before. 'These are the highest levels since Christmas and are also up on the same week last year. Hospitals across England have failed to meet waiting time targets in A&E for the last 20 weeks . 'This has resulted in a slight impact on waiting times, but we continue to admit, treat and discharge more than nine out of 10 patients within four hours. It comes as A&E waiting times in England plummeted to the lowest level in a decade, a reflection of the growing 'crisis' in the NHS. Figures reveal from October to December, 92.6 per cent of patients were seen within four hours - short of the 95 per cent target. The latest performance marks the worst quarterly results since the target was introduced at the end of 2004. It comes as hospitals across the country face exceptional demand and unprecedented pressures. Ten hospitals have declared 'major incidents' – an emergency trigger usually reserved for air crashes or terror attacks. Emergency plans have been implemented, including calling in extra staff and cancelling non-emergency care, including routine operations. The Government today admitted the figures were 'disappointing' - and conceded there is a 'huge amount of pressure' on the health service. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said hospital bosses feel they are 'running just to keep still' to cope with rising demand. Prime Minister David Cameron said much of the pressure on emergency departments comes as society faces an ageing population, with more frail, elderly people. But he insisted that around 2,500 more patients were being seen within four hours every day than four years ago.
### SUMMARY:
| Figures show 15.5 million patients were admitted to hospital in 2013-14 .
Equates to 42,400 people a day - 870 more on average than previous year .
Those aged 65 to 69 most likely to be admitted, many after suffering a fall .
Experts warned 'pressures on the NHS have never been greater'
NHS Confederation and 23 bodies calling on political parties for change .
Avoid yet another top down, large-scale NHS structural reorganisation, and give local areas the stability required to make progress on vital work to reshape care .
Prioritise reducing preventable illness and maintaining wellbeing .
Detail concrete plans to make mental health services as accessible as physical health services by the end of the next parliament .
Commit to adequate funding for health and social care . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
These two young men are the only living cases in the world with an extremely rare disorder and they happen to be related to each other. Teenage brothers Thomas and Bradley Farrell both suffer from Arts Syndrome - a genetic condition that has effected their hearing, sight and muscle tone basically since birth. The boys, aged 17 and 18 respectively, have spent their lives in and out of Sydney hospitals with various complications related to their condition, which went undiagnosed until 2001. Scroll down for video . Teenage brothers Thomas and Bradley Farrell both suffer from Arts Syndrome - a genetic condition that has effected their hearing, sight and muscle tone basically since birth . When Bradley was diagnosed as being deaf at 12 months of age, his mother Sharon was already pregnant with Thomas and the family were told there was a one in four chance of having another deaf child. Thomas was diagnosed at five months. But despite having two boys who were deaf, Ms Farrell told Daily Mail Australia there was no reason for the family to be concerned at that point. 'Bradley and Thomas looked like normal young boys,' she said. It wasn't until after they both got cochlear implants in 1999 that they realised something might be wrong. The boys, aged 17 and 18 respectively, have spent their lives in and out of Sydney hospitals with various complications related to their condition, which went undiagnosed until 2001 . The brothers, pictured with cricketer Steve Waugh and his wife, are members of the Steve Waugh Foundation, which helps raise awareness of rare diseases . Bradley and Thomas have battled serious infections over the years in relation to their syndrome. They still use a breathing machine today to help them get by . 'After they got the implants they had to go to hospital. Both Bradley and Thomas had influenza. When they took the tubes from Bradley, they didn't think he would pull through. 'Then every six months they were in hospital with respiratory problems.' It took nine years from when they first started testing their DNA and blood for the team at Westmead Children's Hospital to diagnose the boys with Arts Syndrome. The specific gene related to their condition was only found in 2007. They still use a breathing machine today to help them get by and they are highly susceptible to infection. The brothers have very limited vision and have been confined to wheelchairs for the past several years due to muscle weakness. 'There’s no cure and that’s just the way it is,' Ms Farrell said. It took nine years from when they first started testing their DNA and blood for the team at Westmead Children's Hospital to diagnose the boys with Arts Syndrome . Bradley (left at his year 12 formal) and Thomas (right at City2Surf) are both deaf, have limited vision and muscle tone as a result of Arts Syndrome . Their mother Sharon was told Bradley was deaf when he was 12 months old and Thomas was diagnosed at five months of age - but she had no reason to worry at that stage . 'Lots of young people who have rare disorders are still waiting to find out what they have. There’s millions of genes. It’s like a needle in a haystack. We were very lucky to find out what it was. 'If we can keep them healthy and happy, that’s my main objective. We just want to give them a good quality of life.' The life expectancy for Arts Syndrome, which primarily effects boys, is five years of age. 'They had already surpassed the life expectancy when we were told (about the gene),' Ms Farrell said. 'Every time we make a visit to the hospital… the doctors don’t know and we certainly don’t know what to expect. 'We go in with one complaint and there’s something else that’s happening at the same time. We go in hoping it’s only a short stay but sometimes it can be longer.' While there is no treatment for the genetic condition, the boys have been taken a drug treatment called SAM for the past six years to help with complications associated with the syndrome. 'They haven’t been in intensive care as respiratory patients for a number of years, which is wonderful,' Ms Farrell said. It wasn't until after Bradley (pictured) and Thomas both got cochlear implants in 1999 that their mother realised something might be wrong due to them being in and out of hospital with respiratory infections . The boys still use a breathing machine today to help them get by and they are highly susceptible to infection . The life expectancy for Arts Syndrome, which primarily effects boys, is five years of age. Thomas (pictured) and Bradley had already passed that when they were diagnosed . Problems associated with the syndrome started from birth, but Ms Farrell said it was hard to pick up because Bradley and Thomas looked like normal young boys . Their mother is primary carer for Bradley and Thomas, with help from their 21-year-old sister Nancy. 'They can’t dress themselves or feed themselves, but they have electric wheelchairs that's given them good independence around the house,' she said. 'When they were smaller we could lift them out of the bathtub, but we've had to make modifications. The boys were getting longer and heavier, so putting them in a shower chair makes life a lot easier.' Former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh made a big impact on the Farrell family when his rare disease foundation first stepped in to provide ongoing support six years ago. The Steve Waugh Foundation, which helps raise awareness of rare diseases, provided the funds to modify the Farrell's bathroom to suit Bradley and Thomas' needs. The boys can't dress or feed themselves and need 24-hour care. Their mother Sharon is primary carer, with help from their 21-year-old sister Nancy . Former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh's rare disease foundation started helping the Farrell family six years ago and provided funds to modify the bathroom to help with Thomas and Bradley's needs . While there is no treatment for the genetic condition, the boys have been taken a drug treatment called SAM for the past six years to help with complications associated with the syndrome . 'Every time we seem to need help, there always seems to be support somewhere. You don’t know where it comes from. Sometimes it’s the most unlikely places like the Steve Waugh Foundation,' Ms Farrell said. 'We could be members of a hundred different organisations but they only concentrate on certain things. The Steve Waugh Foundation looks at (rare diseases) as a whole unit and how they can help the individual to make their life better.' Bradley and Thomas are set to meet Steve on Wednesday at an event he organised at Sydney's Taronga Zoo for 32 people with rare diseases and their families. Rare Disease Day on Saturday marks 10 years since the Steve Waugh Foundation started raising awareness of the two million Australians who suffer from a rare disease. 'Bradley and Thomas never fail to inspire me with their incredible inner strength and spirit of goodwill,' Steve said. 'They light up the room with their cheeky smiles and sense of humour and have a gift for relaxing anyone who is in their company. Without realising it, they are both role models for all of us with their amazingly positive attitude.' The Foundation is calling on Australians to share this video and use the hashtag: #AllWeAsk on Rare Disease Day, February 28.
### SUMMARY:
| Thomas and Bradley Farrell both suffer from rare genetic Arts Syndrome .
Teenage brothers are deaf, virtually blind and confined to wheelchairs .
Boys, aged 18 and 17, are only two known living people with rare condition .
Life span is five years but both boys surpassed that even before diagnosis .
They use a breathing machine after suffering serious respiratory infections . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Manama, Bahrain (CNN) -- At least two people were killed early Thursday morning when Bahraini police swarmed into the capital, Manama, to roust protesters from the Pearl Roundabout, emergency hospital services said. Witnesses said police came in with dozens of vehicles, surrounded the roundabout and began firing "pellet bullets," rubber bullets and tear gas at demonstrators. The area had become a magnet for pro-democracy activists, angered by the killing of two demonstrators by security forces earlier this week. For two days, protesters were largely left alone by authorities. But around 3:30 a.m. Thursday (7:30 p.m. Wednesday ET), police changed tactics. Hundreds of white-helmeted police swarmed the roundabout. There are reports that at least 100 people have been injured. Most of the casualties have being sent to Salamaniya hospital, according to an operator at Manama's other main hospital, Bahrain International. CNN's Nic Robertson was there at the hospital. He reported that a large group of "very angry" people had gathered, along with distraught family members looking for loved ones. Robertson said demonstrators he'd spoken to were outraged by the way they'd been treated by security forces. Inside the hospital's emergency treatment room, the scene was one of "complete, uncontrolled chaos," according to Robertson. He described injured people struggling to survive and medical personnel working frantically to save them. He saw serious head traumas, bloody wounds in the head and chest, and people hooked up to breathing apparatuses. Robertson told CNN that all the indications pointed to a very bloody confrontation on the part of police. During the crackdown in Pearl Roundabout, an ABC reporter was attacked while he was on the phone, describing the scene for the network. In the midst of his report, Miguel Marquez could suddenly be heard shouting on the audiotape, "Journalist! Journalist! No! No!" Heavy thuds and the sounds of police yelling could also be heard. After several minutes, Marquez insisted repeatedly "I'm going! I'm going!" and called out for co-workers. Finally, he returned to the audio line and told what had just happened. His voice broke as he said, "These people are not screwing around." One of the protesters, who asked that he be identified only as "Hussein," said the police came in with no warning. "We were sleeping," he said. "There were guys, kids, schoolchildren, women, and suddenly they just attacked us with tear gas, stun bombs." Hussein said many people were wounded in the attack, and he helped take people to hospitals. Police were outside the hospitals as well, he said. "No one was doing anything," he said. "Kids were sleeping. Women were sleeping. They just attacked us suddenly." Ebrahim Sharif, secretary-general of the opposition National Democratic Action Society, said he saw ambulances taking people to hospitals but that police were blocking people from going in that direction. "The whole area here has been surrounded," he told CNN by telephone. "There are probably 500 to 1,000 policemen." Dozens of large police vehicles lined a highway overlooking the roundabout and helicopters buzzed the area. Police were also taking up positions to create a perimeter as much as a mile around the roundabout, preventing people from returning. An hour after police moved in, the square, where thousands of people had been, was largely empty except for police. It was not immediately clear where the protesters had gone, but police activity indicated they were still involved in moving the demonstrators further from the roundabout. On Wednesday, Bahrain's Interior Ministry had said those involved in two deaths during previous protests had been placed in custody. "We express our regret over those who died or were injured in the latest incidents and extend our sincere condolences to their families and to the people of Bahrain," according to a statement on the ministry's website. Earlier Wednesday, thousands of people gathered for a peaceful funeral procession for a Bahraini man killed when clashes erupted during another protester's funeral procession, the president of a human rights group said. Demonstrators picked up the body of Fadhel Matrook, 31, from a morgue Wednesday and marched to a cemetery with no police presence on the streets, said Nabeel Rajab, president of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights. Rajab, who marched in the funeral procession, said at the time that protests in Bahrain were "peaceful" since "there is not interference from the police." Human rights groups say Matrook was shot by security forces using pellet guns during the Tuesday procession for Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima, who was killed Monday. Rajab said Mushaima was protesting for human rights near Manama. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had vowed Tuesday that his government would investigate the killings of the two protesters by security forces. "We will ask the legislative authority to look at this phenomena and to suggest the necessary legislation which will solve this in a way that will benefit the homeland and its citizens," he said. The Interior Ministry said in its statement that "... our constitution and laws guarantee the freedom of expression through peaceful means" and that "citizens can ask for rights and reforms through available legitimate channels." Bahrain is among the latest Arab states to face a surge of dissent following the revolts that toppled longtime autocrats in Tunisia and Egypt. By Wednesday morning, thousands of activists were camping out at the foot of the Pearl Roundabout, a Bahraini landmark. At the time, police were nowhere in sight as about 3,000 people laid out blankets and pitched tents. "It's a very relaxed atmosphere," Mansoor Al-Jamri, editor of the newspaper Al Wasat, had told CNN. "You'd assume it was a picnic area if you didn't know it was the aftermath of people who died." Activists have decried the use of pellet guns at short range by Bahrain's security forces. Amnesty International called the deaths "tragic" and "a very worrying development." In a recent report, the group said Bahraini authorities detained 23 opposition political activists in August and September, and held them without contact for two weeks, "during which some allege they were tortured." Bahrain's Interior Ministry said on its website that an investigation has been ordered to find out the reason behind the incident. The kingdom's main opposition party, al Wifaq, has suspended its participation in parliament because of the security forces' action. Bahrain is an American ally and houses the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. In Washington, the State Department said Tuesday it was "very concerned" by the violence and said it welcomed the promise of an investigation. Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni Muslim royal family, but two-thirds of the population are Shiites. In recent years, younger Shiites have staged violent protests to complain about discrimination, unemployment and corruption, and many Shiites say the country's constitution has done little to improve their condition. The protest movement in Bahrain has been organized using social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, in the same manner as the protests in Tunisia and Egypt. CNN's Nic Robertson, Jenifer Fenton and Mitra Mobasherat contributed to this report .
### SUMMARY:
| NEW:Large crowd of angry demonstrators outside Salamaniya hospital .
NEW: Scenes of "complete, uncontrolled chaos" at Salamaniya hospital .
At least 2 people were killed when police confronted protesters .
Police fire tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators in Pearl Roundabout . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Los Angeles (CNN) -- Every issue in the Michael Jackson wrongful death trial is so disputed that even giving candy to jurors caused an argument. AEG lawyers gave a bag of peppermint candy to the bailiff to hand out to the jury this week. Even Katherine Jackson -- the pop icon's mother -- enjoyed the treat. But Jackson's lawyer raised an objection Tuesday afternoon, suggesting jurors might be influenced if they realized the source of the sweets. A compromise was reached. Each side can provide snacks for jurors, but they'll be placed at the bailiff's desk before jurors enter court so they have no clue who brought it. While the candy controversy might seem trivial, the stakes are high for AEG Live. The promoter and producer of Michael Jackson's comeback concerts could be found liable for billions of dollars in damages if the jury decides the company is responsible for the star's death. AEG execs face questions about Jackson's death . Jackson's mother and three children are suing AEG Live for the negligent hiring, retention or supervision of Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death. The candy argument may be the most interesting thing about Tuesday's proceedings, unless you are a student of employment law and budgeting. AEG Live Senior Vice President/General Counsel Shawn Trell was on the stand for a second day hoping to give testimony that would convince the jury that Murray was chosen, hired and supervised by Jackson -- not his company. Murray never had an executed contract with AEG Live, although one had been negotiated. The doctor signed it and returned it to the company on June 24, 2009, but the AEG Live executive decided not to sign it after Jackson died the next day. Jackson lawyers contend Murray was already on the job, working under an oral agreement confirmed by a series of e-mails that promised him $150,000 a month to be Jackson's full-time physician. With Trell on the stand, Jackson lawyer Brian Panish played part of an interview that AEG Live President Randy Phillips gave to Sky News television soon after Jackson's death. "This guy was willing to leave his practice for a very large sum of money, so we hired him," Phillips said. Panish also showed jurors an e-mail between AEG lawyers suggesting that Phillips told other interviewers AEG Live "hired" Murray. Jackson's manager's e-mails found, could be key in AEG trial . Trouble at the Front . The Jackson lawyers argue that AEG Live executives ignored a series of "red flags" that should have alerted them that Jackson needed help as he prepared for his comeback concerts. Earlier testimony from Jackson's makeup artist, choreographer and an associate director described his failing health and mental condition in the last two weeks of his life. Panish asked Trell about e-mails titled "trouble at the Front" between AEG executives and people working on the production starting on June 19, 2009 -- a night that show director Kenny Ortega sent Jackson home because of his strange behavior. "He was a basket case and Kenny was concerned he would embarrass himself on stage, or worse yet -- get hurt," production director John "Bugsy" Houghdahl wrote to AEG Live top execs Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware. "The company is rehearsing right now, but the DOUBT is pervasive." Phillips forwarded the e-mail to his boss -- Tim Leiweke -- at AEG Live's parent company, with the comment: "We have a real problem here." Jackson had missed a number of rehearsals and the "This Is It" tour debut was just three weeks away in London. Wade Robson calls Jackson 'a pedophile' Ortega, in an e-mail previously reported, told Phillips that same morning -- five days before Jackson died -- that he did not think he would be ready for the shows. "I honestly don't think he is ready for this based on his continued physical weakening and deepening emotional state," he wrote. Ortega described seeing "strong signs of paranoia, anxiety and obsessive-like behavior" with Jackson. "I think the very best thing we can do is get a top psychiatrist to evaluate him ASAP." Even John Branca, a former Jackson advisor and lawyer who had just been rehired, weighed in with advice in an e-mail: "I have the right therapist/spiritual advisor/substance abuse counselor who could help (recently helped mike tyson get sober and paroled) ... do we know whether there this is a substance issued involved (perhaps better discussed on the phone.)" Does Trell consider that exchange a "red flag" that AEG Live should have noticed, Panish asked. "I would take it seriously, as I believe Mr. Phillips did," Trell answered. "I don't know I would use the word 'red flag.'" Phillip called a meeting the next afternoon with Murray at Jackson's home. Afterward, he sent this e-mail to Ortega: . "Kenny, it is critical that neither you, me, or anyone around this show become amateur psychologists or physicians. I had a lengthy conversation with Dr. Murray, who I am gaining immense respect for as I get to deal with him more. He said that Michael is not only physically equipped to perform and that discouraging him to, will hasten his decline instead of stopping it. Dr. Murray also reiterated that he is mentally able to and was speaking to me from the house where he had spent the morning with MJ. This doctor is extremely successful (we check everyone out) and does not need this gig so he totally unbiased and ethical." The Jacksons' lawyer called this e-mail "a flat out lie," since AEG Live had not done a background check on Murray before hiring him -- and if they had it would have disclosed that he was in deep debt and not a successful doctor. "We did not do a background or credit check on Dr. Murray," Trell conceded. Witness: 'Everybody was lying' after Jackson died . No due diligence . The Jackson lawyers contend that AEG Live is liable for his death because they did not do their "due diligence" by checking Murray's background and credentials. If they had done so, they would have realized that Murray had a major conflict of interest that made him vulnerable to break rules in his treatment if Michael Jackson, they argue. Murray needed the high-paying job because he was more than $1 million in debt, his home was being foreclosed on, he was being sued for unpaid child support and delinquent taxes, and his cardiology clinic in Las Vegas faced eviction. His $150,000 a month job would end if Jackson's shows were canceled or delayed, according to the terms of his contract. AEG Live failed to conduct the background check, which the company's own expert witness said would between cost between $40 and $125. "I am not familiar with the process of doing background checks," Trell said. "No training." Trell is back on the witness stand Wednesday for questioning by AEG Live lawyer Jessica Stebbins Bina. The trial, which is in its fourth week in a Los Angeles courtroom, is expected to last through July. Choreographer: AEG considered 'pulling the plug' on Jackson's comeback .
### SUMMARY:
| Jackson's lawyer objects that AEG gave peppermint candy to jurors .
Candy controversy might seem trivial, but stakes are high for AEG Live .
AEG Live's president told reporters about Dr. Murray: "We hired him"
Jacksons accuse the promoter of negligently hiring the doctor convicted in Jackson's death . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Imagine a mother, ostracized and isolated for years because her son is mentally ill, suddenly receiving thousands of messages of support, thanking her for coming forward and calling her heroic. That's what Stephanie Escamilla experienced after CNN Digital published my story and Evelio Contreras' video, "My son is mentally ill," so listen up. The response has been overwhelming. Thousands of messages via e-mail, Twitter and Facebook have poured in -- from across America and from around the world, including Zimbabwe, the Netherlands and South Africa. Many were from mothers fighting their private struggle with their own children, from fathers, from nurses, from psychiatrists. Others opened up their hearts, describing years of agony dealing with their own mental illness before stabilizing. My inbox was flooded with supportive messages that were forwarded on to Stephanie. Many carried this message: Please know that it can get better. "I can't thank you enough on behalf of all the mothers out there that deal with mentally ill children," one mom e-mailed. "I admire that woman so greatly for what she does and for the entire family allowing to share their story." Legislation seeks to improve mental health system . Stephanie risked much in coming forward, especially the fear it could send her son in a downward spiral. One family doctor even objected to her doing so. But she felt that educating the nation about the struggles of raising a child with mental illness was worth it -- and that in so doing, her son could improve, too. Her risk seems to have paid off. Stephanie shared some of the messages sent to the family with her son, Daniel, who suffers from bipolar disorder with episodes of psychosis. His response astonished her: "Mom, I wanted to tell you that I finally can say that I accept myself for who I am," he said. "I am not my mental illness; I am me." For Stephanie, that statement marked tremendous progress and underscored why she decided to speak out. Her resolve has only intensified. The family has set up a website, SavingDaniel.com, for people to communicate with Stephanie and Daniel and seek help. Stephanie hopes to create a foundation in the coming months to help change the stigma around mental illness. She also hopes to realize a longtime dream to speak to middle and high school students in San Antonio. Anything to better educate. Mental illness in children: Where to turn . One woman messaged via Facebook that she had endured a similar struggle as Stephanie in raising her son, now a highly functioning 23-year-old. "My advice to the mom you interviewed: Be a bulldog on britches, never let go," wrote Marie Bond. "It will get better, I promise you that." Readers also thanked us for our understanding and sensitivity in telling Stephanie and Daniel's story. Many parents raising mentally ill children said they wished they had the courage to tell their story like Stephanie. On Twitter, I received hundreds of messages echoing @crosscutlureRVA's sentiment: "Thank you for telling her story. Represents so many stories around the country." "This was a fantastic article, and I am heartened to see it published on CNN," Allison McKenzie said in an e-mail. "So many families and people are suffering under the incredible burden of dealing with mental illness, and it's particularly difficult when it involves children." Many called the issue of mental illness the most important story of our time, yet one that is routinely ignored. They pointed out that children can now stay on their parents' health care plans until the age of 26, yet a mentally ill son or daughter can make all their own health care decisions when they turn 18 -- regardless of parental input. That's resulted in our jails and prisons being filled with people with mental disorders, readers pointed out, and all too often our cemeteries, too. "The problem no one seems to address is when these kids turn 18, we as parents no longer have control," e-mailed Mia St. John, a world champion boxer who cares for her mentally ill son. "The parents will tell the same the story: There was nothing we could do or our hands were tied. I have been fighting the system for years and nothing will change until we are granted rights to help our sick children." Wendy Sefcik knows the pain of losing a child to mental illness. "On December 1, 2010, my intelligent, outgoing, athletic 16-year-old-son T.J. died by suicide," she wrote. "T.J. battled depression, but was a master at hiding his struggle. Since losing my son, I have tried to learn everything I can about depression and other mood disorders. I was shocked to find out how many people battle mood disorders and how difficult it is to get treatment." Sefcik emphasized another key point: Mental illness affects rich and poor alike. The Sefciks had money and resources, yet it wasn't enough. The most poignant outpouring came from those who could relate to Daniel. They shared very private struggles. Most asked not to be identified, but said they wanted Daniel to know there was hope. "I have a history of mental illness too, but am successfully functioning with medicine and years of support," one reader wrote in an e-mail. "I celebrate all the parents and professionals who quietly, bravely fight for the sick ones. They suffer when they help, but we all suffer if we don't help. "Stephanie and Daniel are my heroes. I pray that we will be stronger and more compassionate after reading their story." One of the most touching messages came from a mother who said her 9-year-old son was hospitalized last year for 16 days for delusions, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. "I have learned a lot since then about his illness, and even more the startling lack of available mental health resources and treatment options, even in a large city," the mom wrote. The mother asked not to be identified, but she said Stephanie and Daniel's story inspired her to put into words what she has been through. She wrote this poem, titled Cherry 784, that she said could be shared with others: . Cherry 784 . We hid the knives . But you really only wanted . To fall from your window . Nine years is enough . I've had a good life . You told me during a visit . The one where you still weren't sure . If I was really your mom . We played basketball in the dayroom . And snuggled on worn bean bag chairs . With our shoes off and our hopes high . That the next day you'd come home . I took weary walks between visiting hours . Through corridors, concrete walkways . And parking decks in the August swell . Texting 1A, 4C, 3D to myself . Digital bread crumbs . For the evening return . The contraband I carry . Fits in an empty locker . Lift the phone . Speak the code . Cherry 784 . Hold for the buzz . Open one door . Wait for it to close . So the other will open . You, always on the other side, anxiously waiting . Reminding me I was 2 minutes late . (As if I didn't know) And squeezing the remaining breath from my lungs . With your little boy hugs . I brought you fresh fruit in labeled cups . Cantaloupe, grapes, oranges, and pineapple chunks . The scent embedded in my flesh from cutting . Something sweet for you, my love . My baby . My boy . My son .
### SUMMARY:
| San Antonio woman and her son shared their journey with mental illness .
Readers responded to story and video with messages of support and compassion .
Thousands of emails, tweets and Facebook posts have poured in .
Her son's reaction to readers' messages surprised his mom -- and gave her hope . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- In November 1961, few would have realized just how groundbreaking the first issue of "Fantastic Four" would become. The series -- about a group of space explorers given various superpowers after being hit by cosmic rays -- began a new era for Marvel Comics, signaling the start of their wave of Silver Age characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Hulk, Iron Man and many more. Now, nearly 50 years later, the company has announced that the series' current story arc, "Three" -- the next-to-last issue of which hits stores Wednesday -- will result in the demise of one member of the iconic superhero team. Marvel executive editor Tom Brevoort made it crystal clear: "A core character from the series, whom you've seen in the [2005 and 2007] films, will be no more," he told CNN. Current "Fantastic Four" writer Jonathan Hickman said that the plot twist grew from a multiyear story he pitched once he started working on the book. "Everything has led to this moment," he said. "It serves the story and gets where we want for the Fantastic Four." "This wasn't a case where we started with, 'Let's kill a character,' " Brevoort said. "[Hickman] had this story, and at one point, he said this character will die. There was never a moment where we said it could be this one or that one. There was only one choice to us as we headed down this series of stories." Brevoort said this character's death will have a ripple effect on other Marvel books. "The hook is the fact that one of the four characters will be shuffling off this mortal coil. That's really a small part," he said. "What we're actually doing is completely transmogrifying the 'FF' as a thing. At the end of this story, there won't even be a book called 'Fantastic Four' anymore; there will be something new that will be interesting and exciting. Out of this moment, a new thing will be born." Indeed, Marvel recently announced that the first issue of a new series called "FF," subtitled "A Beginning," will hit stores in March. This isn't the first time the team has experienced what at least seemed to be a death in Marvel's "first family." In 1994, for example, Sue Richards, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman, took over as team leader --- in what was, for a short time, a trio --- when her husband Reed, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic, was believed to be dead. (It turned out he had been ripped out of the time stream.) Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, was briefly thought to be dead in 2004 as well. Then there was Superman's death in 1992 and Captain America's in 2007, which made big headlines at the time. And as with those characters, most seem to return eventually. "Mainstream comics have done these 'Death of ...' stories so frequently, never keeping the characters dead, so it's lost all meaning to me as a fan," said Bob Bretall of comicbookpage.com, who nevertheless said he is really enjoying the current "Fantastic Four" story arc. "Look no further than the upcoming 'death of Spider-Man.' Of course, it's not the 'real' Spider-Man, it's [the alternate universe] Ultimate Spider-Man." Comic book reader/iReporter Omekongo Dibinga is also not a fan of characters dying and coming back: "It's like a musician saying they're retiring and they keep coming back, like Jay-Z." In response, Hickman said the ultimate gauge of its success would be its resonance with readers. "I wanted to invert [the 'Mad Men' formula], to take a book about adventure and science fiction but inject nostalgia into it. Because that is the way the book feels now, this will resonate," he said. "When you couple that with the fact that all of this was planned in advance and we're working toward a goal, I feel that we will be confident that we did a good job." "It's very easy to develop cynicism about the stories we tell," Brevoort added. "The only way to combat and conquer it is to have a story that touches on the humanness of people that has emotional resonance and truth to it. The fact of death is something every human being can relate to. I would argue that a well-told story of a character's demise is not necessarily undone by them coming back later." Brevoort went on to say that response from readers to the story has grown over the past few months, due in no small part to the way events have played out. "We've tightened the screws and had each member in a critical life-or-death situation," he said. "Once you get to [the most recent issue], you hopefully will have absolutely no idea which character will take the fall because there are dire circumstances and threats that make it unlikely that anybody will get out. It's amazing that all three get out alive." Indeed, it's become a popular guessing game among readers as to which member will kick the bucket. Bretall believes it will be Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch, since his death has not even been hinted at in previous stories. (Both the Torch and the Thing are holding down the fort at the team's Baxter Building, which the army of the Anti-priest plans to attack.) Dibinga is betting that the Thing will be the one to perish. "He is the one who is the easiest to replace. There are not many characters with the powers of the other three," he said. "Plus, he's not a direct part of the family, so he would be the easiest to let go." Quite possibly the most recognizable character of the group, the loss of the Thing (known for the catchphrase "It's clobberin' time!"), would be especially heartbreaking because he only recently has been able to go back to his normal appearance for one week out of every year. At the same time, he appeared in an image released Tuesday promoting this spring's big Marvel event, "Fear Itself." Invisible Woman seemed headed for danger, having told her family that she was leaving to "referee a harmless meeting" about New Atlantis, which has turned out to be anything but. Bretall points out another clue, though: "On the cover of 'FF #1' they have three hexagons, two filled in & one clear, which I'm guessing represents Sue." As for team leader Mr. Fantastic, he's currently dealing with the planet eater Galactus, who has reared his ugly head once again, and that's never good. So, who will it be? We'll find out with issue No. 587 on January 26; and if Marvel has its way, not a moment before. "It will come sealed in a bag," Brevoort said. "I cavalierly called it the 'death shroud.' " The black bag with the "Fantastic Four" logo and a number three has been compared --- even by Brevoort --- to the bag that carried the "Death of Superman" issue. "In this modern-day internet era, it's very difficult to keep any surprise a surprise," he said. "Another predilection of our core constituency is they like to keep their books pristine. It will cause someone real pain to ruin the story and scan it."
### SUMMARY:
| Marvel executive: "A core character from the series ... will be no more"
Next-to-last issue in the series' current story arc hits stores Wednesday .
"Fantastic Four" will continue as a new series called "FF"
Issue No. 587 will come in a sealed bag, hiding the cover art, on January 26 . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Peter Trimble found his formula through trial and error. A design student at the University of Edinburgh, he was aiming to produce an artistic exhibition for a module on sustainability, when he stumbled on "Dupe," a living alternative to concrete. A lab technician introduced Trimble to Sporosarcina pasteurii, a bacterium with binding qualities, sometimes used to solidify soil to hold road signs in place. The student tested it with one of the world's most abundant resources - sand. Pumping bacterial solution into a sand-filled mould, he added nutrients, urea derived from urine as fertilizer and calcium. After a year, and hundreds of failed experiments, this process manufactured a stool around 70% the compression strength of concrete. The process requires less than one-sixth of the energy used in concrete production, and is completely biodegradable. Crucially, Trimble believes his mechanism has the added benefit that it could be employed by anyone, anywhere. "Once you have the basic framework it should be transferable. Imagine a Tsunami-hit farm in Indonesia that is not getting supplies. You could use sand and bacteria on site, practically free, and have shelter housing that is far more permanent." Trimble is working with NGOs to apply Dupe to Aboriginal settlements and insecure regions of Morocco. But while the applications are new and experimental, the concept of growing the material for our built environment is increasingly regarded as not merely interesting, but essential. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the construction industry accounts for 40% of the world's C02 emissions, 40% of U.S. landfill and has been uniquely resistant to change. Concrete, bricks and cement have remained the dominant materials since the industrial revolution in the early 19th century, and as pressure mounts on resources and climate, scientists and architects are looking to the natural world for solutions. Building bacteria . Bacteria have been at the center of alternative methods. North Carolina start-up Biomason is growing bricks on an industrial scale, cultivated from sand by microorganisms. The company has won major prizes and funding for the bricks, which will be used in a structure for the first time this year in a pedestrian walkway, ahead of building projects across the world. Similar processes are being developed to build in the most challenging environments. British architects see an opportunity to cultivate new life in deserts, while NASA believe bacteria could allow the construction of bases on other planets without the headache of ferrying the material there. While bacterial processes save heavily on carbon, there are concerns that by-products could be poisonous. But another living brick -- made from mushrooms -- has no such problems. Functional fungus . New York firm Ecovative are producing materials that combine agricultural waste products such as corn stock with mushroom mycelium -- the roots of the vegetable. Over five days the mycelium binds the waste to create a block with a stronger compressive strength than concrete, with none of the heat or energy required by regular bricks. The product is in commercial use for packaging, producing thousands of units a month, and the company is expanding into construction. Ecovative believe that in addition to being renewable and decomposable, natural properties give them a performance advantage. "It has great insulation properties", says Sam Harrington, Ecovative Director of Sustainability. "A key benefit is flame resistance -- without adding any chemicals we were able to achieve a Class A fire rating". There is scope for development. Mycelium effectively dies once its growth is complete, but Harrington is looking ahead to material that does not. "We are exploring ideas of living materials, perhaps that are self-healing or respond to leaks with indicators." Ecovative are in dialogue with major construction companies, and the material will soon be tested on a historic scale. A collaboration with architects The Living won the prestigious MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) PS-1 competition, and their creation will be installed in the museum courtyard this summer. Growing for gold . "Hy-Fi" will be the largest ever grown structure, and first large building to claim zero carbon emissions. It will be formed of three 40-foot spiral towers constructed from the mushroom material, with varying properties of brick to maximise light and ventilation. The material's versatility offers unique design opportunities, says David Benjamin, lead architect of the project. "You can dial in almost any performance you want. You can mix and match a variety of properties such as water resistance or UV resistance, lightness or durability. You can grow the bricks in almost any shape" Benjamin says the bio-bricks could be made to last as long as traditional materials, but believes architecture must embrace temporary structures. "It's essential to recognize that not all materials should last for centuries. A lot of the steel in our buildings will last longer than we need. Our idea is a building that be made locally and quickly, and then have a plan for when the life of the building is over." Future applications would include pop-up stores, festival "tents" and emergency shelters, says Benjamin, but there are greater hopes for the material within the industry. Stronger than concrete . "I could imagine every structure you would built out of bricks", says Dirk Hebel, Assistant Professor of Architecture and Construction at the Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore. "No high-rises, but smaller scale structures and houses. The material is stronger than concrete, with better insulation capacities". The challenge will come in commercializing the products, Hebel feels. "There is huge demand for alternative materials. The question is how easy it is to penetrate the existing market. This needs time and a couple of buildings to show the possibilities". Stealing from nature . Another, more radical approach takes the material from nature but also allows it to build the structure. Michael Pawlyn, director of Exploration Architecture, is a leading figure in biomimicry, having previously applied natural processes to create man-made forests in England and the Sahara Desert. His latest project to grow a "small venue for spoken word performances" from undersea biorock was recently unveiled at the Architecture Foundation in London. "In biology, complex structures achieve resource efficiency by putting things in exactly the right place, which is very difficult with made materials", says Pawlyn. "Our ways should deliver significant resource savings." Drawing on the natural accumulation of coral reefs, his team would install a steel frame in the deep ocean and leave it to attract material. Growth would be focused on specific areas of need using an electrical current. "We're interested in looking at its structural growth patterns. We have stress gauges on the structure to measure force in particular areas. If one is highly stressed, we can input more current so the rate of deposition matches the force." Pawlyn believes the structure could be built within two years, for consideration at scale. As with Ecovative, a key challenge ahead is to integrate still-living material to allow intelligent biosensors that respond to the building occupants. Innovators in this space acknowledge the ongoing barriers presented in an industry that has resisted modernization. But from rock to fungus, sand to space dust, the use of materials and processes designed by nature herself offer both a solution to the sustainability crisis, and a glimpse of our new built environment: clean, efficient, and alive. Read more from Make, Create, Innovate: . Music 'hackers' unleash new generation of cool and bizarre instruments . Forget wearable tech, embeddable implants are already here . Feeling glum, happy, aroused? New technology can detect your mood .
### SUMMARY:
| British student invented new process of growing building materials using bacteria and sand .
Other living bricks made of mushrooms are soon be widely tested by US architects .
New bio bricks offer flame, UV, and water resistance without adding any chemicals .
Their use can prove crucial for life in deserts or construction of bases on other planets . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(Mental Floss) -- Here are 15 things everyone should know about Fred Rogers: . Every one of Mr. Roger's cardigan sweaters was hand-knitted by Fred Rogers' mother. 1. Even Koko the Gorilla loved him. Most people have heard of Koko, the Stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in American Sign Language, and understand about 2000 in English. What most people don't know, however, is that Koko was an avid Mister Rogers' Neighborhood fan. As Esquire reported, when Fred Rogers took a trip out to meet Koko for his show, not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him, she did what she'd always seen him do onscreen: she proceeded to take his shoes off! 2. He made thieves think twice. According to a TV Guide piece on him, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, however, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. When Rogers filed a police report, the story was picked up by every newspaper, radio and media outlet around town. Amazingly, within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard. It read, "If we'd known it was yours, we never would have taken it." Mental Floss: Memorable commencement speakers . 3. He watched his figure to the pound. In covering Rogers' daily routine (waking up at 5 a.m.; praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family; studying; writing, making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him; going for a morning swim; getting on a scale; then really starting his day), writer Tom Junod explained that Mr. Rogers weighed in at exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life. He didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't eat the flesh of any animals, and was extremely disciplined in his daily routine. And while I'm not sure if any of that was because he'd mostly grown up a chubby, single child, Junod points out that Rogers found beauty in the number 143. According to the piece, Rogers came "to see that number as a gift... because, as he says, "the number 143 means 'I love you.' It takes one letter to say 'I' and four letters to say 'love' and three letters to say 'you.' One hundred and forty-three." 4. He saved both public television and the VCR. Strange but true. When the government wanted to cut public television funds in 1969, the relatively unknown Mister Rogers went to Washington. Almost straight out of a Frank Capra film, his 5-6 minute testimony on how TV had the potential to give kids hope and create more productive citizens was so simple but passionate that even the most gruff politicians were charmed. While the budget should have been cut, the funding instead jumped from $9 to $22 million. Rogers also spoke to Congress, and swayed senators into voting to allow VCR's to record television shows from the home. It was a cantankerous debate at the time, but his argument was that recording a program like his allowed working parents to sit down with their children and watch shows as a family. Mental Floss: Forgotten kids shows sure to give you nightmares . 5. He might have been the most tolerant American ever. Mister Rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen. As an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Mister Rogers preached tolerance first. Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, "God loves you just the way you are." Often this provoked ire from fundamentalists. 6. He was genuinely curious about others. Mister Rogers was known as one of the toughest interviews because he'd often befriend reporters, asking them tons of questions, taking pictures of them, compiling an album for them at the end of their time together, and calling them after to check in on them and hear about their families. He wasn't concerned with himself, and genuinely loved hearing the life stories of others. And it wasn't just with reporters. Once, on a fancy trip up to a PBS exec's house, he heard the limo driver was going to wait outside for 2 hours, so he insisted the driver come in and join them (which flustered the host). On the way back, Rogers sat up front, and when he learned that they were passing the driver's home on the way, he asked if they could stop in to meet his family. According to the driver, it was one of the best nights of his life the house supposedly lit up when Rogers arrived, and he played jazz piano and bantered with them late into the night. Further, like with the reporters, Rogers sent him notes and kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life. 7. He was color-blind. Literally. He couldn't see the color blue. Of course, he was also figuratively color-blind, as you probably guessed. As were his parents, who took in a black foster child when Rogers was growing up. Mental Floss: Praise for the blind genius who invented cruise control . 8. He could make a subway car full of strangers sing. Once while rushing to a New York meeting, there were no cabs available, so Rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway. Esquire reported that the car was filled with people, and they assumed they wouldn't be noticed. But when the crowd spotted Rogers, they all simultaneously burst into song, chanting "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood." The result made Rogers smile wide. 9. He got into TV because he hated TV. The first time he turned one on, he saw people angrily throwing pies in each other's faces. He immediately vowed to use the medium for better than that. Over the years he covered topics as varied as why kids shouldn't be scared of a haircut, or the bathroom drain (because you won't fit!), to divorce and war. 10. He was an Ivy League dropout. Rogers moved from Dartmouth to Rollins College to pursue his studies in music. 11. He composed all the songs on the show, and over 200 tunes. 12. He was a perfectionist, and disliked ad libbing. He felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out. 13. Michael Keaton got his start on the show as an assistant. He helped puppeteer and operate the trolley. 14. Several characters on the show are named for his family. Queen Sara is named after Rogers' wife, and the postman Mr. McFeely is named for his maternal grandfather who always talked to him like an adult, and reminded young Fred that he made every day special just by being himself. Sound familiar? It was the same way Mister Rogers closed every show. 15. The sweaters. Every one of the cardigans he wore on the show had been hand-knit by his mother. For more mental_floss articles, visit mentalfloss.com . Entire contents of this article copyright, Mental Floss LLC. All rights reserved.
### SUMMARY:
| Fred Rogers' stolen car was returned in 48 hours with an apology note .
Rogers weighed exactly 143 pounds every day for the last 30 years of his life .
The star saved both public television and VCR by testifying before Congress .
Actor Michael Keaton worked on show, helping operate the trolley . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- A day after a filibuster and a raucous crowd in the state Capitol foiled passage of a bill that would have imposed strict new regulations on abortion in Texas, Gov. Rick Perry vowed Wednesday to try again. Perry said the Legislature would convene July 1 in special session to take up the abortion bill, which was declared dead before dawn Wednesday. The bill failed after a night of drama in Austin during which a lone lawmaker talked for more than 10 hours in an attempt to run out the clock on a special session. Chants of "shame! shame! shame!" from spectators who had filled the building drowned out the efforts of Republican lawmakers as they tried to pass it minutes before midnight. "We will not allow the breakdown of decorum and decency to prevent us from doing what the people of this state hired us to do," Perry said in a statement calling lawmakers back into another special session. Texans "value life and want to protect women and the unborn," he said. Perry's announcement came a day before he was to address the National Right to Life convention in Dallas on Thursday. Opinion: The truth about the Texas filibuster and abortion . And it came on a day when abortion rights advocates found a new hero in state Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth. Though Republicans control the state Senate, Davis tried to block the abortion bill by attempting a 13-hour filibuster Tuesday. "I underestimated how difficult it would be -- both physically and mentally," Davis told CNN's "AC360" on Wednesday. "About two hours in, I realized I was in for a long day. My back started hurting pretty early on and began to really hurt as the hours ticked by." But, she said, the energy from the packed gallery "kept me going throughout the day." Davis fell short of her goal by less than three hours when the chair ruled she had gone off topic. The gallery erupted in boos. Her fellow Democrats stalled for time with procedural tactics. And as the clock wound down, opponents of the bill drowned out proceedings on the floor, preventing lawmakers from completing a vote in time to get it passed. At 3 a.m., Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst stepped to the Senate floor to declare the bill dead and the special session over. Texas parents agree not to pressure teen to have abortion . "We empowered the voice of people in Texas and people who wanted to stand against this intrusion, this big government intrusion, into their personal lives," Davis said Wednesday night. Even if the bill winds up passing in the next special session, the reaction will not be split along partisan lines, she predicted. "It's a reaction coming from Republicans, independents and Democrats alike, which is saying: Governor Perry, Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst, stay out of my private decision-making." The bill would have banned most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy and tightened standards on abortion clinics and the doctors who work at them. Critics said the measure would have shut most of the abortion clinics in Texas. "He (Perry) lost this fight in regular session, and even after they broke the rules he and his allies lost again in front of the entire country last night," said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, in a statement. "They tried every trick in the book, blocking testimony from the very women whose lives would be affected, voting in the middle of the night, shutting down the debate — they couldn't get this done because Texans would not let them." Wearing pink sneakers, Davis, 50, took to the floor of the chamber late Tuesday morning to criticize the bill. Rules called for her to stand, unaided, until midnight, for the filibuster to succeed. She was not allowed to sit down, lean or take a bathroom break, and she was allowed three warnings before the Senate was to be allowed to vote on whether to stop the filibuster. The senator spent much of the time reading testimony and messages from women decrying the bill and recounting the struggles they, their friends or relatives faced before birth control and abortion were legalized. "Women realize that these bills will not protect their health," she said. "They will only reduce their access to abortion providers and limit their ability to make their own family-planning decisions." Early in the diatribe, her comments were ruled off topic and she was given her first warning. During the evening, a fellow senator helped Davis put on a back brace, which was ruled to have violated filibuster rules, and she got her second warning. Finally, at about 10 p.m., Davis talked about the abortion pill, RU486, and the chairman ruled again that her comments were off topic. But a member of the Senate then moved that the ruling be appealed, and its status was in doubt. The final hours of the session were marked by confusing parliamentary maneuvers until Sen. Leticia Van de Putte stepped to the microphone, ending the debate. "At what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over the male colleagues in the room?" the Democratic senator asked after she had been ignored. At 15 minutes before midnight, the gallery erupted in applause and chants of "Wendy! Wendy! Wendy!" As the session ended, Davis waded into the crowd of supporters and praised them as "the people who truly made this happen." Texas Right to Life blamed "the angry mob of protesters in the Senate gallery" for the failure of the bill to pass. "Ultimately, we should be encouraged that we had the votes and that so many came to support the bill," the anti-abortion group said on its website. "We will continue to work to pass Pro-Life legislation that protects women and saves lives in Texas." The last stand . Davis' stand captivated abortion rights advocates from coast to coast, prompting the hashtag #standwithwendy on Twitter. The White House took notice. "Something special is happening in Austin tonight," said a post on President Barack Obama's official Twitter account. The account is run by Organizing for Action, a nonprofit group established to support the president's legislative agenda. A post by Aimee Parker of Los Angeles said: "I'm in absolute awe of you, @WendyDavisTexas. Thank you for your passion, perseverance and unparalleled badassery." English comedian Ricky Gervais weighed in as well. "Whatever the outcome, @WendyDavisTexas efforts entered her into the pantheon of American heroes tonight." Heady times for Davis, who was first elected to the Texas Senate in 2008, defeating a longtime Republican incumbent to do so. Last year, she staged a filibuster to force a special session in an attempt to stop $5 billion in cuts to Texas public schools, according to her website. Davis, who became a single mother at age 19, went on to graduate with honors from Harvard Law School, it says. Her filibuster was no record. In 1977, Sen. Bill Meier staged a 43-hour marathon. The special session ends with irony, Twitter user Cody Beckner said, echoing the governor's own words. "'In Texas, we value all life,' Gov. Perry TX. Said on the eve of the state's 500th execution." CNN's Josh Rubin, Ed Payne and Dave Alsup contributed to this report.
### SUMMARY:
| NEW: "I underestimated how difficult it would be," Davis says .
The filibuster of Texas Sen. Wendy Davis became a viral sensation .
The White House took notice of her abortion rights stand .
Critics say the bill would have shut most of the state's abortion clinics . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Sand and cities don't naturally go together, but they're matched to perfection at lidos, pop-up beaches and metro lakesides from Paris to Prague, via sandy Vienna. Unless otherwise indicated, these urban beaches are free and open year round. Strandbad Wannsee, Berlin . Best for: Sun-worshippers . A 20-minute train ride from central Berlin, on the banks of the Wannsee Lake, gets you to the largest inland lido (urban public swimming spot) in Europe -- the swimming and sunbathing areas together cover around 35 hectares. Berliners have been heading here with their beach towels since 1907 to kick back on the 1,275-meter stretch of sand, shipped in from the Baltic Sea. There's beach volleyball and giant chess games, a water slide into the lake and a nudist area. Strandbad Wannsee; open until September 29, 2013; admission €4.50 adults, €2.80 children. Lido di Venezia, Venice, Italy . Best for: Celeb spotting . Venice has its own version of Palm Beach in the form of the Lido (after which many, generally less impressive European swimming areas are named), an 11-kilometer-long sandbar, reached by ferry, that separates the Venetian Lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. One of the loveliest areas is the WWF-protected sandy dunes at Alberoni. Rare bee-eater birds are often seen here. Visit the Lido during August and you may spot George Clooney or Helen Mirren -- big Hollywood names come for the Venice Film Festival (August 28 to September 7, 2013), held at the grand Palazzo del Cinema. For more about Venice and the Lido de Venezia, visit Turismo Venezia. Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain . Best for: Beach architecture . At Barceloneta, the city's former fisherman's quarter, you'll find Barcelona's largest, most centrally located and most popular beach. At a mere hint of sunshine, locals beeline for the three-kilometer-long ribbon of sand. Arrive early if you want a decent spot. The beach is lined with strange architectural wonders, including a giant golden fish sculpture by celebrated American architect Frank Gehry, and a three-story-tall leaning tower of steel boxes, the work of German sculptor Rebecca Horn. For more about Barcelona and Barceloneta beach visit Barcelona Turisme. Blijburg aan Zee, Amsterdam . Best for: Night owls . Amsterdammers come to this wide stretch of sand when they want to feel the sand beneath their feet, but don't want to schlep all the way to the coast. The beach is on IJburg, a collection of artificial islands east of the city center. It has a laid-back bohemian vibe and a beach shack serving ice cream. After dark the beach comes alive with campfires, DJs and a beach-party atmosphere that continues into the morning hours. Find more on Amsterdam and Blijburg aan Zee at the official Amsterdam tourism website. Details of evening and other events on the beach here (Dutch-language site only). Sand in the City, Vienna . Best for: Almost any kind of beach activity you can imagine . The Danube River has a number of beaches along its length, but the coolest one is located in the grounds of the Vienna Ice Skating Club: the Sand in the City beach club. One sandy theme succeeds another at the club. The Sport Beach has beach volleyball, the games lit up at night with floodlights. At Gastro Beach, stands serve strawberry punch, Italian ice cream and other refreshments. Every Sunday the beach is transformed into an open-air salsa party with international DJs. Sand in the City; open until September 7, 2013 . Bruxelles les Bains, Brussels . Best for: Pretending you're at a resort when you're in the city . Every summer, 3,000 tons of sand from the North Sea are poured along the banks of the Brussels Canal. The result is more like a resort than a beach, with a children's park and activities galore, from boules to Ultimate Frisbee. Weekly events include beach rugby tournaments, a huge video games tent, dance lessons and free concerts held on the "sand stage." Cocktail bars pepper the beach -- sundowners are hard to avoid. Bruxelles les Bains; open until August 11, 2013 . Amager Beach Park, Copenhagen, Denmark . Best for: Swimming laps . Since 1934, whenever locals have needed beach time, they've crossed one of two bridges to this island just off the city's coastline. There are almost three miles of beaches here; the northern end is wild, with winding paths and sand dunes -- people come for picnics and play. At the southern end is the new "city beach," with a broad promenade and boat marina. You can launch yourself off the jetty for a swim, or get your heart rate up in the kilometer-long swimming lane. Amager Beach Park (Danish-language site only) Paris Plages, Paris . Best for: Parisian chic . What began in 2002 as a single, short beach on the Right Bank of the Seine has turned into one of the biggest pop-up beaches in Europe. More than 2,000 tons of sand are loaded onto various Paris waterside locations: this year it's across from the Georges Pompidou exhibition center and at the Bassin de la Villette artificial lake. Visitors can sit on a deck chair under a palm tree, borrow books free of charge, join in tai chi and ballroom dance classes or ride a new 150-meter-long zip line across the Bassin de la Villette. Oddly enough, swimming in the Seine is forbidden -- there are row boats and kayaks for rent instead. Paris Plages, open until August 2013 . Žluté Lázně, Prague . Best for: Sporty types . On the banks of the River Vltava, this venerable city beach turns 103 this summer. The expanse of imported sand provides plenty of spots for horizontal relaxation. Games include beach volleyball, slack-lining, petanque, netball and giant chess. There are several bars and restaurants, a children's play area and -- this being a common requirement for European urban beach-goers -- a "no-clothes" beach. Evening beach parties feature DJs and young, attractive crowds. Žluté Lázně; 80Kc ($4) adults, 40Kc children . Guincho, Lisbon . Best for: Urban surfing . After a morning in Lisbon's medieval Alfama quarter, its cathedrals and cubbyhole cafes, a trip to this long beach below the cliffs near Cascais, a 20-minute bus ride from Lisbon proper, makes a great change of scene. Many consider Guincho the most beautiful beach around Lisbon, but whether you come for the scenery or not, you're almost guaranteed a decent swell. The beach is renowned for its strong waves and chill surfing vibe -- whatever day of the week you can expect plenty of kite- and windsurfers in the water. Surf rental shops and schools are nearby, but the beach is also fine for bodysurfing. For more about Lisbon visit the official Lisbon tourism website.
### SUMMARY:
| European city beach locations may surprise you -- Vienna for a swim, anyone?
Original Lido in Venice, and much-imitated Paris Plages Seine-side beaches, are highlights .
Amsterdam's urban beach is predictably laid back, with a summer-long party . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Do you prefer to get a text message or a phone call if someone wants to reach you on your cell phone? According to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 31% of American adults prefer text messages to phone calls. An additional 14% said the contact method they prefer depends on the situation. To put this in perspective, most Americans (but just barely: 53%) still generally prefer to get voice calls rather than text messages. Also, Pew notes that 4% of cell owners do not make or receive any voice calls on an average day. And 27% of cell owners do not use text messaging, even occasionally. Not surprisingly, younger adults are especially likely to use texting. According to Pew, "Cell owners between the ages of 18 and 24 exchange an average of 109.5 messages on a normal day -- more than 3,200 texts per month. And the typical or median cell owner in this age group sends or receives 50 messages per day (or 1500 messages per month)." Also, the rate of texting for 18- to 24-year-olds is "more than double the comparable figure for 25-34 year olds, and 23 times the figure for text messaging users who are 65 or older." Whether individuals prefer to get text messages rather than voice calls appears to have a large correlation with how heavily they use text messaging. For instance, 55% of people who send or receive more than 51 texts per day report preferring them to phone calls. However, since younger adults are most likely to be heavy texters, this preference does indirectly correlate with age. Why some prefer texting . Why do some people prefer texting to voice calls? Pew did not speculate on this, but How Stuff Works suggests some relative advantages of texting. First, privacy: it's far less likely that an SMS conversation can be overheard. (Conversely, this can also be a matter of courtesy; don't you wish more people in public settings would use text messaging rather than voice calls, if they must communicate with someone right that minute?) Also, text messaging provides greater accessibility, not just for people with hearing impairments but also to compensate for ambient noise, weak or spotty cell network connections, or the poor quality of microphones and speakers that plague many cell phones. But perhaps the main reasons why many people prefer getting text messages over voice calls are related to time. Typically, text messaging encourages briefer, more efficient exchanges of information. Even "social grooming" chitchat often gets abbreviated so it's quicker to type and read -- although in the context of texting culture, this isn't necessarily viewed as colder or less socially or emotionally significant. Similarly, there's less psychological or social pressure to respond immediately to texts. So you can take a moment to finish a task at hand (such as parking your car) or to consider what you want to say before responding to a text message. Text messaging also can reduce the discomfort or impatience some people experience with pauses in real-time voice conversations -- or the chance that they may instantly blurt a response that they'd later regret. A text-messaging decline? If today's young adults' taste for text messaging persists as they age, this could spell big changes for how wireless carriers do business in the future. Pew notes that voice calls and texting -- the two main services conducted over cell phone carriers' basic networks, rather than their data networks, for which they typically charge extra -- appear to have plateaued in the U.S. "Both text messaging and phone calling on cell phones have leveled off for the adult population as a whole," said the report. "Text messaging users send or receive an average of 41.5 messages on a typical day, with the median user sending or receiving 10 texts daily -- both figures are largely unchanged from what we reported in 2010. Similarly, cell owners make or receive an average of 12 calls on their cells per day, which is unchanged from 2010." A plateau -- or even an eventual decline -- in the popularity of both voice calls and text messages could profoundly change how carriers charge for voice calls and text messaging in coming years. In the long term, this might even lead some wireless carriers to abandon the direct telephony business or to treat it as a specialized service. Right now, voice calling and text messaging packages are primary revenue sources for wireless carriers. These services are provided to virtually every cell phone, including the 65% of U.S. mobile phones that are not smartphones and so don't necessarily include data plans at this time. Internet calling . But there are many options for placing voice calls over the Internet (Skype, Google Voice, Vonage and more) using voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) technology. These services generally are not tied to a particular device, so you can access your VOIP account from your computer, tablet or phone -- or even a shared device. VOIP calling systems tend to be more complex for consumers to set up, learn and use than simply dialing a phone number to make a regular phone call. They also can be quirkier or less reliable than standard phone calls. But in coming years, these services probably will become more user-friendly for typical non-tech-savvy U.S. consumers. Meanwhile, more U.S. consumers are buying smartphones that can run apps for VOIP calling services. By late 2012 or early 2013, over half of the cell phones in use in the U.S. will probably be smartphones. Also, many of the remaining feature phones on the U.S. market are becoming considerably "smarter," with greater capabilities to handle more advanced internet-based services -- perhaps even VOIP calling. SMS text messaging also has ample competition from the various popular Internet-based instant messaging services such as AOL IM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and more. BlackBerry Messenger is another SMS alternative popular users of BlackBerry phones. But the catch with alternative instant messaging services is that each one is a closed system. For instance, you can't directly send an instant message to BlackBerry Messenger from Google Talk. While instant messaging remains such a fragmented communication landscape, SMS (which bridges all phone types and carrier networks) retains a significant advantage. You can use that one mobile tool to communicate with whoever you want, as long as you have their cell phone number, and they don't need to be logged in to a site or service at that time to receive your message. Confusion for users . Still, Pew's research hints that the standard U.S. wireless telephony market might be starting a long-term decline. It's conceivable that U.S. wireless carriers may eventually shift to mainly selling data, rather than telephony. This could mean that someday, standard cell phone calls and text messages might be sold as special add-on services, perhaps handled by separate divisions or companies for extra fees. What might that mean for mobile phone users? Probably a lot more confusion and frustration while the shift sorts out. It would take a few years at least before a communication system based mostly on the Internet and wireless data becomes as coherent and simple as the national telephone system most Americans grew up with. Consumers may eventually see cost savings or service improvements associated with more freedom to choose how they make voice calls or send text messages, but this probably wouldn't be an easy change for most people to make. The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Amy Gahran.
### SUMMARY:
| New Pew study says 31% of American adults prefer text messages .
Study: 4% of cell owners do not make or receive any voice calls on an average day .
Rate of texting for 18- to 24-year-olds is more than double figure for 25- to 34-year-olds . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Is there a worse city in the world to be marked out as a tourist? Maybe, but we haven't been sneered at by a waiter there yet. But you don't have to be the bumbling out of towner. Stick to a few rules (actually 11) and you'll fit right in. 1. Bone up on the latest films and exhibitions . Dinner chat in Paris is dominated by culture and opinions, so read Le Monde or Libération for the latest. Le Monde comes out around 3 p.m., so you can easily grab a copy and read the headlines en route to le diner -- nobody will pay that much attention to what you say, anyway, before interrupting. In October, you can join the strutting vernissage (opening night) of the FIAC, a contemporary art fair and annual glam gathering. In the celluloid division, be sure to mention seeing an obscure independent film at the slick MK2 Bibliothèque (French site only). 2. Sort out the coffee minefield -- fast . Always drink a Parisian espresso after lunch or dinner, never white coffee, ordering simply "un café" to designate the little black one. For breakfast, don't ask for soupy café au lait, but rather the stronger crème, petit or grand. A noisette (macchiato) is also standard. Unless you're in or near one of the top patisseries, croissants in cafés are often tasteless sponges. But as a Parisian you should be whippet thin, anyway, and rarely in need of bread products. To really do the coffee thing right, sit for a few hours over a black coffee, moodily flicking through a paperback or Le Monde, though in reality people-watching from behind your Ray-Bans. 3. Treat waiters as equals . Parisian waiters are professionals, not students or unemployed actors, and they expect to be treated with respect. Bark your order, make a smart insider joke (reference latest political scandal) and drop a few coins before you sweep onward. 4. Stand up to civil servants . Develop a snippy attitude toward any fonctionnaire (civil servant), who are notoriously tough, even obstructive, nuts in France. Don't be cowed -- keep the upper hand by using an assertive, informed tone. The fonctionnaire revels in the power they wield from desks on which a bottle of mineral water is firmly planted -- they believe it makes them lose weight. Their jobs are for life, and resignation is unheard of. 5. How to dress -- women . Wear primarily black, keeping a casual, just out of the sheets look by day and a more primed, predatory look by night. Accessories are key so invest heavily in shoes and watches. Perfumes follow, preferably something ethereally obscure from Dipthyque or L'Artisan Parfumeur. Kit yourself out at Merci (111 boulevard Beaumarchais, +33 01 42 77 00 33), the cult concept store near the Bastille, or at the style emporium Colette in the rue Saint Honoré (No. 213; +33 1 55 35 33 90). Adopt a younger lover for illicit coffees in the romantic backstreets of the Left Bank, and use a Vélib (hired bike) to get around, no helmet of course. 6. How to dress -- men . Like the iconic existentialist pinup, Albert Camus, turn up your (black) coat or jacket collar, stick a Gauloise in your mouth and puff away -- or pretend to. Smoking is still cool and even in deep midwinter pavement café heaters cater to the inveterate nicotine fiend, environment be damned. Serge Gainsbourg is another defunct role model, a poetic, rock 'n' roll roué who managed to sing with a cigarette drooping from his lower lip and stiff drink in hand. The Parisian celeb not to model yourself on is Johnny Hallyday, a perma-tanned crooner of beyond pensionable age. 7. Shun the suburbs . Only stay intramuros . No respectable Parisian lives outside the city, as the very word banlieue (suburb) brings shivers to their stylish souls. The faubourgs, once looked down upon as too prolo (proletarian), are now considered ultra-hip, with more space at less cost. If you decide on an extended stay, first-floor apartments with high ceilings are tops, though a fifth floor walk-up is perfectly acceptable. Kitchens aren't important, as you always eat out. 8. Learn to be a flâneur, i.e. stroll aimlessly . You need no specific goal to your day, just cruise the boulevards, bookshops and cafés or drape an arm around your girl/boyfriend on the banks of the Seine. In summer, stretch out on the sand of Paris Plages to show off your toned body and ogle others. Never stroll along the Champs Elysées, which is only for non-Parisians and people eyeing up big cars. Favored "bo bo" (bourgeois bohemian) ambling areas are the Marais, Canal Saint Martin and République. The Left Bank's Saint Michel is for students and tourists, while Saint Germain is for aging artists and moneyed "intellos" (intellectuals), à la Bernard-Henri Lévy. 9. Get something going on the side . You may not be in town long enough to pull it off, but attitudes toward sex are liberal in the extreme, so you might follow the example of Parisians who commonly have lovers. Women generally cultivate younger or married men -- the expression "de cinq à sept" (from 5 to 7 p.m.) refers to such after-work activities. President Francois Mitterrand had a mistress holed up with their love-child in an official apartment for years. Jacques Chirac was known for a string of affairs, while even bland François Hollande doubled up on the mother of his children. Nicolas Sarkozy was so smitten with Carla Bruni he may have been the only Parisian without a lover. 10. Develop an utter disdain for money . For Parisians money isn't a topic for discussion. Never compare salaries or even refer to the exorbitant cost of a restaurant. It's bad form to check a bill -- although it's sometimes rewarding. It's worth cultivating the maître d'hôtel of a grand brasserie to be sycophantically swept to your favorite table on arrival. That's when you know you're a true Parisian. 11. Learn French . Nobody will really accept you, of course, unless you speak la langue de Molière. Once you have the basics, sprinkle them liberally with English words such as "cool," "look" (as in a style), "weekend," "design" and "trench" (not warfare, but a belted raincoat). Remember that the innate sense of "les Anglo-Saxons" (a catchphrase for the U.S. and UK) is negative, while "perfide Albion" (treacherous England) crops up regularly. Parisians nonetheless show a grudging respect for American culture and history, particularly given that the Yankees broke away from perfide Albion. Now resident in London, freelance travel writer Fiona Dunlop spent 18 years living in Paris.
### SUMMARY:
| Writer who lived in French capital for almost 20 years reveals how to fit in .
Sort out the coffee minefield -- fast .
Learn to stroll aimlessly .
Never check a restaurant bill -- not when anyone's looking, anyway . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Washington (CNN) -- Few Americans have any real idea how the Supreme Court operates, since cameras are barred, and the case arguments and opinions are often dry and confusing for nonlawyers. That's too bad because the high court's impact on Americans is incalculable. When disputes arise, the nine justices serve as the final word for a nation built on the rule of law. They interpret the Constitution and all that it brings with it: how we conduct ourselves in society, boundaries for individuals and the government, questions literally of life and death. As the late justice William Brennan once wrote, "The law is not an end in itself, nor does it provide ends. It is preeminently a means to serve what we think is right." And whether right or wrong, when it came to deciding who won the 2000 presidential election, it was the court's conclusions that ultimately ended the issue, but not the controversy. Preview: 'The implications ... are impossible to overstate' A similarly epic constitutional showdown is now before the court over challenges to the health care reform law promoted by congressional Democrats and President Barack Obama -- and opposed by a coalition of 26 states. Article Three of the Constitution says, "The Judicial power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court ... the judges, both of the supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior." Read a transcript of Monday's court arguments on health care . Here's a look at the history of the court, how it works and how you, the citizen, can interact with it: . Court goes back the late 1700s . The Supreme Court first met in 1790, as the ultimate part of the judicial branch of government. There are nine justices, led by the Chief Justice of the United States (that's the official title). All justices -- and all federal judges -- are first nominated by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate. They serve for as long as they choose. The court has occupied its current building in Washington only since 1935. Previously, it borrowed space in Senate chambers in the Capitol Building. The Constitution's framers envisioned the judiciary as the "weakest," "least dangerous" branch of government. And while the court has often been accused over the years of being too timid in asserting its power, there is little doubt when the justices choose to flex their judicial muscle, the results can be far-reaching. Just look at how cases such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954 -- integrating public schools), Roe v. Wade (1973 -- legalizing abortion) and even Bush v. Gore (2000) have affected the lives of Americans. Blockbuster decisions by the high court over the years . Traditionally, each term begins the first Monday in October, and final opinions are issued usually by late June. Justices divide their time between "sittings," where they hear cases and issue decisions, and "recesses," where they meet in private to write their decisions and consider other business before the court. Court arguments are open to the public in the main courtroom, and visitors have the option of watching all the arguments or only a small portion. Tradition is very important. You will notice the justices wearing black robes, and quill pins still adorn the desks, as they have for more than two centuries. Where to sit? Seniority counts . The justices are seated by seniority, with the chief justice in the middle. The two junior justices (currently Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan) occupy the opposite ends of the bench. Before public arguments and private conferences, where decisions are discussed, the nine members all shake hands as a show of harmony of purpose. In the past, all lawyers appearing before the court wore formal "morning clothes," but today only federal government lawyers carry on the tradition. The solicitor general is the federal government's principal lawyer before the federal bench. As the gavel sounds and justices are seated, the marshal shouts the traditional welcome, which reads: "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! All persons having business before the honorable, the Supreme Court of the United States, are admonished to draw near and give their attention, for the court is now sitting. God save the United States and this Honorable Court." Frequently asked questions about the court and the case . Arguments usually begin at 10 a.m. and since most cases involve appellate review of decisions by other courts, there are no juries or witnesses, just lawyers from both sides addressing the bench. The cases usually last about an hour, and lawyers from both sides very often have their prepared oral briefs interrupted by pointed questions from a justice. This give-and-take, question-and-answer repartee can be entertaining, and it requires lawyers to think concisely and logically on their feet. And by the tone of their questioning, it often gives insight into a justice's thinking, a barometer of his/her decision-making. You can listen if you like . No cameras are allowed, but the public sessions are audio recorded, and are available for listening, usually several days later. The health care arguments -- for this week -- will be available only shortly after each of the four separate arguments end, at the court's website. After the arguments, conferences are scheduled, where justices discuss and vote on the cases. In these closed-door sessions, the nine members are alone. No clerks or staff are allowed. No transcripts of their remarks are kept, and it is the role of the junior justice (Elena Kagan for the past two years) to take notes and answer any inquiries from the outside. Justices spend much of their time reviewing the cases and writing opinions. And they must decide which cases they will actually hear in open court. When asked just before her 2006 retirement what the jurists do most of the time, Sandra Day O'Connor said bluntly, "We read. We read on average 1,500 pages a day. We read. Sometimes we write." Added Justice Antonin Scalia: "We try to squeeze in a little time for thinking." Want your case heard? Don't get your hopes up . Each week, the court receives more than 150 petitions for review, decisions by lower courts appealed to the high court. Relatively few are granted full review. About 8,000 to 10,000 such petitions go on the court's docket each term. Only 75 to 85 cases -- about 1% -- are accepted. Oral arguments will then be scheduled, but final opinions may not be written in all such appeals. In addition, some 1,200 legal applications of various types are filed each year that can be acted on by a single justice. Those include stays of executions. The rulings are handed out in both written and electronic form, but the justice writing the majority opinion will usually deliver an oral summary at the beginning of a public session. In extraordinary occasions, the lead dissenting justice can demand equal time with an oral rebuttal. The court's opinions are final. The only exception is the court itself, which can over time overturn its own precedent, as it did with racial segregation. But most justices rely on the principle of "stare decisis," Latin for "to stand by a decision," where a current court should be bound by previous rulings. Case arguments and the opinions are posted on the U.S. Supreme Court's Web site: www.supremecourt.gov.
### SUMMARY:
| Court's in session: The marshal shouts the traditional welcome -- "Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!"
The justices are seated by seniority, with the chief justice in the middle .
No cameras are allowed, but the public sessions are audio recorded .
Up to 10,000 petitions go to court's docket each term; only about 1% are accepted . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
About halfway between Rome and Naples, something magical is happening in a picturesque Italian town they call the "Village of Eternity." If you come to Campodimele to sip an espresso in the main piazza, feast on spaghetti with ricotta sauce or walk along the medieval city wall, you will be relaxing in a place with one of the longest life expectancies on the planet. Is it the peaceful surroundings? The pure mountain air? The stress-free lifestyle? The wonderful food? Whatever the reason, Campodimele's residents can expect to live to 95, writes Tracey Lawson, a British journalist who became intrigued by the village and traveled there to experience its charms and discover its secrets. "When I got there, I just fell in love with the place," Lawson said. "My life became seasonal and had a rhythm imposed upon it, which I very much liked." She went hunting for wild asparagus, ate sugary ripe figs fresh from the tree and learned how to make pasta from the locals, just a few of the pleasures she found in Campodimele. She believes that the local cuisine -- made up of fresh, seasonal, locally grown food -- plays a key role in the residents' extraordinary longevity. Try a 'Village of Eternity' recipe: Stuffed, baked eggplant . Lawson, 43, didn't just get a glimpse into how to live long; she also discovered how to live well, she writes in "A Year in the Village of Eternity," a book that's both a love letter to the town and a collection of its recipes. Lawson recently spoke with CNN from her home in Carlisle, in northern England. She divides her time between the U.K. and Campodimele but hopes to permanently move to Italy. The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: What is Campodimele like? Tracey Lawson: Campodimele is a classic Italian rural idyll. It's a village that is about 1,000 years old and situated on a mountain top in the middle of the Aurunci Mountains. It's about 25 km (15 miles) from the Tyrrhenian Sea coast. A lot of tourists tend to zip from Rome to Naples; they go straight down the motorway, and they miss out this area inland. The village is just this little cluster of medieval houses made out of stone, lots of lovely stone staircases and little piazzas. It has a perfect circular wall, which dates from the 11th century with 12 turrets. Lots of the houses that people live in are actually built into the defensive walls, so some of the kitchens that I was lucky enough to cook in and been invited into are literally 1,000 years old. There are olive trees on the slopes in the background. It's very beautiful. CNN: What advice can you offer for travelers who want to go? Lawson: The first thing I would do is go to the main piazza. It's very beautiful, because it sort of drops off the edge of the valley so you can see all across the Liri Valley. There's a bar on the piazza which is called the Moonlight Café. It may take its name from the fact that when you're sitting on the piazza outside the café, the moon just sort of rises like a lantern. It really does meet all your expectations of a beautiful Italian village. CNN: The town seems to be big on food festivals. What are they like? Lawson: One of the nicest times to go to Campodimele is in August, when there are two key food festivals. One is the festival of the "cicerchie." The cicerchie is a small bean that looks a bit like a squashed chickpea, and it's very particular to Campodimele. It's got a taste all of its own. It's sort of sweet and musty, and it's one of the key dishes of Campodimele. During the festival, they cook the cicerchie in huge vats on the street. People come from as far away as Rome and Naples just to come and taste it. They also have the festival of "laine e fagioli." Laine is simple pasta ribbons made out of just flour and water. It's sort of the poor man's pasta, as opposed to pasta that is made from flour and eggs, which is richer. There are stalls laid out in the village, and you can see the ladies rolling the pasta and cutting it into ribbons. Then it's served up to the public with sort of a tomato sauce laced with beans and onions. CNN: In the spring, you were also invited to taste the first shallots of the season, which pack quite a punch. How did you like eating a raw shallot? Lawson: It nearly blew my head off, seriously. Think of the worst shot of vodka you've ever had, but it tastes like onions. But they're absolutely delicious fried. The shallot festival is just a very local, impromptu thing. It's not an organized festival. But if you happen to be in the village around that time, you'd be very welcome to try them out. CNN: Where can you stay or eat in Campodimele? Lawson: There is a hotel called Spunta la Luna. The quality of food in the local restaurants is amazing. It's all locally sourced. The standard method of raising produce is organically. They don't even bother using the word "organic" because it's just so normal to them, there's no need to use the phrase. So it's all locally grown fruits and vegetables. A lot of the restaurants serve goat or wild boar, which is hunted on the hills. CNN: You were eating so many delicious things when you lived in the village. Did you lose weight or gain weight during your time there? Or did you even care? Lawson: I didn't really care too much. But I did lose a lot of weight, despite the fact that I must have been eating a lot more calories. Everything has a lot more olive oil. I just put olive oil on everything, and I still do. I really think it's the elixir of life. I think the weight loss is probably due to the lack of stress. I always have this theory that it would make sense that if your body is full of adrenaline, your fight-or-flight mechanism is going to tell your body to conserve fat. CNN: How do you get to Campodimele? Lawson: If you are in Rome or Naples, you can get a train, which runs directly between those two cities and jump off at the town of Formia. It's much easier to go by car. If you come down from Rome, which takes about an hour and 40 minutes, you would actually travel along the Via Appia (the ancient Appian Way) so it's a very historic route. Once you get outside of Rome, it's very much green fields and blue skies. Once you turn off the major roads, you're actually traveling upland into the mountains, so there are lovely winding roads and green tunnels of trees. The only thing I would say is, watch out for cows on the road. Don't speed, because the cows just stand in the middle of the road, and they just look at you. At nighttime, you've got to watch out for the wild boar, which run along the road as well.
### SUMMARY:
| Residents of idyllic Campodimele, Italy, can expect to live to 95 .
The lovely village has peaceful surroundings, pure mountain air and a stress-free lifestyle .
Author Tracey Lawson was enchanted by the freshness of the food and the local cuisine .
The village has two big food festivals in August, celebrating beans and pasta . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
A commuter train derailed in a curve in the New York borough of the Bronx on Sunday, killing four people and leaving dozens hurt, investigators said. All seven passenger cars and the locomotive jumped the tracks near the Spuyten Duyvil station, about 10 miles north of Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal, the National Transportation Safety Board reported. Three of the dead were thrown out of the train as it "came off the track and was twisting and turning," New York Fire Department Chief Edward Kilduff told reporters. Surviving passenger Amanda Swanson told CNN the windows of the coaches broke out, and "the gravel came flying up in our faces." "I really didn't know if I would survive," said Swanson, who put her bag in front of her face to block the rubble. "The train felt like it was on its side and dragging for a long time. ... The whole thing felt like slow motion." The train was en route to Grand Central from Poughkeepsie, 74 miles up the Hudson River, when it derailed about 7:20 a.m., NTSB member Earl Weener said Sunday. At least 67 people were injured, said Joe Bruno, New York's commissioner of emergency management, and 11 remained in critical condition Sunday evening, Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters. The diesel locomotive was pushing passenger cars through a 30-mph curve north of the station at the time of the crash, Weener said. He said that configuration is one of many things investigators will be examining as they try to determine the cause of the wreck. Investigators have recovered an event recorder from the locomotive and another car but haven't yet examined them, Weener said. "Our mission is to understand not just what happened, but why it happened, with the intent of preventing it from ever happening again," he said. About 150 people were on the train when it derailed, said Laureen Coyne, director of risk management for New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority, which includes the Metro-North railroad. One car came to rest just feet away from the Harlem River. "I heard this horrible, whooshing sound. ... It was very disturbing, very loud," said Hank Goldman, who lives near the tracks. "I jumped out of bed and looked out the window and I saw a light-colored object lying down. I thought it was the roadway to the train. Then I got my binoculars, and I couldn't believe my eyes, that the train had jumped the tracks right here." New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority identified the dead as Donna L. Smith, 54, of Newburgh, New York; James G. Lovell, 58, of Cold Spring, New York; James M. Ferrari, 59, of Montrose, New York; and So Kisook Ahn, 35, of Queens, New York. Lovell did freelance audio and was headed into New York to work Sunday morning, said Dave Merandy, a town council member in the Hudson Valley community of Philipstown. "He loved his family and did what was necessary to keep things afloat with his family. He was a great man," said Merandy. Lovell's wife, Nancy Montgomery, sits on Philipstown's council, and Merandy and Lovell were high school classmates, Merandy said. He leaves behind three sons and a daughter from a previous marriage. "We're just shocked. Completely shocked," Merandy said. The Metro-North Hudson Line had a ridership of 15.9 million last year, with hundreds of people riding the packed trains during weekday rush hour, officials said. The train operator -- who is among the injured -- told investigators he applied brakes to the train, but it didn't slow down, a law enforcement official on the scene and familiar with the investigation said. "That will be a key point of concern, whether this train was moving too quickly," Bruno said. A freight train derailed in the same curve in July, damaging about 1,500 feet of track, the MTA reported at the time. Weener said the NTSB would look into whether there was any connection between that derailment and Sunday's crash, but both he and Cuomo discounted the possibility. "The curve has been here for many, many years, right, and trains take the curve every day, 365 days a year ... We've always had this configuration. We didn't have accidents," Cuomo said. "So there has to be another factor, and that's what we want to learn from the NTSB." Investigators will look at the condition of the track, the signal system, crew performance and other factors. They'll also search for data and video recordings that may have captured details tied to the derailment, NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said. "We've got a lot of work to do," she said. "We don't have a lot of daylight hours to do it, but we're going to do as much as we can." Passenger: Train stopped with a thud . The incident quickly sparked chatter on Twitter and drew a crowd of onlookers to the scene. Passenger Frank Tatulli told WABC he thought the train was traveling "a lot faster" than usual. He escaped a derailed car on his own and had head and neck injuries, he said. Other passengers were still on the train, he told WABC. Another survivor told WABC that she climbed out of a train car that had overturned. Nearby, she said, she heard injured victims moaning and asking for help. "I almost feel guilty," she said. "I was just in a really safe spot on the train, just the way it fell." Swanson told CNN the train car she was in came to a stop with a thud. "I just closed my eyes and kind of hoped to God that I was going to be able to call my mom with decent news," Swanson said. She got off the train with her cell phone in hand: "The screen was shattered, but it still worked," she said. Among those hurt, one suffered a spinal cord injury that could leave him paralyzed from the neck down, said Dr. David Listman, director of the emergency department at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx. New York-Presbyterian Hospital said it was treating 17 patients, four of whom were in critical condition. Federal authorities are also investigating another Metro-North incident in which two passenger trains crashed during rush hour in Connecticut in May. Though no connection between the incidents has been established, one state lawmaker said Sunday that the derailments are a sign that federal investigators should examine track conditions throughout the region. "It is important that the entire regional track infrastructure be examined to identify any chronic issues that have led to past derailments or could lead to future derailments in order to ensure the safety of the millions of people who use the trains every single day," New York State Sen. Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. said in a statement. Service was suspended Sunday on part of the Hudson Line and won't be resumed until the NTSB finishes documenting the scene and returns the track to the MTA for repairs, Cuomo said. "I think it's fair to say tomorrow, people who use this line should plan on a long commute or plan on using the Harlem Line," Cuomo said. Amtrak trains were suspended between New York and Albany for hours after the derailment. On Sunday afternoon officials said service would resume with restricted speeds in the area. "Some delays can be expected," Amtrak said.
### SUMMARY:
| Derailment victim "did what was necessary" to help his family, councilman says .
Locomotive was pushing cars at the time of the crash, NTSB says .
Gov. Andrew Cuomo discounts curve's role in the crash .
Investigators have recovered a recorder from the locomotive and another car, NTSB says . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
President Obama arrived in Seoul on Friday to news that North Korea may be counting down to a nuclear weapons test. Such moves out of Pyongyang are no surprise and are typical behavior for the North, Obama told reporters while in Tokyo, his previous stop on his Asia trip. The President said he was prepared to deliver a firm response if a test is conducted during his visit. North Korea's heightened activity at its nuclear test site was already known. But now, the final step needed for an underground detonation has been taken, a South Korean government official said Thursday. The North has closed off the entrance to the tunnel at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, the official said. That gives Pyongyang 11 days to either detonate a nuclear device or cancel the test. It would be the North's fourth test of a nuclear weapon. United front . Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye want to display a united front against North Korea, and the communist dictatorship reacted earlier in the week to the American President's visit with condemnation. Its Foreign Ministry has called the trip "a reactionary and dangerous one, as it is aimed to escalate confrontation and bring dark clouds of a nuclear arms race to hang over this unstable region." At a joint news conference Friday, Park praised Obama for his presence during renewed tensions on the peninsula. "President Obama's visit to Korea sends a strong message to North Korea that its provocative acts cannot be tolerated," she said. Obama called North Korea "the most isolated country in the world." International sanctions and condemnation have led to extreme suffering for its people, he said. In light of possible new provocations, he said the United States and South Korea have agreed that they need to find new ways to pressure Pyongyang, such as "further sanctions that have even more bite." Park said that the two countries would "spare no efforts" to deter North Korea. But she also underlined the South's desire to tend to the dire needs of the North Korean people and to work toward Korean reunification. Ferry disaster . The possibility of a nuclear test adds a dark cloud to the grim mood overshadowing Obama's visit -- the sorrow over the capsizing of the ferry Sewol. As he often does at home, he is acting as "consoler-in-chief," offering support to survivors and victims' families as he pauses from policy and diplomatic demands. More than 180 people have been confirmed dead, many of them high school students, and the nation has been consumed with grief. Many of the nearly 500 on board are still missing. The tragedy has occupied most of Park's time over the past week. Obama presented her with a framed American flag that was flown over the White House the same day the ferry sank as a symbol of condolence. In an interview with Korean news outlet JoongAng Ilbo, he said: . "Michelle and I sent our deepest condolences to the South Korean people, and as parents we cannot begin to imagine what all those grieving parents are going through, having lost their sons and daughters." Stately ceremonies . The President also tended to American servicemen and women in South Korea on Friday. He laid a wreath at the National War Memorial to commemorate those who died in the war between the Koreas from 1950 to 1953. Nearly 3 million people died on all sides, including more than 36,000 American servicemen. The conflict ended in an armistice that stopped the fighting, but a peace treaty was never signed. The United States has maintained a large military presence in South Korea since then. The President also congratulated U.S. military personnel and spouses of soldiers who were being naturalized as U.S. citizens Friday. And he took the opportunity to stump for immigration reform. "Thirteen of you made the profound decision to put on the uniform of a country that was not yet fully your own," he said from a stage. "Seven of you married a military soldier." He praised the new citizens, who had immigrated from 14 countries, as an asset to the United States. He said Americans must "keep in mind the value of our immigrants to our way of life. It is central to who we are." After they took the oath of citizenship, the President posed for a photo with the entire group. Pacific allies . Obama headed to Seoul from Tokyo, where a formal state visit --- complete with a royal audience and a black-tie dinner --- was meant to exhibit strong ties between Japan and the United States. At a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Obama was pressed on whether he would use military force to defend an obscure set of islands controlled by Japan that are at the heart of a heated regional dispute with China. He said the U.S. security pact with Japan does extend to the islands -- known as Diaoyu to the Chinese -- and insisted his implicit offer to defend them against any Chinese incursion did not amount to drawing a red line around the contested land. "The treaty between the U.S. and Japan preceded my birth, so this isn't a red line that I'm drawing," Obama said. "There's no shift in position, no red line. Were simply applying the treaty." The group of islands and rocks jutting out of the ocean is tiny and uninhabited. But the longstanding dispute over them has sent tempers flaring in Beijing and Tokyo, especially in recent years. The area around them in the South China Sea between Taiwan and Okinawa is believed to be rich in oil resources. Senkaku is administered by the Japanese, but the Chinese say they are the rightful owners. The missing plane . Seoul is the first of two stops on Obama's tour where citizens are coming to grips with major transportation disasters --- on Saturday, Obama flies to Malaysia, where government officials continue to search in vain for the Malaysian Airlines jetliner that disappeared more than a month ago. Those officials have come under withering criticism, accused of botching the search and keeping family members of those on board in the dark. So far, the White House has avoided faulting Malaysian leaders for the efforts, instead highlighting the U.S. efforts to help find the plane. Ukraine . Reporters questioned the U.S. President on the situation in Ukraine and his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Obama praised the unity of other countries, particularly in Europe, in condemning Moscow's "meddling" in Ukraine. He placed much of the blame on Russia for the breakdown of a peace agreement made last week in Geneva, Switzerland. The Ukrainian government has been carrying out its side of that agreement, he said. It has, for example, offered amnesty to those who will lay down their arms. The agreement also calls for both sides to refrain from violence. On Thursday, the Ukrainian government said its forces killed five pro-Russian activists while destroying opposition roadblocks. "What we have not seen is Russia speaking out clearly, condemning the pro-Russian militias that have taken over these buildings," the President said. Bigger sanctions need to be prepared in case of a Russian ground invasion, he said. He also said that Russia's economy, which was already weakening, would suffer as investors bailed out of the country over the Ukraine crisis. And he directed criticism at Putin. "Mr. Putin, in my second term, has had an increasing tendency to view the world through a Cold War prism and to see Russia's interests as invariably in conflict with the West's," he said. Read Longtime rivals China and Japan deploy Harry Potter villain in latest spat .
### SUMMARY:
| South Korean President calls Obama's visit a 'strong message' to the North .
North Korea takes final step needed for nuclear test .
South Korean official delivers the news as President Obama arrives in Seoul .
Capsizing of ferry that so far has killed 180 people, will overshadow his visit to S. Korea . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Claire Ellicott . PUBLISHED: . 07:40 EST, 23 March 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:31 EST, 23 March 2012 . It's known as panic tanning. British soldiers due to fly home to their loved ones grab a last dose of the Afghan sun before returning to bleak old Blighty. As it turns out, however, they need not worry – for Britain is predicted to be one of the hottest places in Europe this weekend. Warm Mediterranean breezes blowing in from the Continent could push temperatures to 21c (70f) in places. At ease: Soldiers from 8th Platoon, C Company 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment cram in a last 'Operation Bronze' as they panic tan on top of a wall at Patrol Base (PB) Clifton, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan . Soaking up the rays: Three-year-old Jack Manning, left, makes the most of the unseasonably high temperatures near Portsmouth while, right, Elsie Saunders, four, and her brother Charlie, one, enjoy the sun and make sandcastles on the beach in Torquay, Devon . Who needs to go abroad? Two students lap up the sun on the beach in Bournemouth, where it may end up getting hotter than Bermuda this weekend . By contrast, Malaga and Majorca will manage only 18c (64f). The UK will also be hotter than Corfu, Barcelona and Faro in Portugal, and about the same temperature as Athens and Rome. And as the clocks go forward on Sunday morning, marking the beginning of British Summer Time, the country – particularly in the west – will feel like it is summer already, with temperatures 7c above average. But don’t get too used to the good weather – last year’s warm spring was followed by a washout summer. Met Office forecaster Helen Chivers said: ‘We are set for a lovely weekend, with temperatures reaching 17-18c and even 21c in some places. There will be plenty of sunshine around. ‘This is down to an area of high pressure to the east of us bringing in warm air from France and the Mediterranean. ‘Sunday will start off a bit grey and misty but we’ll find that clearing away and bringing in warm sunshine again.’ Miss . Chivers added that the unseasonal weather would continue for a while at . least – although parts of East Anglia and the south-east could miss . out. Sun trap: Residents in Portsmouth catch rays on the beach at the city's historic hot walls, a rare day out for this time of year . Chilling out: The mercury is expected to remain at similar levels throughout the weekend and into next week, although some parts of the UK, particularly east Suffolk, may have it spoiled by cloud . Don't forget the suncream! Residents in Portsmouth get into the spirit of summer months early . Idyllic: Horse riders enjoy the spring sunshine in Hyde Park, left, as boaters enjoy themselves on the river Cam in Cambridge, right . ‘We are expecting the warm weather to carry on into the weekend and next week,’ she said. ‘We may well see a change towards the . end of next week with things becoming cooler, but it is quite a long way . out for us to say for definite that this will be the case.’ Friday was the warmest day of the year so far with a temperature of 20.6c (69f) in Charlwood, Surrey. But although the temperatures are unseasonal, they won’t make the record books. The hottest March day was 25.6c (78f) at Mepal in Cambridgeshire on March 29, 1968. The . dry conditions spell further difficulties for water companies, which . fear a prolonged drought and have already warned of hosepipe bans. The Environment Agency said: ‘It’s . been the driest March since records began in 1910 and it’s not looking . likely that we’ll have enough rain to avoid a widespread drought this . summer. ‘We’re working with . farmers to keep them going through the summer and we have new . regulations to produce environmental sites like wetlands. It’s our job . to make sure everybody gets water and the environment is protected. It’s . been a very, very dry week and river levels are continuing to decrease. ‘Obviously, it’s nice to have a sunny weekend but what we really need at the moment is a prolonged period of rainfall. ‘On . hot weekends, we should all try to use less water. If we all can use a . little less, we can make the most of what we have.’ The sun-tanning . soldiers were from 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment. Having spent the past . three years in Helmand, one of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan, . yesterday they were grabbing some well-earned relaxation before they . were due to fly home. Spring gone already? Lambs enjoy the unseasonably warm weather in a field in Kexby, North Yorkshire, today . Explosion of colour: Alan Shipp with some of his 200,000 hyacinths, the largest collection in the world. He is planning to enter some of them into the Chelsea Flower Show . Signs of things to come: A beautiful sunrise behind fishing boats at North Shields Fish Quay, Tyne and Wear as temperatures top those of many European destinations . Water life: Student Jasmine Newey, 21, relaxes with a book in a punt on the River Cam in Cambridge . Punting pleasure: Sightseers enjoy a day on the River Cam in Cambridge yesterday when temperatures in some parts of the UK reached the highest for year so far . Comfy? A couple perch on what is expected to be confirmed as the world's largest deckchair on Bournemouth Beach yesterday as the mercury rose to a balmy 18.7C . If . you don't fancy heading to the beach, here is a selection of other . events happening this weekend to make the most of the great weather: . World Pooh Sticks ChampionshipsMarch 22-27Days Lock, Little Wittenham, Oxfordshire . The . 27th annual event, organised by the Rotary Club of Oxford Spires, sees . Individuals and teams compete in a knock-out style competition by . dropping different coloured sticks from each of the two bridges at the . lock. Segway Tour of Wollaton Hall & Der ParkSundayAnimal . lovers can head to the Nottinghamshire park on Sunday for a Segway tour . of its 500 acres. Tours last 30 minutes and cost £10 but you can have a . taster session for £3.The Faberge Big Egg HuntTake . part in a London-wide search to find 200 Easter eggs designed and . decorated by artists and jewellers to raise money for Elephant Family . and Action for Children. Source:www.enjoyengland.com . But spare a thought for.... The villagers of Collingbourne Ducis. Due . to the extraordinarily dry weather, they have seen the river through . their village run dry, forcing the cancellation of their annual duck . race.It’s the second year running that the race for scores of . yellow plastic ducks has been called off because there’s no river for . them to float on.Organiser Lindie Rogers said 'It a real shame because people look forward to the race.' It was meant to take place at the end of February, but it seems there's no hope of it being rescheduled any time soon.
### SUMMARY:
| Balmy armies heading for the coast as UK temperatures hit 21C . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 13:45 EST, 18 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:50 EST, 18 September 2012 . On trial: Deputy headmaster Adam Williams allegedly met a 16-year-old pupil for gay liaisons in school as the pair carried on a gay love affair . A married teacher and a 16-year-old pupil carried on a gay love affair during which they met for sexual encounters in the school common room, a jury heard. Deputy headmaster Adam Williams of Cheltenham, Gloucester, also met the boy for gay liaisons in an attic to a school building where they were almost caught in the act by a cleaner, it is claimed. The 35-year-old head of sixth form exchanged thousands of texts with the boy, including explicit pictures, after they met using mobile gay dating app Grindr, the court was told. Williams was said to have been on both ends of sex acts with the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in the school common room after other pupils had gone home. They also kissed in Williams's office and fondled in his car in quiet lay-bys, the jury was told. Over the course of their alleged affair Williams and the boy exchanged almost 8,000 messages, among them naked photos of the teacher, whose wife is also a teacher. The defendant, who has two children, even joked in one text message to the youngster that should their affair ever be exposed then the press would 'love it', adding: 'Technically you’re a junior.' Opening the case for the prosecution, Christopher May told the hearing at Oxford Crown Court: 'Exchanges of messages and communications over texts involved a young man who was a student at the school. 'This came about in the late spring of 2011 when Mr Williams was accessing a gay communication application known as Grindr. 'Through this site he established contact with a young man, who turned out to be a 16-year-old pupil at the school. 'At the outset he (the pupil) didn’t give his true identity. At the beginning Mr Williams didn’t know who the person was that he was communicating with. 'Through the course of these communications Mr Williams expressed clearly how keen he was to meet up for sexual purposes. '(Initially) the schoolboy was saying he was someone called James Rule, who was 20 and worked in retail. 'But by June 15, 2011, and although Mr Williams had suspected it might be him that he was in contact with, he (the teen) confirmed he was the pupil.' The youth was a student at the school where Williams worked and taking his GCSE examinations that summer. Nothing happened between them over the summer term or over the summer holidays, the jury of seven women and five men was told. The pupil was planning to leave the Oxfordshire school after completing his GCSEs and was set for an apprenticeship at Thomson Holidays in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, said Mr May. However, during the course of the summer holiday he decided he wanted to remain at the school and join the Sixth Form to take his A-levels after the apprenticeship fell through. The dark-haired defendant, who appeared in court dressed in a smart dark suit and tie, had the role of deciding whether the pupil could rejoin the school in the Sixth Form. 'Text message exchanges continued during that period,' Mr May told the jury. 'It’s quite clear that Mr Williams knew who it was he was in contact with. 'In due course they did meet up and had a number of incidents of a sexual nature.' The barrister said it was a criminal offence for teachers to engage in sexual activity with somebody under 18 who is a pupil at the school where they work. There was a total of 6,461 exchanged . text messages and 1,430 through Ping, a chatroom website, between May . and December last year. 'There . were seven meetings between the two where sexual activity took place.' Sometimes it was kissing, and other times they engaged in sexual acts, . prosecutor said. On one . occasion the pair were in the attic above the common room for which . Williams had a key, the court heard. The teacher was allegedly . performing a sex act on the boy when they were interrupted. 'Footsteps . were heard on the spiral staircase and it was the cleaner,' said the . prosecutor. 'He (the youth) was told to hide under a table.' Later . the pair were said to have exchanged messages referring to the near . miss. The teacher texted: 'I’m shi**ing it. He’s gone. I can’t believe . it.' The youth sought to calm the panicked teacher by saying: 'For every hour that passes we know we are in the clear.' Williams also texted the schoolboy after the near miss, saying: 'Shame I didn’t get to finish what I started.' 21st century dating: The website of smartphone app Grindr, through which Williams and the boy are said to have met . The alleged victim, now 17, told police he did not feel like a victim and claimed he had 'betrayed' his teacher by telling detectives what happened. 'First of all I felt a bit nervous about the experience then afterwards I felt disgusted,' he said during an interview with officers. 'I realised what we had done and I was shocked.' Asked how he then felt when the matters came to light, the teenager replied: 'I felt guilty that I did it. 'I did have feelings for him - I still do and I feel I betrayed his trust a little but if it was the right thing to do, I don’t know. 'I don’t feel like I’m the victim. I was the one who agreed to it.' The youth appeared in the witness box and looked through the messages allegedly exchanged with Williams over an eight-month period last year. Mr May read some aloud. 'I don’t think you realise how much I want you,' the teacher wrote. The teacher also wrote: 'I’ve never been in this situation. I don’t know what to say.' The pupil replied with the message: 'I think it was bound to happen.' Williams said he could be sacked and was worried about his job if word about the relationship got out. 'Yes I’ve kissed a student, it’s a sackable offence,' said Williams. Mr May told the court how the affair was only exposed when the pupil's sister looked through his mobile phone and found both text messages and images on the phone which were sexual. 'They talked about meeting up in rooms at school. She asked her brother about the messages and somewhat reluctantly he said it was Mr Williams,' the barrister said. 'She saw explicit images of Mr Williams including his bottom, penis, in the office she knew to be the Sixth Form office, in the shower, and on the bed on all fours naked.' Williams denies seven charges of engaging in sexual activity with a child in a position of trust and one count of encouraging or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in a position of trust. Williams was expected to argue that he was being blackmailed by the boy about the sexual relationship after the swapping of compromising pictures, Mr May told the jury. The case was adjourned until tomorrow when Edmund Vickers, defending Williams, will cross-examine the alleged victim. Sorry we are unable to accept comments for legal reasons.
### SUMMARY:
| Adam Williams, 35, 'met the boy through gating meetup app Grindr'
They are said to have exchanged almost 8,000 messages during their affair .
Relationship 'exposed after boy's sister sees explicit pictures on his phone'
Youngster admits feeling as though he has 'betrayed' his teacher .
Williams, who is married with two children, denies all charges . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Former Miss South Pacific was contacted by 'Lennay Kekua' online and asked for advice on entering beauty pageants . Non-existent Kekua set her up on lunch date with 'cousin' Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, man implicated at center of hoax . Tessi Tolutau says her 'stomach dropped' when news of the Manti Te'o hoax emerged this week . By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 09:14 EST, 20 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:14 EST, 20 January 2013 . A Hawaiian beauty queen has revealed she was also victim to the Manti Te'o fake girlfriend scam. Tessi Tolutau, crowned Miss South Pacific in 2007, told the New York Post yesterday that the make-believe Lennay Kekua contacted her on Facebook in 2008. Tolutau said 'Kekua' claimed she was dating Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, was a Victoria's Secret model and wanted her advice on entering beauty pageants. Conned? Beauty queen Tessi Tolutau claims she was also fooled into thinking 'Lennay Kekau', the fake girlfriend of Manti Te'o was real . Denial: Notre Dame star Manti Te'o denied he had anything to do with the hoax on Friday. He says he was the victim of an elaborate false identity scam . 'She wrote, ‘I just wanted to know . what path I should take for the Miss Tonga pageant,’ ' Tolutau told the . Post. 'We went back and forth. I gave her advice about how to prepare. It was an ongoing conversation . . . She even asked me about [other . Hawaiians I knew] and about Manti, too.' 'We would chat back and forth. She . explained to me that she played basketball at Stanford, that she was a . Victoria’s Secret model, that she was dating somebody from Stanford. She . even said she was dating [Jets quarterback] Mark Sanchez.' The . Kekua fabrication came to light Wednesday, when Deadspin.com revealed . that the story of Te'o's girlfriend dying from leukemia last September . was a fake -- because Lennay Kekua never existed. Deadspin . suggested Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was involved in carrying . out the hoax. Te'o said Friday he had been contacted by the 22-year-old . Tuiasosopo and that he admitted to masterminding the scam. In an interview with ESPN on Friday, Te'o broke his silence to deny he had played any part in perpetrating it - claiming he was simply the victim of the elaborate scam which took place over four years before Kekua's supposed death on December 6. He admitted it was 'crazy' that he had a purely online relationship with a girl but denied he was part of the con to gain publicity for his burgeoning football career at the college. Defense: Tessi Tolutau, a beauty queen, who grew up near Manti Te'o says he couldn't have been in on Kekua hoax. She says she also shared messages with the made-up Stanford student . Exposed: Manti Te'o's 'dead girlfriend' Lennay Kekau was exposed as an elaborate hoax. A woman's pictures were used for the scam she also played no part in . 'No. Never,' Te'o said in an interview Friday night with ESPN's Jeremy Schaap, 'I wasn't faking it. I wasn't part of this.' Tolutau hails from the same town as . Te'o and says her 'stomach dropped' when she discovered Kekua wasn't real. She also met for lunch with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo on the advice of 'Kekua'. 'When I was in LA, Lennay told me I should go to this Polynesian-dance practice with her cousin, Ronaiah,' she continued. 'Manti wasn't in on this,' she also told ESPN. 'He checked with a lot of us about her. I believed she was real. We all did.' According to the Post report Te'o's cousin was also hoaxed in 2008. The unnamed cousin, also a football player, would speak to her on the phone sporadically after a friend put them on a call together. Flowers: Records show Manti Te'o sent flowers to this home at 21503 Water St., Los Angeles, California, where he thought Kekua lived. She didn't live there, but alleged hoaxster RonaiahTuiasosopo did . Address: A Kekua family lives at 21403 Water Street, in Los Angeles, California. However, nobody lives there called Lennay Kekua . Tolutau . came forward as reports revealed Tuiasosopo's connection to an address . that received two dozen white roses from Manti Te'o he says he believed . he was sending to his dead girlfriend's address. According . to an Associated Press report, the flowers were sent to 21503 Water . Street, Los Angeles, where Tuiasosopo's family lived in a single-story . bungalow. A family with the surname Kekua also lives six doors down although say they have never heard of a 'Lennay Kekua'. Neighbors told the AP on Saturday that Ronaiah . Tuiasosopo had lived at 21503 Water St. and has visited it since moving . out about a year ago. In . specifying where he had sent the roses, Te'o said Friday in an . interview with ESPN that he still didn't know who lives at 21503 Water . Street or of any possible connection between the address and the hoax. But he did say he knew the residents had accepted delivery of the bouquet. 'They sent me a picture of the roses, . of them getting it,' he said. Publicly available records indicate that Tuiasosopo used to live at 21503 Water Street. One neighbor said Saturday that Ronaiah had lived in the house for several years, until about a year ago. Deadspin first reported on Wednesday that Lennay Kekua's existence was a hoax, allegedly played by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a family friend . Another neighbor said that in her 27 . years living on the block there had always been a Tuiasosopo living in . 21503, including Ronaiah, his father and an uncle, Navy. Multiple public records indicate that . Navy, who played football for Utah State and the Los Angeles Rams, was a . brother of former USC football player Titus Tuiasosopo, Ronaiah's . father. A neighbor said Navy had lived at 21503 until his death in 2011. A Cadillac still registered to Navy . Tuiasosopo was parked in the driveway of Titus Tuiasosopo's home in . Palmdale, about 90 miles north of Carson, on Saturday. Titus is the pastor of Oasis . Christian Church of the Antelope Valley in Lancaster, Calif., and . Ronaiah is active in the church band, and most recently has been living . with his father. Te'o speaks to reporters before the BCS championship game in which the Fighting Irish fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide .
### SUMMARY:
| Former Miss South Pacific was contacted by 'Lennay Kekua' online and asked for advice on entering beauty pageants .
Non-existent Kekua set her up on lunch date with 'cousin' Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, man implicated at center of hoax .
Tessi Tolutau says her 'stomach dropped' when news of the Manti Te'o hoax emerged this week . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Anna Hodgekiss . PUBLISHED: . 05:52 EST, 26 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:17 EST, 26 March 2013 . A mother-of-three whose crippling back ache left her bedridden has finally been given a new lease of life - thanks to a remote control. Lorraine Brooks suffered agonising back pain for almost 30 years and was left barely able to walk. But after being given a remote control, which is used to block pain signals to the brain, Lorraine can live her life free from agony for the first time in years. Mrs Brooks, from from Southport, Merseyside, has been fitted with a spinal cord stimulator - where electrodes are implanted into her spine, along with a battery pack, which is controlled with the remote and recharged through the skin. She can now use the remote to control how much pain relief she receives. Cured: Lorraine Brooks suffered from crippling back ache for 30 years before she was given a new remote-controlled device to relieve her pain . Pioneering: An X-ray of the spinal cord stimulator that has cured her back pain. Electrodes are inserted into the body and the strength of pain relief they provide is determined by the remote control . She said: 'Before I had the remote the back pain was almost unbearable. I could hardly walk and I don't think I had a full night's sleep in about eight years. 'It's was like toothache in your back all day. I had to live on pain killers and I woke up crying every day. Mrs Brooks has been fitted with a spinal cord stimulator, which involves having electrodes implanted in the spine. These are powered by a battery pack that is also implanted and recharged through the skin. The electrodes prevent pain signals from reaching the brain by interrupting them. The level of pain relief the electrodes deliver - depending on how bad the pain is that day - is determined by the remote control. 'It was soul destroying and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, so when it was suggested that I try the remote I jumped at the chance. 'If my back is hurting more one day, I can just turn up the device with the control, and if it's not as bad I turn it down. If I'm doing something that takes a lot of energy, like going to the gym, I'll turn myself up. "I'm very protective of the remote - I don't take it out of the house and I always know where it is, I never let it get lost. 'It's actually a cutting-edge neurostimulation system - but it's as easy to use as turning on the telly.'After years of agony I couldn't be happier - I've got my life back.' Mrs Brooks first suffered back ache when she was just 15 years old due to a slip in the spine. She underwent surgery which fused the bottom two vertebra in her spine together, but was devastated to find in December 2004 that the fuse had worn away. 'I started suffering back pain again but I was convinced it wouldn't be anything major. I never knew it was going to be the start of such much agony. 'I . was in constant pain. I couldn't sit or stand in any way that would . make me feel better, and walking or standing for long periods of time . was totally out of the question. Before having surgery, Mrs Brooks underwent a trial of the spinal cord stimulator which significantly reduced her pain . Happy: Having had surgery, and being given to remote control to black pain signals to the brain, she can live pain-free for the first time in years . The 43-year-old had hoped that surgery in January 2006, which involved placing a titanium cage filled with bone at the bottom of her spine, would have been the answer to all her problems.However, once again no relief came. 'I thought I would wake up for the operation and be pain free but it was like nothing had changed.' From then on, she attended a pain clinic at Ormskirk Hospital where she was put on various different pain relief medication. 'I tried everything - I had Botox, patches which acted like local anaesthetic, acupuncture, steroid injections - it was never ending. 'I was in a constant battle against myself and I became a recluse. I couldn't go on holiday with my family or go shopping with my daughter. I was always fighting.' It wasn't until five years later, when Lorraine was referred to the Walton Centre in Liverpool in 2011, that she finally saw an answer to her prayers. 'When I was referred to the Walton Centre they diagnosed me with Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. 'As soon as I got a diagnosis, it opened doors to even more types of pain relief - one of which was the spinal cord stimulator. Active: The device also means she is no longer bedridden with pain and can go out and about with daughter Amy and son Will . 'I'd read about it online but I never thought I'd be eligible. But after I was assessed by the team at the centre, and they told me that I was a candidate for it, I was over the moon.' Mrs Brooks said: 'I was given the stimulator for a two-week trial in March 2012. They insert electrodes in your back and a battery is strapped around you which you have to charge up. Then I have the remote to control the amount of pain relief I receive. 'As soon as the device was fitted I felt like a different person. I had to keep a pain dairy and score my pain out of ten - before the trial my pain was a ten at least, but with the stimulator it was down to a 2 or 3. Transformed: Mrs Brooks says the surgery has totally changed her life . 'As soon as I knew it was working I told the doctors they'd have to fight me to give it back. 'Luckily the trial was such a success that they told me I could receive a permanent one which was implanted in May. 'They turned the device on in the theatre, and since then I've never switched it off.' The remote control has three different programmes - each with a low, medium and high setting - which she can vary depending on how bad her pain is that day. The device also includes a battery pack which is implanted inside Lorraine, which she recharges every day. 'I recharge my batteries while I watch TV in the evening. It's all really easy.' Since Lorraine received the transplant, her life has been totally transformed. 'I went from staying in bed all day, to going for a full afternoon's shopping with my daughter. After years and years of suffering I can finally live my life. 'If someone had told me this years ago I wouldn't have believed them. I'm so lucky to be where I am today. I can't quite believe it.' Dr Manohar Sharma, her doctor at the Walton Centre, said: 'Lorraine had severe back and leg pain which was not helped with spinal fusion. Her pain has been intractable and longstanding, having had trials of various treatments, including injections. 'She is the first patient treated with high frequency spinal stimulation at The Walton Centre and I am delighted the way her pain has responded to this treatment. 'She has improvement in her function and quality of life, this is great news for patients like her who may be suffering with similar conditions.'
### SUMMARY:
| Lorraine Brooks, 43, could barely walk due to the agonising pain .
Numerous treatments such as steroid injections and surgery had failed .
Now has a spinal cord stimulator, where electrodes are implanted in spine .
These prevent pain signals from reaching the brain by interrupting them .
The level of pain relief the electrodes deliver is determined by remote control . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 09:27 EST, 25 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 12:34 EST, 25 March 2013 . Big change is coming to the lives of the lesbian couple at the center of the fight for same-sex marriage in California no matter how the Supreme Court decides their case. After 13 years of raising four boys together, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier are about to be empty nesters. Their youngest two children, 18-year-old twins, will graduate from high school in June and head off to college a couple of months later. 'We'll see all the movies, get theater season tickets because you can actually go,' Ms Stier said in the living room of their bungalow in Berkeley. Life will not revolve quite so much around food, and the challenge of putting enough of it on the table to feed teenagers. Scroll down for video . Time for change: Sandy Stier, 50 (left) and Kris Perry, 48, are the couple at the center of the Supreme Court's reconsideration of Proposition 8, the law recognizing marriage as only between a man and a woman . They might also get married, if the high court case goes their way. Ms Perry, 48, and Ms Stier, 50, set aside their lunch hour on a recent busy Friday to talk to The Associated Press about their Supreme Court case, the evolution of their activism for gay rights and family life. On Tuesday, they plan to be in the courtroom when their lawyer, Theodore Olson, tries to persuade the justices to strike down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages and to declare that gay couples can marry nationwide. Supporters of California's Proposition 8, represented by lawyer Charles Cooper, argue that the court should not override the democratic process and impose a judicial solution that would redefine marriage in the 40 states that do not allow same-sex couples to wed. A second case, set for Wednesday, involves the part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that prevents same-sex couples who are legally married from receiving a range of federal tax, pension and other benefits that otherwise are available to married people. The Supreme Court hearing is the moment Ms Perry and Ms Stier, along with Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo of Burbank, have been waiting for since they agreed four years ago to be the named plaintiffs and public faces of a well-funded, high-profile effort to challenge Proposition 8 in the courts. 'When you've been out as long as I have . been, 30 years, you can't dwell as much on what's not working as maybe . people think you do' 'For the past four years, we've lived . our lives in this hurry-up-and-wait, pins-and-needles way,' Ms Perry . said, recalling the crush of court deadlines and the seemingly endless . wait for rulings from a federal district judge, the 9th U.S. Circuit . Court of Appeals, also based there, and the California Supreme Court. Ms Stier said Mr Olson told them the case could take several years to resolve. 'I thought, years?' she said. But the couple has been riding a marriage rollercoaster since 2003, when Ms Perry first asked Ms Stier to marry her. They . were planning a symbolic, but not legally recognized, wedding when San . Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered city officials to issue marriage . licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. So they were married, but only . briefly. Six months later, the state Supreme Court invalidated the same-sex unions. They went ahead with their plans anyway, but 'it was one of the sadder points of our wedding,' Ms Perry said. Wedding bells? The couple - who have been together for 13 years - plan to marry quickly if the Court rules to legalize gay marriage . Less than four years later, however, the same state court overturned California's prohibition on same-sex unions. Then, on the same day Ms Perry and Ms . Stier rejoiced in President Barack Obama's election, voters approved . Proposition 8, undoing the court ruling and defining marriage as the . union of a man and a woman. Their lawsuit was filed six months later, . after they went to the Alameda County courthouse for a marriage license . and were predictably refused. 'It's such a weird road we've been on,' Ms Perry said. All the more so because neither woman defined herself as a gay rights activist before the marriage fight. Ms Perry, a native Californian from . Bakersfield, and Ms Stier, who grew up in rural Iowa, moved in together . in 2000, with Ms Stier's two children from a heterosexual marriage and . Ms Perry's from a previous relationship. Utterly conventional school . meetings, soccer games and band practice - not the court case - have . defined their lives together. As if to highlight this point, their . son, Elliott, briefly interrupted the interview to ask for a pair of . headphones. Ms Perry said the boys find her useful for two basic reasons . these days. 'Do I have any headphones and do I have any money?' she . said with a smile. Ms . Perry has spent her professional life advocating on behalf of early . childhood education. Ms Stier works for the county government's public . health department. 'When . you've been out as long as I have been, 30 years, in order to feel OK . every day and be optimistic and productive, you can't dwell as much on . what's not working as maybe people think you do,' Ms Perry said. Even with Proposition 8's passage, Ms Perry and Ms Stier said they were more focused on Obama's election. 'I was all about health care reform . and Kris is all about education reform and that was everything. Gay . rights, that would be great, but it's a way off,' Ms Stier said. 'We did the big celebration a long time ago. I hope this will be something a lot bigger than the two of us' They don't take the issue so lightly . anymore. Of course, they could not imagine a U.S. president would . endorse gay marriage along with voters in three states just last . November. When Obama talked about equal rights for gay Americans in his inaugural speech in January, Ms Perry said she felt as if 'we've arrived at the adults' table. We're no longer at the kids' table.' They will watch the argument in their case and then return home to wait for the decision, worried that it could come the same day as the boys' high school graduations in mid-June. They know the court could uphold Proposition 8, which would almost certainly lead to an effort to repeal it by California voters. Recent polls show support for repeal. Any other outcome will allow them to get married. But Ms Perry said they are hoping the court strikes 'a tone of more inclusion' and issues the broadest possible ruling. They will get married quickly, in a small, private ceremony. 'We did the big celebration a long time ago,' Ms Perry said. 'I hope this will be something a lot bigger than the two of us.'
### SUMMARY:
| Kris Perry and Sandy Stier agreed four .
years ago to be the named plaintiffs and public faces of the .
high-profile effort to overturn the law .
The Supreme Court will decide Tuesday whether to strike down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages .
A second case on Wednesday will look at the part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act that prevents same-sex couples who are legally married from receiving benefits otherwise available to married people . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Neil Sears, Jenny Hope and Kirsty Walker . PUBLISHED: . 05:41 EST, 8 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 06:39 EST, 9 August 2012 . Uncomfortable: David Cameron, pictured, was questioned on live radio by a cancer-sufferer who asked him to justify why so much money was going on foreign aid . A cancer sufferer yesterday launched a scathing attack on David Cameron for increasing Britain’s foreign aid bill while the NHS fails to fund cancer treatment she desperately needs. The 68-year-old grandmother took the Prime Minister to task over his decision to send £12billion abroad in foreign aid rather than spending it on helping people at home. The woman, who suffers from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, used the name Anna during a radio phone-in and refused to give her real name because some of her family do not know she is ill. She said her chemotherapy had beaten back the cancer, but she proved to be dangerously allergic to the rituximab antibody drug given to her to counter side effects of the treatment. Instead, she needs ofatumumab but said the NHS refuses to fund it. Buying a two-year course of the drug would cost £250,000, completely out of her reach, she said, so her doctors are currently applying to charities in a desperate bid to raise the funds. Anna had been a full-time carer for her retired engineer husband, but they are so ill he has been forced to go into a care home. She is living alone at her home in Finchley, north London, on only £68 per week. The mother of three tearfully challenged Mr Cameron to justify why so much money was going on foreign aid. ‘No foreign aid is being cut, and I’m a cancer victim or patient waiting for treatment that’s not on the National Health, and my local authority, health authority is begging charities for my treatment,’ she said. Scroll down to listen to the interview . ‘Now, I had my last chemotherapy in . May – and it’s a horrible feeling, waking every morning, waiting for . £250,000 when they’re giving billions away abroad. 'It’s not fair. I need . some funding now.’ The Government has pledged to increase foreign aid to 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product by 2013. But the decision to increase aid . spending by 34 per cent to £12billion over four years at a time of . austerity at home has proved massively controversial with both the . public and many Tory MPs. There are huge discrepancies in the quality of care that patients across the UK receive stemming simply from where they live. Among the reasons for this are a lack of funding for some NHS Trusts, lack of qualified medical staff or even certain drugs not made available in certain areas . For example, patients with suspected cancer in parts of England are 60 times more likely to be sent for scans than those living elsewhere, according to a study by the National Cancer Intelligence Network in July. Patients with diseases that are relatively simple to control such as diabetes, arthritis and eye conditions often miss out on the medication they need simply because there is a lack of local resources. Previous findings suggested a stark contrast in the rate of the prescribing anti-dementia drugs, with patients in some parts of the country prescribed 25 times as many treatments and tablets to help 'temporarily improve or stabilise symptoms' than in Kent. One possible reason for such disparities is a lack of awareness on the part of some some local GPs have in spotting Alzheimer's early. In December Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, told GPs that 'the degree of variation is considerable, and unexplained by simple differences in population'. India is still receiving nearly . £300million from British taxpayers in aid, for example, despite the . country being rich enough to launch its own space programme. Mr Cameron, appearing on LBC, said he . would look at her case. But he added: ‘We made a promise as a country to . meet pledges on aid and we’re keeping those promises, and I think . breaking your promises to the poorest people in the world would not be . the right thing to do. ‘The second thing: as I say, I think . we do have a moral obligation to help the poorest in the world... even . when there are difficult times for us. ‘We have not cut spending to the NHS we have increased it. 'We have the cancer drugs fund and we are looking to extend that.’ Later, Anna told the Mail she was . ‘consumed with grief’ because she could not care for her husband, while . her grandchildren were frightened of her wig. She said: ‘I understand what he is . saying, but I would say to him if your family is starving you wouldn’t . go and feed your neighbours. 'He should be looking after people here.’ She added: ‘The doctors have told me I’m a prime candidate for successful treatment.’ Health officials yesterday insisted . that the Cancer Drugs Fund should be able to cover the type of treatment . that Anna needs as the drug ofatumumab, also known as Arzerra, is on . the approved list for the London region. This means it should be approved if a cancer specialist applies on behalf of a patient. A spokesman for NHS North Central . London said last night that it was investigating the case. ‘Our initial . investigations have shown us that we have not had any contact from her,’ he said. Space programme: India's maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 takes off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in 2008 . Last year it was announced Britain would give more than £1billion in aid to India over the next four years, even though it has almost three times as many billionaires as we do. Ministers claimed the decision to hand around £280million a year in taxpayers’ cash to one of the world’s biggest economies would re-energise the relationship with the former colony. However, India is a nuclear power, has its own space programme and is rich enough to donate money to poor African nations each year. India also: . While the Coalition axed aid to economic powerhouse economies such as Russia and China, Department for International Development sources claim India is ‘different’. Despite its immense poverty, India is home to some of the richest people on earth. The wealthiest Indian is Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries and the fourth richest man in the world. But perhaps the best known billionaire in India is Vijay Mallya, the eccentric 55-year-old owner of the United Breweries Group that produces Kingfisher beer and is behind Kingfisher Airlines. He also owns a Formula One team, and one of the world’s biggest private yachts - the 312ft Indian Empress. Sceptics believe much of Britain’s aid is as much about strengthening British trade ties as helping the poor. In a visit last year, David Cameron lobbied hard on behalf of British business. The trip led to a £686million aircraft deal for defence contractor BAE Systems and engine makers Rolls-Royce. VIDEO: The Prime Minister was put on the spot during an LBC radio interview .
### SUMMARY:
| The treatment she needs to beat non-Hodgkin lymphoma is available in Europe but not in her area, she said .
The 68-year-old used the name Anna because some members of her family don't even know she's ill .
She accused the PM of sending money abroad that should be staying in Britain .
'We have a moral obligation to help people in other countries even when times are tough,' he replied in tense LBC interview . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Arthur Martin, Nick Fagge and Inderdeep Bains . PUBLISHED: . 19:31 EST, 24 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 05:08 EST, 26 March 2013 . Friends of Boris Berezovsky have claimed that the Russian oligarch was strangled to death despite a post-mortem examination suggesting there was no evidence of a struggle. The 67-year-old's body was discovered on the bathroom floor of a £20million Berkshire mansion on Saturday after a bodyguard became concerned and smashed the door open. That member of security staff said he left the house at 10am to run errands which took until 3pm and when he returned he noticed several missed calls on Mr Berezovsky's mobile phone. A pathologist said he died of injuries 'consistent with hanging', but sources suggest that he may have been murdered. British involvement: A senior political figure in Russia has claimed that MI5 or MI6 could have been involved in the death of Boris Berezovsky, pictured with his former girlfriend Elena Gorbunova . Last night, one family friend claimed . Mr Berezovsky’s body showed ‘traces of him being strangled around the . neck’. Nikolay Glushkov, 67, said the tycoon’s former wife noticed marks . on his neck minutes after he was found dead, adding: ‘A scarf was . there. There were traces of him being strangled around the neck.’ Family and friends raced to the . bathroom and saw him lying fully clothed with a scarf by his side. They . said there was no sign of blood. The results of the post-mortem examination came as the storm of controversy surrounding the death raged on. Experts in chemical, biological and . nuclear emergencies also spent hours combing the house amid fears that . Mr Berezovsky could have been poisoned by the Kremlin, but no radiation . was found. Scene: A police car and a police tent are positioned insode the grounds of of late Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky today . Guard: A police van blocks a country lane leading to the oligarch's home this morning as officers comb his home for clues . Secluded: According to those close to the investigation the oligarch left no suicide note at before he was found dead inside a locked bathroom in his home (pictured), with a scarf lying next to him . Another report claimed yesterday that detectives investigating the death did not find a suicide note. Some friends continue to insist Mr . Berezovsky was the victim of a professional hit for speaking out against . Vladimir Putin’s regime. Others believe he killed himself after . becoming depressed over the loss of his wealth and status. The mansion in Ascot where he was found is understood to be owned by his former wife Galina Besharova, 54. Last night her close friend told the . Mail: ‘Galina is very upset about Boris’s death, as are their children. She remained close to Boris after they split up and it was at her house . that he died. Claims: Berezovsky was said to have 'begged' Vladimir Putin to let him return to Russia after they fell out in 2000, and Kremlin insider Sergei Markov (right) has argued British spies may have killed him to protect secrets . ‘She really does not want to talk . about how he died. But there are many ways to induce what may appear to . be a natural death like a heart attack.’ As speculation raged on yesterday, an . adviser to Putin even claimed Mr Berezovsky may have been killed by . British security services. Using the inflammatory rhetoric of the . Cold War era, Sergei Markov said the tycoon was assassinated because he . knew too much about Western plots to undermine Putin and planned to . trade this knowledge for a return to Russia. Mr Markov, a former Russian . politician, said: ‘I cannot say no to the version that it was a murder . committed by those who were scared Boris Berezovsky would go back to . Putin’s side. Broken: Boris Berezovsky sued former business partner Roman Abramovich for billions of pounds but lost, which those close to him claimed 'destroyed' him . ‘I do not exclude that the secret . services joined this work. I think they may have guessed that Berezovsky . would give away all information, and they decided to get rid of him. ‘In the stock of modern secret . services, there are many things . . . which can provoke a heart attack . and a stroke, and experts will not diagnose it.’ He added: ‘There is no . trust for the British secret services. ‘After their participation in the plot . aimed at occupying Iraq, their role in the plot targeting the leader of . Libya, then the plot aimed at knocking down the government in Syria, . it is clear that their methods are highly dirty.’ Boris Berezovsky with his ex girlfriend Elena and two children Arina (eight) and Gleb (six). The exiled 67-year-old tycoon was found by his bodyguard at his estate in Ascot on Saturday . Police investigating the death of Mr Berezovsky (pictured here in 2003), one of Vladimir Putin's fiercest opponents, said there is so far no evidence to suggest any third party involvement in his death . Mansion: Police descend on oligarch's multi-million pound home after his body was found . Road block: A forensic investigation unit on a lane close to the scene . Officers specially trained in nuclear materials are searching the house where the oligarch was found dead . Mr Markov denied speculation that a . Russian hit squad could have been sent to kill Mr Berezovsky. ‘After . all, there are civilised politicians in the Kremlin,’ he added. ‘They do . not use the methods of political murders.’ A senior detective said yesterday that there was currently ‘no evidence of third party involvement’ in the death. Mr Berezovsky was thought to be on the . brink of financial ruin after losing a £3billion legal action against . his former business partner, Chelsea football club owner Roman . Abramovich. He had also been facing another court . battle brought by former girlfriend Elena Gorbunova, who had applied to . the High Court to freeze his reported £200million assets. In the 1980s and 1990s, Mr Berezovsky . was one of the most powerful men in Russia and helped choose Putin as . president. However, he emigrated to the UK in 2000 and became one of . Putin’s fiercest critics. He survived a number of assassination attempts, including a bomb in his car which decapitated his chauffeur. Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear trained officers searched his multi-million pound home . The exiled 67-year-old tycoon nicknamed the 'godfather of the Kremlin', is reported to have been found by his bodyguard at his mansion .
### SUMMARY:
| Berezovsky left no note and friends say 'suicide was not in his DNA'
Police announced he was hanged following a post-mortem .
Home Office pathologist found no evidence of a violent struggle .
Kremlin insider Sergei Markov says tycoon was 'begging' to come home .
'British secret services can be suspected in death of Berezovsky,' he said .
Secret letter from Berezovsky to Putin asking to return to Russia 'exists'
Experts fear he may have been murdered by the Kremlin in 'revenge' attack .
Others say he was 'destroyed' after losing £3bn court case with Abramovich . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Daily Mail Reporter and Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 21:02 EST, 7 May 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:31 EST, 8 May 2013 . Steve Ballmer is said to have risked it all on a new operating system for Microsoft, a gamble that may have cost the company's CEO dearly. In the face Apple and Samsung's success in the mobile and tablet computer market, Microsoft bet the farm when it introduced Windows 8, the operating system that Ballmer had heralded as the future. Debuting last year, Windows 8 was the nervous system of its new line of Surface tablet and smartphones. Betting it all: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer made a big gamble when he introduced Windows 8 in October . It was no secret that Ballmer was making a huge bet. When he introduced the operating system in October, a screen behind him read: 'Windows: All in.' But the gamble does not appear to have . paid off, as Microsoft 8 received less-than-stellar reviews and failed . to measure up to the hype and sales of Apple and Google devices. Critics, as well as some consumers, lambasted the technology giant over Windows 8, mentioning the confusing array of touchscreen tiles and lack of Microsoft's trademark 'Start' button. Some have now called for Ballmer to quit or be fired. Joachim Kempin, a former Microsoft executive who oversaw the building of the Windows brand, told the BBC last month that he believes Ballmer 'doesn't have the vision' to be CEO. Any decision to oust Ballmer would have to come from his predecessor Bill Gates, who holds the largest stake in the company and personally selected Ballmer - his friend - to take over. On the chopping block? Ballmer's overhaul of the Windows operating system has led to some calls for him to be ousted . Decision: Any move to fire Ballmer would have to come from his predecessor Bill Gates, who holds the majority stock in the company and personally selected Ballmer to take over . While Microsoft has experienced growth in recent years, any success is eclipsed by Apple, which unveiled the iPad Mini at about the same time as Windows 8. Some reviewers liked the way Windows 8 greets users with a mosaic of tiles displaying applications instead of . relying on the desktop icons that served as the welcome mat for years. But others say it's a confusing jumble that will frustrate users accustomed . to the older versions, particularly when they switch to desktop mode . and don't see the familiar 'start' button and menu. Struck by the flurry of complaints, Microsoft is giving Windows 8 a makeover, known as Windows Blue. Overshadowed: Microsoft's success has been eclipsed by Apple's tablets and smart phones, as well as other devices powered by Google . Tami Reller, who serves as the marketing and financial chief for Microsoft's Windows business, announced a retreat, admitting that the software had defeated many users. She said; 'The learning curve is definitely real and we need to address it.' The company, which is based in . Redmond, Washington, says more than 100 million Windows 8 licenses have . been sold so far, up from about 60 million licenses in January. The licensing volume 'is in the same . general ballpark,' as Microsoft's previous operating system - Windows 7 - . at a similar juncture of its sales cycle, according to Ms Reller. In an interview, Ms Reller said . Microsoft still realized changes need to be made to make Windows 8 . easier to navigate and capable of taking full advantage of technology . improvements that have come out since October. Ms Reller said: 'Are there things . that we can do to improve the experience? Absolutely. There is a . learning curve [to Windows 8] and we can work to address that.' Blue also might make it easier to find . a set of controls - known as 'charms' in Windows 8's parlance - that . currently must be pulled out from the right side of a display screen. Besides responding to customer . feedback, Blue also will make Windows 8 better suited for smaller, less . expensive tablets with 7- and 8-inch display screens, Ms Reller said. The tune-up announced on Tuesday won't be released to consumers and businesses until later this year. One leading research firm, International Data Corp., says Windows 8 contributed to a 14 per cent decline in worldwide PC sales during the first three months of the year - the biggest year-over-year drop ever. Meanwhile, sales of smartphones and tablet computers are booming. The biggest beneficiaries have been Apple Inc., the maker of the iPhone and iPad, and Samsung Electronics Co., which sells the most devices running on Google Inc.'s Android software. Changes: Microsoft has now announced an overhaul to Windows 8, which has been dubbed 'Blue' Google is also benefiting from Android's popularity through increased traffic to its services, creating more opportunities for the company to display ads. By contrast, leading PC makers such as Hewlett-Packard Co. and Dell Inc., which primarily sell Windows-powered machines, have been mired in a financial funk that has battered their stocks and raised questions about their futures. For now, Microsoft isn't saying what kind of changes will be introduced with the release of Blue, which the company plans to anoint with a different name when the update is available. Microsoft also isn't saying whether it will charge existing owners of Windows 8 devices to get the fixes in Blue. The company plans to release Blue in time for the holiday season. Ms Reller said more details about Blue will be released before Microsoft holds a developers conference in San Francisco in late June. Success: The biggest beneficiaries in the tablet and smartphone boom have been Apple, the maker of the iPhone and iPad, and Samsung, which sells the most devices running on Google's Android software . Some of Blue's features are expected to be previewed at that conference. 'I view this as a relaunch of Windows 8, finally giving everyone a fully baked version,' said technology analyst Patrick Moorhead. 'It has been a very rough road for Microsoft so far.' If Blue is meant to make people more comfortable, the changes may incorporate more of the elements from earlier versions of Windows. But one thing that Blue won't fix: the relatively small selection of mobile applications tailored for Windows 8. Ms Reller said the Windows 8 store now has more than 60,000 apps. By contrast, there are more than 800,000 apps available for Apple's mobile's devices and nearly that many for Android devices, too. In one of the most glaring omissions on Windows 8, Facebook Inc. still hasn't designed an app to make its online social network more accessible on that system. Facebook has about 750 million mobile users. Microsoft's decision to tweak Windows 8 so soon after its much-ballyhooed release may reinforce perceptions that the product is the company's biggest flop since the Zune - the company's answer to the iPod. Investors still believe Windows 8 will . pay off for Microsoft, which gets more than half of its revenue from the . sale of Windows operating systems and various software programs and . services. The company's stock slipped 40 cents to $33.35 in Tuesday's afternoon trading, leaving the shares with a 20 per cent gain since Windows 8 went on sale. That outstrips the 15 per cent increase in the Standard & Poor's 500 index during the same stretch.
### SUMMARY:
| Microsoft CEO said to have bet it all on Windows 8, which has received poor reviews and is bested by Apple and Google products .
Some have called for Ballmer's ouster .
Microsoft is now giving the operating system a makeover, called Blue . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Jason Groves, Chief Political Correspondent . PUBLISHED: . 12:46 EST, 21 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:35 EST, 22 August 2013 . Ed Miliband was told to look in the mirror and ask whether the 'electorate ever assent to me being Prime Minister?' Ed Miliband should consider resigning for the sake of the Labour Party, a senior Blairite warned yesterday. Brian Wilson, who served as energy minister under Tony Blair, said the Labour leader had a duty to 'look in the mirror and honestly answer the question: 'Will the electorate ever assent to me being Prime Minister?' Mr Wilson, who held a number of other senior roles, said opinion poll findings on Mr Miliband's personal popularity were 'somewhere between dire and disappointing'. He said Labour could not afford to follow Mr Miliband 'lemming like' to defeat, as it had with Michael Foot and Gordon Brown. In . a further blow, Mr Miliband came under fire from one of his own . frontbench team over his failure to 'do more' to make the positive case . for immigration. Shadow . public health minister Diane Abbott suggested Mr Miliband privately . supported immigration and had his 'heart in the right place'. But she . said he was too swayed by opinion polls on the issue showing that the . open door approach of the last Labour government was now deeply . unpopular. She said 'What weighs with him is the polling which shows what the Tories are doing on immigration is popular and it certainly weighs on other members of the shadow cabinet.' Mr Wilson joins a chorus of despair from senior Labour figures about Mr Miliband's performance as party leader. Writing in the Scotsman, he said there was no shame in leaders accepting they were not up to the job. He pointed out that both William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith had gone on to high office after putting in dismal performances as party leaders. Bad day: Ed Milliband found himself under attack from former energy secretary Brian Wilson who described his personal popularity as 'somewhere between dire and disappointing' No More: Mr Wilson claims the party cannot afford to follow 'lemming like' behind another failing leader who will lose the election as they did with Gordon Brown and Michael Foot, right . 'Giving leadership a decent shot and then getting out does not necessarily mean the end of a political career - a consideration that should make it easier for future doomed leaders to consider their options,' he said. 'He must look in the mirror and honestly answer the question: Will the electorate ever assent to me being Prime Minister?' Ex-energy minister Brian Wilson yesterday . He backed growing calls for Mr Miliband to bring back heavyweight figures such as former Chancellor Alistair Darling and former Home Secretary Alan Johnson. He added: 'Of course, there is a risk in that for Miliband because it is possible that he would not shine as leaders should in the company of their colleagues. But there is a bigger risk in ploughing on as before with a lightweight team that appears to hop from one opportunist issue to the next, has failed to develop a strong, appealing narrative and is hanging on to a poll lead that could be blown away by the first whiff of electoral grapeshot.' Mr Wilson said Mr Miliband was 'not yet' at the point reached by Michael Foot where defeat is inevitable. But he suggested Labour should be more ruthless than in the past if his performance continues to disappoint and he refuses to stand aside. He added: 'Labour has a dismal record of indecisiveness even when all common sense suggests that its leader is not going to make it past the winning post. Partly, this is due to the unwieldiness of its internal machinery while kindness and loyalty are also significant factors, though the true kindness would sometimes be to act rather than acquiesce.' Mr Wilson also criticised Mr Miliband . for his failure to defend the record of the last Labour government, . adding: 'Miliband and his unattractive shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, have . spent far too much of the past two years apologising for the record . rather than defending it, which is the prerequisite for offering a . credible alternative.' The . criticism comes as a senior member of the shadow cabinet admits that a . u-turn over the universal credit reforms may feature on their election . manifesto. Former leader hopeful Diane Abbott also challenged Miliband today saying that he is too swayed by opinion polls when forming his policies . In a speech in North London today, shadow . work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne launched stinging . attacks at Iain Duncan Smith for not implementing the plans better, . claiming there 'seems to be something very wrong in the mind' of the the . Work and Pensions Secretary. But having vehemently opposed the changes to the benefits system he says his party now wants to work with the Government to turn around the universal credit reforms and 'hopes' to run at the next general election pledging to keep the new system. He said he would be writing to Mr Duncan Smith urging him to convene cross party talks with civil servants to save the flagship universal credit reforms from becoming a 'sinking ship.' But despite his criticism when asked if he now wanted the policy to succeed he agreed, saying:'I hope so, I sincerely hope so, but right now we have had so much dissembling we don’t know what is going on. 'If we’re going to get things . straight, the first step is to put the cards on the table, tell us what . is going wrong and perhaps we can work together.' But . Mr Byrne added that despite his criticism his own party, should they . win the next election, would also implement a scheme of benefit reform. In . a speech to the mentoring charity Chance UK he described his rival . reforms as 'tackling the long-term drivers of spending', insisting . Labour’s plans would be based on the twin principles of the 'care ethic' and the 'work ethic.' Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liam Byrne claims that if the party won the next election he would launch their own version of the much condemned benefits change . But his claims were dismissed by the opposition with Mr Duncan Smith’s spokeswoman said Mr Byrne’s figures were 'nonsense.' She said: 'This is a last-ditch attempt by Liam Byrne to keep his job in the shadow cabinet.Nothing more. 'His talk of wasted money is frankly laughable when you consider Labour have voted against £83 billion-worth of savings to the welfare budget. 'Labour is panicking - after a summer of discontent, here is yet another disastrous speech, void of any ideas. 'Same old Labour is in the wrong place on welfare. 'They want people on benefits to make more money than the average hard-working family earns. 'They want unlimited amounts of benefits to be a basic human right. 'Labour have even gone as far as to ban the word ‘welfare’ in the hopes we all forget they are the Welfare Party. 'The taxpayer supports what we’re doing on welfare and Ed Miliband has got it wrong yet again.Universal credit is intended to roll six current benefits - including jobseeker’s allowance, working tax credits and housing benefit - into a single monthly payment and is currently being piloted. Labour sources yesterday dismissed Mr Wilson's criticism and said Mr Miliband was focusing on getting the party's message across at next month's party conference.
### SUMMARY:
| Brian Wilson says Labour leader needs to look at himself 'honestly'
Calls his personal popularity 'somewhere between dire and disappointing'
Claims that under Miliband the part has 'a dismal record of indecisiveness'
And the he and 'unnattractive' Ed Balls have spent too much time apologising for the previous governments and not enough defending it . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 11:14 EST, 14 September 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:24 EST, 16 September 2013 . This is the incredible sound recording beamed back to Earth from Voyager 1 as it crossed a new frontier, becoming the first spacecraft ever to leave the solar system. The rising tones NASA observed are made by the vibration of dense plasma or ionised gas and were captured by the probe's plasma wave instrument. Speaking in a news conference, Don Gurnett, principle investigator for the Voyager plasma wave investigation, said: 'When you hear this recording, please recognise that this is an historic event. It's the first time that we've ever made a recording of sounds in interstellar space.' Scroll down for video . Somewhere out there: Voyager 1 spacecraft barreling through space. The space agency announced today that Voyager 1 has become the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space, or the space between stars . Voyager 1's current mission, along with Voyager 2, is to explore the outermost edge of the Sun's domain and beyond . NASA officials added: 'There were two times the instrument heard these vibrations: October to November 2012 and April to May 2013. 'Scientists noticed that each occurrence involved a rising tone. The dashed line indicates that the rising tones follow the same slope. This means a continuously increasing density.' A team still stays in contact with the two Voyager spacecraft every day but Voyager 1's extreme distance, currently around 12 billion miles from Earth, means a message takes 17 hours to reach us. Thirty-six years after it was . launched from Earth on a tour of the outer planets, the . plutonium-powered probe is more than 11 1/2 billion miles from the sun, . cruising through what scientists call interstellar space — the vast, . cold emptiness between the stars, the space agency said. Voyager 1 actually made its exit more . than a year ago, according to NASA. But it's not as if there's a dotted . boundary line out there or a signpost, and it was not until recently . that the space agency had the evidence to convince it of what an outside . research team had claimed last month: that the spacecraft had finally . plowed through the hot plasma bubble surrounding the planets and escaped . the sun's influence. While some scientists said they remain unconvinced, NASA celebrated. 'It's a milestone and the beginning . of a new journey,' said mission chief scientist Ed Stone at NASA's Jet . Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Voyager 1 will now study exotic . particles and other phenomena in a never-before-explored part of the . universe and radio the data back to Earth, where the Voyager team awaits . the starship's discoveries. The interstellar ambassador also . carries a gold-plated disc containing multicultural greetings, songs and . photos, just in case it bumps into an intelligent species. This artist's concept shows NASA's two Voyager spacecraft exploring a turbulent region of space known as the heliosheath, the outer shell of the bubble of charged particles around our sun . It is 36 years since the twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft were launched and the pair continue to explore where . nothing from Earth has flown before. Their primary mission was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn. After . making a string of discoveries there -- such as active volcanoes on . Jupiter's moon Io and intricacies of Saturn's rings -- the mission was . extended. Voyager 2 went on to explore Uranus and Neptune, and is still the only spacecraft to have visited those outer planets. The . current mission for both spacecraft, the Voyager Interstellar Mission, . is to explore the outermost edge of the Sun's domain and beyond. Voyager 1's odyssey began in 1977 . when the spacecraft and its twin, Voyager 2, were launched on a tour of . the gas giant planets of the solar system. After beaming back dazzling . postcard views of Jupiter's giant red spot and Saturn's shimmering . rings, Voyager 2 hopscotched to Uranus and Neptune. Meanwhile, Voyager 1 . used Saturn as a gravitational slingshot to power itself past Pluto. Voyager 1, which is about the size of . a subcompact car, carries instruments that study magnetic fields, . cosmic rays and solar wind. Last year, scientists monitoring . Voyager 1 noticed strange happenings that suggested the spacecraft had . broken through: Charged particles streaming from the sun suddenly . vanished. At the same time, there was a spike in galactic cosmic rays . bursting in from the outside. Since there was no detectable change . in the direction of the magnetic field lines, the team assumed the . far-flung craft was still in the heliosphere, or the vast bubble of . charged particles around the sun . Voyager is bathed in solar wind from the southern hemisphere flowing northward . The Voyager team patiently waited for . a change in magnetic field direction — thought to be the telltale sign . of a cosmic border crossing. But in the meantime, a chance solar . eruption caused the space around Voyager 1 to echo like a bell last . spring and provided the scientists with the data they needed, convincing . them the boundary had been crossed in August of last year. 'It took us 10 seconds to realize we . were in interstellar space,' said Don Gurnett, a Voyager scientist at . the University of Iowa who led the new research, published online in the . journal Science. The new observations are fascinating, . but 'it's premature to judge,' said Lennard Fisk, a space science . professor at the University of Michigan and former NASA associate . administrator who was not part of the team. 'Can we wait a little while . longer? Maybe this picture will clear up the farther we go.' Voyager 1 is capable of returning scientific data from a full range of instruments, with adequate electrical power and attitude control propellant to keep operating until 2020. What bothers Fisk is the absence of a change in magnetic field direction. Harvard astrophysicist Jonathan . McDowell was more blunt: 'I'm actually not going to believe it for . another year or two until it's been solidly outside for a while.' While Voyager 1 may have left the . solar system as most people understand it, it still has thousands of . years to go before bidding adieu to the last icy bodies that make up our . neighborhood. Voyager 2 trails behind at 9 1/2 . billion miles from the sun. It may take another three years before . Voyager 2 joins its twin on the other side. Eventually, the Voyagers . will run out of nuclear fuel and will have to power down their . instruments, perhaps by 2025. This artist's impression shows how plasma flows around NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft as it gets close to entering interstellar space .
### SUMMARY:
| Sound recording is made by vibrations in dense plasma or ionised gas .
Voyager 1 and 2 were launched in 1977, 16 days apart .
'We are in a new region of space,' NASA project scientist says .
Scientists claim Voyager 1 entered interstellar space more than a year ago .
Study claims Voyager 1 left heliosphere around August 25, 2012 .
Voyager 1 is now the first mission to explore interstellar space . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
PUBLISHED: . 05:28 EST, 22 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 12:29 EST, 22 January 2014 . Families face being 'clobbered' by a rise in interest rates, it was warned today as unemployment fell to within a whisker of the target set by the Bank of England. A record number of people found work in the three months to November, as the economic recovery builds a head of steam. It means the unemployment rate fell sharply to 7.1 per cent, just above the 7 per cent target set by Bank governor Mark Carney when he could consider putting up interest rates. The unemployment rate fell sharply to 7.1%, putting it within a whisker of the 7% target set by the Bank of England when it could consider putting up interest rates . Surprise figures today show an extra . 280,000 people had a job in the last three months - the largest . quarterly increase since records began in the 1970s. In a huge boost for George Osborne's economic plan, there is now a record 30.15 million people in work. It comes after the International Monetary Fund said Britain would grow faster than any other European country. Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter: 'The biggest quarterly increase in employment on record. More jobs means more security, peace of mind and opportunity for the British people.' In the Commons today he said cuts in public . spending meant the Government was able to offer voters tax cuts, which . when they were taken in to account meant people were better off than in . 2010. Mr Cameron told Labour leader Ed Miliband: 'We are cutting taxes for everyone in this country and we are only able to do that because we have controlled spending. What you cannot face is the fact that the economy is improving. 'The fact is today our plan is working. There are 1.3 million more people in work in our country. That is 1.3 million more people with the security of a pay packet. We are securing Britain's future and it would be put at risk by Labour.' But Mr Miliband claimed many voters were facing a cost of living crisis as inflation continued to rise at a faster rate than wages. A delighted David Cameron said the record number of new jobs was proof the government's economic plan is working . Of the 280,000 new jobs created from September to November, 220,000 were full-time - reversing a trend where many people were forced to take part-time work. There was a fall in the number of people working part-time because they could not find full-time jobs - down by 12,000 to 1.4 million. The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance in December fell by 24,000 to 1.25 million, the lowest figure for almost five years. However the biggest shock was the fall in the unemployment rate, down from 7.4 per cent in August-October to 7.1 per cent. An extra 280,000 jobs were created in September-November, the largest quarterly increase since records began in the 1970s . Young people should be prepared to . take lowly jobs in coffee shops if they want to get on in life, the . employment minister has said. Esther . McVey said jobseekers need reminding that they have to start at the . bottom and work their way up, rather than expecting to walk into their . dream job. In an interview . with the Mail, she admitted that young Britons are less prepared for the . world of work than foreign migrants and need to learn the basics, such . as turning up on time. But she insisted that those who want . to work hard can succeed if they are prepared to learn the ropes and ‘be . realistic’ about their abilities. Asked . if they should be prepared to take ‘entry-level jobs’, she said: . ‘Absolutely. You could be working at Costa. But in a couple of years’ time you might say, “I’d like to manage the area” or might even want to . run a hotel in Dubai.’ Bank of England governor Mark Carney had said that unemployment would have to reach 7 per cent before he would consider putting up interest rates. It had been expected by the end of 2016 but it now seems almost certain to happen in the first half of this year. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady . said: 'It's encouraging to see another big fall in unemployment, . particularly amongst young people who until now haven't benefited from . rising job levels. 'But . while headline unemployment is within a whisker of the Bank's forward . guidance threshold, an early interest rate rise would clobber . mortgage-holders and businesses - jeopardising our economic recovery.' Mr Carney has in recent weeks rowed back from the idea of a sudden increase in interest rates, which could trigger a sharp rise in mortgage bills for families still not enjoying the benefits of the recovery. In an attempt to quell fears of a sudden . rate rise, minutes of the Bank’s meeting released today showed members of the nine-strong monetary policy committee (MPC) 'see no . immediate need to raise rates' regardless of the plunging unemployment rate. New figures today also show wages are up just 0.9 per cent, while the CPI rate of inflation tracking the rise in living costs is at 2.1 per cent. Employment minister Esther McVey said: 'Creating jobs and getting people into employment are central to our economic plan to build a stronger, more competitive economy, so it is very encouraging news that we’ve seen a record-breaking rise in employment over the last three months – the largest ever. 'With the highest quarterly fall in unemployment since 1997, it’s clear that the Government’s long-term economic plan to get people off benefits and into work so they can secure their future is proving successful.' Labour's shadow work and pensions . secretary Rachel Reeves said: 'Today’s fall in overall unemployment is . welcome. The Government should use this opportunity to tackle the . unacceptably high levels of long-term unemployment and youth . unemployment. 'More than 900,000 young people are unemployed and over 250,000 young people are long-term unemployed. The . Bank of England's monetary policy committee (MPC) has said it will not . lift interest rates above their historically-low level of 0.5 per cent . until the unemployment rate drops to 7 per cent. Bank of England governor Mark Carney will come under pressure to make clear if interest rights will rise this year as TUC leader Frances O'Grady warned a rise would 'clobber' families . Analysts had not expected the threshold to be reached until later in the year, although the Bank has since stressed a figure of 7 per cent will not automatically trigger an interest rate rise. Dr John Philpott, director of The Jobs Economist, said: 'It's now inevitable that unemployment will soon fall below the Bank of England's forward guidance rate of 7 per cent. 'However, the weakness of pay growth suggests there is still a considerable amount of slack in the labour market which for the time being remains an inflation free zone. Better news on jobs is no reason for an early rise in UK interest rates.'
### SUMMARY:
| Extra 280,000 jobs in three months to November, biggest rise on record .
Biggest shock was the unemployment rate falling to just 7.1% .
Bank of England will consider interest rate rise when it hits 7% .
Warnings any rate rise will 'clobber' familiesstill squeezed by low wages .
By .
Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Ruth Styles . A house that lacks running water and sits on top of a mountain two kilometres from the nearest road wouldn't be many people's idea of a dream place to live but for Steve Lao, 69, it's paradise. The Oxford-educated son of a former state governor, Lao swapped a privileged life in the upper echelons of Indian society and a career as an elite fighter pilot for a hand-to-mouth existence in Uttaranchal in northern India. He lives with wife Parvati in a home that lacks any sort of mod con, including a shower, and sees his children, both of whom moved away, less than once a month. Remote: Former fighter pilot Steve Lao (pictured with Ben Fogle) has chosen to live in the wilderness . But Mr Lao says he has no regrets and instead, says his remote 34-acre estate, Gilling, is the only place he could imagine living. 'Being what I've always been, an . individualist, I'm unsuitable... I can't live in an organised society,' he explains. 'And it's not that I'm evil or bad - I just can't live in that sort of nine to five . environment. And then to have something of your own, to have that . freedom... That's what I like.' Lao and his wife Parvati have lived on the estate for 33 years and had nothing at all when they first arrived. Over years, the couple built themselves a home on the site of what used to be cowsheds and live on just £3,000 a year - money they raise through farming and by renting out a pair of small cottages to passing hikers. Mountainous: Steve's home is 6,500ft above sea level and is two kilometres from the nearest road . Basic: The couple's home, which they built themselves, has no running water and cooking is done outside . One such visitor is Ben Fogle, who spends a week with Mr Lao and his family as part of his new series, New Lives in the Wild. 'You can't open the fridge and get out a . bottle of milk,' he observes of Mr Lao's unusual set-up. 'You have to come down here and milk the cow or, in this . case, a buffalo.' Although the house now has electricity, there is no running water, no internet and no central heating - not pleasant when the temperature dips below zero as it regularly does in winter. Nevertheless, Mr Lao, whose hobbies include spending time alone naked in the wild ('The feeling of wearing no clothes is very liberating to me!') and refurbishing old motorbikes, says that the tough daily slog is well worth it. That slog begins at dawn when the couple get up to milk their seven cows before knuckling down to farm work. Top of the world: Steve and Parvati's home is so remote, getting to the nearest major city takes nine hours . Fun times: When he's not farming, Steve is indulging in his other passion - restoring old motorbikes . Mr Lao also conducts regular patrols around the estate, much of which is forested, in a bid to keep wood-pinching locals from the nearest village at bay. It's a far cry from his early life, spent in luxury with his affluent parents, and his fighter pilot career, which saw him take to the skies in Hawker Hunter and MIG 21 jets and fight in two wars. But in 1974, Lao, who had already been subjected to three court martials for refusing to accept orders, was kicked out of the air force for good - much to the horror of his father. 'My father was horrified because he was a . pretty conservative sort of chap,' he explains, his English still retaining traces of his very British education. 'But I said to him, "Dad, you took a . lot of bullsh** when you were part of the Defence Ministry but I speak . out which is slightly different from you." So he was able to keep his . mouth shut - I could not. 'And . then I met this exceptional woman, Parvati,' he continues. 'She's a woman without any . education, this, that and the other but there was something inborn in . her so we fell in love. 'And I told my father and my father said: "Oh dear, this is not on dammit!" I said "Dad, . what's the problem? You should be a better Christian!" and then I left. 'I . took my guns and put them over my shoulder, I met her father down below . and said "give us your blessings, we're off!" and that was it.' But it wasn't long before Lao's father, worried about the fate of the family's Gilling estate, got back in touch. 'Then the shit hit the fan and they said "Son! Can you come here?" [to Gilling] and like a good son, I came.' More than 30 years later, Lao is still there and still farming despite having to deal with challenges such as arthritis and the depredations of local leopards. Threat: Steve says that four or five leopards live close to his mountain eyrie as well as parrots and monkeys . Happy: Steve and his wife Parvati have no plans to change their home, despite advancing old age . 'There are around four to five around . here in this area,' he reveals. 'There are many incidences of leopards catching . children, catching women, catching men...' His two children, Richard and Nandoni, were brought up on the estate themselves, although educated in Delhi at the behest of his parents. While Lao is bullish about most aspects of life in the wilderness, he does admit that there were moments when he worried about what might happen to them. 'In reality, there were moments with a . lot of self-doubt and uncertainty,' he says. 'My main worries were the education . and the sort of society they would grow up in.' With both now in their 30s, Lao's latest worry is what will happen to the estate after he's gone so to make life easier for his children, he's taken preparations in hand - including digging his own grave. 'Would be bloody funny if I kicked the bucket now,' he quips as he shows Fogle the waiting tomb. 'Welcome to my grave! This was dug many, many years ago,' he adds. 'I said: "Let's be prepared for these things"!' Satisfied with life: Steve says his only regret is not flying his fighter plane over the farm . With his grave complete, he says his only worry left is whether his two children will be able to keep the estate intact after his death. 'In this day . and age with things all around us, slowly breaking up, you know law and . order and things like that, that's my only worry. 'How are they going to . look after this with people trying to make inroads and things like this?' Despite the challenges of life on a mountaintop and the uncertainty about what will happen after he's gone, Lao says he's missed out on nothing. 'The . only regret I have is that I never flew my fighter plane over my own . farm,' he chuckles. 'I've flown the length and breadth of India but never here. That's . my only regret.' Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild, tonight at 9pm on Channel 5 .
### SUMMARY:
| Steve Lao, 69, lives in a remote mountain home in India's Uttaranchal .
He and his wife Parvati have no running water, no heating and no shower .
Lao is the son of a former state governor and was once a fighter pilot .
Spends his days farming 34-acre plot and enjoys restoring old motorbikes . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Joe Bernstein . True Evertonians should applaud their former manager David Moyes as he takes his place in the away dug-out at Goodison Park today. That is what David Weir, Everton’s captain under Moyes when they played Champions League football in 2005, believes. Realistically, though, Weir knows the old bear pit of a stadium will be at its most raucous and partisan today as they get ready to ‘welcome’ not one but three former Everton icons, who walked out on them to join the detested Manchester United. VIDEO: Scroll down to watch David Moyes cracking jokes ahead of the game . Warm welcome? David Moyes returns to Goodison Park for the first time as United manager on Sunday . Old boys: Wayne Rooney (L) and Marouane Fellaini will also be going back to their former club Everton . If the sound levels will be loud for Moyes, they will be off the scale when Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini walk down the tunnel in red. Both managers aren’t even bothering to ignore the animosity that will exist. Moyes pointed out that Sir Alex Ferguson used to pull Rooney out of Everton games because of the abuse he got. Martinez, who beneath his butter-wouldn’t-melt demeanour quite enjoys the jousting, has not helped Fellaini by indicating the £27million Belgian would not be able to get in the current Everton team. Ouch! Fall from grace: Wayne Rooney used to be pulled out of Everton games by Alex Ferguson because of the abuse . New kid on the block: Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring for Everton against Portsmouth in 2004 . Everton fans have been debating all week whether they should cheer or boo Moyes, weighing up 11 years of good service against the ‘treachery’ of joining United and then trying to take Fellaini and Leighton Baines with him. The game is important in pure football terms, too. Everton need three points to keep in touch with Arsenal in the race for fourth. Having been hammered by Manchester City and Liverpool, defeat at Goodison will feel like another nail in Moyes’ coffin. The league table currently shows he has taken United from first to seventh. Amid the bedlam, Weir — a hugely-respected figure at Goodison who played 269 games in eight years and then served on the coaching staff — hopes Moyes’ positive contribution to Everton will not be forgotten. ‘The vast majority of Everton fans are good football people. They understand the game and will appreciate the hard word David put and the legacy he left,’ said Weir. ‘Knowing them, they wouldn’t understand why he left because they love Everton so much. They would be devastated to think he saw Manchester United as a step up. They don’t! Legacy: Former Toffees captain David Weir insists true Evertonians will applaud Moyes . ‘Everton is my club and I’d love to think true Evertonians would all applaud David. But if I’m honest, maybe it won’t be that way. I think it will be mixed.’ Weir has himself had a turbulent first season in management, sacked by Sheffield United after just 13 games before celebrating promotion to the Championship with Brentford as their assistant- manager. From experience, he knows just how good Moyes is. ‘First of all, he is a great coach. That is the most important thing, his knowledge of the game and the information he has,’ said Weir. ‘He is really detailed, interested in how other teams to play. His attention to detail is very good. At times, we walked out the tunnel feeling we’d played the game already, we knew what the opposition was going to do. ‘He left no stone unturned, we had video meetings that could go on for an hour. It was all about planning for all eventualities. It was a thoroughness that stood the team in good stead – you just felt prepared. Poisoned chalice? Things haven't gone according to plan since Moyes agreed to replace Ferguson (L) Hands off! Some Everton fans were angered by Moyes pursuit of left-back Leighton Baines (L) ‘I think United know that and I would expect him to be there in 12 months. He gets to the heart of things quickly. ‘We had a really sticky start under him at Everton and Bill Kenwright was probably under pressure to make a change because the fans weren’t happy. ‘But he stuck with him and I genuinely have no doubt if United do the same, he’ll get it right. His over-riding character trait is single-mindedness. I’ve not seen it to that extent in anyone else.’ For all Weir’s plaudits, Moyes knows he has to show he can win big games as United boss. Perhaps the most damning statistic of his United reign so far is that the team have managed to win only six points from a possible 33 against the Premier League’s top six. Final farewell: Moyes waves to supporters during his last game in charge at the club . Staying power: Moyes has awarded Rooney a new contract, despite his falling out with Ferguson . Moyes tried to distance himself from the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson by awarding Rooney a five-year deal when Ferguson wanted him out. Now, he is going to trust Rooney in a fixture Ferguson sometimes felt was too much for the player. Rooney, a boyhood Everton fan, joined United in 2004 despite once claiming ‘Once a Blue, always a Blue’, has regularly received abuse at Goodison and Ferguson left him out of a game there in 2010. ‘I know Rooney’s relationship with the Everton crowd was something Alex felt at times and took into account,’ said Moyes. ‘But Wayne is a different player now. He’s got maturity, just signed a new contract and is due to go to the World Cup. ‘If ever there was a player ready to play in any game it would be Wayne Rooney, with the age he is, the time of his career, what he is capable of. He is about to be one of England’s leading players in the World Cup and you’ll be expecting him to stand up, so I’ll expect him to stand up and be seen at Goodison on Sunday.’ For the first time, Rooney may have to share the billing as primary hate figure in an opposition shirt – with Everton fans disgruntled by the way Fellaini forced a deadline day move. Martinez hasn’t made things any easier for the Belgian He thinks he got a good deal by selling Fellaini and signing Republic of Ireland international James McCarthy from Wigan for less than half the price, £12.5million. Not missed! Roberto Martinez claims that Fellaini would no longer get into his Everton team . Indeed, he doesn’t believe Fellaini would get in his side, who start the day in fifth place, nine points ahead of United despite slipping up in midweek against Crystal Palace. ‘You’re looking at McCarthy, Gareth Barry, Leon Osman —where would Fellaini fit in?’ said Martinez, all good fuel for the Everton faithful waiting to bait their former idol. ‘In football you move on so quickly. I’m just so happy with the squad that we have. It’s incredible to have that mixture of youth and experience. It looks like this side has been playing together for the last five years. It’s so natural.’
### SUMMARY:
| David Moyes returns to Everton for the first time as Man United boss .
Scot will be given a warm welcome by true Evertonians, says David Weir .
Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini will also be unsure of their reception .
Roberto Martinez insists Fellaini wouldn't get in the current Everton side . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . A Ukip candidate has resigned his . membership of the party after suggesting comedian Lenny Henry should . emigrate to a ‘black country’. William . Henwood, of Enfield, north London, made the comment on Twitter in . response to a speech by Henry in which he said ethnic minorities were . under-represented on British TV. The resignation comes as Ukip today launched a purge of extremist members with Nigel Farage launching a fightback against claims his supporters are racist. Scroll down for video . William Henwood, pictured left, has resigned his Ukip membership after making comments about Lenny Henry, right. The comments came after the comedian made a speech in which he said ethnic minorities were under-represented on British television . Nigel Farage today launched a fightback against claims Ukip supporters are racist as he accused his rivals of 'slinging mud' On a campaign visit in Slough, the Ukip leader accused his critics of slinging mud at people who have concerns about immigration . One man has been suspended for being a . member of the far-right British National Party while a second was . discovered to have been a donor to the Engilish Defence League. William Henwood, a Ukip member who told comedian Lenny Henry to 'emigrate to a black country', has now agreed to leave the party. A Ukip spokesman said Mr Henwood had . resigned his membership of Ukip after it was 'mutually agreed this would . be the best course'. Ukip is expected to win elections to the European Parliament on May 22, which Mr Farage predicts will trigger a ‘political earthquake’ in Westminster. But his £1.5million campaign has been dogged by claims it is racist and features actors and party employees as ordinary members of the public. Mr Farage claimed attempts to portray Ukip as racist will prove a 'disastrous mistake' for the established political parties. But today it emerged the party has been forced to suspend two members with far-right links. A spokesman said: 'UKIP is a non-racist, non-sectarian party and we are determined to uphold those values. 'Part of that process is maintaining vigilance against the possibility of infiltration either on an organised or individual basis by those who do not subscribe to our values.' The men have not been identified by the party as they still have the right of an appeal in writing to Ukip's national executive committee. William Henwood, a Ukip candidate in Enfield, north London, tonight resigned from the party. It followed a row over a tweet he sent about Lenny Henry . saying: ‘He should emigrate to a black country. He does not have to live . with whites.’ A UKIP Spokesman said: 'Mr Henwood's remarks about Lenny Henry caused enormous offence and UKIP MEP candidate for the West Midlands Bill Etheridge spoke for many in the party with his strong condemnation.' Former Labour immigration minister Barbara Roche today launched a cross-party campaign to condemn Ukip as racist. ‘Ukip's campaign needs to be exposed for what it is, a racist campaign,’ she told The Guardian. ‘The party is practicing what is in effect a form of ‘Euracism’.’ The Migration Matters campaign has been co-sponsored by senior Tory MP Nadhim Zahawi and Lib Dem peer Lord Dholakia. But . on the campaign trail in Slough today, Mr Farage hit back and accused . his opponents of use ‘discrgraceful slurs’ against the British people. He . said: ‘I am really sorry that millions of people who have decided to . vote UKIP next month now find themselves accused by the political . establishment of supporting racism.’ Ukip is expected to win the European elections on May 22, despite rows over racism . A new poll shows how Ukip's support is highest in England . A Ukip MEP has defended saying it is OK to dislike gay people. Roger Helmer said the choice was like having a favourite cup of tea. He told The Sun: 'Different people have differenttastes. You may tell me you don’t like Earl Grey tea. 'That may be a minority view but you are entitled not to like it if you don’t like it.' He was defending comments made as Tory in 2000 when he said people find homosexuality 'distasteful if not viscerally repugnant'. He likened it to the moment Labour leader Gordon Brown dismissed pensioner Gillian Duffy as a ‘bigoted woman’ during the 2010 election after she voiced cocnerns about immigration. ‘This time it is not merely one person being slandered by one establishment party but huge numbers of decent British people under attack and all three Westminster parties levelling the charge of racism and bigotry. ‘When UKIP was perceived mainly as a threat to the Conservative Party, it was David Cameron and his colleagues who used this tactic. Now we are recognised as a threat to the entire establishment it is all three parties that are slinging mud. ‘The electorate is not in the mood to be intimidated by the political establishment and Messrs Cameron, Miliband and Clegg have just made another disastrous mistake. ‘I call on all fair-minded British people to swing behind UKIP and teach these creeps a lesson they won't forget in a hurry.' Jacqui SMith, the former Labour Home Secretary, also questioned the anti-Ukip campaign. 'I am not convinced that condemning the many voters thinking of voting Ukip as stupid racists is a good electoral strategy, she wrote for Progress. It comes as a new survey showed Ukip’s appeal is much stronger in England than it is in Scotland or Wales. The research suggested that in England, Ukip is challenging Labour for first place in the European Parliament elections on May 22. Prospective Ukip councillor William Henwood, . left, agreed to quit the party after posting a tweet saying Lenny Henry should 'emigrate to a black country' Mr Farage likened the attack on Ukip to the moment Labour leader Gordon Brown called pensioner Gillian Duffy a 'bigoted woman' after she raised concerns about immigration during the 2010 election campaign . A survey found 29 per cent of people in England intend voting for Nigel Farage's party, just behind the 30 per cent set to back Labour. A total of 22 per cent said they would vote for the Conservatives, while 11 per cent said they would be voting Liberal Democrat. But in Scotland, only one in 10 of those surveyed said they would be voting Ukip, compared with the 33 per cent who plan to vote SNP and the 31 per cent who said they would back Labour. Scottish support for the Tories in the European elections was put at 12 per cent, while for the Liberal Democrats it was 7 per cent. In Wales, support for Labour was almost twice the level of support for Ukip, with the survey suggesting 39 per cent of voters would back Ed Miliband's party compared with the 20 per cent who said they would vote Ukip. A total of 18 per cent of Welsh voters who were surveyed plan to vote Tory, with 11 per cent backing Plaid Cymru and 7 per cent supporting the Liberal Democrats. Within England, Ukip support was found to be stronger among those who identified themselves as being English rather than British.
### SUMMARY:
| William Henwood has resigned his membership of the party after Twitter comment .
66-year-old was due to stand in next month's Enfield local council elections .
Ex-Labour immigration minister Barbara Roche launches cross-party drive .
Brands Ukip racist and accuses party of pursuing policy of 'Euracism'
Farage accuses his opponents of 'slinging mud' against ordinary voters . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Ted Thornhill . Students at the school where a horrific stabbing rampage took place have been given clear backpacks amid safety fears in the aftermath of the attack. The bags were sent to students at Franklin Regional High School, near Pittsburgh, by a local car dealership. The black-lined backpacks are emblazoned with the message ‘FR Strong’. Scroll down for video . Clear message: Backpacks emblazoned with 'FR Strong' have been sent to students at Franklin Regional High School, near Pittsburgh . Thoughtful: The car dealership that distributed the backpacks described them as a small gesture . Injured: Victim Brett Hurt, center, who suffered a bruised lung in the attack, was on the verge of tears as he used a wheelchair to navigate the hallways . Back: Franklin Regional Senior High School in Murrysville re-opened to students on April 15 for a walk-through ahead of the resumption of classes . The car dealership described the backpacks as a small gesture, according to CBS Pittsburg. The horrific attack at the school on April 9 left 20 students and a security guard stabbed or slashed. One student almost died after one of the knives narrowly missed his heart. Two of the wounded students remain hospitalized. Suspect . Alex Hribal, 16, is being held in a juvenile facility but is charged as . an adult with aggravated assault and attempted homicide. Police have said he took the knives and attacked students at random as they arrived at school. Classes resumed on April 16 with some students . gathering beforehand on the football field to pray and to support one . another. After that, as day . broke and other students drove to school - or were driven on buses or by . their parents - they were greeted by well-wishers from a nearby church . who were holding signs of support saying things like ‘Courage’ and ‘It's . a new day’. Warning signs: Suspect Alex Hribal, 16, is led from his arraignment after he was charged with four counts of attempted murder as an adult. Authorities believe he threatened two students before carrying out the attack on April 16 . No motive has yet been provided by authorities in the April 6 attack that allegedly saw Hribal run through the school wielding two eight-inch kitchen knives . Terror: Twenty one students were injured in April 16's blood bath, as well as a security guard. The two students Hribald allegedly threatened were not injured . Evacuation: Students at Franklin Regional High School were evacuated after the stabbing. Karen Ingersoll said she has two children who graduated from the school and two daughters still attend it. ‘I think they were ready to go back,’ Ms Ingersoll said at the time, though she acknowledged there's more healing to come. ‘My . youngest can't sleep alone yet, she's still sleeping with her sister - . she was a witness to some of the attacks’, she said. On April 14, teachers met with a crisis intervention specialist . before spending the day at the school before the students returned. The following . day parents and students were invited to an open house where . they were able to tour the building, which had to be cleaned after the . bloody attack. Members of the community gathered at a park on the . Tuesday night for a prayer service. Students . at the middle and elementary schools, which share a campus with the . high school, returned to classes a day after the attack. Sophomore student Alex Hribal, 16, (pictured here in his high school yearbook) will be charged as an adult on several attempted murder charges . Transported: Hribal is driven away from a district magistrate in a Westmoreland County Sheriff's car after he was arraigned . Some returning students were nervous about reliving the frantic experience. Michael Spila, who was stabbed in the back, said he was concerned he might have flashbacks. 'Mentally, I'm still shocked from what happened,' he told WPXI. 'I . was kind of nervous because I was afraid I might start freaking out or . something because you don't know what would happen if you walked in and . had flashbacks. And luckily nothing happened.' Gracey . Evans, watched in horror as Hribal allegedly plunged a knife into the . back of her friend Brett Hurt while he bravely shielded her during the . stabbing spree. 'It was . different — but a good different,' the 17-year-old junior told NBC News . of returning to the scene of the attack. Ms Evans . and friends gathered around Mr Hurt and linked arms for a photograph. The . students waited for the 16-year-old, who suffered a bruised lung in the . attack, to arrive so they could go in together, showing him their . support. School spirit: A group of students tapes up a sign supporting their school near the entrance to Franklin Regional High School . Prayers: Ashlin (L) and Jude Burkhart, from Murrysville, hold candles during a prayer vigil for victims of the Franklin Regional High School stabbing rampage, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Murrysville, Pennsylvania on April 9, 2014 . Evans said Mr Hurt was on the verge of tears and had to use a wheelchair to navigate the halls. The students spoke with several teachers who were there when the early morning stabbing unfolded. They told the teens they were sorry about what happened and provided tissues and candles in all classrooms. 'It's hard for them,' Ms Evans said of the teachers, 'but harder for us.' Counselors and therapy dogs were on campus to help students through the day. Hribal is revealed to have written a note saying he couldn't wait to . see the 'helpless looks' on students' faces when they realise 'their . precious lives are going to be taken' and that he fought off students . who tried to stop him. 'No, I . am not dropping them (knives), my work is not done I have more people . to kill,' Hribal was overheard saying by Vice Principal Samuel King, . according to an affidavit. Police . say the note was found in Hribal's locker. They say it was dated . April 6, three days before the rampage at the school near Pittsburgh. Details . about the note are contained in the criminal complaint filed against . Hribal that increases the number of attempted homicide charges he faces . to 21, up from four. 'I . can't wait to see the priceless and helpless looks on the faces of the . students of one of the 'best schools in Pennsylvania' realise their . precious lives are going to be taken by the only one among them that is a . plebeian,' the note said. Investigators . also confirmed they believe Hribal was targeting specific students and . even called one the night before the stabbing spree and said he would . 'f**k them up.' No motive . has yet been provided by authorities in the April 6 attack that . reportedly saw Hribal run through the school wielding two eight-inch . kitchen knives. The boy's family is just as puzzled as police about what triggered the attack, Hribal's attorney Patrick Thomassey has said. No evidence has surfaced that he was being bullied. Hribal's trial starts on June 4. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.
### SUMMARY:
| Franklin Regional Senior High School re-opened on April 16 .
A week earlier, 21 students and a security guard were stabbed .
Alex Hribal, 16, allegedly carried out the attack, using two knives .
A car dealership gave the students clear backpacks for peace of mind .
The holdalls are emblazoned with the message 'FR Strong' |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Leon Watson . Pope Francis says his upcoming trip to the Holy Land of Jordan, Israel and the West Bank is 'strictly religious' and aimed at praying for peace in the region. Francis sought to temper expectations for his trip during his weekly Wednesday general audience. The Argentine Jesuit leaves on Saturday for a three-day visit to the Holy Land, where he will meet with Syrian and Palestinian refugees, the Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian leaders and the chief rabbis of Israel and the mufti of Jerusalem. Tempering expectations: Pope Francis arrives for his general audience at St Peter's Square at the Vatican . The main reason for the visit is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Pope Paul VI and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians. Francis will meet in Jerusalem with the current Orthodox leader, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, whom he called his brother. Christianity was born in the region but the ancient community has dwindled to around two per cent of the population as economic hardship, violence and the bitter realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have sent Christians searching for better opportunities overseas. The Christian exodus, underway for decades, has reached critical levels in recent years. Emigration is a central concern to local Vatican officials, who are trying to stave off the flight with offers of jobs, housing and scholarships. 'I am sad to think that maybe the time will come in which Christianity will disappear from this land,' said the Reverend Juan Solana, a Vatican envoy who oversees the Notre Dame center, a Jerusalem hotel for pilgrims that employs 150 locals, mostly Christians. Solana said he employs Christians to encourage them 'to stay here, to love this land, to be aware of their particular vocation to be the witnesses of Christianity in this land.' Pope Francis kisses a man on a wheelcher as he greets the crowd after his general audience at St Peter's Square . A faithful holds up a poster of Pope Francis during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican . The Christian exodus is taking place across the Middle East. Jordan, where Pope Francis will begin his three-day trip Saturday, has thousands of Christian refugees from war-torn Syria and Iraq. For the Church, the phenomenon is particularly heartbreaking in the cradle of Christianity. According to Christian tradition, Jesus was born in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, spent much of his life in Nazareth and the northern Galilee region of Israel, and was crucified and resurrected in Jerusalem. The pope said in a November speech that 'we will not be resigned to think about the Middle East without Christians,' lamenting that they 'suffer particularly from the consequences of the tensions and conflicts underway' across the region. Christians in the Holy Land have dwindled from over 10 percent of the population on the eve of Israel's founding to between two and three per cent today, according to the local Roman Catholic church. The decline began with high Jewish immigration and Christian emigration after the 1948 war surrounding Israel's establishment, and has been abetted by continued emigration and a low birthrate among Christians who stay. Representatives of the indigenous peoples of the world association The Spirit of the Planet attend Pope Francis's general audience . Francis will meet in Jerusalem with the current Orthodox leader, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, whom he called his brother . Israeli restrictions in the occupied West Bank have also persuaded Christians to leave. The concrete and fence barrier Israel built to keep out Palestinian attackers has choked cities like Bethlehem and separated Palestinians from their farmlands. Many Palestinian Christians are prohibited from entering Jerusalem except during holidays. Israeli-Palestinian violence has also pushed people to leave, and instances of Islamic extremism, particularly in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, have made some Christians feel unwelcome in some cases, though relations between Palestinian Christians and Muslims are generally friendly. West Bank Christians are preparing to share some of these grievances with Pope Francis, and artisans are fashioning a cross with cement pieces of Israel's barrier for the Palestinian president to give the pope. Pope Francis will meet Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I . The Holy Land: The Holy Sepulchre church in Jerusalem, Israel . Elias Abumohor, a 44-year-old environmental engineer whose family was chosen to have an audience with Francis, says he will tell the pope about his lands in an area partly owned by the Vatican where Israel is planning to route its barrier. An estimated 80 per cent of Christian Palestinians live abroad, says the local Roman Catholic church, where they have had particular success in replanting themselves in Latin America, the United States and Europe. About 38,000 Palestinian Christians live in the West Bank, 2,000 in Gaza, and 10,000 in Jerusalem, according to the local Roman Catholic church. Israel has 130,000 Arab Christians. There are also nearly 200,000 non-native Christians in Israel, including Christians who moved from the former Soviet Union because of Jewish family ties, guest workers and African migrants. The Reverend Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the custodian of the Roman Catholic Church's Holy Land properties, said the native Christians who have left are middle-class and well-educated, some of the most vital members of the community. The Custodian of the Holy Land is one of the top property owners in the region. Its schools, guest houses and other institutions employ about 1,000 people, about 90 percent of them local Christians, Pizzaballa said. The church also offers 350 scholarships a year for Christians, mostly university students, reserving two-thirds for those who commit to staying in the Holy Land, he said. In recent decades, the Church has built 60 apartments in the West Bank city of Ramallah and rented them to Christians at a discounted rate, said the Rev. Raed Abusahlia, Ramallah's parish priest. Last year, the Church bought land to build 72 new apartments for Christians in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem, and there are similar projects in Bethlehem and in the village of Birzeit, he said. Properties abandoned by Christian emigres over the years have become a battleground for local priests seeking to keep a Christian presence in the Holy Land. In the West Bank, many Christians left without selling their homes and land, hoping they might one day return. In some cases, squatters - Muslims and Christians - have occupied these homes and asserted ownership of lands, said the Rev. Ibrahim Shomali, the parish priest of Bethlehem's sister city, Beit Jala. Maha Abu Dayyeh, a Palestinian Christian, said she came back from visiting her daughter in Sweden last year to find a Muslim family had taken over her mother's old house and thrown out the furniture. She said men threatened her son if she did anything to fight it. 'It will cost us only one bullet,' she said they told her son. She indicated the squatters' motives were more criminal than religious. Shomali said he is helping Christians like Abu Dayyeh fight for their property in court. He has also recruited local Christians to purchase a half dozen abandoned homes to keep them in Christian hands. 'As a Christian community, it's important to witness Jesus Christ in his land,' Shomali said. 'If we keep the houses, you keep the Christians here.'
### SUMMARY:
| Pope tried to temper expectations for his trip in his weekly address .
Argentine leaves on Saturday for a three-day visit to the Holy Land .
He will meet with, among others, Israeli and Palestinian leaders .
Christianity was born in the region but community has dwindled .
They are now only around two per cent of the population . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Helen Roberts . A girl aged 17 has been hailed as the Elephant Whisperer in India and hopes to work with the animals after she finishes school - even though they killed her father. Nirmala Topno has been praised for being the only female in her area to handle as many as 17 wild elephants when they roam jungles and enter villages near Rourkela, eastern India. From an early age she began following her father Marino, 50, and a group of local men whenever herds of wild elephants roamed populated areas near their home. Scroll down for video . Mammoth courage: 17-year-old Nirmala Topno has become a celebrity in India, where she is hailed as an elephant whisperer. She refuses to give up even after the animals trampled her father Marino to death . Brave: Nirmala (left) with elephants inside the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Jharkhand, India. She was taught her trade by her father Mariano, 50 (right) - and continues even after he was killed by an angry herd in November . People have witnessed her amazing ability to communicate with the animals, and despite her tender age and tiny frame she pushes them back into the jungle. She became a celebrity in her country last year when she steered 11 wild elephants away on one occasion and a herd of 17 a couple of months later. She said: ‘No woman in my area has ever dared to do what I do – never mind a girl my age. 'Because of my courage, people have started calling me the Elephant Whisperer. They believe that I have a certain power that makes elephants listen to me.’ But last November, Nirmala watched as a herd of elephants she was trying to push back into the wild attacked her father and killed him on the spot. She refuses to let it beat her, and now the brave girl vows she will go on and work for the government to protect the animals when she finishes her studies. ‘I get nervous when I’m close to . elephants, but once I succeed and do my job I feel extremely happy,' she . said. 'I think I’m good at my job.’ While . teenagers in Britain go to the zoo to see elephants, Nirmala has grown . up with the constant threat of wild herds running into her village and . killing anything in their path. Nirmala (pictured) said: 'People believe that I have a certain power that makes elephants listen to me' Family career: Nirmala with her mother Salomi, 46, and younger brother Miltan. She wants to protect elephants . Nirmala watched her father go out with groups of men to push the elephants back into the jungle since she was a child. She said: ‘My father used to watch people abandon their homes when elephants were close. 'They would let the huge animals run over their houses and destroy everything. But my father didn’t want to run from them forever, he didn’t want to keep rebuilding our home. So he decided to fight them.’ He gathered together a group of willing men and they soon began to get a name for themselves and were called upon whenever there were wild elephants close to villages. When Nirmala was just 13, her father finally allowed her to accompany him and the group. She said: ‘The first time I . accompanied my father was after I begged him to take me with him. I’d . wanted to go with him for years but he always told me I was too young. But he finally agreed. 'I felt a bit nervous but as soon as I saw the wild elephants, my fear vanished and I started to work. ‘After that, whenever my father was asked to help I’d go too.’ Fearless: In August last year she even injured her foot while pushing elephants away from a cluster of homes . Wild: While most Britons only see elephants in zoo, those in Nirmala's village must live alongside them . Nirmala struggles to identify her special skills, but she explained she somehow manages to convince the animals to leave by her tone of voice, body language, a flame torch and looking at the animals directly in the eye. In August last year she even injured her foot while pushing a herd of elephants away from a cluster of homes. She was in hospital for weeks with a growing medical bill, which the government paid for her. But three months later, Nirmala and her father were called out again to help with a herd of wild elephants that had entered a field near a small village down the road. It would be their last mission together as father and daughter. Nirmala said: ‘I was in the school when the forest rangers called my dad asking for our help. 'Next minute the Principal came into class and said my family had called saying I was needed urgently.' Group: Nirmala with her father (to her left in a blue shirt) and other elephant-chasers when he was still alive . Mourning: Nirmala visiting her father's grave with her mother Salomi. She refuses to give up her unusual job . Nirmala travelled home as fast as she could, where her father was waiting for her. He explained that a herd of 17 elephants had entered a nearby community and they were needed. Nirmala added: ‘I changed my uniform; quickly grabbed some food and we took off. When we arrived they were in this huge field and the elephants were aggressive because locals had been pelting them with stones to make them leave.’ Nirmala and her father, who also worked as a daily labourer earning 5,000 Rupees a month (£50), quickly got to work. They split up trying to distract the elephants, encouraging them to move on. Nirmala added: ‘Next minute I heard . men shouting "a man is dying". I ran over but I saw my father lying on . the ground, a huge elephant over him. 'I don’t hate elephants, but I do get . sad when I think that my father died because of them. I just don’t . underestimate their power' - Nirmala Topno, 17 . 'It was really angry but I stayed firm. I told it go, I stared at it and then it turned and ran.' When Nirmala got to her father, it was too late. He was already dead. She said: ‘He wasn’t moving. I knew he was gone. I always prayed before going out to work with the elephants but God had a different plan that day. ‘I don’t hate elephants, but I do get sad when I think that my father died because of them. I just don’t underestimate their power.’ Nirmala and her family were given a cheque for two lakh (£2,000) as compensation for their loss and Nirmala’s mother Salomi, 40, was given a government job to help support her family. Out of respect for her father, Nirmala has now been promised a job with the government’s forest department as a guard to protect animals from poachers when she leaves school. ‘I know they’ve given me this promise of a job because of who my father was and what we could do together,' she said. 'If he were still here there would be no job, so it’s hard for me to feel happy. ‘But if my father was alive today he would have been very proud of my work. He would’ve liked that his daughter was making a name for herself. He’d be very happy for me.'
### SUMMARY:
| Nirmala Topno was trained by father Marino in villages near Rourkela, India .
She said people 'believe I have a certain power that makes elephants listen'
But in November Marino, 50, was killed by an angry herd in terrifying attack .
Schoolgirl stared down the animal until it left, but he had already died .
Now she has been promised a job protecting the animals from poachers . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Victoria Woollaston . A major criticism of electric cars is that they don’t have the style and personality of many petrol-powered vehicles. The next best thing, therefore, is to take a classic, iconic car and transform it with an electric motor. That was the thinking behind Zelectric Motor’s David Bernardo who specialises in turning the Volkswagen Bug into a quieter, smoother, battery-powered car. Scroll down for video . The electric model prototype (pictured) was created by Californian inventor David Bernardo who replaces engines of classic Volkswagen Bugs, built between 1958 and 1966, with electric motors . Harley Davidson began road trials of its first electric motorcycle last month. At a launch event in New York City, riders took the iconic motorcycle brand's experimental machine across the Manhattan Bridge and through the streets of the city centre. Like other electric vehicles, the engine on Harley Davidson's Livewire prototype is silent, although the meshing of gears reportedly makes a hum like a jet aeroplane taking off, quietly. Its 74 horsepower engine has a top speed of 92mph (148km/h). Mr Bernardo begins by replacing the engines of classic Volkswagen Bugs, built between 1958 and 1966, with electric motors. Battery packs are fitted under the hood, and behind the car’s rear seats to distribute the extra weight more evenly. This means the car’s original balance is maintained, despite the extra 350lb (158kg) weight. Mr Bernardo, with help from electric car experts at EV West, then increases the car’s suspension and fits stronger brake discs to account for this extra weight. Electric cars typically have a . single-speed transmission, but Mr Bernardo keeps the Beetle’s four-speed . transmission to allow for manual gear changes – although this is . optional. The left-hand image shows how the 1285cc engine in the rear of the Volkswagen Beetle 1300 from 1966 traditionally looks like. The right-hand image shows this engine replaced by Zelectric's electric motor . Battery packs are fitted under the hood, and behind the car's rear seats to distribute the extra weight more evenly. This means the car's original balance is maintained, despite the extra 350lb (158kg) weight. The car's suspension is then increased, and stronger brake discs are fitted, to account for the extra weight . The company has already made a red, and a black prototype, and plans to build models it can sell within the next year. A completed car is expected to cost $45,000 (£26,300). The car lasts up to 110 miles (177 km) on a single charge, and has a top speed of 90mph (144km/h). ‘Retrofitting a classic with an electric drivetrain just makes good sense,’ said Bernardo. ‘This makes best use of an existing car rather than using new non-renewable resources to create one from scratch. Electric cars typically have a single-speed transmission, but Zelectric Motors keeps the Beetle's four-speed transmission to allow for manual gear changes - although this is optional. The Zelectric Bug's speedometer is pictured . The car lasts up to 110 miles (177 km) on a single charge, and has a top speed of 90mph (144km/h). It is expected to sell for $45,000 (£26,300) when it goes on sale next year . ‘Investment-grade vintage Beetles continue to rise in value, and when Zelectrified are incredibly smooth, quiet, and super fun to drive.’ Bernardo said he chose models built between 1958 and 1966 because they are the most driveable and collectible Beetles. Unlike earlier versions, these models are built to handle the increased torque of the Zelectric drivetrain along with more than double the original horsepower. The only metal modifications that take place during a Zelectric installation are limited to holes to accommodate wiring. The Beetle was devised by Adolf Hitler who created a plan to solve Germany's unemployment problem by building autobahns for motor vehicles. Work began on the roads in 1933, but the car was not finished until 1939 when production was handed over to the German Air Force. A 1930s Volkswagen ad is pictured . The Beetle was devised by Adolf Hitler who, while in prison in 1924, created a plan to solve Germany’s unemployment problem by building . autobahns for motor vehicles. This involved mass producing a car, which later became the Volkswagen. Work . began on the roads in September 1933, but the car was not finished . until 1939 when production was handed over to the German Air Force at . the start of the war. The original design was for a car with a top . speed of 62 mph (99km/h), that would transport two adults and three children and . not cost more than £86. Hitler also had plans for the styling of the . Volkswagen, he is reputed to have said: It should look like a Beetle, . you have to look to nature to find out what streamlining is.’ In 1946, a total of 7,677 Volkswagens had been built and in 1947 this figure rose to 8,987. By 1948, production had increased to 19,244. The most famous Volkswagen Beetle is Herbie (pictured) - a 1963 Bug which was the main character in Disney films, starting with the 1968 film The Love Bug. In the films, Herbie has a mind of its own and is capable of driving itself, and competing in races . Various . changes were made to the beetle over the years including the removal of . the split window to a small oval shape, and in 1953 the engine size was . increased. In August 1955 Beetle production reached 1 million. Over the years, larger engines were fitted to Beetles, but the biggest redesigns were made between 1970 and 1973. The . 1302 Beetle was designed to overcome criticism of the Beetle's small . under bonnet capacity, while the 1303 had an increased curved . windscreen, shorter bonnet and a plastic padded dashboard. The Beetle reached it's highest ever production total in 1969 when it sold 1,076,897 cars, but after 1971 production fell. In 1974 . Volkswagen made a loss of . £142.5 million, the first loss in the firm’s history and it switched its focus to the then new Volkswagen Golf. The most famous Volkswagen Beetle is Herbie - a 1963 Bug which was the main character in Disney films, starting with the 1968 film The Love Bug. In the films, Herbie has a mind of its own and is capable of driving itself, and competing in races.
### SUMMARY:
| The electric model was created by Californian inventor David Bernardo .
He replaces petrol engines with electric motors in Volkswagen Bugs released between 1958 and 1966 .
Battery packs are fitted in the engine and behind the car’s rear seats .
Car lasts 110 miles (177 km) on one charge and reaches 90mph (144km/h)
Zelectric Motors has built two prototypes and claims models should be ready to sell next year for $45,000 (£26,300) |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Sarah Michael for Daily Mail Australia . Tamara Ashley was in the middle of a normal phone conversation with her step-mother Kirsty Ashley, chatting about their kids and a trip Kirsty was planning to visit her in Adelaide. Then her step-mum let out a blood-curdling scream. Tamara tried to stay positive, telling herself Kirsty could have just tripped and fallen, but in her gut she knew something was wrong. It was May 15 2012 and Tamara's father Darren Ashley had recently split from Kirsty after 16 years and two children together. She was in the process of taking out a domestic violence order against him. Two weeks earlier, Kirsty, 35, had given Tamara, 27, her mother and brothers' phone numbers just in case anything went wrong. Tamara Ashley, 27, was on the phone to her step-mother and heard her murdered by her father in May 2012 . Darren, 49, had always been manipulative and controlling, but in the six weeks since his split from Kirsty things had gotten worse. 'She'd ring me in the morning and tell me what he'd done day before,' Tamara told Daily Mail Australia from her home in Adelaide. 'There was always something he was doing every day to stop her moving on. 'She lost her job because he'd gone in and accused her of having an affair and her boss didn't want the drama.' There was another incident where he had choked her, which made Kirsty decide to apply for the DVO. On May 14, Kirsty was dropping her and Darren's daughter off at school in Alice Springs when she saw him waiting across the road. Darren Ashley, 49, was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison for the stabbing murder of Kirsty Ashley . Tamara, pictured with Darren, has always known her father was manipulative and controlling, but in the six weeks since his split from Kirsty things had gotten worse . He then tried to cut her car off with his motorbike. When she returned home to her brother's house, where she was staying, he was waiting in the front yard. 'I told her to go straight to the police station, and that night police went to his house to serve the DVO,' Tamara said. The matter was due to be heard in court two days later, but that moment never came. The following day, in the middle of Tamara and Kirsty's two-hour phone conversation, Kirsty noticed her dog Chino had escaped the fence and was wandering around on the street. She thought it was odd, and went outside to get the dog, leaving the door to the house open and unattended. Kirsty came back inside and they continued chatting for another 45 minutes while she checked her Facebook and they discussed the possibility of Kirsty and her daughter visiting Adelaide for a while to get out of Alice Springs and 'clear her head'. Tamara, pictured with Kirsty when she was younger, grew up with her father and step-mother and said she was more like a 'best friend' Then Kirsty screamed and the line went dead. 'You can't describe that scream,' Tamara said. 'I tried to call her back but there was no answer.' Tamara called Kirsty's mother who immediately raced over to the house. 'It was about 25 minutes before I got through to her mum again,' she said. 'She was just screaming saying "They cut her throat!" 'Then it's kind of a bit of a blur from there.' Tamara's immediate reaction to her step-mum's murder was that her father couldn't be responsible. 'My subconscious said "That's my dad, he couldn't do this",' she said. Weeks before the murder Darren had choked Kirsty, which made her decide to apply for a domestic violence order . 'But when the police called me and asked me questions about where he could be, who were his friends, where did they live - I just knew then.' Darren was charged with Kirsty's murder and two years later he appeared in Alice Springs Supreme Court. In May of this year the court heard Kirsty was stabbed with six different knives, suffering 26 wounds including the slit to her throat. Crown Prosecutor David Morters said some of the knives had the blood of bother Darren and Kirsty on them. In June, Darren was found guilty and was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years in prison. In sentencing, Justice Jenny Blokland said: 'In the face of evidence against you it is very difficult to see how you could possibly have thought you could have fooled investigating police. Darren and Kirsty pictured with their children. The crime has divided the family with many believing Darren is innocent . 'Your attempts to deflect responsibility from yourself were childlike. 'It was a frenzied brutal attack, clearly driven by anger. 'It is a sign of the particularly grotesque violence that towards the end of the attack you drew the knife across the deceased's throat cutting her trachea. 'Despite weeks of evidence that established beyond doubt that you were the perpetrator, you appear to have a distorted view of, or cannot accept the reality of what you have done.' Darren is appealing the guilty verdict. Tamara says the verdict has a caused a rift in her family. Her three full-siblings from her father's marriage to her mother and her half-siblings, who are Darren and Kirsty's children, do not believe he is guilty. Darren was 32 and Kirsty was 19 when they got together. They had two kids of their own . 'It's hard for me in the middle of all this because my siblings all believe he is innocent,' Tamara said. 'According to them I'm an outsider. 'Their son was only 12 when it happened and their daughter was 14. 'It's going to take a while I just have to take a step back and let them accept it.' Tamara says she has struggled to come to terms with the death of Kirsty – who she was closer to than her own mother and father. 'There was only 11 years between me and Kirsty, she was like my best friend rather than my mother,' she said. 'When my mother and father separated I stayed with my dad - I was nine and my mum left all four of us kids with him and I was upset with her so I chose to live with him. 'I look at family photos of us and just see those good times and then just try and override it with what he's done,' Tamara said . 'Then of course Kirsty came on the scene and me and her just had this bond.' Kirsty was a devoted mother and step-mother, a tomboy who loved drag racing and motorbikes and who worked hard running her own commercial cleaning business. Every now and then Tamara's subconscious kicks in telling her her father couldn't have killed her step-mum. 'I look at family photos of us and just see those good times and then just try and override it with what he's done,' she said. 'The facts and evidence I know and I've seen just overrides it. 'Basically he's just divided the family in half, he's making us pay for his mistake.'
### SUMMARY:
| Tamara Ashley's father was found guilty of murdering her step-mother .
Darren Ashley, 49, will spend a minimum of 22 years in prison .
Tamara, 27, from Adelaide was on the phone to her step-mum Kirsty when she heard her scream .
She described her father as 'controlling and manipulative'
The crime has caused a major rift in her family, with many of her siblings and half-siblings believing Darren is innocent . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Kieran Corcoran . and Wills Robinson . ISIS are making nearly $1million a day selling off crude oil from conquered refineries to Kurdish businessmen. The jihadists, who now call themselves the Islamic State's caliphate, are smuggling the resources from Iraqi oilfields into Turkey and Iran where they offer it up for $25 (£15) a barrel, making a huge profit. The lucrative trade was revealed as the Iraqi government were accused of killing 255 Sunni prisoners as revenge for the ISIS advance, which has seen them take large swathes of the country. Industry experts believe the fighters are taking the oil from plains south of Mosul and transporting it in tankers, owned by the extremists, so it can be turned into diesel and petrol. Smuggling: Oil tankers, owned by the Islamic State, transport petrol to to be sold to Kurdish businessmen . Lucrative: The jihadists are said to be . Accused: Human Rights Watch has said Iraqi security forces, such as those pictured, killed prisoners when they took back territory from ISIS militants . 'Outrageous violation': The rights watchdog accused the Iraqi forces of committing war crimes . According to The Daily Telegraph, the looting is based in the town of Tuz Khurmatu on the fringes of the Kurdish region. Iraqi oil industry analyst, Shwan zulal said the militants were using their control of a 150-mile swathe of territory to take crude oil from some of Iraq’s prime oil assets. He told the paper: 'In some ways it’s as easy for Isis as digging a hole and letting the oil run before siphoning it off into tankers for transportation and Baiji is a huge complex that it may not fully control but it can take supplies.' The prisoners who were killed came from a rival Muslim denomination to the Shi'ite Iraqi army, were fleeing the violence when they were recaptured and killed, according to human rights campaigners. Human Rights Watch (HRW) brought to light reports of Iraqi armed guards breaking prisoners' arms and legs and shooting them in the head, as well as tossing grenades into cells with inmates inside. It was claimed that eight of the victims were boys who were less than 18 years old. The attacks were thought to be revenge by the Iraqi forces after ISIS took huge swathes of the country in the face of startlingly little resistance. It was widely reported that ISIS added to the chaos around its lightning advance last month by letting inmates loose from Iraqi jails, in the hope they would join their insurgency. The watchdog listed five incidents where Iraqi are believed to have carried out the killings, drawing on testimonies from government workers, hospital staff and lawyers. The accounts include reports of handcuffed, blindfolded and burned bodies being dumped into a ravine near Mosul, Iraq's second city, which was overrun by ISIS on June 9. On the run: Most of the prisoners, who were not combatants, were fleeing from the violence caused by advancing ISIS forces (pictured), HRW claim . Revenge: HRW says the attacks were retribution for the huge gains made by ISIS when they rampaged across the north of Iraq in June. Pictured is a triumphant ISIS fighter holding their flag . Another account speaks of guards bursting into prison cells and opening fire with AK-47s, killing more than 50 people, including teenage boys. In a further incident, the watchdog cites testimonies that prisoners whom Iraqi officials said died in crossfire were in fact killed 'execution-style' by vengeful commanders after an assault. A spokesman for HRW said: 'Gunning down prisoners is an outrageous violation of international law.' 'While the world rightly denounces the atrocious acts of ISIS, it should not turn a blind eye to sectarian killing sprees by government and pro-government forces.' The organisation has demanded an international inquiry be held into the alleged killings. ISIS themselves, whose forces now call themselves The Islamic State, have been subject to a tide of condemnation after footage of their own mass executions emerged. Executions: ISIS themselves has also been attacked for carrying out even more brutal executions, such as the ones from mid-June pictured above where militants marched up and down rows of bodies shooting them . Firing squad: However, HRW said that the brutality of ISIS does not excuse Iraq forces of adopting similar tactics in their fight against them . One man was shown being forced to kneel by the roadside before he was shot in the back of the head, while other gruesome pictures emerged of militants marching up and down rows of prone bodies apparently firing machine guns into them. The claims against Iraqi forces came as their grip on the country slipped further with the advance of Kurdish security forces into disputed oil fields. The takeover of the Bai Hassan and Kirkuk oil fields were the latest land grabs by Kurds, who have responded to ISIS by seizing more territory of their own. Kurdish fighters known as peshmerga pushed into the city of Kirkuk, a major hub for the oil industry in the north, and the surrounding area weeks ago. Territory: Kurdish-controlled Kirkuk, pictured, was hit by car bombs yesterday, killing dozens of people . Aftermath: Security forces stand guard this morning after the attacks just outside of the disputed city . But until now they had not moved into the oil fields themselves. On Friday, however, the fighters took over the Bai Hassan and Kirkuk fields and expelled local workers, the Oil Ministry in Baghdad said. Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad denounced the move as 'a violation to the constitution' and warned that it poses 'a threat to national unity.' The Kurdish Regional Government said its forces moved to secure the fields after learning of what it said were orders by officials in the Oil Ministry to sabotage a pipeline linking oil facilities in the area. It said production would continue, and that staff can return but will operate under Kurdish management. Ties between Kurds and the central Baghdad government are rapidly unravelling as the country fragments in the face of the Sunni militant blitz, led by Islamic State extremists. Expansion: The accusations came as peshmerga fighters from the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq took control of lucrative oil fields just outside the city of Kirkuk . The country is effectively being cleaved along ethnic and sectarian lines - the swath of militant-held Sunni areas, the Shiite-majority south and center ruled by the Shiite-led government in Baghdad and the Kurdish north. The United States and other world powers, as well as Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric, have pressed for a more inclusive government that Iraqis of all stripes can rally around. On Friday, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani again urged lawmakers to move swiftly toward a compromise, calling on them to 'rise above selfish aims.' He said: 'The challenges ... threaten civil peace and the unity of the social fabric and forecast a divided and disputed future for Iraq.'
### SUMMARY:
| Jihadists are smuggling resources from conquered oilfields south of Mosul .
Offering it up for $25 (£15) a barrel to businessmen in Turkey and Iran .
Claims from Human Rights Watch (HRW) who say soldiers shot teenagers .
HRW compiled evidence from six alleged massacres and demanded inquiry .
Thought to be reprisals after ISIS's lightning advance through Iraq in June .
ISIS are well-documented for carrying out their own mass executions . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Forget the disappearing act in the semi-final. Never mind the stats-men telling us that the only time he touched the ball in Holland’s penalty area was when he got lucky with his middle-of-the-goal spot-kick in the sudden-death shoot-out. Let’s hear it for that team talk. Follow the leader: Lionel Messi (centre) speaks to his Argentina team-mates before extra time . In their premature desperation to proclaim Lionel Messi as the greatest footballer of all time, the Argentinian’s sycophants are citing not the way he played for 120 minutes but what he had to say to his amigos between full-time and extra-time. Look at the pictures, they protest. See how he takes over from manager Alejandro Sabella come the crunch. For heaven’s sake, spare us. Spare him, also. Because they do their own idol a disservice. Not least by ignoring that it was Javier Mascherano - the man who really did most to squeeze Argentina through to Sunday’s World Cup Final against Germany - who picked up the motivation mantle after the Dutch had threatened through the first 15 minutes of the additional half-hour. Messi was literally Little Leo on this occasion. A peripheral figure in a match which, while important in its result, was monumental only by the scale of its tedium. That does not mean Messi is anything less than an exceptional footballer, perhaps the finest of his generation. But if he is to be elevated to the pantheon of Pele, Maradona, Garrincha and di Stefano it will take something other than a spot of tub-thumping in the huddle. Stepping up to the plate: Javier Mascherano led the team talk at half-time during extra time . At his shimmering best, Messi is a delight to behold. As a shooting star in the highest firmament of the club game he may well be entitled to begrudge Cristiano Ronaldo being given his turn as world footballer of the year just because he himself had won that honour so often. As it stands at this moment Messi needs a final-winning spectacular against Germany in the Maracana. Not least because he has disappointed in his previous World Cups. That will sound severe to Messi’s legion of admirers but it is only the most exacting judgement which makes any ultimate accolade worth receiving. This is a challenge to which Messi is capable of rising and it will be sad for him, as well as unfortunate for us all, if suspicions that he may be less than totally fit for the grandest occasion of his life prove well-founded. That way? Messi gestures during the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Holland . VIDEO When Messi is on form - highlights . There did appear to be a heaviness in the legs and perhaps a favouring of one of them against the Dutch. Also, a hint of fleshiness about the jowels hinted at possible limitations on his training. Certainly, the crisp finishing which had carried Argentina through the earlier stages of the tournament was missing. Although it has to be said that those four goals tended to mask performances which fell rather short of virtuoso splendour. It may well be that the brutal tackling which has provided a nasty undercurrent to Brazil 2014 is taking its toll of Messi. Chilling out: Messi sits down during a training session near Belo Horizonte on Thursday ahead of the final . If so, while the effects may not be as drastic as the crippling of Neymar, they could be debilitating nonetheless. If that is the case, the heart goes out to him. If not, does he deserve as yet to be lacing up the boots in celestial company? Not unless he pulls his socks up on Sunday. Jubilation: Argentina players celebrate after defeating Holland in a penalty shoot-out on Wednesday . VIDEO Team Profile: Argentina highlights . So it’s goodnight from him, the Alan Hansen the twitter trolls love to hate. And it’s goodnight from him, the Alan Hansen whose judgement the more considered BBC viewers seriously respect. The TV football pundit who divides public opinion more sharply than any other is leaving the building for the last time on Sunday night. And it's goodnight from me: Alan Hansen will retire as the BBC's leading television football pundit this Sunday . Hansen made his final appearance before the Match of the Day cameras in May. Quite why, when he is not yet 60, is a matter between himself and his Auntie Beeb. He will disappear from our screens for good – well, with the probable exceptions of occasional guest appearances – when the lights go out in that temporary glass studio on Copacabana beach. Not a bad way to go out, a World Cup Final in Brazil. The BBC are making a fuss about it which has included a documentary programme. Nice of them. But switching off his broadcasting career of 20-odd years does not mark the most significant retirement of Hansen’s life. Most of the younger tele-generation may not realise it but this man’s most profound analysis of the game was expressed on the pitch, when he was one of the most cerebral players of his era. Back in the day: Hansen (left) pictured with Des Lynam (centre) and Sir Trevor Brooking in the 1990s . Having cut his Scottish teeth on helping Partick Thistle win the First Division title, and with it promotion to the Premier League, Hansen’s made his lifetime career move to Liiverpool. The apparently overt elegance and laid-back style which would come to irritate the detractors among his television audience were a source of enormous reassurance to his Anfield team-mates. They called him 'Jockey' but they would have been better sticking to his original nick-name 'Stretch'. That referred to the languorous manner in which he would extend one of those long legs to coax the ball away from opposing forwards and thereby snuff out danger with what looked like effortless ease. Consider the importance of that classy contribution to a golden age of Liverpool domination both at home and in Europe. Euro glory: Hansen (right), Graeme Souness (left) and Kenny Dalglish hold up the European Cup in 1981 . Hansen won three European Cup winner’s medals. He helped Liverpool to eight English league titles and two FA Cups, which included the classic domestic double of 1986 to which he captained them under the management of Kenny Dalglish. To all that, he can add our League Cups, one European Super Cup and six FA Charity Shields. To some extent his abilities went less recognised in his own country. He played only 26 times for Scotland and was dropped from the ill-fated squad for Mexico 86. In part that related to the formidable centre-back pairing of Alex McLeish and Willie Miller which Sir Alex Ferguson had forged at Aberdeen. International duty: Hansen pictured playing for Scotland at the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain . It may have had something to do, also, with his seemingly aloof demeanour. That was at its most evident after he won the ball and proceeded to build attacks from the back with his calm, unhurried, perceptive passes. If Scotland ever did produce a Bobby Moore, It was Alan Hansen. Enough said. Turn off the lights. And a very good night to him.
### SUMMARY:
| Mascherano was the man who picked up the motivation mantle against Holland in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday .
Messi needs a final-winning spectacular against Germany in the Maracana .
The Barcelona superstar is perhaps the finest footballer of his generation .
Alan Hansen will retire as the BBC's lead television pundit on Sunday . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
More than a decade after being sent to the war zone, the last British troops serving in Afghanistan are finally preparing to come home. Thirteen years after arriving in Helmand Province, the remaining servicemen and women have begun packing up military equipment ahead of their long-awaited return. In thanks for their service, a collection of stunning images documenting their final days at Camp Bastion has been shared across the UK. Among the images taken by acclaimed photographer Robert Wilson are portraits of the soldiers and landscapes of their living quarters. Rounds of artillery and weapon storage units are also depicted in the collection which offers astonishing insight into the realities of being at war. The 59 photographs are to be scattered across Britain in a bid to raise public appreciation of the soldiers' contribution and remind the country of how dangerous the conflict was. More than 400 British troops have died in Afghanistan since 2002, with 2009 the bloodiest year of battle in which 109 died. A dog handler and his Alsatian stand at base in April. The animals are highly trained to carry out patrols, vehicle searches and patrols on the front line. They are cared for in air-conditioned kennels at Camp Bastion, but sleep with their handlers when they have to leave the base . The 59 photographs are to be scattered across Britain in a bid to raise public appreciation of the soldiers' contribution and remind the country of how dangerous the conflict was . Two servicewomen are pictured in stunning portraits taken in Afghanistan. The image of the freckled soldier was taken in an area called Theatre Equipment Support (left) and will be displayed in Kettering while the other, of a woman eating a lollipop on her way back from dinner will appear in Stockton-on-Tees. Mr Wilson snapped the woman enjoying her sweet to capture normality. 'I was constantly looking for images of everyday items amongst the alien environment of a war zone,' he said . A soldier returns from one of the final patrols at the camp with ammunition draped around his soldier on the hot day in this photograph to be shown in Southampton . A bagpiper plays shortly before his battalion is due to be sent out 'beyond the wire' - past the perimeter fence. Traditionally he played vehicles out of the walls at Camp Bastion. His photograph will be shown in Etterick & Lauderdale on the Scottish Borders . Troops board an RAF A330 in the early hours of the morning as they prepare to make their final journey home from Camp Bastion. It will be displayed in Camden, north London . Two soldiers are photographed after returning from one of their last patrols at Camp Bastion. They will be shown in Chichester (right) and Westminster (left), London . A decorated blast wall at Camp Bastion shows murals by the troops created to commemorate their tour. Each section weighs around two tonnes so could not be brought home with the soldiers at the end of the year. They were all due to be whitewashed shortly after the photographer's departure earlier this year. This image will appear in North Avon . A soldier welds pieces of metal into a rose to send home to a loved one in the Theatre Equipment Support area. The contrast of the harsh setting and material with the softness of the flower shape is what drew Mr Wilson to take the photograph, he said. It will be displayed in Milton Keynes . A soldier relaxes with a book and an iPad on his bed at Camp Bastion after returning from dinner. Most of the soldiers have been reduced to tented accommodation as the drawback continues, with this particular tent sleeping ten troops. The soldier's Spongebob Squarepants sheets give a nod to his life at home . Two soldiers relax after dinner in their tent at Camp Bastion, their uniforms displayed and trinkets from home scattered among hanging, fabric shelves. One soldier's machine gun rests readily at the end of his cot bed in the image which will be shown in Corby . This portrait of a Tornado pilot at Kandahar International Airfield reflects an aircraft in the troop's helmet. The airfield is one of the military's largest bases, housing around hundred aircraft . The view through the windscreen of a Foxhound patrol vehicle as it drives through the streets of Kabul while returning to Camp Souter from Camp Qargha. Two screens with views of the surrounding road from every angle of the car are among its high-tech features. The photograph will be displayed in Manchester . Tattoos were among the most personal examples of how soldiers reminded themselves of home. A female soldier shows off support of West Bromwich Albion Football Club in an image to be shown in Sandwell, West Bromwich, while another enjoys a Calipo in a rare moment of normality (right). Her artistic tattoo and engagement ring offer an insight into life back home. The picture will be shown in Bedford . The nose cone of a Boeing 747 is lifted to allow the plane to be loaded with equipment as soldiers pack up the remaining equipment at Camp Bastion. It is to be shown in Ipswich at a postal depot . Rows of shiny bandoliers is one of the photographer's favourite images from the entire collection (left). The weaponry was being laid out for storage and cleaning after the Warthog armoured vehicle brigade returned from patrol. Guns were returned to ISO containers following the routine patrol (right) An interior view of one of the lookout towers at Camp Souter in Kabul which are all located around the perimeter of its base. Its main function is to provide early warning of enemy attack . This stunning landscape was taken at Camp Bastion. It shows Warthog armoured vehicles returning from a patrol, their heavy wheels turfing up sand and dust as the convoy roars past for around 20 minutes . A group of medics go through weapon training at the 25 metre range in Camp Bastion. This photograph will be displayed in Leatherhead later this year . A married Tornado pilot soldier fits his mask at Kandahar Airfield. The aircraft can be scrambled and in the air within a matter of minutes in threatening situations . Taken at the flight line of Camp Bastion where troops mainly service Apache and Chinook helicopters, this image resonated with Robert Wilson who lives close to Heathrow in London . A soldier works on one of the enormous Warthog vehicles at Camp Bastion after returning from one of the final patrols. This image will be displayed in Dudley, overlooking a garage . A container used to store equipment in an area known as War Like Scrap at Camp Bastion. Anything that can't be recycled or returned to the UK is destroyed so that it is not misappropriated . A group of soldiers clean and pack away their equipment at Camp Bastion after one of the final Warthog patrols. Robert Wilson, who also visited the conflict zone in 2008, said the camp was calmer than it was six years ago but that the dangers of being there were still present . An image taken in one of the RAF control rooms at Kandhar International Airport show headphones with servicemen and women's markings on them . A lookout post - or 'sangar' - as referred to by the troops are scattered all over the camp. Each one is manned by eight troops who live there for two weeks at a time. Each has its own kitchen, solar shower and exercise area . The back section of the jet engine from a Tornado aircraft taken at Kandahar Air Field. Mr Wilson was struck by the symmetry of its pattern and the colours it displays which, he said, were in contrast with its purpose .
### SUMMARY:
| Soldiers have been serving in Afghanistan since 2001 following a US-led attack on country after 9/11 .
More than 400 British servicemen and woman from the army, RAF and Marines have died while there .
Final preparations are being made for the troops to come home after more than a decade on the front line . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
America is poised to ask Britain to support air strikes against jihadi positions in northern Iraq, it was reported last night. The White House believes the UK and Australia would be willing to join in such an air campaign, according to the New York Times. And it claimed officials are on the point of asking the Prime Minister – as well as leaders of a string of other countries including Qatar, Jordan, Turkey and Australia – about it. Scroll down for video . Request: America is poised to ask Britain to support air strikes against jihadi positions in northern Iraq, it was reported last night. Above, a US Navy F/A-18 sets off to strike IS positions in Iraq earlier this month . Leaders: Barack Obama (left) is said to be on the point of asking David Cameron (right) - as well as leaders of other countries including Qatar and Australia - if they would be willing to join in such an air campaign . However, Downing Street sources said yesterday no request from the Obama administration had yet been made, and that UK involvement in air strikes would need ‘a lot of discussion first’. Parliament is expected to debate the issue when it returns on Monday. The Prime Minister has previously indicated that any military action would have to be approved by MPs. Britain is already supplying intelligence, surveillance and support from Special Forces as well as refuelling facilities to warplanes. But taking part in air strikes would mark a major escalation. It is also currently preparing to join the . US in resuming humanitarian air lifts to ferry aid to 12,000 members of . the Turkmen community besieged for two months by Islamic State . militants in the northern town of Amerli. As the UK announced a further £10million worth of aid to Iraq, senior defence planners were asked to ‘scope’ how a mission to ease the plight of those stranded could be launched. It would be likely to follow US air strikes on Islamic State (IS) positions and involve both special forces and RAF Hercules transport planes operating out of Cyprus. It is feared IS has ground-to-air missiles capable of bringing down an aircraft. Nickolay Mladenov, the UN special . representative for Iraq, has said the situation in Amerli ‘demands . immediate action to prevent the possible massacre of its citizens’ while . community leaders have warned of a ‘catastrophe'. Any humanitarian aid drops would be . similar to those flown by the RAF to members of the Yazidi community . trapped two weeks ago on the Sinjar mountains. As the US prepared to launch a fresh wave of air strikes, new horrific details of IS atrocities emerged. Supporters: Demonstrators are pictured chanting their support for Islamic State (IS) as they wave al-Qaida flags in front of the provincial government headquarters in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, Iraq . Soldiers: Armed with guns, Kurdish Peshmerga forces are seen sweeping the Bakirta village near the town of Makhmur, south of Erbil, Kurdistan, yesterday after Islamic State (IS) insurgents withdrew from the village . A UN report said public executions, mock crucifixions, whippings and amputations are being regularly carried out as part of a chilling campaign of fear and intimidation by the militants. The jihadists responsible for the murder of US journalist James Foley were also found to be forcing boys as young as ten to join up and using teenagers in suicide attacks while boys of 15 are being beheaded publicly. Investigators say that women have been publicly lashed for not following the group’s strict dress code and some stoned to death after allegations of infidelity. The shocking chronicle of atrocities and torture are included in a report by the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights which paints a disturbing and bleak picture of all sides in the Syrian civil war, accusing the regime of Bashar al-Assad of repeatedly using chemical weapons against civilians. Horrific: The jihadists responsible for the murder of US journalist James Foley, which was captured on video (pictured), were also found to be forcing boys as young as ten to join up and using teenagers in suicide attacks . It says that both the militants and the Assad regime are committing war crimes. ‘Executions in public spaces have become a common spectacle on Fridays’ in Raqqa, the Syrian city that has become IS’s stronghold and is now the focus of US spy planes, the report said. ‘Children have been present at the executions, which take the form of beheading or shooting in the head at close range … Bodies are placed on public display, often on crucifixes, for up to three days, serving as a warning to local residents.’ In the 45-page report, the panel described beheadings of boys aged 15, men flogged for smoking or accompanying an ‘improperly dressed’ female relative. The report said: ‘Women have been lashed . for not abiding by IS’s dress code. In Raqqa, children as young as ten . are being recruited and trained at IS camps.’ Besieged: Britain is also currently preparing to join the US in resuming humanitarian air lifts to ferry aid to 12,000 members of the Turkmen community besieged for two months by IS in the town of Amerli (pictured) As a result, UN officials have expressed caution over US air strikes against IS targets because of the number of young boys among them. A spokesman said: ‘Among the most disturbing findings in this report are accounts of large training camps where children, mostly boys from the age of 14, are recruited and trained to fight in the ranks of ISIS along with adults,’ he said. ‘We are aware of the presence of children in training camps, I think that this decision by the United States must respect the laws of war and we are concerned about the presence of these children.’ The report, compiled after six months of investigations, came as IS supporters tweeted pictures allegedly showing militants executing Syrian army soldiers after capturing the government Tabqa airbase near Raqqa in eastern Syria. The pictures have not been verified. Trapped: Any humanitarian aid drops would be similar to those flown by the RAF to members of the Yazidi community trapped two weeks ago on the Sinjar mountains. Above, Yazidi women on the mountains . The commission was created three years ago by the UN Human Rights Council to investigate abuses committed in the war, in which 200,000 people in Syria are estimated to have died. It will present to the council next month its latest report covering a litany of war crimes and crimes against humanity it says were carried out by the Syrian government, Islamic State and other opposition groups. Many fighters from Syria’s weakened rebel battalions are defecting to Islamic State ‘owing to the latter’s superior financial and operational capabilities,’ it warns. Among the allegations of war crimes committed by the Syrian government was the use of suspected chlorine gas, a chemical agent, in eight separate incidents in April and May of this year. The report also detailed the use of barrel bombs by the Syrian Air Force which were dropped on civilian neighbourhoods. Deaths in custody in Syrian jails are on the rise and forensic analysis of 26,948 photographs allegedly taken from 2011-2013 in government detention centres back its ‘longstanding findings of systematic torture and deaths of detainees’.
### SUMMARY:
| America is poised to ask Britain to support air strikes, it has been claimed .
White House 'believes UK and Australia would be willing to join campaign'
Officials are said to be on point of asking Prime Minister David Cameron .
UK is already supplying intelligence and surveillance from Special Forces . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
The father of Irish journalist Jill Meagher directly addressed his daughter's killer in an Australian courtroom yesterday, telling him: 'It's not okay to rape and murder my child'. Speaking in a strong and steady voice, George McKeon read a heartbreaking victim impact statement to Adrian Bayley at this pre-sentence hearing in Victoria. In stark contrast, the 41-year-old sexual predator cut a cowardly figure in the dock with his head bowed and refused to look Mrs Meagher's family in the eye. The hearing was told how Bayley had been convicted of 22 rapes against six women and was on parole when he attacked the County Louth woman in September last year. Now the premier of the Australian state . of Victoria has ordered a full inquiry into how the serial rapist, who . should have been in jail, was free to kill the 29-year-old. Spoke in a strong and steady voice: George McKeon (left), the father of murdered Irish journalist Jill Meagher (right) directly addressed his daughter's killer in an Australian courtroom at his pre-sentence hearing . Sexual predator: Mrs Meagher's killer Adrian Bayley had been convicted of 21 rapes against six women and was on parole when he attacked the 29-year-old in September last year, Victoria Supreme Court heard . The hearing also heard an account from her husband, Tom Meagher, who was too devastated to read his victim impact statement himself. It told how his life was destroyed on the night Bayley attacked his beautiful young wife as she walked alone to her Melbourne home. Bayley, now 41, was 18 years old when he raped his first victim – a 16-year-old friend of his own sister. And he has committed more sex crimes over the past two decades. Mr Meagher told the hearing yesterday how he is still haunted by the fact he was not able to tell his 29-year-old wife that he loved her in her last moments. 'My love, my best friend, my entire world': Husband Tom Meagher (pictured with his wife on their wedding day, left, and on a trip, right) told in a victim impact statement how his life had been destroyed by his wife's death . Targeted: Mrs Meagher (pictured with her brother Michael on her wedding day) was attacked by Bayley as she walked home alone to her Melbourne home . The statement, read to the court by a . spokesman, said: ‘The knowledge that those last moments were terrifying . and painful and the knowledge that with her final walk she had crossed . paths with evil haunts me every day.’ He . said, ‘my love, my best friend and my entire world’ had been stolen, as . well as ‘the possibility of a family and our lives together’. He added: . ‘I am half a person because of this crime. I think of the waste of a . brilliant mind... at the hands of a grotesque and soulless human being.’ Bayley . has already pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of Mrs Meagher, after . he attacked her in a lane in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick on . September 22 last year, as she walked home after socialising with . colleagues from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The hearing at Victoria’s Supreme Court . that Bayley had previously been found guilty of 21 rape offences and . was on parole for attacking five prostitutes when he assaulted the . County Louth woma in September last year. In . 2002, Bayley was sentenced to 11 years for raping five prostitutes, but . was freed on parole in 2011, which would have lasted until March this . year. Grief-stricken: Mr McKeon (centre) reacts after he releases doves with his wife Edith (left), Mrs Meagher's husband Tom (second right) and her brother Michael (second left) at her funeral in Melbourne in October . Predator: Bayley is led into a prison van at the Supreme Court in Melbourne in April after pleading guilty to the rape and murder Mrs Meagher . Cowardly: Bayley, 41, cowers in the back of a polcie car just after Australian homicide detectives charged him with the rape and murder of Mrs Meagher in September . In February last year, . he was sentenced to three months for assaulting a man and should have . been sent back to jail, but he appealed it and was released – enabling . him to rape and strangle Jill. Now the parole board has been criticised for not taking action just months before Bayley turned killer. Denis . Napthine – premier of the state of Victoria, where Melbourne is the . capital – is ‘astounded’ that Bayley was free to roam the streets and . has ordered an inquiry. He admitted: ‘There is no doubt the system . failed Jill Meagher.’ In Mr McKeon's victim impact statement, he told hown which the 55-year-old told how his daughter travelled home to see him after he had a stroke last September. He said she made him promise to get better as she wanted her children to have ‘a young granddad to run around with’. He said: ‘Every young child, small baby less than three months old, they just remind me of Jillian and they remind me of what would have been, that by now, Jillian would be three to four months’ pregnant.’ Tragic: Flowers were placed outside of Duchess Boutique in Sydney Road, Melbourne, the last place Jill Meagher was seen alive via CCTV footage . Crime scene: Forensic police inspect the body of Australian Broadcasting Corporation employee Jill Meagher in Gisborne South, north of Melbourne, Australia in September last year . Her mother Edith was unable to attend the hearing due to illness, but her statement was read out to the court. She said: ‘My life stopped on September 22, 2012. I have been shocked to the core of my being. I can no longer live an ordinary life and my heart suffers from the deepest wound from which it will never recover.’ In court yesterday chief prosecutor Gavin Silbert told the judge that Bayley killed Mrs Meagher because he knew he would face a term of up to 20 years for raping her. ‘Accordingly, he [felt] he had no option but to kill her,’ Mr Silbert said. But the court heard Bayley told a psychologist that after raping Ms Meagher, he held her down ‘for long enough to kill her’ because she retaliated and threatened to tell police. ‘It is much more likely that this was a rage-based response to what was occurring, as opposed to being a rational assessment of the need to dispose of a witness, if I can put it in that blunt and rather inappropriate way,’ defence counsel Saul Holt, SC, said. In a letter read out in court, Bayley offered an apology. The claimed he was not seeking forgiveness and realised he deserved a sentence of life imprisonment. However, his defence lawyer asked for a lenient sentence so that he could rehabilitate. But Mr Silbert said Bayley only confessed after he was ‘backed into a corner’. Justice Geoff Nettle will sentence Bayley next Wednesday.
### SUMMARY:
| George McKeon spoke in a strong and steady voice to Adrian Bayley .
Serial rapist bowed his head in dock and refused to look him in the eye .
Husband tells court he has lost 'my love, my best friend, my entire world'
Bayley convicted of 22 previous rapes on six women, Victoria court told .
Given 11 years for raping five prostitutes, but freed on parole in 2011 .
Was allowed to stay on the streets despite attacking a man last year .
Victoria premier orders full inquiry into why he was not sent back to jail . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
A dental assistant fired for being too attractive was sent text messages by her bosses asking how often she 'experiences orgasms'. Melissa Nelson, 32, was sent the raunchy text by Iowa dentist James Knight around six months before she was sacked. Documents from the Iowa Supreme Court show Knight had previously made inappropriate comments at work about his employee's clothing being too tight or distracting. Fired: Melissa Nelson was so attractive, Iowa dentist James Knight fired her out of fear she'd make him want to stray from his marriage . Hello ladies: Despite Nelson being 21 years younger than him, married, and 'not interested in a relationship,' Knight believed it would be too hard not to start an affair with her . Justices wrote: 'Dr Knight acknowledges he once told Nelson that if she saw his pants bulging, she would know her clothing was too revealing.' Dr Knight's lawyers argue it was Mrs Nelson who acted inappropriately and that is why she was fired. Attorney Stuart Cochrane said: 'She’s an attractive lady. Dr. Knight found her behavior and dress to be inappropriate.' But Mrs Nelson said she was shocked to discover the reasons behind her sacking. She told ABC News: 'I was very surprised after working so many years side by side I didn’t have any idea that that would have crossed his mind.' Ms Nelson has also slammed the court' s 'completely wrong' decision to rule in favour of Dr Knight.She said: 'I think it is sending a message that men can do whatever they want in the work force' The court ruled 7-0 on Friday that bosses can sack employees they see as an 'irresistible attraction,' even if they have not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong. Appearing on CNN Friday night, assistant Mrs Nelson said the decision was deeply unfair. 'I don't think this is fair,' she said from her Iowa home by phone. 'I don't think this is right.' Such firings may be unfair, but they . are not unlawful discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act because . they are motivated by feelings and emotions, and not gender, Justice . Edward Mansfield wrote. Content: Happily married with children Nelson said she saw Knight as a father figure and had 'absolutely' no interest in him romantically . An attorney for the Fort Dodge dentist said the decision, the first of its kind in Iowa, is a victory for family values because Knight fired Nelson in the interest of saving his marriage, not because she was a woman. But Nelson's attorney said Iowa's all-male high court, one of only a handful in the nation, failed to recognize the discrimination women see routinely in the workplace. Nelson insisted she was never interested in Knight romantically, regardless of his own feelings. 'Absolutely not,' she said. 'I'm happily married.' Since Knight fired her she has worked as a waitress six nights a week. While her former boss claimed her clothes were so tight he couldn't look at her without being aroused, Nelson said the only outfit she wore to work was standard scrubs worn by many nurses and assistants in dental offices. Asked if she saw herself as irresistibly attractive, Nelson laughed at the question. Family man: Knight's wife, who also works in the dental office, demanded Nelson be fired when she discovered text messages . 'I'm just an ordinary girl,' she said. 'Just an ordinary mom.' Also appearing via call-in, her attorney, Paige Fiedler, said it was unlikely they would seek an appeal because of the way the case was filed as only interpreting state law. 'These judges sent a message to Iowa women that they don't think men can be held responsible for their sexual desires and that Iowa women are the ones who have to monitor and control their bosses' sexual desires,' Fielder said. 'If they get out of hand, then the women can be legally fired for it.' Nelson, 32, worked for Knight for 10 years, and he considered her a stellar worker. But in the final months of her employment, he complained that her tight clothing was distracting, once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing, according to the opinion. He also once allegedly remarked about her infrequent sex life by saying, 'that's like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.' 'That's like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.' Knight and Nelson — both married with children — started exchanging text messages, mostly about personal matters, such as their families. Knight's wife, who also worked in the dental office, found out about the messages and demanded Nelson be fired. The Knights consulted with their pastor, who agreed that terminating Nelson was appropriate. Knight fired Nelson and gave her one month's severance. He later told Nelson's husband he worried he was getting too personally attached and feared he would eventually try to start an affair with her. Ordinary mom: Nelson has been working as a waitress since she lost her dental job and is unsure of her future career path . Nelson was stunned because she viewed . the 53-year-old Knight as a father figure and had never been interested . in starting a relationship, Fiedler said. Nelson filed a lawsuit alleging gender discrimination, arguing she would not have been terminated if she was male. She did not allege sexual harassment because Knight's conduct may not have risen to that level and didn't particularly offend her, Fiedler said. 'The motives . behind Dr. Knight terminating Mrs. Nelson were quite clear: He did so . to preserve his marriage. Knight argued Nelson was fired not because of her gender, but because her continued employment threatened his marriage. A district judge agreed, dismissing the case before trial, and the high court upheld that ruling. Mansfield noted that Knight had an all-female workforce and Nelson was replaced by a woman. He said the decision was in line with state and federal court rulings that found workers can be fired for relationships that cause jealousy and tension within a business owner's family. One such case from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a business owner's firing of a valued employee who was seen by his wife as a threat to their marriage. In that case, the fired employee had engaged in flirtatious conduct. Jurisprudence: Justice Edward Mansfield penned the Iowa Supreme Court's decision on Knight's dismissal of Melissa Nelson . Mansfield said allowing Nelson's lawsuit would stretch the definition of discrimination to allow anyone fired over a relationship to file a claim arguing they would not have been fired but for their gender. Knight's attorney, Stuart Cochrane, said the court got it right. The decision clarified that bosses can make decisions showing favoritism to a family member without committing discrimination; in this case, by allowing Knight to honor his wife's wishes to fire Nelson, he said. Knight is a very religious and moral individual, and he sincerely believed that firing Nelson would be best for all parties, he said. 'While there was really no fault on the part of Mrs. Nelson, it was just as clear the decision to terminate her was not related to the fact that she was a woman,' he said. 'The motives behind Dr. Knight terminating Mrs. Nelson were quite clear: He did so to preserve his marriage. 'I don't view this as a decision that was either pro-women or opposed to women rights at all. In my view, this was a decision that followed the appropriate case law.'
### SUMMARY:
| Melissa Nelson was sent raunchy text six month before she was sacked .
Boss said his 'pants would bulge' if Mrs Nelson's clothes were too revealing .
Mrs Nelson said court decision in favour of sacking is 'completely wrong'
She said the boss' reasons for firing her came as a surprise . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Six men accused of raping a 39-year-old tourist and beating her husband with sticks during a cycling holiday in India have appeared in court. The suspects, who police say are local farmers, were arrested yesterday and have been charged with gang rape. The attack comes just three months after the gang rape and fatal beating of a student in Delhi that sparked protests across India. Campaigners said women in the country are becoming more vulnerable as 'the men have gone totally berserk.' Scroll down for video . Arrested: Five of the six men charged with the gang rape of a Swiss tourist are presented by the Madhya Pradesh police personnel dressed in black hoods with eye holes cut out . Accused: Police say the suspects are aged between 20 and 25 and belong to a local tribe . Investigation: The Swiss woman who was allegedly attacked (centre), is escorted by policewomen for a medical examination at a hospital in Gwalior, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh . Police said all six suspects are aged between 20 and 25 and belong to a local tribe. They have been remanded in custody and are due back in court tomorrow. The Swiss couple told police that the woman was raped by seven or eight men, but that it was dark and they could not be . sure of the exact number. They said the man was beaten and tied to a tree while his wife was sexually assaulted. It is the latest in a string of violent sex attacks in India that has shocked the subcontinent. One 23-year-old was raped and tortured . in December, and a 29-year-old who was grabbed from a bus in and gang . raped in Amritsar by six men in January. Campaigners are concerned at the . growing vulnerability of women in India despite assurances from the . Government that they will tackle abuse. Ranjana Kumari of the Centre for Social . Research think tank said 127 cases of rape have been registered in Delhi since the fatal assault on the student. She told The Telegraph: 'It is absolutely shocking and speaks volumes on how Indian society is . treating women. 'The men have gone totally berserk. We're feeling . frustrated and in despair. What must we do to change their mentality?' The attack on the Swiss couple has . also highlighted concerns about the rise in attacks on foreign women and . those out with husbands or male friends. The husband and wife had set up camp at a village near Datia town, in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, when up to eight men burst into their tent. The . pack of men pounced on the couple, beating them with wooden sticks . before overpowering the man and gang-raping his wife, the husband . claimed. An Indian security official looks over the site where a Swiss woman was allegedly raped by eight men . The woman's husband said the men pounced and beat them with wooden sticks before gang-raping her . Police said the six suspects who have been charged with gang rape are poor farmers from nearby villages . Police said the gang then stole the pair's belongings and fled, Independent Online reported. D.K. Arya, deputy inspector general of police said the gang took a laptop, . 10,000 rupees (£120) and a mobile phone, CNN reported. The Swiss woman was taken to hospital, where medical examinations proved she had been raped, The News Tribe reported. In a shocking turn of events the woman was paraded through a staring . crowd as photographers jostled to take her pictures, mere hours after . she had been attacked. Cloaked with a towel to cover her face and head, two female police officers gripped the victim's arms as she was taken to hospital for a medical examination. Her picture was taken as she was pulled through the swarm of people. Swiss Foreign Ministry spokesman . Tilman Renz described the case as 'deeply disturbing' and said Swiss . diplomats were assisting the couple. The . diplomats called on Indian authorities 'to do everything to quickly . find the perpetrators so that they can be held accountable,' Renz said . in a statement. One woman is raped every 20 minutes in India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. But police estimate only four out of 10 rapes are reported, largely due . to victims' fear of being shamed by their families and communities. Last . month, the Swiss government issued a travel notice for India that . included a warning about 'increasing numbers of rapes and other sexual . offenses' in the South Asian nation. The violent attack comes mere months after a horrifying attack on a young woman in the Indian capital. The couple had been cycling from Orchha when they were brutally attacked, with eight men 'gang-raping' the Swiss woman in front of her husband . The Swiss tourist has been taken to hospital after she was violently assaulted in Madhya Pradesh, India . India has seen a wave of violent sex attacks that have swept the subcontinent . Five . men and a juvenile are awaiting trial for the sickening gang rape and . attack the 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist in Delhi in December last . year. The assault triggered nationwide protests and an intense debate about rampant crime against women in India. One of the accused is dead after he was found hanging in his cell. Police allege the six attacked the woman and her male companion on the bus as the couple returned home after watching Life Of Pi on December 16. The woman was repeatedly raped and tortured with a metal bar. The couple were also severely beaten before being thrown onto a road. The woman died of internal injuries in a Singapore hospital two weeks later. In January a woman was travelling to her in-laws' home in Punjab when she was allegedly snatched and driven to a district bordering Amritsar, the Sikh holy city. Five men joined the driver and conductor, who had taken her by motorbike to an unknown address, and took turns to rape the 29-year-old. They dumped her near her in-laws' village the next morning where she told relatives of her ordeal, police said. Six men were arrested and a seventh was on the run from police, officers said. A 14-year-old schoolgirl was put on life support in hospital after being brutally gang-raped in rural India in late January. Police had failed to make any arrests since the horrific attack in the Jalandhar district of Punjab ten days after the attack. An Indian boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a security guard who allegedly told the child off for trying to rape an 11-year-old girl. The boy, who has not been named, was arrested in Kalyan, in the outskirts of Mumbai, on suspicion of murder and molestation. The child is accused of dragging a girl who lives near him onto the terrace of his home and trying to rape her, reported NDTV. However, she managed to raise the alarm and escape. Security guard Haji Abdul Jabbar Shaikh then publically warned the boy at a community meeting but he was attacked by six people on Friday as he was walking home. Shahenaj Shaikh, the victim's mother, told NDTV: 'He protects everybody. 'He has done something good. He looked out for the girl, took care of her respect and became a martyr.' She said her son was so badly beaten he could not stand or speak and local media said four of his fingers were chopped off during the attack. As well as the child, police have arrested another man who is accused of murder.
### SUMMARY:
| Couple attacked by eight men as they camped near Madhya Pradesh village .
Men allegedly gang-raped the woman after beating couple with sticks .
Six men have been arrested and charged with gang rape .
Campaigners say latest attack shows growing vulnerability of women . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Scroll down for video . A two-year-old girl can't cuddle her parents without being in agony due to a rare condition which has left her skin as fragile as butterfly wings. Poppy Lovatt, from Stoke-on-Trent suffers from the Epidermolysis Bullosa disorder (EB) which makes her skin fall off at the slightest touch. The toddler has to be lifted by parents Kim, 30, and Paul, 38, by her bottom because touching her arms causes her flesh to tear. Standing proud: Poppy Lovatt, a two-year-old girl from Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, can't cuddle her parents without being in agony due to a rare condition which has left her skin as fragile as a butterfly's wings . The Lovatt family: L-R Paul, 38, Jacob, seven, Poppy, two, and Kim 30 . Poppy has to have her wounds dressed twice-a-day but her parents can't comfort her with too many hugs in case it causes more sores. Blisters often form on the skin on the toddler's hands and feet as well as on most of her joints leaving her in agonising pain. Mr and Mrs Lovatt also have to avoid picking their daughter up regularly and even the friction from her clothing can cause her skin to flake off. She has been nicknamed, 'the butterfly girl' because the condition leaves her skin as delicate as the insect's wings. The couple said despite living in almost constant pain Poppy never stops smiling. Poppy as a three-month-old baby held by her older brother Jacob, now seven. Poppy has to have her wounds dressed twice-a-day but her parents cannot comfort her with too many hugs in case it causes even more sores . Happy baby: Despite suffering from EB since birth, Poppy Lovatt, pictured here at six months old, has always smiled . Poppy Lovatt, pictured here at four months old. She is nicknamed 'The Butterfly Girl' because the condition Epidermolysis Bullosa leaves her skin as delicate as the insect's wings . They also spoke of their heartache at not being able to pick up their daughter sometimes when she wants a hug. Mr Lovatt, a project buyer, said: 'We knew a bit about the disease because looking back, a lot of Kim's family members suffered from it, but it had always been very mild. 'Unfortunately though, when Poppy was born, she got it quite severely. 'She has to be quite heavily bandaged up but we try not to treat her any differently from her brother Jacob. 'We do have to be careful with her, especially when she falls over, because her skin is very fragile and she can blister within minutes, but we just want to try and make sure she leads as normal a life as possible. Poppy's damage to her leg when she was born took three months to heal . Poppy can't cuddle her parents without being in agony due to a rare condition . Family ties: (L-R) Paul, Jacob, Poppy and Kim, from Stoke-on-Trent want to raise awareness of EB. Mr and Mrs Lovatt are taking part in London's Bupa 10k run in aid of DEBRA on 25 May . 'When she falls over it is awful. If there's any trauma or she catches anything, the skin comes off and blisters. 'You always go to pick her up under her arms but it blisters and scars and it is not nice. But she is a little fighter and a very happy child considering. 'You have good weeks and bad weeks. Some weeks it's not too bad but you have other weeks where you can't pick her up at all. 'And thats very hard when she's wanting a hug and you can't just give her a big squeeze and tell her it's going to be OK. 'That is just heartbreaking.' Poppy has lived with the condition all of her life so far after being born with no skin on her legs and feet. The damage to Poppy's leg at three month's old because of skin disorder EB . Poppy, pictured here at four months old, left, and now as a two-year-old, right. Her parents have to spend 30 minutes applying special creams to her twice a day to protect her skin . Poppy is just one of 5,000 people in the UK with Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa and there is no known cure for the disease. Her parents, who also have a seven-year-old son Jacob, have to spend 30 minutes applying special creams and bandage Poppy twice every day to make sure her skin is protected. Mrs Lovatt, a health visitor said: 'Poppy was born with no skin on her legs and feet so for the whole of her life she has had to take pain killers and regularly get her skin dressed. 'She is at the point now that she is falling over all the time and she's always got a few scrapes so she is in pain. 'It can be difficult when we change her dressings because if she's quite bad it can be distressing for her. 'We have to be careful how we handle her too, we have to pick her up under her bum because if we touch her under her arms too much her skin just flakes away and it hurts. Play thing: Poppy, pictured here, suffers from a rare skin disorder. 'When she falls over it is awful,' says her father, Paul Lovatt. 'If there's any trauma or she catches anything, the skin comes off and blisters' Poppy, pictured here, is just one of 5,000 people in the UK with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) disorder and there is no known cure for the disease . Poppy Lovatt at four months old, left, and five months old, right. 'You always go to pick her up under her arms but it blisters and scars and it is not nice,' says her father Paul Lovatt. 'But she is a little fighter and a very happy child considering' 'I have a mild form of Epidermolysis Bullosa but it only affects my nails, my skin is fine, but Poppy is suffering. 'It's hard when I can't just scoop her up in my arms to give her a big cuddle. 'She is very young now, so when she gets older she will learn how to manage her condition on her own. 'She will get to know her boundaries and know what she can and can't do. But until then we are doing what we can for her.' The couple are now planning to raise awareness of the condition by taking part in London's Bupa 10k run in aid of DEBRA on May 25. The charity supports families of the disease as well as funding vital medical research. Mrs Lovatt added: 'We are quite actively involved with DEBRA so when we saw this event advertised we thought we'd give it a go. 'We haven't done anything like it before but we wanted to try and raise some money to help Poppy and other children like her.' A spokesman for DEBRA said: 'Epidermolysis Bullosa is a group of genetic disorders that result in fragility of the skin and, in some cases, other internal membranes and organs. 'Blisters, open wounds and sores form as a result of the slightest touch, rub or trauma. 'Certain types of EB can be fatal in infancy and others are severely life-limiting. 'There is currently no known cure for EB.'
### SUMMARY:
| Poppy Lovatt, two, from Stoke-on-Trent was born with genetic disorder .
Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) causes fragility in the skin and is agonising .
It affects 5,000 people in the UK and there is no cure . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Hospital staff in Northern Virginia are turning away sick people on a frigid Thursday morning because they can't determine whether their Obamacare insurance plans are in effect. Patients in a close-in DC suburb who think they've signed up for new insurance plans are struggling to show their December enrollments are in force, and health care administrators aren't taking their word for it. In place of quick service and painless billing, these Virginians are now facing the threat of sticker-shock that comes with bills they can't afford. 'They had no idea if my insurance was active or not!' a coughing Maria Galvez told MailOnline outside the Inova Healthplex facility in the town of Springfield. She was leaving the building without getting a needed chest x-ray. 'The people in there told me that since I didn't have an insurance card, I would be billed for the whole cost of the x-ray,' Galvez said, her young daughter in tow. 'It's not fair – you know, I signed up last week like I was supposed to.' The x-ray's cost, she was told, would likely be more than $500. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Going home: One patient left the hospital without being admitted for chest pains after she was warned she might have to pay full-price. She asked MailOnline not to publish a photograph of her face . MailOnline spoke to patients outside hospitals in Virginia's Washington, D.C. suburbs, many of them confused about the state of their insurance coverage . Galvez said she enrolled in a Carefirst Blue Cross bronze plan at a cost of about $450 per month through healthcare.gov, three days before Christmas. 'No one has sent me a bill,' she said. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testified in a December 11 congressional hearing that the federal government can't say how many new enrollees have written checks for their first month's premiums. 'Some may have paid, some may have not,' she conceded. It's unlikely that a valid insurance card would have changed Galvez' fortunes, however. Fifty-nine percent of Americans told Gallup pollsters that they have had negative experiences with the Affordable Care Act, according to the public opinion giant's latest survey. Just 39 per cent said their experiences were positive. Only 7 per cent called their Obamacare journeys 'very positive,' but 29 per cent said their interaction with the new system has been 'very negative.' Gallup interviewed 1,500 uninsured Americans in December, 450 of whom said they had visited health insurance exchange websites. As dismal as those numbers are, they represent a slight improvement: In November, Gallup found that 63 per cent of uninsured Americans had negative experiences with the president's new health care overhaul. Her Carefirst plan, identified on the Obamacare website as BlueChoice Plus Bronze, carries a $5,500 per-person deductible for 2014 – an amount she would have to pay out-of-pocket before her coverage would apply to medical expenses. The Inova radiology department wouldn't speak with MailOnline, and Carefirst did not respond to a request for comment. A similar situation frustrated Mary, an African-American small businesswoman who asked MailOnline not to publish her last name. She was leaving the Inova Alexandria Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia with two family members. 'I had chest pains last night, and they took me in the emergency room,' Mary said. 'They told me they were going to admit me, but when I told them I hadn't heard from my insurance company since I signed up, they changed their tune.' She told MailOnline that a nurse advised her that her bill would go up by at least $3,000 if she were admitted for a day, and her doctor told her the decision was up to her. No x-ray for you: This patient left a Virginia medical facility without receiving a test her doctor recommended . 'Should I be in the hospital? Probably,' she said. 'Maybe it's one of those borderline cases. I have to think that if I were really in danger, they wouldn't give me the choice. But what if I think I'm covered and I'm really not?' 'The emergency room bill is going to be bad enough.' No card, no service: Hundreds of thousands of Americans are likely in health-insurance limbo with no proof of insurance as the new year begins . The Obamacare system has suffered from a long list of setbacks since its October 1 rollout, starting with an inoperable website and ending with rampant uncertainty about whether Americans who enrolled are actually covered. 'We're telling consumers if they're not sure if they're enrolled they should call the insurer directly,' White House Press Secretary Jay Carney old reporters on December 2. The Washington Post reported that day that because of computer glitches in the 'back end' of healthcare.gov, enrollment records for as many as one-third of new insurance customers were corrupted or otherwise contain errors. Given the Obama administration's latest claim that 2.1 million have signed up nationwide, that means as many as 700,000 Americans might falsely believe they have a current health insurance policy. Mary and others like her, who took the time to enroll but may not follow the daily flood of news about Obamacare, likely don't know one way or the other. 'Why is this so complicated?' she asked. 'I had my own private insurance last year, but they cancelled me in November. I'm not sure which end is up.' Private industry estimates put the number of policy cancellations as high as 4.7 million in the last quarter of 2013, mostly involving health care plans that didn't meet the Affordable Care Act's strict minimum standards. Democrats serving on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce dispute that number, saying in a new report that no more than 10,000 will wind up without affordable insurance options after losing their old policies. The Inova Healthplex in Springfield, Virginia offers free valet parking, but if you want to see a doctor you'll need proof that you've paid your Obamacare premium . Still working: Emergency services are still being provided at Northern Virginia hospitals, whether or not patients can prove they're covered -- but getting a bed in a hospital ward could come with a tremendous sticker-shock . President Obama has attracted widespread criticism, and a 'lie of the year' award from one newspaper's fact-checker, for promising that Americans who liked their health plans would be allowed to keep them. Dr. John Venetos, a Chicago gastroenterologist, told the Associated Press on Thursday that he is seeing 'tremendous uncertainty and anxiety' among his patients who signed up for Obamacare plans but don't have insurance cards. 'They’re not sure if they have coverage,' Venetos said. 'It puts the heavy work on the physician.' 'At some point, every practice is going to make a decision about how long can they continue to see these patients for free if they are not getting paid.'
### SUMMARY:
| MailOnline spoke with patients who were told they would have to pay their bills in full if they couldn't prove they had insurance .
One was faced with a $3,000 hospital room charge and opted to leave the hospital after experiencing chest pains .
'Should I be in the hospital? Probably,' she said .
Another, coughing in the cold, walked out without receiving a needed chest x-ray .
Consumers face sticker-shock from medical costs under the new Obamacare system, made worse if they can't prove they're insured .
As many as one-third of new enrollees' applications have seen problems when the government transmits them to insurance companies . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Brazilian midfielder Anderson was always first to show off his dancing skills whenever Manchester United won a trophy. Unfortunately, his football was less memorable and he is destined to leave Old Trafford in January as one of the most expensive follies in Premier League history, alongside the likes of Fernando Torres and Andriy Shevchenko. United are prepared to let the 26-year-old move back to his homeland in the new year with Gremio and Flamengo leading the chase. And the Old Trafford club don't even want a transfer fee, so desperate are they to say 'Tchau' to one of Sir Alex Ferguson's worst-ever signings. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Anderson's Porto goals and skills that convinced Ferguson . Anderson's fall has been spectacular, with the Brazilian midfielder making just one start this season . Anderson's only full outing came in the shock 4-0 Capital One Cup defeat by League One side MK Dons . Anderson replaces Angel di Maria at Burnley - it is almost certainly his last appearance in a United shirt . The Brazilian has spent rather more time off the pitch than on it this season, as he looks to leave United . Sportsmail looks at the biggest transfer losses in Premier League history: . Dimitar Berbatov (Man United) Bought: £31m from Spurs, 2008 Sold: £5m to Fulham, 2012 Loss: £26m . Never fulfilled Sir Alex Ferguson's expectation that he would have the same influence at Old Trafford as Eric Cantona. United's pace was simply too quick for him and the smoking didn't help. Robinho (Man City) Bought: £32.5m from Real Madrid, 2008 Sold: £15m to AC Milan, 2010 Loss: £17.5m . Skipped a League Cup tie at Brighton in his first month at the club to go back to Brazil. Taken to task by Craig Bellamy for his attitude in training . Andy Carroll (LIverpool) Bought: £35m from Newcastle 2011 Sold: £15m to West Ham 2013 Loss: £20m . Liverpool were panicked into buying Carroll when Fernando Torres told them at the 11th hour he wanted to join Chelsea. But Brendan Rodgers didn't fancy the big No9 and the club cut their losses . Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea) Bought: £31m from AC Milan, 2006 Sold: Free to Dynamo Kyiv, 2009 Loss: £31m . Cost Jose Mourinho his job. The Special One had won two titles when Roman Abramovich gave him Shevhenko. The striker was badly past it and Mourinho was unable to handle the delicate situation . The cost of bringing Anderson to these shores for what he achieved is mind-boggling. The transfer fee from Porto in 2007 was an estimated £26million and he has earned the same again in wages since then. For the full £50m outlay, he has started 126 games in seven years, with another 53 appearances as substitute, and scored nine goals – around £5.5m a goal. His last, and almost certainly final, appearance in a United shirt came as a late substitute in a goalless draw against Burnley in August. You have to go back to December 2012 for his last goal in a United shirt, against Reaing. He spent last season on loan to Serie A club Fiorentina but they didn't want him on a permanent basis either. It had all started so well for Anderson. On arrival, he was hailed as United's next midfield general, ready to carry the mantle when Paul Scholes' called it a day. The early signs were promising. He played 38 times as United won the Premier League and Champions League in his debut season. He danced for the fans when they clinched the title in Wigan and he danced next to Wayne Rooney on a famous night in Moscow when United became champions of Europe for the third time. He was in the Brazil team, too. But something happened – and cynics would say the all-you-can-eat buffet. Anderson's first season, when he scored in the penalty shootout in the Champions League final, turned out to be his best. Every succeeding year, he appeared that little bit heavier, that little bit more sluggish and less trusted by his manager. Anderson was hailed as a prodigy when United agreed to buy him from Porto in 2007 for £26million . The midfielder enjoyed some good times in his early years at United, playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo . Nani and Anderson were signed at the same time in the summer of 2007, but neither reached their potential . In February 2010, he ruptured a cruciate ligament against West Ham and insisted the operation was done by a specialist he knew in Portugal. While still in rehab later that year, he was involved in a horrific car accident after leaving a nightclub at 6am, being pulled from a burning £125,000 Audi after it had crashed into a wall. By this time, Anderson – once described as potentially 'better than Rooney' by Sir Alex's brother Martin – was turning into a figure of fun to United team-mates rather than a serious player. Anderson was never afraid of confrontation, as he showed by squaring up to Steven Gerrard in 2007 . It has been a difficult seven years in Manchester for the midfielder, who was once heralded as a future star . Injuries have not helped the Brazilian's cause, and he has struggled for fitness in the past few seasons . Anderson has won eight caps for Brazil but his career has never hit the heights . Despite his troubles, Anderson picked up plenty of silverware at Old Trafford, including the 2009 league title . When David Moyes succeeded Ferguson, he took Anderson on the team's pre-season tour to hot and humid Asia, where Patrice Evra quipped in a video diary his job was to deliver Anderson's burger at one o'clock in the morning. You didn't have to go far within Old Trafford for Anderson to be singled out as the individual who didn't buy into the club philosophy of displaying energy and hard work on the pitch. Although he always possessed attacking flair, Anderson picked up a reputation as a tough tackler . The midfielder clashes with Manchester City assistant David Platt after an FA Cup semi-final in 2011 . Anderson's first season, when he scored a penalty in the Champions League final shoot-out, was his best . Now, with his contract due to run out in the summer without any hope of an extension, it looks as though Gremio will take him back. Gremio was where it all started for Anderson when he was a teenager with the world at his feet, and he got his dream move to Europe with Porto. Ferguson's report on Anderson shortly before he retired was: 'Hasn't lived up to his potential'. Sadly, it looks unlikely he ever will now. Like our Manchester United Facebook page. From battling Lionel Messi on international duty, Anderson is set to go back to his first club Gremio . Anderson celebrates scoring twice against Schalke to book United's place in the Champions League final . At his best Anderson could be a goal-scoring midfielder, who created chances and made tackles .
### SUMMARY:
| Anderson joined Manchester United for around £26million in 2007 .
The Brazil midfielder has cost the club as much again in wages .
Anderson, once thought of as Paul Scholes' replacement, never delivered .
Now the 26-year-old could be going back to his first club Gremio . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
With Arsenal's passage to the knockout phase of the Champions League already assured, Arsene Wenger has named six rising stars from the club's academy in his squad for Tuesday night's match with Galatasaray in Istanbul. Ahead of the match, we run the rule over the half-dozen hoping to make an impression out in Turkey. Chuba Akpom (19, striker, English) Akpom is probably the best known of the six, with Wenger commenting in Monday's press conference that the striker is 'close to the first team.' The 19-year-old, who comes from Newham, has already had plenty of exposure to the first-team picture, making his Premier League debut from the bench in a 3-1 win at Sunderland back in September 2013. Chuba Akpom celebrates completing his hat-trick in Arsenal Under 21s win at Brighton last week . Akpom takes on the Monaco defence during last summer's Emirates Cup tournament . He also played in the Gunners' League Cup win over West Bromwich last season and was named on the bench for further Premier League games at home to Liverpool and West Ham, as well as the Wembley FA Cup semi-final with Wigan. He spent time on loan at Brentford and Coventry City to gain experience last season and has been in fine form for Arsenal's Under 21s this campaign, scoring nine times. Akpom has represented England at every level from Under 16 to Under 20 and has been a reliable goalscorer at each age group. Gedion Zelalem (17, midfielder, German) Berlin-born teenager Zelalem was signed by Arsenal in the summer of 2013 after impressing scout Daniel Karbassiyoon while playing for American side Olney Rangers during a Dallas Cup match. He almost immediately progressed from the Under 16s to the Under 21s and in July 2013 accompanied the first-team squad on their Asian tour. Gedion Zelalem weaves his way through the Borussia Dortmund defence during a UEFA Youth League game . Zelalem is greeted by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger during a training session this week . Though his selection came as a surprise to many, Zelalem seized his chance and his style even drew favourable comparisons in some quarters to Cesc Fabregas. He was expected to make his Premier League debut in the early portion of the 2013-14 campaign but injury held up his progress. In the end, he made his competitive debut in an FA Cup tie with Coventry City on January 24, replacing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with 19 minutes to play. Though no additional first-team appearances were forthcoming, Zelalem is a regular in the Under 21 team and also the Under 19 side that plays in the UEFA Youth League. Zelalem has so far represented the country of his birth, Germany, to Under 17 standard. Ainsley Maitland-Niles (17, winger, English) Rapid winger Maitland-Niles was named on the bench for Arsenal's defeat at Stoke at the weekend and is now set for his first European trip with the senior team. The youngster started last season with the Under 18s but it quickly became apparent that he was more than competent at a higher standard with his pace and crossing ability. Ainsley Maitland-Niles takes on Anderlecht player Samy Bourard during a UEFA Youth League encounter . Flying winger Maitland-Niles tries to get the better of the Brighton defence in last week's match . He made 14 appearances in the Under 21 Premier League and was pretty much an ever-present in Arsenal's run to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Youth League. Maitland-Niles was also influential in Arsenal's run to the semi-finals of the FA Youth Cup, where they were beaten by eventual winners Chelsea. He has cemented his place in the Under 21 side this season, swapping between right wing and central midfield positions, and has also represented England at Under 18 level for the first time. Stefan O'Connor (17, defender, English) Commanding centre-half O'Connor has established himself in Arsenal's Under 21 side despite only being 17 years of age. He has always been ahead of the curve in that regard but has really pushed on in the last 18 months, establishing himself as a regular in the Under 21 team and the UEFA Youth League side. O'Connor scored his first goal at Under 21 level in a 4-3 win over Manchester City back in April. He has also been capped for England at Under 17 standard, playing in two matches against Belgium at St George's Park back in January. Stefan O'Connor holds off the challenge of Blackburn's Dean Rittenberg during an U21 Premier League game . O'Connor is tackled by Aston Villa's Courtney Wilden during an U21 Premier League match at Villa Park . Alex Iwobi (18, winger, born in Nigeria and plays for England) Born in Lagos, Iwobi is the nephew of national hero Jay-Jay Okocha and has been with Arsenal since the age of eight. The 18-year-old is equally adept playing on the left flank or in central midfield in support of the striker. His only involvement with the first team to date came when he was included in the squad for last season's Capital One Cup tie at West Brom, though he didn't make it off the bench. Last season saw Iwobi make regular appearances for the Under 21s and he also featured in the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup, where he scored goals against Torquay United and Charlton Athletic. Having signed his first professional contract at the club, Iwobi is expected to kick on and reach greater heights. He has played for England up to Under 18 standard. Alex Iwobi chases the ball during Arsenal's UEFA Youth League game with Borussia Dortmund last month . Iwobi (left) celebrates with goalscorer Akpom during Arsenal's U21 win at Brighton . Iwobi is the nephew of Nigerian legend Jay Jay Okocha, seen here during his Bolton days . Glen Kamara (19, defensive midfield, Finnish) Kamara combines style and substance in the defensive midfield position and this will be his first taste of first-team involvement. Born in Tampere, Finland, Kamara joined Arsenal from Southend United in 2012, quickly establishing himself as a regular in all the youth competitions. This includes the Under 21 Premier League, where he made 12 appearances last season, and the UEFA Youth League, where he played in every game except the quarter-final with Barcelona. A Finland Under 21 international, Kamara has cemented his place in Steve Gatting's Under 21 team this year. Glen Kamara in possession of the ball during the U21 match at Brighton's Amex Stadium last week . Kamara cracks a smile during training ahead of Arsenal's trip to Galatasaray . Head here to Like our Arsenal Facebook page.
### SUMMARY:
| Arsenal face Galatasaray in UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday .
Striker Chuba Akpom is 'close to first team', according to Arsene Wenger .
Gedion Zelalem is hoping to make second appearance for senior team .
Fleet-footed winger Ainsley Maitland-Niles was on bench at Stoke .
Stefan O'Connor is a commanding centre-half who plays for Under 21s .
Alex Iwobi is the nephew of Nigeria legend Jay-Jay Okocha .
Glen Kamara is a defensive midfielder who plays for Finland Under 21s . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Dangling like spiders 250ft above craggy rocks, this team of daredevil gardeners need a strong head for heights to keep the nooks and crannies of this medieval castle free of unwanted greenery. As part of the work to conserve St Michael's Mount, just off the south Cornwall coast, this 'extreme weeding' takes place three times each year to ensure the walls are constantly kept clear. The only way the four-strong team of gardeners can carry out their work is to abseil down the 50m high castle walls, located on an island 300m from the mainland. Head Gardener, Lottie Allen, said: 'It is a thrilling and unique experience to tend these gardens which are designed to be viewed from above. On a personal note, abseiling allows me to appreciate the spectacular views of our gardens across the seasons and in all weathers. Scroll down for video . A team of four gardeners abseil down the 250ft cliff face at St Michael's Mount off the coast of Cornwall to weed the plants . The 'extreme weeding' takes place three times each year at the 12th Century castle to ensure the walls are constantly kept clear . 'We weed these areas three times a year not only to ensure the stonework remains intact and strong but also to allow the succulents planted within the walls, such as aloes and aeoniums, to thrive and flourish. 'Abseiling has become an important skill to complete essential strimming and planting of the many nooks and crannies within the cliff face where plants grow in spite of the salty winter storms and the baking summer temperatures. It is one of only three places where 'extreme' weeding takes place, the others being Bodiam Castle in East Sussex and Scotney Castle in Kent. In January, the team will be planting an area above the East Terraces with succulent plants such as Agaves and Aeoniums, daisy-like Osteospermum and Agapanthus. It is one of only three places where this extreme form of conservation takes place, the others being Bodiam Castle in East Sussex and Scotney Castle in Kent . Head Gardener, Lottie Allen, said: 'It is a thrilling and unique experience to tend these gardens which are designed to be viewed from above' National Trust gardeners Darren Little (left) and Jack Veasley (right) have the daunting task of abseiling down the castle walls . In January the team will be planting an area above the East Terraces with succulent plants such as Agaves and Aeoniums . They will also be pruning a large Puya – a genus of the pineapple family which has started to lean away from the rock face. Photographer Steven Haywood spent a day in mid-September circling the island in a boat to ensure he captured daredevil gardeners Jack Beesley and Darren Little from all angles. He said: 'It seemed really extreme for two National Trust gardeners to be so high just so they could tend to the plants. But it's the only way they can, so it's a means to an end. 'The gardeners were specially trained to ensure it was completely safe.' Originally the site of a Benedictine Chapel, the spectacular castle dates from the 12th Century and is cared for in partnership by the National Trust and the St Aubyn family. Photographer Steven Haywood took these pictures in mid-September and spent a day circling the island on a boat to ensure he captured the daredevil gardeners from all angles . Abseiling has become an important skill for the gardeners to complete essential strimming and planting of the many nooks and crannies . The team of gardeners have received extensive training and complete the 'extreme weeding' three times each year at the castle . Originally the site of a Benedictine Chapel, the spectacular castle dates from the 12th Century and is cared for in partnership by the National Trust and the St Aubyn family . The family, which have lived at St Michael's Mount since 1647, donated St Michael's Mount to the Trust in 1954 – but retained a 999-year lease for them to live in the castle. One of the most famous of Cornwall's landmarks, the island is steeped in both legend and folklore and boasts stunning panoramic views across Mounts Bay to Lands End. It was a key port for trading tin to the rest of Europe from 350BC and was named after a vision of the Archangel of St Michael appeared on the Mount. The castle has featured in a number of films and was used as the exterior of Castle Dracula in 1979 film Dracula as well as appearing in 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, as two guided missiles flew over the English countryside. From 350 BC – The Mount was a key port for trading tin to the rest of Europe. 495 AD – A vision of the Archangel of St Michael appeared on the Mount. 1070 – The Mount was granted to the Benedictine monks of Mont St Michel in France. 1135 – The first stone church was built by the French Abbot, Bernard le Bec, and later consecrated by Robert, Bishop of Exeter, in 1144. 1193 – The Mount was seized by Henry de La Pomeray (on behalf of the Earl of Cornwall – later King John). 1385 – Richard Auncell of Tavistock installed as first English prior. 1424 – King Henry VI granted the Mount in the trust of Syon Abbey. 1473 – Mount seized by Earl of Oxford. 1497 – Perkin Warbeck’s rebellion. He leaves his wife at the Mount for her safety. 1535 – Start of the dissolution of monasteries. The Mount clergy was finally pensioned off in 1548. 1549 – The castle was seized by Cornish rebels as part of the Prayer Book Rebellion. 1588 – Mount beacon lit to warn of the arrival of the Spanish Armada. 1599 – The Mount was sold by Queen Elizabeth to Sir Robert Cecil (later the Earl of Salisbury). 1640 – It was then sold to Sir Francis Bassett. 1642 – The Mount was defended during the Civil War (until 1646). 1647 – Colonel John St Aubyn nominated to be Captain of the Mount. 1659 – Colonel St Aubyn purchased the castle, which then became a private home. 1727 – Sir John Aubyn, the third Baronet, rebuilt the harbour. Around 1750 – Ruined Lady Chapel converted into two drawing rooms. 1873-1878 – Victorian Wing of the castle built (where the family live now). 1954 – Gift of St Michael’s Mount with large endowment fund to the National Trust. The castle has featured in a number of films and was used as the exterior of Castle Dracula in 1979 as well as appearing in 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again . It was a key port for trading tin from 350BC and was named after a vision of the Archangel of St Michael appeared on the Mount .
### SUMMARY:
| A four-strong team of gardeners abseil down the 250ft cliff face at St Michael's Mount to tend the plants .
The 'extreme weeding' takes place three times each year to ensure the walls of the medieval castle are kept clear .
Head Gardener Lottie Allen said abseiling has become an important skill to complete strimming and planting .
Spectacular castle on south Cornwall coast dates from the 12th Century and is cared for by the National Trust . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
A billionaire mining mogul has paid more than £46million for a London flat in one of the UK's most expensive public property deals, it was revealed today. Aristotelis Mistakidis, head of copper at mining giant Glencore and in the top 50 richest men in Britain, bought the duplex apartment in the exclusive Chesham Place, Belgravia. The luxury flat, which boasts 7,900sq/ft of space, was developed by the Candy brothers - Nick and Christian - who have built up a shared wealth of hundreds of millions in less than 20 years. The property, designed by Lord Norman Foster, has a master bedroom suite, four guest bedrooms, a large living area and staff quarters, two underground car parking spaces and a 24-hour concierge. Record deal: A billionaire has bought a flat for £46million in this exclusive development in Chesham Place, Belgravia - the third most expensive public deal of all time in Britain . Development: The block was designed by Lord Norman Foster, left, and the brainchild of the Candy brothers - Nick and Christian, right . The duplex, built in 2008, was sold for £46million - making it the third highest sale ever logged with the Land Registry. And the £5,800 per sq/ft price is a record for Belgravia, home to the likes of Roman Abramovich and Nigella Lawson. According to Land Registry figures, the most expensive property ever sold is on The Boltons in Kensington, which was sold for £55million in 2012. The second was a penthouse on Princes Gate which sold last year for £50million. The record sale could be higher because in Britain if you buy a property through a company it does not have to be logged with the Land Registry. Aristotelis Mistakidis is a British billionaire who was born in Greece. Described as a self-made man he has risen to become head of zinc, copper and lead mining giant Glencore. He is worth an estimated £1.5billion, making him the 46th richest person in the UK. He is also in the top 850 wealthiest people in the world. Mr Mistakidis joined Glencore in 1993 and was in charge of its zinc, copper and lead commodity department in 2000. He is also a director of Katanga Mining and Recylex, and is chairman of Glencore unit Mopani Copper Mines. Before that he studied at the London School of Economics and worked for U.S. trading giant Cargill. He is said to split his time between Switzerland and London. Rokstone, the central London estate agency, were the selling agents for Chesham Place. Becky Fatemi, the company director, declined to discuss the parties involved. It is understood there were three ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWI) who offered the asking price for the property. But Mr Mistakidis, 53, who is based in Switzerland, managed to get a deal done first, according to official Land Registry documents. Simon Barnes, a high-end property consultant, says it is rare a home of this value is bought by an individual. He said: 'I have been dealing with these sorts of properties for 30 years and historically they are traded through companies, which helps maintain a level of anonymity. 'Chesham Place is phenomenal. You're not just talking about a flat in Belgravia. 'Candy and Candy have done a fantastic job - the presentation and finish is very good. It ticks all boxes and you couldn't replicate it.' On top of a sizeable estate agency commission, the treasury has also benefited from the sale - with Mr Mistakidis paying £3.2 million in stamp duty. However, this is small change to the businessman, who took a £45 million dividend last year. And when Glencore floated in 2011, Mr Mistakidis's shares in the company were valued at more than £2 billion. Design: Architect Lord Foster was involved in the design of the flats in the luxury development, which contains six apartments . Grand: The flat is believed to have several spacious terraces, including one like this, and also has a media room and drawing room . Nick and Christian Candy bought 21 Chesham Place in 2005 for £13 million, with the former BT telephone exchange their first major development. After a year of difficulties with local authorities, they were then granted planning permission to convert 80,000sq/ft property into six luxury flats, immediately doubling the value of the property. The brothers, who are behind One Hyde Park, commissioned Lord Norman Foster, regarded as one of Britain's best architects, to design the flats with Candy & Candy responsible for the interior design. A spokesperson for Candy & Candy declined to comment. Only one other property - a penthouse on Princes Gate - has publicly sold for more in the last 12 months after it went for £50 million. A flat in One Hyde Park, which is the Candy Brothers' halo development, recently sold for £21.5 million. Henry Pryor, a buying agent, said: 'If property developers were Premier League footballers, everyone would be trying to sign the Candy Brothers in this transfer window. 'It is a very significant transaction, all the more so that it was bought in the public domain, and not under a corporate wrap.' How Russia's oligarchs have started a new stampede for high-end London property to protect their wealth from country's collapsing economy . Hundreds of Russian oligarchs are preparing to buy swathes of ultra-expensive property in London to protect their wealth against the country's crumbling economy, experts have said. Last month six buyers in a few days have contacted luxury London agents Beauchamp Estates and requested £100million homes in upmarket Mayfair, Belgravia and Kensington in order to get their money out of Moscow. Beauchamp has also seen a 10 per cent spike in requests from Russian buyers as panic about an economic collapse spread ahead of the country's currency plunge. Two days after the first Russian sanctions came into effect in April, Penthouse D was bought for £140million by an Eastern European, sparking speculation it was a Russian trying to secure their cash . The new wave of investors will further tighten Russia's grip on London's super-prime market, as they already buy one in five of the capital's most expensive properties. The rouble went into free-fall last month as its value dropped by up to 20 per cent against the dollar, an all-time low, causing tech company Apple to suspend sales of its products online today. While ordinary Russian citizens flocked to Ikea as the budget store warned of price rises, the country's super-elite trained their sights on the London property market. Gary Hersham, managing director of Beauchamp Estates, said: 'The rouble has seen a massive collapse in value. 'Wealthy Russians are desperate to get their money out of Moscow at present, and we have seen a 10 per cent upturn in Russian clients since the decline in value and the international sanctions biting into the Russian economy. 'I currently have half a dozen Russian clients urgently looking to spend over £20million each on buying a new home in prime Central London'.
### SUMMARY:
| Aristotelis Mistakidis is worth £1.5bn in the top 50 richest men in Britain .
He has bought a duplex in the prestigious Chesham Place block in London .
£46million price tag makes it the third most expensive registered sale in UK .
Belgravia block designed by Lord Foster and developed by Candy brothers . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Britain's most expensive one-bedroom flat has gone on the market for £10million. The luxury flat at One Hyde Park has been dubbed the ultimate 'pied-a-terre' and is so expensive that a simple waste bin takes up £6,300 worth of space. But there will be no room for guests at the property, which is regarded as the finest one-bedroom home in the world's priciest apartment block. The lower level of the duplex apartment is the sleeping area and boasts a huge double bedroom with en-suite bathroom. Upstairs is for socialising, with the area dominated by an open-plan living and dining room. There is also a separate toilet. Scroll down for video . It may have only one-bedroom, but the £10million apartment for sale at One Hyde Park boasts this huge living room with a large flat-screen TV . The lower level of the flat is a large bedroom, which has a large window looking out on the area around Hyde Park in central London . The one-bedroom apartment, in Knightsbridge, has now been put on the market for £9.9 million - 56 times the average house price in England and Wales. It works out at £6,300 per square foot and is £4.3 million more than the next most expensive one-bedroom property in the capital. And while large properties have sold for this £ per sq/ft price before, figures from LonRes, which tracks the property market, has a top one-bedroom price of £5,035 per sq/ft. The kitchen, which measures a modest 12'11 x 8'10, takes up around £700,000 of space - the same amount as a large family home in most cities. Whoever buys the flat will have to hand over £1.1 million in stamp duty. They also have to pay £2,000 per year in ground rent along with a £32,000 annual service charge. One Hyde Park was designed by Richard Rogers at Rogers, Stirk, Harbour and Partners. It opened in 2009 and is made up of 86 apartments with the interior designed by Candy and Candy. Residents get 24-hour SAS-trained security, an in-house maid service, same day laundry and dry cleaning, room service from the Mandarin hotel and a private temperature controlled wine store. The huge price tag of the property - which is down the road from Buckingham Palace - means it works out at £6,300 per square foot . As well as a large bedroom, living room and kitchen, the two-storey exclusive apartment also includes a separate bathroom . The development also has 'unmatched leisure and entertainment facilities' which includes a private spa, 21-metre swimming pool, sauna, steam room, squash court and cinema. Simon Barnes, an independent property consultant, has been inside One Hyde Park and deals in the super-prime market. He said: 'It is an amazing place and it is not like buying a one-bedroom flat. It is a very modern, high quality build, you have the Mandarin next door and the ultimate concierge. 'The sort of person who will look at it is likely to be the sort of person who spends a lot of time in a hotel. But for £10 million you could get quite a few nights in the finest hotel suite. 'The bar in residential development keeps being raised. What you lack in London are the locations to build on, which is why they can charge such a price at One Hyde Park. 'Will the quality of developments improve? Yes, but it is highly unlikely you find a better location.' Residents also get the use of a swimming pool, room service from a neighbouring hotel, sauna, squash court and cinema in the building . The apartment block - which is guarded by an SAS-trained security team - has seen a previous penthouse suite sell for £140million . Meet the neighbours: Owners of other apartments in the building are believed to include (left to right) property developer Christian Candy, the former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim al-Thani and the richest man in Ukraine, Rinat Akhmetov . A number of homes like this are bought by people to show off, according to Henry Pryor, a buying agent. He said: 'They see these sort of homes as they do an expensive watch or a supercar. For them, the value with the bragging rights to their friends or impressionable girlfriend is often much more than the price.' The duplex apartment is on the market with Strutt & Parker's Knightsbridge office and also benefits from an underground parking space. James Gilbert-Green, a partner at the estate agency, said: 'One Hyde Park is commonly regarded as the best new residential building in London, if not the world.' The most expensive apartment to sell in One Hyde Park was a penthouse, which was bought for £140 million last year. Plans show the limited size of the apartment - but property experts say the 'bragging rights' of owning a flat in the building will attract the rich . While £10million only buys you a one-bedroom flat in central London's most exclusive apartment block, the same amount can buy you considerably more elsewhere in the world. A 300-acre estate, which includes three miles of beautiful Caribbean coastline, recently went up for sale on the island of Tobago. Luxury real estate firm Debutesq Group said the site offers the perfect opportunity for investors because authorities have granted planning permission for a leisure resort on an area known as the L’Anse Fourmi Estate on the island’s northeast coastline. A 300-acre estate which included three miles of unspoilt Caribbean coastline recently went on the market, also priced at £10million . Meanwhile in the UK, the same amount could buy you 47 houses in Manchester - where the average property price is £211,000. Four Scottish castles - boasting a combined 40 bedrooms and acres of land including coastline - are on the market each for less than £2million - meaning a buyer could purchase all four and still get change from £10million. In 2013, an entire Devon village, Bantham, consisting of 25 homes, a pub and a shop was put on the market valued at £10million. The estate which included the village was later sold for £11million and the owner allowed residents of the village to continue living in their homes. A nine-bedroom regency house in Worcestershire with 19 acres, was recently valued at just over £9.5million and Conkwell Grang, a ten-bedroom country estate near Bath with 278 acres is worth just over £8million. For those who don't want to get tied down to a mortgage, £10million could buy 7,279 nights - 20 years - staying in the Piccadilly Suite at London's The Ritz hotel, with breakfast. The same amount could by you 47 homes - practically a whole street - in Manchester, where the average property is valued at £211,000 .
### SUMMARY:
| One-bedroom apartment is spread over two floors of central London's most exclusive block of flats .
The building has its own swimming pool, spa, squash court and cinema and is protected by SAS-trained team .
Value works out at £6,300 per square foot - meaning the small kitchen is worth more than the average home .
One Hyde Park is home to many of the world's richest people and a penthouse suite once sold for £140million .
Property experts say whoever buys the luxury flat will have to pay around £1.1 million in stamp duty . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
She is one of the hottest stars in Bollywood, currently seen shaking her sari next to a muscle-bound hunchback in the most expensive and ambitious film ever to come out of India. She receives thousands of letters, most declaring undying love, many asking for her hand in marriage. She has a chauffeur, a make-up team and stylist, a cleaner, a cook and a personal assistant. It is all the more surprising, then, that Amy Jackson, who was 23 yesterday, is a white girl from Liverpool with a girly Scouse accent more reminiscent of a cutesy five-year-old than a silver-screen sex siren. Her extraordinary story has taken her from the quiet suburban streets of Walton in Liverpool to a jet-set life which means she is mobbed if she sets foot outside her limousine in Mumbai, Calcutta or Madras. Scroll down for video . Superstar: Amy Jackson (pictured) now has a chauffeur, a make-up team and stylist, a cleaner, a cook and a personal assistant . Origins: Amy Jackson (pictured at the Miss England final) has gone from humble beginnings in Walton, Liverpool to starring in blockbuster Bollywood films . Her new film, called I, is even pulling in crowds here in Britain where she is largely unknown. Yet she freely admits that her film career is a matter of pure chance: she had done no acting at all before her 2010 debut and couldn't speak a word of Hindi. That didn't seem to bother leading 'Kollywood' director A. L. Vijay, who happened upon Amy's modelling picture after she won the Miss Teen World beauty contest at the age of 17 in 2009. They met in London two months later and he offered her the lead role in his 2010 movie Madrasapattinam. 'I'd never acted in my life,' she says. 'A. L. Vijay asked if I could dance and I just said yes. I didn't tell him the only dancing I had done was on nights out in Liverpool. He said he would arrange workshops and help me with the scripts and the language. He liked the fact that I was English but had an Indian look.' So, just before she turned 18, Amy and her mother, Marguerita, a horse-riding instructor, found themselves in India meeting other actors and trying on costumes. Amy recalls: 'I'd never been to India or anywhere like it. 'There were cows wandering through the city. In the car on the way to the hotel I noticed Mum was grabbing on to the sides as we went in and out of traffic with the horn beeping. At one point a cow crossed the road in front of us and she screamed.' Then she had to get used to the food. 'At the start I couldn't eat anything. I didn't like the spice. I loved having Indian take-aways on a Friday night in Liverpool but it's so different in the real India.' While her friends spent their Saturdays getting 'curly blow drys' at the local hairdresser before hitting the town, Amy was working 20-hour days in Madras, trying to learn the language. Rise to stardom: Amy (left) freely admits her fame is a result of pure chance and she had never acted before her screen debut in 2010 . Big hit: Her new film 'I' is even attracted crowds in UK where she is a relative unknown as an actress . 'When my friends phoned before going out, I'd be sat in my caravan on set with Mum learning Tamil,' she says. 'We had a TV but it just played Indian shows so we didn't watch it. I was so jealous and homesick.' That all changed when Madrasapattinam became the biggest movie hit of 2010. It turned Amy into an overnight star and the offers of more roles flooded in. This year alone she will star in no fewer than four Indian movies – and she has turned down nine other offers. Amy was so much in demand that she didn't even have to audition for the part of Diya in the much anticipated I. But it hasn't all been plain sailing for Amy who has experienced racist abuse from a minority unhappy with her being cast as an Indian woman. On social media and website forums, they demanded to know what this 'foreigner', this 'fake' and 'fluke actress' who 'can't even speak Hindi' was doing in an Indian film. 'Everyone has an opinion,' she says warily. 'For me, as an actress you are playing a character and to play that character you have to get into that mindset. I don't think it's any disrespect to any race. If people enjoy your movies that's the most important thing.' I is Amy's fifth Indian movie and is directed by Shankar Shanmugham, the country's answer to Steven Spielberg. Loaded with special effects, it took her three years to make – and takes audiences three hours to watch. It tells the story of a top model (Amy) who enlists the help of a local body builder (Chiyaan Vikram). The pair fall in love before he is deliberately infected with a hideous virus and turns into a gruesome hunchback. He then seeks revenge on the people who ruined his life. Her south Indian voice was dubbed on to the pictures, but she did learn her lines in Tamil, an official language of India, so that her lips would be in sync. She says the director wanted to make her look very Indian. 'Even my mannerisms had to change. I was very soft and gentle, and a typical south Indian lady. I wore brown contact lenses, which is crazy because all the big Bollywood stars wear green ones.' Amy now splits her time between her sister's home in London and her two-bedroom, apartment overlooking the Arabian Sea in Bandra, Mumbai. Because of the crowds she attracts, she is flanked by two burly bodyguards, Adrian and Max, wherever she goes in India. She has one male assistant ('he wakes me up in the mornings and makes all my juices for me'), two hair and make-up people, one stylist, a driver and a housekeeper ('she helps with the cooking and cleans but Mum doesn't like it. One time I walked in and they were both cleaning the floor together'). She insists she loves her 'gipsy' life but does admit that being able to pop to the shops to buy a pint of milk or walk to the postbox to send a letter when she is in the UK is a novelty. 'I don't really do any of that over there,' Amy says describing how she draws a crowd from the moment she steps off the plane when she returns to Mumbai. 'It's like two different worlds. Everything is calm at home and I'm just Amy.' When she arrives in India, however, she finds she is mobbed. 'The attention I get is unbelievable. People come up for pictures and autographs. They see that you're out in the crowd and then you can't move. 'You stop and take selfies with them. I love it to some extent, but on your days off it can be a bit much. I've probably had more than 1,000 letters from India since the film opened. 'A lot of the letters are from guys declaring their undying love. I do get marriage proposals – not official ones, obviously. They say, 'We've watched the film six, seven or eight times.' That's dedication!'
### SUMMARY:
| She had never acted before her screen debut in 2010 film, Madrasapattinam .
Now Amy Jackson has a chauffeur, make-up team and a personal assistant .
23-year-old gets thousands of letters from men declaring their undying love .
Newest movie 'I' is even attracting crowds in the UK where she is unknown . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Two weeks after HTC sent save the date invitations for a launch in Barcelona, Samsung has attempted to steal its thunder. On 1 March, both smartphone makers are hosting events in the Spanish city, to kick off this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC). HTC is expected to unveil its HTC One M9, while Samsung will likely use its event to announce the Samsung Galaxy S6. Scroll down for video . On 1 March, Samsung and HTC are separately hosting events in Barcelona, to kick off this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC). HTC is expected to unveil its HTC One M9, while Samsung will likely use its event to announce the Samsung Galaxy S6. Samsung's invite hints at a curved device (pictured) HTC’s event begins at 4pm CET (3pm GMT and 10am ET) and its green and blue invitation says: ‘Utopia in progress. Join us to see what’s next.’ Samsung’s invitation is black and features a white line with a curve at the end, with the words ‘what’s next.’ Its event starts at 6.30pm CET (5.30pm GMT and 12.30 ET) and will be streamed live on YouTube. In terms of what will be announced. Rumours suggest HTC will use the event to unveil its next flagship phone, dubbed HTC One M9. HTC’s event begins at 4pm CET (3pm GMT and 10am ET) and the green and blue invitation says: ‘Utopia in progress. Join us to see what’s next’ It will be the follow up to the One M8, released at last year’s MWC, and leaked specifications suggest it will include the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and a 5-inch screen. The leaks also claim the next-generation device will include 3GB of RAM, run the latest version of Android, and feature a 20.7MP rear-facing camera. Meanwhile, Samsung's next generation Galaxy handset could have a curved screen that covers both its sides. The handset, which is expected to have a 5.5-inch screen to rival Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus, will come in a 'special edition' version with the curved technology, according to Sammobile. The Korean giant believes its curved technology could give it an edge over Apple, and the curved screen has already been used in Samsung's Note Edge. However, S6 Edge will have the ability to work in a left or right handed mode. Previous leaks from BGR said the SM-G925F, the codename believed to be assigned to the Galaxy S6, will feature a Quad HD, 2560 x 1440 resolution, display. It will also have an octa-core processor, Mali-T768 graphics processing unit, and a 16MP rear-facing camera. Samsung surprised audiences at the Berlin-based trade show IFA in September when it unveiled its curved device. The screen was described by Samsung's David Park at the event as working like a 'ticker', with notifications and news scrolling along it . Rumours suggest HTC will use the event to unveil its next flagship phone, dubbed HTC One M9. Leaked specifications (pictured) suggest it will include the 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and a 5-inch screen. The leaks also claim the Android device will include 3GB of RAM and feature a 20.7MP rear camera . The Galaxy Note Edge's unique curved touchscreen provides quick access to frequently used apps and alerts. The curved screen displays notifications at the top and bottom, while viewing a video without disruption, for example. Because the curved edge remains visible even if a flip-book style protective cover is used, it is easier to keep up-to-date with incoming calls and messages. Previous leaks from BGR said the SM-G925F - the codename used for the Galaxy S6 - will feature a 2560 x 1440 resolution display, octa-core processor, Mali-T768 graphics processing unit, and a 16MP rear-facing camera. In December, in the face of stiff competition, and following a consecutive drop in profits, Samsung announced plans to curb the number of phones it makes each year. Earlier this week, HTC America posted this video on YouTube. It's a rap parody poking fun at Samsung and Apple. Lyrics include: 'More than a few clowns stole what we originated. We own the universe, your Galaxy is overrated', and 'It took you copycats six times to get it right/My One M8 is great, you’ll never touch this light' Meanwhile, Samsung's next generation Galaxy handset could have a curved screen that covers both its sides. The handset is also expected to have a 5.5-inch screen to rival Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus. Samsung's Galaxy Note Edge (pictured) was the first to use a curved screen when it was unveiled in Berlin last year . Instead of releasing handset after handset and saturating the market with Samsung devices, the firm has decided it needs to concentrate on making fewer handsets, better. The South Korean manufacturer is also expected to ramp up production of its remaining models so they can be sold more cheaply. The strategy was unveiled during a presentation in New York by Samsung's head of investor relations, Robert Yi. He said the company would reduce the number of smartphone models in 2015 by between a quarter and a third. In a rare acknowledgement, Mr Yi added that Samsung had lagged behind changing market conditions. The company moved the launch of the Galaxy Note 4, a large smartphone with a stylus, to late September from October after Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. It also began sales of the Galaxy Note 4 in China last month, getting an early start in the world's most populous country before Apple. Samsung is said to have moved the launch of the Galaxy Note 4, a large smartphone with a stylus, to late September from October after Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (pictured). It also began sales of the Galaxy Note 4 in China last month, getting an early start in the world's most populous country before Apple . Apple released it first phablet-style devices in September, and it appears the gamble paid off. During the first quarter of 2015, Apple announced it sold a staggering 74.5 million iPhones in the same quarter - up from 51 million during the same period a year ago. These was the first quarter that the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were on sale. However, sales of iPads dropped by 18 per cent, which knocked Apple's revenue in that sector by 22 per cent. This was the largest year-on-year decrease released by Apple. The decline has been blamed on a dip in tablet popularity in general, as well as the rising popularity of phablets. As phones increase in size, and close the gap between the size of tablet displays, analysts predict fewer people will buy, or need, the two gadgets. The company's response 'was not quick enough,' said Mr Yi.
### SUMMARY:
| On 1 March, both smartphone makers are hosting events in Barcelona .
The launch events will kick off this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC)
HTC is expected to unveil its next-generation HTC One M9 handset .
While Samsung will likely use its event to announce the Galaxy S6 . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
A First World War soldier who was called to the Western Front at short notice made a desperate bid to say goodbye to his family by scribbling a note in a matchbox and throwing it from a moving train. Sergeant Major George Cavan hurled the message onto the platform of Carluke train station in South Lanarkshire, Scotland, and shouted to a passenger to give it to his wife, Jean. The serviceman and his unit were suddenly called to fight in the Ludendorff Offensive - Germany's last major effort to win the war - from their base in Glasgow, but didn't have time to tell loved ones. Sergeant Major George Cavan (left) hurled a farewell note for his wife Jean and their three children, Jean, Lucy and Georgina (right) onto Carluke Station platform after he was called to the front line at short notice . But just 15 days after penciling the note, Sgt Maj Cavan died after being injured in the battle, though his body was never found. The note, which read 'Dearest wife and bairns, off to France - love to you all, Daddy', was picked up by someone on the platform and given to his wife Jean Cavan. She kept the letter and matchbox for the rest of her life and handed it to her daughter Lucy who in turn left it to her daughter, Maureen Rogers. The moving account, along with the matchbox, has emerged for the first time after being published on a website dedicated to telling untold stories of the First World War. Mrs Rogers, 72, said: 'The matchbox and letter were treasured by my grandmother for the rest of her life. 'My grandfather must have thought "how on Earth am I going to let my family know I am going to war?" 'Luckily he had the presence of mind to write the note and throw it out of the train window at Carluke and luckily somebody picked it up and gave it to his wife. The note was written in pencil on March 29, 1918, and read: 'Dearest wife and bairns, off to France, love to you all, Daddy' 'Sadly, it turned out to be the last letter my grandfather wrote. He didn't get the chance to write home when he got to France. 'It is a very precious item which I plan to give to his regimental museum as I don't have any direct descendants to give it to.' Sgt Maj Cavan was regimental sergeant major in the 9th (Glasgow Highlanders) Battalion, Highland Light Infantry. He spent much of the war training Territorial Army units in Scotland until March 1918 when orders came through for him to make his way to France to join his unit in Flanders. He left his training camp in north Scotland on March 29 and travelled by train south to Glasgow and then through Carluke before heading for the south coast of England. Mrs Rogers said: 'The train he was on with his troops went through his home station but did not stop there. 'He threw out onto the station platform a matchbox containing the folded note on the outside of which was the name of his wife. He yelled out "give this to Jean Cavan" to anyone who was on the platform at the time.' He put the message in a matchbox and threw out the window of the moving train. Sgt Maj Cavan was killed 15 days after he passed through Carluke Train station, hurling the message . At the time Mrs Cavan was pregnant with the couple's fourth child, after daughters Jean, then aged four, and Lucy, two. Their eldest child, William, died at the age four from appendicitis. Sgt Maj Cavan joined up with his unit on the frontline days later and on April 11 the men were in action, after British army chief Field Marshal Douglas Haig gave the infamous order for the men to fight to the death. Due to the confused nature of the fighting, the exact circumstances of his death are not known but it is likely he was shot on April 11 or 12 and died of his wounds on April 13. Mrs Rogers, a retired dermatologist, said: 'The news of his death reached Carluke before my grandmother received official confirmation. 'She was walking down the street and a woman stopped her to offer her commiserations. 'She accused the woman of spreading lies and when she got home there was a man from George's regiment there who confirmed it. 'It was very hard on my grandmother who was left with three young children to look after. My mother was very clear with me as to how difficult it was for her.' A few years after her husband's death, Mrs Cavan and her three daughters - Jean, Lucy and Georgina - moved to Australia where she had family. After two years they returned to Scotland and Mrs Cavan began work as a night nurse while raising her children. In 1949 her second daughter Lucy emigrated with her husband John and their daughter Maureen to Sydney and Jean joined them six years later. Mrs Cavan died in 1964 while in her 70s and her daughter Lucy passed away eight years ago. A relative of Mrs Rogers was attending Oxford University and a friend of hers was working on the Great War Archive. The story of the matchbox was passed on to this researcher and appeared in the Oxford University Great War Archive and subsequently on the website Europeana 1914-1918. Sgt Major Cavan lies in an unmarked grave in Belgium and he is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial near Ypres. French soldiers fighting during battle in the Ludendorff Offensive at Villers-Bretonneux, France, in April 1918 . Beginning on March 21, 1918, the Ludendorff Offensive - also known as the Spring Offensive - was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during the First World War. General Erich Ludendorff ordered the massive attack on the Western Front in a bid to end the war. The Allies were aware an ambush was imminent but did not know when it would come. There were four German offensives, codenamed Michael, Georgette, Gneisenau and Blücher-Yorck. In just five hours, the Germans fired one million artillery shells at the British lines held by the Fifth Army – over 3000 shells fired every minute. By the end of the first day of the attack, 21,000 British soldiers had been taken prisoner and the Germans had made great advances. Commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, issued an 'Order of the Day' on 11 April stating, 'With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end.' The German offensive began to stall and throughout the final two the side lost thousands of men and sustained 230,000 casualties - an issue it could not sustain. The last German attack came on July 15 in attempt to draw Allied reserves south from Flanders. But their fuel-starved air force had lost air superiority to the Allies, advanced no further than the French Forward Zone. The French launched a major offensive of their own on July 18, threatening to cut off the Germans. Ludendorff had to evacuate most of the men and the offensive was finally cancelled. The initiative had clearly passed to the Allies, who were shortly to begin the Hundred Days Offensive which ended the war.
### SUMMARY:
| Sergeant Major George Cavan hurled message on Carluke station platform .
He had been called at short notice to frontline during Ludendorff Offensive .
Without time to tell family, he quickly penned note saying 'love to you all'
Sgt Maj Cavan died just 15 days later after he was injured during battle .
Widow Jean Cavan treasured the matchbox note for the rest of her life .
Passed to her daughter then granddaughter, who has given it to museum . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
A female Tory Minister made a spoof Commons speech on animal welfare in order to say an obscene word after a dare at a dinner with Navy officer friends. Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt said ‘c**k’ six times, ‘lay’ or ‘laid’ five times and mentioned the names of at least six officers during a debate on poultry welfare. Her speech, recorded in full in Parliament’s Hansard official report and broadcast on television, received a formal reply from a fellow Minister, who believed her interest in the subject was genuine. Speaker John Bercow was also duped, making copious notes as Naval Reservist Ms Mordaunt addressed the House. Scroll down for video . Tory Minister Penny Mordaunt said ‘c**k’ six times in a Commons debate on poultry welfare after a dare at a dinner with Navy officer friends . Publicity seeker: Ms Mordaunt in her swimsuit when she appeared in the TV diving show Splash! While other MPs used the same debating session to raise grave issues such as the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and the Mid-Staffordshire hospital scandal, Portsmouth MP Ms Mordaunt made the rude speech to titillate bawdy Royal Marines who had ‘fined’ her at a mess dinner. After making the speech, she proudly contacted the Marines to tell them she had done it. Ms Mordaunt, who took part in ITV’s diving contest Splash! earlier this year, was accused last night of trivialising Parliament. Former Labour Minister Kate Hoey said: ‘She should realise that the House of Commons is not a TV reality show. ‘The public expects debates in the Chamber to be on matters of serious concern. It is sad that she has misused it in this way – it sets a bad precedent.’ But Ms Mordaunt, 41, remained apparently unconcerned, saying: ‘If I have offended anyone I’m sorry. Feel free to beat me up over it.’ While Ms Mordaunt was entertaining her bawdy friends, other MPs used the same debating session to raise grave issues such as the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia and the Mid-Staffordshire hospital scandal . The publicity-seeking MP confessed to the stunt while receiving an award last week at The Spectator magazine’s Parliamentarian of the Year Awards at London’s Savoy Hotel. Her prize was for a speech earlier this year during which she uttered the words ‘penis’ and ‘testicles’. Explaining how the ‘c**k’ speech came about, she told the Spectator event: ‘Some of my Marine training officers at Dartmouth thought it would be a good idea to break my ladylike persona by getting me to yell particular rude words during the most gruelling part of our training. Making a splash: Ms Mordaunt, pictured with Tom Daley, also said the words 'penis' and 'testicles' in another speech this year . ‘They failed, but during our mess dinner at the end of the course, I was fined for a misdemeanour. The fine was to say a particular word, an abbreviation of cockerel, several times during a speech on the floor of the Commons, and mention all the names of the officers present.’ Ms Mordaunt, who is divorced, took up the challenge and a few weeks later settled the bet in a debate on Parliament’s Easter Adjournment. ‘The cause of hen and cock welfare is raised with me by many constituents,’ she declared with a straight face as she delivered her Commons speech. ‘One strutting coxcomb will lead to many chicks and what is to become of the male contingent with not a layer among them?’ She could not suppress a grin when she said ‘c**k’ for a third time. She went on to discuss the plight of ‘end-of-lay birds’ and ended with a smutty pun disguised as a genuine call for action: ‘Let us have no more cock-ups on hen welfare.’ Ms Mordaunt’s references included ‘cock crow’, ‘cock welfare’, ‘cock-a-hoop’, ‘cockerel’ and ‘cock-ups’. Her references to ‘lay’ included ‘laying hens of pensionable age’, and ‘end-of-lay bird’. Ms Mordaunt’s Marine pals would have been able to watch the speech, on March 26, 2013, live on the Parliamentary TV channel, where it is still available. The MP was criticised last night by Labour’s Sheila Gilmore, who has genuinely campaigned to improve poultry welfare. ‘It is an issue that many people, including me, take seriously. MPs are entitled to a sense of humour but this kind of thing trivialises Parliament,’ she said. At the Spectator awards, Ms Mordaunt suggested it was obvious her ‘poultry welfare’ speech was a prank, saying her main political interest was the Navy. However, she changed her tune last night, claiming she had ‘done quite a bit on animal welfare’, adding: ‘I didn’t make the speech just to make those remarks.’ The Armed Forces runs in the blood of paratrooper’s daughter Ms Mordaunt, who was named after Navy frigate HMS Penelope. She was given a ministerial post in July after David Cameron called her a ‘parliamentary star’. Ms Mordaunt, pictured arriving at Downing Street, became a Minister in July this year . Penny Mordaunt first tested the boundaries of Commons propriety in June when she became the first woman ever to mention testicles in the Chamber. Ms Mordaunt, who at that stage was still best known for being voted ‘Britain’s sexiest MP’ and taking part in ITV’s celebrity diving contest Splash!, brought the house down with a riotously successful ‘loyal address’ – the thank you motion to the Queen following her speech to open Parliament. MPs roared with laughter as the MP told an anecdote about her naval training which included advice on ‘how to care for your penis and testicles in the field’. The sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, who was elected MP for Portsmouth North in 2010, is the daughter of a paratrooper-turned-teacher. Her mother died of breast cancer when Ms Mordaunt was 15 – the same year her father was also diagnosed with cancer – turning her into a ‘child carer’. She took a job as a magician’s assistant to fund her way through college, which involved her being ‘sawn in half’. In interviews to publicise Splash!, she told of a ‘life-changing’ year working in Romanian orphanages, before going to university to study philosophy, and that she has a gay twin brother. The only mention of her personal life was that she lives with her partner Ian Lyon – a classical singer, Burmese cat breeder and director of an IT firm – and eight cats. A marriage certificate unearthed by The Mail on Sunday this year showed that when she was 26 she had a brief marriage to Paul Murray, whom she met while they were students.
### SUMMARY:
| Six 'c**ks', five 'lays' or 'laids' in spoof speech by Minister on poultry .
Communities Minister Penny Mordaunt made the obscene speech as a bet .
MP said the rude words to entertain Royal Marine friends who dared her .
She received a formal reply from Minister who thought she was serious .
Speaker John Bercow was also duped by speech on poultry welfare .
Other MPs used the debating session to discuss the Srebrenica massacre .
Ms Mordaunt appeared on diving TV show Splash! earlier this year .
Former Minister says MP should realise Commons 'is not a reality show' |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
You’ve seen images of Earth from the ISS, but one astronaut has set the bar to a new height with his shots of storms taken from above. Esa has released stunning pictures and video of lightning captured by a Dutch astronaut while on the International Space Station 255 miles (410km) above Earth. And one image makes Earth look more like a toy than a planet - as the landscape of Earth is revealed around a huge flash of lightning. Esa has revealed an amazing video of 49 images stitched together showing lightning strikes over Eastern Romania. The images were taken by Dutch astronaut André Kuipers in 2012 but have only just been released . The incredible series of images were captured by 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 27,600 km/h (17,100 mph). 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. As Esa explains, though, capturing images from the ISS at a height of 255 miles (410km) can be difficult. ‘At these distances a camera flash is pointless to take night-time images of Earth, but our planet moves by so quickly images can end up being blurred,’ they said. To help astronauts take images, they use something called a Nightpod camera. This uses a tripod system and is installed in the Cupola module of the ISS. Astronauts can then move it using motors to point at different locations on Earth. When the camera is pointed at a target on Earth, it will automatically compensate for the movement of the station, ensuring the image remains steady and clear. Nightpod actually flew with Kuipers to the ISS when he launched in December 2011, making him one of the first astronauts that got to use it on the ISS. Kuipers mission at the time was also especially notable, because in May he welcomed the first ever private spacecraft to the ISS - SpaceX’s Dragon. He was actually responsible for berthing the vehicle to the ISS at the time - the first person in history to dock a private spacecraft. While seeing lightning from Earth is somewhat rare, from space many more strikes can be seen. This image shows the entirety of Earth looking like a toy (pictured) as the lightning-filled cloud is spotted below. To the top left is the light of the sun in Earth's atmosphere . The images were taken using the Nightpod camera - illustrated left - which automatically matches the station's movement to reduce blur. Dutch astronaut Kuipers is pictured right on the ISS with the camera in 2012 . These latest pictures follow amazing images of lighting in the eye of a cyclone revealed earlier this week, 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. 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 earlier this month. An Italian astronaut on the ISS captured images of a cyclone on Earth. Tropical cyclone Bansi was spotted in the Indian Ocean by Esa's Samantha Cristoforetti while the ISS was east of Madagascar. The images show flashes of lighting illuminating the eye of the storm (shown) as the astronauts passed overhead . Tropical cyclones are low pressure systems that develop in the tropics in the Southern Hemisphere. They produce gale force winds of about 39mph (63km/h) on average and rotate in a clockwise direction. If the winds reach 73mph (118km/h), the system is called a severe tropical cyclone. The strongest winds are always near the eye, but damaging winds can extend hundreds of kilometres from the cyclone’s centre. Cyclones form in warm oceans when sea-surface temperature exceeds 26.5C and there are favourable wind conditions. They can persist for several days but lose their energy when they move over land or colder oceans, or are disrupted by other wind. 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. ‘It looks like the storm is powering up some sort of weapon!’ said Phil Plate at Slate. One image also shows a thin green line over the horizon known as airglow, which occurs when oxygen atoms are energised by the sun. The camera again accentuates this effect, which is an atmospheric phenomenon frequently seen by astronauts. Stars appear above the airglow layer, and the solar panels of a docked Russian spacecraft jut into the image. Tropical cyclone Bansi formed in the southwestern Indian Ocean on 11 January this year. By the time Cristoforetti's photos were taken, on the following day, Bansi had achieved tropical cyclone strength, with sustained maximum winds over 115 miles (185km) per hour. The cyclone would reach category 4 strength before becoming a weak extra-tropical system on 19 January. Tropical cyclone Bansi formed in the southwestern Indian Ocean on 11 January this year, just off the coast of Madagascar (shown). The cyclone reached category 4 strength (shown in orange and red) before becoming a weak extra-tropical system on 19 January (right in blue) Another image by Cristoforetti (shown) also revealed a green line of 'airglow' above Earth near the cyclone, with part of a Russian spacecraft also in the image. Airglow occurs when oxygen atoms are energised by the sun. Bansi formed on 11 January and became a tropical cyclone before weakening by 19 January . Esa astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, pictured, was born in Milan, Italy on 26 April 1977. She was selected as an Esa astronaut in May 2009 and, on 23 November 2014, she launched on her first mission to the ISS aboard a Soyuz spacecraft as part of Expedition 42 . On 15 January at 6.15am UTC (1.15am EST), Nasa's Terra satellite captured this visible picture of tropical cyclone Bansi east-northeast of the island of Mauritius .
### SUMMARY:
| Esa has revealed an amazing video of 49 images stitched together showing lightning strikes over Eastern Romania .
The images were taken by Dutch astronaut André Kuipers on the ISS in 2012 but have only just been released .
They were taken using the Nightpod camera - which automatically matches the station's movement to reduce blur .
While lightning on Earth seems rare, from space many more strikes can be seen in vast cloud systems .
Another image shows the entirety of Earth looking like a toy as the lightning-filled cloud is spotted below . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Stocks on key Asian exchanges dropped modestly early Monday on what is likely to be an eventful day in world markets, following Standard and Poor's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating. In early Tokyo trading, the Nikkei index fell 124 points, or 1.3%. South Korea's KOSPI index slipped 1.6%. In Australia, the All Ordinaries index lost 0.7%. The Shanghai composite started 0.8% lower. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index tumbled 2.6% at the open. Similarly, U.S. stock futures fell around 1.7% in early electronic trading Sunday. The futures were the first U.S. gauge of investor sentiment following Friday night's downgrade, removing the United States' AAA status for the first time. They give an indication of how investors will react when regular-hours U.S. trading begins at 9:30 a.m. ET Monday. Besides the U.S. downgrade, investors are concerned about the debt crisis in some European nations, though actions on the part of the G7 and the European Central Bank Sunday helped to allay some of those fears. Financial representatives of leading industrial nations said they are committed to taking "all necessary measures to support financial stability and growth in a spirit of close cooperation and confidence." They welcomed the "decisive actions taken in the U.S. and Europe" and "the additional policy measures announced by Italy and Spain to strengthen fiscal discipline and underpin the recovery in economic activity and job creation." "We are committed to taking coordinated action where needed, to ensuring liquidity, and to supporting financial market functioning, financial stability and economic growth," G7 finance ministers and central bank governors said in a Sunday night statement. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner had been expected to take part in a conference call with representatives of the other G7 nations to discuss the downgraded U.S. credit rating, a G7 official told CNN. The G7 nations are the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the United States. Similarly, the European Central Bank made a bid to calm markets Sunday. It said it would implement a bond-purchase program and welcomed announcements by Italy and Spain on new measures meant to reduce their deficits. It told the governments of those countries that a "decisive and swift implementation" of reforms is "essential." The move represents an escalation in the official response to Europe's debt crisis, which is now more than a year old and until recently was contained to smaller economies like Greece, Ireland and Portugal. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde cheered the announcements. "I welcome the statements from the European Central Bank, from the leaders of Germany and France as well as from the G7, and their renewed commitment to take all necessary action in a coordinated way to ensure stability and liquidity in the financial markets. This cooperation will contribute to maintaining confidence and spurring global economic growth," she said in a statement. Middle Eastern markets, the first to open since the downgrade, were sharply lower on Sunday. Israel's market temporarily halted trading at one point and finished down more than 6%, while the Dubai Financial Market General Index fell 3.7%. The General Index on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange was down more than 2.5%, while in Saudi Arabia, the Tadawul All-Share Index dropped nearly 5.5% in trading Saturday. U.S. officials are talking to a "wide range of investors" about the downgrade by the credit agency to try to "mitigate" any short-term negative impact from Friday's announcement, a Treasury official told CNN. Top Standard & Poor's officials said Sunday that the downgraded credit rating for the United States was both a call for political consensus on significant deficit reduction and a warning of possible further credit problems down the road. "We have a negative outlook on the rating and that means that we think the risks currently on the rating are to the downside," said David Beers, the S&P global head of sovereign ratings, on "Fox News Sunday." However, Beers said markets were reacting to the debt crises in some European countries and fears of a global economic slump, rather than the U.S. credit downgrade alone. John Chambers, the S&P head of sovereign ratings, told ABC's "This Week" program Saturday that it could take years for the United States to return to AAA status. "Well, if history is a guide, it could take a while," Chambers said. "We've had five governments that lost their AAA that got it back. The amount of time that it took for those five range from nine years to 18 years, so it takes a while." The agency's concerns "are centered on the political side and on the fiscal side," Chambers said. "So it would take a stabilization of the debt as a share of the economy and eventual decline," he said. "And it would take, I think, more ability to reach consensus in Washington than what we're observing now." Both Beers and Bill Miller, chairman and chief investment officer at Legg Mason Capital Management, told the Fox program that they don't expect the U.S. downgrade to cause a spike in interest rates, one of the possible results of the higher risk now attached to U.S. debt. "I don't think we'll pay more in interest," Miller said, calling the downgrade more of a symbolic event than an economic event. However, he warned of continuing market volatility in coming days driven by uncertainty. Rating agencies such as S&P, Moody's and Fitch analyze risk and give debt a grade that is supposed to reflect the borrower's ability to repay its loans. The safest bets are stamped AAA. That's where the U.S. debt has stood for years. Moody's first assigned the United States an AAA rating in 1917. Fitch and Moody's, the other two main credit ratings agencies, maintained the AAA rating for the United States after last week's debt deal, though Moody's lowered its outlook on U.S. debt to "negative." A negative outlook indicates the possibility that Moody's could downgrade the country's sovereign credit rating within a year or two. U.S. Treasury officials received S&P's analysis Friday afternoon and alerted the agency to an error that inflated U.S. deficits by $2 trillion, said an administration official, who was not authorized to speak for attribution. The agency acknowledged the mistake, but said it was sticking with its decision. The administration official called it "a facts-be-damned decision ... Their analysis was way off, but they wouldn't budge." Saturday, Gene Sperling, director of Obama's National Economic Council, criticized S&P's call. "The magnitude of their error and the amateurism it displayed, combined with their willingness to simply change on the spot their lead rationale in their press release once the error was pointed out, was breathtaking. It smacked of an institution starting with a conclusion and shaping any arguments to fit it," he said. But Beers defended his agency's move on Sunday, telling the Fox program: "The underlying debt burden of the U.S. government is rising and will continue to rise over the next decade." CNN's Tom Cohen, Kyung Lah and Mark Meinero contributed to this report.
### SUMMARY:
| Losses are modest in Tokyo, Seoul, Sydney and Shanghai .
Investors are weighing both the downgrade and the European debt crisis .
G7 leaders say they are committed to taking "all necessary measures"
U.S. stock futures tumble around 1.7% in early electronic trading . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- England have qualified for the Euro 2012 finals, but they had troubled striker Wayne Rooney sent off, and squandered a two-goal lead, to draw 2-2 in Montenegro on Friday. Fabio Capello's side only needed a point to seal their place from Group G and looked in complete control when Ashley Young headed home Theo Walcott's cross, before Young turned provider to set up Darren Bent with an easy finish. However, Montenegro pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time with a deflected Elsad Zverotic effort, before Rooney was shown a straight red card in the second half for kicking out at defender Miodrag Dzudovic. And the home side took advantage of their man advantage to snatch a last-gasp draw when Andrija Delibasic headed home Stefan Savic's far post cross. The result secured England's qualification with 18 points from their completed eight matches, but it has come at a cost with Rooney -- who had to contend with his father and uncle being arrested earlier in the week over a betting fraud allegation -- now being suspended for at least the first match of the finals tournament. It proved to be an important equalizer for Montenegro, who have secured second spot and a place in the play-offs on 12 points. Switzerland lost 2-0 in Wales in the other group match to end their hopes of reaching the finals via the play-offs. Russia moved a step closer to sealing qualification with a vital 1-0 Group B success in Slovakia. CSKA Moscow midfielder Alan Dzagoev scored the only goal with 20 minutes remaining, as Russia moved top of the group with 20 points. They will ensure qualification if they draw with group minnows Andorra in their final match, while Slovakia's defeat means they cannot now qualify via the play-offs. Republic of Ireland won 2-0 in Andorra, thanks to goals from Kevin Doyle and Aidan McGeady, and lie second on 18 points, one ahead of Armenia who thrashed Macedonia 4-1 in Yerevan. Ireland and Armenia will meet in the final group game in Dublin, with Ireland just needing a draw to secure a play-off place. In Group E, Sweden secured their place in the play-offs with a 2-1 victory at rivals Finland in Helsinki. Two players who ply their trade in England, Sunderland's Sebatian Larsson and Martin Olsson of Blackburn put the visitors in the ascendancy and their held on for victory despite Joona Toivio pulling a goal back for the home side. In the other group match, a goal five minutes before half-time from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar gave the already-qualified Netherlands a 1-0 home win over Moldova in Rotterdam. That means the Dutch maintain their 100% record in the group with nine wins out of nine. They lie on 27 points, six ahead of Sweden who must travel to the Netherlands in their final group game. Hungary are a further three points behind in third and can draw level on points with Sweden, but the Swedes are certain of a play-off place courtesy of a greater head-to-head record. Germany also maintained their perfect nine from nine record with a superb 3-1 Group A victory over Turkey in Istanbul. In-form Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez opened the scoring with his 13th goal of the season and club team-mate Thomas Mueller added a second after being set-up by Mario Goetze. Hakan Balta pulled a goal back for Turkey with 10 minutes remaining but Bastian Schweinsteiger converted a late penalty, after Gokhan Gonul had fouled Mueller, to seal the win. The win puts Germany on 27 points, a massive 12 points ahead of Belgium, who have leapfrogged Turkey into second place after defeating Kazakhstan 4-1 in Brussels. However, Turkey are just a point behind Belgium and are still favorites to claim the play-off place as they entertain Azerbaijan in their final match, while Belgium have to win in Germany to clinch second spot. Austria will finish fourth in the group after they won 4-1 in Azerbaijan on Friday. Holders Spain are the other team to remain 100% after beating the Czech Republic 2-0 in Prague for a seventh consecutive Group I success. First-half goals from Juan Mata and Xabi Alonso proved enough for the European and world champions, who now have 21 points with one match remaining. Second place is still up for grabs with the Czechs two points ahead of Scotland, who play in Liechtenstein on Saturday. A Scottish win will put them a point ahead with one match remaining, but that match is in Spain, while the Czechs have to travel to Lithuania needing to better the Scottish result. Northern Ireland's faint hopes of reaching the play-offs from Group C are over after they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat against Estonia. Steve Davis put the Irish ahead in the first half, but two late second half goals from Konstantin Vassiljev gave the visitors victory. The other group match saw Serbia draw 1-1 with already-qualified Italy in Belgrade. Claudio Marchisio took advantage of a long kick from goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to put the Italians ahead but defender Branislav Ivanovic restored parity before half-time. Italy have won the group and lie on 23 points with one match remaining. Estonia are second on 16 points, one point ahead of Serbia, but the Estonians have now played all their matches and Serbia will snatch that spot with a final match victory in Slovenia. Group D all hinges on the final group game between France and Bosnia in Paris, after both nations won on Friday. Bosnia thumped Luxembourg 5-0 in Zenica, while Florent Malouda, Loic Remy and Anthony Reveillere scored the goals that saw France defeat Albania 3-0 at home. It leaves France on 20 points, one ahead of Bosnia, with a final match draw enough to send France through and put Bosnia into the play-offs. Romania and Belarus drew 2-2 in the other group match and the pair are joint third on 13 points, but Belarus have finished their matches now and Romania will end up third if they draw their final match against Albania. There was a significant result in Group F, where 2004 champions Greece beat Croatia 2-0 in Athens. Late goals from Georgios Samaras and Theofanis Gekas gave the home side a victory that makes them favorites to qualify for the finals. Greece are two points clear of Croatia and will qualify with a final match draw in Georgia, while Croatia need a victory at home to Latvia to have any hope of avoiding the play-offs. Friday's other match saw Latvia defeat Malta 2-0. Meanwhile, Group H is now a straight fight between Portugal and Denmark, to see which nation qualifies automatically with the other going into the play-offs. Manchester United winger Nani scored twice in Portugal's 5-3 win over Iceland on Friday, while a double from Dennis Rommedahl helped the Danes thrash Cyprus 4-1. Both teams are level on 16 points at the top of the table, but Portugal lead on the head-to-head. The pair face each other in Denmark on Tuesday, with the winners qualifying for the finals.
### SUMMARY:
| England qualify for the Euro 2012 finals after a 2-2 Group G draw in Montenegro .
Wayne Rooney is sent off and will now miss at least the opening match of the finals .
Spain, Netherlands and Germany all win to remain 100 per cent in qualification .
Russia and Greece edge close to sealing qualification with vital victories on Friday . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- As backlash against airline passenger pat-downs intensified with a viral online video, the nation's top airline security official said Monday that his agency is walking a fine line between privacy concerns and public safety. A short video clip circulating on the internet shows a shirtless boy receiving a pat-down from a Transportation Security Administration agent. His father watches, hands on his hips, obstructing part of the view. But the words playing in the background are clear. "Are they harassing a kid?" one man asks. "It's ridiculous," another voice chimes in. "Unbelievable." Finance student Luke Tait said he started recording the incident with his cell phone when he saw the "visibly upset" father while waiting in line Friday at the airport in Salt Lake City, Utah. "It was an interesting situation. I never saw a little boy with his shirt off getting a pat down," Tait told CNN. TSA spokesman Dwayne Baird said screeners searched the child after he set off a metal detector alarm. "The father removed his son's shirt in order to speed up the screening process. Once screening was complete, both proceeded to the gate for their flight," Baird said in a statement. Asked about the incident Monday on CNN's "American Morning," TSA Administrator John Pistole said his understanding was the same as the account Baird gave. The TSA is trying to strike a delicate balance, Pistole said -- ensuring the safety of the traveling public while taking privacy concerns into account. "The bottom line is, everybody wants to arrive safely at their destination," he said. In the short term, no changes will be made as the holiday season approaches. Some 2 million people a day are expected to travel on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. A Michigan man, who endured what he called an "extremely embarrassing" pat-down this month, disagreed. "These new pat-downs have to be stopped until [TSA agents] are trained and are comfortable doing what they need to do," Thomas Sawyer told CNN's "American Morning." Sawyer, a bladder cancer survivor who has worn a urostomy bag since a surgery three years ago, said a TSA agent at Detroit Metropolitan Airport caused the seal of the bag to open partially during a pat-down, spilling urine on his clothes. Sawyer said he tried to caution the agent against pressing too hard on his abdomen because of the bag. The agent didn't understand and continued with the search, Sawyer said, and "pulled the seal kind of half off" the bag. "These people need to be trained on medical conditions ... and emotional conditions," Sawyer said. He said the agent "didn't apologize, he didn't do anything." "I'm a good American, I know why we're doing this and I understand it," Sawyer said. "But this was extremely embarrassing, and it didn't have to happen. With educated TSA workers, it wouldn't have happened." On Monday, the TSA said Pistole had reached out Sawyer to hear about his experience and assure him that officials would look into the matter. "We have done extensive outreach to the disability community, and our officers take seriously their responsibility to be respectful and professional throughout the screening process," the TSA said in a statement. Pistole pointed out that the pat-downs are not mandatory -- passengers receive them only if they opt out of a screening with advanced-imaging technology. The technology is the TSA's best effort, he said, to head off attacks such as the would-be Christmas Day bomber last year. Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab allegedly had a bomb sewn into his underwear on a flight from Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit. Asked whether the technology and pat-downs would have been able to find that device, Pistole said he believes they would have, saying it would have shown up as "an anomaly" with the imaging technology and then might have been located in a pat-down. There has never been an explosive found on a flight from one U.S. city to another, Pistole acknowledged. But, he pointed out, domestic terrorists exist -- Timothy McVeigh, Eric Rudolph and Ted Kaczynski, for instance -- and there are people who want to do the government harm. While America is "fortunate" that such an incident has not occurred on a domestic flight, he said, it could conceivably happen. "We welcome feedback and comments on the screening procedures from the traveling public, and we will work to make them as minimally invasive as possible while still providing the security that the American people want and deserve," Pistole said in a statement released Sunday. "We are constantly evaluating and adapting our security measures, and as we have said from the beginning, we are seeking to strike the right balance between privacy and security." But Rep. John Mica told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday the enhanced screening shows the TSA is "headed in the wrong direction as far as who they're screening and how they're doing it." "I don't think the rollout was good and the application is even worse," he said. "This does need to be refined. But he's saying it's the only tool and I believe that's wrong." The Florida Republican, who will be chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in January, has argued that airports should hire private security screeners. The ramped-up use of pat-downs and full-body scanning is needed to stop nonmetallic threats including weapons and explosives from getting aboard planes, the TSA said. And it appears that most Americans agree. In a recent CBS News poll, four out of five Americans supported the use of full-body scans. President Obama stood by the new controversial screening measures Saturday, calling methods such as pat-downs and body scans necessary to assure airline safety. The president told reporters that the balance between protecting travelers' rights and their security is a "tough situation" but stressed such methods are needed after what happened last Christmas Day. But Obama's support hasn't stopped a growing group of objectors, from civil rights and privacy advocates to scientists and pilots, from loudly claiming these measures are too invasive, ineffective and possibly unsafe. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asked by CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday whether she would submit to an enhanced pat-down, laughed and said, "Not if I could avoid it. No, I mean, who would?" Pistole noted Monday that Clinton went on to say she understands the importance and focus on travelers' security. Some are calling the frenzied travel day before Thanksgiving "National Opt-Out Day," urging travelers selected for full-body scanning to refuse. Travelers have the right to opt out of full-body scanning, according to the TSA, but the pat-down alternative has, in turn, created its own public furor. Last week, a San Diego, California, man's viral video of his clash with security screeners spawned several T-shirt designs with his "Don't touch my junk" quip. And CNN affiliates around the country have reported examples of passengers who say they find pat-downs embarrassing or invasive. But Pistole has told CNN the outcry over the new screening was overblown. "Very few people actually receive the pat-down. In spite of all the public furor about this, very few people do," he said. CNN's Rick Martin and Marnie Hunter contributed to this report.
### SUMMARY:
| Cancer survivor describes pat-down that led to his urostomy bag spilling .
TSA administrator says his agency walks a fine line between safety, security .
A viral video shows a young boy receiving a security pat-down .
TSA administrator says agency has no intention of changing its procedures . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Somewhere, in a parallel dimension, when cyclist Tyler Hamilton appears on live video link beamed in to a court room in the Spanish city of Madrid on Tuesday, his testimony detailing the breadth and impunity of doping within his sport would send shock waves across the world. But, in the here and now, such is the public's current fatigue of drug revelations in sport that his appearance at the trial of the Operation Puerto scandal -- where Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes is accused of masterminding a blood doping network at the highest level of professional cycling -- will be met with little more than a collective shrug. Hamilton was an American cyclist who won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics before riding with Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France. He has already detailed his own drug-taking exploits in his book "The Secret Race," helping to lift the lid on the murky, dangerous and in some cases criminal world of performance-enhancing drugs. But those revelations -- which implicated Armstrong as much as himself -- were just the tip of the iceberg. From Armstrong's carefully managed but ultimately soulless confession to doping fraud on Oprah to the release of a damning report by the Australian Crime Commission -- the government's top criminal intelligence body -- in to widespread doping in some of the country's top sports and the ongoing Operation Puerto trial, the fidelity of sportsmen and women is increasingly being called into question. "I don't think anything has changed, there have been doping cheats in sports for a long, long time, and there are still doping cheats in sports," John Fahey, president of the World Anti Doping Agency, told CNN. "What we are seeing in more recent days is a number of revelations which give us some sort of indication that, in some cases, it's quite widespread. I think we now know there was a period in cycling where it was extremely widespread." Poachers versus gamekeepers . But while the reputation of sports stars has taken a hit, the people charged with catching them -- the various different governing bodies and, at the top, WADA -- remain one step behind the dopers. Armstrong, after all, claimed correctly that he never failed a drugs test. Yet for the man who heads the world's top anti-doping body, the revelations are a move in the right direction, rather than proof of failure. "Has cycling fixed itself up? Well, I don't know," admitted Fahey, before suggesting that the revelations "makes us all think about the problem, and that's not such a bad thing." "I would much sooner see all of these things about doping in sport on the surface than to know that there was doping in sport and we don't know about it," he added. Despite the public's doping fatigue, the revelations that have emerged from the Operation Puerto trial so far have been shocking. Fuentes has been accused, along with his sister and three other defendants from various other cycling teams, of running a blood doping ring that involved transfusions of re-oxygenated blood. Blood doping involves using hormones or transfusions to boost the numbers of red cells in the body. This can increase a sportsman or woman's ability to carry oxygen to the muscles, a distinct advantage in endurance sports. Hotel transfusion . Several top names in cycling have been implicated. According to a 2006 report in Spanish newspaper El Pais Tyler Hamilton paid Fuentes at least $47,000 for the procedure. But doping wasn't a criminal offence in Spain in 2006 when Fuentes was arrested and hundreds of bags of blood from his clients seized. Instead they have been accused of endangering public health, charges they deny. WADA's own medical expert Dr. Yorck Olaf Schumacher gave a damning appraisal of the health risks that many of the cyclists faced when he testified in Spain, according to Cycling News website which is covering the trial. "Extracting half a liter or a liter of blood presents a greater risk than extracting the usual amounts. That's up to 20% of the body's total, whereas you would only extract 1% for a blood analysis," he said. "A hotel does not fulfill the conditions required for a transfusion," he added, referring to the alleged unsanitary conditions in which the blood doping took place. "A cool bag for picnics isn't the best thing for transporting blood." Schumacher also raised the possibility that cyclists would have been exposed to greater risk of contracting diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. "We've been fighting this case now for the best part of seven years," said Fahey, before turning his attentions to other sports. "Those hundreds of blood bags that appear to belong to many different types of sportsmen and women, so (it's) not just one sport. We want to know who they are, we want to know what's in those bags, and all of that knowledge and information passed on to the authorities that will take action against the owners of that blood." Soccer stars implicated? Many of the names attached to those damning, currently anonymous blood bags could contain the names of well-known soccer players. During the trial Fuentes told the court that he had many clients in the world of soccer, athletics and boxing. But the judge ruled that Fuentes would not be compelled to reveal names. Fuentes' revelations have not gone unnoticed by WADA officials, who believe soccer's governing body FIFA could do much more to tackle alleged doping in the game -- particularly the use of EPO, or erythropoietin, a hormone produced by the kidney that is injected to stimulate red blood cell production that has long been used by cyclists. "I acknowledge that under the world body, FIFA, there is an anti-doping program," said Fahey. "They can do more, they've got to test players, many more of them, and make sure they are testing for the drug of choice EPO. Otherwise they are paying lip service to the issue rather than convincing anybody that they've got an effective program." The answer, according to Fahey, is to insist on a biological profile and passport for each player, an issue he raised with Sepp Blatter, the secretary general of FIFA, when they met last week. FIFA announced after that meeting that it will introduce biological profiles at June's Confederations Cup tournament in Brazil. The scheme will see a biological profile taken from each player two months before so that any marked changes in that profile at the tournament could point to blood doping or hormone use. "I would like to see, particularly team sports, take up the athlete's biological passport," Fahey said. "There is absolutely no reason why in the major codes of football, and in the major sporting events right throughout the world they shouldn't all (have) the tool known as the biological passport. That will do a lot to stamp out doping in sport, and most of those major codes can easily afford the cost of running that program." But, for now, the focus remains on cycling, Operation Puerto, Fuentes and Tyler Hamilton's testimony. Fahey hopes that the trial will be a watershed moment for doping in sport. "This is not the first court case that we've had on this subject over the past seven years, but we will continue to exhaust all legal rights," Fahey said. "We believe it is important enough to do that. I hope this may well be the final court case that we have to participate in."
### SUMMARY:
| CNN spoke to the president of the World Anti Doping Agency John Fahey .
WADA president believes it's better current doping allegations in sport are out in the open .
Fahey criticizes FIFA for not doing enough on checking for banned substance EPO in the past .
Tuesday sees Tyler Hamilton appear at Operation Puerto trial in Spain . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Chicago (CNN) -- Chicago public schoolchildren will spend a seventh day out of classes Tuesday as their striking teachers weigh a tentative proposal to end their walkout. School officials went to court Monday to ask a judge to declare the strike illegal and order the teachers back to work. A Cook County judge will hold a hearing on that request Wednesday. In the meantime, Chicago Teachers Union delegates are scheduled to convene again Tuesday afternoon to discuss a proposed settlement. And parents and city officials scrambled to keep about 350,000 children busy and out of trouble as the strike stretched into its second week. "It is frustrating for me that the kids are not in school, and I have to find other ways to continue their education," said parent Will White, who said he's sympathetic to both sides in the dispute. "Hopefully, it won't last too much longer ... after this week, something's going to have to change." Chicago Public Schools, the third-largest U.S. school system, and the union struck a tentative bargain Friday afternoon. But Sunday, union members decided to continue the walkout while its they reviewed the proposal. "We have 26,000 teachers, and they're all able to to read this document and take some time to discuss its merits or its deficiencies, and that's going to happen today," union spokesman Jackson Potter told CNN. "We're just asking people to be patient and let the process run its course." Q&A: What's behind the Chicago teachers' strike? But Mayor Rahm Emanuel vowed Sunday night to force the teachers back into the classroom, calling the teachers' move "a delay of choice that is wrong for our children." The school system went to court Monday morning, arguing that the walkout violates Illinois labor laws. "State law expressly prohibits the CTU from striking over non-economic issues, such as layoff and recall policies, teacher evaluations, class sizes and the length of the school day and year," the district said in a statement. "The CTU's repeated statements and recent advertising campaign have made clear that these are exactly the subjects over which the CTU is striking." The strike also prevents "critical educational and social services, including meals for students who otherwise may not receive proper nutrition, a safe environment during school hours and critical services for students who have special needs," the district continued. Cook County Circuit Judge Peter Flynn has scheduled a hearing on the district's request for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The system isn't asking the judge to settle the dispute that led to the walkout, just to order the teachers back to work. The union responded to the filing Monday by saying it "appears to be a vindictive act instigated by the mayor." "This attempt to thwart our democratic process is consistent with Mayor Emanuel's bullying behavior toward public school educators," the union said. Teachers walked off the job September 10, objecting to a longer school day, evaluations tied to student performance and job losses from school closings. Parents have juggled their families' schedules for more than a week to make sure their children are attended to while schools are closed. "Besides the daycare issue, they just need to be in school," said Rich Lenkov, a parent who took part in a protest outside the school district's headquarters on Monday. "Their competitors in charter schools and private schools are learning, while our kids are not." Interview with a parent on the impact of the strike . With the strike continuing, the school system planned to open 147 "Children First" sites citywide Monday for students to go to, in addition to programs run by the city's park department and neighborhood organizations, Chicago Board of Education President David Vitale said. Vitale said that he, like the mayor, is "extremely disappointed" that such programs are necessary. "There is no reason why our kids cannot be in school while the union reviews the agreement," he said. But Nancy Davis Winfield, the mother of another student, said she stood behind the teachers and the union. "I think its going to be settled this week, but I understand what the teachers are doing and they've got to read that fine print," Winfield said as she picked up her daughter at a Children First program in the South Loop district. "I feel that the whole nation needs to understand that this is a fight for the middle class," Winfield said. "Democrats are talking about supporting the middle class. This is the fight that has to be waged." Union members reconvene Tuesday afternoon following a break on Monday for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. They could decide to end the strike at that point, which could mean classes coming back Wednesday. But the rank and file would still have the opportunity to accept or reject the proposed contract, and CTU President Karen Lewis said a "clear majority" of their delegates did not want to suspend the strike. "They are not happy with the agreement," she said. Why they teach despite it all . Negotiations have taken place behind closed doors while the public debate has been marked by sometimes biting remarks and vocal picketing around the schools. Lewis said one problem is that "there's no trust" of school board members, with job security the chief issue. "The big elephant in the room is the closing of 200 schools," she said. The teacher "are concerned about this city's decision on some level to close schools." It was not immediately clear where Lewis got the 200 figure or when she believes such school closures might happen. But Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman Marielle Sainvilus called Lewis' claim "false," asserting that union leaders said a few days ago that 100 schools would close, and "I'm sure it'll be another number tomorrow." "All Ms. Lewis is trying to do is distract away from the fact that she and her leadership are using our kids as pawns in this process," Sainvilus wrote in an e-mail. Another point of contention involves the teacher evaluation system, Lewis said. The tentative contract would change it for the first time since 1967, taking into account "student growth (for the) first time," according to the school system. And teachers who are rated as "unsatisfactory and developing" could potentially be laid off. Principals would keep "full authority" to hire teachers, and the school system will now have hiring standards for those with credentials beyond a teacher certification. In addition, "highly rated teachers" who lost their jobs when their schools were closed can "follow their students to the consolidated school," according to a summary of the proposed contract from Chicago Public Schools. This contract calls for longer school days for elementary and high school-age students, 10 more "instructional days" each school year and a single calendar for the entire school system, as opposed to the two schedules now in place, depending on the school. The pay structure would change with a 3% pay hike for the first year of the contract, 2% for the second year and 2% for the third year. If a trigger extends the contract to four years, teachers will get a 3% pay increase. Union members would no longer be compensated for unused personal days, health insurance contribution rates would be frozen, and the "enhanced pension program" would be eliminated. As is, the median base salary for teachers in the Chicago public schools in 2011 was $67,974, according to the system's annual financial report. For high school athletes, strike could put scholarships on the line . CNN's Kyung Lah reported from Chicago and Greg Botelho from Atlanta. CNN's Ted Rowlands, Chris Welch, Katherine Wojtecki and Ed Payne also contributed to this report.
### SUMMARY:
| NEW: "After this week, something's going to have to change," parent says .
Striking teachers reconvene Tuesday after weighing proposed deal .
A judge will consider city's request to end the strike Wednesday .
There have been no classes in Chicago since September 7 . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Imagine seeing masterpieces by Van Gogh, entertaining your kids with activities and strolling a hilltop garden with waterfalls and beautiful views at sunset. Now imagine doing it all for free. That's how your day could play out at the Getty Museum in L.A., where admission doesn't cost a thing. Enjoying what America has to offer can get expensive fast: in 2011, the U.S. travel industry made $813 billion, and some of America's most popular cities are also its most expensive. With high gas prices and airline fees, it's refreshing to know that there are still some venues like the Getty that give another meaning to the land of the free. In our search for the top free attractions, we bypassed public parks and train stations to focus on experiences you wouldn't necessarily expect to be free. Find out just how far $0 can get you from coast to coast. Smithsonian Museums, Washington, D.C. The National Zoo, National Museum of Natural History, and National Air and Space Museum—which displays The Spirit of St. Louis—are the biggest crowd-pleasers among the 18 Smithsonian institutions in D.C., otherwise one of the country's priciest cities. Indeed, making knowledge accessible is key to the mission of the world's largest museum and research complex. Affordable-travel expert Tim Leffel observed that the three museums he visited with his wife and daughter would have set them back more than $100 in most European capitals. And here's a bonus: you can download a free app about the National Mall sites from the National Park Service. New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park . Most national parks encourage you to tune in to nature; this one celebrates jazz in its birthplace, New Orleans. There's live music at the visitor center in the French Quarter and the Old U.S. Mint six days a week, and a kids' music workshop on Saturdays at Perseverance Hall in Louis Armstrong Park. The visitor center also hosts free talks, video documentaries and exhibits on local jazz history. You can pick up one of two self-guided audio tours, "Jazz Sites in New Orleans" or "Jazz Walk of Fame." Travel + Leisure: Best U.S. cities for affordable getaways . The Getty Center, Los Angeles . Maximize your time at the Getty by visiting on a Friday or Saturday, when this sprawling hillside art complex is open late—allowing you to take in sunset views. The light-filled museum interiors display an impressive collection of European and American art including Vincent van Gogh's famous irises. Debbie Dubrow of the family travel blog Delicious Baby recommends the Family Room's interactive exhibits, giant illuminated manuscripts and an art treasure hunt. "And whenever you need a break, just pop outside to the Getty's fabulous gardens," she says. While parking is admittedly expensive ($15), the Getty is also accessible by public transit. Staten Island Ferry, New York City . Even in the most expensive city in America, you can find great deals like free admission nights at MoMA (otherwise $25), discounted Broadway tickets, and lower hotel rates in July and August. Then there's the thrill of one of the world's most beautiful ferry rides on the Staten Island commuter ferry—which also happens to be free 24/7. Board at sunset, when Lady Liberty is silhouetted against a pink-and-orange sky. You'll pass the Statue of Liberty, with a panoramic view of glittering downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey City. Affordable-travel expert Tim Leffel says: "It's one thing I always recommend when people ask what they should do in New York." Travel + Leisure: Best affordable all-inclusive resorts . Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia . Folks line up to see the 2,000-pound Liberty Bell—enshrined in glass—and tour Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution drafted. (Look for George Washington's "rising sun" chair.) Mara Gorman of the blog The Mother of All Trips also enjoyed visiting the Second Bank of the United States, "which houses a wonderful portrait gallery with paintings of many of the principle figures of the American Revolution." Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and Washington all attended services at nearby Christ Church. Go underground: Cave hotels . Conservatory at Bellagio, Las Vegas . Take a breather from the hectic win-or-lose atmosphere of Vegas at the Bellagio's 13,000-square-foot Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Horticulturists create seasonal over-the-top displays, rearranging the gardens and their trappings—gazebos, bridges and giant topiaries. After the free live musical performance at the gardens (5 to 6 p.m. daily), step out onto the Strip to witness the light-and-music show put on by the Bellagio fountains. Royal Hawaiian Center, Honolulu . Free cultural programming sets the remodeled Royal Hawaiian Center apart from your average shopping mall. You can drop by for a traditional Hawaiian massage (lomilomi), lei-making, Hawaiian quilting or a crash course in playing the ukulele or dancing the hula. There are also free performances, including Polynesian song and dance and hula 'auana, which is hula's modern form. It's an added bonus that parking is unusually affordable for Waikiki: free for an hour with validation. 7 amazing island rentals . The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas . "Remember the Alamo!" became a rallying cry after a small group of Texans stationed at this Catholic mission was defeated in March 1836 by a Mexican army after a 13-day siege. These days, the Alamo chapel is an official Texas State Shrine—and the state's most popular site with more than 2.5 million annual visitors. After your visit, stroll the nearby River Walk, lined with shops and restaurants like Boudro's for homemade guacamole and prickly-pear margaritas. Pike Place Market, Seattle . This iconic Seattle waterfront market occupies nine acres with an assortment of vendors selling fresh, locally produced food—most famously, flying fish. The market was established in 1907 with the explicit aim of connecting citizens and farmers, and it's still home to more than 200 independent small businesses, including bakeries, flower and butcher shops, and casual seafood restaurants. Markets with a similar ethos have sprung up across the country; look for one on your next trip. National September 11 Memorial, New York City . Pay your respects at twin reflecting pools that occupy the footprint of the former World Trade Center towers. The memorial is inscribed with the names of all who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and of February 26, 1993. Hundreds of white oaks help create a peaceful atmosphere. While admission is free, advance reservations are required. See more of America's top free attractions . What are your favorite free attractions in the U.S.? Planning a getaway? Don't miss Travel + Leisure's guide to the World's Best Hotels . Copyright 2012 American Express Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.
### SUMMARY:
| The travel industry rakes in billions each year, but not every great attraction charges a fee .
The Smithsonian museums in Washington make for fun, educational outings at no cost .
In Las Vegas, the Conservatory at the Bellagio offers free live music in the gardens . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Kia Horton was thin as a little girl. "Like fit your fingers around (my) ankles skinny," she recalls. But at 5, she says, she became a victim of sexual abuse, triggering more than a decade of poor eating habits. By the time she started eighth grade, she was borderline obese. At 15, Horton weighed almost 200 pounds. Her father allowed her to sign up for a diet meal delivery service. She lost 30 pounds on the program, but she says, "I hated the food, and the program was not sustainable because eating their food was the only key to success." She gained back the 30 pounds and then some. By the time she graduated college, she weighed 260 pounds. "I immediately joined a gym and hired a personal trainer," Horton says. "This also proved to be futile because I was not ready to change my eating habits." She lost no weight working out with the trainer. "I quit!" she remembers thinking. Her bad eating habits continued, and in 2006, at 31, the Chicagoan topped out at her heaviest weight of 319 pounds. Horton is 5 feet 4 inches; her body mass index at the time was 54.8, which is considered morbidly obese. "Every night for dinner I would stop and get two Happy Meals from McDonald's," she says. She didn't have kids at the time, but Horton acted like she was ordering the meals for her children. She didn't want anyone to realize she was eating both kids' meals by herself. Everything felt out of control, Horton says. She didn't have a great relationship with her mother, she didn't feel valued at her job, and some of her personal relationships were in disarray. For weeks at a time, she wouldn't interact with family or friends outside of her co-workers. She continued to allow food to be her comfort. "Food was the only thing that was good," she remembers. "It didn't talk back." She knew starting a weight loss journey would be useless if she didn't address the issues that led her to gain the weight in the first place. "There was so much going on in every aspect of my life," says Horton, now 38. "I would have lasted on a diet for a week." Making progress . At her heaviest weight, in 2007, Horton got engaged. She knew she wanted to look amazing in her wedding gown. But she often wondered, "How can I possibly look good in a wedding dress at 300 pounds?" Horton had begun attending therapy sessions in her early 30s to work through the early childhood abuse and other personal issues. Now she felt she was ready to consider weight-loss surgery. Horton had the Lap-Band procedure done in March 2006. Doctors placed an adjustable band around her stomach, restricting its capacity, which limited the amount of food she could consume. She was supposed to have the band tightened every three months to continue losing weight. But shortly after the procedure, Horton became pregnant with her first child. She was ecstatic. But after learning of her pregnancy, doctors told her they wouldn't be able to adjust the band during her pregnancy or if she breast-fed. Horton had lost 50 pounds by the time her daughter, Asha, was born in February 2007, but she hasn't had the band adjusted since. She married a few months later and became pregnant again. But five months into her pregnancy, she lost the baby. Stress from the miscarriage and other personal problems caused Horton and her husband, Otto, to split shortly after saying their vows. All of a sudden, she was a single mom. She began eating again to deal with her pain. Two years later, Horton and Otto reconciled. He moved back home, and they had a son in 2010. By then, she was back up to 300 pounds. 'You have such a pretty face' Out with her girlfriends for dinner in January 2012, Horton began chatting with a stranger who was extremely fit and a bit of a health buff. "You have such a pretty face," he said. "Have you ever thought about losing weight?" Usually, Horton would have been offended by such a question. But she realized he didn't know about her past weight-loss struggles and began to mull over the question he'd posed. The next week, Horton put a call out to her Facebook friends, saying she wanted a friend to join Weight Watchers with her. She began the program on January 17, 2012, and she hasn't looked back. The first week, Horton lost four pounds. "I almost jumped off the scale!" she says. "I couldn't believe it." It was just the push she needed to continue. By March 6, she was down 25 pounds. Lifestyle changes and support . Horton follows the guidelines of the Weight Watchers plan by counting points and taking accountability for everything she puts in her body. She has oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast. For dinner, she sticks to protein and plenty of vegetables. But at lunch, she says, she eats out every single day. Her strategy? "I literally check out every item on the food menus in my local area, and I make conscious choices and good decisions on what I am putting in my body." She also incorporated exercise into her routine. "I have never been very patient, so I knew in order to stick with this I was going to need to see results fast." She began to do Zumba with her husband and kids on their Wii game console. She started walking the trail around her neighborhood, then running. By July 2012, with her new active lifestyle, she was down to 225 pounds. Today, Horton has reached her goal weight of 142 pounds and, to be honest, she doesn't know what's next. She's thinking of dealing with some of the excess skin that she has from the weight loss, but other than that, she says she's comfortable with her weight and body. She's lost a total of 177 pounds from her highest weight and says she feels like "a totally different person." Horton credits her husband with some of her success, saying he's been supportive since Day One of her weight-loss journey. She appreciates that he's never tried to change her eating habits or derail her plan, even though the couple find it costs more to eat healthy. "I eat about a pound or two pounds of grapes per day. It's an expensive habit," she says, laughing. "He hasn't divorced me for driving us to financial ruin because of my grape habit." She'll also soon start work as a part-time receptionist for the Weight Watchers in her neighborhood. She says she's excited to help others and considers herself the first line of offense: The receptionist is the person a potential Weight Watcher speaks to about their trials and triumphs when they check in. Plus, it will help her stay accountable because anyone who works for Weight Watchers must stay at their goal weight. "The best advice I can give to people is to face their whole life down," she says. Horton says she believes weight gain is a symptom of other issues. "You can't take control over just one aspect of your life; you have to take control over everything. Once you do that, then your journey can begin." Do you have a weight-loss success story? Share it on iReport .
### SUMMARY:
| Kia Horton, 38, went from 319 pounds to 142 pounds .
Horton runs and does a morning workout daily .
She recently started working for Weight Watchers as a receptionist .
Do you have a weight loss success story? Share it with CNN iReport . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- Picture this scene: You're just digging into your restaurant meal, the wine is flowing and the ambiance is perfect -- and then, bam! Your dining companion swats away your hand, scolding you for touching the appetizer before she could take a photo. Sound familiar? The trend of photographing one's food, brought about in large part by apps like Instagram, can seem obnoxious on many levels. But Mark Hill, director of photography at Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc., says it's all about preserving memories. "Meals are special times for people ... the picture of the food is a representation of that moment," he said. "Food is very fleeting in our lives. It's on our plate and 20 minutes later it's gone and we have an empty dish." Those meals become even more special when they are being enjoyed while traveling. Looking back on a photo of a meal eaten overseas can conjure up the sights, sounds, scents and tastes of the trip. This spring, chef and author Anthony Bourdain will take his adventure-seeking appetite -- and CNN viewers -- along on a journey of cultures and cuisine from around the world on his new show, "Parts Unknown." Bourdain's tasty excursions may not be something we can all do for a living, but from the coastal piers of New Jersey to the mountainous terrains of Northern Africa, you've experienced amazing off-the-beaten-track meals, too. Here are some of your favorite food photos and the stories behind them. Getting the local fixings . It was early January of this year when Caroline Cheung and her fiance decided to escape the grind of their Torrance, California, lives and head down to the Galapagos. While traveling through Tortuga Beach, they were greeted with sunshine, warm waters and the faint sound of salsa music playing in the background. The music caught Cheung's attention, but it was the incredible aroma of food that drew her closer. "We watched three ladies prepare and cook fresh fish in a makeshift kitchen with a portable stove and mini-fridge," she said. "It was not really a restaurant, but more like an outdoor public space by the pier with a few plastic tables and chairs, and many local people standing by, waiting for their turn to have a seat," she said. Intrigued, she decided to stand in line, where she learned the place offered one dish. "It was a whole fish that was previously marinated, then dipped in a batter and deep-fried to crispy perfection," she said. "It was served with pickled, spicy onions, fried plantains and rice." To her surprise, she says the fish, served on a simple Styrofoam plate, was one of the best dishes she tried during her trip. "It was such a simple dish, served without fanfare, yet a real delight." Eating with the city . A low-key dinner can sometimes be the most appetizing; at least Gary Ashley thinks so. After days of hiking through the Grand Atlas Mountains, Ashley and his travel partner, John, decided to take a much-needed rest at their riad in Marrakech, Morocco. A riad is akin to a Western-style bed and breakfast. They could have gone to an upscale restaurant to celebrate their trip and John's birthday, but instead they decided to dine on the rooftop of their riad, which overlooks the city. They ordered the Marrakech chicken, which is widely served across the country. The dish consists of chicken slow-cooked as a stew in a tagine -- a traditional Moroccan cooking vessel -- and flavored with whole green olives, preserved lemons and Moroccan spices. It was served on a fluffy bed of couscous. "It was exceptionally tender and moist and flaked from the bone. The spices were quintessentially Moroccan, and the preserved lemon is something not commonly used here in the West," he said. But it wasn't just the dish that he says was the best part of the meal. It was the ambiance of their dinner as well. "The Riad Siwan had a beautiful rooftop dining area from which we could see most of the city," he said. "The sun was setting and evening calls to prayer were coming from the minarets of the nearby mosques. It was John's birthday and the food, the atmosphere were perfect. Photographs were in order." Crossing state lines for a tasty getaway . For Pennsylvania resident Cherie Capostagno, there are no mountains to cross to find a delicious dish. In fact, her favorite food is just across state lines. The drive to Belmar, New Jersey, always brings feelings of nostalgia and hunger for her and her husband, Vince. They slip away from home -- and work -- to escape the occasional stresses that build up from their jobs. A few times a year, they make their way to the New Jersey coast to visit their favorite restaurant, Klein's, which she says is known for its delicious lobster dishes. But besides the tender lobster meat steaming fresh out of the shell, she says the seafood joint is simply inviting. "The restaurant has a fish market in the front and you can watch the guys shuck fresh oysters or you can buy fish at the market if you'd like," she said. If the market isn't your ideal setting, you can walk onto the restaurant's deck, overlooking Shark River Inlet. "We like to sit on the deck and watch the gates open to let the boats go through or watch people paddle-board by," she said. But it's the little gems that bring delight to their meals, like seeing swans, like Sammy, swim up to the restaurant. "Sammy the swan adopted the place as his home and the staff goes down to the dock to play with him," she said. "He swims right up to the tables and at first you aren't sure, but then you realize that Sammy is a regular." Finding a homemade meal in a new place . Whether it's trekking through the mainland of China or swimming in the waters of Tonga, traveling is a way of life for Natalie Montanaro, who works for the Peace Corps Reserve. So that means she is always trying new dishes. But the South Carolinian said her favorite dish is nothing luxurious. Instead, it's a fresh fish salad called 'Ota 'ika. 'Ota 'ika is a Polynesian dish made with raw fish that is marinated in lemon juice for several hours before it is smothered in a rich coconut milk and mixed with an array of veggies. Montanaro heard people raving about it while she worked as a teacher in Tongatapu, Tonga. "At first I was skeptical since I'd never eaten any raw fish other than in sushi," she said. "But the seafood here is top rate and it's so fresh you almost want to eat it right out of the water." The tropical climate and fresh fish was enough of a reason for her to muster up her courage and give the Polynesian dish a try. "I was completely won over by the lovely taste and texture," she said. She adored the dish so much she even learned how to make it. "But it will never be the same without the local fish and coconuts along with the Tongan company and atmosphere, of course."
### SUMMARY:
| Anthony Bourdain's new CNN show "Parts Unknown" inspires others to share dishes from their travels .
iReporters show how to fill your plate with tasty food finds from all four corners of the world .
Some of the best travel dishes featured come from destinations like Vietnam, Peru and Ukraine .
Expert says people photograph their food as a keepsake, especially when traveling . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Tokyo (CNN) -- Beneath the cherry blossoms of Shiba Park, more than 2,000 people lined up for a Sunday afternoon march calling for Japan's nuclear power stations to be shut down. A week before, a similar protest -- though in a chilly drizzle, not on a warm, sunny day -- drew about 250. And a month of frustration, desperation and anger boiled over at Tokyo Electric Power Company's headquarters Friday as officials from towns around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant demanded to know when the crisis that has besieged their farming communities would end. "The nuclear plant situation needs to be resolved as soon as possible. If not, we farmers will die," one of the officials, Iwao Suzuki, told the utility's executives. But the response from Naomi Hirose, the managing director of Japan's largest utility, offered little encouragement to the delegation or the rest of the world. "There is a need to draw an end to the current situation as soon as possible," Hirose said, adding, "We totally agree to this and are taking the utmost endeavors to contain the radiation." Since the March 11 earthquake that ravaged northern Japan, workers at Fukushima Daiichi have been struggling to cool down three overheated reactors and keep pools of spent but still potent nuclear fuel from spreading further radioactive contamination across northern Japan. A month into the crisis, the utility acknowledges, there is no end in sight. The problems are so far "beyond the design capacity" of the plant that the Japanese are working in uncharted territory, said Michael Friedlander, a former senior operator at U.S. nuclear power plants. "No nuclear power plant has ever considered the inability to get on long-term core cooling for more than a week, much less three weeks," Friedlander said. Some Japanese experts now say the effort is in danger of failing unless Japan seeks more help from international experts to bring it to an end. Tetsunari Iida, an engineer-turned-industry critic, said the situation is "beyond the reach" of Japan's closely knit nuclear establishment. "A real exit strategy has to start with an inspection by the world's top experts on nuclear accidents," Iida told reporters at Japan's national press club last week. Engineers and workers so far have managed to stave off a complete meltdown in Fukushima Daiichi's reactors 1-3 and in the spent fuel pool of unit 4. But experts say the overheated fuel rods are likely to have suffered extensive damage, and there is a complication for seemingly every advance. Much of the past week was dominated by the attempt to stop water laced with massive amounts of radioactive particles from pouring into the Pacific Ocean -- water that comes out of the reactors "screaming with radioactivity," Friedlander said. Tokyo Electric is now grappling with where to put the stuff, even dumping thousands of tons of less-radioactive water into the Pacific to make room for it in a reservoir for low-level waste. In a normally functioning plant, coolant water is circulated out of the reactors and chilled. Then it's pumped back in to carry more heat away from the plant's fuel rods, which continue producing energy long after the chain reaction at the heart of the units has been stopped. "You have to get the recirculation system up and functioning so they can cool that water in the normal way," said Gary Was, a nuclear engineering professor at the University of Michigan and a CNN consultant. Normal cooling systems don't require the massive amounts of water -- around 7 metric tons (1,850 gallons) per hour -- now being poured into the reactors. "That's a big problem," Was said. Tokyo Electric officials told CNN they can't say when they'll be able to restore those normal cooling. The first step is to get highly radioactive water out of the flooded basements of the units' turbine plants, then figure out how badly the equipment inside has been damaged. For the first two weeks of the crisis, engineers pumped seawater into the reactors. But the resulting buildup of salt inside has made it harder for coolant to circulate, U.S. nuclear safety officials advised in March. In addition, Was said, the fuel rods are likely in a state of "partial melt," the extent of which will be difficult to determine. After 1979's Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania, it took more than two years before operators were able to get a camera into the reactor to examine its condition, he said. Satoshi Sato, a Japanese nuclear industry consultant, called the current line of attack a "waste of effort." Plant instruments are likely damaged and unreliable because of the intense heat that was generated, and pumping more water into the reactors is only making the contamination problem worse, he said. "There is no happy end with their approach," Sato told CNN. "They must change the approach. That's something I'm sure of 100 percent." After the 1986 Chernobyl accident, the world's worst to date, the Soviet Union encased the plant's damaged reactor in a massive concrete sarcophagus. Iida said Fukushima Daiichi's reactors remain too hot to pour concrete, but he suggested pouring a slurry of minerals and sand over them to carry away heat before encasing them. And Was said the reactors have to be cooled in order to let the molten fuel harden again: "Only when it solidifies are you sure you can contain it." He said Tokyo Electric should be in the lead -- "It's their plant" -- but he added, "There's a lot of different areas in which they could benefit from international help." Japan's government is consulting with experts from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the French nuclear fuel company Areva, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, deputy director-general of Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency and the agency's chief spokesman. U.S. Navy barges have been carrying fresh water to Fukushima Daiichi, and Tokyo's foreign ministry has asked Russia about using a Japanese-built ship outfitted as a floating decontamination plant. "We already have quite a bit of support from outside countries and organizations," Nishiyama said. But he added, "I think the most urgent issue now is support in whatever form possible with regard to how we can dispose of the cooling water and be able to build a sustainable cooling system." General Electric which designed the reactors, and Hitachi, which built most of the plant, are also advising the government and Tokyo Electric. GE chief Jeffrey Immelt flew to Japan to consult with Japanese officials and executives last week, and Tokyo has asked Russian officials about using a Japanese-built ship outfitted as a floating decontamination plant. But for now, Japan has "no choice" but to continue pouring water into the reactors, Friedlander said. "I have no doubt that the men and women working at the power plant are indeed going to exert every human effort to make sure that they resolve this," he said. "What I don't know and what I can't tell and the big question mark for me is, will it be done sooner than later? "And again, my hope is, is that it'll be done sooner. But in order for it to be done sooner, TEPCO's going to have to step up and ask for more help from the international community." Ailing Chang and CNN's Brian Walker contributed to this report.
### SUMMARY:
| No timetable has been crafted for restoring normal cooling, Tokyo Electric says .
Experts say Japan and Tokyo Electric need help resolving the crisis .
"There is no happy end with their approach," a Japanese analyst says .
It's too early for a Chernobyl-type solution, a CNN consultant advises . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- On January 26, a ruling by the Librarian of Congress made unlocking a cell phone for use on other carriers illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Unbelievably, such a policy means that those unlocking their phones could face up to five years in jail and a $500,000 fine. This ruling affects average people, international travelers and hundreds of thousands of our service members. Unlocking your phone not only allows you to move from one carrier to another when your contract is up; it also increases the resale value of your device. This prohibition is a violation of our property rights. It makes you wonder, if you can't alter the settings on your phone, do you even own your own phone? This ruling is a clear example of crony capitalism, a consequence of a few companies asking for the law to be changed to their benefit despite the invasion of our property rights, its impact on consumers and its impact on the overall market. This decision makes it harder for new participants to enter the market, which hinders competition and leads to less innovation. This is why the trade association representing more than 100 wireless carriers across the country (Competitive Carriers Association), including T-Mobile and Sprint, is strongly in favor of unlocking. It's unfortunate that AT&T and Verizon's main lobbying organization was the main proponent of this ban (the Wireless Association). In a number of articles for The Atlantic, I helped turn this into a mainstream issue: "The Most Ridiculous Law of 2013 (So Far): It Is Now a Crime to Unlock Your Smartphone" and "The Law Against Unlocking Cellphones Is Anti-Consumer, Anti-Business, and Anti-Common Sense." I teamed up with Sina Khanifar, an entrepreneur whose company had been shut down for unlocking phones, and we led an advocacy effort for a White House petition. Our White House petition reached 114,000 signatures, the first petition to reach the new threshold of 100,000, which requires a response. Our movement involved a new coalition of actors, many of whom were part of the vocal opposition to the doomed Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, but also involved groups such as the Tea Party Nation and the National College Republicans. The White House reversed course and came out strongly in favor of unlocking and against the criminal penalties: . "The White House agrees with the 114,000+ of you who believe that consumers should be able to unlock their cell phones without risking criminal or other penalties. In fact, we believe the same principle should also apply to tablets, which are increasingly similar to smartphones. And if you have paid for your mobile device, and aren't bound by a service agreement or other obligation, you should be able to use it on another network. It's common sense, crucial for protecting consumer choice and important for ensuring we continue to have the vibrant, competitive wireless market that delivers innovative products and solid service to meet consumers' needs." The White House also came out in support of finding legislative fixes to solve this problem. The Federal Communications Commission has announced an investigation into this issue, and the chairman and a commissioner have publicly spoken in support of unlocking. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, took the lead on this issue and announced that he is working on legislation to fix this problem. This is terrific news and a great way for those in Washington to help win over the digital generation. Other members of Congress are also coming out in favor. There is a groundswell of momentum on this issue. But will Congress actually fix the problem, or will it just check the box? Ordinary and commonplace technologies have been made illegal by default without any serious policy consideration. Use of these technologies has to be approved for personal use every three years by the Librarian of Congress -- but even when approved -- developing, trafficking and selling the technologies is still illegal. That's the fundamental problem with unlocking, and that's the problem that must be permanently fixed, requiring nothing less than legislation to legalize unlocking for personal use permanently. Merely temporarily reversing the decision of the Librarian of Congress and keeping the underlying technology still illegal, and the personal exception subject to periodic new approval would put us back in this boat every three years. Such a nonsolution would show that Congress, even in the wake of SOPA, still isn't serious about innovation. Unfortunately, legislation by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Virginia, does this very thing, but I have confidence that in the coming weeks it can be improved to fix the problem. But beyond unlocking, there are other issues that need to receive serious review and consideration. Currently, there is an exception for personal jailbreaking (allowing individuals to install unapproved applications by altering the phone's operating system), but developing, selling, trafficking or discussing the underlying technology is still illegal and there are no personal exceptions for tablets or other devices. This makes no sense, especially when according to @Saurik, 23 million iOS devices are running a version of Cydia -- a rough barometer of the number of devices that have been jailbroken. Until recently, personal jailbreaking was illegal as well -- meaning that all of the owners of those devices could be criminally liable. A law that potentially makes 23 million people felons punishable by up to five years in prison for activity that does not harm anyone else is a law that must be fixed. Additionally, accessibility technology for individuals who are blind and deaf is effectively illegal as well and subject to the same ridiculous approval process by the Librarian of Congress. It is unconscionable that persons who are deaf and blind are considered felons punishable by up to five years in prison and a $500,000 fine for using technology that they may need to access media. We want every teenager who knows how to code to have an incentive to develop a new accessibility technology that may help these people enjoy media -- we may have no idea the potential innovations that we have criminalized senselessly. This technology should be made permanently lawful for personal use, creation, trafficking and selling. Lastly, research into computer science and cryptography for academic purposes should be lawful (read more on the topic here). There is a current exception, but it is narrow and unclear, and this has a chilling effect upon a lot of legitimate research -- some of the research would actually help protect intellectual property by helping to make digital rights management software stronger. Computer science research should not be banned without explanation if we want economic growth in the technology sector. Last year the proposed SOPA law would have censored the Internet and curtailed technological innovation. It is easy to see why it inflamed millions of Americans whose opposition killed the legislation. In this case, the government has banned broad categories of technologies -- and broad categories of uses -- without any clear governmental interest. This is another extreme and unacceptable violation of personal freedom. A free society shouldn't have to petition its government every three years to allow access to technologies that are ordinary and commonplace. A free society should not ban technologies unless there is a truly overwhelming and compelling governmental interest. Congress must act to legalize cellphone unlocking substantively, but then it must legalize other technologies that have been banned without explanation. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Derek Khanna.
### SUMMARY:
| Derek Khanna: A ruling made people subject to prosecution for unlocking phones .
He says ability to unlock phones gives consumers choice, increases phone value .
Khanna: Companies shouldn't be able to rely on law to bolster their competitive position .
Permanent changes are needed to make unlocking legal, he says . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- High-stakes lawsuits, overlapping investigations and a bitter battle over blame are spreading across Europe in the wake of a scandal that has rocked the meat industry. Horse meat was discovered in products that are supposed to be 100% beef, sold in Sweden, the United Kingdom and France. On Sunday, a major company under scrutiny called one of its suppliers a "villain" responsible for the fraud. The supplier, in turn, insisted it was "fooled" by a subsupplier. While authorities say there is no immediate cause for health concerns, the discovery was a new shock to an industry already reeling from a bombshell last month when Irish investigators found horse and pig DNA in numerous hamburger products. The blame chain . Swedish food producer Findus has been a focus of the uproar since it announced Thursday that it had withdrawn its lasagna from stores as a precaution. The products were pulled Monday after French supplier Comigel raised concerns about the type of meat that was used, Findus Sweden said. Findus said a letter from Comigel dated February 2 informed Findus that the contamination may date back to August 2012. Horsemeat found in hamburgers in Britain and Ireland . Findus is only one of several companies that receive products from Comigel. Others include Axfood, Coop and ICA, which have recalled some meat products in Sweden, and Aldi, which has pulled some products from shelves in Britain. Six big French retailers -- Auchan, Casino, Carrefour, Cora, Picard and Monoprix -- said Sunday that they were recalling lasagne and other products. Findus Nordic, which oversees Findus throughout the Nordic region, said it has begun legal action against Comigel and its subsuppliers. "We are only at the beginning of our legal process. Comigel will end up in a lot of legal processes going forward, I imagine," Findus Nordic CEO Jari Latvanen said Sunday in an interview with CNN. "Comigel is the villain." Comigel has not responded to CNN's requests for comment. The company did not answer its phones when CNN called repeatedly, and did not respond to an e-mail request for comment. Neither did CEO Erick Lehagre. But Lehagre told French news agency Agence France-Presse on Sunday that his company had been "fooled" by a French supplier. "We were victims," he said, according to AFP. Comigel apparently took its website down, posting a sign that it is "under construction." Previously, the site described the company as offering a wide array of products through partners, including major European retailers. Criss-crossing investigations . Probes are under way in France, Sweden, and Britain. The supply chain being studied includes still more countries. France's consumer affairs minister, Benoit Hamon, ordered an immediate investigation and said results will be available by midweek. In a statement, Hamon said a provider in Luxembourg and traders in Cyprus and the Netherlands are part of the chain being probed. The Swedish National Food Agency announced Sunday that it is reporting Findus to police, which is the standard course of action when products have been sold with the wrong labels. British police are investigating as well. British officials held an emergency meeting Saturday in London. Participants agreed "meaningful results" must be achieved by Friday, UK Food Standards Agency spokesman Brad Smythe said. Officials discussed what tests are possible, what laboratory capacity is needed, and what can be done to protect consumer confidence, he said. The evidence so far suggests "either criminal activity or gross negligence," Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said, adding that "more bad news" could come. UK food businesses have been ordered to test all processed beef products for authenticity and report back to the authorities by Friday. "I am determined that we get to the bottom of this and that any wrongdoing discovered is punished," Paterson said in a statement. Prime Minister David Cameron weighed in Friday on Twitter. "This is completely unacceptable -- this isn't about food safety but about proper food labeling and confidence in retailers," he wrote. Legal action under way . Latvanen credits his company with uncovering "a serious case of fraud." "What has happened with Comigel is a crime, a scandal," he said in an interview with CNN. Burger King finds horse meat at European supplier . While Findus has begun legal action in Sweden, Findus France previously said it will file a legal complaint Monday against a Romanian business that is part of the supply chain. It did not name the business publicly. "There are two victims in this affair: Findus and the consumer," Findus France said in a statement. The British arm of Findus said it is considering legal action against suppliers as well. Early results of an internal investigation "strongly suggest" the horse meat contamination of a beef lasagna product "was not accidental," the company said. Tests showed up to 100% horse meat . Aldi said tests on random samples demonstrated that the withdrawn products contained between 30% and 100% horse meat. "This is completely unacceptable and like other affected companies, we feel angry and let down by our supplier. If the label says beef, our customers expect it to be beef." Samples of the affected Findus lasagna contained between 60% and 100% horse meat, according to UK and Irish food safety inspectors. In January, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found that 10 out of 27 hamburger products it analyzed in a study contained horse DNA, while 23 of them -- or 85% -- tested positive for pig DNA. In nine out of the 10 burger samples, the horse DNA was found at very low levels, the inspectors said. But in one sample from Tesco, Britain's largest retailer, the horse meat accounted for about 29% of the burger. Tesco apologized and vowed to make sure it never happens again. Irish officials blamed ingredients from Poland. Concerns about a veterinary drug . While horse meat is not itself a food safety hazard, food inspectors are concerned it may contain the veterinary drug phenylbutazone, or "bute," commonly used to treat horses. Meat from animals treated with phenylbutazone may pose a risk to human health and is not allowed to enter the food chain as it may pose a risk to human health. Findus has been ordered to test the lasagna withdrawn from shelves in the United Kingdom for the drug's presence. The revelations have revolted many meat eaters in the United Kingdom, where horse meat is generally considered taboo, although it is commonly eaten in neighboring France, as well as countries including China, Russia, Kazakhstan and Italy. The discovery of pig DNA in beef products is of particular concern to Jews and Muslims, whose dietary laws forbid the consumption of pork products. Jewish dietary laws also ban the eating of horse meat. The UK Justice Ministry confirmed last week that a number of meat pies and similar items supplied to prisons in England and Wales were labeled and served as halal -- prepared in compliance with Islamic dietary law -- but contained traces of pork DNA, the Food Standards Agency said. Horse meat is not commonly eaten in the United States, but the country does export it to Canada and Mexico. Congress passed a bill in November 2011 that lifted a 5-year-old ban on the slaughter of horses for meat in the United States. Horse: Coming soon to a meat case near you? CNN's Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report.
### SUMMARY:
| NEW: Six big French retailers pull lasagne and other products .
Comigel CEO tells a French news agency his company was "fooled"
Findus Nordic CEO calls Comigel "the villain"
Horsemeat isn't a health hazard, but could contain a veterinary drug unsafe for humans . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- A radiologic technologists' association didn't punish David Kwiatkowski -- later accused of infecting dozens with hepatitis C -- when he was fired in 2010 from an Arizona hospital because it "did not have first-hand evidence" against him to warrant such a move, the group said Monday. The American Registry of Radiologic Technologists said it suspended Kwiatkowski on July 24 after he was charged in federal court with obtaining controlled substances by fraud and tampering with a consumer product, namely a hospital syringe, in New Hampshire, according to an affidavit. He is suspected of stealing fentanyl, a powerful narcotic frequently used in hospitals, the affidavit said. Authorities accuse him of stealing drugs from Exeter Hospital, and it's believed he infected 30 people in New Hampshire with hepatitis C through infected syringes. "The filing of federal criminal charges in New Hampshire was the first information ARRT received about Mr. Kwiatkowski that met the standard of evidence enabling the organization to remove his ARRT credential," the registry said in a statement. Did registry know accused man was earlier fired? It was not the first time Kwiatkowski had run into trouble. Two years earlier, he was working at Arizona Heart Hospital when a fellow employee found him passed out in the men's bathroom, according to documents obtained by CNN. "I looked in the toilet and spotted a 5 cc syringe and a needle floating in the water," the employee said in a statement submitted to the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency. "The label was a blue fentanyl label. ... He then said, 'S*** ... I am going to jail.'" Kwiatkowski flushed the syringe and needle down the toilet, according to the employee. He was immediately fired, according to a hospital spokeswoman, and then relinquished his license as a radiologic technologist. "I don't have the resources nor money to fight the accusations," Kwiatkowski wrote at the time. The agency that placed Kwiatkowski in the Arizona job reported the incident to the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, according to a spokeswoman for the agency, Springboard, Inc. But the Registry of Radiologic Technologists pointed out that police investigated the case but did not file any criminal charges. The group added, "He passed a drug screen the following day and, moreover, there was no indication at the time of Mr. Kwiatkowski being infected with hepatitis C. Controversy surrounds health care contract workers . "ARRT, which does not have subpoena power or state licensing jurisdiction, did not have first-hand evidence supporting action against him in connection with the incident in Arizona." The director of the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency said last week that officials stopped their investigation when Kwiatkowski moved out of state. Aubrey Godwin said he's not sure whether his group reported the 2010 incident to the national registry. "We had no jurisdiction," said Godwin, the regulator agency's chief. "If drugs or alcohol were involved, we would want to get blood tests done, but he was out of state, so it was sort of hard to implement." A few weeks after losing his job in Arizona, Kwiatkowski was working at Temple University Hospital in Pennsylvania. He then went on to work in Kansas and Georgia before working in New Hampshire. Exeter Hospital, in New Hampshire, said it consulted the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists before hiring Kwiatkowski, and he held the required certification for his cardiovascular tech position. Hepatitis C is considered to be among the most serious of hepatitis viruses. It is typically asymptomatic, going undetected until liver damage shows up, according to the Mayo Clinic. New Hampshire's health department is asking everyone who was a patient in Exeter's operating rooms and the intensive care unit between April 1, 2011, and May 25 of this year be tested. Those are two areas that Kwiatkowski visited during his "routine duties to transport patients," an Exeter Hospital statement said. But it added he "was not involved with procedures or patient care." Exeter, in a statement, said it conducted a background check and took other steps before hiring Kwiatkowski full time. U.S. Attorney John P. Kacavas said his office interviewed employees at Exeter who said they had seen Kwiatkowski acting strangely, one time sweating profusely and with bloodshot eyes. Hepatitis outbreak in New Hampshire strikes fear in 7 other states . "One of them described him as unfit to provide medical care and his supervisor sent him home," Kacavas said. "He provided a plausible explanation for his condition, which was that he had been crying his eyes out because his aunt had died and he was an emotional wreck." According to state, county and hospital officials, he worked as a radiology technician and medical technician in cardiac catheterization labs in the following locations: . -- Oakwood Annapolis Hospital in Wayne, Michigan, January to September 2007; . -- Saint Francis Hospital, Poughkeepsie, New York, November 2007 to February 2008; . -- UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, March 2008 to May 2008; . -- Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, May 2008 to November 2008; . -- Southern Maryland Hospital, Clinton, Maryland, December 2008 to February 2009; . -- Maryvale Hospital, Phoenix, March to June 2009; . -- Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, July 2009 to January 2010; . -- Maryland General Hospital, Baltimore, January 2010 to March 2010; . -- Arizona Heart Hospital, Phoenix, March 2010 to April 2010; . -- Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, April 2010; . -- Hays Medical Center, Hays, Kansas, May 2010 to September 2010; . -- Houston Medical Center, Warner Robins, Georgia, October 2010 to March 2011; . -- Exeter Hospital, Exeter, New Hampshire, April 2011 to July 2012. Institutions say they are calling former patients and offering free testing, and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is helping state health officers and hospitals tackle the problem. Kwiatkowski was arrested earlier this month after police found him in a Massachusetts hotel room "in an intoxicated state" and took him to a hospital, the affidavit states. He is now being held in a Strafford County, New Hampshire, jail. He could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted. Kwiatkowski appeared in New Hampshire federal court last Tuesday and waived his right to a detention hearing. Kacavas said it is possible more charges could be filed. Bjorn Lange, a public defender representing Kwiatkowski, told CNN last Friday that he would have no comment on the case. Former hospital worker accused of transmitting hepatitis . CNN's Elizabeth Cohen, Jennifer Bixler, John Bonifield, William Hudson and Joe Sterling contributed to this report.
### SUMMARY:
| David Kwiatkowski was fired from an Arizona hospital for allegedly using drugs .
He's arrested two years later, accuse of infecting dozens with hepatitis C in New Hampshire .
American Registry of Radiologic Technologists notes a lack of charges in the Arizona case .
The group says it "did not have first-hand evidence supporting action against him" in 2010 . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- "The Duke" knows within a split second if something is awry. The trouble is, he only has two further seconds to put it right. Such are the fine margins in Orlando Duque's chosen discipline, cliff diving -- which he lovingly, and understatedly, refers to as "fun" and "intense." The Colombian is a master of his art, with 11 world high-diving titles and two Guinness world records to his name, including one for a "perfect 10" dive at the World Championships in 2000. He had started out in conventional Olympic-style diving, but after growing tired of the pool he turned to the cliffs and an adrenaline-fueled pursuit that can thrill and terrify in equal measure. "When I jump off, immediately I know if things are going well or not," the 39-year-old told CNN's Human to Hero series. "I know if I'm having a problem or something or if I just need to go through the dive and things should be OK. "You get information immediately and it's amazing how fast you start processing that and, if needed, trying to make adjustments -- because you can make adjustments in mid-air, but it is just really quick. "It's nice. As soon as you jump off, you know if it is OK, we're good." Duque is a permanent fixture on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series circuit, which this year consists of eight events in glamorous destinations such as Brazil, France, Thailand and Portugal. Participants perform four dives from a 27-meter cliff -- two stipulated, two freestyle -- often reaching speeds of 85 kph with every fall. Every leap is a leap into the unknown; a crash landing from 27m is the equivalent of a 13m fall onto concrete. But ask Duque for a comparison and he offers an unlikely one. "When I dive off a cliff, it's too much fun. I have all the control, I decide to jump and the feeling in the air, it's just amazing," he says. "It's kind of like how your dog feels when he sticks his head out of the window, he's just so happy feeling the wind. That's how we feel. "When I'm standing up on top, I'm worried. I know this is high. It's going to be some danger involved in the dive but I still want to do it. "And you're worried, you have a little bit of fear but then when you're in the air, you feel the wind in your face. You hear it. It's really, really intense and then once you're in the water, it's like 'Whoa'. It's just relief. "In three seconds you went from being really worried and now you're in the water and you're super happy. It just changes really quickly and it's hard to compare to anything else, you know?" Duque swapped the football pitch for the pool aged just nine and has never looked back. He made the switch to cliff diving in 1995 and was soon the sport's dominant force. His first cliff diving world title came in 2000, the season in which he broke a world record after scoring a perfect 10 from all seven judges for a double back somersault with four twists from 24.4m in Hawaii. He went on to win an incredible nine world titles, the last coming in 2009, the first year of Red Bull's sponsorship. Agonizingly, he lost out to British rival Gary Hunt last year in the very final round of competition. But he did get his own back on an emotional return to the pool in July, winning gold as high diving made its debut at the 2013 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, alongside more established disciplines such as swimming, synchro and water polo. It was fitting reward for a pioneer of the sport who has had much to do with its slipstream into the mainstream -- and one which ranks as his proudest achievement. "It was the first time our sport was there, so being part of that group that was probably the top there," he says. "And winning my first cliff diving world championships back in 2000. It was a great competition. It was of course the first one. That stays in your mind, for sure." Easing back into the pool environment -- where in Olympic diving competitors leap from heights between 1-10 meters -- is a much easier transition than the move in the other direction. So apart from the obvious, what takes the most adapting to? "If you're going higher than 25 meters the speed is much higher so you have to get used to that first, and the height and the speed of the fall," Duque says. "You cannot train that too much because the impact of the water is so heavy, the body cannot handle it. You have to really trust yourself, trust your skills. Know that you're going to be able to do it." Duque can still recall the first time he dipped his toe in the cliff diving water, in Switzerland. "It was scary," he explains. "And it's because you don't have that much proper training let's say up until that point. You kind of have to take the leap. You go up and then you know you can control certain dives and then you've just got to do it. "Luckily, I had really good technique, really good preparation. It was in Switzerland in this little river thing and beautiful place but in those moments when you're like scared, you don't even realize what's around you. "You forget all of that and you just focus on the dive. It was really nice but I can only remember the dive, let's say." Duque is currently third in the standings with just one event remaining this season -- inclement weather dealt his championship hopes a blow by forcing the abandonment of the penultimate event in Brazil. It did, however, save Duque's body the strain of another competition and he admits that even textbook dives tend to hurt in some way shape or form. "Doing some of the things I've done, I've scared myself a few times but it's more of a natural thing," he says. "It's just my defense mechanism telling me, 'Listen, be careful', you know? You have to be concentrated to do this. "I'm fully conscious of what I'm doing and I know I can do it, it's just you have that automatic switch in your head that is telling you be careful, you're not supposed to do this. "If you make a mistake then deceleration is too quick -- you can have a concussion, you can have a broken coccyx the legs can separate and then you overstretch, separated pelvises -- that's common injury. "It could be that you have some internal bleeding if you were to land completely flat." Duque has seen the sport grow in his near 20-year cliff diving career, and after recognition by FINA at the World Championships, there is one more leap for it to make. "I've been around this for over 15 years and every year is getting better in terms of diving, also the sport is growing," he says. "We've just been included in FINA (which governs most water sports). Hopefully in the future, it will make it to the Olympics. You know, this is a spectacular sport that would add to the Olympics."
### SUMMARY:
| Orlando Duque has won nine cliff diving world championships and two world records .
Cliff divers can reach speeds of 85 kph when jumping from 27 meter high platforms .
Known as "The Duke," he also won the first high diving gold at FINA World Championships .
He recorded a perfect 10 score during a cliff diving competition in Hawaii in 2000 . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN) -- The thing about presidential elections, be it in Ukraine or anywhere else for that matter, is that it makes sense to ignore everything that was said during the election campaign and, especially, in the immediate aftermath. Election promises are made to be broken or ignored altogether -- remember "Yes We Can?" And in the first few days, or even weeks, after results are announced lots of things are said that mean pretty much nothing. To say that the presidential election campaign in Ukraine produced a lot of statements and pledges that made little or no sense would be an understatement. If you summarise them all, then Ukraine should be in fine shape to join the G7 group of industrialised nations, replacing Russia, in about five years' time. The election winner, confectionary billionaire Petro Poroshenko, and his nearest rival, former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko - the two have received 57 and 12 per cent of the votes respectively - have promised to unite Ukraine, suppress the rebellion in the east, return Crimea grabbed by Russia, revive the country and put it smack at the heart of Europe while practically no-one even bothered to contradict them. And even Darth Vader -- one of 17 candidates for the presidency, walking around in full Star Wars costume -- didn't really sound over the top compared to others. The whole point of the hastily-arranged election in Ukraine was to get a "legitimate" president, of sorts, to emerge in Kiev, even if he would be the best of the worst, as someone said, and attempt to introduce some sense of normality in Ukraine which has been rocked by violence and upheaval since November last year after the then President Viktor Yanukovich walked away from a free association deal with the European Union, and was later ousted as a result. All the talk of a possible second round if no-one won more than 50 per cent of the vote was obviously intended to put a bit of "competitiveness" into elections that were predetermined from the moment one of the favourites, former heavyweight boxer Vitaly Klitchko, stood down from the race, throwing his impressive weight behind Poroshenko. Not to mention the approval of his candidacy by Washington (President Barack Obama's cover was blown when he congratulated the winner before the votes had been counted -- he really needs some coaching in the art of diplomacy.) Announcing his victory late on Sunday, Poroshenko said all the things that he had been saying during his election campaign: That under his presidency Ukraine would be united, that the economy would grow, that the country was going to join Europe, that he was prepared to deal with Russia but would never accept the annexation of Crimea and the two referendums on independence that had been conducted in Donetsk and Lugansk regions in the east on May 11. Opinion: Will Ukraine's new president tame country's elite? In fact, the "Candy Man" as he was dubbed during the election campaign, said that the anti-terrorist operation in the east against the anti-Kiev rebels would be intensified, although hinted that it won't be running for months but would be wound up relatively quickly. If that wasn't a hint to Moscow that the soon to be crowned new leader was open to suggestion, then I don't what is. The big challenge that Poroshenko, a clever political operator who has managed to steer through troubled waters under four presidents, is facing comes from the mere fact of his victory. As of now, the buck stops with him and he will be held responsible for anything that happens in the country. That was why the cunning Tymoshenko, when she accepted defeat in the election, pointed out that her former opponent was now in charge and would be taking on the weight of responsibility. (Tymoshenko still fares her chances of becoming president quite highly and, as I was informed, plans to highlight all the problems that Poroshenko would no doubt start encountering with gusto.) Seasoned Ukraine watchers, who have slept through the current revolution in Kiev and failed to predict the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovich in February, have now got a new spring in their step, pointing out that a lot would depend on how the Kremlin will play its cards and whether it would be serious in dealing with Poroshenko. Although Moscow has already signalled, on all levels, that it is prepared to give the new Ukrainian leader a chance, and a possible visit to Russia in June has already been mentioned. But, ironically, the biggest challenge facing Poroshenko in the next several months comes not from Russia or the so-called separatists in the east but from Ukraine's very own oligarchs, who now see the newly-elected president as a potential threat to their business empires. It was one thing when Poroshenko was just a candidate, but once that inauguration comes, he will have the power to not only to put financial pressure on the oligarchs but also to order their arrest and put them in prison for the many sins they have committed. And the example of Tymoshenko ending up in the slammer in the times of President Yanukovich must be still fresh in their minds. Make no mistake, the oligarchs with their vast wealth, their personal armies and their people in the government machine, the police and the intelligence services will not stay idle. The horse trading and the scratching of backs was going on ever since Poroshenko emerged as the favorite for the presidency. But that doesn't mean he can't be pragmatic and go back on his promises. And it sure doesn't mean that the rest will keep their word as well. Especially as some of the oligarchs actually prefer a situation of instability and uncertainty, as they thrive under such conditions and find it easier to jostle for power. So what can happen in the next year or so? Well, the parliamentary elections will obviously take place this year in Ukraine, with Poroshenko promising to "see them through." The talks with Russia will commence very soon, if only to resolve the gas supply issue, but won't bring any dramatic results on most other subjects in the foreseeable future, with the prospect of Crimea coming back to the Ukrainian fold looking as likely as Joe Biden winning the next presidential election in the U.S. So the only realistic way out could be agreeing some sort of compensation, paid out by Russia to Ukraine, say something like $500 billion over a period of 10 years or more, in return for Kiev accepting the loss of the peninsula and the world recognising it as part of Russia. The resolution of the problem with the separatist Donetsk and Lugansk regions promises to be a thorny issue, but if Poroshenko and President Putin were able to negotiate a ceasefire in the next few weeks or so, this would be seen as a great achievement. And although Poroshenko is telling everyone that the idea of federalism and giving Donetsk and Lugansk greater autonomy is totally unacceptable to him, things, as has been pointed out above, do tend to change a lot after elections, so he might change his mind on this one as well. Finally, a lot will depend on whether the U.S. and the EU would actually allow Poroshenko some serious room for manoeuvre to deal with President Putin. If he is boxed in by the demands of his Western patrons to keep the pressure on Moscow high, then his chances of achieving anything will be quite slim and the other oligarchs might just be tempted to bring him down. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alexander Nekrassov.
### SUMMARY:
| Election promises are made to be broken or ignored altogether, writes Alexander Nekrassov .
Nekrassov: The point of the election was to introduce some sense of normality in Ukraine .
Petro Poroshenko will be held responsible for anything that happens in the country, he says .
But his biggest challenge comes from Ukraine's own oligarchs, writes Nekrassov . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Elliot Rodger's difficulties with women were so devastating to him that he vowed to kill anyone he couldn't win over. "My orchestration of the Day of Retribution is my attempt to do everything, in my power, to destroy everything I cannot have," Rodger wrote in a 137-page manifesto obtained by CNN affiliate KEYT. "All of those beautiful girls I've desired so much in my life, but can never have because they despise and loathe me, I will destroy." He also said he despised men who had luck with women and said he would eliminate them, too. "I will kill them all and make them suffer, just as they have made me suffer," he added. "It is only fair." On Friday, that "day of retribution" came. Authorities say Rodger, 22, fatally stabbed three men in his home before killing two women outside a sorority house and then shooting a man at a deli in Isla Vista, California. By the end of his rampage, six victims were dead. Rodger died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. And perhaps the only clues to the reasons are in the gunman's haunting dissertation of his life. A life-changing divorce . For most of his early childhood, Rodger was a happy boy. But he said his first major traumatic event came when he learned at 7 that his parents were divorcing. He described his parents' divorce as a devastating, "life-changing event," but said he gained more respect for his father after he quickly acquired a girlfriend. "Males who can easily find female mates garner more respect from their fellow men, even children," Rodger wrote. "How ironic is it that my father, one of those men who could easily find a girlfriend, has a son who would struggle all his life to find a girlfriend." Bitterness after puberty . But the impetus for most of Rodger's angst stemmed from his unfulfilled desires for women. "As children we all play together as equals in a fair environment. Only after the advent of puberty does the true brutality of human nature show its face," he wrote. "Life will become a bitter and unfair struggle for self-worth, all because girls will choose some boys over others. The boys who girls find attractive will live pleasure-filled lives while they dominate the boys who girls deem unworthy." He described himself as a very jealous person, "and at the age of nine my jealous nature sprung to the surface." Rodger wrote about the website PuaHate.com as a "forum full of men who are starved of sex, just like me. "Many of them have their own theories of what women are attracted to, and many of them share my hatred of women, though unlike me they would be too cowardly to act on it. Reading the posts on that website only confirmed many of the theories I had about how wicked and degenerate women really are." The site was down Sunday. "I certainly would not want to blame a specific website for the violence and a tragedy that was carried out by one specific individual," Josh Glasstetter, a researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told CNN. "But his online activities on forums like PuaHate gave his thoughts and beliefs more of a definition, and direction." Traumatized by porn . When Rodger was 11, a friend he met through a chat room sent him photos of "beautiful naked girls," he wrote. "When I looked at the pictures, I was shocked beyond words. I had never seen what beautiful girls looked like naked, and the sight filled me with strong and overwhelming emotions," Rodger said in his autobiography. "I was traumatized. My childhood was fading away. Ominous fear swept over me. ... Indeed, a whole new world had opened up before me, and I had no idea how to prevail in it. I still wanted to live as a child." The trauma got worse two years later, Rodger said, when he was at an Internet cafe and saw an older teen watching porn. "The sight was shocking, traumatizing, and arousing. All of these feelings mixed together took a great toll on me," he wrote. "I walked home and cried by myself for a bit. I felt too guilty about what I saw to talk to my parents about it." "Not getting any sex is what will shape the very foundation of my miserable youth," he said. Taunting and bullying . Rodger said he endured a spate of bullying in the eighth and ninth grades, causing him to be "more shy and timid than I ever was in my life." "I felt very small, weak, and above all, worthless," he wrote. "I cried by myself at school every day." He said one of his worst days came at the end of ninth grade, when a classmate was bragging about having sex with his girlfriend. "I defiantly told him that I didn't believe him, so he played a voice recording of what sounded like him and his girlfriend having sex," Rodger wrote. "I could hear a girl saying his name over and over again while she panted franticly. He grinned at me smugly. I felt so inferior to him, and I hated him." That sense of inferiority carried over into his college days at Santa Barbara City College. "Every day that I spent at my college, the more inferior and invisible I felt," he wrote. "I felt like such an inferior mouse whenever I saw guys walking with beautiful girls." 'Sophisticated, polite gentleman' Some of Rodger's social media posts were more positive than the rants in his autobiography. He portrayed himself as an affluent young man who drove a black BMW Series 3 coupe and traveled the world. "I consider myself a sophisticated, polite gentleman, unlike most boys my age," according to a statement posted on "Elliot Rodger's Official Blog." CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the social media posts. According to the blog, Rodger was born in the United Kingdom and moved to the United States at age 5. He was raised in the shadow of Hollywood, in the affluent Los Angeles suburb of Woodland Hills, by his father -- a commercial photographer and sometimes director -- and his stepmother, an actress who appeared with Matt Damon in "Green Zone." Pictures posted on Rodger's Facebook page show him with his father, Peter, on the red carpet at the premiere of the 2012 film "The Hunger Games." Peter Rodger briefly worked as a second unit assistant director on the film, according to a spokeswoman with Lionsgate Entertainment, the company behind the "Hunger Games" movie franchise. But it's also in the blog where Rodger railed against life in Isla Vista. "I have tried very hard to fit in with the social scene there, but I have ultimately been unable to do so," the blog states. "There are too many obnoxious people who have ruined my whole experience at that place." 'Day of retribution' The day before before the rampage, a video posted on YouTube featured Rodger ranting for nearly seven minutes against women who he said rejected him and popular kids who ignored him. "For the past eight years of my life, ever since I hit puberty, I've been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires all because girls have never been attracted to me," he said. "Tomorrow is the day of retribution. The day in which I will have my revenge against humanity, against all of you." Rampage killings: Fast Facts .
### SUMMARY:
| "All of those beautiful girls I've desired ... I will destroy," Elliot Rodger wrote .
In his 137-page autobiography, Rodger said he was traumatized by pornography .
He also said he was bullied and taunted .
Authorities say Rodger killed six people before apparently shooting himself in the head . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
Images from the Jewish Museum of Belgium show the gunman behind Saturday's deadly attack approaching the building, opening fire, and walking away. He used an AK-47 assault rifle to carry out the shooting, which killed at least three people, police said Sunday. Photographs and video released by Belgian police show the man wearing a cap and blue shirt, carrying two bags over his shoulder. The images do not show his face clearly. The shooter left on foot after the attack and headed toward a different part of downtown Brussels before he disappeared, according to police. Authorities are hunting the suspect, believed to have acted alone, deputy public prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch said. Investigators hope the public will help to identify the suspect. Two of those killed in Saturday's attack are Israeli and the third is French, Van Wymersch said. The Israelis were a couple in their 50s from Tel Aviv, Israel's Foreign Ministry said. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the French victim was a woman and offered his condolences Sunday to the families of all those killed, his ministry said. A fourth person, a Belgian national who works at the museum, remains in critical condition, Van Wymersch said Monday. That contradicted museum spokeswoman Chouna Lomponda, who said Sunday that the fourth person had died. Terrorism has not been ruled out, Van Wymersch said Monday. No arrests have been made, she said. A person who was detained Saturday soon after the shooting is considered a witness and not a suspect, Van Wymersch added. That witness was not seen in surveillance video recorded during the attack, she said. The circumstances of the shooting have raised suspicions that it may have been an anti-Semitic attack, but no motive has been determined. Van Wymersch said it was too early to determine whether the attack was an act of terrorism or motivated by anti-Semitism. Could the killer attack again? A senior Belgian law enforcement official told CNN that Belgian police do not yet have any leads on the killer. It's been challenging to identify the killer because he was wearing a baseball cap. The official told CNN that authorities have no information yet on the specific motivation or ideological background of the killer. They do not know whether they are dealing with Islamist terrorism, some sort of neo-Nazi type of attack or another category altogether. But there is concern that the killer could strike again, the official said, and that authorities could be dealing with a "Mohammed Merah" type of killer. Merah, a French-Algerian Islamist radical who received terror training with al Qaeda-linked militants in Pakistan, shot and killed three French paratroopers in two attacks in March 2012 before killing three schoolchildren and their teacher at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, during a 10-day shooting rampage which he filmed with a camera attached to his torso. But the official stressed that no evidence has emerged in Saturday's attack pointing to any link to Islamist terrorism. The official told CNN that authorities cannot say with certainty whether the Brussels gunman was carrying a video camera to film the attacks. Some investigators who viewed the surveillance footage believed this was the case and some did not. The quality of the surveillance footage was not good enough to make a conclusive determination. The official said the killer shot the Israeli couple first in the museum entryway with one of his weapons. The couple had been consulting the wall display. He then pulled out a Kalashnikov assault rifle and shot the others inside the museum. Surveillance cameras picked up the killer walking on two or three streets before he disappeared. The official said the killer appeared to be skilled in using weapons and likely planned the attack meticulously. The official stressed Belgian authorities are investigating all possible angles, including Islamist terrorism, neo-Nazi attack, and other categories. With regard to the threat from Islamist terrorism, he noted there has been longstanding concern over the 100 or so Belgian Islamist extremists who received training in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region over the years, and high current concern over several hundred who have more recently traveled to fight in Syria. The concern is they might be able to use skills acquired there to launch attacks back home. Heightened security . Belgium's Interior Ministry raised its terror alert level in the wake of the attack. Belgian Interior Minister Joelle Milquet told a news conference Saturday that the security threat level was at its highest at locations frequented by the Jewish community across the country. This measure is precautionary, she added. She met with the police, Belgian Jewish community leaders and the president of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, on Sunday to discuss the security arrangements, an Interior Ministry statement said. The Jewish community is determined to continue its activities in schools, synagogues and cultural centers, but under heightened security with a permanent police presence, the statement said. Kantor is also to hold urgent talks with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo, his group said in a statement. Kantor described the attack as "horrific but not surprising" and urged action by European governments to tackle extremism and hate speech. "Attacks on Jewish targets in Europe do not exist in a vacuum, but are part and parcel of an overall climate of hate and incitement against Jewish communities," he said, according to the statement. "Anti-Semitism begins in the public domain, it gains international legitimacy and becomes normative even in our national parliaments but it always ends in killing Jews." Pope Francis, who was in Israel on Sunday, told reporters that he had a "heavy heart" after the "atrocious" attack. "While reiterating my condemnation for this criminal act of anti-Semitic hatred, I entrust the victims of this crime to the God of mercy and invoke upon the wounded his gift of healing," the pope said in Tel Aviv before departing for Jerusalem. Jewish men targeted in France . In neighboring France, two Jewish men were assaulted late Saturday as they were leaving a synagogue in Creteil, outside Paris, the French Interior Ministry said Sunday. Two men were involved in the aggression against the two Jewish men, who are bruised, Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve instructed police and other authorities to strengthen security at Jewish sites while looking for the perpetrators of Saturday's incident, which he strongly condemned, according to the ministry. In the wake of the attack in Brussels, Cazeneuve reaffirmed his determination to fight those who commit murderous acts and spread racism as well as well as anti-Semitism, the ministry said. Anti-Semitism worldwide . A global survey released in May by the Anti-Defamation League reported on the levels of anti-Semitism found in 102 nations. Belgium received a 27% index score in the survey. The index score represents the percentage of adults in a country who answered "probably true" to a majority of the anti-Semitic stereotypes tested. Belgium has an adult population of about 8.7 million. The ADL said one-fourth of adults worldwide are "deeply infected with anti-Semitic attitudes," according to a CNN.com report on the survey. France had the second highest index score in Europe, with 37%, although that was well below Greece, with 67%. Germany had a score of 27%, Spain 29%, Sweden 4% and the United Kingdom 8%. The United States was given an index score of 9%. More on rampage killings .
### SUMMARY:
| Senior Belgian law enforcement official says police have no leads .
The public prosecutor says the death toll stands at three, not four .
A museum spokeswoman said Sunday a fourth victim had died .
Two Jewish men were targeted in an attack outside synagogue, French Interior Ministry says . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
(CNN)The University of Virginia and its campus police department are investigating a new report of a sexual assault in a campus residence as the college community struggles with how to move forward and improve its sexual assault policies after coming under national scrutiny. It's the first report of a sexual assault on campus since the controversial and widely questioned Rolling Stone article, published in October, that depicted the brutal gang rape of a woman named Jackie. It's also the only reported sexual assault in the university police public reports since the start of this 2014-2015 school year, according to a CNN review of records on its website. There are few details about this newest case. A statement sent to students on Thursday said police were notified by the Dean of Students "about a sexual assault incident reported to have occurred on January 30, 2015, in a residence hall on-Grounds." The notice said police were notified on February 5, six days after the incident. Before the uproar over the Rolling Stone story, UVA policy allowed student victims to decide whether or not police were contacted after a sexual assault. Since then, the university mandated a "zero-tolerance" policy, which has yet to be defined; it's unclear if the alleged victim in the latest assault participated in reporting it to police. University officials would not comment on those questions. This all comes as the university is trying to move forward from the fallout of the Rolling Stone piece. The story of Jackie has been questioned and has prompted several investigations -- a police investigation, an internal review at UVA, and a Columbia Journalism Review of Rolling Stone's reporting process. A lot is still unknown. Here's what we do and don't know: . What we know: Some of the details in the story are not true. Charlottesville police informed the university at the start of the spring semester that its investigation has found no evidence that the brutal gang rape happened at Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, as the Rolling Stone story alleged. However, the police have not ruled out that Jackie was raped -- possibly even gang raped, somewhere else, perhaps on a different day. The investigation is ongoing, and police aren't releasing any other details of what they've found. CNN talked to several of Jackie's friends who were with her the night she says she was allegedly attacked, and according to them, she told a different version of what happened that night. In the article, Jackie said she was gang-raped by seven men while two men looked on. Her friends said Jackie told them she was forced to give oral sex to five men. Jackie's Rolling Stone version said the perpetrator was a man she met at her job at the university pool. She told her friends it was someone she met in her chemistry class. She told her friends the assailant's name, but no one by the name she gave attended the University of Virginia, nor could anyone by that name be located in a database search across the United States. What we don't know: We don't know how much of the rest of the Rolling Stone story, including Jackie's account, was correct. Jackie has not talked to any member of the media since Rolling Stone issued an apology for its reporting, and the writer of the story has not spoken publicly since the apology, either. Columbia Journalism Review is now fact-checking all of the details at the request of Rolling Stone. What we know: Some of the details in the Rolling Stone story that deal with the broader issue of how sexual assault reports are handled at UVA have been confirmed. For example, the university has admitted that it never expelled a single student for committing sexual assault, even when the student admitted it. The law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP is now looking into how the university has historically handled sex assault claims. Even before the Rolling Stone story, UVA was the subject of a Title IX lawsuit filed by a woman who said she was drugged and raped by a fellow student, and that the university medical center lost some of the evidence, that a nurse didn't tell the truth about the woman's injuries, and that a school administrator shared confidential information. In May 2014, the Department of Education for Civil Rights announced that it was investigating 55 schools, including UVA, for possible violations related to how it handles sex abuse claims. What we know: Part of the independent investigation by O'Melveny & Myers is looking at how UVA responded specifically to Jackie's astonishing accusations against members of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. According to Rolling Stone, Jackie first reported her allegations to the university in the spring of 2013, months after the alleged assault happened. The university did not call police because Jackie did not want the police involved, Rolling Stone reported. However, many people on campus were well aware of Jackie's shocking allegations. Several people present at the annual "Take Back the Night" awareness event listened as Jackie took to a podium and told her story to a crowd of hundreds in 2014. The police were not called until the account was published in Rolling Stone in November, causing national scrutiny and outrage. What we don't know: It's unclear if police were aware in detail of the allegations before the Rolling Stone story was published. The fraternity Phi Kappa Psi expressed concern to police after members began to field questions from Rolling Stone about the allegation of a gang rape. It's unclear exactly why that did not turn into a full police investigation. UVA officials were also involved in that conversation, Phi Psi said. After being suspended for the rest of the fall semester, the fraternities were allowed to come back in the spring as long as they signed a new operating agreement which mandates sober fraternity brothers at parties, bans the serving of pre-mixed drinks, requires the use of guards at staircases, and other safety measures. This created some tension. Phi Psi was the first to sign the new agreement, but two other fraternities accused the university of "bullying" them into signing it. Then, days later, some sorority members were appalled to learn that their national chapters banned them from attending any fraternity bid night activities on Saturday, January 31, one of the biggest celebrations of the year in campus Greek life. From outside Charlottesville, the University of Virginia appears to be a campus in turmoil, struggling with how to move on from allegations that sexual assaults are rampant. But on campus many student leaders, like Student Council President Jalen Ross, agree that some of that discourse is good -- it will help them come up with the best plans for moving forward. But Ross also told CNN he's concerned with the level of involvement the national fraternity and sorority organizations have had, and cautions that they do not speak for students on campus. . It's clear from talking to students at UVA that many of them still see some merit to the criticisms of how the university handles sexual assault allegations. Many also believe that something bad may have happened to Jackie, although they are skeptical of the details in the Rolling Stone story. Most students got back from winter break and returned to normal life at school. Behind the scenes, leaders are working on new ways to tackle binge drinking and general campus safety. The university just adopted an ambassador program which provides sober escorts over the age of 21 for any student who needs help getting home. The "zero tolerance policy" pledged after the Rolling Stone story has yet to be defined, and some advocates are worried that it will have a chilling effect on reporting of sexual assault. Ross said he's been working with state legislators who have proposed mandatory reporting, to make sure that any new proposals also don't discourage women from coming forward.
### SUMMARY:
| Police not ruling out that "Jackie" was raped .
UVA facing new report of sexual assault on campus .
University trying to move forward from fallout of Rolling Stone article . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Mail Foreign Service . Last updated at 6:00 PM on 18th November 2011 . The wife of former Polish president Lech Walesa has told of the huge price she paid for her husband's struggle against communism. She revealed her loneliness and jealousy as her husband led his shipyard workers in a revolt which eventually toppled the country's authoritarian regime. He would go on to win a Nobel peace prize, but 62-year-old Denuta Walesa felt neglected as she raised their eight children. Couple: Danuta Walesa and her husband Lech attend a ceremony in 2008 marking 25 years since he was awarded the Nobel peace prize . Now in a candid 550-page autobiography, Dreams and Secrets, which is out next week, she.expresses hurt that she was excluded from her husband's strategic decisions that gave rise to Solidarity. Some of the revelations from the book shatter the long-held view of a happy and deeply united former president and first lady - not least because of their shared Roman Catholic faith. 'There was no formal divorce, but there were two separate worlds in our family,' Walesa writes in a copy of the book obtained by Associated Press. She says family life was generally peaceful in the early years of their 42-year marriage. But things took a turn for the worse when her husband rose to prominence during historic strikes in August 1980, when workers demanded greater freedoms. The way they were: Danuta and Lech Walesa say goodbye to each other as she leaves the country to pick up his Nobel peace prize in Oslo in 1983 . Victory: Solidarity leader Lech Walesa is hailed by workers at the Gdansk shipyard after it was announced he had won the Nobel prize . 'In August everything was smashed,' she writes. 'Our nest was torn apart.' It was then that Lech Walesa, who had been fired from his job as a shipyard electrician for his political agitation, jumped over the yard's fence to lead a wage strike against the regime. Danuta Walesa recalls how, on Aug. 14, 1980, her husband left home promising to register the birth of their sixth child, two-week-old Ania, at the city hall in Gdansk. Instead he headed straight to the shipyard. Hours later she learned that her husband had become the strike's leader. 'When Solidarity was born, not immediately, but in a short time, the father and the husband was gone,' she writes. 'And later, in the 1980s, with that bloody politics, he was less and less involved at home, with the children, with me, with the family.' The family's loss was Poland's gain. Under Walesa, Solidarity showed the communist authorities that they were no longer welcome, and in 1989, having weathered a martial law crackdown and massive arrests, it peacefully ushered in democracy and a free market economy. Walesa became Poland's first popularly elected president, serving from 1990-95. Danuta acknowledges that those years of hardship also brought rewards. When word spread in August 1980 that the wife of the national hero was home alone with six children, strangers came offering food, money and other help. 'The amount of kindness that came my way at the time could not be compared to anything at any other time in my life,' she says. Audience: Pope John Paul 11 greets Walesa at the Vatican in St Peter's Square in 2000 . Leaders: Former Polish President Walesa and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev attending the 10th world summit of Nobel peace prize Laureates in Berlin in 2009 . But the small family apartment also became the pilgrimage site for hordes of Solidarity activists, international journalists and people seeking counsel. Danuta, still nursing Ania and with five other children, felt obliged to cater to them, but at some point broke down under the stress. 'One day, in the presence of all these people, I started yelling at my husband. My husband rose and left, without one word. All the others left with him,' Danuta remembers. A few hours later Lech Walesa returned with a decision: 'If you wish, we will put up a sign on the front door: typhoid fever. No admission to strangers.' Peace returned to the home. Danuta faced more sadness in January 1982, when she gave birth to their seventh child, Maria Wiktoria, while Walesa was imprisoned during martial law. The baby's christening drew crowds, but Walesa's absence was painfully felt by his wife. Jealousy also came into play. She complains that her husband used the same term of affection - 'little frog' - with other women, just as with her. She is also rueful that despite all of Poland's sacrifices, and its leading role in triggering change in the revolutionary year of 1989, many people today think mostly of the fall of the Berlin Wall as the watershed moment. 'Unfortunately, it is not the flower-decorated Gate 2 of the Gdansk Shipyard in 1980, but the crumbling Berlin Wall in 1989 that has become the symbol of the freedom and unity of Europe,' she writes. Danuta Walesa was briefly in the international spotlight on Dec. 10, 1983, when she traveled to Oslo to receive the Nobel peace prize on her husband's behalf. He was recognised for his fight against communism but feared that if he left the country, the communist authorities wouldn't let him back in. She complains that he essentially ordered her to go without first asking her how she felt about doing so. Now she is glad she went. 'It was a lesson in life for me, a wonderful lesson. I shed my complexes, my fear that I am not capable of doing something, that I cannot cope,' she says. 'I am very grateful to my husband for that.' Guests: The former Polish presidents, Walesa and Aleksander Kwasniewski watch from the balcony during the first session of the new Polish Parliament in Warsaw this year . Lech Walesa has defended himself against some of her accusations by arguing that he could not consult with her during the Solidarity years because the secret police had bugged their home. He also felt home life had to be sacrificed for a higher calling. 'I needed to have my hands free for the country,' he said in an interview this week in the daily newspaper Fakt. Danuta Walesa, born Danuta Golos in 1949 in Krypy, a hamlet in central Poland, was the second of nine children of poor farmers. From her earliest years she dreamed of seeing more of the world and in 1968 moved to Gdansk, where she found work as a florist. Walesa walked into her shop one day that same year. Though she says she wasn't particularly impressed with him at first, he courted her persistently and they were married a year later. After Walesa served his single term as president, he has kept busy traveling the world giving lectures on his unique role in Poland's history, though they still live together in a house in Gdansk and celebrate his birthday together every year with a crowd of visitors. He now devotes a lot of time to his love of computers. 'Some eight or 10 years ago ... my husband traded me in for a computer, which he sometimes admits himself,' Danuta writes. Lech Walesa insists that he always loved his wife, though he admits 'it is not the same as it was' early on. Danuta Walesa dedicated the book to her children.
### SUMMARY:
| Denuta, 62, felt neglected as she raised their eight children .
'No divorce but we lived two separate worlds' |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . Andrew Milne . PUBLISHED: . 13:29 EST, 2 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 21:12 EST, 2 November 2012 . Much of the city may be without power, but nothing can stop the Apple enthusiasts of New York queuing for the company’s latest gadget. Modest lines of customer looking to secure a new $329 mini iPad formed outside the company’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue. Eytan Friedman, 43, who is living in the area of the downtown Manhattan without power, told the Wall Street Journal: ‘I'm down by Union Square, and there's no electricity, it's just very hard to sleep, so I figured I'd get up early and get my new iPad rather than lie in bed and stare at the ceiling.’ Get in line! New Yorkers photographed outside the flagship store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue to grab their iPad minis after Hurricane Sandy . Big Apple buyers: Modest lines of customer looking to secure a new $329 mini iPad formed outside the company's flagship store on Fifth Avenue . But around the world, queues were much smaller than for previous Apple launches. While a few diehard fans queued for hours to be among the first to own the new smaller iPad, queues were tiny compared to previous launches. In Hong Kong, reports even claim that staff outnumbered the customers when the store opened. Experts say bad weather, Hurricane Sandy and increased competition from rivals such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft could be behind to lack of queues. Experts believe the effects of Hurricane Sandy and the large number of online orders mean the queues were smaller. A hurricane distraction? New Yorkers line up down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan to get their hands on the new mini iPad in Manhattan . West Coast queues: A line of people waiting to purchase the new Apple iPad mini make their way into an Apple store in San Francisco, California . Apple fans lined up in several Asian cities to get their hands on the iPad mini on Friday, but the device, priced above rival gadgets from Google and Amazon.com, attracted smaller crowds than at the company's previous global rollouts. Apple Inc's global gadget rollouts are typically high-energy affairs drawing droves of buyers who stand in line for hours. But a proliferation of comparable rival devices may have sapped some interest. About 50 people waited for the Apple store in Sydney, Australia, to open, where in the past the line had stretched for several blocks when the company debuted new iPhones. Not so popular: The Chestnut Street Apple store in San Francisco shows hardly any shoppers in the branch on the day of the iPad mini launch . Conservative lines: A small amount of people line up to purchase the new Apple iPad mini in San Francisco . Fans: Shoppers check out the new Apple iPad mini at the Apple store on Michigan Ave. in Chicago on Friday . At the head of Friday's line was Patrick Li, who had been waiting since 4:30 am and was keen to get his hands on the 7.9-inch slate. 'It's light, easy to handle, and I'll use it to read books. It's better than the original iPad,' Li said. There were queues of 100 or more outside Apple stores in Tokyo and Seoul when the device went on sale, but when the company's flagship Hong Kong store opened staff appeared to outnumber those waiting in line. The iPad mini marks Apple's first foray into the smaller-tablet segment, and the latest salvo in a global mobile-device war that has engulfed combatants from Internet search leader Google Inc to Web retailer Amazon.com Inc and software giant Microsoft Corp. Microsoft's 10-inch Surface tablet, powered by the just-launched Windows 8 software, went on sale in October, while Google and Amazon now dominate sales of smaller, 7-inch multimedia tablets. Unveiled last week, the iPad mini has . won mostly positive reviews, with criticism centring on a screen . considered inferior to rivals' and a lofty price tag. The new tablet essentially replicates most of the features of its full-sized sibling, but in a smaller package. Kay Hunter, 19, one of the first customers with her new iPad Mini on the day they where released at the Apple Store in Glasgow. However, queues were smaller than for previous launches. The queues at Apple's Covent Garden store in London today for the iPad mini (left) compared to the queue for the iPhone 5 (right) on October 14th . Customers form a queue outside an Apple store to purchase the company's new iPad Mini in Seoul, South Korea . 'Well, . first of all it's so thin and light and very cute - so cute!" said iPad . mini customer Ten Ebihara at the Apple store in Tokyo's upscale Ginza . district. Also on Friday, . Apple rolled out its fourth-generation iPad, with the same 9.7-inch . display as the previous version but with a faster A6X processor and . better Wi-Fi. Both devices were going on sale in more than 30 countries. Apple . will likely sell between 1 million and 1.5 million iPad minis in the . first weekend, far short of the 3 million third-generation iPads sold . last March in their first weekend, according to Piper Jaffray analyst . Gene Munster. 'The reason we . expect fewer iPad minis compared to the 3rd Gen is because of the lack . of the wireless option and newness of the smaller form factor for . consumers,' Munster said in a note to clients. 'We believe that over time that will change.' Reviewers . have applauded Apple for squeezing most of the iPad's features into a . smaller package that can be comfortably manipulated with one hand. James . Vohradsky, a 20 year-old student who previously queued for 17 hours at . the Sydney store to buy the iPhone 5, only stood in line for an hour and . a half this time. Apple staff in Glasgow, Scotland, celebrate the launch of the iPad mini, which went on sale around the world today . The Apple Store Ginza in Tokyo saw the biggest number of fans, with many dressing up for the occasion . Tokyo, Japan where many Apple fans queued up to buy the new iPad mini . 'I had an iPad 1 before, I kind of miss it because I sold it about a year ago. 'It's . just more practical to have the mini because I found it a bit too big. The image is really good and it's got the fast A5 chip too,' Vohradsky . said. The iPad was launched . in 2010 by late Apple boss Steve Jobs and since then it has taken a big . chunk out of PC sales, upending the industry and reinventing mobile . computing with its apps-based ecosystem. A . smaller tablet is the first device to be added to Apple's compact . portfolio under Cook, who took over from Jobs just before his death a . year ago. Analysts credit Google and Amazon for influencing the . decision. Some investors . worry that Apple might have lost its chief visionary with Jobs, and that . new management might not be able to stay ahead of the pack as rivals . innovate and encroach on its market share. There . were queues of 100 or more outside Apple stores in Tokyo and Seoul when . the device went on sale, but when the company's flagship Hong Kong . store opened staff appeared to outnumber those waiting in line.
### SUMMARY:
| New gadget costs $329 and New Yorkers rushed to Fifth Avenue flagship store to queue .
Reports claim staff outnumbered customers in Hong Kong store .
Apple also rolled out its fourth-generation iPad today . |
### SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE:
By . James Titcomb and Rob Cooper . PUBLISHED: . 04:47 EST, 3 June 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:05 EST, 1 July 2012 . Britain’s fattest teenager will be kept in hospital for at least six months as she tries to shed enough weight to have a gastric band fitted - though her friends have joked she hopes to be out in time to have Christmas dinner. Georgia Davis, 19, who was 63 stone at her heaviest, is being treated for obesity related health problems at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Friends yesterday revealed how Georgia, 19, is sticking to her strict hospital food diet and is pledging to get back to health - although she will spend the rest of the year in hospital. One friend said: “She has been told she will have three months in hospital before being taken to a special obesity hospital where she could have surgery. Diet: Miss Davis, 19, has shed three stone due to a strict calorie-controlled programme . “She is very unhappy but knows things have to change if she is going to have any sort of life. “Georgia . said she is hoping to be out for Christmas. Knowing her that is all . about Christmas lunch - it is one of her favourites.” Georgia had to be cut out of her house in Aberdare, South Wales, to be rushed to hospital for emergency treatment last week. She is due to stay for three months before going to a special obesity clinic 40 miles away at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. Meanwhile, . it has emerged that Georgia would order up to eight kebabs at a time . from a nearby takeaway where she would run up a bill of £5,000 each . year. The teenager used . to buy up to 20 kebabs a week - each one containing 2,000 calories - . from the fast food restaurant near her home in Aberdare, Wales. The teenager would also order two large 1.5 litre bottles of Coke to wash down her food feasts, a delivery driver revealed. Builders had to demolish the wall of her home so she could be rushed to hospital when she was unable to stand up. The teenager has now lost three stone in a week now after being put on a strictly-controlled diet by medics. She weighs 52 stone and not the 63 stone which doctors had originally estimated. Albert . Altia, a delivery driver who works for the local Marmaris kebab house, . said the teenager's usual order was nine large kebabs - seven for . herself and one each for her parents. The driver said: 'That is a ridiculous amount of food for one person. I would not eat seven kebabs in a month.' Mr Altian thought there was a party at the house the first time he made a delivery. 'I once delivered 10 kebabs there. I think that was one for the mother, one for the father and the rest for her,' he said. Each large kebab costs £4.90. Deliveries: She would order junk food from Tesco and Asda and sneak it past her parents . Her parents revealed she ordered junk food online and would sneak the deliveries past them at their home in Aberdare, Wales. Mother . Lesley Davis and stepfather Arthur Treloar revealed that they tried to . help the teen - who was believed to weigh up to 63 stone - eat . healthily, but they discovered her buying cakes, fizzy drinks and . takeaways online. Miss Davis's mother Lesley, 57, told The Sun: . 'Arthur and I would be watching TV in the lounge and Georgia would make . her way downstairs, casually saying, "It's hot in my bedroom. I'm just . going outside for some fresh air." 'We now know that she was meeting the delivery van and secretly carrying the food upstairs to her bedroom. 'She had been eating all sorts of naughty things like sausage rolls, pasties and cakes - and drinking lots of Coke.' Miss Davis and mother Lesley, who says she and Georgia's stepfather Arthur tried to keep her weight under control . Schoolfriend Leah Price, 20, said: 'I remember seeing Iceland and Tesco vans pulling up at least once or twice a week and I saw takeaway pizza's and kebabs all the time. 'My friend has been eating herself to death and no one was helping her. If they had helped her sooner it wouldn't have come to this - it's a tragedy.' Georgia is currently hooked up to an oxygen tank on a specially-designed £4,000 bed while doctors at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil carry out tests. She is suffering from complications including diabetes and kidney failure, as well as problems with her spine, joints and skin. She vowed to lose weight and get her life back on track, saying: "I'm sick of being like this - I'm getting my life back." She has been given a special gown to wear after admitting she had outgrown all her own clothes and was forced to use a bedsheet to cover her modesty. Scaffolding: The upstairs front wall of Miss Davis's home had to be demolished to free the teenager . Major operation: It took 50 people to rescue Miss Davis from her home after she fell ill . The public response to her dramatic hospitalisation hasn't been all positive. Last week she was forced to delete her Facebook page after she was targeted by cyberbullies who were taunting her online. As . well as having her personal account abused the teenager also had to . contend with one troll creating a new Facebook page called RIP Georgia . Davis - which has since been taken down. The page said: 'You are just a . big lazy girl who loves cake - you are a fat waste of space and I hope . you die soon. 'You fat blob, you are adding . millions of pounds to the tax payers bill. If I had my way I would wipe . that fat grin off your face by making you pay us back.' Another anonymous commenter said: 'Why don’t you just stop eating so much you fat fool. 'You are just a big lazy girl who loves cake - you are a fat waste of space and I hope you die soon.' It was reported to the site by her friends and has now been removed. Friends: Jade Tarrant (left) lived with Georgia Davis (right), but Miss Davis put on weight again after moving back in with her parents . The teen's best friend Jade Tarrant also . revealed how Miss Davis lost weight after moving in with her, but . returned home to care for her sick father after he was diagnosed with . lung cancer - and the weight piled back on. Miss Tarrant said: 'I always knew it was going to get this bad if she went home again. 'She would have lost weight if she stayed with me because I like my salads and I could have got her on it. 'But she missed her mum and step-dad. She ended up going back and putting her own health at risk.' Georgia eventually stopped venturing outside altogether and, by the time a 50-man emergency team cut her free, she had not left the house for about eight months. A . hospital spokesman said: 'Georgia is still undergoing investigations . and receiving treatment from a range of health professionals. 'We are pleased to advise that her clinical condition is stable.'
### SUMMARY:
| Georgia Davis, 19, used her laptop to order takeaways and sneak them past her parents .
She spent £5,000 a year in just ONE fast food outlet .
Weight has started to fall off now she is on strict hospital diet - but friends believe she hopes to be out December to enjoy proper Christmas lunch . |
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