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Low-cost airline easyJet begins airing its first television advertisements aimed at business travellers tomorrow. The adverts are part of the carrier's £8.5 million 'Business Sense' campaign, which celebrates their on-time performance, and will premiere in the UK, said a statement. Set in a busy airport, the advert features a familiar white rabbit with a pocket watch, who proceeds calmly to an on-time flight amid other, more frantic-looking travelers. The adverts are part of the carrier's £8.5 million 'Business Sense' campaign, which will premiere in the UK . In a chaotic scene, business men and women rush to catch their flights to the soundtrack of 'I'm Late' -the famous Alice in Wonderland song, sung by the white rabbit at the beginning of the Disney film version of Lewis Carroll book. Soon, the audience are introduced to an individual reading a business newspaper. Suddenly, two white ears pop up from behind the paper and the very same white rabbit appears. Passengers travelling for business now account for more than a fifth of easyJet's passengers . House actor Hugh Laurie stars in the easyJet ad . The rabbit flips open his pocket watch, looks around at the chaos and calmly makes his way to a punctual flight. Passengers travelling for business now account for more than a fifth of easyJet's passengers with more than 12m choosing the airline every year. The ads will also be rolled out in print, outdoor and digital in France, Germany and Portugal as well as the UK. EasyJet is competing with its arch rival Ryanair for lucrative business travel. The airline has introduced flexible tickets, allocated seats, fast-track boarding and higher frequencies to boost its business-friendly credentials, prompting Ryanair to examine similar benefits. 'This is the first time we have chosen to advertise to business travelers on TV and it is indicative of the importance we place on this key and growing market for us,' EasyJet Commercial Director Peter Duffy said in the statement. In June, the airline said it plans to spend 20 per cent of its marketing budget on campaigns aimed at business-travel market.
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Business passengers travelling account for more than a fifth of customers .
Ads also in print, outdoor and digital in UK, France, Germany and Portugal .
Features a voice over by House and Jeeves and Wooster star Hugh Laurie .
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By . James Rush . PUBLISHED: . 10:43 EST, 30 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:00 EST, 30 December 2013 . A seven-year-old boy who beat leukaemia moved guests to tears when he gave a moving best man's speech at his parents' wedding. Alex Vaughan, who fought a tough battle against acute lymphoblastic leukaemia after he was diagnosed in January, told his parents how much he loved them during the speech. His father Luke asked him to be best man months before doctors discovered the youngster had cancer. Alex Vaughan, seven, moved guests to tears during his best man speech at his parents' wedding . It was uncertain whether he would be well enough to fill the role as he underwent aggressive treatment during the course of the year. But when the day arrived, Alex proudly took his place by the side of his father and handed over the rings during the wedding between Mr Vaughan and Alex's mother Kim Cocker. Alex, who has recently returned full-time to primary school, later read out the speech, which he had written himself, at the ceremony in Preston. During the speech Alex explained how 'when I decided to do a speech it was to tell my mum and dad how much I love them'. He goes on to say how he was scared at the thought of doing a speech, but describes how his father told him: 'You shouldn't be scared of anything because you've been through the scariest thing ever'. His mother said: 'He wrote it himself and it was amazing. The speech went really well, Alex was so confident, and everyone was crying.' Alex's father Luke asked him to be best man months before doctors discovered the youngster had cancer . She went on to say: 'I was really proud of him when he gave the rings to me and his dad. 'It was a big surprise when he gave us both a gift. He had gone out and bought them himself, a watch and cufflinks for his dad and a Pandora bracelet and charm for me.' Alex's two-year-old brother, Dylan, was guest of honour for the day, and the four were back at home in Chadderton in time for Christmas. When my dad asked me to be best man, I felt special because I didn't think he would pick me as well as my uncle Lewis. When I said yes, I expected to get invited on the stag do, but to my surprise I was too young for beer! When I decided to do a speech it was to tell my mum and dad how much I love them. At first I was scared, but then I remembered what my dad told me in Spain. He said: 'You shouldn't be scared of anything because you've been through the scariest thing ever.' So with that advice here I am, oh yeah and the £20 bribe off my mum helped! Firstly I want to thank them for everything they do for me and my little brother Dylan. Even though we drive each other mad and argue over silly things I still wouldn't change them for the world. So finally, I would like everyone to raise their glasses (nanna Joyce not the one's on your face). To Mr and Mrs Vaughan, my mum and dad.
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Alex Vaughan told his parents how much he loved them during speech .
His father asked him to be best man months before cancer was discovered .
He wrote the speech himself and even bought both of his parents gifts .
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The remains of Ned Kelly have been a mystery to Australian's for 136 years but now scientists say they have uncovered the truth of his burial through a major forensic investigation . The missing skull of the infamous Australian bushranger, Ned Kelly, has been a mystery to Australians for 136 years. It was a question that had been left unanswered until an unidentified skull first emerged in 1979 at the grounds of Old Melbourne Gaol - near where Kelly was buried. Scientists were convinced that it belonged to the outlaw who was hanged on November 11, 1880 at the prison. Yet the discovery proved too good to be true, after DNA testings found that the said skull was not in fact Kelly's. Now scientists have revisited the enigma - this time claiming to have uncovered the secrets behind Kelly's burial and what ultimately became of his skull. The major forensic investigation has been documented in the book 'Ned Kelly: Under the Microscope' with answers to the unsolved mysteries of one of Australia's most renowned criminals, according to Business Insider. Through a comprehensive scientific analysis the truths behind Ned Kelly's death and mysterious skull have been revealed by editor Craig Cormick who collaborated contributions from more than 30 experts. Mr Cormick said the investigation answers what became of his skull, a myth that has been argued for over a century. 'The book explores the science undertaken by researchers at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, including identifying skeletal remains, analysing DNA samples from Ned Kelly’s blood-soaked possessions and physically matching injuries on bones to known bullet wounds that Ned Kelly sustained,' he said. The bushranger was hanged on 11 November 1880 at the Melbourne Gaol . Ned Kelly's (pictured, right) supposed skull (pictured, left) was put on display at the Old Melbourne Gaol. Although the skull looked similar to Kelly's shape head, a DNA examination revealed it is actually not his . Kelly was buried at a mass grave in Pentridge Prison, in Victoria - all but his head . The truths behind Ned Kelly's death and mysterious skull has been revealed through a comprehensive scientific analysis led by editor Craig Cormick who collaborated contributions from more than 30 experts . Back when the unearthed skull was believed to be Kelly's, it was placed on display at the Old Melbourne Gaol but was stolen in 1978. Eventually that same skull was returned in 2009 by Thomas Baxter, a Western Australian farmer. The investigative book published by CSIRO reveals that skull, also known as the 'Baxter Skull', looks similar to Kelly's head shape but a DNA examination revealed that it did not belong to the Australian bushranger. So who is the owner of this skull? And where is Ned Kelly's skull? These questions still remain. Kelly, who's had Australians debate whether the family man was more of a Robin-Hood character or a notorious criminal, was buried at a mass grave in Pentridge Prison in Victoria. Another corrupt identity - Frederick Deeming - was said to be buried close to the bushranger, according to the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend magazine. Deeming, believed to be Australia's first serial killer, was hanged and buried at the prison in 1892 - 12 years after Kelly's death. Forensic odontologist Dr Richard Bassed told the Good Weekend that he had a 'hunch that the skull belonged to Fred Deeming'. 'His head [from the mask] was the right shape to fit the skull and we did several photo-superimpositions of the death masks,' he said. 'The only ones that fitted were Ned Kelly and Fred Deeming.' He said because Deeming was buried near Kelly, it is possible that the remains 'could have been mixed up'. Testings are underway to identify whether the skull is of the serial killer's. But while DNA samples in 2011 identified the 2008 discovery of bones as Kelly's, his skull remains lost. Mr Cormick told news.com.au there are three theories that attempt to answer the mystery of Kelly's skull: During an excavation of the Old Melbourne Gaol it was crushed; it has been buried in secret by a senior member of the Catholic clergy; or it was stolen by craniologist Archibald Hamiliton. Ned Kelly: Under the Microscope is available in book shops and online. Ned Kelly: Under the Microscope is available in book shops and online. He man himself is pictured right .
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The story of Australia's notorious criminal has been a mystery for 136 years .
Ned Kelly was hung on 11 November, 1880 .
All but his skull was buried at a mass grave in Victoria .
'Ned Kelly: Under the Microscope' has revealed the truth behind Kelly's mysterious skull .
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New details fueled debate Monday over security at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi: Wanted posters of a terrorism suspect on the loose, warships at the ready and a video threat from beyond the grave. Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that his country has stepped up security and is prepared to handle any threats. But some U.S. lawmakers -- and at least one Olympic athlete -- have said they're worried about the situation. Hotels warned about terror suspect . Police in Sochi have handed out fliers at area hotels warning of a woman they believe could be a terrorist and who may currently be in the city. One flier, obtained by CNN, asks workers to be on the lookout for Ruzanna "Salima" Ibragimova, described as the widow of a member of a militant group from the Caucasus region. The woman, according to the flier, may be involved in organizing "a terrorist act within the 2014 Olympic region." CNN obtained a copy of the flier, which is dated January 15, from security staff at a hotel in Sochi. The flier claims authorities have received information about Ibragimova's possible arrival in the region last week. Photos of Ibragimova have flooded television and social media reports from Sochi. Some describe her as a "black widow" -- a notorious type of terrorist that's emerged in Russia's clashes with Chechen separatists. Many of them are wives of insurgents killed by government forces, and they've been blamed for high-profile suicide bombings. Security experts stressed Monday that the woman is likely one of many suspects authorities are trying to find. "I guarantee they're talking about this one black widow," former CIA officer Mike Baker said, "but there are others that they're also worried about." Video threat emerges amid security concerns . Official: U.S. military at the ready as contingency plan . The U.S. military will have up to two warships and several transport aircraft on standby under a contingency plan to help evacuate American officials and athletes from the Winter Olympics, if ordered, a U.S. official said Monday. The State Department would take the lead in organizing and evacuating Americans, if necessary, the official with direct knowledge of the plan told CNN. Moscow would have to ask for such assistance before the United States would act, the official said. But planes and ships are clearly there "if something happens like a major terrorist attack and we need to get Americans out," the official said. U.S. contingency planning calls for warships to launch helicopters to Sochi from the Black Sea. C-17 transport aircraft would be on standby in Germany and could be on the scene in about two hours. Other aircraft contracted to the State Department would also play a role in any emergency. A video threat from beyond the grave . In a video that surfaced Sunday, two young men believed to have been suicide bombers in last month's back-to-back bombings in the Russian city of Volgograd made an ominous promise. "We've prepared a present for you and all tourists who'll come over," the video says. "If you will hold the Olympics, you'll get a present from us for the Muslim blood that's been spilled." The video was posted on a well-known jihadi forum website Sunday and apparently was recorded before the Volgograd attacks, which targeted a train station and a trolley bus and claimed the lives of more than 30 people. Report: 7 militants killed in Dagestan counterterror operation . Putin pledges stepped up security . Putin has pledged that visitors to Sochi for the Winter Olympics will be kept safe. Russia has plenty of experience in keeping international events secure, Putin said, pointing to the G8 and G20 summits as examples. Access to Sochi is under heavy restriction ahead of the games, and Putin said Sunday in an interview with half a dozen Russian and international broadcasters that about 40,000 members of Russia's police and security forces would be guarding events. Security analysts have warned that terrorists targeting the Games may try to strike elsewhere in Russia during the Olympics. Putin says gays 'can feel safe' at games . U.S. lawmakers: Games won't be safe . U.S. Sen. Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he wouldn't go to the Games himself, "and I don't think I would send my family." Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, also called on the Russian government to be more cooperative with the United States on intelligence sharing ahead of the Games. "Their level of concern is great, but we don't seem to be getting all of the information we need to protect our athletes in the Games. I think this needs to change, and it should change soon," Rogers said. U.S. lawmakers: Winter Olympics aren't safe . In recent weeks, U.S. law enforcement agents have been conducting interviews with people in the United States with ties in the Caucasus region, CNN has learned. The region, which includes Dagestan and Chechnya, has been the scene of unrest and is in southern Russia, hundreds of miles from the venue of the Games. The interviews are informational and do not mean there are any particular threats being investigated, a U.S. official said. Law enforcement officials do "knock and talk" visits to meet people and to identify any potential issues. FBI agents conducted similar visits after last year's attack at the Boston Marathon. When asked whether he thought Americans would be safe at the Games, former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden said he trusts Russia's ability to provide security. "I think Americans will be quite safe," he said. Will security concerns impact athletes? Over the weekend, at least one Olympic athlete said he was worried. "My concerns with Sochi is safety in a way, because it's in a crazy war zone in a way," French snowboarder Xavier de la Rue said. "It's in the middle of all these countries that want to kill Russia, so it's just scary 'cause I know that we're going to be a target in a way, although they do very well their job at keeping it safe but yeah, that's something that scares me a bit." Tara Lipinski, who won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and will be attending this year's games, said she feels safe -- and hopes competitors will, too. "There have been so many threats at the Olympics," she told CNN Monday. "I think athletes are used to that, and they know that, OK, we're going to hear about this. But when we go, we have people that are surrounding us and telling us where we should be and where we shouldn't be. And hopefully they do feel safe." CNN National Security Analyst Frances Fragos Townsend described the security climate in Sochi as "the most dangerous threatened environment that we've seen for the Olympics." But she said competitors shouldn't have to worry. "They'll go to real extremes to protect the athletes and the venues. ... There's a big falloff, though, when you talk about the families and the tourists," Townsend said. "There really is, I think, a far greater vulnerability."
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Police fliers warn that a terror suspect could be in Sochi .
Official: Ships and aircraft will be ready to evacuate Americans if necessary .
Video on jihadist website threatens Winter Olympics next month .
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Olympics will be safe .
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By . Lydia Warren for MailOnline . A massive search is underway across the Idaho wilderness for a 21-year-old student after he failed to turn up for his first day of college. After finishing his summer job in Horseshoe Bend, Idaho last Tuesday, Lucius Robbi, packed up his car and set off for the University of Montana to arrive in time for orientation for his junior year. The outdoor enthusiast had tied two orange kayaks to the top of his green 1997 Subaru Legacy and told relatives and friends he intended to drive for a while before pulling over to explore the area. Surveillance footage apparently shows his car carrying kayaks as it passed a gas station in Garden Valley, Idaho about 20 minutes after he left Horseshoe Bend on Tuesday,ABC News reported. Scroll down for video . Have you seen him? Lucius Robbi, 21, left Horseshoe Bend in Idaho last Tuesday but never arrived at the University of Montana. A massive search is now underway for the adventurous student . Vehicle: Robbi drives a green 1997 Subaru Legacy, pictured, and had attached two kayaks to the top . The last ping from his cellphone was detected in the nearby town of Lowman on Tuesday afternoon - but no one has heard from him since. 'We're very, very worried at this point,' his father Marc Robbi told ABC. His family became concerned when he failed to turn up for the orientation and contacted the Boise County Sheriff's Office. Nearby counties have also been notified. Search teams, including Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, as well as friends and family, are now scouring the vast area, but so far, no further traces of him have been found. Searchers believe they came across footage of his car passing the gas station, although the New York Daily News reported that it only appears as if there is one kayak on top of the car. Location: A map shows where he was last seen in Idaho compared to his destination in Missoula, Montana . Active: Robbi, pictured, had worked in Idaho as a raft and kayak guide for the past two summers . Adventurous: Friends and relatives said he planned to camp along the route to university last week . 'The mother says that's his car,' Chief Deputy Dale Rogers of the Boise County Sheriff's Office said. 'We'll go with that. My view is I didn't see two kayaks. I would probably be wondering if it was his car.' Robbi, who is from Orleans, California, has worked as a guide for Cascade Raft and Kayak in Horseshoe Bend for the past two summers and enjoys other extreme sports, including snowboarding. His mother Tina Glaessner explained: 'If anyone can survive out there for seven days, he can do it.' Kenneth Long, Robbi's supervisor at Cascade Raft and Kayak, told the Idaho Statesman that he had talked about camping along the way. His coworkers have driven along the route but have seen nothing. 'This is a very troubling and odd situation,' Long said. Spotted: Surveillance footage outside a gas station about 20 minutes into his journey shows his car, with the kayak attached, passing by last Tuesday. His cell phone was also detected shortly afterwards . Concerns: His father Marc told ABC News that he was extremely worried about his 21-year-old son . It is unknown which route Robbi took, but possibilities include Highway 21 to Stanley, Highway 75 to Challis, Highway 93 to Montana or Highway 55 to Orofino and Highway 12 to Montana, the Statesman reported. Robbi is driving a green 1997 Subaru Legacy with California license plates: 6 CCP 540. The car could have one or two kayaks on top. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Boise County Sheriff’s Office at (208) 392-4411. Friends have also launched a gofundme page to raise money for the search.
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Lucius Robbi left Horseshoe Bend in Idaho last Tuesday but never arrived at the University of Montana, which is 340 miles away .
The outdoor enthusiast had told friends he planned to camp along the way .
Search crews, including helicopters, are looking for the student and his car - which had two kayaks on top - but so far nothing has been found .
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(CNN) -- The former leader of Ivory Coast may have to face international charges for alleged crimes committed during his time in office, President Alassane Ouattara announced Wednesday, as he outlined his plans to bring peace and security to his nation. Ouattara told reporters that he was setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, similar to those created after civil wars or conflicts in other countries, in order to bring to justice anyone who committed atrocities during the most recent strife or even before that. "Reconciliation can't be done without justice," Ouattara said in a news conference at the Golf Hotel, where he was holed up for months in the violent aftermath of the disputed presidential election. "All Ivorians are equal in the eyes of the law, no matter their politics, their origin, their religion or their race," he said. Former President Laurent Gbagbo has been moved out of the Golf Hotel, where he was held after his arrest Monday, and is now under guard in a villa elsewhere in the country, Ouattara said. "He is safe, and we will treat him with consideration," the president said. "He is under house arrest in a villa. The president of the U.N. Security Council, Colombian Ambassador Nestor Osorio, said Wednesday that Gbagbo was taken to a presidential residence in the northern part of the country. "We must respect his rights as a former leader, and make sure that the consideration he deserves due to his former title is truly respected, and of course that his physical safety and health is also preserved," Ouattara said. As for charges against Gbagbo, that will be up to the Ivorian justice minister, Ouattara said, adding that international counts would be determined by an international prosecutor. The president also vowed that even members of the Republican Forces -- the troops loyal to him -- who were found to have committed crimes would be brought to justice. "All the soldiers -- even those in the Republican Forces -- identified as being pillagers will be dealt with," the president said, in response to a journalist's question about reports of Republican Forces troops participating in raids and pillaging in Abidjan. Human Rights Watch published a scathing report Saturday about abuses perpetrated by pro-Ouattara forces on their offensive to Abidjan. People interviewed by the monitoring agency "described how, in village after village, pro-Ouattara forces summarily executed and raped perceived Gbagbo supporters in their homes, as they worked in the fields, as they fled or as they tried to hide in the bush." "Ouattara should fulfill his public pledge to investigate and prosecute abuses by both sides if Côte d'Ivoire is to emerge from this horrific period," said Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. Also under investigation is the massacre in the western Ivorian town of Duekoue, where the International Committee of the Red Cross said 800 people were slaughtered. The United Nations blamed many of the deaths on Ouattara's forces. Ouattara said the minister of justice has already begun a probe into those killings, the Human Rights Commission would be sending representatives in the next few days to look into the matter as well, and he has scheduled a meeting with the chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. "I condemn this massacre," Ouattara said Wednesday. "The people responsible for these killings, whoever they are, will be judged." "I am revolted, indignant at the number of dead," he added. As many as 27,500 people took refuge after the massacre in a Catholic mission in Duekoue, according to Amnesty International, and humanitarian conditions there are deteriorating rapidly. "They are trapped in overcrowded and appalling conditions, having fled their homes after atrocious abuses were carried out by both parties to the conflict," said Véronique Aubert, Amnesty International's deputy director for Africa. The human rights group also warned that supporters of Gbagbo in Abidjan and elsewhere were at risk of violent reprisals following the former president's capture. One eyewitness reported to the group that a policeman belonging to Gbagbo's ethnic group was taken from his home and shot dead at point blank range, an Amnesty International statement said. "Dozens of young people are going into hiding in Abidjan out of fear for their lives," Aubert said. "In the western part of the country, people suspected of being pro-Gbagbo are also terrified. Many are hiding in the bush after their villages were burned down. They need to be protected." On Wednesday, the International Rescue Committee said in a statement that rapes, sexual assaults, beatings and harassment of Ivorian women and girls by armed men had increased by "alarming numbers." "Women and girls are being brutally raped by armed men, often in front of their family members," said Liz Pender, an IRC women's protection expert, who has been meeting with groups of Ivorian women and girls who fled to Liberia in recent weeks to escape the violence in their homeland. "One woman told me she was forced to watch as several men took turns raping her sister, sometimes with a stick, and that she didn't survive the attack." The refugee women who took part in Pender's group discussions said fear of rape or sexual slavery were the primary reasons they fled to Liberia, according to the IRC statement. It provided no details on the identities or political ties of the armed men carrying out the assaults. Ouattara has blamed much of the bloodshed in the aftermath of the election on forces loyal to Gbagbo, and said his government has begun a two-month program to root out weapons across the country. He's also demanded that the militia members and mercenaries who worked for the former leader surrender their arms immediately. But he faces a daunting task in forging a peaceful and stable path forward. Chief among his challenges, said longtime observers, will be to unite the severely divided nation and ensure justice for those who committed grave human rights violations in the nation's political vacuum -- including those in his own camp who stand accused of heinous acts. Most of the blame for the bloodshed rests squarely on the shoulders of Gbagbo, whose refusal to cede power plunged Ivory Coast into crisis, said Jendayi Frazer of the Council on Foreign Relations and a former U.S. assistant secretary of state for African Affairs under former President George W. Bush. The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, is now poised to investigate alleged war crimes instigated by Gbagbo. Ouattara will have to delicately balance such a probe with reconciliation. After all, said expert Alex Vines, Ouattara did not win in a landslide. Gbagbo won 45.9 percent of the vote and as such, Ouattara will have to reach out to his rival's supporters, perhaps even welcome them into his government without jeopardizing justice, said Vines, head of the Africa program at the British think tank Chatham House. But even more significant may be the way Ouattara handles his own dirt. Though he emerged in the Western media as the good versus Gbagbo's evil, Ouattara, too, has been accused of having blood on his hands. In the United States, Ouattara's critics questioned his right to rule. "It is now clear, based on U.N. reports coming from Cote d'Ivoire, that mass killings have occurred at the hands of Alassane Ouattara," Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, said earlier this month. "This calls into question his legitimacy to lead that country," said Inhofe, who has visited Ivory Coast nine times and made no secret of his support for Gbagbo. "Ouattara is on a rampage, killing innocent civilians, and he must be stopped before this becomes another Rwanda." Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson said Ouattara's moment in the spotlight could quickly dim without adequate investigations into the abuse allegations against forces loyal to him. "Mr. Ouattara should also be investigated because of the evidence that his troops did commit rapes and abuse en route to Abidjan," said Robertson, a former president of the U.N. special court for Sierra Leone. Such a probe could answer questions about what amount of control Ouattara exerted over the forces fighting under his name and whether he deliberately failed to stop them, Robertson said. In his favor, Ouattara has been viewed for some time as a hardworking man, an honest politician who favors transparency. He hailed from northern lands dominated by Muslim immigrants who came to work in Ivory Coast and eventually grew into influential businessmen and traders. The U.S.-educated Ouattara quit his International Monetary Fund job to run for president in 2000 and might have met Gbagbo on the ballot then, except that he was marked as an outsider -- his mother was from Burkina Faso -- and barred from participating in the election. The pro-Gbagbo newspaper Notre Voie accused Ouattara of backing a failed 2002 coup against Gbagbo's government, which triggered the 2002 civil war. Ouattara's critics blame him for the deep split that Ivory Coast has yet to mend. Vines said the rebels who fought in the 2002 civil war, the Force Nouvelles, formed a large part of the pro-Ouattara forces fighting Gbagbo's troops in the latest crisis. The United Nations has repeatedly cited the armed group for breaking the arms embargo imposed on Ivory Coast, and human rights groups have sounded alarms about its abuses. The moral high ground in Ivory Coast, said Vines, is that the election result is clear and in favor of Ouattara. "After that it gets gray and in the last few weeks, it's gotten very opaque indeed," he said about the recent spate of killings, especially the massacre in Duekoue. Ouattara, said Robertson, must conduct a swift inquiry into the allegations and punish the perpetrators. Otherwise, Robertson said, Ouattara will "himself be vulnerable to prosecution in The Hague."
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NEW: Sexual assaults by armed men increase, international agency says .
The International Criminal Court is poised to investigate Laurent Gbagbo .
Human rights monitors accuse pro-Ouattara forces of atrocities, as well .
Ensuring justice in Ivory Coast will be critical to its future, experts say .
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(Rollingstone.com) -- In an interview with BBC 6 Music, Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson hinted that the group may reunite in the studio to celebrate their 50th anniversary. "I'm considering it," he said. According to Wilson, nothing is holding him back aside from a reluctance to reconnect with his old partners. "I just don't know if I want to be around those guys, you know? They're zany guys. They're crazy." Wilson has not collaborated with his former bandmates since he co-produced "Stars and Stripes Volume One," a 1996 album featuring country versions of their hit songs. Photos: The Greatest Momagers and Dadagers in the Business . Though it remains to be seen whether or not Wilson will record new material with the band, the Beach Boys will be coming together to put the finishing touches on "Smile," the band's never-released follow-up to their 1966 masterwork "Pet Sounds." The group will be offering input on the album's track listing, which was never firmly established as the record was never completed as originally planned. Copyright © 2010 Rolling Stone.
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Wilson hinted that the group may reunite in the studio to celebrate their 50th anniversary .
The Beach Boys will be coming together to put the finishing touches on "Smile"
"Smile" is the band's never-released follow-up to their 1966 masterwork "Pet Sounds"
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WHO: WHO recommends improving the availability of mental health services for young people. The recommendation applies in urban agglomerations for healthcare workers. We ask ministries of health to share data.
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WHO recommends improving the availability of mental health services for young people.
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Mountain View, California (CNN) -- At this moment we have reached a major turning point for both science and the public at large. The SETI Institute is now offering the world the first taste of raw SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) data collected by the Allen Telescope Array in California. With this we move closer to fulfilling the institute's mission, which is to search for our beginnings and our place among the stars . Throughout the institute's 25-year history (we are a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research, education and public outreach), we have analyzed these raw data with custom algorithms operating on semi-custom hardware. Now we are transitioning to readily available hardware and servers because technology has caught up to us -- hooray! In the future, we hope that a global army of open-source code developers, students and other experts in digital signal processing, as well as citizen scientists willing to lend their intelligence to our exploration, will have access to the same technology and join our quest. As I look at my team at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, and at a handful of other SETI teams around the globe, I see very clever individuals who have been willing to forgo the traditional challenges and rewards of academic research to work on a program of immense potential -- to do work that can literally change the world. Many see SETI as a fascinating avocation, but few indeed are willing to make it their vocation. Read more about Jill Tarter at TED.com . In 2009, when TED awarded me its TED prize and the opportunity to make a wish to change the world - -a wish they would help me fulfil l -- I thought of a mirror. It is the mirror that we hold up to the planet in our scientific search for the answer to the ancient question, 'Are we alone?' It is the mirror in which all humans can see themselves as the same, when compared to the extraterrestrial other. It's the mirror that allows us to alter our daily perspectives and see ourselves in a more cosmic setting. It is the mirror that reminds us of our common origins in stardust. TED and technology are helping me and my team hold up that mirror to all inhabitants of this planet so that we can see our reflection as Earthlings. I told TED that "I wish that you would empower Earthlings everywhere to become active participants in the ultimate search for cosmic company." Soon it will be time for you to get involved by participating at setiQuest.org, a website that will make available the results that we get from our telescopes. Right now the site is geared to those knowledgable about digital signal processing, but in the coming months, anyone -- from a child playing a setiQuest game to an interested adult -- can join the search for intelligent life in the cosmos. It's been 50 years since Philip Morrison and Guiseppe Cocconi published their seminal scientific paper on SETI in the journal Nature, and since Frank Drake first used the Tatel telescope in Green Bank, West Virginia, to attempt to detect any radio signals from technologies he thought could be orbiting the nearby stars of Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani. Since then, only those of us privileged enough to use the marvelous tools of the astronomer have been able to shape this pursuit of cosmic company. For the past decade, you and any other person around the globe have been able to leave your computer turned on and search through data recorded at large radio telescopes with the SETI@home screen saver. But you couldn't change or improve the search your computer was enabling, you couldn't get involved creatively. You didn't have to see your reflection in the cosmic mirror. Now that computing has gotten fast enough, now that Amazon Web Services, Dell, Intel, Google and others have donated resources to the SETI Institute, my team and I can benefit from your skills and your energy. You can help us with our search. Access the raw data we have published at setiQuest and show us how to process it in new ways, find signals that our current signal detection algorithms are missing. This summer, when we openly publish our software detection code, you can take what you find useful for your own work, and then help us make it better for our SETI search. As I wished, I'd like to get all Earthlings spending a bit of their day looking at data from the Allen Telescope Array to see if they can find patterns that all of the signal detection algorithms may still be missing, and while they are doing that, get them thinking about their place in the cosmos. That's the way we can change the world! We don't yet know how to get our data out of the observatory and presented to willing citizen scientists in real-time -- but if you are technically savvy, that's where you come in, that's where you can help us make the search better. The SETI Institute can begin to count anyone in the world as a member of our team. All of the SETI searching over the past 50 years is equivalent to examining one 8-ounce glass of water from the Earth's oceans -- a lot of human effort, but not a lot of exploration. As our technologies improve exponentially, and as the world joins our searches, we may finally have the right tools for exploring the cosmic ocean. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Jill Tarter .
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Jill Tarter says the SETI Institute is offering the world raw cosmic data from its telescopes .
She said technology has enabled nonscientists to help search for extraterrestrial life .
When the setiQuest site is fully developed, even kids will be able to search data .
Tarter: More people combing data means a greater possibility of finding signs of life .
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(CNN) -- The devastating tornado that killed 124 people in Missouri this week puts the United States on track for a record-breaking year -- despite improved forecasting, warning systems and public awareness, weather experts say. By 7:20 p.m. Tuesday, the death toll in Joplin had reached 124, making it the single deadliest tornado since the National Weather Service began keeping such records 61 years ago. The tornado in Joplin brought the number of people who have died in U.S. tornadoes to 489 so far this year. The figure could escalate as rescue workers continue digging through rubble from Sunday's tornado in Joplin, Missouri. The deadliest tornado year on record is 1925, which had 794 deaths, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The number of fatalities so far this year is more than 8 1/2 times the average number for an entire year -- 56, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers. With all the advancements in storm technology, the question is simple: Why? "That's the question of 2011," said Bob Henson of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. "Why have so many people died in these tornadoes? That's the open question. It's partly because of the strength of these tornadoes. Also because they've hit populated areas." Myers said the brute force of some tornadoes might just be too severe for many structures. "Some tornadoes, you just can't survive them," he said. "They're just too big." Since 1875, the average number of deaths from tornadoes has actually decreased -- from about 200 to 55 a year, Myers said. This year is a sharp anomaly. In addition, the number of killer tornadoes is higher in 2011 -- 51 deadly tornadoes have touched down in the United States this year, compared to an average of 22 killer tornadoes in the past. That's counting two more tornadoes in Missouri Tuesday night. And it's only May. But early statistics on U.S. tornadoes have been spotty. Because twisters were not measured the same way they are now, experts don't know whether the 1925 Tri-State tornado that killed about 695 people in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana was actually a single funnel or many -- which is why it's not officially considered the deadliest single tornado. The weekend tornado in Joplin stirred memories of two fatal twisters that struck in Alabama last month. One tornado hit Hackleburg and Phil Campbell, killing 78 people, and another struck Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, killing 61. While many cities in tornado-prone areas have tornado sirens, the alarms sometimes get ignored. "The sirens always go off, so no one thought anything of it," Joplin resident Alexa Wattelet said. "Where we were, nobody really seemed like they were in much of a shock." But Myers said even if people take all possible precautions, a tornado can still leave fatalities. "If you get hit by something the size of a 225 mph storm, it is not survivable," he said. "And that is not to scare anyone. But the people that did it right are not to blame." CNN's Sean Morris and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.
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At least 489 people have died in U.S. tornadoes so far this year .
The deadliest tornado year on record is 1925, which had 794 deaths .
The strengths and locations of 2011's twisters could help explain the high death toll .
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Stephenville, Texas (CNN)The man accused of killing Chris Kyle, subject of the hit film "American Sniper," and Kyle's friend said he didn't have a choice. "I had to kill men today. It wasn't a want to, it was a need. I had to, to get out of that situation I was in today," Eddie Ray Routh said in a confession video that was played Monday in a Texas courtroom. He is charged with murder in the February 2, 2013, shooting deaths of Kyle and Kyle's friend, Chad Littlefield, at a firing range. Routh's lawyer admits his clievnt killed the men but contends he was insane at the time. In the 90-minute confession tape, the defendant was interviewed by Texas Ranger Danny Briley. Briley asked Routh what he did after he killed the two men. "I fled. I didn't know what else to do. My adrenaline was so high. I didn't know what was right. I didn't know what was wrong. I mean, I know what was right now. I left, you know," Routh responded. When asked what he would say to the families of his victims, he said: "I would tell them I'm sorry for what I've done." Routh's answers to other questions were less intelligible. At one point, he veers off into talk about his soul. "You can't just keep letting people eat your soul up for free, you know. It's not what it's about, it's about having a soul that you have in you for yourself. And there are tons of people that are eating on my soul right now," the defendant said. Routh's trial comes just weeks after the release of the film about Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who claimed to be the deadliest sniper in U.S. history with 160 confirmed kills in Iraq. "American Sniper," directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, has grossed the most ever for a war movie. Kyle's autobiography by the same name spent weeks on best-seller lists. He had already risen to fame through his book when he died, and was involved in charitable work to help former troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Kyle and Littlefield took Routh, a veteran with mental problems, to the firing range as a kind of therapy. The range is a small, remote part of the sprawling 11,000-acre Rough Creek Lodge, and the men were isolated. A hunting guide found Kyle, 38, and Littlefield, 35, Kyle's friend, motionless and called 911. The men were dead when officers arrived. Correction: Earlier versions of this report incorrectly described the military background of Chad Littlefield, who was killed with Chris Kyle. Littlefield was not a veteran. Jason Morris and Chris Lett reported this story from Stephenville, Texas. Dana Ford wrote it from Atlanta.
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Eddie Ray Routh is on trial for the 2013 shooting deaths of Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield .
Routh's lawyer admits his client killed the men but contends he was insane at the time .
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More than 1,000 mourners clogged Brussels' main basilica to pay their last respects on Tuesday to Belgium youth international and Wolfsburg midfielder Junior Malanda, who died in a car crash last week. Among the attendees, many of whom wore Wolfsburg colors, were Belgium coach Marc Wilmots, Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking and manager Klaus Allofs. Malanda was a back-seat passenger when the driver of the SUV lost control and the vehicle skidded off a slippery highway 10 days ago and overturned several times. Malanda, aged 20, was pronounced dead on the spot. VIDEO Bendtner and Wolfsburg team-mates attend Junior Malanda's funeral . Junior Malanda's funeral saw over 1,000 mourners come to pay tribute in Brussels . Wolfsburg team-mate and close friend Kevin de Bruyne was among many mourners at the funeral . Former Chelsea midfielder De Bruyne shakes hand with Wolfsburg manager Dieter Hecking (right) Wolfsburg defender Timm Klose arrives for the funeral at the Koekelberg basilica . Belgium national coach Marc Wilmots (left) watches on as the funeral takes place . Wolfsburg's Bas Dost (centre) leaves with his head dipped after attending the ceremony . Junior Malanda's brother Rudy (centre) speaks surrounded by family members wearing Malanda's shirt . Former teammate Mbaye Leye said 'it is a tough day for all. We are here to support the family.' Malanda had Congolese roots, and the service included several African songs and dances. According to reports in Germany, the Belgium Under 21 international died after the car he was a passenger in crashed on a motorway near Porta Westfalica in north west Germany on Saturday afternoon. Bild said the two other people in the vehicle had been taken to hospital with serious injuries after the car left the road and crashed into a tree amid heavy rain and wind. Malanda, who joined the Bundesliga club from Belgian side Zulte Waregem in 2013, had reportedly been due to fly to South Africa on Saturday night for Wolfsburg's winter training camp. The 20-year-old was seen as one of the brightest young prospects coming out of Belgium . Malanda was a passenger when the car he was in crashed into a tree in bad weather conditions . Wolfsburg supporters stage a march of condolence outside the Volkswagen Arena on January 11 . Supporters hold banners depicting Malanda during the Jupiler Pro League game in Belgium . Bayern Munich players observe a minute's silence for Malanda during a training camp in Qatar .
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Junior Malanda was tragically killed in a car accident as the age of 20 .
Wolsburg star's funeral saw over 1,000 mourners come to Brussels .
Former team-mate Kevin de Bruyne and Belgium coach Marc Wilmots were among the mourners .
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By . Becky Barrow . PUBLISHED: . 15:42 EST, 3 December 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 15:42 EST, 3 December 2013 . Nearly two-thirds of people who have retired in Britain expect to leave an inheritance when they die of around £180,000, a report revealed yesterday. The research shows British people are far more generous - or simply far richer - than people in many other countries, with their children typically being the lucky beneficiaries. Of 15 countries which were investigated in the research, the UK came out third in the league table of inheritance windfalls around the world. It was beaten by Australia and Singapore where retired people expect to leave an average of £322,000 and £238,000 respectively. Of 15 countries which were investigated in the research, the UK came out third in the league table of inheritance windfalls around the world . By comparison, the average amount that retired people expect to leave as an inheritance windfall is £95,000. All the figures are based on the inheritance after taxes have been paid and include the value of any property. Overall, it found 64 per cent of people who have retired in Britain expect to leave an average inheritance of £182,144, which is nearly twice the international average. But many plan to be even more generous. One in five expect they will leave ‘over £250,000’ to their children or other beneficiaries, such as a charity, the local church, a more distant family member or a friend. The report, from the banking giant HSBC, also reveals how the future of retirement will dramatically change for today’s workers. On average, people of working age think they ‘will be able to afford to retire on average at 65.’ But this is four years’ later than their own parents’ retirement date, it says. Australia . 69 per cent . £321,743 . Singapore . 70 per cent . £237,799 . UK . 64 per cent . £182,144 . France . 64 per cent . £143,397 . Taiwan . 70 per cent . £122,461 . USA . 56 per cent . £113,342 . Canada . 57 per cent . £109,714 . Hong Kong . 70 per cent . £93,553 . Brazil . 71 per cent . £84,462 . Mexico . 84 per cent . £61,761 . China . 59 per cent . £43,860 . India . 86 per cent . £30,625 . Malaysia . 78 per cent . £24,881 . While workers expect to retire at 65, . which is the current State pension age for men, their parent who was the . family’s main breadwinner retired at the age of 61. One . in five people told researchers that they ‘expect that they will never . to be able to afford to retire from all paid employment.’ Christine . Foyster, head of wealth development at HSBC UK, said: ‘It is good to see . that, even in these tough times, parents plan to leave an inheritance . to their children. 'However, it is vital that people do not rely on these potential windfalls to fund their retirement. ‘Whatever . their good intentions, parents may face their own unexpected hurdles . and require the money to fund other things such as their own medical and . nursing care in later life.’ Nearly . one in three people of working age have already received ‘a significant . financial gift or loan from their family’. The typical amount was . £8,190. The poll was based on the views of more than 16,000 people in 15 countries. None of them were HSBC clients.
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UK came third in league table of what people expect to leave for loves ones .
The average amount those surveyed expect to leave is £95,000 .
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(CNN) -- When then Sen. Obama was running for president, many of his critics accused him of being a Muslim -- as if being a Muslim in a country that prides itself for its freedom of religion is a bad thing. In fact a Pew Research Center poll taken October 2008 found 16% of voters who identified as conservative Republicans thought he was, despite numerous photos of him and his family attending a traditional Christian church. Despite Obama saying he was a Christian. In July 2012, that number increased to 30% despite more photos of him attending a Christian church. Despite Obama repeating he is a Christian. In 2008, his critics accused him of not being born in the U.S.-- despite the Republican governor of Hawaii verifying that he was and birth announcements from 1961 in the state's two primary newspapers . So in 2011, to appease these critics, Obama released the long form of his birth certificate. And in 2013 a poll taken by Fairleigh Dickinson University found that 64% of Republicans believe Obama "is hiding important information about his background and early life, which would include what's often referred to 'birtherism.' " Or as I like to call it -- craziness. Which brings us all to Skeet-gate. Opinion: More gun mayhem, and yet we wait for action . In yet another attempt to appease irrational critics, the White House released a photo of the president shooting a gun to prove he is not an enemy of the Second Amendment and that he has in fact shot a gun before (as if that's required to not want criminals or the mentally ill to have access to semi-automatic weapons.) And surprise, surprise skeptics are not satisfied, saying the picture is fake and his affinity for shooting phony, even though there's evidence of President Obama talking about practicing shooting a rifle with members of the Secret Service way back in 2010. "One picture does not erase a lifetime of supporting every gun ban and every gun-control scheme imaginable," said Andrew Arulanandam, spokesman for the National Rifle Association. Well Arulanadam should tell Michael Bloomberg about all of Obama's gun-control support because it seems each time there's been a mass shooting the outspoken mayor of New York tears into the president. "The president has spent the last three years trying to avoid the issue, or if he's facing it, I don't know of anybody who has seen him face it," Bloomberg said on CBS's "Face the Nation" days after the Aurora shooting. Bloomberg was right of course. As a candidate in 2008, Obama talked about reinstating the federal ban on assault weapons, but he hadn't aggressively addressed guns from a policy perspective until December's Newtown tragedy. In fact, in a blatant display of hypocrisy, while the NRA demonized Obama for something he didn't do, they endorsed Mitt Romney, who actually did sign a law banning assault weapons while governor of Massachusetts. But those are all just facts. And when you're dealing with crazy people, it doesn't really matter how many facts you present, because -- well -- they're crazy and they're just going to believe what they're going to believe. Ted Nugent sings praises of gun ownership . I thought the president learned this lesson after the whole Muslim/birther slander hurled his way in his first term. But, barely a couple of weeks into his second term, here Obama is once again releasing photos in an effort to silence irrational critics who pay no attention to the facts. Some of his critics are justified in their challenges to his policies because the facts don't support some of his administration's claims. Some critics are concerned about the direction of the economy and legitimately think he is doing a sub-par job. But there are some who just want to watch his world burn and they don't give a damn what else or who else burns with him. And it doesn't matter how many documents the White House releases, Obama simply will not win those people over. "A lot of people want to see his college transcripts," Donald Trump said in an interview with CNBC last year. "They're not looking at his marks, his grades. ... They want to see, what does he say about place of birth. Now, those transcripts have disappeared, nobody seems to be able to get them." After college transcripts it will be his marriage license. Then fingerprints. Then toe nail clippings. This constant push to prove "he's not one of us" is not going to go away. So the next time the NRA or Trump or whoever else feels the need to question Obama's cred, instead of posting pictures of him shooting a gun or going to church or what have you, he should post a graphic showing he's the first president since Eisenhower to capture at least 51% of the popular vote twice. Obama still backs new gun ban; top senator less certain . That mandate from the American people is really all the cred he needs. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of LZ Granderson.
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LZ Granderson: Obama has been challenged on his religion and place of birth .
He says in both cases Obama took pains to demonstrate the truth about his background .
Now White House has released a photo of president skeet shooting to back up his statements .
LZ: Trying to appease critics who ignore the facts will never work .
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Covered entirely in crystals, it may not be to everybody's taste - but a new £420,000 piano is possibly the most bling musical instrument in the world. The custom-made piano features half a million Swarovski crystals and was created following a request from an unnamed buyer described as an 'influential Sheikh' in Doha, Qatar. Goldfinch, a Cambridge-based piano maker, took six months to build it, with every crystal applied by hand. Scroll down for video . A £420,000 piano has been hand decorated with half a million Swarovski crystals . Company director Tomas Norman, whose family has been handcrafting high-end pianos for more than 40 years, said: 'It's been a delight to bring another customer's dream to reality. 'We love nothing more than blurring the lines between timeless tradition and contemporary British art, but it's not all about good looks - our craftsmanship is combined with cutting-edge technology for that seamless finish and ultimate musicality.' He claimed the company is the only piano manufacturer in the world which offers an almost limitless selection of shapes, sizes, colours, materials and textures. The piano was made in collaboration with British contemporary artist Lauren Baker. The sparkling piano was created for an 'influential Sheikh' in Doha, Qatar . When the light hits the crystals they shine in different colours . Previous projects have included a piano colour-matched to an RAF fighter plane and a baby grand piano that appears to melt down three flights of stairs. The company typically produces pianos priced between £100,000 and £1 million and has shipped instruments to Hong Kong, Dubai and Los Angeles in the past. Artist Lauren Baker added the half a million crystals by hand saying she has an obsession with working with the shining gem stones . Lauren said her work: 'I'm really drawn to working with crystals. My imagination runs wild with ideas. 'I've got an obsession and a fascination with crystals so this is the perfect project. It's every little detail that counts. 'It's the meticulous minute detail of the pieces that form the beautiful final outcome. It's all about the way the crystals catch the light and refract into a prism of colours. That makes it so extravagant.' Even the name of the piano was done in crystals, placed on with tweezers . Goldfinch regularly make custom pianos which range between £100,000 and £1million .
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The Goldfinch piano took six months to build for a Sheikh in Doha, Qatar .
Each of the half a million crystals was applied by hand .
The instrument was designed in collaboration with artist Lauren Baker .
It is said to be worth £420,000 .
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(CNN) -- Earl Scruggs, whose distinctive picking style and association with Lester Flatt cemented bluegrass music's place in popular culture, died Wednesday of natural causes at a Nashville hospital, his son Gary Scruggs said. He was 88. "I realize his popularity throughout the world went way beyond just bluegrass and country music," Gary Scruggs told CNN. "It was more than that." For many of a certain age, Scruggs' banjo was part of the soundtrack of an era on "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" -- the theme song from the CBS sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies," which aired on CBS from 1962 to 1971 and for decades afterward in syndication. But much more than that, he popularized a three-finger picking style that brought the banjo to the fore in a supercharged genre, and he was an indispensable member of the small cadre of musical greats who created modern bluegrass music. Scruggs was born in 1924 to a musically gifted family in rural Cleveland County, North Carolina, according to his official biography. His father, a farmer and a bookkeeper, played the fiddle and banjo, his mother was an organist and his older siblings played guitar and banjo, as well. Young Earl's exceptional gifts were apparent early on. He started playing the banjo at age 4 and he started developing his three-finger style at the age of 10. "The banjo was, for all practical purposes, 'reborn' as a musical instrument," the biography on his official website declares, "due to the talent and prominence Earl Scruggs gave to the instrument." While Scruggs' status as the Prometheus of the banjo may be overstated, many musicians feel he changed the game. The late John Hartford, a noted banjo musician in his own right, was quoted in Barry R. Willis' "America's Music: Bluegrass," as saying: "Everybody's all worried about who invented the style and it's obvious that three-finger banjo pickers have been around a long time -- maybe since 1840. But my feeling about it is that if it wasn't for Earl Scruggs, you wouldn't be worried about who invented it." In an article on the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's website, bluegrass historian Neil V. Rosenberg described Scruggs' style as "a 'roll' executed with the thumb and two fingers of his right hand" that essentially made the banjo "a lead instrument like a fiddle or a guitar, particularly on faster pieces and instrumentals. This novel sound attracted considerable attention to their Grand Ole Opry performances, road shows, and Columbia recordings." In 1945, Scruggs met Flatt when he joined Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, for whom Flatt was the guitarist and lead vocalist. Along with the group's mandolin-playing namesake were fiddler Chubby Wise and bassist Howard Watts (alias: Cedric Rainwater). Scruggs and Flatt left Monroe in 1948 to form the Foggy Mountain Boys, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame website. Along with guitarist/vocalists Jim Eanes and Mac Wiseman, fiddler Jim Shumate and Blue Grass Boys alum Rainwater, the group played on WCYB in Bristol, Tennessee, and recorded for the Mercury label. He married Anne Louise Certain that year. In the '50s she became Flatt & Scruggs' business manager. They were married for more than 57 years until her death in 2006. The Foggy Mountain Boys' roster changed over the years, but Flatt and Scruggs became the constants, the signature sound of the group on radio programs, notably those sponsored by Martha White Flour, and as regulars at the Grand Ole Opry. They became syndicated TV stars in in the Southeast in the late 1950s and early '60s, and they hit the country charts with the gospel tune "Cabin on the Hill." But it was during an appearance at a Hollywood folk club that brought them into contact with the producer of "The Beverly Hillbillies" and led to "The Ballad of Jed Clampett." It was their only single to climb to No.1 on the country charts. The 1967 film "Bonnie and Clyde" featured their 1949 instrumental "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," with its distinctive Scruggs-style banjo solo perhaps the most ubiquitous of bluegrass sounds. The duo split in 1969, and Scruggs' fame as a solo and featured act continued to grow, even as his most iconic licks echoed through the years among his acolytes -- basically, anyone who played banjo, and many who picked other instruments. Playing "Foggy Mountain" on banjo became a staple of Steve Martin's comedy routine, and blossomed into a reverential tribute. In November 2001, Martin and Scruggs were joined by Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Jerry Douglas and others on "Late Show With David Letterman" to play a fiery version of the song -- soloing alternately on banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, steel guitar and harmonica. Even Paul Schafer took the chorus for a spin on piano. In an article in the New Yorker in January, Martin wrote, "A grand part of American music owes a debt to Earl Scruggs. Few players have changed the way we hear an instrument the way Earl has, putting him in a category with Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Chet Atkins, and Jimi Hendrix." Flatt & Scruggs were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985, six years after Lester Flatt's death. In 1991, Scruggs, Flatt and Monroe were the first inductees in the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. His sons Gary and Randy both are accomplished musicians and songwriters, and played with their dad in a 1973 album, "The Earl Scruggs Revue." People we've lost in 2012: The lives they lived . CNN's Cameron Tankersley, Denise Quan and Andy Rose contributed to this report.
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Earl Scruggs died Wednesday of natural causes in Nashville, his son told CNN .
Scruggs and Lester Flatt were part of the musical team that made modern bluegrass .
He developed the three-finger style that made the banjo a "front" instrument .
"The Ballad of Jed Clampett" and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" are signature tunes .
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Today, April 20, is "420: International Marijuana Day." Festivals and marches are planned around the world. The number 420 reflects the date, but it also represents the term's clandestine origin in the 1970s, brought about by laws that still plague cannabis consumers today. In 1971, a group of high school friends, the "Waldos," invented 420 as a code word for smoking pot. Referring to 4:20 p.m. after school, the friends from San Rafael, California, would meet to smoke marijuana in their secret spot next to a wall -- the origin of their nickname. In the 40 years since, 420 has spread to become an international symbol for using marijuana, and it's a part of the cannabis consumer's vocabulary. Threatened with jail and unemployment, people who use marijuana in most states must hide their activities. In 2011, more than 750,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession and sales in the United States. In 2010, 86% of those charged for possession in New York City were black or Latino. That, even though these groups represent about half the city's population and use marijuana less than whites. But, slowly, support for cannabis regulation is growing. A recent Pew research poll found that 52% of Americans support taxing and regulating marijuana, a historic high. It isn't that more people are using marijuana -- those rates have remained stable -- it's that more people feel they can come out of the closet about their support for marijuana policy reform. Websites like the Marijuana Majority feature statements from celebrities and politicians in favor of marijuana policy reform, across the political spectrum, from Bill Maher to Pat Robertson. No longer a part of a fringe, those who see a better way to regulate marijuana are casting aside the secret codes and openly declaring support. The marijuana flag was waving proudly on Election Day, when Colorado and Washington became the first states where voters approved taxing and regulating marijuana for adult use. Two recently introduced pieces of federal legislation would protect medical marijuana states from federal interference and end federal marijuana prohibition. As can be imagined, the April 20 celebrations across Colorado and Washington, as well as other "marijuana friendly" states like California and Oregon, will be joyful, well attended and burgeoning with cannabis products. It might even feel as if marijuana is already legal -- but it isn't, and, in some states, the need for secret codes is still very much alive. In Oklahoma, manufacturing hash carries a mandatory two-year prison term but can also mean life in prison. Under Louisiana law, a second pot possession conviction is classified as a felony offense, punishable by up to five years in prison. Three-time offenders face up to 20 years in prison. And in Florida, possession of more than 20 grams of marijuana, as well as the cultivation of even a single plant, is a felony offense and punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. What this means, despite Colorado and Washington, is that April 20 brings a chance to stop and reflect on the draconian marijuana laws still threatening so many Americans. In addition to the lives harmed by arrests and incarceration, the economic costs of prohibition are enormous. The war on drugs has cost at least $1 trillion since it was announced in 1971 by President Nixon. The term 420 began as a secret code. But 40 years later, in some states the need for a code has given way to "cannabis pride" and open celebration. In other places, people will smoke or otherwise consume pot in private parties. And for those in prison and jails and for their loved ones, it will be just another sad day. Make this April 20, as the numbers of pro-legalization supporters swell, the day to join the Drug Policy Alliance in promoting the legalization of marijuana for all adults and an end to the war on drugs.
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This Saturday, April 20, is "420: International Marijuana Day," with festivals worldwide .
Amanda Reiman: In 1971, high school friends invented 420 as code for smoking pot in secret .
Reiman: It's disgraceful so many people are serving time on marijuana charges .
She says 52% of Americans want new policies; 4/20 a good day to join legalization effort .
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Two American soldiers and at least 19 Afghans were killed in a spate of attacks in Afghanistan Friday and Saturday, some of which were claimed by the Taliban, officials said. The violence began Friday, when a bomb explosion hit a convoy of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force troops. Two American soldiers were killed in that blast, a U.S. defense official said Saturday on condition of anonymity. ISAF, which also reported the attack but did not release the nationalities of the victims, said the attack happened in eastern Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility. Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid tweeted that a U.S. convoy had been targeted in Bagram district and claimed five Americans were killed. On Saturday morning, 12 Afghan civilians who were clearing mines in southern Helmand province died in an attack, according to Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the provincial governor. The civilians were defusing devices planted by the Taliban to target military tanks and vehicles in an area between Shorabak and Nad Ali districts of southern Helmand, he said. Afghan security forces who arrived at the scene of the attack killed three of the militants and arrested four others. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and said those killed were soldiers and not genuine mine-clearers. Judicial official shot to death . Unknown gunmen in Kabul killed Atiquallah Raufi, head of the Afghan Supreme Court secretariat Saturday morning, said Hashmat Stanikzai, spokesman for Kabul's police chief. That afternoon, a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying Afghan National Army personnel in the Guzargah area of Kabul on Saturday afternoon, said Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry. Six army personnel were killed and 18 other people were injured, including two women bystanders, he said. The Taliban spokesman, Mujahid, claimed responsibility for the blast in an e-mail. He said that from now on, Taliban attacks against foreign and Afghan forces would be stepped up. Kabul residents fear for safety . In the past couple of months, the Taliban have targeted many Afghan National Army buses and other vehicles. Two days ago, a bus carrying army personnel to work was targeted by a suicide bomber. Five servicemen were killed and 12 more were injured. After many attacks on army buses, especially during the morning and evening rush-hour periods, Kabul residents are worried. Some have called on the Afghan Defense Ministry to change the way it transports army personnel. Hashmatullah, who witnessed Saturday's attack, said: "The Defense Ministry should stop using big buses to avoid being an easy target, and its personnel should use different routes to commute to work." He said that this way the lives of both army personnel and civilians who are traveling on the same roads would be saved. The Taliban issued a separate warning Saturday via Facebook to media critical of the group, saying "that from now on (the Taliban) will not stay silent and tolerate their actions and by using every possible way attacks will be carried out against them so immorality is annihilated from its root in our country." U.S. combat role ends . The continuing violence comes as Afghan forces prepare to take on greater responsibility for ensuring the country's security as international forces transition to a supporting role. At the end of December, U.S. forces will end their combat role in Afghanistan and instead focus on counterterrorism missions and training, advising and assisting Afghan troops. Nonetheless, nearly 11,000 U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan in the beginning of 2015. American forces will drop to 5,500 in 2016 and by 2017 the coalition will consolidate to Kabul. Hagel: More U.S. troops than planned will remain in Afghanistan next year .
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Unknown gunmen killed Afghan Supreme Court official in Kabul on Saturday, police say .
Two ISAF members killed Friday were American, U.S. official says .
Taliban claims responsibility for killing Americans Friday, 18 Afghan soldiers Saturday .
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As if playing in front of thousands of fans wasn't nerve-wracking enough, one footballer decided to risk public humiliation by proposing to his girlfriend on the pitch after a Russian Premier League match. FC Rostov defender Ivan Novoseltsev popped the question after his side's 1-0 win against Torpedo Moscow on Monday night, getting down on one knee at the Olimp-2 stadium to ask Katerina Keyru to marry him. With his team-mates watching on and a camera in place to capture the moment on film, the Russia international beamed as his basketball-playing partner said yes. VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ivan Novoseltsev propose to his girlfriend on the pitch . FC Rostov defender Ivan Novoseltsev gets down on one knee to propose to girlfriend Katerina Keyru . Novoseltsev places a ring on his Keyru's finger as his team-mates watch on at the Olimp-2 stadium . The 23-year-old, who was capped by his country for the first time last month, looked delighted as he placed a ring on Keyru's finger before kissing and hugging her. Novoseltsev then presented his bride-to-be with a huge bouquet of flowers as his team-mates congratulated the pair on their engagement. FC Rostov's players also had plenty to celebrate after their fourth win in a row moved them further away from relegation trouble and into 10th place in the table. Keyru hugs and kisses her husband-to-be as Novoseltsev celebrates FC Rostov's win in style . Novoseltsev's team-mates applaud as the happy couple share a moment to remember on the pitch .
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Ivan Novoseltsev proposed after his side's win against Torpedo Moscow .
Katerina Keyru, who plays basketball for a living, said yes on the pitch .
Novoseltsev's FC Rostov team-mates were on hand to congratulate him .
FC Rostov have won four games in a row to move up to 10th in the table .
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By . Associated Press and Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 15:00 EST, 11 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:41 EST, 11 February 2013 . An Army veteran who was today awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous leadership during a daylong firefight in Afghanistan wept as President Obama named his fallen comrades. Former Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha took a moment to compose himself after Obama read the names of the eight Americans who died in the 2009 firefight. At a White House ceremony attended by the military's top leaders and former Medal of Honor recipients, Obama recounted the dramatic battle at an outpost in the mountains near the Pakistan border where U.S. troops were far outnumbered. Scroll down for video . Missed: Retired Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha becomes emotional as President Obama names his eight fallen comrades before he is awarded the Medal of Honor at the White House on Monday . Sadness: Romesha was hurt in the attack but says his injuries are 'nothing' compared to his comrades' Fifty-three U.S. troops were at the outpost . when it came under fire by 300 Taliban fighters, and Romesha led . a fight against the enemy to protect the camp. Eight U.S. soldiers were killed in the . fighting and another 22 wounded, including Romesha, who was peppered with . shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade but fought through his wounds. Before the ceremony, Romesha's toddler son, Colin, charmed the attendees, including top military brass and government officials, by hiding behind President Obama's lectern. A giggling Colin was eventually handed back to his mother, Tammy, after he was caught by a White House military aide. Honored: President Obama bestows the Medal of Honor on retired Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha for conspicuous gallantry on Monday in the East Room of the White House . Courageous: Romesha was given the honor for leading troops during a brutal Taliban attack in 2009 . Romesha and his wife of 13 years were also joined at the event by their other two children, Dessi and Gwen. At the ceremony, Obama . said the U.S. troops fight courageously for freedom, for their country . and for their families, but also to keep their fellow troops safe. He said that a somber lesson could be drawn from Romesha's experience. 'Our troops should never ever be put in the position where they have to defend the indefensible,' he said. Romesha, who bowed his head as Obama read his achievements, has dismissed his injuries as 'nothing' compared to those suffered by some of his fellow soldiers. Supporting Daddy: Colin Romesha peeks around the corner of Obama's lectern before the ceremony . Peek-a-boo: Little Colin pops out from behind the lectern before Obama bestows the honor to his father . Excitement: A White House military aide hands Colin back to his mother, Tammy, after he took the stage . 'I've had buddies that have lost . eyesight and lost limbs,' Romesha said in a news conference last month . after Obama called to tell him he would receive the award. 'I would rather give them all the . credit they deserve for sacrificing so much. For me it was nothing, . really. I got a little peppered, that was it.' Jake . Tapper, a CNN anchor who wrote a book detailing the firefight, said . many key officers at the outpost were away the day of the firefight and . Romesha rose to the occasion and filled the leadership vacuum. But he . says Romesha remains astonishingly humble. VIDEO: Obama awards the Medal of Honor to Clinton Romesha . 'Humble guy': Romesha enters the East Room with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama . Tribute: Before he presented the away, Obama said the attack reminded him that troops should never be 'put in a position where they have to defend the indefensible' Hero: Former Army Staff Sgt. Romesha is pictured on a mission in Afghanistan in 2009 . 'Everything was just about his buddies . and trying to save his fellow soldiers and trying to do everything he . could, literally everything he could, at great risk to his own life over . and over,' said Tapper, author of The Outpost: An Untold Story of . American Valor. 'He's still very broken up about how he couldn't save everyone. He saved lives that day, without question, but eight of the guys died that day and that still tears him up.' Romesha also served twice in Iraq and will be the fourth living Medal of Honor recipient for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. It is the nation's highest military decoration for valor. Romesha, who grew up in Lake City, Calif., deployed out of Fort Carson, Colo. He now lives in Minot, N.D., with his wife and three children and works in oil field safety. Combat Outpost Keating sat in a valley and came under attack from the mountains on all four sides at 6 a.m. on Oct. 3, 2009. An account of the fight by the Army says Romesha 'displayed extraordinary heroism through a daylong engagement in which he killed multiple enemy fighters, recovered fallen soldiers and led multiple recovery, resupply, and counterattack operations'. When three Taliban fighters breached . the camp's perimeter, Romesha shot and killed them with a rifle that . belonged to the Afghan troops that he only had basic knowledge of. They were among more than 10 Taliban that Romesha killed that day under heavy enemy fire, and he also directed air assaults to protect the camp and recovered the bodies of U.S. troops who died in the battle. 'We weren't going to be beat that day,' Romesha told last month's news conference. 'And seeing all those guys pull together, I mean you're not going to back down in the face of adversity like that. We were just going to win, plain and simple.' Fallen: Among the soldiers who lost their lives were Stephan L. Mace, left, and Michael P. Scusa, right . Comrades: Joshua M. Hardt, left, also lost his life in the brutal attack alongside Vernon W. Martin, right . Slain: Joshua J. Kirk, left, and Justin Gallegos, right, also died in the 13-hour battle against the Taliban . Never forgotten: Obama also read the names of Kevin C. Thomson, left, and Christopher Griffin, right . Support: He is pictured last month with his wife, Tammy, during a press conference in Minot, N.D. after it was announced he would receive the Medal of Honor for his action during the 13-hour firefight .
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Clinton Romesha, 31, of Minot, North Dakota, helped fight off one of the largest attacks against U.S. forces in Afghanistan .
Romesha is become the fourth living service member to receive the nation’s highest award for valor for overseas duty in Afghanistan or Iraq .
His son Colin charmed attendees ahead of the ceremony by hiding behind President Obama's lectern .
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By . Victoria Woollaston . Watching motor racing can be a nerve-wracking experience, but from September viewers will be able to directly influence the results from the comfort of their homes. Fans of the Formula E championship - the electric equivalent to the Formula One - will tweet drivers during each race, and the drivers' Twitter accounts will be connected to their electric cars. The amount of tweets throughout the event will be counted and during the last lap, the driver with the most mentions will then be given a short power surge to help their chances. Scroll down for video . The Formula E championship begins in September in Beijing. During each race, the 150mph cars (pictured) will be given two short boosts of power. One can be used at any point, while the other can only be used in the last lap. This second boost is awarded to the driver who gets the most mentions on Twitter during the race . The Formula E championship,the electric equivalent to the Formula One, begins on September 13 in Beijing. It will run for 10 races, and end in June 2015 in London. Other cities on the schedule include Rio de Janeiro, Monte Carlo, Berlin and Los Angeles. Each . race will last about an hour, but because the car batteries only last . up to 25 minutes at a time, drivers will make two mandatory pit . stops to switch cars. This is in addition to a boost which every driver is given that can be used once, at any point during a race. Formula E boss, Alejandro Agag told Quartz he wants the championship to target a different demographic than Formula 1. This includes ‘urban 20- and 30-somethings, who are more likely than older people to buy electric cars, and use social media.’ The Formula E championship begins on September 13 in Beijing. It will run for 10 races, and end in June 2015, in London. Other cities on the schedule include Monte Carlo, Berlin and Los Angeles. Formula E boss, Alejandro Agag said he wants the championship to target a different demographic than Formula 1. This includes 'urban 20- and 30-somethings, who are more likely than older people to buy electric cars, and use social media.' The Twitter account for Formula E driver Lucas Di Grassi is pictured . The cars were demonstrated to fans in January in Las Vegas. Lucas Di Grassi is pictured stood on the top of his vehicle. Each race will last about an hour, but because the car batteries only last up to 25 minutes at a time, drivers will make two pit stops to switch cars . Each race will last about an hour, but because the car batteries only last up to 25 minutes at a time, drivers will make two pit stops to switch cars. Last month, actor Leonardo DiCaprio announced he was partnering with France's Venturi Automobiles to enter a team in the championship. Other teams include IndyCar's Andretti Autosport and Dragon Racing, ex-Formula 1 team Super Aguri, Audi-backed Abt and Richard Branson's Virgin. Teams will have two drivers and four single-seat cars in the first season.
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The Formula E championship begins on September 13 in Beijing .
During the race, the 150mph cars will be given two short ‘boosts’ of power .
One can be used at any point in the race, the other is used in the last lap .
This second boost is awarded to the driver who gets the most mentions on Twitter during the race .
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(CNN) -- FX's Cold War drama "The Americans" is about to blow its cover. After quietly spending its first season in 2013 flying under the radar, this spy series is poised to be exposed as the discriminating TV fan's favorite addiction. On the surface, the '80s-set series from Joe Weisberg is pretty straightforward: two KGB agents, played by Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys, pose as a mild-mannered married couple with two kids in the suburbs of Washington during the Reagan administration. No one knows what these two are actually doing when they're working at their "travel agency," and that includes their two children, teenager Paige (Holly Taylor) and her younger brother, Henry (Keidrich Sellati). The potential for plot twists alone would seem reason enough to watch, but what's kept viewers glued to their sets is the series' complexity. "The Americans" has heart-racing suspense, but also high-minded reflections on the politics of love, marriage and loyalty. So, after a nine-month hiatus, we're more than ready to welcome back FX's weekly dose of espionage, '80s pop culture and Cold War killing. And with its second season, "The Americans" is going to have a tender twist: a focus on love and family amid the thrills and intrigue. When last we saw our Russian spies-next-door, Russell and Rhys' Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, they'd narrowly escaped a trap set by their neighbor, FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich). The new season picks up with Elizabeth and Philip, who've had a rocky relationship to say the least, reuniting at their home with heightened sensitivity for keeping their children safe from their deadly lifestyle. There are so many questions to answer: Will the Jennings kids learn the awful truth about their parents? Can Philip and Elizabeth make their bizarre marriage -- created under the guise of accomplishing a mission and now something more -- work out? And what about Beeman, who's still clueless that his neighbors are the spies he's been chasing with a passion? In honor of the return of "The Americans," we give you five reasons to put it on your TV surveillance list: . Best excuse to "do laundry in the middle of the night" In season one, the laundry room was the perfect cover for Elizabeth and Philip's KGB operation. But the Jennings' daughter Paige is getting older — and savvier. She's starting to notice her mom and dad are spending a little too much time "doing laundry" in the basement. If she snoops too much, she might uncover her parents' secret stash of spy gear. Oops! (How do you think they'll be able to explain THAT? "Honey, do you know what a 'license to kill' is?") More wigs than a Dolly Parton concert . Let's put aside the show's reputation as a critical standout and focus on its notoriously bad wig collection. With this being a show about spies, the ridiculous disguises come in spades. It seems like every episode offers a fantastic excuse to trot out a spectacular set of fake teeth, false mustaches and dyed hair. There are so many different combinations, Rhys has even picked a favorite. "I've named him; he's called Fernando. He has longish hair. We actually saw him in the first episode of the first season when he beat up someone who was being rather lascivious with his daughter at a department store," he told reporters during a recent conference call. "He has, like, a mustache and long hair and a little goatee, and he feels very Latin to me." Dear show runners: Please keep 'em coming! Best show with spouses who have an understanding about on-the-job sex . It must be hard for Philip and Elizabeth to fix their marriage while they're both having sex with their sources. Or, for that matter, when they're tying the knot with them. (Hey, whatever it takes to defend the Motherland!) In season 2, Philip's "marriage" to FBI administrative assistant Martha Hanson (Alison Wright) is making his life even more complicated. "They plant such a beautiful seed of conflict within Elizabeth," Rhys said. "She's been this stalwart, this hardline, hard-nosed agent for so long, who's still incredibly loyal to the cause, (and now) she has this great enormous struggle within her where she realizes that she has these feelings for Philip. ... (As) a device it's rather fantastic, but it certainly takes its toll on the relationship." Best show with multiple 1980s pop culture references . Is it wrong if we secretly hope that "The Americans" does for the '80s what "Mad Men" has done for the '60s? From leg-warmers to high-waisted jeans to an '80s soundtrack, we love this show's playpen of anachronisms. This season, look for references to a real-life relationship guru, excellent movies on VHS and a new Soviet spy who loves rockers like Rod Stewart and Blondie. Best timing EVER for the season premiere of a Cold War drama . We don't think FX's marketing team could have possibly thought up a better coincidence. The new season just so happens to kick off while U.S-Russian tensions have been on the rise. CNN's own Political Ticker had to double-check its calendar the other day while asking, "The Cold War is over. Right?" If that's not enough, here's a secret sixth reason: The writers have set up a carefully layered examination of human behavior that is teetering on the edge of disaster, not unlike a table of human dominoes. When the first one falls, it should be deliciously fun to watch.
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FX's Cold War drama "The Americans" returns February 26 .
Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys star as undercover Russian spies .
Now in its second season, it will focus more on love and family .
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Title: "Global Economy Trends: Unprecedented Recovery and Challenges Ahead"
In the wake of the global economic downturn, an unexpected recovery is underway. According to the latest World Bank report, global GDP growth is projected at 5.6% in 2021, a rate not seen since the turn of the century. This resurgence is largely attributed to massive fiscal stimulus packages and unprecedented monetary easing measures implemented by governments worldwide.
However, this recovery comes with its share of challenges. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns that while many advanced economies are rebounding, the recovery in developing countries remains uneven, and vulnerabilities persist, particularly in low-income countries. Moreover, the IMF has highlighted concerns about rising debt levels and potential inflationary pressures as key risks to the global economic outlook.
In response, central banks continue to maintain ultra-low interest rates and quantitative easing policies. Governments are also exploring innovative solutions such as digital currencies and green bonds to stimulate growth and address climate change.
The road to recovery is fraught with uncertainties. The World Trade Organization (WTO) predicts a 9.2% increase in global merchandise trade this year, but warns that protectionist measures could hamper this momentum. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions, particularly between major economies, continue to pose significant risks to the global economic outlook.
As we navigate through this uncharted terrain, it is crucial for policymakers to balance the need for stimulus with the necessity of avoiding debt traps and inflationary pressures. Collaboration, innovation, and resilience will be key in ensuring a sustainable and inclusive recovery for all economies.
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The text discusses the current trends in the global economy, highlighting an unprecedented recovery following a worldwide economic downturn. The recovery is primarily due to substantial fiscal stimulus packages and unparalleled monetary easing measures globally. However, the recovery is not evenly distributed, with developing countries experiencing uneven growth and persistent vulnerabilities, particularly in low-income nations.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expresses concerns about rising debt levels and potential inflationary pressures as significant risks to the global economic outlook. Central banks are responding by maintaining ultra-low interest rates and quantitative easing policies. Innovative solutions like digital currencies and green bonds are also being explored to stimulate growth and address climate change.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) predicts a 9.2% increase in global merchandise trade this year but warns that protectionist measures could impede this progress. Geopolitical tensions, particularly between major economies, continue to pose risks to the global economic outlook.
Policymakers must strike a balance between providing stimulus and avoiding debt traps and inflationary pressures as they navigate this uncertain recovery path. Collaboration, innovation, and resilience are crucial for ensuring a sustainable and inclusive recovery for all economies.
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Most people don't give a second thought when tucking into a plate of salad. But perhaps we should be a bit more considerate when chomping on lettuce, as scientists have found that plants actually respond defensively to the sounds of themselves being eaten. The researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) found that plants can identify sounds nearby, such as the sound of eating, and then react to the threats in their environment. Scroll down for video . Researchers at the University of Missouri have determined that plants respond to the sounds that caterpillars make when eating and that the plants then respond with more defenses. Here a cabbage butterfly caterpillar feeds on an Arabidopsis plant with a piece of reflective tape helping to record vibrations . 'Previous research has investigated how plants respond to acoustic energy, including music,' said Heidi Appel, senior research scientist in the Division of Plant Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and the Bond Life Sciences Center at MU. Researchers in Bonn, Germany, found plants give off a gas when under 'attack'. Super-sensitive microphones picked up a 'bubbling' sound from a healthy plant. But this rose to a piercing screech when it was under threat. Even a tiny insect bite could have an effect. 'The more a plant is subjected to stress, the louder the signal,' said Dr Frank Kühnemann. Plants do not actually scream in pain. But different sounds are heard when the gas they emit, ethylene, is bombarded with lasers. The research could help to work out which pieces of fruit and vegetables are likely to stay fresh longer, as a cucumber which is starting to go off produces a squealing sound. It could then be separated from the fresher ones. 'However, our work is the first example of how plants respond to an ecologically relevant vibration. 'We found that "feeding vibrations" signal changes in the plant cells' metabolism, creating more defensive chemicals that can repel attacks from caterpillars.' Appel collaborated with Rex Cocroft, professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at MU. In the study, caterpillars were placed on Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant related to cabbage and mustard. Using a laser and a tiny piece of reflective material on the leaf of the plant, Cocroft was able to measure the movement of the leaf in response to the chewing caterpillar. Cocroft and Appel then played back recordings of caterpillar feeding vibrations to one set of plants, but played back only silence to the other set of plants. When caterpillars later fed on both sets of plants, the researchers found that the plants previously exposed to feeding vibrations produced more mustard oils, a chemical that is unappealing to many caterpillars. 'What is remarkable is that the plants exposed to different vibrations, including those made by a gentle wind or different insect sounds that share some acoustic features with caterpillar feeding vibrations did not increase their chemical defenses,' Cocroft said. 'This indicates that the plants are able to distinguish feeding vibrations from other common sources of environmental vibration.' Heidi Appel (left) and Rex Cocroft (right) from the University of Missouri led the research. In the study, caterpillars were placed on a plant and, using a laser and a tiny piece of reflective material on the leaf of the plant, the team measured the movement of the leaf in response to the chewing caterpillar . Appel and Cocroft say future research will focus on how vibrations are sensed by the plants, what features of the complex vibrational signal are important, and how the mechanical vibrations interact with other forms of plant information to generate protective responses to pests. 'Plants have many ways to detect insect attack, but feeding vibrations are likely the fastest way for distant parts of the plant to perceive the attack and begin to increase their defenses,' Cocroft said. 'Caterpillars react to this chemical defense by crawling away, so using vibrations to enhance plant defenses could be useful to agriculture,' Appel said. 'This research also opens the window of plant behavior a little wider, showing that plants have many of the same responses to outside influences that animals do, even though the responses look different.' The study, 'Plants respond to leaf vibrations caused by insect herbivore chewing,' was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and was published in Oecologia.
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Researchers from the University of Missouri found plants respond to attack .
They discovered the sound of caterpillars eating made them more defensive .
Plants that heard caterpillar sounds released more mustard oils, which are unappealing to caterpillars and thus ward them off .
But plants that heard the wind, despite having a similar acoustic sound, knew not to waste their defensive capabilities .
This suggests plants are able to identify sounds in their environment .
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By . Helen Collis . PUBLISHED: . 05:28 EST, 27 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 19:35 EST, 27 August 2013 . AS the name would suggest, it really can hurt a fly. But quite how that makes a fly-swat an offensive weapon – and one which a 33-year-old mother needed ID to buy – is a mystery. Nicola Butcher visited her local hardware shop to buy the flimsy utensil when her kitchen became plagued with flies. 'Offensive weapon': Nicola Butcher was eventually allowed to purchase the flimsy fly swat, deemed an 'offensive weapon' at her local store, once she showed them ID . But she was stunned when the assistant refused to sell it to her unless she produced her driving licence or passport. The till - at Home Hardware, in Romsey, Hampshire - flashed up a warning sign, which indicated the fly swat was classified as an 'offensive weapon'. It means bosses considered the swat as dangerous as knives, fireworks, and lighters, which can only be sold legally to over 18s. Mrs Butcher - mum to two-year-old daughter India - said: 'The fly swat is a flimsy piece of plastic - certainly not an offensive weapon. 'I’d like to say it wouldn’t hurt a fly but that’s probably the only thing it could come close to hurting. 'I could swat somebody with it using all my strength and I doubt it would leave even the slightest of marks or bruises.' Mrs Butcher, who was recently made redundant from her project manager job at insurance firm Aviva, took the request for ID as a compliment. Only once the 33-year-old produced her passport did the shop attendant at the hardware store in Romsey, Hants (pictured), let her buy the swat . She said: 'The number of flies has . rocketed in the hot weather and unfortunately some of them have made . their way from my garden into my kitchen. 'I broke my old fly swat from overuse and went to the local shop to buy a replacement. 'I only expected to be in the store for a couple of minutes but it turned into a bit of a drama at the checkout. 'The . shop assistant - who was in her fifties - told me a warning had flashed . up telling her the swat was an "offensive weapon" and she should check . the customer is over 18. 'I thought she was having a laugh but she invited me round the other side of the till to show me the screen. This is not the first time shops have asked people for ID when buying apparently innocent items. Parents . Kirsty Breeze, 19, and Ian Jackson, 24, had to prove their age when . buying a Fireman Sam DVD from Sainsbury’s in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs. Office . worker Christine Cuddihy, 24, was told she had to be aged over 21 to . buy a cheese and onion quiche from Tesco in Coventry, West Midlands. And writer Elinor Zuke, 25, was asked for ID when buying a £1.19 pack of six teaspoons at Sainsbury, in Crawley, West Sussex. Anybody convicted of selling a knife to a person aged under 18 can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to £5,000. An offensive weapon is any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, including knives and hidden knives. 'We were both laughing and joking but she asked if I had my driving licence or passport on me, which I thought was ridiculous. 'I’m . 33 years old and think I look my age but I did take her request as a . compliment. In the end I had to get my driving licence out. 'How can an innocent plastic fly swat be an offensive weapon? What is the world coming to when you can’t buy a fly swat without producing ID for it. 'I can understand why you would ask for ID when you were buying fireworks, alcohol, or a high voltage electric fly swat - but not a cheap plastic one. 'The shop also sells spades and frying pans which would cause much more damage if I smacked somebody over the head with one of them.' Lindsey Waude, the store’s assistant manager, said: 'We think it might be an error on our till system. 'Sometimes it flashes up that something is an offensive weapon, but our guy who does the computers has been on his honeymoon for three weeks . 'I’m sure the member of staff asked for it in jest.'
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Nicola Butcher, 33, was stunned when her local hardware shop asked for ID .
The cashier, in her 50s, insisted swat was classified an 'offensive weapon'
Mother was forced to show ID despite both laughing about the situation .
Shop said there must have been an error with the til system .
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By . Ashley Collman . and Louise Boyle . PUBLISHED: . 13:44 EST, 24 January 2014 . | . UPDATED: . 16:17 EST, 24 January 2014 . Two college students who discovered that they have a common sperm donor father revealed today the moment they found out they are sisters. Tulane freshmen Mikayla Stern-Ellis, 19, and fellow-Californian Emily Nappi, 18, discovered just weeks ago that they are related after a series of bizarre coincidences drew them together. Both are delighted to have a new sister, saying they already love each other. However only one of them intends to seek out their sperm donor father. Scroll down for video . Mikayla Stern-Ellis (left) and Emily Nappi, pictured today, met when they both attended Tulane University and realized that they were half-sisters . The two girls, pictured as babies, have the same sperm donor father that was used by their parents in California almost two decades ago. A twist of fate brought them together at college in New Orleans . Mikayla first made contact with Emily last summer while searching for a possible roommate on Facebook. The girls had a lot in common but their paths never really crossed at the New Orleans school. Mikayla told Matt Lauer on the Today show: 'We didn't know each other that well, we could be really compatible as friends but we were never in the right place at the right time but we've definitely got a lot closer recently.' They figured out that they were conceived by a donation from an anonymous donor after Mikayla posted a Facebook message about her upbringing. But neither thought much of it, even when they figured out that both of their donors were Colombian. Mikayla said today: 'I thought ''Wouldn't it be funny if we were sisters?''' Mikayla's lesbian mothers Heidi and Debra Stern-Ellis used an anonymous sperm donor to have their daughter two decades ago. What are the chances! Emily Nappi (left) and Mikayla Stern-Ellis (right) met during their freshman year at Tulane and discovered they shared the same sperm donor father . When the girls went home for winter break, Mikayla told her moms about her new friend with whom she had so much in common. They urged her to compare her donor identification number with Emily - and the incredible discovery was made. Emily told Lauer: 'I panicked... I absolutely freaked out... I started running around the house screaming and telling everyone, calling everyone.' Mikayla added: 'It was mind-blowing, I didn't know what to do.' Following the life-changing realization, their bond has become much more intense. Mikayla said: 'We see each other multiple times a day now. We're a lot closer. 'The first time we saw each other [since finding out], we didn't really know what to do. But we became best friends because that's what we would have done even if we weren't sisters.' Emily added: 'There was a moment at dinner when I said ''I don't know your favorite color or anything about you''. We've been catching up. 'I already tell her I love her after two weeks.' Surprise sisters: Biological half-sisters Mikayla (left) and Emily (right) are both Californians attending Tulane . The girls said it was cool to get . more family along with a new sister and the two sets of parents were . already hanging out with each other. The one thing that the girls differ on is their attitude to finding their sperm donor father. Emily says that she has absolutely no interest in meeting him but would like to find out what he looks like. But . Mikayla said that said that since she was little, she has been curious . about finding out more about him - but for now is happy with the sister . she happened on by chance. She said: 'Emily is much more than I could hope for.' Chance meeting: The two met during their first year at Tulane University. They started talking the summer before freshman year while searching for roommates. Above, Mikayla and her mom Debra at the New Orleans campus . Different moms: On the left, Mikyala is pictured with mom Debra. On the left, Emily with mom Italia at high school graduation .
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Mikayla Stern-Ellis met Emily Nappi while searching for a roommate for her freshman year at Tulane University in New Orleans .
The girls, who found they have a lot of similarities, checked their donor ids and said they 'freaked out' on finding they are related .
Only Mikayla plans to find sperm donor dad but said for now 'Emily is much more than I could hope for'
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A picture may say a thousand words but a picture and a tune together - well, that says at least a thousand more. That's the premise behind the new British social network, hoping to overtake Instagram in the popularity stakes. Tunepics , invented by 33-year-old British marketeer Justin Cooke, allows users to feature a song with every image that they share, capturing the emotion behind a moment. The Tunepics concept is to capture the emotion behind every picture that users share to add emotion to the picture sharing experience . The British social network is growing at a rate of 100,000 new sign-ups a week and so far celebrity users include Jamie Oliver, Kate Bosworth, Adele, will.i.am, The Libertines, Natalie Imbruglia and Richard Branson. There are also accounts for Cara Delevingne with over 23,000 followers and Rihanna with almost 22,000 followers - although Tunepics couldn't officially confirm they're the real deal. At Tunepic Towers, they take celebrity verification very seriously and request passport information before placing a little note symbol next to the username (which means an account is verified as legit). Fashion brands like Asos, Hunter, Paul Smith and Chloe are also getting in on the act. In a perfect example of how music can bring a picture to life, this weekend Jamie Oliver posted an inspiring image of Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever Nobel peace prize winner, with a stirring backing track of Ennio Morricone's The Mission. His previous post of an open fire pizza oven was amusingly accompanied by Burn Baby Burn by Ash. The 100,000 new users a week include Kate Bosworth (left), who posted this selfie along with Lana Del Rey's version of the American national anthem, and Jamie Oliver (right), who uploaded a picture of himself with rapper Example, along with one of the rapper's tracks . Kate Bosworth's weekend postings included an image of a lion chilling on its back along with Bob Marley's Turn Your Lights Down Low. Rather than the slew of selfies and 'I'm having more fun than you' snaps that dominate other social networks, Tunepics allows people to share a moment and a feeling. To add to the emotional Tunepics experience, when followers respond to posts, they don't just 'like' an image but use an 'emotion wheel' to show if they're 'inspired', 'happy' or 'dancing' to the post. Founder and CEO Justin says it was his own picture-music-mash-up moment that inspired the idea. 'I was walking along the King’s Road in London, I took a photograph of some autumn leaves and then I went in my iTunes library and played Paolo Nutini’s Autumn. It was the most incredible feeling, I had goosebumps and I couldn’t stop looking at the photo,' he tells MailOnline. 'That was about three years ago and I remember thinking, "Wow, imagine if you could just capture a feeling in a moment". It just felt like the most natural thing in the world,' says 33-year-old Justin. He was convinced that someone would come up with the idea - but they didn't, so he decided to create it himself. Who has the audacity to compete with giants like Facebook and Instagram for a slice of the social media action? Someone who was made vice president of Burberry aged 25 and then went onto head up Topshop marketing, perhaps. Left: Celebrities like will.i.am are amongst users; Right: MTV posted this image of (left to right) Jessi J, Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande ahead of the VMAs . When Angela Ahrendts wanted to make Burberry young and fashionable again, Justin was her right hand tech man. He was part of the team that created fashion firsts such as live-stream catwalk shows and click-and-buy catwalk technology. Soon Sir Philip Green came knocking and poached him to head up marketing for Topshop. Inspired by his mentor Sir Philip, Justin decided to set up alone and turn his Tunepics idea into reality. To help get the idea off the ground he set up a marketing agency, innovate7, for a little extra cash flow, which now has Chelsea Football Club, Nike, Coca-Cola as clients, . 'I love the idea that we can redefine the way people share and discover moments of their lives. When you hear a song and you look at a picture you can remember how things smell it awakens all your senses. Its like redefining the photo album and the mixtape all in one,' he says. 'Social media allows you to travel through time in a way, as it takes you back to memories and moments – or even looking forward to something. 'Tunepics is a place where you can capture the magic of your life and share the emotion behind that moment. 'Music is probably the most powerful way to bring all of those feelings to the surface, but there are many layers of Tunepics – whether that’s touching the emotion wheel, or the memories that a tunepic triggers,' he adds. MTV posted these snaps of Afrojack (left) and Neon Jungle (right) performing, along with tracks from their concerts . So does he think his all singing all dancing version of Instagram could overtake its big brother? 'There are incredible social platforms out there, and I would never want to say that we’re better or that we’re doing something that they can’t do, there’s space for everyone. 'I think it would be arrogant for us to assume that we’re going to be as big as them – but it’s something that we absolutely dream of. I think every great idea has to start with a big ambition and a big dream. 'We think we are building a social network for tomorrows generation – it’s the future and it will take time but people seem to love it. Have you ever met anyone in your life who doesn’t like music? That’s a pretty great start point. 'I don’t think there’s a single moment in my life where music isn’t relevant, and this is really about allowing people to capture that. 'It’s fun, it’s simple and intuitive,' he adds. Tunepics users can search from over 35 million songs to feature with their images by using keywords and they can also add an array of filters to boost photos. An innovative weather filter helps heighten the mood of a moment by adding sunshine, rain, snow, raindrops or a rainbow to a snap. With over 500 million pictures uploaded to the Internet every day and over 100 million songs downloaded every week, Tunepics could be the perfect marrying of our two biggest online obsessions.
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Invented by 33-year-old Brit Justin Cooke of Burberry and Topshop pedigree .
Free app allows users to feature a song with every image that they share .
Concept is to capture the emotion behind a moment .
The Libertines, will.i.am, Natalie Imbruglia and Richard Branson also users .
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(CNN) -- An Iranian citizen and an airline pilot from Kentucky pleaded guilty to violating U.S. export law on Monday through a scheme to send aircraft and parts to Iran for civilian use. Hamid Asefi, an Iranian citizen, and Behzad "Tony" Karimian, a U.S. citizen who also has an Iranian passport, each face up to 40 years in prison and a $500,000 fine when sentenced in March. Asefi, 68, was identified in court documents as the principal officer of Aster Corp Ltd, which is described as an Iranian company that also had an office in Britain. Karimian, 53, was identified as a pilot for Mesaba Airlines, a regional carrier. The two were arrested in June. An August indictment was unsealed on Monday just before they entered guilty pleas in federal court in Louisville. According to the two-count indictment, the men conspired to and also actually violated U.S. law by exporting aircraft or parts to Iran. Prosecutors said Asefi used his company's office in Britain as a point to get goods from the United States and ship them through third parties. The indictment said Asefi sent requests to Karimian to buy aircraft and parts in the United States. Karimian placed orders and helped make purchases on behalf on Asefi and people in Iran. Court documents said Asefi and Karamian violated the Iranian ban by arranging sales of Bell Helicopters and aircraft engines produced by General Electric from September 2009 through April 2010. Prosecutors said the helicopters and engines were intended for civilian use. Prosecutors said Asefi and Karimian were well aware they were violating an embargo on sales to Iran. The indictment quotes a 2007 e-mail Asefi sent to Karimian about working together. The e-mail said in part "... remember that, only US Embargo has brought this chance and benefit to us, to get involved in these deals ..."
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Iranian citizen and a pilot for U.S. airline plead guilty in Kentucky .
Indictment said the men arranged sales of helicopters, engine parts for civilian use .
Each face up to 40 years in prison for violating export ban .
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By . Amanda Williams . PUBLISHED: . 11:22 EST, 5 December 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:25 EST, 5 December 2012 . Little hero: Aaron Green, 3, managed to save his mums life by calling for help using her mobile phone, despite having never used one before . A three-year-old boy saved his mother’s life by calling for help using her mobile phone - despite having never used one before. Little Aaron Green somehow managed to call his great-grandmother when his mother Cally, 26, had a diabetic seizure. The barmaid, from Coventry, West Midlands, had just finished a night shift at when she returned home and was gripped by a hypoglycemic attack which caused her to collapse. Little Aaron found her the next morning lying on the floor of her bedroom and was unable to wake her. The little boy - who does not yet know the alphabet and can only just count to ten -reached for his mother’s Blackberry phone which was lying on her bed. It is thought he knew what to do with the phone by watching his mother use it. He managed to scroll through the electronic address book, found his great grandmother and called her to say: 'Mummy’s sick. She’s very ill. Please come and help her.' Her grandmother then immediately called Miss Green’s best friend, Kara McCoy, 18, who lives on the same street who ran to the house. After finding the mother of one completely unresponsive, she phoned 999 and an ambulance crew rushed to her aid. Six paramedics spent over two hours trying to revive Miss Green before she was taken to University Hospital Coventry. She spent five days in an induced coma and awoke with no memory of what had happened. Mother Cally, 26, had a diabetic seizure which caused her to collapse. Aaron was able to get her urgent medical attention . She was later told she would probably have died if it had not been for Aaron’s brave actions. She said: 'If it wasn’t for Aaron I wouldn’t be here now. I’m always nattering away on the phone so he must have seen me do that enough times and copied me. 'I’m a real chatterbox, it’s annoys all my friends but it must have been teaching him something useful. 'It’s amazing as he doesn’t know the alphabet and can barely count to ten. 'I don’t know how he did it. He managed to unlock my mobile phone, go to the address book and go straight to my nan, who brought me up, of all people. 'I find that mobile hard to use myself. The doctors said I was lucky to be alive. 'It feels like I must have been watched over by a guardian angel who was guiding him through what to do. 'I owe him everything - he deserves the world. I want everyone to know what a Superman he is.' Miss McCoy added: 'I’ve got a key to the house, so I let myself in. 'Cally was on the bedroom floor. She must have fallen off the bed. I was scared, I didn’t know what to do. I felt helpless. 'She was moving but wouldn’t respond so I called the ambulance. Aaron was very brave and calm you wouldn’t know his age, he was coping better than me.' The youngster received a bravery badge from his nursery in recognition of his efforts.
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Little Aaron Green managed to call for help when his mother had a diabetic seizure .
Despite never having used a mobile before, doctors say his quick thinking saved his mother Cally's life .
She says: 'I want everyone to know what a Superman he is'
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Peace demo appeal rejected
Peace protestors have lost a landmark appeal over police actions in stopping an anti-war demonstration days after the start of the Iraq war.
They had appealed against a High Court decision that it was not unlawful for police to forcibly turn protestors away near RAF Fairford, Glos, in 2003. The police had also sought to overturn a breach of human rights ruling arising from the same case. Sitting on Wednesday, three Appeal Court judges dismissed both appeals. They were challenging decisions by two judges in the High Court in February this year. It followed action by police, when three coachloads of people were searched and detained on the way to RAF Fairford and forced to return to London under police escort. The demonstrators appealed against a finding by Lord Justice May and Mr Justice Harrison that it was not unlawful for the police to turn the passengers away.
The police were urging Lord Chief Justice and Lord Justices Clarke and Rix to overturn the ruling that they had breached the protestors' human rights by detaining them in the coaches. Craig Mackey, assistant chief constable of Gloucestershire Police, said: "We have always considered that our responses were proportionate and all our decisions on the day were based on intelligence." He said no one on the coaches accepted responsibility for items found on the coaches including body armour, a smoke bomb and five shields. "Given these circumstances, and the fact that RAF Fairford, and other military installations in the UK, had been the scene of increasingly destructive disorder in the weeks preceding this incident, the police commander on the ground made the decision to turn back the coaches. "From day one we have vigorously defended this decision, which was made out of a genuine concern that if the coaches were allowed to proceed it would have resulted in disorder and criminal damage at RAF Fairford." Fairford Coach Action, representing more than 80 people who appealed against the police actions, say they are prepared to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. Their action is supported by Amnesty International and Liberty.
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They had appealed against a High Court decision that it was not unlawful for police to forcibly turn protestors away near RAF Fairford, Glos, in 2003.Fairford Coach Action, representing more than 80 people who appealed against the police actions, say they are prepared to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.It followed action by police, when three coachloads of people were searched and detained on the way to RAF Fairford and forced to return to London under police escort.The police were urging Lord Chief Justice and Lord Justices Clarke and Rix to overturn the ruling that they had breached the protestors' human rights by detaining them in the coaches."Given these circumstances, and the fact that RAF Fairford, and other military installations in the UK, had been the scene of increasingly destructive disorder in the weeks preceding this incident, the police commander on the ground made the decision to turn back the coaches.Peace protestors have lost a landmark appeal over police actions in stopping an anti-war demonstration days after the start of the Iraq war.
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Former Hull KR boss Craig Sandercock is back in the NRL as Rick Stone's assistant at Newcastle . Australian Craig Sandercock has been given his old job back at Newcastle Knights. The one-time schoolteacher, who spent three years with Hull KR after being appointed as the successor to Justin Morgan before being sacked by the club in July, will once more assist head coach Rick Stone at the Knights . Sandercock believes his stint in Super League will help him kick-start his career in the NRL. 'It was a really good experience,' Sandercock told Knights TV. 'It's a bit different over there but it was a massive learning curve for me and hopefully I've brought a few little things back here to the Knights.' Stone, who was Knights boss from 2009-2011, has also returned to the Knights after being cast aside by the club in favour of Wayne Bennett, who has gone back to the Brisbane Broncos. Knights CEO Matt Gidley (left) at the unveiling of Stone (right), as the coach returns to his former post .
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Craig Sandercock was sacked by Super League club Hull KR in July .
He has returned to the Newcastle Knights to work under Rick Stone .
Stone is back at the Knights after being replaced by Wayne Bennett .
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By . Emily Allen . PUBLISHED: . 11:07 EST, 7 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 05:19 EST, 8 August 2012 . Tributes have been paid to a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in woodland yesterday, the day after she disappeared from her family home. A huge police hunt was launched when Molly O'Donovan vanished from her home in Banbury, Oxfordshire, on Monday morning. Her body was found by a passerby near Foscote Rise at 11.40am yesterday, according to Thames Valley Police. Her death is not being treated as suspicious. Tragedy: The body of teenager Molly O'Donovan (pictured) has been found in woodland after she was reported missing from her family home on Monday morning. Her death is not being treated as suspicious . Today, tributes were left on social networking sites by friends who spoke of their shock at the teen's death. Sarah Ferguson write: 'RIP Molly, i remember when u were a baby, you were such a beautiful baby and grew into a beautiful teen. You will be the prettiest angel in heaven. god bless x' Molly was last seen alive at around 9am on Monday and her worried family had told police that her disappearance was completely out of character. Members of the public rallied around to try and find the missing youngster and handed out hundreds of leaflets and posters. However, yesterday afternoon police confirmed that her body had been found in woodland not far from her home in the Cherwell Heights area of the town. 'Out of character': A passerby found Molly's body in a wooded area a short distance from her home a day after she disappeared from her home. Her family said her disappearance was 'completely out of character' A force spokesman said: 'The body has now been formally identified as that of missing 14-year-old Molly O'Donovan. 'The death is not believed to be suspicious at this stage and inquiries remain ongoing.' Molly's grieving family were being comforted by a police family liaison officer and were said to be too distraught to speak about the schoolgirl's death. Grief: Friends leave floral tributes at the scene where Molly's body was found by a passerby yesterday . A post mortem examination was due to be carried out in the coming days, and a file has been passed by the police to the Oxfordshire coroner who will conduct an inquest into her death. Thousands of tributes quickly flooded . in to social networking sites Twitter and Facebook as users expressed . their shock at her death. Samantha Reynolds, who set up the page, said: 'rip molly o'donovan devastating news.' 'RIP Molly O'Donovan,' said a large number of tweets, while others wrote that her death was 'heartbreaking'. Flowers: More friends head off to lay tributes to the teenager while others left messages of condolence online . 'RIP Molly O'Donovan, such a tragic death at such a young age,' wrote user hazza b (sic). Georgina Hamilton added: 'Very sadly, Thames Valley Police have confirmed a body found yesterday is that of Molly O'Donovan.' Hannah Jayne Swales said: 'R.I.P Molly O'Donovan. My heart goes out to her and all her family r.i.p'. Helen Everett said: 'My prayers are with . the family and friend's of Molly O'Donovan at this terrible and tragic . time. May she rest in peace.' Steve Cunningham said: 'So sad to read about Molly O'Donovan. Such a tragedy. Thoughts go out to her family.' MarcUsain Bolt posted: 'Can't believe they found Molly O'Donovan dead. She's 14 for christ sake! I'm close to tears:/ ripmolly'
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Police are not treating Molly O'Donovan's death as suspicious .
She vanished on Monday morning and her body was found yesterday .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 01:02 EST, 5 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:50 EST, 5 July 2013 . Former pro footballer Aveion Cason Sr. had a long record on the field, but a less impressive record as a father and the former running back went on Oprah’s OWN Network with the goal of patching things up with his estranged son. Cason, who grew up fatherless himself, ended up continuing the cycle when he abandoned his young son Aveion Jr. Cason recently came back into his son’s life. And the slew of emotions that go along with such a reunion played out in front of television cameras courtesy of Oprah’s OWN Network. Amends: On an emotional episode of Oprah's Life Class, former pro-footballer Aveion Cason makes amends with his 13-year-old son after a 10-year estrangement . On Oprah’s Life Class with Iyanla Vanzant, Vanzant takes a head-on approach to patching up familial rifts. ‘I grew up without a father,’ said the elder Cason. ‘I feel resentment with my father coming up because he's never been around, and when I talk to my son, I feel like he feels the same way.’ For about ten years, Aveion Jr. didn’t see his father. Now 13, he mirrors his father’s resentment. ‘It felt horrible that you left me,’ Aveion Jr. says as Vanzant coaches him on. ‘It made me feel like I was a mistake... I loved the person, but I never see him.’ Like her OWN: Oprah helped facilitate the confrontation between Cason and his son Aveion Jr. as part of her Oprah's Life Class on the OWN Network . Aveion Jr.’s mother stands by as the two men try to come to terms with their estrangement. ‘I think I was a mistake,’ Aveion Jr. said as tears rolled down his young cheeks and his father shook his head in the foreground. ‘And that made you feel what,’ Iyanla asked. ‘Like I wasn't supposed to be here.’ ‘What do you want to tell [him] now that he's back,’ Vanzant continued probing the boy. ‘That I love him...’ replied Aveion Jr., then with a little goading from Vanzant he commands his father, ‘You don’t get to leave me again!’ Final: Alongside his mother and a studio audience of Oprah fans, Aveion Jr, 13, told his father 'You don't get to leave me again!' Cason is clear in his intentions to be a present father to the younger Aveion. On his Twitter account, on which a photo of the former pro baller alongside Oprah Winfrey now serves as his profile picture, Cason describes himself thusly: . ‘Florida made, but live in Dallas. God fearing and loving father. Im blessed and will always give 100% till da day my heart stop! In God Hands.’ Cason, who played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals and Florida Tuskers, was a recognized running back and kick returner who played for an impressive 9 years. Encouraging: Iyanla Vanzant acted as life coach as she instructed the younger Cason on how to tell his father exactly how he felt as part of an OWN series on Fatherless Sons and Daddyless Daughters . The emotional confrontation was part of a series of episodes of Oprah’s Lifeclass that focus on fatherless children. The series continues with more Fatherless Sons on Sunday at 9pm on OWN, followed by two episodes on Daddyless Daughters on the July 14 and 21 episodes. Trying: Cason was apart from his son for 10 years but now seems serious about breaking the fatherless son cycle that he too was born into . Retired: Cason was a running back and kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals and Florida Tuskers. His career lasted an impressive 9 years .
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Cameras were rolling on the set of Oprah's Life Class as Aveion Cason's crying son Aveion Jr., 13 tried to break the fatherless-son cycle .
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BEIJING, China (CNN) -- At least 70 people in one Chinese province have suffered food poisoning in recent days after eating pig organs contaminated by a banned food additive, state-run media reported Monday. Health officials in the Guangdong province in southeast China said most were treated at hospitals and released, but at least three people remained hospitalized, the China Daily newspaper reported. The victims complained of stomach aches and diarrhea after eating pig organs bought in local markets since Thursday, China's Xinhua news agency reported. A local health official said initial investigations indicated that the pig organs were contaminated by clenbuterol, an additive that is banned in pig feed in China. Three people were detained for suspected involvement in raising and selling contaminated pigs, authorities said. Clenbuterol can prevent pigs from accumulating fat but is harmful to humans and can be fatal. One of the largest food poisoning cases involving clenbuterol happened in Shanghai in September 2006, when 336 people were hospitalized after eating pig meat or organs contaminated with the additive, China Daily said.
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Xinhua: Victims complained of stomach aches and diarrhea after eating pig organs .
Clenbuterol can prevent pigs from accumulating fat but is harmful to people .
Report: 336 hospitalized in 2006 after eating clenbuterol-tainted pig meat, organs .
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Sweden's military is investigating reports of 'foreign underwater activity' in the Stockholm archipelago using high-tech-equipped naval vessels, aircraft and home guard forces. Chief of operations Jonas Wikstrom says information 'from a credible source' sparked the operation on Friday and was being investigated as part of a wider intelligence operation. Wikstrom refused to give further details about the operation, except saying the purpose was to find out whether 'there had been or still is ongoing foreign underwater activity'. Scroll down for video . Submarine hunt: Swedish forces search the murky waters of the Stockholm archipelago for the suspected foreign vessel off the Stockholm coast . He also declined to say whether they had been in contact with other countries. In a statement on The Local website, Wikstrom was quoted as saying: 'We have support for the analysis work we are now carrying out in the area in the form of ships, planes and territorial army personnel. 'The area is heavily trafficked, which is why it's important for us to go public with information about what we're doing.' The Local also quoted a witness to the military operation, Robert Eriksson, who was fishing off the island of Skarpö at around 4pm local time. Ready for action: A soldier mans a machine gun on a Swedish Navy fast-attack craft . 'The coast guard came in over the inlet with an airplane and flew round and round for a long time,' he said, adding that he also spotted a large military craft near the island of Kanholmsfjärden. Neutral Sweden's armed forces have ruled out that it could be some sort of natural phenomenon. The operation was reminiscent of the Cold War, when Sweden's armed forces routinely hunted for Soviet submarines in its waters. Locals using the waters for sailing and fishing reported an increase in military activity on Friday . The underwater activity comes in the wake of last month's aerial interception of Russian planes by UK jets. Royal Air Force jets were deployed from Scotland to intercept Russian military 'Bear' aircraft that were flying too close to the airspace it guards. Aircraft based at RAF Lossiemouth, based in Moray, were sent to identify the aircraft - Tu-95 Russian Bear H bombers - that were spotted in international airspace. A British Typhoon jet, bottom, is seen intercepting one of two Russian 'Bear' aircraft that were spotted flying in international airspace in September . On alert: Fast-attack craft cuts through the water as day breaks in Sweden's Stockholm archipelago . Chief of operations Jonas Wikstrom speaks at a press conference after reports of foreign underwater activity in the Stockholm Archipelago . It was the first time a Quick Reaction Alert had occurred since the base took on the role of defending the UK's Northern airspace. In June two Typhoon jets were scrambled into action to head off four separate groups of Russian aircraft that were flying near the Baltic. The jets were deployed to ensure the Russian planes didn't enter the airspace of Estonia, Lithuania or Latvia. The Ministry of Defence said the aircraft appeared to be carrying out a 'routine training' exercise in international airspace and were later escorted out of the area. That incident followed another where four Typhoons were sent to the Siauliai air base in Lithuania in May to support a Polish-led Nato force which was operating in the region. Sweden's military is investigating reports of foreign activity in the Stockholm archipelago, above, where Sweden's armed forces routinely hunted for Soviet submarines during the Cold War .
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Sweden's military investigating reports of 'foreign underwater activity'
Chief of operations Jonas Wikstrom says information 'from credible source'
Search follows last month's interception of Russian airplanes by UK jets .
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Title: Unpredictable Weather Patterns Pose Challenges Across the United States
The past week has seen an unusual mix of weather across the United States, with some areas experiencing record-breaking heatwaves while others are battling heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions.
In the southern states, temperatures soared to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, causing heat advisories to be issued in Texas and Louisiana. Meanwhile, parts of the Midwest and Northeast are bracing for another round of winter weather, with several inches of snow expected in Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York.
The National Weather Service warns that this unpredictable pattern is likely to continue into next week, with a possible shift in temperature and precipitation patterns affecting different regions.
Authorities urge citizens to stay informed and prepared for sudden changes in weather conditions, especially as travel becomes more difficult due to the mixed weather. The Red Cross also reminds everyone to check on their neighbors, particularly the elderly and those with special needs, during extreme weather events.
This unusual weather pattern is a stark reminder of the importance of being prepared for all types of weather, from blistering heatwaves to heavy snowstorms. Stay safe and stay informed!
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The text discusses the unpredictable weather patterns occurring across the United States currently. Some regions are experiencing record-breaking heatwaves exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while others face heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions. This contradictory pattern is expected to persist into the following week. Authorities advise citizens to stay informed about weather changes and take necessary precautions, especially during travel. The Red Cross also encourages checking on neighbors, particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with special needs, during extreme weather events. Overall, this unusual weather serves as a reminder to be prepared for various types of weather conditions ranging from heatwaves to snowstorms. Stay safe and stay informed!
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Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill into law Wednesday that abolishes the death penalty, making his state the 17th in the nation to abandon capital punishment and the fifth in five years to usher in a repeal. The law is effective immediately, though prospective in nature, meaning that it would not apply to those already sentenced to death. It replaces the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of release as the state's highest form of punishment. "Although it is an historic moment -- Connecticut joins 16 other states and the rest of the industrialized world by taking this action -- it is a moment for sober reflection, not celebration," Malloy said in a statement. He added that the "unworkability" of Connecticut's death penalty law was a contributing factor in his decision. "In the last 52 years, only two people have been put to death in Connecticut -- and both of them volunteered for it," Malloy said. "Instead, the people of this state pay for appeal after appeal, and then watch time and again as defendants are marched in front of the cameras, giving them a platform of public attention they don't deserve." This month, lawmakers in the state's House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 86 to 63. The state Senate had approved it a week before. State lawmakers first tried to pass a similar bill in 2009 but were ultimately blocked by then-Gov. Jodi Rell, a Republican. Capital punishment has existed in the Nutmeg State since its colonial days. But it was forced to review its death penalty laws beginning in 1972, when a Supreme Court decision required greater consistency in its application. A moratorium was then imposed until a 1976 decision by the high court upheld the constitutionality of capital punishment. Since then, Connecticut juries have handed down 15 death sentences. Of those, only one person has been executed, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, a nonpartisan group that studies death penalty laws. Michael Ross, a convicted serial killer, was put to death by lethal injection in 2005 after he voluntarily gave up his appeals. The state now has 11 people on death row. Advocates of a repeal say that Connecticut's past law kept inmates -- who were often engaged in multiple appeals -- on death row for extended periods of time, costing taxpayers far more than if the convicts were serving a life sentence in the general prison population. They also point to instances in which wrongful convictions have been overturned with new investigative methods, including forensic testing. Opponents of the repeal had said that capital punishment is a criminal deterrent that offers justice for victims and their families. In the last five years, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Illinois have repealed the death penalty. California voters will decide the issue in November.
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Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy signed a bill into law that abolishes the death penalty .
In last five years, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Illinois have repealed death penalty .
California voters will decide the issue in November .
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By . Ray Massey . UPDATED: . 19:31 EST, 20 December 2011 . Rail passengers face inflation-busting fare rises of up to 11 per cent in the New Year, it emerged yesterday. Commuter groups were furious that while the average rise from January 2 will be 5.9 per cent, some passengers could see fares go up by far more. Train companies revealed the fares a day after the Office of Rail Regulation took enforcement action against Network Rail for poor and worsening punctuality, with one in eight trains (13 per cent) running late. Costs: Commuters at Victoria Station, London. The price of train travel is set to rise by an average 5.9 per cent - higher than the Retail Price Index rate of inflation . Imminent fare rises didn't deter the Queen who alights at King's Lynn yesterday after taking the 10.45am First Capital Connect train from King's Cross to Sandringham for Christmas . The blow to passengers also comes . amid complaints of overcrowding and just before the Christmas getaway in . which passengers face replacement bus services to cover engineering . works. Sophie Allain, of . the Campaign for Better Transport, said: ‘Another New Year approaches . and yet another round of eye-watering train fare hikes looms. We still . have the highest fares in Europe.’ Manuel . Cortes, leader of the TSSA transport union, said: ‘Once again we have . the private train operators defying all economic logic and increasing . the squeeze on passengers during a recession.’ The . union accused train companies of trying to ‘bury bad news’ by hiding . big fare rises among the millions that had been announced. It said a . return saver with Virgin from Euston to Nuneaton would rise 9.2 per cent . from £35.80 to £39.10. Labour’s transport spokesman Maria Eagle said many tickets would see a similar percentage rise. The . 5.9 per cent average rise covers all rail fares – both regulated and . unregulated. Regulated fares, which include season tickets and make up . around 40 per cent of the total, will rise by an average of 6 per cent. Condemnation: Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, left, said rail . operators were 'laughing all the way to the bank', while Maria Eagle, . the shadow transport secretary, right, accused the Government - which has a policy of raising train fares - of being out of . touch with the difficulties faced by hard pressed commuters . Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said the money raised will be reinvested in the rail network . But . train companies are allowed to add another 5 per cent – making 11 per . cent in total – provided other fares are reduced to keep the average at 6 . per cent. On unregulated fares, which make up around 60 per cent of the . total, there is no limit on rises that can be made. Even . around the average 6 per cent increase, a commuter from Swindon to . London will still see the cost of an annual season ticket rise by £424 . to £7,448. Those heading for London from Northampton will see annual . season tickets go up 6.92 per cent to £4,756. Next month’s rise also . takes the price of an annual season ticket to London above £4,000 for . the first time at a number of towns, including Hastings, Eastbourne and . Bedford. But the Hastings rise (4.95 per cent) and the Eastbourne . increase (4.97 per cent) are, at least, below the national average. The . boss of the group representing train companies denied being less than . open about the detail of the increases. Michael Roberts, chief executive . of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: ‘Money raised . through fares helps pay for new trains, faster services and better . stations. ‘Clearly we . understand these are really difficult times financially for a lot of . people. But actually people are voting with their feet and their wallets . increasingly to travel by train. Last year we carried an extra hundred . million passengers.’ The . basic 6 per cent rise in regulated fares is set by the Government and is . based on the July 2011 RPI inflation figure plus 1 per cent. Rail union TSSA accused Atoc, which announced the rises today, of trying to 'bury bad news' by giving 'only the barest details' of the overall increase. In the past Atoc has given details of fare rises for each train company rather than just giving an overall average figure for all tickets. Today, Atoc in its press release merely referred those wanting to learn about individual fare rises to the National Rail Enquiries website. Manuel Cortes, leader of the TSSA transport union, said: 'Once again we have the private train operators defying all economic logic and increasing the squeeze n passengers during a recession. 'All other big companies, like Tesco and Sainsbury's, actually cut prices during the downturn. Even the BBC is freezing its licence fee. 'But they carry on with their inflation-plus rises, which will get even worse in 2013 and 2014 when passengers face RPI plus 3 per cent increases.' Passengers are suffering from a lack of healthy rivalry between bus companies, competition chiefs concluded today. The Competition Commission said there were about 1,245 bus companies in England, Scotland and Wales, carrying 2.9 billion passengers a year. But the five largest operators (Arriva, FirstGroup, Go-Ahead, National Express and Stagecoach) carried 70 per cent of those passengers. The commission also found that head-to-head competition between operators was uncommon and that, on average, the largest operator in an urban area ran 69 per cent of local bus services. Jeremy Peat, chairman of the CC's local bus market investigation group, said competition had 'stagnated' and operators face little challenge for customers. He went on: 'On the occasions when there are outbreaks of rivalry, they don't tend to last and passengers are quickly returned to ... the status quo.' This graph plots rail industry revenues and subsidies from 1989/90 to 2009/10 . Ministers . had originally planned to increase this annual fare cap from RPI plus 1 . per cent to RPI plus 3 per cent. But this decision was reversed by . Chancellor George Osborne in last month’s autumn statement. However, the Government still intends that the higher RPI plus 3 per cent formula will apply in January 2013 and January 2014. Inflation-busting . rail fare rises were begun under Labour to switch the burden of paying . for the railways away from the taxpayer towards the passenger.
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Average fare increase beats RPI inflation at 5.9% .
London to Cardiff off-peak will cost £7.50p more .
Bob Crow: 'Train operators laughing all the way to the bank'
Fare hikes will damage competitiveness of UK businesses, warn public transport campaigners .
Comes as 13% of trains run late .
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By . Hugo Gye and Lydia Warren . PUBLISHED: . 02:46 EST, 31 January 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 03:29 EST, 1 February 2013 . Legendary quarterback Dan Marino was all smiles as he headed back to work after revelations that he fathered a secret lovechild with a junior network employee and paid her millions of dollars to keep it quiet. The former Miami Dolphins star looked at ease as he taped CBS's Super Bowl segments in New Orleans on Thursday after the network confirmed he will still be featured in the coverage on Sunday. 'Dan has said all there is to say on this matter, . and will be in his usual role on our broadcast Super Bowl Sunday,' CBS said in a statement on Thursday. Reports emerged today that the Hall of Famer, who has long been regarded as a family man, cheated on his wife of 28 years, Claire, with Donna Savattere, a production assistant at CBS Sports. Scroll down for videos . At ease: Dan Marino seemed at ease as he smiled while filming segments for CBS's Super Bowl coverage on Thursday - just hours after it emerged he'd had an affair and fathered a love child in 2005 . Thinking about what you've done? Marino looks deep in thought during the filming in New Orleans . Their daughter Chloe was born in June . 2005, and is now being raised by Ms Savattere and her husband, whom she . met after her relationship with Marino, the New York Post first reported. Mr . Marino, 51, admitted to the affair, saying in a statement: 'This is a . personal and private matter. I take full responsibility both personally . and financially for my actions now as I did then. 'We mutually agreed to keep our arrangement private to protect all parties involved.' He . insisted that he and his wife - who celebrated their 28 year wedding . anniversary on Wednesday - are still together and 'continue to be a . strong and loving family'. Former mistress: The mother of his child, Donna Savattere, poses with the girl and her husband Nahill Younis . Happily married: Marino with his wife Claire, with whom he celebrated his 28th anniversary yesterday . Early days: One of Marino's sons shared this picture of his parents in their younger days on Twitter . His wife is believed to have been . staying at their $5 million waterfront home in Fort Lauderdale as news . of her husband's affair and love child broke on Thursday morning. Marino met his mistress while . carrying out his role as a pregame analyst for CBS, where he has worked . since 2003. Ms Savattere was 35 at the time of their relationship. After . Chloe was born, Mr Marino allegedly paid her millions of dollars to . ensure her silence and take care of their daughter, the . Post reported. While the amount Marino paid her has not . been disclosed, she moved to New York and spent her time in the Upper . West Side and the Hamptons, where she became a fixture on the social . scene. Weathering the storm: Marino is pictured walking to his car in New Orleans today amid taping sessions . Family home: Photos show Marino's $5 million Fort Lauderdale home, where his wife is believed to be staying . Dan Marino is one of the most prolific . quarterbacks in American football league history, holding or having held . almost every major NFL passing record. He was picked in the first round of . the 1983 draft by the Los Angeles Express, but chose to sign with the . Miami Dolphins, and stayed with the team for the entirety of his career. He was best known for his quick . release and powerful arm and leading the Dolphins to the playoffs ten . times in his seventeen-season career. Although he was never part of a Super . Bowl-winning team, he is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in . American football. He was inducted into the Hall of . Fame in 2005. Since retiring before the 2000 season, he has appeared in numerous ad campaigns and joined CBS in 2003 as an in-studio analyst. The birth also came two months before . Marino was inducted into the Hall of Fame. At the ceremony, after he . was introduced by his eldest son Daniel, Marino praised his family for . their support. 'To Claire and the kids, you guys are my true Hall of Famers,' he said. 'You guys are my whole life. You mean everything to me.' Savattere has . since married banker Nahill Younis, whom she met on a trip to the . Bahamas. The couple had a son together before their wedding at their . home in the Hamptons in 2009. A wedding announcement for the couple in a Hamptons wedding magazine says: 'Donna was already a mother when Nahill met . her, and Donna’s daughter quickly became an important part of his life.' She . explained their choice of using orange for decorations at their . wedding, explaining: 'Nothing in our lives is traditional or about . "following the rules".' Mr Marino is believed to be in touch with his now-seven-year-old daughter. Ms . Savaterre was said to have revealed the secret to friends and showed . them photographs of her and the quarterback together at restaurants and . clubs. Family: Ms Savettere, now known as Donna Younis, with Chloe and her younger son . She is also said to have made . attempts to change the name of her and Marino’s daughter from Chloe . Alexis Savattere to Chloe Alexis Younis, according to records. Marino also has six children with his . wife Claire: Daniel, 26, Michael, 24, Joseph, 23, Ali, 20, Lia, . 17, and Niki, 16. The couple adopted Lia and Niki from China. One of their sons, Michael, was . diagnosed with autism when he was two, and the family has been striving . to bring public awareness of autism since establishing the Dan Marino . Foundation in 1992. The football hero is set to appear on . CBS this weekend as part of its coverage of Sunday's Super Bowl, where . the San Francisco 49ers will take on the Baltimore Ravens. 'Family man': Marino is pictured with his father, Dan, and two of his sons at a Miami Heat and New Orleans Hornets game in Miami in April 2004 - a year before the birth of his love child . Support: Marino and his wife are pictured left in 2008; right, his children swarm around him at an event in his honour at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida. The couple have three sons and three daughters . Together: Marino poses with his son Michael, who suffers from autism, and wife Claire in Miami in 2008 . The network's live pregame coverage . kicks of at 2 p.m. from Jackson Square. In the broadcast, CBS will air . an interview Marino conducted with San Francisco quarterback Colin . Kaepernick. Mr . Marino is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in American football . league history, holding or having held almost every major NFL passing . record. Although he was never part of a Super . Bowl-winning team, he is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in . American football. He was best known for his quick . release and powerful arm and leading the Dolphins to the playoffs ten . times in his seventeen-season career. He was inducted into the Hall of . Fame in 2005. Family: Marino is pictured with three of his six children, (from left to right) Joe, 23, Mike, 24, and Ali, 20 . Proud: Joe Marino and his sister Lia, whom the family adopted from China, stand with their father's statue . Mr Marino starred as himself in the 1994 comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. The storyline involved a football player becoming obsessed with the quarterback who taught him how to kick. In . December 2011, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke Dan . Marino's 27-year-old record for the number of passing yards in an NFL . season. Brees' final . pass of the 45-16 home victory over the Atlanta Falcons, a nine-yard . touchdown toss to Darren Sproles, took him to 5,087 yards, beating . Marino's 5,084 for the Miami Dolphins in 1984. Hero: The Miami Dolphins quarterback was considered one of the best players in the history of football . Dan Marino playing himself in the 1994 hit comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective .
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Miami Dolphins star cheated on wife of 28 years with Donna Savattere .
Daughter Chloe, seven, said to be in touch with her dad .
Football hero to appear on CBS this weekend for Super Bowl coverage .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . It's difficult to understand how this man didn't get his face ripped off. Not only did he come face-to-face with a fully-grown lion, he washed the big cat with a soapy sponge like it was a car. The incredible viral footage shows the man, reportedly a Yemeni lion breeder, forcefully scrubbing the animal's head, belly and even genitals - and the lion generally didn't seem to mind. Scroll down for video . Incredible: A man believed to be a Yemeni lion breeder is captured on film washing a fully grown lion . Cornered: At one point, the man had the lion up against the concrete wall and scrubbed its head fiercely . At one point, the giant creature jumped up in protest but the fearless man yelled and pushed its head down before resuming the wash. The man later dragged the lion by its leg when it tried to edge away. El Arabiya News reported the scene may not be unusual in Yemen, known as a breeding hub for wildlife animals which are sold to rich collectors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Emirates. According to a 2013 Guardian report, animal husbandry has become popular and profitable in Yemen, where the price of lion cabs can reach more than $13,000 (50,000 Saudi riyals) each. 'Animal trafficking represents an enormous opportunity to people in one of Yemen's poorest regions,' the reporter Joe Sheffer wrote. 'A loose network has sprung up, trading not just lions but also cheetahs, leopards, gazelles, hyenas and monkeys.' Unbelievable: When the impatient lion tries to edge away, the man grabs him by the leg and drags him towards the bucket . Death wish: When the lion roars and tries to shrug free himself from the washer, the man pushes his head down and orders him to 'sit down' Brave: Incredibly, the lion allowed the man to scrub his genitals and didn't flinch . Where's the rubber ducky? The big cat appeared to relish the wash, lying on its back with its legs in the air to let the man scrub his belly .
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The man is reportedly a Yemeni lion breeder .
Footage shows him bathing the impatient lion with soapy water .
He drags the big cat by the leg, washes his genitals and pushes his head down .
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By . Steve Robson . PUBLISHED: . 04:51 EST, 22 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:53 EST, 22 March 2013 . Barack Obama paid his respects to victims of the Holocaust by laying a wreath during his historic first visit to Israel. Accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, the President described his experience at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Centre as 'humbling and inspiring'. Obama and Netanyahu, long described as quarreling adversaries, appeared together and put their arms around each other as they put on a united front. Scroll down for video . Respect: President Barack Obama lays a wreath during his visit to the Hall of Remembrance . President Barack Obama rekindles the eternal flame during his visit to Yad Vashem . President Obama described his experience at Yad Vashem as 'humbling and inspiring' Obama was famously overheard on an open microphone at the G20 summit in Cannes two years ago, sniping with Nicolas Sarkozy about Netanyahu. France's then-president told . Obama, ‘Netanyahu, I can’t stand him. He’s a liar.’ As reporters . listened in, Obama replied, 'You are sick of him, but I have to deal . with him every day.’ At Yad Vashem, Obama joked that the embarrassing remarks were meant as fodder for a well-known Israeli TV satire show. 'I know that in Israel’s vibrant . democracy, every word, every gesture is carefully scrutinized,' Obama . said. 'But I want to clear something up just so you know: Any drama . between me and my friend, Bibi, over the years was just a plot to create . material for Eretz Nehederet.' 'That’s the only thing that was going . on,' he said, as the crowd applauded and laughed. 'We just wanted to . make sure the writers had good material.' The men visited the graves of the two . of the founders of modern Israel - Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern . Zionism who died in 1904 and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak . Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995. Embrace: President Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu share an emotional moment . Honoured: President Obama lays a wreath at the grave of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin who was assassinated in 1995 . Remembrance: Obama and Israel's leader leave the grave of Theodore Herzl - the founder of modern Zionism . Concluding his three day visit to . Israel, President Barack Obama paid respects to its heroes and . reaffirmed his belief in the Jewish state's right to exist. He . declared that the memorial illustrates the depravity to which man can . sink but also serves as a reminder of the 'righteous among nations who . refused to be bystanders.' His . visit to Herzl's grave, together with yesterday's visit to see the Dead . Sea Scrolls, the ancient Hebrew texts, were symbolic stops for Obama. He . was criticised in Israel for his 2009 Cairo speech in which he gave . only the example of the Holocaust as reason for justifying Israel's . existence. 'Here on . your ancient land, let it be said for all the world to hear,' Obama said . today. 'The state of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust, . but with the survival of a strong Jewish state of Israel, such a . holocaust will never happen again.' Later in the day, Obama will travel . to Jordan where he planned to meet with King Abdullah II. Among the . topics is Jordan's struggle with the influx of a half-million refugees . from the Syrian civil war. In talks: The U.S. President in discussion with Rabbi Israel Meir Lau after visiting the Hall of Remembrance . Historic: President Obama joins Israel's leaders in the Holocaust museum, left, before making a speech declaring that the memorial reminds us of the 'righteous among nations who refused to be bystanders', right . Thoughts: President Obama records his feelings in the visitor book after visiting Yad Vashem . Abdullah has voiced fears that . extremists and terrorists could create a regional base in Jordan. Before . leaving for Jordan, Obama was to have lunch with Netanyahu and then . tour the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Obama and his hosts arrived at the . somber Herzl grave site under cloudless skies. Obama approached Herzl's . resting place alone and bowed his head in silence. He turned briefly to . ask Netanyahu where to place a small stone in the Jewish custom, then . laid the stone atop the grave. 'It is humbling and inspiring to . visit and remember the visionary who began the remarkable establishment . of the State of Israel,' Obama wrote in the Mt. Herzl guestbook. 'May . our two countries possess the same vision and will to secure peace and . prosperity for future generations.' At Rabin's grave a short walk away, . Obama was greeted by members of Rabin's family. He initially placed a . stone on Rabin's wife's side of the grave, then returned to place one . atop Rabin's side. In a gesture linking the U.S. and Israel, the stone . placed on Rabin's grave was from the grounds of the Martin Luther King . memorial in Washington, the White House said. Rabin, Obama told family members, was 'a great man. Chatting with the family, Obama joked . that 'Bibi arranged for perfect weather,' using Netanyahu's familiar . name. He then added that 'Shimon plied me with wine' at the official . state dinner yesterday evening. Unusual: The 2,000-year-old stone from Jerusalem embedded with a gold-coated silicon chip . Unique: The silicon chip is engraved with copies of the Israeli and American declarations of independence . Precision: The stone was created at Prime Minister Netanyahu's request by the Technion¿s Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute in Israel . At one point the talk turned to the . singer who performed at the dinner, and Obama pointed out that he was . known to sing, too. 'They had me on YouTube,' he said with a laugh. 'Check it out - Obama singing Al Green.' At Yad Vashem, Obama wore a skull cap . and was accompanied by Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, a survivor of the . Buchenwald Concentration camp who lost both parents in the Holocaust. Among his stops was Yad Vashem's Hall of Names, a circular chamber that . contains original testimony documenting every Holocaust victim ever . identified. 'Nothing could be more powerful,' Obama said. The U.S. President has also been bestowed with one of the most unique gifts ever to have been exchanged between world leaders. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin . Netanyahu handed over a 2,000-year-old stone from Jerusalem embedded . with a gold-coated silicon chip. According to the Times of Israel, it . was created Technion’s Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute at the . specific request of Netanyahu. The . chip, placed in the middle of the sacred stone, is engraved with the . American and Israeli declarations of independence, side by side on the . tiny area of just 0.04 square millimeters. Friendship:President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu share a private word at a state dinner . Forging ties: President Obama shares a toasts with Israel's President Shimon Peres during his historic visit . Exchange: President Obama presented the Israeli leader with this framed wooden piece of Touro Synagogue -the oldest synagogue in the United States . 'It can only be read under a microscope,' said Yvette Gershon a reprsentative from the Technion-Israeli Institute of Technology. Making . Obama's gift involved a marriage of ancient history and complex modern . technology: 'The etching was done by accelerating charged atoms, called . ions, and bombarding them at various points on the surface of the chip,' said Ms Gershon added. 'When an ion beam hits the chip it creates a tiny recess, in this case 20 nanometers deep,' she explained. President Obama famously gave former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a DVD boxset when he visited Washington in 2009. But . it seems this time he has learned his lesson and brought Netanyahu a . framed wooden piece of the Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the . U.S. and a national historic site. According . to the Prime Minister's Facebook page, the frame was inscribed with a . quote from a letter George Washington wrote about the synagogue: 'Every . one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall . be none to make him afraid.'
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Describes experience during historic first visit as 'humbling and inspiring'
Placed symbolic stones on graves of two founders of modern Israel .
Hailed the 'righteous among nations who refused to be bystanders'
Will now head to Jordan where Syrian civil war will be top of the agenda .
PM Netanyahu gave President unique 2,000-year-old stone as parting gift .
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(CNN) -- A popular antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections can cause abnormal -- and possibly fatal -- heart rhythms in some patients, according to a new warning from the Food and Drug Administration. The drug, azithromycin, sells under the name Zithromax or Zmax and is commonly sold in what's called a Z-Pak. The FDA warning comes after the agency reviewed a study on the drug that was published last May in the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as another study by a manufacturer of the antibiotic. The warning is "not the result of adverse event reports related to azithromycin," according to an FDA spokeswoman. Researchers at Vanderbilt University looked at the records of thousands of Tennessee Medicaid patients over a period of 14 years. They found a 2.5 times higher risk of death from heart disease in the first five days of using a Z-Pak when compared to another common antibiotic or no antibiotics at all. The drug may cause changes in the electrical activity of the heart, according to the FDA. People with underlying heart problems seem to be especially vulnerable to developing this condition, said Wayne Ray, professor of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt and the study's lead researcher. The FDA said patients who have low blood levels of potassium or magnesium are at a higher risk. Patients who have a slower than normal heart rate or are already taking drugs to treat arrhythmias should also be cautious. Ray told CNN it's unclear why azithromycin can cause heart issues. He pointed out that similar antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, have also been found to cause heart arrhythmia. Pfizer, which produces the drug, released a statement Tuesday, saying: "The majority of patients treated with Zithromax (azithromycin) are not affected by this label update." So should people with heart problems stop taking the drug? Not necessarily. "This just adds another 'con,'" said Ray. He said it's important to ask your doctor the follow questions: How serious is the infection? If I use a Z-Pak could it aggravate any underlying health issues? Are there any other antibiotics that could work just as well? Ray said doctors often prescribe Z-Paks because the drug only needs to be taken for five days, versus the 10-day periods that are typical with other antibiotics. Drug labels for azithromycin have been updated to include warnings about this risk, the FDA said.
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Antibiotic sells under the name Zithromax or Zmax .
Study found 2.5 times higher risk of death in the first five days of using the drug .
Pfizer says majority of patients treated with the drug are not affected .
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David McIntosh is not the most popular man at the moment over allegations he was in contact with his ex while engaged to Kelly Brook. But Geordie Shore star Ricci Guarnaccio has leapt to David's defence amid cheating claims and exclusively told MailOnline his friend is in 'a world of pain' since being dumped by Kelly on Friday. Ricci, 28, became best friends with David when they starred together in Celebrity Big Brother and he stands by the bodybuilder saying he was a dutiful partner while he was with Kelly and has 'done nothing wrong.' Scroll down for video . Best friends: Ricci Guarnaccio defended David McIntosh exclusively to MailOnline after Kelly Brook dumped him on Friday . Happier times: Kelly Brook dumped fiance David McIntosh on Friday after it emerged he was still in contact with his ex girlfriend Sarah Harper . 'He's [David] is one of the nicest and most genuine lads I've met,' Ricci told MailOnline. 'But seeing the way his relationship was with Kelly it was hard to standby as a friend and watch him say sorry for a lot of things when he'd done nothing wrong'. Ricci celebrated his birthday with David last week with a celeb filled night out in London. However, Vicky Pattinson's ex said the heavily tattooed Gladiator star only stayed at the party attended by White Dee and Ola and James Jordan, for an hour, because he felt 'so uncomfortable' in the nightclub without Kelly by his side. 'We went out for my birthday and he didn't take pictures with anybody and stayed away from everyone in the private area of the club and made us leave after just an hour because he felt so uncomfortable in that environment,' Ricci explained to MailOnline. Tweet alert: David hit out over the allegations he was in touch with his ex girlfriend, with this tweet . Loyal: Celebrity Big Brother star Ricci claims the body builder is in a 'world of pain' Hand in hand: David and Kelly spent a lot of time during their nine month romance in America . Bromance: Ricci and David hit it off during their time in CBB and became firm friends early on . 'Somehow he ended up back in our hotel suite in the corner on his phone saying sorry to Kelly even when he'd done nothing wrong.' Hitting back at Kelly for calling off her engagement to David over claims he was still in touch with his ex girlfriend Sarah Harper, Ricci said: 'I didn't like seeing my friend in a world of pain and not being able to enjoy just one night out with the lads which was very sad. 'We even had to cancel our appearance at the NRTA's the next night.' Tender touch: Kelly leant in to give her former fiance a loving kiss on his shoulder while out and about in Los Angeles . Hug it out: Kelly once found David's charms irresistable . And Ex On The Beach contestant Ricci who has suffered unrequited love over CBB star Lauren . Goodger claims David is still madly in love with the Hollywood actress and would do anything to . make her happy. 'David loves Kelly so much,' Ricci added. 'And since I've known him was always conscious of making decisions to please her.' On Saturday it emerged David was said to still be in touch with mother-of-two Sarah Harper, who he reportedly shares a dog with, and even visited her at her Manchester home while Kelly was abroad working. Gym bound: The couple once enjoyed endless exercise sessions together . According to the Sunday Mirror, David, 28, claims he made Kelly, 34, aware of the trip to visit Sarah who allegedly dated for over year before meeting Kelly in January. Brook was reportedly also made aware that he was texting and emailing his ex, leading to her decision to end their nine-month relationship on Friday. But the Sun on Sunday claim that Kelly fired off an abundance of texts to Sarah in a bid to shut down contact between the 33-year-old glamour model and David. According to the Gladiator star’s ex-girlfriend, the feud allegedly began when David asked Sarah to send him a photo of their pet dog they had purchased during their romance. Uncomfortable: David pictured right was said by Ricci to be feeling 'uncomfortable' at his birthday party in London . Mighty muscles: The former Gladiator and White Dee caught up at Ricci's birthday party . Once Kelly realised the two were still in touch, Sarah says she started to receive the spiteful texts from Kelly such as: ‘Your [sic] like a bad lingering smell. Just a stench. That needs to go.’ And: ‘I don’t care if I look mental. But I have your address. And if you ever try it with him. I will come to you. Ok.’ David and Sarah started their relationship in 2013 after meeting on Facebook but Sarah said he quickly kicked her to the curb after meeting Kelly on New Year’s Eve last year. Despite . David’s whirlwind romance with Kelly and their shock engagement in . March, just weeks after they began dating, Sarah claims David stayed . over at her house in May. David . himself broke his silence on Sunday. 'There are two sides to every . story. You are free to believe what you wish...it doesn't alter the . facts,' he wrote on his Twitter page. Kelly Brook had no comment when contacted by MailOnline while David responded to Sarah's allegations in an open letter.
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Claims David always made decisions to please Kelly .
Says David would say sorry when he had not done anything wrong .
Left Ricci's birthday party early because he was 'uncomfortable' without Kelly .
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By . Sam Webb . The writer of the Inspector Morse detective novels admired actor John Thaw's performance as the curmudgeonly detective so much he has written a clause into his will banning other actors from playing the part after he dies. Colin Dexter, 83, created the popular character in 1975 and the novels were adapted into TV series Inspector Morse that ran from 1987 to 2000 with Thaw, who died in 2002, in the lead role. Mr Dexter said: 'We never want to repeat what John has done.' Author Colin Dexter (right) has written a clause into his will so no other actor can play his creation Inspector Morse after he dies because he doesn't want anyone to try and outdo actor John Thaw (left) in the role . 'A lot of people connected with Morse didn't want anyone coming along to say we will try and outdo dear old John. 'I said I'm not ever going to allow that, full stop,' he told The Independent. The clause was revealed in a Radio Times interview with actor Shaun Evans. Evans, 34, plays the younger version of the character in Endeavour, a prequel that gets its title from the detective's unusual first name. The ITV drama, penned as a prequel to the . long-running TV series, made its debut with a . feature-length special in 2012 and has spawned two series. The series was only made possible thanks to the determination of the executive producer, who took four years to convince Mr Dexter to allow it. The clause was revealed in a Radio Times interview with actor Shaun Evans, who plays the younger version of the character in Endeavour . Mr Evans said: 'I know that the creator, Colin Dexter, has it in his will that no one else can play the part, which is as it should be. 'It's not something that can go on and on. I really don't think it will.' Mr Evans has told how he looked to . comedian Michael Palin for inspiration when it came to playing the young . Morse - and also suggested that he could call time on the famous . character. Asked whether viewers can expect to see the drama move into the 1970s, Evans replied: 'Listen, never say never. It would be a great life for me, I suppose. But is it something you'd want, creatively? 'I'm not so sure.' He said that instead of turning to recordings of Thaw and attempting to impersonate the popular actor, he looked for inspiration elsewhere. Shaun Evans (left) who has stepped into John Thaw's shoes to play the younger version of Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse . 'I listened a lot to Michael Palin, who was from the north, went to Oxford and who was alive at that time. That's how I imagine Morse's voice to be,' he said. Lewis is a spin-off from Inspector Morse. Like that series, it was set primarily in Oxford, Oxfordshire. Kevin Whately reprised his character Robert 'Robbie' Lewis, who had been Morse's sergeant and loyal friend in the original series. Lewis had now been promoted to detective inspector and is assisted by DS James Hathaway, portrayed by Laurence Fox. He also read Dexter's novels, where the character is more lecherous than he was in Inspector Morse. 'The more we can introduce of that, the better,' he told the magazine. 'I'm always fighting to make that a reality, without him becoming this full-on seedy, depraved character, of course. 'What you don't want is for it to be sanitised and pasteurised, which a lot of stuff is nowadays.' Evans said that Scandinavian crime dramas such as The Killing and The Bridge had also left their mark on Endeavour. 'Audiences want a certain darkness now and you have to pay attention to that. There's no denying that this character is a bit of a loner and slightly out of joint with his time and place. 'That's what I find endearing about him. And perhaps the audience does, too,' he said. Evans added: 'The world doesn't need another detective series, so we have to do something different with it. 'If you're going to do a show that has already had a long life, you have to grab it and do something new. So that's what we attempted and I feel we've largely succeeded.' Inspector Morse also inspired the spin-off ITV detective series Lewis, starring Kevin Whately, who played Chief Inspector Morse's sidekick in the original sleuth drama. Morse is as a senior CID officer with . the Thames Valley Police force in Oxford. He famously drives a . Jaguar, likes real ale and enjoys opera, poetry and art. He . first appeared in the 1975 book Last Bus To Woodstock and made his TV . debut in Inspector Morse, portrayed by John Thaw, in 1987. There are 13 books in total, and author Colin Dexter has also written short stories about the gruff-yet-likeable police officer. Actor John . Thaw played the part until 2000. At its peak, the the series attracted . more than 18 million viewers in the UK, and the show was sold to some 200 countries. The . character died from a heart attack in, The . Remorseful Day, published in 1999. He died on-screen in 2000. Thaw died . two years later. The . character was resurrected in 2012 by actor Shaun Evans, who plays Morse . at the beginning of his police career in prequel . Endeavour, set in the 1960s.
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Colin Dexter will not allow another actor to play the famous detective .
The author doesn't want anyone to try and outdo John Thaw's performance .
Thaw played the detective from 1987 to 2000. He died in 2002 .
Clause was revealed by star of prequel Endeavour, Shaun Evans .
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After a fire took a family's home of four years leaving them without anything, a Georgia mother of six is making a desperate plea for help. Kalimah Dixon said she was awakened by a neighbor yelling there was a fire early on Monday morning, and was lucky to get her children, aged one to 14, out of the Decatur condo safely. However, all that was left of her rented condo was a pile of rubble, and in her efforts to get her family back on their feet, she is asking for assistance. 'My children are homeless. They have nothing. They lost everything,' Dixon told Channel 2. Scroll down for video . A mother of six said her family has nothing after fire reduced their Georgia condo to a pile of rubble (above Kalimah Dixon with her five of her six children) The Dekalb County mother said the fire happened early on Monday and that she managed to get all of her children safely out (remains of the condo following the fire above) While Dixon was renting the Condo in the last four years, she had quit working to enroll full time in school to complete her degree in business management. But now she is finding it difficult to get a lease for a new permanent home while being unemployed. As the mother of three sons and three daughters shuffles to give her kids stability, she is currently staying with a friend, far from her children's Decatur schools - where On Tuesday, Georgia students are required to take a standardized test. 'Yes, it starts Tuesday and I don't even know where I'm going to be on Monday,' said Dixon. In the last four years while Dixon rented the condo, she had quit working to enroll full time in school to complete her degree in business management. Now she said she is finding it difficult to get a lease while unemployed (pictured right and left with her children) Dixon said on Monday as the fire broke out before she knew it the whole roof had been engulfed in flames (above aftermath of the fire) Following the fire, the mother of six said: 'My children are homeless. They have nothing. They lost everything' She said in the past few days, the American Red Cross has assisted her as she searched for a place to live, but as she has looked to shelters for help, they turn her away. 'They'll take three of my children but they won't take the other three or my son is too old or they have any space at all,' Dixon told Channel 2. Dixon has since started a GoFundMe page which on Sunday had raised $4,619 in donations. Dixon has started a GoFundMe page which has raised $4,619 in donations so far . On the site she wrote: 'I'm humbly asking for assistance for me and my children we currently suffered a tremendous loss due to a fire early Monday morning. 'On top of losing everything we haven't been able to receive housing assistance rendering us homeless. 'If you could find it in you're hearts to assist it would be greatly appreciated every bit counts even prayers thank you.'
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Kalimah Dixon of Georgia lost condo and belongings in fire on Monday .
She said her children, aged one to 14, now have nothing .
Mother of three girls and three boys said American Red Cross has helped .
But, she said shelters turn the family away while she looks for place to live .
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Apple has several hundred employees developing its own electric car at a secret lab, it has been claimed. Speculation was rife last week when an Apple-owned car was spotted driving around California fitted with Street View-style cameras. 'Dozens of Apple employees, led by experienced managers from its iPhone unit, are researching automotive products at a confidential Silicon Valley location outside the company's Cupertino campus,' the FT claims it was told by sources close to Apple. Scroll down for video . A unnamed Apple employee has hinted that the tech giant is developing a vehicle as part of a project that 'will change the landscape and give Tesla a run for its money.' The email was sent to Business Insider. It followed sightings of an Apple-owned car fitted with cameras (pictured) in California . Claims that Apple is building a car may seem like a leap, but it isn't the first time such projects have been discussed by the Californian firm. In an interview last year, Apple board member Mickey Drexler said that before his death in 2011 Steve Jobs had considered building a car. He told Paul Goldberger: 'Steve Jobs was gonna design an iCar. 'I think cars have an extraordinary opportunity for cool design.' It says the Apple research lab was set up late last year - meaning any car could still be years away. It is believed Apple designer Sir Jonathan Ive is overseeing the lab, and the Bentley owning designer is known to be a car enthusiast. The FT says one of its sources initially believe the project was Apple's in-car entertainment system, known as CarPlay - but now believes it is something more. 'Three months ago I would have said it was CarPlay. Today I think it's a car.' The Wall Street Journal says that hundreds of employees are working on the project, codenamed Titan. It says CEO Tim Cook approved the project close to a year ago with product design Vice President Steve Zadesky leading the group. His LinkedIn page reveals he was previously an engineer at Ford. 'I love helping to create new product spaces and delivering challenging new technologies,' his biography says. 'At Apple I have been lucky enough to help build and lead the teams for the first iPod, first iPhone, all subsequent iPhones and iPods as well as hundreds of Apple branded accessory products.' Zadesky 'was given permission to create a 1,000-person team and poach employees from different parts of the company.' 'The project, code-named 'Titan,' has an initial design of a vehicle that resembles a minivan,' its sources claim. Apple also recently hired former Mercedes-Benz R&D head Johann Jungwirth, who joined Apple as a Mac systems engineering leader last fall. A source claiming to be an Apple employee has hinted that the giant is developing a vehicle as part of a project that 'will change the landscape and give Tesla a run for its money.' The email from the unnamed employee was sent to Business Insider. It described 'vehicle development' at the company but didn't reveal further information. In particular, Apple may be working on an electric car to rival Tesla's range or a self-driving car that would ultimately also rival Google's autonomous project. The cameras on the mysterious van could be used to scan the road and help engineers develop self-driving software, for example. The firm is also trying to poach staff from Tesla. Apple is trying very hard to hire engineers away from Tesla Motors, Elon Musk told Bloomberg. The CEO claims that the Cupertino company is gunning hard for his employees, offering them as much as $250K signing bonuses and 60% salary increases. In particular, Apple may be working on an electric car to rival Tesla's range (the Tesla P85D is pictured) or the email could be referring to an advanced iPhone in-car control system that would rival Tesla's software . 'Apple tries very hard to recruit from Tesla,' he said. 'But so far they've actually recruited very few people.' This may seem like a leap for Apple to take, but it isn't the first time such projects have been discussed by the Californian firm. In an interview last year, Apple board member Mickey Drexler said that before his death in 2011 Steve Jobs had considered building a car. Alternatively, the vehicle spotted in California could be a self-driving car. The cameras on the mysterious van could be used to scan the road and help engineers develop autonomous software, for example. If Apple was developing such systems, they would would rival Google's self-driving cars (pictured) The head of self-driving cars for Google expects real people to be using them on public roads in two to five years. Chris Urmson said the cars would still be test vehicles, and Google would collect data on how they interact with other vehicles and pedestrians. But Mr Urmson wouldn't give a date for putting driverless cars on roads en masse, saying that the system has to be safe enough to work properly. He told reporters last month at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit that he wants to reach the point where his test team no longer has to pilot the cars. He told Paul Goldberger: 'Steve Jobs was gonna design an iCar. I think cars have an extraordinary opportunity for cool design.' Alternatively, the Apple employee's email could be referring to an advanced iPhone in-car control system that would rival Tesla's software. The Dodge van with the equipment on the top was spotted by the blog Claycord in San Francisco. The blog owners apparently asked the driver what he was doing, but he refused to give an answer. But a video from last year shows a similar car, which later transpired to be an unmarked self-driving Dodge caravan. According to 9to5mac, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) confirmed the vehicle was leased to Apple. With 12 cameras on top of the car, some have said that is too many for it to be a mapping car like Google's Street View. 'Too many cameras,' said technology analyst Rob Enderle. 'It has cameras that are angled down at all four corners of the vehicle.' This would further lend itself to the self-driving car theory. 'Unfortunately for that theory, only six companies have been issued the permits necessary to test such vehicles, and Apple isn't one of them,' said 9to5mac. With 12 cameras on top of the mysterious Apple car, some have said that is too many for it to be a mapping car like Google's Street View (pictured left). Google launched its Street View technology in 2007, and has refined the technology ever since (Street View screenshot near Trafalgar Square in London pictured right) 'This brings us back to a much more likely conclusion: Apple is preparing to take on Google's Street View with a similar offering in its own Maps software.' They said it might feature as part of the iOS 9 upgrade due later this year, although it would likely begin only with select cities such as New York and San Francisco. This would plug a noticeable hole in Apple Maps, which has been missing Street View-style images ever since Apple made it the default maps app for iPhones. When contacted by MailOnline, Apple declined to comment on the car in question or what its purpose was.
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Claims lab is already up and running outside of the firm's Cupertino HQ .
Source hinted that Apple is developing a vehicle as part of a project codenamed Titan that 'will change the landscape'
Hundreds of employees believed to be working on project .
Apple-owned minivans fitted with cameras and other sensors spotted earlier this week in San Francisco and Brooklyn .
Elon Musk claims Apple is trying to hire Tesla staff .
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By . Alex Ward . PUBLISHED: . 05:22 EST, 8 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 08:57 EST, 8 March 2013 . A hungry puppy had to have emergency surgery after swallowing a dessert spoon whole, getting the cutlery lodged in his stomach. Scooby the golden Labrador was being fed bread and butter pudding by owner Marie Regan when the cheeky dog turned ‘quick as a flash’ and ate the spoon from her other hand. Ms Regan, 34, and partner Paul Cooper, 42, rushed the seven-month-old dog to Thanet Animal Hospital in Margate, Kent where he underwent a major stomach operation. Woofed down: An X-ray of Scooby the golden Labrador's stomach after the seven-month-old dog swallowed a dessert spoon whole . Mr Cooper, a photograph technician, said: ‘I couldn't believe he'd done it and I still can't quite. He didn't muck around with teaspoons. He went straight for the big one. ‘He often sits near us when there's food around and while we were eating bread and butter pudding Marie fed him some from her hand. ‘She was holding the spoon in her other hand and quick as a flash, Scooby went over thinking there might be food there too and took the spoon straight out of her hand. ‘When we saw that it wasn't in his mouth, we realised that he must have swallowed it but he didn't even flinch. He just carried on as normal.’ Emergency surgery: Owners Marie Regan (centre) and Paul Cooper (left) rushed Scooby to Thanet Animal Hospital where vet Jill Matthews (right) had to perform major stomach surgery and said: 'In 32 years, this is the first time I've removed a spoon' Vets tried to remove the spoon with . an endoscope but discovered the cutlery was stuck firmly in Scooby's . stomach and had to perform emergency surgery. Head . vet Jill Matthews said: ‘I've taken all kinds of foreign objects out of . dogs but in 32 years, this is the first time I've removed a spoon. ‘It was a bit complicated because when I tried to use the endoscope, I couldn't get hold of it because the handle end was close to the beginning of the small intestine. ‘I had to remove it through the stomach wall, which is major surgery, but he's a young, fit dog and with painkillers he was able to eat breakfast the day after the operation and was well enough to go home. It will be about 10-14 days before he's fully recovered. ‘It was such a big spoon but Scooby is quite a large dog even though he's very young and a dog that size can easily swallow things like this if they go down the right way and Labradors are more prone to swallowing things before testing them.’ 'He didn't muck around': Mr Cooper said Scooby went 'straight for the big one' when he turned and ate the spoon in Ms Regan's hand while being fed bread and butter pudding . It is not the first time Scooby has eaten something he should not have. Mr Cooper said: ‘He's tried to eat smaller things such as the tops of Smarties tubes but we've always been able to get them off him before now. ‘He sometimes takes clothes out of the tumble dryer but he's never tried to chew them. ‘I'm so glad he's on the mend and I've been looking forward to getting him home because he is such a lovely character. It has been very quiet without him.’ Childcare worker Marie and Mr Cooper, from Ramsgate, Kent, who have four children, said Scooby is now recovering well at home. Practice manager Heidi Purdy said: ‘When his owners brought him in, you would never have known that there was anything wrong, he was jumping around enthusiastically in reception and seemed totally happy.’
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Golden Labrador was rushed to the vet for a major stomach operation .
He is now recovering well at home after the cutlery was removed .
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Blind student 'hears in colour'
A blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps.
Victor Wong, a graduate student from Hong Kong studying at Cornell University in New York State, had to read coloured maps of the upper atmosphere as part of his research. To study "space weather" Mr Wong needed to explore minute fluctuations in order to create mathematical models. A number of solutions were tried, including having a colleague describe the maps and attempting to print them in Braille. Mr Wong eventually hit upon the idea of translating individual colours into music, and enlisted the help of a computer graphics specialist and another student to do the programming work.
"The images have three dimensions and I had to find a way of reading them myself," Mr Wong told the BBC News website. "For the sake of my own study - and for the sake of blind scientists generally - I felt it would be good to develop software that could help us to read colour images." He tried a prototype version of the software to explore a photograph of a parrot. In order to have an exact reference to the screen, a pen and tablet device is used. The software then assigns one of 88 piano notes to individually coloured pixels - ranging from blue at the lower end of this scale to red at the upper end. Mr Wong says the application is still very much in its infancy and is only useful for reading images that have been created digitally. "If I took a random picture and scanned it and then used my software to recognise it, it wouldn't work that well."
Mr Wong has been blind from the age of seven and he thinks that having a "colour memory" makes the software more useful than it would be to a scientist who had never had any vision. "As the notes increase in pitch I know the colour's getting redder and redder, and in my mind's eye a patch of red appears." The colour to music software has not yet been made available commercially, and Mr Wong believes that several people would have to work together to make it viable. But he hopes that one day it can be developed to give blind people access to photographs and other images.
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Mr Wong has been blind from the age of seven and he thinks that having a "colour memory" makes the software more useful than it would be to a scientist who had never had any vision.The colour to music software has not yet been made available commercially, and Mr Wong believes that several people would have to work together to make it viable.A blind student has developed software that turns colours into musical notes so that he can read weather maps."For the sake of my own study - and for the sake of blind scientists generally - I felt it would be good to develop software that could help us to read colour images."Mr Wong eventually hit upon the idea of translating individual colours into music, and enlisted the help of a computer graphics specialist and another student to do the programming work.To study "space weather" Mr Wong needed to explore minute fluctuations in order to create mathematical models.He tried a prototype version of the software to explore a photograph of a parrot.
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A year after losing her sister to cystic fibrosis, a 17-year-old girl has received a life-changing vest to combat the same condition thanks to the generosity of people in a Queensland town. Cystic fibrosis makes breathing difficult for Bundaberg's Sabrina Zwarts as a sticky mucus develops in her lungs and the best way to improve her quality of life was to get a $20,000 vest that needed to be imported from the United States. The percussion vest means Sabrina's lung capacity will go from 55 per cent up to 90 per cent, along with physiotherapy and other treatments. To help pay for the vest, Sabrina and her family kick started a campaign to raise the money. But four months into fundraising efforts, the Zwartses hit a snag and donations dried up, just $7,000 away from their goal. Cystic fibrosis sufferer Sabrina Zwarts, 17, has received a $20,000 vest that will help improve her quality of life . This is when Bundaberg's Friendly Society Private Hospital stepped in and helped make up the rest of the funds. Without the vest, Sabrina's father, Vincent, said his daughter could visit the hospital up to six times a year, staying about two to three weeks at a time. 'It depends on her environment. If she was exposed to the cold or something like that then she would go more when they couldn’t treat her with antibiotics,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Both Vincent and Sabrina said they were grateful for all the support they had received. 'It shows that no matter where you live you have a good community behind you and when you ask for support they’ll support you,' Sabrina said. 'Receiving the vest, at the end day, I’ll live a longer and healthier life and get the mucus off my chest.' This glimmer of hope comes after the one-year anniversary of the death of Sabrina's sister, Jessica, who lost her battle with cystic fibrosis in May last year at just 18 years old. The vest was donated to the Zwarts by Bundaberg's Friendly Society Private Hospital . Jessica Zwarts (left) died last year from cystic fibrosis, the same condition her sister, Sabrina (right), is now fighting . Both siblings were diagnosed at birth - Jessica in 1994 and Sabrina in 1997. Their father, Vincent, said they were heartbreaking blows to the family. 'When [the hospital] told us about Jess...they didn’t know what to say to us,' he said. 'We hadn’t heard of it before. 'To make a long story short, they told us to enjoy her while we still could because she was not going to have a long life. 'Most kids back then would not see their teenage years.' And with Sabrina, it did not get any easier. 'We were devastated about Sabrina because we saw what Jessica had to go through. There were no words for it,' Mr Zwarts said. 'We decided we didn’t want to have any kids because of that reason.' But due to technological advances, pregnant women were able to be tested to see if their babies would have cystic fibrosis. So the Zwarts had two more kids, 10-year-old Isabela and 11-year-old Vincent Junior - who are carriers of the illness' gene but do not have the condition. But even if they did have cystic fibrosis, Mr Zwarts said they would still have had Isabella and Vincent because he and his second wife did not believe in abortion. The Zwarts family - Vincent Junior, 11, Sabrina, 17, Vincent Senior and Isabela, 10 - have turned their experiences with cystic fibrosis into something positive . Sabrina (pictured here with her dad, Vincent) and her family have been trying to raise money for the vest that needed to be imported from the United States . While most families would find it hard to stay positive through such tough times, the Zwarts have used their experiences to raise awareness about the illness. 'Sabrina and myself feel very strongly about raising awareness of cystic fibrosis and educating people about this horrible illness as there is still no cure,' Mr Zwarts said. 'I lost my daughter Jessica to cystic fibrosis last year...and I'm not going to lose another daughter. 'I'm so lucky Sabrina has a very positive outlook on life and is very compliant with her treatment.' Mr Zwarts said he wanted to raise more awareness because there needed to be more government support for families who were dealing with the devastating illness. 'It wasn’t easy in the first six months when Jessica passed away and we used that to further our determination,' he said. 'There’s a lot of treatment and medication overseas and those with it overseas have a longer life span than those with it in Australia. 'With treatments like the vest we have it’s non-existent [in Australia] unless people do what we did by fundraising or buying it from the US directly, but the government doesn’t help at all.' The illness means Sabrina has trouble breathing because a sticky mucus develops in her lungs . Mr Zwarts said he was also lobbying Health Minister Peter Dutton to put a medication that would improve the lifestyle of cystic fibrosis sufferers on the Pharmaceutical Benefits System. 'Kalydeco is available overseas in the US and the UK, and it’s a tablet that improves lung function and improves weight gain,' he said. 'To buy it privately it costs $300,000 a year in Australia. 'Kids are dying because we don’t have this medication [readily available] in Australia.' But the most important thing to Sabrina about raising awareness of the disease is making sure no one living with cystic fibrosis feels isolated. 'We want everyone that has cystic fibrosis to know you're not alone, and to keep up with your treatments and your medications because if you don’t you won’t have a longer or healthier life,' she said.
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Sabrina Zwarts - a 17-year-old girl from Queensland - has cystic fibrosis .
It is the same condition her sister, Jessica, died from in May last year .
The vest had to be imported from the US and will help Sabrina breath better .
Cystic fibrosis causes her lungs to build up with a sticky mucus .
Sabrina has a lung capacity of 55 per cent and with the vest, hopes to build it up to 90 per cent .
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Debts: Tawana Brawley, pictured, has paid the first of many checks to Steven Pagones whom she defamed in 1987 . A woman who lied about being gang-raped 26 years ago has finally begun to pay back an innocent man whose reputation she left in tatters. In January, former New York prosecutor Steven Pagones filed court papers seeking the $431,000 he is owed by Tawana Brawley, who, as a 15-year-old, falsely labeled him a 'gang-raping, kidnapping racist.' Last week, Brawley sent him her first payment - 10 checks totaling $3,764.61 - after the Virginia court ordered the money garnisheed from the nurse's wages. It comes 15 years after a court ruled that she defamed him with her nasty hoax. 'It's a long time coming,' Pagones, 52, told The New York Post. The ex-prosecutor said he remains more interested in extracting a confession from Brawley than the money she owes. 'Every week, she'll think of me. And every week, she can think about how she has a way out — she can simply tell the truth.' Brawley's advisers in the case — the Reverend Al Sharpton, and attorneys C. Vernon Mason and Alton Maddox — have already paid, or are paying their debt to Pagones. Until now, Brawley, 41, has refused to pay out but she is now forced to cough up $627 each month to the man who is one of three whose name she dragged through the mud in 1987, possibly for the rest of her life. 'Finally, she's paying something,' Pagones' attorney, Gary Bolnick told The Post. 'Symbolically, I think it's very important — you can't just do this stuff without consequences.' On . November 28, 1987, the then-15-year-old was found in a trash bag, . dazed, smeared with feces with the word 'n****r' scrawled on her body. Here to collect: Pagones says he would consider dropping his demand for money if Brawley admits she made up her story against him . 'For at least 25 years, she has . been living a major lie,' Pagones said in January. 'To me, this has always been . about responsibility and accountability.' She told police she had been abducted by . two white men and driven to the woods where they and four others . ravaged her for four days - one of which had a badge. The case was catapulted onto the . national stage by her attorneys Alton H. Maddox and C. Vernon Mason, and the . then-little-known Rev Al Sharpton, who claimed she was raped 33 times. Brawley, who now goes by the name Tawana Gutierrez, is a single mom working as a nurse in . Virginia. She may now have as much as 25 percent of her wages garnished to repay Pagones, his lawyer, Garry Bolnick, told the New York Post. 'People . criticize me for going after a hardworking single mother trying to . support herself and child,' Pagones said. 'My argument has been she has . not been held accountable.' 'If . she is not going to tell the truth, then it is about the money. That is . the only way to hold her accountable,” said Pagones, who is now . principal owner of a private investigations firm. Sensational: The Brawley case was massive and the young girl graced the cover of numerous magazines and newspapers including People, pictured . Racial tensions: Rev Al Sharpton catapulted the case of Tawana Brawley, center, onto the main stage and made him a household name across the country . Historic case: Reverend Al Sharpton, pictured in 1988, picketed outside the hotel of New York governor Mario Cuomo . The Brawley case was a national . scandal and had celebrities weighing in, with Bill Cosby posting a . $25,000 reward for information on the case. Don King promised $100,000 for Brawley’s education and boxer Mike Tyson gave her a $30,000 watch to ease her pain. Fishkill Police Officer Harry Crist . Jr. was implicated after being found dead in his apartment a week after . Brawley was discovered, and Pagones was also accused when he stepped in . with an alibi for the 28-year-old. But in 1988 a grand jury found the whole shocking story was a hoax, and Brawley was never raped. Now 40 years old, The New York Post tracked her down working as a nurse in Virginia. 'I . don't want to talk to anyone about that,' Brawley told the newspaper . recently as she emerged from her apartment in Hopewell, Virginia, . wearing scrubs. She lives what appears to be a relatively normal life in a neatly kept brick apartment complex with signs warning of video surveillance cameras. To avoid detection, Brawley goes by the aliases of Thompson and Gutierrez and has a young daughter, a neighbor told the Post. False claims: Brawley, pictured in 1988, claimed she was gang raped by a group of white men, one of whom had a badge . Rally: Tawana Brawley, left in 1988, of Wappinger Falls, N.Y., was the center of the legal controversy over her rape charges . She reportedly works as a licensed practical nurse at The Laurels of Bon Air in Richmond. But her co-workers have been in the dark about the incredible story of brutality, which turned out to be false. 'Are . you serious? We don't know her by that name. Isn't that a trip?' one . staffer said, adding that the woman who they call Tawana Gutierrez was . 'a good worker.' According to a neighbor, Brawley has lived in Hopewell - Virginia's most crime-laden town - for at least a year. 'Tawana V. Gutierrez' and 'Tawana V. Thompson' have held the same nursing license since 2006, state records show. The Virginia Board of Nursing confirmed issuing it to a 'Tawana Vacenia Thompson Gutierrez.' Brawley maintains a PO box in Claremont, Va., under the name Gutierrez, according to The Post's sources. The grand jury panel, which heard from 180 witnesses over its seven-month investigation, found that Brawley made up the story to avoid being punished for staying out late and missing school. They found evidence she had ran away from home and was hiding out in her parents' former apartment after they got evicted. We believe you: The case polarised New York City in the late 1980s . Lawsuit: Brawley, pictured in 1997, spoke at a rally in support of Alton Maddox who lost a lawsuit for defamation of character by Steven Pagones . Many believed that Brawley feared her stepdad Ralph King's and needed an alibi for her absence. King spent seven years in prison in the 1970s for killing his first wife. Traces . of the charcoal-like material used to scrawl the hateful word on her . body were found under her fingernails, and she showed no signs of . genital trauma or exposure, the jury found. One witness said Brawley was . spotted climbing into the bin bag. 'It is probable that in the history of this state, never has a teenager turned the prosecutorial and judicial systems literally upside down with such false claims,' state Supreme Court Justice S. Barrett Hickman wrote at the time. Pagones has tried to forget the sorry affair but says he can't. 'It'll come up randomly. It'll come up when something happens with Sharpton,' he told The Post. Pagones won a defamation lawsuit against Sharpton, Brawley and her lawyers in 1998. Maddox was found liable for $97,000, Mason for $188,000, and Sharpton was ordered to pay $66,000. Brawley was ordered to pay $190,000 at 9 per cent annual interest but hasn't paid any of that bill. 'Through her silence, she's as guilty of libel as Maddox, Mason and Sharpton,' he told the newspaper. 'The only way to hold her accountable — at least at this stage — is financially.'
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Brawley, 41, last week paid the first of many checks to Steven Pagones whom she owes hundreds of thousands of dollars .
In 1987, the then-15-year-old dragged the ex-prosecutor's name through the mud when she called him a 'gang-raping, kidnapping racist'
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There’s no place like home, as Alan Pardew will testify. It’s two games, two wins for Crystal Palace’s new manager and his decision to quit Newcastle and return to the club where he spent five years as a player is looking an astute one. Having secured Palace’s first win in nine matches in beating Dover, he maintained his 100 per cent start to life at Selhurst Park with this victory over Tottenham. Having fallen behind to Harry Kane’s strike, Palace turned the game around. If Pardew’s Eagles aren’t quite soaring, their wings are finally flapping. And that is more than could be said for the side under former boss Neil Warnock. Alan Pardew celebrates with fans after winning his first Premier League match in charge of Crystal Palace . Harry Kane was on target yet again to give Tottenham the lead at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening . Alan Pardew has won 13 points from losing positions this season, more than any other Premier League boss. There is an inescapable sense that these players want to perform for their manager — to give him the homecoming he dreamed about. We won’t see the fruits of Pardew’s work on the training field for a few weeks, though keeping possession seems to be a key objective. Pardew said following the FA Cup win at Dover that his side would be taking risks on the ball. That was certainly the case on Saturday. One passage of play in the 14th minute, which saw Palace’s defenders pass their way out of trouble, drew applause from the supporters. Players were often satisfied just to clear their lines under Warnock. If Saturday is anything to go by, those days are gone. The reintroduction of Barry Bannan is an indication of the passing style Pardew wants to implement. The Scot was a peripheral figure under Warnock and Tony Pulis but has started both games under Pardew. Bannan isn’t one to hoof the ball — he saw plenty of possession before being subbed at half-time having picked up a yellow card. Palace boss Pardew has brought Barry Bannan in from the cold at Crystal Palace to start the last two games . Dwight Gayle shoots to score his penalty against Tottenham on Saturday evening for Crystal Palace . Bringing back Bannan suggests Palace will play with a technically gifted midfield pivot. Whether Bannan is that man long-term remains to be seen. He needs to cool his temper first. A clearer idea of how Bannan fits into Pardew’s plans will emerge once captain Mile Jedinak is back from Asia Cup duty with Australia. Indeed, the pending returns of Jedinak and Yannick Bolasie, who is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Congo, will provide Pardew with a massive boost in the coming weeks. Bolasie, in particular, will add a fresh attacking dimension — not that Palace looked short of ideas against Tottenham. There was a tendency under Warnock to overuse the flanks, relying on the pace of Bolasie, Wilfried Zaha, Jason Puncheon and Dwight Gayle to get in behind the opposition. That remained a fruitful avenue on Saturday as second-half goal-scorers Puncheon and Gayle caused a host of problems. Gayle celebrates his equaliser for the Eagles against the north London side in the 69th minute . Jason Puncheon made it 2-1 against Tottenham as Crystal Palace continue to fight relegation . Likewise, Zaha’s blistering 20-minute cameo will raise hope the forward, on loan from Manchester United, can recapture the form that made him the most sought after youngster in the country two years ago. Pardew, though, is determined to strengthen his squad. Palace have been rebuffed in a loan move for Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert, though the club may revisit that deal later in the window. Wilfried Zaha made a positive impact from the bench for Crystal Palace on Saturday . Bafetimbi Gomis of Swansea is in the frame, but Jermain Defoe is likely to be out of Palace’s price range. Arsenal’s Yaya Sanogo is expected to arrive this week. Pardew said: ‘This result doesn’t change my mind about the transfer window. We still need one or two. That is progressing well and we hope to have some news this week. ‘I had a chat with Brendan Rodgers but Rickie isn’t going anywhere. I know Jermain from my West Ham days and I know what he can do.’
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Alan Pardew won his first Premier League match in charge of Crystal Palace on Saturday with a 2-1 win against Tottenham .
As a result the Eagles moved out of the relegation zone and into 15th .
Pardew has overseen two victories in his opening two games in charge .
Sense of belief around Selhurst Park that they can now avoid the drop .
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Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- Thousands of Turks marched through Istanbul in a demonstration calling for improved rights and greater social acceptance for the country's homosexual community. Activists say the annual Turkish Gay Pride Parade, now in its ninth year, is the only march of its kind in a majority-Muslim country. Several thousand supporters of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights carried signs and rainbow flags as they made their way down one of Istanbul's busiest pedestrian thoroughfares. Participants chanted slogans against harassment and blew whistles, waved large rainbow flags and carried signs in Turkish and English that sported messages like "We're everywhere, get used to it" and "Dance, dance, against homophobia, dance." Other signs referenced Ahmet Yildiz, a 26-year-old who was shot to death in Istanbul in 2008. Yildiz's father has been accused of traveling almost 600 miles to shoot him in what has been called an "honor killing." According to Yildiz's partner, Ibo, Yildiz sought protection from prosecutors after receiving threats of violence from his family. His case was featured in an Amnesty International report on the status of gays, lesbians, and transsexuals in Turkey titled "Not An Illness, Nor A Crime." The report says it later emerged that the prosecutor's office erroneously transferred the complaint to another office and failed to investigate the claims, in what some activists view as the unwillingness of the authorities to confront homophobic violence. Sunday's march blurred ethnic and religious lines. A group of about 20 Kurdish activists, fleeing police tear gas that was fired at an unrelated nearby political demonstration, were greeted by a round of applause as they joined the colorful crowd. Tear gas from the same demonstration wafted over parts of the crowd, causing the march to stall briefly as people took cover to stave off its effects. Gay rights organizations have accused Turkey's government of expressing hostile attitudes toward the country's homosexual community. Activists point to a statement made by Aliye Kavaf, Turkey's minister for women and family affairs. "I believe homosexuality is a biological disorder, an illness, and should be treated," she said in a 2010 interview with the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. One parade-goer, who was a part of a tango group moving through the crowd, wore a bright red head scarf with a checkered red, black, and white tie as she danced with her partner. The dancer, who wears a head scarf in daily life, said that Islam and homosexuality are not incongruous. "Religion is not a fixed thing," said Iz, who declined to provide her last name. "It has been interpreted throughout history, is still being interpreted and it needs to evolve." In accession talks with the European Union, Turkey has been gradually improving its record on homosexuality as it makes changes to conform to EU policy on human rights laws. Many marchers on Sunday came out to improve social consciousness of homosexuality. "The big-bellied, mustached men are looking, trying to figure out what's going on. They're learning what a rainbow is," said Natalie Aslan, 23.
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Istanbul sees its ninth annual gay pride parade .
"We're everywhere, get used to it," one sign read .
The march is the only one of its kind in a majority-Muslim country .
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More than 3,500 pages of previously secret Clinton White House documents made public Friday showed that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Highlights from the Clinton documents . Do your own review with the CNN document reader . Some of the confidential memos, notes and other papers released by the National Archives referred to technological advances of the times, such as the 1995 memo that suggested then first lady Hillary Clinton use the Internet to speak to young women because it "has become very popular." Others detailed political battles over health care reform that sounded like today's headlines. "The Republican alternative, as it appears now to be shaping up, at least among the moderate Republicans in the Senate, is an individual mandate, we have looked at that in every way we know how to," said Hillary Clinton's notes from a 1993 meeting with Democratic leaders in Congress. "That is politically and substantively a much harder sell than the one we've got -- a much harder sell." Health care wars of old . We now know that the Clinton plan for employers to provide health coverage for workers failed to pass back then, and the individual mandate -- requiring people to obtain health insurance -- is the foundation of the 2010 Obamacare reforms passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress with zero Republican votes. From the same meeting with congressional Democrats, Clinton wrote that "it may be an unpleasant fact for some of us Democrats to face, but the argument is not going to (be) won on bringing in the uninsured." President Barack Obama and Democrats now face relentless criticism from Republicans over changes in policies and costs forced on some consumers by the 2010 reforms, rather than the requirement that the previously uninsured get coverage. Clinton's words from two decades ago now sound prescient. "The argument is going to be won," she wrote, on keeping coverage "for everybody, including those who are insured, but may not be next year or the year after." In another memo from 1994, an aide to President Bill Clinton warned against using a line in the upcoming State of the Union address about his administration's health care proposal that said: "You'll pick the health plan and the doctor of your choice." "This sounds great and I know that it's just what people want to hear, but can we get away with it?" wrote White House Staff Secretary Todd Stern. Noting that the thrust of the Clinton reforms was to steer people toward "cheaper, HMO-style providers," Stern added that he worried about "getting skewered for overpromising here on something we know full well we won't deliver." Today, Obama gets skewered for similar claims he made during the health care debate 15 years later that turned out to be exaggerated or plain wrong, such as his "if you like your health care plan, you can keep it" statement that earned him "Lie of the Year" by the fact-checking website PolitiFact. Clinton OK with Obamacare fixes . Hillary Clinton, the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, faces no apparent bombshells from the 3,546 pages of archival documents made public Friday. Can Clinton tap Obama's magic in South Carolina? It was the first batch of more than 30,000 pages eligible for release after a 12-year waiting period under the Presidential Records Act, with more to be made public in March. First digital age presidential candidate . "So far, and underlining so far because we're still going through the documents, absolutely nothing" amounting to a game-changer for Clinton, said CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. At the same time, he noted Clinton would be the first presidential candidate of the digital age with still unpublicized documentation dating back to her eight years in the White House as first lady. "There's never been a candidate that we think we know so well, but yet there's this huge resource of information where we still might learn things," King said. The new documents showed a first lady pushed by her aides to be more open and accessible to the public. In the 1995 memo by Press Secretary Lisa Caputo, suggestions included a guest appearance on the ABC TV show "Home Improvement" and using the then-young Internet to connect to young women, noting that "Internet has become a very popular mode of communication." Four years later, adviser Mandy Grunwald offered "style pointers" in a memo for listening tour Clinton did after creating an exploratory committee for her Senate campaign in New York. "Don't be defensive. Look like you want the questions. The press is obviously watching to see if they can make you uncomfortable or testy. Even on the annoying questions, give relaxed answers," Grunwald wrote. She also added that Clinton should "look for opportunities for humor" because "it's important that people see more sides of you, and they often see you only in very stern situations." Adviser in 1999: Try to be funny . Grunwald also advised Clinton to avoid laying claim on the record of her husband's administration, saying "this trip is about you, and you are not an incumbent." One more tip from Grunwald: be prepared to be asked if she ever used drugs. With the potential for politically volatile details in the documents, groups trying to bolster or harm Clinton's possible presidential ambitions made clear they would be having a look. America Rising, a pro-Republican opposition research shop, told CNN that "we'll be poring through them," with a person on ground in Arkansas for that purpose. Rubio on 2016: Clinton would 'struggle' Correct the Record, a pro-Democratic group with deep ties to the Clinton family, also told CNN it would have a team going over the new information. Dem groups already at work for 2016 . Heavy demand appeared to disable the website of the William J. Clinton Presidential Library for some users in the first minutes after the documents were released on Friday afternoon. In total, approximately 25,000 pages of new documents, including confidential communications between President Bill Clinton and his top advisers, will be released over the next two weeks. Under the Presidential Records Act of 1978, they became eligible for release in January 2013, 12 years after Clinton's presidency ended. "When those restrictions expired, (the National Archives and Records Administration) then provided notification of our intent to disclose these Presidential records to the representatives of President Obama and former President Clinton in accordance with Executive Order 13489, so that they may conduct a privilege review of the records," the National Archives said in a written statement. "As they complete their review, NARA is able to make the records available." More documents coming . An additional 8,000 pages are undergoing a further month-long review per a directive from the White House and will not be available for release prior to March 26. The documents in question were part of files that had been requested for public release over the years under the Freedom of Information Act, but were withheld due to their sensitive nature. While the Presidential Records Act established public ownership of White House documents as far back as the Reagan Administration, it defined six categories of records that could be withheld for the 12-year period. They include classified national security information, confidential business information and trade secrets, and unwarranted invasions of personal privacy. Documents pertaining to federal appointments and confidential communications, so-called "P2" and "P5" exemptions, also fall under the 12-year protection of the act. After the 12-year mark from the end of a presidential administration, the records are subject to the same restrictions as spelled out in the Freedom of Information Act, with one key exception. Congress excluded presidential records from exemptions based on executive privilege. However, since the passage of the law, Presidents Reagan, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have each issued executive orders clarifying the process under which an incumbent president or former president could assert executive privilege to prevent the release of documents. The new releases will not be the first from the Clinton archives. The library routinely releases records in response to FOIA requests, although a sizable backlog exists. Freedom of Information Act requests . Records were also released during the Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan, who worked as a White House lawyer during the Clinton administration, and also as a result of ongoing legal action from the conservative group Judicial Watch. Interest in the often unglamorous world of archival research has spiked due to the possible presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. senator from New York and secretary of state in Obama's first term. Earlier this month, CNN reviewed papers from a former confidante of the Clintons, Diane Blair, that offered some revealing personal glimpses of Hillary Clinton during her years as first lady. Blair was counselor, friend for Hillary Clinton . CNN document reader: Read from the Blair papers .
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Newly released Clinton papers detail health care battle of 1990s .
Public gets a new look at inner workings of the Clinton White House .
Several thousand pages of documents released in a first batch .
Hillary Clinton is now a potential presidential contender in 2016 .
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President Barack Obama pleaded quietly for calm in Ferguson, Missouri on Monday night, speaking from the White House as rioters overtook streets in the St. Louis suburb and cable TV broadcasts showed them setting fires and attacking police cars. After members of a grand jury determined that police officer Darren Wilson will not face criminal charges related to the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown on August 9, peaceful protests spiraled out of control. Obama spoke to the nation a half-hour later. The president said anger is an 'understandable reaction' from people who believe 'the law is being applied in a discriminatory fashion,' a reference to Wilson being white and Brown being black. 'What we need to do is try to understand them,' Obama said. Scroll down for video . 'There is no excuse for violence,' President Obama said Monday night just minutes after news broke that Officer Wilson was not indicted over the killing of Michael Brown . And referring to a growing feeling of distrust between urban blacks and mostly white police forces, he warned that healing the rift 'won't be done by smashing car windows. That won't be done by using this as an excuse to vandalize property. It certainly won't be done by hurting anybody.' 'There is no excuse for violence,' he said. 'Those who are only interested in violence and just want the problem to go away should realize that we have work to do here.' As the president spoke, cable news channels broadcast split-screen views of an imperturbable Obama on one side and angry reactions on the other. In one shot, dozens of protesters were seen trying to overturn a squad car not far from police headquarters. Thy dispersed only when tear gas canisters erupted. Contrast: 'No drama Obama' pleaded for calm while riots erupted in Ferguson . Calm: The taciturn president told the nation that violence won't solve problems, while split-screens showed the streets of Ferguson exploding into pandemonium . Study in contrast: 'No drama Obama' pleaded for calm while riots erupted in Ferguson . Meanwhile: As Obama spoke, protesters began gathering outside the White House to denounce 'racist police terror . Protests spreading: Hundreds of demonstrators, many of them Howard University students, march down the middle of U Street Northwest in Washington, DC . Power to the people: A protester shouts slogans during clashes with riot police in Ferguson . City on fire: A police car burns outside the Ferguson Police Department on Monday night . Rioting: Police take cover during clashes with protesters in Ferguson, Missouri . Missouri Burning: More than 150 gunshots have been reported overnight, shops were looted and several buildings were set on fire in Ferguson . In another, rioters threw rocks and bottles and set fires as Obama counseled 'care and restraint in managing peaceful protests that occur.' Police 'need to work with the community, not against the community,' he said, indicating his desire to see law enforcement isolate violent instigators – many of whom traveled to Missouri from great distances – and a larger group of people 'who want to protest peacefully.' 'The fact is,' he said, 'in too many parts of this country a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color. Some of this is the result of the legacy of racial discrimination in this country.' 'And this is tragic because nobody needs good policing more than poor communities with higher crime rates. We need to recognize that this is not just an issue for Ferguson, this is an issue for America.' Obama delivered his nine-minute statement, answered a single question and then left the White House briefing room as journalists asked whether brown will face separate federal charges related to alleged civil-rights violations. The Missouri grand jury's decision isn't binding on the Department of Justice in Washington, where outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder still could charge him. It's possible that Wilson could still face a federal trial and a long prison sentence. That would still be the case even if he had been acquitted in a state-level court. A group of protesters vandalize a police vehicle after the announcement of the grand jury decision . Looters: This store is the same one Michael Brown allegedly robbed before the clash with police that resulted in his death on August 9 . A suspected looter is apprehended outside a Dollar Store in Ferguson, Missouri . A firetruck passes a group of police wearing riot gear as the protests spread across Ferguson and the US . A group of protesters confront a black police officer on the streets of Ferguson on Monday night . A female protester covers her face in milk to counteract being pepper sprayed by police after a group of demonstrators attempted to stop traffic on Interstate 5 . 'We need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make': Obama counseled acceptance of the outcome in Missouri, even as his Justice Department could lodge federal charges in the case . Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill hinted at a second bite at the apple for the government in a statement issued after the news broke, saying Missourians should 'await the conclusion of ... [an] independent investigation' being undertaken by the DOJ before passing judgment. But on Monday the president firmly legitimized the 12 citizens, nine white and three black, who heard evidence over a stretch of weeks and decided it didn't add up to an indictment. 'First and foremost, we are a nation built on the rule of law, and so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make,' Obama said. 'There are Americans who agree with it, and there are Americans who are deeply upset, even angry. It's an understandable reaction. But I join Michael's parents in asking anyone who protests this decision to do so peacefully.' Obama has not said whether he, like his attorney general, would personally visit Ferguson. He left that possibility open on Monday. 'Let's take a look and see how things are going,' he said in response to the one question he took. 'Eric Holder's been there. We've had a whole team from the Justice Department there. And I think that they have done some very good work.' The grand jury process is different from a courtroom trial. It's conducted in secret and without balance between the government and a potential defendant. Unlike in a trial, where a jury must assign guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the grand jury must only decide whether or not there's a rational reason – a 'probable cause – to believe that a crime was committed and sufficient evidence to bring the case to court. Despite taking place in that far more prosecution-friendly environment, the grand jury's determination means that the weight of the prosecution's case was too weak to sustain charges.
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Television split-screen broadcasts showed dramatic contrast between the president's requests for nonviolent reactions and the fires set on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri .
Dispelling black activists' distrust for police 'won't be done by smashing car windows,' Obama said, as cable news screens showed windows being smashed and reporters warned of shots fired .
Rioters threw bottles and rocks at police after grand jury members decided they couldn't charge Officer Darren Wilson with a crime .
Obama left the press briefing room after a nine-minute statement when reporters began asking him whether Wilson will face separate federal civil-rights charges .
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(CNN) -- Dani Pedrosa repeated his 2012 success at a sweltering Sepang Sunday but his Honda teammate Marc Marquez took another big step towards the MotoGP world title by finishing a fine second. The 20-year-old Marquez won a thrilling battle with defending champion Jorge Lorenzo for Yamaha to increase his lead over his fellow Spaniard in the championship standings to 43 points. Marquez can wrap up the title next week at Philip Island in Australia, the first rookie to win the MotoGP premier crown in 35 years. He admitted that getting the better of Lorenzo, moving ahead for the final time halfway through the 20 lap race was satisfying. "It was a nice battle with Jorge. I enjoyed it a lot," Marquez told the official MotoGP website. "The target of this weekend was to finish in front of Jorge," he said, . It left Pedrosa to go unchallenged to the finish for this third win of the season and to close within 11 points of second placed Lorenzo in the title standings. He took command in 40 degree Celsius temperatures, taking the lead from polesitter Marquez early in the race. "It's a great feeling to be back... I came back strong," said Pedrosa, who suffered a crash in the last round in Spain after a coming together with Marquez. The incident earned Marquez a penalty point, his third of the season and a warning. Lorenzo's teammate, seven-time world champion Valentino Rossi of Italy, finished fourth followed by Spanish Honda rider Alvaro Bautista. Britain's rising star Cal Crutchlow, who started third on the grid, eventually finished sixth, just ahead of compatriot Bradley Smith. Malaysia is the 15th race of the 18 round season, with Australia next, followed by Japan and the final race in Valencia. Marquez is likely to be celebrating the title in front of his home fans in the finale after a remarkable debut season, replacing the retired Casey Stoner in the Repsol Honda line-up.
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Dani Pedrosa wins Malaysian MotoGP in Sepang .
Honda teammate Marc Marquez in second place .
Marquez extends lead in title race over third placed Jorge Lorenzo .
MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi in fourth .
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He has been prime minister of Italy three times. But now Silvio Berlusconi has gone one better, winning an Oscar - Italy’s first Academy award in 15 years. The billionaire mogul’s Mediaset film company produced The Great Beauty, which picked up the coveted gong for best foreign language film in Sunday night’s awards. Movie mogul: Berlusconi's media company produced The Great Beauty, which won best foreign film at the Oscars . Talented: The Great Beauty director Paolo Sorrentino clutching his Oscar after the ceremony . Honour: Actor Toni Servillo (left), who stars in The Great Beauty, director Sorrentino (centre) and producer Nicola Giuliano accept the Best Foreign Language Film award on Sunday . Director Paolo Sorrentino credited everyone from Diego Maradona to legendary director Martin Scorsese for his victory with the film which reveals the empty worlds of decadent high society in Rome. But Berlusconi was unable to attend the Oscars ceremony personally, due to a travel ban imposed last year after a conviction for fraud. However he appears at pains make sure his contribution to La Grande Belleza receives the recognition it deserves. An editorial in the Berlusconi family newspaper Il Giornale crowed: ‘Silvio Berlusconi, founder and major shareholder in Mediaset, believed in Sorrentino’s project, produced and distributed the film.’ Berlusconi encouraged ambition in the making of the film and had no fear of investing his own money, it said. ‘He understood that cinema is a resource that had contributed to Italy’s successes, ’ it added. Left wing politicians who are trying to take the credit for Italy's victory are missing the point - the film is a criticism of their society, 'empty and hypocritical'. Quality cast: Italian actor Toni Servillo as Jep Gambardella (centre), actress Sabrina Ferilli as Ramona (left) and actor Giorgio Pasotti as Stefano, in a scene from The Great Beauty . Berlusconi’s eldest son, Pier Silvio Berlusconi, 45, who runs Mediaset, said that the family company ‘has supported Sorrentino since his first film, and remained at his side, believing in him and taking risks right up until the night of the Oscars.’ ‘For us it has been a marvellous adventure’, he said. After his conviction for tax fraud last August Berlusconi was sentenced to one year’s house arrest or community service which he is due to begin next month. His passport was confiscated, denying him access to his properties in the Alps and the Caribbean. A request to leave Italy to go to a meeting of the anti-Europeans parties in Holland was refused on Tuesday.
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Berlusconi's Mediaset film company produced The Great Beauty .
It won best foreign film at Sunday's Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles .
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Stunning images of an Indonesian girl holding a pet cat, a crowd of penguins on a South Atlantic island, and a colourful hot air balloon soaring over a red desert are in the running for the Sony World Photography Awards. With just over one month remaining for photographers to enter the contest, the World Photography Organisation has revealed some of the submissions for the 2015 competition. And the collection of photos is spectacular - with one of the standouts featuring an orangutan using a large banana leaf to shield itself from the driving rain. Photographer Andrew Suryono said: ‘I was taking pictures of some orangutans in Bali and then it started to rain. ‘Just before I put my camera away, I saw this orangutan take a banana leaf and put it on top on his head to protect himself from the rain. ‘I immediately used my DSLR and telephoto lens to preserve this magic moment.’ This year's submissions include incredible images of wildlife and some of Earth's greatest landscapes. Launched in 2008, the awards are dedicated to supporting and cultivating photographic culture. They are open to photographers of all levels - from amateurs to 'fully-fledged' professionals - and winners will be selected in four categories (professional, open, student and youth). The open and youth competitions close on 5 January, while entries for the professional competition must be submitted by 8 January. The student competition closed earlier this month. Scroll down for video . Photographer Andrew Suryono captured this amazing photo of an orangutan using a banana leaf to shield itself from the rain in Bali . This photo features Indonesian photographer Arief Siswandhono's daughter, who has overcome her fear of the family's pet cat . A crowd of king penguins gathers on the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean during photographer Lisa Vaz's visit . Photographer Nick Ng captured this moment as a man washed his feet before bathing in the Hooghly River in Kolkata, India . Cioplea Vlad was in the right place at the right time when she photographed the Romanian YAK Team at the Bucharest International Air Show . Other entries include photos of a man collecting wood for a cattle fence in Ethiopia (left) and a portrait of a person's covered face . Step by step: German photographer Ralf Wendrich said his photo of this staircase in Berlin was 'reduced to the essential' Morning hour: This fascinating photo from Georg May shows a white fallow deer standing in the morning mist in Eifel National Park, Germany . A Hindu monk is silhouetted in sunlight on a winter morning at a mango garden in Dinajpur, Bangladesh (photographer: Jubair Bin Iqbal) Hindu devotees throw vivid colour at each other during Lathmar Holi Festival in Nandgaon, India (photographer: Ioulia Chvetsova) These mother and the cub Kermode bears were photographed by Kyle Breckenridge at the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia, Canada . Photographer Miquel Artus Illana snapped this stunning image of an ancient glacier's footprint at Denali Park in Alaska . Desert dawn: A hot air balloon is pictured over sand dunes about 30 minutes after sunrise near Dubai (photographer: Gareth Lowndes)
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World Photography Organisation has revealed some of the incredible submissions for the 2015 competition .
Collection of photos is spectacular, with amazing photos of wildlife and some of world's greatest landscapes .
Competition is open to photographers of all levels with professional, amateur and student categories .
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By . Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:30 EST, 19 September 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 02:03 EST, 20 September 2012 . Iran's nuclear chief has claimed the country's nuclear programme has been hit by two attempts of sabotage as sources claim the attacks could be linked to the U.S. military. Iran’s vice president and the chief of its nuclear-energy agency Fereydoun Abbasi claimed power lines between the holy city of Qom and the underground Fordow nuclear centrifuge facility and others leading to Iran’s Natanz facilities were blown up with explosives in August. He alleges that 'terrorists and saboteurs' might have infiltrated the International Atomic Energy Agency in an effort to derail his nation's atomic program. Conspiracy: Iran's head of Atomic Energy Organisation Fereydoon Abbasi Davani alleges that the International Atomic Energy Agency has been infiltrates by 'terrorists and saboteurs' Speaking at the IAEA's 155-nation general conference, Abbasi challenged the perpetrators to launch new attacks - stating his country is determined to learn how to protect its interests through such assaults. He then suggested that IAEA might have been connected to the blasts, stating: 'Terrorists and saboteurs might have intruded the agency and might be making decisions covertly.' Abbasi then added that IAEA inspectors turned up to inspect an underground enrichment plant soon after its powerlines had been blown up, asking: 'Does this visit have any connection to that detonation?' It comes as American sources have claimed there is a possibility that the U.S military may be connected to the attacks. A threat: Footage from the Iranian state TV channel IRIB, purporting to show a successful test-fire launch of a short range missile . The once-secret Natanz nuclear complex in Natanz, Iran, about 150 miles south of Tehran . A retired U.S. intelligence officer who . still works as a contractor with the U.S. military told The Daily Beast . that U.S. Special Forces have trained for sabotage missions inside Iran . for years. He said: 'From the first reports, this attack looks like something from our guys.' Patrick Clawson, the director of research for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Yahoo: 'Covert American operations against the Iranian program is a good way to persuade the Israelis that the United States will back up its words with deeds.' The plant at Fordo, about 40 miles south of Tehran is buried deep in a mountainside to protect it from assault. Ongoing testing: Iran's Revolutionary Guards test missiles in the desert . It also is being used to enrich . uranium closer to the level needed for a nuclear warhead than what is . used to power most industrial reactors. Abbasi . added the sabotage was foiled 'by using backup batteries and diesel . generators' that prevented any disruption to centrifuges used to spin . uranium to enriched levels. He also said a separate attack on the . country's centrifuges - through tiny explosions meant to disable key . parts of the machines - was discovered before the timed blasts could go . off. Iran leader: Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad . Abbasi did not elaborate on the date or other details of that alleged assault attempt. Dozens of unexplained explosions have . hit the country's gas pipelines and Iran's first nuclear power plant . suffered major equipment failures delaying its operations for decades . before going on line this year - delays that some experts attribute to . acts of sabotage. But . Abbasi insisted: 'We are a powerful country. We can confront any kind . of industrial espionage whether it is an explosive or a virus. 'We are eager and interested to ask the other side to have more (attacks) because having more we would be more experienced.' He then attacked America - claiming U.S. pressure on Iran is the equivalent of an attack on all developing nations' nuclear rights. He called U.S.-led sanctions on Iran's oil exports and financial transactions 'the ugly face of colonization and modern slavery'. The speech caused hardline Israeli leaders to call for military strikes on Iran - arguing that diplomatic efforts and economic penalties have had no effect. Iran has warned that any Israeli attack would trigger a devastating response and Abbasi suggested that such strikes would not succeed in slowing down his country's nuclear program. He said without elaboration that experts have 'devised certain ways through which nuclear facilities remain intact under missile attacks and raids'. But Abbasi insisted that his country's nuclear program is aimed only at making reactor fuel and doing medical research. He said: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran ... has always opposed and will always denounce the manufacture and use of weapons of mass destruction.'
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Iran's nuclear energy chief Fereydoun Abbasi claims power lines linking nuclear facilities have been targeted twice .
Alleges the IAEA has been infiltrated with 'terrorists and saboteurs'
Insists that Iran's nuclear programme aimed at making reactor fuel and for medical research - not weapons of mass destruction .
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Title: Rising Star Shines as Underdog Team Wins Thrilling Soccer Final
In an electrifying end to the annual Intercity Cup tournament, the perennially underestimated Falcons Football Club pulled off a historic victory against last year's champions, the Lionhearts FC. The nail-biting 2-1 win was orchestrated by the team's newcomer, 19-year-old forward, Amir Khan, who demonstrated exceptional skill and poise throughout the match, securing his place as a rising star in the soccer world.
Khan opened the scoring with a stunning goal from outside the penalty box, leaving Lionhearts' goalkeeper grasping at thin air. Despite a valiant comeback attempt by the defending champions, Khan's second goal in the final minutes of stoppage time sealed the deal for the Falcons. The crowd erupted into cheers as the underdog team clinched their first-ever Intercity Cup title.
Amir Khan, humbly accepting the MVP trophy, expressed his gratitude to his teammates and coaches for their unwavering support. "I wouldn't be here without them," he said, tears of joy streaming down his face. The young phenom also thanked the fans for their never-ending encouragement and promised to continue working hard to make the city proud.
With this victory, the Falcons have ignited a fire within their community and inspired a new generation of soccer enthusiasts to dream big. As they celebrate their well-deserved triumph, the team looks forward to next season with renewed hope and determination. For now, the spotlight shines bright on Amir Khan and his teammates, as they revel in their hard-earned glory.
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Title: Underdog Soccer Team Wins Thrilling Final Led by Rising Star Amir Khan
The Falcons Football Club, an underestimated team, won the annual Intercity Cup against last year's champions, Lionhearts FC, in a thrilling 2-1 game. The match's MVP was 19-year-old forward Amir Khan, who scored both goals for the Falcons, including one from outside the penalty box. Despite a comeback attempt by Lionhearts, Khan's second goal in stoppage time secured the Intercity Cup title for the Falcons, sparking cheers from the crowd.
An emotional Amir Khan thanked his teammates and coaches for their support and promised to continue working hard to make the city proud. With this victory, the Falcons have inspired a new generation of soccer enthusiasts and ignited hope for next season. The spotlight now shines on Amir Khan and his teammates as they celebrate their triumphant moment.
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By . David Mccormack . PUBLISHED: . 09:58 EST, 13 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 12:28 EST, 13 November 2012 . A man was tasered by police after he picked up his garden hose and attempted to stop a fire spreading that was threatening to engulf his home. Dan Jensen, 42, awoke from a nap last Thursday when he hear his wife, Angela, also 42, scream that the house next door at 3420 Beechwood Terrace N in Tampa Bay was ablaze. When the father of two went outside, the fire had already engulfed his neighbors’ home and a fence in between the two houses and the flames were starting to lick the corners of the Jensens' home. Dan Jensen was tasered by Pinellas Park police after he used a water hose to spray his home to prevent it from catching fire . The incident happened after a grease fire got out of hand in the Tampa Bay area . Jensen first emptied a fire extinguisher on to the blaze, before grabbing his garden hose. Police officers arrived on the scene before firefighters and told Jensen to back off. He did, but quickly grew frustrated waiting for the fire department and so decided to pick up the hose again. As he did, and without warning, Jensen felt electricity run through his body and he collapsed to the ground. 'It was wrong,' he told The Tampa Bay Times. 'There's no way around it. … I was fighting a fire. I wasn't fighting police. I thought they were here to help me. Instead, they hurt me.' Pinellas Park Police say they had to tase Jensen because he was putting not only himself, but also officers in danger because he refused to back down. They claim it only took six minutes for fire fighters to respond and that they could have charged Jensen with obstruction, but decided against it. An attorney working for Jensen has described the police’s actions as ‘excessive force.’ When Jensen went outside, the fire had already engulfed his neighbors' home and a fence in between the two houses . Jensen shows off the spot on his back where he was tasered by police while trying to protect his home . The blaze took firefighters 20 to 30 minutes to extinguish . Heidi Imhof said the police have no right to taser an unarmed person on private property and that they should have considered other options including turning the water off. Police policy states that officers must issue a warning before using a Taser, 'except when such warning could provide a tactical advantage to the subject.' Jensen says he was never warned and is now considering legal action. Paramedics rushed Jensen to the hospital after he was incident. He suffered smoke inhalation and has some scarring on his back from where he was tasered. It took firefighters 20 to 30 minutes to extinguish the blaze, which was started by neighbors leaving a frying pan unattended. Video: Man tasered by police says it brutal .
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Dan Jensen woke from a nap to find his neighbors' house on fire .
He used a garden hose to protect his own property, but police asked him to stop .
He was tasered by the cops after when he refused to stop .
His attorney claims the police used 'excessive force' and Jensen is considering legal action .
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Joan Rivers' 'outraged' daughter will sue throat specialist to the stars Dr Gwen Korovin, friends have revealed. Melissa Rivers is preparing to launch legal action against Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic, which was blasted yesterday in a damning report by the New York Department of Health and Human Services. And she will not just include the clinic in her legal action - but her mother's personal ENT doctor as well. A source told MailOnline today: 'Melissa is undaunted, she's going after the clinic and the doctors personally involved. These doctors will rue the day they went near Joan.' The DHH report revealed a catalog of errors at the clinic where the legendary comic suffered a heart attack during a routine throat procedure that led to her death. Scroll down for video . Heartbroken: Melissa Rivers, right, has hired a top NYC law firm to launch legal action against the clinic where her mother Joan suffered cardiac arrest following a routine endoscopy before her death on September 4 . Joan's doctors: Dr Gwen Korovin (left) is Joan's private throat specialist, while Dr Lawrence Cohen was the medical director at Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic. Both are believed to have been treating Joan Rivers when she went into cardiac arrest during a routine endoscopy on August 28 . Among the series of blunders, it was reported that staff at the Manhattan clinic failed to weigh Joan before sedating her with Propofol - the anesthetic that killed Michael Jackson. The clinic also comes under fire for allowing a doctor without privileges, known to be Dr Korovin, to practice at the medical center. Indeed, Dr Korovin is said to have declared 'I'll go first' as she stepped into the operating room with Dr Cohen, the report says. It also confirms a picture was taken of the star while she was under anesthesia, alongside Dr Korovin. Heartbroken Melissa Rivers, 46, will file a multimillion-dollar medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit against Yorkville and is working with top firm Gair, Gair, Conason, Steigman, Mackauf, Bloom & Rubinowitz. In a statement, attorneys Jeffrey B. Bloom and Ben Rubinowitz said: 'Our client, Melissa Rivers, is terribly disappointed to learn of the multiple failings on the part of medical personnel and the clinic as evidenced by the CMS report. 'As any of us would be, Ms. Rivers is outraged by the misconduct and mismanagement now shown to have occurred before, during and after the procedure. Moving forward, Ms. Rivers will direct her efforts towards ensuring that what happened to her mother will not occur again with any other patient.' Meanwhile, the friend said that although grief-stricken, Melissa wants to continue to produce her mother's E! show Fashion Police in memory of Joan. The network is looking to replace the venerable Joan, although the star's close friend Kathy Griffin, who has been linked with the spot, told People: 'They did offer it to me. I don't know if the situation is correct or right at this time for me. We'll see.' Rivers’ official cause of death is “anoxic encephalopathy due to hypoxic arrest during laryngoscopy and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with propofol sedation.” The firm needs to obtain Joan's medical records before filing a case in Manhattan Supreme Court and her will also needs to submitted to court and an executor appointed by the judge. On Monday, the DHH reported that the legendary comic was in excellent health before undergoing what was supposed to be a routine endoscopy. While the doctors who treated Joan are not mentioned by name, they are believed to be her personal throat specialist Dr Gwen Korovin and Yorkville medical director Dr Lawrence Cohen. And most worryingly, both Dr Korovin and Dr Cohen failed to notice that Joan's vital signs were going down, as the report claims they failed to provide 'timely intervention'. According to the findings, Joan, 81, arrived at Yorkville on the morning of August 28 for tests after suffering chronic reflux. She was in good health and her blood pressure was a normal 118 over 80 when her vital signs were first taken at 8.44am. Her pulse was 62 and regular. The star was set to undergo an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy), where doctors insert a thin scope and camera into the area between the throat and upper intestine. However, even though Joan had only agreed to only the ONE procedure, the report states she underwent a Nasolaryngoscopy performed by her personal ENT doctor Gwen Korovin - who was not authorized to practice at the clinic. This was stopped when Dr Koroway said she did not have a clear view. The EGD then went ahead, carried out by Dr Cohen, and Dr Korovin performed a second Nasolaryngoscopy. Worryingly, a staff member told the DHH investigators that Joan was NOT weighed before Propofol was administered. This is 'critical' according to the report. The records note an 'inconsistent' log of the Propofol dosage. Although it says she was given a total of 300 milligrams, the clinic's anestiologist said this was a mistake and only 120 milligrams was administered. Propofol hit the headlines after the death of superstar Michael Jackson in 2009, when it was revealed he had overdosed on the powerful sedative. BFFs: Distraught Melissa posted a picture of her son Cooper and her mother Joan, writing: 'Connecticut, 2004. Mom + Cooper = BFFs... A perfect day. #TBT' Still working: Dr Gwen Korovin is still working at her Manhattan office. She charges $460 for an initial consultation and does not accept insurance. She is believed to have been in the room at Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic when Joan Rivers went into cardiac arrest on August 28 . Perhaps the most damning criticism of the clinic comes as the report says 'the physicians in charge of Joan failed to identify deteriorating vital signs and provide timely intervention during the procedure'. Indeed, by 9.30am, Joan's blood pressure had plunged to 85 over 49 and no pulse was recorded. The report, released after interviews with Yorkville staff and others, says there is conflicting information as to the time that Joan was resuscitated and transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital. Last month, it was revealed that Joan's daughter Melissa Rivers has signed up a Manhattan legal powerhouse and will launch a multimillion-dollar law suit against the endoscopy clinic where the comedienne fell into a coma. Today, Dr Korovin's lawyer, Michael Kelton, declined to comment. Dr Korovin is known as the throat specialist to the stars and counts Celine Dion and Ariana Grande as well as a host of Broadway stars among her patients. Previously, Mr Kelton told MailOnline: 'Gwen S. Korovin, M.D. is a highly experienced, board certified otolaryngologist. She maintains privileges at one of the city's most prestigious hospitals. She is respected and admired by her peers in the medical community and she is revered by her patients. Famous clientele: Dr Gwen Korovin, who is believed to have been in the room when Joan Rivers underwent her ill-fated procedure, counts Celine Dion as one of her patients. In the singer's 2010 documentary, Dr Korovin performs a laryngoscopy on the star and they talk about her resting her vocal chords . 'As a matter of personal and professional policy, Dr. Korovin does not publicly discuss her patients or their care and treatment. Further, Dr. Korovin is prohibited by state and federal confidentiality laws from discussing her care and treatment of any particular patient. 'For these reasons, neither Dr. Korovin nor her attorneys will have any public comment on recent press reports regarding her practice. We ask that the press please respect Dr. Korovin's personal and professional policy of not discussing her patients, as well as the privacy of her patients.'
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Joan Rivers died age 81 on September 4 at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC .
NY Department of Health and Human Services released damning report into star's cardiac arrest at Yorkville Endoscopy Clinic on August 28 .
Her heartbroken daughter Melissa has hired Manhattan legal powerhouse to launch law suit against doctors and clinic - and is 'outraged' by 'misconduct and mistreatment'
Melissa will sue both both Yorkville clinic AND her mom's personal ENT, Dr Gwen Korovin, friends confirm .
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(CNN)It's probably no surprise to anyone who has flown through Atlanta that the city's airport is still the busiest passenger airport in the world. Some 94.4 million passengers went through Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in 2013, a decrease of 1.1% from 2012, according to Airports Council International's latest passenger traffic results for 2013. Beijing Capital International Airport was in second place with 83.7 million passengers in 2013, an increase of 2.2% over 2012. London Heathrow Airport remained in third place with 72.4 million passengers, an increase of 3.3%, according to ACI, the worldwide association of airports. Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport were in fourth, fifth and sixth places respectively, rankings that remained unchanged from 2012. Dubai jumped from 10th to seventh place with 66.4 million passengers last year and a 15% increase in traffic. "With many major economies remaining in a fragile state, 2013 can best be characterized as a year of unstable recovery for the global economy," said Angela Gittens, ACI's director general, in a Wednesday press statement. "Despite this challenging operating climate, worldwide traffic surpassed the 6 billion passenger mark in 2013," Gittens said. "This represents an enormous feat for the airport industry as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of commercial aviation in 2014." Paris dropped from seventh to eighth place, Dallas/Fort Worth was ninth and Jakarta, Indonesia, was in tenth place. #ATL24: Behind the scenes at the world's busiest airport . Passenger traffic grew around the world last year, with the world's airports serving 6.3 billion passengers in 2013, up 4.6% from 2012, according to the report. Atlanta's airport also ranked first in airplane movements (takeoffs and landings), with 911,000 movements last year. O'Hare came in second with 883,000 movements and LAX was third with 696,000 movements. Rounding out that list were DFW; Denver; Beijing; Charlotte, North Carolina; Las Vegas; Houston and Paris. Hong Kong's airport is still the busiest cargo airport in the world, transporting nearly 4.2 million metric tons of cargo last year. Memphis, Tennessee, home to FedEx, came in second with 4.1 million metric tons. Shanghai was third with 2.9 million metric tons. (One metric ton is 2,205 pounds.) The ACI World Airport Traffic Report was based on reports from nearly 2,000 airports in 160 countries worldwide.
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The United States is still home to world's busiest airport .
Worldwide air passenger numbers increased to 6.3 billion in 2013 .
The top six airports in the world remained the same as last year .
Dubai jumped three spots to finish in seventh place .
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By . Damien Gayle . PUBLISHED: . 09:02 EST, 25 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:12 EST, 25 February 2013 . The skyscrapers of the future will be 'living' buildings powered by algae that respond automatically to the weather and the changing needs of inhabitants, a new study claims. Research by engineering multinational Arup, the firm behind the Pompidou Centre, the Sydney Opera House and many of the stadia for the 2008 Olympics, has imagined how urban buildings could look by 2050. Predictions include ideas as outlandish as jet-powered maintenance robots, high-rise farms and photovoltaic paint - all of which, incredibly, are already in development. Skyscraper of the future: A new report . claims that by 2050 buildings will have modular designs maintained by . jet-powered drones, a digital 'nervous system' and be entirely fuel . efficient thanks to algae fuel cells . 'In 2050, the urban dweller and the city are in a state of constant flux - changing and evolving in reaction to emerging contexts and conditions,' the report says. 'The urban building of the future fosters this innate quality, essentially functioning as a living organism in its own right - reacting to the local environment and engaging with the users within.' The study by by Arup’s internal thinktank predicts that structures will be fully integrated into the fabric of the city, responsive to changes in the external environment, and designed for continuous adaptability. Responding to estimates that in four decades 75 per cent of an estimated global population of nine billion will be living in cities, it foresees a shift to increasingly dense urban environments. At the same time, it predicts, the rise of networked 'smart' devices will lead cities 'where everything can be manipulated in realtime and where all the components of the urban fabric are part of a single smart system and an internet of things'. Maintenance drones: The modular skyscrapers of . the future could have interchangeable units shifted and lifted into . place by jet-powered drones, according to the report's predictions . The British company that built the Shard has landed a contract to build what will become the world's tallest building - and plans reveal the two look remarkably similar. London-based Mace won the £780million deal to build the Kingdom Tower, pictured right in an artist's impression, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which will stand more than 3,280ft (1km) high. The Shard is currently western Europe's tallest building at 1,003ft (306m) high. Mace will participate in a joint venture with fellow British firm EC Harris to create the huge building, which has been given a completion date of 2018. The Kingdom Tower, which will have a construction area of more than 5,381,955 square feet, will stand at four times the size of the Shard. It will overlook the Red Sea and is expected to take over from the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which stands at 2,717ft (828m), as the world's tallest skyscraper. It is not yet known how tall the skyscraper will be as developers keep exact details of the plan a secret. The most incredible prediction in the Arup report claims that the buildings of the future will benefit from brain-like 'intelligent building systems' that enable them to automatically adjust to the needs of inhabitants. Using data about energy consumption, weather, and the whims of residents, they will be able to make 'calculated decisions' about how to best use resources. This could extend as far as using jet-powered maintenance arms to swap the 'modules' that form the building blocks of the skyscraper. Such modular components could be used for residential or commercial units, or even urban food production sites housing animal, fish or vegetable farms, depending on what is needed at the time. 'In this emerging age, with significant developments in construction, prefabricated and modular systems are moved and assembled by robots that work seamlessly together to install, detect, repair and upgrade components of the building system,' the report says. With human population set to mushroom, . the predictions take into account likely increased concern about the . pressure so many souls would put on our planet's already-strained . natural resources. The Arup . report promises buildings that will one day in fact produce more . resources than they consume thanks to external walls coated with . photovoltaic paint, wind turbines and even pods growing bio-fuel . producing algae. Green . spaces would be dispersed throughout the building to encourage urban . biodiversity, while water systems would be optimised for recycling and . reuse and filters would cut down on environmental pollutants, it says. Green architecture: The report's proposals include high-rise urban farms which can respond to urban demand, and algae-filled units which are able to grow bio-fuels to meet the needs of the community . Responsive: The facades, as well as having the potential to generate power from the sun, could also be coated with nano-particle treatments that neutralise airborne pollutants and capture waste carbon dioxide . The building's facades, as well as . having the potential to generate power from the sun, could also be . coated with nano-particle treatments that neutralise airborne pollutants . and capture waste carbon dioxide. Elements . such as vast organic LEDs could even allow for whole surfaces of the . structure to light up at night, creating a new form of street lighting. 'Coupled . with daylight absorbing abilities, the technology realises the . possibility of 'net zero energy' artificial lighting,' the report says. Community integration: Fully linked to the city's transport networks, the urban dwellings of the future will integrate with the rest of the urban space and offer public spaces which encourage exploration, says Arup . Smart systems: Using data about energy consumption, weather, and the whims of residents, the buildings of 2050 wil be able to make 'calculated decisions' about how to best use resources . The Arup report, entitled It's Alive, was put together by Josef Hargrave, a consultant in the company's . Foresight + Innovation team, an internal thinktank which focuses on the future of the built environment. He concludes: 'By producing food and energy, and providing clean air and water, buildings evolve from being passive shells into adaptive and responsive organisms - living and breathing structures supporting the cities of tomorrow.' Research by engineering multinational Arup, the firm behind the Pompidou Centre, the Sydney Opera House and many of the stadia for the 2008 Olympics, has imagined how urban buildings could look by 2050 .
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Research by engineering firm Arup has imagined the skyscrapers of 2050 .
The buildings could include high-rise farms and algae-biofuel cells .
'Intelligent building systems' will adjust to the needs of inhabitants .
Jet-powered drones will maintain the modular structures, which can be reconfigured to suit the needs of society .
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A U.S. drone mistakenly targeted a wedding convoy in Yemen's al-Baitha province after intelligence reports identified the vehicles as carrying al Qaeda militants, two Yemeni national security officials told CNN on Thursday. The officials said that 14 people were killed and 22 others injured, nine in critical condition. The vehicles were traveling near the town of Radda when they were attacked. "This was a tragic mistake and comes at a very critical time. None of the killed was a wanted suspect by the Yemeni government," said a top Yemeni national security official who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to talk to media. U.S. officials declined to comment on the report. The convoy consisted of 11 vehicles, and the officials said that four of the vehicles were targeted in the strikes. Two of the vehicles were completely damaged. Among the killed were two prominent tribal leaders within the province. Residents in Radda were outraged about the attack and called on the Yemeni government to put an end of drone strikes in their region. "More than 50 innocent civilians in our town have been killed by drones," said Abdullah al-Kabra, an eyewitness to the drone strike. "All those who were killed were supportive of the governments anti-terror campaign. That will surely not be the case of their tribes and families if the government does not strongly intervene," he added. Yemeni security experts have argued that drones have on numerous occasions have directly played into al Qaeda's favor, turning peaceful tribal communities into vengeful killers. "The attack proved the need for tighter control and regulations as far as drones are concerned. At times, they have proved deadly and destructive to civilians," said Abdul Salam Mohammed, the president of the Sanaa-based Abaad Studies & Research Center. The drone operation in Yemen is part of a joint U.S.-Yemeni campaign against al Qaeda. Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi has vowed to continue attacks against terror elements until they surrender their arms. Militants attack hospital at Defense Ministry, killing 52 .
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Two national security officials from Yemen confirm to CNN the deadly drone strike .
Intelligence reports indicated convoy vehicles carried al Qaeda militants, they say .
Yemeni security official: "This was a tragic mistake and comes at a very critical time"
Outraged residents in the region call on Yemeni leaders to put an end of drone strikes .
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A mother is claiming she was duped under false pretenses into giving up her child for adoption to the son of the former mayor of Oklahoma City and now wants her baby back. Heather Bazzle says she gave up her son, Max, to Lance Norick and his wife Darcy in September, but before the adoption was finalized she discovered the couple were getting a divorce. The couple have since split to live in Arizona and Oklahoma while Max is now living with former mayor Ron Norick - a situation which Bazzle calls a 'failed adoption'. Scroll Down for Video . Teary: Heather Bazzle wants her son Max back from Lance and Darcy Norick because they divorced and did not tell her their marriage was in trouble during the adoption process . Bazzle, who is already the mother of three, decided to give up her unborn son because she could not financially support him. She told KFOR.com that she remembers thinking, 'How am I going to give this child everything I can?' A meeting with an adoption attorney led to the recommendation of Lance and Darcy Norck, who then both lived in Arizona. Bazzle said, 'They seemed like the perfect couple', and they were both present for Max's birth. Custody battle: Lance and Darcy Norick (left) do not currently have custody of Max (right) despite taking him from Heather Bazzle in September . First Christmas: The Noricks with Max before they separated and moved apart to Arizona and Oklahoma City . However, before the final paperwork went through, Bazzle discovered they were to split and she filed her emergency custody application because she believes the couple misrepresented themselves. 'That’s my baby. I love him,' Bazzle said. 'I’m trying to do what’s best for him, and even though I may have made a mistake placing him for adoption, I feel like God’s giving me a chance now to fix that and to be there for him.' However, an adoption expert in Oklahoma City told KFOR.com that the process Bazzle would have gone through would have been very specific. Determined mother: Heather Bazzle already has three children - and felt she couldn't financially support a third so gave Max up for adoption . Happy: The Norick's were there at Max's birth and took him home to Arizona afterwards . 'The judge asks, 'you understand that forever is a long time?' said Jim Ikard, . 'The mothers say, 'Yes, I do.' He added that it would be up to Bazzle to prove fraud had taken place - which he said would be very difficult. In addition, the fact that they had legally declared their custody originally to not be in the 'best interests' of the child would hinder any future claims. 'And so the question gets to be, if you don’t like this couple, it’s not a matter of you getting the child back. It’s finding another couple,' Ikard said. Bazzle said, 'I don’t feel like I can give my son to anybody and trust anybody with him anymore.' Primary care: While his son and daughter-in-law work out their marriage problems, former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick holds custody of baby Max .
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Oklahoma City mom, Heather Bazzle, wants her son Max back from Lance and Darcy Norick .
Lance, who is the son of former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick - is divorcing Darcy .
Bazzle claims that they did not reveal they were having marriage problems during the adoption process .
Baby Max was handed over to the Norick's in September .
Bazzle wants emergency custody granted to her and not Ron Norick .
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By . Mark Duell . PUBLISHED: . 13:22 EST, 2 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 01:49 EST, 3 July 2013 . This parish church’s iconic Victorian clock has been used by locals to set their watches since 1871. But the time is now 5:20 all day long at the picturesque St Michael and All Angels Church in Haworth, West Yorkshire, due to a health and safety ban that has been imposed on winding the clock. Retired policeman Jens Hislop has climbed the steps of the church several times a week for 23 years to set the clock - which has been ticking since 1863 and is older than most of the church. Not moving: Haworth vicar, the Reverend Peter Mayo-Smith, is pictured outside St Michael and All Angels Church, where a health and safety ban has been imposed on winding the Victorian clock . But an insurance inspection declared that Mr Hislop’s stepladder and winding platform - which have been at the church for decades - were unsafe, and the clock has been stuck at 5:20 since February. Mr Hislop, 73, who has branded the ban ‘barmy and crazy’, cannot touch the clock again until £1,000 of safety work on the joinery has been carried out - which will be mainly paid for by worshippers. He said yesterday: ‘I have been looking after the clock for 23 years and it has gone like clockwork. Then we had an insurance assessment and now health and safety has kicked in. ‘They say the platform, which has been there for decades, and the ladder, which was there when I started 23 years ago and was there before, are unsafe. ‘I personally don’t think it is unsafe. But they say it’s dangerous. The clock is in perfect working order but has been stopped since February. It is crazy. ‘The platform is only 10ft off the floor and the wooden step ladder was here when I started 23 years ago and is no different now to what it was then.’ Work needed: Church officials said the ladder - pictured with Reverend Mayo-Smith - is beyond its sell-by date . The clock mechanism runs down in eight days if not kept fully wound. Mr Hislop normally visited two to three times every week to maintain it. ‘I am perfectly willing to do it but I am not allowed to. It is health and safety gone barmy,’ he said. 'The platform is only 10ft off the floor and the wooden step ladder was here when I started 23 years ago and is no different now to what it was then' Jens Hislop, clock winder . Mr Hislop, who is also the church archivist, added: ‘I am not aware there has been an accident in the tower since it was built in 1871. If there had been I would have been aware of it. ‘You could argue the church itself is more dangerous. You could bang your head on a pew or slip on the chancellery steps. 'Where do you draw the line? It is not the fault of the church people who are my friends. They have to do what health and safety dictates.’ Mr Hislop and his two assistants wind the clock by going up the tower by a spiral staircase to the first floor, where the bell chamber is located. No winding allowed: But an insurance inspection declared that the stepladder and winding platform - which have been at the church for decades - were unsafe, and the clock has been stuck at 5:20 since February . He then places his step ladder on the floor of the bell chamber and climbs up to the wooden winding platform with his crank handle to wind the chimes and the mechanism. 'I have had tourists commenting on it and people in the street who keep looking up at it. So the quicker we can get it running, the happier I will be. It has just taken a lot longer than we thought' Reverend Peter Mayo-Smith . But church officials said the ladder is beyond its sell-by date. The other problem is that they have been advised the bannisters are worn out and need replacing and building up to the right height. The bannister height needs to be 3ft 7in - but at the moment is only 2ft 4in. A second rail is also needed to stop people slipping through gaps, the assessors said. The lower part of the church tower dates back four centuries to when Patrick Bronte, father of the famous Bronte sisters, had his living in Haworth. The upper tower - where the clock is - and the rest of the church were rebuilt in 1871, but still contain Bronte relics and are popular with Bronte fans all over the world. Development: The upper tower (right) and the rest of the church were rebuilt in 1871, but still contain Bronte relics. Reverend Mayo-Smith (left) said that the quicker the clock can start moving again, 'the happier I will be' Haworth vicar, the Reverend Peter Mayo-Smith, said: ‘I have had tourists commenting on it and people in the street who keep looking up at it. 'We would not want anybody seriously hurt while doing something for the benefit of the church and village' John Huxley, Parish Council Chairman . ‘So the quicker we can get it running, the happier I will be. It has just taken a lot longer than we thought.’ Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council chairman John Huxley said: ‘We had an insurance assessment and they said the tower did not meet health and safety requirements for the clock winder. ‘We were told the clock winder would have to stop until we had completed the safety work. We were asked to do the work by the insurers so we have to do it. ‘We would not want anybody seriously hurt while doing something for the benefit of the church and village.’
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Time is 5:20 at St Michael and All Angels Church in West Yorkshire .
Health and safety ban has been imposed on winding Victorian clock .
Retired policeman has climbed steps each week for 23 years to set it .
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By . James Nye . PUBLISHED: . 22:40 EST, 13 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 10:19 EST, 14 July 2013 . Trayvon Martin's heartbroken mother has poured her heart out onto Twitter in the sensational aftermath of George Zimmerman's not-guilty verdict. In an emotional message posted just an hour after the jurors reached their decision, Sybrina Fulton called this 'her darkest hour' and prayed to Jesus for help and guidance. 'Lord during my darkest hour I lean on you. You are all that I have. At the end of the day, GOD is still in control. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I will love you forever Trayvon!!! In the name of Jesus!!!' Scroll down for video . Devastated: The parents of Trayvon Martin, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, in the courtroom for the George Zimmerman trial in Seminole circuit court, in Sanford, Florida, on Thursday - they did not attend the verdict on Saturday evening . Testimony: Tracy Martin, the father of Trayvon Martin, testifies on the stand in George Zimmerman's second degree murder trial in Seminole circuit court, in Sanford, Florida, Monday, July 8th, 2013 . Trayvon's father, Tracy, also posted his reaction to the social networking site approximately half-an-hour after the verdict was announced. 'Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE MY BABY TRAY (sic).' Thanking everyone who supported the Martin family during the three week long trial, Martin also paid tribute to his 17-year-old son and re-iterated that he and Trayvon's mother, Sybrina knew that he would be proud of their legal fight. 'God blessed Me and Sybrina with Tray and even in his death I know my baby proud of the FIGHT we along with all of you put up for him GOD BLESS (sic)'. Both Tracy Martin and Trayvon's mother Sybrina Fulton chose not to be in the Seminole Circuit Court when the jurors announced their decision just before 10 p.m. George Crump the family's attorney said that they will still be pursuing a civil case against George Zimmerman. Emotional: In this expanded tweet from the account of Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin - she describes the aftermath of the verdict as her darkest hour . At a press conference after the verdict, Crump thanked all the protesters . nationwide who 'put their hoodies up and to everybody who said, 'I am . Trayvon.' Bernie De la Rionda, the lead prosecutor, said, 'I am disappointed in the verdict but I respect it. We accept the jury's verdict.' He urged supporters to remain calm and peaceful, despite the verdict. Around the nation, pockets of protest broke out from New York to Los Angeles. Using strong language Crump said, 'You have a little black boy who was killed.' 'It's going to be reported in history books and 50 years from now, our children will talk about Trayvon Martin's case like we talk about Emmett Till.' Till was a 14-years old when he was tortured, mutilated and murdered in 1955, in Mississippi. The black youth was accused of flirting with a white woman and the case shocked the nation and was one of the lead factors in the birth of the civil rights movement. In spite of Crumps racially charged language, prosecutors have never argued that Zimmerman racially profiled the teen and instead said the teen was profiled as a criminal. Heart-Broken: Tracy Martin took to Twitter to thank his supporters and to explain his devastation at the not-guilty verdict . Neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman was cleared of all charges Saturday in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager whose killing unleashed furious debate across the U.S. over racial profiling, self-defense and equal justice. Zimmerman, 29, blinked and barely smiled when the verdict was announced. He could have been convicted of second-degree murder or manslaughter. But the jury of six women, all but one of them white, reached a verdict of not guilty after deliberating well into the night Saturday. The jurors considered nearly three weeks of often wildly conflicting testimony over who was the aggressor on the rainy night the 17-year-old was shot while walking through the gated townhouse community where he was staying. Legal Team: (2-L to R) Attorneys Natalie Jackson, Benjamin Crump, and Daryl Parks representing the family of Trayvon Martin sit stoically as George Zimmerman's not guilty verdict is read in the Seminole circuit court in Florida . Elated: George Zimmerman's parents Robert Zimmerman Sr. (L) and Gladys Zimmerman celebrate following his not guilty verdict in the Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Florida, USA, 13th July 2013 . Defense attorneys said the case was classic self-defense, claiming Martin knocked Zimmerman down and was slamming the older man's head against the concrete sidewalk when Zimmerman fired his gun. Prosecutors called Zimmerman a liar and portrayed him was a 'wannabe cop' vigilante who had grown frustrated by break-ins in his neighborhood committed primarily by young black men. Zimmerman assumed Martin was up to no good and took the law into his own hands, prosecutors said. State Attorney Angela Corey said after the verdict that she believed second-degree murder was the appropriate charge because Zimmerman's mindset 'fit the bill of second-degree murder.' 'We charged what we believed we could prove,' Corey said. As the verdict drew near, police and city leaders in the Orlando suburb of Sanford and other parts of Florida said they were taking precautions against the possibility of mass protests or unrest in the event of an acquittal. George Zimmerman listens as the verdict is announced that the jury finds him not guilty, with his attorneys Mark O'Mara (L) and co-counsel, Don West (2nd L) and Lorna Truett (2nd R), on Saturday evening . 'There is no party in this case who wants to see any violence,' Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger said immediately after jurors began deliberating. 'We have an expectation upon this announcement that our community will continue to act peacefully.' The verdict came a year and a half after civil rights protesters angrily demanded Zimmerman be prosecuted. Zimmerman wasn't arrested for 44 days after the Feb. 26, 2012, shooting as police in Sanford insisted that Florida's Stand Your Ground law on self-defense prohibited them from bringing charges. Florida gives people wide latitude to use deadly force if they fear death or bodily harm. Martin's parents, along with civil rights leaders such as the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, argued that Zimmerman — whose father is white and whose mother is Hispanic — had racially profiled their son. And they accused investigators of dragging their feet because Martin was a black teenager. Tracy Martin is seen here with teenage Trayvon in this undated family photo. Trayvon's parents reacted with sadness and frustration at the acquittal of the man who killed their son . Before a special prosecutor assigned to the case ordered Zimmerman's arrest, thousands of protesters gathered in Sanford, Miami, New York and elsewhere, many wearing hoodies like the one Martin had on the night he died. They also carried Skittles and a can of iced tea, items Martin had in his pocket. President Barack Obama weighed in, saying that if he had a son, 'he'd look like Trayvon.' Despite the racially charged nature of the case, race was barely mentioned at the trial. Even after the verdict, prosecutors said race was not about race. 'This case has never been about race or the right to bear arms,' Corey said. 'We believe this case all along was about boundaries, and George Zimmerman exceeded those boundaries.' One exception was the testimony of Rachel Jeantel, the Miami teen who was talking to Martin by phone moments before he was shot. She said he described being followed by a 'creepy-ass cracker' as he walked through the neighborhood. People watch a news ticker in Times Square deliver the news that George Zimmerman was found not guilty on Saturday, July 13, 2013 in New York . Jeantel gave some of the trial's most riveting testimony. She said she overheard Martin demand, 'What are you following me for?' and then yell, 'Get off! Get off!' before his cellphone went dead. The jurors had to sort out clashing testimony from 56 witnesses in all, including police, neighbors, friends and family members. For example, witnesses who got fleeting glimpses of the fight in the darkness gave differing accounts of who was on top. And Martin's parents and Zimmerman's parents both claimed that the person heard screaming for help in the background of a neighbor's 911 call was their son. Numerous other relatives and friends weighed in, too, as the recording was played over and over in court. Zimmerman had cuts and scrapes on his face and the back of his head, but prosecutors suggested the injuries were not serious. Tennetta Foster cries after hearing a verdict of not guilty in the trial of George Zimmerman at the Seminole County Courthouse, Saturday, July 13, 2013, in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman had been charged for the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin . To secure a second-degree murder conviction, prosecutors had to convince the jury that Zimmerman acted with a 'depraved' state of mind — that is, with ill will, hatred or spite. Prosecutors said he demonstrated that when he muttered, 'F------ punks. These a-------. They always get away' during a call to police as he watched Martin walk through his neighborhood. To win a manslaughter conviction, prosecutors had to convince the jury only that Zimmerman killed without lawful justification.
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Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin took to Twitter to express their devastation at George Zimmerman's not-guilty verdict .
Sybrina Fulton described the outcome as her 'darkest hour' and asked God for help .
Tracy Martin announced that he knows that his son, Trayvon Martin, would have been proud of his supporters .
Tracy Martin and Trayvon's mother .
Sybrina Fulton chose not to be in the Seminole Circuit Court when the .
jurors announced their decision just before 10 p.m.
The urged Trayvon's supporters to remain calm and peaceful .
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Roy Hodgson admits he will have to manage the expectation around Raheem Sterling as the England forward comes to terms with his growing status. The head coach revealed that Liverpool's Sterling was devastated to be replaced at half-time during the 5-0 victory over San Marino on Thursday. But Hodgson believes there will come a time when Sterling needs a longer break. He said: 'We are conscious of managing (the expectation). I don't think it will need managing until he shows signs of suffering from it. He is not alone in that. But when Raheem shows signs of not being quite as sharp, not doing as well, trying too hard, that might be the moment we think we have to manage this and give him a break. Roy Hodgson will consider resting Raheem Sterling (right) if he is not performing to his potential . Sterling, pictured in action against San Marino, was substituted at half-time against the European minnows . Hodgson (left) is happy with Sterling's form and sees no reason for Liverpool to worry about the midfielder . 'That is not the case at the moment and I don't think Liverpool need to worry. His first half against San Marino was as lively as it could have been. 'At half-time I said, "I am taking you two (Sterling and Jordan Henderson) off", and they looked at me like "Don't do that — we want to stay on", and that is quite nice.' Hodgson has challenged his players to keep up the winning momentum when they travel to Tallinn for Sunday's Euro 2016 clash with Estonia. He said: 'We must not let anything slip from what we were doing against San Marino, although it will be a bit more difficult.' Liverpool midfielder Sterling has an effort at goal but he couldn't find the back of the net against San Marino . Sterling was disappointed to be withdrawn after 45 minutes at Wembley on Thursday evening .
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Raheem Sterling was substituted at half-time during England's 5-0 win against San Marino at Wembley .
Roy Hodgson believes the midfielder may need a longer break at some point .
But the Three Lions boss insists there is no need to worry about the Liverpool youngster at present .
Sterling is expected to start for England against Estonia on Sunday .
Hodgson has challenged his players to maintain their momentum in Tallinn .
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Cristiano Ronaldo would be a perfect match for Monaco. It should be no surprise they tried to lure him to a poser’s paradise where security is as high as the tax is low, and where the yachts are as big as the dogs are small. You can picture the hair gel glistening in the sun as his Ferrari glides by Casino Square. It is not so easy to envisage him performing to sparse crowds at the Stade Louis II, but maybe one day it will appeal. ‘It’s true we met Ronaldo,’ nodded Vadim Vasilyev, Monaco’s vice- president and right-hand man to billionaire owner and president, Dmitry Rybolovlev. ‘I know Ronaldo, but it was not quite on. Monaco's days of signing A-list talent like Radamel Falcao (left) and James Rodriguez (centre) are over . Monaco have downgraded their transfer policy from signing Falcao to the likes of Dimitar Berbatov (right) Rodriguez left the principality to sign for Real Madrid for around £60m in the summer . Monaco's vice president Vadim Vasilyev concedes a France FA bill and FFP regulations have cut spending . ‘We were joking one day he might come. He likes Monaco, the project, and our president, they know each other. We sat down with Ronaldo but knowing we were looking a bit more in the distant future. We did not enter into serious discussions with Wayne Rooney, but we had contact about signing him. We were almost at the point of meeting Rio Ferdinand but he did not want to come.’ These targets were set in the heady days after the Rybolovlev takeover saved AS Monaco from relegation to the French third tier and the threat of extinction in December 2011, and then restored them to Ligue 1 within 18 months. Since then, strategy has changed. A-list players are no longer such prime targets. Stars like Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez have left, but the ambition remains to keep this club at the top. The Ligue 1 club held talks with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo during the height of their financial power . Wayne Rooney (left) and Rio Ferdinand were also courted by the formerly big spending French side . ‘Monaco is an attractive place,’ said Vasilyev. ‘Families and wives of players fall in love with it. For some, it’s important to have a stadium full of 60,000 fans. For others, it is to have the feeling and security this country can offer. With equal terms, some players will say no, no, not Monaco, and others will say yes, yes, every time. This was the case with Falcao.’ When Falcao moved on loan to Manchester United, soon after James had been sold to Real Madrid, fans protested and rumours were rife Rybolovlev was bored, feeling the pinch of his divorce or had fallen out with Prince Albert, after failing to acquire Monegasque citizenship. These were refuted by the owners, who put the policy shift down to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules and a £41.5million bill from the French FA to offset the club’s tax-free status. ‘To jump-start the project, massive investments were needed,’ said Vasilyev. ‘Our president is a very ambitious man and we accomplished what we did. But since the summer 2013, I said: “Look, there won’t be massive investments.”’ Little known Silva Bernardo celebrates after scoring the winner in Monaco's 1-0 defeat of Nice at the weekend . Monaco's rise from the French third division to the Champions League has been bankrolled by billionaire owner Dmitri Rybolovlev, pictured here with Prince Albert II (right) The principality's lavish lifestyle, low taxes and high security are a lure for professional footballers . FFP rules squeezed this club, with its tiny fan base inside a nation with a population of 35,000. ‘Nobody wants an unfair competition,’ said Vasilyev. ‘The trick is how to implement this in real life. Is the recent (£5billion) TV rights deal in England unfair to other European clubs? Can they compete at the same level when Premier League clubs can buy almost any player? ‘Under these rules, a project like Chelsea or Manchester City is no longer possible. Is it good big clubs stay big and small ones stay small?’ One arm of Monaco’s new strategy is to revert to the strengths of the era when Arsene Wenger was in charge, producing talent like David Trezeguet, Lilian Thuram and Thierry Henry. Leonardo Jardim’s squad is the youngest left in the Champions League, even with Ricardo Carvalho (36) and Dimitar Berbatov (34) boosting the average age to 23.9 years. Thierry Henry is one of several France legends to have been groomed at Monaco . Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim has the youngest squad left in the Champions League . ‘When we signed Ricky (Carvalho) there was so much criticism because of his age,’ said Vasilyev. ‘But when I met him for the first time, at night in Madrid, in his jeep so no one would see us, I recognised his positive personality and it has helped us a lot.’ Another arm of the plan is to lean on Monaco’s global appeal and association with its Royal Family and Grand Prix. The club crest has been redesigned to include the word Monaco rather than the initials ASM and this season’s team photo was taken at the opulent Opera de Monte Carlo. ‘Monaco is a historic club — one of the major clubs in France — and the ambition was always to give back this identity,’ said Vasilyev. ‘We are unique. We consider ourselves part of the principality, which stands in this world for many things: luxury, sports, ecology.’ Arsene Wenger will return to his former club when Arsenal face Monaco in the Champions League last 16 . The Gunners prepared for Wednesday's clash with a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend . They are into the knock-out stages of the Champions League for the first time in a decade and the draw against Wenger’s Arsenal laces the revival story with emotion. ‘Wenger is revered as one of the great coaches in Monaco history and one of the iconic coaches in modern football,’ said Vasilyev, but he quashed the idea the 65-year-old may return to the club he led to the French title in 1988. ‘We have to accept Arsenal is a different level in European football. He has been there for nearly 20 years and done an amazing job. We have the greatest respect but to come back to Monaco is not on the agenda. We are going for coaches who still have to grow and prove themselves and develop as part of the project.’ MAY 2011 . Monaco are relegated to Ligue 2 for the first time since 1976 after finishing 18th. DECEMBER 2011 . Dmitry Rybolovlev acquires a controlling stake with the club bottom of Ligue 2. MAY 2012 . After finishing eighth, the club appoint former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri as manager. MAY 2013 . Monaco are crowned champions in convincing style, securing promotion back to Ligue 1. JULY 2013 . The club embark on a £140m spending spree, signing Falcao, James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho. MAY 2014 — present . They finish second, but Ranieri is sacked and replaced by Leonardo Jardim. A £41.5m tax bill and Rybolovlev’s £2.6bn divorce pay-out play their part as Falcao and James are sold, ending their brief time as big spenders.
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Monaco have been bankrolled from the French third division into the Champions League by billionaire owner Dmitry Rybolovlev .
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand have all been targets .
However, Ligue 1 club's days of signing players like Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez are over, admits vice president Vadim Vasilyev .
French side meet Arsenal in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday .
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There’s no escaping the fact that F1 2013 isn’t a complete engine overhaul – rather, a fine-tuned update. Perhaps the most noticeable tweak, though, is just how more accessible Codemasters have made it compared to its intimidatingly time-consuming rival. On track: there's plenty here for both hardcore fans of the sport and more causal gamers to enjoy . For starters, there’s the Season Challenge mode – offering a compressed season that can be completed in just a few hours. Or the pick-up and play Scenario mode that pits your wits against 20 racing challenges. Whereas its predecessor focused on its Career experience (which also returns in full force), it often involved dedicating a large period of time to play through it – scaring away some more casual gamers. F1 2013 suffers from no such issue, given the amount of short, fast-paced thrills on offer. And with superb graphics, commentary from Sky Sports' David Croft and Anthony Davidson and handling that’s affected by both the finest set-up tweaks and changes in weather, there is plenty here for hardcore fans to enjoy, too. Hard to master: handling is the toughest thing about F1 2013 - and will take some time to get right . A note about the handling, though. Although last year's edition went some way to allow for driver error, it will still take a lot of practise to ensure you don't finish races with a 30 second penalty. The mind-numbing Young Driver's Test goes some way to teach you the basics, and the rewind feature makes a return - but the latter still feels slightly out of place in a game that prides itself on delivering unparalleled authenticity. Away from contemporary F1, and there is the F1 Classics mode - where you race some of the world's best-known drivers of yesteryear around iconic circuits. The absence of KERS and DRS means driver skill and flair becomes more important than ever - and the cars feel noticeably more raw than today's tamed beasts. Coupled with commentary from Murray Walker, and an optional retro TV filter and it makes for an incredibly authentic, high-speed journey back to the golden age of motorsport. Authentic: every little detail of the cars have been painstakingly captured . Sadly, there are only a limited number of tracks that come with the standard edition of the game. For more classic cars, drivers and tracks you'll have to buy the Classics Edition or download it. Aesthetic changes may be minimal - as expected in a yearly update - but overall presentation, much like the latest FIFA incarnate, has improved - most noticeably in the soundtrack. Multiplayer is catered for via split screen, system link or online while Co-op Championship lets you take on an entire season with a friend. Brake point: the Young Driver's Test goes some way to help but there's no substitute for racing experience . With next-gen consoles around the corner, it’s only a matter of time before F1 games have the engine rebuild so many fans are waiting for. But for now, F1 2013 is more than enough… . F1 2013 is out on Friday. Agree with Talal? Follow us on Twitter: @DailyMailGames and on Facebook: Daily Mail Games.
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EGO Engine 3.0 delivers stunning - if not vastly improved - visuals .
Much more friendly to casual gamers - plenty of game modes to enjoy .
Improved AI and brilliant F1 Classics mode .
For those wanting full access to all of the F1 Classic mode content - you'll have to buy the Classics Edition .
Handling still hard to master and Young Diver's Test is very boring .
Improved overall presentation .
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By . Paul Donnelley . The mother of a 14-year-old boy from The Bronx who is accused of stabbing to death a classmate has said that her son was acting in self-defense after suffering from months of merciless bullying that left him suicidal. Noel Estevez allegedly used a kitchen knife to stab his former best friend, Timothy Crump, in the chest three times after school Wednesday. Timothy was rushed to Bronx-Lebanon Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Estevez has been charged as an adult with second degree murder and second degree manslaughter. Dispute: Noel Estevez, left, allegedly stabbed Timothy Crump, right, repeatedly in the chest, killing him, as they left school on Wednesday . According to local reports, the two classmates had a falling out over a smartphone, which Estevez had borrowed from Crump but was unable to return. On Saturday, Estevez's mother, Maria Estevez, 52, broke her silence for the first time since her son's arrest, telling the New York Daily News from behind bars that her child was afraid for his life. 'He was protecting himself. I saw him on the news. I saw his face,' said Mrs Estevez from her jail cell in Rikers Island, where she has been held since June 11 after she allegedly tried to sell crack cocaine to an undercover officer. The mother blamed the victim, Timothy Crump, also 14 years old, for pushing her special-needs son over the edge. Unable to take the relentless bullying anymore, in May Noel tried to take his own life, according to his mother. While recovering from the suicide attempt in the hospital, the 14-year-old was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. A week after Noel was released home he allegedly came to school armed with a knife for protection . When Crump jumped his former friend after classes let out, Estevez pulled out the knife and plunged it repeatedly into the other boy's chest, police said. When questioned by investigators, Noel Estevez said he was retaliating against his tormentor, who attacked him without provocation. Noel Estevez, 14, has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter over the death of his former friend, Timothy Crump . According to Noel's 52-year-old . mother, her son could not take the abuse, which ranged from homophobic . name-calling to mean jokes about his speech impediment to urinating on . the Estevez family’s front door. ‘[Noel] was saying, “They’ll kill me!”’ Maria Estevez recalled to the Daily News. A . teacher at Intermediate School 117, which both teens had attended, . described Crump as 'a predator, a monster' and 'a bomb waiting to . explode.' On her part, Maria Estevez had . some harsh words for officials at her son's school, saying that they did . nothing to protect Noel from the abuse or help him transfer out. Mrs Estevez recalled that her son was so scared of his nemesis that he took to opening the door armed with a knife. Noel’s . mother also said that case workers from the Administration for . Children's Services ignored her concerns for her son's safety, which had led . her to keep him home for a while, and ordered her to send him back to . school. During the . jailhouse interview, Mrs Estevez also shed light on the fate of the . iPhone that started a war between the two former friends, revealing that . she shattered the device after learning that Crump had allegedly stolen . it from someone during a violent mugging, and then let Estevez borrow . it. After Noel was unable . to return the phone to Crump, the boy turned on his friend and . classmate, launching a bullying campaign against him with other teens. Intermediate School 117 on Morris Avenue in the Bronx: One 14-year-old pupil allegedly stabbed another 14-year-old pupil to death there on Wednesday . Mrs . Estevez recalled that before their feud, the two 14-year-olds would . often play basketball together and even have sleepovers. She added that . she feels sorry for Crump's family. Friends . and neighbors said that Timothy accused Estevez of stealing his . smartphone and that started a campaign of harassment and bullying that . resulted in Estevez trying to kill himself. Noel Estevez, who friends said suffered . from a speech impediment and Tourette’s syndrome, was terrified of Timothy and a group of his friends who took to chasing him down the . street and leaving him too scared to leave his home. Around 3pm Wednesday, as Intermediate School 117 on Morris Avenue in The Bronx was being let out, the argument between Estevez and Timothy Crump spilled over into bloodshed. Witnesses said that they saw Timothy confront Estevez as they left school, before punching him and kneeing him in the nose. Teachers and teaching assistants rushed to the scene to break up the brawl but before they could intervene, Estevez produced a 12-inch kitchen knife and plunged it into his former friend three times, inflicting fatal wounds. Noel Estevez tried to hang himself in his own apartment on May 28. His father found him in the closet with a rope . Chailyn Oballe, 12, said that she was leaving classes for the day when she saw a group huddling outside the school. 'And . that's when I saw the boy with the knife,' she said. 'He looked like . he was about to stab somebody else and then he put the knife in his . pocket and covered it with his shirt.' Differing accounts have been given about the boys' relationship. One has it that Estevez had long been bullied by Timothy Crump. Another that they were all part of the same gang but had fallen out. 'He . used to be part of their group, but I think they threw him out and they . started teasing him,' Jorge Guerrero, 47, the porter at the Estevez building on East Clarke Place in High Bridge, said. He said that on at least four occasions in the last month he had to mop up urine from outside the apartment. He added that he did not recognize Crump as one of the bullies - but others did. 'Timothy is one of the kids that is constantly bullying Noel,' Estevez’s neighbor Stephany Arroyo, 23, said. '[He . would say] things like, "Ha ha, your mum's a crackhead, you're . stuttering, you don't got no food stamps, you're mum’s locked up.' Another family friend Marisol Perez said it was worse than that. ‘They would move their bowels in front of the door, try and set the door on fire,’ she said. ‘Every time the cops would come, the kids would leave, saying there was nothing they could do about it.' Mrs Estevez and Miss Perez were arrested on June 11 for allegedly selling drugs to an undercover policeman. Both declare their innocence. Charged: Estevez can be seen centre being taken in for questioning on Wednesday night. He has now been charged with second-degree murder and charged as an adult, police said . Miss Arroyo said that Timothy 'found it funny'. She said that he and his friends would hang outside Estevez's building, threatening him. The treatment eventually left Estevez suicidal, Marisol Perez, said. 'Two . weeks ago on May 28 he tried to hang himself in his own apartment,' Miss Perez added. 'His . father found him hanging himself in the closet with a rope.' Estevez . was recently released from the hospital and returned to school this . week, even though he told his father he did not want to go because of the . bullies. Arrest: A security guard reportedly stopped the fight outside the school, IS 177, and the boy was arrested . 'His father brought him to school this morning and said, "Don’t worry, just go straight home after school",' Miss Perez added. But Timothy Crump's neighbors at a homeless shelter said that he was a quiet child and that Estevez was the bully. 'He . wanted to make it look like he was the victim,' Tyrone Rivers said. 'He'd say, "I run this block, I’m going to get my gun and shoot you." I’ve seen him say it.' A policeman said that Estevez had borrowed Timothy’s mobile, but was unable to return it. Timothy is believed to have asked for the phone’s return or financial compensation. Crime scene: Authorities gather outside the school where the teenager was stabbed after class . On Thursday, Estevez appeared at a Bronx courthouse. His father, Felix, was not present at the court because, said defense lawyer Eric Poulos, he had been threatened by Timothy’s family, although his aunts and cousins did attend. The hearing lasted around 10 minutes and Mr Poulos described months of harassment and intimidation suffered by his client. The family had repeatedly sought help from the authorities, to little avail, he said. Judge Laurence Busching ordered Estevez to be held without bail and scheduled the next hearing for Tuesday .
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Noel Estevez stabbed Timothy Crump, 14, in the chest three times after they left school in the Bronx, New York, Wednesday .
Estevez borrowed Crump's stolen iPhone but was unable to return it because his mother broke it .
Maria Estevez, Noel's mother who is currently in jail on drug charges, said her son was afraid for his life .
the parent recalled that the 14-year-old took to opening the door armed with a knife .
Neighbors claimed Crump and his friends urinated and excreted on the Estevez family doorstep .
A teacher described Crump as a 'monster' and a 'bomb waiting to explode'
On May 28, Estevez, who has a stutter and Tourette's, tried to hang himself .
Estevez has been charged as an adult with second degree murder .
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Title: European Space Agency Successfully Launches Groundbreaking Climate Satellite, 'ClimaSat'
Brussels, Belgium - The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced the successful launch of its groundbreaking climate satellite, ClimaSat, from the Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana early this morning. This state-of-the-art observational satellite is set to revolutionize our understanding and monitoring of Earth's climate.
ClimaSat carries an innovative technology called 'climate-proof spectrometer,' which can measure the Earth's atmosphere with unprecedented accuracy, helping scientists better understand greenhouse gas concentrations, aerosol levels, and cloud properties. These insights are crucial for improving weather forecasting models and climate change mitigation strategies worldwide.
"ClimaSat is a significant step forward in our quest to understand the complexities of our climate system," said ESA Director General Jan Wörner. "The data collected by this satellite will contribute significantly to global efforts aimed at tackling climate change."
This launch marks another milestone for ESA, following its recent successful mission to Mars with the ExoMars rover and its ongoing collaboration on the James Webb Space Telescope with NASA. The ClimaSat project is a testament to Europe's commitment towards scientific research, technological innovation, and sustainable development.
Over the next five years, ClimaSat will be providing vital climate data from its orbit 785 kilometers above Earth. The data will be freely accessible to scientists, policymakers, and interested individuals across the globe, fostering international collaboration and driving progress in our collective fight against climate change.
Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting venture as we continue to explore and understand our universe!
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The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully launched its innovative climate satellite, ClimaSat, from Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana. This satellite carries a 'climate-proof spectrometer' technology capable of measuring Earth's atmosphere with unparalleled accuracy, helping scientists understand greenhouse gas concentrations, aerosol levels, and cloud properties. These insights are crucial for improving weather forecasting models and combating climate change globally. ESA Director General, Jan Wörner, stated that ClimaSat is a significant step towards understanding the complexities of our climate system. Over the next five years, ClimaSat will provide vital climate data from its orbit 785 kilometers above Earth, with the data accessible to scientists, policymakers, and interested individuals worldwide. This launch marks another milestone for ESA as they continue their exploration and understanding of the universe.
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Authorities say three people are dead and two injured after a fiery crash in Kailua-Kona. One teenage girl manage to escape from one of the burning vehicles. Hawaii County police say a Kia sport utility vehicle traveling south and a Nissan pickup truck traveling north crashed into each other early Saturday on Queen Kaahumanu Highway. Police say the man driving the Kia and two passengers died at the scene. Deadly crash: Hawaii County police say a Kia sport utility vehicle traveling south and a Nissan pickup truck traveling north crashed (not pictured) into each other early Saturday on Queen Kaahumanu Highway . A 17-year-old passenger was able to escape the burning Kia. She was taken Kona Community Hospital. The driver of the truck was taken to the same hospital. West Hawaii Today reports the Jaws of Life were required to extricate him from the truck. Police say it's not immediately known if speed or alcohol were factors in the crash. Queen Kaahumanu Highway between Hinalani Street and Hulikoa Drive was closed for several hours while police investigated. The victims of the crash have not yet been identified. Three dead: Authorities say three people are dead and two are injured after a fiery crash in Kailua-Kona .
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A Kia sport utility traveling south and a Nissan pickup truck traveling north crashed into each other early Saturday on Queen Kaahumanu Highway .
Police say the man driving the Kia and two passengers died at the scene.
A 17-year-old passenger was able to escape the burning Kia and is recovering in a hospital .
Jaws of Life equipment were required to extricate the driver of the Nissan from the truck .
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By . Brian Marjoribanks . Stefan Scepovic insisted Celtic had always been his first choice after finally completing his controversial on-off move from Sporting Gijon. The 24-year-old Serbia international looked to have turned his back on the Scottish champions in favour of a move to Getafe despite passing a Celtic medical in Paris and agreeing terms on a move to Glasgow. But after the Parkhead club had made their disgust known at Scepovic’s change of heart, suddenly the £2.2million deal was back on again amid claims that Spanish financial play rules had sunk the move to Getafe. Remember the name: Stefan Scepovic signed for Celtic from Sporting Gijon amid Getafe interest . As he was unveiled on Tuesday night on a four-year deal, Scepovic vowed to work hard to win over the fans. But he flatly denied messing Celtic about and even challenged his detractors to prove anything other than Ronny Deila’s side were always his preferred option. ‘My first choice was always Celtic,’ insisted the striker. ‘I never said I didn’t want to come here. I don’t know why people say things like that. When I spoke with my family and friends, I always said my choice was to come here. Yes, there were some problems in the deal but the most important thing is that I am here now. ‘I know (some fans might be wary). But . they can search the internet and they will never find any quotes from me where I said I didn’t want to come to Celtic. Never — because I didn’t say it. ‘I know Celtic is a big club with a lot of history and great fans. I want to prove I can play at a big club like Celtic. ‘I’ll work hard and do everything to prove I can play here and bring something different. Ball skills: The striker shows off his keepie-uppies at Parkhead . Controversial: It looked as if he favoured a move to Getafe, before FFP regulations, he then landed in Glasgow . ‘Monday was a tough day, but that’s football,’ he added. ‘I was in my house watching TV and I was really a little bit nervous because of the situation. But at the same time I was calm. I had a choice before I chose Celtic and I was happy when I knew I would be a Celtic player. ‘What made me nervous? It’s normal. I was nervous because maybe there were some problems. But I don’t want to look at what happened before. I just look to the future.’
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Scepovic looked like he was moving to Getafe on a busy Monday .
Spanish financial fair play rules sunk the move to La Liga rivals .
Says: My first choice was Celtic. I never said I didn’t want to come here'
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Cristiano Ronaldo rewrote another page of the Real Madrid record book with two of the three goals that helped give his team a 3-0 win over Getafe. Nobody in the club’s history has scored more league goals away from home than Ronaldo, who netted what were his 27th and 28th league goals of the season. With Gareth Bale also scoring Real Madrid were comfortable winners despite reaching the break not having scored in the first half for the first time this season. The magnitude of Ronaldo’s record is best appreciated in comparison with the man whose record he overtakes. Former captain and club legend Raul scored 87 goals away from home in the league in 271 matches. Ronaldo has scored 89 in 92 games. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Karim Benzema, who worked hard to set up his team-mate for the opening goal of the game . Gareth Bale added the second goal of the afternoon as he prodded in a cross with the outside of his boot . Ronaldo heads in Real Madrid's third goal after timing his run to connect with James Rodriguez's cross . Bale wheels away in celebration after stabbing the ball past Getafe's keeper during the league clash . Bale and Ronaldo celebrate after the Welsh winger doubled the visitors' lead in the second half . Benzema used a brilliant piece of skill to beat a Getafe defender and set up the opening goal for Ronaldo . After beating his man Benzema slides the ball for Ronaldo who then slots the ball into the empty net . Getafe (4-2-3-1): Codina; Alexis, Lago, Naldo, Velazquez; Rodriguez, Leon (Yoda 74), Sammir (Felip 83), Castro, Sarabia (Hinestroza 56); Vazquez. Subs not used: Valera, Lopez, Arroyo, Escudero. Booked: Lago, Velazquez. Real Madrid (4-3-3): Casillas; Ramos, Marcelo (Nacho 82), Carvajal, Varane; Kroos (Ilarramendi 82), Isco (Khedira 78), Rodriguez; Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema. Subs not used: Navas, Hernandez, Jese, Medran. Scorers: Ronaldo (63, 79), Bale (67). Booked: Kroos, Rodriguez. Att: 11500. If the second half was all smiles and broken records the first was tough going for Madrid. The midday start meant directors from both sides had to replace the usual pre-match lunch or dinner with a breakfast at the club’s Alfonso Perez Coliseum and Real made a sleepy start to the game. They took half an hour to muster their first real chance with James Rodriguez’ shot charged down after he was found with a Karim Benzema cross. The Frenchman was then fed by Bale but failed to beat Jordi Codina in the Getafe goal. The former Real Madrid youth team keeper also saved from Bale as the home side frustrated Real. Getafe have taken 19 points of off Madrid in the last 10 years. Only five La Liga teams have a better record and true to form they made the first 45 minutes tough going for Carlo Ancelotti’s leaders. They might even had led after Pablo Sarabia – another former Real Madrid youth team player – raced away to feed Jorge Sammir only for the Brazilian-born Croatian to miss the chance. Madrid were missing a Croatian of their own. Luka Modric will be out for another month and Real are starting to really missing his invention. Toni Kroos is doing his best without him and it was his rasping left-foot shot that rattled the crossbar in the last piece of action of the first half. In the second period Codina continued to frustrate his former club, saving from Isco who shot from distance. Madrid were being reduced to long shots until Benzema finally found a way through. The Frenchman hasn’t scored for Madrid since November but nobody is panicking because everyone at the club knows how important his overall play is. He dribbled his way to the byline, lifted his head and found Ronaldo who had found space on the edge of the six-yard box with not a single blue-shirted player tracking his run. Within two minutes the lead was doubled. This time it was Rodriguez who crossed from the left and Bale cutting in from the right stabbed the ball home with the outside of his left foot. The Welshman hobbled off in injury time after a kick on the calf from Emiliano Valazquez but he will be happy with what was another effective display. Getafe hit the post late on but fell further behind when Ronaldo got his second. Rodriguez again loaded the bullets this time for the Portuguese to jump between two defenders and bullet a header past Codina. It was the third goal of a game already won but he celebrated it in his customary fashion – scoring for fun has never been so apt. Getafe goalkeeper Jordi Codina saves a shot from Real Madrid's French forward Benzema on Sunday . Former Tottenham and Southampton winger Bale controls the ball on his chest during the league clash . Ballon d'Or winner and Portugal captain Ronaldo attempts to get past Getafe defender Alexis Ruano . Marcelo, Isco and Ronaldo look unimpressed with Bale after the Welshman wastes a chance against Getafe . Getafe's Roberto Lago competes for the ball with Real Madrid centre backs Sergio Ramos (right) and Raphael Varane (centre) Former Malaga midfielder Isco tries to control the ball on his chest while flying through the air . Bale holds his leg in pain after receiving a heavy tackle that forced him off the pitch late in the game . World Cup-winner Toni Kroos competes for the ball with Getafe forward Alvaro Vazquez at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez . Getafe left back Alexis slides in to tackle Colombian midfielder Rodriguez during the second half . Bale brings the ball under control while being closed down at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez stadium in Madrid . Former Manchester United man Ronaldo controls the ball while trying to hold of a challenge from Lago . Former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti looks on as his team emerge victorious in their league clash .
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Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring after brilliant skill from Karim Benzema .
Former Tottenham winger Gareth Bale then doubled Real Madrid's lead shortly afterwards .
Ronaldo then ended the tie as a contest by adding a third with a brilliantly-timed header .
Bale was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge late on that forced him off the field for treatment .
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Addressing the issue: Teenager Chris Whitehead wore his sister's skirt to class in protest at his school's ban on shorts which he said was unfair . A 13-year-old boy who wore a skirt to school in protest at a 'discriminatory' uniform ban on shorts was today given a prestigious human rights prize. Chris Whitehead made headlines in May when he turned up for class in his younger sister's black skirt. He was taking stand against a rule at Impington Village College near Cambridge which allowed girls to change into skirts during hot weather, while boys had to swelter in long trousers. The Year 9 student said wearing trousers in the heat affected concentration levels and an ability to study in class. His campaign made it onto national television when ITV's Daybreak presenter Adrian Chiles showed his support by wearing a floral skirt live on air. Now the teenager has become a runner-up in Liberty's human rights young person of the year competition held at the Southbank Centre in London today. Chris, who is a member of the school's student executive, said: 'I didn't think it would be that influential, but I'm really happy. It was a good surprise to be nominated.' He had decided to take advantage of a 'silly loophole’ in the school's uniform policy which meant boys could wear skirts because the school would be guilty of discrimination if it tried to stop them. He said at the time: ‘Wearing a skirt is just like wearing shorts with a gap in the middle. I don’t feel silly at all. I don’t embarrass easily. ‘I will be wearing the skirt at school all day in protest at the uniform policy and addressing the assembly with the school council.’ Backing: Chris, who sits on the school's student executive, with supporters at Impington Village College. The school later vowed to review the uniform ban . The 1,368-pupil school, which was classed as good in its last Ofsted inspection in 2006, imposed the ban two years ago after a consultation with parents and teachers. Its ‘Look Smart’ dress code stated students must wear ‘plain black tailored trousers or knee-length skirts without slits’ – but did not specify gender. The school later promised to review its decision. Chris, of Histon, Cambridgeshire, was the youngest nominee on the Liberty awards shortlist which includes Cerie Bullivant, who fought against government control orders, journalist and activist Zin Derfoufi, and Abigail Stepnitz of the Poppy Project for women. Giving a leg up: Daybreak presenter Adrian Chiles sports a floral skirt on the ITV show in support of Chris's protests earlier this year .
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Chris Whitehead, 13, protested against a 'discriminatory' ban on shorts .
Wore his sister's skirt to address 'silly loophole'
Campaign was backed by ITV's Daybreak presenter Adrian Chiles .
Teenager's efforts now recognised by human rights group Liberty .
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Perhaps it's the recent launch of Google+ Pages for brands. Perhaps it's because Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg called Google+ a "little version of Facebook." Or perhaps people just enjoy battles between tech titans. Whatever the reason, I've been asked at least three times in the past week about whether Google+, Google's social networking service, will ever beat Facebook. Wrong question. Facebook is the undisputed champion of social networking, with more than 800 million active users. It's deeply interwoven with the Web -- its social plug-ins are now part of millions of websites, and an entire ecosystem of applications relies on Facebook for social functions. If Google's aim with Google+ was to topple Facebook, that's an audacious goal. Based on the current growth rates of both companies, it wouldn't seem to be a bet you could win. Toppling Facebook becomes more challenging as that site continues to keep pace -- adding new features along with users. Friend circles, a distinctive feature of Google+ at launch, were added to Facebook in the following months, removing a major incentive to switch. What's more, Facebook's launch of the "Subscribe" feature -- which lets you follow public updates from a user -- further erodes the advantages of using a service like Google+ or Twitter. Google didn't promote Google+ as a "Facebook killer," however. Far from it. The search giant instead explained that it was building a "social layer" to bind its services together. That promise is now being delivered upon: A Google+ activity bar now runs across the top of Google Docs, Google Search, Gmail and virtually every other Google service. The real value of Google+ is a very small feature indeed: The +1 button. This little widget -- Google's answer to the Facebook Like button -- is an acknowledgment that links are no longer the only way to rank websites. Instead, people are increasingly discovering content through their friends on social networks. For Google, a company that ranks Web content based on the links between pages, that's a very scary change that undermines the organization's core search-engine service. So what did Google do? It launched a social service and put these buttons on almost all of its pages to start collecting some of those social signals. Now those little +1 votes being cast around the Web are starting to change the order of Google's search results, helping to keep Google in line with the social trend. If Google's aim was to create its own source of social voting data and avoid a nightmarish outcome -- being forced to rank your search results based solely on your Facebook connections -- then, by its own standards, Google+ is not a failure. Can Google win the social war outright? My guess is no. Nonetheless, Google could still make a big move to increase the odds: It could acquire Twitter, gaining ownership of one of the biggest databases of social signals on the Internet. Meanwhile, "social" is not the only battle raging in technology circles. There's also the fight for the mobile Web: Mobile operating systems and app stores are perhaps a bigger opportunity than the social trend. And while Google is the market leader in mobile operating systems, Facebook merely has a few apps (albeit the most popular ones). So Facebook, the big blue social network, may be winning a battle with Google+ but is losing the mobile war with Google at large. Can Google+ beat Facebook? I think the better question might be "Is Google better off with Google+?" The answer, I think, is a clear yes.
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Facebook is the champion of social networking, with more than 800 million active users .
Facebook's launch of the "Subscribe" button puts Google+ and Twitter at a disadvantage .
The real value of Google+ is a very small feature indeed: The +1 button .
Mobile operating systems and app stores are perhaps a bigger opportunity than the social trend .
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Arrested: Amber Fellenbaum, 21, has been charged with child endangerment for allegedly witnessing the beatings of 3-year-old Scott McMillan but doing nothing to stop them . A third person has been arrested and charged in connection to the beating death and alleged torture of a 3-year-old boy in Pennsylvania. Jillian Tait, 31, and Gary Lee Fellenbaum, 23, were charged Thursday with murdering Tait's son, Scott McMillan in what Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan has referred to as 'an American horror story'. The couple allegedly hung little Scott by his legs, tortured him for weeks and smashed his head into the wall before beating him to death. Police arrested Fellenbaum's wife, 21-year-old Amber Fellenbaum, who allegedly witnessed the beatings but did nothing to stop the violence. The woman has been charged with child endangerment for failure to call police. Photos taken by investigators inside the trailer home they shared with Fellenbaum's 21-year-old estranged wife, Amber, and three children have now been released. They show the mattress where the youngster died, the whips that were allegedly used to beat him and holes in the wall where Fellenbaum is said to have repeatedly smashed the youngster's head. A bent, metal curtain rod was also found, which attorneys believe was another item used during the child's relentless torment, which is believed to have lasted for weeks before his death. The pair from Chesco, Pennsylvania, are said to have gone car shopping, bought pizza, had sex and took a nap as Tait's unresponsive son lay dying. The torture included being beaten with blunt objects, tied to a chair with electrical tape and several punches to the face and stomach. When his body was taken to the emergency room, nurses are said to have wept at the sight of his injuries. 'American horror story': Scott McMillan, three, was tortured for weeks and beaten with a frying pan until he eventually died, prosecutors in Pennsylvania have said . Arrested: Jillian Tait, 31, and Gary Lee Fellenbaum, 23, were charged Thursday with murdering Tait's son. Officials said they had sex and went to order pizza as the boy lay dying . Torture tool: The Chester County District Attorney came across a horrifying scene when they entered the pair's trailer home in Pennsylvania. This is one of the whips that was believed to have been used to strike Scott . Sickening: Investigators found holes in the wall where Fellenbaum had allegedly smashed Scott's head . Death bed: The mattress where Scott was put on after Fellenbaum allegedly beat him until he was unresponsive is covered in blankets and clothes. The pair had sex and ate pizza as Scott lay there dying . 'This is just evilness,' Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said at a press conference on Friday. 'It is an unspeakable act of depravity.' He also said that Tait's elder son also showed signs of abuse. 'It is going to take us years to put him back together again physically and mentally,' he said. They are accused of laughing as the boy was hung upside down and whipped, striking him repeatedly with a frying pan, and eventually beating him to death. The abuse had been going on for months, but the beatings and violence intensified between Sunday and Thursday last week. Announcing the charges on Thursday, Hogan said: 'Let me tell you about an American horror story. Little Scotty McMillan is dead. 'Over a three-day period… he was systematically tortured and beaten to death. He was punched in the face and in the stomach, he was scourged with a homemade whip, he was lashed with a metal rod, he was tied to a chair and beaten, he was tied upside down by his feet and beaten, his head was smashed through a wall and at the end of that he had bruises on top of bruises all over his body.' 'When his body went into the emergency room our ER nurses — who see a lot of terrible things — when they saw his body, they wept.' Holding back tears he said: 'Say a prayer for little Scott McMilan. The brief nightmare that was his life is over.' Weapon: A bent curtain rod was also found, which attorneys believe was another item used to hit the boy . Sickening: Another whip, put together using electrical tape which was also used to tie Scott to chairs, was found on the floor in another part of their home . Pain: Prosecutors said Scott had gone through weeks of torment, but the torture intensified last week when the youngster refused to eat his breakfast . Hogan concluded that his team would be seeking the death penalty as the victim was under 12 and there are allegations he had been tortured. The couple met working at Wal-Mart and last month moved in together, along with Fellenbaum's estranged wife and three children — Tait's six and three-year-old sons and the Fellenbaums' 11-month-old daughter. The six lived in a mobile home park in West Caln Township, Chester County, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The three adults told authorities 'that Scott McMillan had been punched and beaten with blunt and sharp objects, whipped, taped to a chair with electrical tape and beaten, hung up by his feet and beaten, and suffered other acts of violence,' police said in affidavits released Thursday. Amber Fellenbaum, 21, was charged with child endangerment for allegedly failing to help the toddler. She ultimately called 911 Tuesday night, authorities said. Scene: The pair were living in a trailer with Fellenbaum's estranged wife and three children — Tait's 6- and 3-year-old sons and the Fellenbaums' 11-month-old daughter . By then, Scott had been unresponsive for hours, and had been put in a shower for more than 30 minutes by his mother and her boyfriend, investigators said. When the boy failed to awaken, they placed him on an uninflated air mattress and went out shopping, authorities said. Fellenbaum had severely beaten the boy for refusing to eat toast both Monday and Tuesday morning, authorities said. The 'discipline' included throwing him against a wall, knocking him off a chair with a punch and then taping him to the chair to keep him upright for more beatings, police said. It was not immediately clear if any of the adults have lawyers. Tait told police that she also took part in the abuse and saw the scars on her younger son, court documents said. Her older son also showed signs of abuse, authorities said. She and Fellenbaum are being held without bail after their arraignments Thursday. They are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on November 14. When authorities searched their home, they only had one picture of Scott. Prosecutors also showed off pictures of the weapons that were used. Included in the items were a makeshift whip, a curtain rod, an aluminum strip and photos of holes in the wall where Fellenbaum slammed Scotty and his 6-year-old brother's heads into the wall, according to NBC Philadelphia. Horrific: The couple met working at Wal-Mart and only moved in together last month along with Fellenbaum's estranged wife and three children . On the night that the youngster died, Tait told police that she and Fellenbaum left Scotty on the mattress so he could sleep then went out to pick up pizza for dinner. At that time, Tait told police that she and Fellenbaum engaged in sexual activity then she took a nap, according to investigators. After waking up around 7:30 pm Tait said she found Scotty wasn't breathing so she screamed for someone to call 911. Amber Fellenbaum then called 911 and medics arrived. A judge denied bail to both Fellenbaum and Tait at a Wednesday arraignment. Hogan announced a total of 16 charges against Gary Fellenbaum including first- and third-degree murder charges, homicide, endangering the welfare of a child, assault and reckless endangerment. Tait faces 15 charges including the most serious murder charges, according to court records. According to Chester County's Daily Local News, Fellenbaum picked on the younger boy because he didn't know what was happening and tried to resist. The older boy, who was six, tried not to irritate Fellenbaum any more by struggling. In a statement to investigators, Tait admitted that she participated in the assaults on the brothers. An affidavit states: 'During one incident, Gary hung Scott and (his brother) up by their feet one at a time and beat the boys while they were hanging upside down'(Tait) stated the she and Gary were laughing during the incident.' Amber Fellenbaum, 21, Gary's estranged wife, was was charged with child endangerment for allegedly failing to help the toddler. Her mugshot following her arrest is right . Scott had been unable to eat the breakfast of toast and cinnamon sugar that Fellenbaum made for him and kept spitting it out. She said she and Fellenbaum tried to force the toast into his mouth but that he still would not eat. Fellenbaum, angry at the child, began punching him in the stomach and face, and took him to his room where the two continued punching him. At some point, she said, Fellenbaum picked the child up by his back and slammed him into a wall, according to the affidavit. On Tuesday, when the child woke up he had very red, swolen face. Again he didn't eat breakfast, so Fellenbaum said he was being disrespectful. He then punched him so hard that the boy fell off of his chair. Fellenbaum then put him back on the chair as he squirmed, took out some electrical tape and tied the boy's feet. He also strapped his arms to the posts of the chair so they were elevated. Fellenbaum began punching Scott again, causing him to vomit and become unresponsive, according to the police documents. The pair, according to the affadavit, then tried to wake the boy up. Failing to do so they allegedly put him in a bath of ice cold water and changed his closed. Fellenbaum is believed to have seen this as another sign of disrespect, so put the boy on the mattress and left the house to go and collect pizza. When they returned he will still unresponsive, so Tait said she ate some of the pizza then had sex with Fellenbaum. Hogan added that there had been no warning signs to suggest the boys were being abused. Scott was a student at Rainbow Elementary School, but staff members never reported suspicious bruises or injuries. However, Scott had not been at school for two weeks.
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Jillian Tait, 31, and Gary Lee Fellenbaum have been charged with murder .
Fellenbaum's estranged wife, 21-year-old Amber Fellenbaum, has been charged with child endangerment .
The couple were allegedly laughing as they hung Tait's son Scott upside down .
They whipped him and hit him with a frying pan until he died .
Fellenbaum had 'severely beaten' the boy when he didn't eat toast .
Photos of whips and weapons found in their home have been released .
Images show holes in the wall where Fellenbaum 'slammed Scott's head'
District Attorney Thomas Hogan called it 'an American horror story'
His office have said they will be seeking the death penalty in the case .
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By . Sara Malm . PUBLISHED: . 17:57 EST, 16 March 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 07:32 EST, 17 March 2013 . Cinderella story: Welsh-born Princess Lilian of Sweden died on March 10, aged 97 . Princess Lilian of Sweden, wife of the late Prince Bertil, was buried in a state ceremony in Stockholm on Saturday. The Welsh-born beauty, who married into Sweden's royal family after a 33-year secret romance with her prince, was laid to rest in the royal cemetery in Haga on the outskirts of the Swedish capital. Princess Lilian died at the age of 97 as one of the most loved members of the royal family, despite three decades living hidden from the public. Lillian May Davies grew up in Swansea in Wales, the daughter of miner William Davies and Gladys Mary Curran, a shop assistant. She moved to London aged 16, and worked as a model and actress before the war, removing the second 'l' from her name to appear more glamorous. In 1940, at the height of the Blitz, she married Scottish actor Ian Craig shortly before he was called into the military. Three years later she was working in a factory, making radios for the Marines, and at a hospital for injured soldiers in the capital. Shortly before her 28th birthday she threw a cocktail party to celebrate her big day. One of the guests was a handsome Swedish naval attaché - Prince Bertil. When her husband returned from service in 1945 - in love with an Italian woman - the pair amicably divorced and Lilian moved to Sweden. Prince Bertil and Princess Lilian lived together for more than three decades before they were allowed to marry in 1976. When Lilian divorced in 1945, the beauty and her playboy prince were set to marry upon her arrival in Sweden, but disaster struck. Bertil's brother Gustav Adolf, Sweden's heir to the . throne, died in a plane crash in 1947, leaving his infant son Crown Prince Carl Gustaf next in line to wear the crown. With an elderly monarch and a toddler crown prince, the possibility that Bertil would have to act as monarch until Crown Prince Carl Gustaf came of age became a reality. Bertil was simply told a marriage to a commoner and divorcee, which would see him waive his right to the throne, was not on the cards. Honoured: Members of the Royal Guard carry the coffin of Princess Lilian out of the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace of Stockholm . Loved: Princess Lilian was one of the most popular member of the Swedish Royal family and was given a state funeral today . Our Princess: A little girl was among the hundreds of people who gathered behind the Honour Guards to watch the procession after the funeral service for British-born Princess Lilian outside the Royal Palace . Together forever: Princess Lilian will be laid to rest next to Prince Bertil - the man she loved in secret for 33 years . Bertil's other older brother Sigvard . had already waived his right to the throne by marrying a commoner, . leaving Bertil and Lilian with no choice. For the next 33 years Lilian lived . hidden from the public, very few knew she even existed. The Swedish . Royal family made a deal with the press not to mention her name, and she . was not allowed to accompany Prince Bertil on any official duties. On her 80th birthday in 1995, she said: . 'If I were to sum up my life, everything has been about my love... He's a . great man, and I love him.' King Carl XVI Gustaf ascended the Swedish . throne in 1973 and after his marriage in 1976 to commoner Silvia . Sommerlath, Lilian and Bertil could finally become an official couple. Their wedding took place just months after the King and Queen's, in December 1976. Enchanting love story: Lilian and Prince Bertil in 1953, ten years after5 they fell head over heels for each other in London, yet another 23 before they would marry . Enduring love: Prince Bertil and Lilian in October 15, 1976, shortly after their engagement had been announced . Prince Bertil kept his title and the miner's daughter from Wales became a princess. 'We only regret one thing,' Prince . Bertil said after the wedding,' And that is that we were not able to get . married sooner and have children.' Despite never having any of her own, Lilian was very close to the royal children and Prince Carl Philip was her godson. Princess Lilian was active until just a few years before . death and, like her husband, had a keen interest in sports. When asked what the secret to her long . life was the great lover of practical jokes put it down to laughter, . rather than exercise. Member of the family: Princess Lilian with King Carl Gustaf, Princess Madeleine, Queen Silvia, Prince Carl Philip and Crown Princess Victoria during the 2003 Nobel Prize Awards in Stockholm . Always smiling: Princess Lilian, the King and Queen and Crown Princess Victoria pose for photographers with President Mandela and his wife Graca Machel in 1999 . ‘She . was a true bringer of happiness and had the ability always to create . around her a warm and kind atmosphere,’ King Carl Gustaf said in a statement last week. ‘The family's children always appreciated her jokes and humorous ways.’ Prince Bertil died aged 84 in 1997, with his wife by his side. She will now rest next to him at the . Royal Cemetery at Haga, Stockholm. The royal palace has not given a cause . of death for the Princess, but it has been known since 2010 that Lilian suffered from Alzheimer's disease . and had been in ill health for several years.
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Princess Lilian was born Lillian Davies in Swansea, Wales .
She met Prince Bertil of Sweden in London during the Second World War .
The pair kept their love a secret for 33 years before they could marry .
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By . Larisa Brown . PUBLISHED: . 12:15 EST, 15 November 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 13:34 EST, 15 November 2012 . A rare bottle of lager saved from the wreckage of the Hindenburg disaster and the passenger list from the fated airship are among a collection of 15 tons of memorabilia set to be sold at auction. British airship fanatic, David Kirch, 75, is selling nearly 600 items at the end of the month over four separate auctions and the entire lot is expected to make £1million. The bottle of Lowenbrau lager saved from the Hindenburg is expected to reach £6,000 and is one of only six surviving in the world. Scroll down for video . Auction: One of the six bottles of unopened Lowenbrau lager that was saved from the Hindenburg disaster, left, and a rare passenger list from the fated ship, right . The rare Hindenburg passenger list which was handed out to all 56 passengers on board including boxer Max Schmeling who was returning to Germany after beating Joe Louis . Memorabilia: One of the three letters from Lady Grace Drummond-Hay to her mother . It has a scorched label and the . top foil has been burnt off during the Hindenburg crash but it remains . sealed and full of beer. Also being sold is letters from the first woman ever to fly around the world in an airship, Lady Grace Drummond-Hay. Of the 97 people on board the German passenger airship there were 35 fatalities, including one death among the ground crew at the site of the crash in New Jersey, USA. The 1937 disaster - during which the airship caught fire - shattered public confidence in the airship and marked the end of the airship era. The bottle of beer was saved by a fireman called Leroy Smith who discovered six unopened bottles at the scene which he secretly buried and returned later to retrieve. He gave five to friends and kept one bottle of beer for himself. Mr Kirch’s enormous collection of artefacts is being sold at Wallis and Wallis auctioneers in Lewes over four auctions. A clockwork airship toy with yellow wind up propeller expected to sell for £1500 . A first copy of Lady Grace Drummond-Hay's book, 'The first trans-oceanic voyage of an airliner' including a picture of her . The first auction held in March this year made £220,000 the second in July sold for approximately £80,000 and the third lot to be sold on November 28 is expected to make £160,000. Head auctioneer Glenn Butler said: ‘We have 596 lots to sell this time around. ‘There are a few star items that could sell for big money. ‘The bottle of beer has a fantastic story and I think a lot of collectors will be interested in the Lady Drummond-Hay memorabilia. ‘The previous sale had lots of postcards and smaller money items but I think this one will attract big bidders. ‘It is a fascinating collection and we have been lucky to have it here. ‘We have all learned a lot more about airships by working through and cataloguing the collection.’ Lady Grace Drummond-Hay's ticket for a 1930 pan-America flight, left, and a Zeppelin menu with the company crest and swastika . A photograph of Lady Drummond-Hay in New York along with many gentlemen . The auction in November will feature 22 lots relating to Lady Drummond-Hay, a British journalist who became the first woman to travel round the world by airship. These include an original A4 soft covered book written by herself and Karl H. Von Wiegaud called The First Oceanic Voyage Of An Airliner, as well as her ticket for a 1930 pan-America flight. There are also letters from Lady Drummond-Hay to her mother in London Mrs Lethbridge and letters from Capt Christiansen and Hugo Eckener to Lady Drummond-Hay. Each lot is expected to reach between £100 and £200. Mr Kirch, from Jersey, is believed to own the world’s biggest personal collection of airship memorabilia which he has collected over 35 years. Property tycoon Mr Kirch has only given one interview about his collection and has declined to give any more information. A rare electric hand turned card flicker machine which has spare cassettes, one of which depicts the Hindenburg disaster, left, and right, a section of 90cm twisted metal from the Graf Zeppelin, worth £1500 . In the front of the auction catalogue he has written: ‘For the past 35 years I have been an avid collection of all things Airship. ‘In the early days I would do the searching on my own, but gradually I built up a small network of people who would look out for Zeppelin and Airship items for me. ‘The advent of eBay brought even more items to my attention and it meant that I built up a vast collection which in all honesty became too large to be held at my property in Jersey. ‘I own Shed No. 2 at Cardington and had grand ideas of opening a museum there with Airship flights over London, but unfortunately I have come to realise that these sort of enterprises are no longer viable at my time of life.’ He has said previously all the money from the sale will be donated to charity. The Hindenburg disaster at Lakehurst, New Jersey, in 1937. 35 people died in the disaster . Other highlights from the collection include a rare Hindenburg passenger list which was handed out to all 56 passengers on board including boxer Max Schmeling who was returning to Germany after beating Joe Louis. The most expensive lot is a silver-gilt commemorative model of an airship hallmarked Goldsmith’s and Silversmith’s Co, London 1910. It is a realistically detailed 64cm model and is expected to reach between £15,000 and £20,000. More unusual artefacts include a clockwork airship toy with yellow wind up propeller expected to sell for £1500 and a section of 90cm twisted metal from the Graf Zeppelin, worth £1500. A Zeppelin menu featuring ‘Champignon risotto’ dated 1936 and featuring a swastika on the front will also be sold for £120. The Zeppelin was created by a German, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin born in 1838. He has seen tethered balloons being used as an observation post during the American Civil War. VIDEO: HINDENBURG DISASTER FOOTAGE (WITH HERBERT MORRISON COMMENTARY)
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David Kirch, 75, from Jersey, is believed to own the world's biggest personal collection of airship memorabilia which he has collected over 35-years .
British airship fanatic selling nearly 600 items expected to make £1million .
Bottle of saved Lowenbrau lager is one of only six surviving in the world .
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Two Australian gamers - who clearly have a lot of time on their hands - have converted an old ATM into a popular 1990s video game. YouTuber Ed Jones and his mate Julian bought an old cash machine online and rewired it to play the cult first-person shooter game, Doom. Complete with original sound effects and pictures, the transformed ATM then allows users to play the game using the machine's keypad as a makeshift control pad. Scroll down for Video . The elaborately hatched idea to convert an ATM into an Arcade game . The intricate operation uses a combination of video game and ATM wiring . Doom was developed for the humble computer back in the early 1990s and was a popular first-person sci-fi game . Their handiwork has been uploaded to YouTube, where viewers can see how much work has gone into remodeling the ATM to enable it to function as an arcade game machine. During the clip they discuss the best way to translate the game's controls using the ATM keypad - so that users feel like they're moving, shooting and reloading as if they'd normally withdraw cash. The side buttons, once operational, would become the 'weapons select' function and the receipt-spitting slot would be able to print a player's high score. Ed Jones, or Aussie50 to his YouTube followers, said he bought the ATM as a package of four from Grays Online auctions for just $9 but hasn't disclosed his intentions for the other three. A makeshift computer keyboard gives the gamer the ability to control the game . The video game requires some tweaking in order to get the player back to the start once their game is finished . According to his YouTube channel he is into making 'weekend hobby engineering/scrap metal recycling work' and his onterests include 'gas and diesel engines, electronics, TV and Audio, high voltage and retro PC gaming'. He is perhaps better known as the man behind the video of the rotating washing machine which spun to the point it self destructed. His friend Julian, a 'software developer' who goes by the name jgcertified, is also an active YouTube subscriber who is into PC related inventions. He himself is no stranger with working with difficult hardware, previously designing the software for a billboard-sized LED screen mounted to the back of a truck to run the game Doom.
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The ATM was bought online and reconverted into the 90s sci-fi game .
It involves both ATM and computer game hard-wiring components .
In its early stages, the player can move around the screen and shoot like the original version .
It was a game popular on early computer operating systems .
YouTuber Ed Jones and friend Julian are both known for their whacky and elaborate inventions .
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Jonas Gutierrez could make an 'emotional' return to the Newcastle United first-team squad within two weeks - with manager Alan Pardew vowing to give him 'an even keel' with other players as the Argentine fights back to full fitness. The 31-year-old recovered from cancer this year - having had a testicle removed in order to beat the disease - and was given the all-clear last month having undergone chemotherapy in Argentina. And he returned to training with the Magpies this month following an extended recuperation period in his native Argentina. Jonas Gutierrez revealed in November that he had beaten testicular cancer after receiving chemotherapy . Newcastle's Gutierrez found out he had cancer after a challenge from Arsenal's Bacary Sagna (right) Gutierrez, who has not played for Newcastle in 12 months, will be given every opportunity by his manager to prove he can work his way back into the first-team fold. Speaking at his press conference ahead of the Magpies' trip to White Hart Lane for their Capital One Cup quarter-final clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, Pardew said: 'Jonas is one of those people who livens up the training ground just by his personality. Of course, with him recovering from his illness, that's been magnified. 'We are really pleased to have him back. He is finding his feet a little bit. He hasn't been around the ball much, but he looks in pretty good shape. Magpies boss Alan Pardew believes Gutierrez could be back in the first-team squad 'within two weeks' The midfielder celebrated beating cancer with a tattoo, featuring lyrics from rapper Eminem . 'We hope in two or three weeks, he will be in and around us.' Having arrived on Tyneside in the summer of 2008 from Mallorca, Gutierrez has since made 194 appearances for Newcastle, scoring 11 times. The winger was loaned out to Norwich City last season but is now back in the North East and is enjoying his fight to return to match fitness, according to Pardew. Gutierrez is a firm fans' favourite on Tyneside and Pardew is expecting his return to be 'emotional' The Newcastle boss continued: 'He is keen to get back in amongst us and earn his right to play in the first team again. 'Like any player, I have got to give him an even keel, and he will get that. Now it is up to Jonas. 'I know one thing: it will be emotional for him, and for us, when he does return. We are all looking forward to it.' Gutierrez has also won 22 international caps for Argentina during his career, netting once. . The Argentina runs with the ball during a match for Newcastle against Manchester United in October 2012 .
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Jonas Gutierrez has been back training with Newcastle United this month .
The Argentine recovered from cancer this year before returning to Magpies .
Alan Pardew hopeful Gutierrez could return to first-team within two weeks .
Magpies boss expects an 'emotional' comeback for player and team .
Pardew insists Gutierrez will be treated on 'an even keel' with other players in terms of whether or not he is selected for a matchday squad .
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Washington (CNN) -- Minerals Management Service Director Elizabeth Birnbaum resigned Thursday as head of the Interior Department's scandal-plagued Minerals Management Service, the department's chief said. Two sources told CNN that Birnbaum had been fired. The Minerals Management Service (MMS) is involved in federal oversight of offshore oil drilling. Birnbaum's resignation letter cast her decision to leave as a consequence of a decision to reorganize the agency following April's explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosion resulted in a massive oil spill that well owner BP and federal authorities are still trying to cap. "As you move forward with the reorganization of Minerals Management Service, you will be requiring ... new leaders," Birnbaum wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. President Barack Obama said Thursday that he didn't know whether Birnbaum had been fired or chose to resign on her own. Speaking before a House subcommittee, Salazar insisted Birnbaum had resigned "on her own terms and own volition." She "is a strong and very effective person who ... helped us break through the very difficult things which we have a lot more work to do," Salazar said. "She helped us with addressing a very broken system. And all I can really [say] is that she is a good public servant." Birnbaum, a former high level staffer on Capitol Hill, became head of the MMS in July 2009. A recently released federal report highlighted what many observers have characterized as widespread corruption at the agency. Among other things, the report, issued by the Interior Department's inspector general, revealed that federal inspectors overseeing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico accepted meals and tickets to sporting events from companies they monitored. In one case, an inspector in the MMS office in Lake Charles, Louisiana, conducted inspections of four offshore platforms while negotiating a job with the company, the report stated. The Lake Charles investigation was launched shortly after another scandal emerged from within the MMS. A September 2008 inspector general's report found regulators in the agency's Colorado office received improper gifts from energy industry representatives and engaged in illegal drug use and inappropriate sexual relations with them. Salazar recently called the allegations of MMS corruption "evidence of the cozy relationship between some elements of [the agency] and the oil and gas industry." He pledged to follow through with the Interior Department inspector general's recommendations, "including taking any and all appropriate personnel actions including termination, discipline and referrals of any wrongdoing for criminal prosecution." MMS collected nearly $10 billion in royalties from the energy and mining industries in 2009. Salazar recently announced that he was splitting up the agency to separate its energy development, enforcement and revenue collection divisions, saying they have "conflicting missions" that needed to be separated. The associate director for the agency's Offshore Minerals Management Program also is leaving at the end of May, a month earlier than planned, in the wake of the Gulf spill. That official, Chris Oynes, launched the investigation that resulted in former New Orleans, Louisiana, supervisor Donald Howard's firing in 2007. Howard later pleaded guilty after being accused of failing to report gifts valued at more than $6,600 from an offshore drilling contractor. As part of the growing push to crack down on the MMS, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, introduced legislation Wednesday requiring federal oil industry regulators to wait at least two years after leaving government service before going to work for companies they helped regulate. The bill also would bar regulators from accepting gifts from oil companies, would require regulators to divest themselves of any stock they may currently hold in oil companies, and would prohibit regulators from part-time employment in the industry.
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Obama says he doesn't know if Elizabeth Birnbaum was fired or resigned on her own .
Interior secretary says the MMS Service director resigned; sources say she was fired .
Interior Department report cited inappropriate relationship between inspectors, oil industry .
Legislation has been introduced in part to help crack down on the MMS .
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Myanmar's military leaders have nominated a former general considered fiercely loyal to former dictator Senior General Than Shwe to be the country's next vice president. Myint Swe's expected promotion from chief minister of Rangoon Region to the second highest post in the country has disappointed observers who hoped for a more reform-friendly candidate. "The military chose someone who they can count on," said Aung Zaw, editor of Thailand-based Irrawaddy magazine which covers Myanmar news. Describing Myint as a prodigy of the former dictator, Aung Zaw said that his selection was not surprising given that the post had to be filled by the military. "I think they chose someone who would protect the vested interests of the military and the former dictator. So the choice doesn't seem surprising but it doesn't make anything promising to this reform process," he said. "He's not noted as a reformer," said Sean Turnell, an associate professor at Macquarie University in Sydney, of the 61-year-old candidate. "I think that fact alone will disappoint many people who watch and are closely involved in Burma." Since becoming president in March 2011, Thein Sein has steered Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, away from its repressive military past, towards what many hope is a truly democratic future. The release of lauded democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest and her subsequent election to parliament is the clearest signal yet of Thein's commitment to reform. Aung San Suu Kyi attends first session of parliament since taking oath . However, military men still dominate parliament and any step forward must be navigated with their approval, which has made Myanmar's democratic reform a delicate and difficult process. The resignation of the "hardliner" Vice President Tin Aung Mying Oo early this month handed the military a clear opportunity to convey its view on the direction the country is taking. Will vice president's exit boost Myanmar reform efforts? "I think by appointing someone who is not an overt reformer they're sort of signaling I think what we understand to be their current situation; that they're much more cautious, much more reluctant reformers than some of the reformist groups in the government," Turnell said. According to Irrawaddy, Myint graduated from the Defense Services Academy in 1971 before rising through the ranks to become commander of the Light Infantry Division 11, responsible for security in Rangoon, also known as Yangon. He later served in the War Office before returning to Rangoon as head of the Rangoon Division where he was thought to have participated in the violent crackdown on protesters during the 2007 "Saffron Revolution." As least a dozen people were killed, several dozens wounded and more than 2,000 arrested, according to a U.N. Security Council report, which added that the toll could be much higher. "(Myint) was responsible for security affairs in Yangon, Rangoon and when the shooting took place the order probably came from the top and he had to take care of all the things on the ground, meaning the troops and killing and detaining," Aung Zaw said. However, Turnell said Myint was also considered someone who "gets along," that is, someone who can navigate a path between military loyalists and people within the government more receptive to change. "In that context he's not altogether that different from the current President Thein Sein who of course is also someone who seems to be able to get along with both the previous regime and some of the reformers," he said. Turnell described former Vice President Tin Aung Mying Oo as a "very rough character with rough edges who aggravated a lot of people, particularly in the reformist camp." "I think (Myint) won't be as overtly oppositional to reform. I think the remaining question is to what extent will he support it?"
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Myanmar military nominates former general Myint Swe as vice president .
Nomination has disappointed observers hoping for someone more open to reform .
Myint is considered fiercely loyal to the military, a prodigy of former dictator Than Shwe .
President Thein Sein has introduced a number of democratic reforms since taking power .
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Nigeria aims to secure the release by Tuesday of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist Boko Haram militants, two senior government sources said today, although they declined to say where this handover would take place. Yesterday, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, the head of Nigeria’s armed forces, announced that a ceasefire had been agreed with Boko Haram that would allow the girls to be freed. The girls were taken during exams from the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote northeastern town of Chibok in April causing worldwide shock and revulsion and leading to the twitter #bringbackourgirls campaign. Scroll down for videos . The kidnapped schoolgirls are seen at an unknown location after being abducted by Nigerian Islamist rebel group Boko Haram . However, Boko Haram has not yet commented on the reported truce and last night and early this morning launched attacks on the villages of Abadam and Dzur killing at least one person at the former and eight at the latter. There have been a number of times since April when the Nigerian government has announced a ceasefire or even that it had rescued some of the girls, all reports subsequently proved false so the latest claim has been met with some scepticism in the country. The ceasefire announcement comes just before a rally in Abuja where President Goodluck Jonathan, or his vice president Namadi Sambo, is expected to announce his candidacy for the February 2015 elections. Fearful: More than 200 girls were seized from the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria, in April, but dozens more managed to escaped . Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan (left) is expected to announce his candidacy in next February's elections and Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau (right) whom the military last year said it had killed . One source told Reuters, the news agency, ‘I can confirm that [the federal government] is working hard to meet its own part of the agreement so that the release of the abductees can be effected either on Monday or latest Tuesday next week.’ However, a second source was more cautious, stressing that there might have to be more discussions in Nigeria and the Chadian capital N'djamena – the nearest non-Nigerian major city to the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency – before all the details are ironed out. "We have confidence in those we are negotiating with but we are still doing it with considerable caution. Boko Haram has grown into such an amorphous entity that any splinter group could come up disowning the deal," he said. "[But] we believe we are talking to the right people." Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (centre), the head of Nigeria’s armed forces, announced that a ceasefire had been agreed with Boko Haram that would allow the girls to be freed . The reason for his confusion is twofold. Firstly, the group's sole means of conveying messages are videotaped speeches by a man claiming to be Abubakar Shekau, its leader whom the military last year said it had killed. Secondly, the terrorists are split into several factions that loosely cooperate with each other, and it is unclear with which faction the government has been negotiating. It says the talks were held with a formerly unknown militant called Danladi Admadu, who alleges he is the group's "secretary general". Demands: Nigerians take to the streets to protest over their government's failure to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls in Port Harcourt, Nigeria . Campaigning: First Lady Michelle Obama and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai supported the twitter #bringbackourgirls campaign . Boko Haram, whose name translates roughly as "Western education is sinful", has massacred thousands in a struggle to carve an Islamic state out of religiously mixed Nigeria, whose southern half is mainly Christian or animist in faith. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and its oil-rich economy is the continent's largest. At today's rally in Abuja, many of President Jonathan's supporters wrapped themselves in the white and green of Nigeria's flag and sang and danced under a banner reading "We Love You Goodluck Jonathan. Our support is 100 percent." Two candidates for the main opposition coalition, former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari and ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar, have declared their candidacy against Jonathan.
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Head of Nigeria's armed forces announced truce to allow girls to be freed .
More than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped in April in remote town of Chibok .
Boko Haram is yet to comment on the reported ceasefire .
It subsequently attacked the villages of Abadam and Dzur killing at least nine people .
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(CNN) -- Throughout this primary election season, as tea party candidates in Kentucky, Georgia, Texas and elsewhere faltered, a media narrative started taking shape that the Republican establishment was taking back control of the party. Then, stunningly, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost Tuesday night. Some will insist that this historic upset was simply a fluke. But the reality is that the "Establishment Strikes Back" storyline has been wrong all along. The tea party has in fact been on a roll ever since it burst on the scene. Its success needs to be properly understood -- then emulated by its foes in both parties. The tea party is resilient partly because for many in the movement, winning is not primarily about election results. Even when it loses primaries, it wins -- by forcing the winners so far to the right that they would be unrecognizable by establishment Republicans of a generation ago. And when tea party candidates win primaries outright, as David Brat did Tuesday night in Virginia, they of course directly push their party rightward. When it comes to actual policymaking and governing, the same dynamic applies. In cases where the tea party didn't get what it wanted, as in the debt and default crisis, it still succeeded in redefining the frame of the possible. In the House it can always veto proposals such as immigration reform that have cleared the Senate. In short: The tea party wins when it loses and wins when it wins. This is a pretty good setup. And it's not an accident. I disagree profoundly with the tea party's policy agenda. Yet I also have come to see that nobody is better at democracy today than the tea party. Cantor's electoral autopsy will surely describe how Brat's campaign, out-funded and out-endorsed, was never out-organized. Tea partyers win elections by old-fashioned person-to-person proselytizing, plenty of new-media mobilizing and a fair amount of time-tested fear-mongering. They create a sense of urgency, and they convert that urgency into turnout. After the election, they continue to meet, rally and apply effective pressure on elected officials. Yes, it's not all grass roots, and pools of big money and the power of Fox News have much to do with tea party clout. But when you spend time with activists, you come to appreciate that there is no secret playbook at work. At the core is a network of citizens who've decided to deploy the full range of tools available. They show up. They work the phones. They work the media. They elect people. They un-elect people. That full-range deployment has given a minority of the nation's minority party truly outsize voice in American politics. Consider immigration. Just Tuesday morning came reports of a new poll showing majorities in both parties supporting a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. By nightfall, with Brat's uncompromising stance against such a pathway, the new conventional wisdom was that immigration reform is now dead. Never mind that Lindsey Graham, who shaped the Senate immigration bill that included a pathway to citizenship, handily defeated his primary challengers. Never mind that anything's possible in a lame-duck session with a House leadership in flux. Now many in the Beltway will simply say immigration is untouchable because the tea party wants it that way and if the tea party can beat Cantor it can beat anyone. Cantor 'earthquake' rattles Capitol Hill . You can decry the tea party's ability to create such self-fulfilling perceptions, but you cannot dismiss it. In fact, activists along every other point of the political spectrum should study the tea party more closely and learn just how it endows relatively small blocs of voters with the force of much larger blocs. What if the progressive left, centrist Democrats and moderate Republicans all organized and mobilized their people as effectively as the tea party has? What if citizens of every stripe, even without access to big campaign cash, learned to activate people power? What if leaders of all leanings thought harder about how to wake up their base and get them actually to vote? It may be harder to do that in the middle than on the extremes, but it's not impossible. The political scientist E.E. Schattschneider once wrote, "All that is necessary to produce the most painless revolution in history, the first revolution ever legalized and legitimatized in advance, is to have a sufficient number of people do something not much more difficult than to walk across the street on election day." As Cantor can now attest, the activists of the tea party understand this. They count votes and make votes count. Want to join them? Learn from them. Want to beat them? Learn from them. Either way, it's how we'll make a new democracy.
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Eric Liu: GOP establishment seemed to be reasserting itself, then Eric Cantor loses .
Liu says tea party wins even when it loses, forcing GOP candidates further to the right .
Liu: Tea party uses every strategy to give a minority of the minority party outsize clout .
Nobody better at democracy, and other groups can learn from tea party, he says .
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By . Sean Poulter . PUBLISHED: . 18:05 EST, 22 October 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:09 EST, 23 October 2013 . Shoppers are being misled by supermarket price-match schemes that do not bring the lower grocery bills they expect. Rules in the small print and exclusions mean the stores are not comparing like with like, warn campaigners. Major players like Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda insist their schemes save customers money and time as they do not need to shop around. But Which? said its research found that each store tended to skew its comparisons to give the impression that it was the cheapest place to shop. In theory, the schemes compare the total price of items in a shopping basket against the same items sold by two or more competitors. If a rival is cheaper, the customer should get a voucher at the till or online for the difference. Researchers looking at 20 receipts from Sainsbury’s found the store claimed to be the cheapest on ten and joint-cheapest on two others. But its Brand Match scheme failed to take the cost of own label products into account, which means the final bill could be lower at a rival. Every little helps: Researchers examining 20 Tesco till receipts said it claimed to be cheapest for ten shopping baskets . Small print means that Sainsbury’s can also refuse to match the lowest price of a branded product at a rival on some occasions. At the same time, the chain only matches its prices against Asda and Tesco – but not Morrisons, which may be cheaper. Researchers examining 20 Tesco till receipts said it claimed to be cheapest for ten shopping baskets. Britain’s biggest supermarket – like Asda – does include own brand products in its Price Promise but only those it considers are of comparable quality. Asda goes further with a Price Guarantee, which gives out vouchers if the store’s basket is not at least 10 per cent cheaper. Small print: Sainsbury's can also refuse to match the lowest price of a branded product at a rival on some occasions . Which? found Asda claimed to be cheaper in 17 out of 19 checked receipts. Supermarkets often have slightly different pack sizes on popular foods, like cheese, which make comparisons difficult, leaving them further leeway to deny a voucher. The cost of living squeeze has led many shoppers to cut the amount they buy and turn to budget brands. Which? executive director, Richard Lloyd said: ‘Price-matching should be taken with a pinch of salt.’ This concern is confirmed in a ruling today from the Advertising Standards Authority banning a ‘misleading’ Sainsbury’s advert. It implied the chain would match the lowest price on brands sold by rivals but this was not always true. Sainsbury’s insisted consumers understand how Brand Match works and it ‘does the hard work by giving them a coupon at the till’. Tesco said vouchers ‘make it up to customers in a way they notice’ if their bill would have been lower elsewhere. Asda said its scheme means it beats rivals on price rather than just matching them.
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Which? said stores skew comparisons to give impression that it's cheapest .
If a rival is cheaper, the customer should get a voucher .
Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Asda insist their schemes save customers money .
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ALPHARETTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Soft music filled the room as waiters served white wine and hors d'oeuvres. Two dozen well-dressed women chatted in small groups. Mary Johnson, 56, who lost most of her lashes during chemotherapy, was excited to give Latisse a try. But, this was no ordinary cocktail party. The setting was the lobby of the OH2 Medical Spa in Alpharetta, Georgia. The women were on hand to take part in a new beauty treatment hitting the United States: the promise of better looking eyelashes through a prescription drug called Latisse. "It's the latest, the greatest," exclaimed the party hostess, Christine Glavine, wife of Major League Baseball pitcher Tom Glavine. She invited a group of friends to meet with local plastic surgeon Dr. Randy Rudderman to get a dose of the new FDA-approved medication. Glavine didn't have to do much convincing. Tammie Wilson, 43, of Roswell, Georgia, said she was motivated to try the product because "I want to be able to look like I have on makeup when I don't." Watch more on the marketing of Latisse » . "I have blond hair and blond lashes. I have to put on three coats of mascara," complained her friend Jennifer Altmeyer, also 43 and from Roswell. Altmeyer, who is hoping to be able to skip mascara altogether, was the first to line up at Rudderman's exam room. The drug is available only through a doctor; it is approved to treat hair loss on the lash line. The product maker, Allergan, says Latisse will thicken, darken and lengthen inadequate or skimpy eyelashes in as little as eight weeks. But, here's the catch: Doctors report it takes up to 16 weeks to see maximum eyelash growth. If you discontinue Latisse, your lashes will go back to their original state in a few months. Visit CNNhealth.com, your connection for better living . Oh, and by the way, the drug isn't cheap. It costs about $120 for a 30-day supply. Latisse was discovered almost by accident, Rudderman said. The product contains a compound that is also found in medication that decreases eye pressure in glaucoma patients. "A significant number of those patients started having a side effect of increased growth of eyelashes," said Rudderman. Women like Altmeyer are clamoring to give Latisse a try. Rudderman's assistant first removed Altmeyer's eye makeup and then applied a drop of Latisse to a small applicator. The wand was then swiped across her top lashes. Rudderman advised Altmeyer to apply the drug once a day before she goes to bed and not to apply Latisse to lower lashes because they come in contact with the medicine on the top lashes during blinks. Rudderman said Latisse comes with several warnings: It is approved only for those over 18 and is not recommended for pregnant women, people with pre-existing eye conditions or those with allergies to the ingredients. Rudderman said some of the most common side effects are itchy and red eyes and hyper-pigmentation, or darkening along the eyelash base. Dr. Pradeep Sinha, a plastic surgeon in Atlanta, Georgia, started working with the glaucoma version of the medication two years ago on an off-label -- or trial -- basis, before it was approved specifically for eyelash thickening. While he said his patients were happy with the results, Sinha noted another unpleasant side effect if the user is not careful while wielding the applicator. "One patient was messy and grew small, fuzzy hair on her eyelid," Sinha said. He instructed the woman to stop using the product, and the unwanted hair eventually fell out. Some women, like Mary Johnson, a 56-year-old breast cancer survivor, are willing to take their chances. After undergoing chemotherapy last year she lost a lot of eyelashes. "That was really devastating for me," she said. She said she could put a wig on her head, but for the rest of her face she had to "fake it" by drawing in a lash line and eyebrows with cosmetics. Johnson tried some over-the-counter lash products, but she said none of them worked. She was smiling as she received her first dose of Latisse from Rudderman. "Until you have lost your eyelashes, you don't really realize how hard it is to put eye makeup on," she said. "When you lose your eyelashes you just don't look the same."
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Newly FDA-approved Latisse promises to thicken, darken and lengthen lashes .
Latisse contains compound also found in glaucoma medicine .
Patients using that medicine had increased eyelash growth .
Drawbacks include dry and red eyes, darkening around lash line and high price .
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By . Harriet Arkell . PUBLISHED: . 12:09 EST, 6 August 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 04:01 EST, 7 August 2013 . A teenage boy has become the tenth generation of his family to become a fishermen - continuing a tradition going back 350 years. Levi Miller, whose ancestors have fished off the Dorset coasts since the 1670s, is ensuring the survival of his family’s seafaring past by taking a full-time job on his father's fishing boat. The 16-year-old, who lives with his family in the picturesque fishing village of Lulworth Cove, has just finished school and says that hauling fish in alongside his father is his dream job. Scroll down for video . Levi Miller, 16, is now the tenth generation of his family to become a fisherman in Lulworth Cove, Dorset . Long line: Levi, seen here in his boat Near Enough, is part of a family business that began in 1678 . Family firm: Levis as a child with his father Joe, left, and his ancestor Henry Miller with wife Jane in the 1800s . Levi began fishing as a child, since when he has been counting down the days until he could play his own part in the family fishing dynasty. He says he is proud of continuing the family’s historic line. 'I just love being out on the water, it’s in my blood,' Levi said. 'I have wanted to be a fisherman for as long as I can remember. 'My dad used to take me out on the boat fishing for mackerel when I was just a youngster and I was hooked. 'As I got older I started going out more and more, helping to steer the boat and get the nets in. I couldn’t wait to finish school so that I could spend more time on the boat.' Levi will help his father catch mackerel on lines, lobsters and crabs in pots and bigger fish in nets, and the catch will be sold fresh at their family shop. In the blood: Levi with his mother, Chris, and father, Joe, at the family fish shop in Lulworth Cove, Dorset . Levi's great great grandfather Edwin, left, making lobster pots, and great great great grandfather, Joseph, right . Charles Miller, Levi's great grandfather, put an old Ford engine in his boat and was the first in Lulworth to have a motorboat . Levi's late grandfather Jim Miller, who was born in 1922, was the eighth generation of fishermen in the family . He added: 'I’m really proud to be carrying on the family tradition, and I’d like to think that one day I will have a family who will grow up to be fishermen too. 'My job is a bit different but my mates think it’s pretty cool and they often come out with us fishing for mackerel.' Levi lives with his father Joe, 53, mother Christine, 44, and sisters Sophie, 22, and Becci, 19 four miles down the road from the village of Tyneham. Ancestor Henry Miller started up a small fishing business in the neighbouring village of Tyneham in 1678. Strong family tradition: Charles Miller, on the left pictured at Lulworth, and his son Jim, Levi's grandfather . Beats the office: The Miller fishing business is run from Lulworth Cove, a picturesque Dorset coastal village . Fresh from the sea: A young Levi gets to grips with a ray, left, while his mother Christine has two lobsters . He handed it on to his son John in the 18th century and after him came his son, also called John. Henry then took over the trade at the turn of the 19th century and he was followed by Joseph and Edwin. Charles was the first Miller to go to sea in a motor-powered boat after he installed an old Ford car engine on it in the late 1920s. Jim succeeded him and Joe became a fisherman 37 years ago. Joe’s daughter Becci had planned to become the family’s first fisherwoman but chose a career in hairdressing instead. Joe has now been joined by Levi and the pair spend their days on their 19ft fishing boat Near Enough. Levi's grandfather Jim look happy out at sea with a seagull on his head . Henry Miller 1678-1747 . John Miller 1713-? John Miller 1743-1808 . Henry Miller 1788-1868 . Joseph Miller 1824-1909 . Edwin Miller 1857-1929 . Charles Miller 1888-? Jim Miller 1922-2009 . Joe Miller 1960- . Levi Miller 1997- . At 5.30am they begin laying crab and lobster pots on the seabed and in the afternoon they use large nets to catch mackerel, tuna and a variety of flat fish. Levi added: 'We’re out seven days a week if the weather allows - it means an early start and long days but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.' Joe Miller said: 'In terms of the methods used, the only thing that has changed from 1678 is we have an engine on the back of the boat where they had sails and oars. 'My grandfather was the first person to put an engine on a boat in Lulworth Cove, using one he had taken out of a car. 'The fishing techniques are still the same - simple pots, nets and lines. Levi, pictured left mending lobster pots like his ancestors before him, is delighted to have joined his father Joe . Father and son: Joe and Levi Miller hope they have many happy years of fishing together ahead of them . 'Lobster was the mainstay back then, although they would also get white fish like cod, sole and plaice. 'They could earn enough money to only have to fish during the summer but for us it's 24/7. 'The industry itself is going full circle. 'My grandfather would fish the same waters in the 30s and they would pull up four or five lobster in each pot, and it would only be him out there. 'My father and I saw that change as more and more people got into fishing - we've seen a lot come but we've also seen a lot disappear. 'Fish stocks locally are around about where they were back in my grandfather's time. 'The fleet has shrunk so much because of regulations and quotas that we no longer feel pressure from trawlers out in the Channel. 'It's not an easy job but it's our life and we are carrying on a simple family tradition. 'There's still a hardcore few fishing these waters and we're in it for the long haul.'
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Levi Miller, 16, has joined family fishing business in Lulworth Cove, Dorset .
His ancestor Henry Miller set it up in neighbouring village Tyneham in 1678 .
Levi now fishes with his father Joe, 53, for mackerel, lobster and crabs .
He says he couldn't wait to finish school and work on the boat full-time .
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(CNN) -- Greek voters will go to the polls to elect a new government two years early, Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced Thursday. Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis says he wants to enact reforms in response to the international financial crisis. He called the early elections in response to pressure from the opposition Socialist Party, which threatened to block the election of a president in February if there was no general election first. Karamanlis is also seeking a mandate from the voters for reforms in response to the international financial crisis, he said. "It's up to the citizens to decide who has the right plan to govern and face the economic challenges," he said in a speech to the country. "We have two very difficult and critical years ahead of us," he said in the speech on Wednesday. "There is only one path that offers hope and potential: We take -- without delay, without procrastination -- take all necessary measures to address these problems. By design and desire. We need to build the solid foundation that will ultimately get us out of this crisis stronger." He said the country needs "stringent control on public spending," "war on tax-evasion" and "bold structural reforms." The new elections will be held October 4, Karamanlis announced Thursday after meeting President Karolos Papoulias, who officially dissolves parliament. Karamanlis' term was not due to expire until September 2011. But Socialist party leader George Papandreou insisted on new elections before the end of Papoulias' term as president in February. The Greek constitution requires the two major parties to agree on the election of a president, giving either party an effective veto. Karamanlis called Papandreou's stance "blackmail." Parliament will be dissolved on September 7, Karamanlis said on his Web site. Karamanlis' conservative New Democracy party suffered a sharp setback in European elections in June, when the Socialists matched New Democracy's tally of eight seats, with 36 percent of the vote. That election was seen as a litmus test for Karamanlis at a time of political and economic uncertainty with the economy shrinking and the country staring at a recession after nearly 15 years of high-profile growth. CNN's Efty Katsareas and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.
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Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis announced elections Thursday .
Called early elections in response to pressure from opposition Socialist Party .
PM called for "stringent control on public spending ... war on tax-evasion"
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(CNN) -- This year, it's hip to be dead. The deaths of so many celebrities in recent months have highlighted the continued public fascination with stars -- even beyond the grave -- and the booming industry surrounding dead celebs. "It's been a crazy year," said Scott Michaels, who runs findadeath.com, a site devoted to tales of dead celebrities, as well as the "Dearly Departed Tour" in Los Angeles, California, where enthusiasts can visit sites of some of the city's most notorious deaths. "It's weird because even [stars], who are already dead, like Anna Nicole Smith, are back in the news. Death has become trendy." It's also a gold mine. Mark Roesler, chief executive officer and chairman of CMG Worldwide -- which markets and manages several deceased celebrities (some more easily managed dead than alive) -- said fans often feel connected to stars long after they are gone. "I think that with celebrities, we feel like we own a piece of them," he said. "It's almost like being part of the family." That family expanded during what some have dubbed the "summer of death." From May to September, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, David Carradine, Walter Cronkite and Patrick Swayze all died. The fascination with such celebrities can mean big bucks for their estates. And if death is the new black, Michael Jackson is poised to become the new arbiter of style. With the release of the documentary "Michael Jackson's This Is It," and a companion double CD, the legendary pop icon's estate stands to add millions to its coffers. Jackson will join the realm of Elvis Presley, Heath Ledger and John Lennon who rake in the cash and keep fans enthralled even from the grave. Have you seen "This Is It"? Share your review. At the end of October, Forbes releases its list of "top-earning dead celebrities." Last year's top 13 -- Elvis Presley, Charles M. Schulz, Heath Ledger, Albert Einstein, Aaron Spelling, Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel), John Lennon, Andy Warhol, Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, James Dean, and Marvin Gaye -- earned a combined $194 million in 2008, according to the magazine. Not bad for a group that is unable to make personal appearances or sign autographs. Roesler's company represents two stars on the list (Monroe and Dean) and quite a few living clients (people as varied as Scott Baio and boxer Roberto Duran) as part of its roster of more than 300 entertainment, music, sports and historical figures and organizations. Roesler, who declined to comment on whether he or his company is working with the Jackson estate, said dead celebrities are often less risky for companies to use in marketing campaigns. "The fact that they are deceased, it's not possible to have any more scandals. Andin today's day and age, companies are becoming less of a risk taker," Roesler said. "Even for someone like Michael Jackson, people have thrown a lot of dirt around Michael Jackson and we all know what that landscape is ... and it's unlikely that anyone is going to bring up anything that would derail any type of major promotional effort." Share reviews of "This Is It" Some people take their fascination with dead celebrities to the outer limits. These fans make pilgrimages to the scene of their favorite celebrity's death, their grave, and where they lived. In the case of Elvis Presley, it's the same location, which has made Graceland one of the most popular destinations in the United States. Michaels' findadeath.com is a favored destination of those who refer to themselves as "death hags." From visiting grave sites to collecting autopsy photos, death hags are part of a fan culture that can rival a star's fan club in life. "Stars' lives are pretty spectacular and we followed their careers," said Michaels. "So it makes sense that we follow their deaths." Why the attraction? Well, death is the great equalizer, said Alan W. Petrucelli, author of "Morbid Curiosity: The Disturbing Demises of the Famous and Infamous." "It reminds us that despite all of the money, glamour and fame, [celebrities] are going to die just like we all are going to die." Petrucelli has a collection of memorabilia which includes photos of some famous people after their deaths: singer Selena, President John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Sharon Tate and actor River Phoenix. "Some people think it's gruesome," Petrucelli said. "People also collect memorial cards and programs if the funeral or memorial service is open to the public. The day after a celebrity dies I go on Ebay and you will see lots of different items available. "And of course, a star's family can make money off of their likeness," Petrucelli added. "Death sells." Karen Bard, eBay's pop culture expert, said the site sees an uptick in items related to a celebrity after their death. Bard said the star doesn't have to be someone who is popular at the moment. While her site was flooded with Michael Jackson memorabilia after his recent death, Bard said there has also been a great deal of interest generated by the sale of the crypt above the final resting place of Marilyn Monroe, who died almost 50 years ago. "[A death] clearly incites a buying and selling cycle in an accelerated fashion," Bard said. "We see unique things pop up that are always capturing the public's attention and there are people out there willing to buy them." Alex Roman counts himself among the death devotees. He proudly wears his "Death Hag" t-shirt, visits Hollywood Forever Cemetery -- where several stars are buried -- and blogs about old Hollywood on his web site "Alex Living in L.A." Roman said he loves learning the history behind the lives and deaths of celebrities, and understands the allure. "There is a definite fascination and people are drawn to it on many levels," Roman said. "The fascination with death is that it's a frightening thing, yet it is something you are curious about. So there's that juxtaposition that makes it so interesting." Michael's business has attracted some breathing celebrities. He said he's even given Ryan Seacrest a tour. As the old saying goes, death is one of only two guarantees in life. And with the number of stars moving on these days, there could be more business opportunities for Michaels and those in his industry. "God has been very generous to Dearly Departed Tours," Michaels said, laughing.
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Fan fascination can continue well after a celeb's death .
Industry built around dead stars benefits from that popularity .
Forbes:Top earning dead celebs racked in $194 million in 2008 .
"Death hags" buy memorabilia including death photos .
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By . John Stevens . PUBLISHED: . 07:27 EST, 30 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:19 EST, 31 July 2013 . Complaints: Gabriel Pakpourtabrizi, 25, is fighting to stop her council sending gifted son Christian Farrington, 7, to a special school . With his photographic memory and an IQ of 168, Christian Farrington is top of the class. The eight-year-old – who taught himself to read at 18 months – has the academic ability of a child twice his age. But Christian has been told that he will have to move from his primary school to a special school because he has autism. Despite his brilliant progress at school, the local education authority has decided it is too costly for him to have teaching assistants there. His mother, Gabrielle Pakpourtabrizi, 25, is taking legal action. Miss Pakpourtabrizi, from Ely in Cambridgeshire, said: ‘Taking him out of the school he loves and putting him in a special needs school will pull the carpet from underneath him and completely ruin him. ‘He has surpassed everyone’s expectations and no child deserves to be taken away from a school that is working for them.’ Christian has attended Ely St John’s Community Primary School since he started school. His mother first noticed her son’s abilities when he picked up a children’s book in a doctors’ waiting room as an 18-month-old toddler and read it aloud. Experts say Christian has the academic ability of a 15-year-old but he has high-functioning autism, which means he can struggle with some social situations. He has had a one-to-one teaching assistant at his school to help him deal with loud environments and busy classes. Young and talented: Gabrielle says he boy Christian has an high IQ and a photographic memory, but moving him away from mainstream school will wreck his chances . Special: Christian's detailed drawings, including this one, led to him being diagnosed with autism . But the local authority now wants to . move him to a school for children with learning difficulties after Ely . St John’s asked for funding for a second teaching assistant. Miss . Pakpourtabrizi said he was thriving at school and the decision will see . his progress stall and rare talents wasted. Happy chap: Christian, pictured as a baby, taught himself to read and began reading out loud at 18 months . She said: ‘What the council wants to do simply isn’t on and they would be depriving Christian of his opportunities. ‘The only reason they’re doing this is . to save money as they don’t want to have to pay to support Christian as . he progresses through mainstream school. What he’s achieving at his . current primary school is priceless. ‘He will not be intellectually . stimulated there (at a special school). 'I will be willing to back a . change, but only if it is the correct one for my son.’ Miss Pakpourtabrizi has launched . tribunal proceedings against Cambridgeshire County Council’s decision to . move him to Gretton School in Girton. A Special Educational Needs and . Disability Tribunal will decide if Christian should move to the special . school. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the case can be heard in the High . Court. Miss Pakpourtabrizi has asked that if . her son cannot attend his local primary school that he go to a . residential school for children with social, emotional and behavioural . difficulties in Rutland. A council spokesman said: ‘It is agreed that Christian requires specialist provision. ‘The county council has identified an . independent special school in the county which can meet his needs, but . his parents have not accepted this. Home: Christian is Ely St John's Community Primary School but the council want him moved elsewhere . 'They have identified an alternative . school, but due to its distance from his home, Christian would have to . be a weekly boarder. We feel this is inappropriate for a seven-year-old . [Christian turned eight yesterday]. ‘His parents disagree and have lodged an appeal, which they are entitled to do.’ Ely St John’s school declined to comment.
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Cambridgeshire council say Christian Farrington needs specialist education .
But his mother Gabrielle says moving schools will wreck his rare talents .
The seven-year-old has 168 IQ and could read aloud at 18-months-old .
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Since shooting to fame as Mark Wright's fiance on The Only Way Is Essex back in 2010, Lauren Goodger has seen her star - and her confidence - rise. As well as enjoying a stint on Celebrity Big Brother and Dancing On Ice, the 28-year-old has successfully launched her own cosmetics company, Lauren's Way. But the reality TV star-turned-entrepreneur wants to put her newfound confidence and sense of style to good use - by designing a clothing range. Big plans: Lauren Goodger found fame on TOWIE back in 2010 and now she wants to grow her empire by launching a clothing range . Speaking about what she's got coming up, Lauren told MailOnline: 'I would love my own clothing range that's different and caters for curvy sexy girls.' Lauren would be following in the footsteps of her former castmates Gemma Collins, Sam Faiers and Amy Childs, who all have their own fashion ranges. The blonde star also revealed the secret behind the toned body she's been flaunting in her recent social media snaps. So THAT's her secret! Lauren, who has been showcasing her toned physique on social media in recent weeks, says her newfound love of dancing helps her stay in shape . Speaking about her healthy new lifestyle, she explained: 'I try and work out as much as I can and eat healthily, which can be hard with my busy schedule. I love dancing, so that’s a great way to stay toned.' And Lauren has certainly been putting her newly acquired dancing skills to good use in her Instagram videos, where she can often be seen gyrating and twerking to the camera. Lauren is also something of a beauty buff and has her own range of tanning products, lashes and hair extensions under the name of Lauren's Way. The glamorous star has been amping up her beauty regime recently - and she swears by chemical peels for beating her acne. Beauty buff: Lauren, who has her own range of lashes and tan, has been getting chemical peels to treat her acne and sun damage . She said: 'I’m always trying various treatments so when I heard about the The Perfect Peel I had to give it ago. 'It’s basically a chemical face peel that takes just 15 minutes, I visited a London clinic to have it done as it is a strong treatment but it was pain free (which surprised me) and the results you just can’t get with any products at home. 'I had mine done which can help with acne and sun damage. After my recent trip to Dubai my skin was in need of some TLC, so I had it to clear my skin and remove any dead skin or pigmentation that the sun caused. It's a deeper treatment which makes your skin clear and glowing, I see it as an investment.' Look good, feel good: The 28-year-old say she has no judgement on anyone who wants to better themselves by having cosmetic surgery . As well as peels, Lauren says she loves getting her eyebrows done. 'Eyebrows really shape your face so it’s important to have strong great brows. I also recently had a Lava Shell massages as it helps me relax and wind down after a long day, running a business can be quite stressful at times,' she added. And the beauty buff is all for cosmetic surgery if it makes you feel more confident. She said: 'I have no judgement on anyone who wants to better themselves and everyone wants to feel good and everyone should feel good.' Lauren and her girl pals enjoyed a night out at the KISS FM Haunted House party in London on Friday night, all dressed in typically risque outfits. Flaunt it! Lauren Goodger dressed as a sexy vampire at the Kiss FM Halloween Party in London this weekend .
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Lauren, 28, already has tan and lashes range .
Wants to venture into fashion like former TOWIE co-stars .
Says her newfound love of dancing is keeping her toned .
Has been amusing social media fans with her raunchy pictures .
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(CNN) -- Cape Verde and Ethiopia showed over the weekend that David remains very capable of dealing Goliath a knockout blow in international football as both nations advanced to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Cameroon missed out on a second successive Cup of Nations tournament after a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Cape Verde, which has a population of 500,000. Trailing 2-0 following last week's first-leg loss in Praia, the Indomitable Lions fell further behind when striker Heldon Nhuck gave Cape Verde a surprise 1-0 lead in the Cameroonian capital of Yaounde. Achille Emana equalized for Cameroon before half-time but, despite boasting the attacking talent of former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o, the home team were unable to find the back of the net. A late goal from 16-year-old debutant Fabrice Olinga, who is a graduate of the "Samuel Eto'o Foundation", finally put Cameroon ahead in the match, but it wasn't enough to prevent Cape Verde reaching their Africa Cup of Nations. Also through to January's 16-team tournament in South Africa is Ethiopia, who beat Sudan 2-0 to advance on away goals, to reach the tournament for the first time in 30 year. Ethiopia lost the first leg 5-3, but progressed courtesy of goals from Adane Girma and Saladin Seid in Addis Ababa. The tournament, won by Zambia in 2012, is ordinarily held every two years, but it is being staged in 2013 to avoid the competition clashing with future World Cups and the European Championships. Angola overturned a 3-1 first-leg deficit to beat Zimbabwe on away goals. Former Manchester United striker Manucho scored two headed goals inside the first eight minutes to give his country a 2-0 win. Algeria eased through with a 2-0 victory at home to Libya, wrapping up a 3-0 aggregate success. This edition of the tournament had been due to be staged in Libya, but it was switched to South Africa due to the civil uprising in the country. Burkina Faso reached a third consecutive Cup of Nations by beating Central African Republic 3-2 on aggregate. Central African Republic went 2-0 ahead in the tie and 1-0 up in the match before the hosts replied through Alain Troare. Moumouni Dagano scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-2 on aggregate before Traore scored his second and Burkina Faso's third to deny Central African Republic a first Cup of Nations appearance. A goal from Tottenham Hotspur striker Emmanuel Adebayor proved crucial for Togo, who won Sunday's second leg against Gabon 2-1 to seal a 3-2 aggregate success. Niger and Equatorial Guinea complete the tournament line-up following victories against Guinea and Democratic Republic of Congo respectively. The draw for the 29th Africa Cup of Nations will take place in the South African city of Durban on October 24.
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Cameroon fail to qualify for second successive Africa Cup of Nations .
Samuel Eto'o's team suffer a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Cape Verde .
Ethiopia reach CAN for the first time in 30 years after beating Sudan .
Angola, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Togo, Niger and Equatorial Guinea also qualify .
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Lexington, Kentucky (CNN) -- In the 1950s, when Dr. Andy Moore's father was the first plastic surgeon in town, many residents didn't have health insurance. But Dr. Andrew Moore Sr. believed that medicine was about service. "He would accept all kinds of things in payment. People would bring chickens or a bushel of apples or a piece of furniture that they'd made," his son recalled. "He wanted them to be able to maintain their dignity." Moore says he inherited his father's conviction, as well as his love of medicine. Moore, who shares a plastic surgery practice with two of his four brothers, started a program that provides outpatient surgical care to Kentucky's uninsured -- for free. On the third Sunday of each month, Surgery on Sunday opens its doors at the Lexington Surgery Center. Since 2005, when Moore persuaded a hospital to donate space and recruited volunteer staff members from across the state, SOS has treated more than 3,100 patients. "In this economic time, the people that need this are our friends, neighbors and family," said Moore, 61, a Lexington native. "They can't wait till we get some sort of solution from the national government. They need this health care now." Volunteers arrive bright and early -- the first surgery is at 7:30 a.m. -- and leave in the early afternoon. On an average Sunday, the group cares for 25 to 30 patients. Volunteers include anesthesiologists, nurses, receptionists and other surgeons. Most cases are gallbladders, hernias and colonoscopies, although SOS offers a wide range of surgical procedures. Different surgeons perform procedures depending on their specialties. "The joy for me is not only taking care of the patients but to see my volunteers getting a lot out of what they're doing," Moore said. For the Moores, medicine and service are family traditions. All three surgeon brothers -- Andy, Woody and Michael -- participate in Surgery on Sunday, and their mother is one of the program's official greeters. Surgery on Sunday clients are the "working poor" who don't qualify for federal programs and can't afford insurance. "It's our duty to help people that fall between the cracks in the health care system," Moore said. "This is what I went into medicine for. ... It's about taking care of people and not necessarily expecting something in return for it." When he started out as a plastic surgeon 26 years ago, providing free care to patients was simple, Moore says; it just required a phone call to the hospital. Over time, hospitals agreed to help less and less, and the growth of insurance and computers added to the complexity. But patients still needed treatment. According to the Census Bureau, 46.3 million people in the United States are uninsured. In Kentucky, the fifth poorest state in the nation, 33 percent of working-age adults lack health insurance, according to a University of Cincinnati poll. Moore says he won't stop fighting for the uninsured to get the care they deserve. "Knowing that you've made a real difference in their lives, at the other end, is the thing that keeps you going," he said. Moore hopes to expand the program nationally. In March, the group is starting its first satellite program in Dallas, Texas, which will be operated by local volunteers using a template provided by Moore and SOS. In Lexington, costs are covered by donations and private foundations, and patients are referred to SOS by hospitals and free clinics. People are seen based on the urgency of their medical need, and about 1,500 people are on a waiting list. Michael Weyls had to wait more than a year for his second SOS surgery. A California native, Weyls, 52, was an avid surfer who worked construction for years. He was diagnosed with malignant melanoma at age 30 and had it removed, but it reappeared 20 years later. At that point, Weyls was uninsured and couldn't afford the surgery, so his skin cancer advanced. By the time he first got to SOS in the fall of 2008, half of his nose had to be removed. The surgery may have saved his life, but it also left Weyls disfigured and in a deep depression. "My face was tore up. I kind of lost hope," Weyls said. "But Dr. Moore gave me hope." A year later, Moore helped reconstruct Weyls' nose. It took two Moore brothers and four hours of surgery to give Weyls a new start at life. "What they did is awesome, and I'm grateful," Weyls said. "It's a wonderful program." Want to get Involved? Check out the Surgery on Sunday Web site and see how to help.
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Surgery on Sunday provides free outpatient surgical care to Kentucky's uninsured .
Plastic surgeon Dr. Andy Moore started the program in 2005 .
He and his team of volunteers have treated more than 3,100 patients .
Do you know a hero? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes .
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Title: Unusual Winter Weather Phenomenon Sweeps Across Midwest Regions
In an unexpected turn of events, a rare winter weather phenomenon known as the 'Squall Line' has swept across the Midwestern United States this week, bringing unusually heavy snowfall and high winds to several states. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued severe winter storm warnings for areas including Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, advising residents to stay indoors and prepare for possible power outages due to downed trees and power lines.
The Squall Line, a relatively straight-lined band of intense thunderstorms that move eastward, is typically associated with warm fronts in the spring or summer. However, this year's winter weather has shown no signs of slowing down as it enters its final stages, making the occurrence of a Squall Line during this season quite uncommon.
Meteorologists are predicting that this unusual weather event could drop up to 12 inches (30 cm) of snow in some areas, with wind gusts reaching speeds of over 50 mph (80 km/h). Residents have been urged to take precautions and stay safe during this time.
The NWS reminds everyone to check on their neighbors, especially the elderly and those living alone, during extreme weather conditions. It is also advised to have an emergency kit prepared with essential items such as food, water, flashlights, and batteries in case of power outages.
As the winter season progresses, weather experts are keeping a close eye on this rare Squall Line event, hoping for a swift transition into spring weather. Until then, stay warm and safe!
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A rare winter weather phenomenon called a 'Squall Line' has unexpectedly hit the Midwest United States this week, causing heavy snowfall and strong winds in several states. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued severe storm warnings for Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, urging residents to stay indoors and prepare for potential power outages due to fallen trees and power lines. This Squall Line, usually associated with warm fronts in spring or summer, is unusual during winter. The weather could dump up to 12 inches (30 cm) of snow and have wind gusts over 50 mph (80 km/h). Neighbors, particularly the elderly and those living alone, are advised to be checked on during these conditions, and having an emergency kit with food, water, flashlights, and batteries is recommended in case of power outages. Weather experts are monitoring this event, hoping for a quick transition to spring weather. Stay warm and safe!
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(CNN) -- The mother-in-law of a 25-year-old woman found dead in a septic system provided investigators with details where the corpse was located, police said Wednesday. The mother-in-law, Sandra Inman, along with the woman's estranged husband, William Inman Jr., and the woman's father-in-law, William Inman Sr., were arrested and face kidnapping charges. Logan, Ohio Police Chief Aaron Miller said the body of Summer Inman was discovered in a septic system behind a church in nearby Nelsonville, Ohio on Tuesday. He said officers had to unscrew the system's cover before reaching the body. "It would appear that she was killed very quickly," Miller told reporters. He did not provide further details. Summer Inman's abduction and the arrests connected to her case have made national news recently. The mother of three was working as part of a cleaning crew at a local bank on March 22, police said. When she stepped outside, she was grabbed and forced into a white vehicle. Miller said that the evidence suggests all three suspects played a role in the kidnapping, but he would not discuss whether they were involved in the apparent murder. Summer Inman and William Inman Jr. were married in 2004 but the couple was separated, CNN affiliate WBNS reported. Summer Inman had also filed for divorce and claimed in court documents that her husband had threatened to kill her if she took his children away, the affiliate reported.
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NEW: The mother-in-law provided details where the corpse was located, police say .
NEW: The body of Summer Inman was discovered in a septic system behind a church .
Police have arrested the woman's estranged husband, mother-in-law and father-in-law .
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A former top Justice Department official in Arizona leaked an internal memo from a federal agent who had criticized the politically charged "Fast and Furious" gun trafficking operation, a government report found. Dennis Burke, who was U.S. Attorney for the state, admitted to senior Justice Department officials in 2011 that he had leaked to the media the memo written by John Dodson, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to the Justice Department inspector general's finding on Monday. The IG report said the leak was an apparent attempt to undermine Dodson's credibility. Burke resigned after making the disclosure. What was 'Fast and Furious,' and what went wrong? The report said the memo was among documents gathered for review by congressional committees investigating the botched ATF operation dubbed "Fast and Furious." The controversial program allowed 2,000 guns to cross Arizona's border with Mexico beginning in 2009 with the intention of tracking them to criminal gangs. Authorities lost track of hundreds of weapons that wound up in the hands of drug cartels and two guns wound up at the scene of a border agent's slaying the next year although it was not clear whether they factored in the death. A report last September by the Justice Department's inspector general found that the operation was marked by "a series of misguided strategies, tactics, errors in judgment and management failures."` According to the report, the "Fast and Furious" memo should not have been released to the media without approval by the Justice Department's public affairs office. Excerpts from the 'Fast and Furious' report . The report said Burke told a senior Justice Department official that he didn't know the memo was only to be given to congressional investigators and thought the member of the media who received it had already seen it. Burke reportedly also said he didn't think he'd done anything inappropriate. Burke later told congressional investigators that he provided the memo to a friend who gave it to a FOX News producer, according to the report. Dodson's attorney complained to the DOJ Office of Inspector General in July 2011 that someone had leaked the memo after the agent received an e-mail from a FOX news producer asking for comment on excerpts. According to the inspector general's report, the memo suggested an operation using tactics similar to the ones Dodson had later criticized in congressional testimony. The IG report said "although Burke denied to congressional investigators that he had any retaliatory motive for his actions, we found substantial evidence to the contrary." Chuck Rosenberg, a lawyer representing Burke, had no comment on the report. The inspector general's office said it would refer the matter to the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility to determine whether he had violated rule of professional conduct for any state bars of which he is a member. Report slaps 14 at Justice, ATF .
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Memo written by federal agent was critical of the botched gun-running operation .
IG report says the leak was intended to undermine credibility of agent .
Top federal prosecutor in Arizona at the time says he did not think he did anything wrong .
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By . Ryan Gorman . A Minnesota teen living on a U.S. military base in Japan has been arrested for raping a classmate and recording the act on a smartphone while friends watched, authorities said. Ricky Sherwood, 18, allegedly got the 17-year-old girl intoxicated February 11 before forcing himself on her at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, said police. Witnesses said she was barely conscious during the assault. Her blood alcohol content was discovered that night at a local hospital to be 0208 per cent, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Where it happened: Ricky Sherwood raped the teen girl on Kadena Air Force Base, in Okinawa, Japan, police said . The high school senior and part-time lifeguard at the island base was undeterred by a friend heard in the video saying ‘she looks like she’s gonna die,’ according to a criminal complaint cited by the paper. Sherwood admitted to plying the girl with alcohol, raping her and recording a video of his actions when interviewed by investigators, the affidavit said, according to the paper. The girl told police that went to Sherwood’s home that afternoon after school, drank two cups of alcohol and blacked out until being tended to by paramedics in a local park hours later. Other students said the victim was ‘unable to stand, walk or dress herself,’ cops said. Sherwood put her in a chair, carried her to a car and dumped her in the park after the rape, police said. Investigators said the video shows the girl not moving and with her eyes closed while Sherwood raped her. Sherwood was living on the base with his uncle, who has legal custody of him, because his mother lives in Mexico, the Star Tribune reported. He was arraigned this week over the phone by a judge in St. Paul – U.S. officials have jurisdiction over the case because he is a base employee, the paper said. He will eventually be extradited to the U.S. to face charges, ad faces at least one year in prison.
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Ricky Sherwood, 18, went to school with his underage victim, authorities said .
The young girl was so drunk she could not move and her eyes remained closed while he assaulted her, witnesses told police .
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